which created man and the world of nothing and none other was able to make and regenerate man and the world againe of nothing euen in despite of man and the world This inuisible God which hath made himselfe visible by creating the visible world hath she wed himselfe almightic in 〈…〉 infirmitie of con temptible man is the 〈…〉 Man the Sonne of God and is come in the flesh 〈…〉 Lord. Heere Sir you haue in few wordes the â—â—oot-anker of this booke wherein I declare the trewnesse of the christian Religion and that as I hope with such Reasons that the despisers of God if they will â—â—â—leeue shall at leastwise find themselues graueled to gainsay it Moreouer to offer this to your Maiestie I haue chiefly two causes the one is that God hath made you to be borne not onely a Christian but also a Christian Prince to whom it belongeth chiefly both for himselfe and for others to knowe what the Christian Religion is For ye shal be the more instamed to aduâ—unce it when you be throughly perswaded that it is not a deuise of man as other Religions are but the Law and truth of God which maketh both kings and kingdoms and hath made you a manâ—ye â— and set you ouer men To be short that it is both your prospeâ—itie in this life which dependeth vppon Gods gratious goodnes and your welfare in the other life which is of far greater importance than all that euer we can endure or attaine vnto here The other reason is that forasmuch as God hath called me to be about your Maiestie as I hope to do you seruice in that notable worke which he is about to doe in our daies to his glory and wherein he hath put into your hart to imploy your person without sparing of your life reason would that the fruits both of my labors and of my leisure should be yours as well as the field is yours without that it should be in my power to dispose otherwise thereof And I pray the almighty to increase his grace in you from day to day and to giue vnto you his spirit to go for ward with his worke and vnto me to do you seruice to the vttermost of my small power as long as I lyue Amen Your most humble obedient and faithfull Seruant Du. Plessis The Preface to the Reader IT is the ordinarie matter of Prefaces to declare first of all the apparant profit or rather necessitie that mooueth them to vndertake anie worke But I to my great griefe doo thinke my selfe discharged of that paine in this cace For he that shall but read the title of this booke Of the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion if he list to call to remembrance how maine blasphemies he hearethâ— howerly against God and his word how manie despisers of Religion he meeteth with at euery step and how great either coldnesse in the things which they ought to follow most wholie or doubting in the things which they ought to be leeue most stedfastlie he findeth euen in those which professe the Christian godlinesse shall by and by answer and yeeld the reason of himselfe why I haue taken this worke in hand more needfull now adaies yea euen which I am ashamed to saie among those which beare the name of Christians than euer it was among the verie Heathen and Infidels Some busie themselues so much about their pleasures that they can neuer find anie leisure not to mount vp vnto God but onelie so much as to enter into themselues in somuch that they be more strangers to their owne nature to their owne Soules and to the things which concerne them most neerelie and peculiarlie than they bin either to the deserts of Inde or to the Seas that are worst to be haunted least knowen That is the verie welspring of the Atheists who to speake rightlie of them offend not through reasoning but for want of reasoning nor by abusing of reason but by drowning of reason or rather by bemiring it in the filthie and beastlie pleasures of the world Othersome match their pleasures with malice and to make short waie to the atteinement of goods or honour doo ouerreach and betraie othermen selling their freends their kinsfolke yea and their owne soules not sticking to do anie euill that may serue their turne neuer alledging or pretending honestie or conscience but to their owne profit Of such kind of stuffe are the Epicures made who bicause they feele their minds guiltie of so many crimes do thinke themselues to haue escaped the Iustice and prouidence of GOD by denying it And of these we may say that their reason is caried away and oueimaistered by the course of the world wherevnto it is whollie tied so as they can haue none other course or discourse than his Some go yet a litle further both in respect of God and of themselues They thinke there is a God and that of him man hath receiued an immortall soule that God gouerneth all things and that man ought to serue him But forasmuch as they see both Gentiles and Iewes Turkes and Christians in the world and in diuerse nations diuerse Religions whereof â—uery one thinketh he serueth God and that he shall find saluation in his owne Religion These like men at a stoppe where many waies meet in steed of choosing the right way by the iudgement of reason do stand still amazed and in that amazement conclude that all comes to one as who would say that South and North lead both to one place But foothly if they applied their wit as aduisedly to iudge betweene truth and falshood godlinesse and worldlinesse as euery man in his trade doth to iudge betweene profit and losse they should foorthwith by principles bred within themselues and by conclusions following vpon the same discerne the true Religion from the false and the way which GOD hath ordeined to welfare from the deceitfull bywaies and from the crosse and crooked inuentions of men What shall I say of the most part of vs Of vs I meane which beleeue the Gospell and professe the Christian Religion and yet liue as though we beleeued it not Which preach the kingdome of heauen and haue our groynes cuer wrooting in the ground Which will needes seeme and bee taken to be Gods children and coheires with Christ children of so rich a father and heires of so goodly an inheritance and yet doo scarsly thinke earnestly vpon it once in a whole yeare but are readie to forsake it euery howre for lesse than a messe of grewell and a bit of bread Surely wee may well say then that if euer it were needefull it is needefull at this time to waken such as are asleepe to bring backe such as are gone astraie to lift vp such as are sunke downe and to chafe them a heat which are waxed cold And that is to bee done by painting out the true Religion liuely before their eyes with the ioy happines and glorie which insue therevpon to the
Suydas he addeth this praier I adiure thee ô Heauen the wise woorke of the great God I adiure thee ô voyce which God vttered first when he founded the world I adiure thee by the onely begotten Speeche and by the Father who conteyneth all things c. There is no man but he would woonder to sée in this author the very woords of S. Iohn and yet notwithstanding his bookes were translated by the Platonists long tyme afore the coÌ„ming of our Lord Iesus Christ. And it is no maruayle though we find sayings of his in diuers places which are not written in his Poemander considering that hee wrote sixe and thirtie thousand fiue hundred and fiue and twentie Uolumes that is to say Rolles of Paper as Iamblichus reporteth And it is said that this Trismegistus otherwise called Theut is the same that taught the AEgiptians to reade and which inuented them Geometrie and Astronomie which deuided AEgipt into partes which left his forewarning against ouerflowings written in two Pillers which Proclus reporteth to haue beene standing still in his tyme and to be short which had bene reputed and honored as a God among them And it may be that the treble outcry which the AEgiptians made in calling vppon the first Beginner whome they tearmed the darkenesse beyond all knowledge like too the Ensoph of the Hebrewes and the Night of the Orpheus was still remayning vnto them of his diuinitie Thus haue you séene how Zoroastres and Mercurie haue aunswered vnto vs the one for the Persians and Chaldeans and the other for the AEgiptians For in matters of Wisdome the wise ought to be beléeued for the whole Nation Now let vs come to the Greekes Orpheus which is the auncientest of them all as soone as he beginneth to speake of these misteries doth first and formost shut all Heathenish folke out of the doores and then sayth thus Let thine eye be vpon the word of God and start not away from it for that is it that made the world and is immortall and according to the old saying is perfect of it selfe and the perfecter of all things and it cannot be seene but with the mynd And afterward I adiure thee Ô Heauen sayth he the wyse woorke of the great God I adiure thee thou voyce of the father which he spake first and so forth For this as appeareth afore was a praier which he had learned of Mercurie from whom also procéeded the common misterie of the Poets That Pallas was bred of Iupiters brayne The same man sayth that the first Moother of things was wisdome and afterward delightfull loue And in his Argonawte hee calleth this loue most auncient most perfect in it selfe and the bringer foorth and disposer of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherevpon Pherecydes also sayth That God intending too make the worlde chaunged himselfe into loue And Iamblichus sayth that Pythagoras had the Philosophie of Orpheus alwayes before his eyes and therefore it is not for vs to woonder though he attributed the creation of al things to Wisdome as Proclus reporteth commended three Gods togither in one as Plato doth Howsoeuer the case stand Aristotle sayeth that they fathered all their perfection vpon thrée And Parmenides did set downe Loue as a first beginner insomuch that in disputing in Plato he leaueth vs there an euident marke of the thrée Inbeeings or Persones as Plotine noteth but we shall see it layd foorth more playnly hereafter by Numenius the Pythagorist Zeno the father of the Stolks acknowledged the word to be God and also the Spirit of Iupiter And Alcinous reporteth that Socrates and Plato taught that God is a mynde and that in the sauie there is a certaine 〈◊〉 which Inshape as in respect of God is the knowledge which God hath of himselfe and in respect of the worlde is the Patterne or Mauld thereof and in respect of it selfe is very essence This in fewe words centeyneth much matter that is to wit the one essence which God begetteth by the conâ—idering or knowing of himselfe according to the patterne whereof he hath buylded the world But yet Plato himselfe speaketh more playnly in his Epinomis Euery Starre sayth he keepeth his course according to the order which ho logos the Word hath set which word he calleth Most diuine In his booke of Commonweale hee calleth him the begotten Sonne of the Good most lyke vnto him 〈◊〉 all things the Good sayth he being as the 〈◊〉 that shineth in the skye and the begotten Sonne beeing as the power of the Sunne whereby we see that is to say as the light Also in his Epistle to Hermius Erastus and Coriscus hee chargeth them with an othe to reade it often and at the least two of them togither saying Call vppon God the Prince of al things that are and shal be and the Lord the Father of that Prince and of that Cause of whome if wee seeke the knowledge aright we haue as much sâ—ill as can bee giuen to blessed men Then is there a Lorde and Cause of all things and moreouer a father of the same Lorde But anto King Dennis who had asked of him the nature of God he setteth down al the thrée parsons The nature of the first saith he is to be spoken of in Riddlewise to the intent that if any mischaunce befall the Letter by Sea or by Land the reading thereof may be as good as no reading at all Thus then stands the case All things are at commaundement of the King of the whole world and all things are for his sake and he is the cause of the beautie that is in them And about the second are the secoÌ„d things and about the third are the third and so foorth Now these as he himselfe sayth are Riddies to Dennis the Tyrant vnto whome he wrote and my eâ—pounding of them of the three Iâ—béeings or Persones in the Godhead is by the consent of all the Platonists who haue made long Commentaries vppon those woords agréeing all in this poynt that by these three Kings hee meaneth the Good the vnderstanding and the Soule of the World And Origene against Celsus alledgeth certayne other places of Plato to the same purpose the which I leaue for auoyding of tediousnes But this doctrine which beeing reuealed from aboue came from hand to hand vnto Aristotle who liued about thrée hundred yeres afore the comming of Christ séemeth to haue decayed in him who intending to ouerthrowe al the Philosophers that went afore him corrupted their doctrine diuers wayes And therewithall he gaue him self more to the seeking and searching of Naturall things than to the mynding of the Author of them Yet notwithstanding he fathereth the cause of all things vppon a certayne Understanding which he calleth Noun that is to say Mynde acknowledging the same to bee infinite in God and also vppon a Frée
will whereby he disposeth all things wherevppon in the last Chapter I coucluded a second and a third persone Insomuch that in a certayne place he sayeth playnly that God is to be honored according to the nomber of thrée and that the same is after a sort the Lawe of Nature Now for asmuch as this doctrine is not bred of mans brayne if it bee demaunded whence all the Philosophers tooke it wee shall finde that the Greekes had it from out of AEgipt Orpheus witnesseth in his Argonawts that to seeke the Misteries that is to say the Religion of the AEgiptians he went as farre as Memphis visiting all the Cities vpon the Riuer Nyle Through out the land of AEgipt I haue gone To Memphis and the Cities euerychone That worship Apis or be seated by The Riuer Nyle whose streame doth swell so hy Also Pythagoras visited the AEgiptians Arabians and Chaldeans yea and went into Iewry also and dwelt a long tyme at Mount Carmel as Strabo sayth insomuch that the Priestes of that Countrey shewed Strabo still the iourneyes and walkes of him there Now in AEgipt he was the Disciple of one Sonchedie the chiefe Prophet of the AEgiptians and of one Nazarie an Assyrian as Alexander reporteth in his booke of Pythagorasis discourses whom some miscounting the tyme thought to bee Ezechiel And Hermippus a Pythagorist writeth that Pythagoras learned many things out of the lawe of Moyses Also the sayd AEgiptian Priest vpbrayded Solon that the Greekes were Babes and knewe nothing of Antiquitie And Solon as sayth Proclus was Disciple in Says a Citie of AEgipt to one Patanit or as Plutarke sayth to one Sonchis in Heliople to one Oeclapie and in Sebenitie to one Etimon Plato was the Disciple of one Sechnuphis of Heliople in AEgipt and Eudoxus the Guidian was the Disciple of one Conuphis all which Maysterteachers issewed out of the Schoole of the great Trismegistus aforenamed To be short Plato confesseth in many places that knowledge came to the Greekes by those whom they commonly called the barbarus people As touching Zoroastres and Trismegistus the one was an Hebrewe and the other an AEgiptian And at the same tyme the Hebrewes were conuersant with the AEgiptians as is to be séene euen in the Heathen Authors Whereby it appeareth that the originall fountayne of this doctrine was to bee found among them which is the thing that wee haue to proue as now I meane not to gather hether a great sort of Texts of the Byble wherein mention is made as well of the second person as of the third of which sort are these Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee The Lord sayth Wisedome possessed me in the beginning of his wayes afore the depths was I conceyued c. Also concerning the holy Ghost The Spirit of the Lord walked vpon the waters The Spirit of Wisedome is gentle And it is an ordinary spéech among the Prophetes to say The Spirit of the Lord was vpon me And in this next saying are two of them together or rather all three The Heauens were spred out by the word of the Lord and all the power of them by the Spirit of his mouth For they be so alledged and expounded in infinite bookes howbeit that the Iewes at this day do labour as much as they can to turne them to another sence But let vs sée what their owne Doctors haue left vs in expresse words for the most part culled by themselues out of writtē bookes afore that the cōming of our Lord Iesus Christ had made that docttrine suspected In their Zohar which is one of their Bookes of greatest authoritie Rabbi Simeon the sonne of Iohai citeth Rabbi Ibba expoūding this text of Deuteronomie Hearken ô Israel The Euerlasting our God is one God The Hebrewe standeth thus Iehouah Echad Iehouah Eloh enu By the first Iehouah which is the peculiar name of God not to bée communicated to any other Rabbi Ibba saith he meaneth the Father the Prince of al. By Eloh enu that is to say our God he meaneth the Sonne the Fountaine of all knowledge And by the second Iehouah he meaneth the holy Ghost proceeding from them both who is the measurer of the voyce And he calleth him One because he is vndiuidable and this Secret saith he shall not be reuealed afore the comming of the Messias The same Rabbi Simeon expoūding these words of Esay Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hostes sayth Holy is the Father Holy is the Sonne Holy also is the holy Ghost In so much that this Author who is so misticall among them doth in other places call them the Three Mirrours Lights and Souerein fathers which haue neither beginning nor end and are the name and substaunce to the Roote of all Rootes And Rabbi Ionathas in many Copies of his Chaldey Paraphrase sayth the same And therefore no maruell though the Thalmudists of olde tyme commaunded men to say that Uerse twise a day and that some obserue it still at this day Upon these words of the 50. Psalme El elohim Iehouah dibber that is to say The Lord of Lords the Euerlasting hath spoken The ordinary Commentarie sayth also that by the sayd repetition the Prophet meaneth the thrée Middoth Properties wherby God created the world According whereunto Rabbi Moyses Hadarsan sayeth that hee created by his word And Rabbi Simeon sayeth he created by the breath of his mouth And this saying of the Preacher That a thréefold Corde is not so soone broken is expounded by the same glose I examine not whether filthy or no that the inisterie of the Trinitie in the one God is not easie to bee expressed Nowe these thrée Properties which the Hebrewes call Panim the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we the Latins call Persons are betokened by diuers names among the men of old tyme but yet they iumpe all in one according as they vnderstoode them some more clearely than other some Some name them the Beginning the Wisdome the Feare of Loue of God and they say that this Wisedome is Meensoph as the Cabalists tearme it that is to saye of the infinite and most inward vnderstanding of God who beholdeth hymselfe in himself for so doe they expound it Which is the selfesame thing that I spake of in the former Chapter namely that God begetteth his Sonne or Wisdome by his mynding of himselfe Othersome call him Spirit Word and Voyce as Rabbi Azariell doth in these words following The Spirit bringeth foorth the Word and the Voyce but not by opening the Lippes or by speeche of the tongue or by breathing after the maner of man And these three be one Spirit to wit one God as we reade sayeth he in the booke of the creating of man in these termes One Spirit rightly liuing blessed bee hee and his name who liueth for euer and euer Spirit Word and Voyce
the worke of God Also being asked whether was first of the Day or the Night he answered that the Night was sooner by one day as if he had ment to say that afore God had created the light it must néedes bee confessed that out of him there was nothing but darknesse Now this Philosopher also as well as the rest had gone to Schoole in AEgipt Timeus of Locres termeth Tyme the Image of eternitie and sayth that it tooke his beginning from the creating of Heauen and Earth and that God created the very Soule of the World afore the World it selfe both in possibilitie and in tyme. To bee short Plutarke affirmeth that all the naturall Philosophers of old time hild opinion that the begetting or creating of the World began at the Earth as at the Centre thereof and that Eâ—pedocles sayth that the finest kynd of AEr which they cal AEther was the first part thereof that was drawne vp on high And Anaxagoras is reported by Simplicius to affirme that God whom he calleth Mynd or Vnderstanding created the Heauen the Earth the Sunne and the Starres and scarsly is there any one to bee found which teacheth that tyme is without beginning Some of Platoes latter Disciples as namely Proclus writing against the Christians would néedes beare their Mayster downe that he beléeued the world to haue had no beginning But if wee may beléeue Aristotle who was a scholler of his a two and twentie yéeres he taught that the world was created and it is one of the chief Principles wherein they most disagrée Philo who was as another Plato saith that Plato had learned it of Hesiodus And Plutarch who sheweth himselfe to haue perused him throughly leafe by leafe speaketh of him in these words There are sayth he some studyers of Plato which by racking his wordes indeuer by all meanes to make him deny the creation of the World and of the Soule and to confesse the euerlastingnesse of time notwithstanding that in so doing they bereeue him of that most excellent treatise of his concerning the Goddes against the despysers and skorners of whom in his tyme he wrate And what needeth any thing to be alledged for proofe thereof seeing that his whole booke of Timeus is nothing els but an expresse treatise of the Creation of the World The same thing also doth Aphrodisius witnesse concerning Plato In his booke intytled Athlantick he termeth the world a thing Longago created In his matters of State he sayth that the world was setled and founded by God and that it coÌ„teyneth store of good things and that the trouble somenesse which it hath is but a Remnant or Remaynder of the former confusion Also Socrates in his booke of Commonweale termeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Godhead begotten or created And which of the auncient writers did euer doubt that Plato taught not the Creation of the World considering that he hath made descriptions both of all the parts thereof and of the Gods themselues And also that he sayth that the world was created corruptible of it selfe but yet abode immortall and vncorruptible through the grace of God which vpholdeth it But let vs examin the racking which Proclus offereth vnto him Plato saith he affirmeth in his Commonweale that whatsoeuer hath a beginning hath also an ende Now the World as he sayth in his Timeus shall haue no end Therefore it followeth that it had no beginning If another man should reason after that maner against Proclus Proclus would laugh him to skorne for he shifteth the termes and yet our Soules which he concludeth to be without end faile not to haue had a beginning But though we were neuer so wel contented to let him passe yet doth Plato assoyle him in one word The world saith he is corruptible of it selfe for euery thing that is compounded may also be dissolued but it is not Gods will that it should be corrupted And myne ordinance sayth the euerlasting is of more power to make thee to continue than thine owne Nature is to make thee to perish The which thing he speaketh yet more shortly in another place saying that the world hath receyued an Immortalitie at the hand of the workmayster which made it Now then seeing that by Nature it may perish surely by Nature it had a beginning and the power that hath preserued it from perishing is the very same that made it to bee Proclus addeth Plato propoundeth a Question sayth he whether the World was created after the patterne of a thing forecreated or of a thing without beginning Therefore he dowted whether it were eternall or no. What a conclusion was this for a great Philosopher I aske whether men bee bred of themselues or created of another therefore I vphold that they be bred of themselues as who would lay that in disputing it were not an ordinary matter to set down both the Contraries for the affirming of the one and the denying of the other Agayne if it were begotten or created after the example of a thing aforecreated could it be beginninglesse seeing that the patterne thereof had a beginning And if it were created after the example of a thing vncreated can it come to passe that it should be euerlasting séeing that it is not the very patterne it selfe No but as I haue sayd afore wee admit horned arguments against the trueth whereas in defence of the trueth the perfectest demonstrations suffize vs not Also in another booke intytled of a String he sayth thus Plato in his booke of Lawes sayth that Commonweales and Artes haue infinite tymes bin vtterly destroyed by Waterfluds and Burnings and therefore that men cannot certeinly say from what time men haue first growne into Commonweales Ergo he beleeued that the World had no beginning Nay he sayth these things in his Timeus which is the booke whereof thou canst not dowt but that he treateth there expressely of the Creation of the World And he repeateth the same agayne in his booke of Commonwealematters hauing sayd afore that God created Heauen Earth the Starres and Gods Now then seeing it is one selfsame Author that speaketh these things and in one selfesame place and one immediatly after another is it not certeyne that he ment not to match cleane contrary doctrines together What is to be sayd then but that he spake there after the maner of the common multitude who as Aristotle sayth doe call the things infinite which they be not able to number Or as Moyses himselfe speaketh who calleth the things eternall euerlasting or endlesse which are of very long coÌ„tinuance notwithstanding that he make a booke expressely of the Creation of all things But in déede it was a surmize of the auncientnesse of the World which Plato as it should seeme had brought home out of AEgipt accordingly as the report of Solon sufficiently declareth who telleth him that the AEgiptians had Registers of nyne thousand yeres that is to say as Plutarke interprets
that be seeing that the liuing Creatures dye and the Elements passe from one into another and that as Plato affirmeth the Skye it selfe is in continuall wheeling If we say that the Elements and the liuing wights coÌ„tinue their perpetuities in their kynds why doth the Heauen continue his perpetuitie rather in number and particularitie If the cause thereof bee that nothing can slippe out of it because it coÌ„teyneth all things how can that reason agree to the Starres and Planets which doe not conteyne al things as the Heauen or Skye doth and yet we affirme them to be euerlasting And if nothing impeach it without what should let that something may not impeach it within seeing that all liuing wights doe naturally perish through the distemperaÌ„ce of their parts notwithstanding that they liue euen while they bee a dissoluing And what inseweth hereof but that both sortes of bodies as well Coelestiall as terrestriall doe perish yea and both Heauen and Earth likewise sauing that the Coelestiall indure a longer tyme and perish more slowly than the Earthly Certeynly sayth he if we tooke this word eternitie as well in the whole world as in the parts thereof not to betoken an euerlastingnesse that is to say a perpetuitie or continuance without beginning or end but only a difference of continuance there would be the lesse doubtfulnesse in the matter But all shall be out of doubt if we father the same eternitie vpon the will of GOD which of it selfe is able enough to vphold the World for so shall things haue their continuance according to his pleasure some in their kyndes and some particularly in themselues Now if the World were eternall were it not impossible that it should be otherwise than it is But if it haue this being from the will of GOD is it not discharged of that necessitie And what shal then become of this saying of his which he setteth doune in diuers other places namely that the World is of necessitie because it would behoue a second Nature to accompanie the first vnlesse we vnderstand it to be spoken of the necessitie that is conditionall and not of the necessitie that is absolute as they terme it Againe the same will which made the World to bée and hath giuen continuance to the parts thereof some after one sort and some after another and hath disposed of them as it listed it selfe shal it not also haue made them when it listed it selfe Whosoeuer then â—aith that the béeing of the world as well in the whole as in the partes dependeth vpon the will of God taketh from the world all necessitie of béeing And hee that sayeth that there is no necessitie that it should haue bin from euerlasting let vs vse those words for want of other sayth therewithall that it is not euerlasting In his booke of Eternitie and of Tyme he sayth that eternitie and tyme differ in this respect that eternitie is verifyed but of the euerlasting nature and tyme is to be verified of the things that are created So as eternitie is and abideth in God alone whom he calleth the World that is to bee conceyued but in mynd or vnderstanding and tyme abydeth in the worlde that is subiect to the sences adding neuerthelesse that the world to speake properly was not made in tyme after which maner wee also doe say that it was not made in tyme but together with the tyme. But when he hath deliberatly scanned all the definitions of time made by the former Philosophers and hath searched all the corners of his wit too find out the best in the ende heâ— concludeth thus Wee must needes come backe sayth hee too the sayd first nature which I affirmed heretofore to be in eternitie I meane the vnmouable nature which is wholly all at once the infinite and endlesse lyfe and which consisteth whole in one and tendeth vnto one But as yet there was no tyme at all or at leastwise it was not among the Natures that consist in vnderstaÌ„ding but was to come afterward by a certeine maner and kynd of posterioritie Now then if a man will vnderstand how tyme proceeded first from the hygher Natures which rested in themselues good cause shall he haue to call the Muses too his helpe for the vttering therof For it may be that the Muses also were as then Therefore let vs say thus Afore such time as Forenesse issued foorth and had neede of afternesse Tyme which as then was not rested in God with the residew of all things that now are But a certein nature bent to many doings that is to wit the Soule of the world beeing desirous to haue more than the present began to moue it self and so from thence immediatly issewed tyme which passeth on continualy and is neuer the selfsame And we beholding the length therof haue imagined tyme to be the image of eternitie And what is ment by all this contemplation but that a certeine Soule or mynd proceeding from God that is to wit the Spirit of God did mooue and cary the worlde about That with that mouing and of that mouing tyme was bred and brought foorth That afore that moouing there was a settled state or rest as eternitie afore time And that as he himselfe saieth there Tyme and Heauen were made both at once and eternitie was afore them both As touching that it is demaunded what God did afore the World doth not Plotinus himselfe furnish vs with sufficient answere in that he sayth that God not woorking at all but resting in himself doth and performeth very greate things And is not the lyke concluded by the godly doctrine of Gods prouidence whereof he treateth in bookes expresly bearing that tytle for if it be possible for the World to be eternall as well as God where then can there bee any prouidence For what else is Prouidence than the will of God vttered foorth with Reazon and orderly dispozed by vnderstanding And if Gods will bee required where is then the necessitie of béeing which in other places hee attributeth too the world Also where is this saying of his become that our Soules are immortall and that some of them are eternall and afore all tyme And lykewise this that afore God had created the world and breathed a soule into it it was but a dead corse a mingle-mangle of earth and water a darke matter a thing of nothing and at a woorde such a thing as euen the Goddes themselues were abashed at it and that after that God had shed this Soule into the world both lyfe mouing were therby breathed into the Starres Planets and Liuing wyghts For seeing that from notbeing notliuing and notmouing there is an infinite distance to being liuing and mouing Doth it not follow also that there is infinite odds betweene him that is liueth and moueth that is to say God and the thing that wayteth to haue being lyfe and mouing at his hand that is to wit the forementioned Chaos And what is it that
GOD according to which rule God will be serued and that God was serued in Israell and no where els The Rule which we seeke must néedes be found in Israell too For as it is vnpossible that it should be elsewhere because the true God was not anywhere els so is it not possible that it should not bee there forasmuch as there was one there and that the true God also was there Now therefore the people of Israell had alwaies certeine bookes which we call the Byble or old Testament which bookes they reuerenced and followed as the very word of GOD whereby he hath shewed vnto men after what maner he will bee serued and worshipped And those bookes haue bene kept continually from tyme to tyme euen since the creation of the world and they haue bene of such authoritie among the true Israelites that they beléeued not any other bookes and for the maintenauce of them haue indured warres oppressions banishments remouings deaths and slaughters which are such things as are not to bee found among other Nations notwithstanding that the Law-makers of other Nations in giuing them their lawes made them beléeue that they procéeded from the Gods because it was a thing as good as graunted among al men that the setting doune of rules for Religion and for mans Soulehealth belōged only vnto God And therefore wee might well gather this conclusion whereof the premises are proued heretofore That there is but one true God one true Religion one true Rule of seruing God reuealed by and from the true God And that this true God was not knowne and worshipped elswhere than among the people of Israell Unto Israell then was the sayd word reuealed and that word must néedes be the Byble or olde Testament whereby the Israelites were taught the seruice of God But forasmuch as wee haue to doe with folke that will sooner be driuen to silence by arguments than perswaded by reason to beléeue as though it stoode God on hand to perswade them for his honor and not them to beléeue for their own welfare I will by the Readers leaue set forth this matter at large First of all forasmuch as there is a Seruice of God to bée had and that seruice should rather bée a misseruice than a Seruice if it were not according to his will and his will cannot be conceiued of vs by coniectures but must be manifested vnto vs by his word I aske them vpon their conscience if they were to discerne that word from all others by what markes they would knowe it that they might not be deceiued This word say I is the rule of Gods seruice and the way of welfare Unto this seruice is man bound from his very creation and it is the marke whereat hee ought to shoote from his very birth Will it not then bee one good marke of this word if it be auncienter than all other Lawes and Rules than all other words than all inuentions of man And will it not be another good marke if it tend to none other end than the glorifying of God and the sauing of mankind If say I it withdrawe man from all other things to leade him to God and to turne him out of all bypathes how great pleasure so euer there be in them to leade him to saluation Nay I say yet more If we find things in the Scripture which no Creature could euer haue foretold or spoken things which could neuer haue come into any mans mind things not onely aboue but also against our nature Will any man bee so wilfull and so very an enemy to his owne welfare as not to yéeld and agrée when he seeth both the hand the signe and the Seale of God In déede I vndertake a matter beyond my abilitie but yet the higher it is the more will GOD ayde mee with his grace And first of all forasmuch as the worlde was made for man and man for God and man could neuer be without true Religion nor true Religion without the word of God I demaund of the great Nations and florishing kingdomes that haue giuen Lawes to all the world and among whom the liberall sciences artes and learning haue bene most renowmed whither any one of them is to be found that hath had a Lawe set downe in writing concerning the true Seruice of the true God Yea or one worde either right or wrong that hath bin beléeued to procéede from him I meane from the only one euerlasting GOD the maker of Heauen and Earth Also I demaund of them whither among the Assyrians Persians Greekes and Romanes a man shall find an Historie of Religion deduced from the first beginning of the world and continued so on from tyme to tyme and from age to age And on the contrarie part whether there be any Heathen man which is not driuen to confesse that the very latest writer of our Byble is of more antiquitie than the auncientest authors that are renoumed among the Gentiles And whether that little which the Gentiles haue learned concerning God be not borowed from other men and finally whether in matters of religion they haue not walked by groping without light and without any direction This matter is handled at large by diuers auncient writers Neuerthelesse for the ease of them which cannot reade them all I will gather them here together in feawe words The Byble beginning at the creation of the world of man leadeth vs from tyme to tyme and from Father to Sonne euen vnto Christ. It deliuereth vs a diuision of men into Gentiles and Israelites into Idolaters and true worshippers of the Souereine God and their comming togither ageine into one after a certeine time and by a meane appoynted euerlastingly to that end by God And the writers thereof are Moyses Iosua the Chronicles of the Iudges and Kings the Prophetes euery of them in his time Daniell Nehemias and Esdras of whome euen these latest were about thrée thousand and sixehundred yéeres after the creation and yet were they afore any Chronicles of the worlde were in the residue of the world I desire all the Antiquaries of this time which make so greate account of the antiquitie of the Greekes and Romanes or of an old Coyne or of a whetherbeaten Piller or of a halfeaten Epitaphe what find they like vnto that Esdras is the latest in the Canon of the Hebrewe writers and yet liued he afore the tyme that Socrates taught in Athens And what rule of Religion was there among the Greekes of his tyme who condemned him for speaking of the onely one GOD At the same tyme were Pythagoras Thales Xenophanes and the seuen Sages which haue borne so great fame in Greece who in their whole life tyme haue sayd some good words concerning maners and conuersation among men but as for God they haue spoken nothing of him but dreamingly nor deemed of him but ouerthwartly nor knowen aught of him but that little which they learned of the AEgiptians Thither went Orpheus Homere
Sacrifieing to Deuilles and to their owne Louers and friends as we reade that Socrates Plato and Aristotle did Who is he then which euen by the first lyne or by the opening of the booke maye not perceiue that they which speake bee men yea and but very men in déede considering that in all their bookes they speake but of man Men say I that seeke the glorie of men and not of GOD Preachers of vanitie and not of mans welfare On the contrarie side wee heare how the Scripture sayth In the beginning God made Heauen and Earth What is ment by this enterance but that the Reader should not in the rest of the discourse looke for the follies of men but for the wonderous works of the Creator And what other author did euer begin his worke so Herodotus beginneth his Historie after this maner Herodotus of Halycarnassus hath spoken these things Though he had neuer sayd so it would neuer haue bene surmised that he had spoken any thing but of man For what is his whole booke but vanitie Or what hath he which is not inferiour to man After the same maner doth Hippocrates begin his bookes concerning the nature of man and likewise Timaeus of Locres his treatise of Nature and of the Creation of the world which Authors I alledge as auncientest of all others But if we go through the whole Scripture from the one end to the other we shal finde nothing there but that which is promised at the first word that is to wit liuely letters and vnpossible to be falsified of a booke that procéedeth from God namely his own glorie and the welfare of man As for the glorie of the Euerlasting it leadeth vs to the creation of the world and of man to the sinne of Adam and the corruption of Mankynde the Flud of Noe that followed therevpon and the confusion of Tongues the calling of Abraham and his seede the plagues of Pharao and the wonders of AEgipt What is there in all these things that sauoreth of man or of the vanitie that possesseth him What hath he there which maketh him not eyther to stoope vnto God or to sinke vnto Hell Againe on the other side what els doth that whole discourse shewe vs but the highnesse of the Euerlasting his mercifulnesse towards the lowly and his iustice and iudgements towards the proude when wee see all loftinesse of the world cast downe before him and all the puissance of Empyres giuen ouer to Catterpillers and to the wormes of the earth Afterwarde Moyses commeth to the rehearsing of the lawe that God gaue to that people Whence came that extraordinarie wisedome and why rather in Israell than elsewhere in the tyme when all other Nations were so rude And what maner of lawe was it Soothly a lawe comprehended in ten Sentences and yet those ten Sentences conteyne whatsoeuer can belong to Godlinesse Uprightnesse and Iustice whither it bee of seruice towards GOD or of duetie towards our neighbour Insomuch that all the great volumes of lawes whereof the world is full without ground without end notwithstanding that they treate but onely of Iustice are referred all to that marke and haue not any thing more than is there Again all these ten sayings are vnfolded in two words namely to loue God with the whole heart and a mans neighbour as himselfe Let the Athenians shew me the Lawes of their Draco and the Romaines the Lawes of their twelue Tables if there be one word of true Godlinesse and Iustice in them Let the Greekes and Romaines shewe all that euer they wrate by the space of a thousand yéeres and see if ye shal finde so much thereof as is conteyned in those two sayings only And as for our Philosophers which make so great bragges of the ten Predicaments of their Aristotle which are but the seede of Sophistrie and vayne babling I aske them at leastwise if they haue any eyes what account they ought to make of this Lawe which hath conueyed in so fewe wordes both the matters of the world which are infinite and the matters of GOD which are vncomprehensible to man together The Israelites come to take their iourney into Chanaan vnder Moyses they bee brought in thether by Iosua and they be ruled and gouerned there by the Iudges and Kings And in this discourse there fall out many humane things many enterprises surprises Sieges Battels Uictories Conquestes Héere it behoueth vs to enter into our selues and by our selues into the naturall disposition of all men When wee goe to giue the onset I meane the better sort of vs what say wee Lord we set our Battels in aray but thou giuest the victorie After that maner speake the Christians at this day Nay but if God prosper vs what will we say at our returne Mary I wonne such a Hill I brake the Uauntgard the Enemie was discomfited by my counsell and herevppon rise quarrelles who shall haue the honor of the victorie But as for God we shall heare no more speaking of him than if there were no GOD at all The History writers which describe their Uictories are curious in naming euen the meanest Capteynes for offending any man and moreouer in describing of the aduauntages of the places of the Sunne of the Winde of the Dust of him that led the Soldiours to handblowes of the consultations of the Capteynes so as he balanceth the Battels after his owne scoales and as for mens sinnes which are the procurers thereof he neuer once thinkes of them Séeing then that the Authors of our Byble are the auncientest of all others whereof commeth this newe kynd of indyting or wâ—â—â—ce haue they learned it that in all their Histories they giue the glorie of the Battels and of all feates of Armes alonly vnto God both afore and after Or whence come these ordinary words God giueth them into our hands God is our victorie God is as strong in a small number as in a great Whence also come the goodly Songs which we shall not finde in any of the Heathen Writers but of this that they wrate the warres of GOD and the victories of the Lord yea and euen in his behalfe which was the doer of them If they wrate on mans behalfe why wrate they not in mans vsuall order of indyting dyting Why wrate not Moyses and Iosua say I as Polybius and Caesar wrate Or who letted them to take to themselues the glorie of their high enterprises Or if they wrate for Kings and by commaundement of Kings why finde wee no commendations of Iosua Dauid Iosaphat and Ezechias as well as of Themistocles Miltiades Alexander and Traiane For what other commendation finde wee of them than that they walked in the way of the Lord that they destroyed the high places that they ouerthrew the Idols and such like howbeit that we reade of heroicall Martiall déedes done in their tymes And what ought we then to conclude but that as all other bookes which tend to the glorie
nature of Angells his doing of which things beeing not possible too bee done but by God declared him to be very God And both togither for all of vs desire eternal lyfe al of vs knowe the corruption of our nature all of vs perceyue what Gods Iustice requyreth all of vs find that we haue néede of his mercy and all of vs sée that betwéene his Iustice and his mercy none can by reason step in to be the Mediator but GOD and to be the Satisfier but man euen Iesus Christ borne of the virgin and the sonne of God And seeing it hath pleased the father to giue vs his sonne let vs imbrace him and seeing he hath sent him too bring glad tydings too our Soules let vs here him Finally let vs hearken to the rule and doctrine which he hath left vs that we may indeuer to liue vnto him in all godlynes considering that he hath voutsafed of his vnspeakable Loue to suffer here beneath and to dye for vs. The xxxiiij Chapter That the Gospell in very trueth conteyneth the doctrine of Iesus the Sonne of God NOw as for our Lord Iesus Christ himself for I think I may now so call him without offence to the Iewes or scorne of the Gentyles he hath not left vs any of his owne life or doctrine written by himself For soothly had he writte it him selfe men would haue conceiued some suspition thereof Againe had he set downe those high things in a high style the common sort would not haue vnderstood them and had he vttered them in a simple stile they would haue concluded for so farre as they had vnderstood that it had bene but the worde of a Man and not the word of God himselfe as wee see it is a very common fondnesse in the world to estéeme more of the bookes that are darke by reason of their ouerhigh style than of those which stoope as low as they can to the capacitie of the readers to instruct them But his life and his doctrine be recorded by his Apostles and Disciples assisted by his spirit from whom we haue the Gospels the Acts and the Epistles all which together we call the newe Couenant or the newe Testament And whether this Testament ought to be of authoritie among vs or no I reporte me to the iudgement of all the world For the writers therof liued in the same tyme that the things were done and sawe the doing of them And although that at the tyme of their writing they were farre asunder yet agrée they both in the Historie and in the Doctrine and looke what they wrate the same did they preach and publish openly euerywhere euen while those were aliue which could witnesse thereof yea euen while their enemies liued which would haue bin very glad to haue taken them with an vntrueth and in the end they signed it with their blud and sealed it with their death in all places of the earth which thing we reade not to haue bene done for any other writing or Testament whatsoeuer though it came from neuer so great a State or Monarke how authenticall soeuer men laboured to make it If wee looke vpō the authors their writing is not to flatter some Prince as some doe For had Iesus bene but a Man what could haue bin gained by flattering him when he was crucified Againe they were none such as made their gayne of writing And such would Cornelius Tacitus haue men to beléeue Nay rather they gaue ouer the world and gaue their owne liues for the things which they wrate If ye haue an eye to the style it is natiue simple playne preaching Christes Godhead without concealing his infirmitie and confessing his infirmitie without graunting away his Godhead The weakenesse the curiousnesse and the ambitiousnesse of the Apostles that is to wit of the writers themselues are registred diligently there Of bragging of boasting of vanitie or of the praise of Iesus himselfe there is not one word Peter stept aside and denyed his Maister thrée tymes and Mark his Disciple who wrate the Gospell vnder him hath set it downe in writing Iohn and Iames the Sonnes of Zebedie desired to sit the one on the right hand and the other on the left hand of Iesus in his Kingdome and who vrged them to tell such tales out of Schoole which might seeme to abate their owne credite and authoritie Also Iesus himselfe was wearie and thirstie and wept these are infirmities of man yet doe they preach him to be God and dye vppon it Might thei not haue concealed these things without preiudice of the trueth yes to our seeming and euen with aduauncement thereof at leastwise if they had not wirtten in the behalfe of the trueth it selfe and that they had not bin sure that his mightinesse vttered it selfe in infirmitie To bee short they set downe the particularities of tyme place and person day Citie and house The more particularly that they declare things the more easie was it to haue discouered their vntrueths and to haue conuinced them For they spake not in Iewrie of things done in the Indyes but at the gates of Hierusalem in Bethanie in Bethsaida and in Hierusalem it self in such a streate at such a gate by such a poole and so foorth The witnesses were then aliue the blynd saw and the dead walked vp and downe among them Had the Apostles lyed how easie had it bene to haue disproued them What weapons gaue they to their enemies to haue ouercome them selues withall And yet for all this how happened it that of so many Pharisies enraged ageinst them which tooke exception so precisely to the healing of a man vpon the Sabboth day and to this saying of Christs misunderstoode Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I wil rayse it vp agein and of so many men which were ready both to do euill and to say euill none of them all stoode vp to geynsay them Where was the zeale of Gods house become at that time than at the which there were neuer mo zelouse persones to be seene At leastwise how happeneth it that in that houge heape of nyne or ten volumes of the Talmud they bring not foorth their exceptions and geynsayings ne set vs downe some Countergospell Seeing then that Hatred picketh out proofes and testimonies where none are and yet notwithstanding the extreme hatred of the Pharisies findeth none no not euen in the tyme and place where the things were done and when their owne authoritie was strongest and at the hyghest pitch what may we conclude thereon but the infallible trueth of the Historie of the Gospell Neuerthelesse let vs yet satisfy vnbeléeuers by prouing the things vnto them which they esteeme to be most vncredible in the Historie of our Lord Iesus Christ. When Iesus was borne in Bethelem a Starre sayth the Gospell was marked by the wyse men in the East the which they followed and it gwyded them to the place where Iesus was Some perhappes will flatly deny this
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
names which are attributed to the Gods are but deuices to experesse the powers of the onely one God the Prince and Father of all And therefore it is more behofefull to sende the Readers to the reading of that whole treatise of his throughout than to set in any more thereof here because they shall there see a woonderfull eloquence matched with this goodly diuinitie That which the first and most diuine saith his disciple Theophrastus will haue all things to bee exceeding good and it may be also that he is aboue the reache of all knowledge and vnserachable Againe There is saith he One diuine beginner of all things whereby they haue their beeing and continuance But in his booke of Sauors he passeth further and saith that God created all things of nothing But to create of nothing presupposeth an infinite power and againe that power presupposeth an vnitie Alexander of Aphrodise in his booke of Arouidence written to the Emperour Antonine attributeth Prouidence ouer all things vnto one only God which can doe whatsoeuer he listeth as appéereth by all his whole discourse And he was of such renowne amoÌ„g all the Aristotelians that they called themselues Alexandrians after his name To be short the most part of the Interpreters and Disiciples of Aristotle found it so néedefull to acknowledge one onely Beginner ond so absurd to maintaine any mo than one that to the intent they might not confesse any such absurditie in their Mayster they doe by all meanes possible excuse whatsoeuer might in his workes be construed to the contrarie As touching the Stoiks of auncientest tyme wee haue no more than is gathered into the writings of their aduersaries who do all attribute vnto them the maintenance of the vnitie infinitenesse of GOD according to this which Aristotle reporteth of Zeno namely that there must néedes be but one God for els there should be no God at all because it behoueth him to be singularly good and also almightie which were vtterly vnpossible if there were any mo than one Also Simplicius reporteth of Cleanthes that in his Iambick verses he praied God to voutsafe to guyde him by his cause which guideth all things in order the which cause hée calleth destinie and the cause of cause But the two chief among them whose doctrine we haue in writing will easely make vs to credit all the residue Epictetus the Stoik whose words Proclus Simplicius and euen Lucian himselfe held for Oracles speaketh of only one God The first thing saith he that is to be learned is that there is but one God and that hee prouideth for all things and that from him neither deede nor thought can be hidden He teacheth vs to resort vnto him in our distresses to acknowled him for our Master and Father to lift vp our eyes vnto him alone if wee will get out of the Quamyre of our sinnes to séeke our felicitie there and to call vpon him in all things both great and small Of all the Goddes that were in time past he speaketh not a word but surely he saith that if we call vpon the onely one God hee will informe vs of all things by his Angels As for Seneca he neuer speaketh otherwise What doth God saith he to such as behold him Hee causeth his workes not to be without witnesse And againe To serue God saith he is to Reigne God exerciseth vs with afflictions to trie mans nature and he requireth no more but that wee should pray to him These ordinary spéeches of his shewe that he thought there was but one God But he procéedeth yet fâ—rther From things discouered sayth he wee must proceede to things vndiscouered and seeke out him that is auncienter than the world of whom the Starres proceede And in the end he concludeth that the World and all that is conteyned therein is the worke of God Also he casseth him the FouÌ„der Maker Creator of the World and the Spirit which is shed foorth vpon all things both great and small And in his Questions It is he sayth he whom the Hetruscanes or Tuscans meane by the names of Iupiter Gardian Gouernor Lord of the whole world If thou call him Destinie thou shalt not deceiue thyselfe for al things depend vpon him from him comes the causes of all causes If thou call him Prouidence thou sayest wel for by his direction doth the World holde on his course without swaruing and vtter foorth his Actions If thou call him Nature thou doest not amisse for he it is of whom all things are bred and by whose Spirite we liue To be short wilt thou call him the World In very deede he is the whole which thou seest and he is in all the parts thereof bearing vp both the whole World and all that is thereof By this sentence we may also shewe that by the terme Nature the Philosophers ment none other than God himselfe accordingly as Seneca sayth in another place that God and Nature are both one like as Annoeus Seneca be both one man And whereas he sayth that God may be called the World it is all one with that which he sayth in another place namely GOD is whatsoeuer thou seest and whatsoeuer thou seest not That is to say whereas thou canst not see him in his proper béeing thou seest him in his works For in other places also he defineth him to a Mynd and Wisedome without bodie which cannot be seene but in vnderstanding Now of all the former things by him repeated in many places none can bee verified of any mo than one For he that maketh all gouerneth all and is all leaueth nothing for any other to make gouerne or be otherwise than from himself But he speaketh yet more expressely saying Thou considrest not the authoritie maiestie of thy Iudge the Gouernor of the World the God of Heauen and of all Gods All the Godheads which we worship euery man by himselfe depend wholly vpon him And againe When he had layd the foundations of this goodly Masse although he had spred out his power throughout the bodie thereof yet notwithstanding he made Gods to be officers of his kingdome to the end that euery thing should haue his guyde Now this is after the same maner that the holy Scripture speaketh of the Angelles So then he is not onely God the excellentest of all Gods but also their very Father Author and Maker Let vs yet further adde Cicero and Plutarch who haue of euery Sect taken what they thought good Both of them speake ordinarily but of one God the author and gouerner of all things vnto whome they attribute all things and in that ordinary style is their word Nature which surmounteth the custome of their tyme but yet doth their doctrine expresse much more héere Cicero treating of this matter in his booke intytuled Of the nature of the Gods acknowledgeth one souereine GOD whom he calleth the God of Gods that is the
that is to say One holy Ghost and two Spirits of that Spirit Now this booke of the Creation which he alledgeth is one Rabbi Abrahams a very auncient Cabalist Neuerthelesse it is of so great authoritie amoÌ„g them that they father it euen vpon the Patriarke Abraham himselfe And that which he sayth agreeth wholy to that which we say for the mynd conceyueth the inward spéech and of the mynd and of breath procéedeth the voyce These three sayth Rabbi Hamay beeing one haue such a proportionable respect one towards another as that the one the Vniter and the thing Vnited are but one poynt to wit the Lord of the whole world Rabbi Isaac vppon the booke of the Creation maketh three nomberings which he termeth the Loftie one in the Ensoph that is to say in the Infinite that is to wit Garlond Wisdom and vnderstanding And to betoken them Rabby Assee sayth that the custome was to marke them in all ages after this maner with three Iods Iehouah which is as much to say as the Beeër or He that is To be short what diuersitie soeuer there is in the names they al agree in the thrée Inbéeings or Persons And it is no maruell though they could not so well expresse them as we can now Rabbi Ioseph the Castilian hauing learned it out of the auncientest writers sayeth thus The light of the Soule of the Messias is the liuing God and the liuing God is the fountaine of the liuing waters and the Soule of the Messias is the Riuer or Streame of lyse Aud in another place None but the Messias sayth he knoweth God fully because he is the light of God and the light of the Gentiles and therefore he knoweth God and God is knowen by him Now when as they say that he knoweth GOD fully they graunt him to be God for who can comprehend God but GOD himselfe And it is the selfesame thing which I spake of when I sayd light of light and when in comparing the Sonne to the Father I lykened him as a streame to the fountaine and the Sunne beames to the Sunne Also we shall see in place conuenient that by the Soule of the Messias they meant The Word and it is a wonderfull thing that all the names of God in Hebrewe sauing onely the name of his Essence or single béeing haue the plurall termination notwithstanding that they be ioyned with a verbe of the singular nomber whereof the auncient Iewes doe yéeld the same reason that we doe and that a great sort of the Texts of the olde Testament which we alledge for the proofe of the Trinitie are expounded by them in the selfesame sence howbeit that the Talumdists since the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ haue taken great payne to wrest them to another meaning Rabbi Iudas Nagid whom they commonly called the Sainct and Prophet speaketh most plainly of all Wherevpon it is to bée vnderstood that men were forbidden to vtter the vncommunicable name of God that is to wit Iehoua saue only in the daies of attonementmaking and in sted thereof they were commaunded to vse the name of Twelue letters for the other afore meÌ„tioned hath but fower And beeing asked what the name of Twelue letters was he answered that it was Father Sonne and holy Ghost Also being demaunded what the name of Two and fortie letters was he answered The Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is God three in one and one in three Now then it was a doctrine receiued from hand to hand in the Schooles of the Iewes as wee see by the long continuance thereof in the succession of their Cabale And therefore the contention of the Iewes and of the Rabbynes was not to speake properly in withstanding the doctrine of the thrée Persons in the Essence of God but in the applying thereof namely to the incarnation of the Word which in their eye was very farre vnbeseeming the Maiestie of God Let vs goe to Philo the Iew who wrate in Greeke and we shall finde him like in all poynts from leafe to leafe God sayth he is the souereine begetter and next to him is the Word of God Also There are two Firsts the one is Gods word the other is God who is afore the Word and the same Word is the beginning and the ende 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his good pleasure intent or will And in another place Like as a Citie saith he wherof the platforme is yet but set doune in the mynd of the Builder hath no place elswhere than in the Builder So this world had not any being elswhere than in the Word of God which ordeyned all things For what other place could conteyne the operations of God yea or euen the simplest of his conceiued patternes Therefore to speake plainly The World in vnderstanding is the Word or Conceyt of God that made it And this is not the opinion of me onely but also of Moyses himselfe And to conclude he calleth him the Patterne of all Patternes and the Mould wherein all things were cast And in an other place This World sayth he is Gods yonger Sonne but as for the elder Sonne he cannot bee comprehended but in vnderstanding For he it is who by prerogatiue of eldership abydeth with the Father Now this is word for word the same thing that S. Iohn sayth And the Word was with God And againe The Word is the place the Temple and the dwelling house of God because the Word is the onely thing that can conteyne him And that is the thing which I sayd namely that GOD comprehending himselfe by his vnderstanding begate the Sonne or the Word equall to himselfe because he conceyueth not any thing lesse than himselfe And to shewe the greatnesse of this Word he could scarce tell what names to giue it He calleth it the Booke wherein the essences of all things that are in the whole world are written and printed the perfect Patterne of the World the Daysonne that is to be seene but only of the Mynd the Prince of the Angelles the Firstborne of God the Shepheard of his flocke the chiefe Hyghpriest of the World the Manna of mens Soules the Wisedome of God the perfect Image of the Hyghest and the Organe or Iustrument whereby God being moued thereto of his owne goodnesse created the World And to be short he calleth him the Firstbeginner Lightfulnesse or altogether light God and the Béeer that is of himself All these are such things as more cannot be attributed to God himselfe and he could not haue sayd more expressely that the Word is Coeternall and Coessentiall with the Father that is to say of one selfesame substaunce and of one selfesame euerlastingnesse with the Father Neuerthelesse he addeth yet further That this Worde hath in it the seâ—des of all things That he hath distributed to euery of them their seuerall natures and that he is the inuincible bond of the whole
the Romanes nor in the Histories of the Greekes To be short to begin his Historie at the furthest end he maketh his enteraunce at the reigne of the Scyonians which was the very selfesame tyme that Ninus began his reigne euen the same Ninus which made warre against Zoroastres which was about that tyme of Abraham The same Varro accounteth Thebes for the auncientest Cittie of all Greece as builded by Ogyges wherevppon the Greekes called all auncient things Ogygians and by his reckoning it was not past two thousand and one hundred yéeres afore his owne tyme. Trogus Pompeius beginneth his Historie at the bottome of al antiquitie that remained in remembraunce and that is but at Ninus who by report of Diodorus was the first that found any Historiographer to write of his doings The same Diodorus saith that the greatest antiquitie of Greece is but from the time of Iuachus who liued in the tyme of Amoses King of AEgipt that is to say as Appion confesseth in the very tyme of Moyses And intending to haue begun his Storie at the beginning of the world he beginneth at the warres of Troy and he saith in his Preface that his Storie conteyneth not aboue a thousande one hundred thirtie and eight yéeres which fell out sayth he in the reigne of Iulius Caesar in the tyme that he was making warre against the Galles that is to say lesse than twelue hundred yéeres afore the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Also the goodly Historie of Atticus whereof Cicero commendeth the diligence so greatly conteineth but seuen hundred yéeres Which thing Macrobius obseruing commeth to conclude with vs. Who doubteth saith he whether the World had a beginning or no yea euen a fewe yeeres since seeing that the very Histories of the Greekes do scarsly conteyne the doings of two thousand yeeres For afore the reigne of Ninus who is reported to haue bin the father of Semiramis there is not any thing to be found in writing Yea and Lucrece himselfe as great an Epicure and despiser of God as he was is constreined to yéeld thereunto when he seeth that the vttermost bound which all Histories bee they neuer so auncient doe atteynt vnto is but the destruction of Troy For thus sayth he Now if that no beginning was of Heauen and Earth at all But that they euerlasting were and so continue shall How â—aps iâ— that of former things no Poets had delight Afore the wofull warres of Troy and Thebes for to wright Yea but the Registers of the Chaldees will some man say are of more antiquitie For as Cicero reporteth they make their vaunt that they haue the natiuities of Childred noted set downe in writing from natiuitie to natiuitie for aboue the space of thrée and fortie thousand yeres afore the reigne of the great Alexander And that is true But as it hath bin very well marked when they speake after their Schoolemaner they meane alwaies as witnesseth Diodorus the moneth yéere that is to say euery moneth to be a yéere which account being reckoned backe from the tyme of Alexander hitteth iust vppon the creation of the World according to the account of the yéeres set downe by Moyses Likewise when the Iberians say they haue had the vse of Letters and of writing by the space of sixe thousand yéeres agoe they speake after the maner of their owne accounting of the yéere which was but fower moneths to a yéere And in good sooth Porphirius himselfe will serue for a good witnesse in that behalfe who sayth that the obseruations of the Chaldees which Callisthenes sent froÌ„ BabyloÌ„ into Greece in the tyme of Alexander passed not aboue a thousand and nyne hundred yéeres As for the obseruations of Hipparchus which Ptolomie vseth they drawe much néerer vnto our tymes for they reach not beyond the time of Nabugodoâ—ozer To be short from our Indictions we mount vp to the Stories of the Romanes and from them to the yéerely Registers of their Priestes and so to the Calenders of their Feastes Holidaies and finally to the time of their driuing of the nayle into the wall of the Temple of Minerua which was done alwaies yéerely in the Moneth of September to the intent that the number of the yéeres should not bee forgotten From thence we procéede to the Greeke Olimpiads the one halfe of which tyme is altogether fabulous and beyond the first Olimpiade there is nothing but a thicke Cloude of ignorance euen in the lightsomest places of all Greece In which darknesse we haue nothing to direct vs if we followe not Moyses who citeth the booke of the Lords warres and leadeth vs safely euen to our first originall beginning And how should the Histories of the Gentiles be of any antiquitie when there was not yet any reading or writing From Printing we step vp vnto bookes of written hand from the Paper which we haue now we come to Parchment from Parchment to the Paper of AEgipt which was inuented in the tyme of Alexander from that vnto Tables of Lead and Waxe and finally to the Leaues and Barkes of diuers Trées From writing we goe consequently to reading and so to the inuention of Letters which Letters the Greekes taught vnto the Latines and the Phenicians to the Greekes who had not any skill of them at the tyme of the warres at Troy as the very names of them doe well bewray and the Iewes taught them to the Phenicians For in very déede what are the Phenicians in account of all Cosmographers but inhabiters of the Seacoast of Palestine or Iewrie And so the saying of Ewpolemus a very auncient writer of Histories is found true namely that Moyses was the first teacher of Grâ—â—â—mer that is to say of the Arte of Reading notwithstanding â—â—at Philo doe father it vpon Abraham and that the Phenician â—ad it of the Iewes and the Greekes of the Phenicians in râ—spect whereof Letters were in old tyme called Phenicians Phenicians were the first if trust bée giuen to Fame That durst expresse the voyce in shapes that might preserue the 〈◊〉 Here I cannot forbeare to giue Plinie a little nippe Letâ—â—â— sayth he haue bin from euerlasting And why so For sayth hâ— the Letters of the AEgiptians had their first comming vp about a fiftéeue yéeres afore the reigne of Ninus But Epigenes a graue Author sayth that in Babylone certeine obseruations of Starres were written in Tyles or Brickes a Seuenhundred and twentie yeeres afore And Berosus and Critodemus which speake with the least doe say fowerhundred and fowerscore yeres O extreame blockishnes he concludeth the eternitie of letters vpon that wherby they be proued to be but late come vp Now then seeing wee find the originall comming vp of Artes of Lawes and Gouernement of Traffick and Merchaundise of soode and of very Letters that is to say both of â—iuing wel and of liuing after any sort should we rather graunt an euerlasting ignorance in man than a kynd of youthfulnesse
he did at home in his house in the Countrie after he had giuen ouer the affayres of the Commonweale and the warreâ— and he would haue answered thée that he was neuer lesse ydle than when he was ydle nor lesse alone than when he was alone And yet thou thinkest that it stoode God greatly on haÌ„d to make this goodly place of that world for thée and to harber such blasphemers as thou art therein as if he could not haue forborne thée or liued without thy companie God did the same thing without the world which he doth still with the world that is to wit he is happie in himselfe The world hath nothing at all augmented his felicitie or happinesse But to the intent as yâ— would say to shed foorth his happinesse out of himselfe it liked him to create the world Yea but why did he it no sooner What a number of faults are heere in one spéech Thou wilt néedes be priuie to the cause of Gods will in al things and yet is Gods will the cause of the causes of all things By eternitie thou haddest not bin able to haue knowne his power for the Maiestie therof would haue made the darke and it is so bright that thou couldest haue séene lesse than thou couldest see now if thou wert lodged in the body of the Sunne Now he maketh thee to perceyue his power by the creation of the world his eternitie by comparison of tyme his glorious brightnesse by the shadowe thereof By eternitie thou couldest not haue knowne his wisedome for thou wouldest haue déemed all things as wise as he seeing they had bin as euerlasting as he And what wisedome had remayned in him if all things had bin of necessitie and nothing at his owne choyce and libertie But now thou seest his wisedome in the Stones in the Herbs in the dumb creatures yea and euen in the workmanship of thy selfe Thou seest it in the order in the succession and in the bréeding of all things Thou gasest at it in the greatest things and thou wonderest at it in the smallest as much in the Flye and the Ant as in the whole Cope of heauen wheras the eternitie of things would haue caused thée to haue attributed Godhead to the Skyes the Starres the Earth the Rockes the Mountaynes and in effect to all things rather than thy selfe as they did which were taught so to do Also by this eternitie thou couldest not haue conceyued his goodnesse because thou wouldest haue thought that GOD had had as much néede of the World as the World had of him Thou shouldest not haue knowen thy selfe to bee any more beholden to him than to the fire for heating thée or to the Sunne for giuing thée light because they should no more bee eyther fire or Sunne if they forwent that nature But he sheweth thée by the creation both that he himselfe is euer and that thou hast had thy being since the tyme that it pleased him to create thée that he without thée is eternall and that thou without his goodnesse haddest neuer bin that little which thou art and to bee short that he is not tyed to any néede or necessitie as Aristotles God is which could not refuse to driue that Mill but was tyed to it whether he would or no but that his doing of things is altogether of his owne infinite goodnesse wherethrough he voutsafeth to impart himselfe vnto others by making the thing to bée which was not yea and by making the thing happie which of it selfe could not so much as be Now had man any will or skill to acknowledge the power wisedome and goodnesseÌ„ of his God I thinke not Then was it for thy benefite and not for his owne that he made not the World eyther of greater antiquitie or eternall For had he made it eternall let vs so speake seeing ye will haue it so thou wouldest haue made a God of it and thou canst not euen now forbeare the doing thereof And had he made it of more antiquitie thou wouldest haue made it an occasion to forget thy God and for all the newnesse thereof yet wilt thou not beare it in thy mynd Then seeke not the cause thereof in his power The cause thereof is in thyâ—e owne infirmitie Nay the cause thereof is in his goodnesse in that he intendeth to succour thyne ignorance And so notwithstaÌ„ding al their obiections we shall by this meanes hold still our conclusion to wit That the World is but of late continuance That it had a beginning and that concerning the tyme of the first beginning thereof and concerning the continuance thereof vnto our daies we ought to beléeue the bookes of Moyses aboue all The ix Chapter That the wisedome of the World hath acknowledged the Creation of the World SIth we haue seene with what consent that whole harmonie of the World chaunteth the Creation therof and the praise of the Creator now it followeth that we see what the wisedome of the world hath beléeued in that behalf wherein we haue to coÌ„sider the selfsame thing which we considered in the doctrine of the thrée Persons that is to wit that the néerer we come to the welhead thereof the more clerer we finde it yea and it is also a schoolepoynt of Platoes teaching That in these high matters of the Godhead of the Creation of the world and of such other like we must giue credite as vnto a kynd of Demonstration to the sayings of men of most antiquitie as folke that were better and néerer to God than wée Here I should begin at Moyses as the auncientest of all writers and whom all the Heathen Authors doe honor and woonder at in their writingsâ— And the very first worde of his booke simply set downe in these termes In the beginning God created Heauen and Earth ought to bee vnto vs as a maximée of Euclyde which in those daies men were ashamed to call in question But to the intent we confound not the word of God with the word of man forasmuch as the folke with whom wee haue to deale are such as refuse those whom they cannot accuse let vs ouercome them rather by their owne Doctors Certeynly whosoeuer will take the payne to coÌ„ferre Mercurius Trismegistus with Moyses shall reape therby most singular contentation In Genesis Moyses describeth the Creation of the World and so doth Mercurie likewise in his Poemander Moyses espyeth darknesse vpon the Waters And Mercurie seeth a dreadfull shadowe houering on the moyst nature and the same moyst nature as it were brooded by the word of God Moyses sayth that GOD spake and foorthwith things were made and Mercurie acknowledgeth and bringeth in Gods worde shining whereby he created the light and made the World and all that is therein Moyses parteth the nature of moysture into twayne the one mounting aloft which he calleth Heauen and the other remayning beneath which he calleth Sea And Mercurie seeth a light fire which he calleth AEther mounting vp as it
the souereyntie of all other things That the world the Sea the Land and all other things obey Gods tokens And if aâ— any tyme he bring in an Epicure alledging such worshipfull reasons as this With what engines edgetooles did your God buyld the World and such other eyther he sendeth him away with such answere as he deserueth or els by holding his peace sheweth sufficiently that he deserueth no answere at all Varro the best learned of the Latins maketh an vniuersall Historie deuided into thrée tymes The first as I haue â—ayd alreadie is from the Creation of the world vnto the first Olimpiade This man being a man of great reading found the Creation of the world to haue bene but late afore yea and so late that he ioyned it immediatly to the tyme of the first Olimpiade Likewise Seneca found all things to be new and acknowledgeth in many places that God created the whole world and man peculyarly to serue him And euer since the beginning of the World sayth he vnto this day wee be guyded by the intercourses of daies and nights and so foorth Macrobius passeth yet further and sayth that the world cannot be of any long antiquitie coÌ„sidering that the furthest knowledge that is to be had thereof reacheth not beyond two thousand yéeres As touching the Poets whose spéeches do for the most part represent vnto vs the opinion that was admitted among the common people Virgill is full of excellent sentences to that purpose and Ouid hath made a booke expressely of that matter And euen Lucrece also who professeth vngodlinesse sayth that beyond the Warres of Troy and Thebes there was not any iote remayning to rememberance than by the which he could not better haue declared the World to be but young howbeit that after the maner of his own sect he fathereth that thing vpon chaunce which all the wise men ascribe to the euerlasting prouidence Plinie is the only man whom I wonder at that being so curious a searcher of Nature he could not conceyue that which is printed in euery part of it and which euery man might of himself learne by his owne reading therein He maketh a long Calendar of the first inuenters of things as of Letters of Houses of Apparell and of very Bread He reckoneth vp the Companies that haue fléeted from place to place for the peopling and replenishing of Countries And can there bee a greater proofe of newnesse than that Sometymes he sayth that the Earth is become weary and sometymes that it is wexed barreine in yéelding of fruite and Mettalles because it groweth olde But in one place he sayth expressely that mens bodies by little little become of smaller stature by reason of the witherednesse of the world which wexeth olde And is not this a reporting of the Skye to bee like a whéele which gathereth heate and chafeth with rowling and whirling about And what improteth this wexing old but that it had also as ye would say a birthtyme What meaneth the wearing thereof away but that it had erst bene newe What is ment by the chafing of it but that the temperature thereof is altered For if the World be eternall why is not the whéele thereof eternally in one heate and men eternally of small stature Or if at leastwise it be of very auncient continuance why were not men become Pygmées long ago And if the contrary bee to bee seene in Nature what remayneth but to confesse that the World is but of late beginning To bee short the Stoikes as Varro witnesseth of Zeno taught that the world was created of God and that it should perish The Platonists affirme that it is created and mortall but yet is susteyned from perishing by God The Epicures graunt that it had a beginning howbeit by haphazard and not by prouidence The Peripateticks say in their conclusions that it is without beginning and in their premisses they vtterly deny it The greatest despisers of God as Plinie and such other like doe write in their Prefaces That the world is an euerlasting God and throughout the whole treatises of their bookes they vnsay it agayne Now then after so many graue witnesses and after the coÌ„fessions of the parties them selues is there yet any of these pretensed naturalistes to be found which dareth thinke the contrarie still But now since the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ into the earth this doctrine hath bene receyued throughout the world so as the thing which had aforetymes bene disputable among the Heathen is now admitted as an article of faith welnere among all nations and sects on the earth It may bee that the myracles which were seene then in Heauen in Earth in the Sea vppon men and vpon the very Féends made the world to perceyue that there was a Creator of the world For who could doubt that the creating of a newe Starre the restoring of a deadman to life or onely the making of a blindman to see was not the worke of an infinite power yea euen as well as the buylding of the world considering that betwéene béeing and not béeing betwéene life and death betwéene the hauing of a thing and the nothauing the distance is infinite And it may be that the signes which we haue seene from Heauen in our tyme doe serue to make the blasphemers vpon earth vnexcusable But wherof soeuer it came the very Philosophers themselues began to make a grouÌ„ded principle therof insomuch that the Greekes Persians and Arabians and likewise afterward the Turkes and Mahometists did put it into their beléefe as a thing out of all controuersie To be short there is not at this day any ciuill or well ordered people which haue not their Chronicles and Histories of tymes begun alwaies at the Creation of the world wherein they doe all hold of Moyses and agrée all with vs Christians sauing in the controuersie of some fewe yéeres Of all the Philosophers only the Platonists continued in estimation and all men reiected the newfound opinions of Aristotle and they stood at defiance rather with the Gnosticks than with the Christians Sainct Austin sayth concerning the Philosophers of his tyme that their opinion was that God was afore the World howbeit not in time but in order and by way of vndersetting only like as if a foote sayth he were euer in one place the print thereof should also be euer there Unto whom it may be answered in one word that like as abilitie and intent of going went afore the going it self both in the man and in the foote so in God also the power and intent of creating went afore the Creation But it is best to heare their owne words Plotin in his booke of the World findeth himself not a little graueled in this case and he maketh very little account of all Aristotles supposalles If we say sayth he that the Skye is euerlasting as in respect of the whole bodie therof how can
and tendeth vnto him the beginning of that direction cannot procéede of any other than of him to whom it tendeth Agein seeing that as he sayth in other places all kynd of things tend too some one perticular ende euery one peculiar to it selfe and all méete togither in one vniuersall end and yet all of them haue not reason or vnderstanding to appoynt that ende too themselues or to hold themselues within that bound It followeth then that there is a certeine prouidence which hath that reason for all and euery of them and that the same reason resteth in God vpon whō al of them depend as Aristotles best lerned interpreters are constrained to confesse To be short the quick sentence which is attributed vnto him which is That such as require a proofe of Gods prouidence are to be answered with the lasshes of a Whippe doth giue vs sufficient credit of his opinion Of the opinion of Theophrastus we cannot doubt For he that graunteth the creation of a thing cannot doubt of prouidence considering that power and goodnes are alike equall in both of them But behold héere the expresse words of Alexander of Aphrodise in his booke of Prouidence That God should haue no wil sayth he to care for the things heere beneath is too farre disagreeing with his nature for it is the propertie of an enuious person And that he should be vnable were to vnseemely for him for he is able to doe more than he hath yet done Therefore let vs not dout of him either the one or the other but let vs rather conclude that hee both can and will haue care of all things that are done heere belowe And in another place hée gathereth this very conclusion That all our welfare lyeth in the seruing of God and that the feare of him is a gift of his in that he voutsafeth to extend his prouidence vnto vs. Of the opinions of Plutarke and Seneca their owne bookes doo expresly testifie namely Plutarks treatise concerning the slowe punishment of euill doers for him and Senecaes bookes concerning benefites and a treatise of his concerning Prouidence for him So lykewise doth the wise Philosopher Epictetus vpon whome Simplicius hath written For after many forespéeches concerning the greatnes and maiestie of God and the weakenes of man they assayed to yéelde a reason of all things that offended the weaker sort in this case yea euen to the very accidents and to the thunderclaps And I desire my readers to take the peynes to reade them whole that they may sée how conformable the things whiche Christians teache are to the wisedome of the best sort among the Heathen Wherevnto they may for an income adde this Oracle of Apollo himselfe reported by Porphyrius No man too hyde himself from God by cunning can deuize No man by slyghts or suttle shifts can blind or dim his eyes All places he fulfilleth He is present euerywhere And giueth lyfe to euery thing that mooues and lyfe doth beare And as concerning all other people of the Earth in whose behalfe the Poets which are full of such sayings euery where may answere as Orpheus Homere Hesiodus Aratus Sophocles Phocylides and such others surely in as much as wée sée that all Nations haue some Religion it is a visible president that Gods prouidence is beléeued and receiued of all with one accord For in vayne doe meu serue God if he sée it not in vayne doo men pray to him if he regard them not in vayne complaine they to him if hee iudge them not and to be short in vayne doe wee call vppon him both on Sea and Land where counsell and casualtie seeme most to take place for the mainteyning of our welfare and the preseruing of vs from harme vnlesse wée bée throughly perswaded that he heareth vs and that he ruleth Heauen and Earth and all things in them from aboue yea and euen the verye hazard of warre as Caesar termeth it wherein fortune séemeth to beare greatest sway But afore wee giue our determinate Iudgment wee haue yet two Aduocates to heare namely the Aduocate of Fortune and the Aduocate of Destinie For sayth the one if all things passe vnder the guyding of prouidence what becommeth of Fortune which we sée in so manye things And sayeth the other what fréedome then hath man must it not néedes be confessed that a certeine destinie compelleth euery man to doe whatsoeuer he doth If ye meane fortune as she is peynted by the Poets blynd standing on a bowle and turning with euery wynd it is as easie to wype her away as to paynt her For who seeth not that there is an vniforme order both in the whole world and in all the parts therof and how then can one that is blynd be the guyder therof Also who vnderstandeth not that to moue things belongeth to stedfastnesse and not vnto vnstedfastnesse for how can that thing rule and wéeld others which is caryed away it self Or how can he hold the sterne who floteth himself vpon the water Séeing then that there is so certein order in all things it followeth that fortune beareth no sway in any thing and therefore that there is no fortune at all But if by the word fortune they meane as Proclus doth a certein diuine power that gathereth causes farre distant one from another all to one end surely in that case we be more fréends to fortune than they be For we admit it not only in things vncerteine wandering and wauering but also euen in the things that are moste certein yea and in all things whatsoeuer as the which is but God himself disguysed vnder another name Nowthen to speake properly what is Fortune Is it a Substance Euen by their owne confession it hath no being but in the disorder of other things Shall wee terme it an Accident How should an accident worke so diuers accidents What is it then if it be any thing at all Surely it is a word that signifieth nothing but respectiuely that is to say as hauing respect of some things or persons that are spoken of and it hath no ground or being but of and in our owne ignorance That which is fortune to the Childe is no fortune to the father that which is fortune to the Seruant is none to the Maister that which is fortune to the foole is none to the wise man that which is fortune to the wise man is none vnto God According to the measure of our knowledge or ignorance so doth fortune increase or abate Take away ignorance frō men and fortune is banished from all their dealings The father letteth a thing fall in his Garden to see whether his child wil bring it to him or steale it away The childe thinkes it to be falne by chaunce and his father who knowes to what ende he did let it fall smyles at him And so the thing that was chaunce or fortune to the childe was of set purpose in the father A Mayster sendeth
As God by his wisedome hath set for the best Not that any saying of the Deuilles owne is to bee alledged in witnesse of the trueth furtherfoorth than to shewe that he speakes it by compulsion of Gods mightie power as wicked men diuers tymes doe when they be vpon the Racke Now we bée come to the time or nere to the time that the heauenly doctrine of Iesus Christ was spred ouer the whole world vnto which tyme I haue proued the continuall succession of that doctrine which could not but bee vnseparably ioyned with the succession of men But frō this tyme foorth it came so to light among all Nations and all persons that Sainct Austin after a sort tryumphing ouer vngodlinesse cryeth out in diuers places saying Who is now so very a foole or so wicked as to doubt still of the immortalitie of the Soule Epictetus a Stoikphilosopher who was had in very great reputation among all the men of his tyme is full of goodly sayings to the same purpose May wee not bee ashamed sayth he to leade an vnhonest life and to suffer our selues to be vanquished by aduersitie we be alyed vnto God we came from thence and wee haue leaue to returne thether from whence we came One while as in respect of the Soule he termeth man the ofspring of GOD or as it were a braunch of the Godhead and another while he calleth him adiuine ympe or a spark of God by all which words howbeit that they be somewhat vnproper for what wordes can a man finde to fit that matter he sheweth the vncorruptiblenesse of the substance of mans Soule And whereas the Philosopher Simplicius hath so diligently commented vppon his bookes it doth sufficiently answer for his opiniō in that case without expressing his words here Plotinus the excellentest of al the Platonists hath made nine treatises expressely concerning the nature of the Soule besides the things which he hath written dispersedly heere and there in other places His chiefe conlusions are these That mens Soules procéede not of their bodies nor of the seede of the Parents but come from aboue and are as ye would say graffed into our bodies by the hand of God That the Soule is partly tyed to the body and to the instruments thereof and partly franke frée workfull continuing of it selfe and yet notwithstanding that it is neither a body nor the harmonie of the body but if wee consider the life and operation which it giueth to the body it is after a sort the perfection or rather the perfector of the body and if wee haue an eye to the vnderstanding whereby it guydeth the mouings and doings of the body it is as a Gouernour of the body That the further it is withdrawne from the Sences the better it discourseth of things insomuch that when it is vtterly separated from them it vnderstandeth things without discoursing reasoning or debating yea euen in a moment because this debating is but a certeyne lightening or brightnesse of the mynde which now taketh aduisement in matters whereof it doubteth and it doubteth wheresoeuer the body yéeldeth any impediments vnto it but it shall neither doubt nor séeke aduisement any more when it is once out of the body but shall conceyue the trueth without wauering That the Soule in the body is not properly there as in a place or as in a ground because it is not conteyned or comprehended therein and may also bee separated from it but rather if a man had eyes to see it withall he should see that the bodie is in the Soule as an accessary is in a principall or as a thing conteyned in a conteyner or a sheading or liquid thing in a thing that is not liquid because the Soule imbraceth the body and quickneth it and moueth it equally and alike in all parts That euery abilitie thereof is in euery part of the bodie as much in one part as in another as a whole Soule in euery parte notwithstanding that euery seuerall abilitie thereof seeme to bee seuerally in some particuler member or part because the instruments thereof are there as the sensitiue abilitie seemeth to rest in the head the yrefull in the heart and the quickning in the Liuer because the Sinewes Hartstrings and Uaynes come from those parts Whereas the reasonable power is not in any part sauing so farre foorth as it worketh and hath his operation there neither hath it any néede of place or instrument for the executing of it selfe And to be short that the Soule is a life by it selfe a life all in one vnpartable which causeth to growe and groweth not it selfe which goeth throughout the bodie and yet is not conteyned of the bodie which vniteth the Sences and is not deuided by the Sences and therfore that it is a bodilesse substance which cannot bee touched neither from within nor from without hauing no néede of the bodie eyther outwardly or inwardly consequently is immortall diuine yea and almost a very God Which things he proueth by many reasons which were too long to bee rehearsed here Yea he procéedeth so farre as to say that they which are passed into another world haue their memorie still notwithstanding that to some mens seeming it goe away with the Sences as the treasury of the Sences Howbeit he affirmeth it to be the more excellent kynd of memorie not that which calleth things agayne to mynd as alreadie past but that which holdeth and beholdeth them still as alwaies present Of which two sorts this latter he calleth Myndfulnes and the other he calleth Rememberance I will add but onely one sentence more of his for a full president of his Doctrine The Soule sayth he hath had companie with the Gods and is immortal and so would we say of it as Plato affirmeth if we sawe it fayre and cleere But forasmuch as we see it commonly troubled we thinke it not to bee eyther diuine or immortall howbeit that he which will discerne the nature of a thing perfectly must consider it in the very owne substance or being vtterly vnmingled with any other thing For whatsoeuer els is added vnto it doth hinder the perfect discerning of the same Therfore let euery man behold himself naked without any thing saue himselfe so as he looke vppon nothing els than his bare Soule and surely when he hath vewed himselfe in his owne nature merely as in respect of his Mynd he shall beleeue himselfe to bee immortall For he shall see that his Mynd ameth not properly at the sensible and mortall things but that by a certeine euerlasting power it taketh hold of the things that are euerlasting and of whatsoeuer is possible to be conceiued in vnderstanding insomuch that euen it self becommeth after a sort a very World of vnderstanding light This is against those which pretend a weakenesse of the Soule by reason of the inconueniences which it indureth very often in the bodie Of the same opinion are Numenius Iamblichus
Porphirius and Proclus notwithstanding that now and then they passe their bounds suffering their wits to runne royet For in their Philosophie they had none other rule than only the drift of their owne reason It was commonly thought that Alexander of Aphrodise beléeued not the immortalitie of the Soule because he defined it to be the forme of the body proceeding of the mixture temperature of the Elements Surely these words of his doe vs to vnderstand either that he ment to define but the sensitiue lyfe onely as many others doe and not the reasonable soule or els that he varieth from himselfe in other places And in very déede hee sayeth immediatly afterward that he speaketh of the things which are subiect to generation and corruption But speaking of the Soule he sayeth it is separable vnmateriall vnmixed and voyd of passions vnlesse perchaunce we may thinke as some doe that by this Soule he meane but onely God and not also the Soule that is in vs for the which thing he is sharply rebuked by Themistius who notwithstanding speaketh neuer a whit better thereof himselfe Howsoeuer he deale elsewhere these words of his following are without any doubtfulnes at all The Soule sayth he which is in vs commeth from without and is vncorruptible I say vncorruptible because the nature thereof is such and it is the very same that Aristotle affirmeth to come from without And in his second booke of Problemes searching the cause why the abilities of the Soule are oftentimes impeached If a mans brayne be hurt sayth he the reasonable soule dooth not well execute the actions that depend thereon But yet for all that it abydeth still in itselfe vnchaungeable of nature abilitie and power through the immortalitie thereof And if it recouer a sound instrument it putteth her abilities in execution as well as it did afore But I wil reason more at large hereafter against the opinion that is fathered vpon him What shall we say of Galene who fathereth the causes of all things as much as he can vpon the Elements and the mixture and agréeble concord of them if after his disputing against his owne Soule he be constreyned to yéeld that it is immortall Surely in his booke concerning the manners of the Soule he doeth the worst that he can against Plato and in another place hee doubteth whether it be immortall and whether it haue continuance of it selfe or no. Yet notwithstanding in his booke of the doctrine of Hippocrates and Plato It must needes be graunted sayeth hee that the Soule is either a sheere body and of the nature of the Skye as the Stoiks Aristotle himself are inforced to confesse or els a bodilesse substance whereof the body is as it were the Chariot and whereby it hath fellowship with other bodyes And it appeareth that hee inclyneth to this latter part For hee maketh the vitall spirit to be the excellentest of all bodily things and yet he graūteth the Soule to bee a farre more excellent thing than that What shall we then doe Let vs wey his words set downe in his booke of the conception of a Child in the Moothers Wombe The Soule of Man sayeth he is an influence of the vniuersall Soule that descendeth from the heauenly Region a substance that is capable of knowledge which aspyreth alwayes to one substance lyke vnto it selfe which leaueth all these lower things to seeke the things that are aboue which is partaker of the heauenly Godhead and which by mounting vp to the beholding of things that are aboue the heauens putteth it selfe into the presence of him that ruleth all things Were it reason then that such a substance comming from elsewhere than of the body and mounting so farre aboue the body should in the ende dye with the body because it vseth the seruice of the body Now hereuntoo I could adde infinite other sayings of the auncient authors both Greeke and Latin Philosophers Poets and Orators from age to age wherein they treate of the iudgement to come of the reward of good men of the punishment of euill men of Paradise and of Hell which are appendants to the immortalitie of the Soule but as now I will but put the reader in mynd of them by the way reseruing them to their peculiar places To bée short let vs runne at this day from East to West and from North to South I say not among the Turkes Arabians or Persians for their Alcoran teacheth them that mans Soule was breathed into him of God and consequently that it is vncorruptible but euen among the most barbarous ignorant beastly people of the Wold I meane the very Caribies and Cannibals and we shall find this beléefe receiued and imbraced of them all Which giueth vs to vnderstand that it is not a doctrine inuented by speculations of some Philosophers conueyed from Countrie to Countrie by their disciples perswaded by likelyhods of reasons or too be short entered into mans wit by his eares but a natiue knowledge which euery man findeth and readeth in himself which he carieth euerywhere about with himselfe and which is as easie to bée perswaded vnto all such as viewe themselues in themselues as it is easie to perswade a man that neuer sawe his owne face to beléeue that he hath a face by causing him to behold himselfe in a glasse There remayne yet two opinions to be confuted The one is the opinion of Auerrhoes and the other is the opinion of Alexander of Aphrodise who affirme themselues to hold both of Aristotle namely in that they vpholde that there is but one vniuersall reasonable Soule or mynd which worketh al our discourses in vs howbeit diuersly in euery seuerall person And this thing if wee beléeue Auerrhoes is done according to the diuersitie of the Phantasies or Imaginations wherewith the mynd is serued as with instruments But if we beléeue Alexander it is done according too the diuersities of the capable mind as they terme it that is to say of the abilitie or capabilitie that is in men to vnderstand things by receyuing the impression of the vniuersall mynd that worketh into euery of them which in respect thereof is called of them the woorker Soothly these opinions are such as may bee disprooued in one worde For this onely one Mynd whether in possibilitie or in action could not haue receiued or imprimted in euery man one selfesame common beléef and conceit of the immortalitie of the Soule in so great diuersitie of imaginations and in so many Nations as we sée doe beléeue it considering that the very same conceit is directly repugnant against it Nay it may well bée sayde that Auerrhoes and Alexander had very diuers conceits and imaginations one from another and very contrary to all other mens seeing they had so diuers and cōtrarie opinions imprinted either in their mind or in their imagination Howbeit forasmuch as there may be some the will make a doubt of it Let
owne indytement and willingly beare witnesse against himselfe by his owne voluntarie confession Surely that man is straungly infected with vyce it is witnessed sufficiently by the Histories of all ages which in effect are nothing els but registers of the continuall Manslaughters Whoredomes Guyles Rauishments and Warres And when I say Warres I thinke that in that worde I comprehend all the mischief that can be imagined And that these vyces were not created in mans nature but are crept into it it appeareth sufficiently by the bookes of the Ceremonies of al Nations all whose Church-seruices are nothing but Sacrifices that is to say open protestations both euening and morning that we haue offended God and ought to bee sacrifized and slayne for our offences according to our desarts in stead of the sillie Beastes that are offered vnto him for vs. Had man bene created with vyce in him he should haue had no conscience of sinne nor repentance for it For repentance presupposeth a fault and conscience misgiueth the insewing of punishment for the same And there can be neither fault nor punishment in that which is done according to creation but onely in and for our turning away from creation Now the Churchseruice and Ceremonies of all Nations doe witnesse vnto vs a certeyne forthinking and remorce of sinne against God And so they witnesse altogether a forefeeling of his wrath which cannot bee kindled against nature which he himselfe created but against the faultinesse and vnkindlynesse that are in nature Also what els are the great number of Lawes among vs but authenticall Registers of our corruption And what are the manifold Commentaries written vppon them but a very corruption of the Lawes themselues And what doe they witnesse vnto vs but as the multitude of Phisitions doth in a Citie namely the multitudes of our diseases that is to wit the sores and botches whereto our Soules are subiect euen to the marring and poysoning of the very playsters themselues Againe what doe the punishments bewray which we haue ordeyned for our selues but that wee chastise in vs not that which GOD hath made or wrought in vs but that which wee our selues haue vndone or vnwrought nor the nature it selfe but the disfiguring of nature But yet when we consider that among all Nations that Lawmaker is beléeued and followed by and by which sayth Thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse whereas great perswasion is required in all other lawes which are not so naturall It must néedes be concluded that the Consciences of all men are perswaded of themselues that the same is sinne and that sinne deserueth punishment that is to wit that sinne is in nature but not nature it selfe But to omit the holy Scripture which is nothing els but a Lookingglasse to shewe vs our spots and blemishes what are all the Schooles of the Philosophers but instructions of the Soule And what els is Philosophie it selfe but an arte of healing the Soule whereof the first precept is this so greatly renowmed one know thy selfe Aristotle in his Moralles sheweth that the affections must be ruled by reason and our mynd bee brought from the extremes into the meanes and from iarring into right tune Which is a token that our mynd is out of tune euen of it owne accord seeing that it néedeth so many precepts to set it in tune agayne And yet is not Aristotle so presumptuous as to say that euer he brought it to passe in his owne mynd Theophrast his Disciple was woont to say that the Soule payd wel for her dwelling in the bodie considering how much it suffered at the bodies hand And what els was this but an acknowledgement of the debate betwéene the bodie and the mynd But as sayth Plutarke he should rather haue sayd that the bodie hath good cause to complayne of the turmoyles which so irksome and troublesome a guest procureth vnto him Plato who went afore them sawe more cléerly than both of them He condemneth euerywhere the companie and fellowship of the body with the soule and yet he condemneth not the workmanship of God But he teacheth vs that the Soule is now in this bodie as in a prison or rather as in a Caue or a graue And that is because he perceiued euidently that contrarie to the order of nature the Soule is subiect to the bodie notwithstanding that naturally it should and can commaund it The same Plato sayth further that the Soule créepeth bacely vpon these lower things and that it is tyed to the matter of the bodie the cause whereof he affirmeth to be that she hath broken her wings which she had afore His meaning then is that the soule of her owne nature is winged and flyeth vpward that is to say is of a heaueÌ„ly diuine nature which wings she hath lost by meanes of some fall But to get out of these bonds and to recouer her wings the remedie that Plato giueth her is to aduaunce her selfe towards God and to the things that concerne the mynd By the remedie we may coniecture what he tooke the disease to be namely that our Soule hauing bin aduaunced by God to a notable dignitie the which it might haue kept still by sticking vnto God fell to gazing at her gay feathers till she fell headlong into these transitorie things among the which she créepeth now like a sillie woorme reteyning nothing as now of her birdlike nature saue onely a rowsing of her feathers and a vayne flapping of her wings Now he sayth that he learned all this of a secret Oracle the which he had in great reuerence And of â—â—â—cueth in this doctrine of the originall of our corruption wee haue to marke the same poynt which wee haue noted in some other things afore namely that the néerer wee come to the first world the more cléere and manifest we finde the matter Empedocles and Pythagoras taught that the Soules which had offended God wâ—â— condemned and banished into bodies here belowe And Philâ—â—â—aus the Pythagorian addeth that they receyued that opinion from the Diuines and Prophets of old tyme. Their meaning is that the body which ought to be the house of the soule is by Gods iust iudgemeÌ„t turned into a prison to it and that which was giuen it for an instrument is become Manicles and Stocks So then there is both a fault and the punishment and the fault must néedes procéede from one first man euen in the iudgement of those men of olde tyme which acknowledged the Creation of the world Also those auncient fathers seeme to haue heard what prouoked the first man to sinne For Homer speaketh of a Goddesse whom he calleth Até that is to say Waste Losse or Destruction which troubled heauen and therefore was cast downe to the earth where she hath euer since troubled Mankynd And herevpon Euripides calleth the Féendes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Falne from Heauen And the
euerywhere The Lord our God is but one God and in the middes of all the rout that barketh and byteth at her on all sides cryeth out coragiously All your Godds are but error and vanitie Therefore without staying vppon the others which are not worthie so much as to be looked on wee will procéede to that onely one Religion which alonly in trueth professeth the true way and the knowledge of the place whereunto wee would come Now to shewe the way the end whereto it leadeth must be knowen and the end which all of vs tend vnto is a happy lyfe And to leade a happy lyfe is to liue in God who is the very happinesse it self And the same God as I haue made the heathen-men themselues to confesse is but one The Religions therefore which were not the liuery of that but of many cannot bring vs too the happynes which we séeke for it is but one and to be had at the hand of that one Which then is the one Religion that shall leade vs to the one God Shall we séeke for it among the Assyrians They worshipped as many Gods as they had Townes Among the Persians They had as many Gods as there be Starres in the Skye and Fyres on Earth Among the Greekes They had as many Gods as they had fancies Among the AEgiptians They had as many Goddes as they sowed or planted Fruites or as the Earth brought foorth fruites of it selfe To be short the Romanes in conquering the worlde got to themselues all the vanities in the Worlde and they wanted no wit to deuyse others of their owne brayne What shall it auayle vs to aske the way of these blynd Soules which go groping by the Walles sydes and haue not so much as a Child or a Dog to leade them as some blynd folk haue but catch hold vnaduisedly of euery thing that comes in their way But yet among these great Nations we spye a little Nation called the people of Israel which worshippeth the maker of al things acknowledging him for their Father calling vpon him alone in all their néedes as for al the small account that others made of them abhorring all the glistering gloriousnes of the greate kingdomes that were out of the way It is in the Religion of this people and not elsewhere that that we shall find our sayd former marke And therefore we must séeke it onely there and leaue the damnable footsteppes of the rest as being assured that wee may more safely followe one man that is cléeresighted than a thousand that are blind For what greater blindnes of mynd can be than to take the Creature for the Creator a thing of nothing for the thing that is infinite Now that the people of Israell worshipped the true GOD in such sort as I haue described him the continuance of their whole Historie sheweth well ynough All men knowe in what reuerence the Byble hath bin had in all times among the Hebrewes And if any man doubt whether it be Gods word or no that is a question to be decyded otherwise But yet for all that it is out of all doubt that the Hebrewes themselues tooke it to be so and that wee cannot better iudge of their Beléef and Religion than by the Scriptures for the which they haue willingly suffered death And what els doe those Scriptures preach from the first word of them to the last than the onely one God the maker of Heauen and of Earth As soone as you doe but open the Byble byandby ye sée there In the beginning God created the Heauen and the Earth At the very first step in at the gate of that booke it excludeth al the Godds made or deuised by man frō that people to the intent to kéepe them wholy to the true God that created man Open the booke furtherfoorth at all aduenture whersoeuer you list and frō lyne to lyne you shall méete with nothing but the prayses of that God or protestations and thunderings against the strange Gods God made man excellent who for his disobedience is become subiect to corruption Who could punish and imprison such a substance but he that made it He founded the world and peopled it which afterward was ouerwhelmed by the flud and who could let the waters loose but he that held them at commaundement The people of Israell found drye passage through the Red Sea and who prepared them that way but hee that founded the Earth vppon the déepes Also the Sunne stoode still and went backe at the speaking of a woorde and of whose word but of his whose woord is a deede I dispute not heere as yet whether these things bee true or no but I say onely that the Hebrewes beléeued them yea and that they beléeued them in all ages and that they worshipped him whom they beléeued to be the doer of those things who certesse cannot be any other than the same of whom the first lyne of the booke sayeth That he made the Heauen and the Earth Aske of Iob who it is whome he worshippeth and hee will not say it is hee whome the inuention of the Craftesman or of the Imbroyderer or of the proyner of Uynes hath deuised nor that is sponne weaued or hamered nor that hath a Tayle cut with a Razor nor an Image turned arsyuersie nor some iuggling tricke to dazle childrens eyes withall for such as we shall see more plainly hereafter are the Goddes of the heathen but he will say it is the same GOD that founded the earth and stretched out his Metlyne ouer it which hath shet vp the Sea within doores and bounded the rage of his waues which made the light and the darknes which holdeth backe the Pleyads and vnbyndeth Orion which hath created the world and giuen vnderstanding to man It is he sayth Dauid which spreadeth out the Heauens as a Curtaine and maketh him Chambers among the the Waters which hath setled the Earth vppon hir Pillers and chaced away the Sea at one only threatning of his which maketh the Windes his messengers and the Elements his seruants It is hee sayeth Esay which is the first and the last His hand hath grounded the Earth and his right hand hath measured the Heauens As soone as hee called them they appéered together before him Heauen is his Seate and the Earth is his Footestoole Yea and besides all this Moyses will tell vs that streine we our selues to say what we can of him we can say no more of him but that it is he whose name is I am that I am euen he that alonly is of whom all things that are haue their being and in comparison of whom al things are nothing whom neither words nor workes can expresse onely in effect and yet infinite therewithall Some man will say it may be that this so greate a God voutsafeth not to stoope downe vnto vs but hath left the charge both of the world and of men to some Seruants of his whom it behoueth vs to
well to the life which the Goddesse her selfe had led and to the miracles of the Féends to the marke that they shot at namely to giue the more boldnesse to Claudia to continue her leaud life and occasion vnto others to followe her Also one was counted a God because he draue away Grashoppers another because he killed Frogges Crickets and Flyes And hereof it came that the Chananites called their Belzebub and the Greekes their Iupiter by the name of Scareflye Another sayth Zosimus sent Birds to deuoure the Grashoppers Admit that all these effects haue not their particuler causes yet what miracles are they to make Gods withal For by that reckoning why should not those also which by certeyne receyts doe kill Serpents Rats and Féeldmyce or which doe moreouer driue away vermin out of mens bodies bee counted Gods Nay if wee will see miracles let vs looke vppon the doings of the onely one God which are vtterly vnpossible wonderfull and vncommunicalle to any creature He made the world and he destroyed it He made the Sea and he dryeth it vp He made the Sunne and he causeth it to stand still Yea and which is yet much more he made all these things by his word and with a blast of his mouth he chaungeth them as he listeth These are the miracles of the God of Israell which haue not their like among the other Gods And if they will deale vprightly in disputing they must as well beléeue our bookes for these miracles as we beléeue their bookes for theirs Also if wee looke vpon the miracles of the good Spirites and of the seruants of that one God they be not castes of Legierdemame to dazle mens eyes withall nor nimble tricks sleyghts nor wonders to no end to no reason to no instruction but when they strike it is to chastize men and when they heale it is to glorifie God If they speake it is to teach and if they appeare to vs it is to leade vs to welfare If they foretell they doe it as messengers from God and if they worke miracles they doe it as executers of his power And they bee so farre of from being angrie at a Song mistuned or at a Gambauld misbegun in the honor of them after the maner of the Heathen Gods that as wee reade in our Scriptures they bée offended with nothing more than when men thank them or honor them for the things which they ought to thank and to worship the Creator By the tokens which the Platonists giue vs thereof wee shall percieue yet better whether those Gods were good Spirits or bad Angels or Diuelles notwithstanding that that Sect was tootoo much ouertaken in the seruing of them The Diuelles or wicked Spirits saith Porphirius delight in bludshed in filthy and rybawdly speeche in giuing Poyson in furnishing folke with charmes of loue and in prouoking them to lechery and to all vyces Yea and they beare men on hand that all the Gods and the very Souereyne GOD himselfe taketh pleasure in such things either feyning themselues to bee the Sowles of some deadfolkes or taking vppon them to be Gods Which of all these tokens haue I not noted already in their Gods Agein saith Porphirius They turkining themselues as much as they can into Gods that is to say into Angels of light to beguile our sence and imagination with straunge vanities Insomuch that he that is the cheefe of them will needes bee estemed to bee the souerein God And yet notwithstanding their foretelling of things is but by gesse and all of them generally bee subiect to lying and deceyuing They be angry at euery small tryfle are pacified againe with fond and vaine things Neuerthelesse they haue beguyled some vayne Poets and Philosophers and consequently by them haue drawen the silly people to the worshipping of them as Gods What is all this but a description of the very same Gods whom hee himselfe worshipped Likewise Iamblichus who maketh an Anatomie of them saith thus They transforme themselues saith he into good Spirits but in deed it is but a brag wherby they pretend more than they be in deede They make a galant showe and daunt men with their words They play the Gods and yet are troubled with light passions But the greate Witch Apuleius sayth yet more They be pacified with gifts saith he and wroth with wrongs They be pleased with Ceremonies and angred with the want of them be it neuer so little They take vpon them the ruling of Birdgazers and Bowelgazers and of the Oracles and Miracles of Witches and Wizards To be short they be vnkindly wights passionate of Spirit reasonable of vnderstanding ayry of body and endlesse of time To whom can these things agree but to his owne Gods And what remayneth then but that they were Diuels so much the more miserable as they bee more vehement in their passions and immortall in their nature Now is there nothing behind but their owne Confession and thereof we shall not yet fayle Apollo therefore as one vppon the Racke doth in many of his Oracles acknowledge the Souereine God and to make the most of himselfe he termeth himselfe one of his Angels as appéereth by this Oracle of his alledged afore We Angels are a parcell of the Souereine God of all And beeing asked vppon a tyme by what name he would be called and prayd vnto he answered Call mee the feend that knowes all things to whom belongs all skil And in another The witty Feend the Harmony and Cresset of the World And ageine Wee Feendes which runne through Sea and Land do tremble shrink and shake To see the Whip of that great God which makes the World to quake And yet notwithstanding the Greeke word Demon which is the word whereby they termed their Gods and which in this place I english Feend was so odious euen among the learned men themselues who knewe the originall thereof that they would haue bene loth to call a Slaue so But when as wee reade further that these Gods do quake at the naming of the Stigian marris that is to say of Hell insomuch that euen Iupiter himselfe sweareth thereby and is afrayd to be forsworne what els is to bee thought thereof but that these Gods which feine themselues to reigne in heauen are tormented in hell Besides this the miracles and Oracles of these Gods are come to an end and their Seruices and Sacrifices are come to nought and at length folke haue acknowledged the only one GOD the maker of Heauen and Earth and ruler of the whole world to be the same whome the Iewes haue worshipped And in that respect it is that Seneca cryed out That the Slauish Iewes had giuen lawe to the whole Earth But who can maruell that hee which made both the worlde and man should in the end make men to acknowledge him to be as he is So then let vs conclude for these last three Chapters That there is but onely
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
it for his theam and ankerhold both to speake vpon and to worke vpon And soothly as it was receiued by Abraham so was it receyued by Moyses and put in execution by Iosua Iacob made his Testament in AEgipt wherein there are as many Prophesies as words not for his owne ChildreÌ„ only but also for the Trybes that should come of them Neuerthelesse I will stand but vppon one of them Thou Iuda sayth he thy brothers shall commend thee thy fathers Children shall yeeld thee reuerence And the Scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor the Law maker froÌ„ betweene his feete vntill Silo come The effect hereof is that the Scepter shall remayne with Iuda and that he shall haue souereine iurisdiction vntill the tyme of Messias and so do the Hebrewes interpret it Yet were Ruben Simeon and Leuie the eldest brethren of Iacobs house and therefore his doing was against the order of nature And Moyses who led the people of Israell out of AEgipt was of the Trybe of Leuie Iosua who brought them into the Land of Canaan was of Ephraim The Iudges were raysed vp one while out of one Trybe and auother while out of another and Saule the first King chosen by the people was of the Trybe of Beniamin which was the yoongest of all These things therefore were a curst shaking to the Prophesie In the meane while the Scepter passed from Saule to Dauid from a King to a yoong Shepheard of Iuda and there was settled for euer notwithstanding the murmurings of the ten Trybes against it and the falling away of Israell the Captiuitie of Babylon And whereas he sayth vntill Silo come it sufficed vntill another tyme that by the sapce of two thousande yéeres the house of Iuda reigned still in Israell and had the eldership together with a direct obserued pedegree which thing wee reade not of any other stocke in the world Here they will say who shall assure vs that Iacob spake those things If I should aske them as much concerning their Histories what knowe they more of them And what should Moyses haue gayned by the deuising thereof being himselfe of the Trybe of Leuie and giuing ouer his charge to one of the Trybe of Ephraim which had rather bene an occasion to make Iuda which was the strongest of al the Trybes to grudge against him seeing that that Trybe had bene authorised both by Iacobs last will and by answer from God Or if he did it to greatefie Iuda why was he not afrayd to displease Ruben Simeon and Leuie or rather why made he not the Prophesie to fall vpon Leuie to authorise himselfe Nay what gratefying of Iuda could it yet be considering that Iuda was excluded from it at that tyme and came not to it a thousand yéeres after Surely the foresayd circumstances being well weyed eyther there was neuer any Prophesie vncorruptly reported or if euer any were this must néedes be it And as touching these good Philosophers which will haue prophesying to procéed of a coniunction of the vnderstanding which they call Possible with an vnderstanding which they terme Separated by meane of imagination that old men cannot Prophesie by reason of the weakenesse of their imaginatiue power what wil they say here to Iacob who was an older man thaÌ„ any of their tyme yet notwithstaÌ„ding saw so cléerly so farre of For if their doctrine be commonly true and yet notwithstanding olde Iacob prophesied doeth it not followe that his prophesie is extraordinarie and commeth from a higher power than the sayd pretensed vnderstanding that is to wit from God And if his prophesying was according to their rule doth it not followe that their doctrine is false that is to wit that prophesying commeth not of the force of our imagination nor of our selues considering that it weakeneth not with vs but that it cometh by inspiration from God In the blessings that Iacob gaue to his posteritie the matter ought not to be passed ouer so lightly where hee speaketh of the partes that should be allotted to euery of his Children in the Land of Canaan as if he had made them himselfe assigning to one the Seacoast to another the Cornecountrie and to another the vynegrounds euen after the same sort that they were diuided vnto them certeine hundred yeeres after by lot For how could he come to the knowledge thereof but by him that ouerruleth all Lots And seeing that the foretellings of Astrologie are a meane betwéene necessitie and casuall as Ptolomie teacheth and nothing is more casual than lots what maner of Astrologie is this which iudgeth of lottes both so long aforehand and also so certeinly But when as in the chapter going next afore wee reade that Iacob in blessing the Children of Ioseph preferred Ephraim the yonger Sonne before Manasses who was the elder and being warned thereof by their Father answered ageine that he was not deceiued but that the yonger brother should bee the greater and that his Seede should growe to a multitude of people what arte moued Iacob to say it or what profit moued Moyses to contriue it If ye say Phiznomie or Iudiciarie the good old man was blind But what lineameÌ„ts can foreshew for a whole race or what Constellations can shewe what shall befall to whole Nations that are yet vnborne If it bee sayde that Moyses loued the one better than the other The two of whom he speaketh were already dead at that time and the people that were to come of them were but then in comming And yet was that prophesie fulfilled for the Trybe of Ephraim was alwayes mightier than the Trybe of Manasses as appeareth throughout the whole processe of their Histories and in the end the kingdom of the Tenne Trybes was grounded chiefly vpon that And in confirmation of this word as oft as Moyses Iosua the bookes of Kings or the Chronicles speake of those two Children the yongest is euer named afore the eldest which thing vndoubtedly the Trybe of Manasses would neuer haue indured without taking exceptio to it if they had not thought themselues to haue rested vpon the will of GOD and not vpon the fancie of man What shall we say of Moyses Hee speaketh to the people continually of the Conquest of Chanaan according to that promise and therfore it must néedes he that it was a prophesie very commonly knowen among them And in déede Ioseph picked out a long time for it afore his buriall Nay moreouer Moyses deuideth the Land vnto them in mynd appointeth them arbitrators to make their partitions giueth them Lawes to settle themselues vpon appointeth them what orders they should kéepe there setteth them doune the platformes of their Cities Suburbes and houses inioyneth them the tilling of their grounds the resting of the seâ—â—â—th yere their Feastes and Solemnities and appointest them their Cities of refuge for casuall manslaughters A man might say that his speaking of these things was as if a Father should dispose of his goods that
he had gotten and which hee had already in his hand What lykelyhod hereof was there at such tyme as they burned Bricke in AEgipt or when they lingered in the wildernes yea or at the returne of the men that were sent to spye out the Land when they reported nothing but hardnesse to the people I pray you if a man should at this day part Italy or Greece among vs in his imagination to euery of vs share and share lyke would we not say accxsording to the prouerbe that he parted his Uenison before he had caught it And yet what a nomber of men haue passed the Alpes vnder the Standard And sith it is so that Moyses entered into that Land and those which wayted for it dyed in the way and yet that at the tyme appointed the Chananites gaue place to that people who seeth not that of necessitie the same people were driuen by some other than man to followe Moyses yea Moyses himself to take vpon him the leading of them through so many distresses both of them being grounded say I not vppon mans fancie but vppon expresse promise which they by vnfallible records beléeued to be of God But hée proceedeth yet further For as he foresawe them in Chanaan afore they came there so foresawe hee them there to offend God by seruing Baal after they came there I say he saw them forget GOD and God myndfull of them in his wrath hee sawe them dispersed and scattered ouer the fower quarters of the World and troden vnder the féete of Straungers To be short he sawe the Gentiles called of God into his Church in their place yea and he sawe it so cléerly that he foretold it to them all in his Song which hée willed them to preserue from hand to hand as a witnesse against them a discharge to himself Though from the top of Mount Nebo he could behold the land of Chanaan to speake so fitly thereof from what mountaine could hee see the things that were yet in the reynes and heartes of men as then to come yea which lay hidden yet many hundred yeres after or in what booke could he haue seen them and read them but in the booke of lyfe that is to say in God himselfe The word that was spoken by Moyses was performed word for word by Iosua without adding or diminishing any whit contrarie to the ambitious mynd of man which lyketh not to follow another mans lure which thing was no small signe that Iosua did not so much obey Moyses as God speaking by Moyses And this curse that Iosua pronounceth in his booke ageinst the man that should build Iericho ageine is not to be forgotten He shal lay the foundation thereof vpon his firstborne sayth he set vp the gates thereof vpon his yongest sonne That is to say he shal be punished with the suddein death of all his Children For about fiuehundred yeres after in the time of Achab Hiel of Bethel builded vp Iericho the which he founded vpon Abiram his first Sonne and hung vp the gates of it with the death of Segus his yongest sonne and the booke of Kings sayth there it was according as the Lord had spoken by the mouth of Iosua the Sonne of Nun to shewe that Gods word is euerlasting and that it neuer ouerslippeth the tyme. And in very déede it lyeth ouerthrowen at this day and was neuer repayred since that tyme howbeit that the beautifull situation thereof might haue allured euery man as we reade in the auncient Geographers In the bookes of Iosua and of the Iudges wee sée the things performed which were foretolde by Moyses and the comming to passe both of the promises of the threates that were made by him For accordingly as the people of Israell did either turne away from God or returne vnto him God raysed vp Tyrants in Chanaan to punish them or deliuerers in Israell to deliuer them And as for the bookes of Samuel of the Kings and of the Prophetes either they be prophesies of effectes to come or effectes of prophesies forepast To be short in all the discourse of the Byble there is not any season to bee found without both Prophet and Prophesie as well in prosperitie as in aduersitie Whereby we might sée both the heauenlines and the trueth of them the more clearly if we could set the places persones and state of that time before our eyes But out of this continuall prophesying wee will drawe some peculiar poyntes so euident as cannot bée gaynesaid which will vndoubtedly be of credit among all indifferent persons At such time as Ieroboam the sonnne of Nebath made the tenne Trybes to fall away from Roboam the Sonne of Salomon to the intent they should haue no occasion to returne againe to their former state by resorting to Hierusalem to woorshippe there hee réered an Alter in Bethell contrarie to the Lawe of God Then came a man of God sayeth the historie to Bethel by the commaundement of the Lord and sayd to Ieroboam Behold a Sonne shal be born of the house of Dauid whose name shal be Iosias He shall sacrifise vppon thee the Preestes of the Hillalters which offer incense vpon thee And this shal be the signe thereof Thyne altar shall ryue asunder and the asshes that are thereon shal be powred downe This Prophesie was fulfilled in all poynts by Iosias thrée hundred yéeres after And when Iosias sayeth the historie had so done he sawe a certeine tumbe and asked whose it was intending to haue burnt the bones of him that lay there as he had done of the other préests in Bethel But it was told him that it was the tumb of the man of God which had foretold those things so long agoe whereuppon hee forbade any man to touche it Now they that knowe how those bookes of the Kinges were disposed wilnot call the historie in question For the histories of the Kings were written by the priests and Prophets according to the measure of the time that they reigned and were holden so holy that it was felonie to touche them Furthermore séeing if this Prophesie was written afore the comming of Iosias it could not be falsified for who could haue hit vppon his proper name And if it were written after and deuised vppon the euent how came the sayd Tumb to bee made at the same instant Or was there none other deuise wherewith to haue disguised it without taking any further peyne Myght it not haue suffised to haue sayd One Iosias shall come c. without speaking eyther of the death of the man of God or of his méeting with the Lyon or of the talk which he had with the Prophet of Samaria but that he must take peyne to be found a Lyer by the Samaritans which knew the originall of the Tumb or could at leastwise haue inquired it But in verie déede this Prophesie which dooth so set downe the name the place and the circumstances in the doing is such as cannot
cause one to be borne of the womans seede which shall subdew the diuell and the diuell shal do his indeuer to trip vp his heeles by tempting him all maner of wayes but he shall treade the diuell vnder his feete and make him to yeeld vp his weapons that is to wit Sinne and death Now who seeth not that to ouercome the diuell it behoueth him to be God and that to be borne of a Woman it behoueth him to be man that is to say both God and man as I haue sayd afore Here beginneth our controuersie ageinst the Iewes of these later tymes who hold opinion that the Messias or Chryst whom we vphold to be the Mediator betweene Gods Iustice and Mannes sinne shal be some greate Emperour that shall deliuer them from bodily oppression whereunto I haue answered at large heretofore Howbeit they cannot denie but that by the death which God threateneth to Adam for his transgression Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon vnderstandeth a spirituall death that is to wit the death of the Soule wounded with sinne and forsaken of hir lyfe which is God and that by the venoume of the Serpent he meaneth sinne it self which shall ceasse sayeth he vnder the Messias and that the same is also the Interpretation of the auncient Cabalists and lykewyse that the Sinagog of old time vnderstoode the sayd text to be ment of the Messias as the Interpretation of the thréescore and ten Interpreters and the auncient Translation of Hierusalem itself do giue vs cause to beleeue For sayeth this Latter expresly so long ô Serpent as the womans Children keepe the Lawe they kill thee and when they ceasse to doo so thou stingest them in the Heele and hast powre to hurt them much But whereas for their harm there is a sure remedy to heale it for thyne there is none For in the last dayes they shal crushe thee al to peeces with their Heeles by meanes of Christ their King Now if the death bee spirituall and the enemy spirituall and his weapons spiritnall how can it be denyed that the battell betweene him and the Messias who is to vanquish him is lykewise spiritual his power spiritual and his Kingdome spirituall Moreouer what were Adam Henoch Noe and Abraham benefited by this promise if it extend no further than to temporall things Which of vs would indure here a thousand miseries vnder pretence that certeine thousands of yeres hence we should haue an Emperour borne which should he redouted euerywhere Now lyke as the scripture beginneth with the promise of the Messias that is to say of the deliuerer of our Soules so doth it shewe euidently that it aimeth not at any other mark than that For leauing the great States of the world and the breeding of Kingdomes and Principalities which are things whereon Histories stand so curiousely it leadeth vs directly too the birth and ofspring of Abraham whereof the Messias was to be borne And vnto the same Abraham doth God repe 〈…〉 promise often times that in his seede al nations should be blessed 〈◊〉 is to say that one should be borne of his seede by whom Saluation should be profered to all nations of the Earth And age in that in Isaac the seede should be called vnto him which thing surely is not spoken of the Posteritie of his Sonne Ismael notwithstanding that GOD told him that his fleshly posteritie should be verie florishing But this preface which the Lord maketh shall I hide any thing from my seruant Abraham c. Sheweth euidently how it is a misterie that passeth al vnderstanding of man and whereunto Abraham had no lesse ryght than his seede From Abraham this promise passed by hand to Isaac from Isaac to Iacob and Iacob left it by his last will too his children with these woords The Scepter shalnot be taken from Iuda nor the lawgiuer from betweene his feete vntil Silo come and vnto him shall the Nations resort Which woords were spoken to Iuda by name bycause the sayd holy seede was to come of his stocke And that the same saying was ment of the Messias the Thargum of Hierusalem and the Onkelos which are bookes of chéef anthoritie among the Iewes do assure vs. For they translate it thus vntill Chryst or the Anoynted come whereunto is added this too whom the Kingdome belongeth And the schoole of Rabbi Sila being demaunded in the Talmud what should bee the name of the Messias answereth Silo is his name for say they it is sayd vntill Silo come Albeit now that the sayd kingdome be other than a temporall Dominion yet is the text formall in that place For the Iewes wayt that the Messias or Christ should come of the Trybe of Iuda and that at the tyme of his comming the Scepter and the Lawgiuer should both be taken from Iuda Surely the thing that Israell looked for as then was not to subdue other Nations seeing that Israell himselfe was not to reigne at that tyme. And wretched had the hope of other Nations bene which looked for him also according to this text if his comming should haue bene but to spoyle them and make hauocke of them But he was to reigne yea euen ouer all Nations yea and to the benefite of all Nations His reigning then shal be according to the first promise namely ouer mens Soules the which he shall deliuer from the bondage of Sinne and the tyrannie of the Deuill In the Lawe of Moyses the Sacrifices and Ceremonies doe represent vnto vs the satisfaction which Christ was to make for the sinnes of the people by the sacrificing of himselfe But specially the Passouer Lambe the Sacrifice of the red Cowe the sending of the Scapegoate into the Wildernesse and the raising vp of the brasen Serpent for the healiâ—â— of diseases were all of them Memorialles for the people to put them in mynd both of the comming of the Messias and to what ende hee should come For whereas wee reade that the doorepostes of the houses were besmeared with the blud of a Lamb to the intent that the destroying Angell should not touch them that the Ashes of a Cowe without spot were kept for the sinnes of the Congregation That the Highpriest laying his hand vppon a Goates head acknowledged the sinnes of the people ouer him and the Goate went away with them into a place vninhabitable to the intent as ye would say he might neuer be heard of any more and that as many as beheld the brasen Serpent were healed incontineutly of the stinging of Serpents seeing that the things which were imployed to those purposes could not of their owne nature serue there vnto we must néedes conclude that they were signes signes say I of spirituall and inward matters like the Scripture it selfe which is spirituall and serueth for the inward man That is to wit That the Deuill hath no power ouer those which are reconcyled to God by the Sacrifice of the Messias who is charged with their Sinnes and that those which
spirituall inheritance but only grace by the true Iesus And therefore the Saint Rabbi sayth That because Christ shall saue folke therefore he shall be called Iesus and because he shall be both God and Man therfore he shall be called Emanuell that is to say God with vs. And in another place The Gentyles sayth he shall call him Iesus And he draweth this name out of the nine and fortith Chapter of Genesis by a certeyne rule of the Cabale which they terme Notariak by taking the first letters of the wordes Iabho schilo velo which make the word Ieschu and likewise of these wordes in the 72. Psalme Ijnnur schemo veijthbarecu and also of these in the 96. Psalme iagnaloz sadai vecol all which are texts that are ment expresly of the Messias Although I force not of these their doings yet haue I alledged them against them selues because it is their custome to shewe the cunning of the arte of their Cabale And after the same maner haue the Machabies also their name that is to wit of the first Letters of the words of this their deuice Mi camocha baelim Iehouah that is to say Which of the Gods is like thee ô Iehouah That the name Iesus should bee reuealed vnto them it is no strange matter considering that in the third fourth bookes of Esdras Iesus Christ the sonne of God is named expresly and diuers tymes and the tyme of his comming precisely set downe according to Daniels wéekes For although the Iewes account those bookes for Apocriphase the Primatiue Church hath not graunted the like authoritie to them as to the other Canonicall bookes yet is it a cléere case that they were written afore the comming of Iesus Christ of whome neuerthelesse they speake by name Now the Scripture promised also a Foreronner that should come afore the manifesting of the Messias to the world For Malachie sayth Behold I send my Ambassadour to make way before him and by and by after shall the Lord whom you seeke enter into his Temple And in the next Chapter following he is called Elias by reason of the lykenesse of their offices and this text as I haue shewed afore is vnderstood by them concerning the Messias And soothly we haue certeine footestepes thereof in these words of the Gospel The Scrybes say that Elias must first come And in another place Art thou Christ or Elias or one of the Prophets A little afore that Christ disclosed himself Iohn the Baptist stoode vp in Israell and was followed by such a multitude of people that all the greate ones grudged at him and he is the same man whō by way of prerogatiue the Chronicle of the Iewes calleth Rabbi Iohanan the greate Preest Concerning this Iohn the Baptist forasmuch as they suspect our Gospel let them beléeue their owne Storywriter There was sayeth he a very good Man that exhorted the Iewes to vertue and specially to Godlynes and vpryght dealing inuiting them to a cleannesse both of body and mynd by baptim But when Herod perceyued that great multitudes of people followed him which to his seeming were at his commaundment to auoyd insurrections he put him in prison where anon after he cut of his head And therefore it was the common opinion that when Herods army was afterward ouercome and vtterly put to the swoord it was through Gods iustiudgement for putting of Iohn Baptist vniustly to death By this witnesse of Iosephus we sée what his office was namely to preache repentance and to Baptize or as Malachie sayth to turne the heartes of the Fathers to their Children and the heartes of the Children to their Fathers But the thing which we haue chiefly to note here is that hauing the people at commaundement yet when Iesus came he gaue Iesus place and humbled himselfe to him and yeelded him the glory the which thing man beeing led by affection of man would neuer haue done Insomuch that after that Iesus had once shewed himselfe the Disciples of this greate maister shewed not themselues as his disciples any more and that was because his trayning and teaching of them was not for himselfe but for Iesus And as touching the peculiar act of Baptizing it seemeth that the Leuites wayted for some speciall thing vpon it in that they asked of Iohn How happeneth it that thou Baptizest if thou bee neither Christ nor Elias the Prophet But let vs come now to treate of the lyfe of Iesus not according to our Gospells but according to such Histories as the Iewes themselues cannot denie and what els is it than the verie body of the shadowes of the old testament and the very pith and substance of the words that were spoken afore concerning the Messias Let vs call to rememberance to what end he came namely to saue Mankind and the nature of his Kingdome how it is holy and spirituall Whereof are all his Preachings but of the forgiuenesse of sinnes and of the Kingdome of Heauen his Disciples were alwayes importunate vppon him in asking him Lord when wilt thou set vp the Kingdom of Israel agein In sted of contenting their fancyes he answereth them concerning the Kingdome of Heauen They Imagined some Empyre of Cyrus or Alexander that their Nation might haue bene honored of all other nations of the earth One of them would néedes haue sit on his right hand and another on his left What answereth he to this Nay saith he whosoeuer will be greatest let him be the leaft and if I béeing your Maister be as a Seruant among you what ought you to bee Yee shal be brought before Magistrates that is farre from reigning Ye shall be persecuted imprisoned tormented and crucifyed that is farre of from triumphing I wil giue you to vnderstand how great things ye be to suffer for my names sake that is very farre from parting of Countryes Yet notwithstanding happy shall you bee when you suffer these things and he that holdeth out to the end shal be saued Who can imagine any temporall thing in this kingdome whereof the first and last Lesson is that a man to saue his lyfe must lose it and to become happy must wed himselfe to wretchednes The people followe him for the miracles which hee woorketh and the Iewes deny not but he did very greate ones But let vs see wherto they tended He fed a greate multitude of people in the wildernes with a feawe Loaues This miracle was matter enough for him to haue hild them with long talke but he preacheth vnto them of the heauenly bread which feedeth vnto euerlasting life Also hee healeth all sicke and diseased folke that come vnto him howbeit to shewe that that was but an appendant or rather an income to that for the which he came Thy sinnes sayth he be forgiuen thee To be short from Abrahams Well hee directeth the Woman of Samaria to the Fountaine of lyfe Béeing shewed the goodly buildings of Hierusalem and of the
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
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
coÌ„pany with thy wyfe Man is both Soule body In Man are three Abilitieâ— of Soule The Body and the Soule be not one selfsame thing That the Soule is a substance Bodilesse Vnmateriall The Soule hath beeing of it selâ— Plutark in his treâ—yâ—e why God deferreth the punishment of the wicked Vncorruptible What is death Cleuâ— lib. 1. Three lyues iâ— Man Obiections The opinion of the Men of old tyme. The beleefe of the Patriarkes c. The wise Men of Egipt Hermes in his Poemander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermes in his Poemander cap. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermes in his Esculapius AEnaeas Gaz. concerning the immortalitie of the Soule Ghaâ—deans The Greekes Pherecydes Assyrium vulgo nascetur Amonium Phocylides Sybill Pindar in the second song of his Olympiads Homer in the Funeralles of his Iliads Pythagoras Heraâ—litus as he is reported by Philo. Epicharmus as he is reported by Clement of Aleâ—andria Thales Anaxagoras Diogenes and Zeâ—o Epicurus Lucretius Socrates Plato and XenophoÌ„ Plato in his Timaeus Plato in his Timaeus and in his third booke of a Comonweale Plato in his Phoedon in his matter of state in his Alâ—ibiades and in the tenth booke of his Comonweale Plato in his fifth booke of Lawes Aristotle in his second booke of liuiÌ„g things Aristotle in the third book of the Soule Aristotle in his tenth booke of moralles Michael of Ephesus vpon Aristotles Moralles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In his second booke of the Soule In the last booke of the parts of beasts In the tenth of his Supernaturalles In his first booke of matters of state The opinion of the Latin writers Cicero in his first booke of his Tusculane Questions in his booke of Comfort Cicero in his second booke of the Nature of the Gods and in his fust booke of Lawes In Scipioes dreame Ouid in his first booke of Metamorphosis Seneca writing to Gallio and to Lucillus Seneca concerning the Lady Martiaze SoÌ„ne and the shortnesse of this life In his Questions and in his hooke of Comfort Fauorinus The common opinion of all nations Porphyrius in his 4. booke of Abstinence Which with their owne hands made the fire to burne their bodies in and sawe aliue the kindled flame that should consume their Skinne Gebeleizie that is to say Register or Giuer of caze rest Gebeleizie that is to say Register or Giuer of caze rest Plutarke in his treatise of the flow punishing of the wicked The opinion of the later Philosophers Epictetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simplicius Plotinus Plotin lib. 1. Ennead 4. coÌ„cerning the Beeing of the Soule lib. 2. cap. 1. lib. 3. cap. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. lib. 4 cap. 11. the seauenth book throughout Plotinus in his booke of the Sences of Memorie En. 4. lib. 3. and in his booke of doubts concerning the Soule chap. 26. 27. Alexander of Aphrodise in his bookes of the Soule In his second booke of Problemes Galen in his booke of the Manners of the Soule In his booke of the doctrine of Hippocrates and Plato In his booke of Conception The vniuersall consent In the AlcoraÌ„ Azo 25. and 42. It appeareth by the storyes or the East and West Indyes Ageinst Auerrhoes Let the Reader beare these termes their significations in Mynd for al the discourse here ensewing Auerhoes vppon Aristotles third booke of the Soule Aristotle in his second booke of the Soule Aristotle in his first booke of the Soule Aristotle in his â— booke of Supernaturalls Aristotle in his third booke of of the Soule Against Alexander of Aphrodise Mans corruption appeereth in his respect to Godward The sonne of the earth In respect of the World In respect of Man Man in respect of himself Diodorus lib. 4. Herodotus in his Clio. Austin in his woork of the Citie of God lib. 14. Chap. 17. and 18. * The Catopleb and also the Cockatryce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence mans corruption coÌ„meth How long ago corruption came into maÌ„ The Conscience of Sinne. The opinion of the Auncient Philosophers Aristotle Theophrast Plato in his Phedrus Empedocles and Pythagoras Philolaus Pherecydes alledged by Origen against Cellus Hermes in his Poemander Zoroastres Gemistus Hierocles the Stoic against Athâ—â—â—ts Plutarke in his booke of Morall vertue and in his booke of the mutuall loue betweene Parents and their Children and That Beastes haue Reason Plotin Enn. 3. lib. 2. Also Enn. 1. lib. 6 Cap. 5. Also Enn. 1. lib. 8. Cap. 14. Enn. 6. lib. 9 Cap. 9. Plotin lib. 1. Enn. 5. Cap. 1. Plotin Enn. 1. lib. 8. Cap. 4. Plotin Enn. 3 lib. 5. Cap. 5. Enn. 3. lib. 3. Cap 4. Plotin Eun. 1. lib. 8. Cap. 14. lid 3. Cap. 4 S. Austin in the Citie of God lib. 10. Cap. 23. and 32. Porphyrius in his booke which sheweth how to do the things that are to be conceyued alonly by reason and vnderstanding Also in his third booke of Abstinence Proclus concerning the Soule and concerning the Feend cap. 4. Simplicius vppon Epictus Vniuersall consent Agathias in his secoÌ„d book of the Persian Warres The generall Historie of the Indyes ca. 122. Obiections Things are said to be good either by cause they come to good end or were purposed to a good end Mannes end or amingpoynt and his welfare consist or rest both in one thing The Markâ—â— whereby to knowe the amingpoynt and welfare of Man The world is not the end to which man was made God is the end or Marke that Man ameth aâ— The false ends and the false Welfares Riches Honor. Powre Authoritie and Soucreintie The vtmost end â—â—uerein good of Man are not in himself Beautie Helth Bodily Pleasure Voluptuousenes or Sensualitie Vertue Policiâ— Wisdome or Religiousnes Faith or Beleef Agazel in the beginning of his Supernaturalles Austin in his xix booke and first cap. of the Citie of God The Epicures Antisthenes answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Stoiks The Peripatetikes or walkers Aristotle in his Moralles lib. 5 Porphyr in his first booke of the Soule to Byrithius and Anebon The Academiks Plato in his Common-weale lib. 10. In his Epinomis In his Theeteâ—â—s Laertius in the life of Plato-Plato in his Phoedon Aristotle in his booke of the World And in his Morals and in his first booke of the Heauens The Philosophers of old tyme. Pythagoras Mercurius Trif megistus otherwise called Hermes Zoroastres Plutarke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iamblichus Plotin Enn. 1. lib. 4. cap. 15. 16. Plotin Enn. 6. lib. 9. Cap. 10. Porphyrius in his worke of abstinence lib. 1. cap. 2. Porphyrius concerning the Soule to Byrithius and Anebo the AEgiptian Simplicius vpon the Naturalles and vppon Epictetus Vpon these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alexander in his booke of Prouidence cyted by Cyâ—illus The ends both of the good of the bad In their booke of shame concealed Hermes Trismegistus in his Poemander Orpheus Pythagoras Pindarus Diphiluâ— Sibylla 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tat is to say they
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
booke of Monarchie Iustin to the Gentyles Athenagoras in his Treatise concerning the Resurection The Recantation of Orpheus who is called the Author of the pluralitie of Gods Clemens in his Protreptik to the Gentiles Phocylides Theognis Homer Hesiodus Sophocles in Cyrillus against Iulian the Apostaia Euripides Clemeus in his Aratus Iouis genus sumus Ouid. Virgil in his fourth booke of Husbandry euerywhere else Scaeuola as he is alledged by S. Austin in the Citie of God lib. 3. Cap. 27. The consent of People In the Citie of God lib. 4. cap. 24. Iamblichus concerning the Mysteries of the Egiptians cap. 37. 39. Plutarke in his treatise of Isis and Osyris Cicero in his second booke of Lawes Deos adeunto casté opes amouento si secus faxint Deus ipse vindex erit that iâ— Goe to God chastly remoue away riches If any doe otherwise God himselfe will punish him Tertullian in his Defence Lactantius lib. 2. cap. 1. Lactantius lib. 1 Chap. 6. Iustine in his Apologie The Cracles of the Sibylles Lactan. lib. 1. cap. 6. Porphyrius in his tenth book of the prayses of Philosophy * Pausanias Proclus vpon Timaeus Deuter. 6. Psalm 85. Man cannot comprehend God Cicero in his booke of the Nature of the Gods Plotinus Enn. 6. lib. 8. cap 11 Galen in his 9. booke vpon the Decrees of Hippocrates Although it appeare by certeine demonstration that it is a diuine workmayster that hath procreated vs yet can we not by any wit or reason conceyue neither what his substance is nor how he made vs. For we must consider that it is a farre other thing to shew that a certeyne Prouidence made vs than to knowe the substance eyther of our owne Soule or of him that made vs. * Pesuit tenebras latibulum suum Defecâ— in Aâ—rijs tuis Domine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercurius Trismegistus in his Poemander cap. 2. 6. Ehjch asher ehjeh Plotiri Ennead 7. lib. 7. cap. 38. Mercurius in his PoemaÌ„der Prouer. 30. v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth Porph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth Porph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in praepositionibus Dennis in his booke of the names of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tibi silentium laus What God is not Vnmouable 1. Phisik 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out of the verses of Parmenides reported by Simplicius Vnchaungeable Euerlasting Mere Act. Erom Possibilitie into deed A grayne may become an herbe and a kernell a tree which they be not so long as they continue a grayne and a kernell Vnmateriall God is single and vncompounded Bodylesse Numenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Place is to be considered eyther as a thing created or as a conteyner of a thing placed This way God is nowhere the other way he is euery where So is he both euery where and no where No where by limitation or poynting downe of place euery where by filling all places S. Austin vpon the Psalmes 1. Phisic 2. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infinite Infinite not by stretching or streyning out but by sheading in The begetting of the Sonne or of the second Person Why the second Person is called the Son the Worde Speech Wisedome c. Looke in the 12. Chapter of Mercurius trimegistus Poemander Rapidâ— quadam Coruscaâ—ione perfundit animum that is to say it sheadeth through the mynd with a certeyne swift glistering Vox prâ—fâ—rt Animus ratiocinatur Mentis 〈…〉 is to sayâ— the voyce vttereth the mynd reasoneth or debaâ—eth and so Reason is the very word or 〈…〉 Mynd The proceeding of the holy Ghost or third person Why the holy Ghost is called Loue. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of whom by whom and in whom Three Persons and no mo Traces of the Trinitie in the World and in Man The welhead the Spring the streame Plato in his Philebus Plato lib. 3. of his Common-weale and lib. 10. 12. of Lawes Aristo lib. 1. of Heauen lib. 12. of his Metaphisiks Plotin often c. The Chaldies heard speake of the Trinite Zoroastâ—es Plutarke in his treatise of Isis and Osyris Plinie and Aristotle beare witnesse that he wrote many bookes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pletho Gemistus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclus lib. 2. 3. vpon Platoes Parmenides ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercurie The Egiptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the selfebeing in his Poemander cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercury alledged by Cyrillus lib. 1. against Iulian. in his Poemander cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merc. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Austin in the Prayer of Fiue Heresies Mercurie in his Esculapius Chap. 3. 7. Mercurie in his holy Sermon in his Poemander cap. 3. Gen. 1. Mercurie in his Poemander cap. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrillus against Tulgentius Suidas in his Mercurie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iamblichus in his 39. Chap. of Mysteries Plato in his Phedon and Philebus Eusebius of Demonstration Iamblichus Chapt. 1. Produs vpon Plato Damascius the Platonist The auncient Greekes Orpheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And agayne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clemens lib. 5 Strom. Orph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pherecydes in Proclus Orph. in Argonaut Aristotle in his first booke of Heauen Parmenides in his Cosmogoniâ— ailedged by Plutarke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plotin Ennead 4. lib. 1. Chap. 8. Zeno the stoik Aleinous concerning the Doctrine of Plato Plato in his Epinomis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in his sixt booke of Common-weale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in his Epistle to Hermias Erastus and Coriscus Plato vnto Dennis the Tyrant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen in his 6. booke against Câ—lsus In his first booke of Philosophy Also in his booke of the World In his first booke of Heauen Orpheus in hâ—â— Argonawts Cicero Iamblichus Porphyrius Clemens in the first booke of his Stromars Out of Alexander Hermippus Plato in his Timaeus Proclus vpon Timaeus Plutarke in his Treatise of Isis and Osyris Plato in his Epinomis Cratylus and Phil. Iustine Manethon alledged by Iosephus against Appion Psalm 2. Prouerb 8. Gen. 1. Esay 53. Esay 61. Psalm 33. The Iewes themselues do proue the Trinitie R. Simeon ben Iohai expounding the 6. of Esay Psalm 50. and the Midraâ—ch vpoÌ„ the same R. Moyses Hadarsan vpon the 42. of Gen. Midrasch Cobeleth chap. 4. Rabbi Ishaâ— ben Schola vppon the last verses of the 111. and 112. Psalmes R. Azariel in his Commentarie or treatise of Holinesse Iepher haijeâ—sirab R. Hamay in his Treatise of Speculation Hagnij â—n R. Ishaac vpon the booke of the Creation Cether chochnah binah Rabbi Assee In his booke intytled Schaguar orah that is to say The Gate of Light The Epistle of the Secretes of R Nehumia the Sonne of Hacana * This is to bee seene euen in Sainct Math. chap. 1. ver 20. where the Angell sayth to Ioseph that Mary