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Concerning the Truth of Christian Religion · Philippe de Mornay

Concerning the Truth of Christian Religion, Chapter 24

The xxiiij. Chapter.

That in Israell Godds woord was the Rule of his Seruice; which is the second marke of true Religion.

NOw hauehave we séen by the former Chapters, how blind man is in matters concerning God, and his owne welfare; séeing that in sted of the true God his maker and Sauyour, he hath woorshipped not only the vilest and basest creatures, but also the verie enemyes of Gods glorie and of his owne welfare. And that ought to warne vsus the more, how néedfull this second marke that I hauehave giuenfoorth, is in religion; namely that Gods woord is the Rule of his seruice. For surely he that ouershooteth himself so farre as to take, not a Starre but the very darknesse itself for the Sonne: cannot but ouershoote himself much more in discoursing of his owne nature, course, and vertue. And lyke as hee that hath missed his way at his first settingfoorth, the more he hasteth him the more he goeth astray: so doubtlesse he that is ouerséene in the obiect of Religion, that is to say, the true God; the more he talketh of Religion and diuine seruis, the more shal he blaspheme the name of the euerlasting, and the further shall he wander away from his welfare. The heathen (as we hauehave séene) did woorship the diuell in stead of the true God; & what seruice insued thereof? Playes, Fables, Combates; which were Schooles of whoredome, of Incests and of murder; bluddie Sacrifices, and ordinarie manslaughters. If their godlynesse, were such, what might their vngoblynes bee? These extreme mischeeues made some to suspect that there was an abuse. But what did that auayle them? One sort sayd, séeing that Religion consisteth in such things, it were méete to bee banished quite out of the World: and thereof sprang the Schoole of Epicurus: and that is a falling from one breakenecke too another. A…othersort sacrificed as the common people did; and hil… opinion in their harts with yt wysest sort. Such were Aristotle, Cicero and others; of whom the former be…ueathed a Sacrifice to Ceres by his last will; and the other celebrated the shameful feasts of the Goddesse Flora. What els is this, than a mocking of God, a deceyuing of folke of set purpose, and a betraying of their owne saluation? There hauehave bin some feaw who in their wrytings hauehave let slippe some woords ageinst such vngodlynes, and hauehave taught that there is but only one God, and that hée was not serued with such Ceremonies. But when they come too giuegive a rule of Religion, at what poynt are they? One speaks one thing and another another, eueryevery man after his owne fancie. They dispute and crie out one ageinst another too ouerthrowe one another. But if ye take the whottest of them aside, & let them coole theiheate a little; they will tel you that they be scarce sure of that which they assure you; and that they be but the opinions of men, and therefore are disputable on both sides; only they think they find more likelihod of truth in their owne, than in the opinion of their aduersaries. To be short, among all the things which the wisemen of the world hauehave written here and there of the seruice of GOD, ye may hap to finde some one good saying in a hundred yeres, and fome one other in another hundred: but when ye hauehave gathered them all together as diligently as ye can, yet shall ye not bee able to make of them neither Rules, nor Grounds, nor scarcely good Problemes. So greatly is man by his corruption, both blinded in things concerning God, and rechelesse in things that concerne his own welfare. Yet is it sooth (and so hauehave we proued,) that God hath set man in this world to serue GOD his Creator; and that Seruice we call Religion. Wherevpon it followeth, that euen since the first tyme that there was any man in the world, there hath also bin Religion. For the duetie which man oweth vntounto GOD, is of the same date that man himselfe is; and the duetie which he oweth vntounto God, is true godlinesse and Religion. Againe, Religion could not bee the inuention of Man: for the inuention of men tending to their owne pleasure or profite, procéed from ground to ground, from principle to principle, and from experience to experience, and at the first are rude, and afterward are polished, not by the same man that found them out, but most commonly a hundred yéere or twaine after: whereas Religion (that is to say, mans duetie towards God) was not so much instituted as bred with man, for his owne welfare and for the glorie of God. The thing (say I) without the which, God should not hauehave made man, and man might hauehave bene sorie that he had bene made; ought (euen at the first beginning) to be perfect and fully accomplished to his end: which thing Religion could not be, if it were deuised by mans brayne, considering that after his fall he was striken with ignorance in his wit, and with frowardnesse and leaudnesse in his will. Néedes therefore must it be, that the rule of Gods seruice was giuen to man by God himselfe, who alonly is able to vtter his owne will,What and where the true Religion is. to make rules of his seruice, and to tell vsus what things doe please him. Now, true Religion is the true seruice of the true God: and the true God (as I hauehave proued alreadie) was not knowne in old tyme elsewhere than in Israell. As for the Gods of the Gentiles, they were Deuils, and consequently their Oracles were the worde of Deuils. Wherevpon it followeth that there is no seeking for the true seruice of GOD and for the true word of God, but onelyonly among the people of Israell; yea and that it must of necessitie also be found there. For seeing that of necessitie there must néedes bee a Religion; and that in Religion there must néedes bee a rule procéeding from GOD, according to which rule God will be serued; and that God was serued in Israell and no where els: The Rule which we seeke must néedes be found in Israell too. For as it is vnpossible that it should be elsewhere, because the true God was not anywhere els: so is it not possible that it should not bee there, forasmuch as there was one there, and that the true God also was there. Now therefore, the people of Israell had alwaies certeine bookes which we call the Byble or old Testament, which bookes they reuerenced and followed as the very word of GOD, whereby he hath shewed vntounto men after what maner he will bee serued and worshipped. And those bookes hauehave bene kept continually from tyme to tyme, euen since ye creation of the world: and they hauehave bene of such authoritie among the true Israelites, that they beléeued not any other bookes, and for the maintenauce of them hauehave indured warres, oppressions, banishments, remouings, deaths, and slaughters; which are such things as are not to bee found among other Nations, notwithstanding that the Lawmakers of other Nations, in giuing them their lawes, made them beléeue that they procéeded from the Gods, because it was a thing as good as graunted among al men, that the setting doune of rules for Religion and for mans Soulehealth, belōged only vntounto God. And therefore wee might well gather this conclusion, whereof the premises are proued heretofore; That there is but one true God, one true Religion, one true Rule of seruing God, reuealed by and from the true God. And that this true God was not knowne and worshipped elswhere than among the people of Israell. Unto Israell then was the sayd word reuealed, and that word must néedes be the Byble or olde Testament, whereby the Israelites were taught the seruice of God. But forasmuch as wee hauehave to doe with folke that will sooner be driuen to silence by arguments, than perswaded by reason to beléeue, as though it stoode God on hand to perswade them for his honor, and not them to beléeue for their own welfare: I will by the Readers leaue, set forth this matter at large.

First of all,Marks whereby to discerne Gods word. forasmuch as there is a Seruice of God to bée had; and that seruice should rather bée a misseruice than a Seruice, if it were not according to his will; and his will cannot be conceiued of vsus by coniectures, but must be manifested vntounto vsus by his word; I aske them vponupon their conscience, if they were to discerne that word from all others, by what markes they would knowe it, that they might not be deceiued! This word (say I) is the rule of Gods seruice and the way of welfare. Unto this seruice is man bound from his very creation, and it is the marke whereat hee ought to shoote from his very birth. Will it not then bee one good marke of this word, if it be auncienter than all other Lawes and Rules, than all other words, than all inuentions of man? And will it not be another good marke, if it tend to none other end, than the glorifying of God and the sauing of mankind? If (say I) it withdrawe man from all other things to leade him to God, and to turne him out of all bypathes? how great pleasure so euer there be in them, to leade him to saluation? Nay I say yet more, If we find things in the Scripture which no Creature could euer hauehave foretold or spoken; things which could neuer hauehave come into any mans mind; things not onelyonly aboue but also against our nature; Will any man bee so wilfull and so very an enemy to his owne welfare, as not to yéeld and agrée, when he seeth both the hand, the signe, and the Seale of God? In déede I vndertake a matter beyond my abilitie; but yet the higher it is, the more will GOD ayde mee with his grace. And first of all,That the Byis of more antiquitie then all other writings. forasmuch as the worlde was made for man, and man for God; and man could neuer be without true Religion, nor true Religion without the word of God: I demaund of the great Nations and florishing kingdomes that hauehave giuen Lawes to all the world, and among whom the liberall sciences, artes, and learning hauehave bene most renowmed; whither any one of them is to be found that hath had a Lawe set downe in writing, concerning the true Seruice of the true God? Yea or one worde either right or wrong that hath bin beléeued to procéede from him, I meane from the only one euerlasting GOD the maker of Heauen and Earth? Also I demaund of them whither among the Assyrians, Persians, Greekes, and Romanes, a man shall find an Historie of Religion deduced from the first beginning of the world, and continued so on from tyme to tyme, and from age to age? And on the contrarie part, whether there be any Heathen man which is not driuen to confesse, that the very latest writer of our Byble, is of more antiquitie than the auncientest authors that are renoumed among the Gentiles? And whether that little which the Gentiles hauehave learned concerning God be not borowed from other men; and finally whether in matters of religion, they hauehave not walked by groping, without light and without any direction? This matter is handled at large by diuers auncient writers. Neuerthelesse, for the ease of them which cannot reade them all, I will gather them here together in feawe words.

The Byble beginning at the creation of the world & of man, leadeth vsus from tyme to tyme, and from Father to Sonne, euen vntounto Christ. It deliuereth vsus a diuision of men into Gentiles and Israelites, into Idolaters and true worshippers of the Souereine God; and their comming togither ageine into one after a certeine time, and by a meane appoynted euerlastingly to that end by God. And the writers thereof are Moyses, Iosua, the Chronicles of the Iudges and Kings, the Prophetes eueryevery of them in his time, Daniell, Nehemias, and Esdras; of whome euen these latest were about thrée thousand and sixehundred yéeres after the creation, and yet were they afore any Chronicles of the worlde were in the residue of the world. I desire all the Antiquaries of this time, which make so greate account of the antiquitie of the Greekes and Romanes, or of an old Coyne, or of a whetherbeaten Piller, or of a halfeaten Epitaphe, what find they like vntounto that? Esdras is the latest in the Canon of the Hebrewe writers, and yet liued he afore the tyme that Socrates taught in Athens. And what rule of Religion was there among the Greekes of his tyme, who condemned him for speaking of the onelyonly one GOD? At the same tyme were Pythagoras, Thales, Xenophanes, and the seuen Sages which hauehave borne so great fame in Greece, who in their whole life tyme hauehave sayd some good words concerning maners, and conuersation among men, but as for God, they hauehave spoken nothing of him but dreamingly, nor deemed of him, but ouerthwartly, nor knowen aught of him but that little which they learned of the AEgiptians. Thither went Orpheus, Homere, Lycurgus, Solon, Pythagoras, Plato, Heraclitus, Democrates, Thales, Oenopis, and the residue of them to schole, as they them selues doe highly boast in their Bookes. And what learned they there but Superstition, as I hauehave shewed afore? And what els then could they bring into Greece? And what might their ignorance be, séeing they were counted wise so good cheape? Of the same date are the lawes of Solon in Athens, and (anon after) of the twelue Tables at Rome, which the Romaines sent to seeke in Greece by the aduyce of one Hermotimus an Ephesian. Cicero in his second booke of the Ends of things.As touching GOD and his seruice, which should be the ground of all good lawes, scarce was there one word of very Iustice in déede, further than peculiar interest required, which was very little. But shall we seeke the lawe of godlines at the hand of the Greekes and Romaines, Aulus Gellius in his 20. book Cap. 1.who a thrée thousand and sixe hundred yéeres after the Creation of the world, knew not whither there were many Gods or but only one?Denis of Halycarnassus lib. 1. cap. 2. Ne knewe any further of Religion, than they had learned by their Trafficke into AEgipt? Plinie lib. 34. cap. 5.Who in respect of others are of so late tyme in the world, and (which worse is) had reigned thrée or fower hundred yéeres without inquiring after godlinesse and rightuousnesse?Pomponius ff. of the originall of Lawe. Surely we must hold vsus to this poynt, that since the very first bréeding of man in the world, there hath alwaies bene Religion in the world. For he was not bred in vayne: neither could there be any Religiō without reuealing from God. For (as the Philosophers say of nature) God fayleth not in things néedfull. And therefore where men hauehave bene so lateward, and GOD so smally knowne; there we shall not finde them. For as for the Oracles, that is to say the sayings of the Deuils that abused them; if they were of elder tyme than the people, they spake not to them: and if they were bred after them, then were they newe. And in very trueth, euen by their owne Histories, the first original of the false Gods of Greece and of their miracles, tooke beginning about the warres of Troy, which befell about the tyme of the Iudges, towards the two thousand and eight hundred yéere after the Creation of the world. The great Kings of Assyria be of more antiquitie than the Greekes; for they fell into the tymes of the Kings and Prophets of Israell, whereas there was not any notable thing in the Storie of the Greekes afore the Captiuitie of Babylon. But how will they shewe vsus any law concerning the seruice of God, yea or how could they hauehave any, séeing they forsooke the true God and worshipped false Gods? Nay, as touching those false Gods, what memoriall almost hauehave wee of them, but in the Byble, and that is of the victories which the true God had against them, and of his Conquestes ouer them, which are spoken of from leafe to leafe, to their ouerthrowe and vtter confusion? Contrarywise, what be the Kings of Israell, but mainteyners; and the Prophets but expounders of the lawe of Moyses? These as publishers thereof from tyme to tyme, to the intent that folke should not forget it, which thing wee see not in any other Nation; and the other as compellers of men to obserue it, as wherunto euen Kings them selues are bound. But if we goe backe from the tyme of the setting foorth of the lawe of Moyses; what hauehave the Heathen of that tyme to set against it? I say not only in respect of Godlinesse, but also for Iustice, and welnere for the common societie of men? The Athenians will alledge Cecrops the founder of their Citie; & the Thebanes their King Ogyges. And of them they terme all things of antiquitie, Cecropian and Ogygian: And peraduenture they will tell vsus, that at that tyme folk bred out of the earth in the Countrie about Athens; as though they spake of Mussheromes and Grashoppers. And when they say so, what shall wee looke for at their hands concerning the seruice of God and heauenly things, sith they thinke them to hauehave bene bred of the earth? But yet they will not denye that this Cecrops was an AEgiptian, who brought them certeyne lawes for the ordering of Mariage; which is a sure proofe that they were vtterly ignorant of the law of God and Man. Long tyme after him came their Gods and Oracles; insomuch that al the Greekish Historie is (as ye would say) tungtyde for many hundred yéeres after, like a brooke that loseth himself within thirtie paces of his first spring. Among the AEgiptians & Syrians there was more forme of gouernement; but as for Religion, they worshipped the Heauens, the Planets, and the Starres, which are (in very déede) made for man, and for mans vse are put vnderunder certeyne lawes by God, and therefore much lesse are those Gods able to make men subiect vntounto them. And if there were any among them that knewe more than others, it was the Birdgazers and the Bowelgazers, which are a kynd of Witches that turned men away from God to the Creatures, and therefore in no wise directed them to Saluation. But what shall wee finde among the people of Israell at that tyme? A Moyses that preacheth but the onelyonly one God, and teacheth from him how he will be serued; and a Lawe that setteth the bounds both of Religion and Policie; and the duetie of man both towards God and his neighbour; which eueryevery seuenth day is read openly to all the people; which the Kings hauehave before their eyes, the Priestes beare about them, the Fathers teach to their Children, and the Maysters to their Seruants, and which the very walles and forefronts of their houses doe shewe both to strangers and to their household folke. At the happiest tyme that ye can choose in Rome or Athens, (for I am willing to omit their barbarousnesse) what hauehave wee, (I say not of Religion, but of Order in Iustice and state of Gouernment) that commeth any thing néere to that? Contrarywise, what lawe was there euer set foorth among them, which was not abolished againe ere it was knowne to the people? Or who made account of it but the Lawyers? Or who brake not the lawe afore he knewe it? To be short, where hauehave wee read that any whole Nation were all Lawyers, and all skilfull in the Lawes of God and men, but the people of Israell? And why was that, but because the same Law conteined the rule of welfare, the which it was méet that all folk without exception should know and vnderstand, because that naturally all men ought to tend vntounto their saluation? And as touching the antiquitie of Moyses the setter foorth of that Lawe among that people; I will not hauehave ye to beléeue me, but the Gentyles themselues. The very ground of the antiquitie of Greece (say Diodorus & Denis of Halycarnassus, Denis of Hal… carnassus.) was Inachus, who liued twentie Generations (that is to say, about fower hundred yéeres) afore the warres of Troy. And Ptolomie of Mendese a Priest of AEgipt, (who gathered his Historie out of the holy Registers of ye AEgiptians) sayd that Amosis King of AEgipt reigned the same tyme that Inachus reigned in Greece; Appion in the fourth booke of his Historie against the Iewes.and that in the tyme of the same Amosis, Moyses went out of AEgipt with the people of Israell. The same thing is affirmed by Appion the Grammarian the great enemie of the Iewes; and also confirmed by Berosus the Babylonian, Eusebius li. 10. Cap. 3.Polemon, Theodotus, Ipsicrates, and Moschus, writers of the Stories of the Phenicians, cyted by Eusebius and Affricanus. Eupolemus in his booke of the Kings of Iewrie sayth, that Moyses taught letters to the Iewes; the Iewes to the Phenicians; and the Phenicians to the Greekes by Cadmus. And so by that reckoning, Moyses should be, not onelyonly of most antiquitie in their Histories, but also of more antiquitie than all Histories. Numenius sayth that Plato and Pythagoras had nothing but from the AEgiptians and Syrians, and namely from Moyses; insomuch that he recyteth his historie almost word for word as we hauehave it in the Bible; saying that Moyses was a great Diuine, Lawmaker, and Prophet. Also Diodorus of Sicilie sayth, that he vnderstoode by the AEgiptians, (who notwithstanding were enemies to Moyses and to all his race) that he was the first Lawgiuer of all, and moreouer a man of great courage, and of very commendable life; and that the Iewes estéemed him as a GOD, as well for the knowledge that he had of GOD, as for his authoritie and preheminence. And he (sayth Diodorus) gaue a Lawe vntounto the people of Israell, which hee sayd hee had receyued of Iah, for so doe they call the GOD whom they worship. And who is this GGD Strabo Strabo. lib. 15.sheweth vsus sufficiently where he saith, That Moyses hauing rebuked the AEgiptians for their vanities and follies, and for resembling God (who is to be worshipped and serued otherwise) by the Images of Beastes and Men; withdrew himselfe from among them that he might serue God.Porphirius li. 4 Eusebius in his booke of preparation to the Gospell. To be short, Porphirius in his fourth booke ageinst Christians, beareth this record of Moyses, that he had written the historie of the Iewes truely, which thing he had perceyued by conferring it with Sachoniathon the Berutian, who rehearseth the very same circumstances; the which hee had learned out of the Registers of one Hierobaal a Priest of the God of Leuy, that is to say, of the God of Israell, and out of the Chronicles of the cities, & out of the holy bookes which were woont to be dedicated to temples. And this Sachoniathon (saith he) was somewhat after the time of Moyses, about the tyme of Semiramis. Now, Porphirius giueth vsus here more than we aske. For we set Abraham in the tyme of Semiramis, & Moyses came certeine hundred yeeres after: Now then, the bookes of Moyses dooe leade vsus vp from Sonne to Father vntounto Abraham, from Abraham to Noe; from Noe, to the first Man, and from the first man to God the Creator, beyond whome it is not possible to passe any further, as I hauehave proued alreadie: and in treating of the Creation we must alwaies néedes come backe agein. And through out all this discourse Moyses telleth vsus of the things that GOD hath discouered vntounto men, and the lawes which he hath giuen after maner of a couenant, to the intent they should be his people, and he should be their God: The which Couenant it had surely bene both a shame & folly for him to hauehave deuised for that hardhearted & stubborne people, whom hee burdeneth not with any other thing, but that which was notoriously knowen vntounto them, and thereby they were certified of their originall natiuitie. Neither is it to be suspected that he wrote these things (as some list to say) to get authoritie to himselfe and his; for hee brondeth his Graundfather Leuy with an open marke of reproch expressed in these words of Iacobs Testament; Simeon and Leuy are cruel instruments, Gene. 49. 5. 7.in their vanquishings, &c. Cursed bee their wrath, for it was shamefull; I will diuide them in Iacob, and scatter them in Israell. &c. As who should say, hee ment to disgrade Leuy and all his race; to the saying wherof nothing compelled him. Also he reprooueth Aarons idolatrie and Maries murmuriug, notwithstanding that hee was his Brother and she his Suster: and he repeateth oftentymes, that for his owne fault, God had told him that he should see the land of Canaan, but not enter into it. To be short, hee ordeineth and leaueth Iosua to be his Successor, whereas by reason of the authoritie which he had among that people, he might by al likelyhod hauehave set vp his owne sonnes. And yet we sée that naturally we conceale the faults of our Parents, and corrupt their Pedegrees to make them the more vertuous, and our selues the more commendable …, and we be loth to acknowledge our owne faults. … the homeliest men of vsus all) except it be among our … fréeds, and as late as we can. Much lesse can we find in our heartes to publish them to the knowledge of posteritie. To bée short, we be so desirous to leaue honour and estimation to our children, that such as would not hauehave bene ambitious for themselues, cannot refreyne from beeing ambitious for their posteritie. Now then, what may we conclude thereof, but that he yéelded the honor of his auncetors, and his owne too, vntounto Gods glorie & the trueth? And although wee procéede not so farre as to conclude absolutely, that he wrote at that time as from God, and not as from man: yet notwithstanding, forasmuch as in his writings he strippeth mans nature naked, ought we not at leastwise to conclude, that he which made lesse account of himself and his than of the trueth, would not hauehave preferred vntrueth before it for any respect?Obiect. o…. Some miserable kaytife that is quarelous against his owne welfare, will say heere, Admit that Moyses, Iosua, Dauid, Esay and others were as auncient as ye list: yet how shall I be sure that those bookes also were as auncient, and of their writing? It were inough to answere him, How beléeuest thou that such bookes or such were Platoes, Aristotles and Ciceroes. Marry (saiest thou) because they hauehave bene conueyed vntounto vsus from them from hand to hand? Use thou the like equitie towards the others, which as great a nomber of men doe assure thee to hauehave come from them. But if that will not perswade them, yet want we not wherewith to inforce them. First and formost I appeale to the conscience and iudgement of all persons, which knowe what it is to indite, whether the style of the Scriptures bee not such and so peculiar, as it cannot by any meanes bee counterfetted or disguised. And if there bee any that will néedes doubt thereof, I pray him to make a triall thereof but in some one side of a leafe, bee it in plainnesse of setting things downe as they were done, or in feruentnesse of praying, or in pitthinesse of Prophesying: and he shall foorthwith perceiue, that as well in the matter it selfe as in the maner of indyting, there is a certeine new taste in sted of the old, which is peculiar to all tymes, so as no man can atteine to the same naturall veyne, the same zeale, and the same efficacie, vnlesse he be led by the same hand, moued by the same spirit, and pricked with the same spurre that Moyses, Dauid, and the Prophetes were. To be short, if it be hard to father a booke vppon Plato, Herodotus, and Hipocrates, but that hee which shall hauehave read them aduisedly, will by and by espie it euen a farre of; So is it as vnpossible to father the other bookes vppon those which hauehave a stile sofarre differing from other writings, vnlesse a man wil beare himselfe on hand, that such bastardbookes were made in the same ages or néere about the same tymes that those Authors liued in. Let vsus sée how it may be possible to hauehave bene doone in the same ages. Moyses published the Lawe before all the people, and he curseth the partie with death both of body and soule, which shall adde, diminish or alter any thing. Hee bindeth the people household by household, to take fast hold thereof. His bookes are deliuered to eueryevery Trybe, they be read openly eueryevery Saboth day, they be kept carefully in the Arke, and the Arke is kept as carefully by all the Trybes. And that this was doone, it appeareth not onelyonly by his booke, but also by the effects that insewed therof from time to time, and by the footesteps therof which are euident euen yet among the Iewes. If it be possible for a booke to bee preserued from falsifying and foysting, what booke shall that be but the Byble? which was garded by ten hundred thousand men, and copyed out, not by some Scriueners onelyonly, but also by all the people? Afterward came Iosua, who renewed the same Couenant, proclaymed the Lawe, and yéelded record vntounto Moyses. Lykewise the Iudges succéeded Iosua, Samuell succéeded the Iudges, the Kings and the Chronicles succéeded Samuell, and the Prophets succéeded them all. These bookes followed one another immediatly and without interp… tion: and eueryevery one that followed, presupposed the things to be an infallible trueth which had bene written by them that went afore; neither was there any that did cast any douts or reproue any of the former histories, as is found to be doone in other Histories; (as for example, Hellanicus reproueth Ephorus, Ephorus finds fault with Timeus, and consequently Timeus reprehendeth them that wrote afore him:) But Iosua gathereth a certeine and vnfallible consequence of Moyses, the Iudges of Iosua, Samuell of the Iudges, Dauid of them all, and so all the rest. And to speake of the Prophets, they bee not lyke the bookes of our Astrologers, which reforme one anothers Calculations, and controll one anothers Prognostications: But as they shoote all at one marke: so they agrée in one thing, notwithstanding that they wrote in sundrie times and sundry places. Nay (which more is) wée see that the people were so sure of that Lawe, that from age to age they chose rather to abyde all extremities, than to giuegive it ouer; insomuch that they defended it ageinst the Chananites, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Babilonians, the Persians, the Greekes, and the Romanes. Who then durst be so prowd and bold as to voilate or imbace the thing that was hild to be so holy, defended with so many lyues, and confirmed with so many deathes? If yee say, the Heathen; Their intents was not to marre it, but to make it quyte away. For what profite could hauehave redounded vntounto them of that payne? to what ende should they hauehave done it? or how could they hauehave corrupted it in the sight & in the knowledge of so many folke? Moreouer, who knoweth not that the Scriptures were caryed by the banished Iewes, into diuers countryes of the world afore they came into the hands of the Gentiles, as of the Greekes or Romanes? As for the Iewes; their shooteanker and felicitie consisted in the kéeping of them, & the reward of corrupting them was death: and what could it thē hauehave benefited them to hauehave corrupted them? Nay, yet further, which of them would hauehave dyed afterward for a Lawe, which they knewe to bee corrupted or counterfetted? And soothly we see throughout their Histories, that there passed not so much as any one halfe hundred yeeres without persecutions and warres for that Lawe.

And whereas it myght be sayd, that some suttleheaded fellow among the Iewes had done it to abuse the rest: how could that be ageine, séeing it was not in the hands of fower or fiue Prestes only, as the Ceremonies of the Hetrurians and Latins were; but in the hands of the whole people, so as one sillable could not be chaunged, but it was to be espyed euen by yoong Children. Considering also that we reade not of any king how wise so euer he were, that euer durst presume to ad, diminish or alter any whit thereof; whereas notwithstanding, all other Lawes of the world were made by péecemeale, and Kings and Senats hauehave alwaies reserued to thē selues a prerogatiue to correct them and alter them at their pleasure, specially when they limited their authoritie, and serued not for the mayntenance of their possession. And if any man to beréeue vsus of this argument, will stepfoorth and say, that our Scriptures are as an Historie gathered out of the Registers of many ages, by some one author; as we sée Berosus hath done for the Chaldees, Duis for the Phenicians, Manetho for the Egiptians, and such others; let him tell vsus then (I hartily pray him,) in what age of the world that Author is lykely to liued. If in the tyme of Moyses, of Iosua, or of the Iudges; how commeth it to passe that he wryteth of the reignes of the kings? If in the tyme of the first Kings; how wryteth he of the last Kings? If in the tyme of the last Kings; how is it possible that the Iewes being afore that time caryed away into diuers places of the world, and scattered abroade euerywhere lyke the members of Pentheus, should carie & keepe with them the books of Moyses, which (by these mens reckoning) were not yet made, according to which booke both themselues did notwithstāding then liue, and also taught other Nations? I meane the ten Trybes by name, which by three former remouings were scattered ouer the whole Earth, whereof the marks are to apparant to be denyed. The first in the the tyme of Achaz King of Iuda, and of Placea King of Israell, by Thiglath Phalassar King of the Assirians, who caryed away Ruben, Gad, and the halfe trybe of Manasses: the second in the tyme of Ose by Salmanasar, who caryed away Isachar, Zabulon and Nepthaly into Assiria: and the third anon after by the same Salmanasar, who conueyed away Ephraim and the other half of Manasses; as is witnessed both by the auncient Records of many Countryes, and also by the Chronicles of the Hebrewes. And at that tyme whyle Printing was notyet in vse, what meane was there to disperse those books so soone and so farre of? Nay, which more is, what will they say when they shall find the bookes of Moyses to hauehave bin kept frō father to sonne, euen, in the vtmost Coasts of Ethyopia, whither the Empires neuer came, which bookes they say they hauehave had there euer since the tyme of Salomon, that they were brought thither by the Queene of the Prouince of Saba? Thus hauehave I spoken inough of this matter, both for them that are contented to be satisfied with reason, (for if they do but reade our scriptures, they hauehave whereon to rest,) and also for those which are otherwise: for it is hard to shewe him aught, which by his will will see naught. But there are yet further which tell vsus that in the tyme of the Machabees, Antiochus abolished the lawe of Israell, and al the bookes of the Byble: and they think themselues to hauehave made a greate speake, and hard to be resolued. I leaue it to the consideration of all men of iudgment, whither it be easie for a Prince though he vse neuer so great diligece, vtterly to abolish any maner of booke whatsoeuer, seeing the nature of man is such, that the more that things are sought to be plucked from him, the more he streyneth himself to keepe them. But when a booke is once beleeued and reuerenced of a whole nation, not for delight of things done by men, therein conteyned, but for the saluation of man therein reuealed; for the trueth whereof men are not afrayd to indure both death and torments, as was witnessed by many in the time of the same Antiochus: what diligence of man can suffise to abolish it? But let vsus put the cace that it was abolished in Iewrie: yea and that it was abolished throughout his whole Empire: what can yet insue thereof, séeing that the ten trybes (ouer whom Antiochus could hauehave no authoritie) had caryed them and disperced them abroade to the vttermost bounds of the world? And séeing that the remouing of the other two trybes, had made them rife among the Persians and Babylonians? And that the Ptolomyes c…rished the Iewes ryght tenderly in Egipt, giuing them open S…agogs with franchyses & libertie? And also that Ptolomie Ph…ladelph had caused all the Byble to be translated into the Gréeke toong by the thrée score and ten interpreters, and had layd it vp in his librarie as a Iewell? And to be short, that the Iewes were at that verie tyme so dispersed among the Greeks themselues, as there was scarcely any Citie which had not receyued them with their Sinagogs?

But although none of all these reasons were to be had; then, if the Byble was lost and abolished, how was it found ageine so sodeinly in one instant? Who could (as ye would say) cas… it vp whole out of his stomacke at once? Or who hath euer red that the Iewes made any mone for the losse of it, or tooke any peyne for the séeking of it out ageine? And to cut off superfluitie of spéeche, whereof then commeth it, that of so manie Gramarians beeing of opinion that they should become wyse men in one day, if they had Ciceroes bookes of Comonweale to reade; none of them all being more suttleheaded than the rest, hath vndertaken to counterfet them in his name? No no: let vsus rather say the Scriptures are of more antiquitie than all other wryting; and the more they be so, the more aduersitie hauehave they indured: the rage of Tyrans hath ouerflowed them; and yet they could nother drowne them nor deface them: they hauehave bin condemned to the fire, and yet could not bee consumed. Contrarywise, the bookes of the greatest men, how greate authoritie so euer they had, hauehave bin lost, and for all the peyne that hath bin taken to preserue them, yet hauehave they often come to naught. The Chronicles of Emperours (say I) bee perished, when the Chronicles of the smal Kings of Iewrie, and of that poore outcast people, and I wote not what a sort of vanished Shepeherds despised of the world and despysers of the world, hauehave continewed to posteritie in despyght of the World. Therefore it must néeds be say, that the Scriptures hauehave bin preserued by Gods singular prouidence, both so long time and ageinst so many iniuries of time. And séeing they be the only wrytings which only he hath preserued from the creation of the world vntounto our dayes; surely they were for our behoof. And séeing they hauehave bin reiected of the world, and yetnotwithstanding doo liue and reigne in despyght of the world; surely they be from somewhere els than of man or of the world; that is to wéet Reuelations from God to man, continewed from tyme to time for his glorie and our welfare. And so by this discourse we gayne this poynt, that our Scriptures which are left vsus by Moyses, Iosua, and the Prophets, are the auncientest of all wrytings, and vtterly voyd of all lykelyhod of mingling or counterfetting: and that sith that euen from the beginning there hath bin a Religion reuealed from God, and we find none other than this to hauehave continewed fromthe verie Creation vntounto vsus; we may inferre, that the Scriptures wherein we reade it, are of God, bycause that from lyne to lyne they conteyne his Reuelations made vntounto mankynd. But let vsus passe from this antiquitie which is but the barke of the Scriptures, and let vsus come to the substance of them, which will giuegive vsus assurance of the place from whens they come.

Now then, let vsus reade the bookes of men as well of olde tyme as of our owne tyme, and what is the scope,The Bible tendeth altogither to the glorie of God. the ground, the forme, and discourse of them, furtherfoorth than they eyther expounde or followe our Scriptures? Some write to celebrate the Kings and great Capteynes of their tyme: these be but vauntings of men, rumors of people, consultations to destroye one another, and suttle deuyces to disappoynt or vndoe one another. Good men by reading them become malicious, and euill men become worse. And by the way there must bee some pretie spéech of Fortune, which swayeth the Battels. As for God who maketh Kings and vnmaketh them againe, who holdeth both the enterances and issewes of all things in his hand, there is not so much as one word in al a great volume. Who doubteth that these be bookes of men, which cōteyne nothing but the passions, the subtelties, and the indeuers of men? Another sort write (as they themselues say) to make themselues immortall. They write goodly discourses, to make themselues to be had in admiration. If they chaunce to stumble vppon some good saying for maners or for the life of man; they turkin it a thousand waies to make it seeme good for their purpose. They deliuer their words by weight, they driue their clauses to fall alike, they eschew nycely the méeting together of vowelles: and what greater childishnesse can there bee in graue matters, than that? Yet notwithstanding, they make bookes of the despising of vaynglorie, and their bookes themselues are full of ambition: of the brydling of affections; and their arguments are ranke poyson and contention. If they happen to speake of the seruing of God; it is by Sacrifieing to Deuilles, and to their owne Louers, and friends, as we reade that Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle did. Who is he then which euen by the first lyne or by the opening of the booke, maye not perceiue that they which speake bee men, yea and but very men in déede; considering that in all their bookes they speake but of man? Men (say I) that seeke the glorie of men and not of GOD; Preachers of vanitie, and not of mans welfare?

On the contrarie side, wee heare how the Scripture sayth, In the beginning God made Heauen and Earth. What is ment by this enterance, but that the Reader should not in the rest of the discourse looke for the follies of men, but for the wonderous works of the Creator? And what other author did euer begin his worke so? Herodotus beginneth his Historie after this maner: Herodotus of Halycarnassus hath spoken these things. Though he had neuer sayd so, it would neuer hauehave bene surmised that he had spoken any thing but of man. For what is his whole booke but vanitie? Or what hath he which is not inferiour to man? After the same maner doth Hippocrates begin his bookes concerning the nature of man; and likewise Timaeus of Locres his treatise of Nature and of the Creation of the world: which Authors I alledge as auncientest of all others. But if we go through the whole Scripture from the one end to the other, we shal finde nothing there but that which is promised at the first word; that is to wit liuely letters, and vnpossible to be falsified, of a booke that procéedeth from God, namely his own glorie and the welfare of man. As for the glorie of the Euerlasting, it leadeth vsus to the creation of the world, and of man; to the sinne of Adam, and the corruption of Mankynde; the Flud of Noe that followed therevpon, and the confusion of Tongues; the calling of Abraham and his seede, the plagues of Pharao, and the wonders of AEgipt. What is there in all these things, that sauoreth of man, or of the vanitie that possesseth him? What hath he there which maketh him not eyther to stoope vntounto God or to sinke vntounto Hell? Againe, on the other side, what els doth that whole discourse shewe vsus, but the highnesse of the Euerlasting, his mercifulnesse towards the lowly, and his iustice and iudgements towards the proude, when wee see all loftinesse of the world cast downe before him, and all the puissance of Empyres giuen ouer to Catterpillers and to the wormes of the earth? Afterwarde Moyses commeth to the rehearsing of the lawe that God gaue to that people. Whence came that extraordinarie wisedome, and why rather in Israell than elsewhere, in the tyme when all other Nations were so rude? And what maner of lawe was it? Soothly a lawe comprehended in ten Sentences, and yet those ten Sentences conteyne whatsoeuer can belong to Godlinesse, Uprightnesse and Iustice, whither it bee of seruice towards GOD, or of duetie towards our neighbour: Insomuch that all the great volumes of lawes whereof the world is full, without ground, without end, notwithstanding that they treate but onelyonly of Iustice, are referred all to that marke, and hauehave not any thing more than is there. Again, all these ten sayings are vnfolded in two words: namely, to louelove God with the whole heart, and a mans neighbour as himselfe. Let the Athenians shew me the Lawes of their Draco, and the Romaines the Lawes of their twelue Tables; if there be one word of true Godlinesse and Iustice in them? Let the Greekes and Romaines shewe all that euer they wrate by the space of a thousand yéeres; and see if ye shal finde so much thereof, as is conteyned in those two sayings only. And as for our Philosophers, which make so great bragges of the ten Predicaments of their Aristotle, which are but the seede of Sophistrie and vayne babling; I aske them (at leastwise if they hauehave any eyes) what account they ought to make of this Lawe, which hath conueyed in so fewe wordes, both the matters of the world which are infinite, and the matters of GOD, which are vncomprehensible to man, together. The Israelites come to take their iourney into Chanaan vnderunder Moyses; they bee brought in thether by Iosua; and they be ruled and gouerned there by the Iudges and Kings: And in this discourse there fall out many humane things, many enterprises, surprises, Sieges, Battels, Uictories, & Conquestes. Héere it behoueth vsus to enter into our selues, and by our selues into the naturall disposition of all men. When wee goe to giuegive the onset, I meane the better sort of vsus; what say wee? Lord, we set our Battels in aray, but thou giuest the victorie? After that maner speake the Christians at this day. Nay: but if God prosper vsus, what will we say at our returne? Mary, I wonne such a Hill, I brake the Uauntgard, the Enemie was discomfited by my counsell: and herevppon rise quarrelles who shall hauehave the honor of the victorie. But as for God, we shall heare no more speaking of him, than if there were no GOD at all. The History writers which describe their Uictories, are curious in naming euen the meanest Capteynes, for offending any man; and moreouer in describing of the aduauntages of the places, of the Sunne, of the Winde, of the Dust, of him that led the Soldiours to handblowes, & of the consultations of the Capteynes: so as he balanceth the Battels after his owne scoales; and as for mens sinnes which are the procurers thereof, he neuer once thinkes of them. Séeing then that the Authors of our Byble are the auncientest of all others, whereof commeth this newe kynd of indyting, or w…ce hauehave they learned it, that in all their Histories they giuegive the glorie of the Battels and of all feates of Armes alonly vntounto God, both afore and after? Or whence come these ordinary words, God giueth them into our hands, God is our victorie, God is as strong in a small number as in a great? Whence also come the goodly Songs, which we shall not finde in any of the Heathen Writers; but of this, that they wrate the warres of GOD and the victories of the Lord, yea and euen in his behalfe which was the doer of them? If they wrate on mans behalfe, why wrate they not in mans vsuall order of indyting? dyting? Why wrate not Moyses and Iosua, (say I) as Polybius and Caesar wrate? Or who letted them to take to themselues the glorie of their high enterprises? Or if they wrate for Kings and by commaundement of Kings; why finde wee no commendations of Iosua, Dauid, Iosaphat, and Ezechias; as well as of Themistocles, Miltiades, Alexander, and Traiane? For what other commendation finde wee of them, than that they walked in the way of the Lord, that they destroyed the high places, that they ouerthrew the Idols, and such like, howbeit that we reade of heroicall & Martiall déedes done in their tymes? And what ought we then to conclude, but that, as all other bookes which tend to the glorie of men, and concerne but themselues or some others, are the workes of men: so these bookes, which tend alonly to the glorie of God, yea euen by the contempt of men, are the works of God, that is to say, inspired by GOD? As much is to be sayd of the Prophets, who when they speake of any succour that was to come to the people of Israell, or of any enemie that was to come sodeynly vppon them: they sayd not, your friends shall succour you, or your enemies shall runne in vponupon you; but, the Lord will send Cyrus to deliuer you, the Lord will arme the Babylonians to scourge you. Uayne are all your dealings if your trust be not in him: Uayne are the threatnings of your enemies, if you turne vntounto him: and all this is to assure you, that all things are subiect vntounto him; insomuch that euen they which thinke themselues to make warre against him, do fight for him and by him. To be short, if we inquire of them concerning the state of the earthly Kingdomes; they answer vsus of the heauēly. If a man be combered with this present life; they teach vsus the life to come. And oftentymes a man would thinke that they spake nothing materiall to our demaunds, because they answer not directly to our demaund, but to that which wee ought to demaund. Let vsus consider somewhat nerely of what mynd the Soothsayers are, both by the Oracles of the Deuilles, and by such as make profession of Soothsaying. The Deuilles require Sacrifices for their answering to curious questions. The Astrologians are fayne to seeke out Princes. The foreteller of things to come by Palmistrie, or by Phisiognomie, or by the inwards of Beastes, or by ye signes of the Skye, doe the like. And ordinarily who bee more vayne and more puffed vp with pride, than those kynd of men? What iarring is there among them, what disagréement in their foresayings? Nay, which of them hauehave wee sée…; which is not a mony man? or that would rather dye than not declare Gods wrath to a Prince? Or that hath not soothed a Prince in his sinnes, to sucke gayne out of him? Or that hath giuen the glorie vntounto God and not to his owne cunning & skill? Or refused the honor that was offered vntounto him, as a notable iniurie? Witnesses hereof may Apollonius, Apuleius, Maximus, and such others be; who by their foretellings neuer sought other thing than Images of themselues to be set vp in Halles of Cities, and Pensions in the Courts of the most vicious and detestable Princes. And what is to be sayd then of these folke, who goe willingly to declare the ouerthrowe of States, and the deaths of Princes? Which for sake their apparant ease, to goe and shew foorth Gods wrath? Who of all their wonderfull knowledge yéeld none other reason but this, The Lord hath sayd it vntounto vsus, nor seeke any other reward than the glorie of GOD, yea matched oftentymes with their owne death?

Let vsus come to the Poetries of our Scriptures, and let the heathen set theirs ageinst them, and who wil doubt but that they shall blush for shame? To omit the arte, the measure, and the antiquitie of them, which are but the outsides of them, but yet more beautifull in ours than in the Poetries of the Greekes or Romanes. For what are theirs but the vauntings of men, counterfetted prayses, and discourses of LoueLove Songs, not manly, but vnméete for men? One singeth mée the rage of Achilles; another; the wandrings of AEnaeas, and a third the louelove of Paris and Helen: And so farre hath this kind of dealing passed into custome, that it seemes vnpossible for man to be a Poet, a Diuine, and an Historiographer all togither. So farre are our mirth and songs estraunged naturally from God and from trueth. What shall wee say then to the Poetries, specially of Dauid, considering that he was afore all the Poetries of the Heathen; but that those Poetries are not an imitation, but a simple affection? If we seeke there for songs of victorie, we hauehave of them; but they concerne the God of Hostes, If for Brydesongs, they bee not wanting; but if they be of God and of them that feare him; If for hurning loues; there be songs of the very LoueLove itself, howbeit kindled of God himselfe: If for Shepeherds songs, it is full of them, but they concerne the Euerlasting for the Shepherd, and Israell for the flocke. The arte of them is so excellent, that it is an excellencie euen to translate them. The affections so liuely, that they quench & choke all others. If he had written in mans behalfe, had he not as good a ground as Homere had? what were his combate with Golias, his victories ouer the Philistines, his louelove of Bersabee, and such others? Or thinke we that he was not subiect to the same passions, or made of the same mould that wee be? Or that he which wakeneth vsus so much, was drowzie himself? Or that he which speaketh of nothing but LoueLove and Honor, was without them hymselfe? No; but in very deede it was another maner of Pulse that did beate in his Ueynes, than beateth in ours, and another maner of fire that burned in his marow. Which thing no man can deny that readeth his Psalmes, so lyuely, so feruent, and so full of affections: howbeit that he directeth his louelove and his vehement desires to another marke, as one that behild a farre other beautie, coueted a farre other honor, and tasted a farre other pleasure than of the worlde. For all those bookes aime at none other marke than the honor of God, contrarie to mans nature, which robbeth God of his honor as much as can be, to cloth itselfe therewith, and coueteth nothing so much as glorie.

But let vsus come to the other marke which followeth this successiuely,Mans welfare. namely the welfare of man. Forasmuch as I hauehave sayde, that the marke whereat man shooteth in this life, is his owne welfare: If God hauehave left him any word, or giuen him any reuelation, to what end ought wee to aknowledge the same to be done, but to light him in the way of welfare, and to turne him from all crossepathes and bywayes which might leade him from the ende that he aimeth at. Now let vsus hardely reade all the Bookes of the Heathen, and there is none of them which buzieth not our braynes about Mooneshine in the water, making vsus to spend night and day therein, as though wee had none other resting place to seeke? whereas none other booke than the Byble doth put vsus in minde of our way? Our welfare is our shooteanker, and the welfare as well of one of vsus as of another, is to liue immortally vnited vntounto God. How shall Aristotle put vsus in mynde thereof, who leaueth vsus in doubt whether there be any immortalitie or no, and which fetteth our shooteanker in I wote not what muzings, peraduenture vponupon Logicke and naturall Philosophie, as his own? Or how shall Plato doe it, who suffereth himselfe to be caried away with the comon error? Or Seneca Seneca in his exhortations.(how high soeuer he sore with his Wings,) who will hauehave the wyseman to play the foole, the harebraind, and the Lechor, and to giuegive ouer himselfe to all maner of vices, for the bringing of his affayres to passe, yea euen to his owne harme, and to the blaspheming of God himselfe? But if we hearken to the holy Scriptures, we shall perceiue from tyme to tyme, that they bee no vntrustie guides of our waies, neyther such as stand douting at yt first fower wayléete, whither a man should take on the right hand or on the left, but they be sure guydes, such as are able to drawe vsus out of the myre, and to conuey vsus through the wyld Forests of the world, not onelyonly by leading vsus by the hand, but also by seruing our turnes both for a guyde, and for a Cresset, and for a path all togither. Therfore at the very first enterance they tell vsus that God hauing created the world, made man of the dust of the earth, and that hee made him after his owne Image and likenesse, and gaue him power ouer al the things that he had made héere below. And what els is this, but a teaching of man at the first word, that he is indetted to God for all things, that his felicitie cōsisteth in seruing God, & that he is made to another end than other liuing wights; namely for God him selfe? From hence it leadeth vsus to our disobedience, & to the punishment that insewed therevpon; to wit, that by seeking our welfare elsewhere than in God, wee fell into all mischiefe. As touching the immortalitie of our Soules, and the Prouidence of God, forasmuch as they be Schoolepoints to brawle vponupon, but vndoubted… grounds to as many as conceiue that there is a GOD, (which thing all men doe) and such as men ought not to doubt of or to be taught, but to practise and exercise all their lyfe long, we sée no disputing there as is among the Philosophers. Henoch therefore indured many hard things in that froward generation, for seruing God; and by speciall priuiledge was soone taken out of this lyfe. And to what intent, but to hauehave a better. Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob wayfared from place to place vpō the earth. And did they so in yt hope of the land of Chanaan? Nay, who would hauehave indured so much hardnesse for his Posterities sake? Or for a promise that should not bee performed till fower hundred yeeres after? Then was it because they grounded themselues vppon a better inheritance: and that is the selfesame which God meant when he sayd to Abraham, I am thy great reward. Moyses came somewhat néerer this promesse; for he sawe the Land, howbeit but from the top of a high mountayne. And wherefore languished he fortie yeres in the wildernesse among a thousand grudgings, at the poynt to bee stoned eueryevery howre by his own countrimen, & yet was faine to dye at the instant of obteining his hope? Soothly he had séene another countrie néerer him, whervnto he aspired; & farre better (which he was to possesse in the lyfe to come) then he forewent in this present life. The like is to be said of Iosua, of ye Iudges, of Samuell, of Dauid, & of the Prophets; whose whole life was not a schoolediuinitie like vntounto the Philosophers, but a continuall practise of this faith: namely, that mans shootanker is not in this world, nor our welfare to be sought héere: but that it behoueth vsus to seeke it in God, and to turne againe to him that we may inioye it. To that end tend these precepts which are giuen to men in the Lawe, Thou shalt louelove God with all thyne heart, with all thy Soule, and with all thy strength. To what end? To bee oppressed by Pharao, turmoyled vp and downe in ye Desert, beaten by the Philistines, ouerthrowne by the Assyrians, caryed away by the Babylonians, and troden vnderunder foote by all Nations? If the louelove of God bring vsus no better reward than so, what gayne wee by being his people? Nay, it is to shewe vsus, that our welfare dwelleth not heere belowe; that these Hosts which welcome vsus into our Inne with smyling countenāce, doe cut our throtes in our beddes; that the reward of such as serue God, is not the world nor any worldly thing, but the very maker both of man and of the world. Then followeth there another precept; namely, Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe. What would Carneades hauehave sayd, or rather what would hee not hauehave sayd, if he had examined this Commaundement? This Philosopher being sent Ambassadour on a tyme from Athens to Rome, made an Oration of Iustice before Cato the Censor, whereof he spake wonders. The next day he made another, wherein he proued that it was but folly and fondnesse; or that the Romaines should be fayne to come backe againe to their Cotages, and that all trafficke and whatsoeuer els it be whereby Cities are made to florish, would come to nought. What is to be sayd then of this law, which extendeth so farre as to say, not only, doe not that to others which you would not hauehave done to your selues; but also, doe that for others which you would hauehave done for your selues? And surely if our welfare consist in this world, what goodlier lawe can there bée, than for a man to louelove himselfe and his owne, and to wrest all his neighbours affayres to his owne profite? And contrarywise what greater fondnesse, than to be another mans Baylie, that is to say, to procure oftentymes a mans owne losse? But the Philosopher was ignorant that godlinesse is the roote of Iustice, and that Charitie is nothing els but a rebounding backe of the louelove which wee owe vntounto God, vponupon Mankind which is his Image. And the ayming poynt of this Commaundement, which beeing restreyned within one worde spreadeth it selfe throughout the whole lawe of Israell, is none other than to shewe vsus that our chiefe dwelling place is elsewhere than heere, and that whereas we louelove all things here for our own sakes, we ought to louelove other men as our selues, and our selues for Gods sake, who is our sole and onelyonly welfare. Hereunto doe all the Scriptures guyde vsus, bee it by authoritie of the lawe, or by example of holy persons, or by the exhortations of the Prophetes: and there is not that lyne which twitcheth vsus not by the eare, to waken vsus out of the sléepe of this world; and which plucketh vsus not from the stoole and the table, and from the glewing vanities that sticke so fast to vsus; to bring vsus backe to glorie and to the inioying of God who is our welfare. Seeing then that naturally we thinke so little vppon this glorie of God; what a booke is that, which speaketh of nothing els? Séeing we be plūged so déepe in the world, and the world in vsus; what a booke is that, which withdraweth vsus from it eueryevery hower? And what would become of man if he had not another spirit than the spirit of man and of the world, which biddeth battell both to man and to the world? Soothly wee may well say therefore, that the Scriptures are verily of Gods inspiring, which hauehave so expresse resemblances of him, and so contrarie to the hand, stampe, print and writing of the whole world.