Townes and Prouinces is inumerable there were before the comming of Christ infinite Idolatries in the worlde since his Incarnation besides Sectes amongst the Iewes Mahumetanes not to be numbred among Christians if we ioine these presēt heresies which now raigne almost 300. to those 400. and more which haue bin in formerages there haue bin 700. false professions in Christianitie and the impietie of men hath beene such especially in times of errors that there was neuer almoste any truth so euident but by one Cittie Towne Countrie companye of People or other it hath beene denied onlie this veritie of Religion and obligation of worshippe to God hath been so manifest that in so manie thousands of yeares in no one age yeare or day in so many vaste and populous Nations no litle Kingdome Prouince Citie Towne Village or priuate person but in such sense as I haue declared to their owne confusion called it into question TESTIMONIE OF ALL INTELlectuall Creatures ¶ CHAP. VII OR if the testimonie of all inferior thinges the witnesse of the whole worlde and all reasonable men from the first foundation till now so learned and wise euerie particular mans practise and experiēce by al sences powers of knowledge all reasons that can be aleadged all proofe in reason that can be vsed the vnyforme and euer agreeinge consent and example of al creatures wil not serue to dispute this questyon againste the blinde sencelesse and vnreasonablie deluded and wantonly bewitched appetites of some one or a fewe beastly and franticke men let vs seeke for a tryall to intellectuall and spirituall creatures which as by their perfection of nature they are of higher and more infallible iudgement so in respecte they are freed and exempted of corporall and bodylie composition from whence this blindnesse of sensualitie proceedeth are like to giue the truest sentence such be the heauenlye spirits seperated soules and the Diuels themselues though depriued of grace yet perfect in naturall vnderstandinge All Testimonies are recorde all Historians thousands and millions of men that haue beene present witnesses and euerye particuler person euen of this impious schoole it selfe hath prooued by one experimentall argument or other that there bee such perfecte intellectuall creatures The rare and wonderfull effects which bee daylie wrought by such meanes the apparitions of Angelles illusions of Diuelles their workes tempestes plagues and other miseries they haue procured theire possessinge bodyes both of men and women and beastes where their effects are manifest the appearing of soules deuided and separated from their bodies and still enduringe after death some miraculouslie vnited againe and telling what they endured in their seperation others not restored reporting either the ioyes they founde if they were trulie religious or the paines they endured if they were prophane and wicked haue testified these thinges The infinite miracles and supernaturall effects which the Angels and holy religious soules haue wrought in their apparitions haue euidently confirmed their sentence to bee true The vnspeakable torments of the wicked irreligious soules damned for impiety and irreuerence prooued by vndenyable arguments and the Diuels potent and wise conquered and cast out by poore religious men by nature their inferiors and these thinges seene prooued witnessed and written by millions of men of greatest iudgment Emperors Kings Princes Phylosophers Magitians and of all conditions not only priuate men and in secret but greatest assemblies in pubicke places are sufficient argument in this cause But in respect these Testimonies haue chieflie bin vsed to prooue true Religion in particuler and not the necessity of Reuerence in generall which for the euidence thereof needeth no such probation I wil passe it ouer to the proper place against externall Infidels and Heretickes where it shall be handled to the manifest confusion of all misbeleeuers not onely Atheists Epicures and deniers of worshippe but all enemies of Christian Catholicke Doctrine OF THE MYRACVLOVS AND most certaine Testimony of God ¶ CHAP. VIII I Will passe ouer in this place the testimony of the Creator and so manie thousands of miraculous and most certaine supernaturall Arguments of God which can neither bee deceaued in himselfe or be cause of erring vnto others both in regarde they are needlesse in this matter neuer called so farre into question that it craueth such extraordinary defence as also that they haue principally beene vsed to propose true worshippe in particuler to misbeleeuing Nations of which neuer any denyed a Religion in generall Therefore I am to make demonstration by that Argument hereafter against all professors of false worships which in some manner wil also appeare in my Chapters following of the extraordinary punnishment God hath inflicted vpon the Irreligious and the miraculous fauours wherewith hee hath honoured his holy and true worshippers in this place onely I affirme since the firste miraculous creation of man in the beginning and the supernaturall prouidence of God ouer him while hee continued in obedience and strange punishing of him for his neglecte of dutie therein he euer obserued the same order in all states and conditions The punishment of Adam drowning of the world confusion of the Tower of Babell destruction of the Egiptians abolishinge of Idols desolation of the Iews and a thousand strange miraculous punishments imposed vpon the Irreligious contrariewise as strange and wonderfull fauours towardes the godly exceedinge all limits of nature witnessed by millions of presēt wittnesses Princes and whole Cuntries and registred by moste credible writers both Pagan Mahumetan Ieweish and true beleeuers are euidence TESTIMONIE AND EXAMPLE of all creatures euen insensible ¶ CHAP. IX ANd this religious worshippe is so vniuersally due to be performed that if the verye sensible and insensible thinges that are not capable of vnderstandeinge were able to vtter that by wordes which they vniformelie practise in theyr operations or supernaturallye declare as often times they haue to the admiration of all and confusion of such men that naturall instinct and desire which is imparted to them all to doe homage reuerence to their Creator they would assemble thēselues in generall coūcell against this impious people and condemne them to be the moste vnnaturall senceles monsters of the world For the vnuiolable decree of nature is that euery effect must yeeld a certaine honor reuerēce to the cause by which it is produced exalted so in creatures of vnderstandinge the childe honoreth the parents by which he was begotten brought vp and norished the scholer his master by whom he was īstructed the subiect his soueraīe the seruant his master by whom they are ruled euery depēding thing that more exellent Regent of whom it hath dependance And al insensible things with one consent do answer by their acts deeds that they owe religion vnto god are boūd to worship him in their kind performe it for the heauens and celestiall spheres so all Eleaments and inferior creatures as well
a wicked childe or subiect to vertuous Parents and Princes That God is free from inducing or leading into errors is euident already by that most excellent goodnesse which I haue shewed to be in him And that he hath deliuered so certaine infallible means for euery man to knowe the truth that except wilfully we neede not erre I wil demonstrate by inuincible Arguments hereafter as also prooue in particuler against all Infidels Iewes Pagans Mahumetans and all sorts of heretickes that their errors and proceedings in them are so manifestly false that they cannot be excused from wilfull ignorance And that the order of Catholickes true beleeuers is so certaine that they cannot be deceaued And to ease this irreligious people of all complaints against the oppressions tribulations and persecutions of the godly prosperities of the wicked I will shewe that such obiections against Religion are a manifest conuiction of a diuine reuerence and howe the temporall fauourers and preferments of the Religious did alwaies exceede the honours of the vngodly And to giue them that they seeke I will prooue if by impossibility there shoulde bee no Religion nor God no immortality after death yet that the state of the professors of worship euen in this worlde is farre more glorious honourable and pleasant then of Epicures and irreligious men THE NECESSITY OF RELIGION to obtaine the Immortall and Supernaturall end for the immortall Soule for man which can neither haue any end in this life or perish possibly with death ¶ CHAP. IIII. WHerfore though wee shoulde become such great Politickes so fully possessed with selfe loue delight in religious affaires that we woulde vse no reuerence or worshippe but for our owne aduantage yet we cannot but performe this reuerentiall duety especiallie when we enter into reckoning with our selues how many and often helps succours we want necessary to that end whereto wee were ordayned and that which we moste desire the better immortall portion of mans soule not hauing perfection in this worlde and yet must receaue it from God For no corporall or corruptible thinge of this life is able to satisfie and giue rest to the greedy vnderstanding or vnpleaseable appetite of our resonable incorruptible parte neyther was there anie Philosopher or student of nature able to finde here the end and felicitie thereof For by felicitie and happinesse all men alwaies did and doe vnderstand such an estate as is deuoided of all euill we woulde eschewe and abounding with all good we woulde wish for as Aristotle saieth that is Blessednesse which all men and all thinges doe seeke and desire Which estate and degree neuer any man yet howe muche soeuer befrended of this worlde coulde taste in this life but whatsoeuer they either founde for themselues or deuised for others it was not so durable plesant good or perfect but it wanted one thing or other wee might wishe to haue or brought with it somthing vnstable variable tedious troublesome painfull or vnpleasant which a mā in reason might iustly craue to want as manifestly appeareth not only in the general conditions which the Philosopher by light of nature requireth to the blessednes of man but in honor riches knowledge delight or other pleasure which any sect of Philosophers Accademicks Peripatetickes Stoickes or Epicureans in particuler appointed for humane felicitie Wherefore seeing such a condition and estate of happines cannot be found in this life and euery thing one time or other enioyeth his end and felicitie of necessity this end and happines of man must be obtained after death and receaued of God by duty to him as also all necessary helpes dispositions thereof all reuerence and religion must needs be done vnto him by man in a more high degree then of any other creature not ordayned to such a supernaturall and eternall ende And this no Epicure howe much soeuer brutishly blinded in delight or malitiouslie iniurious to the perfection of humane nature can deny For if he alleadge no reason for his impious and irreligious minde then no man can be so foolish to beleeue him If he pretende any shewe of reason how weake or feeble soeuer it is thereby he ouerthroweth that by his owne reason and vnderstanding which his licentious and brutish will laboureth to builde For reason iudgment beeing operations only of the intellectuall part of mans soule as immediate cause and not depending of the sensible phantasie or any corporall or organicall instrument for neyther a tree or any vegetatiue thing or a dogge or any sensible creature can reason argue or dispute of thinges shoulde be a manifest demonstration that soule which is endued with those habilities to be independing of the body spirituall and immortall liuing for euer and so to haue felicity after death for attayning whereof a Religion and worship is due to God Therefore euery one knowing himselfe to be a reasonable creature no man can possibly call the other in question except first he woulde doubt whether he be a man whether hee hath reason iudgeth of thinges past present and to come compareth one thing with an other argueth and disputeth of causes and effects for as both reason and all learned Philosophers teach that soule which hath these independing operations must needes be separable from the body and immortall Let vs adde the vnsatiablenesse of the same faculty whome all the science and knowledge of this worlde cannot content and the naturall inclination it hath to knowe the causes of such effects as it findeth in this life and cannot that vnanswerable appetite and propension of the will which neuer enioyeth enough of the thing it loueth but desireth more that liberty and freedome it hath commanding all sensible powers and faculties either to exercise or suspende their operations prescribing dooing or not dooing of thinges and effecting the will and election of itselfe howe vrgent soeuer the repugnant sensible appetites and desires bee Then how can anye man imagine that power to be dependinge of the bodie which in it chiefest operations is dependinge thereof but euidentlye sheweth Superioritie ouer all corporall and sensible passions and suggestions that it can rule bridle them as it pleaseth in such sorte that no foote can goe no eye can see no member organe or sensible power is able to execute any function if the will forbiddeth Or what Epicure can be so mad to affirme so many spirituall vertues as Religion faith hope reuerence feare iustice such others which all men at one tyme or other in some degree finde in themselues to bee subiected in a corporall or corruptyble power Or is there any of this schoole of impiety but their conscience and vnderstanding telleth them that sinne is not to be comitted and when they haue sinned accuseth them as guiltie of transgressinge the lawe of God whom they haue offended and consequently whom they are to worshippe reuerence Of which
and inhabited of a barbarous and sauage people which neither by themselues nor by any Rulers they had coulde perswade other Nations to their so vilde example And this superstitious impiety of idolatry was so contemptible to ciuill Nations that when Orpheus which was so pleasing eloquent that he coulde mooue all affections went about to perswade the worship of Bacchus to the Grecians hee was so odious to that Nation that the woemen themselues killed him with spades and threw his bodie into the riuer Heber And when Idolatrie was setled in the worlde there neuer was any Kingedome Nation State Prouince or Citie but it euer professed a Religion and if anye priuate man beecame so impyous and ouerwhelmed in sinne that to excuse his wickednesse hee wished or protested there was no worshippe to bee vsed hee was presentlie exploded forth of all places and exiled for a monster in Nature So Diagoras which is supposed to bee the firste Author of this Iniquitie was noted for a Prodigium sirnamed Atheos a denier of GOD or Goddes and banished from mens Societie liued and died miserably although we may suppose that he only denied the Pagan Gods worship to them as his words cited in the plurall number doe signifie as also wee may construe that saying of Protagoras De Dissnon posse statuere an sint vel non sint That he coulde not determine of the Gods whether there were anye such or no. And yet for that saying hee was exiled Athens driuen into the Ilandes and his bookes consumed with fire And as Lactantius witnesseth these men at their deathes recauted their impious opinion and exercysing Religion called for helpe of a superiour power After these Epicurus that Master and Doctor of beastiality was so bewitched with pleasures that he denyed the prouidence of GOD to man and framing a God like to himselfe affirmed that he which is purus actus only act was idle and to make himselfe a beast teaching that only pleasure in this life was mans felicity doubted not to affirme the soule to bee mortall and perishe with the body and gaue this document Surge ede hibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas Rise eate drinke and play there is no pleasure after death But hee became so odious to all people that his verye name is a cognomination to all beastly and carnall men from him to these dayes and yet Saint Hierome saith that he was a man vtterlye vnlearned and coulde not reade others as Cicero excuse him from these errors But howsoeuer it be the testimony of a beast and voluptuous man is no creditte to their cause but a condemnation Lucretius also drowned in the like wickednesse of life defended the same irreligious opinions was so besotted in lust and lasciousnesse that he was madde with very lecherous passions and killed himself with his owne handes Or if as some suppose any company of the vnnaturall and more then beastly Anthropophages of Brasilea liued without any law or religiō at the time of the comming of the Christian Portugals thither which is vncertaine of this and neuer suspected of anie other people yet the example of such which committed those moste filthy sins of daily practised and studied murthers which as theyr name is witnesse those which write of that Nation recount and experience prooueth eate deuoure those they murther and keepe men and woemen of fairest complexion to bring children which they only reserue for slaughter and eate euen their nearest frendes and committe other offences not to bee named is not to be imitated but detested for more then brutish and vnreasonable These bee the authors and patrons of this impietie which the whole worlde in so manye thousande yeares hath noted for beasts madde men filthy monsters and excrements of the people such as all practisers and well wishers to that blasphemie be in these our dayes Theeues Pirates Murtherers Adulterers Drunkards and men so inexcusable in all wickednesse that they haue taken their harbour in the mouth of hell beginning to be damned in this life These be the fruites of diuision in Religion the manifolde superstitions of the Gentyles and the wickednesse which they practised was the fall of Diagoras Protagoras Epicurus and Lucretius the Heresies and pluralities of Religions amongest Protestants and their impieties haue brooded vp this beastly generation as all hereticall ages haue done at which time this schoole hath most flourished So that in so many generations as haue bin there was neuer so much as any priuate man which in iudgment affirmed this blasphemous and rebellious wickednesse but euer when they were free from passions or in times of want as sicknesse death and other calamities professed a Religion and called for helpe and neuer denied it but when they were either vtterly spoyled of their wits and Reason as Lucretius or their opinion so vncertaine that either they neuer thought any such absurditie or else it was so soone exploded that it coulde not be remembred as that of Epicurus which as some suppose wrote more then any of the Philosophers and yet in the time of Cicero which liued within 300. yeares it was so doubtfull what opinion Epicurus taught that the same Cicero affirmeth hee was a man of greate sobrietie and temperance teaching Religion the prouidence of God the immortality of the soule constitutinge the felicitye of man in spirituall and soule pleasure and Plutarch affirmeth that hee sacrificed and practized Religion So that it is manifest if euer anye man defended that moste filthie errour hee was condemned of GOD and all people for that offence and of himselfe when hee was of better iudgement and more to bee beleeued In so much that there is not the authority of one man speaking in iudgement as a man and reasonable creature that euer gaue countenance to this blasphemous sentence but the whole worlde in all times and places haue explauded it for the most impious sacriledgious damnable and vnnaturall sinne Then to conclude this reason of humane authoritie the worlde from the firste creation hath nowe endured by the Hebrewe accounte aboue 5500. yeares by the other computation 6700. yeares which if it be compared to any age or generation there is no proportion The globe of the earth according to the least account contayneth in circuite 19080 myles as Fernelius measureth 24514. myles by the sentence of Alphraganus Almaeon Thebitius and othets 20400. by Ptolomaeus 22500. by Eratosthenes 31500. by Hipparcus 34625. by that opinion which Aristotle reciteth 50000. and if we will followe the measure which was taken by the most learned Geometricians in thirtie years labour by the appointment and charges of Iulius Cesar the Emperour when the noste exacte a measuremente was vsed the habytable earthe at that time was founde to be in circuite 31500. miles what vaste Regions and populous Nations haue beene descried since then no man can bee ignorant the number of the Kingdomes Countries Citties
authoritie experience sence and grounde of reasoninge and reason it selfe is denied for whose denyall not the leaste aparaunce of one Argument can be alledged for whose approbation all Testimonies of God and all creatures are certaine which if it be graunted and trulie practized all truthes graces honours dignities and priuiledges belonging to man naturall and supernaturall either in this life or after death are so certainly obtayned if it bee denyed all honours and immenities are lost all afflictions temporall and eternall are incurred all absurdities graunted all vntruthes affirmed all veryties condemned Sinne is vertue vertue is sinne sinne must be practised vertue may not bee allowed nothing is sinne nothing is vertue Falsehoods and contradictions are true all learning reiected No community Kingdome Magistracie Discipline no Soueraigne no Subiection no Lawe must be receaued no barbarous tyrannycall or licentious impiety omitted Mans soule mortall man a beast many beastes better then man And infinite more such absurdities which directlie proceede from this blaspheamous position Religion is not to bee vsed if anie man shall be so senceles to affirme it The end of the first Treatise THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SECOND TREATISE BRIEFELY SHEWing against all externall Infidels how only that Religion which Iesus Christ deliuered to the worlde is the true Worship of God HAuing ended my first conclusion of the necessity of a Religion against the Irreligious I am nexte in this time of so manifolde errors to auoide all daunger of professing false reuerence to prooue what religion among so many is only true which I will performe in so vndeniable manner that no verity shall be so certaine as that reuereÌ„ce to god which I wil defend And first against al external enimies of Christ My next proposition shal be that Religion which he taught is only true and all others false which to a people of a professed Christian Nation needeth not long probation wherefore to bee briefe in this dispute such is the vndoubted certainty of this sentence whether we consider the excellencie and dignity of the doctrine it selfe of the Messias and sonne of God vvhich gaue it vnto vs or the miraculous manner whereby it was deliuered and embraced or the basenesse impietie and most manifest errors of all other professions the wickednesse of the inuentors and disorders in inuenting and dylating them that a man which will giue credit to any probable Argument cannot call it into question And he shall see these Testimonies not onely recorded by the holy wrighters Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes immediatelye illuminated of God but of our greateste professed enemies emonge whome wee doe not oneâ—ie finde confirmed in generall the Religion of Christ but almoste euerie particuler article and mistery thereof registred and allowed as the Trinitie Incarnation the two natures of Diuinitie and Humanitie in Christ the promise of his comminge his miraculous conception natiuitie life deathe resurrection ascention comminge of the holy Ghost conuersion of the worlde the ende thereof his comminge to iudgemente his giuinge sentence the finall beatitude and rewarde of the vertuous worshippers of him eternall punishment of the wicked and his enemies and other misteries of our beleefe testified ratified of all kynde of Infidels Iewes Pagans Mahumetanes Brachmans allowed by god himselfe apparitions and witnesse of Angelles from heauen and all creatures vppon earth the heauens and celestiall bodies reioyceinge in his birth the Sunne Moone all elements and compounded things lamentinge his death The Sunne against nature eclipsed the Moone violentinge his course the aire darkened the earth trembleinge rockes rendeing the windes tempests Seas contrarie to their naturall inclinations performinge his commandements Oracles ceaseinge Idols fallinge the deuils and creatures both sensible insensible acknowledging and obeying him many miracles to the same effect wicked spirits professed enemies of all pietie cast forth by authority future contingeÌ„t things most certainly foretold incurable diseases healed blinde restored to sight lame to going deafe to hearing dumbe to speaking dead to life when in all humane reason science of Philosophers such effects are vnpossible to be performed by natural meanes or supernaturally to be wrought of God or any secondâ—rie cause by his cooperation to giue creditte and authoritye to falsehoode The moste straunge and myraculous alteration in the liues of those embraced him the wonderfull conuersion of the world vnto him the rare and extraordinarie stil continuing punishements vpon those refused him And these and such witnesses not giuen in obscure and base places onlie beefore simple and vnlearned menne as Seducers vse to deale but in frequente and publique places and moste famous Cityes beefore the mightiest and moste potent Prynces Kinges Tetrarches of Iurie Syria and other Nations yea the moste wise Phylosophers craftie and subtille Magicyans of the world Written and recorded not onelie by the holie Prophets Apostles and Euangelists myraculouslie prooued to haue beene directed and assisted and neuer to haue written vntruth or the Patriarkes in their testament cited by Origen that liued within one hundred and threescore years of Christ as then extant and translated forth of hebrue into greek by Procopius eleauen hundred years agoe where euerye one of them prophesieth most plainly of Iesus Christ the Mesias And the generall consent of the auncient Rabbines expositors of holie scriptures before christ but those which euer were in highest account reputation among the Gentils theÌ„selues whether for learning and antiquitie as Soroastres Hermes Trismegistus their most renouÌ„ed or such as god had illuminated with these misteries liued as Prophets for the instruction of that people as so many of the Sibils as plainlie foretelling the misteries proceedings of christ of his diuinitie humanity natiuity life death comming to iudgment and other secrets of christian doctrine as if they had beene personally present and seene those thinges effected So did the Oracles and answers of their Gods were enforced so to do as themselues confessed and not only to priuate men but to the Emperours and chiefe Princes So doe and did the moste authenticke Registers and imperiall Recordes Wrightings and Edicts of the Gentile Emperours as Tiberius Traiane Antonius and other princes as Pilate and Herod in Iurie the Senators at Rome and others So those which were the moste noisome and offensiue enemies of Christ the Thalmadists Pophiry and Mahumet that greate Seducer which in dyuers chapters of his Alcaron confirmeth the Miracles and Religion of Christ for moste true and holie Therefore dealing with men of a christian countrie such as I hope all inhabitants of Englande desire alwaies to bee accounted I might make an end of this matter But because I haue taken in hand to prooue catholike Religion to be the onlie true worshippe and reuerence of God not onlie against al deuided sects of heretickes which I am to performe in my disputation againste my cuntrie Protestants but also against all Infidels and other misbeleeuers and by moste certaine and
come to the Gentiles themselues not only the propheticall Sibilles who tolde most plainly of this distinction of persons in God but to others especially the Egiptians and such as liued in the confined and bordering countries to the Israelites For breuity I will onlie produce the wordes of the Oracle of Serapis to Thulis King of the Egiptians and Plotinus an heathen Philosopher The sentence of the first is this In the beginning God is then his worde and to these the spirit is added these are equall and tending into one The wordes of the second in his booke of the three principall Hypostasies or persons for so Christianlike it is intituled are these Before the worde not by priority of nature or time but onely by priority of origination is the fountaine and beginning of all diuinitye of this father the worde is begotten further euery thinge which begetteth loueth and desireth that which is begotten but that moste chieflie when the begetter and the begotten are alone Againste Mahumet I haue prooued a distinction of persons in God before out of his owne Alcaron and Sentence This beeing the greatest and chiefest Mistery I haue stayed longer therin and wil passe ouer the rest with more breuity The same Mahumet affirmeth that as Iesus was the Worde of God so hee was the most holy man that Prophet Messias which was promised in the lawe of Moises and was sent to supply the defect therof The Sibills as I haue prooued before haue set downe the whole lyfe of Christ and all the actions of his humanitye and tell how hee should die for the world and rise againe Other Prophesies among the Gentiles which I haue aleaged before affirme that Filius Dei nasceturex Virgine Maria et pro salute huminum patietur That the Sonne of God should be borne of a Virgine called Mary and should suffer for Mankinde The doctrine of the Rabbins before Christe so authentitall among the Iewes is most comfortable to this sentence Rabbi Haccados called for his learning and sanctitie our holy master affirmeth in his booke intituled a reueler of secrets where hee expoundeth that the Propheticall place of Esaye touching the Messias Emanuell God strong Prince of peace speaketh thus Because the Messias shall bee God and man his name is called Emanuell God with vs surely in our bodye and in our fleashe as Iob doth witnesse in my fleshe I shall see God For hee did deuise a māruailons counsayle of deliuering soules from the deuill which were damned for the sinne of Adam neyther coulde by any meanes bee saued except the king Messias should vndergoe most bitter death and many tormentes and for that cause he is called a man And because he hath all strength hee is called God strong And because hee is eternall hee is named the eternall father Also because in his dayes peace shall bee multiplyed he is called the prince of peace And because hee shall make haste to take awaye the spoiles of soules hee is called a swifte spoyler and taker of prayes And because he shall saue them and bring them to Paradise he is called Iesus that is a sauiour Hitherto be the woordes of that most holy and learned Rabbine Rabbi Ionathan who dyed before Christ was borne applieth the longe narration of Esay the prophet in his 53. chapter to the murther of the Messias by the Iewes and soone after him Rabbi Simion breaketh out into these wordes Woe be to the men of Israell for that they shall kill the Messias God shal send his sonne in mans fleshe to washe them and they shall murther him Rabbi Hadarsone vpon the prophesy of Daniell cōcerning the time of the comming and preaching of Christe vseth this speech Three years and a halfe shall the presence of God in fleshe cry and preach vpon the mount Oliuer and then shall hee be slayne Which the Iewes ordinarye commentarye vppon the Psalmes interpreteth of Christes preaching three yeares and halfe before his passion And the Thalmundists themselues haue set downe that the Messias shall bee put to deathe Concerning our moste holye Sacrifyce of the bodie and bloud of Christe as it is euidente before by the testimonye of the true prophets of GOD. The Sibbylles and Mahumet him selfe that in respecte of the lawe of Christe all their Religions and sacryfises were vnperfect and foretolde to cease in him and his oblation So that the Sacrifyce whiche should be offered in his lawe was to be his blessed bodye and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine as Catholike Christians beleeue is moste plainely tolde out of those holie Scriptures by the auncient and approoued Rabbines before CHRIST The wordes of Rabbi Iudas speakinge of the Sacrifice of the lawe of the Messias are these The bread which is offered vppon the Altar is chaunged from the nature of breade and made the bodye and substance of the Messias But this bodye is inuisible with our eyes and free from all violence and not to bee touched Rabbi Symeon in his booke of searching secrettes hath the same discourse speaking euidentlie of transsubstantiating breade and wine into that moste sacred bodye and bloude and affirmeth it to bee the Sacryfice which shall bee vsed in the Kingdome and Religion of the Messias Rabbi Cahana vpon those wordes of Genesis hee shall washe his stole in wine and his cloake in the bloude of the grape vttereth this speech The Sacryfice which daylie shall be offered of wine shall not onlye bee chaunged into the substance of the bloude of the MESSIAS but into the substaunce of his bodye breade shall bee chaunged although externally there only appeare the collour of white Rabbi Hadarsan sayth that the bread which the Messias will giue is his bodye and there shall bee a conuersion of bread into his bodye Rabbi Barachias teacheth that at the comming of the Messias foode shall come from heauē like a litle cake Like be the sentences of Rabbi Ionathas and Rabbi Selomo teaching that a round cake of wheate as broade as the palme of an hand shall bee changed into the body of the Messias and vsed for the sacrifice of his lawe and bee listed ouer the heades of his Priestes All these Rabbins liued before Christ yet these be their expositions of the holye Scriptures concerning that most holy Sacrifice which Christiā Catholikes vse and such other misteries as depend from thence The Sibbills and Mahumet confesse that Christe shoulde and did abrogate the lawe of Moyses His Gospell was the perfection of that lawe that those sacrifices should cease in him yee he shall destroye Antechrist Pagannisme Iudaysme and Mahumetisme come in glory in the end of the worlde and be Iudge therof and only his religion to endure Thus I could exemplifye in other questions of christian doctryne but because these are the greatest and those which Infidels most dislyke in our religion I haue geuen instance in
endlesse and vnrecitable cares sollicitudes and miseries the Irreligeous vndergoe in procuring pleasures what labours and dangers in preseruing them what torments and and anguishes in forsakinge them what diseases sicknes violence vnhappines to those senses of theirs in which they woulde place their pleasures what immature sodaine vntimely deathes the ful priuatiō of al their ioyes felicities they incurre in exercising and possessing those banquets feastings luxuries honours riches and other pleasures Let vs forget the honour glorie of the godly by their sufferings and the ignominie dishonour of the others when they come to aduersity the comforts of the religious through their hope in God whom they worshippe the desperation of the irreligious spoiled of all consolation Let the euerliuinge vertues and reputation of the religious after death and they alwaies during infamy of the irreligious be omitted Let it not bee remembred that religion being a speciall morall vertue is to be repaied with corporall pleasures such as this worlde can giue but with eternall supernaturall and spirituall rewardes to obtayninge which terrestiall ioyes are often a let and hinderaunce by wedding vs to this worlde and the pressures of the godly by weaning vs from earthly delights the safest meanes to winne them Let mee make no argument that the aduersities of the iust in this life are the causes of their greater glorie after death and that both the pleasures and aduersities of the impious not regarding either the blessinges or corrections of GOD are the cause of their deeper damnation in Hell Wee will account it no felicitie or comfort for this time that the vertuous in theire greatest distresses are lamented of all and pittied with compassion often breeding greater ioye then their miseries bringe affliction and by hovve much their suffering is greater by so much bewayled and honoured more as the miseries and deathes of Millions of Martyrs and afflicted Saintes are witnesses honoured both of GOD and all creatures and the afflictions distresses and vnfortunate endes of the vvicked neglected and contemned both by GOD and man all thinges reioycing in their destruction vnhappines Lastelie to please the appetites of this people although we did grant them their owne absurditie and that which they seeke to find that the cheife and supreme felicitie of man is to bee expected and possessed in this life and that there is no pleasure or punnishment after death that the body is better then the soule the externall goods which they reckon honour riches pleasure prosperity and the like with health and long life to enioy them are most to be esteemed want debasement pouerty aduersitie affliction and other their infelicities most to bee auoyded although as these beeing often the cause of our chiefest good so the others are often the occasion of vnhappinesse Yet if we shoulde yeelde vnto them these vnreasonable requests and argue vvith carnall men by carnall Argumentes whatsoeuer they shall appoint to bee the greatest pleasure and happinesse in this worlde and to continue and perseuer longest for such thinges as be priuations of pleasures and corruptions of life and health wherein they are to be enioyed they will not esteeme for pleasures as honour riches health prosperity dignities and such others which is as much as any Epicure can demande or a beaste woulde aske if it had language and leaue to vtter the internall appetite Yet notwithstanding all this it will appeare that the prosperous estate and happy condition of the vertuous and professors of Religion hath often beene greater and their miseries and afflictions lesse in this life then of the impious and irreligious which onlie seeke for this preferment And to iustifie my assertion many Phylosophers Nations and Countries haue esteemed these temporall felicities to bee a temporall rewarde of Religion It was not lawfull for any amongst the auncient Egiptians to be a King except hee were a Priest and religious to the Gods and Mercurius sirnamed Trismegistus thrice-greatest was so called because hee was a King a Phylosopher and a Priest The olde and wise Romanes had the like custome and obseruation and all their Sacrifices Rites and Ceremonies some were as thankes for benefits receaued others to auoide afflictions to ease aduersities inflicted to cease plagues and pestilences to prosper attempts heale diseases encrease substance and the like not onely vsed of the Idolaters and false worshippers but of the true Israelites and instituted of God himselfe doe witnesse They esteemed no happines of this worlde to be without the true worshippe of God and many aduersities to come for irreligion This was the common sentence of the Caldeans Assirians Grecians Persians English and all Nations and to encourage all in this opinion by the generall and receaued Decrees of all vvorshippers those that were in the greatest degree of professing and exercising of this worshippe were euer had and esteemed in greatest honour so were the Patriarkes which were Priestes in the lawe of Nature Noe Abraham and other the high Priestes vnder the lawe of Moyses among the Israelites the Flamens and Archflamens amonge the Gentiles Brachmans with the Indians Caliphes in the lawe of Mahumet and among Christians Popes and spirituall Prelates are reuerenced vvith the greatest dignities And not onelie such estates whose calling was dedicated to vvorshippe but other conditions amongst all Nations which were most religious were reputed moste honourable and glorious and not onely amonge men but with God himselfe for by how much any people or countrey came nearer to true Religion they flourished more and they which truely followed it in the daies of their so doings were most happie and honourable and such as were most alienated from true reuerence of GOD and enemies thereof were most infortunate and miserable as manye persecutors of the Religious haue beene To giue example in the auncient religious Iewes so long as they continued their obedience God promised vnto them for that cause all prosperities and benedictions both spirituall and temporall Howe did hee honour them with visions apparitions of Angels from heauen what a propitiatory oracle did he ordaine to answere to their doubts and releeue their wants what Patriarches Prophets Priests Kinges Captaines and Iudges did he giue vnto them howe miraculouslie did he multiply their number and nation among their enemies how strangely did he punnish the Egiptians and deliuer them howe did he aduance them aboue mightie and potent Princes howe many did he depriue of their auncient possessions and made them rulers thereof howe miraculouslie did hee protecte them in theyr iournies feede them in their wantes defende them in their warres howe often howe many and miraculous victories did hee giue them howe did he enrich them with all temporall blessings riches gold treasure and abundance of all thinges which can be desired howe often did he promise to continue his care and prouidence if they remayned in duety and Religion howe well did he
exceping the miserable fleemish haue beene free from these vnhappie and irreligious dealinges and vvhen was the condition thereof so honourable in what age vvere the Spaniardes accounted such conquerours and souldiers in the vvorlde when was their fame and honour so great are not his Dominions and Kingdomes greater richer more ample and honorable then the possessions of anye Infidell in the worlde hath hee not in these very times when the irreligious partes of Christendome haue lost and bin infested so much wonne and lawfully vnited vnto him more mightyer richer greater and more glorious nations then any Infidel is owner of or any irreligious Ptince or state of Christians enioyeth as the Kingdomes of Castill legion Tollet Hispalis Murcia and Luzia and the Prouinces adioyning Burgundy and the 15. prouinces the Canary Ilands Sardinia Sycily Naples the Dukedome of Myllane Portugall the Philippine Ilands so many vaste and rich cuntries of America the East and West Indiās obtayned wone by the 3. last catholike religious kings of Spaine Philip 1. Charles 5. and Philip 2. in that time whē the irreligious places of Christians haue loste so much and yet what other christian warres haue beene which they haue not defended And if it were lawfull to make free comparisons of these latter daies of protestants and compare the estate of the countryes where the protestantes haue persecuted and catholikes haue been afflicted it woulde bee no difficultye to proue that the glorie honor and temporall felicity of the persecuted religious Catholiks haue far exceeded the pompe and prosperity of their persecutors But so muche as I neede to craue leaue to doe far Englande it apeareth alreadye in my epistle And I am assured there is no protestant in our nation but settinge the loue of his Abbey-liuynges aside woulde wishe the estate of his countrye for Honor Riches Strength Order Friendshippe of Forreine Nations loue and vnity of Nobility others and al other honors and blessings of a Christian kingdome were no worse nowe then it was in the 22. yeare of king Henry the eight when he reuolted If he either consider Clergie or layetie nobility or commonalty or let vs viewe the number of religious and catholicke Priests which aboue 100. in her maiesties time haue suffered death for this quarrell Looke into the liues and deathes of ministers and for that 100 of martyrs you shal finde 1000 and more ministers dying infamous miserable and beggerly deathes for most wicked and vnnaturall offences Looke into those ministers that have bene beste of life and in greatest fauour with Prince and subiects and we shal finde that our banished religious catholickes doe surmount them we haue by forreigne Princes rewarded with honours of Cardinal Bishoppe and all inferiour dignities we haue had more publicke professors of diuinity in other vniuersities then all Englande hath had at home our Priests religious men and namely the fathers of of the society of Iesus most odious in England haue bin in higher reputation with the greatest princes of the worlde in straunge countryes then the higheste Arche-bishop of protestants in England hath beene with his naturall Soueraigne And such is the ordinarie and common ignominy and dishonour to be reputed a Minister in the English Church that I suppose very few or no Catholike Priests of that nation woulde change their honour euen in England with so base infamous a generation What the wealth riches and other blessings be which the Protestants haue that wee want for all this time of persecution and empouerishing religious Catholickes I thinke no man perceaueth so manifest a distinction and yet the charges taxes and impositions which haue beene imposed vpon vs are 20. times greater then those vvhich Protestantes haue tasted And if the estate of Catholickes in Englande vvhere they are persecuted is such how glorious is it in Catholike nations where they are honoured if the times of persecution and Irreligion haue done vs no more dishonour what glorie will Catholike and Religious times affoorde vs if our ovvne contrie Protestant Historians can so litle disgrace vs as the history of Stowe and others will witnesse what commendation and credit wil Catholickes and Religious Cronicles both at home and abroade yeelde vnto vs so that we see what honour glory dignity or excellency soeuer it is which a man maye or can desire to haue either spirituall or temporall in this or in the life to come if it is a pleasure or preferment to a reosonable creature such as may be wished or enioyed without sinne Religion is the mother of all THOVGH THERE SHOVLDE BE no rewarde for Religion after death yet the state of the Religious is to be preferred before the Irreligious ¶ CHAP. XV. YEA if we shoulde yeelde so much to this franticke and brutish humor of Irreligious epicures to say this Question of Religion is doubtfull as there is nothing more certaine then that man oweth Religion vnto God yet we shall perceiue the Religious state euē in worldly and temporall happinesse farre to exceede the condition of the Irreligious that these are drowned and plunged in greater and deeper miseries then the others For what vnhappines or infelicity can be imputed to professors of religion if they should be in error al the pleasures and delightes which can be conceaued to belong to man consisting of a soule and body must of necessity be spirituall belonging to the first or temporall proportionate to the seconde The spirituall delights must needes be the vertues and perfections of the soule which onlie the Religious enioy and whereof the others are depriued thus the greatest happynesse is had of such as approoue Religion and the ennemies thereof haue loste it as for thinges of delight appertayning to the body if they bee entangled with sinne they cannot bee accounted pleasure as before but rather a double torment to the guiltye conscience of those vvhich for the repose and rest of delight offer a violence vnto nature and yet this is only that wherein the Irreligyous can exceede and his excesses is in his owne affliction for I haue proved beefore that actuallye whether there is any religion or no that all other externall thinges which may be accounted goodes of the bodie fortune or any extrinsicall preferment as Riches Honours Peace Rule and other prerogatiues of glorie dignity such delights haue euer beene more peculier and proper to the Religeous then to the Impious And that this Irreligious generation which onelye seeke for ease and pleasure and to bee free from myseries by many decrees haue euer in this life beene more afflicted then the reste If it hath euer chanced so in former times though wee shoulde denye the prouydence of God to doe the lyke in future ages yet if all thinges were ruled by fortune and came by chaunce fortune is as like to fauour professors of Relygion hereafter as heretofore And naturall reason teacheth vs that of necessity it muste bee soe for there neuer was
holy Prophesy of the Messias which being set downe in scripture must by al rules be expounded by such coÌ„putatioÌ„s as we find in Scriptures otherwise if any man at plesure might Imagin other strange accomptes neuer harde of before all things wold be vncertayne And yet if we should alow that wanton liberty to any brainsick maÌ„ this prophesye could neuer be applied or verified of any other which wil be euideÌ„t if any idle person wil frame to himselfe a weke of weks or a weke of months which were twelue times sooner expired hundreds of yeares before Christ was borne wheÌ„ none claimed to be the Messias Therfore where some Iews are so rediculous to make conceits of years of decads or centures of yeares that is euery weke to consist of 70. wekes or 700. wekes as some are not ashamed to doe they make them selues a mockery to al the world For first the Scripture speaketh of such weeks Secondly it ouerthroweth al certainty in this case of so greate importance Thirdly it is one impossibility in their owne religion for in their Thalmud which whosoeuer with them denieth as they say denieth god him self It is recorded not onlye that the Messias should rule 2000. years but that the world was onelye to continue for 6000. years 2000. before the lawe of Moyses 2000. vnder the same law 2000. after that vnder the Messias By which account not onlye Christ is the true Messias coÌ„ming about that time but these weeks of the Iews by their decads and centures cannot be compleated in thowsands of yeares after by their Thalmud the world is ended such be the fooleries of this people Therefore by all reckonings accounts only Iesus christ is the Messias Redeemer of the worlde all other Religions false erronious THE 4. ARGVM Howe all particuler articles of christian Catholicke Religion for which Iewes Mahumetanes Pagans deny it are demonstrated to be true by their own groundes and professions BVT because no Infidell shall denie any one point of Catholicke Religion but by their owne groundes confesse euery article thereof to bee most true and holy Therfore as I haue prooued before by the highest authority of their own professions that in general Christian catholicke religion is only true so in this present reason I will dâ—monstrat out of the chiefest groundes of those misbeleeuers al particuler articles of Catholicke Christianity namely the mistery of the B. Trinity the incarnation and death of Christ the Messias for the redemption of the worlde the continuall and daylie sacrifice of the Masse Christes reall presence therein transubstantiation changing of the former elements of bread wine into his most holy body and bloud and the rest for which these Infidelles denie our faith and which many heretickes in these and more auncient times haue disallowed The sacred misteries of the incarnation and death of Iesus our Sauior his diuine and humane nature the distinction of persons in diuinity are prooued already by the true Prophets of god which the Iewes receaue by the confession of the Sybils so reuereÌ„ced of the Gentiles and excepting the death of Christ which Mahumet for honor vnto him denieth by the lawe-maker of the Mahumetanes as is conuinced in the 1. ArgumeÌ„t and therfore neede lesse probation in this Chapter But to make euident to al people that these most sacred doctrines are not the only collectioÌ„s of Christians out of those vndouted aproued scriptures in the lawe of Moyses but the same exposition which the holy Rabbins that liued before Christ which the Iewes receaue with honour and which the Sybils and most auncient Philosophers among the Gentiles for many thinges approoue I will onlie vse their owne wordes for witnesse in this cause And to begin with that most vnscrutable secret of the nature of God and trinity of persons in him which we defend against all those blasphemous Infidelles which with one consent in impiety make him an vnperfect mutable changeable corporeous defectiue thing to which no honor or Religion can be belonging it is manifest that the holy Prophets Isayas Hieremias Zacharias Baruch Micheas Dauid and others doe assigne a distinction and trinity of persons giuing al attributes and properties belonging vnto God to euery one to be omnipoteÌ„t God by essence infinite illimited without beginning or end cause of all thinges equall one with an oâ—â—er and the like in which manner as Christian Catholickes expounde those sacred writinges and beleeue of that vnspeakable mistery at this day So they were euer interpreted of the auncient and learned Rabbines before Christ Rabbi Ibba Rabbi Abb Rabbi Haccadas Rabbi Ionathas Abinuziel and others which euer agreed with our catholicke doctrine Rabbi Ibba as Rabbi Simeon writeth vpon these wordes of Deuteronomy God our Lorde is one God vseth this speech By the first worde God or his first tetragramaton name in this sentence our Lorde is signified God the sonne that is fountaine of all sciences and by the second tetragramaton name of God is signified God the holy Ghost proceeding of them both to all which there is added the worde one to signifie that these 3. are indiuisible And Rabbi Simeon himselfe vpon these words of Esay holy holy holy Lorde God of Sabaoth writeth thus Esay by repeating three times holy doth as much as if he had saide holy Father holy Sonne and holy Spirit which three holies doe make but one onlie Lorde of Sabaoth The wordes Rabbi Abinuziell Author of the Caldey Paraphrase known in the world before Christ and highly honoured among the Iewes vpon this prophesy of Dauid in his second Psalme where God the Father speaketh thus to Christ thou art my Sonne to day I haue begotten thee are these Thes Etohim the diuine persons expressed in the plurall number the Father and the sonne are three in one third person the holy Ghost and these three are one I saie one substance one essence one God And as the same Rabbine in that place is further witnesse when he was writing this sentence a voice spake vnto him from heauen saying Who is this that dareth reueale my secrets to the Gentiles to which Rabbi Ionathas answered O Lorde it is I which for the reuerence and glory of thy name haue presumed to doe it For in all religions there were some thinges concealed for secrets and thereby called misteries of which the auncient Rabbines acknowledge this mistery of misteries to bee chiefest and that it shoulde bee plainly reuealed at the comming of the Messias as nowe it is and not before as Rabbi Simeon is witnes not being lawfull for the Iewish people before christ to pronounce that tetragramaton name of god for the Maiesty and greatnesse of him that was ineffable as that name only coÌ„pounded of quiescent insonant letters as Hebritians call them do witnes And yet this secret was not so concealed of the auncient Rabbines but from them it was