Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Part 10
Atheiſme.
PSAL. 14.1.
The fool hath ſaid in his heart, There is no God.
THe fool hath ſaid it: and ſurely none but a fool would ſay it.foreign One in whom common reaſon is faded and dried up, as the ſap is in a leaf in Autumn, ſo the word ſignifies. The Philoſopher goes further,Avicenna. and ſaith, He that denieth the one God, and his providence in all things, is not only void of reaſon, but of ſenſe. And yet th s witleſſe, ſapleſſe, ſelfleſſe creature, this wide aſſe-colt, is every mothers childe of us by nature: witneſſe S. Paul, Rom. 3. where going about to prove all naturall men to be ſinners, he fetcheth proof out of this Pſalm, and the tenth,Pſal. 19.41 where the ſame thing is avowed. It is (I confeſſe) an inviolable principle, and indelebly ſtampt upon mans nature, That there is a God. The barbarous people of Braſil, that are ſaid to be, Sine Fide, ſine Rege, ſine Lege, that have neither Religion, Rule nor Raiment,Plin. l. 2. Nat. hiſt. yet they have ſome knowledge of God, ſome ſpice of religion, ſuch as it is: Rather then want a god, they worſhip the very devil; not inwardly only (for ſo the moſt among us do, being acted and agitated by the devil, who is therefore called the god of this World; by whom he is as readily obeved, as God was in the Creation,Epheſ. 2.3. when he ſaid, Let there be light, &c) but alto with an …ward worſhip. The devil himſelf, though he be no Atheiſt, nor can be (for he feels the wrath of God, and ſo believes and trembles) yet he doth all he can to make men Atheiſts: becauſe when there is no fear of God before their eyes, they will ſinne all manner of ſins the devil would have them ſinne, Pſal. 14.1, 2, 3. And Rom. 3.18. After a bedrole of ſundry other ſins, this is ſubjoyned, as the root of all the reſt, There is no fear of God before their eyes: That is, they are flat Atheiſts if not in opinion, yet in practice.
Atheiſts in opinion are,
1. Such as conclude there is no God.
2.De dijs utrum ſins non a…ſim affirmare, d…it …Protagoras. foreign Such as ſuſpect as much.
Of the former fort was Pharaoh, who knew no other God but himſelf, and therefore asked, Who is the Lord? He ſhould rather have asked, Who is Pharaoh? a miſerable mortall creature, a worme and no man, a mixture and compound of dirt and ſin. Cods attributes ſhew both what he is and who he is. To the Queſtion of Moſes, What be is? God gave a ſhort anſwer, I am. To the ſecond by Pharaoh, Who be is; he made a large reply, till Pharaoh was forced to anſwer him, The Lord is righteous. Eliphaz alto accuſeth Job, that he ſhould ſay, How doth God know? Can be judge through the thick cloud? Darkclouds are a covering to him, that he ſeeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of heaven, Job 2.13, 14. As if he had had nothing to do, or took no care at leaſt of his earthly kingdome. And doth not Job himſelf, when once wet to the skin with the tempeſt of Gods wrath ſoaking into his ſoul, ſeem to ſay ſo much, Job 37.23, 24.Di…arthus & Protagoras de Deo a: ſit n… …e, madoò ſer …eat oſſa, inquirendum non … tant, Cic. But God ſteps forth (as it were from behinde the hangings) over-hearing and controuling him out of the whirlwinde, Chap 38.2. Who is this, ſaith he, that talks thus? How now? peace, and be ſtill. Hiſtories tell us of ſome profeſt Atheiſts that utterly denied a Deity, and that, either out of ſenſuality as Epicurus and Lucretius: or out of ſtomack, as Diagoras, who having written a book of verſes, and made it ready to be ſet forth, was by ſtealth deprived of it. And when he had called him that had ſtolen it before the Senate of Athens, he ſware that he did it not, and ſo was quit, and after wards ſet out the book in his own name. Which when Diagoras ſaw, and that he was not preſently ſtrucken with a thunderbolt, he became an Atheiſt. So did Porphyry and Lucian, who were Chriſtians at firſt, but receiving injury by the Church, the one by words, the other by blows, in ſpite became Atheiſts, Porphyry wrote againſt the Bible, and ſought to diſprove it. So did Galen the great Phyſician. He jears at Moſes for ſaying, That God made all things of nothing. Egregiè dicis, Domine Moſes, ſed quomodo probas? is ſaid to have been the ſpeech of Aristotle, when he read Geneſis. For, ex nibilo nibil fit, ſaith Philoſophy. And Plato never cals God foreign or foreign, a Creatour, but foreign, as if he had made the world of a praeexiſting matter, coaeternall with God himſelf. But what ſaith the Apoſtle? Credo, non probo. Thorow faith we underſtand that the worlds were framed by the bare word of God, Heb. 11.3. And by the ſame mighty word are upheld, Heb. 1.3. which elſe would ſoon ſhatter and fall aſunder, but that he hoops them, as it were, and holds them together. This the Athenians knew not, as S. Paul boldly tels them, Act. 17.23, 24. Whom there fire ye ignorantly worſhip, him declare I unto you, God that made the world, and all things therein, ſeeing that be is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with bands. thus ſaith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my foot 2lool: Where is the houſe that ye build unto me? Iſa. 66.1. The Turks build their Moſch…es or Churches without any roo…, becauſe they hold even as we doe,Turk hiſt. 342. That God is incomprehenſible, a circle, whoſe center is every where, whole circumference is no where, as Empedocles deſcribed him, Aristotle would confine him to heaven, as if his preſence and providence extended not to things done on the earth. Lucian also, that Atherſt, tels us of certain crannies and chinks in heaven, thorow the which Iupiter, at ſome ſet times, looks down upon men. And if then they be praying they may be heard, otherwiſe not.Chriſt an nominat foreign With the ſame impudency alſo doth he deride all other his Heatheniſh gods: and yet with the ſame blaſphemous mouth rail…th upon Chriſt as a crucified Coſener (I abhor to relate it) and upon Chriſtians as mad men, becauſe ſo for ward to ſuffer Martyrdome. Thus he lates about him on every ſide, and makes that good of himſelf, that ſome have affirmed of Conſtantinus Copronymus, That he was neither Jew, Pagan, nor Chriſtian, Sed coliuvies quaedam impictatis, but an arrant Atheiſt. So before him are ſaid to have been Theodore of Cyrene, Evemerus, Hippo, Nicanor, In protrep…ico Sacton u…refert cum au…tum ſic commina…tem …ovi foreign …iad 3.and others mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus. Such an one was that monſter Caligula, that braved his god Iupiter, and threatned him. And yet not withſtanding at every clap of thunder or ſlaſh of lightning, he ran under his bed, or fought ſomewhere to hide himſelf, as frighted worme wriggles into his hole. Mentiuntur qui dicunt ſenon ſentire eſſe Deum, ſaith Seneca. They lie that ſay they think there is no God. for though they ſay ſo to thee by day, yet they doubt thereof within themſelves by night. Then fear comes upon them and trembling, which maketh all their bones to ſhake, as it did his, Job 4 14. And as it is reported of Tullius Hostilius (the third King of Romans), that turned the peoples mindes to the ſtudy of warlike diſcipline,Plutarcht deſpiſing Numa his predeceſſours ſacrifices, and ſaying that religion did but effeminate mens mindes, and make them unfit for noble imploiments. Nevertheleſſe Lactantius witneſſeth, that this King fained to himſelf and worſhipped two new Gods, Pavorem & Pallorem, Fear and Paleneſſe: Gods that he carried about with him in his own boſome,Lactantius. and could not ſhake off. For as any man is more deſperately wicked and irreligious, ſo he is more vexed with the terrours of his own conſcience, which is gods ſpie and mans overſeer, and ſtings him,Rom 2.15. betwixt whiles, with unqueſtionable conviction and horrour. It was an Atheiſticall ſpeech of Statius the Poet.
Primus in or be Deos ſecit Timor.Statius.
That Fear firſt made gods in the world: and that all opinion of a Deity was frivolous, deviſed by wiſe men to keep the people in awe and order. For if theſe were no other argument to prove, that there is a God, theſe very fears and terrours of conſcience, ſtricken into mens minds after ſinne, were ſufficient. For theſe muſt needs come from a Judge that deteſteth diſhoneſty, and exerciſeth judgement upon the ſoul. Richard the third of England felt this.Truſſels contin, of …aniels hiſt. of England fol. 349. Somnum nost…rmi horrores pleru…, interru… … & …urſus a …ibiti ſy…phoniaci conciliabant. Thuan l 57. And ſo did Charls the ninth of France. The former, after the murder of his two innocent Nephews, had fearfull dreams: Inſomuch that he did often leap out of his bed in the dark, and catching his ſword (which alway naked ſtuck by his ſide) he would go diſtractedly about the chamber, every where ſeeking to find out the cauſe of his own occaſioned diſquiet. The later, after the bloudy maſſacre of Paris, could ſeldome take any ſound ſleep; being as terrible to himſlef, as he formerly had been to others: and could never endure to be awakened out of ſleep without muſick, or ſome like diverſion. Now could theſe men poſſibly either conclude or ſuſpect there was no God?
Some I confeſſe there are that lay violent hands upon all the principles in their heads, and doe what they can to tear them our, that they may ſinne the more freely. They are loth to confeſſe a God, for fear to ſtand in awe of him, and yet (will they, nill they) the fear of the leaſt things maketh them to confeſſe him. Nay,Iſa. 7.2. 2 Chron 33.1. becauſe they fear not him that made all things, therefore they ſtand in awe of all things: as Ahaz that trembled as a ſhaken leaf, and his grandſon Manaſſch, that hid his head among the thorns,Tanta ad…ò cum res trepidae, reverentia divſim Naſ…itur … Silius 1.7. and from thence was pulled, and bound with ſetters, He that had faced the heavens, and neither feared God nor cared for man, is now at his wits ends for the fear of his heart Wherewith he did fear, and for the fight of his eyes which he did ſee, Deut. 28.67. What would ſuch Atheiſts then do, did they but ſee hell? Bellarmine is of opinion that one glimpſe of hell were enough to make a man not only turn Chriſtian and ſober, but Anchorite and Monk, to live after the ſtricteſt rule that may be. And yet he tels us of a certain Advocate of the Court of Rome, that being at point of death,Bellar. de arte…ſ moriendi 1.2. cap 10. E…oenim propero ad inferet; ne… eſt at aliquid pro me agas. ſtirred up by the ſtanders by to repents, and call upon God; with a conſtant countenance, and without ſigne of ſear, he turn'd his ſpeech to God, and ſaid: Lord, I have a deſire to ſpeak unto thee, not for my ſelf, but for my wife and children. For I am bastening to bell, neither is there any thing that thou ſhouldst doe for me. And this be ſpake, ſaith Bellarmine (who was there preſent and heard it) as if he had ſpoke of a journey to ſome village or town, and was no more affrighted, Surely had this man had a right apprehenſion of hell-torments endleſſe, eaſeleſſe, remedileſſe, ſuch as he ſhould never be able to abide or avoid, he could not have made ſo light account of them. But a diſcourſe of hell is but as painted fire which burns not: or as the painting of the toad, which men can look on and handle without affrightment.Jac. Rev hiſt. Pontif…om, 199. Of Pope Clement the fifth it is reported, That when a Nephew of his (whom he had loved ſenſually and ſinfully) died, he ſent his Chaplain to a Necromancer, to learn how it fared with him in the other world. The Conjurer ſhewed him to the Chaplain lying in a fiery bed in hell: which when it was told the Pope, he never joyed more after it, but within a ſhort while died alſo. But to moſt men it may be juſtly ſaid,Gredo quae eſe infer is dicuntur fa…ſa eſſe exiſtimas. Heu vivunt bemines, tanquans mors nuſſa ſequatur: Aut veluit inſernus ſabula vana ſoret. as Cato id once to Caeſar, I beleeve that thou thinkest all that is ſaid of bell to be falſe and fabulous.
Men live (alas) as if they ſhould ne'r die:
Or as if hell were a meer foppery.
And this is that (2) Atheiſme in practice, ſo rife in all places: for of ſuch duſt-heaps (that confeſſe god with their lips: but deny him in their lives) ye may finde in every corner. All places is full of them, and ſo is hell too.
1. some think baſely of God, as if he were altogether ſuch an one as themſelves,foreign Act, 13. becauſe he keeps ſilence and bears with their evil manners, Pſal. 50.21. Averroes the Philoſopher hence draws an argument againſt Gods preſence and providence here on earth, thinks he meddleth with nothing below the Moon, becauſe of his ſlowneſſe to anger.
2. There are again that grant a God, but made all of mercy: and thereupon lay the reins in the neck, to doe wickedly with both hands earnestly, as preſuming of an eaſie and ſpeedy pardon. Nahum tels us,Nahum 1.2, 10 That God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth: the Lord revengeth, and is furious, &c. And that ſuch as theſe are but as ſtubble laid but in the Sun a drying, that it may barn the better: and like grapes let to hang in the sun-ſhine till they be ripe for the wine-preſſe of Gods wrath, Rev. 1.16.
3.Iudas in betraying Chriſt wa… occaſion of his death, as man, in deſp…iring, he … what in him lay to take away … life, as God D. Stlbs. Eccleſ 10.12. — Serviut to ceant, jumenta toquentur. Others look upon God as a juſt Judge, and ſharp revenger of ſinne and diſobedience, and hereupon could wiſh (for their own caſe) that there were no God. This is Deicidium, God-ſlaughter. The good ſoul wiſheth with David, Vivat Deus, let God live, and bleſſed be the God of my ſalvation. But the wicked is a hater of God, Rom. 1 30. and to a murtherer of him, according to that 1 Job 3.15. He that hateth any is a murtherer. This is a high and hatefull degree of Atheiſme. If a man curſe the King in his heart, and wiſh him out of the world, the ſinne is ſo hainous, that the ſouls of heaven ſhall diſcloſe it: How horrible then is this ſame ſin againſt the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
4. Some again have bald conceits of God, as if he were an old man ſitting in heaven, with a crown on his head, a ſcepter in his hand, and had the parts and proportions of a man, as the Papiſts picture him. God made man after his image, and men (to requite him) will needs make God after their image, caſt him anew in their baſe mould, and make an idoll of him. In they year of Chriſt 403 this fooliſh and atheiſticall queſtion, An Deus corporeus ſit? Func in Com. Chron. Quia nibil ani mal anima'i ſuperius c…gitare poteſt,Whether the divine eſſence be a true body, having hands, feet, &c. as men have, ſtirred up great ſtrife among the Monks of Aegypt: For the ruder and more ignorant ſort of them, held that it was ſo. Xenophanes was wont to ſay, That if beasts were able to paint, they would pourtray God like to themſelves; becauſe they could not naturally conceive any …urther. So do theſe naturall bruit beaſts (as Peter calleth them) made to be taken and deſtroied, ſpeak and think evil of God whom they know not, and ſo utterly periſh in their own deſtruction, a Pet. 2 12.
5. Other practicall Atheiſts there are not a few, that deny not God indeed, but dethrone him, which is as bad: whiles they are lovers of pleaſures more then lovers of God: make their belly their God, their gold their god, yea the god of this world their god, coming to them eſpecially with offers of honours and promotions,Ierem. Dike, Mal. 3.8. All this will I give thee. In too many families (ſaith one) Venus hath her altars in the chambers, and Bacchus his ſacrifices in the butteries: which two having made their divident, and ſhared their devotoes, alas what a poor third, will be left for God? foreign Dij ſtercorarij, foreign q. …up…ter ſtercorari…. Rom. 12.1.Thus he. Will a man rob his God? The blinde Heathens would not deal ſo ill by their dung-hill Deities. Yet ye have robbed me, ſaith the Lord of hoſts. Not in tithes and offerings only, but in offering up your ſelves, your ſouls and bodies to be a holy, lively and acceptable ſacrifice unto me, yea in loving the Lord your God with all your ſoul, minde and might, and your neighbour as your ſelves, which is better then all burnt ſacrifices, as that Scribe underſtandingly anſwered. Not but that there may be,foreign and …e ſacrificing Sodomites, as Iſa, 1.10. Archatheiſts, arrant hypocrites, that bring thouſands or rams, and rivers of oil, that offer largely, and would give any good for a diſpenſation, even the ſons of their body, for the ſins of their ſouls.Mic. 6.6, 71 But they doe worſe then loſe their labour, they commit ſinne, For,Prov: 21.27. The ſacriſice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord: how much more when he bringeth it with an evil heart, ſaith Solomon: as thinking to cozen God with a carcaſe (as Prometheus would have done his Jupiter) with an outſide, a forme of godlineſſe, a ſhadow of religion. Surely God may ſay to theſe Atheiſts, as once Iſaac did to his father, Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb? Or as Jacob did to his ſons that brought him Joſephs bloudy coat,Luth in decal. Here's the coat, but where's the childe? Cainis…aa ſuat, ſaith Luther, offerentes non perſonam, ſed opus perſonae. Theſe are of Cains kindred, that offer to God the work done, but themſelves they doe not offer: they draw night to God with their li…s, but their hearts are farre from him. God alſo will be as farre from them, when they have moſt need of him, as he was from Saul, 1 Sam. 28, 15.that hypocriticall Atheiſt. God hath for ſaken me, ſaith he, and the Phllistims are upon me. so, ſickneſſe, death, hell is upon me, and God hath forſaken me: neither is it my Lord, Lord, that can bring him back to my help and deliverance. The Swan in the law was white in feathers, yet reputed unclean, and unmeet for ſacrifice, becauſe the skinne under them was black. Waſh therefore your hands, ye ſinners: but withall, cleanſe your hearts, ye double-minded, Jam. 4 8. God is not mocked, Gal. 6. not an hypocricicall ſervice accepted: diſſembled ſanctity is double iniquity.
To end this Diſcourſe (and ſo this firſt Decad) David gives us theſe ſure ſigns of an Atheiſt, Pſal. 14.M…rks of an A …iſt.
Firſt, A diſordered life, No ſooner doth the fool conceit there is no God, but preſently follows, Corrupt are they and doe abominable, verſ. 1. Yea they prevaricate, till they ſtinke again, v. 3, as the old world did, that was grown ſofoul, that God was fain to wa…h it with a floud. All ſinne is both, 1. from Atheiſme: for did men believe a God that ſaw all, and would puniſh all, they durſt not but be innocent: And 2. to atheiſm. The beſt that can come of ſinne is repentance; which if men have no minde to, they will be willing to turn Atheiſts, and it is the beſt of their play, to wipe out all notions of a D…ity as much as may be for their own quiet, left they fall into a hell above-ground, and be tormented before their time.M. Capell of tempt p 265. Hence flow all exorbitancies in mens lives. Hence there is no hoe in ſinning. For what (ſaith one) ſhould, or can keep the wit and will of man in, when once we conceit,D Preſton his ſenſible demonſtration of the Deity. there is no ſuch thing as God? And from the weakneſſe of this ſpring (ſaith another) ſlow all enormities. Men ſay in their hearts, It may be there is an almighty God, it may be not: and thence they will have ſome care in the duties of religion, but a full care they have not: whereas, if they did believe it fully, they would ſerve him with a full and perfect heart. Thus he. David walked before God with an upright heart in all things, ſave only in the matter of Ʋriah: In that one particular he deſpiſed both god and his Commandment, 2 Sam. 12.11. and that out of the venome of originall luſt, the maſter-vein wherein is Atheiſme. Thus in generall. Then
Secondly (for particulars.) The Atheiſt is a great oppreſſour of others,II. a very caitiff-Canniball, verſe 4. H'e cats up Gods people, as he eats bread. Mica. 3.2, 3.He tears the very fleſh off the poor, and ſels them (that which he he leaves of them) for old ſhoes, as the Prophet hath it: David in another Pſalm compares theſe Atheiſticall men-eaters to a lion couchant and rampant. God is not in all his thoughts, ſaith he, Pſal. 1.4 What follows? He lieth in wait ſecretly as a lion: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net, that is, into his bonds, debts, morgages, &c. As the Jews in Nehemiah had done their poor brethren, whom therefore he taxeth of Atheiſme and irreligion,…ch 5.9, 10. Ought ye not to have feared God, ſaith he, and not to have dealt thus hardly with your brethren, I pray you let us leave off this uſury. So Job to his friends, thoſe uncharitable cenſurers. To him that is in miſery pitty ſhould be ſhewed from his friend, but be for ſaketh the fear of the Almighty, Job 6.14. Or, as David expreſſeth in the place above-cited, He ſaith in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never ſee it. Pſal. 10.8 —11.Hence it is that he ſitteth in the lurking places of the villages, in the ſecret places doth he murther the innocent, his eyes are privily ſet againſt the poor. He not only robs the poor, but raviſheth him: he not only robs the poor, but raviſheth him: he not only murders him, but eats him up as bread: he makes no more conſcience to undoe a poor man, then to eat a meals meat when he is hungry. A poor mans ſubſtance is his life. The poor widdow caſt into the treaſury all that ſhe had, even all her living, ſaith the text,foreign Mark 12.44. It is in the originall, All her life. So ſhe with the bloudy iſſue is ſaid to have ſpent all her life, that is, her livelyhood upon Phyſitians, Luk. 8.43. For a poor man in his houſe, is like a ſnail in his ſhell: cruſh that, and ye kill him: which the Atheiſt cares not to doe, as who fears not God, and ſo regards not man, Luk 18.2.
Thirdly, The Atheiſt cals not upon God, ſaith David there,III. As beggars have learned to cant, ſo Atheiſts to pray. either in Church or chamber; unleſſe it be for faſhion ſake, and that he may not be held a rank Atheiſt. The groſſe hypocrite (whom I have proved an Atheiſt) may make a goodly praier for matter, and ſet a gloſſe, a grace upon it in the utterance, but it is but lip labour, and ſo loſt labour, the effect of art and parts, not of the heart and ſpirit of grace and ſupplication, Zach, 12.10. Some ſhort-winded wiſhes he may have, Pſ. 4 6. not pour out his ſoul with groans unutterable.
Laſtly, Reproaching religion, and caſting contempt upon thoſe that profeſſe and practile it, is a note David gives of an Atheiſt,IIII. verſ. 6. You have ſhamed the counſell of the poor, becauſe God is his reſuge. See it in Iſhmael and Michol, Tobiah and Sanballet, in Herod and Pilate. Whats truth? ſaith he to our Saviour, Job. 1.38. in a ſcornfull profane manner. Herod alſo having been long deſirous to ſee Chriſt, and hoping to ſee tome miracle done by him (as by ſome baſe jugler) when he could obtain nothing of him, ſet him at nought, and mocked him, Luk. 2.11. So did Julian and Lucian the primitive Chriſtians: contemptuouſly calling them Galileans; Ʋlpian, deceivers; Demetrian, and other Heathen. Atheiſts, procurers of all publike calamities: crying out therefore, Christianos ad leones, To the lions with theſe Chriſtians.Tertul Ap…lic…, 40. Tantum maliquia Chriſtians, as Pliny ſaid of them. No otherwiſe evil then for that they were Chriſtians. So far did ignorance and ma…ce prevail in the world among thoſe, I mean, that were foreign without God in the world, that it was counted a capitall crime to call himſelf a Chriſtian. A ſect every where spoke againſt of old, Act. 28.22. and ſo is ſtill. Every fool, that ſaith in his heart, there is no God, hath out of the ſame quiver a bolt to ſhoot at goodneſſe. Barren Michol hath too many ſons, Qui ſcopticè & ſcabiosè de bonis loquuntur, as one ſaith, who ſpeak ſcornfully and ſcurvily of men much better then themſelves, reproaching religion for hypoc…ſie,S. E…. Sands. ſincerity for ſingularity, ſtrictneſſe for ſillineſſe. In Italy (ſaith one, and I wiſh it were not ſo in England) they hold integrity for little better then ſillineſſe, and abjectneſſe. And it is notoriouſly known (ſaith another) that the moſt honourable name of Chriſtian,D Fulk …n the Rhem P…ſt …, Annot, in Act. ſeet 4. Sir Ha…p Lynl. is, in Italy, and at Rome, a name of reproach, and uſually abuſed to ſignifie a Fool or a Dolt, They boaſt themſelves rather in the name of Catholike. So did the Rogatian and Arrian heretikes before them; calling the true Chriſtians Ambroſians, Athanaſians, Homouſians, &c. As theſe their ſucceſſours did, Wiclevists, Waldenſes, Huſſites, and now of late Lutherans, Zuinglians, Calviniſts, Puritans, and what not? The Atheiſts in Nehemiah's time thought to have jeared the good Jews out of their for wardneſſe to re-build the City. And ſo did the Papiſts (herein Atheiſts) hope by like arts to have weakned the hands of the renowned Reformers.Bu…bole …pera p…ſt. Dratribe ad… ſervum arbit… M Luther. Eraſmus alſo (that mongrell in religion) that was, Mente & dente potens, as one ſaith of him, how bitter is he againſt Luther in h…s Hyperaſpiſtis, declaring thereby what ſpirit he was of? And what a dry wipe was that he gave Wolphangus Capito, Qualem à ſe Capito decimum ſore ſperat? He could not deny (ſarth Mr Calvin) but that Capito Was a holy man,Cal… in praeſat. ad …ſaiam. and one that took very good pains to purge the Church, But whereas he held it as bootleſſe a buſineſſe, and impoſſible for Chriſts Miniſters to leek to correct the worlds wickedneſſe, as to make a rive ſunne backward, under the perſon of that one man, he condemned us all of inconſiderate zeal. Howbeit wiſdome is juſtified of her children. foreign Iud…catur vel ſe … tentia …ron…nciatur. Camerarius. Scu'tetus.Mat. 11.19. Or (as ſome learned men read that text) wiſdome … judged of her children: That is, Thoſe that pretend to be her children (as Eraſmus with his fellow-Phariſees did) they perverſly and prepoſterouſly paſſe ſentence upon their Mother, whom they ought, as dutifull children, to hearkem and ſubmit to. But many learned men are arrant Atheiſts: as were not only the Sadduces, but theſe Phariſees alſo, that out of the venome of their ſpirits, could not but mock at the precious and heart-piercing Sermons of the Sonne of God, Luk. 16.14. Religion was not more with them a matter of forme, then of ſcorn, a manifeſt mark of the worſt kinde of wicked, Pſal. 1.1. a right note of a ranke Atheiſt, Iſa. 21.11. and 22.13. 2 Pet. 3.3.foreign Caſp…nare ſub. ſan…abant.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Trapp, Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John (1647)