alienate with themselues so many as they can from the true service of God The Poets acknowledge these to bee cunning spirits Philosophers dispute of them Socrates was not ignorant of them who at the direction and will of one still present with him did decline or vndertake businesse The Magicians also doe not only know them but act all the sport of miracles by their helpe By their inspiration and infusion they worke impostures making those things appeare which are not and those things not apeare which are Of these Magicians Hostanes the chiefest both for speech and deed doth attribute vnto the true God his deserued maiesty and makes honourable mention of his angells that is his messengers who tremble at his word and countenance he also makes mention of those other cunning wandring terrestiall spirits enemies to mankind And Plato who thought it so great a businesse to finde out God doth easily discouer both these vnto vs and in his feasting dialogue striues to expresse their nature He will haue them to be a middle substance betwixt soule and body halfe mortall halfe immortall compounded with a mixture of terrestiall heauinesse and celestiall lightnesse He will haue them cause in us the first incentiue sparkes of loue to informe and slide into mens brests to mooue their senses fashion their affections and then powre in a fiery heate of lust Wherefore these vncleane spirits as the Magicians the Philosophers and Plato shew lurke vnder consecrat statues and images and by an inspiration doe gaine with people authority to be reputed Gods whiles they sometimes seeme to possesse their prophets to abide in temples to animate the liuers of the sacrifice to gouerne the flights of birds rule lotteries and deliuer oracles involu'd with much falshood For they are deceiud and doe deceiue as not knowing truth sincerely nor confessing that which they know to their owne perdition So doe they draw vs from heauen and call us from the true God vnto these materiall things They disorder our life trouble our dreames creepe secretly into our bodies as being thinne spirits forge diseases terrify mindes distort members that they may force us to a worship of them when after a sacrifice of beasts and feasting at their altars they seeme to be appeased and release and cure those whom they had afflicted These are also the causes of those mad men whom you see breake forth into the streetes Their owne Prophets also are sometimes possest when they are forth the temple they roule their heads and rage These spirits incite both although to a diverse purpose And from them proceede those things of which you haue before spoken when Iupiter causd a new celebration of sports according to a dreame when the little ship did follow the matrones girdle when the Castors were seene with their â—orses The most of you doe know that these spirits confesse so much of themselues as often as by vs with torments of wordes and fire of praiers they are driuen out of bodies Saturne himselfe and Serapis and Iupiter and all the the rest of your Gods whom you worship are with griefe commanded to speake what they are plainly Neither would they lye to there owne disgrace especially when many of you are present When they doe thus confesse truth of themselues then belieue from there owne witnesse that they are euill spirits when we coniure them by the only true God they hardly stay in possest bodyes and either presently leape forth 〈◊〉 vanish by degrees as the fairâ— of the patient helps or thâ— grace of Gods minister prevailes So doe they shunne the presence of Christians whom a farre of they prouoke in your rioting assemblies And therefore insinuating themselues into the affections of vndiscerning people they dare but privily incite you to a hatred of vs through feare For t is naturall to hate whom we feare and to doe all the mischiefe wee can vpon those of whom we seeme to stand in danger So doe they forestall your mindes and shut vp your breasts from right vnderstanding that men vndertake to hate vs before they know what we are least knowing they should either follow our example or leaue off to pursue our condemnation But how great a crime it is to passe sentence vpon men vnknowne vntried which you doe belieue our earnest repentance For wee were as you are and in a blinde stupidnesse wee thought as you that Christians did worship monsters devoure Infants make incestuous banquets neither would wee vnderstand that these fables were still talkt of but never searcht vnto proofe when never any was found to giue evidence herein although he was sure to haue pardon for the fact and favour for the inditement And surely this crime imputed to the Christians was so nothing as any of them brought in question of his faith did neither blush at it nor feare only repenting that hee had not beene a Christian sooner Yet wee who did vndertake to defend and preserue in iudgement persons sacrilegious incestuous and even Parricides were of minde that these Christians ought not to bee heard speake for themselues And many times as it were out of pitty did vse on them ragefull cruelty to force a deniall of their beliefe that they might not dye vsing in these things a most perverse triall not to cleare truth but to extort falshood when if any did deny himselfe a Christian through infirmity overprest and vanquished with torment wee did favour him presently as if such deniall and abiuring had made sufficient expiation for all his faults Doe you not see your owne thoughts and actions in vs When if reason had beene iudge and not the instigation of those evill spirits these men should rather haue beene vrged to confesse their incests adulteries impious ceremonies and immolation of Infants then to vnsay their Christianity For with those fables haue your spirits filled the eares of ignorant people to raise in them a horrible execration of vs But no wonder if you doe not here vrge the question since fame which is nourished by dispersion of lies perisheth at the declaration of truth Such is the businesse of your spirits they did sow they did foment this most false rumour and from thence it is that you heare our divine secrecie should bee an Asses head Who would bee so foolish as to worship this Or who is not more foole to haue this imagination of vs but that you doe all-over consecrate your selues for Asses by worshipping the Lady Epona in your stable and sacrificing the same Asses religiously to your Goddesse Isis Oxe heads also and the heads of weathers you both sacrifice and worship You dedicate Gods in shape halfe goates and halfe men halfe Lions and halfe dogges and doe you not with the Egyptians both worship and feede the heyfer Apis Neither doe you condemne their other religious rites appointed to serpents crocodiles beasts birds and fishes and if any kill a God of these hee must by the law suffer death The same Egyptians with many
our bodies they will haue our soules remaine perpetually and make a diuers transmigration into new bodies and to distort the truth they adde that the soules of men must returne into tame beastes into wilde beastes and birds Certainly this their opinion is not worthy the serious study of a Phlosopher but resembles the contumelious jesting of a stage But for our purpose t is enough that wise men doe in this also somewhat agree with vs. And can any bee so foolish or brutish that he dare deny it as easie for God to reforme men anew as to frame them in the beginning Are they nothing after their death So were they nothing before their being as they were borne out of nothing why may not they out of nothing be repaired Moreouer it must needs seeme more difficult to beginne that which was not then to reiterate that which was Doe you thinke that things perish to God because they are withdrawne from the view of our eyes every body whether hee bee dried into dust or dissolued into water or clodded into ashes or extenuated into vapour is taken indeed from vs but may still bee reserued vnto God the keeper of the Elements Neither doe wee as you thinke feare any losse in a sepulture of fire but wee frequent rather the more auncient and better custome of interring out of a civil consideration See how nature every where doth as it were for our comfort point out a future resurrection The Sun drownes it selfe in the waues and rises againe the starres slide away and returne the flowers dye and spring againe The bushes cast their leaues and againe grow greene and seedes if they doe not rotte cannot receiue a new growth so our bodies like trees in the winter they hide their greenesse in a drie disguise Why doe you make such hast will you haue trees renew their greennesse in the depth of winter So must our bodies expect their spring And I am not ignorant that many out of a conscience of their ill deseruings doe rather wish to bee nothing after death then belieue it for they had rather bee vtterly extinguisht then returne to a reparation of torments These mens errour is increasd by the licentiousnesse Of the world and the great patience of God whose iudgment the more slowe it is the more iust it will be yet are they put in remembrance by the books of the most learned men and the poets verses of a fierce floud and the often circling heate of the Stigian lake prepared for eternall punishments as the tradition is from their spirits owne notice and the oracles of the prophets And therefore king Iupiter himselfe he sweares religiously by those fierce torrents and the blacke gulfe at which ordained for the punishment of him and his worshippers he trembles before hand seeing these torments haue neither measure nor ending There the wise fire burnes the body restores it it rends and repares as the flames of lightning blast the body and not consume it as the fires of Aetna and Vesuuius and other burning earths still flame and spend not so that penall fire is not fed with the empairing of those that are burnt but nourisht with the everlasting torture of their bodies And that they are thus worthily tormented for impious and vniust who doe not know God none but a profane man can call in question when it is no lesse sinne not to know then to offend the Father and Lord of all things And although not knowing God bee sufficient cause for punishment as the knowing him may availe for pardon yet if wee Christians for point of life bee compared with you howsoeuer your discipline in many things is beyond ours wee shall bee found assuredly the better men For you forbid adulteries and doe them wee only in this kind are knowne men by our wiues You punish crimes committed with vs thoughts are guilty You feare others that are conscious of your sinnes we feare our own conscience without whose peace wee cannot enioy our selues In briefe the prisons are fild with your numbers there is no Christian but whom you make guilty of his religion or who hath departed from this Nor let any man seeke comfort or excuse for his sinnes in destiny For if there were a God of destiny as you enshrine him yet the minde is free and the action not the person of a man must suffer iudgement And what is destiny but that which God hath forespoken of vs Who when he might foreknow our conditions hath determined of every one of vs according to our merits quality So is not our natiuity condemned but punishment is appointed for the ill nature of our disposition And thus in few words enough of destiny of which I haue more largely and truly disputed in another place Then whereas you say the greatest part of vs are poore this is not our infamy but glory for as the minde growes dissolute in abundance so it is confirmed with frugality Yet who can be accounted poore who doth not want who gapes not after the goods of other men who is rich towards God He is the most poore who when he hath much desires more And I will speake as I thinke no man can bee so poore as hee is borne The birds liue without a patrimony the beastes looke but for their daily food yet these are made for vs and if wee covet not at all these things wee possesse them Therefore as he that travailes a iourny goes best that goes lightest so in this waifaring life he is more happy that easily beares his poverty then he which pantes with the burden of riches And yet if we deemed riches vsefull we might aske them of God and hee may out of indulgency bestow something on vs. But we had rather despise riches then be their jealous keepers We rather desire innnocency and earnestly begge patience of him wee had rather be good then prodigall and if wee feele and suffer in our bodies the casualties of mankinde this is not a punishment but an excercise For valour is hardened with infirmities and calamity is often the Mother of vertue And in briefe the strength both of body and minde doth languish without laborious excercise and all your valiant men whom you praise for example they haue most flourisht in memory for the famous bearing of their miseries God therefore who is the ruler of all and who dearly loues those that bee his doth not despise vs and hee is able to giue present helpe although hee seeme to forbeare For in adversities hee searches and tries our resolution in dangers hee weighs our dispositions even to the last hazard of death he questions the wills of men being secure that nothing can perish from him and as gold with fire so are we approued by hard encounters What a faire spectacle it is for God when a Christian enters the lists with griefe composes an endurance against threates punishments and torments When with laughter hee insultes vpon the hurrie of death
MINVCIVS FELIX His dialogue called OCTAVIVS Containing a defence of Christian religion Translated by RICHARD IAMES of C. C. C. OXON OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD for Thomas Huggins 1636. TO MY LADY COTTON Wife vnto Sr ROBERT COTTON of Conington MADAME I haue receiued many favours from you and doe in thankfullnesse present vnto your Ladishippe this my translation of Minutius Felix his dialogue which consists of three speakers M. Minucius Felix Cecilius Natalis and Octavius Ianuarius The one is judge the other produces in a flourishing oration all the arguments of the Gentiles against Christian religion and the third makes vnto them such cleare answeare as I belieue it will reioyce a Christian reader to vnderstand Wherefore as the better sort of Greekes Romans Italian French and others haue taken a pleasure to render vnto their owne nation what they found worthy in other languages I in this litle peece haue followed their example annecting vnto it something of my owne for nearenesse of subject pray Madame let either haue your acceptance and know me Your faithfull servant RICHARD IAMES To the Reader WHosoeuer peruseth this litle booke or any other of auncient times it behooues him to vse sobriety in his vnderstanding least hee miscarry either in doctrine or discipline For example Minutius saith the primitiue Christians had no Temples you must not therefore collect that wee ought to worship God only in fields or private houses They had not indeed Delubra Temples of Jdolatry wherein the Gentiles vsed as Prudentius hath it deasciato supplicare stipiti to make their orizons to a peece of hewd timber yet as it is apparant out of all antiquitie they had according to the sufferance of times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houses built to the honour of our Lord and Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cathedrall Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houses of prayer oratories 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stately piles of building in which they did meete to solemnize the dutyes of Christianitie and to heare the religious instructions of their prelates More for the present I haue not to say Let all things be done decently and in good order This is a necessary remembrance from the Apostle and so I wish the health of body and minde M. MINVCIVS FELIX HIS OCTAVIVS COnsidering and calling to mind the memorie of my good most faithfull companion Octavius I was possest with so great a sweetnesse and affection of the man that I euen seemed to returne vnto times past and not only to recollect our conversation by way of remembrance the contemplation of him being not so much withdrawen from my eyes as it is enfolded in my breast and inmost senses And certainly the worth of that excellent holy man was such as it must of necessity leaue with me an infinite desire of him He had a flagrancie of loue towards me our wits bore consort as well for recreation as businesse and we ever will'd and 〈◊〉 the same things You would haue thought us one soule divided into two bodies He was alone private of my loues and companion of my errors and when the mist breaking out of profound darknesse I did rise vnto the light of wisdome and truth so farre he was from forsaking my societie as to his greater glory he did runne before to direct me the way And when my thoughts had runne over all the age of our familiar acquaintance the intention of my minde did more especially abide vpon that discourse of his by which in a most graue disputation he did reforme vnto true religion Cecilius then adhering to superstitious vanities For cause of businesse and to see me he had taken a iourney to Rome leauing his house wife and children and that which is in children most louely their yet â—nnocent yeares when they striue at halfe wordes in a language more pleasing by the pretty breach of their tripping tongues I cannot with words expresse vnto you how this arrivall of his did rauish me into an excesse of gladnesse especially the vnexspected presence of a most deare friend Then after a day or two when frequent vsance had taken off the impatience of our desire when wee had learned from mutuall relation what wee knew not of each other in time of absence we did agree to view Ostia a most pleasant Cittie because for drying vp the humours of my body a faire and apposite cure it is to walke by the waues of the Sea It was vacation from all judiciall cares by reason of the Vintage and the approaching of Autumne did somewhat temper the aire from estival heat So then vpon break of day when we went forth to pace vpon the shoare the aire gently breathing vegetation to our members and the soft sand with a fine pleasure somewhat yeelded to the impression of our feet Cecilius spying the image of Serapis as superstitious people are wont to doe lifting his hands vnto his mouth made them kisse his lips Then spake Octavius T is not the part of a good man brother Marke so to neglect him who is alwaies both at home and abroad euer by your side as that you should suffer him through vulgar blindnesse in cleare day to stumble at stones howsoeuer they bee shaped into image smoothed with oile and crowned with flowers when you know that the infamie of such errour doth no lesse fall on you then him And with such discourse of his hauing passed over halfe the space of the Cittie we had now gotten vpon the open shoare where the gentle waue as if it tooke pleasure to strow vs a faire walke did levell the outward sands The Sea when the winds are all laid is neuerthelesse restlesse in it selfe and although it came not on with white foaming billowes yet had they a curl'd wallowing course There wandering vp and downe wee did much solace our selues and did endanger the ouerflowing of our feete in the brinck of the Sea which would play vp her waues and againe â—lyding back receiue them into her owne bosome So in a stealing quiet pace making forward we forgot our way with discourse along the easie bending of the shoare and this discourse was a narration of Octavius opening the course of navigation But when we had thus talked out a sufficient journie turning our steps wee did againe pace ouer the same way And when we came vnto the place where little boates drawne vp from the water lay on rowlers to preserue them from occasion of rotting wee saw Children sportfully contending who should skeere shells farthest vpon the top of the Sea The sport is to gather vp from the shoare a round shell smoothen with the beating of the wanes and taking of it flat in their fingers to make long circling ejaculations vpon the water the shell razing gliding or leaping there so long as it hath force of motion and that child beares the victorie whose shell doth glide farthest or leape more often When therefore all of vs were taken with the pleasure of this spectacle