tymes so as no man can atteine to the same naturall veyne the same zeale and the same efficacie vnlesse he be led by the same hand moued by the same spirit and pricked with the same spurre that Moyses Dauid and the Prophetes were To be short if it be hard to father a booke vppon Plato Herodotus and Hipocrates but that hee which shall haue read them aduisedly will by and by espie it euen a farre of So is it as vnpossible to father the other bookes vppon those which haue a stile sofarre differing from other writings vnlesse a man wil beare himselfe on hand that such bastardbookes were made in the same ages or néere about the same tymes that those Authors liued in Let vs sée how it may be possible to haue bene doone in the same ages Moyses published the Lawe before all the people and he curseth the partie with death both of body and soule which shall adde diminish or alter any thing Hee bindeth the people household by household to take fast hold thereof His bookes are deliuered to euery Trybe they be read openly euery Saboth day they be kept carefully in the Arke and the Arke is kept as carefully by all the Trybes And that this was doone it appeareth not onely by his booke but also by the effects that insewed therof from time to time and by the footesteps therof which are euident euen yet among the Iewes If it be possible for a booke to bee preserued from falsifying and foysting what booke shall that be but the Byble which was garded by ten hundred thousand men and copyed out not by some Scriueners onely but also by all the people Afterward came Iosua who renewed the same Couenant proclaymed the Lawe and yéelded record vnto Moyses Lykewise the Iudges succéeded Iosua Samuell succéeded the Iudges the Kings and the Chronicles succéeded Samuell and the Prophets succéeded them all These bookes followed one another immediatly and without interpâ—â—â—â—tion and euery one that followed presupposed the things to be an infallible trueth which had bene written by them that went afore neither was there any that did cast any douts or reproue any of the former histories as is found to be doone in other Histories as for example Hellanicus reproueth Ephorus Ephorus finds fault with Timeus and consequently Timeus reprehendeth them that wrote afore him But Iosua gathereth a certeine and vnfallible consequence of Moyses the Iudges of Iosua Samuell of the Iudges Dauid of them all and so all the rest And to speake of the Prophets they bee not lyke the bookes of our Astrologers which reforme one anothers Calculations and controll one anothers Prognostications But as they shoote all at one marke so they agrée in one thing notwithstanding that they wrote in sundrie times and sundry places Nay which more is wée see that the people were so sure of that Lawe that from age to age they chose rather to abyde all extremities than to giue it ouer insomuch that they defended it ageinst the Chananites the Philistines the Assyrians the Babilonians the Persians the Greekes and the Romanes Who then durst be so prowd and bold as to voilate or imbace the thing that was hild to be so holy defended with so many lyues and confirmed with so many deathes If yee say the Heathen Their intents was not to marre it but to make it quyte away For what profite could haue redounded vnto them of that payne to what ende should they haue done it or how could they haue corrupted it in the sight in the knowledge of so many folke Moreouer who knoweth not that the Scriptures were caryed by the banished Iewes into diuers countryes of the world afore they came into the hands of the Gentiles as of the Greekes or Romanes As for the Iewes their shooteanker and felicitie consisted in the kéeping of them the reward of corrupting them was death and what could it theÌ„ haue benefited them to haue corrupted them Nay yet further which of them would haue dyed afterward for a Lawe which they knewe to bee corrupted or counterfetted And soothly we see throughout their Histories that there passed not so much as any one halfe hundred yeeres without persecutions and warres for that Lawe And whereas it myght be sayd that some suttleheaded fellow among the Iewes had done it to abuse the rest how could that be ageine séeing it was not in the hands of fower or fiue Prestes only as the Ceremonies of the Hetrurians and Latins were but in the hands of the whole people so as one sillable could not be chaunged but it was to be espyed euen by yoong Children Considering also that we reade not of any king how wise so euer he were that euer durst presume to ad diminish or alter any whit thereof whereas notwithstanding all other Lawes of the world were made by péecemeale and Kings and Senats haue alwaies reserued to theÌ„selues a prerogatiue to correct them and alter them at their pleasure specially when they limited their authoritie and serued not for the mayntenance of their possession And if any man to beréeue vs of this argument will stepfoorth and say that our Scriptures are as an Historie gathered out of the Registers of many ages by some one author as we sée Berosus hath done for the Chaldees Duis for the Phenicians Manetho for the Egiptians and such others let him tell vs then I hartily pray him in what age of the world that Author is lykely to liued If in the tyme of Moyses of Iosua or of the Iudges how commeth it to passe that he wryteth of the reignes of the kings If in the tyme of the first Kings how wryteth he of the last Kings If in the tyme of the last Kings how is it possible that the Iewes being afore that time caryed away into diuers places of the world and scattered abroade euerywhere lyke the members of Pentheus should carie keepe with them the books of Moyses which by these mens reckoning were not yet made according to which booke both themselues did notwithstaÌ„ding then liue and also taught other Nations I meane the ten Trybes by name which by three former remouings were scattered ouer the whole Earth whereof the marks are to apparant to be denyed The first in the the tyme of Achaz King of Iuda and of Placea King of Israell by Thiglath Phalassar King of the Assirians who caryed away Ruben Gad and the halfe trybe of Manasses the second in the tyme of Ose by Salmanasar who caryed away Isachar Zabulon and Nepthaly into Assiria and the third anon after by the same Salmanasar who conueyed away Ephraim and the other half of Manasses as is witnessed both by the auncient Records of many Countryes and also by the Chronicles of the Hebrewes And at that tyme whyle Printing was notyet in vse what meane was there to disperse those books so soone and so farre of Nay which more is what will they say when they shall find the bookes of
in his first booke of his antiquities chap. 3. In his treatise that beastes are capable of reason Iohn Picus Erle of Mirandula against Astrologers Cham. The confusion of tongues or languages Alexander Polyhistor Abydenus Sibylla Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 4. de prepar Genes 11. Sodom Galen in his booke of simples Pausanias in his Eliaks Solinus in his Polyhistor Tacitus in his last booke Eusebius li. 9. de praepar Cap. 4. Eupolemus in his booke of the Iewes Abraham and his race Artabanus in his Historie of the Iewes Melon against the Iewes Artabanus concerning the Iewes Secundum Mystas Origines against Celsus lib. 4. Moysessis Myracles In sted of Cabala Plinie hath Iocabela Exod. 12. The nomber of the children of Israel Iosua Procopius in his secoÌ„d book of the warres of the Vaudales Saul Dauid The Scripture of the Prophet Iosephus libr. Antiquit 15. Cap. 16. lib. 16. cap. 11. of the Iewish warres lib. 5. cap. 2. Salomon Iosephus in his antiquities lib. 8. cap. 2. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 4. Plutarke in his feast of Seuen Sages Iosephus liâ— cap. 2. The History of Ethiop Makeda â— Chron. 3. Gilbert Genebrand in his Chronologie The remouings of the ten Trybes 1. Kings 15. 2. Kings 17. 4. Esdras 13. Herodotus li. 2. The Deliuerance by Cirus Iosephus in his Antiquitie lib. 8. cap. 4. 1. Kings 14. Herodotus li. 2 1. Kings 18. Diodorus li. 3. Esay 38. Denis in his Hierarchie Obiections concrneing Absurdities Origen ageinst Celsus lib. 4. The needefulnesse of this third marke One Mediator God Man Man borne without Corruption The opinion of the HeatheÌ„ concerning the cleansing of Mankind Saint Austin concerning the Citie of God lib. 20. Cap. 9. 23. 32. The Mediator promised in the Scriptures from the one end of them to the other Gen. 3. Christ is a spirituall King contrary to the opinion of the Iewes of our tyme. Let the reader beare in mynd once for all that the word Messias in Hebrewe the word Christ in Greek signifie both one thing namely the Lords Anoynted The TharguÌ„r of Hierusalem The Talmud in the Treatise intytled Sanhedrim in the Chapter Melee Midrach Thehilim A tradition of the Hebrewes 2. Sammuel 7. 1. King 5. 6. 1. Chron. 2v Plal. 89. Psalm â— 45 47. 67. 72. Esay 1. Micheas Esay 4. Esay 9. Esay 11. He had said a fore that the high Cedars should be cast downe that is to say the great Princes And against those Cedars he setteth expresly this litle braÌ„ch of the roote of Iesse or Isay. This Iesse or Isay was Dauids father Esay 25. 35. 42 49. Esay 52. 53. In the Talmud in the treatise intitled Sanhedrin in the Chapter Helec Esay 55. 59. 61. 62. â—ere 23. 30. 33. Ezcehiel 34. 17. Talmud in the â—reatise intytled Sanhedrin in the chapter Helec Daniel 2. 7. 9. Osec 1. 2. 3. Amos. 9. Micheas Sophonie 2. Zacharie 3. 6. 9. 13. In the treatise Sanhedrin cap. Halec The Iewes of old tyme looked for a spirituall King Misdrach Hasâ—im Ballet Cap. 1. vers 14. cap. 4. vers 4. Rabbi Barachias in his Bereschith Rab ba Misdrach Exod. 21. * We call him Phares Thalmud in the treatise SaÌ„hedrin cap Helec Esay 11. Reasons against the Iewes of our daies It is the 13. article of the beleef of the Iewes Rabbi Moyses ben Maimon The Iewes of our dayes say that this Leuiathan is a Whale powdred for the feast of the Messias That by the Scriptures Christ the Mediator is both God and Man Gen. 3 Deut. 21. ver 8 Psalm 45. Psalm 110. The Booke sepher kibbutsim Midrasch The hilim vpon the second Psalm verse 7. Esay 9. Lament 1. ver 16. Bereschith Rabba vpon Genes 55. Rabbi Heâ—adosch Esay 7. Christ is called Iehouah that is to say the euerlasting God Esay 18. 28. 1. Bereshith Keâ—ana In the treatise Sanhedrin cap Dine Mammonoth Lament 1. vers 16. Midrasch Tehilim vpon the 23. Psal. vers 1. R. Moyses Hadarsan vpon Genesis ca. 4â— Thalmudiâ— the treatise SaÌ„hedrin Cap. Helec Midrasch Tehilint vpon the fortith Psalm In the booke intytled Siphrei vpon the 26 of Leuiticus The booke Mechilia vpon the 14. of Exo. The Ballet 8. vers 1. Leuit. 25. vers 25. The booke Tan humaâ— Midraseh vpoÌ„ Leuiticus Rabbi Moyses Hadarsan vpoÌ„ Gen. 49. Psal. 49. Midrasch sir Hasirim cap. 1 Rabbi Eleazar vnto Zohar The Cabilists R. Simeon B. Iohai vpon Gene. 1. ver 17. cap. 17. ver â— In the booke of Shamefastnes The same vpoÌ„ Genesis ca. 10. In the treatise Sanhedum cap. Helec Ieremy 16. The booke of Faith and Reconciliation In the booke Hecadma vau He Iod He. In his booke intytled the Gate of light Cap. 1. Rabbi Hecadosch That the Second Persone tooke flesh Kimhi in his booke of Rootewordes Psalm 89. Psalm 2. Midrasch Thehilim vppon the second Psalm Psalm 72. vers 17. Psalm 9. vers 2. In the treatyse Sanhedrin Cap. Helec Rabbi Iosua ben Leui in his Echa Rabethi Cap. 1. vers 16. Esai 45. ver 17 Osee. 1. vers 7. Psalm 110. Gen. 47. Psal. 147. vers 18. Gen. 10. Iob. 19. vers 26. Philo the Iew in his booke of the banished Malachy 5. vers 8. Osee. 6. ver 2. Psal. 17. ver vit In Echa Rabathi cap. 1. vers 6. Dan. 2. ver 22. Gen. 1. Psal. 36. ver 9. Psalm 18. Esay 45. In the booke intitled the Gate of light cap. 2. And of a virgin Esay 11. 14. R. Moyses Hadarsan vpon the 85 psalme Vpon the 25. of Genesis Zach. 4. vers 7. Psal. 110. Gen. 2. Hacadosch The conclusion of the three Markes of the true Religion in Israel Obiections Obiections The marks and tokens of Christes comming Gen. 49. In the Talmud vnder the tytle San hedrin the Cha. Helec The booke called Zohar Kimhi vppon Genesis and in his booke of Rootes The Kingdome is cessed Bereschith Rabba The Talmud in the Chapter Chelek Esay 18. vers 5 and 7. Esay 1. vers 25. and 26. 1. Kings 12. Sedar Olam Zura Origen in his 4. booke of Princes The Talmud in the treatyse Sanhedrin Chapt. Dine Mammouoth Rabbi Moyses the Egiptian in the preface of the Maiemonims This Hillel was a great Doctor among them out of whose Schoole issewed many greate lerned men in the Lawe Rabbi Dauid Kimhi vppon Haggeus Rabbi Moyses Haddarsan vpon Genesis chap. 49. Iosephus in his first booke of the warres of the Iewes cap. 5. 25. lib. 15 cap. 9. 10. Sedar Olam Philo in his booke of Times Deut. 17. Midrasch vpoÌ„ Deuteronomy In Bauabathra cap. Hasutaphim In the Talmud of Hierusalem in the chap. Sanhedrin Rabbi Asse Rabbi Rahamon In the foresayd place of the Talmud Seder Olam The ouerthrowe of thesecond Temple Haggeus Cap. 2. vers 4. Rabbi Samuel in the treatyse Sanhedrin In the Talmud of Hierusalem R. Aha in his booke of Dayes Midrasch on the Canticle Cap. 8. vers 8. Seder Olam Rab. Selomoh vpon the
vnitie and settled state and that the nature of the Mynded which is behild is an act that isseweth from him that Myndeth which act consisteth in beholding or mynding him and in beholding him becometh one selfesame thing with him Againe he sayth in a◠other place To bee and to vnderstand are both one thing in God and if any thing proceede therof inwardly yet is it no whit diminished therby because the Mynder and the Mynded are both one same thing For the beholding of ones selfe in his selfe is nothing but himselfe But yet must there needes be alwaies both a selfesamenesse and also an othernesse Now then let vs conclude thus that these two Inbeings or Persons namely The Mynded and the Mynder are both one thing and therefore that they differ not but only in way of relation And that forasmuch as there must néedes bee euer both a selfesamenesse and also an othernesse If I may so terme them the selfesamenesse is in the Essence or beeing because that from God there procéedeth nothing but God and the othernesse is in the Inbeings or Persons as in respect that the one is the begetter and the other is the begotten Moreouer this Plotinus calleth the begetter the Father and the begotten the Sonne after the same maner that we doe Certesse sayth he the vnderstanding is beautifull and the most beautifull of all and therefore in diuers other places he termeth him the Beautifull as he termed the First the Good and sitteth in cleere light and brightnesse and conteyneth in him the nature of all things that are As for this Worlde of ours although it be beautifull yet it is scarce an image or shadowe of him but the world that is aboue is set in the very light itself where there is nothing that is voyd of vnderstanding nor nothing darke but euery where is led a most blessed lyfe Now lyke as he that beholdeth the Skye and the Starres falleth by and by to seeking the author of this World So he that considereth aud commendeth the World that is not to be discerned but in vnderstanding doth lykewise seeke the author thereof namely who he is that begate that World and where and how he begate that Sonne that vnderstanding that Child so bright and beautifull euen that Sonne full of the Father As for the souerein father hee is neither the vnderstanding nor the Sonne nor the Child but a Mynd higher thā Vnderstanding and Child And next vnto him is the Vnderstanding or Child who needeth both vnderstanding and nourishment and is next to him that hath neede of nothing And yet for al this the Sonne hath the very fulnesse of vnderstanding because hee hath it immediatly and at the first hand But as for him that is the higher that is to wit the Father he hath no neede of him for then should the Sonne be the very good it selfe So say we also that the Sonne hath all fulnesse howbeit of the Father and that the Father hath all fulnesse but of himselfe and that the Father is not the Sonne or the Worde but that the Sonne or the Worde is of the Father And in another place hee sayth What shall a man haue gayned by seeing or beholding God That hee shall haue seene God begetting a Sonne and in that Sonne al things and yet holding him still in him without payne after his conceyuing of him of whom this World as beautifull as we see it to be is but an Image In which sort a painted Table is after a maner a portreyture of the mynd of him that made it I sayd moreouer that this Sonne is the Wisedome of the Father the like whereof Plotinus also sayth vnto vs. All things sayth he that are done eyther by Art or by Nature are done by Wisedome If they bee done by Arte from Arte we come to Nature and of Nature againe we demaund from whence she hath it whereby wee finally come to a Mynd and then are we to seeke whether the Mynd haue begotten Wisedome And if that bee graunted wee will inquire yet further whereof And if they say it begetteth it of it self That cannot be vnlesse the Mynd be the very Wisedome it selfe Wisedome therfore shal be the Essence and the very Essence shal be Wisedome and the worthinesse of the Essence shal be Wisedome And therefore euery Essence that wanteth Wisedome is in deede an Essence as in respect that Wisedome made it but forasmuch as it hath no Wisedome in it selfe it is no true Essence in deede Now the ordinary teaching of Plotine is to call the Understanding or second Person the very Béeer in déed or the very true Essence and the first person a thing higher than Understanding or Essence Wherevpon it should followe that with him Wisedome and true Essence are both one that is to say that the second person is Wisedome To the same purpose also he sayth that the sayd Mynd possesseth all things in his homebred Wisedome That all shapes are but beames and effects thereof and that the same is the trueth yea and King of trueth which is a name that the Scripture also attributeth to the second person As touching the third person whom he calleth the Soule of the World he seemeth in his other bookes to lay vs a foundation of a better opinion For God saith he hath wrought he wrought not vnwillingly and therefore there is a will in GOD. Now surely he whose power is answerable to his will should by and by become the better God then who is the good it self than the which nothing can be better filleth his owne will to the full so as he is the thing that he listeth to be and lifteth to be that which he is and his will is his very Essence This will againe is his act or operatiō and that act is his very substance And so God setteth downe himself in this act of Beeing And this is in a maner all one with the things which I spake in the former Chapter namely that God by his will produceth a third person that is to say the loue of himself by delighting in himself And in another place This same GOD sayth he is both the lonely and loue and this Loue is the loue of himselfe for of himselfe and in himselfe is he altogether beautifull And whereas he is sayd to be altogether with himselfe it could not be so vnlesse that both the thing which is and also the person which is together therewith were both one selfesame thing Now if the together beer for I must be fayne to vse that word the thing together wherewith he is be both one and likewise the desirer and the thing desired be one also Surely the desire and the Essence must also needes be one selfesame thing And this desire of the Mynd is the Loue it self whom we call the holy Ghost which procéedeth by the Will and so by the foresayd reasons is proued to bee
one Hippocrates and certeine others made a collection of all those things and so of many mens experiences was made an arte and that Arte hath bene inriched from time to time and more peraduenture in our age than euer it was before Howsoeuer the case stand it is certeyne that the first Phisition that was séene in Rome was one Archagatus who about a sixscore yeeres afore the comming of Christ in the Consuâ—ship of Lucius AEmilius Paulus and Marcus Liuius was made free of the Citie after whom diuers other Greeke Phisitions came thiâ—her by heapes but they were by and by driuen away againe by Cato the Censor as Hangmen or Tormenters sent by the Greekes to murther the Barbarians for so did the Greekes call all other Nations besides themselues rather than Phisitions to heale the diseazed and that was bicause that in all cases without discretion they vsed launcing and searing to all Sores Now sith we see the Sciences and Artes growe after that maner from Obseruation to Obseruation and from Principle to Principle and to bee so newly come vp among the Nations of greatest renowne and learning shall we doubt to conclude that it was so among the ruder nations likewise Let vs come to Lawes for euen the barbarousest people had of them and it may bee that seeing man is borne too societie and fellowship thei had greater care to set an order among themselues by good Lawes than to marke the order of the Skyes or the disposition of their owne bodyes But doth not the Lawe written leade vs foorthwith to the Lawe vnwritten And doe not the greate volumes of Lawes which we turne ouer now adayes leade vs to the peeces of Trebonian and Trebonian to the Sceuolaes and Affricanes and these againe to the Lawes of the Twelue Tables And I pray you what els be the twelue Tables but the infancy of the Romane Lawes which being very simple rudiments of Ciuill gouernment like those which are to bee found at this day among the most barborests Nations wee through a foolish zeale of antiquitie doe wonder at in the auncient Romanes and despyse them in the auntient Almanes Thuringians Burgonions Salians and Ripuaries who notwithstanding had them farre better than the Romanes But what antiquitie can be sayd to be in them seeing their continuance hath not bin past a fower hundred yeeres afore the comming of Christ as the Romane Histories themselues informe vs Againe doe not the twelue Tables send vs backe to the Grecians And of whom had the Greekes them but of Draco and Solon as in respect of the Athenians who liued in the time of Cyrus King of Persia and of Lycurgus as in respect of the Lacedemonians who liued about the end of the Empyre of Assiria And what els is all this houge Depth of Antiquitie whereof the Greekes make so great boast but late newnesse among the Iewes Moreouer Plutarke sayth that Solon and Lycurgus had beene in AEgypt to seeke Lawes and that there for all their bragging of antiquitie they were skorned as yong Children The AEgiptians also had their Lawes of Mercury Mercury doubtlesse had them from the Paterne of Moyses whom Diodorus witnesseth to haue bin the first Lawe maker of all To be short what shall we say seeing that as Iosephus noceth against Appion the very name of Law was vnknowen amoÌ„g the Greekes in the time of Homere But it may be that there haue bene Kings tyme without mind for they were as a liuing Law and their determinations were turned into Lawes Let vs marke then that from the great Monarks we come to the Kings of seuerall Nations and from them to vnderkings of Prouinces and of Shyres and afterwards to Kings of Townes Cities and Uillages and finally to Kings of Households which were the Fathers and Maisters of houses and were the â—ldest erauncient est of them and these doe sende vs to the one comon stocke that is to say the one comon beginning of them all And wheÌ„ was that Surely Iustine the History writer witnesseth that the Kings which were afore Ninus King of the Assyrians were but particular Iudges of controuersies which rose betweene folke of any one Towne or Citie or household and that the sayd Ninus was the first King of whome any Historiographers haue written And Herodotus sayth that the AEgyptians had the first Kings And he that will mount vp any higher must doe it by the holy Scripture which teacheth vs that Nembrod was the first that brake the sayd fatherly order of Houshold gouernment wherein euery father reigned ouer chose that descended of him without any other prerogatiue than of age which sort of Gouerners Manetho calleth Shepherdkings saying that they had beene a thousand yeres afore the warres of Troy For as for the Greekes and Romanes either they were not as yet at all or els surely they liued with Acornes lyke the People whome wee at this day call Sauages But let vs see if at leastwise the Gods of the Heathen haue any antiquitie for in asmuch as the essentiall shape of man is to acknowledge a certeine Godhead it is lykely that nothing should be of grerter antiquitie than that And in very deede Nations haue bene found both without Lawes and without Kings but without Gods and without some sort of Religion there was neuer any found But what shall we say if men haue bene borne afore Gods yea and also doe liue still after them Let vs not buzie our braynes about the first comming vp of the petigods as well of the Romanes as of the Greekes who had moe of them than they had of Shyres Citties Townes and Houses nor yet about their Pedegrees which are sufficiently described by their owne seruers and worshippers the Idolaters themselues but let vs go to the very roote of them What is to be sayd of the first Saturne who is called the father of them all Of what tyme is he Soothly if wee beleeue the notablest Storywriters amoÌ„g the Greekes the Epitaphe of Osyris reported by Diodorus the Sicilian Saturne I meane not the Saturne of the Greekes but the auncientest of all that Saturnes is none other thaÌ„ C ham the sonne of Noe neither is Osyris any other thaÌ„ Misraim the youngest sonne of Cham And those which woulde make Saturne auncientest say hee was but Noe himselfe I forbeare to say what Berosus and others of the lyke stampe report of him bicause I hold them for fabling and forged authors As touching Iupiter if ye meane him that was surnamed Belus that is to say Ball or Mayster hee was the Sonne of Nembrod which Memrod was also called Saturne which was a common name to the auncientest persons of great Houses And if he were that Iupiter which was surnamed Chammon or Hammon hee was the same Cham or Chamases the Sonne of Noe which was worshipped in Lybya for it is certeine that hee tooke his ioyrney thither For as for Iupiter of Crete
their Goddes doth many a man abuse They be but gastly Ghostes and feendes of hel Or graues of men in whom no soule doth dwell To be short Amalthea and hir Goate that nurced Iupiter which were honored in the Capitoll and all his other misteries represented nothing els but the trauells of his Childhod and of his lyfe as how he was stolen away how he was hidden and how he was nurced all which things are a manifest derogation of his Godhead And Seneca taketh it to be a matter so woorthie to be laughed at that he forgetteth his owne grauitie to giue a mockâ—vnto it Seeing sayth he that this Iupiter was so lecherous why begetteth he not Children still if he be yet aliue Is it bycause he is threescore yeeres old Or hath the Lawe of Papie restreyned him Or hath he obteyned the priuiledge of three Children Or finally is it come into his mynd to looke for the same measure at other folks hands which he hath measured vnto others so as he is afrayd least some Sonne of his should deale with him as he himself delt with Saturne After that manner did this greate Philosopher mocke at his great God wherein he was so much the lesse to be excused bycause he woorshipped him knowing so much as he did As touching Iuno I wilnot stand so much vppon the Poets Varro himself saieth that she was brought vp in Samos and there maryed to hir brother Iupiter by whom shee could not conceyâ—e in respect whereof that Iland was called Parthenie that is to say Maydenland There also was hir famousest Temple where shee stoode in wedding attyre and hir yeerly feastes are in verie deede but playes ordeyned after the fashion of old tyme to represent hir lyfe that is to wit hir mariage hir iealosie and hir incest And as concerning Minerua Iupiters daughter wee reade that shee was deffowred by consent of hir father who had made a promise to Vulcane not to deny him whatsoeuer he should aske so monstruouse and Lawlesse was the whole race of them For as for Venus whose aduoutries are mo than hir Children Euhemere reporteth her too haue bin the first bringer vp of Stewes in the world and that hir woorshippers to honor her withall did call her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such other which names euen a womaÌ„ that were very farre past shame would take in greate disdeyne To be short in the Temple where Cinaras King of Ciprus was buried who was the first that interteyned her surely I am ashamed that the Heathen were not ashamed of such shamefulnes but yet much more that such as beare the name of Christians are not ashamed too make songs thereof in their books Let vs procéede to the rest Neptune as their holy Historie reporteth had the Seacoast for his share or as othersome affirme he was Iupiters Admiral in respect wher of the Poets of our time call Admiralls Neptunes Pluto had the gouernement of lowe Countries which they disguysing turned into Hell Mars had the Leading of Souldiers in the warres and should haue bin hanged at Athens for a murther What maner of Godds I pray you be these which stand at mens courtesie for their grace And what is the Lawe of that Heauen which receyueth those for Godds whom men would haue hanged on the galowes vpon earth Also Apollo became a Shepeherd for loue and of a Shepeherd hee became Laomedons Mason He playd a feawe Iuggling tricks to deceiue folk withall but in the end as Porphyrius telleth vs hee was killed by Python mourned for by the daughters of Triopus and buryed at Delphos Who euer sawe a thing more ageinst reason than the transforming of him into the Sonne which is as much as to shet vp the Sonne into the earth But yet such are the Godds of the Greeks and Romanes that is to wit deadfolks euen kings and Quéenes whom loue or feare hath made to be taken for Gods And in good sooth they did not any thing to their Godds which men do not at this day to their dead to such as are of reputation They make them Temples Chappell 's and altars they apparell them after their age they set them vp Pensils and Penons according to their degree or trade of liuing they make them a funerall feast they celebrate Anniuersaries or Yeermynds all of one sort Insomuch that as Tertullian saieth the Obitfeast differeth not froÌ„ Iupiters feast nor the wodden Canne from his Drinking-cup nor the Cearer of deadfolks from the Birdgasers for the Birdgasers also had to deale with the dead And therefore wee must not think it straunge that Alexander would néeds be a God sith he knew that men woorshipped such or that Scipio Affricane thought that the greate gate of Heauen ought to bee set open for him for his argument concluded the lyke saying If men for slaughters made to heauen admitted be Then should the greatest gate of Heauen be opened vnto me Or that the gentle Ladies Larentia and Flora were Canonized at Roome for they deemed themselues to haue deserued as much by their professioÌ„ as Venus had deserued at the hands of the Cyprians Or that Caligula tooke vpon him to haue Altars erected and sacrifise offered vnto him for he was both more myghtie and also more mischeuous than those whome he worshipped Let this suffice for the Greate ones And for the Little ones we will content ourselues with Esculapius alone whom the Emperour Iulian that greate enemies of Christians commendeth as his sauior aboue all the rest He is sayeth he the Sonne of Iupiter Then say I he is a man for men begot not Goddes But he came downe intoo the World by the Sonne and from the Sonne vnto the Earth for the health and welfare of men What Author eyther in earnest or in iest did euer say so No but he was sayeth the Historie the sonne of the fayre Coronis renowmed in these verses A goodlyer Lady was not to be found In all Emonia going on the ground This Coronis being with Chyld by Apollos preest gaue it forth for the sauing of hir honor that she was gotten with Chyld by Apollo himself whereby it appeareth that hir sonne Esculapius was not the Chyld of Heauen as Iulian reporteth but as men sayd in old tyme a Chyld of the Earth that is to say a bastard And Tarquilius a Roman wryteth that he was a Chyld found in Messine and learned the vertues of some herbes at the hand of Chyron the Centaure and playd the Pedlar a whyle at Epidaure and that afterward being striken to death as Cicero saith with Thunder he was buried at Cyuosures To be short what miracle reade wee to haue bin done by him more than that he shewed men the herbs called Scordion and Asclepiodotes By which reason we may as well Deifie the bird Ibis for the Clisters or the Stag for the herb Ditanie But to conclude what a beastlynes were it to leaue the Creator of all things and to
Moyses to haue bin kept froÌ„ father to sonne euen in the vtmost Coasts of Ethyopia whither the Empires neuer came which bookes they say they haue had there euer since the tyme of Salomon that they were brought thither by the Queene of the Prouince of Saba Thus haue I spoken inough of this matter both for them that are contented to be satisfied with reason for if they do but reade our scriptures they haue whereon to rest and also for those which are otherwise for it is hard to shewe him aught which by his will will see naught But there are yet further which tell vs that in the tyme of the Machabees Antiochus abolished the lawe of Israell and al the bookes of the Byble and they think themselues to haue made a greate speake and hard to be resolued I leaue it to the consideration of all men of iudgment whither it be easie for a Prince though he vse neuer so great diligece vtterly to abolish any maner of booke whatsoeuer seeing the nature of man is such that the more that things are sought to be plucked from him the more he streyneth himself to keepe them But when a booke is once beleeued and reuerenced of a whole nation not for delight of things done by men therein conteyned but for the saluation of man therein reuealed for the trueth whereof men are not afrayd to indure both death and torments as was witnessed by many in the time of the same Antiochus what diligence of man can suffise to abolish it But let vs put the cace that it was abolished in Iewrie yea and that it was abolished throughout his whole Empire what can yet insue thereof séeing that the ten trybes ouer whom Antiochus could haue no authoritie had caryed them and disperced them abroade to the vttermost bounds of the world And séeing that the remouing of the other two trybes had made them rife among the Persians and Babylonians And that the Ptolomyes câ—â—rished the Iewes ryght tenderly in Egipt giuing them open Sâ—â—agogs with franchyses libertie And also that Ptolomie Phâ—ladelph had caused all the Byble to be translated into the Gréeke toong by the thrée score and ten interpreters and had layd it vp in his librarie as a Iewell And to be short that the Iewes were at that verie tyme so dispersed among the Greeks themselues as there was scarcely any Citie which had not receyued them with their Sinagogs But although none of all these reasons were to be had then if the Byble was lost and abolished how was it found ageine so sodeinly in one instant Who could as ye would say casâ— it vp whole out of his stomacke at once Or who hath euer red that the Iewes made any mone for the losse of it or tooke any peyne for the séeking of it out ageine And to cut off superfluitie of spéeche whereof then commeth it that of so manie Gramarians beeing of opinion that they should become wyse men in one day if they had Ciceroes bookes of Comonweale to reade none of them all being more suttleheaded than the rest hath vndertaken to counterfet them in his name No no let vs rather say the Scriptures are of more antiquitie than all other wryting and the more they be so the more aduersitie haue they indured the rage of Tyrans hath ouerflowed them and yet they could nother drowne them nor deface them they haue bin condemned to the fire and yet could not bee consumed Contrarywise the bookes of the greatest men how greate authoritie so euer they had haue bin lost and for all the peyne that hath bin taken to preserue them yet haue they often come to naught The Chronicles of Emperours say I bee perished when the Chronicles of the smal Kings of Iewrie and of that poore outcast people and I wote not what a sort of vanished Shepeherds despised of the world and despysers of the world haue continewed to posteritie in despyght of the World Therefore it must néeds be say that the Scriptures haue bin preserued by Gods singular prouidence both so long time and ageinst so many iniuries of time And séeing they be the only wrytings which only he hath preserued from the creation of the world vnto our dayes surely they were for our behoof And séeing they haue bin reiected of the world and yetnotwithstanding doo liue and reigne in despyght of the world surely they be from somewhere els than of man or of the world that is to wéet Reuelations from God to man continewed from tyme to time for his glorie and our welfare And so by this discourse we gayne this poynt that our Scriptures which are left vs by Moyses Iosua and the Prophets are the auncientest of all wrytings and vtterly voyd of all lykelyhod of mingling or counterfetting and that sith that euen from the beginning there hath bin a Religion reuealed from God and we find none other than this to haue continewed fromthe verie Creation vnto vs we may inferre that the Scriptures wherein we reade it are of God bycause that from lyne to lyne they conteyne his Reuelations made vnto mankynd But let vs passe from this antiquitie which is but the barke of the Scriptures and let vs come to the substance of them which will giue vs assurance of the place from whens they come Now then let vs reade the bookes of men as well of olde tyme as of our owne tyme and what is the scope the ground the forme and discourse of them furtherfoorth than they eyther expounde or followe our Scriptures Some write to celebrate the Kings and great Capteynes of their tyme these be but vauntings of men rumors of people consultations to destroye one another and suttle deuyces to disappoynt or vndoe one another Good men by reading them become malicious and euill men become worse And by the way there must bee some pretie spéech of Fortune which swayeth the Battels As for God who maketh Kings and vnmaketh them againe who holdeth both the enterances and issewes of all things in his hand there is not so much as one word in al a great volume Who doubteth that these be bookes of men which coÌ„teyne nothing but the passions the subtelties and the indeuers of men Another sort write as they themselues say to make themselues immortall They write goodly discourses to make themselues to be had in admiration If they chaunce to stumble vppon some good saying for maners or for the life of man they turkin it a thousand waies to make it seeme good for their purpose They deliuer their words by weight they driue their clauses to fall alike they eschew nycely the méeting together of vowelles and what greater childishnesse can there bee in graue matters than that Yet notwithstanding they make bookes of the despising of vaynglorie and their bookes themselues are full of ambition of the brydling of affections and their arguments are ranke poyson and contention If they happen to speake of the seruing of God it is by
of these Philosophers that our Prophesies being so cléere so particular and so neare to things a farre of could not be in spyred from many Gods Yet notwithstanding all Prophesying say they procéeds either of art or of nature or of some Spirit or of God himselfe Of arte as by Astrologie of nature as when mannes nature is ready to receiue the influences of the vniuersall and of some Spirit as by some league or couenant made with him But of none of all these three could the Prophesies of the Hebrewes procéede as I haue shewed euidently afore It remayneth therefore that those Prophesies are of God and consequently that their Scriptures are Gods woord which is nothing els but eyther those Prophesies themselues or the effects of those Prophesies And to shut vp this Chapter it will not be amisse to rehearse this record of Porphyrins that the Religious sect of the Essens among the Iewes by reason of their occupying of themselues in those Prophesies made a profession of Prophesying and seldom tymes missed For in deede there is greate lykelyhod that if we vnderstoode all the Prophesies of the Byble which thing is vnpossible for vs bycause we cannot lay the states of all tymes togither wee should find there manie things which are darke to vs at this day and yet were cléere well vnderstoode and easie euen to the verie comon people euery one in his tyme. The xxvj Chapter That the things which seeme most woonderfull in our Scriptures are confirmed by the Heathen themselues and a solution of their cheefe Obiections to the same NOw that wee knowe that it is God that speaketh in the Scriptures there should remayne no more for vs to doe but to hearken vnto him with silence For seeing he hath made al things by his word his worde cannot haue sayde any thing which he hath not bene able to doe And if we crouch and lay our hand vpon our mouth at the sight of a Kings Seale surely it were more reason that wee should dispose our mynds to beléeue and our willes to obeye without scanning wrangling or gaynsaying when wee see the expresse signing and seale of God in his Scriptures Howbeit to the intent wee may leaue no cause of doubt to the Reader forasmuch as some haue presumed to obiect I desire that I also may haue leaue to assoyle their demaunds Now therefore let vs see what is obiected against vs as well by the Infidels of old tyme as of our daies First of all As great account say they as you make of your Scriptures there is no record yéelded vnto them by any of our auncient Authors Gréeke or Latin as Plato Aristotle Theophrast and the rest of so many Philosophers Historiographers Poets This is euen as much as if a man should aske witnesse of the men of Perow concerning the Histories of Fraunce or Spayne For in the times whereof our Scriptures speake what were the Greekes and Romaines in respect of the Iewes but sillie sauage people that fed vpon Mast Or soothly it is all one as if a man should aske a childe of the things that were done afore he was borne considering that the latest Histories in our Byble are of more antiquitie than the Schooles of Greece or the vse of reading was in Rome Nay moreouer from the tyme that the Greekes knewe there was an AEgipt they went thether to Schoole and there had communication with the Iewes as I haue proued alreadie at whose hands they reaped that little knowledge which they had concerning the true God the creation of the world and the fall of Man Insomuch that Plato alledgeth our Authors vnder these words As the authors of old tyme report or as it is reported in the auncient Oracles And Numenius hauing espyed that Plato could not get that skill frō elswhere than out of Moyses termeth him Moyses speaking in the language of Athens that is to say translated into Greeke The Histories of Greece begin about the tyme of Cyrus But sayth Aristobulus the lawe of Moyses and the departing of the Israelites out of AEgipt were translated into Greeke afore the reigne of Alexander yea or of the Persians themselues Which is as much to say as that the Greekes euen from their first vpspring or at leastwise from the first tyme that they began to knowe themselues heard speaking of our Scriptures and were desirous to haue them And Hecataeus the Abderite who attended vppon Alexander in his Conquests made a booke purposely of the Iewes which thing he did not of any of all the florishing Nations which he had seene in his voyage Also Herennius Philo hauing read the sayd Philosopher sawe him so wonderfull in the things that he had learned of the Iewes that he beléeued him to haue bene become a Iew and to haue bene conuerted to their lawe Anon after when the tyme of the calling of the Gentiles approched that it behoued the Prophesies to bee made knowne to the whole world to rid away all suspition of contryuing them vppon the euents God did put into the heart of Ptolomie Philadelph King of AEgipt to make a Librarie in the which by the counsell of Demetrius Phalareus a Disciple of Theophrastus it was his will to haue the Byble of the Hebrewes and therefore at his great charges caused it to be translated into Greeke The Historie of this translating is set out by one Aristaeas a Chamberlaine of King Ptolomies who with another named Andrew was sent to Eleazar the Highpriest of the Iewes to fetch the Byble and sixe men of euery Trybe that were learned in both the Languages to translate it And he sayth that Demetrius Phalareus made report vnto the king that these Scriptures were the onely writings that were diuine in déede and that therevpon the King asked him in his presence how it happened that he had not those bookes sooner seeing hee spared not for any cost and that Iewrie was so nere hand Wherevnto Demetrius answered that they were written in a peculiar language and therefore that it behoued him to write to the Highpriest to haue Interpreters according to which aduice the King sent Ambassadours with letters and presents to Eleazar of which Ambassadours he himselfe was one And that by the consent of all the people the threescore and twelue Interpreters were sent into into AEgipt Yea and in this Historie which is extant still at this day ye may see the Copies of the letters that were written from Demetrius to Ptolomie from Ptolomie to Eleazar and from Eleazar to Ptolomie And the said Aristaeas addeth that when the Byble was once translated perused in the presence of the chiefe Péeres of his Realme the King caused a solemne curse to be proclaymed with loude voyce against all such as should ad any thing to it take aught from it or alter aught in it And afterward sayth hee when the King vppon further reading therof did maruel that of so many things and so worthie
Christes Manhood But by and by after he sayth And in his daies Iuda shall bee saued and behold the name whereby he shal be called shal be Iehouah the Euerlasting our Rightuousnesse Heere againe is the foresayd vncommunicable name of God which the Iewes doe so greatly reuerence Yet notwithstanding the thréescore and ten Interpreters who were all Iewes vnderstood it so And Ionathas interpreteth it of Christ in both respects As touching the latter Rabbines who will needes correct the text and in stead of ijkreo doe set downe ijkra to the intent that the sence might be He that calleth him shall bee the Euerlasting I report me to all their owne Grammarians whether it be not both a corrupting and a racking of the text And truely in the thrée and thirtie Chapter the Prophet sayth the same thing in diuers words wherevnto this forgerie cannot be applyed That is the cause why Rabbi Abba vppon the Lamentations of Ieremie demaundeth what shal be the name of the Messias and afterward answereth Iehouah schemo the Euerlasting is his name And to that purpose alledgeth he the selfesame texts of Ieremies And the Commentarie vpon the Psalmes sayth Seeing that none of the Subiects of a King of flesh and blud that is to say of a temporall King is called by his name that is to say King How happeneth it that God imparteth his owne name to the Messias and what name is that Soothly Iehouah is his name according to this saying The man of warre Iehouah that is to say the Euerlasting is his name And Rabbi Moyses Hadarsan expounding this saying of Sophonie to call vppon the name of the Euerlasting saith thus Here Iehouah is nothing els but the King the Messias or the anoynted King And the same thing is repeated in the selfesame words in the Thalmud And wheras some to disappoynt vs of the consequence of these texts doe say that in Ezechiel Hierusalem is called by that name where it is sayd thus Iehouah schammah that is to say the Euerlasting is there that is to say the Euerlasting hath chosen his dwelling place in Hierusalem They by chaunging the Hebrew vowels doe make him to say Iehouah schemo that is to say the Euerlasting is his name But besides the consent of all Copies repugning to this vnshamefastnesse Ionathas can assoyle the case who translateth it expresly God hath placed his Godhead there Now besides the sayd texts which shewe that the Iewes of old tyme wayted for a Messias that should be both God and Man we haue also great tokens thereof in those fewe writings of theirs which remayne dispersed here there notwithstanding that the Iewes hide theÌ„ from vs or els corrupt them as much as they can The Commentarie vppon the Psalmes sayth Because the Gentyles ceasse not to aske of vs where is our God the time shal come that God wil sit among the Righteous so as they shal be able to point him out with their fingar And whereas it is so often sayd I will walke among you it is all one say they as if a King should go walke in his Gardyne with his Gardiner his Gardiner should alwaies shrink behind him and the King should say shrinke not backe for â—o I am lyke thee euen so will GOD walke among vs in his Gardyne of pleasure in tyme to come And therefore another sayth that the Euerlasting shall one day bee as a brother of Iacob that is to say in the tyme of the Messias according to this saying of the Ballet I would fayne that thou wast to me as a brother And the Commentarie vppon the Ballet sayth in another place That God himself who is the Husband of the Church should come in his owne persone to marrie her Uppon the xxv of Leuiticus where mention is made of one brother that redéemeth out another in the yéere of Iubilee many make an Allegorie that that brother is Christ. And the Commentarie affirming the same sayth that Israell shal be redeemed of God who shall come in his owne beeing and that Israell shall no more bee brought in bondage And vppon Genesis Rabbi Moyses Hadarsan alledging this saying of the Psalme I will shew him the Saluation of God sayth thus This is one of the Texts of Scripture of greatest weight that the Saluation of Israel is the Saluation of God For God wil be the pryce and payment of Israels Raunsom lyke as if man hauing but a little Corne of the second Croppe should redeeme the same Hereof came this Tradition that God left some portion vnperfect on the Northside to the intent that if any reported himselfe to be God hee should fill vp that want and that thereby his Godhead should be knowen And all men knowe that ordinarily by the North they ment the Euill which should be remedied by the Messias But the Cabilists were farre more spirituall in this behalfe than the Thalmudists And first of all Rabbi Simeon ben Iohai in his Commentaries vpon Genesis in the language of Hierusalem saith that the feare or mercie of the Lord should take a body in the Wombe of a Woman and be Crowned King the auncient of dayes for euer And that it was decreed that a holy body and a woman should be incorporated togither and for proof whereof he alledgeth an auncient booke whereof he tooke it the same should bée accomplished in the third age that is to say in the third Period of the Church and that then the higher world should by the said holy body be vnited to the inferiour world so as God should bee sanctified beneath as well as aboue and the holy Ghost should come as out of a sheathe that is to say should be shewed foorth openly and that all this is but one namely the Euerlasting himself And to be short that the Woman of whom the holy word should take his body and out of whom the sayd faythfull was to come should be holy and blessed aboue all other women Now it appeareth that hereby he ment the Incarnation of the Messias For in the Talmud the Schoole of Rabbi Hamina being demaunded the name of the Messias answered Hamina that is to say Mercy is his name And in the Prophetes they betoken the Messias by the name of mercie Another Cabilist sayth That sinne shal be brought to ende by the Messias who shal be the power of God euen by the spirit of wisedome wherewith he shal be filled And another sayth that the misterie of Messias the King is that his operation coÌ„sisteth wholly in he vau and iod he which is the misterie of the seuenth day that is to say in calmenesse of mynd without force and that his name whole together shal be composed of these letters to wit Iehouah the Euerlasting But the holy Rabbi vpon the 9. Chapter of Esay where Christ is called the euerlasting father playeth the Philosopher yet further
such a one and to imbrace his doctrine with all our heart Howbeit to take all cause of doubt from the Heathen let vs shewe them yet further that Iesus is God the sonne of God without the testimonie of the Scriptures For it may be that although they will not beleeue Iesus to be very God by meanes of our Scriptures yet they will beléeue our Scriptures to be of GOD in very deede when they shall see that Iesus is God whose comming hath bene declared so plainly and so long aforehand in our Scriptures But to begin withall let vs call to mynd this saying of Porphyrius That Gods prouidence hath not left mankind without an vniuersall cleansing and that the same cannot be done but by one of the beginnings that is to wit by one of the three Persones or Inbeeings of Gods essence And likewise these poynts which I haue proued already namely That man is created to liue for euer That by his corruption hée is falne from Gods fauour into his displeasure and consequently excluded from that blessednes That to bring him in fauour ageine a Mediator must step in who must be man that he may susteine the death which mankind hath deserued and God that he may triumphe ouer death and decke vs with his desert And such a one doe we say the same Iesus is which was crucified by the Iewes and beleeued on among the Gentyles of olde tyme And God of his grace graunt in our tyme to inlighten all those to whom he hath not as yet giuen grace to beléeue Surely as the Mediator came for the Gentyles as well as for the Iewes that is to say for all men so it should seeme that the Gentiles had some incling thereof reuealed to them from GOD that they might prepare themselues to receiue him In the Scripture we reade of a Prophet named Balaam who prophesied plainly enough of Christ. And some auncient writers say that his Prophesie and the prophesie of one other named Seth were kept in the East partes of the world And Iob who was an Edomite sayth I am sure that my Redeemer liueth and shall stand vp last vppon the earth Also the Sibils and specially Sibill of Erithra who is so famous aboue the rest at leastwise if the bookes which wee haue vnder their names be theirs doe tell vs that he should be the sonne of God be borne of a Uirgin be named Iesus woorke miracles be crucified by the Iewes be raysed ageine to glory come in the ende to iudge both the quicke and the dead and so foorth and that which is a greater matter in such termes and with such particularities as it seemeth to be the very Gospel turned into verse as though God had meant to vtter his misteries more manifestly by them to the Gentiles than he had done to the Iewes bycause the Gentyles had not bene inured to the heauēly doctrine any long time aforehand and namely to the hope of the Redéemer And as for them which thinke those bookes to haue bene counterfetted in those Sibils names surely they may more easely say it than proue it but I passe not greatly for that For as Suetonius Tranquillus reporteth the Emperour Augustus made them to bee locked vp in two Cofers of gold at the foote of the Image of Apollo on mount Palatine in Rome where it was hard for men to haue falsifyed them And in the tyme of Origen of Clement of Alexandria and of Iustine the Martir which was not long after the preaching of the Apostles those bookes were abrode in the world as appeareth by the discourses of Celsus the Epicure who sayth in deede that they were counterfet but hee proueth it not Also the Emperour Constantine in a certeine Oration of his witnesseth that hee had séen and read them and referred the Gentiles of his time to them Well it cannot be denied but that there was at leastwise some such like thing For Cicero in his bookes of Diuination writeth these words Let vs obserue the bookes of Sibyll We must name vs some King if we will liue in safetie And yet all men knowe how hatefull a thing the name of King was both to all the Romaines and to Cicero him selfe Also he maketh mention of Sibils Acrosticke that is to say of certeyne verses of hirs whose first letters made the name of that King of which sort wee haue some in the eighth booke of the Sibyls wherevpon he concludeth that they had a sound and wel setled mynd Moreouer the Emperour Constantine affirmeth that Cicero had translated the booke Sibyll of Erithra that Antonie would haue had it abolished In these bookes it was sayd that as soone as the Romanes had set the King of AEgipt againe in his State by and by should bee borne the King of the whole worlde And therefore Cicero writing to Lentulus who sewed to haue that charge doth mention that Oracle vnto hym and the Romaines made a dout whether they might restore the King of AEgipt or no by reason of that matter whereof the Sibyls doe make some spéeche in their second booke Neuerthelesse when the Romaines had well canuased the case Gabinus conueyed home Ptolomie King of AEgipt into his Kingdome and at the same time was Iesus Christ borne Virgill who by the fauour of Augustus had accesse to those bookes made an Eglog which is but a translation of certeine of the Uerses of those Sibyls concerning the happie state which Sibyll behighted by Iesus Christ the sonne of God sauing that Virgil not looking deepely into the matter applyed it wholy to one Salonine in fauour of Augustus whō he meant to flatter After which manner the Romanes wrested this famous foresaying of Syria to the Emperour Vespasian That out of Iewrie should come the Souereine of the whole world But wee reade that one Secundian a notable man in the tyme of the Emperor Decian and one Verian a Peinter and one Marcelline an Orator became Christians vpon the onely reading and conferring of those Oracles And therefore the first writers among the Christians as Iustine Origen Clement such others doe sommon the Heathen to the bookes of the Sibyls because they would not with their good willes haue beléeued ours and also to a former prophesie of one Histaspes which spake plainly of the comming of the sonne of God into the world and of the conspiring of all kingdomes ageinst him and his And therefore all those bookes were forbidden by the Heathen Emperours vpon peyne of death But God of his wonderfull prouidence had prouided for the Saluation of the Gentyles by scattering the Iewish nations with their books and prophesies into all the fower quarters of the World howbeit that we reade not of any other Linage or Nation to haue bene so scattered without losing their tytles their bookes their name and the very knowledge of their original which prerogatiue the Iewes had to the intent they should bee
Preachers of the comming of the Mediator and witnesses of the antiquitie trueth and vncorruptnes of the Prophestes ageinst the effect whereof neuerthelesse they set themselues with all their power For what better witnesses I pray you could the Gentyles haue than the Iewes themselues namely in that they being the putters of Iesus and of his disciples to death were ready notwithstanding to dye for the trueth soundnesse of the bookes wherein he was foreshewed foretold and fore-promised vnto them at all tymes Furthermore that this King promised by the Prophetes and the Sibyls should deliuer the Law of good lyfe to the whole world Cicero séemeth to haue had some vnderstanding howsoeuer he came by it or els I caÌ„not tell wherto I should apply this goodly sentence of his in his third booke of his Commonweale Soothly the very Lawe in deede sayth he is right reason shed into all men constant euerlasting which calleth all men to their duetie by commaunding and frayeth them from fraud by forbidding which yet notwithstanding neither biddeth nor forbiddeth in vayne to the good nor by bidding or forbidding moueth the bad From this lawe may nothing be taken to it may nothing be put neither may it be wholy abrogated Neither Senate nor Pope can discharge vs of this Lawe neither needeth there any interpreter or expounder thereof to make it playne There shall not bee one Lawe at Rome and another at Athens one tooday and another toomorrowe But one selfesame Lawe being both euerlasting and vnchaungeable shall conteyne all Nations and at all tymes and there shall be but one common mayster and commaunder of all euen God He is the deuiser the discusser and the giuer of this Lawe which who will not obey shall flee from himselfe as if he disdeined to be a man which dooing of his must needes be a sore punishment vnto him though hee were sure to scape all other punishments Who seeth not here that this Heathen man espyed that all Lawes of man are but vanitie and that he looked that God himselfe should come openly into the sight of the world to giue a good lawe to Mankind Now Iesus hath manifestly giuen this Lawe causing it to be published by his Apostles and their voyce sounded to the vttermost bounds of the earth And for proof hereof what is more conuenient and meete for man in the iudgement of conscience than to loue God with all his heart and all his Soule and his neighbour as himself which yet notwithstanding doth more surmount our abilitie to performe and more bewray our corruption and more condemne whatsoeuer is in vs of our owne than doth the Lawe it selfe vniuersally in all mankind On the contrarie part what find we in all the writings of the Heathen but a Hireling vertue and a teaching to cloke vice that is to say Hipocrisie But as this Lawe is verily of God so let vs see whether the bringer thereof bee God And I beseech all worldly wise men not to hearken vnto mee by halues nor to looke vpon things at a glaunce for I come not to daly with them but to yeeld mée both their eares and to looke wistly to bend all their wits aduisedly for the néerer they looke vnto the matter the more deliberatly they consider of it the sooner will they yeeld to our doctrine as to the vndoubted trueth yea as to very nature it self Iesus therefore is borne in the little Countrie of Iewrie subdewed by the Romaines of poore parents in a sorie Uillage destitute of friends and of all worldly helpes and yet was he to be Emperour of the whole world to giue the Law to the whole world Let vs see the procéeding of this Emperour of his Empyre Amend sayth he and beleeue the Gospell for the kingdome of Heauen is at hand If we consider the maiestie of the Romaine Empyre the eloquence and learning of the great Clerks and the pride of the Sophists and Orators of that tyme what greater fondnesse could there be to all seeming than to talke after that maner Who would not haue thought folly both in Christ and in his Apostles for their preaching so But what addeth he Whosoeuer wil come into this kingdome let him forsake goodes father moother wife children yea and himselfe too And let him take vp his Crosse and followe me Let him thinke himself happie that he may suffer a thousand miseries for me and that in the end he may dye for my names sake What maner of priuiledges are these I beseech you to drawe people into that kingdome What a hope is it for them that serue him What are these promises of his but threatnings and his perswasioÌ„s but disswasions What say we to a friend whom we turne from some other man but thus eschewe that mans companie for ye shall haue nothing with him but trauell and trouble And what worse could the veriest enemies of his doctrine say than he himselfe sayd Also what a saying of his was this to S. Paule a man of reputation among the Pharisies and greatly imployed afore in following the world I wil shew thee how great things thou hast to indure for my names sake And yet notwithstanding what a sodeyne chaunge insewed from apprehending and imprisoning to bee apprehended and imprisoned from being a Iudge to be whipped and scourged from stoning of others to death to offer himselfe from Citie to Citie to bee stoned for the name of Iesus Let vs heare on the contrarie part the voyce of a worldly Conquerour Whosoeuer will followe me sayth Cyrus to the Lacedemonians if he be a footman I will make him a Horseman if he bee a Horseman I will giue him a Charyot if he haue a Manor I will giue him a Towne if he haue a Towne I wil giue him a Citie if he haue a Citie I will giue him a Countrie and as for Gold he shall haue it by weight and not by tale What â—ddes is there betwéene the spéeches of these two Monarkes and much more betwéene their Conquests And therefore what comparison can there bee betwixt the Conquerours themselues This Cyrus as great an Emperour as he was could not haue the Lacedemonians to serue him for all his great offers But Iesus being poore abiect and vnregarded did by his rigorous threats euen after his own suffering of reprochfull death and his manacing of the like to his followers drawe all people and Nations vnto him and not only Souldyers but also Emperours nor only Cities but also whole Empyres Cyrus dyed in conquering and Iesus conquered by dying The death of Cyrus decayed his owne kingdome as a bodie without a soule But the death of Iesus inlarged his kingdome euen ouer the Empyres And how could that haue bene but that the death of Iesus was the life of all Empyres and all Kingdomes Who seeth not then in the mightinesse of the one a humaine weakenesse and in the weakenesse of the other a diuine mightinesse Wee woonder
Earth and that the same is the Religion of the Israelytes and that in al other places there was nothing but the seruice of Diuells and Idolatrie That the Religion of Israell had the kéeping and custodie of his word his reuelations and his promises giuing vs his Lawe for a Rule to liue by whereby it conuicteth vs of our naughtynesse and inuyteth vs to call to God for grace That the old Testament is the Lawe of Moyses and the Prophets which I haue proued to haue proceeded from God and to haue bin inspyred by him that in the end hauing condemned vs he offereth vs his grace and hauing giuen iudgement vpon vs he sendeth vs pardon and steadeth vs of a Surety that is able to pay our depts that this Surety is the Messias promised to the Iewes for the saluation of the whole world the Mediator of mankynd God and man exhibited to the world in his due tyme to bee the Sauyour of the Iewes and the lyght of the Gentyles euen Iesus Christ the Sonne of God in whom we beleeue according to this percell of the Créede And in Iesus Christ his Sonne our Lord conceyued by the Holy Ghoste borne of the Virgin Mary crucified Dead and rizen agein and so foorth Al which poynts we haue proued ageinst both Iewes Gentyles ageinst the Iewes by the Scriptures and ageinst the Gentyles by reason which they themselues say they take for their guyde and by their owne Records Our Créede addeth I beleeue in the Holy Ghoste And I also haue shewed how there bee thrée Inbeings in one Essence or Being acknowledged by the Iewes and 〈◊〉 by the Gentyles namely the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghoste which are termed by them the One the word and the Loue in the name of whom we be Baptysed And finally we beleeue that God by the deseâ— of his sonne in the power of his holy Spirit maynteyneth his Church spred ouer the whole world knitteth vs in one Communion of fellowship togither pardoneth our sinnes and will one day rayse vs vp ageine to make vs inioy euerlasting lyfe To that end hath the Father created vs the Soâ—ne redeemed vs the holy Ghost inspired vs. And therefore let vs looke vp with sighes and with sighes trauell vp towards the Kingdome whose King is the Trinitie whose Lawe is Charitie and whose measure is eternitie And vnto him who hath graunted me both to begin and to end this woorke whom I beséeche with all my heart to blesse it to his glorie and to the saluation and welfare of those that are his be honour glorie and praise for euer and euer Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by George Robinson for Thomas Cadman dwelling at the great North-doore of S. Paules Church at the signe of the Byble 1587. Psalme 14 Auicen the Arabian Euclid lib. 1. prop. 45. How farre matters of faith are to bee dealt with by reason Tâ—imegistus in Poeriandro Iamblichus concerning Misteryes Chapt. 8. The World leadeth vs vâ—to God Man leadedâ— vs to God Vniuersall Consent Suctonius in the life of Caligula Seneca in his first booke concerning Wrath. Obiections concerning such as were counted Atheists Plutarch in his treatise of the ceassing of Oracles reporteth that a Ruler of Cilicia which was an Atheist came to the beleef of a God by an answere giuen from the Oracle of Mopsus to a demaund of his whiche was deliuered sealed Plutarke in his â—reatise of morall vertue Xenophanes as he is alledged by Clement of Alexandria in his Stromats The World leadeth to one onely God Man leadeth vs to one God The linking in of things together The obiectioÌ„s of such as mainteyne mo Gods thaÌ„ one Iulian the Apostata in Cyrillus Stergon is an herbe which groweth of an Onyon stuffed with Linseede or seede of Flax. Against two beginnings Plutark in the lyfe of Osyris and Isis. Nothing being â— negatiue canseth nothing which is the priuatiue Plato in his Timaeus Plotin in Enn. 1. lib. 8. Trisinegist in Asclepio Simplicius vppon Epictetus Mercurins Trismegistus in his Poemander Chap. 3. 8. 10. 11. 12. And in his Asclepius Chap. 2. 6. 8. 9. Alledged by Cicero Plutarke Clemens of Alexandria and Cyrillus Philo the Iew and Iamblichus of the Sect of Pythagoras Hierocles against the Atheists Simplicius in his Phis. Numenius concerning the Good Arist. 14. Metaph Cap. 4. Aristo le alledgeth them in his first Philosophy and in his booke of the World Aristo 1. Phis cap. 10. lib. 3. Simplie lib. 1. Phis. Academicks Plato in his 13. Epistle to King Denis Plato in Timoeus in his 10. booke of his Common-weale and in his Epistle to Dion Hermias and Coricus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in his booke of Lawes and in his booke intyled Epinomis * We call them Angelles * Of the word Thein which signifieth to Runne Plato in his Timoeus and Laertius in Platoes life Damascius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iamblichus in his booke of the Sect of Pythagoras Iamblichus in his booke of Mysteries Chap 1. 3. 5. 12. 16. 17. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclusin Platos Diuinitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclus in his booke of the Soule and the Spirit cap. 32. 42. 53. Many Gods sayth Proclus is Godlesnesse Simplicins ypâ— the Epictetus of Arrian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyrius in his z. booke of Abstinence in his booke of Occasions chap. 21. Porphyrius in the life of Plotin Plotin in his first Enneade lib. 8. Chap. 2. Enneade 6. lib. 4. cap 1 2. 3. 4. in the whole 6. booke and in the 3. Enne lib. 8. Augustin de Ciuitate Dei lib. 10. cap. 2. The Peripateecks Aristotle in his Metaphisiks and in the first booke of his Naturall Philosophy Aristotle in his booke of Heauen Aristotle in his booke of the world which Iustine the Martir affirmeth to haue bin named his Abridgemeut of Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophrastus in his Metaphisiks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophrastus in his booke of Sauours Alexander of Aphrodise in his booke of Prouidence and Cyrill against Iulian the Apostata The Stoiks Epictetus in Arrianus Seneca euery where Seneca in his Booke of the happylyfe in his Treatise of Comfort Seneca in his naturall Questions and in his bookes of Benefiting Aristotle calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say All the whole Seneca in his booke of sodeine death in his exhortations alledged by Lactantius lib. 1. cap. 5. Cicero in his booke of the Nature of the Gods Plutarke in his treatise of Isis and Osyris of Oracles that are ceassed Of calmenesse of Mynd Against ignorant Princes Of Platonicall Questions Against the Stoiks Against Epicures What is ment by this Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei Varro as he is alledged by S. Austin in the Citie of God lib. 4. cap. 9. 11 lib. 7. cap. 54. 9. 23. Poetes Iustin in his
was with child by the holy Ghost for otherwise it had bin to no purpose to haue spoken of the holy Ghost of whoÌ„ they had not heard any speaking afore The same is also in the Preaching of Iohn the Baptist Chapter 3. verse 20. He shall baptise ye with the holy Ghost with Fyre And in diuers other places And in very deede the name of the holy Ghost is rife among all the Rabbines Philo in his Treatise vpon the sixe Daies In his treatise That Dreames are of God In his booke of the World In his booke of the remouings of Abraham Philo in the Allegories of the law in his Bookes of of Dreames of Tyllage of the firy sword of the Heire of HeaueÌ„ly thiÌ„gs of the euil that layeth snares for the good c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo in his bookes concerning the Heyre of Heauenly things of the moâ—esty of Women and of the word c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say as a print printed in Waxe The later Pythagorians Academiks Numenius in his booke of the Good Looke Eusebius and Cyrillus lib. 8. The Reader must vnderstand that by three gods thei meane three Inbeeings as they theÌ„selues do declare it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Plotinus liued vnder the Emperour Galien about the yere of on Lord 25 or Plotin Enn. 5 lib. 1. Of the three souerein or cheefe persons or Inbeings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the intent the Reader think not any obscuritie in this or other that follow he must remember that to the first Inbeeing that is to say Persone the Philosophers giue the names of the One The Mind the Good the Father and the Begetter vnto the second persone the names of Beeër or he that is wit or vnderstanding the Beautifull and sometimes Speech word Reason wisdom Sonne and the begotten and vnto the third persone the names of Loue Will Power and the Soule of the World sometimes the second world c. In respect of this Third thei call the First the Amiable and in respect of the Second they call him the Mynd as shall be seene by examples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Another persone and not another thing Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 2. lib. 3. Chap. 85. Ernead 3. lib. 9. Cap. vlt. The vnderstanding of the Good Plotinus Enn. 5. lib. 2. lib. 3 Chap. 5. 6. 7. 12. lib 4. Chap. 2. Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 5. Ch. 3. lib. 6. Ch. 1. lib. 8. ch 12. Enn. 3. lib. 8. cap. 7. 8. 10. Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 9. Chap. 1. Plotin Enn. 6. lib. 7. ch 39. lib. 7. The same in one respect another in another respect or all one in one respect diuers in another respect Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 5. cap. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 8. Chap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin in his booke of Inshapes Enn. 3. lib. 9. Chap. 2. Plotin Enn. 6. lib. 8. 8. Chap. 13. 15. 27. Plotin Enn. 3. lib. 8. Chap. 10. Plotin Enn. 3. lib. 9. Chap. 1. Cyril against Iulian lib 8. Porphyrius in the lyfe of Plotâ—â—us Plotinus agaiÌ„st the Gnostiks Enn. 2. lib. 9. Chap. 1. Iamblicus of the sect of the Pythagorists and in his booke of the Mysteries of the Egyptians Chap. 37. and 39. Porphirie in his 4. booke of 〈◊〉 Philosophers Cyrill against Iulian. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill against Iulian. lib. 1. Porphyrius in his booke of the chiefe fathers alledged by Proclus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclus in Platoes Diuinitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amelius a Platonist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril against Iulian. lib. 8. Austin in the Citie of God lib. 10. The Latin Philosophers Chalcidius vppon Platoes Timeus Macrobius vppon the Dreame of Scipio God Mynd begotten of God Auicen The Oracles of Diuelles Sybill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suidas in the lyfe of Thulis Porphirius as he is alledged by S. Austin in his ninth book of the Citie of God Cha. 23. The world it selfe telleth vs that it had a beginning An obiection Man had a beginning An obiection The linking of things togither The inwoorking of the Mynd beginneth at the end The Originall of Sciences Lucr Carus This nature reason of thiÌ„gs was lately foâ—d out and I mâ—y selfe was one of the first that did stumble vpon it am able to turne it into my natiue language â—â—d Persius sayth It came hither after the time that my Countrymen began to taste of Pepper and Dates Austin lib. 18. of the Citie of God Cha. 37. Cicero Iamblicus Porphyrius Orpheus in his Argonauts Proclus vpon Timeus Plutark in his Isis and Osiris Iamblicus in his booke of Mysteries Chap. 1. Clemens Alexandrin in his booke of Stromats alledging Alexander Hermippus Clearchus Porphyrius alledged by Ensebius lib. 11. Laertius in the lyfe of Thales Thales in his Epistle to Pherecydes in Clemens AlexaÌ„d Plinie lib. 5. 6. Plinie lib. 2. Plutark in the lyfe of Niceas Quintilian lib. 1. Censorius coÌ„cerning Christes birthday Cap. 9. Varro Arithmetik Geometry Plato in his Epinomis The Originall of Crafts Trades and Artes. Varro in his fifth booke first Chapter of Husbandry Leachecraft which comprehendeth Phisik and Surgerie Cicero in his booke of the nature of the Gods He o lotus lib. 1. The originall or gouernmeÌ„t 〈…〉 Cap. 21. Pomponius of of the first coÌ„ming vp of the Lawe Plutark in the lyues of Solon and Lycurgus and in his treatise of his and Osyris Iustine the Martyr alledgeth Diodorus in his exhortation Iosephus against Appion Iustine in his first booke Plini lib. 7. Merodotus lib. 2. 〈…〉 The originall oâ— the HeatheÌ„ Goddes Traffik of Merchandyse and bargayning buying and selling Nauigation Plinie lib. 7. Strabo lib. 16. Tibullus Eleâ—ia 7. * That is to say the Land of Canaan Berosus alledged by Iosephus against Appion Feeding Plinie lib. 7. Diodorus lib. 1. 2. 6. The first comming vp of Histories Plinie lib. 7. Apuleius in his Florishes Plutark in the lâ—fe of Theseus Censorinus Varro in his third booke of Husbandry vnto Pto Diodorus lib. 3. Clemens Alexandr in his first booke of Sâ—om Lucretius the Romane Poet. Diodorus lib. 8. 1. Plinie lib. 7. Herodotus lib. 5. Varro in his first booke of Analogie Crates the Greeke Philosopher demauÌ„ding why the Greekes declined not the names of their letters saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as wel as thei said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was answered by the Greekes themselues that it was bycause those names of their letters are not Greeke but barbarus Lucane lib. 3. Eupolemus in his booke of the Kings of Iuda alledged by Clemens of Alexandria in his fowrth booke Obiections The World scarce knowen in old time Reade the Nauigations of the Portingales and Spaniards Thucidides in his first booke
Orpheus in his Argonauts Herodotus lib. 4. The proceediÌ„g or growing foreward of the World An History of the Realme of China Strabo lib. 3. Plutark in the lyfe of Scipio The Histories of Affricke Aristides in his Pautheuaik An Obiection of Fluddes taken out of Plato The obiection of Auerrhoes The men of most antiquitie beleeued the Creation of the world Mercury in his Poemander Mercury in his Poemander the. 1. 3. cap. Mercurie alledged by Cyrillus in his second booke ageinst Iulian the Renegate Mercurie in his holy Sermon Orpheus in his Argonawtes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orpheus in his Argonawtes Hesiodus in his booke of woorkes and Dayes and in his Genealogie of the Goddes Plutark in his booke of the opinioÌ„s of the Philosophers Varro in his second booke of Husbandry Iamblichus one of the sect of Pythagoras cyting Architas Laertius in the lyfe of Thales Plutark in his banket Aristole in his eightth booke of naturall Philosophie Epicurus in Cicero Plutark in the Opinions of the Philosophers and in the creation of the Soule Aphrodisius as he is alledged by Simplicius vpon the bookes of Heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in his common-weale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agenist Aristotles Eterniti Aristotle in his 1. 3. 8. bookes of naturall Philosophie In his first booke of the Heauens and in his first booke of the breede of liuing things Algazel Aristotle in his first booke of Heauen cap. 9. Proclus concerning the Influence of the first cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in his Cratilus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin in his booke of the world Damascius vppon the bookes of the Skye Proclus in his second booke vpon Timeus Aristotle ageinst Aristotle As in way of end Aristotle in his problemes Sect. 10. Probl 64. Sect. 10. Probl. 15. Aristotle in his third booke of the breeding of liuing wyghts Lucrece The Wombes of the Earth grew fit for rootes Aristotle in his xjj booke of Metaphisiks Chap. 7. Aristotle in his second booke of Generation and Corruption Cap. 10. and in his bookes of Comonweale Theophrast in his booke of Sents Sauors or Smelles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latins Cicero in his first booke of Inuention in his first booke of the Orator Cicero in his second booke of the Nature of the Gods Cicero in his Lawes Varro Seneca in his first booke of the happy lyfe Chap. 31 and 32. and in the first booke of his naturall Questions and in his Epistles Macrobius lib. 1. Saturnalium Virgil. Ouid. Lucretius the Poet. Pliny Plinie lib. 7. Plin. lib. 2. The Stoiks The Platonists The Epicures The Peripatetiks Pliny The opinions of the Platonistes Plotin Ennead 2. lib. 1. cap. 1. and. 2. Plotinus Ennead 3. lib. 2. Chap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyrius Iustinian in the preface to his Digests Plutark in his Psychogonie Galen in his third booke of the vse of the Partes of mens bodyes Gal. lib. 11. 17. Galen in his booke of the breeding of Children Galen in his fifteenth book of the vse of Partes He that grauÌ„teth God to be former fashioner or giuer of shape doth therewith confesse him to be the Creator Aristotle in his second booke of things â—boâ—e naâ—â—â—re The particular Creation of all things Aphrodisaeus in his first booke of the Soule The Peripatetiks Simplicius vppon the naturals Syrian vppon the Supernaturals Aristotle in his second booke of the breede of liuing things chap. 3. Aristotle in his 4â— booke of Meteores Chap. 10. Aristotle in his second booke of the breede of liuing wights towards the end Arist. in his probl sect 10. probl 64. Aphr. probl 1. The Platonists Plotin in his book of Contemplation of the One. Plotin in his 1. book Enne 2. Whence euill commeth Ennea 2. lib. 4. Ploâ—n in his booke of Prouidence Ennâ—d 6. lib. 1. Chapt. 17. Porphyrie vppon Timaeus Galen in his booke of the fashioning of infants in their moothers wombe In his second book of Temperings Ignorance next cosin vnto Guyle What Prouidence is All working of an vnderstanding mind is to some end Obiections against Gods Prouidence Alphonse the tenth King of Spayne sayd that if he had bin with God at the creation of the world it should haue bin much better ordered thaÌ„ it is and God punished him for so saying Roderik of Toledo in the sixth chap. of his 4. booke The obiection of MouÌ„taines Wyld Beastes The Sea Aristotle concludeth that there is a Prouidence bycause the earth is vncouered which the Sea as the hygher element wold else ouerwhelme In his booke of Woonders The wynd The Earth vnhabitable The birth of Man Siknesses and Diseases Obiection of base and vyle things This fellowe for his leawdnes gat a Gibbet He a Crowne That the false goodes are comon both too good and bad The murthering of Innocents and giltlesse persons The Goddes allowed that case which had the vpper hand But Cato with the vanquished ageinst the Goddes did stand Seneca in his third booke of Anger Caesar sawe Cimbrus Tullius who had a litle afore bin very whote in his defence others of his owne confederates in Armes staÌ„d now with their Swords drawe about his Chaire of Estate and taking part with the Pompeies after PoÌ„peyes decease The cause why men find fault with Gods Prouidence The slowe punishment of the wicked Wickednes is a punishment to it selfe Seneca in his Thebais Feare not for he shal be punished that right sore He shall reigne That is a punishment And if thou dout thereof beleeue his father and his graundfather How God suffereth euill in the World Saluian in his vii booke of Prouidence The very Sinnes of good men are redressed to their benefite Euilles are in the world as things set one ageinst another after the maner as it is in the eloquence of wordes The actions and mouings are of God but the disorders of them and the haltings are of ourselues The Men of old tyme. Hermes in his Asclepius and Cyrillus in his second booke If the man that suffereth be good also Plotin lib. 3. Ennead 4. Porphyrius to Nemertius Cyrillus in his second and Fifth bookes ageinst Iulian. Synâ—sius the Platonist Hierocles Aristotle in his Moralles to Nicomachus and Eudemus Alexander of Aphrodise in his booke of Prouidence Seneca concerning Benefits lib. 2. Cap. 4. 5. 6. 21. 31. Porphyrius in his CollectioÌ„s of Philosophy Oppianus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ageinst Fortune Proclus vppon Timeus Iunenall I here wants no God at all where wisdum doth aduyse we â—ooles haue fortune deifide and plaste aboue the Skyes Cicero Error Blindnes and the not knowing of things and causes haue brought vp the names of Nature and Fortune Ageinst Destinie Godes foresight or Forknowledge If it be predestined saieth one that thou shalt recouer thy sicknes it is in vayn for thee to send for the Phisision If it be thy destiny answereth another to haue ChildreÌ„ it is in vayn for thee to
that worship the soothfast and euerlasting God shall inherit lyfe for euer time without end dwelling in Paradyse alyke euer florishing greene But of the other sort she sayth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say rosted coÌ„tinually with fyrebraÌ„ds of peines Socrates in defence of himself Plato in his Cratylus Plato in his Theetetus Plato in his Gorgias Plato in his Phoedon and in his tenth booke of Lawes Plato in his Axiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in his Common-weale Plutarke concerning the slowe punnishing of the wicked There is but one true Religion Marsilius ficinus coÌ„cerning the Christian Religion In the last cap. of his Esculapius Plato in his Epinomis and in his Thoeâ—tetus Aristotle in his fifth booke of Moralles and in his first of Heauen Auerrhoes vppon that first booke of Heauen Alexander of Aphrodyse concerning the prouidence of God cyted by Cyrillus Simplicius vppon Epictetus Hierocles in his first chapter against Atheifts Hierocles cap. 6. 19. 11. Iamblichus in his 45. Chapter of Mysteries Proclus in his booke of praying Thaâ— there is but one true Religion An obiection The first mark of the true Religion The second marke of true Religion Plato in his second Epistle and in his Parmenides Aristotle in his Supernaturals Cicero in his first booke of Lawes Iamblichus Alpharabius in his booke of Sciences The third marke of true Religion Hierocles in his 14. and 24. Chapters and in his preface An obiection Iob. 38. Pâ—alm 104. Esay 48. 61. Iob. 38. Psal. 104. Origen ageinst Celsus lib. 3. Cato in his oration for the Rhodians The Heathen acknowledged the true God to be in Israell Austin in the Citi of God lib. 8. chap. 31. Denis of Halycarnassus lib. 1. Tacitus lib. 5. or as some editions haue lib. 2. AppioÌ„ ageinst Iosephus 2. Kings 18. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hecataeus the Abderita * Moenina Alexander who vaunted himselfe as a God Iosephus in his Antiquities lib. 11 cha 8. Cicero in his oration for Flaccus Seneca in his Booke of Superstitions Seneca in his booke of Superstition Austin de Ciâ—itate Dei lib. 6. cap. 10. Origen against Celsus lib. 3. Iulian ageinst the Galileans Zosimus lib. 4. Socrates lib. 3. cap. 11. Hermes in his Esculapius translated by Apulcius Austin de Ciuitate Dei lib. 8. cap. 23. The Gods of the Egiptians Cyprian concerning the vanity of Idols Plutarke in his treatise of Isis and Osyris The Gods of the Phoenicians Sanchoniation traslated by Iosephus The Gods of the Greekes Herodotus lib. 2. Aulus Gelliuâ— lib. 3. cap. 11. li. 17. ca. 21. Pophirius in the lyfe of Pythagoras Apuleius and Aulus Gelins The Gods of the Romanes Titus Liuius Decad 4 libro â—kimo Valerius Maâ—mus lib. 1. Plinius lib. 13. cap 13. Austin lib. 7. cap. 14. Lactantius lib. 1. Austin de Ciuitate Dei lib. 7. cap. 17. Cicero concerning the Nature of the Goddes the first of his Tusculane questions Seneca lib. 2. cap. 4. and 42. The Goddes of Greater Nations Eusebius de prepar euangelica lib. 4. Euhemere as he is cited by Lactantius Hermes in his Aselepius Seneca in his Moralles The Lawe of three children Scipio Affrican in Ennius Esculapius Iulian ageinst the Galilaeans Xenophon in his Equiuocations Cicero concerning the Nature of the Godds in his booke of Lawes and in his Tusculane Questions Porphyrius in his booke of the Answeres of the Gods Eusebius de praeparat euangel lib. 3. Cap. vltimo Porphyriâ—s in his sayd booke of the Answers of the Goddes Euseb. de praepart euang lib. 5. Cap. 6. and. 7. Iamblychut concerning Mysteries cap. 27. and 31. Porphyrius in his booke of answers c. Euseb. lib. 4. Cap. 4. The Sacrifising of Men. Enseb. lib. 4. Cap. 7. Denis of Halycarnassus lib. 1. Diodorus of Sicilie lib. 20. Porphyrius in his booke of Abstinence Histrus and Manethon cited by Eusebius Tertullian in his booke of Apologie Erichtho in Lucane The godly AEnaeas in virgill Caesar in his bookes of his Warres in Gaullond Procopius lib. 2. of the warres in Gothland Euseb. lib. 4. Cap. 7. The yeere after the building of Rome 657. Plinie lib. 30. Cap. 1. Quintilian in his booke of Fanaticall things Shamefull Seruices Austin in his second booke of the Citie of God Cap. 11. Austin in his first booke of the Citie of God Cap. 32. Austin lib. 2. Cap. 4. 5. 6. 13. In infinite places in the Digests Zosimus lib. 2. The Oracles of the Gods were false vncerteine vayne and wicked Porphyrius in his bookes of the Answere of Oracles False Miracles Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Markes wherby to knowe Diuels Porphirius in his secoÌ„d book of Abstinence In his Epistle to Anebon alledged by Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 11. Iamblichus in his booke of Mysteries in many places Iamblichus in his booke of Mysteries Apulcius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Austin in his ninth booke of the Citie of God chap. 19. What and where the true Religion is Marks whereby to discerne Gods word That the Byis of more antiquitie then all other writings Cicero in his second booke of the Ends of things Aulus Gellius in his 20. book Cap. 1. Denis of Halycarnassus lib. 1. cap. 2. Plinie lib. 34. cap. 5. Pomponius ff of the originall of Lawe Denis of Halâ—carnassus Appion in the fourth booke of his Historie against the Iewes Eusebius li. 10. Cap. 3. Strabo lib. 15. Porphirius li. 4 Eusebius in his booke of preparation to the Gospell Gene. 49. 5. 7. Obiect oâ—â— The Bible tendeth altogither to the glorie of God Mans welfare Seneca in his exhortations The Style of the Scriptures The lawes and commaundements in the Scripture The doctrine of the Scriptures exceedeth the reach of man Prophesies sowed throughout all the Byble Gene. 15. Gene. 49. Rabbi Moyses vpoÌ„ the booke Abubacher Deuter. 32. Iosua 7. 1. King 16. verse 34. 1. King 13. 2. King 22. verse 15. 19. Esay 44. 45. Jerem. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. c. Daniel 9. Daniel 5. Esay 13. 2â— 47 Ieremy 50. Daniel 15 Daniel 7. Daniel 8. Daniel 9. Obiections Ptolomie in booke of the fruite The same thing doth Moises of Narbon say vppon the booke of Abubacher Auempare Roger Bacon in his booke of the Sixe sciences of experience and in his abridgement of Diuiniâ—â—e An obiection concerning the witnesse of the Greekes The Answere Aristobulus writing to Ptolomy Philoâ—netor lib. 1. Hecateus concerning the Iewes Herennius Philo concerning the Iewes Aristaeas concerning the translation of the Threescore and Ten Interpreters Eusebius in his eight booke of the preparation to the Gospell Origines in his fourth booke ageinst Celsus An Obiection concerning the style The Solution Ciâ—ero in his Tusculane Questions Osorius the Portingale Obiections concerning the vncrediblenesse of things in the Scriptures The Creation of the world and of Man The fall of Man The ege of the first men The generall Flud Alexander Polyhistor Abydemus alledged by Cyrill in his first booke against Iulian. Iosephus