Concerning the Truth of Christian Religion, Chapter 8

Concerning the Truth of Christian Religion · Chapter 8

p. 105The viij. Chapter.

When the World had his beginning.

SOothly, it is not for mée to stand here disproouing the doubtes of the Accounters of tymes; for y^e ods of some yeres, yea or of some whole hundreds of yeres, is not to bee accounted of betwéene eternitie and a beginning. But if we hauehave an eye to the procéeding of this lower World: we shall euidently percèyue, that like a Childe it hath had his ages, his chaunges, and his full poynts, restes or stoppes; so as it hath by little and little growne, bin peopled, and replenished; and that (to be short) whereas the world supposeth that it shall indure for euer, it doth but resemble an old Dotarde, which (bee hee neuer so forworne and drooping for age,) yet thinkes himselfe still to hauehave one yere more to liue. But I hauehave alreadie sufficiently proued, that both Heauen and Earth hauehave had a beginning; and also that séeing the one of them is for the other, they p. 106had the same at one selfe same tyme, and both of them from one self same ground. And therfore looke what shalbe declared of the earth, shall also be declared of the heauen: and forasmuch as the earth serueth for the vse of liuing creatures, and specially of man; looke what beginning we shall proue of man, the like shall wee hauehave proued of the disposition of the earth. For to what purpose were the Heauen being imbowed about these lower parts like a Uault; or to what purpose were the earth being as a flowre or plancher to goe vponupon; if there were no inhabiter at all vponupon earth? Surely if the World were without beginning,The Originall of Sciences. Lucr: Carus: This nature & reason of thīgs was lately fo…d out, and I m…y selfe was one of the first that did stumble vponupon it, & am able to turne it into my natiue language. …d Persius sayth, It came hither after the time that my Countrymen began to taste of Pepper and Dates. it should also hauehave bin inhabited from without beginning, and no people should be of more antiquitie thā other: Or at leastwise how auncient so euer it were, yet should no new thing be found therein. But if euen the oldest and auncientest things of all, be but newe; ought it not to bee a sure argument vntounto vsus, of the newnesse thereof? What thing I pray you can we picke out in this world, for an example of antiquitie?

Let vsus begin at the Liberall Sciences; and we shall reade of the first commings vp of them all. Philosophie, which consisteth in the searching out of naturall things, is of so late continuance, that afore the tyme of Pythagoras, the very name thereof was not knowen. The Romanes counted it for folly long tyme after that. And Lucrece the Epicure singeth in his tyme, that the nature of things was found out but late afore. Also Seneca who came long after him, sayth that from the first comming vp of Philosophie to his tyme, there were not full a thousand yéeres. Socrates is sayd to hauehave bin the first that brought it from studie to practise, drawing it (as they sayd) from Heauen to Earth, and from Cities to houses and persons:Austin. lib. 18. of the Citie of God, Cha. 37. Cicero: Iamblicus: Porphyrius. that is to say, by teaching men to knowe themselues and to gouerne both themselues and others. And that is not aboue two thousand yéeres agoe at the most: For he was since the tyme of Esdras, who is y^t last Historiographer of the Byble. And whatsoeuer knowledge they had thereof, they had it (as I sayd afore) from the AEgiptians, Orpheus in his Argonauts.& the AEgiptians had it from the Hebrewes and Chaldeans. For Pythagoras learned his skill of Sonchedie, and of the Iewes; Proclus vponupon Timeus. Plutark in his Isis and Osiris. Iamblicus in his booke of Mysteries. Chap. 1.Plato, of Sechnuphis; Eudoxus, of Conuphis; and all they, of the Disciples of Trismegistus; and Trismegistus, (as appeareth by his books) learned of (Moyses.) To bee short, Clearchus the Peripatetick sayth, he sawe the Iew of whom Aristotle himselfe learned his Philosophie. Also Iamblichus maketh mention of Mercuries Pillars, wherein Pythagoras and Plato p. 107had read his Doctrine:Clemens Alexandrin. in his booke of Stromats alledging Alexander, Hermippus, & Clearchus, Porphyrius alledged by Ensebius. lib. 11. And Porphyrius witnesseth that all the Philosophie of the Greekes which they boast of with so many woords, came vp at the least a thousand yeres after Moyses. Now if the studie of Wisdome be so late in the world; how late is Wisdome it self? And if Greece were so lateward therein; where shal the antiquitie thereof be found among the Gentiles?

Some man will say that in asmuch as Socrates drewe men frō Heauen to Earth; Astrologie ought to be of more antiquitie: and I willingly agree thereto: for when a man looketh vp to Heauen, he setteth his first thoughts vponupon that place. But how many yeres shall we gaine by that? If Thales Laertius in the lyfe of Thales.were the first that taught it to the Greekes, (as they themselues say:) we know both by the very Greeke authors & by Thales Thales in his Epistle to Pherecydes in Clemens Alexād: Plinie. lib. 5. 6.himself, y^t he had it of the AEgiptians, & the AEgiptians of the Chaldeans, who are in very deede the Authors thereof, insomuch y^t the word Chaldean is ordinarily put for an Astrologer. And if we say with Plinie, y^t Iupiter Belus was the Author thereof; if the same Belus was the first of that name, then was it about the time of Abraham. And if the Phenicians were the founders thereof, as it is sayd in another place: what were they els but the Hebrewes? Againe, I pray you what was the Astrologie of those folke? By the report of Plinie, Plinie. lib. 2. Plutark in the lyfe of Niceas. Quintilian. lib. 1.Thales was the first among the Greekes, and Sulpitius Gallus among the Romanes that obserued the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone. Insomuch that their Armyes (as Plutarche and Quintilian report) were dismayed at the sight of them; so as the one of them did let passe the next three daies, & the other did let passe all the rest of that Moone, ere they durst enterprise or go in hād with any thing. Nay: it was counted high Treason towards God to alledge any naturall cause thereof. Anaxagoras was put in Prison for it, and Pericles had much adoe to get him released. Protagoras was banished Athens for it; and the Mathematicals were vtterly condemned for it. And what more doe the sauagest people of the world our poore Americans? It was attributed vntounto Thales, that hee was the first that obserued the North Starre; and to Pythagoras, that the morning starre and the euening starre be both one, and that the Zodiacke goes a Skiew, and girdeth the World about like a Girdle: and vntounto Solon (as sayth Proclus) that the Moone finisheth her course in thirtie dayes. Afterward came Archimedes, who gathered the obseruations of many things, and thereof made the Sphere. Yet notwithstanding, all these are but litle entraunces; for the greate p. 108Speculation of the Planets came long time after. What shall we say to this, that the very account of the yeere was vncerteine and confuzed in the countrie of Europe, vntill the time of Iulius Caesar, and so remaineth still vntounto this day in the greater halfe of the world? Insomuch that vntill a three hundred yeres afore the birth of our Lord Iesus Christ,Censorius cō cerning Christes birthday. Cap. 9. Varro. the Greekes and Romanes had not yet any Quadrant, nor any Clocke, Dyall, or distinction of howres.

As touching Arithmetike and Geometrie,Arithmetik & Geometry. Plato in his Epinomis. which were taught so precysely vntounto children in Platoes tyme, it is well knowen that the authors of the notablest grounds of those artes, are Pythagoras, Eudoxus, and Euclides (who gathered them out of the writers of olde tyme) and certeyne others. And they which father the finding of them vponupon Trismegistus, could not hauehave led vsus more directly vntounto Moyses.

But forasmuch as man is naturally more carefull of his health and commoditie,The Originall of Crafts, Trades and Artes. Varro in his fifth booke & first Chapter of Husbandry. than curious of the Starres, it may bee that his Trades, Craftes and Artes, are of more antiquitie than his Sciences. Surely as touching handicrafts, Varro a greate searcher of antiquities witnesseth, that all the Handicraftes were inuented within the space of a thousand yeres reckened backe frō his tyme. And let not the Gréekes brag any more, For euen in their Histories we find the first inuention or finding out of Fyre, which is the ground and beginning (if I may so terme it) of the most part of Handicrafts. And forasmuch as there are which hauehave written particularly of the fynding out of eueryevery of them: I send the Reader vntounto them.

But let vsus speake of Leachecraft which conteineth Phisik and Surgerie,Leachecraft which comprehendeth Phisik and Surgerie. the Arte which is so necessarie for all mankinde. Doe wee not sée how it bréedeth, and from day to day groweth and increaseth of sicknesses and Wounds, yea and euen of the death of men? Diodorus attributeth it too the AEgyptians, and Moyses in Genesis maketh some mention of Pharaos Phisitions. Others doe father it vppon Esculapius, and some vponupon Arabus the sonne of Apollo: but what maner of Phisicke was that? If wee followe the woords of Moyses, they were rather Imbalmers of Dead bodyes, than Phisitions of sicke person. And Esculapius (as sayth Cicero Cicero in his booke of the nature of the Gods.) was estéemed as a God for teaching to pull out Téeth, and to loozen the Belly. Also Podalirius and Machaon his successors, medled not but with outward Cures. To be short, Herodotus He o lotus. lib. 1.saith, that one was a Leache for the Eye, another for the p. 109Head, and a third for the Féete; and that when they were at their wits end, they layd the diseased person in a place of resorte, to trye there vponupon him the receyt, of whosoeuer came first: and that was a kind of Lechecraft, which as yet had neither Head nor Tayle. Also the brute beasts taught men diuers Herbes and remedies by little and litle, and some men did put them in proofe vponupon others, vntounto the which Herbes they left their names; insomuch that in the end one Hippocrates and certeine others made a collection of all those things, and so of many mens experiences was made an arte, and that Arte hath bene inriched from time to time, and more peraduenture in our age than euer it was before. Howsoeuer the case stand, it is certeyne that the first Phisition that was séene in Rome was one Archagatus, who about a sixscore yeeres afore the comming of Christ, in the Consu…ship of Lucius AEmilius Paulus, and Marcus Liuius, was made free of the Citie; after whom diuers other Greeke Phisitions came thi…her by heapes, but they were by and by driuen away againe by Cato the Censor, as Hangmen or Tormenters sent by the Greekes to murther the Barbarians (for so did the Greekes call all other Nations besides themselues) rather than Phisitions to heale the diseazed: and that was, bicause that in all cases without discretion, they vsed launcing and searing to all Sores. Now sith we see the Sciences and Artes growe after that maner from Obseruation to Obseruation, and from Principle to Principle, and to bee so newly come vp among the Nations of greatest renowne and learning; shall we doubt to conclude that it was so among the ruder nations likewise?

Let vsus come to Lawes;The originall or gouernmēt. for euen the barbarousest people had of them: and it may bee that seeing man is borne too societie and fellowship, thei had greater care to set an order among themselues by good Lawes, than to marke the order of the Skyes or the disposition of their owne bodyes. But doth not the Lawe written, leade vsus foorthwith to the Lawe vnwritten? And doe not the greate volumes of Lawes which we turne ouer now adayes, leade vsus to the peeces of Trebonian; and Trebonian, to the Sceuolaes and Affricanes; and these againe to the Lawes of the Twelue Tables? And I pray you what els be the twelue Tables, but the infancy of the Romane Lawes, which being very simple rudiments of Ciuill gouernment, like those which are to bee found at this day among the most barborests Nations, wee through a foolish zeale of antiquitie doe wonder at in the auncient Romanes, and despyse them p. 110in the auntient Almanes, Thuringians, Burgonions, Salians, and Ripuaries, who notwithstanding had them farre better than the Romanes? … Cap. 21.But what antiquitie can be sayd to be in them, seeing their continuance hath not bin past a fower hundred yeeres afore the comming of Christ, as the Romane Histories themselues informe vsus?Pomponius of of the first cō ming vp of the Lawe. Againe, doe not the twelue Tables send vsus backe to the Grecians? And of whom had the Greekes them, but of Draco and Solon as in respect of the Athenians, who liued in the time of Cyrus King of Persia; and of Lycurgus as in respect of the Lacedemonians, who liued about the end of the Empyre of Assiria? And what els is all this houge Depth of Antiquitie whereof the Greekes make so great boast, but late newnesse among y^e Iewes? Moreouer Plutarke sayth that Solon and Lycurgus Plutark in the lyues of Solon and Lycurgus, and in his treatise of his and Osyris.had beene in AEgypt to seeke Lawes, and that there for all their bragging of antiquitie, they were skorned as yong Children. The AEgiptians also had their Lawes of Mercury, & Mercury doubtlesse had them from the Paterne of Moyses, whom Diodorus witnesseth to hauehave bin the first Lawe maker of all.Iustine the Martyr alledgeth Diodorus in his exhortation. To be short, what shall we say, seeing that (as Iosephus noceth against Appion) the very name of Law was vnknowen amōg the Greekes in the time of Homere?

But it may be that there hauehave bene Kings tyme without mind: for they were as a liuing Law,Iosephus against Appion and their determinations were turned into Lawes. Let vsus marke then, that from the great Monarks we come to the Kings of seuerall Nations, and from them to vnderkings of Prouinces and of Shyres, and afterwards to Kings of Townes, Cities, and Uillages, and finally to Kings of Households which were the Fathers and Maisters of houses, and were the …ldest erauncient est of them; and these doe sende vsus to the one comon stocke (that is to say, the one comon beginning) of them all. And whē was that? Surely Iustine the History writer witnesseth, Iustine in his first booke.that the Kings which were afore Ninus King of the Assyrians, were but particular Iudges of controuersies which rose betweene folke of any one Towne, or Citie, or household, and that the sayd Ninus was the first King of whome any Historiographers hauehave, written.Plini, lib. 7. Merodotus. lib. 2. And Herodotus sayth that the AEgyptians had the first Kings. And he that will mount vp any higher, must doe it by the holy Scripture, which teacheth vsus that Nembrod was the first that brake the sayd fatherly order of Houshold gouernment, wherein eueryevery father reigned ouer chose that descended of him, without any other prerogatiue than of age, which sort of Gouerners Manetho p. 111calleth Shepherdkings,… saying that they had beene a thousand yeres afore the warres of Troy. For as for the Greekes and Romanes, either they were not as yet at all, or els surely they liued with Acornes lyke the People whome wee at this day call Sauages.

But let vsus see if at leastwise the Gods of the Heathen hauehave any antiquitie:The originall o… the Heathē Goddes. for in asmuch as the essentiall shape of man is to acknowledge a certeine Godhead, it is lykely y^t nothing should be of grerter antiquitie than that. And in very deede Nations hauehave bene found both without Lawes and without Kings: but without Gods and without some sort of Religion, there was neuer any found. But what shall we say if men hauehave bene borne afore Gods, yea and also doe liue still after them? Let vsus not buzie our braynes about the first comming vp of the petigods as well of the Romanes as of the Greekes, who had moe of them than they had of Shyres, Citties, Townes, and Houses; nor yet about their Pedegrees which are sufficiently described by their owne seruers and worshippers the Idolaters themselues: but let vsus go to the very roote of them. What is to be sayd of the first Saturne, who is called the father of them all? Of what tyme is he? Soothly if wee beleeue the notablest Storywriters amōg the Greekes, & the Epitaphe of Osyris reported by Diodorus the Sicilian Saturne, (I meane not the Saturne of the Greekes, but y^e auncientest of all y^t Saturnes) is none other thā Cham the sonne of Noe, neither is Osyris any other thā Misraim the youngest sonne of Cham, And those which woulde make Saturne auncientest, say hee was but Noe himselfe. I forbeare to say what Berosus and others of the lyke stampe report of him, bicause I hold them for fabling and forged authors. As touching Iupiter, if ye meane him that was surnamed Belus, that is to say Ball or Mayster; hee was the Sonne of Nembrod, which Memrod was also called Saturne, which was a common name to the auncientest persons of great Houses. And if he were that Iupiter which was surnamed Chammon or Hammon; hee was the same Cham or Chamases the Sonne of Noe, which was worshipped in Lybya: for it is certeine that hee tooke his ioyrney thither. For as for Iupiter of Crete or Candy, and Saturne his Father, which were worshipped among the Greekes after the example of the other Iupiter and Saturne which were of farre more antiquitie: they were but a little whyle afore the warres of Troy, and long after the tyme of Moyses. What maner of antiquitie then is that, p. 112which passeth not the space of three thousand yeeres? And should the Greekes hauehave come by the knowledge thereof, if it had not bin written by others than themselues? But this poynt shall be handled more at large in another place.

What shall we say of Trafficke betwéene Nations, and of bargayning betwéene man and man,Traffik of Merchandyse, and bargayning, buying and selling. seeing that from Coyne of gold wee must come to Coyne of siluer, from Coyne of siluer to Coyne of brasse, and from Coyne of brasse to Coyne of yron, yea euen among the Romanes themselues? And againe, from Money stamped and coyned, to Money by weight and measure without stamp, from weight to exchaunge of wares and of one thing for another, and from exchaunge to that blessed comonnesse of al things which was in the first ages of the world? Nay, the greater halfe of the world continueth still the sayd exchaunge, euen vntounto this day; and some Nations had neuer had any skill thereof as yet, if the Nauigations of our tyme had not taught it them. And as for Nauigation it selfe,Nauigation. Plinie lib. 7. which is as the sinewes of Trafficke and Merchaundise; if we beléeue Plinie, the first Shippe that euer was set a flote, was vppon the red Sea; and the first Shippe that euer came into Greece, came from the Coast of AEgipt. And if we credit Strabo, Strabo. lib. 16.the Tyrians were the first that excelled in Nauigation, insomuch that some men make them the first authors thereof.Tibullus Ele…ia. 7. For, as touching the Nauigations of Vlysses, they passed not out of the Midland Sea. And what els was it (if it were a true Storie) but a floting of a Uessell at the pleasure of the winde, without kéeping of any certeyne course or direction? For it is certeyne that the voyage which he had to make, is ordinarily done nowadayes in lesse than sixe or seuen daies. And doth all this leade vsus any further than to that little Countrey which on y^e one side is**That is to say the Land of Canaan. Berosus alledged by Iosephus against Appion. bounded with AEgipt, and on the other side with the redd Sea? And doe not the Stories of that Countrie direct vsus to the Arke of Noe? For what els was that Arke but a Shippe, as the true Berosi…s doth in déede call it: And wheras Moyses telleth vsus that anon after the Flud, such and such of Noes ofspring inhabited the Iles; is it not asmuch to say, as that the example of the Arke had imboldened them to venture vponupon the Sea?

But forasmuch as Trafficke seemeth to serue for liuing wealthily,Feeding. and simple liuing went afore liuing wealthily: I pray you how long is it agoe (may we thinke) since men liued by Acornes? From the delicates of Apitius, wee come to honest howshold fare; p. 113and from such howshold fare, to poore labouringmans fare: that is to say, from deyntinesse to thriftinesse, & so foorth from thriftinesse to brutishnesse, at such tyme as men wayted for the falling of Acornes and Mast from the Trees like Swine. To bee short, from Cities and Townes, we come to houses dispersed; from houses, to Sheds; from Sheds to Tents; and from Tents to the life of the people called the Nomads or Grazyers. I meane not here the Americanes, nor yet the barbarous people of old tyme; but euen the very Greekes and Romanes themselues? Wee knowe the first finding out of Corne, of Meale, and of Ploughes.Plinie. lib. 7. & Diodorus. lib. 1. 2. 6. If it were Triptolemus, who taught it to the Greekes; he was the sonne of Ceres: Or if it were Ceres; it was the Goddesse of AEgipt the wife of Osyris. And what was this Osyris (to speake of his most antiquitie,) but Misraim the graundchild of Noe? Plinie sayth that afore the Persian warres, there was no common Baker in Rome. The first Cherries that came in Rome, were brought thither by Lucullus. When the Galles came into Italy, there were no Uynes in all Gallia: insomuch that the worde which signifieth Wine aswell in Greeke as in Latin, is straunge to them both, and is borowed of the Hebrewe woord Iaijn. The Earth hath bin manured by little and little, & euen yet it is scarsly halfe inhabited. And at one word, our deifying of the first founders of Corne, of Wine, of Tillage, of Fewel, and of Baking, as of personages of great account aboue vsus all; doth well conuince vsus of our former rudenesse. And yet wée mocke at the sillie barbarous people [of the Newfound Lands,] for terming vsus folke falne from Heauen, when they see our great Shippes: whereas notwithstanding it is not yet ful two thousand yeares agoe, since we were worse than they.

But wée should not hauehave knowne those things (will some man say) vnlesse they had bin put in writing; and therefore HistoriesThe first comming vp of Histories. are of more antiquitie than all the things that we hauehave spoken of. Bée it so. But yet let vsus repayre from the Histories of the Romanes to the yéerely Registers of their Hyghpriests, and we shall finde that the Romane Writers are of much later tyme than the Greekes, and the Greekes of much later tyme than the Babylonians. For their greatest antiquitie is but from y^e reigne of the Persians. And Phericydes the Assyrian, whom they report to hauehave bin the first that wrate in prose, was welnere eight hundred yéeres after Moyses. Plinie. lib. 7. Apuleius in his Florishes.The Romane Historie florished not, vntill such tyme as their Commonweale began to droope: and the beginning thereof is nothing p. 114thing els but a Musterbooke of names, and a recoūting of Shéelds falne from Heauen, and of Launces trimmed with flowers. The Greeke Histories began at the Empyre of the Persians: And Plutarke Plutark in the l…fe of Theseus.(who was a diligent searcher thereof,) sayth expressely that beyond Thebes, the Countrie was nothing but Sand, and a wast Wildernesse vnapprochable, a frozen Seacoast, or scorched Countries, such as men paynt in the vttermost parts of Mappes, that is to say, eyther vayne fables or darke ignorance. And yet for all this, what els is the life of Theseus than a heape of fond fables, or what euidentnesse or certeyntie is there in the Greeke Histories, afore the fowerscorthe Olympiade, that is to say, afore the reigne of Darius, Censorinus.seeing there was not yet any skill vsed in marking out the tyme eyther of the warres of the Medes, or of the warres of Peloponnesus? Varro the best learned of the Latins, intending to make an Historie of the Worlde, could well skill to diuide it into three parts. The first, concerning that age which was from the beginning of the world vntounto the Flud; the second, from the Flud vntounto the first Olimpiad, which falleth out about the tyme of the building of Rome; and the third, from the first Olimpiad, vntounto his owne tyme. But as he calleth this later age Historicall; so calleth he the second age fabulous, because he found not any certeyntie thereof, neither in the Originall Registers and Recordes of the Romanes, nor in the Histories of the Greekes. To be short, to begin his Historie at the furthest end, he maketh his enteraunce at the reigne of the Scyonians, which was the very selfesame tyme that Ninus began his reigne, euen the same Ninus which made warre against Zoroastres, which was about y^t tyme of Abraham. The same Varro Varro in his third booke of Husbandry vntounto Pto:accounteth Thebes for the auncientest Cittie of all Greece, as builded by Ogyges, wherevppon the Greekes called all auncient things Ogygians; and by his reckoning it was not past two thousand and one hundred yéeres afore his owne tyme. Trogus Pompeius beginneth his Historie at the bottome of al antiquitie that remained in remembraunce; and that is but at Ninus, who (by report of Diodorus Diodorus. lib. 3.) was the first that found any Historiographer to write of his doings. The same Diodorus saith that the greatest antiquitie of Greece is but from the time of Iuachus, who liued in the tyme of Amoses King of AEgipt, that is to say (as Appion confesseth) in the very tyme of Moyses. Clemens Alexandr. in his first booke of S…om:And intending to hauehave begun his Storie at the beginning of the world, he beginneth at the warres of Troy: and he saith in his Preface, that his Storie p. 115conteyneth not aboue a thousande one hundred thirtie and eight yéeres, which fell out (sayth he) in the reigne of Iulius Caesar, in the tyme that he was making warre against the Galles; that is to say, lesse than twelue hundred yéeres afore the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Also the goodly Historie of Atticus, whereof Cicero commendeth the diligence so greatly, conteineth but seuen hundred yéeres. Which thing Macrobius obseruing, commeth to conclude with vsus. Who doubteth (saith he) whether the World had a beginning or no, yea euen a fewe yeeres since, seeing that the very Histories of the Greekes do scarsly conteyne the doings of two thousand yeeres? For afore the reigne of Ninus, who is reported to hauehave bin the father of Semiramis, there is not any thing to be found in writing. Yea and Lucrece himselfe (as great an Epicure and despiser of God as he was) is constreined to yéeld thereunto, when he seeth that the vttermost bound which all Histories (bee they neuer so auncient) doe atteynt vntounto, is but the destruction of Troy. For thus sayth he.

Now if that no beginning was of Heauen and Earth at all,Lucretius the Romane Poet.

But that they euerlasting were, and so continue shall:

How …aps i… that of former things no Poets had delight

Afore the wofull warres of Troy and Thebes for to wright?

Yea, but the Registers of the Chaldees (will some man say) are of more antiquitie. For (as Cicero reporteth) they make their vaunt that they hauehave the natiuities of Childred noted & set downe in writing (from natiuitie to natiuitie) for aboue the space of thrée and fortie thousand yeres afore the reigne of the great Alexander. And that is true. But (as it hath bin very well marked) when they speake after their Schoolemaner, they meane alwaies (as witnesseth Diodorus Diodorus. lib. 8. 1.) the monethmonth yéere, that is to say, eueryevery monethmonth to be a yéere: which account being reckoned backe from the tyme of Alexander, hitteth iust vppon the creation of the World, according to the account of the yéeres set downe by Moyses. Likewise when the Iberians say they hauehave had the vse of Letters and of writing by the space of sixe thousand yéeres agoe; they speake after the maner of their owne accounting of the yéere, which was but fower moneths to a yéere. And in good sooth Porphirius himselfe will serue for a good witnesse in that behalfe, who sayth that the obseruations of the Chaldees which Callisthenes sent frō Babylō into Greece in the tyme of Alexander, passed not aboue a thousand and nyne hundred yéeres. As for the obseruations of Hipparchus, (which p. 116Ptolomie vseth) they drawe much néerer vntounto our tymes; for they reach not beyond the time of Nabugodo…ozer. To be short, from our Indictions we mount vp to the Stories of the Romanes, and from them to the yéerely Registers of their Priestes, and so to the Calenders of their Feastes & Holidaies, and finally to the time of their driuing of the nayle into the wall of the Temple of Minerua, which was done alwaies yéerely in the MonethMonth of September, to the intent that the number of the yéeres should not bee forgotten. From thence we procéede to the Greeke Olimpiads, the one halfe of which tyme is altogether fabulous;Plinie lib. 7. Herodotus. lib. 5. and beyond the first Olimpiade, there is nothing but a thicke Cloude of ignorance, euen in the lightsomest places of all Greece. Varro in his first booke of Analogie. Crates the Greeke Philosopher demaū ding why the Greekes declined not the names of their letters saying foreign as wel as thei said foreign was answered by the Greekes themselues, that it was bycause those names of their letters are not Greeke but barbarus. Lucane. lib. 3. Eupolemus in his booke of the Kings of Iuda alledged by Clemens of Alexandria in his fowrth booke.In which darknesse we hauehave nothing to direct vsus, if we followe not Moyses, who citeth the booke of the Lords warres, and leadeth vsus safely euen to our first originall beginning. And how should the Histories of the Gentiles be of any antiquitie, when there was not yet any reading or writing: From Printing, we step vp vntounto bookes of written hand; from the Paper which we hauehave now, we come to Parchment; from Parchment, to the Paper of AEgipt, which was inuented in the tyme of Alexander; from that, vntounto Tables of Lead and Waxe; and finally to the Leaues and Barkes of diuers Trées. From writing we goe consequently to reading, and so to the inuention of Letters: which Letters the Greekes taught vntounto the Latines, and the Phenicians to the Greekes, (who had not any skill of them at the tyme of the warres at Troy, as the very names of them doe well bewray) and the Iewes taught them to the Phenicians. For in very déede what are the Phenicians, in account of all Cosmographers, but inhabiters of the Seacoast of Palestine or Iewrie? And so the saying of Ewpolemus a very auncient writer of Histories, is found true: namely, that Moyses was the first teacher of Gr… mer, that is to say, of the Arte of Reading; (notwithstanding …at Philo doe father it vponupon Abraham;) and that the Phenician …ad it of the Iewes, and the Greekes of the Phenicians; in r…spect whereof Letters were in old tyme called Phenicians.

Phenicians were the first (if trust bée giuen to Fame)

That durst expresse the voyce in shapes that might preserue the ….

Here I cannot forbeare to giuegive Plinie a little nippe. Let… (sayth he) hauehave bin from euerlasting. And why so? For (sayth h… the Letters of the AEgiptians had their first comming vp about a fiftéeue yéeres afore the reigne of Ninus. But Epigenes a graue p. 117Author sayth, that in Babylone certeine obseruations of Starres were written in Tyles or Brickes a Seuenhundred and twentie yeeres afore: And Berosus and Critodemus (which speake with the least) doe say fowerhundred and fowerscore yeres. O extreame blockishnes! he concludeth the eternitie of letters, vponupon that wherby they be proued to be but late come vp. Now then, seeing wee find the originall comming vp of Artes, of Lawes and Gouernement, of Traffick and Merchaundise, of soode and of very Letters; that is to say, both of …iuing wel, and of liuing after any sort; should we rather graunt an euerlasting ignorance in man, than a kynd of youthfulnesse which hath learned things according to the growths thereof in ages? And seeing that the Sciences, Artes, Honors, and Deinties of the lyfe it selfe doe proue vsus a beginning thereof: is there any man either skilfull or vnskilfull, greate or little, Philosopher or Handicrafts man, Laborer or Follower of the worldly vanities; that w… any more bee so bolde as to stand in contention that the world is without beginning? What shall we then as now conclude of all this discourse? First that the inuention of all things is of so late tyme, that it is of sufficient force too make all men beléeue, (of what trade or profession so euer they bee) that it is but a whyle ago since the worlde began. And secondly that the sayd inuentions gathering together into one tyme, doe leade vsus to some one certeine Countrie as to a Centre, where mankind hath first sprong vp, and afterward spred it selfe abroade as to the outermost partes of all the Circle. This time is the same space that was betwixt Moyses and the vniuersall Flud: And the Countrie is the same where mankind did first multiplie after their comming out of the Arke: that is to wit, all the Coast from Mount Taurus along by Mesopotamia, Syria and Phenice, vntounto AEgypt; wherein wee comprehend the land of Palestine or Iewrie as the middle thereof, which by the auncient Greeke and Latin Historiographers, (who were vnskifull in Geographie) is diuersly accounted and allotted to the greater Countries that lye round about it, accordingly as it bordereth vponupon them; one while to Syria, another while to AEgipt; some time to Phenicia, and some time to Araby the desert. And therefore as touching tyme and antiquitie, it is good reason that wee should beléeue the Histories of those Nations, and not of the Greekes or of the Latins, who are but yong babes in respect of the others; especially seeing that wee would thinke it a thing woorthy to be laughed at, if a man should stand to the iudgement of the stories p. 118of Iewrie in the matters of the Greekes. But nowe let vsus heare their contradictions.

If the world be fo new (say they) where of commeth it that it is so well replenished and full of people?Obiections. Nay rather, if it bee without beginning, or of so greate antiquitie as thou surmizest; how happeneth it that it hath not alway bene knowen? whereof commeth it that it is euen yet so slenderly peopled? how comes it too passe that it is not throughly inhabited in all places, or at leastwise in the best places of the worlde, where euen in our tyme are found both Iles and mayne Lands well habitable, and yet vninhabited? It is not past a hundred yeres ago,The World scarce knowen in old time. since we knewe nothing at all of more then the better halfe of the world. Wee were but at the enterance of the earth, and wee thought our selues to hauehave bin come to the full knowledge of Geographie. We thought our selues to hauehave knowen the vttermost Coastes of the world, when as we had not yet passed the Southcircle which diuideth y^e world in twayne. Reade the Nauigations of the Portingales and Spaniards.And yet notwitstanding, he that had spoken otherwise, should hauehave bene counted of most men for a foole. Yea and euen yet still at this day, we know nothing of y^t mayne Land of the South, & but very little of the North. It is not past two hundred yeres ago, since the Swedians sent the first inhabiters into the country of Groneland: and both Scotland and Ireland (being in our part of the world) are yet still halfe barbarus. Ye shall reade in Caesars Commentaries, that in his tyme Germanie was a continuall Forrest, wherein a mā might hauehave gone 50. daies iourney ere he could see any end of it, and that the people thereof were sauage and beastly, sacrifysing their owne Children to their Goddes. He seemeth heere to speake of the Cannibals or the people of Brasilie. It was long time after ere the Romanes durst aduenture ouer farre in that Countrie. Whereby it appeareth that all the auncient Townes and Citties which stand vppon the Riuers of Rhyne and Danowe, towardes Fraunce and Italy, did serue rather for a Banke or a Iettie against the ouerflowing of the Germanes, than for Fortresses to assayle them withall. Euen in the tyme of Tacitus, what were the people on the Sea coast of Germanie? What were the Saxons in the time of Charles the greate? And a feawe hundred yeeres agoe, what were the Lowe Countryes of Germanie, which at this day be the florishingest people of all Ewrope? The same is to be sayd of Ingland in Caesars time; and likewise of Fraunce, Italy, and Spaine, if we mount a little higher. For seeing that Roome is the p. 119oldest citie of the Latines; how happeneth it that Alexander (who sought newe worlds to conquer) knewe it not by the statelynesse thereof? how happeneth it y^t he knewe as litle also of the Frenchmen and Spaniards, of whom all the auncient Histories speake either nothing at all, or els with wonderfull ignorance? And what shall we say of Ephorus, whom men account the diligentest Historiographer of them all? As great a Countrie as Spayne or Iberia is; he writeth thereof in such sort, as if it were but only one towne. Also what was Greece afore the tyme of Orpheus and Amphion, who (as Thucidides Thucidides in his first booke.reporteth) drewe the Greekes out o… their Forrests and Fennes, about the tyme of the warres at Troy? And where learned Orpheus Orpheus in his Argonauts.to lay away his owne sauagenesse, but in AEgypt? The holy Bible it selfe when it speaketh of the Greekes and of the lesser Asia, speaketh of them as of Ilands, that is to say, as of Countries that were furthest of from the knowledge of that time. Thus doe yee see the latenesse of the Westerne Nations; whom I call so, as in respect of the rest of the whole world, and of the Centre and middle poynt thereof, which I hauehave taken too bee from Mount Taurus vntounto Syria.

Now let vsus see the Easterne Nations also. The Countrie of India beyond the Riuer Ganges, was vnknowen in the tyme of Alexander, who notwithstanding had cast the platforme of his Conquest, on that side of the world. And his Pylots which went to seeke new Worlds, passed not beyond the Iland of Sumatra then called Taprobane, which is vnderunder the Equinoctiall and Easterly a great way of from the Molucques. Herodotus, lib. 4.And when it was tolde the Romanes that a Ship was found which by the commaundement of Necho King of AEgypt had sayled about all the Coast of Affrike, they tooke it for a fable: and therefore much lesse did they euer come at Iaua the lesse or Iaua the more, or at the firme Land which is next vntounto them. To be short, they did not ordinarily passe the Streytes of Gibraltar; by reason whereof their greatest Philosophers could lesse skill of the nature and course of the Tydes, than the meanest Seamen or Sailer of our time. Now then what is to be said of Plinie with his Dogheaded men, his Oneeyed men, his Longeares, his Centaures, his Pygmees, and his Cyclopes, seeing that in all the Countrie where he planteth them, wee finde Men, Cities, and Kingdomes, no lesse whit florishing than the same wherein hee himselfe was; and as for any lykelyhod of that which he writeth of those things, we find none at all? As touching p. 120the Southcountryes and the Northcountryes, that is to wit, beyond the Circles of the two Poles: The fower Empyres which hauehave bene so renowmed, neuer heard speaking of them but at randon, and much lesse extended them selues so farre; in so much that euen we our selues know but a little of them, which Tempest and Shipwrecke hath taught vntounto vsus.

What win wee then by this discourse? Uerely that the World was not knowne of all those great Empyres, and much lesse of them that liued vnderunder their subiection. And that it was not peopled all at once, but that as folke ouerswarmed in a place, and chaunced to hit vponupon a man that was aduentrus, they spred themselues further and further vnderunder his guyding, into the Countries next vntounto them. And (to be short) that the néerer any Countries were to our foresayd Centre, the sooner were they inhabited, made ciuill, and manured: which thing appeareth more plainly euen by the very genealogie of the World.The proceedīg or growing foreward of the World. Therefore let vsus take our Centre to be eyther the toppe of Mount Taurus where it is called Caucasus, and where Stories report the Arke of Noe to hauehave rested; or els the playne of Sennaar, where Moyses sayth that the Languages were confounded, and folke dispersed abroade; or els some place of Mesopotamia, (for it skilleth little in respect of the world) and by considering the auncientest Estates, we shall finde the States of Assyria, of Syria, of AEgipt, and of Persia to hauehave bin nerest to our Centre, and that the State of Assyria was the greatest of them all, and yet in very trueth but small in comparison of the States that succéeded it. From y^t Assyrians, the Monarchie came to the Persians; from the Persians, to the Greekes; frō the Greekes, to the Latins; from the Latins, to the Frenchmen; and from the Frenchmen to the Almanes, accordingly as Countries multiplyed their habitations, and that their people growing in Ciuilitie, matched their force with wisedome? And Spayne which heretofore was counted the vttermost part of y^e World, is now become y^e first discouerer of the newe World. But let vsus goe on with the East parts: from the Persians wee goe to the Indians, and from the Eastindians to the Westindians, so long vntill wee come to their vttermost Coast, which is the selfesame place where the Spanyards found their first landing. And surely if two folke should kéepe on their way continually, the one on the one side and the other on the other (that is to say, the one Eastward and the other Westward:) in the ende they should méete both together, if there were firme land all the way for p. 121them to go vponupon. And in very déed, like as Ireland, a part of Scotland, Laplond, and Groneland, being the vttermost parts of our side of the World, are as good as sauage: so also be the vttermost inhabiters of the Westindies; namely Canada, Baccalea, Brasilie, and Petagon, which are descended of the Eastindies. And contrarywise like as in our Countries, the more they tend towards the Centre which I hauehave taken, the mo tokens hauehave they of their antiquitie; as, Fraunce mo than Germanie; Italy mo than Fraunce; Greece mo than Italy; AEgipt mo than Greece; and so forth of the rest: So the Spanyards, who in their first Conquests found but Cotages and Bogges; did at their entering further into the Land, finde goodly Cities wel inhabited, orderly distinction of Commons and Nobilitie, Ministers of Iustice and men of Warre, Trades and Handycraftes well gouerned, Histories of their doings, wonderfull antiquities, Towers passing the Pyramyds of AEgipt, and whatsoeuer els the world hath counted wonderfull. And out of doubt the néerer they come to the Centre of that part, the more shall they find still. For there is no man ignorant nowadayes what goodly great Cities and florishing Kingdomes,An History of the Realme of China. hauehave within these fewe yéeres bin discouered in the Westindies: And where it commeth to face the Eastindia with the Sea betwixt them both; there we see the great Empyre of China, so beautifull, so florishing, and so well gouerned in al respects; that the ciuilest tyme of all the Romane Empyre, may well séeme vntounto vsus to hauehave bene barbarous in comparison of that. It is in effect all one as though the Westerne Indians making Conquests vponupon vsus as we hauehave done vpō them, should hauehave arriued at the first in Ireland, Scotland, or Groneland; for as little could they hauehave sayd of vsus, as wee of them. And whereas it may be replyed, that although the people there be rude, yet notwithstanding it hath euermore bin peopled: Let it be added thereunto, that in following the Coastes, men hauehave found many Countries euen yet vnpeopled. And also that euen in the best peopled places of all their Conquestes, they hauehave not found the tenth part of so much people as the Countrie being manured were able to beare; whereas on the contrary part, in our Countries the Nati…ns doe pester one another. And wheras our very vttermost borders are more frequented then theirs; the cause therof is, that ours be much néerer the Centre which I set downe, then theirs bee; as the Cosmographers doe easly perceyue. Wherevpon it hath come to passe, that the people which hauehave bene spred abroade from our p. 122Centre vntounto the vttermost Coasts of the frosen Sea, finding them selues more multiplyed than their Lands were able to mainteyne, and being not able to go any further for the Sea that hemmed thē in; hauehave rebounded backe agayne vppon the next Countries, as namely the Cymbrians vppon the Almanes and Romanes, and afterward the Gothes vponupon Italy and Fraunce, the Humes vponupon Pannoye, the Vandales vponupon Spayne, and lastly the Turkes and Tartarians vponupon all Europe. Which thing hath not happened vppon the other part of the World, because of the large scope of their Countrey, which eniptyeth the Easterne Indya nito y^e Westerne; The Westerne into newe Spayne; newe Spayne into Brasilie; and Brasilie into the Southerne land, wherof not so much as the Seacoast is yet knowne. Neither befell it so vntounto vsus in the first ages, because our part of the World was not yet sufficiently peopled to ebbe backe agayne: but it befell chiefly a little afore or a little after the comming of Iesus Christ, that is to wit, towards the perfect age of the World. To bee short, were there neuer so much people, yet were it no woonder to him that would take the peynes to account what onelyonly one ofspring might amount vntounto in one hundred yéeres, and how many one man might see to come of himselfe in his owne lifetyme; which in another hundred yéere might increase into an infinite multitude. The Empyres hauehave alwaies extended their largenesse towards the North and the South, but yet more Northerly than Southerly, because the Centre which I take, is still afore towards the North, and in the temperatest Clymate of our halfe Globe, that is to wit, towards the 35. and 40. degréees (or thereabouts) of the Equinoctiall lyne, which diuideth y^t World euen in the middest; which thing I desire the Readers to mark aduisedly. And truely Iseland (which in old tyme was called Thule,) was knowne in the tyme of great Alexander, notwithstanding that it be situate about 68. degrées North; whereas yet for al that, the greatest part of Affrick was vnknowne to them, and the vttermost reach of their knowledge was the Ile of Taprobane, which neuerthelesse are but vnderunder the Equinoctiall: so farre of were they from atteyning to y^e Southpole. To be short, the Coast of Affrick or Barbarie & of Spayne, was peopled by the Phenecians, whom we reade to hauehave bin long tyme Lords of the Sea. And the Commonweale of Carthage, which was so highly renowmed and reached so farre of, was an ympe of Tyrus the chiefe Citie of Phenecia, which bordered vponupon Iewrie. For Tyrus sent thether the one p. 123halfe of their people; wherevpon it was called Carthago, that is to say, the halfe towne. And the first people that dwelled there,Strabo. lib. 3. Plutark in the lyfe of Scipio. went into that Countrey by a narrowe péece of drye land called Catabathmos, which is a falling ground that ioyneth Palestine vntounto AEgipt, as remayned yet still to bee read in the tyme of the Hystoriographer Procopius, vponupon a Piller in Tingie a Citie of Affrick, set there by the inhabitants of Chanaan which had fled away from the sight of Iosua. And in good sooth, as appeareth by many sentences of S. Austins, the Punicke tongue was but a kinde of seuerall proprietie of the Hebrew.

Some persist yet still in demaunding,The Histories of Affricke. from whence the Southland, the Countrie of Brasilie, the Land of Perow and such others could be peopled? And whence I pray you was Affricke peopled, for the replenishing whereof thou canst not but knowe that inhabitants were sent thether both by Sea and by Land? Affrick was peopled first by the foresayd narrow péece of drye Land cassed Catabathmos, and afterward refreshed agayne by the streyghts of Gibraltar. And the Southland was peopled on the one side by the Ile of Taprobane, & on the other side by the streyghts of Magellan which do butt there vpō Brasilie. And Perow likewise was peopled by the narrowe poynt of land called Darien, by the which way Brasilie also was peopled. At such tyme as the Spanyards entered first into that great Nesse which conteyneth both Brasilie and Perow, they thought it to hauehave bin an Iland. In like manner, if the Perouians had landed in Affrick by the Athlantick Sea, and had fennd so long a side as the side of Affrick is that stretcheth vntounto the red Sea, so as they being wearied with following it as the Romanes were, had made the like question: we would then hauehave mocked at them because we knowe the passage whereby men came thether: and they hauehave like occasion to mock vsus, because they know theirs. But yet agayne, from whence came the people which are spred abroade from the Land that is called newe Spayne by the streyght of Daryen? Proc…ede on yet a little further, and thou shalt finde Cathay and Indya ioyning to that Land; and Groneland facing it on the Northside; and the streyght of Anian on the West side, which is almost as néere within the viewe of it as Spayne is vntounto Affrick by y^e streyghts of Gibraltare. And I pray you what more maruell is it that they should hauehave passed by that streyght, than that the Latins passed into Sicilie by the Fare of Messana, or that the Vandales passed into Affrick and y^e Sarzins into Spayne p. 124by the sayd streygh…s of Gibraltare? But the mischiefe is, that nothing can suffize vsus for proofe of the trueth; but for witnesse against it, we admit both Ignorance, Heresay, and Doubts, and the very least suspitions or surmizes that cā come in our mynd. For I pray you what can bee more childish, (or rather as Varro sayth in his Eumenides) more worthie of Hell; than to say that men sprung vp in a Countrey as Béetes and Rapes doe? After that maner were the Athenians called Aborigenes, that is to say, Homebred or bred in that place: and in token thereof they wore a Grassehopper in their Cappe or Bonet:Aristides in his Pautheuaik, insomuch that Aristides to flatter them withal, told them that their Territorie was the first that euer bore men; and yet for all that, there had bin whole Realmes of men in Syria, afore there were any mē in Greece. The Latins also would vaunt themselues of the same: but Dennis of Halycarnassus and Porcius Cato acknowledge them to hauehave come out of Achaia. Aske the Sauages, and they will say the very same that these Sages say: for they knowe neither one thing nor other, further than their owne remembrance can reach.

But goe to Moyses, and he will tell you the Originalles of the first Nations, and the Genealogie of the whole World. And the names of them remayning from thence vntounto vsus, will put the matter out of all doubt to a man of vnderstanding. For of Noe by his eldest Sonne Iaphet, issewed the Gomerians or Cymbryans, the Medes, the Ionians who were the first inhabiters of Greece, the Twiscons Duchmen or Almanes, the Italians, and the Dodoneans: namely of Gomer, Maday, Iauan, Aschenes, Elisa, and Dodanim. By Cham there issewed the Chananites, the AEgiptians, the Libyans, the Sabeans, and so forth; who reteyned the names of his Children, that is to wit, of Chanaan, Misraim, Lud, Saba, and so foorth: For Misraim in Hebrewe betokeneth AEgipt. By Sem there descended the Elamites & Persians, the Assyrians, the Chasdeans or Chaldees, y^t Lydians, the Aramites or Syrians, the people of Ophir & others; that is to wit, of Elam, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Ophir, and others. And these names were written and recorded by Moyses, afore those Nations were of any reputation, and they remayne yet still among the Hebrewes at this day. Now looke in what measure these fathers of houses increased their Children, so did eueryevery of them spred out his braunches a farre of, insomuch that the ofspring of that stock did couer and ouershadow the whole earth, and the Arke of Noe did after a maner sayle ouer p. 125the whole world.

But here is an Obiection which seemeth stronger.An Obiection of Fluddes taken out of Plato. These reasons (say they) do bring vsus vp to the Flood; but as y^e Flud brought mankynd to that small number, whereby the World was by little and little renewed agayne: So may it be that there were other former Fluds, that had done the like afore; so as this latter Flud was rather a renewing of the World, than a first beginning therof. And to this purpose they will alledge this saying of Plato in his Timaeus, that the ouerflowings of waters and the burnings by fire, doe from tyme to tyme refresh the World, and destroy the rememberance of the former ages, and also of all Artes, Sciences, and other Inuentions. This is worthie of some examination. Surely of Burnings eyther vniuersall or any thing great in respect of the whole world, there is no mention found in any Storie. Also of any other generall Flud, than that which wee take to bee the first, and last, there is as little to be found, vnlesse they will apply that name to the ouerflowings of Riuers in some final quarter, or to the winning of the Sea by force of his breaking into some Countrey a League or twayne, which can nothing serue to this purpose. And if their alledging of it in that behalfe be vnfeinedly and in good earnest as I beléeue it is; well mought they fare for their confession. For then will I aske them whether this Flud were vniuersall, or particular but to some one Countrey. If it were particular; how commeth it to passe that all Nations confesse it to bee vniuersall? And how commeth it to passe also that the Countries which had no part thereof, hauehave no incling thereof eyther in memorie or in writing? Or if it were vniuersall; did any men escape from it, or no? If none escaped, how then come wee to the knowledge of it? And whence are we also, but of a new Creation? And he that was able to create vsus agayne, why was he not able to create vsus also afore? If some escaped, as all of vsus do consent that there did: why beléeue we them not as well in the things that went afore the Flud, as we beléeue them concerning the Flud it selfe? And who bee those that escaped but Noe and his issew, who leade vsus to the first beginning both of the World and of men? For in al the Histories of the Heathen, what finde wee thereof woorth the alledging? Againe, I demaund whether this sayd Flud and others which they pretend to hauehave abolished the rememberance of the former tymes, befell by chaunce or by prouidence? If by chaunce; was it not possible, that of so many which may perchaūce hauehave bin eyther from euerlasting p. 126or of very old tyme, perchaūce not so much as any one should hauehave escaped? Or if by Prouidence; by whose prouidence should it be but by Gods? or who could hauehave power to vndoe and confound this worke, but only he that made it? And what warrant hast thou that he destroyed it more than once, seeing thou art inforced to graunt that he made it but once? Nay, it may be that it befel through some Coniunction of the Starres. And who told them so? And if they knowe so much thereof, let them tell vsus what Starres. I omit to tell them that such Coniunctions (as they themselues teach) threaten not the whole World, but some small part thereof. After this maner did the Astrologers say, that in the yéere 1524. there should méete the like Coniunction as was at the generall Flud, by reason whereof the whole earth should be couered with water: and yet as (Viues sayth) a fayrer yéere was neuer seene. To bee short, all things will goe for payment with these folke, sauing the trueth.

But sée here their last Ankerhold. How happeneth it (sayth Auerrhois The obiection of Auerrhoes.) that God forbore so long, and where had hee that newe deuice of making the world? Silly soule that thou art! which gloriest in asking Questions whereas skill consisteth in answering. Thou wilt néedes prooue the world by thy reasons to bee without beginning: and yet in thrée woords which thou hast spoken, thou shewest y^t thou knowest not what eternitie or euerlastingnes is. In eternitie (fréend myne) there is neither length nor shortnes of time: the euerlasting prouidence is not tyed to new casualtie. Consider that thou art a man. The Plants cannot iudge of Sence; the Beastes cannot iudge of the drift of Reason; neither canst thou which art s…biect to tyme, iudge of eternitie which is without time. For if euen thy litle Babe which is in time, cannot conceiue what tyme is: how shall hee that is but in tyme, vnderstand the euerlastingnes of the euerlasting? After that maner the brute beasts (if they had speech) would decipher the reache of thy wit according to their owne imagination. And thou wouldest mocke at them if they should goe about to describe what thy memorie is, which ioyneth past, present, and to come all in one. And how thinkest thou thy self able to iudge of eternitie, which alterest with the Winds, with the Moones, and with the seasons of the yere; eueryevery day, eueryevery howre, and eueryevery minute? Askest thou why God forbore so long tyme? Nay rather, aske why God listed to make the tyme it selfe; for in one vndeuidable moment is eternitie ioyned both too y^e beginning and to the ende of tyme. Learne this also, that where there is any p. 127bound orend, there is no long tyme. The long time of a Worme, is a mooneth; of an Ant, a yere; of a Horse, thirtie yeres; of a man, a hundred yeeres; of all mankind, certeine thousands of yeres; of tyme it selfe, a certeine space of tyme; and the terming of any of all their times long, is in respect of the long continuance of their life in time; but vntounto him that made tyme, nothing indureth lesse whyle than time. Put the cace that the world hauehave lasted a hundred thousand yeres, or (if ye will) tenhundred thousand, what shall ye gaine by that? That the world shall hauehave bene of the greater antiquitie. But in respect of whom? of God, or of thy selfe? of a Woorme, or of a Spirit? of eternitie, or of tyme? And what is all that in comparison of infinitenesse? Is not y^t Question all one still? Whence is this deuice? whence is this chaunce? as well in a hundred; as in a thousand, and as well in a thousand as a thousand thousand? Yet was the deuice and purpose eternall, notwithstanding that the execution thereof be in tyme, insomuch that he hath brought forth tyme, and tyme is measure of mouing, and mouing proueth a beginning, and the beginning which it taketh is euer newe. Thou then which by a mouing hast a beginning proued vntounto thée, giuegive ouer thy surmised eternitie and confesse a newnesse of tyme, for nothing is newer than tyme. With like reason myst thou demaund why God made the World rather here than elswhere. For these distinctions of time and place were created and brought forth together at one instant with the World, so as they be neither without it nor afore it. He that is without tyme and without place, made both tyme and place; and if he had bin subiect to tyme and place, as thou imaginest; he could not hauehave made eyther place or tyme. Yea, but what did hee then (sayest thou) afore the worlde and out of the world? Once agayne amend thy plea. For in God there is neyther afore nor after, within nor without. But surely it is a goodly question, and welbeseeming a great wit. Afore thy Clocke or thy building was made, thou diddest not ceasse to liue and to delight thy selfe in the perfectnesse of thyne Arte; and afterward thy building added nothing vntounto thée, but thou vntounto thy building. Thou wouldest hauehave bin ashamed to hauehave asked of Scipio what he did at home in his house in the Countrie, after he had giuen ouer the affayres of the Commonweale and the warre…: and he would hauehave answered thée y^t he was neuer lesse ydle than when he was ydle, nor lesse alone than when he was alone. And yet thou thinkest that it stoode God greatly on hād to make this goodly place of y^t world for thée, p. 128and to harber such blasphemers as thou art therein, as if he could not hauehave forborne thée, or liued without thy companie. God did the same thing without the world, which he doth still with the world: that is to wit, he is happie in himselfe. The world hath nothing at all augmented his felicitie or happinesse. But to the intent (as y… would say) to shed foorth his happinesse out of himselfe; it liked him to create the world. Yea, but why did he it no sooner? What a number of faults are heere in one spéech? Thou wilt néedes be priuie to the cause of Gods will in al things, and yet is Gods will the cause of the causes of all things. By eternitie thou haddest not bin able to hauehave knowne his power; for the Maiestie therof would hauehave made the darke; and it is so bright that thou couldest hauehave séene lesse, than thou couldest see now if thou wert lodged in y^e body of the Sunne. Now he maketh thee to perceyue his power, by the creation of the world; his eternitie, by comparison of tyme; & his glorious brightnesse, by the shadowe thereof. By eternitie, thou couldest not hauehave knowne his wisedome; for thou wouldest hauehave déemed all things as wise as he, seeing they had bin as euerlasting as he. And what wisedome had remayned in him, if all things had bin of necessitie, and nothing at his owne choyce and libertie? But now thou seest his wisedome in the Stones, in the Herbs, in the dumb creatures, yea and euen in the workmanship of thy selfe. Thou seest it in the order, in the succession, and in the bréeding of all things. Thou gasest at it in the greatest things, and thou wonderest at it in the smallest; as much in the Flye and the Ant, as in the whole Cope of heauen: wheras the eternitie of things would hauehave caused thée to hauehave attributed Godhead to the Skyes, the Starres, the Earth, the Rockes, the Mountaynes, and in effect to all things rather than thy selfe, as they did which were taught so to do. Also by this eternitie thou couldest not hauehave conceyued his goodnesse, because thou wouldest hauehave thought that GOD had had as much néede of the World, as the World had of him. Thou shouldest not hauehave knowen thy selfe to bee any more beholden to him, than to the fire for heating thée or to the Sunne for giuing thée light, because they should no more bee eyther fire or Sunne, if they forwent that nature. But he sheweth thée by the creation, both that he himselfe is euer, and that thou hast had thy being since the tyme that it pleased him to create thée: that he without thée is eternall; and that thou without his goodnesse haddest neuer bin that little which thou art: and to bee short, that he is not tyed to any néede or necessitie as Aristotles p. 129God is, (which could not refuse to driue y^t Mill, but was tyed to it whether he would or no:) but that his doing of things is altogether of his owne infinite goodnesse, wherethrough he voutsafeth to impart himselfe vntounto others, by making the thing to bée which was not; yea and by making the thing happie, which of it selfe could not so much as be. Now, had man any will or skill to acknowledge the power, wisedome, and goodnessē of his God? [I thinke not.] Then was it for thy benefite and not for his owne, that he made not the World eyther of greater antiquitie, or eternall. For had he made it eternall; (let vsus so speake seeing ye will hauehave it so,) thou wouldest hauehave made a God of it, and thou canst not euen now forbeare the doing thereof. And had he made it of more antiquitie; thou wouldest hauehave made it an occasion to forget thy God; and for all the newnesse thereof, yet wilt thou not beare it in thy mynd. Then seeke not the cause thereof in his power. The cause thereof is in thy…e owne infirmitie: Nay, the cause thereof is in his goodnesse, in that he intendeth to succour thyne ignorance. And so, notwithstāding al their obiections, we shall by this meanes hold still our conclusion, to wit, That the World is but of late continuance; That it had a beginning; and that concerning the tyme of the first beginning thereof; and concerning the continuance thereof vntounto our daies, we ought to beléeue y^e bookes of Moyses aboue all.