Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	law_n	work_n	2,920	5	6.2264	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76232	Ēh probolē tēs alētheias or The bul-warke of truth, being a treatise of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Ghost, and of the Trinity in unity, against atheists and hereticks. / By Robert Bayfeild.	Bayfield, Robert, b. 1629.; Faithorne, William, 1616-1691, engraver.	1657 (1657)	Wing B1468; Thomason E1636_3; ESTC R209045	111,248	263

works he doth most plainely affirme God to be the cause and the beginning of all things and in his last booke of naturall Philosophie after he had written five afore of eight that hee writ in all only of Motions and the affections of it Molinaeus de cognit de●p 8. S. 17. he doth end his last Booke in the First Mover who is immoveable for seeing all things that are moved are moved by some one thing and that again by another and so forward it must needs follow that in such a chain of Motionary things because wee cannot proceed to what is infinite we must needs stay at one first mover who though he moveth all things yet is himself immoveable Zeno which Cicero calleth the Father of the Stoicks doth not only affirme that there is a God but saith further Vnum Deum esse ipsumque mentem fatum Jovem multisque aliis appellari nominibus Cicero de Nat. Deor. l. 3. D. Laertius in vitae Zenon that there is but one God which is sometimes called by one name and sometimes by another And Epicurus Quem nihil pudendum pudet tamen Deum negare pudet Mornoeus de verit relig c. 1. who was not ashamed of any shamefull thing yet was he ashamed to deny that there is a God as Du-Plessis saith 2. The Law-givers affirme there is a God Plut. to 3. cont colot moral p. 532. for Plutarch saith that in Constitutione legum facilius ●rbem condi sine solo quam civitatem coire sine Religione in the making of their Lawes it is not so impossible for a man to build a City without a foundation as it is for him to gather and guide his Citizens without Religion and therefore all the ancient Law-givers gave it out among their people that they composed their Lawes by the assistance of some one or other of the Gods Diodor. Sicul. ● 1. c. 5. as Menes the Law-giver of the Egyptians from Mercury Minos the Law-giver of the Cretians from Jupiter Lycurgus the Law-giver of the Lacedemonians from Apollo Zaleucus the Law-giver of the Locrians from Minerva and so all the rest derive their Lawes from their Gods And no wonder because as Job saith Job 36 22. Nullus est similis in Legis-Latoribus there is none like him amongst all the Law-givers nay he is the Only Law-giver which is able to save and to destroy James 4 12 Prov. 8.15 as Saint James testifieth and God himself saith By me Kings do raigne and Princes decree Justice And therefore Plato saith It is not man but God Qui legum condendarum est causa Plato de leg l. 1 which is the cause of making all good Lawes 3. The Poets teach there is a God for it is a common thing with them all A Jove principium to begin their Workes with the invocation of the Gods as Ovid saith Dij ceptis Aspirate meis O Gods I crave your help to assist me in this my work and Manilius saith Ovid Me● l. 1. that Caelo carmen descendit ab alto Manilius l. 1. the whole faculty of Poets depended more upon a Divine Incitation then any humane gift or art●●●ciall instruction and therefore Martiall in his scoffing vain saith of Cicero Carmina quod scribis Martial l. 2. Epigr. 89 in Gaur musis Apolline nullo Laudari debes hoc Ciceronis habes That he was no Poet because he wanted Apollo's helpe Now I have given you the Testimonies of Philosophers Law-givers and Poets I proceed next to the testimony of every mans Conscience and especially of all or most wicked men that continually affright them for their odious facts doth sufficiently shew unto them that there is a God which will one day call them to a strict account for all their wicked Deeds for there is an imbred fear of God in all mens hearts and according as they live vertuously or viciously so is this fear augmented or diminished Cicero de Nat. Deorum l. 1. Quis enim non timeat omnia providentem cogitantem ad se omnia pertinere putantem Deum For who can choose but fear a Provident remembring and an all observing God that professeth all things to belong to himselfe and therefore every one that is adicted to Vice is many times afraid at the shaking of a leafe And although in the course of his Prosperity he shakes off all thought of God yet in any sudden Danger he will cry out O God and crave his assistance to be releived whom in all his former actions hee prophanely despised Moreover let us consider the End and the Cause efficient of all Creatures Doth not Experience tell us that every thing brought forth in Nature hath a peculiar end by Nature the Bird is directed to build her Nest and the Fox to make his Den Now the Philosopher asketh here what thing is that that directeth Nature her self seeing each thing must have somewhat to direct it to its end And no answer can be made but that the Director of Nature must be something above Nature which is God himselfe This argument of the finall end is most excellently handled by Phylo Judeus in his learned Treatise of the workmanship of the World Phylo lib. de Opific mund Concerning the Cause efficient the Philosophers dispute thus It is evident by all reason in respect of the Corruptions Alterations and perpetuall Motions of all Creatures that this world had a beginning Vide Plutar. de Pla. Phylos and all excellent Philosophers that ever were have agreed thereupon except Aristotle who for a time held a fantasie Aristot lib. De Mund. that the world had no beginning but was from all Eternity albeit at last in his old age he confessed the contrary in his book to King Alexander This then being so that this World had a Beginning it must needs follow also that it had an Efficient cause now then is the question Who is that efficient cause that made the World if you say that it made it self it is absurd for how could it have power to make it selfe before it selfe was and before it had any being at all if you say that something within the world made the world that is that some one part thereof made the whole this is more absurd for it is as if a man should say that the finger and this before it was a finger or part of the body did make the whole body Wherefore we must confess by force of this Argument that God is the Efficient cause that made the World A Maxime in Metaphisick Aristot lib. 8. Metaphis ca. 2. Yet further The Philosopher in his Metaphisicks saith That every thing which is by Participation must be reduced and referred to some other thing that is not by participation but of it self as for Example Water or any thing else that is heated by the Fire is hot by participation and not of it self And therefore is

Η ΠΡΟΒΟΛΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑΣ OR The BUL-WARKE of TRUTH BEING A Treatise of God of Jesus Christ of The Holy Ghost and of the Trinity in Unity against Atheists and Hereticks By ROBERT BAYFEILD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serapis ad Thulem Magna est veritas praevalebit Tertull. Veritas laborare potest vinci non potest Hier. Dialog adversus Pelag. For we can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth 2 Cor. 13.8 Him that is an Heretick after the 〈…〉 s●●o●d admonition reject Tit. 3.10 LONDON Printed by T.R. for Edw. Dod. at the sign of the Gun in Ivy-Lane 1657. Vera Effigies Roberti Bayfeild Aetat Suae 27. A PREPARATORY Advertisement to the READER Dear Christian Reader AFter I had finished and put forth my Enchiridion medicum containing the causes signes cures of all those diseases which do cheifly affect the body of man my thoughts ran upon some second worke whereby I might benefit my Country but whilst I was thinking upon what subject to pitch I hapned into the company of certain Atheists and Hereticks who by their blasphemous discourse quite altered the streame of my intentions and instead of another phisicall peece put me upon these sublime p●i●●●f divinity Indeed it is a truth not more deplorable then manifest that this our Island which may justly contend with most parts of the Earth for the priority of Conversion to Christianisme and might not many yeares since have challenged the Garland from the whole for the orthodox zealous and sincere profession thereof hath of late produced and doth at this unhappy day foster more swarmes of Hereticall and Atheisticall monsters then any age then any Nation hath been infested withall such at least whose licentious practices and insolent discourses in publick do equally declare their wilde Ambition to be so accounted as if the onely way to acquire the Reputation of being Transcendent Wits were to seem able with bold and specious arguments to impugne the greatest and most sacred verities Yea these proud Wits and curious heads are so extreamly in love with their own shadowes and do so highly admire their owne conceits that they despise all the understanding and learning of other men and as Saint Bernard saith do thinke Nusquam lucere solem nisi in cella sua That all knowledge must live and dye with them For the Devill saith in every heresie in every errour Ego sum Christus apud me est veritas I am Christ and the truth is only here with me as Athanasius sheweth against the Arrians Athanas orat 1 contra Arrianos Alexander Episcopas Alexander in Ep. ad Alexand. Constantinop And Alexander Bishop of Alexandria writing to the Bishop of Constantionople of the transcendent pride and disdain of the Arrians saith Neminem volunt ex antiquis patribus sibi comparari ne unum quidem collegarum nostrorum vel ad mediocrem sapientiam pervenisse censent sed solos se sapientes sibi solis patefacta esse mysteria arbitrantur veritatis That they thinke none of the ancient fathers to be comparable to themselves that none of them which are contrary to their tenents have attained to any measure of wisdome and that they alone are wise and have the mysteries of truth revealed unto them And therefore this despising of other mens knowledge added to that high conceite which they have of their own is the cause they persist in those errours which their pride and ignorance have most impiously hatcht to the spoiling and destroying of themselves and others Alas it is sad lamentable to consider how multitudes of people are led away into dangerous fearfull errors by these cursed and hereticall monsters who come unto them in sheeps cloathing that is a religious habit like zealous and holy Christians For they have many times more works of piety charity then many of the most orthodoxall professors of the Faith their Almes-deeds are many their Prayers frequent and the strictnesse of their life might seeme to proceed from Angelicall hearts but in all this they cannot be sayd to be vertuous because these deeds that are vertues in themselves are directed by them to wrong ends and are effectuall to bring others into their errours And therefore these holy Hereticks are most profitable instruments for the Devills advantage and most excellent Factors to enlarge his Kingdome For had they been more wicked they had done lesse evill when men would have more suspected them lesse followed them and lesse beleived them then they do A most lamentable thing to make vertues the steps and staires for themselves and others to descend down to hell Mat. 4.6 Againe as the Devill cited scripture to our Saviour Christ to pervert the Truth of the scripture so do these men use Adaptare ca quae bene dicta sunt ijs quae male adinventa sunt ab ipsis To apply those things which are well spoken in scriptures to those things which themselves have mis-invented saith Ireneus Iren. cib 1. c. 1. for so Valentinus misapplyed scriptures to cofirme his errour of the thirty couple of Gods so Manichaeus alledged scriptures to defend his Duo principia two fold God or rather two Gods good and bad so Arrius Appollinaris and Eutiches and all the brood of hereticks were not ignorant in the bookes of scripture and so all hereticks at this day do with the Hiaena's voice bring nothing else but scriptures to kill soules with scripture misapplyed and therefore least with those fishes that are sportingly carried with the pleasant streames of Jordan untill they do fall into the dead sea where they doe suddenly perish so wee be led with their mis-interpreted scriptures untill wee do unexpectedly fall into destruction we should beware of them and take heed we be not seduced by th●●●ea we should mark them and avoid them Rom. 16.17 Iren. l. 2 c. 19. Epiph in contra Marcosias her 34. and shnn them as men wont to run away from venemous and ravenous beasts for Epiphanius tells us they are like unto the serpent called Dypsas that poysoneth all the pooles wherein hee drinketh so that all the beasts which drink of those pooles are suddenly poysoned and killed Tertull. de praescrip c. 42. Because as Tertullian saith This hath ever been the desire and study of hereticks Non Ethnicos convertere sed Christianos evertere not to convert infidells but to pervert and throw downe Christians from the faith and therefore Saint John seeing the heretick Cerinthus in a bath wherein the Apostle bathed himselfe ran away from him as it had been from a Lion Iren. l. 3. c. 3. And Ireneus saith that Tantum Apostoli eorum discipuli habuerunt timorem ut neque verbo tenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulteraverant veritatem the Apostles and their Disciples did so warily shun all hereticks that they would have no communication with any of them that had depraved the truth of Christ And no

Psal 115.3 dwelling in the Heavens that none can attain unto and this the very Heathens knew full well Vide Na●●ell p. 54. Ita etiam allusit Plutarchus in Iside de theologia Aegypti●rum Vide Job c. ●2 Psal 18.9.11 when Orpheus speaking of God could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot see him because he is compassed about with darkness and Damascius the Platonist speaking of the wise men of Egypt saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they call the first beginning of all things darknesse unknown darknesse passing all our understanding answerable to that place of the Psalmist He made darknesse his secret place and all to this end to shew that he cannot be seen or comprehended by us Quia secundum essentiam in cognitus secundum Majestatem immensus because his Majesty is immeasurable and his being is unconceivable Thalas apud Paulinum Presbyt Job 28 24 saith Thalassus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he is every where and seeth every thing when as nothing can see him and as the sun is in it self most visible so is God in himselfe most intelligible Why the nature of God is not to be comprehended by the understanding of man and therefore that the sun dazeleth the eye and God the understanding it is from the abundance of glory in both in respect of our weakness to see and insufficiency to apprehend so that our defect of knowledge in the Nature of God is not so properly from the Excellency of the Object as from the deficiency of the Faculty John 1 18. our understanding being too narrow to comprehend the incomprehensible Essence of the God-head as whatsoever is finite must needs be too short either to reach or to fathom that which is infinite 1 Tim. 6.16 Wherefore God dwelling in that light of Glorious Excellency and inaccessible Glory which no eye of humane Reason can approach or enter into Psal 144 3. we not being able to comprehend him in a full Knowledge have some apprehensions of him by a divine faith for it hath pleased him in his word revealed unto us to reveale himselfe so far as our weake capacity can conceive him and that by giving himself as you have heard many Names Titles Attributes to shew what a one he is who being a most simple essence void of al composition not subject to any accident or quality useth in the Scriptures to entitle himselfe by many qualities the which we must so understand that whatsoever he is whether Good Wise Powerfull c. he is the same by Essence not by quality Now although God cannot be defined 1. Because he is immense and his Essence unknown unto us 2 Because as Aristotle saith Aristot Topicor l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the definition of any thing is the expression of what it is in its own nature and virtue and so we cannot possibly shew what he is yet some way he may be described and therefore his description according to Phylosophy is on this wise God is an eternall minde or intelligence The description of God according to Philosophy sufficient in himselfe to all felicity most good and the cause of good in nature The description of God according to the rules of Divinity But Divinity hath taught us a more full and ample description of him which is in this sort God is an Essence spirituall intelligent Eternall infinite different from all the creatures without body parts or passions incomprehensible most perfect in himself immutable Omnipotent of exceeding wisdome and goodnesse just true chast mercifull bountifull most free wroth and angry without sin Or thus God is a Spirit in and of himselfe Joh. 4.24 Exod 3.14 Exod. 24.16 1. Tim. 1.11 Mat. 5.48 Gen. 17.1 1. Tim. 1.17 Mal. 3.8 1. King 8.27 Psal 139.1 to 13. Rev. 4.8 Heb. 4.13 Rom. 16.27 Isa 6.3 Deut. 32 4. Exod. 34.6 Nancelius l. 1. infinite in being Glory Blessednesse and perfection all-sufficient Eternall Unchangeable Incomprehensible every where present Almighty knowing all things most wise most holy most just most mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth We finde three speciall wayes of expressing what he is first by way of Negation by removing from him what we find in the creatures as when we say and affirme him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immortall Invisible Incorporeall Immoveable Infinite Unchangeable and so forth And because Dionys de calest hierarch c. 2. as Dionysius the Areopagite saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Negations are true in God but affirmatives are not alwayes agreeable to him therefore this is the best part of our knowledge of him as S. Augustine saith when we know rather what he is not then what he is Secondly By way of perfection by way of affirmation and perfection as when we doe analogically and in respect of certaine similitudes ascribe unto God the best and most excellent things that can be found in any of the creatures whatsoever and so we say he is Great Strong Faire Mercifull Just c. So Hermes saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is an indefatigable Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the highest King of Kings and a most good God and Thales Milesius calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most ancient uncreated God Cicero in Tuscul 1. Lactan. lib. 2. cap. 5. And Cicero so well as he could defined him● in manner following Deus meus est vis quaedam soluta libera segregata ab omni concretione mortali omnia sentiens movens ipsaque praedita motu sempiterno God is a certain intelligence or spirit free and ready separated from all mortall mixture or concretion knowing and moving all things and having in himself an eternall motion and Plato defineth God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Phoedone a divine God-head immortall and good and wise and understanding of one and the same manner indissoluble having himself alwaies after the same way and most like unto himself And in another place he saith that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cheifest good the shape or Idea of the cheifest good the King of all kinds and of that invisible and inaccessible place that none can attaine unto the maker of the Sun beyond all substance the beginning of the Universe from whom are all the beings and substances that are knowne to be But we must remember as I said before that all these Definitions and many more beside can give us no true knowledge of the Essence of God because it is wholy incomprehensible Solus Deus est altissimus S. Aug. in lib. de mor. Eccles quo altius nihil est Only God is most high above whom there is nothing higher and besides the Philosophers say that Definition may wholy specifie the Proportion of a thing or his Kind Quality Difference or some Peculiar accident all which severall things are not to be found in God which is the

of Alexandria and Cyrillus That God is but one not as some think without government of the world but all in all Hee is the orderer of all ages the light of all powers the originall of all things the Cresset of Heaven the Father Mind quickner and mover of all Yea and he calleth him the infinite power from whence all other powers do flow which cannot be verified but of him alone Thirdly Philo the Jew and Jambilicus of the sect of Pythagoras Philolaus a Disciple of Pythagoras saith That there is but one only God the Prince and guider of all things who is alwaies singular unmoveable like himselfe and unlike all other things Also Architas saith That he esteemeth no man wise but him which reduceth all things unto one selfe same originall that is to wit unto God who is the beginning end Hierocles against the Atheists and middle of all things And Hierocles one of the same sect saith That the same is hee whom they call by the name of Zena and Dia the Father and maker of all things because all things have heir life and being of him Aristot 14. Metaph cap. 4. and 1. Phis cap. 10 lib. 13. To be short Pherecydes the syrian the Master of Pythrgoras Empedocles his successor Parmenides and Melissus they all taught the same truth and so did Xenophanes the Colophonian as wee be credibly informed by the verses of Parmenides rehearsed by Simplicius Simplic l. 1. Phis in the which verses he calleth him the unbegotten the whole the only one not which hath been or shall be but which everlastingly is altogether and all of himself Du. Plessis Besides Of the like opinion were Thales Anaxagoras Timeus of Locres Acmon Euclide Archaevetus and others of the ancientest Philosophers Socrates the scholmaster of Plato hath confessed only one God Academicks and as Apuleius reports was condemned to drinke poyson for teaching that the Gods which were worshipped in his time were but vanity Hee calleth God The Father of the whole world who only is or hath being and who made the heaven the earth the sun the moon the times and seasons and all other things both heavenly and earthly high and low and whatsoever else is Plato in his 13. Epist to King Denis Damascius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Plato the Disciple of Socrates taught the same truth And Damascius the Platonist saith The one bringeth forth all things The one ought to be honoured by silence The one like the sun is seen dimly afar off and the neerer the more dimly Jambilicus in his book of the Sect of Pythagoras Also Jambilicus sirnamed the Divine acknowledged every where a divine cause which is the beginning end and middle of all things That there is one God Master of all at whose hand welfare is to be sought That the end of all Contemplation is to aime at one and to withdraw from multitude unto unity And that the same One or Unity is God the ground of all truth happinesse and substance yea and of all other grounds themselves Proclus in Platoes divinity Proclus after the manner of the Platonists which was for the most part wont to be very superstitious turneth himself oft times aside to many Gods but yet his resolution is this in expresse words Who is he saith hee that is King of all the only God separated from all and the producer of all things out of himself which turneth all ends unto himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is the end of ends the first cause of operations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the author of all that ever is good and beautifull the englightner of all things with his light if thou beleeve Plato he can neither be uttered nor understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And anon after Then is it this first simplicity which is the King the soveraignty and superexcellency of all things incomprehensible not to be matched with any other thing uniforme going beyond all causes the creator of the substance of the Gods which hath some forme of goodnesse All things go after him and stick unto him for he produceth perfecteth all things that are subject to understanding like as the sun doth to all things that are subject to sence To be short it is the unutterable cause which Plato teacheth us under two names in his commonweale calling it the very goodnesse it selfe and the fountaine of truth which uniteth the understanding to things that are understood And in his Parmenides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The One or Unity whereupon all the divine unities are grounded and which is the Originall of all that is and of all that as yet is not Proclus in his Book of the soule and the spirit chp. 32. 42. 53. In his book of the soule and of the spirit he teacheth us a way to attain from many multitudes to this super substantiall unity which hee calleth the nature grounded in eternity the life that liveth and quickneth the waking understanding the welspring of all welfare the ifinite both in continuance and power c. Also Simplicius saith Simplicius upon the Edictetus if Arrian Whatsoever is beautifull cometh of the first and cheifest beauty All truth cometh of Gods truth and all beginnings must needs be reduced to one beginning which must not be a particular beginning as the rest are but a beginning surpassing all other beginnings and mounting far above them and gathering them all into himselfe yea and giving the dignity of beginning to all beginnings accordingly as is convenient for every of their natures Also the good saith he is the wel-spring and originall of all things it produceth all things of it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both the first the middlemost and the last The One goodnesse bringeth forth many goodnesses The One Unity many Unities The one beginning many beginnings Now as for the Unity Beginning Good and God they be all but one thing For God is the first cause of all and all particular Beginnings or Grounds are fast setled and grounded in him He is the cause of causes the God of Gods Popphyrius in his 2. booke of Abstinence and in his booke of occasions chap. ●1 and the goodnesse of goodnesses Also Porphyrius acknowledged the one God who alone is every where and yet in no one place by whom all things are both which are and which are not This God doth hee call the Father which reigneth in all And hee teacheth us to sacrifice our soules unto him in silence and with chast thoughts Plotin in his fir●t E●nead lib. 8 c. 2. En 6. lib. 4. cap. 1 2 3 4 in the whole 6. booke and in the 3. Enn. l. 8. And Plotinus saith That there is one Beginner of all things That this Beginner dwelleth in himselfe is sufficient of himselfe and of himselfe bringeth forth all manner of Essences That by his unity he produceth multitude which could be no multitude unlesse

he abode one Moreover Aristotle The Author of the books De caelo mundo not certainly known The Peripateticks or whosoever he was that wrote those bookes De mundo did finde that in this rare peece of worke and frame of the world there is a most excellent conveighance without confusion great variety concurring in unity and diversity of all things without disorder all which he attributeth to the powerfull working of the invisible God of whom the said Author conceives That for his power hee is most mighty for his beauty most excellent for his life immortall and for his vertue most absolute yea the same Philosopher entring into further consideration of Gods nature saith That although God be but one yet we call him by many names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because we live by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee is often of an immutable nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because nothing is done by chance but according to his most certaine decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man can possibly avoid him or flye from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he abideth for ever and as for that fable saith hee of the three sisters of the Destiny Clotho filum bajulat Lachesis net Atropos occat These destinies are but the actions of God Clotho that spinneth Lachesis that draweth out a just length and Atropos that cutteth off the thred of mans life it is to be understood of God only who is the begining midst and end of all things Hee likeneth him to the great King of Persia who from out of his privy Chamber governed his whole Empire by his power and Officers saving saith he That the one is God infinite in power Mornaeus de verit relig c. 3. and the other a very base and feeble wight And further he saith That all the names which are attributed to the Gods are but devices to expresse the powers of the onely one God the Prince and Father of all And Theophrastus saith Theophrastus in his Metaphisicks and in his book of savours That there is one divine beginner of all things whereby they have their beginning and continuance But in his Book of Savours he passeth further and saith That God created all things of nothing But to create of nothing presupposeth an infinite power Alexander of Aphrodise in his booke of Providence Cyril against Julian the Apostate and again that power presupposeth an unity And Alexander of Aphrodise attributeth providence over all things unto one only God which can do whatsoever hee listeth as appeareth by all his whole discourse And he was of such renowne amongst all the Aristotelians that they called themselves Alexandrians after his name To be short the most part of the Interpreters and Disciples of Aristotle found it so needfull to acknowledge one only beginner and so absurd to maintaine any more then one that to the intent they might not confess any such absurdity in their Master they do by all meanes possible excuse whatsoever might in his works be construed to the contrary As touching the Stoicks The stoicks of the ancientest time wee have no more then is gathered into the writings of their adversaries who do all attribute unto them the maintenance of the unity and infiniteness of God according to this which Aristotle reporteth of Zeno whom Cicero calleth the Father of the Stoicks namely That there must needs be but one God for else there should be no God at all because it behooveth him to be singularly good and also Almighty which were utterly unpossible if there were any more then one Also Cleanthes as Simplicius reporteth acknowledged but one God the cause of all causes Epictetus in Arrianus Epictetus the Stoick whose words Lucian and others held for Oracles speaketh of one onely God The first thing saith he that is to be learned is That there is but one God and that he provideth for all things and that from him neither deed nor thought can be hidden Hee teacheth us to resort unto him in our distresses to acknowledge him for our Master and Father to lift up our eyes unto him alone if wee will get out of the mire of our sins to seeke our felicity there and to call upon him in all things both great and small Seneca every where As for Seneca hee never speaketh otherwise What doth God saith he to such as behold him Hee causeth his works not to be without witness And again to serve God saith he is to Reign God excerciseth us with afflictions to try mans nature And he requireth no more Seneca in his book of the happy life and in his Treatise of Comfort but that wee should pray to him These ordinary speeches of his shew that hee thought there was but one God But hee proceedeth yet further From things discovered saith he we must proceed to things undiscovered and seeke out him that is ancienter then the world of whom the stars proceed And in the end he concludeth That the world and all that is therein contained is the worke of God So Cicero and Plutarch speak ordinarily but of one God The nature of the Gods saith Cicero Cicero in his book of the nature of Gods is neither mighty nor excellent for it is subject to the selfe same be it nature or necessity which ruleth the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea But there is not any thing so excellent as God who ruleth the world and is not subject to nature but commandeth Nature it self Plutarch in his treatise of Isis and Osyris of Oracles that are ceased of calmness of Mind c. And Plutarch Although hee suffereth himselfe to range over often into Fables yet in good earnest he speaketh thus Let us not worship the Heaven the Sun the Moon c. for they be but looking-glasses for us wherein to consider the cunning of him that ordained all things and all the world is but his Temple Moreover he saith That although there were many more such worlds as this is yet notwithstanding the one only God should governe them all Poets Justin to the Gentiles Athenagoras in his Treatise concerning the Resurrection Orpheus among the Poets was the first that opened the gap to the plurality of the Gods And yet there is a recantation of his in his Hymn unto Musaeus which is called his Testament that is to say his last Doctrine whereunto he would have all men to stick Lift up thine eyes saith hee to the only maker of the world He is but One and of that One are all things He is all in all hee seeth all and is seen of none Hee only giveth both welfare and wofull teares and war He sitteth in Heaven governing all things with his feet he toucheth the earth and with his right hand the utmost shores of the sea Hee maketh the Mountaines Rivers and deep sea to quake c. This is the Recantation