Hesiodus is one of y e moste aūcient Greke Poets that wee haue And because that whiche he writeth of this matter agreeth very well with many of the pointes which Theophrastus hath alledged but chiefly out of the bookes of Apocripha whiche beare y e name of Esdras I will recite that whiche he writeth of the 4. ages speaking first of the goldē age thus muche in effect We must beleeue that Gods and men together first were framed When golden age ouerspread the yearth and Saturne ruled aboue Men liued like Gods and voide of care no labours toyle their lande Ne tedious age ne sicknesse grief did once their myndes remoue From spotlesse life from pleasaunt cheare and Death was but a sleepe And fertillyearth her pleasaunt fruites did yeeld withouten toyle Their goods were common mindes were on no hatred here could creepe O happie age whose mery myndes were placed on suche a soile Now heare what Iuuenall saith touching this Golden age In tyme past poore men liued in field without fraude or deceit And anon after he saieth Thei thought it shame and worthy death if youth by age had paste Not shewyng honour vnto them and would the bearded man Should reuerenced be of youth though thei excede in corne and Maste Suche honour beare thei vnto age suche reuerence beardes had than Tobie Iuuenall toucheth emong other pointes one wherein there is greate ouer sight at this daie For youth is now so ill manered so proud so stout so ouerwening so shamelesse and so vnbridled that in stede of honouryng their elders thei despise thē whiche is worthie of greate blame Ierom. Thei are blame worthie in deed for thei peruert both the order of God and nature for God hath giuen expresse commaundement to honour age and to reuerence the horie heared and graie bearded And though GOD had not so commaunded nature ought herein to be a Schoolemistres vnto vs except we will willingly resist her as Monsters Tobie Wee maie easilie thinke this to be true for that the Gentiles them selues were constrained to acknowledge it a dutie And thei learned not by the holy scripture and lawes of God to honour their elders for that it was not giuen and reueiled to them as to the children of God but haue learned it by lawe of nature whiche is common Schoolemaisters to all Ierom. This Schoolemaisters nature of whom thou speakest hath so emprinted this in the hartes of all men that euen thei whiche will neither heare nor obay it are neuerthelesse constrained to confesse it bothe to be right honest and of duetie as the Ambassadours of the Lacedemonians did wel declare to the Athenians For on a tyme there were certaine common Playes at Athens with Scaffoldes made wherevppon these Ambassadors were placed very honorably there was a poore old man an Athenian whiche gatt vp as the rest did but all the seates were taken vp and because he could finde no seate but was faine to stande al the people laughed hym to skorne sauyng the Lacedemonian Ambassadours whiche rise from their seates to giue hym place The Athenians seyng this courtesie liked it well and gaue them greate praise Wherby thei shewed that thei knew what was honestand praise worthie but none of them desired to haue this praise Therefore the Ambassadours saied The Athenians can iudge bothe of courtesie and honestie but thei vse it not Tobie Then are thei of the nomber of those that knowe muche good maner but vse none and surely these Ambassadours bothe shamed and taunted them as thei deserued But to come to our matter though young men dispise their elders we neede not meruaile if thei care not for their elders to whom thei owe duetie because of their age seyng there are so fewe that honour and reuerence their naturall fathers and mothers as thei ought neither can awaie with them Ierom. It is not at this daie alone that Children haue neglected their duetie towardes their Fathers and Mothers but also the one against the other and cheefly against God And therfore Hesiodus speakyng of the siluer age toucheth it somewhat to this effect The children of the siluer age did next succeede the golde Vnlike the first in wit and deede and vnder Mothers wyng Were busied in their parentes workes tell thei were waxen olde And simplie lead a toilyng life and knewe none other thyng And when thei came to perfect age and fell to shift for foode Their life did wast and pinyng care did fret their peeuishe brests And enemies styng betweene these fooles gan breede muche hatefull moode And careles thynking on their goods dispise their heauenly hests He speaketh like a heathen of their religon whiche was diuers according to the diuersitie of the Countrey for thei had diuers Gods which thei helde as Patrones as our Papistes helde of their Sainctes And because they had diuers manners of Seruices and Ceremonies and diuers vsing thereof as our Papistes haue in their religion Hesiodus condēneth those which follow not the maner of Religion of their owne Countrey And then anon after he addeth the punishment whiche God laied vpon them agreeyng to Ouid whiche had written more at large of the flood as farre as he knewe followyng the holie Scriptures as other Poets did which wrote before hym whiche is thus muche in effect When Ioue once sawe that thei dispised to yeeld the Gods their due In wrath with waues he drencht the earth and formed it a newe And from thēce he commeth to the brason age whereof he speaketh thus muche Next after came the Brasen worlde vnlike the siluer farre Men made of Okes of courage stoute delightyng muche in warre No rest no lawe a stony worlde with loftie lookes and grim No force could feare their fierie moode and large of bone and lim Tobie When Ouid speaketh of the fower ages as farre as I perceiue by that that thou hast rehearsed of his Metamorphosis he maketh no mention of the decay of strength in mans body but onely of the decrease of vertue and encrease of vice But Hesiodus writeth of bothe and me thinketh he doth not muche disagree from that whiche is written in the holie Scripture touchyng of auncestors before the flood anon after For euen at that tyme the strength of man beganne to deminishe and decaie Is it not true Theophrastus Theo. Iacob beareth witnesse of that before Pharo saiyng The whole time of my Pilgrimage is an hundred and thirtie yeres feare and euill haue the daies of my life been and I haue not attained vnto the yeres of the life of my fathers in the daies of their Pilgrimage And Dauid after hym saieth of his tyme The tyme of our life is threescore yeres and ten and if thei be of strength fourescore yeres yet their strength is but labour and sorrowe for it is cut of quickly and we flee awaie Tobie Yet notwithstanding methinkes Iacob and Dauid were long before the tyme that is compared to
largenesse by the Christians whoÌ„ he called GalileaÌ„s in despite and mockerie because Christe and his Apostles came out of the countrie of Galile whiche was the moste despised euen emongest the Iewes as it appeareth by diuers places of the Gospell and specially by S. Ihon. And therefore he named Iesus Christ with the same name callyng hym Galilean in despite and mockerie Tobie For ought that I caÌ„ perceiue al this liberalitie of Iulian y t thou hast talked of proceaded not of true liberalitie nor true charitie that he gaue to the poore and needy but for enuie of the Christians and spite that he had that their charitie and liberalitie did so muche honor their religioÌ„ drewe men to it and dishonor the Painims religion And therefore he would not that their religioÌ„ should be lesse honored in this matter then the Christian religioÌ„ And by that I perceiue that the christians in those daies had to doe with a subtle Deuill who could cunnyngly chaunge hymself from a blacke Deuill into a white But I would wishe if we can now haue Angels in stede of deuills that at least we had many suche deuills in that point but principally emoÌ„gest you that brag so muche of the reformatioÌ„ of the Gospel For seing y t you hate the Pope prelates of the Churche Priestes Monkes and all the Religion whiche you call Popishe and that ye crie so muche against them I would ye would in spite of theÌ„ and in shame of theÌ„ become more liberall and charitable then ye bee and that ye had more care for the poore that are emoÌ„gst you then ye haue and y t ye would so honor your religion that ye might keepe it from blame and that those whiche you call Papistes should not surmount you in liberalitie and charitie as Iulian did to honor his religion in despite of Christ and the Christian religion For if liberalitie charitie were as greate in these daies emong you as in old tyme it was emoÌ„g auncient christians ye should haue as greate a vantage ouer your enemies as those good Christians had ouer the Gentiles But you care not for any suche honour How saiest thou Eustace is not this true Eust. Though thei brag neuer so muche of their religion and shewe theÌ„selues very well affected to it and desire greately the aduauncyng and exaltyng thereof and the abolishyng of ours neuerthelesse their deuotioÌ„ is not so great that thei become one penie y e more liberall for it neither is their charitie so great that thei forget any iotte of their coueteousnesse whiche is greater more gredy and insaciably in them then euer it was or is emong vs whom thei call Papistes or emongest our Priestes Monkes and Prelates against whom thei crie out as though all charitie were quenched in them and that there were no coueteousnesse in all the worlde but theirs For so far are these newe Christians froÌ„ giuyng any thing of theirs to y e relief of the poore that thei euen take awaie that whiche others haue giuen theÌ„ heretofore Yea so far are thei froÌ„ erectyng or giuyng any thyng to Hospitalls that thei will not maintaine those whiche were founded by their predecessors to their haÌ„des There are many hospitals whiche heretofore haue bin gouerned by priestes whiche were muche better gouerned then then thei bee now by these newe Churche reformers For maisters of Hospitals are many tymes made as Bailiffes and other officers bee made not so muche to minister Iustice to execute the office coÌ„mitted to them as to fill their purses and to make theim riche Is not this a godly reformation to make maisters of hospitalles not suche as are mete to gouerne the goodes of y e poore but suche as caÌ„ shift for themselues and make the poore faste Tobie What answerest y u to that Theophast me thinkes Eustace speaketh reasoÌ„ Theo. I would he had lesse reason so to saie but yet he taketh euery thyng at the worst For he loketh so muche at those that dooe not their duetie that he forgetteth to looke on those that doe it But put the case that there wer greater disorder in this matter on our behalfe then there is I would y e Papistes whom Eustace now defendeth would so enuie vs that in spite of vs thei would become more charitable and honest then either thei or we bee yet and that thei would surmounte vs in all vertues But though thei be holden for neuer so zealous in their Religion yet I feare not that thei will so dishonor vs as I haue wished Tobie I think that neither thei nor you are so spitefully bent to goe about to dishonor one an other after this sort how spitful so euer ye be one against an otâ—er in other thinges But we will leaue suche occasioÌ„s in whiche some will whiten themselues in blackyng other and talke we again of Iulian the Apostata whose storie thou haste not yet ended Thou hast already told how he transfigured hymself into a white deuil diuers waies but thou haste not yet declared how the white Deuill become blacke Theo. WheÌ„ he saw that by all the meanes that he could deuise he could not abolishe the Christian Religion and establish and augument the Heathen Religion but that contrariwise it increased more and more he was merueilous angrie and in suche rage as he could not forbeare but in the ende manifestly to open it And here vpon he forbad the Christians the reading of the Heathen Poetes Orators and Philosophers to the ende that thei might not alledge thelm for aucthoritie againste the Heathens For he vsed to saie the Christians dooe pricke vs and thruste vs through with our owne Fathers because thei did confounde the Heathens with their owne bookes And whipped theÌ„ with their owne Roddes as the faithfull at this daie dooe whipp the Papistes For if we had none other bookes but their own we should haue sufficient to condemne them all of false religion and abuse Wherefore if thei would doe well thei should rather forbid the faithful to read their bookes then the holy scripture For the dishonor is the greater vnto them if thei bee condemned by their owne writinges by suche bookes as thei make of greater aucthoritie then the scripture it self for that thei will rule y â— doctrine therof according to y e conteÌ„tes of thesame bokes Tobie But did not Iulian the Apostata otherwise persecute the christians then to forbid them the readyng of these bookes Theo. He could not wholy forbeare persecutyng of theÌ„ and would haue vsed more crueltie if he had durst But his deuil was sore troubled in this For when he would haue plaied the black deuill and haue spewed out his swellyng venim two thinges hindered hym The one was that whereof I spake before that is that he sawe that it profited little or nothyng to retourne to that first furie wherewith he vsed of olde tyme to stirre and enflame auncient Tyrauntes to suche cruell persecutioÌ„
excellent knowledge in humanitie as anye man that euer liued in his time and age yet was there alwayes in him some good seed of religiō But because hee was an heathen man borne and therefore had not from his youth beene brought vp in the woorde of God but onely in humanitie and Paganisme and in the Religion wherein he was borne hee could not rightly iudge of the true Religion whiche he knewe not And the opinion whiche hee had of himselfe did so hinder him as that he could not search after it as he ought to haue done And after that diuers but especiallye his mother Monica who was a widdowe and became a Christian before him a very good woman and one that feared GOD had exhorted and solycited him to search after the holy Scriptures those their exhortations stirred him vp to the reading of the Bible Howbeit hee read it not so reuerently as he should haue done but rather for fashions sake by reason he came not appoynted with that humilytie and modestie which afterward hee knew was meete for the disciples of the holy Ghost to come But when God had rebated this his pride with the spirite of modestie and humilitie then found he that in it which before hee knew not how to finde in it And by that meane he was somuch the more humbled Howbeit these glorious arrogant men of whome we now speake who thus glory of their knowledge and skill are euen the verye scorners and contemners of God for they neuer shew that euer they had the true feare of God before their eyes nor yet any good seede of religion in them For there is a great many of them who haue manifested them selues greater Atheists after they had once gotten some knowledge of the gospell then euer they had before and since y ◠time haue euer lesse reuerenced the worde of God For the knowledge which they receyued by the entertayning of the Gospell serued them to none other vse but to discouer the Idolatries superstitions and abuses which are in the popish Church that they might laugh at them And euer sithence that time they are growen euen vnto this that they are almost at the like poynt with the doctrine of Christian religion For as S. Paul said They iudge thereof as the Grecians and wise men of the world iudged of Iesus Christe of his Gospel who thought the preaching thereof to be foolishnesse because they were carnall men and puffed vp with an opinyon of their owne wisdomes And because the Grecians were alwaies more accounted of then any of the reste of the Nations by reason of their sharpenesse of witte and of the knowledge which they had in the artes in Philosophy and in all other Letters of humanitie S. Paule nameth them specially although hee comprehendeth vnder this name all the rest of the heathen as well appeareth by that that he opposeth them to the Iewes and seperateth them also from the Christians vnto whome as hee him selfe witnesseth Iesus Christ is the true wisdome vertue and power of God Nowe if these Libertine Epicures and Atheistes had beene heathen borne as S. Augustine was or if they had as much religion in them being Christians borne as hee had in his Paganisme they shoulde neuer haue shewed them selues to haue beene so monstrous beastes as in deed they are But although in name they are Christians born they are to be accounted of as if they had beene borne and bredde amongst Infidelles and Paganes yea euen amongst the Epicures out of whose books they haue sucked and droonke this prophan spirite of Athiesme who thus caryeth thē away For they haue yet lesse Religion in them then euer had any of the heathen who not onely did not approue their doctrine but which is more manifestly both by word and wrytinge condemned it yea and oftentimes executed thē by publick iustice namely Athens For when God giueth vs ouer so farre hee then by his iust iudgement brutisheth vs in the cause of religion And therefore that we shall not neede any more to pray vnto him to beseech him enlighten vs with his holy spirite in the knowledge of his holy word But ouer and besides that Dauid and S. Peter calleth the holy Ghost the word of the Lorde a candle and lanterne which lightneth a darke place and doth enlighten the simple yet there is one thing more in it which the Lord hath promised that he will heare as manye as shall call vppon him in trueth be neere them and graunt them his holy spirit Toby This then is the effect of thy conclusion that proud men and such as call not vpon the Lord as they ought for their instruction in the knowledge of his holye will haue no great good lyking to serue him accordingly And because they haue no such loue and lyking but contrariwise will liue as pleaseth them God in his iust iudgement giueth them ouer into a reprobate sence and leaueth them as a spoyle vnto seducers and false teachers Wherefore they alwayes receyue and allowe rather falshood and errour then the trueth of the Lord. Theo. In deede because they had no loue nor liking of the trueth but rather of leasinges the Lord by his iust vengeaunce hath giuen a mighty power of errour vnto such maisters as they haue a lyking of and such as they are best worthy of And therfore when Moses admonished the people of Israel that they shoulde beware of false Prophetes who might deceyue them hee namely sayde that the Lorde would tempt his people by false Prophetes who shoulde make great shewes of trueth and he would doe it to this end to proue whether his people feared and loued him with al their hart or not Wherein he manifestly declareth that they which had the true feare of God before them and loued him in deede would neuer receiue the false Prophetes and cast off the law word of God but alwayes continue in the doctrine which the Lord God had reuealed vnto them from heauen Toby I thank thee I now very wel vnderstand this poynt and the cause also why the deuill euery manner of way hath so great power ouer vs as he hath Moreouer although we haue already spoken of many that are haunted with Deuilles yet haue wee not all this while spoken anye whit of the Lunatique deafe dumb and blynde Demoniacques Theo. It is no great matter For we will treate of them when thou shalt thinke it best The Tytle and effect of the fift Dialogue of the world possessed with Deuils THis fifte Dialogue is called the dialogueue of Lunatique Deuilles because the chiefe matter contained therein treateth of a Lunatique Demoniacque of whom the Euangelists make mention and of such as may be compared to the same And beecause there were many accidentes which fell out vnto this Demoniacque somewhat is also sayde of deafe dumbe and blinde Demoniacques and howe Iesus Christ healed them
foreward Theophrastus with that that thou hast further to saie as touchyng this matter Theo. The Author of those commentaries vpō Iob whiche I euen now alledged vseth a comparison touchyng the richesse that men gather in their age not vnmeete for our matter Tobie Whereto doeth he liken them Theo. To hiddē starres For as starres serue to no vse when thei are hidden but when thei shewe light vnto men so riches being hiddē serueth to no vse whether thei kepe them locked in their treasures without the vse therof or els leaue their riches to the wide worlde when thei them selues are hidden and laied vp in their graues Tobie Heereby then thou meanest to proue that the gredie and insasiable desire of riches whiche now adaies so ragyngly raigneth emong men is a signe and witnesse of the old age dotage of the world wherby we maie iudge that the ende therof draweth nigh Theo. So it is Furthermore although the fourthe booke of Esdras bee holden for Apocripha yet are there many good sentences contained therein whiche well agree with the matter whereof we talke Tobie I would faine heare them Theo. He saieth thus Aske the wombe of a woman and saie vnto her why muste thou haue time before thou bringest forth Require her to bryng forth tenne at once And I saie surely she can not but by distance of tynie Then saied he vnto me so haue I deuided the nomber of the earth by tymes when seede is sowne vpon it For as a yong child begetteth not that that belōgeth to the aged so haue I ordeined the time which I haue created I asked again and saied seyng thou hast now shewed me the waie I will proceede to speake before thee For our mother whom thou hast told me is yong draweth she nere vnto age he answered me and said aske a woman that traualleth and she will tell thee Saie vnto her Wherefore are not thei whom thou hast now brought forth are those that were before thee but lesse of stature And she shall answere thee some were borne in the flower of youth others were borne in the tyme of age when the wombe failed Cōsider now thy self how that ye are lesse of stature then those that were before you And so are thei that come after you lesse then ye as the Creatures whiche now beginne to bee old and haue passed ouer the strength of youth Tobie Me thinkes these wordes tende to shewe that as the woman and the womans wombe waxeth old so waxeth the yearth old whiche is the mother of vs all and likewise all the worlde with all thynges therein contained Theo. We se the experiēce thereof daily But marke what thesame author saith further of this matter The worlde saieth he hath loste his youth and the tymes begin to waxe old For the world is deuided into xii partes and x. partes of it are gone alreadie and halfe of the tenth parte And there remaineth that whiche is after the halfe of the tenth part Therefore set thine hous in order and reforme thy people and comfort suche of thē as bee in trouble and now renounce the corruption Let go frō thee mortall thoughtes caste awaie from thee the burthens of men and put of now thy weake nature and set aside thy moste greeuous thoughtes and haste thee to depart from these tymes For greater euils then those whiche thou hast seen now shall thei cōmit For the weaker that the world is by reason of age the more shall the euils be encreased vpon them that dwell therein For the truthe is fled farre awaie and lies at hande And after he saieth thus the worlde is sett in darkenesse and thei that dwell therein are without light For thy lawe is burnt therefore no man knoweth the thynges that are dooen of thee or the workes that shal be doen. Tobie These wordes signifie not onely that the older the worlde waxeth the more the stature and age of man deminisheth and the naturall strength weakeneth but also that all vertues decaie in hym and al vices increase Theo. If vertue faile necessarilie vice whiche is the contrary muste raigne sithe vice is want of vertue as sicknesse is wāt of health so that the more that healthe decreaseth the more sicknesse increaseth And therefore our sauior Christ speaking of those laste daies and of this age of the worlde saied not without cause Thinkest thou that whē the sonne of man shall come he shall finde any faithe or vprightnesse on the yearth For because that the wickednesse shall abound all charitie shal be cold Heare also what S. Paule writeth Now the spirite speaketh euidently that in the latter tymes some shall departe from the faithe and shall giue heede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of Deuilles whiche speake lies through hipocrisy haue their consciences burned with an hot iron And againe This knowe also that in the laste daies shall come perilous times For men shal be louers of their owne selues coueteous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankfull vnholy without naturall affectiō truce breakers false accusers intēperate fierce dispising of them whiche are good traitours heady high minded louers of pleasure more thē louers of God hauyng the shewe of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof Tobie S. Paule hath iuste occasion to call those daies perilous in whiche suche men shal liue and without doubt we euen now are come to that line For now adaies wee see fewe other but suche as S. Paule hath described vnto vs after the manner that thou hast rehearsed Theo. Therefore there are fewe which maie be compared to our auncient fathers in any thyng at all For as we haue alreadie saied euē as the force of vertue decreaseth daie by daie in this weakenesse and old age of nature so contrary vice loue of pleasure impacience vnstablenesse vnfaitfulnesse ignorance and folly encrease Tobie When I call to remembraunce what Ierome hath heretofore spoken concernyng the difference of ages and the decaie thereof I finde that it well agreeth with all that thou haste now spoken So that if none cōplained but onely the Prophetes and Apostles and other the true seruauntes of God of the corruption and disorder whiche at all tymes hath been in the worlde and the empairyng thereof whiche hath alwaies increased I would lesse maruaile But we maie wel perceiue that the wickednesse of men hath been of long time marueilous and that it hath frō tyme to tyme so woonderfully increased that euen the Gentiles theim selues who had not the true knowledge of God nor perfect knowledge of vertue vice haue made moste greeuous complaintes thereof as Ierome hath often recited vnto vs. Ierom. I haue recited vnto you the discriptiō that Ouid hath made of the 4 ages but I haue not yet shewed after what maner Hesiodus describeth it out of whom as well Ouid as other Poets haue gathered their writinges For as I haue before told