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
coÌ„teÌ„ned Li. 2. doct Christ c. 6. knovvledg hardly gotteÌ„ is highly priced And therfore as S. Austine noteth the holy ghost in scripture hath prouided easie things to satisfie our honger obscure places also to take avvay lothsomnes Bicause our vnderstaÌ„ding vvith easie things only vvould be soone cloyed vvith obscuritie only vvould easilie be deterred Thirdly this difficulcie imprinteth in our memorie the vvord of God more deeply For as the iroÌ„ is more harde to receue impression then vvax or vvater yet keepeth it more firmly so that vvhich vve learn hardly vve forget not easilie Fourthly it controleth our high-clyming and deep searching vvittes maketâ— vs to acknovvledge the vveaknes of our intellectuall eye-sight vvhich if it bee so dim ne that it can noe more susteyne the blazing spleÌ„dour of naturall verities theÌ„ can the night-crovves eyes the beames of the sonne much lessâ— can it behold vnlesse it be by a glimse and glimmering the splendent rayes of supernaturall verities revealed throughe the darke veale of holy scripture Fiftly this difficultie increaseth merit and deserte vvhen so constantly vvee beleeue those verities vvhich in scripture are rather vealed them reuealed Sixthly this difficultie preserueth scripture from prophanation and is the cause vvhy euerie one can not babble of scripture as they do of easie thinges and as the heretiques of this tyme do bicause they imagin scripture to be easie Seauenthly it hides our sacred mysteries froÌ„ ê“phane infidells vvhoe are noe more vvorthy of this diuine knovvledge then are the beastly svvine of preciouse pearles Orig. li. 1. in Leâ—it Eightly as Cirill or rather Origen very vvell obserueth these obscure phrases and figures vvherin the diuine veritie is cladde are as it vvere a seemly habit vvhich graceth the vvorde of God and makes it seeme the better vnto our vveakish eyes For more are vve delighted to see the veritie of the sacred Eucharist vnder the figure of Manna and of the Sacrament of Baptisme in that shadovve of the redde sea then if vve savve the same sett forth to ourvevve in bare vvordes though neuer so playn But novve let vs see vvhat our ghospellers can saye to this experience and reason by vvhich I haue proued scriptures to bee hard and difficile It is true sayeth Luther scriptures are in many places harde but vvhere they treat of thinges necessarie to saluation there are they playn and perspicuouse Is it true Luther that so me partes of scripture are harde Supra then must thou eate that vvorde of thine in vvhich thou sayedst Ego de tota scriptura dico nullam eius partem obscuram dici volo I say of all scripture I vvill haue no part of it called obscure And vvilt thou stand to it that vvhere scripture treateth of thinges necessarie to saluation ther it is plain and easie I aske then of thee vvhether the doctrine of Baptisme bee not necessarie to saluation And if thou say yea then is some parte of scripture vvhich treateth of thinges necessarie harde and difficile for othervvise Caluine vvould neuer haue cauilled so much about those vvordes of Christ Io. â— Vnlesse a man be borne agan of vvater and the holy ghoste Is not the doctrine of the blessed Sacrament necessary to bee beleeued And yet vvho seeth not hovv many diuerse expositions the ghospellers haue deuised vppon those fevv vvords Mat. 26. Luc. 22. This is my bodie Is not the doctrine of iustification necessarie And yet it is so obscurely set dovvn in scripture that Osiander a voucheth Ex Bol to 3. l. 3. l. 2. de Iustif initio that amongest the confessionistes there are tvveÌ„tie different opinions about the formall cause of iustificatioÌ„ and euery one is deduced out of scripture At least they vvill graunt mee that the doctrine and fayth of the blessed Trinitie and of Christes diuinitie and humanitie is of necessitie to bee beleeued yet the Ebionites Arrianes Nestorians Eutichians Valentinians Monothelites and Appollinaristes vvho helde diuerse heresies concerning the Trinitie and IncarnatioÌ„ proued theÌ„ all to their thinking out of scripture Vvhich is a signe that scripture is not easie for vvher al is playne all men commonly aggree and if scripture vvhere it speaketh of those mysteries vvere perspicuouse they vvould neuer haue banguered so grossely in expounding them But rather then my aduersarie vvill stand out he vvill bee content to play smalle play If sayeth hee thou bee a good GraÌ„marian all vvill seeme easie vnto thee And vvas not I pray thee S. Austin vvho read Rhetorike in Millan vvas not S. HieroÌ„vvhoe vvas excellent in all the three tongues a Grammarian They vvere They vvere and yet they coÌ„fessed as I haue declared that scriptures vvere full of difficultie Yea in England our ministers haue the Bible in English and so haue no need of any helpe of Grammer and yet can they not aggree about the scriptures meaning Yea in all sciences it is one thing to be a grammarian another thing to attayn to the knovvledg of the science for many a school maister in England can constrevv Aristotle vvhich yet can not vnderstand him and if grammer vvere sufficieÌ„t then after grammer vvee should need no studie nether in diuinitie nor philosophie nor any other science And to vse no other argument then experiens let our GraÌ„marians in Ingland after they haue constrevved the psalmes tell me vvether they do yet vnderstand the psalmes But my aduersary vvill shevv that hee is not tongue tyed and therfore vvill not bee put to silence If sayeth hee you confer one place vvith another one vvill explicate another This is another starting hole vvhich hee hath found out But this also is but a poore shifte For although one place conferred vvith another many tymes giueth a great light to both yet doth it not so allvvayes fall out For diuerse haue conferred the same places and yet haue gathered diuerse meaninges yea somtymes conference of places augmenteth the difficultie and maketh a shovv of contradiction vvhich before appeared not Novv gentle reader thou vvouldst think that this man vvere satisfied or else that his mouth vvere stopped but yet he desireth one ansvvere more and if that vvill not serue he vvill ether yeeld or hold his peace If you pray to God sayeth he to illuminate you he vvill reveal the meaning of scripture vnto you or if you haue the spirit be not carnall but spirituall or if you be praedestinate you shall finde all as playne in scripture as the kinges high vvay This ansvvere is so poore that it vvell argueth that our aduersarie is put to an harde shift and to a last reply bicause in this ansvvere hee declareth ignotum per ignotius an vnknovven thing by that vvhich is more vnknovven As for example I vvould haue him to assure vs vvhether that vvee expound scripture rightly or vvrongly hee telleth vs that if vve praye as vve ought to do or if vvee bee of the electe or if vvee bee spirituall