Gods Arrow Against Atheists, Chapter 1
The first Chapter.
ATheisme and Irreligion was euer od… ous euen amonge the Heathen themselues: insomuch as that Protagoras for that he doubted whether there were any God or no, was by the Athenians vanished out of their Country. Diagoras was such a notorious Infidell that he helde there was no God; him and all such like Atheists the very Heathens hauehave abhorred and detested, as being more like rude beastes than reasonable men: For Cicero the Heathen Philosopher doth condemne them all, and further saith,Cice. … de natur. that there was neuer any Nation so sauadge, or people so barbarous, but alwaies confessed there was a God: whereunto they were led euen by the light of Nature, and naturall instinct. For the very same is confirmed by the common vse of all Heathens,Tertull in Apolog. in lifting vp their eyes and handes to heauen, in any sodaine distresse that commeth vponupon them. Yea, by experience of all ages it hath beene prooued that Atheists themselues, that is, such as in their health and prosperitie for more libertie of sinning, would striue against the being of a God, when they came to die or fall into any great miserie, they of all other would shew themselues most fearefull of this God,Seneca lib. 1, de ira. as Seneca himselfe declareth: Insomuch as Zeno the Philosopher was woont to say, that it see…ned to him a more substantiall proofe of this matter, to heare an Atheist at his dying day, preach God (when he asked God & all the world forgiuenes) then to heare all the Philosophers in the worlde dispute the point: For that at this instant of death and miserie, it is like that such doe speake in earnest and sobrietie of spirite, who before in the wantonnes impugned God. It is remembred of Caius Caligula, (that wicked and incestuous Emperour) that he was a notable scorner and contemner of God,Sueton in calig. 1.51▪ Dion in caligula. & made no reckoning of any other to be God but himselfe, yet this abhominable and wicked Atheist, as God left him not vnpunished (for by his iust iudgement hee was slaine by some of his owne officers) so whilest he liued he was woont (as the Historiographers report of him) at the terrible thundering and lightning, not onelyonly to couer his head, but also to get himselfe vnderunder his bed, and there to hide himselfe for feare. Whence I praie …ame this feare vponupon him? but that his own conscience did tell him (howsoeuer in words perchance hee would not affirme so much) that there was a God in heauen, able to quaile and cast down his pride and all the Emperours of the world if hee listed, whose thunderboltes were so terrible, as that iustly by his owne example he shewed, hee was to bee feared of all the world. And heereof it is that some say, that God is called Deus, of the Greeke word Theos, which signifieth feare, because the feare of him is planted and engraffed in the verie natures and conscience of all reasonable creatures, yea euen in the conscience of the greatest contemners, and ra…kest Atheists of the world, who say what they list, and doe what they list, yet shall they neuer bee able to root out this impression: namely, that there is a God, whose feare is engrauen in the hearts of all men. And whence I pray you commeth shame in men after an offence committed? Or why should men (by naturall distinct) put a difference betwéene vertue and vice, good and euill, if there were not a God, who because hee loueth the one, and hateth the other, hath written that difference in eueryevery mans heart? Therefore conclude, that eueryevery mans knowledge, conscience, and féeling, is in stead of a thousand witnesses to conuince him (whosoeuer he be) that there is a God which is to be feared, which hateth iniquitie and wicked waies, and which in time of trouble and déepe distresse is to be sought vntounto for refuge and reliefe (as the acts of the very heathen themselues do plainely demonstrate.
2 Moreouer, as God is to bee felt sensible in euerie mans conscience, so is he to be séene visibly (if I may so speake) in the creation of the world, and of all thinges therein contained: for that this world had a beginning as all the excellent Philosophers that euer were hauehave agréeed, except Aristotle for a time, who helde a fancie,Vide Plutarch de placit philos. Aristotle. Lib. 8. Aristotle. lib de mū do & vide Plotin. lib. de mundo, Iustine in Apolog. that this world had no beginning, but was from all eternity: but at last in his old age, he confessed and held, the contrary in his booke de mundo, which hee wrote to King Alexander, (which booke Iustin Martyr estéemed greatly, and called it the Epitome of all Aristotles true Philosophy.) This then being so, that the worlde had a beginning, it must néeds follow, that it had an efficient cause or maker thereof. I demaund then who it was that made it? If you say it made it selfe, it is absurd, for how could it make it selfe before it selfe was, and when it had no being at all? If you say that something within the worlde made the world, that is, tha… some one part of the worlde made the whole, that is more absurd: for it is as much as if a man should say, that the finger (and this before it was a finger or part of the bodie) did make the whole bodie. Wherefore it may bee confessed by force of this argument (which is plainely demonstratiue) that a greater and more excellent thing than is the whole world put togeather, yea, that some thing which was before heauen and earth were made, was and must needes be the maker thereof and framer of this worlde, and this can be nothing else but God the Creator of all things, who was before all his Creatures, and is termed in the sacred writings Alpha and Omega the first and the last: For that hee onelyonly was without beginning himselfe, and shall be and remaine without ending. For he is eternall being the Primus Motor, and the onelyonly Almightie Creator of all thinges: So true is it which Paul the Apostle doth testifie,Rom 1.20. when he saith, that the inuisible things of God (that is his eternall power and diuine Essence) are perfectly seene in the creation of the world, being perceiued by his workes which he hath made. If therefore men would but cast vp their eyes to heauen, and from thence looke downe againe vppon the earth and so beholde the excellent beauty and building of this worlde, he cannot be so sottish or dull conceited, but hee must knowe there was and is a God which was the maker of them, and be mo…ued in some sort to glorifie so incomparable and excellent a Creator. Yea, the Poets and others hauehave affirmed of God that he is Pater hominum, the Father of men, to show that men hauehave their originall and creation from him, so that if we should draw our eyes from the beholding of the great world, and consider but Man: (who for his beauty & excellencie is called in Greeke Michocosmos, the litle world) still we shall be enforced to acknowledge God the Author of vsus, the Father and Creator of vsus. So true is it that which Paul the Apostle noteth out of the Poet Aratus which saith,Act. 17.….… that Eius progenies sumus We are the issue or offspring of God. And as true it is, which he further saith in that place, that in him we liue, moue, and hauehave our being. And therfore we owe all duetifull obedience and subiection vntounto him, which duety and nature commands vsus to performe, in regard of our Creation. For the sonne honoureth his father by naturall duety, and all men are naturally carried to be gratefull to their founders to whom they are specially bound, and whom they ought not to forget, neither will, except they be extreame vnthankefull and dissolute.
3 Not onelyonly the Creation of the worlde, and of all things therein contained, doth proclaim that there is a God who is to be honoured for his infinite extended authoritie and almighty power (for he made all things of nothing,Heb. 11.2 Gen. 1. onelyonly he spake the word and they were created) but his daily blessinges and benefites sent downe vppon the earth doe show also there is a God (which is prouident and hath care of men, and therefore of men to be praised, thanked, and glorified for euer.) For true it is which saint Paul saith in this behalfe,Act. 14.17 that God left not himselfe without witnes, when he bestowed benefits from heauen, giuing vntounto vsus raine and seasonable weather, and filling our harts with meate and gladnes. By meanes of these and all other his blessings, men might, and still may daily be induced not only to beléeue that there is a God from whome they receiue all these, but also to acknowledge and attribute all praise and thankesgiuing vntounto him, as to their first principall and speciall benefactor. For the Oxe doth know his owne, and the Asse his Master, féeder, and maintainer. And therefore how can it bee but reasonable men should much more knowe God, not onelyonly their first founder and Creator, but their daily féeder, preseruer, kéeper, and vpholder. For so of… as they thinke vponupon these thinges, and sée and hauehave them, they cannot choose but bee put in minde of God the sender and Author of them all, and be mooued with a gratefull minde towards him. And hereof is it that hee is called Deus, à dando, Of giuing: And in english wee call God,Mat. 19.17 Iam. 1.17. quasi good, because hee is onelyonly and perfectly good of himselfe alone, and the giuer of all goodnes, and of all good gifts and blessings vntounto others, from whom as from the fountaine al benefits whatsoeuer do come,Rom. 1.8.19. descend, ffow and be deriued vntounto them.
4 I might heere shew how God is also knowen to the world by his iudgements vponupon wicked and vnrighteous people, who diuers times hee maketh visible examples of his seueritie and iustice (if men did well consider them) for heereby also hath God ministred himselfe, as Paule the Apostle teacheth. These promises I trust may suffice, (if there were no more to bee said) for by them we may easily sée and prooue, that there is a God which created the world, and all things therein: which preserueth & vpholdeth the same with his mightie puissaunce, which supporteth the earth, and all the creatures thereof with his prouidence and helping hand: yea, behind the heauens and the earth, which are the worke of his hands. EueryEvery mans owne conscience doth plentifully teach (as I said before) that there is a God which is to bee feared. For howsoeuer many a man that hath spent his life in a wicked way, and most damnabl… course, could wish in his heart there were no God, because hee seeth God no otherwise than in his vengeaunce: yea, hows…euer many a wicked person doth ssooth himselfe in his wickednes,Psa. 14.1. and flatteringlie say vntounto himselfe (like the foole in the Psalmes) There is no God: yet at other times his own conscience wil so prouoke him, and enforce this matter (that there is a God) that with the horror and dread of him, it will make him quake, feare, and tremble, for the feare of him is so deepely printed in the natures of all men, as that it is impossible to shake it off. And (which is more) a kinde of deuotion to worship him being the Creator and preseruer of men, and of all things els, and the prouident father of all is planted, and inseparably fixed in the harts of al men: though al men of all nations know not how to worship him aright, and in such sort as he requireth. This is manifest by the examples of all nations and people in the world, who all hauehave some one kinde of religion or other, though all finde not the right religion. All be deuoted to the worship of God howsoeuer all doe not finde out the true God, nor his right name of worship, but worship him according to the deuises of their owne braine. Considering then that there is no Nation vnderunder the sunne so barberous (nor eu…r was) but aymed at the worshippe of God, and either worshipped him or some thing els in his place. It appeareth to be a most vaine and foolish conceit which Atheists sometimes vtter: namely, that religion is nothing els but a matter of pollicie, or a politicke deuise of humane Inuention: For it is euident that a religious a…ection to worship God is naturallie sealed (and euer was) in the harts of all men: And the conscience of eueryevery man, euen of the greatest scorner and contemner of God, which sometimes trembleth before his iudgment seate, doth aboundantlie testifie that a religious deuotion of feare toward, God is bred and borne with eueryevery man, and therefore there cannot be any pollicie of humane Inuention: in as much as if there were no lawes of men, yet this religious affection to worship God, and the feare of him, would & doth remaine written by the finger of God, in the harts and consciences of all men liuing, howe rude sauage or barberous soeuer they be. What law of men I pray was there to make Caligula the Emperour when hee heard the tirrible thundering in the aire and sawe the flashing flames of lightning about him, to runne vnderunder his bed and to hide himselfe for feare of this tirrible and great God? Or what maketh the rankest Atheist in the worlde in the like case & at the like tempest to do the like? Or what made the heathen in any dangerous or sodaine distres to lift vp their eies or hands to heauen, mightily to feare and to be astonished? None can say it is the law of men for no law of men doth enforce this attempt. But it is a naturall instinct of the Feare of God (whome hee hath offended, and whose vengeance he dreadeth) and from whome he thinketh succour may come, seated in all mens harts euen from their Natiuitie, which doth make him to feare, and cause him to seeke to God for refuge. Let this therefore remaine firme and most vndoubted, that the feare of the great God and a Religious disposition to worship the same God, is not enforced by lawes of men, but naturaly sowen in the harts of all men, though all finde not out nor obserue the right religion. Let vsus therefore nowe seeke and serch out which is the true Religion, which is acceptable to God, and which without wauering & doubting is t… ▪ be obserued of men. For all nations & people hauehave a kinde of religion (as I said before) but all hauehave not the true and right religion.