prodigious account of the Chinensians according to Scaliger BUt grant that Herodotus were negligent and carelesse in many things wrote by hatred or favour related Fables and that Cicero in his first book of Laws tells many of them Shall we likewise call him a cheater and a truthlesse person whom Cicero calls The father of History that we shall not believe him in those things wherein he had no interest and wherein he was both an eye and ear-witnesse with others and upon certain and sure grounds hath left us the relation He relates in his Euterpe That he was brought in by the Egyptian Priests into a great room that he there saw three hundred forty and one woodden Colosses whom the Egyptian Priests related had been the images of so many Egyptian Kings And as many woodden Colosses which were the images of so many Egyptian Priests And in the time of their discourse one Hecataeus relating his descent and ascribing it to the sixteenth God that they on the other side did likewise rehearse their descens but would not admit what was spoken by Hecataeus that a man could be progenerated of God They likewise agreed in that that every one of those woodden Colosses had one honest man to his Father And those men that were Kings the Priests declar'd to have been all such but far distant from those Kings who were Gods On the other side stood the images of the Priests according to the life that every one had liv'd The Priests rehearsing them and shewing every one of their Statues til they had shown them all affirm'd That every one of them was says Herodotus the son of a Priest deceased The Priests told that the time that those Kings had reign'd was ten thousand three hundred and forty years In which time they affirm'd that no God had reign'd in humane shape in Egypt But in relating these and the like stories Herodotus very warily provides in the said Euterpe And these things sayes he the Egyptians affirm that they know upon continual account and setting down the years By which records it's plain how trustie and conscientious Chronologers the Egyptians were and how conscientious a Writer of the Egyptian affaires Herodotus was who was so cautions in these relations And grant that Plato though call'd Divine did mix his Philosophy with a great many Fables Shall we think therefore that the History which Critias in his Dialogue call'd Timaeus relates a matter of fact not opinion is a fable And which Critias by all probable reasons did demonstrate to be true and certain as having learned by a continued tenor of tradition he from his Father his Father from his Granfather Critias his Grandfather Critias from his great Grandfather Dropidas and Dropidas himself from Solon his acquaintance He related that an antient Egyptian Priest mocked Solon who told him of the antient acts of his Athenians of Phoroneus and Niobe before the flood of Deucalion and Pyrrha after the flood That this Priest I say laught at these Histories which Solon related as of great authority and antiquity as if they had been boyish tales First because he had mentioned but one flood there having been many more before Next that he had not known the most famous of his ancestors That he had no knowledge of another Athens the most antient which had stood before the Flood which had destroyed them Nor had not heard of those famous enterprises and glorious actions which those Athenians had perform'd ten thousand years before the flood At which time an innumerable company of most fierce Warriers had invaded Egypt and Greece and all that was within Hercules pillars Against all whom the only valour of the Citizens of Athens amongst all Nations was only then shown The same History is cited likewise in Arnobius a Writer of a very high spirit where writing for the Christians against the Pagan Gentiles he uses these words We were the cause sayes he that ten thousand years ago a great Army of men came from the Atlantick Islands as Plato relates and destroyed a great many Cities Let us return to Solon He wonder'd at the relation of the Egyptian Nor did he doubt of those things he had heard because he had occasion to inquire of those things seriously and diligently at the Fountain head in the Histories of the Egyptians which were of indubitable truth which they reserv'd so sacred in their Temples in their holy Bibliotheicks which they entituled the Medicine of the mind as the Library of the most antient King of Egypt Osimandius was styled Solon believed before that the floud of Deucalion was the most antient and taken out of the most over-worn records and believ'd that there was nothing known before it He wonder'd at the Egyptian History which he found had surpassed that long in extent of time Nor did Solon reject that jeer of the Egyptian Priest in which he call'd him and all the Grecians children in the knowledge of History he knowing very well that neither Solon nor any other Grecian knew any thing of true antiquity For so soon as Solon return'd to Athens being convicted of his error and certainly perswaded of the truth of these things he had heard in Egypt made Verses in the commendation of those gallant men that had performed so valiant actions ten thousand years ago before Deucalions flood Certainly it were great madnesse to affirm that the Gentiles ever had any other knowledge of God than that which they might gain by the things which are visible in the creation The invisible things of that true God were first reveal'd to the Jews to whom God first manifested and declar'd himself to them first in Adam and afterwards in the rest of the Patriarchs of the Jews This God was hid and conceal'd from the Gentiles as was the Altar in Athenâ— dedicated to the unknown God The Gentiles were blind in the knowledge of the true God But who caâ— say that they were blind in the knowledge of thâ— world and of those things that were cone in the world In Divinity they were blind but who will deny but that in humane affairs they were clear-sighted The Lord himself says The sons of this age are wiser than the sons of light in their own generation Lu. 16. In which place the sons of this age are the Gentiles the sons of light are meant by the Jews In which signification we see Israel call'd A light of them that were in darkness Rom. 2. As likewise St. Stephen in the 7th of the Acts commends the wisdom of the Egyptians Nor did he think that all their humane knowledge was lies Therefore the sons of this age the Gentiles were clearer sighted and wiser than the Jews who were the sons of light not in the knowledge of God but in their generation sayes the Lord that is in things which rellish'd of the deduction and kinred of the Gentiles of their own creation which belong'd to the History of the world the nature of men
and many other such things as were able to tyre one who would rehearse them These antient Priests esteemed Man to be best compos'd of all creatures and therefore that he was called the Microcosm as participating of the creation of all things And therefore that some by Saturn become sullen others by Jove are mirthful some are red-colour'd by Sol others Iascivious by Venus some are cheaters by Mercury some imperfect by Luna Nay that some bray like Asses â—ome like Dogs others like Swine others ravenous like Lions some like Doves others like Serpents according to the various dispositions similitudes and sympathies of participation which men have been said to have with all things created But likewise the Scripture hath taught us that Spirits have profess'd the pleasures of men have been given to men to some lying spirits to some sleeping spirits to others spirits of giddiness then that there are cozening seducing and lying spirits it appears because Christ warns his disciples that they should trust no spirit yea and rebuk'd them because they knew not by what spirit they were led And it is likewise witnessed in the Gospel that the mother-in-law of St. Peter was troubled with a feverish spirit Who will wonder then that men being left by God after their creation in their own power and turn'd over to so many Spirits Gods and Lords who set them a work did appoint and worship so many several sorts of Gods under so many divers shapes of things created if he consider the almost innumerable affinities and sympathies which men are found to have with these Spirits Gods and Lords as also with all things created in heaven and in earth God abborr'd those Spirits and Gods fallen off from the uprightness and perfection of their creation to their own changeable condition with such an abomination as the most upright and best must needs hate that which is evil and wicked Therefore you shall hear these Gods in Scripture call'd wicked Spirits wickednesses spirits of error evil spirits and very evil spirits as in that 9th Chapter of the Judges God sent a very evil spirit betwixt Sichem and Abimelech call'd likewise vain and lying spirits curses deceitfull Idols abominations uncleannesses pollutions whorings dung the sleep and the anger of the Lord as is that in Samuel 1. chap. 26. The sleep of the Lord had fallen upon Saul and his people The sleep of the Lord is the same in this place with the evil spirit from the Lord in the 16 Chapter of the same Book where you shall read that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him Such also is that Sam. 2. Chap. 24. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel which the first Book of the Chronicles speaking of the same thing expresses in these words And Satan rose up against Israel where Satan is the same with the anger of the Lord or anger from the Lord. As also the holy Scriptures are clear witnesses that those Spirits Gods and Lords by the Law of their creation which is changeable and corruptible are mortal and that they are condemned to eternal death where wicked and perverse men are called The sons of Belial Sam. 1. Chap. 2. As also Nabal a perverse man is branded with that name in the same book Chap. 25. As also the same son of Belial is called The sonne of death Sam. 2. Chap. 12. And in the same Book Cha. 23. the flouds of death are called the flouds of Belial where David says in his Song The pangs of death compast me about the flouds of Belial made me afraid In which places Belial is not only called mortal but mortality it self for being Prince of all Spirits which were his ministers both mortal and condâ—mned to a death from whence there is no resurrection Who will not believe that those Spirits are destined to eternal death since God himself hath said that at that latter judgement of all corruptible things they shall be condemned and cast with the Reprobates into eternal fire CHAP. VIII Men being misled by evil spirits fell from their right estate wherein they were created into the wickedness of their own nature Being restor'd by the Spirit of Regeneratinn who only proceeds from God they know God whom flesh and blood knows not They obtain holiness which they could not have in their first creation and recompence their natural death with a supernatural immortality THe Apostle deduces the stain of all sins which overthrew men chiefly from this Chap. 1 Epist to the Romans because they had left God the Creator and had given themselves over to those Gods Lords and unclean Spirits Hence their minds were blinded and given over to their own lusts were set on fire with wicked and unlawful desires contrary to nature and so receiv'd in themselves the rewards of their sin and thence open'd such a wide door to wickedness and filthiness that at last they fell into all manner of sin And as they preferr'd their own lust to the knowledge of God so on the contrary he gave them up to a reprobate sense that being men they should doe things not beseeming men Hence they became evil wicked fornicators avaricious given to lewdness full of envy and blood brawlers deceitfull despightfull whisperers back-biters hatefull to God contumelious proud arrogant inventers of wickedness disobedient to Parents foolish madd without affection truth or compassion Truly men being misled by those Spirits being thrust forward by the violence of their own appetite according to the affection and sympathie which they have with those Spirits I say men oprest with the weight of their own sin and drownd in sticking clay might have despaird of any salvation nor ever have pluckt out their feet for thence if God had not helped them and stretched out his powerful hands from heaven to draw theÌ„ thence But God was not of that mind as most men are who rid an unhappy person from his present calamity and are never sollicitous afterwards to advance their condition God dealt better and more freely with men first he wash'd them drawn out of the puddle with his own living waters then advanc'd them being now clean and white by his own free merit and lastly from their foul wallowings receiv'd them into the glory of heaven and made them partakers of divine knowledge sanctity and immortality which is in his most happy vision And this he did by vertue and force of that Spirit which is of God and who is God himself by a second and new creation out of his own free will largeness of his bounty abundance of his love and meer grace which therefore is call'd the gift of God and his only free grace Therfore let all those who desire to know themselves here make a stand and endeavour to be free in their thanks to God Let them tast and see how sweet the Lord is Let them remember by how great mercies beyond their desert he has
the whole Sea betwixt a grain of sand and all the sand in the shore For a drop of water and the whole Sea are things omogeneal as also a grain of Sand and the whole shore as also these are here compared according to their habitude of number and measure by which they have relation one to another But there can be no proportion betwixt a thousand years which is a body of years and a Homogeneous body These are likewise compared together according to the habitude of number and measure which have relation one to another but there can be no proportion betwixt the eternity of God and a thousand years because they are of different kinds A thousand years and that pure eternity are of several kinds because that eternity consists not of years nor is compounded of ages or times and they cannot be compared according to their habitudes and measures for they have none common to both The things which I mentioned before of the beginnings of things and of the creation of the world from eternity out of Diodorus agree very well wiâ—h these testimonies of holy Scripture That the ancient Physiologists and Historians did believe that the world was eternal as also affirm'd that men were from eternity which Diodorus peaking of the Chaldeans expounds thus That they believed that the world was eternal having no certain determinate beginning for they did not deny the beginning of the world but thought it unknown and uncertain according to that of Ecclesiasticus There is no remembrance of former things That eternity was uncertain and undeterminate Wherefore in the Bible eternity is often undeterminate As it is read Genesis 6. My spirit shall not contend with man always Eternity in that place is long after undeterminâ—d which appears by what follows And his days shall be a hundred and twenty years For God determined here the age of man a hundred and twenty years which before was far longer and undetermined so it is to be understood of that servant whose ear his Master pierced with an Awl Deut. 5. He shall seâ—ve thee for ever that is undeterminately and so long as he liâ—es I passe by a great many places of this same sorâ— Let it therefore be taken for good that the creation of the world which is said from eternity by the authority of both Testaments could by no means be undersâ—ood since Adam was made according to the definition of both ages Whether you call eternity which is reckoned from many ages and times Or whether you understand it indefinitely or undeterminatly For it is known that the time betwixt â—s and Adam is within account For the times from Adam are of a known period without the account of ages Besides there is a great deal of difference betwixt those things that preceeded the beginning of all things and those things which were before 〈◊〉 Adam Of these there is neither mention nor knowledge Of the other there is certain knowledge and memory CHAP. XIII Of the ages of creatures describâ—d by Hesiod and Ausonius Why the Histories of the first men were not known Out of Plato By the change of the Epoche The Aboriginal Nations of the world are not known I Often have wondred at the ages of creatures which Hesiod relates That the just age of a man is Ninety six The age of a Crow eight hundred and sixty four The age of a Hart three thousand three hundred and fifty six The Rooks ten thousand three hundred and sixty eight The Phoenixes ninety three thousand three hundred and twelve The Nymphs live Nine hundred thirty three thousand a hundred and twenty For he put those very ages into a Verse from a tradition far more antient as we may conjecture than Hesiod There Hesiod was antienter than Ausonius who since that time a long while did translate them in Latine Verses But Plinie thinks that but a Fable which he writes concerning the Phoenix and the Nymphs Well grant they bee fabulous notwitstanding it appears by this that Hesiod receiv'd them of a fabulous and most ancient tradition I say from that tradition which had set down the ages of Crows Harts and Rooks of which the Antients doubted not and which they could not affirm the certainty of without many and frequent experiments Neither had Hesiod a most learned and elegant old Poet vouchsaf'd to have describ'd such idle stories in such excellent Verses nor Ausonius after him a sweet and acute Poet translated them if both of them had thought that the beginning of things was to be reckon'd from Adam from whom to Hâ—siod there was not as yet passed the age of an Hart. Those Poets set down such ages such bounds to the lives of Beasts but thought that God the Judge of eternity knew all other ages namely that of the world heaven and stars Of eternity I say which in that place Ausonius sets down as a secret and known to God alone The knowledge of those eternal ages which were from the beginning was hid from men according to that decree by which he has hindred men to know all things and through which he thought it fit in his wisdom that they should be ignorant of the dispensations of time According to that of the Lord when he was ascending to heaven It is not for you to know the times which the father has put in his own power Acts. ch 1. The Egyptians according to Plato ascrib'd the cause of this ignorance to the several destructions of men of which the greatest were by fire and water the lesser by many other several ways They said in some long tract of time there were some changes and differences of things in motion both in heaven earth in some long tract of time Whence higher Countries either were consum'd with too much fire or the lower drown'd by too large effusion of showrs But the Egyptians were free from fire and floud Nile saving them from fire And such was the temper of their climate that no showr from above had ever water'd them or ever should Nor were they water'd at any time with any other water than which either flow'd over from Nilus or sprung out of the bowels of the earth And for that cause being not much subject to fire nor overwhelm'd with water some men were always preserv'd with them sometimes more sometimes lesse but never a general desolation For which reasons they reserâ—'d alone the most antient Records And that both their own actions and the actions of other Nations which were memorable were diligently set down and written in the Records kept in their Temples That the Greeks and other Nations either by Plagues sent down from heaven or being desâ—royed either by water or fire in certain space of time had lost both letters and knowledge and enter'd as it were again into their childhood beginning at their Alphabet nor knew what had been at home or abroad but through a cloud and by hear-say Therefore they believe that the head of all