admitteth no companion in equality of perfection And euery man and creature is so much more indebted and religed to him then to any inferiour agent parent Prince or potentate to whome we yeeld reuerence for benefits receaued by how much his infinit greatnesse and perfection exceedeth any limited and depending thing and by how much euery effecte is more beholding to the first and vniuersall cause without which absolutely it cannot be then to any secondary and particuler worker without which by the power of the former absolutely it may bee produced But if sence and experience may not bee admitted with these sensuall and beastlie men if no reason can haue allowance with such vnreasonable mindes and all naturall arguments demonstrations and daily experiments must be condemned with such vnnatural monsters if we should grant them al they can demande with so many impossibilities in ordinary connaturall things that inferiour causes could worke without dependance assistance of the superiour that no creature is depending either in essence or opperation that there is no first principall cause that chance and fortune which can be nothing but the accidentary concourse or effect of inferiour causes made all thinges and whatsoeuer impossibility any foolish and franticke braine can imagine to excuse their wicked and lasciuious liues Yet thousands of effects which haue beene and coulde not be by the production of any created cause must needes condemne them For all nations and people in the world Christians Iewes Mahumetanes Pagans and all estates of men haue prooued and must and doe acknowledge that infinite miraculous and supernaturall operations haue beene wrought which no limited power with all the coniunctions inclinations aspects constellations either of celestiall elementary or compounded thinges which they can deuise coulde possibly doe hauing no potentiality in them to effecte the meanest of those strange and meruailous operations onely able to be produced by an omnipotent and infinite agent And further to shewe an absolute dominion ouer all creatures to resist and restraine the most vsuall and naturall habilities of all inferiour causes as the most mooueable heauēs that they did not mooue but stand as it were amazed at so great a maiestie that the greatest planets which could be commanded of no inferiour agent haue changed their course and order The highest and ascending Element of fire hath descended euen to punnish the Irreligious The Aire hath denyed respiration to creatures The Waters in most huge quantities haue ascended against their natural propēsity to dtowne both particuler countries and the whole world in the generall inundation The whole earth hath trembled and all the firmaments and foundations of the world haue bin mooued at the pleasure of their Creator which no creature nor al creatures togither could effect yet all countries peoples and estates are witnesses to these thinges Thus we see all testimonies crie out there is a God infinite omnipotent and independing which hath effected these thinges This is the euidence of all creatures all nations and kingdomes all estates and degrees of men Patriarkes Prophets Priestes Kings Rulers Princes Philosophers Christians Iewes Mahumetanes Pagans al Rabbynes Doctors Sybilles Flamens Arch-flamens Calyphes Brachmans al that can be cyted for authority agree in this that there is a God This is the sentence vniforme consent of them all that disagree so much about his nature and religion in particuler Al good men allowe of this this all impious and wicked haue confessed except perhaps some fewe priuate men in so many generations times of the world which drowned in all licentious liuing haue to excuse their impieties rather wished it in will then affirmed in iudgement and those also when they came to death and miseries as I cited before acknowledged it And to conclude against barbarous and absurde people with absurdities if there is no firste omnipotent and most excellent cause then no religion which is onely due to so great a maiesty is to be rendred Then all nations and people of the worlde in all generations and so many thowsands of yeares that euer professed it were fooles and one Lucretius that liued and dyed mad or any particuler and beastly man that to tumble in filthinesse would wish so vnpossible a thing is only wise and holy If there is no first absolute and independing cause no operation can be effected nothing is now done nothing can be brought to passe hereafter because depending causes cannot worke without assistance so there neither is or can be any change alteration generation or corruption in the worlde but all thinges must needes returne to nothing If there is no God first and illimited cause to haue created the worlde there is no science knowledge or facultye in the worlde there neither is was or can be any creature or the least effecte because none of these limited and depending thinges coulde by any possibility bee of it selfe or any other depending cause And a thousand such impossible absurdities which follow this most blasphemous and sacriledgeous assertion there is no GOD if any barbarous and beastlie mouth durst be so impudent to pronounce it But this will bee more manifest in many chapters the whole treatise following to the confusion of al enemies to true Religion For which cause as also that I hope no man can be so vnreasonably blasphemous to make it a doubt I passe it ouer more brieflie in this place THE NECESSITY OF A DIuine prouidence towards man and other creatures ordeyned for him and his duety to render Reuerence and Religion ¶ CHAP. III. BVT to preuent the prophane and blasphemous excuses of this impious generation accusing the infinit wisdome of God of folly challenging his incomprehensible goodnes of improuidence If by impossibility thinges could be effected caused without any cause which nature generally reacheth for a most euident contradiction yet nothing coulde endure or be preserued without the prouidence and protection of an independing cause For duration and perseuerance of second causes is no lesse depending then their first creatiō Then how doth that infinit number of things which this worlde possesseth endure without corruption How can so many and diuers creatures not only wanting iudgment and reason for their rule and direction but all sense and life obtayne their endes and remayne in order so infallibly as they doe When by reason we knowe nothing wanting reason can make comparison conferre past present and future times and things iudge and discerne what is danger what is not what euill to be auoided what good and to be followed or by any possibility either knowe prosecure or imbrace that order and ende whereunto it is ordeyned And yet the certaine orderly and indefectiue motions of Heauens operations of Elements concourse of causes and workes of all inferiour and compounded creatures sensitiue vegetiue and such as haue neither reason sence or vegetation vtterly vnable to order and direct themselues giue testemony they are guided
liuinge as wantynge lyfe all remayninge in that order in whiche they were created and effecting those offices to which they were ordayned and neuer varying froÌ„ that dutie which is the greatest homage and religion such things can shewe and that which the Prophets Dauid and Daniell call the worship and reuerence of God because in this dutifull obedience their dependancy is witnessed and the glory and honour of God proposed to be remembred reuereÌ„ced of intellectuall and reasonable meÌ„ And Daniel making a recapitulation of the dutie of all creatures to their Creator expressing that to which they are obliged by nature after he had recounted the celestiall and intellectuall spirits and the dutie of Israell the chosen of God his Priests seruants spirits and soules of the iust religions men and parriculer persons deuoted to him how they must worship and reuerence their Creator he inciteth all inferior creatures to the same or rather man so perfect and excellent a worke of God by the exemplar obedience of inferior things Where he numbreth the Heauens Sun Moone Stars and all celestiall bodies benedicerie laudare superexaltare eum in secula to blesse praise and exalte him for euer And not onely those celestiall and more perfecte bodies but inferiour creatures as the Elements Fire Aire Water Earth Mountaynes Hilles Seas Riuers Fishes Foules Beastes and other meane and meteorologicall thinges Rayne Dewe Frostes Yse Snowe Lightnings Thunders Clowdes Day Night Light Heate Colde that which is nothing but only a priuation as Darknes the like which blesse praise and exalte him without intermission rendring reuerence and honour vnto him as euerie man daylie expecienceth they doe and shoulde be as violent and portentious a thing for the meanest of them not to performe as the Sunne to loose his light the Earth to bee vnstable or any other deformity that can be in nature Then howe much more rebellious and traiterous is the neglecte of dooing that duty in man by so many titles more â—â—debted to his Creator then any of those creatures which were all prouided for his vse and necessity to shew this religious obedience 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 if he should not onlie 〈◊〉 to doe it but denie it to be done as Atheists and impious Nullifidians doe THE EXTRAORDINARY AND strange punishements inflicted vpon the Irreligious and rebellion of all creatures againste them for that cause ¶ CHAP. X. YEa the Irreligion and dutilesse behauior of man is so vnnaturallie that all those creatures which were ordayned to be his seruants and so vnuariable reuerence theyr maker that it were a prodigeous thinge for them not to doe it yet to shewe the greatnes of Mans obligation more then theirs how often haue they forsaken theyr naturall institution at the disobedieâ—â—e of Irreligious men to testifie the gâ—â—atnes of their iniquities vngratfulnes to their Creator prouing thereby it is more monstrous for man to deny worship religion vnto God then for the earth not to suport vs the aire to refresh vs the fire to comfort vs and all other creatures to deny their naturall operations So in the first creatioÌ„ for the IrreligioÌ„ of Adam our progenitor the earth all creatures ouer which God had giuen him full dominioÌ„ in his state of obedieÌ„ce rebelled against him In the daies of Noe when the irreligeous world would not be obedient vnto God the Element of water miraculouslie asceÌ„ded ouer the whole globe of the earth 15. cubites higher theÌ„ the highest mountaine least any thinge should be preserued from destruction only the religious family of Noe and such creatures as hee had gathered together were miraculouslie preserued witnessed not only in holy Scriptures but in diuers Pagan and other authors Hieronimus Aegiptius Mnaseas Damascenus Iosephus AlexaÌ„der Polihistor Melon Eupolemus others proued by diuers effectes which coulde proceed of no other cause How stranglie did God punish the irreligious builders of the tower of Babel confouÌ„ded theÌ„ so that no maÌ„ vnderstod what was spokeÌ„ by others which besides the holy Scriptures Iosephus Sibils and other witnesse and the diuersities of tongues to this day otherwise without originall are euidence At which time and in punishment of which irreligious offence so many monsters in humane nature were produced a great scandal to this Epicurish schoole when it is manifest they were broughte forth to be a memoriall and euerduring penance to mankinde for the same iniquitie and Irreligion they defende this was the beginning of the Monoclists Hermophrodites Acephalists Pigmes Giants Sciopedes Cinocephalists and others whose shapes punnishments of Irreligion are rather to be concealed then vttered onely heareby is euident howe monstrous Irreligion is which is repayed with so monstrous penalties Howe did God in the time of Abraham miraculouslie cause the fire against the naturall propensitie to descende destroy all the irreligious people of Sodome and those Cities preseruing the house and familie of religious Loth as both Scriptures other writers the Piller of Salt into which the incredulous wife of Loth was turned which Iosephus had seene and other monuments are recorde In the daies of Moyses when Pharao and his irreligious Egiptians woulde not permit the Israelites to worship God and exercise Religion the same water which miraculouslie before had giuen passage to the Religious people drowned King Pharao and his huge army of prophane Infidels The base and meane creatures of Frogs Ciniphes Flies Locustes and such as are engendred of vile corruption and the verie Meteors themselues that haue no life as Haile Thunder and Lightnings yea Darknesse which of it selfe is nothing and onlie a priuation of an accident and qualitie of light so fought against him that hee and all Egipt were enforced to yeelde and acknowledge their Irreligion and disobedience In the schismaticall and irreligious Rebellion of Chore Dathan and Abiron and thier confederates the Earth the most firme and stable Element prouided of God for mans supportation was opened and deuoured them S. Augustine Orosius are witnesses that in the irreligious times of the idolatrous Italians about 70. yeares before Christ the very domesticall and tamest creatures vsed for the seruice of men rebelled against them and affirme that their verie Dogges Horses Oxen Asses and other creatures moste at the commaunde of man sodainely became wilde ranne from their owners wandring vppe and downe vvith such fiercenesse and contempt to their former Masters and all men that no man durst or coulde approach them without daunger Such prodigious euents appeared against irreligious people at other times What supernaturall eclipse of the Sunne trembling of the Earth and renting of moste harde and solide Rockes cryed out againste the inhumane and barbarous irreligion of the Iewes and Gentiles at the death of Christ The earth quaked at such extraordinarye motion that as the Pagan wrighters affirme in Asia so farre distant twelue Cities were ouerthrowne in such order that Tiberius
Patriarches and Prophets accompaning the soule to heauen as S. Anthony the great did see and witnesse whose sanctity and Religion likewise were such that the verye Diuelles themselues troubled at his verie name What visions of Angels lights from heauen and miraculous apparitions recorded in irreprooueable Authors chauncing in the sight of whole Townes and Countries haue approoued the Religion and pietie of S. Benedect the Abbot Geruasius Protasius S. Dominicke and thousands in sorreigne Countries S. Cuthbert S. Dunston S. Oswalde S. Suitbert Edithe Ethelderd and others in England The Religion of S. Leo Pope of Rome violented Attila that outragious Infidell sirnamed the Whip of God in his greatest furie to recall his armie from inuading Italy to the wonder of all his souldiours A vessell of boyling Lead Rosin and Pitch woulde not hurt the bodies of S. Vitus Modestus and Crescentia and the Lyon prepared to consume them fell downe and licked their feete wherupon Diocletian the Emperor causing them to be torne in peeces the verye insensible creatures wrought reuengement for thundrings lightnings and earthquakes oppressed their ennemies and ouerthrewe their idolatrous Temples At the comming of Christ besides those homages offices of al creatures both in heauen earth done vnto him and recorded by the holy Euangelists the Pagans themselues and other writers are witnesses that a miraculous circle compassed the Sun in the viewe of all the Romanes and after the same appeared in 3. circles one being enuironed with a fiery Garland Three Suns were seene to shine at one time in the firmament and to vnite themselues togither in one The high and great trees as hee trauailed from place to place miraculouslie burned themselues to the ground and reuerenced him And at Rome a spring flowed with oile a whole day togither when Christ our annoynted vvas borne And infinite more myracles of the submission and obedience of his creatures vnto him are recorded both in ecclesiastacall and prophane Authors where we may reade the like allegeance and dutie performed to his holy Saints and religious seruants but these are sufficient for this purpose and able to giue answere to the carnall imagination of any irreligious Politicke or Epicure which like beasts only mooued with corporall and sensible delights are often scandalized to see the impious and wicked sometimes exalted to honour and religious innocents oppressed with miseries For that honourable testimonie which God hath so often and strangely giuen for the glorie of his Saints and religious friends at such times as they were most oppressed in reproofe and condemnation of the impious their persecutors so much exalteth the glory and honor of the religious oppressed aboue the deceitfull happinesse of the other by howe much the testemonie and glory which is giuen of God is greater then the witnesse which is brought and honour that is desired of a carnall beastly man And although this extraordinary glory and honour is not sensiblie bestowed vpon euery religious Saint and oppressed seruant of his in this life for so he shoulde bee onely serued for honour and temporall rewardes yet in that he hath giuen it to so many and for the same cause for which the others bee oppressed no man can call into question but honour is due and belongeth vnto all and to be rendred vnto them either in this life or after death as experience sheweth all such religious innocents are glorious honourable euen with men when they are dead and their persecutors either forgotten or remembred with dishonour And yet of al temporall dignities glory is the greatest and that which euery man most desireth THE AFFLICTIONS AND ADuersities of the Religious and godlie for which the Epicures denie Religion are a manifest proofe thereof ¶ CHAP. XII AND to preuent the carnall obiectious of this sensuall people if aduersities tribulations and crosses had not chanced to the most renowmed and temporally honoured Princes Alexanders Cesars Hannibals Scipioes and others their honour had neuer beene so great for vvhat hath nobled them so much in glorie as their patience fortitude constancie and magnanimity in suffering distresses and performing difficulte and heroicall attemptes And if their sufferinges and valiant enterprises in temporall causes vvhen they vvere probable to bee broughte to passe haue made them noble vvith men vvhat shall inuincible fortitude and vnconquerable mindes of holye Saintes in causes appertayning to God and his greatest honour and in performance whereof they were assured to loose both life and other temporall dignities deserue If this bee not the meritte of honour nothing can be named honourable or called glorious And if these sufferinges shoulde be vtterly taken away from the friendes of God in this worlde the greatest honour that is due to vertue shoulde bee wanting For take this awaie and the vertues of patience fortitude magnanimitie and others which be the deseruing causes of glory cannot be excused because they principally consist in vndergoinge aduersities and effectinge difficult thinges And the excellency of this vertue of fortitude in patiently enduring aduersities and vndergoing harde and vneasie businesse is so greate that in auncient times amonge Phylosophers it was euer accounted one of the foure cardinall vertues And it is conuenient for true Relion not to wante this tryall and state of aduersitie euen in the greateste and moste perfect men So that the moste relgious men and such as haue beene in the greatest honor and account both with God man for that cause haue tasted of both estates Iob sometimes moste vnfortunate sometimes in highest aduancementes of prosperitie S. Paul that was rapt into heauen often depressed to the gteatest miseryes and so of others and not onlie priuate men but religious Commonweales Kingedomes and Empires the examples are manifest in histories And yet no Epicure or Machauell can say that this is an obiection against Religion or disgrace to the religious friends of God which be so visited with affliction but the contrarie because those vertues be then exercised which otherwise would not And that which is the chiefe act of Religion God reuerenced honored by them in such sort as they perhaps being in prosperitie would not so well haue performed And if honor and glorie bee the greate dignities of this life the religious sufferers of affliction are so farre from miserie by enduringe callamities or afflictions that they are rather made trereby more honourable and glorious THE TEMPORALL HONOVRS and delights of the Religious were often greater and their miseries lesse then of the Irreligious ¶ CHAP. XIII BVT to satisfie the carnall and sensuall appetites and conceiptes of Irreligeous voluptuous men to whom nothing is good but Bonum delectabile that which is delightfull vnto sense lett vs passe ouer all demonstrations before alleaged and for this time esteeme nothing of so many vnspeakeable ioyes which chaunce to the religious euen at those times when these men adiudge them most vnfortunate in their state of affliction the
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
St. Paule in the lighte of nature speaketh in these wordes when the Gentiles which haue not the lawe of Moyses Christ naturally doe those thinges that are of the lawe the same not hauinge the lawe themselues are a lawe to themselues whoe shewe the worke of the lawe written in their hearts their conscience giuing testimony to them and amonge themselues their thoughts accusing or also defending And although the vnderstandinge in diuers first operations craueth aide from the imagination yet in many other noble acts thereof it is independing as in the iudgement of spirituall thinges and the vse of free will which no sence corporall organe or facultie was euer able to produce For betweene euery operation produced the cause which produceth it and the obiect and matter that is considered there must bee a due and correspondent proportion No vegetatiue power hath sence no sensitiue faculty can argue or conceaue immateriall thinges And yet we see that the vnderstanding of man is so farre from beeing wholy assisted of the body in these operations or to be hindred by separation from it that experience teacheth when it is vnited to this corruptible body the actes of the reasonable parts of the soule be more perfect by how much they are more abstracted and independing of the body as is euident in the exercises of all studyous and contemplatiue men and in some aged and decayed bodies when the soule hath lesse dependance when the vegetiue and sensitiue Organes are enfeebeled and not able so well to exercise theyr naturall operations when neyther Generation Augementation Heareinge Seeing or other such powers remaine yet often times when these thinges are nearest corruption or corrupted the Vnderstandynge and Immorrtall powers of the soule are moste perfecte expectinge a future ende and felicitie So lykewise it appeareth when wee consider that exellencye of the vnderstandinge aboue all Sensitiue Creatures howe it is ennabled not onelye to vnderstande all other things how eleuated soeuer aboue sence and imagination but to reflecte and ponder vpon it selfe and the other powers of the soule will ond memory and those also ouer themselues For not only the vnderstanding vnderstandeth and knoweth it selfe to knowe and vnderstand or that the will doth wish and desire or the memory remembreth but the will it selfe is reflected vpon it selfe willing it selfe to will and the memory aboue it selfe remembring that it did remember which is impossible for any corporall or sensible and corruptible power to doe The hearing heareth not it self to heare the foote cannot set it selfe and treade vpon it selfe and so of others The continuall combats and disagreements which the reasonable parte maintaineth against the sensible and corporall motions which is not in brute and sensitiue thinges For where all is like there can be no dislike and contention which groweth from vnlikenes and contrarietie those so often and vrgent feares of spirytuall domages belonginge to the soule and to happen after death and the hope of eternall pleasures then to be enioyed which euery man prooueth to exceede his corporall feares and bodely delights giue euidence in this case Then those so manie and Immortall Powers of the soule must haue their end and seeing the natures of thinges and their powers properties must agree be of the same order that substance of the soule which hath immortall and euer during properties and operations must be immortall for by no possibility where the subiect or substance is mortall the properties and qualities of that substance can be immortall for properties and accidents must haue some thing wherein to be subiected and receaued and those properties that be immortall an immortall subiect For properties and qualities be euer the properties of some thing to which they are belonging Therefore as those operations which the soule exerciseth only by dependance of the bodie and corporall organes as to eate to walke to growe to heare to smell and such other vegetatiue and sensible workes are an argument that soule which onely hath these works to perish with the body as the liues of Plants Herbes Birdes Beastes and Fishes doe because they wholy depend of that body which doth perish euen so the operations of the soule of man which are independing of the bodily helpe demonstratiuelie argue the separabilitie thereof and so duration for euer For that vvhich is intellectuall and spirituall cannot bee corrupted of anie corporall or naturall agent Neither hath it originall of decaye in it selfe but is altogither without contrarietie and repugnance And beeinge one simple spirituall and incompounded substance it must needes bee immortall after death and haue an euerlasting felicitie For the infinite wisedome of GOD vvhich coulde not constitute the leaste creature or doe anie thinge but to some ende hath assigned a certaine state and place vvherein euerye creature findeth center and rest where they enioye and preserue their perfection as the Element of Fire aboue the vppermost Region of the Ayre because it is highest the Ayre in his Regions as the Nature thereof requireth the heauier thinges Water and Earth in their lower elementary places and so of all other creatures and yet hitherto neuer anie man howe much soeuer beholdinge vnto nature couldâ— finde in earthly thinges a center and place of rest for the immortall appetites and faculties of his soule wherefore by no possibility his beatitude can bee in this vvorlde For although wee admitte in other creatures that all of euerye kinde obtayne not their ende yet to saie that none of anye sorte doe finde it is euidentlye vntrue Then to affirme that amonge so many millions of men so excellent creatures not one shoulde haue his ende and happinesse were to take all wisdome goodnesse and prouidence from GOD and argue him of ignorance and iniustice especially when wee often see wicked men in this worlde not onely to liue vnpunished but to bee exaulted with honor and passe their time in pleasures and the most holy and vertuous to liue in misery and to be afflicted with all aduersities which the infinite goodnesse of God woulde not doe except after death he had appointed punishment for the one and a beatificall rewarde for the other for of it owne nature vertue is honourable and sinne deserueth punishment For if there be no religion due to God but the soule of man is mortall and dieth with the body his end must be assigned in this life as it is in beastes other creatures must consist in corporal and temporal delightes Then cannot humilitie sobriety temperance abstinence patience virginity chastitie pennance prayer contemplation and other confessed vertues which be opposite enemies and a full priuation of bodely and sensuall pleasures be accounted vertues leading to a mans felicity when they directly depriue him of his supreame beatitude Or how could pride ambition oppression couetousnesse drunkennnesse theft rapine adultery and all vncleane wantonnesse of sensuality and other voluptuous sinnes bee so esteemed when they
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
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
before and at the time of the Natiuitie of Christ but euer after that Shee brought sorth Christ without any paine or griefe Saint Iohn Baptist was a moste vertuous man Saint Iohn the Euangelist the holiest that was that he reuiued the dead and did other miracles was assumpted aliue to heauē that his Gospel is full of perfect doctrine which they reuerence as also that parte of the Gospell of Saint Luke about the Angelles salutation with often kisses and much deuotion and Reuerence all the Euangelists they honour and praie to S. George and other christian Saints reuerence their Relickes and with especiall duetie the Sepulchre and other monuments of Christ Which is as great a Recorde as can bee giuen and such as demonstratiuelie proueth against them the Religion of Christians to be true and Mahumet a Seducer For how can that Religion bee vnperfect which performeth all thinges belonging to Religion bringeth mē to heauen and their happie end How can that which onlie remaineth bee insufficient When Iudaisme and Mahumetisme and al others cease will God be without honor shall the worlde giue him no worship or if he be the word of god wise dome of god as Mahumet confesseth then he must needes be God which is all hee denieth vnto him for that which is either the word wisdome or any other atribute or property of god must needes be god for in him that is one incompounded substance no created worde wisedome or accidentall thinge can bee Imagined Neyther could a true Prophet such as he confesseth Iesus bee esteemed so if hee had not beene the Sonne of GOD and perfecte God as hee taughte himselfe to be Lastlie to come to the Iewes of these tymes since Christ I haue shewed before that the chiefe and principall firmament and foundation of theyr Religion when they were the people of GOD was buylded vppon the Reuelations of such misteries as were deliuered from god to Moises their high priests and prophets neither euer had they title to true Religion or any promise or expectation of a Messias and Redeemer either come already or to be hoped hereafter but by that meanes and by that they pretende theyr right to this daie So that whatsoeuer was foretolde in those holye Prophets concerning the Messias and approuing Iesus Christ to bee him and christian beleefe to be true cannot bee denied of anye of the Ieweishe profession if he will remayne a Iewe for so he should denye himselfe to haue anie Religion at all And yet those holie Prophets so playnelie particulerlye and perfectly descrybe IESVS to haue beene the same that it is vnpossyble theyr description and prophessyes shoulde bee applyed to anie other So that as if aanye Paynter shoulde drawe an Image with an vpright Bodie an Head round vvith Face Nose twoe Eyes twoe Eares Armes vvith Fingers tvvoe Legges and feete with toes and all other members lineaments and proportions of a man who except vnreasonable or madde coulde or woulde afirme it to bee the similitude and representatiou of a beast a birde or any other creature euen so the properties qualities whereby those holie prophets moste cunning painters of supernatural things describe and purtrature forth the Messias be so proper onelie to Iesus Christ that without obstynate madnesse they cannot be challenged for any others Wee haue heard of his picture drawne by Iob already that he is our God Redeemer and shall bee our Iudge And to bee briefe in so plaine a matter the rest of of the Prophets speaking of the Messias expresse him by the tetragrammaton name of GOD which is neuer giuen in holie Scriptures as the Iewes acknowledge but to the true and eternall God they tearme him by all titles beloning vnto GOD. Calling him the sonne of God begotten in eternity before the worlde was made The Lord of Dauid That his generation is vnspeakeable that he is God and his throne eternall A Councellor Good Strong Father of the future world Prince of peace God with vs. God seene in earth God conuersing with men Iah God himselfe that shall come and saue vs. The name which they shall call him is God our iust A Captaine whose going forth is from the daies of eternity God that shall dwell in the middest of vs. God to whom many nations shall be conuerted To whome the nations and Gentiles shall be giuen for his inheritance That shal open the eies of the blind The eares of the deafe and raise the dead That all Angelles and Nations must adore him God altering the lawe of Moyses and his sacrifices and instituting an other Altar and honoured with other sacrifices and oblations That hee is God Lorde of Hostes and the like Whereby he is described and lineamented out by all prerogatiues and attributes proper to God and incommunicable to anye creature as is most euident in this description And touching his humanity nothing of momente ommitted that passed in the life of Christ Iesus in earth That though he bee God yet shall be seene among vs. Conuerse among vs in the middest of vs. Scene wich our eyes That hee shall bee conceaued after a diuine manner borne of a virgine in Bethlehem and city of King Dauid The Singing of the Angelles The comming of the Shepards the Stall of the Oxe Asse where he was borne The star that appeared The Iourny worship of the Magutheir Oblations of gold frankensence and mirh The consultation of Herod with the Priests where he shoulde be borne The seeking of his death The murdering of so many thousand Infants His presentation in the Temple flying into Egipt going into Gallilie dwelling in Nazareth the preaching and austere conuersatiō life of his precurssor S. Iohn Baptist and his testimony of Christ The beginning of Christes preaching and doctrine his wonderfull workes and operations giuen by the Prophets for a distinctiue signe of the Messias to be discerned by His disputing with the Iewes His strange and triumphant riding vpon an Asse into Hierusalem and circumstances thereof His teaching in the Temple innocencie of life and behauiour The particuler iniuries he susteyned of the Iewish Nation their ingratitude incredulity and reprobation for not receauing him the errors they are since iustlie fallen into their afflictions calamities for that offence susteyned to this day their captiuity bondage dispersion want of sacrifice priesthood temple rytes and ceremonies of Religion The election and calling of the Gentiles The general ouerthrow of Idolatry His selling and betraying by his owne Disciple The very price for which hee was folde howe it was bestowed The desperation of Iudas the traytor miserable end The death of Christ and manner thereof among theeues and malefactors the ende to redeeme the world His voluntary oblation and dying the giuing of him gall and vinegre to drinke deuiding of his aparell casting lots for his Coate his nakednes vpon the