borne vnder the constellation of our Kings that none but they enioyed the crowne Did not all the world bring forth one man when Clement the eight and Radulphus were borne that none other is a Pope or Emperour And if such Princes before their powers begun could prohibite others to be borne with them yet we see that many thousands daiely die with them whether they will or no as in so many battailes wherin hundreds of thousands of all estates ages and conditions differing from those Nobles haue beene slaine with Kinges And yet by these mens art all those that dyed with Kings should be Kings all of one age nature and condition Thus many thousands to one it is in their proceedings besides all other inuincible reasons that they are deceaued and God hath prouidence not onely of humane actions but all other thinges because no other cause can rule then experience telleth vs these thinges are true and their deuises false And the same experience is a tutor to euery priuate man that at all constellations he is of the same liberty of will to doe or not to doe and howe can the heauens and bodies more spirituall substances are they animated that they haue dominion ouer soules are they omnipotent that they can bring violence to our wils and freedome are they exempted from a chiefe gouernours authority and rule that they can gouerne all are they God and the first agent that they are independing and all depend of them these bee the absurdities of such people Besides which all reason and reasonable creatures Angels gloryfied Saints in heauen and the vnderstandings of all men of equal iudgment confirme it by their sentence all sencible thinges by their indefectiue order approoue it All insencible creatures simple and compounded the heauens elements and all others by their inuariable courses and proceedings euer haue ratified it to be so the meanest creature by the wonderfull composition of parts by which it is composed and certaine direction to come to those ends and perfections which for want of science it cannot knowe giueth euidence in this cause This mooued Galen that prophane and irreligious Phisitian attributing all to nature and nothing to the cause and ordayner of nature at last as himselfe is witnes to acknowledge the prouidence of God ouer these inferiour thinges and to make a Canticle in these wordes following in honour of our Creator Here trulie doe I make a song in praise of our Creaator for that of his owne accorde it hath pleased him to adorne and beawtisie his thinges better then by any art possible it coulde bee imagined Therefore if the prouidence of God is such to his meane basest creatures the common obiects of Phisitians most busied in bodies and more contemptible thinges what would be said if we should goe about to comprehende the least of so many â—housand glâ—â—â—ous creatures in the worlde What â—â—rticuler supernaturall prouidence and protection God hath alwaies vsed to his religious seruants aswell whole kingdomes countries and priuate persons deuoted to him in religious worship will appeare in the thirteenth chapter of this booke to the confusion of all Infidels and misbeleeuers In the meane time which I will omit that place let vs take for our example the cry of Hierusalem so renowmed for religious obseruations vnder the lawe of Moyses and the high Apostolicke See of Rome so famous for true worship since the time of Christ yet both odious amonge misbeleeuing people the first to Pagans the seconde both to them incredulous Iewes and Apostating Heretickes of all ages Concerning the first let vs passe ouer that miraculous prouidence God exercised towardes the Israelites his religious seruants inhabitants thereof from the time of Abraham to whome he made the promise to blesse him and his posterity and take especiall care of that nation whereof Christ was to descend vntil the time of building the Temple by King Salomon which was aboue 900. yeares I will not speake what blessings were bestowed vpon Abraham Isaac Iacob and their discent howe miraculously they were multiplyed in Egipt with what 〈◊〉 is their mighty enemies were confounded their meruailous deliuerye thence the drowning of their enemies their strange preseruation their miraculous life and protection in the desert the more then wonderfull conquests they obtayned ouer so many and potent enemies and other supernaturall fauors not onely recorded in holy Scriptures but remembred by other writers and manifestly knowne to many and great kingdomes But to passe these ouer what coulde be the fame of Hierusalem a city of Canaan a litle countrie when it was deuided into so many prouinces as it was before the Israelytes inhabited it what man maketh mention of anye honour or glorie it had but after religion was setled there how glorious was it to all nations it was the seate of the Kings and it was called the Citie of the King of Heauen the highe Priest with the greatest Maiestie of that lawe were planted there Sacrifices were there offered not onelie Iewes but Proselytes and conuerted Gentyles of all Nations honoured it with theyr accesse and presence Parthians Medes Elamites inhabitants of Mesopotamia Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrigia Pamphilia Egipt Libya Cyrene Romanes Cretensianes Arabianes and others How sumptuous gloryous was the Temple to all Nations where all thinges were almost made of Golde how pretious and myraculous as manie write were the attyres of the Priestes how honourable was theyr Oracle and Propitiatorie moste straungely gloriefied with the Presence and Answeres of God himselfe with what holie Relickes of the Arke Manna and others was it sanctified to what a mighty nation did that people encrease what Prophets had they howe were their ennemies Antiothus and others punished of God howe gratious were they to the greatest Princes howe miraculouslie were they their holie City and Temple preserued a thousand yeares togither howe were they deliuered from captiuities howe strangely did GOD mooue the heartes of the mightyest rulers of the Gentiles to honour their sacryfices and Temple And when the time was come that their law in the Messias should cease and they most prophanely had denyed and put him to death not onely as their owne Prophets but the Sybils and others among the Gentyles had foretolde and they falne to such notorious impieties as their owne Historian Iosephus is witnesse that neuer any nation had come to that degree of wickednesse yet God ceased not his special prouidence to that people but gaue them many wonderfull signes for their conuersion Besides those which the holy Euangelists report of the miraculous Eclips quaking of the earth rending of the rockes and tearing of the vaile of the Temple arysing of the dead and others Iosephus giueth euidence that in their great festiuity before their desolution in the night there appeared such a light about the Altar and Temple halfe an hower togither that euery man thought it was day And at the same
either trulie chosen pretended or reputed there reigned in the same space almost an hundred Romane Emperours and all they excepting eleauen or twelue at the most were slaine and miserablie put to death and the others which escaped those violent ends dyed in greater wretchednesse then those religious Popes they persecuted And the names of the Popes are honorable both in heauen earth and the names of the others either dishonourablie or not remembed at all And least any should be so vaine to suppose that the miseries were onlie priuate to the Romane Emperors he shall see howe they were common calamities to all our enemies of the Iewes all the vvorlde is a vvitnesse to this daie and I vvill declare hereafter The Senators of Rome vvere next in degree to the Emperours thereof and second in honour and reputation to them those which persecuted religion moste in that time And yet howe often were they themselues most vilie vexed and persecuted of their Emperors fourteene times at the least in the same space by generall persecution against them wherein they were violently entreats put to death by Tiberius Caius Nero Domitian Hadrian Commodus Septimus Caracalla Marinus Heliogabalus and other Emperours that in one day at Rome were pittfully put to death by Claudius ther owne Emperor 35. Senators and 300. Knightes So likewise the inferiour Aduersaries of our Religion howe many thousandes of them executed by most cruell and vnwonted deathes by their owne idolatrous and irreligious Emperours some drowned some buried aliue some mured vp in wals others hauing their eies pulled out others pulled and cut in peeces others cast to beastes in spectacles and manie hundred thousands violently consumed and destroyed in the same space And to speak of those most infensiue enemies of all Religious Christians in these latter yeares Mahumet and the successors of his impious gouernment although worldly happinesse and carnal pleasure is the felicity they expect either in this or in any other life yet howe strangely haue they beene punished and afflicted especially at such times as they raged most against vs what a filthy and beastly life did their first Author Mahumet leade euen by his owne confession with what vnnatural diseases was he tormented howe beastly and shamefull was his death howe ignominious and odious was he euen to his owne friendes and followers longe after his death how horrible odious and vnnaturall vvere the liues and deathes of all his next and immediate successors Alys Enbocora Homar Osmenus Mahumetes the second Alys Muauias and others the first ordayned of Mahumet himselfe violently oppressed deposed Eubocora poysoned to death Homar Murthered of his seruant Osmenus killed himselfe Mahumetes violently and vnnaturally slaine Alys trayterouslye murthered Muauias so afflicted with scismes and sects in that profession that hundreds of Camelles were not able to carry the writings of such as rebelled against him With what dishonorable vnseemely conditions vvas their moste potent Prince and our greatest enemie Amuathus enforced to conclude a truce with Iustinian the seconde howe miserably vvere 200000. of them soone after killed in Siria howe shamefull vvas the retire of Zuleman from the Thracians Bulgarians Bulgarians about the same time were not three hundred seauenty fiue thousand of their souldiers slaine at once by the Spanyards and French in one battaile vvhat strange conquests and victories did inferiour religious christian Captaines Ogerus Duke of Denmarke Godfryde of Lorrayne and others obtayne against their most puissant and mighty Princes howe did other base and contemptible men afflicte theme was not Baiazethes the first their great Emperour subdued by Tamberleyne that barbarous and Rogish Scythian lost two hundred thousand souldiers was taken prisoner closed vp in a Cage of Iron led vp and downe in Chaines and made a footestoole for a theefe to treade vpon his backe when he went to horse was not his wife abused before his eies hir clothes cut off from hir backe and hir vvhole bodie left naked from the nauill to the foote and did not hee kill him selfe in open spectacle vvas not their Emperour Orchanes murthered by his owne Vncle their Emperour Moyses violently killed of his naturall Nephewe Mahumetes and Baiazethes the seconde poysoned of Selimus his ovvne sonne and Mustapha the onelie lawefull and true heire of Solyman most vniustlie and vnnaturally murthered by his Father and in his presence and so of others besides the ordinarye and vsuall murtheringe of Brothers after the Fathers death as Orchanes that killed his three brethren Amurathes put his onely brother to death Baiazethes killed his seauen brethren and so of others and all these of late since and in vvhich times they haue persecuted our Religion most And if wee peruse all Histories and Antiquities vvee shall euidently perceaue that whensoeuer those irreligious Infidelles haue preuailed against vs it vvas eyther in time of irreligious heresye or some such negligence and disobedience in Religion for vvhich vvee vvere iustly afflicted Heraclius the Emporor became a Monothelite heretike Mahumet with his Sarracens inuaded Hierusalem Damascus Egipt parte of Affricke Rhodes the Iles adioyning Vitiza king of spaine was a licentious and irreligeous Prince and permitted Concubines and other impious abuses and at the same time the same Sarracen infidels inuaded that kingdome and possessed that many hundred yeares The Emperours of the East irreligiouslye behaued themeselues to the Sea of Rome and Emperour Nicephorus became Tributorie to the Sarracens and his successour Theophilus vvas twice conquered Hierusalem Candy and part of Asia was subdued The Grecians feel to schisme and diuided themselues from the Romane iurisdiction and Mahumetes the Turkish Emperor inuadeth those countries subdueth 12. kingdomes 200. cities violently taketh Constantinople in their great festiuity of Pentecost and comming of the holy Ghost about whose procession they are in error miserably killed Constantine their Emperor and possesse their Empire Martin Luther beginneth his vnhappy heresies and presently vpon that irreligious reuolte Solymanus Emperouror of Turky inuadeth those Countries taketh Rhodes and Belgrade those two propugnacles of Christendome inuadeth Hungary slewe Lodowicke King therof possessed Buda chiefe city of the Kingdome besiedged Vienna with 250000. men and since that irreligious apostasy and by meanes of it hath often and pittifully afflicted Christians So that the afflictions wee haue receaued from those infidels proceeded from impiety and irreligion and whensoeuer we were religious vnto God we preuailed against them which is manifeste in the state of christians euen in this time for as we see those countries and kingedomes for theire irreligious heresies and schismes are become vassals and in subiection as I recompted before in the religion of the Iewes before Christ so contrariwise those Kinges Princes countries of Christendome which haue remained free from those irreligious defectes neuer flourished more And to exemplifie in the Catholicke kinge of Spaine in all these times his Subiectes and Countries
lamentable experience wee know that Iewes Mahumetanes and other infidels haue liued in england without any distinction or different signe from christians such as they are bounde to weare in catholike countries and further theyr wicked bookes as Alcaron of Mahumet such others haue been vsed and perused of many vnfit Readers and Examiners of such blasphemies and diuers Protestants not onlie in Germany and other places but of England haue forsaken the faith of christ and become circumcised miscreants I will brieflye in fewe reasons prooue the falsehoode and error of all externall infidels Such as suppose the probation of so manifest a veritie to be superfluos may passe them ouer and beginne with my Arguments againste Protestants and other internall Enemies ¶ CHAP. II. THE 1. ARGVM For Catholicke Christian Religion against all externall Misbeleeuers grounded vpon the plaine confession of all our greatest professed enemies vpon whose authâ—ritiâ— all other worshippes are founded I Suppose all knowne Infidels and Misbeleeuers setting Heretickes one side with whome I must deale in my nexte râ—â—sons to bee comprâ—hended vnder the â—â—mies and tydes either of Iewes Mâ—hâ—metaneâ— or Idolations Pagans for â—either Ecclesiasticall Writers Historians or Traâ—â—ylors of Countries mâ—ke mention of more neither can I pâ—rceâ—â—â— in reason howe any man not professing himselfe a Christian is forâ—oâ—â—en and lesâ— out in that diuision For 〈◊〉 the diueâ—siâ—â—e of miâ—beleefe towâ—dâ— Châ—ist or denying him muste 〈◊〉 â—â—tension the diâ—ersitie of the manner of misbeleeuing or denying then all Infidels either veterlie denied Christ both in figure and verytie as generallie the Gentiles did neither receauing him for the Messias or expecting any other to vvorshippe but yeelding reuerence to Idolles and feigned Gods or else they confessed him in figure and expectation before hee came and in voâ—â—y at his comming denied him and sach are Iewes or eâ—â—e both confessing before his comming that hee was promised to the worlde and after he is come doe acknowledge his comming but not in that manner wherein hee was promised or in such sorte as hee came or him alone but allowing an other as Mâ—humet and Mahumetanes doe confessing IESVS Christ to be the true Messias and Prophet promised in the lawe of Moyses but denying his diuinity and receauing Mahumet a seducer for a Prophet So that we see all Infidelles eâ—ther bee Iewes Mahumetanes or Idolatrous Pagans Nowe to conclude the onely trueth and verytie of Christian faith and falsehoode of all thâ—se erronious worships by their owne confession and testimony in such sort in one argument that it shall not be lawfull for a Iewe by the very groundes of his owne Religion or a Pagan by the rule grouÌ„d of Paganisme or a Mahumetan by the lawe of Mahumet to denie my argument which is as much as any of those misbeleeuers can desire I muste suppose that which euery Iewe Pagan and Mahumetan will willingly graunt and all Histories and Monuments of antiquities affirme to bee true that in euery one of those professions there was a certaine knowne Rule and proposer of Religion of whome the rest were to be instructed what to beleeue and doe in thinges appertayning to their Religion For if euery man might haue beene a square and measure to himselfe no common worship or reuerence coulde haue beene exercised among them in such sort as experience and sufficient testimony doe prooue there was Therefore to beginne with the Religion of the Iewes before Christ when they were the people of God and serued him in true Religion as both the Iewes which bee nowe and Christians confesse and Mahumet doth not denie We all consent that the lawe which was deliuered to Moyses and by Moyses to the Israelites was the true worshippe and Religion of God giuen and commaunded by him by the testimony and signes of many and wonderfull miracles and for the speciall protection of that people in true reuerence and dutie to him vntill by their disobedient apostasie they forsooke him he did not onlie giue them an highe Priest of whome they were to bee instructed if any difficult or doubtfull thing shoulde happen but gaue them holie Prophettes enspired with knowledge to directe them and further commaunded the same Moyses to make a propitiatory or Oracle of moste pure golde contayning two cubittes and halfe in length and a cubitte and halfe in breadth with a golden Cherubine or Angell on either side out of which place hee promised to giue answere and direction to that people and thither the highe Priestes ressorted to consulte vvith the Oracle of God in matters of doubte or distresse So that they which vvere thus taught eyther by Prophets immediatelie and internallie illuminated of GOD or the highe Priest instructed likewise of him or of GOD himselfe giuing answeres in that Oracle coulde by no meanes bee deceaued for the Misteryes vvhich vvere so reuealed vnto them must needes bee true After this manner the Pagan Gentiles proceeded in the same matter for the Gods and Idolles they worshipped being Diuelles as the Prophet saith and their destruction and vtter ruine and other arguments haue prooued vvhich alwaies were enemies to God and imitators of his honour and worshippe appointed Flamens And Arch-flamens as high Priests to offer Sacrifice to them and teach Idolatry to their worshippers This all Historians witnesse and countries can recorde and England it selfe where so many Arch-flamens and Flamens were as in London Glocester and other places almost 30. in number Besides which they appoynted certaine Oracles where themselues woulde giue responce which were accounted for the highest sentence in the Pagan Religion for being the sentence of their Gods as they called them whome they did reuerence no greater or more infallible iudgment coulde be expected Such vvere the Oracles of Apollo Iupiter and at Delphos Memphis Hermopolis Rome London and almost of euery City But besides these because the true worship of God and eternall beatitude concerned all men and he would haue no man to lie in excuseable ignorance in a matter of so greate moment hee had true Prophettes amonge them for their instruction as Iob Sibillae Erithaea Cumena and the rest and other Prophets as their owne Authors beare witnesse alwayes to haue beene in greatest reputation and their writinges most religiousllie kept and beleeued Lastlie concerning the Mahumetanes their Seducer knowing it was euident in the light of Nature that no true supernaturall Religion coulde bee ordayned by man a Naturall creature feygned himselfe to bee a Prophette sente from God and to haue receaued from him that religion which his Alcaron conteyneth which is the chiefe rule of the Mahumetanes to this daie Thus beeing manifest whereupon the religion of Iewes Pagans and Mahumetanes was and is founded I will now shew how they al demonstratiuely proue againste them selues the onlie truth of christian doctrine and condemne theyr owne for moste erronious and ridiculous And to beginne with the pagan gentiles
but briefly because it is handled at large in a late englishe treatise did not theyr highest and renounedst Oracle answere to the Archeslamen at Delphos and disclose the holie misterie of the Trinitie of the Father his deare Sonne and Spirit conteining all as their owne writers Suidas Plutarch Porphiry and others giue euidence And that deare sonne of God would be theyr ouerthrowe and destruction Like answere was made to Augustus Caesar himselfe about the diuinity of Christ how at his comming the gods of the Oracles should goe to hel Porphiry that aduowed enemie of Christians is a witnesse that generallie the Gods and Oracles of the Gentiles gaue testimony to his Sanctitie and that where men beleeued in him the oracles were silent and gaue no answers Such are the testimonyes of Iuenall Strabo and others And it is generallie verified by all infallible experience by the ceasing of all Oracles ouerthrowe of Idolatrie and confession of their Gods in all countries in the world where Christian Religion hath bin preached either in those that haue so long beleeued or the Indies those Nations that were lately conuerted which was prophetically fore tolde many hundred years before by the holy Prophets Isaias Saphonias Ezechiel Osee Zacharias others that in the time of the Messias al such oracles should haue an end Idolatry be takeÌ„ away the name thereof forgotteÌ„ as we se it is presently vpon the birth of Christ began to take effect For as Palladius Euagrius which of them soeuer it was that wrote that History witnesseth that according to the Prophesie of Isaias the Idolles of Egypt a most Idolatrous Nation shoulde then be ouerthrowne he himselfe had seene a Temple by Hermopolis in which when when Christ with his mother and Ioseph in his â—â—ying thither in his Infancie entered into the Citie presentlye the Idoâ—â—â—s fâ—ll downe to the earthe which woâ—â—â— since hathe beene broughts to passe in the whole Châ—â—stiâ—an worlde some Oracles câ—â—sing with frienâ—e and sâ—ying nothinge others protesting they were compâ—â—â—ed by Christ to departe others â—â—kâ—â—â—ledging and confessinge him and all one waie or other affirming and confirmâ—ng his Religion to bee true and theyr owne Rites Religion wicked Idolatrous which in morall iudgement is the greateste argument can bee giuen for no Man a professed aduersarye to an other such as those Pagans and theyr Oracles were to Christ and his Religion especially if the Quarrell and Contention growe for honuor and worshippe which all couer and desire will be commanded by his enemy to giue place except there be a power and superioritie in the commaunder to doe it And it iâ— a constant Tradition that Hieronne the Prophet prophesyed in Egipt and foretolde to theyr Kings that their Idole should be ouerthrowne when a virgine had a child and from that time the priests of Egipt in a secret place of their temple adored the Image of a virgine with a childe in her Armes And Sibilla Tiburtina shewed to Augustus the Emperor a 〈◊〉 before the time of the â—â—tiâ—ity of Christ a moste beautifull Virgine houlding a childe iâ— her Armes and said vnto him this Childe is greater than thou art worship him And in the time of his being an Infant an Egipt the very insensible things acknowledged him At Hermopilis a city of Thehaâ— where was a tree called Persiâ— whose fruite leaues or barke healed all diseases beeing very great and highe so sonne as Christ approached to the gate of the Citie it bowed downe to the grounde and adored him Balsamum miraculouslie grew in the orcharde watered with the well wherein his cloathes were washede the stone whereon they were beateÌ„ dried was had in great reuerence euen of the Sarâ—cens Mahumetans to this time The place of his habitatioÌ„ alwaies hath a burning lamp by the Mahumetanes order Touching true Prophets that liued among them what is more auncient then the booke of Iob liuing in the primatiue age of the world and yet what more plaine then his prophesies of Christ vttered with such vehemensie and desire of eternall continuance for all posterity that hee requested his words might be engraued in the most harde and flinty stone and the places engraued to be filled with plates of lead that the letters and writing might be durable and to be read of all And his wordes which hee woulde haue so surelie registred are these For I knowe that my Redeemer liueth and in the last day I shall rise againe with my skinne and in my fleshe shall see God whome I my selfe and in my flesh shall see and my eyes shall beehoulde c. in which wordes a whole compendium and breuiate of Christian Religion is conteined First Christ liued then and so was God and is called his Redeemer and so the Mesias that was expected Hee should see him when he was compassed with his skinne and with his fleshe and his eyes shoulde beholde him and he must be Man and that in the day of Iudgement when hee shall rise againe thereby acknowledging a resurrection of the bodie a finall Iudgement and that Christ shall iudge the worlde And in all his miseries he susteyned this was his hope as he affirmeth Of what authoritie the prophesie of the Sibilles were emong them is it not vnknowne as also how euidently they foretolde the whole summe of the misteries of Christ so particularly as if they had been present As to cite some of theyr wordes Panta c. Doeing all things with his worde healing all infirmities the dead shall bee raysed and the lame shall runne apace the deafe shall heare the blinde shall see Those which could not speake shall speake With fiue loaues and twoo fishes he shall feede fiue thousand men in the desart and taking vp that which is left shall fill twelue baskets For the hope of manie Hee shall commande or bridle the windes hee shall goe and treade vppon the rageing Sea with his feete Hee shall walke vppon the waues Resolue the diseases of men rayse those that bee deade to life driue griefes from many hither to be the wordes of Sibilla their prophetesse And shee recountech so many miracles to be performed by christ that shee hir self did affirm the Pagans with whom shee liued whose gods could not doe miracles and shewe such effectes woulde mocke hir and saie shee were madde hir wordes are these Phisousi Sibillen menomemenin they will call me a mad Prophetesse or Sibill thaet I am a liar but when al these things shall come to passe they shall remember mee and then no man will call me a liar any longer but a Prophetesse of the great God And foretelleth further that at his comming the lawe of Moyses shall cease in these wordes When all these thinges shall bee finished which I haue spoken of Him then the Lawe shall bee dissolued And Sibilla erithrea speaking of the same Iesus sonne of the virgin as they called him how in
time an Oxe ledde to bee sacrificed brought forth a calfe in the middest of the Temple and the East doore of the inner temple made of brasse and so heauie that twenty men could scarcely shut it beeing locked with strong lockes of iron and barred with deepe barres let downe into a thresholde of stone opened of it selfe in the night before the setting of the same fierie Chariots and armed battailes were seene in the aire about the city and the Priests did heare a voice saying Migremus hinc Let vs go from hence And that which is a moste strange testimomy of Gods continued prouidence towardes them on Ihesus son of Anani foure yeares before the warre began when the City was in great prosperity and peace vpon the suddaine in their festiuall day began to cry in these wordes A voice from the East a voice from the West a voice from the foure windes a voice vpon Hierusalem and the Temple a voice vpon newe married husbands newe married wiues a voice ouer all this people And this day and night going about all the streetes of the city cryed and although he was chastised for this cry yet he neither spake any thing for himselfe or against them that punished him but still continued crying the same wordes And beeing led to the ruler of the Romanes to bee punnished and his flesh torne to the bones with blowes he neither entreated fauor or once wept but at euery blowe bending downe pittifully viterred this speech Woe woe to Hierusalem and neuer gaue ouer mourning for the miserable city and still complained in these words Woe woe to Hierusalem And thus he continued seauen yeares and fiue moneths but principally vpon the festiuall dayes vntill at the time of the siedge going about the wall hee cryed out with his lowdest voice Woe woe to the City and Temple and People and at last also hee added Woe also to my selfe and was presently killed with a stone throwne from the ennemies hitherto bee the wordes of Iosephus liuing amonge them at the same time And concerninge Rome where the Pope and high priest of Christians is residēt how vnprobable was it in humane iudgement before S. Peter a poore fisher came thither that the prophesie of Sibilla the Fishers hooke shoulde conquer the Romane Empire shoulde be fullfilled Was not Christ his master put to death by that authority was not he himselfe crucified by the same and all his successors vnto S. Siluester thirtie in number eyther actually put to death or most grieuously persecuted were not Christians at that time without any friend or fauourer were not the Romane Emperours the most potent of the worlde and ruled all places did not the persecuted Popes preach Christ crucified pennance and great austerity to the eares of licentious Gentiles And yet we see that the prophesie of Sibilla was performed and the especiall prouidence which Christ promised to his holye Apostle and his successors that theyr faith should not faile that it should conquer all enemies that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it is miraculouslie effected and still continued to that holy See I haue shewed in my Apologicall Epistle how all the Pagan Princes of the worlde one time or other were opposed againste it but they were confounded How many Infidell and Pagan Emperors persecuted it but they were punished and it preuailed manye hereticall Emperors plagued it but they were confounded diuers wicked Christian Emperours and Kinges both in Englande and other nations afflicted it yet it conquered them howe often it was sacked and spoyled by Gothes Vandals Saracens Immbardes and others yet it flourished still that hath beene infested with many schysmes and assaulted by aboue 400. sects of heretickes before Luther and yet condemned them and yet at this time warreth against almost 300. knowne heresies and yet it is more glorious and renowmed nowe after 1500. yeares then euer it was before and dilated farther by many degrees daylie encreasing then euer any other regiment spiritual or temporall was and not subiecte to the least suspition to be overthowne hereafter And no man can make other reason of these thinges then the extraordinary prouidence of God to that holy place the enemies it hath and euer had bee more and more mighty then euer any city fought against It vseth not temporall armour against them The souldiours and Captaines it vsed were vnarmed with corporall weapons their conquest ouer their enemies was by suffering themselues to be killed That which they taught was vnpleasing to potent Princes against whome they warred and carnall mindes with whome they fought That which they laboured to ouerthrow and did destroy was liberty and things tending to delight and yet that hath vanquished and daylie is more glorious and triumphant the other perish and become more contemptible Who will not say but these thinges proceede from God and his most holy prouidence and protection to that Religious Apostolicke See And thus I might exemplifie in other thinges I will passe so many thousands of miraculous operations whereof the whole worlde can witnesse which coulde not be effected by any limited or created power I haue spoken of them already and must entreate them as well in diuers chapters of this booke as also more largely hereafter against internall enemies and whereof euery Argument I shall alleadge for true Religion to God our chiefe gouernour giueth witnesse therefore it needeth no more euidence in this place Onely I will conclude euery creature in the worlde euery parte member organe quality act or operation it hath is a demonstration in this case God himselfe ordinarily and superordinarily doth witnesse it all reasonable and vnreasonable thinges in their sence affirme it The heauens all simple and compounded thinges giue inuincible proofe it is so This is the sentence of all Nations Countries Schooles Cities Townes and people Catholickes Heretickes Iewes Pagans Brachmans Mahumetanes all Christian Panym Philosophers late auncient of all ages and places agree in this None but beastly men whose opinion is no authority to excuse their filthines deny it and they rather in voluptuous desire wishing then in iudgment affirming it Neither let them alleadge what multitudes of errors about religion in particuler are and haue reigned in the worlde for as these errors are to be imputed to the wickednesse of the authors from whome they proceede so such great contention for that cause is an euident argument of worshippe and the dignity of true Religion otherwise euerie man woulde not contende and make claime vnto it with so great daunger to himselfe and contempt of others And the causes of their complaint that errors and sinnes doe reigne proceede from their owne and such mens impious demerits and are no more to bee imputed to God which neither can nor will deceaue or be cause of sinne then the wilfull ignorance of a peruerse scholer to a learned and painfull master or the disobedience of
most part of his life agreeth vvith that calculatiō And as the Thalmud it self doth witnes it was an ancient traditiō among the Hebrews that the Mesias shold be borne about the fourth thousand yere of the world which concordeth with the same account The Iews that liued in the time of Christ were of the same opinion so enformed both Herod their stranger King Vespatian the Emperor themselues would haue receaued S. Iohn Baptist the precursor of Christ for their Messias had he not refused it And it was so famous among this people that the time of the Messias was come that many false deceauers tooke that title vpō them deceaued many as Iudas Galileus Iudas Ezechias Thendas Atouges and others in so much that as the Thalmud cōfesseth the Rabbines thēselues 30. yeares togither receiued Baronosbā for the Messias so continued vntill they perceiued he coulde not deliuer thē frō the Romans so put him to death whersore Herod intēding to make a claime for himselfe caused his petidegree to be forged frō the ancient Kings of Iuda as Iosephus witnesseth caled hīself the Mesias Whereupon those which flateted him in these follies are called Herodiās in the Euāgelists What the cōsciences of the later present Iews esteme of this mater may be gathered of that I haue spoken of the Thalmundists opiniō herein in that work they furder acknowledge that it seemed to thē in those daies that diuers hundred yeares had passed since by the scriptures the Messias shold apeare And Rabbi Moises son of Maimon whō the Iews hold in exceding great reuerēce caling him the D. of Iustice which liued about the yeare of Christ 1140. supposeth that the Messias shoulde haue beene borne aboue 1000. yeares before that time And Rabbi Iosue affirmeth that the Messias was to bee borne before the destruction of the second Temple So that by all computations of Christians Iewes Pagans and Mahumetanes the time of the comming of the Messias was when Christ Iesus was borne and now beeing past 1600. yeares cannot possibly be verified of any other Therefore he and his Religion are onlie to be receaued Which also the Prophet Daniell had most exactlie by propheticall calculation set down diuers hundreds of yeares before Against whose sentence no tergiuersation of any incredulous person can be made First the signes which the Angell giueth to Daniell are moste famous the edict of the Persian Emperour for the building of Hierusalem and deliuery of the Israelites frō captiuity wherin they had liued 70. yeares the time of building the city and the Iewes returne thither after so many years Therfore the notes are manifest the Persian Emperour then beeing the greatest Monarch of the worlde and the building of that Citie destroyed so notorious the words are as manifest which be these Knowe and marke from the going forth of the worde or edict that Hierusalem shall bee builded againe vnto Christ or Messias the Captaine there shall bee seauen weekes and threescore and two weekes and the streete and walles shall bee builded againe in a litle time And after threescore and two weekes the Messias or Christ shall be slaine and it shall not bee his people that will denie him This prophesie all agree to be a prediction and token of the time of comming of the Messias and the wordes are manifeste Then thus I demonstrate against Iewes and all misbeleeuers that it cannot bee verified of any but Christ Iesus First the holie Scriptures make mention but of two kindes of Hebdomades or weekes First for a weeke of daies or seauen daies as the Greeke worde doeth signifie as in the numbring of weekes from Easter to Pentecost was appointed in the lawe This kinde of weeke cannot possibly bee vnderstoode of the Prophette the whole summe of his Hebdomades or weekes by that reckoning being ended in one yeare half and one weeke of daies in which time no man challenged to bee the Messias and no man Christian Iewe Pagan or Mahumetane receaueth anye for the Messias that came then or diuers hundred yeares after Secondly in holye Scriptures an Hebdomade or weeke is taken for a weeke of yeares or seuen yeares So in Leuiticus the obseruation of the yeare of Iubily is cōmanded set down in these words Thou shalt number seauē Hebdomades or weekes of yeares which make 49. yeares the fifteth yeare imediatly folowing is apointed for the yeare of Iubily Then of necessitye the prophesy must be performed in this meaning which is manifestly true in Iesus Christe For it is euident that Daniel was a captaine in Babilon in the time of Ioakim and that the weekes of Daniell thus expounded doe expire and end in Christ being the number of 483. yeares And Daniell the Prophette himselfe to giue a plaine distinction that there were ment weekes of yeares as I haue expounded it in the next chapter immediatly folowing within two verses of the former prophesy twice togither speaking of weekes in an other sence calleth them weekes of daies Which had beene superfluous twyce to bee added in one place excepte hee would giue vs to vnderstand that in the former hee ment extraordinarye weekes of yeres For otherwise this word weeke without any addition doth vsually signify seauen dayes and no other tyme. And this is the exposition which is giuen in the fourth booke of Esdras where it is said that the Messias shall be reuealed and borne after 400. yeares to which if we adde 33. yeares of the life of Christ and 50. yeares that Esdras was after Daniell they make the same nūber of 483. years which being begun to be numbred from the first edicte of building Hierusalem againe as the circumstances best agree which was in the first yeare of Cirus when as the 1. chap. of Esdras doth witnes he did not only publish an edict in writing but made proclamation through all his kingdoms for building of Ierusalem the tēple therof without any differēce at al they agre both with the birth death of Christ as I haue accoūted And howsoeuer we reckon and begin the accompt from any of the edicts of Cirus or Darius to build Hierusalem either in the first yeare of Cirus when he first determined the Iewes reduction or the seconde yeare of Darius when he cōfirmed the same and put it in execution or from the 20. yeare of Darius when he made a newe edict in fauoure of Nehemias and sent him into Iury al which are manifest in the bookes of Esdras they will ende in the raigne of Herode vnder whome Christ was borne or of Tiberius vnder whom he was put to death And cannot possiblie be expounded of any other person or by any other computation For first if we should imagine any other kind of Hebdomade or weke thē I haue alledged either of weekes monethes or otherwise it both taketh away al certaintie from this
them that it maye be euident howe manifestlye they be confounded euen by their owne groundes and authorityes whether wee will consider Catholicke worshippe in generall or the perticuler misteryes it defendeth against those misbeleuers whiche maye also bee applyed against the protestante sacramentaryes of this tyme in those poyntes whiche they nowe maintayne againste those most auncient and learned Rabbynes But of this I muste intreate heareafter THE 5. ARGVM Founded vpon the strange and extraordinary punnishments imposed vpon all enemies of Christ and his Religion OR if extraordinary vengeance of God vpon any people or person for incredulity and sinne is a certayne argument of the errour and sinne of that people or person as all men acknowledge it is euident by the punnishments of all other professions only Christian Religion to bee true And to passe the Mahumetanes Pagans and so many hundreds of Arch-heretickes with their complices and confederates punnished of God and extinguished by Christian Religion as I haue shewed of Heretickes in my Apologicall Epistle and of the Pagan Emperours and Mahumetanes in my first treatise and will be more euident hereafter So that now none of all these remaine but only Mahumetans and Mahumet himselfe confesseth that they shall vtterly perish and be ouerthrowne Then to exemplifie in the Iewes the only enemies vntouched in this pointe and those vvhich before their reiecting of Christ were the people of God If Christ had not beene the Messias but a Seducer they coulde neither haue sinned or bene punnished as offendors but deserued well in putting him to death so farre they shoulde haue beene by that worke free from so manie punnishmentes as haue beene layed vppon them But nowe who can imagine any other cause coulde bee founde in any people for vvhich that Nation which hadde so longe continued the peculier of GOD of vvhome hee had vndertaken so particuler and singuler protection witnessed by so many fauours and extraordinarie prerogatiues graunted vnto them aboue all other countries shoulde deserue so greate and during punnishment and misery that they shoulde loose their Temple Altar Sacrifice Prophets and Priesthoode to haue so many thousandes pined with famine murthered by intestine sedition killed of idolatrous enemies led captiues and sold for slaues And not onely those of that generation which liued in Hierusalem and Iury but the Iewish inhabitants of Alexandria Caesaria Scythopolis Ptolemayis Tyre and all places where they liued as Iosephus their owne historian and others witnesse Then what sinne could be so rigorouslie reuenged of God rather enclyned to mercy then iustice and by no possibility to doe wronge then that which in malice exceedeth and is greater then all others their most irreligious and vnnaturall entreating of the Messias for which iniquity they are odious to all people both Christians and Mahumetanes to this day And if anie man desireth to se the particuler of their miseries and in them the Anothomy of a wicked persecuted people and afflicted enemy of God he may reade their owne historians Iosephus and Philo and for such as haue not that opportunity brieflie to recapitulat some of their most worthy punishments Caiphas their high priest and enemy to Christ killed himselfe Annas died miserablye Herode that deluded him was banished to Lyons by the Emperour Caius and spoyled of all hee had so Herodiadas her dauncing daughter had her head cut off with yse In Alexandria the Iewes by the permission of Flaccus President suffered to bee beaten and killed at euery mans pleasure as their owne Philo reporteth Pylate that put him to death perpetually exiled to Vienna kept close prisoner and killed himselfe The Statua of Caius by force placed in their Temple about Seleucia 50000. of their Iewish men killed Their King Herodes consumed with wormes In the feast of Pentecost no tumult raysed twenty thousands styfled to death Forbidden by the Samaritans to goe by thē to Hierusalem Ananias their high priest sent prisoner and bounde like a traytor to Rome by Quadratus the President All Iury full of theeues and sorcerers Ionathas their high priest murdered Murthers committed euen in the Temple it selfe and in the greatest festiuities The Priests spoile one an other And after vnder Florus their President their nobility torne in peeces and crucified Their Sinagogue destroied at Cesarea The house of Ananias their highe priest burnt by rebels and he murthered And at the same instant while these thinges were done at Hierusalem the same daye and howre as Iosephus witnesseth aboue 20000. killed at Cesarea And wheresoeuer the Iewes were dispersed if the Gentyles were stronger they were put to death thirteene thousand by the Sythopolitans 2500. by the Ascalonytes 2000. at Ptolemais 5000. at Ioppe 1000. at Damascus At Tyre all killed or committed to prison 50000 at Alexandria and all these and other murthers procured against them by a Presidente of their owne nation And when their city was besiedged of Cestinus President of Siria howe often myght hee haue taken it if he would and was desired euen by the nobility of Hierusalem promising to open the gates and refused but it was differred for the deliuery of the Chrstians thence and greater punishment of the Iewes And before it was besieged of Vespetian a hundred thousand slayne and sold almost 40000. an infinit number killed of themselues The high priestes were slaine and lay naked in the streetes eaten of dogs beasts The citye deuided into domesticall sedition two armies in the temple one within and the other in the court Their Granary where prouision of victual for many yeres was layed vp burnt and consumed to ashes that factious army that was planted in the Temple all slaine not one escaping those that fled the city for famine were crucified by Titus fiue hundred euery day that there was no roome to put them to death A wall of thirty nyne furlonges was made in three dayes space to intrench them as Christ had prophesyed and thirteene Castles to keep them in that they coulde not get foorth to eate grasse The dead bodyes in the towne stunke so that they annoyed the campe of their enemye and besiedger 2000. of them in one nighte were cut in peeces of the Syryan and Arabian souldiers to seeke their gold within their bowels and thus they were daylie vsed vntill their enemye Tytus forbadde it From the fourteenth of Aprill when the siedge beganne vntill the laste daye of Iuly there were carried forth of dead bodies out of one only gate the Porter him selfe Manneus being witnesse vnto Tytus an hundred and fiftie thousands besides those which were buried And the noble men that fled to Tytus affirmed that there were six hundred thousands of the poorer sort that were dead cast forth of the gates and that the number of the others coulde not be reckoned for when they could not be caried forth they were throwne togither on heapes The famine was so greate that they
Athens were confoūded by S. Paul S. Katherine a virgine being but eighteene yeares of age subdued 50. of the wisest Philosophers which all the credit and commande of Marentius the Emperour coulde assemble togither So S. Iustine S. Basyl S. Augustine and others were conuerted So in the time of Constantine the great a solemne disputation being appointed betweene the christians and them at Constantinople they were all confounded and conuerted by Alexander Bishoppe of that City Likewise they were ouercome and put to silence in the generall councell of Nyce where a greate number of them were gathered togither for the aide of the Arrians by a catholicke Christian vnlearned as Socrates Sozomenus and Ruffinus witnesse So in the yeare of Christ 411. Synesius and Euagrias great Philosophers were conuerted and S. Augustine affirmeth the same of Genuadius How manye of them and how often of their best learned were not able to answere S. Anthony the Eremit a man altogether vnlearned And all the philosophers which euer were in the world with all their humane learning and pollicie were neuer able to conuert one Cytie to their opinions although hauing for their protection and furtherance the fauour countenance and assistance of the Kinges and Emperours and yet poore fishermen by the doctrine of Christ against the violent resistance of all enemies haue conquered the whole world vnto him And yet at that very time when the Apostles and disciples of Christ went about and preached christian doctrine to the world the Philosophers as their owne writers are wittnesses for the deuill will imitate God practised the like in goeing about and perswading their opinions but preuailed nothing such were Apollonius Dio Demetrius Musonius Damis the pithagorean Epictetus the Stoycke Lucianas the epicure Diogines the younger and others And generally the Platonicks either became Christians such as had any conscience of things or Magicians such as had none at all and not only the Platonicke Philosophers but all others that were of the greatest learning best life among all sortes and sects were conuerted And the sect of the Cynicks Epicures Magitians that were the most vile licentious and wicked of all the rest giuen ouer to all libertie and wantonnesse were the greatest enemies we had And those which were their greatest learned and of most ciuill conuersation such as Seneca others in those times of disgraces and persecutions durst not professe themselues christiās yet were our greatest frinds and writ most reuerently of our religion And when they were conuerted shewed themselues moste constant and zealous Christians and proued the greatest propugnors and defenders of faith in those turbulent and violent times of persecution against all tirants enemies we had Such were Aristides of Athens Apollinaris Clemens Allexandrinus Iustinus Melciades others And besides all those externall Infidels and enemies so many sortes and sectes of Heretickes aboue 400. in number before the Apostacie of Luther which in the schoole of Christ haue made ciuill warre and rebellion against the catholike Church and doctrine haue bene so vtterly confonnded confuted and vanquished that not so much as any memory of them is left except among Catholicke writers which haue noted and recorded their heresies So that what force and validitie their witnesse was of they gaue testimony vnto vs not only in the thinges wherin they discented were subdued by their ouerthrow but in those thinges wherin they agreed with vs against these present Protistantes and are witnesses not only for vs but against all other enemies from which thy dissented So was Arius confounded by Alexander Bishop of Constantinople so Olimpus at Carthag So did Saint Basill miraculously conquere Valence the Arian Emperor So Copres the Eremit conuinced the Manechees Thus all other heritickes were ouercome euen those that had most affinitie and kindred with Protestantes Berengarius the father of the Sacramentaries was confuted and recanted his errour in open Councell and acknowledged the Reall Presence of CHRIST in the Sacrament So the Wickliffistes in Englande in the same poynt in a frequent assemblie in the church of Saint Paule in London were miraculously confounded and subdued So were the Henricians in France by S. Bernard both in that and other poyntes wherin they agreed with these men And all opinions now defended by them one time or other were confounded and confuted in generall Councels and the most famose lerned assemblies of the world So that what enemies soeuer they were In fidels or Heretickes which at anie time denied Christian Catholike faith were thus both strangly by miracles and by argument in reason conuicted condemned whether they were Iews trusting to supernaturall assistance or the Gentils in the power and pompe of the wolrde or Magitians in ayd of diuels and damned spirites Philosophers in their wit and lerning or any hereticke and apostata in whatsoeuer buckler or defence they vsed And neuer anie of them coulde hitherto bring either supernaturall argument or sufficient naturall reason against vs. The Iewes so famous with miracles before Christ since they denied him had neuer any miracle among them except such as Christ and Christians haue wrought to confound them their last Piscina Probatica that so miraculously healed diseases at the discending of the Angell then ceassing as thier owne writers Iosephus and others witnesse For their figures ending in Christe God the worker of miracles would no longer giue testimony vnto thē Of Mahumet and his Mahumitanes him selfe so acknowledged confessing that Myracles were graunted vnto Christe What likeli-hood there is in finding any such thing among the Pagan Idolaters whose Gods were deuils which could worke nothing supernaturall euery man knoweth and besides the very confession of all these sects the thing in it self◠is manifeste For euery one of them defending so manifest errours and blasphemies as I haue proued it is impossible that God which cannot giue testimonie to vntruth should graunt miracles and supernaturall workes to prooue that to be true which euen in the light of reason is euidently false Wherfore to come to ende of this dispute with externall Infidels As I haue prooued in the former booke against all Atheists and Irreligious an absolute and vndeniable necessitie of God and Religion due to him in such order that by no possibillitie either the one or other canne bee vntrue So in this it is manifest against all misbeleeueers that in particuler this Relgion is that holy worshippe which was instituted and taught by Christ To this all testimonies diuine and humane assent All authority that can be cited in such a cause ageeth all people of renowned learning or equal iudgment ioyne in this sentence all friends allowe it the chiefest grounds of our enemies themselues confirme it All other worships by their owne confessions are drowned in most prophane and irreligious errors such as depriue the professors of all title to true Religion