Concerning the Truth of Christian Religion, Chapter 21
The xxi. Chapter.
That the true God was worshipped in Israell: which is the first marke of the true Religion.
THe first marke of ye true Religion, without the which it cannot rightly beare the name of Religion, is the seruing of the true God. And the true God (as I hauehave said before) is the same yt created heauen & earth and all things in them; which gouerneth them by his wisedom; which mainteineth them by his goodnes; which wéeldeth them according to his wil, and directeth them according to his glorie. By this so notable a marke wee cannot fayle to decipher the true God from the false Gods, and by the selfesame meane to discerne the true Religion which beareth our first marke, from all other Religions how peinted and disguysed so euer it is possible for them to be. This God which hath doone those things can bee but one. For séeing he created all things, all the things which wee sée heere beneath are but creatures. Now then, whatsoeuer Religion pointeth vsus to any mo Gods then one, we ought to abhorre it euen at the very first approche. Again, the same God is also infinite and incomprehensible. For the woorke cannot conceyue the woorkmayster, but contrariwise the woorkemayster conceyueth the woorke. Whatsoeuer woorke therefore is made to counterfet him or too resemble him, or to shewe him vntounto vsus, can be nothing els but Idolatrie and Superstition, inuented by the Diuell or by man.
Now let vsus come néerer to the rabble of Religions; and wee shall sée there throngs of hundred thousand Gods distinguished by straunge fantasticall deuyces of men, of women, of beastes and of monsters. Yet shall wee not sée there any whit of that which wee séeke for. But there is one Religion to be séene among all the rest, which for all the rest, beareth this marke graued in her forehead, In the beginning GOD created the Heauen and Earth: and soundeth out this spéech alowd euerywhere, The Lord our God is but one God; and in the middes of all the rout that barketh and byteth at her on all sides, cryeth out coragiously, All your Godds are but error and vanitie. Therefore without staying vppon the others, which are not worthie so much as to be looked on, wee will procéede to that onelyonly one Religion which alonly in trueth professeth the true way, and the knowledge of the place whereunto wee would come. Now, to shewe the way, the end whereto it leadeth must be knowen: and the end which all of vsus tend vntounto, is a happy lyfe. And to leade a happy lyfe, is to liue in God who is the very happinesse it self. And the same God (as I hauehave made the heathenmen themselues to confesse) is but one. The Religions therefore which were not the liuery of that, but of many, cannot bring vsus too the happynes which we séeke: for it is but one, and to be had at the hand of that one. Which then is the one Religion that shall leade vsus to the one God? Shall we séeke for it among the Assyrians? They worshipped as many Gods as they had Townes. Among the Persians? They had as many Gods, as there be Starres in the Skye and Fyres on Earth. Among the Greekes? They had as many Gods as they had fancies: Among the AEgiptians? They had as many Goddes as they sowed or planted Fruites, or as the Earth brought foorth fruites of it selfe. To be short, the Romanes in conquering the worlde, got to themselues all the vanities in the Worlde, and they wanted no wit to deuyse others of their owne brayne. What shall it auayle vsus to aske the way of these blynd Soules, which go groping by the Walles sydes, and hauehave not so much as a Child or a Dog to leade them as some blynd folk hauehave, but catch hold vnaduisedly of eueryevery thing that comes in their way? But yet among these great Nations, we spye a little Nation called the people of Israel, which worshippeth the maker of al things, acknowledging him for their Father, calling vponupon him alone in all their néedes, as (for al the small account that others made of them) abhorring all the glistering gloriousnes of the greate kingdomes that were out of the way. It is in the Religion of this people and not elsewhere, that that we shall find our sayd former marke. And therefore we must séeke it onelyonly there, and leaue the damnable footsteppes of the rest, as being assured that wee may more safely followe one man that is cléeresighted, than a thousand that are blind. For what greater blindnes of mynd can be, than to take the Creature for the Creator, a thing of nothing for ye thing that is infinite?
Now, that the people of Israell worshipped the true GOD in such sort as I hauehave described him; the continuance of their whole Historie sheweth well ynough. All men knowe in what reuerence the Byble hath bin had in all times among the Hebrewes. And if any man doubt whether it be Gods word or no; that is a question to be decyded otherwise. But yet for all that, it is out of all doubt, that the Hebrewes themselues tooke it to be so, and that wee cannot better iudge of their Beléef and Religion, than by the Scriptures, for the which they hauehave willingly suffered death. And what els doe those Scriptures preach from the first word of them to the last, than the onelyonly one God the maker of Heauen and of Earth? As soone as you doe but open the Byble, byandby ye sée there, In the beginning God created the Heauen and the Earth. At the very first step in at the gate of that booke, it excludeth al the Godds made or deuised by man frō that people, to the intent to kéepe them wholy to the true God that created man. Open the booke furtherfoorth at all aduenture whersoeuer you list, and frō lyne to lyne you shall méete with nothing but the prayses of that God, or protestations and thunderings against the strange Gods. God made man excellent, who for his disobedience is become subiect to corruption. Who could punish and imprison such a substance, but he that made it? He founded the world and peopled it, which afterward was ouerwhelmed by the flud, and who could let the waters loose, but he that held them at commaundement? The people of Israell found drye passage through the Red Sea; and who prepared them that way, but hee that founded the Earth vppon the déepes? Also the Sunne stoode still and went backe at the speaking of a woorde; and of whose word? but of his whose woord is a deede? I dispute not heere as yet, whether these things bee true or no; but I say onelyonly that the Hebrewes beléeued them, yea and that they beléeued them in all ages; and that they worshipped him whom they beléeued to be the doer of those things; who certesse cannot be any other, than the same of whom the first lyne of the booke sayeth, That he made the Heauen and the Earth.Iob. 38. Aske of Iob who it is whome he worshippeth; and hee will not say it is hee whome the inuention of the Craftesman, or of the Imbroyderer, or of the proyner of Uynes hath deuised; nor that is sponne, weaued, or hamered; nor that hath a Tayle cut with a Razor; nor an Image turned arsyuersie, nor some iuggling tricke to dazle childrens eyes withall; for such (as we shall see more plainly hereafter) are the Goddes of the heathen: (but he will say) it is the same GOD that founded the earth, and stretched out his Metlyne ouer it, which hath shet vp the Sea within doores, and bounded the rage of his waues; which made the light and the darknes; which holdeth backe the Pleyads and vnbyndeth Orion; which hath created the world, and giuen vnderstanding to man.P…alm. 104. It is he (sayth Dauid) which spreadeth out the Heauens as a Curtaine, and maketh him Chambers among the the Waters; which hath setled the Earth vppon hir Pillers, and chaced away the Sea at one only threatning of his; which maketh the Windes his messengers, and the Elements his seruants. It is hee (sayeth Esay) which is the first and the last;Esay. 48. & 61. His hand hath grounded the Earth, and his right hand hath measured the Heauens. As soone as hee called them, they appéered together before him: Heauen is his Seate, and the Earth is his Footestoole. Yea and besides all this, Moyses will tell vsus, that streine we our selues to say what we can of him, we can say no more of him but that it is he whose name is I am that I am; euen he that alonly is, of whom all things that are hauehave their being, and in comparison of whom al things are nothing, whom neither words nor workes can expresse, onelyonly in effect, and yet infinite therewithall.
Some man will say, it may be that this so greate a God, voutsafeth not to stoope downe vntounto vsus, but hath left the charge both of the world and of men to some Seruants of his whom it behoueth vsus to woorship. Nay, as he is hygh and great in power, so is he deepe also in wisdome and goodnes. Art thou sicke? It is he that both maketh helth and sendeth sicknesse; thou séest how he was Ezechias Phisition. Wouldest thou hauehave Children? It is hee that openeth and shetteth the bearingplace. Insomuch that he made the old age of Sara fruteful, and the barrein Anne a moother and a Nurce. Doth thyne enemi… vexe thee? He is the God of Hosts, whom Gedeon findeth as strōg with a smal army as with a great. Wouldest thou hauehave a prosperous wind?Iob. 38. It is he (saieth Iob) that sheadeth foorth the Easterne wynd vponupon the earth, and at whose call the northwynd commeth. Doth thy Husbandrye drye away with drought? It is he that dealeth foorth both the morning and the euening rayne; which beget the droppes of the deawe; and which maketh it to rayne vppon the ground, yea euen where nobody dwells. To be short, art thou afrayd of famine? He prepareth foode for the Rauens to pray vponupon,Psal. 104. and their yong birds crye vntounto none but him. The Lyons whelpes rore vntounto him for foode, and all things that liue in the aire, on the Land, and in the water, do wayt vppon him for the supplying of their needs. And what is all this in effect, but that the God whom Israell woorshipeth, is the Creator and Gouerner of all things? The verie true God which maynteyneth all things by his goodnes, as well as he made them by his power. As carefull for all things yea euen to the least, as he is myghtfull and of abilitie to maynteyne them. Al the whole scripture from the one end to the other, that is to say the people of Israell from age to age, sing nothing else but that. Now if we reade ouer the old ceremonies of the Egiptians, Persians, and Thuscanes leafe by leaf; where shall we find in them one woord of the true God, but onelyonly in renowncing, and blaspheming him? And what are all their Godes but caryers of Receyts, like these dogleaches which professe but the curing of some one disease only, or lyke these comon craftsmen, which professe but the skill of some one craft or misterie? But this true God (as I hauehave said) is the onelyonly one God. What other people hauehave bin forbidden to call vppon many Godds? Nay rather, what other people hauehave not bin comaunded to hauehave infinite Gods, as a token of Religion? He is a quickening Spirit which cannot bee counterfetted nor conceyued. What other God hath sayd, Whereunto will ye lyken me, which do hold the Earth betweene my Fingers? What house will yee build for me which make the Earth my footstoole and the Heauen my feate? And to what other people hath it bin sayd,Origen ageinst Celsus. lib. 3. Thou shalt not make any grauen Image? And what other people hath chosen rather to dye a thousand tymes, than to breake that commaundement? Insomuch that they would not admitte eyther peynter or karuer into any of their Cities. Contrarywyse, which of all the Gods of the Heathen hauehave not requyred Images? Yea and (as we reade in Porphirius) taught how they should bee peynted? Much more vayne in good sooth than the mē that woorshipped them. To be short, the true God which gouerneth the whole world, must also (as I hauehave said afore) gouerne both men and their witts to his glorie. And to gouerne them so, it behoueth him to knowe them; and to knowe them, it behoueth him to see them; and to see into their harts, it behoueth him to hauehave made them. For the father which thinketh himself to be the begetter of a Chyld, seeth not into the hart thereof; nother doth the schoolemayster see into his scholers wit, whereof he thinketh himself to be the framer. And much lesse can an Imaginatiue God do any of those things, hauing not made the one nor the other. What other God shall ye reade to hauehave sayd, Thou shalt not couet: or to hauehave required the sacrifice of the hart, or the fasting of the spirit, or a hartbroken and lowly mynd? Who els can forbid Couetousenes and hypocrisie, but he which is able to punish it? And who can punish it, but he that sees it? And who can see it in man, but he that made man? On the contrarie part, who séeth not that the Lawes which are reported to hauehave bin inspired by the Godds at Rome, in Athens, and in Lacedemon, extend no further than to the outward man?Cato in his oration for the Rhodians. Insomuch that none of them (as sayeth Cato) is found to hauehave sayd He yt is mynded to steale, but only He that stealeth, shalbe giltie. Which is as much to say, as that they be but Lawes of men, who see not into folks harts; Lawes of Creatures which pearce no further then the Cote or the Skinue. The people of Israel therefore are the people that serued the onelyonly true God that made man, and all other people serued Gods made by men.
Now this silly people (as we reade in Histories) was strangely despysed and trampled vnderunder foote,The Heathen acknowledged the true God to be in Israell▪ as though all the diuels had conspired and banded themselues against that people, which alonly worshipped the true God. But what are the Heathen compelled in the end to confesse? Varro the best learned of the Romanes, who made a beadroll of all the Gods, for feare (as hee sayth) least they should stray away: concludeth in the end, that those doe worship the true God, which worship the onelyonly one, without Images, and which beléeue him to be the gouernor of the whole world. Yea and (which more is) he saith that the Iewes (by what other name soeuer they call him) doo worship the same God truely:Austin, in the Citi of God. lib. 8. chap. 31. Denis of Halycarnassus. lib. 1. and that if after their example all Images had bin forbidden, (as they were a long time in Rome) men had not fallen into so many superstitions & errors. It is not to be doubted but that he which spake so of yt whole rabble of false Gods that were in Rome, would hauehave spoken much more of them, if he had not feared men more than his Gods. And whereas some of the heathen to excuse their owne sacriledge, hauehave borne the world on hand yt the Iewes worshipped ye head of a wild Asse, because a beast of that kind had shewed thē a fountaine in the wildernesse, at a time yt they were distressed with thirst: Polybius, Strabo, Tacitus, lib. 5. or (as some editions hauehave) lib. 2.and Tacitus himself the maker of yt goodly report, doo witnesse, yt in the Temple of the Iewes there was neuer yet found any Penon, Pensil, Relik, or Image, neither at the tyme yt Antiochus through couetousnes sacked it, nor whē Pompey for reuerēce spared it.Appiō ageinst Iosephus. And truely the sayd Assish report of the Asses head, is scarce worth the disproof. But more rather because the Iewes rested vponupon the Sabboth day, which the Gentiles dedicated afterward vntounto Saturne, many men hauehave thought that they worshipped Saturne, whereas if the heathen had asken but some Babe of the Iewes concerning that matter, he would hauehave taught them that the GOD of Israel neuer fled away for feare of a man as Saturne did, but that he abydeth in Heauen, and that the whole Earth quaketh at his presence. Notwithstāding, the chiefe Monarckeies of the world armed themselues in all ages against this small people: but yet the smaller that they were, the greater appeared the mightines of their GOD. Sennacharib King of the Assyrians had subdewed all his neighbours, and intended to fill vp the Dyches of Ierusalem as he had doone by the ouerthrowe of other Citties. For performance whereof he sent Rabsaces the Generall of his Hoste to subdue Ezechias King of Iuda. In the opinion of men Senacharibs argumēt was good and well concluded. If I should send thee two thousand Horses (saith hee) ready furnished to Battell,2. Kings. 18. 19. thou couldest hardly furnish as many men to ryde them. And canst thou thinke then that thou art able to resist my whole armie? I hauehave conquered Aram, and Arphad, and Ana, and Aua, and Sepharnam, and what shall then become of Ierusalem, if it stand wilfully against mee? But when as he said, Consider what became of the Goddes of those Nations, supposing the GOD of Israel to hauehave bene of the same stampe: therein his argument fayled, not for that (as the Logicians say) he concluded from the particular to the generall, or from that which is true simply to that which is true but in some certeine respect, but for argewing from that which is nothing at all to that which is all, namely from the vanitie of Idols, to the almightines of the Creator. But what became of this victorious Monarke, and of his men, and of their Idols? Although the holy Scripture had sayd nothing thereof, Herodotus can tell vsus it sufficiently. The Host of Sennacharib (saith he) was miserably discomfited, his state came to decay, his owne sonnes murthered him in the Temple of his Idols, the Babilonians gathered vp ye scatterings of his Empire, (which more is) in a certeine Temple of AEgipt, an Image of his was set vp with this Inscription,foreign Learne at the sight of me to feare God. What more almost sayth the holy Scripture vntounto vsus thereof? And who can say that this was not a very arche of victorie and triumph to the true God, against the Goddes of the Heathen, in the persone of that Prince which had destroyed so many of them? From henfoorth the Monarchie of the Assyrians did neuer prosper, but the Medes and Persians came to be Lords of it, who at the first seemed to take warning by the example thereof. For they restored the Iewes home agein into their Countrie, according to the Prophesies, and gaue them leaue to buyld vp their Temple ageine, furthering them by all meanes therein, and giuing them certeine allowances for the maintenance of their Sacrifices, acknowledging in their Letters to their Lieuetenants, that the God of the Iewes was the true God, and none other.
But what shall we say of the Gods of Greece, who in conquering the Persians, came to take a foyle in Iewrie? For Alexander hauing subdewed ye Persians, made men to worship him as a God; and hearing that in the Mountaines of Palestine, there was a people whom neither the Assyrians nor the Persians could subdue to their Gods, for all the rigour and crueltie they could shewe; insomuch that at his owne being in Babylon, certeyne Iewes that had bin conueyed thether, did flatly disobey him, when he ment to hauehave buylded there a Temple to Iupiter Bele, Hecataeus the Abderita.as Hecateus reporteth, who accompanyed Alexander in that voyage: he turned head towards Ierusalem, with a venemous rancour to that poore people. But when Iaddus the Highpriest of the Iewes came before him in his Priestly attyre, accompanyed with his Leuites about him; Alexander cast downe himselfe at his féete & worshipped him. This *Moenina, Alexander who vaunted himselfe as a God.God I say whom yt greatest personages worshipped thensforth, did there worship a man that came to make supplication vntounto him. Parmenio thinking this to be a very strange sight, asked Alexander the cause why he did so. It is not the man (quoth Alexander) whom I worship, but the God whose Priest he is: for I sawe him (sayd he) in the same attyre, when I was yet in Macedony; Iosephus in his Antiquities, lib. 11 cha. 8.and when I doubted whether I might meddle with Asia or no, he gaue me courage to proceed, assuring me that by his guyding I should ouercome the Persians. Herevpon he went vp into the Temple, and offered Sacrifize vntounto GOD, in such maner as the Highpriest instructed him; who shewed him the booke of Daniell, wherein it was prophesied certeyne hundred yéeres afore, that a certeyne Greeke should come & conquer the Persians, which now fell out to bee he. Wherevpon he suffered the Iewes to liue after their owne lawes, and from seuen yéeres to seuen yéeres released them of all tributes, which thing he denyed to the Samaritanes. Now, of all the great number of Nations, of whom he conquered many moe than he saw, where reade we that euer he did the like to any of them? And whervnto shal we attribute this déede of his, but to his bethinking him of the thing which hehad learned in secret of the great Priest of the AEgiptians called Leon, namely, that all the Gods whom the Gentiles worshipped, were Kings of old tyme, of whom the memoriall had bin consecrated by their posteritie: and therefore he is a greater King than any of them all, thought also that he might well be the greatest God of them all. But in the God of Israell he acknowledged another maner of thing: namely, that he was God of Gods and King of Kings, the chaunger of Empyres at his pleasure, which vpholdeth Kings with his hand, not to performe their vayne attempts, but to bring to passe his owne euerlasting decrées. By the death of Alexander the Monarchie of the Greekes came to be dispersed, so as the Ptolomies gate the souereintie in AEgipt. And what greater proofe would wee hauehave of their acknowledging the only one God, than to see Ptolomie Philadelph cause the Byble of the Hebrewes to be so solemnely translated at his owne charges? For what do Conquerours desire, but to giuegive lawes to those whom they hauehave vanquished: and therefore what els was this, than a receiuing of lawes at the hands of the Iewes? And seeing that the men of Israell were weaker than the men of AEgipt: what can wee say, but that the God of Israell had subdewed the Gods of AEgipt? And soothly, afterward when Ptolomie surnamed the bountifull had gotten ye souereintie of Syria, he offered not Sacrifize for his victories vntounto the Gods of AEgipt (which notwithstanding were very many in number, and seemed to hauehave giuen law to the Nations round about them): but he went to Ierusalem, and there acknowledging himselfe to hauehave receyued his prosperitie of the God of Israell, did consecrate the Monumēts of his victories vntounto him. And yet was this in the tyme of the greatest aduersitie of the Iewes, euen when their Countrey was forrayed, and their Temple vnhallowed by their enemies and by their owne Priestes themselues; that is to say, at such a tyme as all outward things should hauehave disswaded him from woorshipping of the God of that people, had not the most manifest trueth driuen him to the contrarie.
As touching the Romaines, what tyme they extended their warres into Iewrie, we reade that they reuerenced the Temple of Ierusalem: insomuch that Augustus ordeined certeyne Sacrifizes to be offered there both yéerely and dayly, and that diuers Heathen princes, being prouoked by his sending of offerings thither so carefully, followed his example in doing the like. But seeing the Romaines brought all the Gods of all the Nations whom they had conquered into Rome: how happeneth it that only this God could finde no place there?Cicero in his oration for Flaccus. Cicero answereth, that it beseemed not the Maiestie of the Empire. But if I should appose him vponupon his conscience, did Bacchus, Anubis, Pryapus, and their shamefull nightwakes and misteries celebrated in the darke, yéeld renowme to the state of the Empyre? Nay, if he will say the trueth, they knew that the God of Israell (and none other) was the true God, and that for the harbouring of him, it behoued them to driue away all the rest: but they had so long tyme foaded folke with Idolatrie, that they were afrayd (as many Princes are at this day) least they might be deposed by their Subiects in receyuing their rightfull Lord.
Yet notwithstanding (will some saye) this sillie people of the Iewes were caryed away from their own Countrey into the fower quarters of the world, scattered among other people, and parted amōg all Nations of the earth, at the pleasure of their enemies that had gotten the vpper hand of them. Surely Gods wonderful prouidence is to be noted in this case, farre more without comparison, than if that people had conquered ye whole world by force of armes. For by the things which the Poets hauehave written of them, wee see in what contempt they were had of all men. But yet let vsus heare the wonderment that was made thereat, not by a common person, but by the great Philosopher Seneca. Seneca in his Booke of Superstitions.Yet notwithstanding (saith he) the custome of that Nation hath so preuailed, that it is the rather receyued of the whole world, and they beeing vanquished, hauehave (I wote not by what meanes) giuen lawes to their Conquerours. Who seeth not here a great motion of mynd in this Philosopher? And what man hauing common reason, is not rauished thereat as well as he? Is it possible for Kings to hauehave subdewed a people whom they could neuer inforce to chaunge their owne lawes? The example thereof is Iewrie, which hath bin trodden vnderunder foote by the Assyrians, Persians, Greekes & Romaines; and yet for all their chaunging of their Maysters, they could neuer bee brought to alter their lawe. There may perchaunce some like constancie bee found among other Nations, as in respect of their lawes: but that a people being conquered, caryed away, brought into bondage, vnaccounted of, led in triumph by diuers Empyres, as the Iewes were, should not only subdue the harts of their Conquerours to their GOD, so as the Conquerours could not fasten their lawes vppon the vanquished sort, but contrarywise the vanquished sort hauehave fastened their lawes vponupon their vanquishers, the Subiects vppon their Prince, the Captiues vponupon their Mayster, and the condemned vponupon their Iudge: who (I pray you) would beléeue it vnlesse he sawe it?Seneca in his booke of Superstition. Austin de Ci…itate Dei. lib. 6. cap. 10. And if a man see it, how can he say that any other can possibly doe it but God? But if Seneca will voutsafe to heare Seneca quietly, it may be that he himselfe shall finde a resolution to his owne wonderment. Namely, that the Gods (as he sayth) which were called inuiolable & immortall, whom the Iewes left to other Nations, were dumbe and sencelesse Images, disguysed in the shapes of Men, Beastes, and Fishes; and some in vgly and ilfauoured monsters; and that the Feends which possessed those Images, required woorse things of men for their seruice, thā the horriblest Tyrants that euer were; as that men should gash themselues, mayme and lame themselues, geld themselues, and offer men women and children in Sacrifize to them. But when folke heard speaking of the true God the maker of Heauen and Earth, and that he wilbe serued with the hearts and mynds of men: that word issewing out of the mouth of a poore prisoner, caught men prisoners and ouercame their Gods. And in very déede (as wee shall see hereafter) if we reade the good authors of that tyme; eyther they speak but of the one God, or if they speak of mo Gods, it is but for customes sake and in way of condemning them. What els then were the manifold fléetings of the Iewes, but as many conueyings abroad of companies of Preachers, to shewe forth the true God; and as many Armies to destroy the Idols and to roote them out?Origen against Celsus. lib. 3. Wee reade that the Coniurers which were in old tyme amōg the Gentiles, did vse ye name of the God of Israell, the God of the Hebrewes, and the God that drowned the AEgiptians, in coniuring such as were possessed of Deuilles, and that the Deuilles trembled at that name. This serueth not to proue that they worshipped not other Gods, but that they knewe those Gods to be of no force.Iulian ageinst the Galileans. Iulian the Apostata did vnderset his shoulder, to shore vp the seruice of the false Gods as much as he could. But yet durst he not deny, but that the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob is a great and mightie God; and he sware by all his Gods that he was one of them that were conuerted to his seruice, and that hee knewe him to be very gracious to such as serue him as Abraham had done. Who now could euer make an Israelite confesse that any other God was good, than the same whom he worshipped? And if he be the very God, how can it be (euen by Iulians owne saying) that all the residue should not bee euill, seeing that this good God condemneth them, and declareth them to bee all wicked Spirites and enemies of mankynde? But if Iulian himselfe would tell vsus what befell him at Antioche, when he asked counsell of his Deuilles who made all his Philosophers to quake, and all his great Sorcerers to runne away for feare: wee should see well enough what stuffe they be:Zosimus. lib. 4. Socrates. lib. 3. cap. 11. insomuch that euen his owne Historiographer Zosimus, is ashamed to make report of it.
Now, I would fayne that the Heathen or their Aduocats should but shewe me one of these two things; eyther where any Author of the Iewes yéeldeth record to any God of the Heathen: or where any graue Heathen author hath condemned the God that is worshipped by the Iewes. Forasmuch then as in a Chapter appropried to the same purpose, I hauehave alreadie proued by all the auncient Authors, and by consent of all people, that there is but only one God; and by Varro euen now, that the Iewes do worship the same God: what followeth therof, but that al of them be Iewes in that poynt, and that as many as are not so, are al ydolaters and deceiued? And for that cause when Orpheus had praysed God in these and such like verses alledged in the third Chapter.
There is but one perfect God the maker of all things,
Who cherisheth and fostereth all things. &c.
He addeth immediatly, Neuer man yet knew his incomprehensible being, sauing one of the blud of the Chaldees.
Which saying of his some referre vntounto Abraham, othersome to Moyses; and some of the Platonists to Zoroastres the graundchild of Noe. And Apollo himselfe being demaunded by the Gentiles, what people was rightly religious from of old tyme; answered him thus.
The Chaldees and the Hebrewes hauehave all wisdome twixt thē twaine,
And of the true God only they the worship doe maynteine.
Wherevnto agréeth this verse of Sibilles:
The Iewes are sure a heauenly race, diuine, and full of blisse.
But it will bee yet much more, if wee can by their owne best Authors, proue their Gods to be nothing but vanitie & leazing: which is as much to say, as that they hauehave not onelyonly allowed the God of Israell, but also condemned all their owne Gods.