especiall thinges which may best serue for this purpose The Scriptures foretolde long before the time that the world should be conuerted to Christian Religion all Nations should beleeue and submit themselues to the obedience of the Faith a thing in mans iudgement not to bee expected For the Prophet saide concerning the Kingdome of Christ I meane his Kingdome of the Gospell or of Grace The Heathens raged the people murmured against the Lord and his Christ but in vaine the Kinges of the earth stood vp banded them selues and the Princes assembled themselues togeather But he that sitteth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision Euen I haue set my King vpon Sion mine holie mountaine I will declare the decree that is the Lorde hath saide to me thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee aske of me and I shall giue thue the Heathen for thine inheritance and the endes of the earth for thy possession There could not be a more vnlikely thing foretolde and yet it was fulfilled long since no Atheist can denie it Tertullian to this purpose saith who was able to gouerne the world but onely Christ of whome it was foretolde that his Kingdome should be extended ouer the whole world The Kingdome of Salomon saith her was confined within the Land of Iudaea from Dan to Beersheba and his territories did reach no farther Darius raigned ouer the Pabylonians and Persians but no farther Pharao ouer the Aegiptians and there his dominion ceased Nabuchodonozer was a great Monarche yet he reigned not ouer the whole worlde but onely from India vnto Aethiopia the like may bee saide of the Greekes the Romās which were called the Lords of the world and yet the whole world was not knowne vnto them much lesse subdued by them But as for the Kingdome of Christ it hath extended it selfe farre and wide the Gospell hath bin preached in al places and receaued of all Nations of the Parthians Medes Elamites the inhabitantes of Mesopotamia Armenia Phnygia Cappadocia Aegipt Pamphilla Asia Africa and the vttermost Indies Of this assertion there bee so many recordes that it cannot bee denyed As for some few things which are foretolde in the Scriptures not yet fulfilled as namely the conuersion of the Iewes and the destruction of Antichrist the time is not yet come to passe that they should be fulfilled for all thinges must be performed in that due time which God in his secret wisdome hath appointed There are other thinges also foretolde which must goe immediately before the ende of the world which are not yet performed because as you see the ende is not yet But it is a sufficient argument to induce Infidelles to beleeue that all these thinges shall come to passe because they see all other things alreadie performed in their time and order For as hee that sometimes lyeth shall not bee beleeued though hee tell the truth so hee which alwaies hath tolde the truth cannot without impietie bee suspected of fallhood God cannot deceaue or bee deceaued And which is not to bee omitted St. Peter did prophecie that at the latter end there should bee such Atheistes which should denie these thinges and the Prophecie is now verified otherwise this my labour might haue bene spared their impiety maketh it good which the Prophet hath foretolde Againe there is in Daniel an auncient Prophecie concerning the death of our Sauiour Christ euen the verie time and computation of yeares is defined when hee should be put to death Seauenty weekes saith hee are determined vpon thy people and vpon the holy Cittie to finish the wickednesse and seale vp the sinnes and reconcile the iniquitie and bring in euerlasting righteousnesse to annoynt the moste holy From the going foorth of the commaundement to bring againe the people and build Ierusalem to Messias the Prince shall bee 69. weekes and after he shall bee slaine but so that for one weeke hee shall teach but in the middle of the weeke hee shall cause the Sacrifice and oblation to cease But these weekes are annuae hebdomadae euery weeke is seauen yeares and so reckoning weekes consisting of yeares not onely of daies as for euery day in the weeke should be reckoned a yeare 70. of Daniels weekes make 490. yeares But the Temple which was the first and cheifest thing reaedified in Ierusalem began in the second yeare of Cyrus the builders were hindred 42. yeares as it appeareth out of the Gospell and in the 46. yeare it was finished because the laste 4. yeares they had quietnes Longimanus in the second yeare of his raigne giuing foorth a newe edict that they should builde without molestation and no man vnder payne of death should hinder the workemen as in times past they had done From the second year therfore of Longimanus the Emperour to Alexander the great were 145. yeares from Alexander to the natiuitye of our Sauiour 310. from his birth to his baptisme 30. these being put together make yeares 485. so the 69. weekes make 482. yeares but at his baptisme the whole 482. yeares that is 69 were fullye complete and ended In the next weeke or 7. yeares our Sauiour taught the people and in the middle thereof that is in the fourth yeare he was put to death What Iewe or Atheist can except against the truth of this Prophecye A second proofe that the bookes of the Bible are the worde of God is the generall consent and agreement of so many writers which writ at diuers times in diuers places remote one from an other in diuers languages and vpon diuers occasions all writing of one and the selfe-same subiect all agreeing in Doctrine none contradicting other that they might not so fitlie bee termed diuers writers as diuers pennes of the same writer The bookes of Moses were written in the wildernesse of Iosua Iudges and the Kinges in the land of Promise of Daniell in Babylon the workes of St. Paule some at Rome some in other places as Athens Ephesus Laodicea Nicapolis St. Iohns reuelation in Pathmos the Booke of Iob no man knoweth by whome when nor where The Bookes of Moses about 2554. yeares after the creation of the worlde the Psalmes some of them 605. yeares after Moses the bookes of Ezra after the returne from Captiuitie about 605. yeares after Dauid by whome manie of the Psalmes were made Betweene Dauid and the Captiuitie Esay and Osee vnder King Ioathan Achaz and Ezechiaz Ieremie vnder Iosias Ioachim Zedechias Ezechiel Abacuc Daniel in Captiuitie and the whole new Testament long after the olde yet all agree as the diuers thunders which haue one voyce foure Beastes which sing one song Vox tamen vna manet qualem decet esse sororum Damascen compareth them to a Garden bedecked with varyetie of hearbes of excellent vertue which are to be gathered one by one and yet to make one Garland or diuers precious stones in one brest-plate
the wordes grauitye in the sentences acutenes in the arguments rare inuention and great choyce in the matter a scholler-like methode obserued in the forme of writing tropes grammer figures exornations of rhethoricke all thinges proued according to the rules of logicke and yet notwithstanding all these a vulgar and familiar kinde of speech is vsed For God him selfe the Angelles the Prophets speaking vnto men doe accommodate them selues to our capacitye to the vnderstanding of plow-men of shepherds of women of children that the conuersion of the world may not be ascribed vnto mans wisdome or humane eloquence or any other thing that is in man The holy Ghost doth not write like Demosthenes that it may be said Where is the Scribe the subtil disputer c. he hath made their wisdome foolishnes But St. Peter was able to perswade more with one Sermon then all the nations of the worlde with their Orations more in an hower then they in their life more by his simple kind of style thē they by al their eloquēce Magnus Ciprianus Orator sed maior Petrus Piscator Ille misit sagenam in mare piscatus est orbem Non per oratorem Deus lucratus est piscatorem sed per piscatorem oratorem Saith a learned Father St. Ciprian was a great Orator but St. Peter a greater Fisher He cast his nette into the sea and caught the worlde God did not conuert the Fisher-man by the Orator but he conuerted the Orator by the Fisher St. Paul when he writ to the Romans writ learnedly and profoundly because he writ to men that bore high mindes and did expect learning at his handes he writ to the Corinthians after an other manner as vnto men not of so great capacitye when he writ to the Galathians he altered his style vnto the Hebrues which had a preiudice of his person in such sort that they might not suspecte the Epistle to come from him St. Iohn writing to a Ladye writ in a lowely manner and in such sort as he might best befit a woman There is the discretion and wisdome of the holy Ghost which in men is neuer seene The fourth proofe that the Bible is the worde of God is euen God his selfe which neuer would suffer that book to be prophaned For Ptolomye marueyling why no Poets nor Historiographers writ concerning these misteryes of Faith answer was made vnto him by Demetrius Phalerius that it was the holy Scripture therefore that all prophane writers which went about to write of the same were presently plagued of God from heauen and so caused to desist and relinquish their worke which they tooke in hand that Theopompus because he went about to illustrate some parte of the Scripture in the Greeke tongue was so troubled in his minde that he could proceed no farther And that Theodorus a maker of Tragoedyes because he endeuoured to insert some parte of the Scriptures into his Tragoedye was presently stroken blind like Elymas the Sorcerer of whome we read in the story of the Gospell Fiftly the argument followeth well which Necodemus vseth to confirme the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ Master saith he I knowe thou art a teacher come from God for no man can doe these thinges which thou dost vnlesse God were with him And therefore our Sauiour saith in an other place Operibus credite Beleeue the workes And therefore against Alexander the great and Domitian the Tyrant which would haue beene accounted Gods S t Ambrose vseth this arguement Doe these and these thinges and then I will confesse that ye are Gods When Canutus the King of Danes had conquered England and sitting in his Chayre by the sea side had boasted the like of him selfe that he was a God It was said vnto him Sit in this place one houre longer and I will confesle you are a God but if you cannot sit vntill the full tyde and commaund the waters that they shall not carye you away you are no God But the Scriptures haue beene confirmed to be the worde of God by such miracles as no power of man or deuill could effecte The birth of our Sauiour Christ was confirmed by the appearing of a Starre which troubled all the Star gazers of the worlde The resurrection of our Sauiour by an Eclipse which troubled the great Astrologians of the world the healing of a blinde man with claye made of dust and spittle troubled Galen the great Phisition of the worlde But as our Sauiour confirmed his doctrine by miracles as Moses confirmed his ambassage to come from God by making Serpents So the Apostles confirmed their Sermons which they Preached and doctrine which they left behinde them in writing to be the worde of God by casting out deuils raysing vp the dead healing diseases c. Sixtly the antquitye of the Bible proueth it selfe to be Gods worde for as God is antiquus dierum the ancient of dayes because he was before all other so the bookes of Moses are more ancient then all other brokes Iosephus maketh mentiō of certaine Pillars in which some thinges were written by the sonnes of Seth before the Floud whereof one he saith remayned to be seene in Syria in his owne time But be it so these letters were but Hyeroglyphicall like to the letters of the Egiptians not Abedarye letters but shapes and Images of beastes not written in bookes but engrauen in stone But as for the Abedarye letters that is Grammaticall letters whereby we write wordes and sentences they were not deuised before Moses deliuered them to the Hebrues from whence the Phaenicians learned them and the Greekes receiued them from the Phaenicians and the Romans did learne to write of the Grecians And Moses was more ancient then Cadmus which brought letters into Greece or any other which broght them into other places as Eusebius doth plainly proue Now forasmuch as no lawes no precepts of life no Chronicles no rules cōcerning the worship of God no contract betwene man man no antiquitye can be kept in memorye but by writing Therefore it was necessary for the true knowledge worship of God that such a booke should be written wherein God might be knowne and in what sorte he would be worshiped But there is no booke of that nature besides the Bible which is of any antiquitye neither the Alcaron of the Turkes nor the Talmod of the Iewes witnes the Talmod and Alcaron them selues nor any other booke of religion but they were written long since the Bible Religion cannot be newe as God him selfe cannot be newe therefore that is onely the true religion which is the ancientest of all and it is impossible to knowe or iudge of the antiquitye of religion but by the antiquitie of the bookes and recordes wherein the precepts of Religion are deliuered and set downe and againe it is impossible to know what is religion or how God is to be worshiped but by bookes wherein are contained the rules of his
A CONFVTATION OF ATHEISME By Iohn Doue Doctor of Diuinitie The Contents are to be seene in the Page following Psalm 68. God will arise and his enimies shall be scattered they also that hate him shall flye from him AT LONDON Printed by Edward Allde for Henry Rockett And are to be sold at the long shop vnder S. Mildreds Church in the Poultry 1605. The Contentes of this booke WHat Atheisme is Chapter 1. The cause of Atheisme Chap. 2. How Atheisme may be rooted out of all Christian landes Chap. 3. That there is a God Chap. 4. What God is Chap. 5. That there is but one God Chap. 6. The bookes of the Bible are the worde of God Chap. 7. Of the will and sufferance of God Chap. 8. The world had a beginning Chap. 9. The soule of man what it is whence it commeth how it is infected with sinne and the immortalitie of it Chap. 10. Of Noah his Arke and the Deluge Chap. 11. Of the destruction of Sodom Chap. 12. Of Christ Chap. 13. The world shall haue an end Chap. 14. There is hell fier C 〈…〉 TO THE MOST HIGH and Mightie Prince Iames by the grace of God King of Great Brittanye France and Ireland Defender of the Faith MOST dread Soueraigne your Maiesties gratious acceptance of my late Treatise against Recusancy causeth me to present vnto your Highnes this poore Mite which out of my penury I offer into the treasurye of the Church being no way comparable to the Talents which others out of their great plentye haue cast into the offrings of God Albeit the right worshipfull Sr. George More knight hath learnedly and religiouslie handled the same subiect yet may I tread the same wine-presse againe by the example of Saint Augustine which confuted the Arrians whome Athanasius had confuted before him and the learned of our age which dayly write bookes notwithstanding others before them haue written bookes of the same argument And as S. Augustine in his time because there were many haeretikes wished that all men which were able to write would write against haeresie so because now 〈◊〉 many Atheistes it is to be wished that many would write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheisme The state of religion dependeth vpon the state of the Pastors and Ministers And therefore S. Iohn prophecying of the decay of it first discouereth the defects of them as the cause therof That he of Ephesus had lefte his former loue he of Pergamus had them which maintayned the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicholaitans he of Thyatira suffered Iezabell to make the people commit fornication and eat meate sacrificed to Idols he of Sardis had onely a name that he liued but was dead he of Laodicia was neither hotte nor colde but such a one as the Lord would spewe out of his mouth that he which tooke vpon him a greater charge then all they should haue onely hornes like the lambe Christ Iesus but as for his doctrine he should speake like the dragon Sathan And S. Paul prophecying of that great Apostasie and reuoliment from true religion through the world shewed the cause to be in him which tooke vpon him to be the vniuersall Pastor of the world That he should be an aduersaerie exalting him-selfe aboue all that is called God that sitting in the Temple of God he should not shew himselfe as the minister of God but as God The holy Ghost deriued the corruption of religion and calamitie of the Church of Israel from the base condition of the Priestes in the dayes of Ieroboam saying that he made Priestes of the lowest of the people And it is a curse denounced against them from God by the Prophet Malachye that their Priestes should be despised and vyle before the people Your Highnes vnder the Maiestie of Almightie God now sitteth in the seate of Dauid and vpon the throne of Salomen You haue the same authoritie ouer vs which Iosias Iosaphat Ezechias and the other Godlie Kinges had ouer Iuda The Lord therefore of his infinite mercie toward you his anoynted and vs your people continue in your Princely heart this your zeale of his house and great care of the aduancement of the state of the ministerie for the aduauncement of the Ghospell the increase of Godlines the subuersion of Atheisme and all Impietie The Lord make you such a King as Dauid was a man according to his owne heart that your Highnes may raigne ouer vs religiously peaceably happily to his glorie our comfort and the saluation of your owne soule The Lord graunt to our noble Queene that she may be an auncient Mother iâ— Isâ—â—â—â—â—… to Prince Henrie a large heart as he did vnto Salomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blesse all your posteritie that they way continue in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worlds end Your MAIESTIES humble and obedient Subiect IOHN DOVE A CONFVTATION of Atheisme Chapter 1. What Atheisme is SOmetimes vnder the name of Atheists are comprehended Pagans Infidels and Idolaters all such as are ignorant of the true God albeit in their kinde they be very deuout religious and godly So saith the Apostle Wherefore remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh and called vncircumcision of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made with handes that ye were I say at that time without Christ aliants from the common wealth of Israel strangers from the couenant of promise and had no hope were without God in the world But what it was to be without God in the world he expresieth in an other place saying Euen then when ye knewe not God ye did seâ—â—…ce vnto them which by nature are not Gods That is they worship the Sunne Moone and carued idols the creature in steede of the Creator which is blessed for euermore Amen These be not the Atheists which we are to treate of Other Atheists there be which haue a knowledge of the true 〈◊〉 and how he is to be worshiped and are in name Christians 〈◊〉 a continuall habit and custome of sinne haue so hardned 〈◊〉 â—…durated them selues that they haue no sence or feeling of the iudgement of that true God which they knowe and professe and would be thought outwardly to serue And therefore they are bolde to commit sinne against him because they presume vpon his mercye or at the least his conniuencye and negligence in punishing as if they were perswaded God did not see them or he would not punish them Of such saith the Prophet The foole hath said in his heart there is no God And of such fooles he speaketh else-where more plainly saying Wickednes saith to the wicked man euen in mine heart that there is no feare of God before his eyes And what it is to cast away all feare of God from before his eyes he sheweth more plainly saying He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hydeth away his face will neuer see And this kinde of Atheist is in state of damnation
of Aaron the Priest and as Cyrillus speaketh The Kings daughter hath a Coate of diuers colours yet one garment Colligitis flores ad spirituales texandas coronas sed ex omni flore spiritus sancti spirat fragnantia Whereas if man had written not beeing guided by the holye Ghost they would haue differed as much one from the other as a Mulberrye Tree doth from a Mirtle as Iohn the Baptist did from Ieremye and Christ from Iohn the Baptist as the Iudges of Susanna or the witnesses which made reporte of our Sauiour Christ A third proofe is the stile and manner of writing the olde Testament being written in Hebrue because it was written to the Iewes The newe in Greeke because it was written to the Gentiles to whome that language was most familiar and best vnderstood although they were not Grecians that did write it And yet the tongues in which the olde and newe Testament were written so differing one from the other the same idiotisme and proprietye of speach in both Testaments vsed continuall Hebraeismes aswell in the newe as in the olde doe shewe that they were written by one and the selfe-same spirit that still God might speake like vnto him selfe The languages also being more fitte for the worde of God to be written in then other tongues as more significant more copious and indeed no other language being capable enough of that sacred storye as Benedictus Arias Montanus verye learnedly hath obserued For first sayeth hee Eorum qui transferunt duplex est consilium alij enim student perspicuitati alij proprietati quorum vtrumque vnà opera prestari non potest quum tamen vtrumque sit in archetypo eodem opera a spiritu sancto demandatum suggestum neutrum vllo modo praetermissum These saith he which translate the Bible some of them endeauour to be perspicuous others to keep the proprietye of the tongue but neither can performe both that is to obserue the propriety of the tongue and yet be perspicuous whereas the holy Ghost in the originall hath obserued both Secondly Ea the nata quae carent punctis varie legi possunt secundum varias GraÌ„maticae regulas quae autenpunctis distincta sunt varias admittunt significationes quae tamen Spiritue Dei exsua sapien ianobis ambigua tradidit vt omnia quae varietas illa complectitur intimis sensibus reponamus Eadem autem vox quae in archetypo ambigua est non potest alia lingua reddi ambigua si vero ambigua reddi non possit vt est in archetypo fit vt illa sententia non reddatur integra sed manca quam Spiritus sanctus de industria ambiguaÌ„ tradidit vt in vtramque partem interpretaremur Those Hebrue rootes which are without prickes may be read and coâ—stered diuers wayes according to the Gramatticall rules they which are distinguished with prickes are also ambiguous which notwithstanding the holy Ghoste did vpon set-purpose deliuer thus ambiguous vnto vs of his infinite wisdome that wee might vnderstand and conster them diuers wayes But the word which is thus ambiguous in the Hebruew or Greeke cannot bee fitted by a worde in latine or any other language which shall bee answerable to it in ambiguity and because it cannot bee ambiguous in the interpreter as well as in the Originall it is deliuered vnto vs maymed and as it were defectiue which the holy Ghost would haue to be more full and perfecte containing this varietie of senses by reason of the ambiguitie And therefore all tongues sauing the Greeke and Hebrue in comparison of them are vnworthie of that great maiestie of the holy Ghost For example the word Barac in the Hebrue tongue signifieth both to blesse and to curse the worde is vsed in the storie of Iacob which called his Children before him as he lay in his death-bed prophecied to them in which Prophecie some hee blessed and some hee cursed Now the translation hath Benedixit he blessed thus their Father spake vnto them euery one of them blessed he with a seuerall blessing Ieroms translation hath it in this manner Haec loquutus est eis pater suus benedixitque siagulis benedictionibus proprijs Now it cannot be a perfect translation wheÌ„ it is thus translated He blessed them al. For he curssed some Neither yet had it beene well translated in this manner He curssed them all For he blessed some Because therefore there is no worde answerable to Barac which signifieth both to blesse and to cursse no tongue is so capable of this storye as the Hebrue As for Reuben when he saide vnto him Thou wast light as water thou shalt not be excellent because thou wentest vnto thy Fathers bed then didst their defile my bed thy dignitye is gone It was no blessing And when he said vnto Simeon and Leui Bretheren in euill the instruments of crueltye are in their habitations into their secret let not my soule come my glorye bee not thou ioyned with their assemblye for in their wrath they slewe a man and in their selfewill they digged downe a wall curssed be their wrath for it was fierce their rage for it was cruell I will deuide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel These wordes were not such wordes as might importe anye blessing Therefore saith he Ideo visum est Deo scripturas hac potissimum lingua exaratas voluisse qui simplici sua inimensaque sapientia omnia inuenit vt multa etiam consilij sui mysteria vnica voce declararet It pleased God which by his single and infinite wisdome sound out and deuised all thinges to deliuer the Scriptures in this tongue aboue others that so in one simple worde he might declare many mysteryes vnto vs. The Greeke tongue goeth before the Latin because it is more copious significaÌ„t For example this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by some traÌ„slated incredulitye by others disobedience and it signifieth both But the translator could finde no Latin worde which may include both disobedience and incredulitye But as for the Hebrue it goeth farre beyond it maiestate pondere numero significatione in maiestye weight number signification witnes the Sonne of Syrach in the very prologue before his booke Likewise besides the two tongues Hebrue Greeke wherein the Bible is written and the idiotisme or propryetye of the Hebrue onelye in both to shewe that the same spirit writte both that God whether hee spake Hebrue or Greeke vnto vs still he might speake after one manner and so be like none but him selfe the verye simplicitye of the style not fauouring of humane eloquence and the verye discretion which is vsed in euerye booke concerning the style still applyed to the capacitye of them who especiallye and aboue others were written vnto doe argue that men could not be the authors of these books If we doe examine the wordes the sentences the arguments the matter forme we shall finde many times that there is difficultye in
worship For as much therefore as the bookes of Moses are more auncient then all other bookes therefore that religion is the truest which is contayned in them and because there can be but one true Religion the onely truth is in them therefore they are the word of God And as for the other bookes of the Bible which were written long since they handle the same subiect they holde the same doctrine as the bookes of Moses and are but all partes and members which make one body of the Bible written by the same Spirit and of the same nature and therfore are also the word of God and there is no other written booke of God but the Bible In the seauenth place I could alleage for witnesse that the Bible is Gods word the great multitudes of Martyrs which haue dyed in the defence of the Bible and sealed the same with their owne bloud both before and in and after the times of the ten bloudy persecutions to whome God gaue the gift of patience to suffer death willingly for the testimony of the worde Neither could so manye of them haue suffered in such manner vnlesse God had strengthned them in so good a cause But because this argument is not so forcible to perswade Atheists as it is to exhort christians I passe it ouer Last of all the testimonye of the Gentiles proueth the Bible to be the worde of God For because God the Father had eternally decreed to send his Sonne to take flesh for the saluation both of Iewes and Gentiles and vnlesse they beleeued in him there could be no saluation purchased by his death neither for Iewe nor Gentile That he might be receiued by the consent of each people it could not seeme good vnto his heauenly wisdome vnlesse he did long before our Sauiour should come publish his comming both to the Iewes and Gentiles And therfore Christ was published to the Iewes many wayes as the Apostle speaketh by dreames visions Angels but especially by their owne Prophets Dauid Esay Ieremye Moses Daniell and the rest which were Iewes in that respecte called their owne Prophets that they might giue the more credit vnto them To the Gentiles also he was made known by the heathen Prophets and Prophetesses Baalam Mercurius Trismegistus Hidaspes and especiallye the tenne Virgins called Sybils the heathenish Prophetesses of which we may read at large in the workes not onely of the heathens but also of the Fathers and Ecclesiasticall writers of the Primatiue Church Now forasmuch as the Gentiles were vnacquainted with Moses the Iewish Prophets and not accustomed to read the Canonicall writers and destitute for the most part of the Bible and therefore would giue no credit to the testimonyes cyted out of these bookes and yet were to be conuerted to the Fayth by vertue of the Commission giuen to the Apostles Math 28. where our Sauiour said Goe Preach and baptize all Nations The Apostles and Disciples in the Primitiue Church at their first Preaching to the Gentiles prooued the Bible by the testimonye of heathen writers the Sybils Hydaspes Mercurius as St. Origin and Lactantius declare at large In such sorte did S t Paul deale with the Inhabitants of Creet alleaging for authoritie the verse of their owne Poet Epimenides which Cicero and Lacrtius doe reporte to haue beene a kinde of Prophet or Diuiner among them And therfore St. Paul saith a Prophet of their owne said of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cretians are alwayes lyers foule beastes slowe bellyes Likewise to the Greekes he alleageth the testimonye of a Greeke Poet Menander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euill wordes corrupt good manners And to the Scholers at Athens the testimonye of the Poet Aratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are his generation meaning God And for this cause the heathens called the Christians Sybillistes because Christian religiō was most of all proued out of the Sybils Oracles which writ more playnly and plentifully then all other heathen writers And as Clemens Alexandrinus writeth S. Paul in one of his Sermons saide vnto the people Libros quoque Graecos sumite agnoscite Sybillam quo modo vnum Deum significet ea quae sunt futura take in hand your Greeke authors read Sybil see how she teacheth that there is one God and fore-telleth thinges to come Hydaspen sumite legite inuenietis De filium multo clarius apertius esse scriptum Doe but vouchsafe to read Hydaspes ye shall finde in him a cleare and euydent testimonye of the Sonne of God And because the Christians were so frequent in alleaging of the Sybils Oracles for confirmation of Christian Fayth vnto the Gentiles and conuerted so manye vnto Christ by these bookes as Iustin Martyr writeth Proclamation was made that vpon payn of death no man should read them any longer nor Hydaspes his writings yet the people would not refrayne from reading them And againe Gods prouidence did wonderfully appeare in the perseruation of the Sybills verses for the behoofe of the Gentiles as of the Bible for the Iewes in that they were verie faithfully kept in the Capitoll of Rome and that being once loste by a mischance when the Capitol was burned yet by publik edicte of the Senate diligent search and inquirie was made for all coppies that could be gotten that so an other booke was newly written and kept in recorde being duely examined corrected and purged of all faultes that might else haue escaped And to that purpose commission was giuen to diuers learned men fitte to bee imployed in such a seruice which was performed with all dilligence and the booke was layed vp in the capitol againe euē as the bookes of Moses were kept in the Arke of the couenant So when the Christians labored the conuersion of the Romans they were not onely furnished with proofes of their Doctrine out of the Sibilles to cōuince the Romans and their idolatrie but also they were freed from suspition of corrupting those bookes or any clause in them contayned because whatsoeuer was by them alleaged was consonant agreeable to their own Coppie which they kept in their Tower or Capitoll or treasure house which was the chiefest place of their recordes Now for as much as nihil est iam dictum quod non fuit dictum prius there can bee no newe or strange inuention now which hath not bin thought of before as the wise man speaketh I cannot finde any way to disprooue the Atheists better then that which the Apostles vsed to disproue the infidels that is by the testimonie and witnesse of heathen Authors For if they will neither stand to arguments drawen from reason neither yet to authoritie neither Diuine nor Humane then they reiect all the Topics of Aristotle and places whereby they should be confuted they renounce the lawes of Schooles and order of disputation by a consequent they shew themselues meerily ignorant and contra indoctos non
Saephira with present death for telling a lye to the holy Ghost And because miracles after a short time were to cease our Sauiour Christ left the sworde of excommunication in his Church to be in place of miracles and to continue vnto the end of the worlde And since the Church hath no other sword now but the ceÌ„sure of excoÌ„munication which is so greatly dispised if it would please God to put it the hearts of Princes to strengthen excommunication with their Princely authoritye to adde the sworde of the Kingdome to the keyes of the Church not to suffer any person that is noted of impietye to dwell in the lande none that is tanquam Publicanus Ethnicus as an heathen or infidell to dwell among Christians but to deliuer them ouer to the hang-man whome the Church hath deliuered ouer to Suthan vnles they he heartily openitent and speedily reformed no dout but then God would be better knowne in Iuda and his name in Ierusalem would be greater I say if any man be an Atheist let him not be honoured among the people but let him haue Micheas his entertainment which was to be fed with the bread of affliction and water of affliction or let him be banished out of the lande not by Ostracisme as Aristâ—des was for his vertues but as Ouid was for his vices and that I may vse the phrase of the holy Ghost let his house be made a Takes As Tully wished that it were written in euery mans forhead what he thought of the common-wealth of Rome that so true-hearted subiectes might be knowne from Traytours so I wish it were written in all mens forheads what they think of God and of Christian religion We can iudge no farther of them then wee heare by their blasphemy and prophane wordes which they vtter see by their loose liues and conuersations But so farre we may iudge as we heare and see and we finde there are so many that we haue good cause to crye out with the Prophet Dauid and to say Help Lord help there is not a godly man left for the faithful are fayled from among the children of men they speak deceitfully euery one with his neighbour flattering with their lippes and speake with a double heart the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud thinges Thus much I am fare there is no policye to religion no wisdome to well doing and most firme is the estate of that man be he high or of lowe degree which procureth God to be his freind Chapter 4. That there is a God THey which call them-selues the damned Crue yet doe think there is no damnation they sweare continually by the name of God and yet they think there is no God See how they are ouertaken vnawares As St. Paul might very well dispute with the Athenians in the defence of that God whome he preached vnto them and say There is a God besides all those Gods which you superstitiouslye doe worship and is yet vnknown vnto you witnes your selues and your owne Altar Doe not think it absurd that I preach vnto you such a God for if there be not why do you then erect an Altar vnto him write this superscriptioÌ„ vpon it IGNOTO DEO TO THE VNKNOWNE GOD. So I dispute against them if they be as they confesse their selues a damned crue how shall they thinke to escape damnation If they swearo by the name of God why doe they deny God for in swearing by him vnawares they doe confesse him They weare by the woundes and bloud of Christ yet deny the merits of the death of Christ The man of God calleth such men fooles and such fooles may be rebuked euen out of their owne Booke intituled THE SHIP OF FOOLES Preb scelus horrendum blasphema tricuspide telo Gent humana petit genitum Patris Altitonautis Atque illi exprobat quod nostros induit artus Languoresque tulit nostros miseratus abalto Casum insaelicen quo primus corruit Adam To them I say no more then out of their owne Booke Desine sacrilegis iterum crucifigere labris Virgineum partum poenamque horresce propinquane They were thought worthy to be put into the Ship of Fooles which are swearers but much more doe they shewe them selues to be fooles which sweare by God and yet say there is no God But I will proue to the damned Atheist by these reasons that there is a God First they read euery day in the booke of nature that there is a God I meane by the booke of nature the great frame of heauen earth For what is this whole visible world but Epistola a Deo scripta ad humanum genus A letter or Epistle written from God vnto mankind For in it we may read of the inuisible God in his workes and his name is engrauen there in hierographicall letters Lactantius proueth it out of Tully an heathen Philosopher by the same argument his wordes are these Nemo est tamrudis tam seris moribus quin oculos suos in coelum tollens tametsi nesciat cuius Dei prouidentia regatur hoc omne quod cernitur aliquam tamen esse intelligat ex ipsa rerum magnitudine moles dispositione constantia vtilitate pulchritudine temperatione nec possefieri quis id quod mirabiliratione constat consilio maiori aliquo sit instructuÌ„ No man is such a rusticke so brutish and voyde of coÌ„mon sence and reason but as often as he looketh vp to heauen if he deny this his owne eyes shall witnes against him for although this be not sufficient to bring him to the perfecte vnderstanding of that God by whose prouidence he seeth the worlde is gouerned yet what his eye hath seene his tongue may tell The very greatnes of the frame of heauen the constant motion of the starres the wonderfull temperature of the elements doth shewe there is a God which guideth these thinges and by a consequent there is a God which made these thinges Mercurius Trismegistus doth proue it Singula haec astra non similem aqualem cursum faciunt in coelo Quis est qui euique modum magnitudinem cursus terminauit vrsa haec quae circase voluitur vniuersum mundum secum circumferens quis est qui ei fabrifecit instrumentum quis est qui mariterminum imposuit quis est qui terram stabiliuit est enim aliquis ô Tati qui herum omnium factor est Dominus Impossibile enim est vellocum vel numerum vel mensuram terminari absque factore When we see the motion of the planets fixed starres contrary one to an other the celestiall spheres in continuall volubilitye the multiplicitye of their motions their diurnall or daylye course from the East to the West their retrograde and vyolent motion from the West to the East their trepidat motion from the South to the North. When we see the sea farre higher then the