a thing vvhose center is euerie vvhere and his circle or circumference no vvhere signifying therby that the least thinge in God if a man may saye so of God in vvhem all thinges are so great that they are no lesse then God is so great that it farre surpasseth the spheare of our capacitie much more doth the circumference of his infinite perfection exceed the compasse and reach of humain vvit Simomdes being asked the same question required tyme to consider after vvhich tyme hee being demaūded to giue his cēsure he required longer tyme At the lengthe being vrged to make no moe delayes he ansvvered only this that God vvas such a thinge that the more vvee consider him the lesse vve conceue of him the more vve conceue of him the lesse vve can say of him Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers could only say of God that hee is Ensentium a thing of thinges that is a thing from vvhich all things proceed as from the fountaine and first cause of all thinges and a thinge vvhich is all thinges bicause eminently as Diuines say and compēdiously hee conteineth in him selfe all thinges Not that in God they be liuing and not liuing corruptible and incorruptible great and small differēt and diuers perfect and imperfect as they are in them selues bicause all in God is liuing all incorruptible all great increat and infinite all one all perfecte vvithout imperfection to bee breefe in God all is God For as the cause conteineth diuerse effectes vvithout division and imperfection of the cause and as the artificers peece of vvorke hathe a more noble being in the artificers Idea and mentall platforme then in it selfe so all thinges are in God in more eminent manner then in them selues bicause in him they are as in their cause and fountaine yea as in their idea therfore thou ghe in them selues these creatures some bee corporall some bee spirituall yet in God all are spiritual thoughe in them selues some bee liuinge creaturs some deuoid of life Io. ◠yet in God all are liuing and life it selfe thoughe in them selues they bee create yet in God they be increat though in them selues they be imperfecte yet in God they be perfect though in them selues they be diuerse yet in God they are all one though in them selues they be creatures yet in God they are God This the learned scholler of sainct Paule Dionisius Areopagita c. 5. de diuin◠nominib◠explicateth by a fitte similitude As the lines saieth hee vvhich are dravven from the Center are diuided from them selues and diuerse in them selues but in the Center they are vnited in one vvithout any distinction so all creaturs as they proceed from God vvhoe is the Center and resting place of all thinges are diuers and different but as they are in god they are all one And as the forsaied lines in the Center are nothing else but the Center soe all creatures vvhich are but so many lines dravvne from Gods indiuisible nature in God are God vvithout all diuision and imperfection But as vvhat God is vve knovv not so that ther is a God it is so manifest that thoughe the toungue maye denye him the harte can not if it bee not caryed a vvaye vvith passion and inconsideration True it is that Protagoras and Diagoras vvere so godlesse as to doubte yea to deny that ther vvas a God yet these men vvere long since Hissed out of the Schooles of all Philosophers and could not haue denied God in harte vvhere the light of reason discouereth him had not some blinding passion ouer ruled them And therfore if it vvere not that heresie had countenaunced Atheisme and giuen it authoritie to passe amongest Christians vvithout blushing yea vvith honour and credit I vvould haue contented my selfe to haue hissed also at these cōpanions and vvould neuer haue gone about to ouerthrovv that by reason vvhich standeth vvith no reason But least that the authoritie and svvaye vvhich atheisme novv a dayes beareth in the vvorld may ouer rule the vviser and seeme reason enough to the simple I vvill by certain pregnaunt reasons conuince these godlesse Atheistes that ther is a god a diuine povver And first of all this vvorld seemeth to me to bee a booke in vvhich vve may read this veritie For as the booke vvhich vvee read if vvee vnderstand the vvordes teacheth vs the veritie or science vvhich it cōteineth so if vvee read vvith diligēce the booke of this vvorlde in vvhich euery creature is a vvorde vvee shal by it learne that ther is a God Ro. 1. For as S. Paule sayeth the inuisible things of God that is his diuine attributes and perfections are knovvne by those things that are created Vvherfore that couragious mother in the Machabees ◠Ma◠7. vv ch vvas as forvvarde to prefer her sonnes to Martyrdome as others vvould be to detein them biddeth her sonne to read this booke of creaturs and to looke vppon heauen and earth and all vvhich is in thē conteined and therby to learne that God it vvas that made them all of nothing This booke sainct Antonie studied and profited therin so much that hee could confute Philosophers and convince a godhead and diuinitie Yea these creaturs are not only so many vvordes in vvhich vve may read this veritie but they are also so many preachers vvhich cry out vvith a voice most lovvd and shrill Psal 9◠and in a language intelligible of all men that God it vvas that made them and not they them selues And so a God-head is taught vs not only by the vniuersitie of Athens Paris or Louaine but also of all the creaturs in the vvorld For first I demaund of vvhome this vvorld vv ch Philosophers do call Alle bicause it cōteineth all receiued his beginning being and existence If thou say vvith Epicure or Democritus that it vvas made Fortuito causarum vel atomorum concursu by a chauncing cōcourse of causes motes or indiuisible bodies Taske vvho made these causes and indiuisible bodyes If thou ansvvere that a creatur made thē I aske again vvho made that creature so at lengtht I vvill bring thee to a thinge exempt from creation vvhich created all things and this I call God If thou sayest that the vvorld framed it selfe I must needs tell thee that that is impossible bicause nothing can operate or vvorke before it hathe a being bicause as the Philosopher sayeth prius est esse quam agere And so if the vvorld made it selfe it vvas before it selfe vvhich implyeth a contradiction If thou say that it vvas nether framed by it selfe nor by any other cause but vvas euer of it selfe vvithout any making then thou makest the vvorlde a God and so vvhilest thou seekest to deny a God thou grauntest a God For if it bee of it selfe it is indepēdent of any other and so hathe a necessarie being vvhich euer vvas and euer shal be bicause if it be of it selfe it can not by any cause bee brought
him selfe vnto his creatures but that some tymes extraordinarilie he vvorketh by him selfe vvithout any concurrence of them as he did vvhen vvith a vvorde or touche he restored health vvhich ordinarilie he doth by phisitions and secoÌ„d causes so likvvise ordinarilie god sendeth pastours and preachers and giueth theÌ„ authoritie by others yet sometymes also extraordinarilie he sendeth them immediatlie from him selfe As for example Moyses and Aaron in the olde lavve vvere sent immediatlie froÌ„ god to recall his people out of Aegipt and to rule and gouerne them in matters of religion but the highe preestes vvhich succeded Aaron and vvere consecrated by him and his successours vvere sent by an ordinarie mission In like manner in the nevve lavve saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles vvere called and sent extraordinarilie immediatlie from Christ but they vvhich succeded the Apostles and vvere ordained by them by imposition of haÌ„des and other ceremonies vvere sent by an ordinarie mission bicause oure sauiour Christe vvhem he instituted his Apostles did also appointe a coÌ„tinuall order by vvhich others should succeed them in their offices vvhich vvas imposition of haÌ„des by a Bishop lavvfullie consecrated and so the Bishops vvhich novv are maie trulie affirme that they are sent from Christe to rule gouerne his churche bicause they are consecrated instituted by the order vvhich Christe hath appointed and they succeded the Apostles vvhom Christe immediatlie sent to preach teach and minister sacramentes Novv betvvixte these tvvoe missions this amongest others is one difference that an extraordinarie mission must be proued by miracles or plaine prophecies els euerie one maie bragge that he is sent extraordinarilie and noe man shall controlle him but an ordinarie mission needeth noe such proofe and therfore he vvhoe is sent by an ordinarie mission if he can shevve that he vvas instituted by the ordinarie meanes vvhich Christe hath lefte in his church and that he succedeth them vvhoe vvere counted lavvfull pastours and preachers he giueth sufficient testimonie of his ordinarie mission commission If then oure nevv preachers be sent by an ordinarie mission leâ—t them shevv their succession tell vs the pedegree of their predecessours that vve maie see vvhoe vvere bishops before them and vvhoe consecrated and instituted them and vvhoe gaue them commission and authoritie to entermeddle in the rule and gouerment of the church for so Christe ordinarilie sendeth preachers pastours to his churche â— prescr c. 38. Thus Turtullian vrged the heretikes of his tyme. Let them saieth he shevve vs the origen of their churches let them vnfolde the order of their bishopes vvhich by successours so ronneth on from the beginning that the first bishop haue for his autour and predecessour some one of the Apostles or apostolicall men vvhich liued in the Apostles tyme c. As the churche of the Smyrneans doth register Polycarpe placed by â—hon as the churche of the Romaines hathe Clement ordained by Peter c. To this proofe S. Augustine putteth the heretikes of his age eâ—n partem â—Donati nomber saieth he the preestes euen from Peters seate and looke vvhich to vvhich succeeded in the order of those ffathers And in an other place he saieth that this succession of preestes is the thing cont ep fundamenti c. 4. vvhich holdeth him in the catholike church bicause he knevve that there is the true Churche vvhere is true religion there true religioÌ„ vvhere true pastours to teach it and there true pastours vvhere one succedeth to another by an ordinarie succession And thus vve must vrge our nevve reformers to declare vnto vs the pedegres of their ancetours to shevve vvho be the predecessours to vvhom they bee successours if they vvill haue vs to admitte them as the ministers of God sent by an ordinarie mission But this they can never doe for vvhoe I praye yon vvas the immediate predecessour of Luther and Caluin or vvhoe vvas hee that made the first superintendent in Inglande I am sure and all the vvorlde yea they them selues vvill vvitnesse that they are noe successours to the catholike bislopes and pastours bicause they degenerate froÌ„ them altoge-ther and they vvere faine to contemne disobey them before they could open their mouthes in pulpites Yea our pastours vvere so farre from ordayning them or instituting them giuing them authoritie that they cried out against theÌ„ as nevve startuppes coÌ„demned them for heretikes Antipastours and nevve yea false Apostles Nether can they deriue theÌ„ selues from any other lavvfull pastours for before they them selues tooke vppon them the name and office of pastours there vvere none at the tyme of their rising but oure catholike pastours Yea as in the next booke is proued they cannot deâ—iue their descente from ancient heretikes bicause in all poyntes they agree not vvith anie of them and if they could yet vvere not that sufficiet for they vvere counted condeÌ„ned for arraÌ„t heretikes and intruded them selues as these men doe into the true pastours offices vvere theÌ„ selues as these men are the first of their familie succeding to noe predecessours Here they fynde theÌ„ selues much pressed knovve not I dare saie vvhat to ansvvere but yet they vvill playe smalle playe rather then sirte out and vvill make harde shifte rather then noe shifte and shape a mishapen ansvvere rather then noe ansvvere And vvhat is that They saie that the Apostles vvhich vvere the first bishops pastours had for a tyme â—heir lavvfull successours but at the lengthe the Churche failed and the pastours vvith it vvith them the succession decaied but yet aftervvard Luther Caluin reuiued this dead Churche againe restored the pastours And so saie they vve succeed the Apostles and their immediate successours but by interruption of manie hundred yeares But this God knovves is a poore shifte a stale shifte For this vvas the ansvvere of the heretikes of Tertullians tyme against vvhome he vseth noe other argumeÌ„t then the absurditie vvhich follovveth so absurde an ansvvere l. prese Then saieth he truth vvhich vvas imprisoned expected Marcionites her redeemers and in the meane tyme pastouts preached falsly and the christians belecued erroniouslie manie thousandes vvere vvronglie baptized so manie vvorkes of faithe ministred a misse so manie chrismes evillie vvrought so manie preest-hoodes and ministeres not rightlie done so manie martyrdoomes all invayne The like maie be saied against Luther Zuinglins Caluine and other nevve Apostles of this tyme If the Church failed before youre comming then she expected manie hundred yeares for you in particular then all ministerie in the Churche vvas all this vvhile vvronge preaching teaching vvas false they vvhoe boare the name of true pastours vvere not so that societie vvhich vvas dispersed throughout the vvorlde vvas counted the only christiaÌ„ Churche and vvas persecuted for the same by the deuill his ministers vvas a synagogue of the deuil established and vpholdeÌ„ by the deuill so one deuill psecuted another all martyrdomes in that
contempte of Saintes Images and Reliques though vve laye aside Scriptures fathers tradition historie and all monumentes is an argumente sufficient for the proofe of the vvorship and respecte vvhich is devv vnto them And to make it more manifest I vvill propose an example vvhich shall lay open vnto the vevv of any reasonable man the absurditie vvhich follovveth contempte of these thinges and the traiterouse meaning vnto Christe vvhich it implyeth Put the case that some one in Ingland of his Maiesties subiects should profess great loyaltie loue and honour vnto him yet could not abide to hear a good vvord of his gloriouse mother yea vvould reuile her and miscall her but vnder this pretence that his Maiestie is novv to haue all the honour and that noe honour can be giuen to the mother but so much is taken from the sonne Suppose he should passe by his lorde chauncelour and Treasurer vvithout mouinge capp and appear before his honourable counsaill vvithout bovving of body or bending of knee and being demaunded vvhether his capp vvet not nayled to his head or vvhether his knee vvanted not a iointe he should ansvver them that his cappe is nayled to all but his Maiestie his knee is stiffe to all but his ovvn good selfe Suppose also he should despise his fauourites and hate them as much as hee affecteth them protesting that he only loueth his Maiestie to vvhoÌ„ he giueth so much of his affection that he hath none lefte for his freinds or vvelvvillers Suppose that vvhen he enteteth into the chamber of presence he should make no more reuerence to his Chaire theÌ„ to an alehovvse benche Suppose that vvhensoeuer he meeteth vvith his Graces picture he should deface and defile it and should caste into the fier vvhat soeuer he findeth that hathe been vsed by him and all vnder this pretence that he giueth all respecte vnto his ovvn person and vvill not giue any at all to any thinge else bee it neuer so neare or so deare vnto him least he should seem to parte stakes and not to giue all honour and affection to his Highnes Suppose also that he should stopp all sutes vvhich are made vnto his Chauncelour Treasurer Counsailours and other offices avouching that such suters are traytours to his Maiestie vvho in that they goe not to him immediately doe seem not to put that confidence in him vvhich his goodness requireth but rather do imagine that ether he is not able of him selfe or else not so vvilling as able vvould you take this man to bee a loyall subiect or vvold you not not vvith standing all these his goodly pretences and solemne protestatious suspecte his sinceritie and might you not iustly feare least after contempte of all that are beloÌ„ging vnto his Maiestie he vvould laye violent hands vppon his ovvn person Truly I doubt not but that such a one vvould quickly be arested and apprehended for a traytour The like case is betvvixte Christe Iesus and these nevv reformers and zelatours They professe all honour dutie and affection to Christe but they reuile his mother and vvill haue no honour giuen vnto her least that in honouring the mother they should dishonour the sonne They beare noe respect vnto Christes cheefest officers the Apostles to vvhom he committed his Church at his departure They fauour not at all the freinds and fauorits of Christe the saincts and angells and this they saye they doe for feare least they should incurre Christs disfauour in fauouring them vvhom he him selfe did fauoure Vvhen they meete vvith the image of Christe or of his mother or frendes they deface and defile it Vvhen they see the crosse of Christe they svvell at the very sight of it as if they vvere possessed and can noe more abide it then can the deuill vvho bicause he hateth Christe can not brooke his crosse If they should hit vppon any bone of Christes frendes they vvould spurne at it and if any relique of Christe or his mother or his Apostles and other saints should be in their vvaye if a dunghil vver not nere hand they vvould caste it into the fier All sutes and requestes vvhich are made to the Mother of God or any sainte officer or freind of Christe they forbid and condemne as iniuriouse to Christe as though say they Christ vvere not able or vvilling enough of him selfe but that the vvay must be made by mediatours and intercessours These are their goodly pretences but vvhat litle signe of true meaning tovvards Christe therby is shevved the lavv of frendship shall determine vvhich telleth vs that it vve loue our freinde vve must loue his alliaunce frends and all appertaining vnto him euen vnto his dogge And if in the other case of that bragging subiecte vvho preteÌ„ds great honour to his Maiestie sentence vvould be pronounced against him as against a traytour bicause although he professe great loue and honour tovvards him yet he declares the contrarie in the contempte of his mother frends and officers I see not bovv any indifferent Iudge can condemne him for a traytour to his Maiestie vnless he pronounce these men also traytours vnto Christe his person bicause vvhere the case is like and the cause the same and only the persons different if the sentence be not the same the iudge is partiall and an accepter of persons THE FOVRTH BOOKE CONTEINETH A GENErall suruey of their Religion and vvorship of God in vvhich it is proued that they haue ether noe Religion at all or a graceless religion The first Capter shevveth hovv Preestes and religion euer vvent together and that the reformers haue noe Preestes and consequently no religion THE olde lavv being abrogated as able only to shevv the vvay but not to giue force to vvalke in the same to coÌ„maunde but not to giue grace to obeye the olde Sacraments being antiquated and abolishep as signes only vvhich represented grace but could not effectuate it the old Preestes also by good consequence vvere turned out of office as able only to iudge betvvixte corporall lepresies and to absolue from legall irregularities bicause the lavve sacraments and sacrifices being abolished ther vvas noe vse of the Preests vvho vvere ordayned only for one of these three offices that is to preach and interprete the lavv to minister sacrameÌ„ts or to offer sacrifice And in lieu of the old lavv a nevv lavv by Christe being established vvhich vvas vvritten not vvith the fingers of an Angell as the old vvas Exod. â—â— but of the holy ghoste not in stones as that vvas but in the hartes of men nevv sacraments also being instituted not only to signifie grace but also to sanctifie nevve Preests of necessitie vvere to bee appointed to interprete this lavve and to minister these sacraments bicause lavv religion and Preestes euer vvent together Heb. 9. and therfore as sainct Paule sayeth the one beeing altered the other vvas to be chaunged Three lavves there are by vvhich God hathe ruled his people to vvit the lavve of nature the lavv vvritten