the atheist ansvvered, and his errour confuted. by george elliot, author of gods warning-piece to london. each spire of grass, and every silly flie, bias us take heed how we a god deny; this whole creation with a sweet conseat, proclaim a being that's omnipotent. eliot, george, 17th cent. 1675 approx. 9 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2009-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). b03288 wing e544 interim tract supplement guide c.20.f.4[9] 99884918 ocm99884918 182680 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. b03288) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 182680) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books; tract supplement ; a4:2[9]) the atheist ansvvered, and his errour confuted. by george elliot, author of gods warning-piece to london. each spire of grass, and every silly flie, bias us take heed how we a god deny; this whole creation with a sweet conseat, proclaim a being that's omnipotent. eliot, george, 17th cent. 1 sheet ([1] p.). [printed by [e.c. for thomas sare, london, : 1675?] imperfect: cropped with partial loss of imprint; printer and date of publication suggested by wing. verse: "deny a god!? blind athiest cast thine eye ..." with marginal notes. reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -controversial literature -early works to 1800. 2008-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-11 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2008-11 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the atheist answered , and his errour confuted by george elliot , author of gods warning-piece to london . each spire of grass , and every silly flie , bias us take heed how we a god deny ; this whole creation with a sweet conseat , proclaim a being that 's omnipotent . deny a god! ? blind athiest cast thine eye up to the sun , view well the starry sky , those glittering orbs , how they in order stand , each in his place , since heavens mighty hand , first set them there ; see how the watry cloud flies swiftly o're thy head , proclaiming loud , its makers praise : there 's not one drop doth fall till god bids go , and then he numbers all that comes from thence , yea heavens eye doth look on every single drop : in gods great book it is recorded : and when they have done , how swift to other regions they do run ? for to refresh the dry and parchy ground , and thus they fly about this mighty round , for not a minute will they longer stay , in any place when god bids come away , what thing can make it self before it be ? that is impossible , 't is onely he who nere beginning had that doth and can ( vvhose fist doth fathom heaven with a span ) create all things ; can that a being give ? unto it self ? or make another live ? that 's void of life it self ? o fools and blind ! vvhat frantick folly doth possess your mind ? vvholly besotted ? void of common sence ? to let a beast have the preheminence above a man : by what way doth the light ? divide it self ? how comes the day and night ? such order for to keep ? the sun to rise ? at his appointed time ? in one day flies about this mighty globe , can any stay , his fiery chariot ? who dare in his way , vouchsafe to stand ? with what majestique ire ? ( this lamp of lights , the element of fire ? ) views all the heathen world ? and on their face doth set a brand , and stamps a foul disgrace on every athiest , who doth god deny ; to let us see how heaven doth defy that sin athiesticall . observe the snow , how soft it falls : and how the winds do blow at gods command , and when he faith be still they cease their rage , most humbly to his will they do submit : for all things him obey , he speaks the word , and who dare say him nay ? can any stop the tide ? how doth it keep its constant custome when we are asleep ? so doth the sun , moon , stars , and every thing which from the bowells of the earth doth spring , as corn and grass : without our care doth grow , the heavens o're our heads , all things below cries our there is a god ; this mighty round on which we live and die , the very ground vvhereoe we tread , proclaimes a god , yea all that live and move on this vast massy ball vvith joynt consent their makers praise doth sing . ( it is absur'd to think that any thing , can make it self : ) the lilly and the rose , one to the eye the other to the nose gives sweet content : there 's not the smallest clod we trample on : but proves there is a god. what fragrant flowers doth the earth produce ? and all things necessary for our use ? can it take care for us ? or know what need we have of things ? or how can fruit proceed from out its bowells without providence ? that man must needs be void of common sence , as stupid as a stone , to think it can by its own power for the use of man produce all things , and wisely to provide for man and beast . and in each order guide each species in its kind : how can a clod ? ( without the blessing of almighty god wh is omnipotent ) have any power ? unto a spire of grass , or smallest flower to give a being ? no that cannot be , it is impossible , there 's none but he , vvho with a word did out of nothing call this mighty round , earths vast and massy ball the goodly golden canopy the skies with every fowl that under heaven flies . who in the twinkling of an eye can turn earth into nothing : in a moment burn the heavens o're our heads , who with a frown can pull the pillars of earths fabrick down unhinge the heavens , ( and the lowest hell wherein the devils and the damned dwell ) in far less space than th' twinkling of an eye can make those fierce , unruly spirits lye as dead as any stone . t is by his power and his alone , that every fragrant flower hath its peculiar scent , that bread doth give such strength to man , so that he cannot live vvithout it long ; that cloaths do keep us warm , lest that the cold should do our bodies harm ▪ vvhat care can nature take ? can she provide ? for all things living ? or how can she guide this great creation ? and in order keep all this vast bulk ? and when we be asleep doth she watch o're us ? or can she defend in time of danger ? on a sudden send ? a speedy help ? that 's void of life and sence ? it is in vain to expect providence from such a one : did she make earth to hang 'i th open air ? when all the angels sang aloud for joy , and clapt their heavenly wings , to see how god in order plac'd all things vvherein they keep : and in that order stand , e're since that day that heavens mighty hand first plac'd them there : with what equality , both sexes in all things produced be , men , beasts , and birds , and every kind of thing , vvhich do by carnal copulation bring their young ones forth : there is not any lack of male or female , nature unto wrrck long before this vvorld run . ( it is not she , that can appoint what every thing shall be , vvhen in the vvomb it s put ) if she were left to guide her self , she soon would be bereft of all her children : she 'd not long remain , but to a chaos quickly turn again . how many thousands with their lips confess the being of a god ? who neverless are perfect athiests ? for they him deny ( as well as those who openly defy their great creator ) for to wish a curse upon our selves , how can the devil worse deprive us of all hopes ? for how can we ? at that great day expect to saved be ? pray to be damn'd ? and in this time of grace , defy salvation , and in heavens face in scorn to spit ? is such a horrid sin , ( though in this age too many live therein ) the devils dare not own : they would be glad that any gracious prossers might be had vvhereby they might be sav'd , though all in vain . nor can we read the devi's do blaspheme gods holy name : or any where deny , their great creator , but doth give the lye to every athiest : for they fear and quake like aspen leaves : with horrid tremblings shake and do believe a god : when on a flame , he sets this world : then his most holy name vvill be admir'd , every athiest then unto his praise will freely say amen . finis . london , printed by e. 〈◊〉 for for thomas 〈◊〉 book seller 〈…〉 notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div b03288-e10 contrary to the nature of the element . mark tris . nothing can make it self . observe this & believe . gods infinite power . this utterly convinceth the athiest , for by nature it is impossible . the practicall atheist . that execrable oath . against blasphemy . a sermon concerning the folly of atheism preached before the queen at white-hall, february 22, 1690/91 / by tho. tenison ... tenison, thomas, 1636-1715. 1691 approx. 31 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a64373 wing t715 estc r9856 13769902 ocm 13769902 101737 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a64373) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 101737) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 852:40) a sermon concerning the folly of atheism preached before the queen at white-hall, february 22, 1690/91 / by tho. tenison ... tenison, thomas, 1636-1715. [4], 35, [1] p. printed for ric. chiswell ..., london : 1691. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -o.t. -psalms xiv, 1 -sermons. atheism -sermons. atheism -early works to 1800. 2003-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-05 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-06 john latta sampled and proofread 2003-06 john latta text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-08 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion published , by her majesties special command . a sermon concerning the folly of atheism ; preached before the queen , at white-hall , february 22. 1690 / 1. by tho. tenison , d. d. chaplain in ordinary to their majesties . london : printed for ric. chiswell , at the rose and crown in st. paul's church-yard . m dc xc i. a sermon concerning the folly of atheism psalm xiv . 1. the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god : they are corrupt , they have done abominable works , there is none that doth good . though the being of a god is , in religion , the first and most fundamental article ; yet it may be prov'd by some foregoing principles of natural reason . this may be done , but the attempt seems unnecessary in a christian congregation , where the members profess , not only , that there is a god who made them ; but also , that there is a messiah who redeem'd them . taking it therefore , here , as a confessed principle , that god is ; i shall make it my business to represent to you these two things : 1. the folly of those who live without god in the world . 2. the vileness   for these two remarks are here offer'd by the royal psalmist in the text ; the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god : they are corrupt , they have done abominable works ; there is none that doth good . holy david does , here , in the 1st . place , take notice of the folly of those who live without god in the world . they can never be without his essential presence , nor always without an in ward sense of it ; there is no worldly charm that can , perpetually , keep the conscience from such reflections ; but whilst they remain insensible of a god , their way is their folly. and 1st . they want knowledge and judgment . 2dly . they want wisdom and discretion . ist. they want knowledg and judgment , and commit wonderful mistakes about principles common to mankind . for as a natural fool may sometimes speak a shrewd and seasonable thing ; so an irreligious one , tho he has , in other respects , ability of mind ( as judas and demas themselves had , being wise in their generation ; ) yet with reference to the existence of a deity , he is guilty of gross and palpable errors : none deserve those epithetes more than these that sollow ; viz. that there is an effect without a cause . that an insufficient cause can produce a perfect and sufficient effect . that something ( without an almighty power ) can come out of nothing . they are to be derided rather than confuted ; who shall have the confidence to say , that a house had no builder ; that all the materials fell into that useful order by accident ; and that the master of the house sprung at last , out of the very frame of it : the atheist does not say this in terms , but he maintains that which is equally absurd : for , seeing the heavens and the earth are imperfect beings , and did not , could not make themselves ; he that denies that a god , or a first , and absolutely perfect being , was the maker of them , does by consequence , set before us imperfect causes and effects , existing without a cause . and seeing all things are made in number , weight , and measure , either he shews his stupidness in not discerning the footsteps of wisdom in the wonderful frame of nature , which appears the more regular , the greater portion a man has of the knowledg of the lines and figures of bodies , and the rules of motion ; or he ascribes all this to chance ( which yet is a word he ought not to use , who makes all causes necessary ) and maintains , that confusion is the most wise parent of order . seeing , also , he makes the soul to be the temper of the body ; and the substance , and the modese and motions of it are as distinct from understanding , as is the matter and movement of any other engine , from a reasoning mind ; he makes nothing to be the spring of something ; that is , the constitution of the body , which hath no thought , nor any thing from whence it can possihly come , to be the cause of thought , of judgment , of wisdom , of conscience . but ( as one of that sort of men has written in one of his intervals ) 't is very hard to believe , that to produce all the several and curious organs of sense and memory , could be the work of any thing that had not understanding : and he might have added , much more of the understanding it self . and this error is still the more gross , because the godless person holds it to be an error , whilst he denies the creation of the world out of nothing ; and then sees not that it is one , when he speaks of the original of the soul out of that which hath nothing of soul in it . such inconsistence is a plain indication of want of judgment ; and ungodly men are , in many more particulars , at variance with themselves . as for example ; in health they are atheists ; and in sickness , superstitious ; they say , all we do is necessary ; and yet blame some actions , and commend others . they have no faith about divine prophecies , even those which have been evidently fulfill'd in the coming and death of christ , and the precise times of them ; yet they can put their trust in astrology , which is not so much as good guessing . they scoff at good men , and yet cannot but wish , that their latter end were like heirs . they mock at the being of ghosts , in the light , and dread them in the dark . in company they deny the existence of evil spirits ; and fear to be all alone in the night , lest evil spirits should fetch them away . in fine , men that live without god , are so destitute of knowledg , that they are a riddle to themselves . nay , even whilst they think they have asserted their liberty , and that they are perfect masters of themselves , they are led captive by the devil at his will ; for he rules in the hearts of the disobedient . this shews that part of their folly , which consists in want of knowledg and steddy judgment . and there is , 2dly , a great deal that gives us demonstration of the other part of it , their want of wisdom , even that of the serpent , the doing of things for their own benefit , safety , and comfort . for , 1st . they use means contrary to their ends . 2dly . they run an infinite hazard , upon inconsiderable motives . 1st . those who say in their hearts , there is no god , manifest their want of wisdom and discretion , by using means contrary to their end. for one great pretended end of atheism and unbelief , is a deliverance from fear , ⸪ the making of the mind easie in all a man's thoughts , and words , and actions , by freeing it from that terror which is struck into it by the apprehension of a god , as an observer , a judg , and an avenger ; as one that will call them to a severe account for whatsoever they have done in the flesh , whether it be good or evil . but the fear which hath torment , cannot otherwise be wholly prevented , than either by innocence , or repentance , and application to god ; and for the expedient of the epicureans , it brings into the bosom that anxiety which it pretends to expel ; for men having had experience of their own impotence and imperfection , and of the weakness and deceitfulness of others , and observing the daily changes and chances of this world , can by no means be secur'd against them , but by the belief of an over-ruling providence , and the performance of such things as may secure to them the protection of it . he only who is not conscious to himself of guilt unrepented of , who is sincere in his duty to god and man , is capable of remaining without despair , if he should perceive the frame of nature ready to be dissolv'd . our saviour's question carries its answer along with it ; why are yee fearful , o yee of little faith ? a weak faith is scarce sufficent to keep out fear and trouble : what peace then can there be , where there is no faith at all ? what peace can there be to the wicked , remaining such , who are without god , without providence , without inward comfort , without help in nature ; without hope in this world , or the other ? 2dly . the want of wisdom , in irreligious men , is seen , by the infinite hazard they run , upon inconsiderable motives . the hazard they run , is the loss of body and soul for ever ; which loss , though the atheists believe not , yet they cannot say 't is an impossibility . and upon what temptation is it , that they make this perillous adventure ? why ! for the sake of a few vile lusts , and inordinate passions , the fruit of which is present shame , and inconvenience : they lose their hopes of being like angels for ever , that they may enjoy a few brutal pleasures for a few days on earth . a man would mortifie all those unruly appetites , with respect even to the dignity of his own nature , and for the interests of this life , upon the account of which this foolish sinner parts with a blessed eternity . wisdom would prescribe temperance , justice , gratitude , peaceableness , decent speaking , and the like , if there were no other world ; much more does it require obedience to the reasonable commands of religion , when they are means to the comforts both of this life , and that which is to come . nothing was more remote from wisdom than the choice of esau ; what man of common understanding would have lost his birth-right , to satisfie an impatient appetite , which might in a little time have bin appeas'd , without the loss either of birth-right , or health ? who then is the foolish merchant ? he , doubtless , who whilst he deals in the world , parts with a present certainty upon the probable hopes of very great gain ; but will not part with so much as a vice which is of no profit to him ( with so much as an oath which offends others , and weakens his credit among them , and brings him no imaginable advantage ) upon the hopes of life eternal . now the folly of such persons is the more notorious , because , whilst they are blind , they look upon themselves as those , who see furthest into the causes of things . thus it happen'd to the ungodly among the romans ; professing themselves to be wise , they became fools . now to such folly as consists both in the want of judgment , and of wisdom in the best things , may sitly be joyn'd , that which david ( in the second place ) takes notice of in the text , the vileness of those who live without religion : which is two fold ; 1. the vileness of their temper and disposition ; they are corrupt . 2. the vileness of their practice , they have done abominable works ; there is none that doth good . 1. atheistical persons are vile in their temper and inclination . they are corrupt , or they have corrupted , first themselves , and then their works . there is rottenness at the heart of them . na-bhal is the original word . from thence a writer a on the text , will have that of nebulo derived . he fails in his etymologie , but his meaning is good ; for he would suggest thus much to us , that it is the knavish man who hath said in , or to his heart , there is no god. he is of so villanous a disposition , as , whilst he believes there is a god , to wish there were none , because his vices cannot approve themselves to wisdom , and justice , and holiness . immorality is the beginning of atheism , and atheism is the strengthning of immorality ; for the immoral first would be glad there were no god , and what they desire they readily believe ; and when once they so believe , then they are confirm do and encourag'd in their vices , and sin with assurance . for atheism begins , not from the arguments of a sound mind * in a sober temper , but in a sensual disposition , which inclines men to seek out sor colours , whereby they may deceive themselves into an opinion of the safety of living in a course that pleases them what they assert through sensuality , that they do , and when they have done it , they study to make a defence , both that the sting of conscience may not give any pain to them , and that they may have something to say to those who reprove them . it was from the corrupt hearts of the rulers , elders , scribes , annas the high priest , caiphas , john , alexander , and others ; it was ( i say ) from their love of popularity , and their fear of being look'd upon as openly confuted , that they endeavour'd to stifle a plain miracle which god wrought by st. peter and st. john , in healing a lame man , instead of being convinced by it . when they saw * the boldness of peter and john , and perceived that they were unlearn'd and ignorant men , they marvelled , and they took knowledge of them that they had been with jesus , and beholding the man which was healed standing with them , they could say nothing against it . put when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council , they conferred among themselves , saying , what shall we do to these men ? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them , is manifest to all them that dwell in jerusalem , and we cannot deny it . but that it spread no further among the people , let us straitly threaten them , that they speak henceforth to no man in this name . to the pure all things are pure , but to the defiled , nothing is pure , but the very conscience is defiled , the sense they have of things is ( by their ill temper ) perfectly corrupted . if men had in them a principle of probity , and were inclin'd to seek necessary truths , and the rules of goodness , with impartiality , they would certainly find them ; but having some lusts or other earthly interests to gratifie , the corrupt heart , biasseth the judgment ; and they will not understand nor seek after god. when you speak of a just god , to an unjust man ; of a holy god , to an unclean man ; of a merciful god , to a cruel man ; of a god that is good , and do's good , to a covetous man ; of a god of condescension , to a proud man ; of a long suffering god , to a rash and revengeful man ; of a god that rules over all , to an untractable man ; of a god that will call every man to an account , to an unjust steward ; you speak of pearls to swine : nay , each of these , has not only no value for such a god ; but there is in them , a wicked prejudice against the notion of such a deity ; there is an interest ( tho' a wretched one ) made by their earthly affections , in their hearts against the being of him . when you speak of a heaven where they neither eat nor drink to an epicure ; of the idolatry of the worship of diana to demetrius and others who get their living by making silver models of her temple ; you speak to those whom pleasure and interest have rendred deaf . if a man could see into the breast of a godless person , what a cave of horrour would he look into ? what ungovernableness of spirit would he behold ; what an unwillingness to own any lord over it ? what heighth of pride would he find there ? the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after god ; god is not in all his thoughts . how is such a one puffed up with this vain conceit that he understands the deepest secrets of nature , and is wiser than all the men of all ages , who have by the things that are seen , ascended to the acknowledgment of an invisible god ? what uncharitableness would he see in such a person , rendring him distrustful of all the world as designing , and unfaithful ? for they that live without god , mete by the measures of their own dishonest hearts . what disgust would be given him by many filthy and monstruous lusts , darkning , by their impure steams , the understandings of knowing men , and driving them impetuously into such beastly follies as are the shame and peril , as well as the degeneracy of humane nature ? from hearts so corrupt cannot but proceed first , wishes of atheism , and when they have deluded themselves into a conceit that they have their wish , there cannot but follow ( what i am next to consider . ) 2. the vileness of their practice . they have done abominable works ; there is none that doth good . first , there is a natural tendency to such abominable practice , in the heart of godless men secondly , it is true in fact , that their practice is , the omission of all good , and the commission of presumptuous evils . 1. there is a tendency to such abominable practices in the heart of godless men. some unbelievers have pretended to regulate their practice by honour , by decency , by discretion , by cunning craft ; they have pretended to sin by method , and to act with worldly safety . but where there is so ill a heart , so brutishly inclin'd , so given up to a reprobate sense , so void of the grace of god ; it will , upon temptation and opportunity , break forth into the most execrable abominations . our laws suppose all murthers , adulteries , ' thefts , and other such violations of them , to be acted by persons , who have not the fear of god before their eyes . that is the bridle which will restrain them , if they are not past restraint . and if those , who believe in general , that god is , but consider not what they believe , and forget him , and have him not in their thoughts , commit very black crimes : certainly they preserve not themselves innocent , who are by a corrupt heart , inchanted into this worst of persuasions , that there is no god at all . all find it difficult to live a holy and blameless lise after having entertain'd good principles ; after much consideration , and striving to master themselves , and prayer to god for his assistance . how improbable then is it , that those should be free from presumptuous evils , who neither fear god , nor regard man ; who make sense their guide ; who rather give up the reins to brutal nature , than endeavour to govern it . and , 2dly , it is true in fact that their practice is the omission of all good , and the commission of presumptuous evils . 1. for good , that , saith david , is generally omitted amongst them , there is none of them that doth good . it is true , that ungodly men do sometimes that which is materially good , to others ; but it is not from the true motives of goodness . the unjust judge did justice , but 't was upon importunity , and to avoid being wearied . ill men do good , not because it is an imitation of god , or pleasing to him ; because it is beneficial to the community of which they are members ; because it is a means to find mercy at that day : they will not give up a cup of mater to a disciple of our blessed master jesus in the name of a disciple . for they cannot act by principles which they have not : but , with the publicans , they do one courtesie to receive another ; and they have a hook in every gift : they sometimes do a good office for good men who may honour them before the people , and serve them in another way : but the creatures they most readily support , are parasites , flatterers , the instruments of their lust , injustice and revenge , and such who know their several abominations , and for that reason are fear'd . therefore the good they do is not properly good . but 2dly , for their evils , they are formally evil ; they are all manner of immoralities in the root of them : for if atheists actually forbear any evil , it is not from conscience ( for that they have not ) but from fear of the law , or of those they depend on , or publick infamy , or expence , or disease , or from impotence , or want of opportunity . there are two sorts of their evil practices , which i shall take notice of , from the second chapter of the book of wis-dom 1. the first is , abominable sensuality . 2. the second is , cruel and unmerciful oppression . 1. for the first , their abominable sensuality , holy david observes in verse 3. that they are altogether become filthy . their filthiness is thus describ'd in the 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9th verses of the forementioned book of wisdom . come on , — let us enjoy the good things that are present ; and let us speedily use the creatures like as in youth : let us fill our selves with costly wine and oyntments ; and let no flower of the spring pass by us . let us crown our selves with rose-buds before they be wither'd ; let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness ; let us leave tokens of our joyfulness ( that name they give to their lusts and revellings ) in every street . this course , being very expensive , brings on , the second part of their abominable practice , which is cruel and unmerciful oppression . the author of that book doth therefore , in the tenth verse , go on after this manner , let us oppress the poor righteous man ; let us not spare the widow , nor reverence the ancient gray hairs of the aged . let our strength be the law of justice . so that whensoever any one shews his neighbour a godless man , his neighbour can immediately shew him a monster made up of the goat , the swine , the wolf , the lion ; if i may allow him any thing so generous as , they say , there is in that king of the forest. after all this manifestation of the folly , and vileness of such as are without god in the world ; it is time in the third place to think what is fit , in this case , for those to do , who believe in god ; both first as to themselves , and secondly , to those who believe not . and , first , for our selves , who believe in god , and in jesus christ whom he has sent ; it is necessary to keep our faith from deadness , by the exercises of holy living . the devils do more than the atheists , for they believe ; but because they promote infidelity in others , and obey not themselves , they are devils still . if we own a god , it is our duty to glorifie him as god ; otherwise our faith is vain , and the unfruitfulness of it will be the aggravation of our sin ; and if we desire not to retain god in our knowledge , and to honour him with the talent with which he has intrusted us ; he will deliver us up to those vile affections over which a victory is to be obtained by a living faith. but if we adorn our belief by an agreeable life , that will be a means to save our selves , and to gain others ; at least , to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. ii. with relation to such , 1. all should learn to distrust , and to be watchful . for what confidence can be put in a man that thinks not of a god that will call him to an account ? who measures all things by power and personal humour or interest ? who if he pursues his principles , must never speak truth , nor do justice against his private ends ? 2. all persons should pray to god , not to work miracles before unbelievers , not to call up men from the dead , and send ghosts to convince them ; but to give them grace to attend to the sufficient means which are offer'd to them in the gospel . 3. all judicious good men should endeavour to become part of the means of their conversion , by sound discourse , by exemplary lives , and by bearing , not with mean cowardise , but with courage and patience , their insolent scorn ; not answering fools according to their folly ; but shewing them that true religion can govern those passions , which make them , as raging waves , to foam out their own shame . 4. it concerns all masters of families to defend their threshold against the footsteps of the ungodly , who will tempt their children , and their servants to lust and prodigality , and to the supports of them , theft , and imbezlement of goods . 5. all churches should , as far as possible , discountenance superstition , and loosness of life . ( 1. ) they should banish far from them all frauds abusively call'd pious , all fabulous legends , all feigned miracles , all absurd and superstitious doctrines and practices , which beget and nourish atheism ; for these , where they are discover'd , blemish religion in those who are educated in such societies ; for they have taken that in which they have been bred , for all religion ; and rejecting that , with it they reject all . they distinguish not betwixt the impostures of men , and the truths of god , the light of whose word is taken from them . ( 2. ) where there are not such frauds , or they are not discover'd ; men who have liv'd loosly , and without any principles , not being able to content the conscience without some religion , will at last run from the extream of atheism to that of superstition . after having liv'd infidels , they will die idolaters . there is no where so great a harvest for romish missionaries , as where men , under the true light of the gospel , have no religion at all . and a church that will keep out popery , must , as far as it can be done by its discipline , mortify lewdness and profaneness . 6. it behoveth all civil governours to animadvert upon atheism , as that which supplants the foundation of all humane society . this psalm is supposed to have been penned upon occasion of the conspiracy of absolom , and the general wickedness of that generation which gave occasion to it , and to the spreading of atheism . it was an age so corrupt , that david seems to compare it to the state of the old world before the flood , at which time the earth was filled with violence , and all flesh had corrupted its ways . we read in numb . 21. that those who spake evil of god , spake evil of moses . they who will not fear god , will not inwardly reverence man. they who scoff at religion as priest-craft , will , under the name of prince-craft , despise civil government . if such universally prevail'd , they would ruin all kingdoms , by taking away all faith and trust , which is the ground of commerce . they would make all publick pacts and covenants of none effect , by removing conscience , which ties men to the performance of their words and promises ; when interest , join'd with power , commands all men that have no religion to be no longer slaves to them . atheism supplants all laws , by invalidating the belief of all evidences and oaths . what judicial proceeding can there be , for the preservation of mens persons and properties without witnesses ? and how can an atheist , a false man , be a faithful witness ? what a mockery is his deposing upon a gospel , which he does not believe ? or his taking up the name of a deity , of which he says , as st. paul of an idol , that it is nothing ? by reason of atheists the land mourns ; they are the greatest enemies of it . and if ( which god avert ) it should ever come to pass , that there should not be good . men enough to ballance their impiety , we should soon become a desolation . pray we therefore to the lord of heaven and earth , and say , arise , o god , maintain thine own cause ; remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily . and , to this king eternal , immortal , invisible , to the only wise god , let us give from our hearts , glory and honour , for ever and ever . amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a64373-e160 decam . physiolog . p. 130 , 131 ⸪ lucret. l. 1. humana ante ocules faedè cum vita jaceret in terris oppressa gravi sub rellig one , &c. a bythn . * tarq. fatuus , insanus . * acts 4. 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17. psal. 10. 4. luke 18. 5. gen. 6. 11 , 12. an anatomy of atheisme a poem / by a person of quality. dawes, william, sir, 1671-1724. 1694 approx. 39 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2007-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a37276 wing d453 estc r16785 12256089 ocm 12256089 57502 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a37276) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 57502) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 913:26) an anatomy of atheisme a poem / by a person of quality. dawes, william, sir, 1671-1724. [8], 32 p. printed for thomas speed ..., london : 1694. reproduction of original in bodleian library. attributed to william dawes. cf. bm. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -controversial literature. 2006-09 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-09 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-11 celeste ng sampled and proofread 2006-11 celeste ng text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an anatomy of atheisme : a poem . by a person of quality . jmprimatur , geo. royse . august 24. 1693. london , printed for thomas speed , at the three crowns , near the royal exchange in cornhil ; m dc xciv . to the honourable sir george darcy , bar. dear sir , the great desire i have to see you happy both here and hereafter engageth me to do all that is in my power for the promotion both of your spiritual and temporal interest . it has pleased god to give you a fair portion of worldly goods , and a very large share of intellectual endowments , whereby you are put into a capacity of providing for your self both in this world and that which is to come . your onely care therefore must be to employ these good gifts of god to his glory , and the salvation of your own immortal soul. 't is religion onely , dear sir , which can carry you safe through this valley of tears , and can at last advance you into that place where all tears shall be wip'd from your eyes . 't is this alone which will make you the love of men and angels , nay , and what is infinitely more valuable , of god himself . in fine , it is this alone which can make this present lise easie and pleasant , and secure you from eternal misery in a life after this . let religion therefore , dear sir , be your first and early care , that so you may be wise betimes , and avoid those follies which too commonly attend the young gentlemen of this age. you are just now entring upon that vast stage the world , you have good and evil set before you , and the eyes of all men are upon you to see what manner of choice you will make . your present and future happiness is at stake , and therefore it highly concerns you to make such a choice as you may never hereafter have cause to repent of . you have had the advantage of a sober and religious education from your very gradle , and the examples of as good parents as ever any child was blest with . your deceas'd father , whose memory will live as long as piety and vertue are sacred here on earth , was an admirable pattern of unblemish'd goodness : and your excellent mother is still , god be thanked , a living pattern of all that is vertuous and praise-worthy . what then will you be able to say for your self if you degenerate from such worthy progenitors ? what excuses will you be able to make even to this world if you deceive their expectations by becoming the unworthy son of two such incomparable parents ? but alass ! there is still a question which is infinitely more weighty , and that is , what will you be able to plead for your self at the great day of judgment , if you have behav'd your self so wickedly here , that even your father and mother must rise up and condemn you ? but i am perswaded better things of you , and cannot give my self leave to think you will ever be a disgrace to your worthy family . you have hitherto given us great hopes of seeing your father again alive in you . i beseech god of his infinite mercy to preserve you in all vertue and goodness , and to make you a great and glorious instrument of doing good here on earth . having told you that religion is the greatest wisedom , or , as the wise man speaks , the beginning of wisedom , i must now tell you that the beginning of all religion is the acknowledgment of god , the owning of a supreme power who made us and every thing that has been made from the beginning of the world out of nothing . this great and fundamental truth must be necessarily well establish'd in us before we can come to any such thing as religion . for as the apostle tells us , he that cometh to god must believe that he is . you cannot therefore better imploy your time than in reading such treatises as serve to make out this weighty truth . such are the present arch-bishops sermon concerning atheisme , dr. barrows sermons on the first article of the creed , and grotius de veritate christianae religionis ; any one of which three will sufficiently satisfie any unprejudic'd man who has not made his reason a slave to his passions . after having named these great men , i know not how to advise you to read the following poem of my own . i can only recommend it to your reading when you are more inclin'd to read verse than prose . and i begg of you , if you find any thing in it that you think well said , not to attribute it to me but to those great men whom i nam'd but now , whose works i have only transcrib'd to their authors great disadvantage . if this small piece shall contribute any thing towards the confirming you in the belief of a godhead , i shall think my time vvell spent in writing it . if not , i shall hovvever have this to comfort me , that i vvrote it vvith a sincere design to do you good , and to performe the office that i ovve to you of a most faithful friend and obliged humble servant the preface . when i wrote this poem i design'd to have put all the articles of our christian faith into verse , that so i might entice those men to look upon a book of poetry , who have not fixedness and solidity enough to consider the many excellent treatises on this subject in prose . and therefore i did intend to make use of common and obvious arguments , thereby to make each article as clear and plain as possibly i could . but considering with my self that this would be a work of time , and would require great learning and industry i began to despair of ever compassing it , and therefore resolved to let this poem come out into the world by its self , and try its fortune . i think i need not make any apology for printing a discourse on this subject . for if ever any thing of this nature was necessary , it is certainly so now , when men are arriv'd to that pitch of impudence and prophaneness , that they think it a piece of wit to deny the being of a god , and to laugh at that which they cannot argue against : or at least , when men live at such a licentious rate , that we may easily see they are like the psalmists fool , and say in their hearts , there is no god. i am therefore well satisfy'd that i made choice of a very good subject , i only wish the poem may be found worthy of it , and strong enough to defend so important a truth . many reasons i have for the publishing of it , which i think it may not be improper here to mention . the first is this , that there are many copies of it gone abroad which are in danger of being sent to the press uncorrected . the second is , because i know nothing of this nature extant in our english tongue , i mean no particular poem purposely wrote on this subject . my last and main reason is , because some judicious men have thought it not altogether unfit to do some good in the world. if it be well accepted of , and has its design'd effect i may perhaps be encourag'd to publish something else of the same nature . in the mean while , till i see what fortune it has . adieu . an anatomy of atheisme . since some with bare-fac'd impudence deny the self-existence of a deity who is and was from all eternity ; others more civilly a god dispute till by disputing they themselves confute ; a third sort own they do a god believe , but at such random rates and methods live , that by their practice they a god defye and by their actions give their tongues the lye . since these , i say , so numerous are grown and fill the court , the country , and the town , my pious muse inspir'd with holy rage these dreadful monsters singly shall engage , and , as of old the little son of jesse a mighty gyant did in fight suppress , strengthen'd by god whose armour then he wore , and whose just cause upon his sword he bore , so , by the help of that divinity whom i assert , they foolishly deny , their errors i so fully shall refute that i shall leave them answerless and mute . and , first , for him that rashly does disown the being of the bless't eternal one , let him but tell me whence the world began , who made that lovely , lordly creature man , let him around him gently cast his eyes , and guess who made the earth , the seas , and skys . if he be one of that misguided tribe which to blind chance does all these works ascribe , let him the beauty of a plant survey , the just vicissitudes of night and day , the constant motions of the moon and sun which in just order doe their races run , let him consider his own wondrous make and , for a time , himself to pieces take , then see how ev'ry fibre , vein and nerve does to it's proper ends and uses serve , how all we eat , and drink , and take for food dissolves to chyle and mingles with the blood . if all this lesson still shall prove in vain , and he his first dull maxim will maintain , that atoms moving in a heedless dance leap't into this harmonious form by chance , then let him say a beauteous edifice from bricks and stones will of it self arise , that letters in abagg together shook will make an uniform , ingenious book , or that bare brass and steel will jump into a clock . the works of chance are of another kind , and like their cause irregular and blind , without intention and without design , and far from being beautiful or fine . since then the workmanship we plainly see , we must infer there must a workman be , thus by the art the artist we descry , and by the creature find the deity . and since the world at first was made too fair , too curious , excellent and regular to be the work of blind contingency , to what new covert must the atheist fly ? the world's eternity he next must take for his last refuge and his surest stake , and by denying that the world was made , or that by art it was in order laid , he thinks to ward off the necessity of introducing here a deity , whose boundless pow'r and all-contriving thought this lovely fabrick to perfection brought . but here , instead of wiping off the score , he 's plung'd in deeper than he was before ; for , far from owning its eternity , wee 'l show the world in its first infancy , and as through various turns and windings led we trace the river to the fountain-head , so going backwards still from man to man , wee 'l find a time when we at first began . most people own it not six thousand year since first this beauteous fabrick did appear ; aegyptian priests held a much longer date , and reckon'd at a very diff'rent rate , but they alass ! were full of forgeryes , and fam'd for nought but impudence and lyes ; chaldaeans too made their unjust account beyond the number of our cent'ries mount , but told such gross improbabilities , that wisest men them and their cheats despise . moses alone the sacred truth did tell , and the world's age with faithfulness reveal , believ'd by all but such as want of sense , or obstinate and hard'ned impudence has blinded with so thick a mist of night , that they shall never more behold the light . on his account , however i rely , as an exact , impartial history , because tradition does it's faith assure and with one common voice proclaims it pure . here may each man , as in a mirrour , see his first extraction , and his pedigree , and find his wish'd for genealogy . thus then we come to our original , and to the god and father of us all . but , since the atheist does this book disown , he must have other proof , or he has none . and though our reason makes it clear and plain this book does nothing but the truth contain , wrote by a man , whose just integrity forbids us to suspect he 'd write a lye , or tell those things , with confidence , as true which he perhaps might fancy , never knew , yet against moses he will still exclaim and call his story a phantastick dream . if then there was a world , as some contend , which never did begin , and ne're will end , let them the records of this world unfold , in which it's mighty actions are enroll'd , and show , before the time of our creation , one kingdom , empire , common-wealth or nation , one language , science , art or mystery , whose first original we can't descry . but here the atheist leaves us at a stand , and bids us seek for an unheard of land , without a guide to tell the certain way , and keep false lights from leading us astray . doubtless , faith he , there were in times of yor'e of histories and records plenteous store , but these to earthquakes , floods , and deluges more frequent fires , and sad contingencyes , became a dire inevitable prey , and with their author 's they were snatcht away . was there then ever such a fire or flood , so swift and fierce as not to be withstood ? so gen'ral , and so full of cruelty as to leave none to write its history , if so , the world was to begin again , and that 's the same as it had never been ; if not , 't is strange tradition should not tell those wonders which our ancestours befell . they who surviv'd these sad catastrophe's told them , no doubt , to their posterities , and thus the history at first begun must through the line of long succession run . supposing then what story did relate in careful writing , subject was to fate , oral tradition sure could hardly fail unless it had been stop't by miracle , some glimm'rings sure we of this world should see thro' the dark vale of long antiquity , some tidings of that world we needs must have which fell almost at once into its grave , at least some rite or custom would remain to prove that men have before adam been , since all these things are wanting , let 's conclude that adam is our sire , and we his brood . and on his person we with ease shall see the plain impressions of a deity . besides , as wise lucretius well observes , the atheist to his own conviction serves , for all his earthquakes , floods , and deluges prove onely that the world corruptive is , and since it is decay'd , and wasts so fast , this plainly shows it has not long to last . immortal things immortal beauty hold , unchang'd , and sure of never growing old , whereas the world does almost ev'ry day give us fresh instances of it's decay , unhappy naples more than half o'rethrown this dismal truth unwillingly must own . and aetna's flames show by their constant rage the world is come into her latest age. nothing from ruine can her fabrick save , but nodding now she bends tow'rds her eternal grave thus does the world most evidently prove the being of that god who sits above . for since from various reason's we infer the world's nativity as plain and clear , by reason cast the atheists quit the field , and that the world is not eternal yield . if not eternal , then it once was made , if made , it certainly a maker had . now all men this must for an axiom take that nothing can it self produce or make , for that this contradiction would implye at the same time to be and not to be . some outward cause we therefore must explore , either of chance , or an eternal pow'r . the world 's too well proportion'd and design'd to be the work of chance , ill-shap'd , and blind . god for her maker she alone will own and throws her self at his allmighty throne . nor does the world and its harmonious frame the being of a god alone proclaim , but moses by his wonder-working rod gives us another proof there is a god , and each effect surpassing natures laws bids us look out for a superiour cause ; in vain philosophers their wisdom try , and stretch poor nature to extremity , to make her solve each wond'rous mystery ; to nature's master they must often go if of effects they would the causes know . how strangely must the atheist look to see the fire renounce its burning quality ? and things which nat'rally increase it's rage clam its fierce scorchings and it's heat asswage . yet thus it 's nature did the fire foregoe , for shadrach , meshach , and abednego , in vain the tyrant did their ruine threat , and sev'n times o're his stubborn furnace heat , safe in the midst o' the flames the brethren stood , and cool as summer breezes from the wood. what pow'r of nature can transform a flood of chrystal waters into scarlet blood ? or make the sea without its motion stand and in a moment turn to solid land ? yet thus in antient days did moses show the pow'r of god above by miracles below . what strength of art can quicken and restore a man when dead to what he was before ? infuse new life into his frozen veins and a new soul to his forsaken brains ? yet this did our all-pow'rful master do , who rais'd from death himself and others too . can nature say , awake ye dead , arise , shake off your sleep , lift up your drowsie eyes ? i will again once more your corps inspire , kindle your breath with my enliv'ning fire , and give your soul back to it 's antient friend , your soul , which when i please i take or lend ; no , she with modesty withdraws her head , and challeng'es no pow'r to raise the dead ; but owns she has a lord whose awful sway she must not , cannot , dares not disobey , when he commands she leaves her wonted way . he makes the water , earth , and air , and fire , when he sees fit , against themselves conspire . makes lyons , though by nature fierce and wild , fearful and gentle as a new-born-child , he makes the tender lambs securely sleep , whilst hungry tygers do the sheep-folds keep . let him but speak , and nature stops her course , abates her pace , and slackens all her force . at his command the sun and moon stand still , and give his servants light their foes to kill . a word from him makes the clouds cease to rain , another word makes them distil again . tho' nature saith our noons are always bright yet let him speak , and there shall be no light , but day it self shall be transform'd to night . thus does each miracle in letters plain and at a mighty distance to be seen , show the great name of nature's sacred lord by us with love and reverence ador'd . to him the atheist must his tribute give from whom alone he borrows leave to live . his being sure he can no more deny of which so many wonders testifie . the miracles stand fix'd in history , stamp'd by traditional authority , to which no man of sense will give the lie . the credit of the world is much too strong to be beat down by any single tongue . the facts he therefore cannot well disown , unless he has resolv'd to credit none but what he sees , to believe nothing told , or think no truth but what his eyes behold . if not the facts , we take our strength from thence and thus we argue for our consequence . if works are done which natures pow'r exceed we in some higher pow'r these wond'rous works must read the gifts of prophecy as plainly show there must be one to whom those gifts we owe. man's knowledge is too shallow to foresee what shall to morrow or the next day be , much more to tell a thousand years events which all depend on future accidents , and lay those things before us , bright and clear , and just as if they were already here , which shall not come to pass , till the next age shifts scenes , and brings a new one on the stage . yet thus of old did abraham foretell that his poor off-spring should in aegypt dwell , and for the space of many a tedious year the toilsome yoak of cruel pharaoh bear . exactly did the sad event agree with what had been foretold in prophecy . thus was josiah's birth and reign of old some hundred years before they came foretold . and thus isaiah told , as he foresaw , that cyrus to the persians should give law , that by his mighty arm the jews should rise , and , tho' then slaves , subdue their enemies . and , that the matter might be free from doubt by name he mark'd this glorious monarch out . thus all the prophets did praesig nifie the blessed jesus his nativity , and laid each circumstance so nicely down , that by the character the god was known . if all these prophecies are not fulfill'd we are content with shame to quit the field , but if they are , as justly we believe , the atheist must be damn'd beyond reprieve , for they who shut their eyes , and will not see the pow'r of an all-knowing deity who looks with ease into futurity , no mercy must expect , or pity pray when the great god shall keep his judgment-day . man they confess is of too short a sight to fee things future , sown in depth of night . some nobler pow'r they then of course must grant which does no measure of fore-knowledge want . this pow'r is god ; whom rashaly they deny , they know not upon what account , or why . but some perhaps will call for instances out of prophance and common histories ; tho' without reason they this favour ask , yet i most willingly accept the task . and here the antient oracles afford a thousand prophecy's which word for word exactly were accomplish'd and reveal'd so clearly that they must not be conceal'd . some were indeed told in a doubtful way but other's clear as sun-shine at mid-day , such was that prophecy which did declare that cyrus should the lydians beat in war , such that which told it should the fortune be of xerxes's navy to be beat at sea when all things promis'd the quite contrary . before the bar then let the atheist kneel , and take conviction from his own appeal . no more evasions can he hope to find , but he must see , or must confess hee 's blind . for , as when light won't enter through the eyes we strait conclude the organ's are amiss , so , if our atheist still will persevere , and neither truth nor solid reason hear , we must conclude his soul so full of sin that she can't let her proper object in . once more i 'le try if like a sensless rock fixt , and unmov'd hee 'l stand another shock , i 'le ply him but with one more argument , from universal judgment and consent , and if this fails to work upon his soul it is because his faculties are foul . let us survey the universe around , and search each nook where men are to be found . no nation shall we meet in all our tour that does not some divinity adore . of this divinity , which all believe , too few there are that do aright conceive . yet with one voice they all agree in this god is , altho' they know not what he is . some attribute a god-head to the sun , others with equal honours crown the moon , some to a monkey with devotion bow , others religiously adore a cow , and by their misplac'd zeal show they agree i' th gen'ral notion of a deity . great part o th' world believes more gods than one but no part ever yet profess'd that there were none . see then our atheists all the world oppose , and , like drawcansir , make all men his foes , see with what sawey pride he does pretend his wiser father's notions to amend , huffs plutarch , plato , pliny , seneca , and bids ev'n cicero himself give way , tells all the world they follow a false light and he alone of all mankind is right . thus , like a madman who when all alone thinks himself king , and ev'ry chair a throne , drunk with conceit and foolish impudence he prides himself in his abounding sense . but soon this pride would to the ground be brought if hee 'd allow himself a moments thought . for let him but consider well within from whence this gen'ral notion did begin , who was it's authour , from what hint it came and our conceited bully will grow tame . this notion then was either first embrac't because by nature on our hearts impress't , or else because a nat'ral tendency perswades us to believe a deity , so that whenever any man we hear the being of an all-wise god averr , this truth with as much eagerness we own , as soon as first discover'd and made known , as do the eyes , whose organs are aright , suck in the beams of the clear shining light . or , thirdly , we from reason's sacred law this inference most evidently draw , and , with st. paul , from things created prove the being of that god who sits above . or , lastly , this was from tradition brought and by our fathers to their children taught . if , in our search , we shall by nature find this principle ingrafted on the mind , it 's truth of consequence we must allow , for natures principles are always true , her steady light can never go astray but leads us to one right and constant way . or if the soul is by its nature bent , at the first sight , to give its free assent to this assertion , that a god must be and ha's been always from eternity , the self-same evidence will still remain to make the matter beyond question plain . man's soul is fram'd by nat'ral appetite , in truth and reason's dictates to delight . if then our souls unpraejudic'd and free do of themselves to this great truth agree , with reason argue and confess we must their judgments equal , and their verdicts just . but if our reason does this truth evince , the atheist never more must make pretence ev'n to the lowest pitch of common sense . men's company he must of course forsake and sensless brutes for his dear comrades take . if from tradition we this truth receiv'd , which all our wisest ancestors believ'd , into the same dispute again we fall about its rise and first original . how came it first to him who did begin to broach it to the world , and let it in . nothing but an all-powr'ful , ruling hand mens hearts and mouths can equally command . to adam first god did himself unfold , he to his children all his knowledge told thus faith by reason strength'ned does obtain and through the world without resistance reign . see then a cloud of witnesses appear ! for the whole world bears testimony here . see how all nations in full consort crowd and with one voice cry out a god aloud . before these let the atheist show his head , and hear his dismal accusation read , his fatal crime is of the deepest dye 't is treason ' gainst the highest majesty . his lord and maker he denyes to own and rudely kicks against his sovereigns throne , through all the bonds of right and nature breaks , nay , his own reason and himself forsakes . puff'd up with pride and sawcy impudence he denyes things most evident to sence . and , as old zeno motion did dispute and by his walking did himself confute , so he , although he ev'ry where descryes things made , a maker foolishly denyes . the accusation read , the tryal's done his guilt 's as plain as is the noon-day sun. there 's not one man in court but 's heard to cry the treason 's clear , oh let the traytor dye ! to sentence then we justly may proceed , and make the obstinate rebellious bleed . in lakes of brimstone must our atheist dwell plung'd to the bottom of the hottest hell , where no day enters , where no sun appears , and the sad place with its bright presence cheers , there he to all eternity must lye in pangs of death , but yet must never dye , doom'd by that pow'r , whom he too late will know to never-ceasing pains and everlasting woe . nor will their guilt or punishment be less who scepticks in the case themselves profess , who think the case some scruples may admit and so suspend their faith and thoughts of it . we have no medium left for doubting fools , no castles in the air for faithless souls . wing'd with belief of a divinity our happy souls shall to his mansion fly but disbelief , and scepticism is so , will soul and body into ruine throw . besides in doubtful cases we deride that man who will not chuse the surest side , prudence commands us with a cautious care against the worst can happen to prepare and names those men alone discreet and wise who chuse their road where certain safety lyes . for once then , let the case for doubtfull go whether there be a deity or no , till after death the point must needs remain unsolv'd , and death alone can make it plain . a wise man therefore would believe it here that after death he may no danger fear . our faith is purchas'st at no mighty cost , and we shall sleep securely if 't is lost . but if the sad event shall prove a god then will the disbeliever feel his rod. why then will men their wisedom thus betray and by their folly cast themselves away ? in things of lesser moment and concern they can with ease the safest way discern , but when th' immortal soul is made the stake with what contentedness the fools mistake ? if we on roads of war and danger go , and are not sure but we may meet our foe , wisely we arm against the worst event , least made his slaves we should too late repent , this differs from our case in terms and name , but in reality is just the same . belief of god our souls securely arms , and makes them proof against all future harms . but if unarm'd we venture to appear , and find a god , 't will cost us very dear . darkness and horrour , pain and misery will be our doom to all eternity . belief like weapons we about us bear to guard our selves from danger and from fear . thus arm'd we hope to find a god at last , after a life in peace and quiet past , if we succeed , as there 's no doubt we shall , we save our ruine and eternal fall , if not the worst event that we can have is to lye sensless in the silent grave . for the third sort , who by their lives dethrone that god , whom they for fashions sake will own , these do more mischief in the world than those who do with open force a god oppose . 't is much the better , and the wiser way to disallow a god , than disobey , better to own no lord , than this our lord betray . some men with fatal prejudices blind seek for a deity they cannot find ; and this is some , though but a bad excuse , and no way fit for men of sense to use . but they , who in their sinful courses live and yet protest they do a god believe , speak contradictions , and must either think that god will at their sin and lewdness wink , ( which plainly shows their thoughts are much amiss and that they had as good not own god is ) or else they only play the hypocrite and only say they do believe aright , but in their hearts they sawcily defye the pow'r and justice of a deity . of all the three , then , our last spark is worst , and consequently will be most accur'st , for him the flames of hell , if it can be , shall still be rais'd to a more quick degree , as a reward for his hypocrisie . thus have the atheists been distinctly try'd , the first for rashness , impudence and pride , for his abuse of natures sacred laws , and holding off when reason prov'd the cause . the second for his want of wit to chuse the safest way , the dangerous refuse . the third , for his prophane hypocrisie and boldly telling a religious lye . the tryal done , i have no more to say , their next appeal is on the judgment-day , when to their shame god will his pow'r exert , and in their ruine will himself assert . glory be to god. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a37276-e580 three sorts of atheists the fu st sort confused . the frame of the world , proof of a god. the world not made by chance . the world not eternal . vide bishop pearson on the creed , page 58 , 59. vide the same place . vide l. 5. de rerum naturâ . miracles another proof of a god. see dan. chap. 3. see exod. chap. 7. see exod. ch . 14. see dan. ch . 6. see joshua ch . 10. see 1 kings ch . 18. as in our saviours passion . gifts of prophecy another proof of a god. see gen 15. 13. 1 kings 13. 2. isaiah 44. 45. vide herod l. 1. vide herod l. 7. vniversal consent our last proof of a god. the second sort of atheists confuted the third sort of atheists confuted a refutation of the objections against the attributes of god in general in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, september the fifth, 1698 : being the sixth of the lecture for that year founded by the honourable robert boyle esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 1698 approx. 39 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 12 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a45647 wing h855 estc r15171 12337613 ocm 12337613 59820 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45647) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 59820) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 741:15) a refutation of the objections against the attributes of god in general in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, september the fifth, 1698 : being the sixth of the lecture for that year founded by the honourable robert boyle esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 23 p. printed by j. l. for richard wilkin ..., london : 1698. this work is also found as the sixth part of the author's the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted : in eight sermons (wing h845). reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -o.t. -jeremiah ix, 24 -sermons. atheism -early works to 1800. 2005-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-05 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-05 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a refutation of the objections against the attributes of god in general . in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , september the fifth , 1698. being the sixth of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. jerem. ix . 24. let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , who exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. pride and vain-glory , are things which human nature is strangely subject to ; there being scarce any one so mean , but who judges that he hath something or other that he may justly be proud of , and value himself for . but as pride is folly in the general , so it apparently discovers itself in this respect , that those men are usually most vain , who have the least reason to be so , and that too in things that are the least valuable in themselves . thus , as the prophet intimates in the verse before the text , men frequently glory in bodily strength , in beauty , and agility , and in the affluence of external possessions : things which are the meanest appurtenances to our natures , and which are neither in our power to get nor keep . wisdom indeed , and judgment , learning and parts , wit and penetration , and all the nobler endowments of our minds , are things of the greatest intrinsick worth and value , and we have much more reason to esteem our selves for them , than for all the goods of fortune , or any bodily excellencies . but yet , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom and knowledge neither ; tho' as the targum on the place hints , it were as great as that of solomon himself ; for we have in reality no just ground to value our selves for even this , when we consider that the best of us have it but in a very slender proportion ; and that our highest knowledge is very imperfect and defective . hence it comes to pass , or at least ought to do so , that the modesty and humility of truly knowing men encreases with their learning and experience : their being raised something above the common level , instead of lessening and shortening in their eyes the statures of other men , encreases their prospect of a boundless field of knowledge all around them ; the more of which they discover , the more they find yet undiscover'd . but he that knows but little , vainly thinks he knows every thing , and judges all is empty and void that is without the bounds of his scanty horizon . another great vanity there is also in pride , which is , that men are frequently conceited and proud of those things , which they have the least share of , and are fond of such actions as do plainly discover their defects . for usually those men are most forward to talk of learning , who are least acquainted with books ; and those make the greatest noise about , and pretensions to philosophy , who have the least insight into nature . those who talk most of certainty and demonstration have usually the most confused idea's , and the most superficial notions of things , and are the farthest of all men from true science . this is apparently seen in the pretenders to scepticism and infidelity , and in all the atheistical writers . no men express themselves with such an insupportable insolence as these new lights , these reformers of our philosophy and our politicks ; who yet after all are proud knowing nothing , as st. paul speaks , rom. 1.21 . but are vain in their imaginations ; their foolish heart is darkened , and professing themselves to be wise , they become fools . and therefore it is that the wisdom of god appears as foolishness to them , because the carnal mind savoureth not the things that are of god. tho' would men but studiously apply themselves to consider of , would they carefully and impartially examine into , and would they but seriously make use of those means that god hath graciously given mankind , in order to attain a sufficient knowledge of his nature and perfections ; they would then find so much beauty , wisdom , harmony , and excellency in this inexhaustible fund of knowledge , as would sufficiently reward their pains and endeavours . and this we may glory in ; this knowledge will be the most noble and honourable that our capacities can attain unto ; and in comparison of which , there is no other qualification and excellence in our natures at all valuable . for here we have an object the greatest and most perfect that can be , the more we know of which , the more we shall exalt and perfect our selves . here are no empty speculations ; no difficiles nugae , no false lights , nor phantastical appearances ; but 't is a real and substantial , an useful and practical knowledge ; a knowledge that doth not only delight us for the present , but which brings constant and lasting satisfaction here , and eternal happiness hereafter . let him therefore that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth god , that he is the lord , who exerciseth loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth , for in these things do i delight , saith the lord. in which words , there are these two things chiefly considerable : i. a supposition that god is capable of being known to us by his attributes . ii. an account of some of those attributes which he exerciseth in the earth , and in which he delights . under which two heads , i shall , in pursuance of my general design , endeavour to answer those objections that atheistical men have brought against the attributes and perfections of the divine nature . i. here is a supposition that god is capable of being known to us by his attributes . he that glorieth , let him glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth god , that he is the lord , who exerciseth loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth . 't is plainly supposed here , that this knowledge which we are directed to acquire , is a possible knowledge . god would not command us to understand him by his attributes of goodness , mercy and justice , which he continually exerciseth in the earth , if it were impossible for us to attain to it : he would not delight to do such works in the world , if nothing of them could be known , nor himself by them . but the psalmist tells us , the lord is known by his works : and that the heavens declare his glory , and the firmament sheweth his handy-work : and st. paul is express , that the invisible things of him are clearly seen , being understood by the things that are made , even his eternal power and godhead . and indeed , these attributes of god are what is most and best known to us , and from the certain knowledge that we have of these , we may be effectually assured of the existence of some first cause , some supream being in whom all these attributes and perfections must inhere . the infinite nature , indeed , of this divine being is incomprehensible to our shallow and scanty understandings , and we cannot by searching find it out , nor discover the almighty unto perfection . but notwithstanding we have as certain a knowledge , and as clear idea's of his attributes as we have of any thing in the world. and grotius's gloss on this place is very just and proper : god doth not bid men know him according to his nature , which exceeds humane capacity to do , but according to those attributes or properties of his which relate to mankind , which the hebrews call middôth , i.e. those measures or dimensions of him which are proportionable to our understandings and capacities . and such his attributes are , for we see them visibly exerted in the works of the creation , and we find them necessarily included in the notion that we have of the supream being , or the first cause of all things ; as i have already shewed in another discourse . but this , some are pleased to deny ; and say , that nothing at all can be known of god , but only , that he is : for his nature is perfectly incomprehensible ; that we do but dishonour god , by pretending to understand and to talk about his attributes ; about which we can say nothing but only what serves to express our astonishment , ignorance , and rusticity ; and therefore the civil magistrate ought to determine what attributes shall be given to the deity . this seems to be the sense of vaninus , and is plainly of mr. hobbs ; and was before them of sextus empiricus . which take in their own words : non deum melius intelligimus quam per ea quae negamus nos intelligere , saith vaninus (a) . again , deum nullis tam plenè indicatum intelligimus vocibus , quàm iis quae ignorantiam nostram praetendunt . we can have , saith mr. hobbs , no conception of the deity , and consequently all his attributes signifie only our inability and defect of power to conceive any thing concerning him , except only this , that there is a god (b) . and in another place , saith he , god's attributes cannot signifie what he is , but ought to signifie our desire to honour him ; but they that venture to reason of his nature from these attributes of honour , losing their vnderstanding in the very first attempt , fall from one inconvenience to another without end and number , and do only discover their astonishment and rusticity (c) . again , when men ( saith he ) out of principles of natural reason dispute about the attributes of god , they do but dishonour him ; for in the attributes we give to god , we are not to consider philosophical truth (d) . and therefore he concludes , that those attributes which the soveraign power shall ordain in the worship of god , as signs of honour , ought to be taken and used for such by private men in their publick worship (e) . in which he agrees as he useth to do , exactly with sextus empiricus ; who tells us that the sceptick is in the right for asserting gods according to the laws and custom of his country ; and in paying them that veneration and worship which on the same account becomes due to them , will not venture to determine any thing philosophically about them (a) . now from these passages , i think it appears plain enough , that tho' these men did in words pretend to own and acknowledge a god , yet in fact they were atheists , and had no true belief of any such being . for a deity without the attributes of understanding and wisdom , without ends or design ; none of which mr. hobbs asserts expresly , can be in god (b) , is a ridiculous stupid being , an idol that every rational agent must needs despise , and which can never be the object of any one's adoration , love , or obedience . to assert therefore that the attributes of god are not discoverable by reason , nor agreeable to philosophical truth , but may be declared to be any thing which the soveraign power pleases to make them ; this is designedly to expose the belief and notion of a deity , and to render it so precarious , that it can be the object of no rational man's faith. and this last named writer treats the deity after the same manner in most other places of his works ; he saith , we must not say of him that he is finite , that he hath figure parts or totality , that he is here or there , that he moveth or resteth , or that we can conceive or know any thing of him ; for all this is to dishonour him : and yet to say that he is an immaterial substance , that he is an infinite and eternal spirit , is , he saith , nonsense , and what destroys and contradicts it self . however he is willing to allow the word immaterial or spirit to be used towards god , as a mark of honour and respect . that is , we may attribute to god what we know to be nonsense and contradiction , and this is the way to honour him ; and to speak of him any other way , is to dishonour him ! who doth not perceive that it was plainly the design of this writer to treat of the deity after such a manner , as should deprive him of all knowledge and care of humane affairs , and consequently , effectually banish out of mens minds a just veneration for him , and adoration of him ? such men are the most dangerous and mischievous of all others ; profess'd atheists can do no great harm ; for all persons are aware of them , and will justly abhor the writings and conversation of men that say boldly there is no god. but there are but few such ; they have found a way to pass undiscovered under a fairer dress and a softer name : they pretend to be true deists and sincere cultivators of natural religion ; and to have a most profound respect for the supream and almighty being : but when this profound respect comes to be throughly examined and duly understood , it will appear to be the most abominable abuse that can be , and a most wicked and blasphemous idea of the deity . for they make him either nothing but the soul of the world , universal matter , or natura naturata , a god that is an absolutely necessary agent , without any rectitude in his will ; without any knowledge , wisdom , goodness , justice , mercy , or providence over his works . but let such persons take what names they please upon themselves , a little consideration will soon discover what they are in reality ; and , i hope , give men a just abhorrence of such notions , tho' never so speciously put forth . but let us now proceed to examine what ground there is from the nature of the thing , for men to advance such wicked opinions , and to shew the weakness and precariousness of them . and here it must be premised and taken for granted , that there is a god. this is what the persons i am now concerned with , pretend to own , and to acknowledge . which being supposed : it appears very plain that we may have if we will , and some persons , as i have shew'd (a) , have always had , a very clear notion or idea of the attributes and perfections of such a being ; as also that they are fixed and immutable properties in the divine nature . for by professing to believe a god , they must mean , if they mean any thing , the first cause and author of all things , and the governour and disposer of them ; a divine being , containing in himself all possible perfections ; without being subject to any manner of defect . this i have already hinted at in another place (b) , and shall now more largely prove . so far is it from being true , that we cannot reason of the nature of god from his attributes , nor discourse of those attributes from our reason ; that this seems to be the only proper way of enquiring into the wonderful depth of the divine perfections . i mean , the only way we have without revelation , for i am not now considering what god hath farther discovered of himself to us by his word . for tho' the deity doth abound with infinite excellencies and perfections ; yet by the light of nature we can discover those only , of which he hath given us some impression on our own natures ; and these are the scales and proportions by which our reason must measure the divine attributes and perfections . for in order to gain good and true notions of these , we ought to take our rise from those perfections and excellencies which we find in the creatures , and especially in our selves . there can be but two ways of coming to the knowledge of any thing ; by its cause , and by its effects . 't is impossible for us to make use of the former of these , in reference to the deity : for he being himself without cause , and the first cause and original of all things cannot be known to us this way . but by the second way , he very properly may be the object of our knowledge , and we ought to apply our selves to this method , in order to understand the attributes of god. for whatever excellency or perfection we can any way discover in the effects of god in the world , i. e. in the works of the whole creation ; the same we cannot but suppose must be in him , in the highest and most noble proportion and degree ; since they are all owing to , and derived from him. and if we take a serious and considerate view of the excellencies and perfections that are to be found in the creatures , or the works of god in the world ; we shall find that they may be reducible to these four general heads ; being or substance , life , sensibility , and reason . all which we find to be in our selves , and therefore they are at hand , and ready to assist our meditations ; and these will , if duly considered , lead us into a good way of discovering the attributes and perfections of the divine nature . and i doubt not but a great reason why men have had and advanced wrong notions of god , hath been because they have had such of themselves , and of those perfections that are in our own natures . men that do not understand that the true perfection of humane nature consists in moral goodness , or in an universal agreeableness of our will to the eternal laws of right reason , cannot conceive aright of the attributes and perfections of god : for they will be for making him like themselves , guided by vehement self-love , and inordinate will , or whatever predominant passions possess them . 't were easie to trace this in the epicurean notion of a god dissolved in ease and sloth , and who neglects the government of the world , to enjoy his own private pleasures ; and in the hobbian one of a deity not guided by any essential rectitude of will , but only by arbitrary , lawless , and irrisistible power ; for both these opinions are exactly agreeable to the genius and humours of their authors and propagators . but to proceed with our deduction of the divine attributes from the excellencies and perfections which we find in our selves . 1. if in the first place we consider being , and the high perfections that do belong to it ; we shall find that they must needs be in the deity , who is the first and supream being , and the cause and author of all others in the world , in the utmost perfection . now the highest perfections belonging unto being , we find to be these two : 1. that it shall have an underivable and necessary existence , always be , and never cease , die , terminate or be extinct ; and , 2. that it be great and ample as to its extent , in opposition to littleness or scantyness , and to being limited , circumscribed , bounded or restrained by any other thing . and if we attribute these two perfections to god , thence will plainly arise his eternity , and his immensity or omnipresence . for what cannot possibly cease to be , but hath necessary existence included in its nature , is eternal . and what cannot be any way limited , circumscribed or restrained , must needs be boundless and immense , and present every where . and i dare say , that these notions of god's eternity and immensity , do find an easie admission into , and are firmly rooted in all considerate and unprejudiced minds ; and who are not debauched by sceptical and atheistical metaphysicks . for 't is impossible for any one that thinks at all , to have a notion of a deity that can die , or cease to be ; or that is so confined and imprisoned in any one part of space , that he can extend himself no farther : no! it must be an epicurean stupefaction of soul , indeed , that can induce a man to fancy a mortal or a topical god ; one that may be slain , or die of old age , or be shackled and confined to any one part of the universe , exclusive of the rest . and tho' a man cannot find perhaps that he hath an adequate idea of eternity ; yet that god must be without beginning or end , he will readily allow , as soon as he considers the thing ; for he will perceive that the first cause of all things could not be caused by any thing else , but must be self-existent , and without beginning : and if nothing could cause his being , nothing can take it away neither , and consequently he must be everlasting or eternal . and of this attribute the heathens had a clear idea and belief , giving god the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and swearing usually by the immortal gods. tully saith , deum nisi sempiternum intelligere quî possumus ? how can we conceive the deity any otherwise than to be an eternal being . and aristotle in many places makes eternity essential to the idea of god ; and particularly , lib. 2. de coelo . and so as to immensity or omnipresence , tho' he , indeed , cannot tell the manner how a spirit or immaterial substance permeates matter , or is present to every part of it ; yet he will conclude that the deity must some how or other actually fill and be present with all things ; since 't is impossible he should be excluded any where , or be in any respect bounded or limited ; as 't is also that he should act or operate where he is not . nor would , i believe , any free and unprejudiced mind have recourse either to the notion of god's being universal matter or infinite space , in order to solve his immensity or omnipresence . for the former , he would see , necessarily makes the deity materially divisible , into parts actually separated from each other ; and to be part of him here , and part there ; which he could not but think monstrously absurd and impossible : and the latter renders god nothing at all , but imaginary room , vacuity or space , in which bodies are capable of moving up and down , or to and fro , without hindrance or impediment from any medium . which how it should , any more than the former account for the energetical power , wisdom , justice and goodness of the divine nature , ( the noblest perfections he can have any idea of ) 't would be as impossible for him to conceive , as it is for the assertors of it to prove . the ancient heathens allowed this attribute of immensity to the deity , by common consent . tully tells us , that pythagoras asserted , deum esse animum per naturam rerum omnium intentum & comeantem , de nat. deorum . and he cites it as the opinion of thales milesius ; deorum omnia esse plena , de legib. lib. 2. which virgil also affirms expresly , — jovis omnia plena . and again , deum namque ire per omnes terras tractusque maris , coelumque profundum , georg. lib. 4. and seneca tells us , that god is ubique & omnibus proesto (a) . and in another place (b) , quocunque te flexeris , ibi deum videbis occurrentem tibi , nihil ab illo vacat , opus suum ipse implet . 2. if we consider life ; another perfection which we find in our selves , we must needs conclude that this is in the deity too , who is the great author and fountain of life , in the highest degree and proportion imaginable . now the perfection of life seems to consist in activity , or an energetical power to act , or operate ; in opposition to impotence , weakness , or inability . and this perfection , no one sure can possibly doubt to be in the deity . for besides that 't is impossible for us to conceive that life and activity in our selves can proceed from a dead and unactive principle ; our reason must needs reject the notion of an inanimate , and impotent deity , or of one that is any way defective in power , as soon as it can be proposed to it . can we imagine that a being from whom all life , power and energy is derived , can be without it himself ? and that he who hath , as simplicius calls it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a whole entire or perfect power , that hath all the power of nature at his command , can be unable to perform whatever is possible to be done ? that is , whatever is agreeable to , and consistent with , the other attributes of the divine nature ? and if so , must not then such a being be own'd to be almighty or omnipotent ? from whence we see another great attribute doth plainly arise . and of this attribute of the deity , there was a plain and clear notion all along among the heathen writers ; as appears from homer in many places , who speaking of god , says , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the same thing also we have in the fragments of linus , long before him. and in callimachus also , in express words . as also in agatho , an ancient greek poet cited by aristotle in his ethicks . so in virgil and ovid , you have frequently the title of pater omnipotens given to the deity . and this attribute of infinite power in god , epicurus set himself with all his might to confute ; denying there was any such thing as infinite power at all ; that thereby ( says lucretius , lib. 1. ) he might take away religion too . and from hence also his eternity might be naturally deduced . for we cannot conceive this life or activity , this almighty power that is in god , can ever cease , decay or determine , any more than it can have had a beginning , and consequently such a being must necessarily exist , be eternal , or endure and live for ever . 3. if we proceed a little higher , and consider sensibility which is another great perfection that we find in our selves , and some other creatures , we must needs attribute this also , and that in the highest degree , to the divine nature . i take this now in the general , for that power or faculty whereby any being is capable of taking pleasure or feeling pain . and such a sensibility , or something analogous to it , we cannot but think god must have in the most exquisite perfection , since our own , as well as that of all other creatures , must be derived from him. and tho' , indeed , we ought to think that the infinite perfection of his nature secures him from all possibility of feeling pain , ( since nothing can contradict his will , run counter to his desires , or frustrate his expectations ) yet we have no reason to suppose the deity insensible of pleasure ; but may justly conclude from hence , that he is always most perfectly happy . for he contains in himself all possible good and infinite excellencies and perfection , and of this he is most exquisitely sensible , and consequently must eternally be pleased and delighted with himself in the enjoyment of his own infinite fulness : and this notion many of the heathens had of god , that he was a most happy being ; stiling him frequently , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 4. but the highest perfection which we can discover in our selves , and in any created beings whatever , is reason . and this , no doubt , we ought also to attribute to god in the highest degree and perfection . now the perfection of reason seems to consist in these two things : 1. in knowledge and wisdom in the understanding faculty . and , 2. in rectitude or righteousness in the will. all which we cannot but suppose the divine nature to be perfectly endowed with . and first as to knowledge and wisdom ; the former of which , implies an understanding of things as they are in themselves , according to their true natures and properties : and the latter , a considering of them as to their relations to , and dependances upon one another ; or in other words , according as they are fit or qualified to be ends or means . and these must certainly be in god , for the same reason that we have found in him the other perfections above-mentioned . to the deity therefore , from this consideration , we ought to attribute omniscience , and infinite , or most perfect wisdom ; for no doubt we ought to conclude , that the deity both knows every thing according to its nature , and also understands its usefulness and subservience to any end , design or purpose whatsoever . and therefore it was as stupidly or impiously said by mr. hobbs , that there can be no such thing as knowledge in god , and that he can have no ends. for i cannot imagine there can one so grossly ignorant and foolish be found among mankind , who doth really believe there can be an ignorant or a foolish god ; and who would not abhor such a position as monstrously absurd and impossible . a man must be a long while conversant with atheistical and sceptical philosophy , before he can grow so dull as not to perceive the force and power of the psalmists logick and reasoning in psal. 94. v. 8 , 9 , &c. and he must be very studiously brutish and learnedly foolish , before he can think that he that planted the ear , should not be able to hear himself ; and that he that formed the eye should not see ; and that he that gave and taught all knowledge to men should have none himself . the mighty reason that mr. hobbs is pleased to give , why there can be no understanding in god is , because that faculty being in us nothing but a tumult of mind , raised by external things that press the organical parts of our bodies (a) , there can be no such thing in god. and in other places , he sagaciously determines , that 't is impossible to hear without ears , to see without eyes , and to understand without brains , none of which god hath ; and therefore must be ignorant and stupid . but , methinks , 't is very hardly done of him , to determine the deity to be corporeal , and yet to assign him none of these material organs in order to make him an intelligent being . why should not the same matter which is able to form the mechanick understanding of so great a philosopher , be capable of being modified as intelligently in the divine nature ? must the deity have the worst and most stupid body of all others ? into what abominable absurdities will such principles as these lead a man ! or rather into what abominable impieties and blasphemies will vice and pride hurry him ! he doth not only think wickedly that the deity is such an one as himself , but infinitely worse ; a corporeal being that hath less and fewer perfections than a corporeal man ! but i must not dwell on shewing the design of this writer , having sufficiently done it already . i shall only now add , that i think i have already proved that matter alone cannot think , know , nor understand ; and therefore it is not mens brains , but their soul that hath this intelligent power ; and no doubt an infinite and immaterial mind , needs not any material organs to convey knowledge to him , in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge do inhabit , and from whom they are all derived and do proceed . and there was , anciently amongst the heathens , a clear belief of the infinite knowledge and wisdom of god. tully tells us , that thales used commonly to say , deos omnia cernere , the gods behold or know all things . and seneca saith , deo nihil clausum est ; interest animis nostris , & mediis cogitationibus intervenit . and as to the wisdom of god , tully deduces it after the same manner as we now have done , by attributing the excellencies of the creature to the deity in the highest perfection . sapiens est homo , saith he , & propterea deus ; man hath wisdom , and therefore god , from whom the wisdom in man is derived , must needs have it himself . but again , as we must attribute to god infinite knowledge and wisdom ; so we must rectitude of will or perfect righteousness too . and since the rectitude of the will consists in an exact conformity of it and all its affections to the impartial rule of right reason ; we cannot but suppose also , that the will of god is in a most exquisite conformity to the dictates of his unerring reason ; and that the deity doth in every respect act exactly agreeable thereunto . and by this means we shall find that god must be just and righteous in all his proceedings , and that he always executeth justice and righteousness in the earth , and delights in these things . our adversaries , indeed , do assert , that there is no such thing as any distinction between good and evil , just and vnjust , that can be taken from any common rule , or from the objects themselves ; but only with relation to the person that useth them ; who calls that good which he loves , and that evil which he hates (a) . that god doth every thing by his irresisistible power ; and that in that is founded our obedience to him , and not in any principle of gratitude to him ( b ) for benefits which we have received from him . (q) that justice is founded in power , and that whatever is enacted by a soveraign power can't be unjust . the groundlessness of which impious and dangerous notions , i shall fully shew in a subsequent discourse ; and therefore shall only now observe , that this way of depriving the deity of these most excellent and lovely attributes of justice and goodness , and making him to act only according to the arbitrary dictates of irresistible power , gives us the notion of a devil instead of a deity , of an absolute tyrant , instead of a righteous governour of the world ; and is directly contrary to the sober and considerate sentiments of all mankind * , in whose minds a plain distinction between good and evil is founded , and who can never be brought without doing great violence to themselves , to assert that the deity is not guided in all things by the eternal rules of truth and justice , and that the judge of all the earth should not do right . they see the comliness and loveliness that there is in good and just actions among men ; and therefore cannot suppose that an infinite and almighty being can do any thing contrary to them ; they are sensible that deviations from those rules proceed only from the defects and imperfections that are in our natures ; but that god , who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , who possesseth and sustaineth all things , cannot make use of any indirect means to procure himself happiness , or to slave off misery ; since the perfection of his nature gives him all the one , and secures him from all the other . and they which certainly never believe that god will do any action , that they do not think suitable to be done by a good and just man ; but will on just grounds conclude , that whatever excellence or perfections they can any way discover to be in a good man , must needs be in the highest proportion in god , and consequently that the deity must be most righteous , just and good , and most kind , merciful and gracious in all his dealings with his creatures . and thus we see how by considering the excellencies and perfections which we find in our selves , and attributing them in the highest proportion to that supream being the deity , from whence they must all be derived ; we may attain to a good and clear knowledge of the properties and attributes of the divine nature : we may find them to be such as are agreeable to the plainest reason and to philosophical truth : and consequently conclude , that they can have no such weak and precarious foundation as the order of the civil power , and the will of the supream magistrate . and were it now my business , 't were very easie from hence to shew also the true foundation of religious worship ; that it doth depend on the right apprehensions and notions that we have of the attributes of god ; and that our obedience to him , is founded in our gratitude to him for the benefits which we receive from him , and consequently is our reasonable service . but the proof of this will be more proper in another place . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45647-e170 (a) amphitheatr . provid . aetern . p. 9. (b) humane nature , p. 69. (c) leviath . p. 374. (d) leviath . p. 191. (e) leviath . p. 192. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adv. math. p. 317. (b) leviath . p. 190. (a) sermon 4 th . and 5 th . (b) in my second sermon (a) ep. 95. (b) de benef. lib. 4. (a) leviath . p. 190. (a) leviath . p. 24 , 63 , 64 , spinozae oper. posth . p. 37. (q) leviath . p. 187. * plato calls the deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the very idea or essence of good. and herein he seems to have followed the pythagoreans and timaeus locrus in particular : who asserts of mind , according to him the first principle of the universe , that it is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of the nature of good : and saith further , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that they call it god , and the principle of the best things . aristotle also reckons moral goodness among the perfections of the divine nature : and plutarch saith , 't is one of the chiefest excellencies in the deity ; and that on this account it is that men love and honour him. hierocles in carm. pythagor . asserts the deity to be essentially good , and not by accidental or external motives . immorality and pride, the great causes of atheism a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, january the 8th 1697/8 : the first of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 1698 approx. 43 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a45642 wing h850 estc r15170 12337567 ocm 12337567 59819 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45642) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 59819) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 919:4) immorality and pride, the great causes of atheism a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, january the 8th 1697/8 : the first of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. [4], 24 p. printed by j. l. for richard wilkin ..., london : 1698. this work is also found as the first part of the author's the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted : in eight sermons (wing h845). reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -o.t. -psalms x, 4 -sermons. atheism -early works to 1800. 2005-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-05 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2005-05 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion mr. harris's first sermon at mr. boyle's lecture . 1698. immorality and pride , the great causes of atheism . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , january the 3 d. 1697 / 8. being the first of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king 's head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. to the most reverend father in god thomas lord archbishop of canterbury ; sir henry ashurst baronet ; sir john rotheram serjeant at law ; john evelyn senior esquire ; trustees appointed by the will of the honorable robert boyle esquire . most reverend and honoured , as i had the honour to preach this sermon by your kind and generous appointment , so i now publish it in obedience to your commands , and humbly offer it , as also my ensuing discourses , to your candid patronage and acceptance . i have ( in pursuance of your grace's direction ) studied to be as plain and intelligible as possibly i could , and shall , by the divine assistance , prosecute my whole design after the same manner ; which method of treating this subject , appears very suitable to the pious and excellent design of our noble and honourable founder . i humbly desire your prayers to almighty god , that he will vouchsafe to render my weak endeavours effectual to shew the ground●essness and inconclusiveness of those objections which atheistical men usually bring ●gainst the great and important truths of ●eligion ; which is the end they are sincerely ●irected to , by most reverend and honoured , your most obliged humble servant , harris . psalm x. 4. the wicked through the pride of his countenance , will not seek after god : neither is god in all his thoughts . in this psalm is contained a very lively description of the insolence of atheistical and wicked men , when once they grow powerful and numerous ; for then , as we read at the third verse , they will proceed so far , as openly to boast of and glory in their impiety : they will boldly defie and contemn the great god of heaven and earth , v. 13. they will deny his providence , v. 11. and despise his vengeance : and , as we are told in these words of my text , they will grow so proud and high , as to scorn to pay him any honour or worship , to pray to him or call upon him ; but will endeavour to banish the very thoughts of his being out of their minds . the wicked through the pride of his , &c. in which words , we have an account more particularly , by what methods and steps men advance to such an exorbitant height of wickedness , as to set up for atheism , and to deny the existence of a god ; for there are in them these three particulars , which i shall consider in their order . i. here is the general character or qualifications of the person the psalmist speaks of ; which is , that he is a wicked man. the wicked through the pride , &c. ii. the particular kind of wickedness , or the origin from whence the spirit of atheism and irreligion doth chiefly proceed ; and that is pride . the wicked through the pride of his countenance , &c. and , iii. here is the great charge that is brought against this wicked and proud man ; viz. wilful atheism and infidelity : he will not seek after god : neither is god in all his thoughts : or , as it is in the margin of our bibles , with good warrant from the hebr. all his thoughts are there is no god. in discoursing on the two first of these heads , i shall endeavour to shew , that immorality and pride are the great causes of the growth of atheism amongst us : and on the third , i shall consider the objections that atheistical men usually bring against the being of a deity , and shew how very weak and invalid they are . and first i think it very necessary to say something of the causes of infidelity and atheism , and to shew how it comes to pass that men can possibly arrive to so great a height of impiety . this my text naturally leads me to , before i can come to the great subject i design to discourse upon ; and i hope it may be of very good use to discover the grounds of this heinous sin , and the methods and steps by which men advance to it ; that so those who are not yet hardened in it , nor quite given up to a reprobate mind , may , by the blessing of god , take heed , and avoid being engaged in such courses as do naturally lead into it . i. therefore let us consider the general character or qualifications of the person here spoken of in my text , and that is , that he is a wicked man. the wicked through the pride , &c. and this is every where the language of the sacred scripture , when it speaks of atheistical men. david tells us ( psal. 14. 1. and 51. 1 ) that 't is the fool ( i. e. the wicked man , for so the word nabal often signifies , and is so here to be understood ) 't is he that hath said in his heart there is no god. 't is such an one as is a fool by his own fault ; one stupified and dull'd by vice and lust , as he sufficiently explains it afterwards ; one that is corrupt and become filthy , and that hath done abominable works . so the apostle st. paul supposes , that those men will have in them an evil heart of unbelief , who do depart from the living god , and live without him in the world . and indeed , it is very natural to conclude , that those which are once debauched in their practices , may easily grow so in their principles : for when once 't is a man's interest that there should be no god , he will readily enough disbelieve his existence : we always give our assent very precipitantly to what we wish for , and would have to be true . a man oppressed with a load of guilt , and conscious to himself , that he is daily obnoxious to the divine vengeance , will be often very uneasie , restless , and dissatisfied with himself , and his mind must be filled with dismal and ill-boding thoughts . he is unwilling to leave his sins , and to forego the present advantage of sensual pleasure ; and yet he cannot but be fearful too , of the punishments of a future state , and vehemently disturbed now and then , about the account that he must one day give of his actions . now , 't is very natural for a man under such circumstances , to catch at any thing that doth but seem to offer him a little ease and quiet , and that can help him to shake off his melancholy apprehension of impending punishment and misery . some therefore bear down all thought and consideration of their condition , in an uninterrupted enjoyment of sensual delights , and quite stupifie and drown their conscience and reason in continual excesses and debauchery ; and thus very many commence atheists , out of downright sottishness and stupidity , and come at last to believe nothing of the truths of religion , because they never think any thing about it , nor understand any thing of it . others , who have been a little enured to thinking , and have gotten some small smattering in the superficial parts of learning , will endeavour to defend their wicked practices by some pretence to reason and argument . these will one while justifie their actions , by forced and wrested citations and explications of some particular texts of scripture ; at another time they will shroud themselves under the examples of the prevarications of some great men in sacred scripture , as a licence to them , to be guilty of the same or the like wicked acts ; without considering at all , of their great penitence afterwards . sometimes they will dispute the eternity of hell torments , deny that their soul shall survive the body , and please themselves with the glorious hopes of being utterly annihilated . now they will argue against the freedom of their own wills ; and by and by , against that of the divine nature : and from both conclude , that there can be no harm nor evil in what they do , because they are absolutely necessitated to every thing they commit . but against all this precarious stuff , the sacred scriptures do yet appear and afford a sufficient refutation . the next step therefore must be to quarrel at , and expose them ; to pretend that there are absurdities , contradictions and inconsistencies in them : to assert that the religion they contain , is nothing but a meer human and political institution , and the invention of a crafty and designing order of men , to promote their own interest and advantage ; but that they are of no manner of divine authority , nor universal obligation . and when once they get thus far , they begin to be at liberty ; now they can pursue their vicious inclinations without controul of their consciences , or the conviction of god's holy word , and are got above the childish fears of eternal misery . by this time , the true and through calenture of mind begins ; they grow now deliriously enamoured with the feign'd products of their own fancies ; and these notions appear to them now , adorned with such bright and radiant colours , and so beautiful and glorious , that they will rush headlong into this fools paradise , though eternal destruction be at the bottom ; for now they stick at nothing ; they retrench the deity of all his attributes , absolutely deny his presidence over the affairs of the world , and make him nothing but a kind of necessary and blind cause of things , nature , the soul of the world , or some such word , which they have happened to meet with in the ancient heathen writers . but they profess that 't is impossible to have any idaea of him at all ; and what they cannot conceive or have an idaea of , they say is nothing , and by consequence there can be no such thing as a god. this , or such like , i 'm perswaded is the usual method , by which these kind of men advance to absolute infidelity and atheism : and in this , they are every step confirmed and established by the seeming wit , and real boldness , with which atheistical men dress up their arguments and discourses ; and of which , if they were stripped and divested , their weakness and inconclusiveness must needs appear to every one . but the mirth and humour , and that surprising and extravagant vein of talking which always abounds in the company of such men , so suits and agrees with his own vicious inclinations , that he becomes easily prejudiced against the truth of religion , and any obligation to its precepts and injunctions : and so he will soon resolve to seek no more after god , but will employ all his thoughts to prove that there is no such being in the world. but on the other hand , it appears wholly impossible for a man to arrive at such a pitch as absolute infidelity and atheism , if he hath been virtuously educated , and be enclined to live a sober and a moral life . for there is certainly nothing that religion enjoins , but what is exactly agreeable to the rules of morality and virtue ; nothing but what is conformable to right reason and truth ; nothing but what is substantially good ▪ and pleasant , and nothing but what will approve it self to a thinking mind , as certainly conducing to the good of human society , and to every one's quiet , ease , and happiness here in this life : and over and above this , it gives us an assurance of a glorious immortality in the world to come . now , can it be imagined , that any sober and virtuous man , and one that is not prejudiced by the inducements of sensual pleasure , if he seriously considers things , will not be induced to take upon him the profession of our holy religion : and with all due gratitude to our gracious god , accept of so vast a reward as this of eternal happiness ? especially too when it is for doing that only out of a true principle of religion , which it is supposed he was inclined to perform without it , by the principles of reason and honour . a man that is enclined to live virtuously , justly , temperately , and peaceably in this present world , will soon be satisfied , if he read the holy scriptures , that it is this which lies at the bottom of all revealed religion , and for whose advancement and propagation among mankind , all that gracious dispensation was contrived and delivered to us . what reason can therefore be possibly assigned , why such a person should disbelieve the truths of religion ? is not a desire of happiness so natural to us , that 't is the great inducement of all our actions ? and will not every man aim to get as much of this as he can , according to the notion he hath of it ? what is there then that can prejudice such a man's mind against the belief and expectation of a future reward at the hand of god ? is it not natural to embrace any offer that proposes to us a great advantage ? and are not we very ready to believe the truth of any thing that is advanced of that nature ? the great truths therefore of religion , containing nothing impossible , absurd or improbable in them , and exhibiting to him infinite advantages on such easie conditions , must needs be the delightful objects of a good and virtuous man's faith. he , indeed , that hath just grounds to fear that his irregular life will incapacitate him for the favour of god ; and the joys of another world , may be willing , and at last infatuated so far , as really to disbelieve what he knows he cannot obtain . but one that is of a moral , sober and virtuous disposition , can never be supposed to be so unaccountably absurd , as to commence atheist contrary to his interest , his inclination , and his reason . and as 't is hardly possible to conceive a person can be an atheist , without being first wicked ; so it appears as difficult to imagine , that if he be an atheist , he should not continue to be so . i know the contrary is often pretended ; viz. that one that believes nothing of a god or religion , may yet be , and often is guided by a principle of reason and honour , and will do to others as he would be done unto himself : such an one ( it is said ) will be satisfied of the necessity of humane laws , and of the advantages that do thence arise to mankind : he will think himself obliged to submit to the laws of his country , and consequently will keep up to the rules of common justice and honesty ; and this ( say they ) is enough , and all that religion can pretend to enjoin . a there is a late french author , that endeavours to maintain by arguments and examples , that the principles of atheism do not necessarily lead to vice and immorality . but in the proof of this , he comes very short of his design . he alledges , that some professing christianity have always , and do still , live as bad lives and as wickedly as any atheists whatsoever can do : and that some atheists have lived very regularly and morally . but what then ? allowing and granting all this ; it doth not in the least follow that atheism doth not lead to immorality and a corruption of manners . for it is neither asserted that atheism is the only way of becoming wicked ; nor that an atheist must necessarily be guilty of all manner of vice. no doubt very many men betake themselves to a sinful course , without having any principles to justifie themselves by , as the atheist pretends to : but are drawn into wickedness purely by incogitancy and want of consideration . and such kind of persons , though they make an outward profession of christianity , yet they may be , and doubtless often are , as vicious and immoral as any other men , without ever arriving at the point of speculative atheism , or perhaps without ever so much as doubting of the being of a god , of the truth of religion , or of a future state of rewards and punishments . no one saith also that an atheist must necessarily be guilty of all manner of vice and immorality : but 't is plain enough , that his principles lead him to prosecute any vicious inclination that is suitable to him , and to do any thing that he can safely , to procure to himself that kind of happiness or satisfaction he proposes to enjoy . many sins are disagreeable to some particular periods and circumstances of a man's life , to his constitution , genius and humour . now 't is easie to suppose a man may abstain from such , for his own ease , health and quiet 's sake . self-love will preserve the atheist from such open and notorious acts of wickedness , as will expose him to the capital punishment of human laws ; and which will endanger depriving him of his being here , where he only proposes to be happy . this principle also of self-love , will hinder him from exposing himself to ignominy and scandal ; and will make him endeavour to keep fair in the opinions of those whose disesteem would give him a great degree of unhappiness . but it doth not in the least follow from hence , that because he is not guilty of all manner , or of this or that particular vice , that therefore he is a good moral man , and guilty of none at all : it cannot be concluded from hence , that such a person will avoid committing any fact , be it never so wicked , when it is stript of all these inconveniences , and can be done secretly , safely and securely : when 't is agreeable to his constitution and humour , fashionable and gentile , and contributes very much to that kind of satisfaction he is inclin'd to ; for as one that had consider'd this point well , observes , self-love , which like fire covets to resolve all things into it self , makes men they care not what villany or what impiety they act , so it may but conduce to their own advantage . ( preface to great is diana of the ephesians . ) and indeed , if he be not absolutely stupid , and one that proposes to himself no manner of end at all , he will certainly do this very thing : he will pursue and practise indifferently such kind of designs and actions , be they good or bad , as will give him as much pleasure and happiness as he can have here in this short life , where , miserable wretch as he is , he only hath any hope . and nothing can nor will hinder such a person from endeavouring to do or obtain any thing he hath a mind to , but the fear of being exposed to punishment and misery here , from those among whom he lives . now , this consideration can have no place in secret actions , and consequently nothing will hinder a man of these abominable principles from committing the most barbarous villany that is consistent with his safety , and subservient to his desires ; that can be either concealed in secresie , or supported by power . for , as to the principle of honour , that such men will pretend to be governed and guided by , and which they would set up to supply the room of conscience and religion ; 't is plain , that 't is the veriest cheat in nature : 't is nothing but a meer abusive name , to gull the world into a belief that they have some kind of principle to act and proceed by , and which keeps them from doing an ill thing : whereas the atheist can have no principle at all , but that sordid one of self love ; which will still carry him to the perpetrating of any thing indifferently , according as it best conduces to his present interest and advantage . they deny that there are any actions truly good or honourable , or wicked and base in themselves ; but that this is all owing to the peculiar customs , laws , and constitutions of places and countries : and that as all men are , so actions also , are naturally equal and alike : and how far such notions as these will carry men , 't is very easie both to imagine and to observe . one would think nothing could be more noble , honourable and comely , than for a man to stick firm and constant to those principles that he pretends to , and by no means whatever to be brought to abjure and deny them . sincerity is so lovely and desirable a vertue , that it doth approve it self , as it were naturally , to the reason of all mankind : and 't is equally useful , nay , indeed necessary , to the due government of the world. but this noble virtue , so peculiar to a man of true honour and greatness of mind , the atheist will practise no longer than it is for his interest and advantage , and while it is consistent with his safety . that men may profess or deny any thing to save their lives , is the avowed principle of one of their great writers . and the same is expresly asserted in other words , even in lesser cases than that of danger of death , by the translator of philostratus's life of apollonius tyanaeus , with a great pretence to wit and humour . but if men may lye and prevaricate from so base and abject a principle as fear , no doubt they may do so for interest and advantage , for that is certainly as good a ground , as cowardliness and baseness ; and then what becomes of this boasted honour that is so much talk'd of ; this greatness of mind , that will keep a man from doing an ill thing . in reality , 't will at last amount to no more than this , that he will forbear doing an ill thing , when he thinks it will prove ill to him : he will be just , honest and sincere when he don't dare be otherwise , for fear of the law , shame , and ignominy : for all men of atheistical principles would be knaves and villains if they durst , if they could do it safely and securely : such a man ( 't is like ) shall return you a bag of money , or a rich jewel you happen to depose in his hands ; but why is it ? 't is because he dares not keep it and deny it ; 't is great odds but he is discovered and exposed by this means ; and besides , 't is unfashionable and ungenteel to be a cheat in such cases . but to impoverish a family by extravagance and debauchery , to defraud creditors of their just debts , or servants of their wages , to cheat at play , to violate one's neighbour's bed to gratifie one's own lust , are things , which though to the full as wicked and unreasonable in themselves , are yet swallowed down as allowable enough , because common and usual , and which are not , the more is the pity , attended with that scandal and infamy that other vices are . thus 't is very plain , that this pretended principle of honour in an atheist or a wicked man , and this obedience and deference that he pretends to pay to the laws of his country , is a most partial and changeable thing , and vastly different from that true honour and bravery that is founded on the eternal basis of conscience and religion ; 't is an airy name that serves only to amuse unthinking and short-sighted persons into a belief , that he hath some kind of principles that he will stick to ; that so he may be thought fit to be trusted , dealt and conversed withall in the world. and thus , i think , it is very clear and apparent that wickedness naturally leads to infidelity and atheism , and infidelity and atheism to the support and maintenance of that : and that it is the wicked that will not seek after god , and whose thoughts are that there is no god. which was my first particular . i come next to consider , ii. that peculiar kind of wickedness which the psalmist here takes notice of , as the chief ground from whence infidelity and atheism proceed : and that is pride . the wicked , through the pride of his countenance will not seek after god , neither is god in all his thoughts . and i question not but this vice of pride , is generally the concomitant of infidelity , and the chief ground from whence the spirit of speculative atheism proceeds . when men of proud and haughty spirits lead ill lives , as they very often do , they always endeavour to justifie themselves in their proceeding , be it never so irregular and absurd , and never so contrary to the considerate sentiments of all the rest of the world. a proud man hates to acknowledge himself in an errour , and to own that he hath committed a fault : he would have the world believe that there is a kind of indefectibility in his understanding and judgment , which secures him from being deceived and mistaken like other mortals . whatever actions therefore such a person commits , he would fain have appear reasonable and justifiable . but he sees plainly that he cannot make wickedness and immorality do so , as long as religion stands its ground in the world. the sacred scriptures are so plain and express against such a course of life , that there is no avoiding being convicted and condemned while their authority remains good : 't is impossible any way to reconcile a vicious life to the doctrine there delivered : and therefore he sees plainly , that one that professes to believe the great truths of religion , and the divine authority of those sacred books , and yet by his practices gives the lye to his profession , and while he acknowledges jesus christ in his words , doth in his works deny him ; he sees , i say , that such an one stands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , self-condemned , and can never acquit himself either to his own conscience , or to the reason of mankind . now this is perfectly disagreeable to the genious and humour of a proud man ; he cannot bear to be thought in any respect incoherent or inconsistent with himself : and therefore having vainly tried to justifie himself in his wickedness , by alledging the examples of some good men in sacred scripture , that have been guilty of great sins , but whose repentance he can by no means digest : and having also fruitlessly endeavoured to rely on the perverted sense of some particular texts of scripture , which he knows are sufficiently refuted by the analogy of the whole ; he finds at last that 't is the best way to deny the divine authority of the bible , and the truth of all revelation , and so boldly shake off at once all obligation to the rules of piety and virtue ; and since religion can't be wrested so as to give an allowance to his way of living , he will take it quite away , banish that and god almighty out of the world , and set up iniquity by a law. and nothing can be more pleasing and agreeable to the arrogance of such men than this way of proceeding : it gratifies an insolent and haughty spirit prodigiously , to do things out of the common road ; to pretend to be adept in a philosophy that is as much above the rest of mankind's notions , as 't is contradictory to it : to assume to himself a power of seeing much farther into things than other folk , and to penetrate into the deepest recesses of nature . a he would pass for one of nature's cabinet councellors , a bosome favourite that knows all the secret springs of action , and the first remote causes of all things . he pleases himself mightily to have discovered with what ridiculous bugbears the generality of mankind are awed and frighted ; he can now look down b with a scornful pity on the poor groveling vulgar , the unthinking mobb below , that are poorly enslaved and terrified by the fear of a god , and of ills to come they know not when nor where : he despises such dull biggots as will be imposed upon by priests , and that will superstitiously abstain from the enjoyment of present pleasure , on account of such idle tales as the comminations of religion . and as he despises those that are not wicked , so he upbraids those that are so , with inconsistency with their principles and profession , and for doing the same things that he doth , when they have nothing to bear them out : and thus he doubly gratifies his pride , by justifying himself , and condemning and triumphing over others . nay , the very mistakes and errours of such a man , we are told , appear laudable and great to him , and he can please himself at last , with saying , that he hath not erred like a fool , but secundum verbum . vid. oracles of reason , p. 92. when men have a while enured themselves to talk at this rate , and to blow themselves up with such lofty conceits and fancies , they grow ▪ by degrees more and more opinionated , and do dote more and more on their own dear notions ; and finding by this means quiet and ease in the practice of their sins , they at last degenerate so far as firmly to believe the truth of what they perhaps at first advanced and talk'd only from a spirit of contradiction ; and become so stupid and blind , as , like great liars , to believe their own figments and inventions a . to such any extravagant and inconsistent hypothesis , so it do but clash with sacred scripture , shall be no less than a real demonstration ; a bold and daring falsity shall pass for undoubted truth ; and a prophane jest , or a scurrilous reflection on the character or person of one in holy orders , shall be a sufficient refutation of the plainest demonstration he can bring against their principles and practices . for it is most certain , that though a proud man always think himself in the right , and arrogate to himself an exemption from the common frailties and errours of mankind ; yet there is no body so frequently deceived and mistaken , as he ; for he doth so over-estimate all his faculties and endowments , and is so much enamoured of , and trusts so much to his own quickness and penetration , that he usually imagines his great genius able to master any thing without the servile fatigue of pains and study : and therefore he will never give himself time seriously to examine into things , he scorns and hates the drudgery of deeply revolving and comparing the idaeas of things in his mind , but rashly proceeds to judgment and determination on a very transient and superficial view : and there will he stick , be the resolution he is come to never so absurd and unaccountable ; for he is as much above confessing an errour in judgment , as he is of repenting of a fault in practice . and indeed , as the absurd and ridiculous paradoxes which atheistical writers maintain , shew their shallow insight into things , and their precipitancy in forming a determination about them ; so the pride and haughtiness with which they deliver them , abundantly demonstrates the true spirit of such authors , and the real ground both of their embracing and maintaining their opinions . plato describes the atheists of his age , to be a proud , insolent , and haughty sort of men , the ground of whose opinion was , he saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in reality , a very mischievous ignorance ; though to the conceited venders and embracers of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . it appeared to be the greatest wisdom , and the wisest of all opinions . lactantius tells us in his discourse , de ira dei , p. 729. oxon. that the true reason why diagoras melius and theodorus , two of the ancient atheists denied a deity was , that they might gain the glory of being the authors of some new opinion , contradictory to the common notions of mankind . and of the former of these , diagoras , sextus empiricus acquaints us , that because a certain perjured person , who had wrong'd him , lived unpunished by the gods , he was so enraged at it , that he undertook to maintain there were no gods at all . lib. adr. mathem . edit . genev. 1621. the like pride and arrogance lactantius tells us he found in the two great writers that appeared against christianity , in his time , in bithynia . the former of these , who , 't is probable , was the famous porphyry , called himself antistes philosophiae , the chief or prince of philosophers ; and saith lactantius , nescio utrum superbius an importunius , pretended to correct the blind errors of mankind , and to guide men into the true way ; he could not bear , that unskilful and innocent persons should be enslaved by the cheats of , and become a prey to , crafty and designing men. lib. de justit . p. 420 , 421. oxon. with the like assurance do the modern writers of this kind express themselves : and though they have in reality very little or nothing new , but only the arguments of the ancients a little varied and embelished , ( as i shall have occasion to observe hereafter more at large , ) yet they all set up for new lights , and mighty discoverers of the secrets of nature and philosophy ; and all of the assume the glory of first leading men into the way of truth , and delivering them out of the dark mazes of vulgar errors . this was the pretence of vanini , who was burnt for atheism at tholouse , a. d. 1619. whose mind , he says , grew more and more strong , healthful and robust , as he exercised it in searching out the secrets of that supreme philosophy , which is wholly unknown to the common and ordinary rank of philosophers : and this , he saith , will soon be discovered , by the perusal of his physico-magicum , which was now to see the light. vid. vanini amphitheatr . in epist. dedicat. after the same manner do machiavel , spinoza , hobbs , blount , and all the late atheistical writers , deliver themselves ; instances of which , i think , i need not stay to give , since 't is conspicuous through the whole course of their writings , and , no doubt , taken notice of by every reader ; only of the first of these , viz. machiavel , i cannot but take notice , that vanini himself saith , that 't was his pride and covetousness that made him deny the truth of the miracles recorded in sacred scripture . amphitheatr . p. 51. edit . lugduni , 1615. and as the writings , so the discourses of these gentlemen do equally discover this pride and vanity : for they do usually deliver themselves with such a scornful and contemptuous air , when they either endeavour to establish their own , or to overthrow their adversaries arguments , as sufficiently shews the propriety and truth of the psalmist's observation here , that 't is through the pride of his countenance , that the wicked will not seek after god. the lxxii . indeed render it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the abundance of his wrath : and therein they are followed by the vulgar latin. as if the wicked were angry against god , and enraged at his presidency over humane affairs : as if they fretted under , and quarrelled at the severity of his laws and government , and scorned to apply themselves to him by prayer , and to submit to him by obedience . but though this may be a good sence of the words ; and though , i doubt not , a stubborn frowardness and perverseness of our wills against the will of god , may be a frequent cause and ground of infidelity : yet our english translation appears to me to be much better warranted from the hebrew ; for there it is properly , through the elevation of his nose or face . which , truly , is very emphatical , and expresses such a proud and scornful gesture of face , as is the natural indication of the internal haughtiness of a man's mind ; or as the targum , on this place , render it , of the arrogance of his spirit . such a turn and air of countenance as argues a proud contempt of all the rest of mankind , who trot on in the common road , believe and worship a god , and poorly submit to be governed by his laws and precepts . and thus having dispatched my two first particulars , and shewed , that wickedness and pride are two great causes of infidelity and atheism ; i should now proceed to speak to the third thing observable in my text , viz. iii. the great charge which the psalmist brings against the wicked person here mentioned , that he will not seek after god ; neither is god in all his thoughts . but this i must leave for my next discourse , and shall now conclude with a word or two by way of application . since the case stands thus , that wickedness in general , and pride in particular , do so naturally lead to infidelity and atheism ; and that 't is hardly possible to imagine a man can entertain such an opinion without them : let every one then , that hath any inclination or temptation that way , seriously examine his own mind , whether he be not prejudiced towards it by some vitious desires and affections ; whether he doth not heartily wish that there were no god nor religion ; whether he hath not , by his past actions , really loaded himself with guilt , and therefore is disturbed in his mind with the apprehension , that the divine punishment will overtake him , and light upon him , for his sins : let him search diligently whether he hath not recourse to infidelity , as to an opiate in this case , to allay the pains of his conscience , and to compose the disorder of his guilty mind , and to gain , as it were , an insensibility in sinning . for if the case be thus , 't is plain , he is not free , and at liberty , to make a just judgment of the truth of things ; he is already a party , and much more enclined to one side of the question than to the other ; and consequently , he will pitch on that as truth , which he would have to be so . but this is certainly a very partial way of proceeding , and such as no wise man would use in a matter of so very great moment , to engage one's self rashly in a determination , before a thorough and careful examination of the evidence on both sides : this is to look on things in a false light , through coloured glasses , through diseased and icterical eyes ; and then to believe them to be in reality , what our depraved and prejudicate apprehensions make them . the enemies to religion say , that the preachers of it are not to be minded ; the arguments they bring are all forced and strained , because 't is their trade , and they get money by it ; and their craft obliges them to cry out , great is diana of the ephesians ! i hope therefore this being so precarious and partial a way of proceeding , to subscribe to religion by implicit faith , and to take it up upon trust from those , whose interest ( they say ) it is to propagate it in the world : i hope , i say , that men will not act so on the other hand , and embrace atheism and infidelity on the same precarious grounds . i hope all such persons can clearly approve themselves to be truly virtuous and moral in their inclinations and practices ; and are sure that they have no strong inclinations to such actions as the world calls vicious . for if they have , and do take real pleasure in the practice of wickedness , 't is plain that they must be prejudiced and bigotted to their lusts and humours ; they cannot be free-thinkers in the case ; the cloggs of ill custom , and a loose education bear them down , and they cannot shake them off . their present interest influences and governs their belief , and enslaves and tyrannizes over their reason . let them consider impartially the arguments for infidelity , and they will find them all forced and strained paradoxes , invented by sceptical and canting philosophers , a crafty and designing sort of men , who set up atheism because they get by it , and whose interest it is that there should be no god and religion . let not therefore men be so stupid and blind as to talk of prejudices on the side of religion , and never , perceive that , there are any at all on that of infidelity . if they scorn to take up religion on trust , without examining into its grounds and reasons ; for their own sakes let , them be as cautious and inquisitive on the other hand , and not run hood-winked into eternal destruction , by subscribing to atheism in hast , and without that previous consideration and regard , which so great and important an affair requires : for if they will but strip themselves of those prejudices which arise from their vices , and avoid being impetuously born down by their depraved inclination ; they will soon perceive that the grounds and principles of infidelity are abundantly too precarious to afford them any thing like a demonstrative assurance of the falsity of religion : without which , surely no man of sense , and that can think at all , will ever run the hazard of damnation . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45642-e350 a pensees diverses ecrites à un docteur de sorbonne à l'occasion de la cométe qui parut au mois de decembre , 1680. rotterdam . 8vo . a vid. jul. caes. vanini amphitheatr . in titulo & epist. dedicator . b despicere unde queas alios , passimque videre errare , atque viam palantes quaerere vitae . lucr. lib. 2. a vid. great is diana of the ephesians . animus tamen in supremae & vulgo . philosophantibus incognitae philosophiae arcanis investigandis validior factus & robustior ; ut physico-magicum nostrum , quod mox ex umbrâ in lucem prodibit pellegens , aequa posteritas facilè est judicatura . the atheist's objection that we can have no idea of god refuted a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, february the 7th 1697/8 : being the second of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 1698 approx. 47 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 15 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a45639 wing h846 estc r15272 12337835 ocm 12337835 59824 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45639) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 59824) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 534:1) the atheist's objection that we can have no idea of god refuted a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, february the 7th 1697/8 : being the second of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 27 p. printed by j. l. for richard wilkin ..., london : 1698. this work is also found as the second part of the author's the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted : in eight sermons (wing h845). reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -o.t. -psalms x, 4 -sermons. atheism -early works to 1800. 2005-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-05 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-05 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the atheist's objection , that we can have no idea of god , refuted . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , february the 7 th . 1697 / 8. being the second of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king 's head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. psal. x. 4. the wicked , through the pride of his countenance , will not seek after god ; neither is god in all his thoughts . in these words , i have , in a former discourse , taken notice of these three particulars : i. the general character or qualifications of the person here mentioned , which is , that he is a wicked man. ii. the particular kind of wickedness , or origin from whence the spirit of atheism and irreligion doth chiefly proceed , and that is pride ; the wicked , through the pride of his countenance , &c. iii. the great charge which the psalmist brings against the person here spoken of in my text , viz. wilful atheism and infidelity ; he will not seek after god , neither is god in all his thoughts . the two first of these i have already dispatch'd , and therefore shall now proceed to discourse on my third head , viz. the great charge here brought against this wicked person , that he will not seek after god ; neither is god in all his thoughts : or , as it is in the margin , with good grounds ( as i have before observed ) from the hebrew , all his thoughts are , there is no god. which appears to me to imply a wilful and malicious slighting and contemning of god , and his laws , and an endeavour to banish the very thoughts of his existence out of their minds . and under this head , i shall make it my business to enumerate all the pretended arguments and objections which i have met with , and are of any weight , against the being of a god , in general ; and then endeavour to shew how weak and inconclusive they are , and how miserable a support they will prove for atheism and infidelity . but first it will be necessary , briefly to clear up one point , and to obviate one objection that may be made against this very attempt of mine , of refuting and answering the atheists arguments and objections . it will , i doubt not , be said , that there is not now , nor ever perhaps was in the world , any such person as a speculative atheist , or one that believes , there is no god. it is said , with great assurance , by some , that the ancient atheists were only such as declared against the plurality of gods , and the idolatry and superstition of the heathen worship . and we are told by one , very lately , a that he hath travelled many countries , and could never meet with any atheists , ( which are few , if any ; ) and all the noise and clamour , saith he , is against castles in the air. to which i answer , that nothing can be more plain and clear , than that both ancient and modern writers do give us an account of such persons as were known and reputed atheists , by those that were contemporary with them , and did well understand their principles and tenets . i need not insist on proofs from any of the ancient christian writers ; for 't is sufficient , that plato , diogenes laertius , plutarch , cicero , and many others , do acquaint us , that such kind of men there have been in the world. tho' i shall particularly produce the testimony of two authors , one ancient , and the other , 't is probable , now living , to prove this point ; and these are , sextus empiricus , and he that wrote the thoughts on the comet that appeared in the year 1680. sextus is express , a that diagoras melius , prodicus chius , euemerus , critias atheniensis , theodorus , and many others , were absolute atheists , and denied that there were any gods at all . and the french gentleman b saith the same of most of those mentioned by sextus , and other ancient writers ; and to the number , adds some others of a modern date : and mr. blount saith , c that the epicureans constantly affirmed , there were no gods. now the evidence of these authors will , i hope , be allowed , because they seem well-wishers to the cause of infidelity themselves . to these i might add , were it necessary , that vaninus himself tells us frequently of atheists that he met with , ( and no one will doubt but that he knew where to find one at any time , ) and he calls machiavel , expressly , atheorum facilè princeps d but indeed , this assertion of these gentlemen , that there is no such thing as an atheist in the world , is like most other things that they advance , uncertain and precarious , and often contradicted by what at other times they deliver : for though they are sometimes , and in some companies , for reasons that are very obvious , unwilling to take the title of atheist on themselves or their party ; yet they are often ready enough to bestow it on others ; and when it is subservient to their purpose , will insinuate , a that the greatest lights and teachers of the church believe as little of religion as themselves . but i say also , 2. that 't is one thing to disbelieve the existence of a god , and another to declare so to the world. and it doth not at all follow , that a man is not an atheist , because he doth not openly profess himself to be so , at all times , and in all companies . there are no writers so insincere as these kind of gentlemen ; they are very cautious and tender how they expose themselves to the just punishment of the law. vaninus himself , though he did at last suffer death madly , for his infidelity , ( as one b saith of him , that died as madly himself , ) yet is he very cautious and careful , in his writings , how he renders himself obnoxious to the censure of the inquisition ; and he declares , c that he will submit all things to the judgment of the roman church . so a gentleman of our own nation , though he endeavours , as effectually as 't is possible , under-hand , to ridicule and undermine religion ; yet he would fain appear to the world to be a good christian , and one that hath a mighty veneration for god and his laws : but , in the mean time , 't is very easie to discover his true principles and design ; for he declares , d that he thinks it much safer to believe as the church believes , and to pin his faith always on my lord of canterbury 's sleeve , as he saith he will do , and subscribe to any ridiculous legend , rather than incurr the censure of the popish clergy ; as he basely calls the ministers of this most excellent protestant church : for the same laudable reasons also , he forbears communicating , what he doth , or ought to think truth , to mankind , ( as he tells us in many places . ) now if this be the case with these men of honour , that they dare not speak their minds , nor discover their true sentiments plainly to the world ; we must by no means conclude over-hastily of their orthodoxy , by what they say in discourse at some times , or publish in print at others : but , in short , if they set up such a notion of a god , as is essentially inconsistent with the idea that all mankind have of such a being ; if they make him either a necessary agent , or a blind , idle and unactive one ; if they divest him of his providence , or cramp him in his attributes , as those that call themselves deists generally do : in a word , if they make him such an impotent and careless being , as either cannot or will not govern the world , give laws to his people , vindicate his own honour , and punish and reward men according to their actions : 't is plain , i say , that though in words they may profess to believe and honour a god , yet in reality they deny him , and have no manner of notion of his true nature and perfections . but 't is not the name only , nor the empty sound of the word deity , but the thing , that is wanting in the world ; 't is the true knowledge and belief of this only , that can clear a man from the imputation of atheism : if he be not right in this point , i. e. if he have not such a belief of god , as implies in it a knowledge of the perfections of his nature , he may call himself by as fine and fashionable names as he pleases , and pretend to deism and natural religion ; but in reality he is an atheist , and so ought to be esteemed by all mankind ; for as one saith , a that knew very well what an atheist was , such are atheists , as deny god's providence ; or who restrain it in some particulars , and exclude it in reference to others , as well as those who directly deny the existence of a deity : and vaninus b calls tully atheist , on this very account ; and in another place , he saith , c that to deny a providence , is the same thing as to deny a god. this therefore being returned in answer to the objection , that there is no such thing as an atheist : let us now go about to examine and consider the arguments and objections that are usually brought by atheistical men , against the being of a god. and these , one would think , should be exceeding weighty ones , and no less than direct demonstrations ; for if they are not such strenuous proofs as are impossible to be refuted , i 'm sure the atheist ought to pass for the most senseless and stupid of all mankind . he slights and despises that inestimable offer of being happy for ever ; he runs the risque of being eternally miserable ; he bids open defiance to the laws of god and man ; and he opposes his own opinion and judgment , to the sober and considerate sentiments of the judicious part of mankind , in all ages of the world. now surely , in such a case , he ought to be very sure that he cannot be mistaken ; and to be as demonstratively certain , as of the truth of any theorem in euclid , that there is no god , no moral good nor evil , no revealed religion , nor any future state of rewards and punishments . but can any man have the face to pretend to this ? will not the common sense of all mankind pronounce this impossible ? and that a demonstration of the non-existence of these things , is not to be obtained ? can any one be directly assured , that there is not so much as a possibility that these things should be true ? and if so , then 't is plain , that for any thing he can directly prove to the contrary , the atheist may be in the wrong , and consequently be eternally damned and miserable . now would any one , that can think at all , run this dreadful hazard 〈◊〉 much less sure , one that pretends to be a man of penetration and judgment , and to philosophize above the vulgar : and yet this every atheist doth ; and that too on no other grounds but the strength of some trifling objections against , and seeming absurdities in , the notion of a god , and religion , which the extravagant wit of wicked men hath invented and coined to stop the mouths of those that reprove them , to stifle and bear down the stings of conscience , and to gain some pretence to reason and principles in their impious proceedings . but surely these persons must know well enough , that 't is a very easie thing to start objections against the most plain and obvious truths ; they know also , that in other cases , themselves think it very unreasonable to disbelieve the truth of a thing , only because they can't readily answer all the objections a witty man may bring against it , and because they cannot solve all the phoenomena of it . now , why should not they proceed so in matters of religion ? they know that all the great truths of it , have been demonsrated over and over , by those learned and excellent persons which have written in the defence of it ; nay , they know too , that most of their objections have been already refuted and answered , and that they adhere to a cause that hath been frequently baffled . they know the weight and importance of the subject , and that if religion should at last prove to be true , they must be for ever miserable : all this , i say , they very well know ; and therefore it looks strangely like an infatuation upon them , that they will run this dreadful hazard only on the strength of a few objections , and a bare surmise only that there is no such thing as a god or religion . these objections are their only hold and pretence that they can stick to and abide by , and what and how great they are , i shall now proceed to examine . these i shall take in their natural order : and , 1. consider such objections as are brought against the being of a god in general . 2. such as are alledged against his attributes and perfections . 3. such as are advanced against the truth and authority of revealed religion . the groundlessness and inconclusiveness of all which i shall endeavour as clearly as i can to demonstrate . and first , i shall consider and refute the objections and arguments that are brought against the being of god in general ; and these are ( as far as i can find ) all reducible to these two heads . it is said , 1. that we can have no idea of god. 2. that the notion of a deity owes its original , either to the foolish fears of some men , or the crafty designs of others . i shall at this time handle the former of these , and refute the objections that are brought against the existence of a deity , from our not being able ( as they say ) to have any idea or notion of him . the atheist alledges , that whatsoever is unconceiveable is really nothing at all : that we can have no idea , or possible notion of any thing that is not some how or other an object of our senses ; for all knowledge is sense : and we can only judge of the existence of things by its evidence and testimony . now god is by divines said to be incomprehensible , infinite , and invisible ; i. e. something that 't is impossible to know any thing about ; that is every where , and yet no where ; that sees every thing , and yet no body can see him ; nor can we perceive any thing of him by any other of our senses : we cannot tell what to make of such an account as this of a god ; we can have no phantasm , idea or conception of any such thing ; and therefore we justly conclude , there is no such being in nature . and as for that precarious notion of a god , that is so much talk'd of in the world , 't is nothing but a meer phantome or mormo devised and set up by politick and designing men to keep the rabble in awe , and to scare such fools as are afraid of their own shadows . the several points of this objection , i shall singly consider ; and , as to the first part of it , that what we cannot attain any idea of ; or , that what is absolutely vnconceiveable , is really nothing at all ; perhaps it may be true , taking it in the most strict and proper sence of the words ; for though i am not of protagoras's mind , that man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet as i think , that that which is absolutely unconceivable in its own nature , is not possible to be existent ; so what is absolutely so to us , we can know nothing at all of , nor reason , nor argue about it ; since there is no doing of this but from our ideas . but i cannot see how this will be advantageous at all to the cause of infidelity : for there is neither any one that asserts ; nor is the atheist able to prove , that that being which we call god , is absolutely unconceiveable . there is a vast difference between a thing 's being vnconceivable , and incomprehensible ; between our having no idea at all of a thing , and our having an imperfect one ; and between our knowing nothing at all of a being , and our comprehending all the possible perfections and excellencies of such a being . we readily grant that the immense nature of god is incomprehensible to our finite understandings ; but we don't say 't is absolutely unconceivable , and that we can know nothing at all about it . the common notion c which all mankind have of a god , is a sufficient refutation of this part of the objection , as it is also a very good proof of the real existence of a deity ; for if there were no such being , 't is impossible to conceive how any idea of him could ever have come into any one's mind , as i shall hereafter more largely prove . 2. there is implied in this objection , that we can have no possible idea , nor notion of the existence of any thing that is not the object of our senses : and from hence these sublime thinkers argue against the existence of a deity , and conclude there is no god , because they cannot see him , and because he is not perceivable by any of our bodily senses . thus one of our modern atheistical writers asserts , that the only evidence we can have of the existence of any thing , is from sense . and in another place , a whatsoever we can conceive ( saith he ) hath been perceived first by sense , either at once or in parts , and a man can have no thought representing any thing not subject to sense . and he defines sense to be original knowledge . which is but the reverse of what protagoras , long ago determin'd : for plato , in his theaetetus , tells us , that he defined all knowledge to be sense . now , is not this admirable philosophy ? and worthy of those that pretend to a sublimer pitch of knowledge than the vulgar ? there is no knowledge , say they , but sense . if so , then , as protagoras saith , all sense must be knowledge ; and consequently , he that sees , hears , smells or feels any thing , must immediately know all that is to be known about it : by seeing the letters of any language , or hearing the words pronounced , a man or a beast must needs understand all the sense and meaning of it ; and the philosophick nature of all bodies will be perfectly comprehended , as soon as ever they once come within the reach of our senses . this is , indeed , a good easie method of attaining learning ; and perhaps very suitable to the genius of these gentlemen ! but i cannot account from this notion , how they come to have so much more penetration and knowledge than their neighbours . are their eyes and ears , noses and feeling , so much more accurate than those of the vulgar ? yes , doubtless , these are truly men of sense ! their lyncean eyes can penetrate mill-stones , and the least silent whisper of nature moves the intelligent drum of their tender ears ; nothing escapes their knowledge , but what is undiscoverable by the nicest sense , and can only be comprehended by reason . reason ! an ignis fatuus of the mind , whose uncertain direction they scorn to follow , while this light of nature , sense , can be their guide . nor will it avail them to alledge here , that when they say , we have no knowledge but what we have from our senses ; they mean only , that all our knowledge comes in that way , and not by innate idea's : for the author i have mentioned above , is express , that we can have no thought of any thing not subject to sense ; that the only knowledge we have of the existence of all things , is from sense ; and that sense is original knowledge , and if so , there can be no such thing as comparing or distinguishing of idea's in our mind ; but the simple idea's of sensible objects being impressed upon our brain , must needs convey to us , by that means , all the knowledge that we can ever obtain about them , and that as soon too as ever the objects are perceived . but than this , nothing can be more false and absurd : for 't is plain , that by our bare sensations of objects , we know nothing at all of their natures . our mind , indeed , by these sensations , is vigorously excited to enquire further about them : but this we could by no means do , if sense were the highest faculty and power in our natures , and we were quite devoid of a reasoning and thinking mind . this , democritus of old was very well aware of , ( however he comes now to be deserted by the modern atheistick writers , ) for saith he , a there is in us two kinds of knowledges ; one dark and obscure , which is by the senses ; the other genuine and proper , which is by the mind . and nothing can be more plain , than that we have certain knowledge of the existence of many things , which never were , nor perhaps can possibly be the objects of our bodily senses . protagoras himself saith , b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : take heed that none of the uninitiated hear you , who are such as think nothing to exist , but what they can lay hold of with their hands ; and who will not allow any thing that is invisible , to have a place among beings . the epicurean atheist must needs grant the existence of his atoms , and his empty space ; when yet they must be both acknowledged to be no way sensible . those that hold a soul or life in matter , plastically diffused through all parts of the universe , by which all things are actuated and regulated , cannot deny but this power is invisible , and no way the object of bodily sense . nay , those that assert a corporeal deity , and say , that nothing can possibly exist but body ; must needs own , that something of this deity , as his wisdom , power and understanding , which is certainly the chief and most noble of all his essence , can no ways fall under our bodily senses . let him that asserts , that what is not the object of sense , is really nothing at all ; let him tell me , if he ever saw that power , faculty , understanding or mind , by which he is enabled to make such a determination ? that there is such a power or mind in him , 't is impossible for him to doubt or deny : for that very doubting and denying , will refute him ; and must convince him , that there must be something in him of a real nature , that can thus think and consider , doubt and deny ; and at last conclude , that there is nothing actually existent , but what is sensible ; for what is really and absolutely nothing , can never think , consider , doubt or determine . now let him call this mind or soul of his what he pleases , i do not here consider its nature ; let it be a substance distinct from matter , be it a happy combination of animal spirits ; or the brisk agitation of any fine and subtile parts of matter , 't is all one to our present purpose , it certainly exists , or is ; and yet is it by no means an object of sense . for animal spirits , motion , and the finest and subtilest parts of matter are no more sensible to us now , than an incorporeal substance is . and as he is thus assured that there is something real in himself , which yet is the object of none of his senses ; so he cannot but conclude the same of other men that are round about him , that they also have a soul or mind of the same nature : for he must know and be satisfied , that they can think , reason , doubt , affirm , deny and determine , as well as himself . now , if he must grant that there are on this account many things existent in the world , which do no way fall under the cognisance of our senses , it will be strangely senseless and ridiculous to argue against the being of a god from his not being so ; and to deny that there is any such thing , because he cannot see him with his bodily eyes , because he cannot feel him with his hands , and hear the sound of his voice actually speaking from heaven . for the existence of that divine being whom no eye hath seen nor can see , is as plainly demonstrable from reason and nature , from his visible works in the world , and from the inward sentiments of our unprejudiced minds , as the being of our own and others minds is from the power of thinking and reasoning that we find in our selves and them . 3. but thirdly , 't is objected further , a that we cannot have any idea of god , and consequently may conclude , there is no such being ; because he is , by divines , said to be incomprehensible and infinite : ( that is , say they ) something which we can know nothing at all about ; for we cannot have any phantasm or conception of any such thing . thus saith that famous atheistical writer , whatever we know , we learn from our phantasms ; but there is no phantasm of infinite , and therefore no knowledge or conception of it . no man , saith he , can have in his mind an image of infinite power or time : and there is no conception or idea of that which we call infinite . in another place , he asserts , c that the attributes of god signifie nothing true nor false , nor any opinion of our brain ; and are not sufficient premises to inferr truth , or convince . falshood . and the name of god ( he saith ) is used , not to make us conceive him , but that we may honour him . and he elsewhere saith , d that those that venture to discourse philosophically of the nature of god , or to reason of his nature from his attributes , losing their understanding in the very first attempt , fall from one inconvenience to another , without end or number , and do only discover their astonishment and rusticity . this bold writer doth in another place tell us , e that god must not be said to be finite ; and so being neither finite nor infinite , he must be nothing at all : which is the very same dilemma that the sceptick , sextus empiricus , f makes use of against a deity . another modern author of the same stamp , tells us , that he that calls any thing infinite , doth but , rei quam non capit attribuere nomen quod non intelligit ; give an unintelligible name to a thing which he doth not understand . all which agrees exactly with what sextus also saith , in many places of his book ; and whom these gentlemen follow pretty closely in most things , without taking any notice at all of him . now to this , i return ; that as 't is very foolish and precarious , to deny the existence of a god , because he is not an object of our bodily senses ; so , to conclude , that there is no such being , from our not being able perfectly to comprehend him , and to have a true and adequate idea of him , is equally absurd and unaccountable . for at this rate , we may soon come to deny the existence of most things in nature , since there are very many of which we do not adequately comprehend the nature of , and know all that is to be known about them . there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , something incomprehensible in the nature of all things . are there not a thousand beings , which we are sure are truly and actually existent in nature , the manner of whose operation and action we cannot comprehend , and whose phaenomena we cannot philosophically explain ? let any of these penetrating gentlemen try their skill at gravity , light , sound , magnetism and electricity , and oblige the world with such an adequate account of any one of them , as shall make all impartial and curious men acquiesce in it as satisfactory . let him clearly shew us how his own sensations are made ; how the circulation of the blood first begins , and continues its vital tour round his body ; how pestilential and contagious diseases first invade and are propagated ; how several medicines , that may be properly enough call'd specifick's , operate ; and particularly , how the cortex peruvianus cures an intermitting fever : in a word , let him tell us how his own body ( setting aside accidents ) decays , grows old , and dies , when the same digestions and assimulations are made to day , as were yesterday , and there is no apparent defect in the nutriment of any one part of it . he that can account for these , and many other such like things , which are obvious to every one's daily observation , will certainly approve himself to be a man of very curious and acute thought , and of very deep insight into nature : and when he hath fully convinced me , that he throughly comprehends the nature of but these few things , i will allow that he hath some ground to disbelieve the existence of whatever appears to him incomprehensible . but if a person will candidly own , as he that hath any knowledge and modesty must do , that there are many things in the history of nature , of which he cannot meet with a satisfactory solution and explication ; he hath certainly no manner of reason to disbelieve the existence of a god , on the same account ; and to say , there is no such thing , because his nature is incomprehensible to our finite and imperfect capacities . we cannot , by searching , find out god , nor discover the almighty unto perfection , job xi . 7. but again ; there is a vast difference between apprehending and comprehending of a thing ; between knowing a thing really to be , and knowing all that is possible to be known about that thing . we cannot indeed perfectly comprehend the nature of god , because we have shallow , limited , finite , and imperfect capacities and faculties ; and the deity contains in himself all possible perfection . every one must grant , that 't is impossible the lesser should contain and comprehend the greater , especially too when the extent and fulness of one , infinitely exceeds the capacity of the other . from hence therefore to inferr that we can have no idea nor knowledge at all of god , is very absurd and incongruous . 't is a strange method of arguing , that i can know nothing at all of a thing , because i can't know every particular that belongs to it ; and he would deservedly be esteemed a madman , that should deny that there is any such thing as the sun , because he cannot tell how many miles he is in diameter , how far he is from us , and which way he comes by a supply of matter to continue his enlivening fire and heat . when some great and advantageous revolution is brought about in any nation ; when the publick good is secured , the laws and liberties preserved , and confusion , bloodshed , and misery of all kinds , prevented , by the wise and deep council and conduct of him , or those that are at the helm of affairs : would it not be gross stupidity , for a man to assert , that all this came about by chance , and that there was no wisdom nor conduct , that so opportunely managed all things ; only because he cannot penetrate into all the secret steps and methods of it , and see all the hidden springs , by which it was moved regularly on to its intended perfection ? there are many things whose existence 't would be ridiculous to doubt of , whose nature and qualities we are very far from being able perfectly to comprehend and explain . and amongst the rest , there is nothing but our own existence , that we can be more assured of , than that there is a god. for as to all objects of sense , we may , as monsieur des cartes shews , have some reason to doubt of their actual existence without us , till we are first satisfied that our senses do not deceive us : till we know this , for any thing we can demonstratively prove to the contrary , all sensible objects may be meer phantasms and delusions , and nothing but the internal configurations of our own brains , and the result of imagination and fancy . but when once we are assured that there is a god , who is perfectly knowing , wise , and good , we shall discover that he can be no deceiver ; we shall find that 't is not suitable to the idea we have of him , that he should delude and cheat us with false appearances ; and consequently we may well conclude , that he hath appointed our senses to be proper judges of their own objects , and that those things are actually existing without us , whose idea's we so plainly perceive in our selves , and which we truly judge to be so . and if we will impartially consult our own thoughts , and reason clearly from those idea's that we have within us ; i think , we may most demonstratively be assured of the existence of a god , and that he is such a most perfect or infinite being , as the sacred scriptures and divines describe him to be . i will allow that the greatest certainty that we can have of the existence of any thing , is of our own being ; of which , as i have already said , no one can possibly doubt : for whatsoever can think reason , doubt , will , and determine , must needs be something , and have a true and real being . and because we find by this means , that there is certainly something actually existing ; it will plainly follow , that something or other must always have been so : for if ever there was a time when there was nothing , there never could have been any thing at all : for absolute nothing could never have done , or produced any thing . something therefore ( 't is plain ) must have been always , or eternally existing , and which never could have had any beginning . for if it ever had any beginning , tho' never so many thousands of millions of ages ago , it must have then began from meer nothing , which 't is impossible for any man to conceive . now , if we consider our selves , or any things else that are round about us in the world ; we shall plainly find , that neither we nor they , can be this thing that always was existent , and which we have discovered must have been without beginning ; for we know well enough , that it was but a little while ago when we began to be , and that 't is but a short space before we shall die , and cease to be in this world any more . besides , we find in our selves , and discover in things without us , such defects , limitations and imperfections , as sufficiently must convince us , that neither we nor they can be independent beings , nor indeed the cause of one another's existence . we must therefore in our thoughts have recourse to some first cause or origin , from whence all things do proceed : and that there must be some first cause , or some being , which produced both our selves and the things that are round about us in the world , we cannot but be assured of , for we know , nothing can cause , or make it self to be ; and we see that we cannot make or produce each other ; and we perceive that none of our forms or modes of existence are indestructible and eternal ; but that all things are continually flitting and changing : some improving and increasing , while others are decreasing and dying . the common matter , indeed , of all bodies will remain , and we do not find it to be perishable , as their forms are ; but then , this we may easily know cannot be the first cause of all other things ; since we have no idea of its being an active , intelligent , wise , and powerful being , as that must be ; but the notion we have of it is , that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , purely passive , and obsequiously capable of all variety of forms and motions ; as i shall hereafter more largely shew . if we farther carefully consider of this being , that we have thus found must have eternally been or existed ; we shall find also , that it must for ever continue to be for the time to come ; for we cannot imagine , how a being that hath eternally existed for the time past , should ever terminate or cease to be for the time to come ; since there is nothing in its self , or in any thing without it , that can possibly be the cause of its destruction . such a being therefore will be properly eternal , and necessarily self-existent , without beginning or end , or any possibility of dying or ceasing to be . such a being also , must on this account , be the creator , author , and cause of all things : because , nothing can be the cause of it self ; and therefore they must either be eternal and necessarily self existent , as we are assured they are not ; or else derived from , and produced by this eternal and infinite being . and as the beings themselves are derived from , and produced by this eternal and self existent being , so must all their perfections and qualifications too : for they are indeed the most noble things in their natures . knowledge therefore , and wisdom , thought and reasoning , and all the excellent powers and faculties that are found in any creatures , must come from the same power that produced those beings and natures in which they are inherent . and if these excellencies and perfections are derived from this necessarily existent being , they must certainly be in him in the greatest perfection : for if they were not in him , they could not be derived from him ; since 't is unconceivable that any thing can give or communicate to another , either what it hath not it self , or a greater degree of any thing than it is master of . this eternal and self-existent being therefore must have in it , and that in the utmost perfection , all the excellencies that we admire and value in any other things . it must have the power of doing all things that are possible to be done , and therefore be almighty ; it must know all things that are possible to be known , and therefore be omniscient : in a word , it must be all-wise and good , just and true , merciful and gracious , and contain in it all possible excellencies and perfections . now this may very well pass for a description of the deity ; and 't is such an one as is very intelligible and plain to the meanest capacity that can but think at all . and it gives us such an idea of god , as we see is easily attainable by an obvious and familiar chain of consequences , and which puts our minds not at all on the wrack to conceive . as for the word infinite , which is often applied to god , and which these gentlemen quarrel so much at , and of which they affirm , that it is impossible to have any conception or idea ; i say , that it is groundlessly and precariously asserted : and that nothing but the wilful darkness and confusion which they have brought upon their own minds can make it appear unintelligible , for as the excellent dr. cudworth hath proved the idea that we have of infinite , is the same with that which we have of perfection . and therefore when we say , that god is infinite in power , wisdom or goodness , we mean by it , that he is most perfectly or compleatly so ; and that he wants nothing which is necessary to render him most perfect , and excellent in that respect of which we speak of him. now a being that any way is deficient or imperfect , and that hath not all the possible excellencies that are to be had , is finite , and that in the same proportion as it is defective . thus , for instance , those beings which endure but for a time , which had a beginning , and will have an end , are finite or imperfect , as to their existence : but god , who is , was , and is to come , who is and will be from everlasting to everlasting , he is properly said to be infinite a or perfect , as to existence or duration . for there is no restriction , limitation or imperfection in his nature , in this respect , as there is in that of all creatures whatever . a being whose power extends to but a few things , is very imperfect or finite in power ; and if there be any possible thing that it cannot do , 't is still so far imperfect in power . but a being that can do all things that are not contradictory to his nature , or all possible things , is properly said to be infinite or perfect in power , or almighty ; so a being that knows all things possible to be known , is infinite or perfect in knowledge : and the like of any other attributes or perfections : in all , the comparison or proportion is the same . a being that wants no degree of excellency or perfection is god ; infinite in power , wisdom , justice , goodness and truth . but if a being want any one , or any degree or proportion of these things , it is finite and imperfect , and that in the same degree or proportion . now , where is the inconceivableness , confusion , absurdity , and nonsence of all this ? is it not as easie to conceive or apprehend that a being may have in his nature all possible perfection , as it is to have an idea of one that is imperfect and deficient ? for how come the idea of imperfection into our mind ? how come we to know that a thing is finite , defective and limited , unless we have also an idea or notion of infinity or perfection ? how can we know what is wanting in any being , unless we have an idea of it , that it is in some other being ? most certain therefore it is , that we may have as true and clear an idea of the existence of a god , as of any thing in nature : b and in fact it is most notoriously true , that a clear and distinct notion that there is such a being , hath and doth still appear in the minds of all mankind ; and it is impressed there , i doubt not , by the peculiar care of that divine and merciful being himself . and therefore those that assert , that we have not , nor can have any notion or idea of a god , nor of his attributes and perfections , and that on that account deny his existence ; discover such wretched ignorance as well as obstinacy , that they are really a disgrace to human nature . for pretending to be over-wise , they become fools , they are vain in their imaginations , and their foolish heart is darkened ; their vicious inclinations have debauched their reason and understanding : and though god be not far from every one of us , since in him we live , move , and have our being ; yet their wickedness and pride is such , that they will not seek after god , neither is god in all their thoughts . from which wilful blindness and stupidity , may the god of truth deliver them , by the gracious illuminations of his blessed spirit ; to whom , with our lord and saviour jesus christ , be all honour and glory , &c. finis . books printed for rich. wilkin at the king's head in st. paul's church-yard . mr. harris's sermon , preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , january the 3d. 1697 / 8. being the first of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esquire . — his remarks on some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . in octavo . dr. woodward's natural history of the earth , in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the truth of the christian religion , against the objections of all modern opposers ; in two volumes . in octavo . a serious proposal to the ladies , for the advancement of their true and greatest interest ; part i. by a lover of her sex. the third edition . in twelves . a serious proposal to the ladies ; part ii. wherein a method is offer'd for the improvement of their minds . in twelves . letters concerning the love of god , between the author of the proposal to the ladies and mr. john norris . in octavo . an answer to w. p. his key about the quakers light within , and oaths ; with an appendix of the sacraments . in octavo . a letter to the honourable sir robert howard : together with some animadversions on a book , entituled , christianity not mysterious . in octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45639-e210 a two essays from oxford , in the apology . a adv. mathem . p 317 , 318 , &c. genevae , 1621. b pensees diverses à l' occasion de la comete , tom. 2. §. clxxiv . p. 531. c anim , mand. p. 96. d amphitheatr . d. providentiae , p. 35. a vid. blount's translation of the life of apollonius , p. 34. b anima mundi , in the oracles of reason , p. 54. c amphitheatr . p. 151 , 334. lugdum . 1615. d blount's translation of philostratus's life of apollonius , in the preface . a blount 's anima mundi , in oracles of reason , pref. b amphitheatr . p. 124. c pag. 152. leviathan , p. 208. c sextus empericus allows , that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , common notion or idea of a god , even when he dispu●es against him . adv. math. p. 333. a hob 's leviath . p. 11. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. vid. sext. empiric . adv . mathem . p. 164. b sext. emp. a hobb 's leviathan , p. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sext. empir . adv . math. p. 17. and a little after , he asserts , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c leviath . p. 11 , 190. d leviath . par. iv . c. 46. p. 374. e pag. 150. f adv. mathem . p. 333. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sext. empir . adv . math , pag. 150. b vid. mr. lock 's essay of vnderstanding . p. iv. ch. x , a refutation of the objections against moral good and evil in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, october the third, 1698 : being the seventh of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris. harris, john, 1667?-1719. 1698 approx. 50 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45646) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 40529) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1207:19) a refutation of the objections against moral good and evil in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, october the third, 1698 : being the seventh of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris. harris, john, 1667?-1719. 30 p. printed by j.l. for richard wilkin, london : 1698. this work is also found as the seventh part of the author's the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted : in eight sermons (wing h845). reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -o.t. -jeremiah ix, 24 -sermons. good and evil -sermons. good and evil -early works to 1800. atheism -early works to 1800. 2005-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-04 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-05 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-05 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a refutation of the objections against moral good and evil . in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , october the third , 1698. being the seventh of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king 's head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. jerem. ix . 24. let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , who exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things do i delight , saith the lord. in these words , as i have already shewed , there are these two things considerable : i. a supposition that god is capable of being known to us by his attributes . ii. an account of some of those attributes which he exerciseth in the earth , and in which he delights . on the former of these , i did , in my last discourse endeavour to remove the objections against the attributes of god in general , and to shew that they are plainly discoverable by reason , and agreeable to philosophical truth . as to the second , the attributes of god mentioned here by the prophet , and which he is said to delight to exercise in the earth . i think it not necessary to discourse particularly of them , having in my last sermon shewn how they , as well as all other excellencies and perfections which we can discover in the creatures , must of necessity be in the divine nature in the greatest perfection ; because they are all derived from him. but that which i judge will be more proper to be done now , as being agreeable to my design of answering the atheistical objections in their natural order , will be from hence to remove two great barrs to the true knowledge of god and of his attributes , which sceptical and unbelieving men have here placed in the way . for indeed , till this be done , no true notion of god or of his perfections can be established in mens minds ; nor any ground fixt whereon to build a rational belief of natural or revealed religion , or any kind of worship of the supream and almighty being . and these two great objections of our adversaries are , 1. that there is in reality no such thing as moral good and evil ; but that all actions are in their own nature indifferent . 2. that all things are determined by absolute fatality : and that god himself , and all creatures whatsoever , are necessary agents , without having any power of choice , or any real liberty in their nature at all . these are two of the strongest holds of atheism and infidelity , which 't is therefore absolutely necessary to batter down and demolish : and these do in some sense communicate with and run into one another ; and indeed the former plainly follows from the l●tter . but however , they being very frequently made use of distinctly by the opposers of religion , and the former being maintained by some persons whom i cannot find do hold the latter ; i shall endeavour to refute them severally . beginning with that which i have first proposed ; viz. that there is in reality no such things as moral good and evil , but that all actions are in their own nature purely indifferent . and this position our adversaries are very express in maintaining , as will sufficiently appear by their own words . the virtues that men extoll so highly , saith mr. blount a , are not of equal weight and value in the balance of nature ; but that it may fare with them , as with coin made of copper or leather : which tho' it may go at a high rate in one country by proclamation ; yet will it not do so in another , for want of intrinsick value . 't is plain enough what he means by this ; but how this assertion will agree with his allowing some things to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b , good and just in their own nature , as he doth in his account of the deists religion , let the admirers of those contradictory oracles of reason , consider . but , indeed , 't is no new or uncommon thing with these kind of men to make contradictory propositions subservient to their purposes : as they often do in this very case . for when you upbraid them with a disbelief of revelation , they will say , that 't is enough for any man to live up to the principles of natural religion , and to adhere inviolably to all things , ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for those are things that are obligatory on all mankind , and not like revealed truths , mere political and topical institutions . whereas at another time , if you tell them of some gross immoralities that they are guilty of , and which are plainly contrary to reason , and to the clearest light of nature ; then they will answer you , that good and evil are only thetical things ; which receive their very essence from human laws or customs only , but that by nature nothing is either good or bad ; and that all actions are alike and indifferent ; so hard is it , as an excellent person observes a , to contradict truth and nature , without contradicting ones self . but to go on , spinoza takes care to deliver himself very plainly , as to this matter . bonum & malum nihil positivum in rebus sc. in se consideratis indicant b . and in another place , he tells us , postquam homines sibi persuaserunt , omnia quae fiunt , propter ipsos fieri , id in unaquàque re proecipuum judicare debuerunt , quod ipsis , utilissimum ; & illa omnia praestantissima aestimare , à quibus optimè afficiebantur . unde has formare debuerunt notiones , quibus rerum naturas explicarunt , sc. bonum & malum , ordinem & confusionem , &c. c . and the same thing also he asserts in many other places . mr. hobbs also expresly maintains , that there is nothing simply nor absolutely good or evil , nor any common rule about them to be taken from the objects themselves , but only from the person ; who calleth that good which he likes or desires , and that evil which he hates , &c. d nothing , saith he , is in its own nature just or vnjust , because naturally there is no property , but every one hath a right to every thing e ; and therefore he defines justice to be only keeping of a covenant f . and in another place he tells us , that good and evil are only names that signifie our appetites and aversions ; which in different tempers , customs and doctrines of men are different g . the same thing he asserteth also in many other places of his writings h . and this doctrine the translator of philostratus is so fond of , that , tho' he be sometimes very desirous of being thought an original , yet he transcribes this entirely from mr. hobbs a ; as indeed mr. hobbs , according to his usual way , had before , in a great measure done from sextus empiricus ; who in very many places declares that it was the opinion of the scepticks , that there was nothing good or evil in it self b . and he endeavours to prove this point , by the very same arguments which the modern assertors of this opinion , do make use of c . and tho' mr. hobbs boast much of his notions about these things to be new , and originally his own ; yet 't is plain , that it was the old atheistick doctrine long before plato's time. for he tells us , lib. 2. de rep. p. 358. that there were a sort of men who maintained , that by nature men have a boundless liberty to act as they please , and that in such a state , to do that to another which is now called an injury , or a piece of injustice , would be good ; tho' to receive it from another would be evil : and that men did live a good while at this rate , but in time finding the inconveniencies of it , they did agree upon laws , in order to live peaceably and quietly with one another . and then that which was enacted by these laws , was called just , and lawful . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . this is the principle we see of those atheistical men : which tho' some of them do now and then take care to conceal , or to express a little cautiously , yet they understand one another well enough : and so indeed may any one do them , that thinks it worth his while to consider seriously of , and to search into the bottom of the matter . and this is truly one of the great depths of atheism and infidelity : 't is a principle that when once thoroughly understood and imbibed , confirms a man in the disbelief of all manner of religious obligation . for he that hath once swallowed down this abominable tenet , will , as some of the lately mentioned writers discover themselves to do , believe nothing of the deity , but that he is almighty and arbitrary power , or a blind fatal and necessary agent : either a being that makes his will his law , and who is not guided in his actions or dispensations , by the dictates of reason nor by any rules of justice and goodness : or else one that properly speaking , hath no ends nor designs at all a ; but is without any understanding b , freedom of will , choice or wisdom ; one who cannot possibly help doing as he doth , but is impelled in every thing by absolute necessity . so that there being ( as according to these principles there cannot be ) no goodness in the deity , there can be none any where : but all actions , antecedent to human laws , will be indifferent . and the obligation that men are under to human laws being only , as hobbs saith , from fear of punishment ; no doubt a man of this wicked perswasion will stick at the perpetration of no villany nor immorality , that will any way advantage himself , and which he can commit secretly and securely ; but will pursue his own private benefit and interest ( the only good he understands , and thinks himself obliged to mind ) by all possible means and endeavours . this therefore being the case before us , it will very much concern us to return a fair answer to , and fully to refute this dangerous objection against all religion , and indeed against the good and welfare of all governments , and all civil societies : and which i wish we had not so much reason to believe , is fixt in the minds of too many amongst us . and in order to do this the more clearly and effectually , it will be necessary first truly to state the point , and to dis-engage it from some difficulties and perplexities which our adversaries have designedly clouded it withall . say they whatever is the object of any man's desires that he calls good ; as also whatsoever is in any respect beneficial and advantageous to him . and on the other hand , that which is hurtful and prejudicial to him , and is the object of his hatred and aversion , that he calls evil , and so doubtless it is to him . now , say they further , since that which may be good to one man , or desired by him now , may be evil to another , or may be the very same person , be hated and shunned at another time ; it plainly follows , that the nature of good and evil , is perfectly precarious , and will be as various and changeable as the different humours and inclinations of mankind can make it . and thus mens actions will be denominated accordingly . every one accounting that a good one which he likes , which promotes his interest , and is conducible to his advantage : and calling that an evil one , which he disapproves of , and which is contrary to his interest and inclination . to all which , i say , that these men run their argument a great way too far , and conclude much more from it than the nature of the thing will bear . for allowing as a first principle that all men desire good , and that they cannot do otherwise ; allowing also that apparent or seeming good hath the same effect as real good , while it is the object of any particular man's desires : nay , allowing also this apparent good to be a very precarious thing , and to depend very much on the different humours , tempers and inclinations of mankind ; which is the whole basis on which these writers found their argument . i say , granting all this , it doth not come up to the question between us , nor form any real objection against the natural difference between good and evil , and the eternal obligation of morality ; for the point in dispute is not whether such an essential and immutable difference as this now spoken of , be discernible in all the actions of mankind ; for 't is readily allowed that there are a great many indifferent , and which are neither good nor bad in their own natures , but may be either , as circumstances determine . this , i say , is not the case ; but whether there be not some such actions , as do plainly discover themselves to the unprejudiced judgment of any rational man , to be good and evil in their own natures , antecedent to the obligation of any human laws . or in other words , whether there be not some actions which do carry along with them such a clear and unalterable reasonableness and excellency , as that they do approve themselves to be good and lovely to any unprejudiced mind , and consequently mankind must be under an universal and eternal obligation to perform them , and to avoid and shun their contraries . as also , whether we have not all the reason in the world to believe that those actions , which the mind of man can thus discover to be morally and essentially good , are agreeable to the will of god , and directed by it : and to conclude , that the deity also acts and proceeds in all respects according to the same universal and eternal dictates of reason , and is just and good , equitable and righteous in all his dealings with his creatures ; and that he exerciseth these things in the earth . this i take to be the true state of the case ; and this is what we assert , and our adversaries deny ; and what i shall now endeavour to prove . in order to which , it must be allowed in the 1. place , that man is a thinking being , and hath the power of reasoning and inference . it must be allowed also , that we are capable of knowing this , and do most evidently discover such a power in our selves . and since all intelligent creatures do naturally desire to be happy , we must do so too , and consequently endeavour to obtain that kind of happiness which is agreeable to our natures and faculties ; i. e. a happiness that shall relate to our whole natures , and not to the body only : now the happiness of any being consisting in the free and vigorous exercise of its powers and faculties , or in the perfection of its nature ; and the nature of man being reason , the happiness of mankind must consist chiefly in the free and vigorous exercise of his reasoning faculty ; or being in such a condition as that we can do all things that are agreeable to , and avoid all such things as are disagreeable to it . now all this supposed and granted , as i think none of it can be denied , it will plainly follow , that all such actions as do universally approve themselves to the reason of mankind , and such as when duly examined and considered , do constantly and uniformly tend towards , and promote the happiness of man , considered as to his whole nature , and chiefly as to that part of him in which his nature doth more properly consist , which is his rational and understanding faculty : such actions , i say , must necessarily be said to be in their own nature good ; and their contraries must be denominated evil , after the same manner ; for whatsoever is universally approved , is universally good : to call a thing good being nothing else but to declare its conducibility to that end it was designed for . now according to our adversary's assertion , men call that good which promotes their own advantage and happiness , and so no doubt it ought to be esteemed ; all that they mistake in , being , that they don't understand wherein their true happiness consists . and therefore if a thing doth in its own nature approve it self to the impartial reason of mankind , and can on due examination manifestly appear to conduce to the interest , advantage and happiness of human nature ; such a thing must be all rational and thinking men be pronounced naturally and morally good ; and its reverse , evil in the same manner . and that this is the case is reference to that which is commonly called moral good and evil , will appear plain and evident when we shew , 2. that there are some things and actions which the free and unprejudiced reason of all mankind , cannot but acknowledge to be comely , lovely , and good in their own natures as soon as ever it considers them , and makes any judgment about them . and this is what is apparent to the observation of all men to have been ipso facto done ; and the truth of it cannot be denied : for have not all nations in the world agreed in paying some kind of worship and veneration to the deity ? was there ever any place where , or time when , obedience to parents , gratitude for benefits received , acts of justice , mercy , kindness , and good nature , were not accounted reasonable , good and decent things ? i know some persons have boldly told the world that 't is quite otherwise , and that there are some whole nations so savage and barbarous as to have no notion of any deity , who have no manner of religious worship at all , and who have no notion or idea of moral good and evil : but when we consider that these accounts come originally only from a few navigators , who probably did not stay long enough at those places to acquaint themselves with the language of the natives , and who consequently could not have much knowledge of their notions , opinions , and customs ; it will be too hardy a conclusion to inferr positively that men pay no worship to , nor have any idea of a god , only because they did not see them at their devotions . and moreover , when we have had later and more accurate accounts of some of those places , which do plainly disprove the former assertions , we have good reason , i think , to suspend our assent to them . and then as to their notions of good and evil , it will not follow that they account stealth and murder as good and comely things as justice and mercy , only because these relators had some of those acts committed on them . for commonly they themselves shew them the way , by wickedly robbing , imprisoning and murdering them ; and therefore why the poor indians may not return some such actions upon their enemies and invaders , without being supposed to be quite ignorant of the difference between good and evil , i confess , i do not see . and by what too often appears from their own relations and books of travels , the indians have not more reason to be thought savage and barbarous , than those that give us such an account of them ; for by their actions they discover as poor notions of morality , as 't is possible for any men to have . but after all , suppose the fact true , as i do really believe it is not , that there is any nation of men so stupid as to be quite devoid of any notion of a god , or of the difference between good and evil : all that can be concluded from hence is , that some men may for want of commerce with other parts of the world , and for want of thinking , and cultivating and exercising their rational faculties , degenerate into meer brute beasts ; and indeed , as such the relators describe them ; according to whose account of them , many species of the brute creation discover more understanding , and act , if i may so speak , more rationally ; but it cannot be fairly argued from hence , that they never have had any notion or belief of these things ; or that their reasons will not assent to the truth of them hereafter , when their unhappy prejudices may be removed , and they may become civilized by commerce . much less sure will this prove , that there is no notion of a deity , nor of moral good and evil in all the other parts of the world , and amongst men that can think , and do exercise their reason and understanding . will not a general rule stand its ground tho' there be a few exceptions against it ? will men take their measures to judge of human nature only from the monstrosities of it , from the worst and most stupid parts of mankind ? men may as well argue that all mankind are devoid of arms or hands , or are universally defective in any other part of the body , because some few are daily born so , or rather have them cut off . we see there are often natural defects in mens minds as well as their bodies , and that some are born fools and idiots , as well as others blind and lame ; and a great many we see make themselves so by their own fault ; but sure no one will conclude from hence , that all mankind are fools and idiots , unless he be a degree worse than one himself . and yet men may even as justly make any of these absurd inferences , as to say , there is in the minds of men no power to distinguish a natural difference between good and evil , only because there are some stupid and barbarous people , among whom no such thing can be discovered . for my part , i do most heartily believe , that 't is impossible for a rational and thinking mind , acting as such , to be insensible of the difference between moral good and evil : i cannot imagine that such a person can think it a thing indifferent in its own nature , whether he should venerate , love and worship the god that made him , and from whom he derives all the good he can possibly enjoy ; or whether he should slight , despise , blaspheme or affront him . it seems utterly impossible to me , that any thinking and considerate man , should judge it an indifferent thing in its own nature , whether he should honour and reverence his father , or abuse him and cut his throat : or that he can esteem it to be as good and decent a thing to be ungrateful or unjust , as it is to acknowledge and to return a kindness , to render every one their due , and to behave our selves towards others , as we would have them do towards us . i do not think that the instances produced by a late ingenious writer , of some wild people's exposing their sick and aged parents to die by the severities of wind and weather , nor of others who eat their own children , are of force to prove that there is really and naturally no difference between good and evil , any more than i will believe that he cited those passages with a design to make the world think so ; for i think , allowing the truth of all these relations , no such inference can be thence deduced . a practical principle , of the truth and power of which a man may be demonstratively assured , may yet be over-born in some respects by other opinions which ignorance and superstition may have set up in a man's mind . this gentleman saith , p. 25. of human understanding , that a doctrine having no better original than the superstition of a nurse , or the authority of an old woman , may be length of time grow up to the dignity of a principle in religion or morality . now should a precarious and wicked opinion over-rule a man in one or two particular cases , and carry him against the rules of morality , will it follow from thence that a man doth believe those rules of no natural force , and that it is an indifferent thing whether he observe them or not ? ought i to conclude , that because i have read of a king that sacrificed his son to moloch , that therefore he believed it as good and reasonable a thing to burn his children alive , as to preserve , take care of them , and give them a good education ? certainly , 't would be a fairer and more reasonable inference , to conclude that his reason and natural affection was over-power'd by his idolatrous and superstitious opinion ; and that the reason why he did such a wicked and unnatural action was because he expected some very great benefit for it from the idol , or that he would inflict some very great judgment upon him , if he did not do it . and so in the cases above-mentioned , one may well enough believe that those barbarous and inhumane wretches that starved their parents and eat their children ; did not nor could not believe it was as good and reasonable so to do , as it would be to preserve them ; but only that they were under the power of some wicked superstition , or abominable custom that had unhappily crept in among them ; which they thought it a greater evil to break ( if they thought at all ) than they did to act against their judgment , natural reason , and affection . for this way ( as he observes ) 't is easie to imagine how men , may come to worship the idols of their own minds , grow fond of notions they have been long acquainted with there , and stamp the characters of divinity upon absurdities and errors , &c. p. 26. so that i cannot see any consequence at all , in asserting the non-existence of moral good and evil , from a few barbarous and ignorant wretches doing some actions that bear hard on the rules of morality : for notwithstanding that they may be lost in a great measure in some places ; yet these things , and many others that might be instanced in , do certainly carry such self-evidence along with them ; that a free and unprejudiced mind must needs perceive which way to determine , as soon as ever they can be proposed to it , and considered of by it . for any one in the world that doth but understand the meaning of the terms in any of the lately mentioned moral propositions , will be demonstratively assured of the truth of them : and he will see as clearly that god is to be worshipped , that parents are to be honoured , and in a word , that we ought to do to others as we would be done unto , as he assents to the truth of such axioms as these : that a thing cannot be and not be , at the same time ; that nothing hath no properties ; and that the whole is greater than any one , and equal to all its parts taken together : for the reason why all mankind allow these as first principles , is because their truth is so very apparent and evident , that they approve themselves to our reason at first sight . and so , i think , do all these great principles in morality ; they certainly affect impartial and considerate minds , with as full a conviction as any of the former can possibly do . and would no more have been denied or disputed than the others are , had they not been rules of practice , and did they not require something to be done , as well as to be believed . for he that rightly understands what is meant by the words god , and worship ; will see the necessary connexion between those terms , or the truth of this proposition , god is to be worshipped , as evidently as he that knows what a whole and a part is , will see that the whole must be greater than a part. and no proposition in geometry can be more demonstratively clear , than these moral ones are , to men that are not wilfully blind and wickedly prejudiced against such practical truths . for as one hath well observed ( a ) , morality may be reckoned among those sciences that are capable of demonstration . and that these moral truths have a stronger connexion one with another , and a more necessary consequence from our idea's , and come nearer to a perfect demonstration than is commonly imagined ; insomuch , that as he saith in another place , they are capable of real certainty as well as mathematicks ( b ) . now if the case be so , as most certainly it is ; it will plainly follow , that those things that do thus demonstratively approve themselves to the unprejudiced reason of all mankind , must be good and lovely in their own natures , or morally so , antecedent to the obligation of human laws , customs or fashions of particular countries . and in this plain distinction between good and evil , which our reason , when duly used , impowers us thus at first sight to make , is founded that which we call conscience : which is a kind of an internal sensation of moral good and evil. and this candle of the lord , set up by himself in mens minds , and which 't is impossible for the breath or power of man wholly to extinguish ( a ) ; is as natural to a rational mind , as the sense of pain and pleasure is to the body ; for as that is given us by the author of our natures to preserve us from bodily evils , and to capacitate us to enjoy such a kind of happiness ; so conscience is our guard against the invasions of moral or spiritual evils ; and will , if rightly followed , give us always so much peace , joy , and satisfaction of soul , as cannot possibly be had any other way . but again ; 2. it is most plain also , that there are some things which do universally and naturally tend to promote the happiness and welfare of mankind , and others that do equally contribute to its misery : and consequently on this account we must esteem the former to be really and naturally good things , and the latter , evil. now one would think , that one need not spend time to prove that the practice of moral virtue , doth uniformly and naturally promote the happiness of mankind , and that vice and immorality do as naturally and necessarily tend to its misery . for doth not any one plainly perceive , that there is no virtue , or part of morality , but what hath some particular good and advantage to human nature , connected with it , as all vice and wickedness hath the contrary ? doth not a sincere veneration for that supream and almighty being , from whom all our powers and faculties are derived , and a consciousness to our selves that we are obedient to his will , and consequently under his protection ; doth not this , i say , bring constant peace , comfort and satisfaction along with it ? and prove our greatest support under any troubles and afflictions ? and on the other hand , hath not generally speaking he that is guilty of impiety , profaneness and irreligion , dismal doubts and dire suspicions in his mind of impending punishments , and misery ? is not such a mans whole course of action , a continual state of war in his own breast , and a constant contradiction of his reason and his conscience ? what hath such a person to support him , or to give him any comfort on a sick or a death-bed , when the hurry and amusements of sensual pleasure are over : and when all the treacherous enjoyments of this world begin to fail him , and discover themselves to be counterfeit and fictitious ? but again , is it not plain to every one , that truth , justice and benevolence , do naturally and essentially conduce to the well being and happiness of mankind , to the mutual support of society and commerce , and to the ease , peace and quiet of all governments and communities ? and doth it not as clearly appear on the contrary that breach of trusts and compacts , lying and falsifying of mens words , injustice , oppression , and cruelty , do inevitably render that place or society miserable where they abound ? what an unexpressible wretchedness would mankind be in , if hobbs his state of nature were in being amongst us ? i. e. a state wherein no man would have any notion of moral virtue , but where every one should think himself to have a right to all things , and consequently be still endeavouring to obtain them ; and making it his daily business to vex , rob , ruin and destroy all who opposed his will , and they also be doing continually the same things against him , and against one another . a man must be stupidly and wilfully blind before he can assert such a state as this , to be as happy and advantageous to mankind , as where all moral virtues are observed and exercised : and therefore mr. hobbs himself is forced to allow that rational agents would have recourse to the enacting of laws for the due government and regulation of society . but how these laws should ever come into peoples heads , that are supposed to have no manner of notion of any distinction between good or evil , just or unjust ; and when there is in reality no such thing , is what i cannot possibly conceive . on the contrary , i think that the constant and universal support , that these moral virtues have always had from human laws , is a most demonstrative argument that men have always thought them substantially and morally good and excellent in themselves ; and that they do naturally and eternally conduce to the good of all societies . indeed , some things may be , and often are enacted or prohibited by human laws , that have no real nor intrinsick goodness , nor natural evil in them ; but are only good and evil , according to some particular circumstances and exigencies of affairs . and thus god himself was pleased to appoint the jews many rites and observances that had not any real or intrinsick goodness in them , but only were necessary for the present circumstances and condition of that nation . but then these are every where in holy writ , post-poned to moral virtue a , declared by god himself to be of much lesser value ; and whenever there was a competition between them , these were to give place to those ; which were properly speaking good in their own natures , and of universal and eternal obligation ; whereas the others were only good pro hic & nunc . therefore they are said by the apostle , to be not good , i. e. in themselves or in their own natures ; but only by institution . but this is not the case as to such actions as we have been mentioning , which are called morally good or evil ; for these have been constantly and universally distinguished by humane laws , and have never been confounded or changed . for can any man produce a law that ever obtained universally against paying adoration and worship to the deity ? against mens honouring their parents , or against their being just , good , merciful , and righteous in their dealings with one another ? against such things , as st. paul tells us , there is no law. nor is it possible for our adversaries to shew us , that the contrary immoralities were ever universally thought good and lawful ; or allowed and established by any general authority whatsoever ; and should the reverses to moral virtue be enjoined as laws , and every one commanded to be unjust , oppressive , and cruel , as now he is enjoyned the contrary , any one may imagine what would be the dismal consequences of it . 3. but again , another argument for the natural distinction between good and evil , may be drawn from the consideration of our passions and affections : for these are so framed and contrived by our wise creator , as to guide and direct us to good , and to guard and preserve us from evil by a kind of natural instinct , which we find in our selves frequently previous to all reasoning and consideration . thus , we perceive a strange horrour , and very ungrateful sensations seize upon us immediately , on the sight of a scene of misery , or a spectacle of cruelty ; and as soon as ever our ears are entertained with the doleful relation of such actions ; so also an instance of great injustice or very base ingratitude , raises a just indignation in us against the offending person ; and we cannot avoid being uneasily moved and affected in such cases . while on the contrary , a very pleasing satisfaction of soul arises in us , when we see , or hear of an instance of great kindness , justice , generosity , and compassion . now this sympathizing of our natural affections with our reason ; and their approving and disapproving the very same things that it doth , is a very convincing argument that there is an essential difference between actions as to their being good or evil , and that we have a plain knowledge of such a distinction . for no doubt god implanted these passions and affections in our natures , and gave them this turn which we plainly perceive they have , in order to prepare the way for our reasons more thoroughly assuring us of the natural goodness and excellence of moral virtue , when it comes to be ripe , and sufficient for that end ; and in the mean time , to keep children and young persons , in whom we perceive these natural efforts to be very strong , by a kind of anticipation or natural instinct from doing such things as their reason , freely exercised , will afterwards condemn them for . and now upon the whole , there being thus plainly proved an essential and natural difference between moral good and evil ; and that the reason of all mankind freely and impartially exercised doth agree in this point , that morality conduces to the happiness , and immorality to the misery of human nature : we may very justly conclude from hence , that all other rational agents must judge of good and evil after the same manner , and plainly distinguish one from the other . and they also must know and understand that their perfection and happiness ( though they may differ in some circumstances from us ) doth consist in acting according to the eternal rules of right reason and moral virtue . for if the case be not so , several rational natures all derived from the same deity , may come to make contradictory judgments , even when they act according to the great and common rule of their nature . but the principle of right reason , at this rate , would be the most precarious thing imaginable , and men could never possibly be assured that they were in the right in any point , or knew any thing at all . assuredly therefore this great rule of right reason that god hath given his creatures to govern and direct themselves by , is no such uncertain thing , is in no respect contradictory to it self ; but must be uniformly and constantly the same in all beings , that are endowed with it , when it is rightly and perfectly followed . and from hence also we cannot but conclude , that the same eternal , constant and uniform law of right reason and morality that god hath given as an universal guide to all rational beings , must also be in him in the greatest and most exquisite perfection . and that , not only because all perfections and excellencies in the creatures must necessarily be in that first being from whom they are derived , as i have already proved ; but also , that if it were not so , god must be supposed to have given us a rule of action that is contrary to his own nature , or at least vastly different from it . and that he hath contrived our powers and faculties so , as to deceive us in the most material and essential points , and indeed hath lest us no possible way of knowing the truth of any thing whatsoever . for , if when , as i have shewn above , god hath not only fixed in our natures , a desire of happiness ; but also disposed them so , that every power faculty and capacity of them convinces us that the exercise of moral virtue is the way , and indeed , the only way to make us entirely happy . if i say after all this , there be no such things as moral virtue and goodness , but that all things and actions , both in us and the deity , are purely and in their own natures indifferent ; 't is plain , reason is the most ridiculous thing in the world , a guide that serves to no manner of purpose but to bewilder us in the infinite mazes of errour , and to expose us to roam and float about in the boundless ocean of scepticism , where we can never find our way certainly to any place , nor direct our course to the discovery of any truth whatsoever . but this not being to be supposed of the deity , who contains in himself all possible excellence and perfection ; it must needs be that our reason will direct us to conclude the deity also guided and directed in all his proceedings by the eternal rules of right reason and truth : and consequently that he will and doth always exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth ; as the prophet here speaks . and indeed , the hobbian notion of a deity guided only by arbitrary will omnipotent , without any regard to reason , goodness , justice , and wisdom , is so far from attributing any perfection to god , or as they pretend , being the liberty and sovereignty of the deity ; that it really introduces the greatest weakness and folly , and the most brutish madness that can be ! for what else can be supposed to be the result of irresistible and extravagant will , pursuing the most fortuitous caprichio's of humour , without any wisdom , ends , or designs to regulate its motions by ? and of this the ancient heathens were so sensible , that they always connected goodness with the idea that they had of an omnipotent mind's being supream lord over all things in the universe ; for mind not guided and directed by goodness was , according to them , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mere folly and madness , and consequently no true deity . there is a remarkable passage of celsus's to this purpose , which though introduced upon another design , yet very clearly shews the idea that the heathens had of the goodness and wisdom of the deity . god , saith he , can't do evil things , nor will any thing contrary to nature ( or reason ) — for god is not the president or governour of irregular or inordinate desires ; nor of erroneous disorder and confusion , but of a nature truly just and righteous . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orig. contr . cels. lib. 5. p. 240. cantabr . excellently to the same purpose , is that saying of plotinus , the deity doth always act according to his nature or essence , and that nature or essence discovereth goodness and justice in all its operations : for indeed , if these things should not be there ( i. e. in god ) where can they else be found ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 265. ficin . and 't is plain that the heathens had a true notion , that the deity must be a good , just and righteous being ; because several of the old atheists , as protagoras , &c. argued against the existence of a deity , from the worlds being so ill made and ordered as it is , and from there being so much evil and misery among mankind , as they pretended to find in the world ; but now there had been no manner of force in this argument , and it had been ridiculous to bring it , if , both the atheistical proposers of it , and their antagonists , had not had a clear notion that goodness , justice and righteousness are naturally included in the idea of a god. accordingly vaninus tells us , that protagoras used to say , si deus non est unde igitur bona ? si autem est , unde mala , amph. aetern . provid . p. 90. and the same thing tully tells us also ( lib. de nat. deorum ) that diagoras used to object against a deity . all which sufficiently proves that they were all agreed that there was some common standard of good and evil ; and that the notion of a deity had always these attributes of goodness and justice connected with it . and if this be so , as undoubtedly it is , we shall gain one more good argument for this natural and eternal distinction between good and evil , and a yet much nobler foundation for morality . for we cannot but think , that a god who hath perfect goodness , justice and mercy , essential to his nature , and who hath created several orders of being in the world , to make them happy , and in order to display his own glory , by his just , kind and gracious dealing with them : we cannot but think , i say , that god will give to those of his creatures , whom he hath endowed with reason , and a power of liberty and choice , such a method of knowing his will , ( the way that leads to their own happiness ) as that they shall never be mistaken about it , but by their own gross fault and neglect . and also that he will make the difference between good and evil , and between virtue and vice so plain and conspicuous , that no one can miss of the knowledge of his duty , but by a wilful violation of those powers and faculties god hath graciously implanted in his nature . and all this we see god hath actually done : and indeed much more ; having over and above connected very great rewards with the practice of virtue and morality . and hath either naturally planted in the minds of men a notion of some future state , or else hath given our nature such a power , as that we may attain to such a notion : for we find a very plain belief and expectation of such a state , among many of the ancient and modern heathens . and over and above all this , he hath also given us a clear revelation of his will in the holy scripture , that sure word of prophecy and instruction , whereby we may , if we will , gain a yet plainer knowledge of our duty , be more perfectly instructed in the method of eternal salvation , and find also much higher encouragements , and much greater helps and assistances than we had before in the state of nature . and all this is vouchsafed us to enforce the more effectually the practice of moral virtue , and to enable us more perfectly to perform those things , which the universal reason of mankind approves as good , lovely and advantageous to human nature . finis . books printed for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard . remarks upon some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . in octavo . and , immorality and pride the great causes of atheism . the atheist's objection , that we can have no idea of god , refuted . the notion of a god , neither from fear nor policy . the atheist's objections , against the immaterial nature of god , and incorporeal substances , refuted . a refutation of the objections against the attributes of god in general : in six sermons preach'd at the cathedral church of st. paul , 1698. being the first six of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal society . dr. payne's discourses on several practical subjects . in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the christian religion , in two parts . in octavo . a serious proposal to the ladies , in two parts . in twelves . letters concerning the love of god , between the author of the proposal to the ladies , and mr. norris . a treatise of the asthma , divided into four parts . in the first is given a history of the fits , and the symptoms preceeding them . in the second , the cacochymia , that disposes to the fit , and the rarefaction of the spirits which produces it , are described . in the third , the accidental causes of the fit , and the symptomatic asthmas are observ'd . in the fourth , the cure of the asthma fit , and the method of preventing it , is proposed . to which is annex'd a digression about the several species of acids distinguish'd by their tastes : and 't is observ'd how far they were thought convenient or injurious in general practice , by the old writers ; and most particularly in relation to the cure of the asthma ; by sir john floyer . in octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45646-e180 a anima mund. in or. of reason , p. 117. b oracles of reason , p. 89. a a. bish. tillots . serm. vol. 4. p. 315. b op posthum , p. 164. c ibid p. 37. vid. etiam , p. 171 , 185 , 360 , &c. d leviath . p. 24. e ibid. p. 63 , 64. f p. 73. g ibid. p. 79. h vid. hum. nature , p. 38. element . de cive c. 1. §. 2. a blount's life of apollonius , p. 151. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — pyrrh . hypot . p. 46. and again , p. 147. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c vid. sext. emp. adv. math. p. 450 , 451 , &c. 462 , 463 , &c. a spinoz . op. posthum . p. 36. b ●stendam — ad dei naturam neque intellectum neque voluntatem pertinere . ibid. p. 18. vid. etiam , p. 29. a essay of human understand . p. 274 , 275 b pag. 284. a essay of hum. understand . p. 276. a mich. 6. 8. deut. 10. 12. 1 sam. 15. 22. psal. 50. 8. a confutation of atheism from the origin and frame of the world. part ii a sermon preached at st. martin's in the fields, november the 7th, 1692 : being the seventh of the lecture founded by the honourable robert boyle ... / by richard bentley ... bentley, richard, 1662-1742. 1692 approx. 55 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a69557) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 55224) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 13:3g, 857:37) a confutation of atheism from the origin and frame of the world. part ii a sermon preached at st. martin's in the fields, november the 7th, 1692 : being the seventh of the lecture founded by the honourable robert boyle ... / by richard bentley ... bentley, richard, 1662-1742. boyle, robert, 1627-1691. 40 p. printed for h. mortlock ..., london : 1693. appears on reel 13:3 as the seventh title in the author's the folly and unreasonableness of atheism, 1693. reproduction of originals in the british library and the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng religion and science -early works to 1800. nature -religious aspects -early works to 1800. christianity and atheism -early works to 1800. atheism -controversial literature. atheism -early works to 1800. atheism -sermons. sermons, english -17th century. 2006-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-09 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-10 jason colman sampled and proofread 2006-10 jason colman text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a confutation of atheism from the origin and frame of the world . part ii. a sermon preached at st. martin's in the fields , november the 7 th . 1692. being the seventh of the lecture founded by the honourable robert boyle , esquire . by richard bentley , m. a. chaplain to the right reverend father in god , edward , lord bishop of worcester . london , printed for h. mortlock at the phoenix in st. paul's church-yard . 1693. imprimatur . ra. barker , r mo in christo patriac d no d no johanni archiep. cantuar . à sacris domest . lambhith , novemb. 10. 1692. acts xiv . 15 , &c. that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living god , who made heaven and earth and the sea , and all things that are therein : who in times past suffer'd all nations to walk in their own ways . nevertheless , he left not himself without witness , in that he did good , and gave us rain from heaven , and fruitfull seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . when we first enter'd upon this topic , the demonstration of god's existence from the origin and frame of the world , we offer'd to prove four propositions . 1. that this present system of heaven and earth cannot possibly have subsisted from all eternity . 2. that matter consider'd generally , and abstractly from any particular form and concretion , cannot possibly have been eternal : or , if matter could be so ; yet motion cannot have coexisted with it eternally , as an inherent property and essential attribute of matter . these two we have already established in the preceding discourse ; we shall now shew in the third place , 3. that , though we should allow the atheists , that matter and motion may have been from everlasting ; yet if ( as they now suppose ) there were once no sun nor starrs nor earth nor planets ; but the particles , that now constitute them , were diffused in the mundane space in manner of a chaos without any concretion and coalition ; those dispersed particles could never of themselves by any kind of natural motion , whether call'd fortuitous or mechanical , have conven'd into this present or any other like frame of heaven and earth . i. and first as to that ordinary cant of illiterate and puny atheists , the fortuitous or casual concourse of atoms , that compendious and easy dispatch of the most important and difficult affair , the formation of a world ; ( besides that in our next undertaking it will be refuted all along ) i shall now briefly dispatch it , from what hath been formerly said concerning the true notions of fortune and chance . whereby it is evident , that in the atheistical hypothesis of the world's production , fortuitous and mechanical must be the self-same thing . because fortune is no real entity nor physical essence , but a mere relative signification , denoting only this ; that such a thing said to fall out by fortune , was really effected by material and necessary causes ; but the person , with regard to whom it is called fortuitous , was ignorant of those causes or their tendencies , and did not design nor foresee such an effect . this is the only allowable and genuine notion of the word fortune . but thus to affirm , that the world was made fortuitously , is as much as to say , that before the world was made , there was some intelligent agent or spectator ; who designing to do something else , or expecting that something else would be done with the materials of the world , there were some occult and unknown motions and tendencies in matter , which mechanically formed the world beside his design or expectation . now the atheists , we may presume , will be loth to assert a fortuitous formation in this proper sense and meaning ; whereby they will make understanding to be older than heaven and earth . or if they should so assert it ; yet , unless they will affirm that the intelligent agent did dispose and direct the inanimate matter , ( which is what we would bring them to ) they must still leave their atoms to their mechanical affections ; not able to make one step toward the production of a world beyond the necessary laws of motion . it is plain then , that fortune , as to the matter before us , is but a synonymous word with nature and necessity . it remains that we examin the adequate meaning of chance ; which properly signifies , that all events called casual , among inanimate bodies , are mechanically and naturally produced according to the determinate figures and textures and motions of those bodies ; with this negation only , that those inanimate bodies are not conscious of their own operations , nor contrive and cast about how to bring such events to pass . so that thus to say , that the world was made casually by the concourse of atoms , is no more than to affirm , that the atoms composed the world mechanically and fatally ; only they were not sensible of it , nor studied and consider'd about so noble an undertaking . for if atoms formed the world according to the essential properties of bulk , figure and motion , they formed it mechanically ; and if they formed it mechanically without perception and design , they formed it casually . so that this negation of consciousness being all that the notion of chance can add to that of mechanism ; we , that do not dispute this matter with the atheists , nor believe that atoms ever acted by counsel and thought , may have leave to consider the several names of fortune and chance and nature and mechanism , as one and the same hypothesis . wherefore once for all to overthrow all possible explications which atheists have or may assign for the formation of the world , we will undertake to evince this following proposition : ii. that the atoms or particles which now constitute heaven and earth , being once separate and diffused in the mundane space , like the supposed chaos , could never without a god by their mechanical affections have convened into this present frame of things or any other like it . which that we may perform with the greater clearness and conviction ; it will be necessary , in a discourse about the formation of the world , to give you a brief account of some of the most principal and systematical phaenomena , that occurr in the world now that it is formed . ( 1. ) the most considerable phaenomenon belonging to terrestrial bodies is the general action of gravitation , whereby all known bodies in the vicinity of the earth do tend and press toward its center ; not only such as are sensibly and evidently heavy , but even those that are comparatively the lighted , and even in their proper place , and natural elements , ( as they usually speak ) as air gravitates even in air and water in water . this hath been demonstrated and experimentally proved beyond contradiction , by several ingenious persons of the present age , but by none so perspicuously and copiously and accurately , as by the honourable founder of this lecture in his incomparable treatises of the air and hydrostaticks . ( 2. ) now this is the constant property of gravitation ; that the weight of all bodies around the earth is ever proportional to the quantity of their matter : as for instance , a pound weight ( examin'd hydrostatically ) of all kinds of bodies , though of the most different forms and textures , doth always contain an equal quantity of solid mass or corporeal substance . this is the ancient doctrine of the epicurean physiology , then and since very probably indeed , but yet precariously asserted : but it is lately demonstrated and put beyond controversy by that very excellent and divine theorist mr. isaac newton , to whose most admirable sagacity and industry we shall frequently be obliged in this and the following discourse . i will not entertain this auditory with an account of the demonstration ; but referring the curious to the book it self for full satisfaction , i shall now proceed and build upon it as a truth solidly established , that all bodies weigh according to their matter ; provided only that the compared bodies be at equal distances from the center toward which they weigh . because the further they are removed from the center , the lighter they are : decreasing gradually and uniformly in weight , in a duplicate proportion to the increase of the distance . ( 3. ) now since gravity is found proportional to the quantity of matter , there is a manifest necessity of admitting a vacuum , another principal doctrine of the atomical philosophy . because if there were every-where an absolute plenitude and density without any empty pores and interstices between the particles of bodies , then all bodies of equal dimensions would contain an equal quantity of matter ; and consequently , as we have shewed before , would be equally ponderous : so that gold , copper , stone , wood , &c. would have all the same specifick weight ; which experience assures us they have not : neither would any of them descend in the air , as we all see they do ; because , if all space was full , even the air would be as dense and specifically as heavy as they . if it be said , that , though the difference of specifick gravity may proceed from variety of texture , the lighter bodies being of a more loose and porous composition , and the heavier more dense and compact ; yet an aethereal subtile matter , which is in a perpetual motion , may penetrate and pervade the minutest and inmost cavities of the closest bodies , and adapting it self to the figure of every pore , may adequately fill them ; and so prevent all vacuity , without increasing the weight : to this we answer ; that that subtile matter it self must be of the same substance and nature with all other matter , and therefore it also must weigh proportionally to its bulk ; and as much of it as at any time is comprehended within the pores of a particular body must gravitate jointly with that body : so that if the presence of this aethereal matter made an absolute fullness , all bodies of equal dimensions would be equally heavy : which being refuted by experience , it necessarily follows , that there is a vacuity ; and that ( notwithstanding some little objections full of cavil and sophistry ) mere and simple extension or space hath a quite different nature and notion from real body and impenetrable substance . ( 4. ) this therefore being established ; in the next place it's of great consequence to our present enquiry , if we can make a computation , how great is the whole summ of the void spaces in our system , and what proportion it bears to the corporeal substance . by many and accurate trials it manifestly appears , that refined gold , the most ponderous of known bodies , ( though even that must be allowed to be porous too , being dissoluble in mercury and aqua regis and other chymical liquors ; and being naturally a thing impossible , that the figures and sizes of its constituent particles should be so justly adapted , as to touch one another in every point , ) i say , gold is in specifick weight to common water as 19 to 1 ; and water to common air as 850 to 1 : so that gold is to air as 16150 to 1. whence it clearly appears , seeing matter and gravity are always commensurate , that ( though we should allow the texture of gold to be intirely close without any vacuity ) the ordinary air in which we live and respire is of so thin a composition , that 16149 parts of its dimensions are mere emptiness and nothing ; and the remaining one only material and real substance . but if gold it self be admitted , as it must be , for a porous concrete , the proportion of void to body in the texture of common air will be so much the greater . and thus it is in the lowest and densest region of the air near the surface of the earth , where the whole mass of air is in a state of violent compression , the inferior being press'd and constipated by the weight of all the incumbent . but , since the air is now certainly known to consist of elastick or springy particles , that have a continual tendency and endeavour to expand and display themselves ; and the dimensions , to which they expand themselves , to be reciprocally as the compression ; it follows , that the higher you ascend in it , where it is less and less compress'd by the superior air , the more and more it is rarefied . so that at the hight of a few miles from the surface of the earth , it is computed to have some million parts of empty space in its texture for one of solid matter . and at the hight of one terrestrial semid . ( not above 4000 miles ) the aether is of that wonderfull tenuity , that by an exact calculation , if a small sphere of common air of one inch diameter ( already 16149 parts nothing ) should be further expanded to the thinness of that aether , it would more than take up the vast orb of saturn , which is many million million times bigger than the whole globe of the earth . and yet the higher you ascend above that region , the rarefaction still gradually increases without stop or limit : so that , in a word , the whole concave of the firmament , except the sun and planets and their atmospheres , may be consider'd as a mere void . let us allow then , that all the matter of the system of our sun may be 50000 times as much as the whole mass of the earth ; and we appeal to astronomy , if we are not liberal enough and even prodigal in this concession . and let us suppose further , that the whole globe of the earth is intirely solid and compact without any void interstices ; notwithstanding what hath been shewed before , as to the texture of gold it self . now though we have made such ample allowances ; we shall find , notwithstanding , that the void space of our system is immensly bigger than all its corporeal mass . for , to proceed upon our supposition , that all the matter within the firmament is 50000 times bigger than the solid globe of the earth ; if we assume the diameter of the orbis magnus ( wherein the earth moves about the sun ) to be only 7000 times as big as the diameter of the earth ( though the latest and most accurate observations make it thrice 7000 ) and the diameter of the firmament to be only 100000 times as long as the diameter of the orbis magnus ( though it cannot possibly be less than that , but may be vastly and unspeakably bigger ) we must pronounce , after such large concessions on that side and such great abatements on ours , that the summ of empty spaces within the concave of the firmament is 6860 million million million times bigger than all the matter contain'd in it . now from hence we are enabled to form a right conception and imagination of the supposed chaos ; and then we may proceed to determin the controversy with more certainty and satisfaction ; whether a world like the present could possibly without a divine influence be formed in it or no ? ( 1. ) and first , because every fixt star is supposed by astronomers to be of the same nature with our sun ; and each may very possibly have planets about them , though by reason of their vast distance they be invisible to us : we will assume this reasonable supposition , that the same proportion of void space to matter , which is found in our sun's region within the sphere of the fixt starrs , may competently well hold in the whole mundane space . i am aware , that in this computation we must not assign the whole capacity of that sphere for the region of our sun ; but allow half of its diameter for the radii of the several regions of the next fixt starrs . so that diminishing our former number , as this last consideration requires ; we may safely affirm from certain and demonstrated principles , that the empty space of our solar region ( comprehending half of the diameter of the firmament ) is 8575 hundred thousand million million times more ample than all the corporeal substance in it . and we may fairly suppose , that the same proportion may hold through the whole extent of the universe . ( 2. ) and secondly as to the state or condition of matter before the world was a-making , which is compendiously exprest by the word chaos ; they must suppose , that either all the matter of our system was evenly or well-nigh evenly diffused through the region of the sun , this would represent a particular chaos : or all matter universally so spread through the whole mundane space ; which would truly exhibit a general chaos ; no part of the universe being rarer or denser than another . which is agreeable to the ancient description of it , that * the heavens and earth had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , one form , one texture and constitution : which could not be , unless all the mundane matter were uniformly and evenly diffused . 't is indifferent to our dispute , whether they suppose it to have continued a long time or very little in the state of diffusion . for if there was but one single moment in all past eternity , when matter was so diffused : we shall plainly and fully prove , that it could never have convened afterwards into the present frame and order of things . ( 3. ) it is evident from what we have newly proved , that in the supposition of such a chaos or such an even diffusion either of the whole mundane matter or that of our system ( for it matters not which they assume ) every single particle would have a sphere of void space around it 8575 hundred thousand million million times bigger than the dimensions of that particle . nay further , though the proportion already appear so immense ; yet every single particle would really be surrounded with a void sphere eight times as capacious as that newly mention'd ; its diameter being compounded of the diameter of the proper sphere , and the semi-diameters of the contiguous spheres of the neighbouring particles . from whence it appears , that every particle ( supposing them globular or not very oblong ) would be above nine million times their own length from any other particle . and moreover in the whole surface of this void sphere there can only twelve particles be evenly placed ( as the hypothesis requires ) that is , at equal distances from the central one and each other . so that if the matter of our system or of the universe was equally dispersed , like the supposed chaos ; the result and issue would be , not only that every atom would be many million times its own length distant from any other : but if any one should be moved mechanically ( without direction or attraction ) to the limit of that distance ; 't is above a hundred million millions odds to an unit , that it would not strike upon any other atom , but glide through an empty interval without any contact . ( 4. ) 't is true , that while i calculate these measures , i suppose all the particles of matter to be at absolute rest among themselves , and situated in an exact and mathematical evenness ; neither of which is likely to be allowed by our adversaries , who not admitting the former , but asserting the eternity of motion , will consequently deny the latter also : because in the very moment that motion is admitted in the chaos , such an exact evenness cannot possibly be preserved . but this i do , not to draw any argument against them from the universal rest or accurately equal diffusion of matter ; but only that i may better demonstrate the great rarity and tenuity of their imaginary chaos , and reduce it to computation . which computation will hold with exactness enough , though we allow the particles of the chaos to be variously moved , and to differ something in size and figure and situation . for if some particles should approach nearer each other than in the former proportion ; with respect to some other particles they would be as much remoter . so that notwithstanding a small diversity of their positions and distances , the whole aggregate of matter , as long as it retain'd the name and nature of chaos , would retain well-nigh an uniform tenuity of texture , and may be consider'd as an homogeneous fluid . as several portions of the same sort of water are reckon'd to be of the same specifick gravity ; though it be naturally impossible that every particle and pore of it , consider'd geometrically , should have equal sizes and dimensions . we have now represented the true scheme and condition of the chaos ; how all the particles would be disunited ; and what vast intervals of empty space would lye between each . to form a system therefore , 't is necessary that these squander'd atoms should convene and unite into great and compact masses , like the bodies of the earth and planets . without such a coalition the diffused chaos must have continued and reign'd to all eternity . but how could particles so widely dispersed combine into that closeness of texture ? our adversaries can have only these two ways of accounting for it . either by the common motion of matter , proceeding from external impulse and conflict ( without attraction ) by which every body moves uniformly in a direct line according to the determination of the impelling force . for , they may say , the atoms of the chaos being variously moved according to this catholic law , must needs knock and interfere ; by which means some that have convenient figures for mutual coherence might chance to stick together , and others might join to those , and so by degrees such huge masses might be formed , as afterwards became suns and planets : or there might arise some vertiginous motions or whirlpools in the matter of the chaos ; whereby the atoms might be thrust and crowded to the middle of those whirlpools , and there constipate one another into great solid globes , such as now appear in the world. or secondly by mutual gravitation or attraction . for they may assert , that matter hath inherently and essentially such an intrinseck energy , whereby it incessantly tends to unite it self to all other matter : so that several particles placed in a void space at any distance whatsoever would without any external impulse spontaneously convene and unite together . and thus the atoms of the chaos , though never so widely diffused , might by this innate property of attraction soon assemble themselves into great sphaerical masses , and constitute systems like the present heaven and earth . this is all that can be proposed by atheists , as an efficient cause of a world. for as to the epicurean theory , of atoms descending down an infinite space by an inherent principle of gravitation , which tends not toward other matter , but toward a vacuum or nothing ; and verging from the perpendicular * no body knows why nor when nor where ; 't is such miserable absurd stuff , so repugnant to it self , and so contrary to the known phaenomena of nature ( yet it contented supine unthinking atheists for a thousand years together ) that we will not now honour it with a special refutation . but what it hath common with the other explications , we will fully confute together with them in these three propositions . ( 1. ) that by common motion ( without attraction ) the dissever'd particles of the chaos could never make the world ; could never convene into such great compact masses , as the planets now are ; nor either acquire or continue such motions , as the planets now have . ( 2. ) that such a mutual gravitation or spontaneous attraction can neither be inherent and essential to matter ; nor ever supervene to it , unless impress'd and infused into it by a divine power . ( 3. ) that though we should allow such attraction to be natural and essential to all matter ; yet the atoms of a chaos could never so convene by it , as to form the present system : or if they could form it , it could neither acquire such motions , nor continue permanent in this state , without the power and providence of a divine being . i. and first , that by common motion the matter of chaos could never convene into such masses , as the planets now are . any man , that considers the spacious void intervals of the chaos , how immense they are in proportion to the bulk of the atoms , will hardly induce himself to believe , that particles so widely disseminated could ever throng and crowd one another into a close and compact texture . he will rather conclude , that those few that should happen to clash , might rebound after the collision ; or if they cohered , yet by the next conflict with other atoms might be separated again , and so on in an eternal vicissitude of fast and loose , without ever consociating into the huge condense bodies of planets ; some of whose particles upon this supposition must have travell'd many millions of leagues through the gloomy regions of chaos , to place themselves where they now are . but then how rarely would there be any clashing at all ? how very rarely in comparison to the number of atoms ? the whole multitude of them , generally speaking , might freely move and rove for ever with very little occurring or interfering . let us conceive two of the nearest particles according to our former calculation ; or rather let us try the same proportions in another example , that will come easier to the imagination . let us suppose two ships , fitted with durable timber and rigging , but without pilot or mariners , to be placed in the vast atlantick or the pacifique ocean , as far asunder as may be . how many thousand years might expire , before those solitary vessels should happen to strike one against the other ? but let us imagin the space yet more ample , even the whole face of the earth to be covered with sea , and the two ships to be placed in the opposite poles : might not they now move long enough without any danger of clashing ? and yet i find , that the two nearest atoms in our evenly diffused chaos have ten thousand times less proportion to the two void circular planes around them , than our two ships would have to the whole surface of the deluge . let us assume then another deluge ten thousand times larger than noah's . is it not now utterly incredible , that our two vessels , placed there antipodes to each other , should ever happen to concur ? and yet let me add , that the ships would move in one and the same surface ; and consequently must needs encounter , when they either advance towards one another in direct lines , or meet in the intersection of cross ones ; but the atoms may not only fly side-ways , but over likewise and under each other : which makes it many million times more improbable , that they should interfere than the ships , even in the last and unlikeliest instance . but they may say , though the odds indeed be unspeakable that the atoms do not convene in any set number of trials , yet in an infinite succession of them may not such a combination possibly happen ? but let them consider , that the improbability of casual hits is never diminished by repetition of trials ; they are as unlikely to fall out at the thousandth as at the first . so that in a matter of mere chance , when there is so many millions odds against any assignable experiment ; 't is in vain to expect it should ever succeed , even in endless duration . but though we should concede it to be simply possible , that the matter of chaos might convene into great masses , like planets : yet it 's absolutely impossible , that those masses should acquire such revolutions about the sun. let us suppose any one of those masses to be the present earth . now the annual revolution of the earth must proceed ( in this hypothesis ) either from the summ and result of the several motions of all the particles that formed the earth , or from a new impulse from some external matter , after it was formed . the former is apparently absurd , because the particles that form'd the round earth must needs convene from all points and quarters toward the middle , and would generally tend toward its center ; which would make the whole compound to rest in a poise : or at least that overplus of motion , which the particles of one hemisphere could have above the other , would be very small and inconsiderable ; too feeble and languid to propell so vast and ponderous a body with that prodigious velocity . and secondly , 't is impossible , that any external matter should impell that compound mass , after it was formed . 't is manifest , that nothing else could impell it , unless the aethereal matter be supposed to be carried about the sun like a vortex or whirlpool , as a vehicle to convey it and the rest of the planets . but this is refuted from what we have shewn above , that those spaces of the aether may be reckon'd a mere void , the whole quantity of their matter scarce amounting to the weight of a grain . 't is refuted also from matter of fact in the motion of comets ; which , as often as they are visible to us , are in the region of our planets ; and there are observed to move , some in quite contrary courses to theirs , and some in cross and oblique ones , in planes inclined to the plane of the ecliptick in all kinds of angles : which firmly evinces , that the regions of the aether are empty and free , and neither resist nor assist the revolutions of planets . but moreover there could not possibly arise in the chaos any vortices or whirlpools at all ; either to form the globes of the planets , or to revolve them when formed . 't is acknowledged by all , that inanimate unactive matter moves always in a streight line , nor ever reflects in an angle , nor bends in a circle ( which is a continual reflexion ) unless either by some external impulse , that may divert it from the direct motion , or by an intrinsec principle of gravity or attraction , that may make it describe a curve line about the attracting body . but this latter cause is not now supposed : and the former could never beget whirlpools in a chaos of so great a laxity and thinness . for 't is matter of certain experience and universally allowed , that all bodies moved circularly have a perpetual endeavour to recede from the center , and every moment would fly out in right lines , if they were not violently restrain'd and kept in by contiguous matter . but there is no such restraint in a chaos , no want of empty room there ; no possibility of effecting one single revolution in way of a vortex , which necessarily requires either an absolute fulness of matter , or a pretty close constipation and mutual contact of its particles . and for the same reason 't is evident , that the planets could not continue their revolutions about the sun ; though they could possibly acquire them . for to drive and carry the planets in such orbs as they now describe , that aethereal matter must be compact and dense , as dense as the very planets themselves : otherwise they would certainly fly out in spiral lines to the very circumference of the vortex . but we have often inculcated , that the wide tracts of the aether may be reputed as a mere extended void . so that there is nothing ( in this hypothesis ) that can retain and bind the planets in their orbs for one single moment ; but they would immediately desert them and the neighbourhood of the sun , and vanish away in tangents to their several circles into the abyss of mundane space . ii. secondly we affirm , that mutual gravitation or spontaneous attraction cannot possibly be innate and essential to matter . by attraction we do not here understand what is improperly , though vulgarly , called so , in the operations of drawing , sucking , pumping , &c. which is really pulsion and trusion ; and belongs to that common motion , which we have already shewn to be insufficient for the formation of a world. but we now mean ( as we have explain'd it before ) such a power and quality , whereby all parcels of matter would mutually attract or mutually tend and press to all others ; so that ( for instance ) two distant atoms in vacuo would spontaneously convene together without the impulse of external bodies . now we say , if our atheists suppose this power to be inherent and essential to matter ; they overthrow their own hypothesis : there could never be a chaos at all upon these terms , but the present form of our system must have continued from all eternity ; against their own supposition , and what we have proved in our last . for if they affirm , that there might be a chaos notwithstanding innate gravity ; then let them assign any period though never so remote , when the diffused matter might convene . they must confess , that before that assigned period matter had existed eternally , inseparably endued with this principle of attraction ; and yet had never attracted nor convened before , during that infinite duration : which is so monstrous an absurdity , as even they will blush to be charged with . but some perhaps may imagin , that a former system might be dissolved and reduced to a chaos , from which the present system might have its original , as that former had from another , and so on : new systems having grown out of old ones in infinite vicissitudes from all past eternity . but we say , that in the supposition of innate gravity no system at all could be dissolved . for how is it possible , that the matter of solid masses like earth and planets and starrs should fly up from their centers against its inherent principle of mutual attraction , and diffuse it self in a chaos ? this is absurder than the other : that only supposed innate gravity not to be exerted ; this makes it to be defeated , and to act contrary to its own nature . so that upon all accounts this essential power of gravitation or attraction is irreconcilable with the atheist's own doctrine of a chaos . and secondly 't is repugnant to common sense and reason . 't is utterly unconceivable , that inanimate brute matter ( without the mediation of some immaterial being ) should operate upon and affect other matter without mutual contact ; that distant bodies should act upon each other through a vacuum without the intervention of something else by and through which the action may be conveyed from one to the other . we will not obscure and perplex with multitude of words , what is so clear and evident by its own light , and must needs be allowed by all , that have any competent use of thinking , and are initiated into , i do not say the mysteries , but the plainest principles of philosophy . now mutual gravitation or attraction ( in our present acception of the words ) is the same thing with this ; 't is an operation or vertue or influence of distant bodies upon each other through an empty interval , without any effluvia or exhalations or other corporeal medium to convey and transmit it . this power therefore cannot be innate and essential to matter . and if it be not essential ; it is consequently most manifest ( seeing it doth not depend upon motion or rest or figure or position of parts , which are all the ways that matter can diversify it self ) that it could never supervene to it , unless impress'd and infused into it by an immaterial and divine power . we have proved , that a power of mutual gravitation , without contact or impulse , can in no-wise be attributed to mere matter : or if it could ; we shall presently shew , that it would be wholly unable to form the world out of chaos . but by the way ; what if it be made appear , that there is really such a power of gravity perpetually acting in the constitution of the present system ? this would be a new and invincible argument for the being of god : being a direct and positive proof , that an immaterial living mind doth inform and actuate the dead matter , and support the frame of the world. i will lay before you some certain phaenomena of nature ; and leave it to your consideration from what principle they can proceed . 't is demonstrated , that the sun , moon and all the planets do reciprocally gravitate one toward another : that the gravitating power of each of these is exactly proportional to their matter , and arises from the several gravitations or attractions of every individual particle that compose the whole mass : that all matter near the surface of the earth , for example , doth not only gravitate downwards , but upwards also and side-ways and toward all imaginable points ; though the tendency downwards be praedominant and alone discernible , because of the greatness and nearness of the attracting body , the earth : that every particle of the whole system doth attract and is attracted by all the rest , all operating upon all : that this vniversal attraction or gravitation is an incessant , regular and uniform action by certain and established laws according to quantity of matter and longitude of distance : that it cannot be destroyed nor impair'd nor augmented by any thing , neither by motion nor rest , nor situation nor posture , nor alteration of form , nor diversity of medium : that it is not a magnetical power , nor the effect of a vortical motion ; those common attempts toward the explication of gravity : these things , i say , are fully demonstrated , as matters of fact , by that very ingenious author , whom we cited before . now how is it possible that these things should be effected by any material and mechanical agent ? we have evinced , that mere matter cannot operate upon matter without mutual contact . it remains then , that these phaenomena are produced either by the intervention of air or aether or other such medium , that communicates the impulse from one body to another ; or by effluvia and spirits that are emitted from the one , and pervene to the other . we can conceive no other way of performing them mechanically . but what impulse or agitation can be propagated through the aether from one particle entombed and wedged in the very center of the earth to another in the center of saturn ? yet even those two particles do reciprocally affect each other with the same force and vigour , as they would do at the same distance in any other situation imaginable . and because the impulse from this particle is not directed to that only ; but to all the rest in the universe , to all quatters and regions , at once invariably and incessantly : to do this mechanically ; the same physical point of matter must move all manner of ways equally and constantly in the same instant and moment ; which is flatly impossible . but if this particle cannot propagate motion ; much less can it send out effluvia to all points without intermission or variation ; such multitudes of effluvia as to lay hold on every atom in the universe without missing of one . nay every single particle of the very effluvia ( seeing they also attract and gravitate ) must in this supposition emit other secondary effluvia all the world over ; and those others still emit more , and so in infinitum . now if these things be repugnant to human reason ; we have great reason to affirm , that universal gravitation , a thing certainly existent in nature , is above all mechanism and material causes , and proceeds from a higher principle , a divine energy and impression . iii. thirdly we affirm ; that , though we should allow , that reciprocal attraction is essential to matter ; yet the atoms of a chaos could never so convene by it , as to form the present system ; or if they could form it , yet it could neither acquire these revolutions , nor subsist in the present condition , without the conservation and providence of a divine being . ( 1. ) for first , if the matter of the universe , and consequently the space through which it 's diffused , be supposed to be finite ( and i think it might be demonstrated to be so ; but that we have already exceeded the just measures of a sermon ) then , since every single particle hath an innate gravitation toward all others , proportionated by matter and distance : it evidently appears , that the outward atoms of the chaos would necessarily tend inwards and descend from all quarters toward the middle of the whole space ( for in respect to every atom there would lie through the middle the greatest quantity of matter and the most vigorous attraction ) and would there form and constitute one huge sphaerical mass ; which would be the only body in the universe . it is plain therefore , that upon this supposition the matter of the chaos could never compose such divided and different masses , as the starrs and planets of the present world. but allowing our adversaries , that the planets might be composed : yet however they could not possibly acquire such revolutions in circular orbs , or ( which is all one to our present purpose ) in ellipses very little eccentric . for let them assign any place where the planets were formed . was it nearer to the sun , than the present distances are ? but that is notoriously absurd : for then they must have ascended from the place of their formation , against the essential property of mutual attraction . or were each formed in the same orbs , in which they now move ? but then they must have moved from the point of rest , in an horizontal line without any inclination or descent . now there is no natural cause , neither innate gravity nor impulse of external matter , that could beget such a motion . for gravity alone must have carried them downwards to the vicinity of the sun. and that the ambient aether is too liquid and empty , to impell them horizontally with that prodigious celerity , we have sufficiently proved before . or were they made in some higher regions of the heavens ; and from thence descended by their essential gravity , till they all arrived at their respective orbs ; each with its present degree of velocity , acquired by the fall ? but then why did they not continue their descent , till they were contiguous to the sun ; whither both mutual attraction and impetus carried them ? what natural agent could turn them aside , could impell them so strongly with a transverse side-blow against that tremendous weight and rapidity , when whole worlds are a falling ? but though we should suppose , that by some cross attraction or other they might acquire an obliquity of descent , so as to miss the body of the sun , and to fall on one side of it : then indeed the force of their fall would carry them quite beyond it ; and so they might fetch a compass about it , and then return and ascend by the same steps and degrees of motion and velocity , with which they descended before . such an eccentric motion as this , much after the manner that comets revolve about the sun , they might possibly acquire by their innate principle of gravity : but circular revolutions in concentric orbs about the sun or other central body could in no-wise be attain'd without the power of the divine arm. for the case of the planetary motions is this . let us conceive all the planets to be formed or constituted with their centers in their several orbs ; and at once to be impress'd on them this gravitating energy toward all other matter , and a transverse impulse of a just quantity in each , projecting them directly in tangents to those orbs. the compound motion , which arises from this gravitation and projection together , describes the present revolutions of the primary planets about the sun , and of the secondary about those : the gravity prohibiting , that they cannot recede from the centers of their motions ; and the transverse impulse with-holding , that they cannot approach to them . now although gravity could be innate ( which we have proved that it cannot be ) yet certainly this projected , this transverse and violent motion can only be ascribed to the right hand of the most high god , creator of heaven and earth . but finally , though we grant , that these circular revolutions could be naturally attained ; or , if they will , that this very individual world in its present posture and motion was actually formed out of chaos by mechanical causes : yet it requires a divine power and providence to have conserved it so long in the present state and condition . we have shewed , that there is a transverse impulse impress'd upon the planets , which retains them in their several orbs , that they be not drawn down by their gravitating powers toward the sun or other central bodies . gravity we understand to be a constant energy or faculty ( which god hath infused into matter ) perpetually acting by certain measures and ( naturally ) inviolable laws ; i say , a faculty and power : for we cannot conceive that the act of gravitation of this present moment can propagate it self or produce that of the next . but 't is otherwise as to the transverse motion ; which ( by reason of the inactivity of matter and its inability to change its present state either of moving or resting ) would from one single impulse continue for ever equal and uniform , unless changed by the resistence of occurring bodies or by a gravitating power ; so that the planets , since they move horizontally ( whereby gravity doth not affect their swiftness ) and through the liquid and unresisting spaces of the heavens ( where either no bodies at all or inconsiderable ones do occur ) may preserve the same velocity which the first impulse imprest upon them , not only for five or six thousand years , but many millions of millions . it appears then , that if there was but one vast sun in the universe , and all the rest were planets , revolving around him in concentric orbs , at convenient distances : such a system as that would very long endure ; could it but naturally have a principle of mutual attraction , and be once actually put into circular motions . but the frame of the present world hath a quite different structure : here 's an innumerable multitude of fixt starrs or suns ; all of which are demonstrated ( and supposed also by our adversaries ) to have mutual attraction : or if they have not ; even not to have it is an equal proof of a divine being , that hath so arbitrarily indued matter with a power of gravity not essential to it , and hath confined its action to the matter of its own solar system : i say , all the fixt starrs have a principle of mutual gravitation ; and yet they are neither revolved about a common center , nor have any transverse impulse nor any thing else to restrain them from approaching toward each other , as their gravitating powers incite them . now what natural cause can overcome nature it self ? what is it that holds and keeps them in fixed stations and intervals against an incessant and inherent tendency to desert them ? nothing could hinder , but that the outward starrs with their systems of planets must necessarily have descended toward the middlemost system of the universe , whither all would be the most strongly attracted from all parts of a finite space . it is evident therefore that the present frame of sun and fixt starrs could not possibly subsist without the providence of that almighty deity , who spake the word and they were made , who commanded and they were created ; who hath made them fast for ever and ever , and hath given them a law , which shall not be broken . ( 2. ) and secondly in the supposition of an infinite chaos , 't is hard indeed to determin , what would follow in this imaginary case from an innate principle of gravity . but to hasten to a conclusion , we will grant for the present , that the diffused matter might convene into an infinite number of great masses at great distances from one another , like the starrs and planets of this visible part of the world. but then it is impossible , that the planets should naturally attain these circular revolutions , either by intrinsec gravitation or the impulse of ambient bodies . it is plain , here is no difference as to this ; whether the world be infinite or finite : so that the same arguments that we have used before , may be equally urged in this supposition . and though we should concede , that these revolutions might be acquired , and that all were settled and constituted in the present state and posture of things ; yet , we say , the continuance of this frame and order for so long a duration as the known ages of the world must necessarily infer the existence of god. for though the universe was infinite , the fixt starrs could not be fixed , but would naturally convene together , and confound system with system : for , all mutually attracting , every one would move whither it was most powerfully drawn . this , they may say , is indubitable in the case of a finite world , where some systems must needs be outmost , and therefore be drawn toward the middle : but when infinite systems succeed one another through an infinite space , and none is either inward or outward ; may not all the systems be situated in an accurate poise ; and , because equally attracted on all sides , remain fixed and unmoved ? but to this we reply ; that unless the very mathematical center of gravity of every system be placed and fixed in the very mathematical center of the attractive power of all the rest ; they cannot be evenly attracted on all sides , but must preponderate some way or other . now he that considers , what a mathematical center is , and that quantity is infinitly divisible ; will never be persuaded , that such an universal equilibrium arising from the coincidence of infinite centers can naturally be acquired or maintain'd . if they say ; that upon the supposition of infinite matter , every system would be infinitly , and therefore equally attracted on all sides ; and consequently would rest in an exact equilibrium , be the center of its gravity in what position soever : this will overthrow their very hypothesis ; at this rate in an infinite chaos nothing at all could be formed ; no particles could convene by mutual attraction ; for every one there must have infinite matter around it , and therefore must rest for ever being evenly balanced between infinite attractions . even the planets upon this principle must gravitate no more toward the sun , than any other way : so that they would not revolve in curve lines , but fly away in direct tangents , till they struck against other planets or starrs in some remote regions of the infinite space . an equal attraction on all sides of all matter is just equal to no attraction at all : and by this means all the motion in the universe must proceed from external impulse alone ; which we have proved before to be an incompetent cause for the formation of a world. and now , o thou almighty and eternal creator , having consider'd the heavens the work of thy fingers , the moon and the starrs which thou hast ordained , with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify thy glorious name , evermore praising thee and saying ; holy , holy , holy , lord god of hosts , heaven and earth are full of thy glory : glory be to thee , o lord most high. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a69557-e300 serm. v. p. 6 , 7. serm. v. p. 12 , 13. mr. boyle's physicom . exp. of air. hydrostat . paradoxes . lucret. lib. 1. newton philos . natur. princ. math. lib. 3. prop. 6. mr. boyle of air and porosity of bodies . mr. boyle ibid. newton philos . nat. principia . math. p. 503. * diod. sicul. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . apoll. rhodius lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * lucret. nec regione loci certa , nec tempore certo . serm. v. p. 32. newton ibidem p. 480. vide serm. vi. & serm. viii . newton philosophiae naturalis princ. math. lib. iii. psal . 148. psal . 8. a refutation of the atheistical notion of fate, or absolute necessity in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, november the seventh, 1698 : being the eighth of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 1698 approx. 49 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 15 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a45645 wing h853 estc r15217 12337704 ocm 12337704 59821 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45645) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 59821) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 741:14) a refutation of the atheistical notion of fate, or absolute necessity in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, november the seventh, 1698 : being the eighth of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 28 p. printed by j. l. for richard wilkin ..., london : 1698. this work is also found as the eighth part of the author's the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted : in eight sermons (wing h845). advertisement: p. 28. reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -o.t. -jeremiah ix, 24 -sermons. atheism -early works to 1800. 2005-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-03 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2005-04 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a refutation of the atheistical notion of fate , or absolute necessity . in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , november the seventh , 1698. being the eighth of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king 's head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. jerem. ix . 24. let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , who exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things do i delight , saith the lord. i did , in my last discourse , begin to speak to the second particular considerable in these words , viz. an account of some of those attributes which god is here said to exercise in the earth , and in which he delights . on which i did not think it necessary to discourse particularly ; but from thence took an occasion to remove two great bars to the true knowledge of god and of his attributes , which sceptical and unbelieving men had raised in the way . which were these : i. that there is in reality no such thing as moral good or evil : but that all actions are in their own nature indifferent . ii. that all things are determined by absolute fatality : and that god himself , and all creatures whatsoever , are necessary agents , without having any power of choice , or any real liberty in their natures at all . the former of these i did then dispatch , plainly proving the existence of moral good and evil , and answering the objections against it . i proceed now to speak to the latter ; which is an objection that our adversaries are very fond of , and do all of them , upon occasion , have recourse to . and it is indeed a great point gain'd if they could make it out , and will effectually destroy all manner of religious obligation , and all dread of punishment for doing amiss . for as one observes on these three things all religion is founded : 1. that there is a god who made , presides over , and governeth all things . 2. that there are some things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in their own natures good and just . 3. that there is also something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , something in our own power to do , whereby we are accountable for our actions , and become guilty when we do amiss . but there can certainly be neither good nor evil in any man's actions , and no rewards or punishments can be the consequents of them , if nothing at all be in our own power , if whatever we act or commit , it is absolutely impossible for us to avoid acting or committing . which yet must be the case , if , as they assert , things are determined by absolute fatality ; and that god himself and all creatures whatsoever are necessary agents , without having any power of choice , or any real liberty in their natures at all . i shall therefore at this time , 1. shew you that this is plainly their assertion , from their own words . 2. i shall endeavour to shew the groundlesness of of those reasons on which they build their hypothesis . and 3. from some arguments , establish the contrary position of the freedom and liberty of human nature . 1. and that this is the assertion of the two great atheistical writers , is very plain , mr. hobbs declares himself to be of the opinion , a that no man can be free from necessitation . that nothing taketh beginning from it self , but from the action of some other immediate agent without it self . and that therefore , when first a man hath an appetite or will to something , to which immediately before he had no appetite nor will , the cause of his will is not the will it self , but something else not in his own disposing . so that whereas it is out of controversie that of voluntary actions the will is the necessary cause , and by this which is said , the will is also caused by other things whereof it disposeth not , it followeth , that voluntary actions have all of them necessary causes , and therefore are necessitated . b this ( saith he also ) is a certain truth ; that there are certain and necessary causes which make every man to will what he willeth , ib. p. 306. and then as to the deity , i have already more than once taken notice , that hobbs denies him any understanding , sense , or knowledge ; c and asserts him to be without any ends or designs in his actions and operations . which plainly makes him an agent absolutely and physically necessary ; as , indeed , follows also from the notion of his being corporeal , which the same writer every where maintains d . spinoza also is very express in this matter , as i have already shewn e in some measure . in mente ( saith he ) nulla est absoluta five libera voluntas ; sed mens ad hoc vel illud volendum determinatur à causà , quae etiam ab aliâ , & haec iterùm ab aliâ & sic in infinitum f . and in another place , voluntas non potest vocari causa libera , sed tantum necessaria . g and yet on another occasion , and in another book , he hath these words , clarè & distinctè intelligimus , si ad nostram naturam attendamus , nos in nostris actionibus esse liberos , & de multis deliberare propter id solum , quod volumus a . which is as plain and palpable a contradiction to what he , with the same air of assurance , delivers in other places , as can possibly be . mr. hobbs also cannot be acquitted from expresly contradicting himself as to this point of liberty and necessity ; for he tells us in his reasons for his opinion ) b that he that reflecteth on himself cannot but be satisfied . that a free agent is he that can do if he will , and forbear if he will. and such an agent he allows man to be , and saith he hath proved it too . but how he will reconcile this with his assertion that no man can be free from necessitation , and that all our actions have necessary causes , and therefore are necessitated , i cannot imagine . as to spinoza's account of the deity , in reference to this point , i have given a hint or two of it already . he makes god to be the same with nature , or the universe , to be corporeal and an absolutely necessary agent ; one who cannot possibly help doing as he doth ; one who hath no power of creation , nor doth act according to free will c . but is limited and restrained to one constant method of acting by the absolute necessity of his nature , or by his infinite power . and lest any one should misunderstand him so far , as to imagine that he means by this , that god is by the excellency and perfection of his nature , in all his operations exactly conformable to the rules of justice , goodness and right reason ; he plainly excludes that notion in these words ; qui dicunt deum omnia sub ratione boni agere , hi aliquid extra deum videntur ponere , quod à deo non dependet , ad quod deus tanquam ad exemplar in operando attendit , vel ad quod , tanquam ad certum scopum collimat : quod profectò nihil aliud est quam deum fato subjicere a . now , i think nothing can more shew the wicked perversness of this writer's mind , than this passage ; for he could not but know very well that when divines assert the deity to be essentially and necessarily good , they do not mean that goodness is any thing extrinsical to the divine nature , much less that it is something which hath no dependance upon it : but only that the excellency and perfection of his nature is such , as that it is in every thing exactly conformable to right reason ; and therefore this was certainly a wilful perversion of their sense , set up on purpose to overthrow the notion of moral goodness in the deity . but how vain is it for him to tell us , that for the deity to act sub ratione boni , is for him to be subject to fate , when at the same time he himself asserts , that god is in every respect a necessary agent , without any free will , nay , without any knowledge or understanding in his nature at all ? this is so plain a demonstration , that it was his chief and primary design to banish out of mens minds the notion of moral goodness , that nothing can be more : and therefore tho' he was resolved to introduce absolute necessity into all actions both divine and human ; yet it should be such an one as should leave no umbrage for any distinction between good and evil , or any foundation for rewards and punishments . and in this notion of necessity , these writers follow democritus , heraclitus , leucippus , and that atheistical sect ; who maintain'd that there was nothing in all nature but matter and motion . and therefore when these modern writers assert that there is nothing in the universe but body , as they do , they run fate farther than most of the old heathen patrons of necessity did . for there was none but the democritick sect , that supposed fate to have a power over the will of man ; and in this particular , even they were deserted by epicurus ; as i observe below . the pythagoreans , platonists , and stoicks agreed that the mind of man was free . and 't is well known that the stoicks did in this free power of the will of man , found that arrogant assertion of theirs , that a wise man was in one respect more excellent than the gods ; for they were good by the necessity of their nature and could not help it , whereas man had a power of being otherwise , and therefore was the more commendable for being so . there was , indeed , some of the poets , and some few of the philosophers too , who did subject the gods themselves to fate or necessity . thus seneca in one place saith , necessitas & deos alligat ; irrevocabilis divina pariter ac humana cursus vehit . ille ipse omnium conditor ac rector scripsit quidem fata , sed sequitur , semper paret , semel jussit . which opinion is effectually refuted and exposed by lucian , in that dialogue of his called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . as also by lactantius in his first book de falsâ religione , chap. 11. but this , as i doubt not but seneca and some others understood in a softer sense than at first sight it appears to have , so was it the doctrine of but a few ; for generally the heathens did fully believe that prayers and sacrifices would alter a man's fortune and circumstances for the better ; that they would appease the anger , and gain the favour and blessing of the gods , and that their nature was not so absolutely fatal and necessary , but that they could freely deal with their creatures according as they deserved at their hands . for we find balbus the stoick mentioned by cicero , telling us , that the nature of god would not be most powerful and excellent , if it were subject to the same necessity or nature , quâ coelum , maria , terraeque reguntur : nihil enim est praestantius deo , nulli igitur est naturae obediens & subjectus . so that these writers tread in the steps of the worst , and most atheistical of the heathen philosophers , and maintain a more rigid fate , and a more irresistible necessity than most of them did . but , 2. i come next to shew the groundlesness of those reasons and arguments on which these men build their hypothesis of absolute necessity . and first as to the reasons of mr. hobbs . the chief that he brings against the freedom of human actions are these , saith mr. hobbs , in all deliberations and alternate successions of contrary appetites , 't is the last only which we call will ; this is immediately before the doing of any action , or next before the doing of it become impossible . also , nothing , saith he , can take beginning from it self , but must do it from the action of some other immediate agent without it ; if therefore a man hath a will to something , which he had not before : the cause of his willing is not the will it self , but something else not in his own disposing . so that whereas 't is out of controversie , that of voluntary actions the will is the necessary cause ; and by this which is now said , the will is also caused by other things whereof it disposeth not , it follows that voluntary actions have all of them necessary causes , and therefore are necessitated . agen also , every sufficient cause , saith he , is a necessary one , for if it did not produce its effect necessarily , 't was because something was wanting to its production , and then it was not sufficient . now from hence it follows that whatsoever is produced , is produced necessarily , and consequently all voluntary actions are necessitated . and to define a free agent to be that , which when all things are present which are necessary to produce the effect , can nevertheless not produce it , is contradiction and nonsense ; for 't is all one as to say the cause may be sufficient ( i. e. ) necessary , and yet the effect shall not follow . this is the substance of all mr. hobbs his proof against free will ; in which , there are almost as many mistakes as there are sentences ; and from hence it plainly will appear , that either he had no clear idea's of what he wrote about ; or else did designedly endeavour to perplex , darken and confound the cause : for in the first place , he confounds the power or faculty of willing in man with the last act of willing , or determination after deliberating . and consequently doth not distinguish between what the schools would call hypothetical and absolute necessity : which yet ought to be carefully done in the point between us ; for an agent may be free , and no doubt every man is free to deliberate on , and to compare the objects offered to his choice , and yet not be so after he hath chosen . then , indeed , necessity comes in ; 't is impossible for any one to choose and not to choose , or to determine and not to determine ; and after the election is made , no one ever supposed that a man is free not to make it . and therefore if by the will mr. hobbs means that last act of willing or electing , which immediately precedes acting , or which is next before the doing of a thing become impossible , as he expresseth himself ; he fights with his own shadow , and opposes that which no body ever denied : for no man ever supposed freedom and determination to be the same thing ; but only that man before he determined was free , whether he would determine so and so , or not . and accordingly he himself defines a voluntary agent , to be him that hath not made an end of deliberating a . agen , 2. 't is hard to know what he means here , by nothing taking its beginning from it self : he is talking about voluntary actions , and about the freedom of human nature , and therefore should referr this to the will of man : but the instances he afterwards produces , are of contingent things b , which are nothing at all to his purpose . but if this be spoken of the will , what will it signifie ? i grant nothing can take its beginning from itself ; the will of man took its beginning from god , and voluntary actions ( we say ) take their beginning from the faculty or power of willing placed in our souls : but what then ? doth it follow from thence , that those actions we call voluntary are necessitated , because that they take their original from that free power of election god hath placed in our natures , and not from themselves ? i dare say , no one can see the consequence of this part of the argument . and it will not in the least follow from hence , that the cause of a man's willing , is not the will it self ; but something else not in his own disposing : which yet he boldly asserts . it is the power of willing , or that faculty which we find in our selves , of being free ( in many cases ) to act or not act , or to act after such a particular manner , which is generally called the will ; and this is commonly said to be free . tho' i think ( as one hath observed ) a it is not so proper a way of speaking , as to say , the man is free . for besides that 't is not usual , nor indeed proper , to predicate one faculty of another ; 't is hardly good sense to say the will is free , in the manner now explain'd ; for that would be the same thing as to say , that a free power is free ; whereas it is not the power , but the man that hath the power , that is free . but however the other way of expression hath prevailed and doth do so , and i don't think any one is misled by it into error ; for that which every body understands and means by saying the will of man is free , is , that man hath in his nature such a free power , as is called his will. now from hence it will not follow that a man is free whether he will will , or not ; for he must will someway , either to act , or not to act ; or to act after such a particular manner . but it will follow , that when a man hath made any particular volition , or hath determined the point whether he shall act , or forbear to act , he is then no longer at liberty , as to this particular case and instant ; for the determination is then actually made , and the man no longer free not to make it . but this proves nothing at all against the liberty or freedom of the mind of man. again , what doth mr. hobbs mean by the will 's being the necessary cause of voluntary actions ? doth he mean that the will of man must of necessity act freely , and produce actions voluntarily ; if he doth , we are agreed ; but if he means that the will is previously necessitated in every act of volition to will just as it doth , and could not possibly have willed otherwise ; this is to beg the question , and to take for granted the great thing in dispute ; 't is to call that out of controversie , which is the only thing in controversie ; which indeed , when a man contradicts the common sense and reason of mankind , without proof , is the best way of proceeding . but that which looks most like an argument for the necessity of all humane actions , is this which he brings in the last place . that cause ( saith he ) is a sufficient cause which wanteth nothing requisite to produce its effect , but such a cause must also be a necessary one ; for had it not necessarily produced its effect , it must have been because something was wanting in it for that purpose , and then it could not have been sufficient : so that whatever is produced , is produced necessarily ; for it could not have been at all without a sufficient ( or necessary ) cause ; and therefore also , all voluntary actions are necessitated . now all this proves to his purpose ( i think ) just nothing at all : he proceeds on in his former error of confounding the act of willing with the power of willing ; and of making hypothetical the same with absolute necessity ; for , not now to dispute what he saith of every sufficient cause's being a necessary one ; allowing that when ever any volition or determination is made , or when ever any voluntary action is done , that the will of man was a sufficient cause to produce that effect ; nay , that it did at last necessarily produce it ; he can inferr nothing from hence more than this ; that when the will hath determined or willed , 't is no longer free to will , or nill that particular thing at that particular instant ; which i don't believe any body will ever , or ever did deny . but this will not prove at all that the will was necessitated to make that determination à priori , and that it could have made no other ; which yet is what he means , and ought to have clearly made out . for the same power or faculty of liberty , which enabled it to make that determination , would have been a sufficient cause for it to have made another contrary to it , or differing from it : and then when that had been made , it would have been as necessary as the former . and therefore that definition of a free agent 's being that , which when all things are present which are needful to produce the effect , can nevertheless not produce it , ( tho' i don't think it the best ) doth not , when rightly understood , imply any contradiction , nor is it nonsense at all . for the meaning of it is , that he is properly free , who hath the power of determination in himself ; and when all requisites are ready , so that nothing shall extrinsecally either hinder him from , or compel him to act , can yet choose whether he will act or not . thus , if a man hath pen , ink and paper , and a place to write upon , his hand well and at liberty , and understands how to write ; he hath all things present that are needful to produce the effect of writing ; yet he can nevertheless not produce that effect ; because he can choose after all , whether he will write or no. mr. hobbs defines a free agent to be him that can do if he will , and forbear if he will , and that liberty is the absence of all external impediments a ; which if he intended any thing by it , but to palliate a bad cause , and to amuse the person he wrote to , is as much nonsense and contradiction to what he himself advances about necessity as is possible . for how a man can be said to act necessarily , that hath no external impediments to hinder him , or causes to compel him , but is free to act if he will or forbear if he will , is what i believe no man can possibly conceive . thus we see plainly , that this great patron of necessity hath very little to say for his darling notion , and that he plainly contradicts and is inconsistent with himself . had he indeed dared speak out , and thought it time to declare his opinion freely , he would , no doubt , have proceeded on other grounds in this point , and made use of arguments more agreeable to his set of principles : which being allowed him , would have demonstrated an absolute necessity of all things whatsoever . for he was a thorough corporealist , and maintained that there was nothing more in nature , but matter and motion ; which if it were true , it is most certain , that all things and actions must be inevitably fatal and necessary ; for ( as mr. lock well observes ) nothing but thought or willing , in a spirit , can begin motion . the necessity therefore in such an hypothesis would be the true ancient democritick fate , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or , as epicurus calls it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a through material necessity mechanically producing all things : or the fate of the naturalists , who held nothing besides matter and motion . but this notion , for some reasons best known to himself , he did not think fit to insist on , when he wrote this tract against the liberty of human nature . tho' his successor spinoza , with a little variation did ; whose arguments we must next consider . spinoza , as i have formerly shewed , was an absolute corporealist as well as mr. hobbs ; but finding that cogitation could never be accounted for from matter and motion only , he supposes cogitation essential to matter ; and as he makes but one only substance in the world , which is the matter of all things , or god ; so he supposes cogitation to be one of the essential attributes of this deity , as extension is the other . and from hence he concludes , that all things , according to the infinite variety of their several natures , must necessarily flow from god or the whole , and must be just what they are , and cannot be , nor could not possibly have been , any otherwise a . he doth indeed stile the deity causa libera , and say he is only so b . but the reason he assigns for it , is only because nothing can compel him to , or hinder him from doing any thing ; but he expresly denies him to have either understanding or free will c . and he declares oftentimes , that all things flow from the deity by as absolute a necessity , as that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right ones . and then as to the mind of man , he gives this reason why it cannot have any free will ; quia mens ad hoc , vel illud volendum determinatur à causâ , quae etiam ab alia , & haec iterum ab aliâ & sic in infinitum d . the same thing also he asserts in another place e , and from thence undertakes to prove also , that god cannot have any free will ; and withal saith , that understanding and will , as they are called , belong to the nature of god , just as motion and rest. and other natural things do , which are absolutely determined to operate just as they do , and cannot do otherwise a . this is the argument of spinoza , to prove that there is no such thing as freedom in the nature of man , but that he is determined in every thing by absolute and inevitable necessity . and this necessity also 't is plain according to him , is purely physical and mechanical . as to the refutation of which , i think , i have already effectually removed the foundation on which it is all built , by proving that there are such beings as immaterial substances , and that god himself is such an one , or a spirit b . for all the necessity spinoza contends for , depends purely on his notion of the deity ; as appears sufficiently from what i have produced of his words . if therefore it be true , that god be an immaterial substance , a being distinct from nature , or the universe ; and the creator and producer of all things , ( as i think i have very clearly proved ) 't is most certain that the whole chain of spinoza's argument for necessity is broken to pieces . for the reason he assigns for the necessary operations of the deity , are not the perfections of his nature determining him to good and just , lovely and reasonable things ; but that the deity being universal nature , all things and operations are parts of him , and their several ways and manners of acting and existing according to the necessary laws of motion and mechanism , are his understanding and will : which ignorant people , he saith , may perhaps take in a literal sense , and think that god can properly know or will any thing ; but that in reality there is no such thing as understanding or free will in god , since all things flow from him by inevitable necessity . and if there be not any freedom in the deity , that is in the whole , there can be none in men , or in any other beings , who are but parts of him . if this indeed be true , that there is no other god but nature ; then 't is easie to see that all things must be governed by absolute fatality , and be in every respect physically necessary ; there can then be no such thing as contingency , or any voluntary actions ; and if we were sure of this , 't is indeed the greatest ignorance and folly in the world , to pretend to talk any thing about it . but on the other hand , if there be a deity who is an infinitely perfect being , distinct from nature : who created all things by the word of his power , and for whose sole pleasure they are and were created , then none of those consequences will follow ; but it will appear very reasonable to believe , that god hath still a care and providence over that world which he made at first : and that he delights to exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth ; as the prophet here speaks : that he hath made some creatures capable of knowing and understanding this , and who consequently have a free power , as in other things , so of giving praise and glory to so great and wonderful a being , nay , and of glorying themselves in being capacitated to attain so excellent a knowledge . and that man hath such a power or freedom of will , in his nature , is what i shall now proceed in the last place plainly to prove . 1. and the first argument i shall make use of to demonstrate this , shall be the experience of all mankind . and this , one would think , should be of great weight , and turn the scale against all the atheistical metaphysicks in the world ; and so , no doubt it would , were it not wicked mens interest to advance the contrary notion . now that we have a free power of deliberating , in many cases , which way 't is best for us to proceed ; that we can act this way or that way , according as we like best ; and that we can often forbear whether we will act at all , or not , is a truth so clear and manifest , that we are ( i think ) almost as certain of it as we are of our own being and existence ; and 't is an unimaginable thing how any man can be perswaded that he hath no such power a . indeed , one may by sophistical words , metaphysical terms , and abstruse unintelligible banter , be perhaps a little amused and confounded for the present . but that any one should by such a jargon be persuaded out of his senses , his reason , and his experience , and continue in that opinion , is what i do believe never yet befel any rational and thinking man. when zeno brought his silly sophistical argument to prove there was no such thing as motion ; his antagonist thought it to no purpose to return an answer to what plainly was contradictory to the common sense of mankind ; and therefore convinc'd him only , by getting up and walking . and the very same return will baffle and expose all the pretended arguments for necessity . for 't is plain , he had a power first whether he would have walked or not , he could have walked five turns , or fifty ; he could have gone across the room , or length-wise ; round it , or from angle to angle . and i dare say , no sophistry or metaphysicks whatever would have convinced him that none of these were in his power , when he plainly found them all to be so ; any more than he was convinced a body could not move out of its place , when he had seen and tried a thousand times that it would . 't is the same thing in reference to the thoughts of our minds , as it is in the motions of our bodies . we plainly find we have a power in abundance of cases , to preferr one thought before another , and to remove our contemplation from one notion or idea to another : we can , in our minds , compare and revolve over the several objects of our choice ; and we can oftentimes choose whether we will do this , or not ; and this internal freedom in reference to our thoughts and idea's , we do as plainly perceive , and are as sure of , as we are that we can voluntarily move our body or any part of it from place to place . and as i have plainly shewed you above , our adversaries do grant and allow this when it is for their turn . but they will say , tho' we seem to be free , and do think and perceive our selves to be so , yet in reality we are not ; and it is only our ignorance of things and causes , which induces us to be of this mistaken opinion a ; and the idea of liberty which men have is this , that they know no cause of their actions ; for to say they depend on the will , is to talk about what they do not understand , and to use words of which they have no idea's at all . to which , i say , that i cannot but be of the opinion that it is a good rational way enough of proceeding , to pronounce of things according as we do experience them to be , and to declare them to be that which we have all the reason in the world to think and believe that they really are . and i think we may well enough own and be contented with the charge of ignorance here laid upon us . for the case is thus : we think our selves free , because we plainly find and experiment our selves to be so in a thousand instances ; and this also these penetrating gentlemen sometimes , as i have shewed , do kindly allow ; and we are indeed wholly ignorant of any causes that do absolutely determine us to action ; or which do necessitate us in what we do , previous to that free power which we find in our selves ; so that plainly perceiving our selves to have this free power , and being ignorant of any true reason why we should believe we are mistaken in what we perceive and know , we do , indeed , ( such is our ignorance and weakness ) embrace the opinion that there is a liberty of action in human nature . and this free power or liberty which we find in us , we not being deep metaphysicians , call the will ; by which we understand , as i have shewed before , not any particular act of volition , but the power or faculty of willing . and since we plainly perceive that in many cases we are not determined to action by any thing without us , but do choose or refuse , act or not act , according as we please ; and being withal grosly ignorant of any cause these actions have , but what we find and perceive them to have , we call our free will the cause of these actions , and say they depend on it : and yet after all , do we not find out , that we talk about what we do not understand , and use words that we have no idea of . but our adversaries , it seems , have a quite different rellish of things , they soar in a higher and more subtle region , they will not condescend to speak common sense in this matter ; tho' they plainly understand , ( as they tell us ) that they are really free as to many actions , and can deliberate whether they will do them or not , purely because they have a free power so to do a ; tho' they are satisfied that they can act if they will , or forbear if they will b ; yet they say this is in reality a mistake , and that there is no such thing as freedom after all , but that all actions are absolutely necessitated . and as for the power or faculty which is vulgarly called the will ; that sometimes is one thing sometimes another , according as they think fit to name it . sometimes 't is an act of volition that follows the ultimum dictamen intellectûs , and sometimes 't is the understanding itself c . now 't is nothing but an idea d , and by and by a meer ens rationis d , or an imaginary cause of action , which ignorant men have fansied that they have in themselves e . so hard is it for men that fly so high , to have a distinct view of any thing below . but i proceed , 2. to another argument , for the freedom of humane nature ; and that is , the monstrous absurdities and consequences of the contrary opinion . for the assertion that all our actions are necessitated , it perfectly destroys the notions of good and evil , rewards and punishments , and of all manner of obligation both to divine and human laws : and consequently is the most destructive principle , that can be advanced , to the good of society . i have already proved that there is a natural distinction between actions as to good and evil , that this is plainly discoverable by the light of reason , and that all nations in all ages of the world have been sensible of it ; and if this be proved , ( as i think it hath been ) we ought not to desert it , only because we can't readily solve all the difficulties about the freedom of the will of man , which a sceptical man may raise against it ; much less ought we to embrace an opinion that perfectly contradicts it ; as this of absolute necessity certainly doth . for if all things and actions whatever are absolutely necessary , and cannot possibly be otherwise than they are ; there can be no such thing as good or evil , right or wrong , honourable or base , &c. and why should any creatures trouble themselves about paying any veneration to the deity , if that he could not help making them just such as they are ? and if he hath absolutely necessitated them to do just as they do ? god hath , according to these horrid principles , no natural right to any obedience from us , as a free agent would , who had out of his own gracious goodness bestowed so many gifts and mercies upon us . this mr. hobbs well knew , and therefore he tells us , that there is no obedience due to god out of gratitude to him for creating or preserving us , &c. a but what we pay him , is founded only in his irresistible power . and so likewise , as to human laws and the good of the government or commonwealth where we are placed . no man , according to these abominable tenets , hath any obligation upon him to obey rulers , to be just and honest in his dealings , to be loving and merciful , helpful and beneficial to his neighbours ; but he may rebel , murder , rob , and oppress , without being subject to any guilt at all ; and if he can but escape punishment from the magistrate he is safe enough , and hath no reason to be disturbed in his own mind ; for he can't help any of all this , he is under an absolute necessity of doing what he doth , and no one ought to blame him for it . indeed , spinoza says , that the government may , if they think fit , put such a man to death ; but not because he is guilty and deserves it , but because he is mischievous and dangerous to them , and therefore is to be feared . and when one wrote to him on this point , alledging , that if the will were not free , all vice would be excusable ; he answers , quid inde a ? nam homines mali non minus timendi sunt , nec minus perniciosi , quando necessariò mali sunt . by which he plainly allows that all wickedness is excusable , tho' it be not always tolerable , as it is not when it becomes formidable . fear is that which according to these men doth every thing in the world , in this case . a subject pays obedience to the laws , not because he thinks himself bound in conscience so to do , or because it is just and reasonable ; but because he is afraid of punishment if he do not do it . and the magistrates punish an offender , not because they think he hath committed any fault , or is guilty of any crime properly speaking ; but because they are afraid of him , and under an apprehension that he is likely to do them a mischief . and thus a man that is guilty of all manner of immorality , an assassinator of princes , a firer of cities , a betrayer of his country , a poisoner , coiner , a common robber , or the most flagitious villain that can be imagined , is as innocent as a saint from any guilt of sin he hath upon him ; for he is necessitated to do what he doth , he can't help it , any more than another man can , that acts virtuously , as 't is called : and therefore he may and ought to have as much peace and satisfaction in his own mind , and as much respect and honour paid him from others too , provided they are not afraid of him , as ever any man had . but will not such a principle as this be the most mischievous and dangerous to mankind that can possibly be ? doth it not open a door to all the wickedness that can possibly enter into the heart of man to commit ? and consequently ought not all governments to be afraid , as they themselves would express it , of men that vent such notions as these , so plainly contradictory to , and inconsistent with the good of human society ? and as this is a most pernicious , so 't is the most impudent and daring opinion that ever was advanced : for it charges all mankind in all ages of the world , with the most gross and palpable folly that can be : for , besides that it gives the lye to the experience and certain knowledge of every body , as i shewed before ; it renders all laws , and rules of action , and all the sanctions of them , ridiculous : it makes all advice and exhortation useless , and to no purpose ; all censure , punishment and reproof is unjust and unreasonable ; all honours and rewards it renders unmerited ; and all knowledge , wisdom , care and circumspection , become by this means , the most foolish and unaccountable things in the world ; for if all things are governed by absolute fatality , any one may see that all these things signifie nothing at all , but 't is plain , the wisest part of the world as they have been justly esteemed , are in reality the greatest fools and most stupid idiots that can be : for they encourage men to act well , and discourage them from doing amiss , by elaborate and studied methods , when after all , 't is impossible according to this notion , that any one can possibly avoid doing just as he doth . nor can i see how these wonderful discoverers themselves , that have thus luckily found out that all mankind are mistaken in thinking themselves free , when they are not so ; i can't see , i say , how according to their own notions they can be acquitted from being as ignorant and mistaken , and as arrant fools as the rest of mankind . for why do they write books , and spin out such elaborate treatises as they fansie they do ? and why should they set themselves up above others , and expect praise and glory for their fine thoughts and elevated notions ? they can 't sure be so ignorant as to expect to convince any body , or to proselyte any one over to their opinion ? can any man help being of that opinion he embraces ? if he can , he hath free will , and is not necessitated to hold what he doth hold ; which destroys all they are so studiously advancing . but if he cannot alter his opinion freely , but is absolutely necessitated to believe what he doth believe ; how ridiculous is it to pretend to dispute or argue in such a case ? they will say , no doubt , that they are necessitated to write , and can't help it : but if the government should plead the same thing , for punishing them for so doing ; they would , we know , make a large out-cry against persecution , and the infringement of that native liberty , that every man hath to enjoy his own opinion . for these gentlemen make use of liberty and necessity , according as it best serves their purpose . when they commit immoralities and wicked actions ; they then ought not to be punished either by god or man , because they are necessitated to do it , and can't help it . but if a government , judging such notions destructive to the good of human society , and contrary to the express word of god , thinks fit to prohibit the propagation of them , and to punish the authors of them : how do these men then cry up the liberty of human nature ? then every man's opinion ought to be free , no compulsion must be used , every man's conscience is to be his guide , and the like . but how ridiculously vain is all this , according to these principles ? is not the magistrate as much necessitated to punish as they are to offend ? and the government to make laws as they are to break them ? oh by no means ! they would be free to sin and to commit wickedness , and then necessitated not to be punished . they would have men think them necessitated in all their actions , so as to excuse them from blame , and they would have the magistrate free to forbear punishing them , tho' he think them never so guilty . that is , in short , they would do what they please , and no one should call them to an account for it ; they would act like fools , and yet be thought wise men ; they would proceed contrary to reason , and yet have the reputation of having principles , and pursuing the dictates of reason and truth : and they would build themselves a reputation in the world by advancing paradoxes contrary to the common sense and reason of mankind : by pretending to a higher pitch of knowledge than their neighbours , and by calling all the rest of the world fools and ignorant . in a word they would say , with those in the psalmist , we are they that ought to speak , who is lord over us . this , i am fully perswaded , is what they aim at in all their arguments and objections against religion , and particularly in the bustle that they make about this point , of the absolute necessity of all events and actions . which how weakly they prove , and how contradictorily they maintain , against the common sense and experience of all mankind , i think i have sufficiently shewn . finis . advertisement . remarks upon some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . in octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45645-e220 dr. cudworth in preface to his intellectual system . a hobbs tripos , p. 297. b ibid. p. 312. c vid. sermon v. p. 51. serm. vi. p. 9. d vid. serm. v. p. 49. e serm. v. p. 51. f spinoza op. posthum . p. 85. g p. 28. a princep . philos. cartes . demonstrat . p. 103. b hobbs tripos , p. 314. c p. 29. op. posthum . and p. 33. 18. a op. posth . p. 32. a tripos , p. 311. b ibid. 315. a mr. lock , in his essay of humane understanding . a tripos , p. 314. a ex necessitate divinae naturae , infinita infinitis modis sequi debent . op. posthum . p. 16. 18. b p. 17. c p. 18. tract . theol. polit. c. 4. p. 63. d op. posthum . p. 85. e p. 28. a p. 29. b vid. serm. 4 , & 5. a had it not been a thing undeniable that the will of man is free , and had not epicurus , and his follower lucretius , very well known that it was a thing which every one could not but experience in himself , he had certainly , as a very learned person observes ( dr. lucas enquiry after happiness , vol. i. p. 156 , 157. ) followed his old master democritus , and asserted the mind of man to be as necessarily and fatally moved by the strokes of his atoms , as natural and irrational bodies are . but this opinion he was forced to desert , and to assert the liberty of the soul of man ; and 't was to make this out according to his senseless hypothesis , that he invented that unaccountable oblique motion of his atoms ; which lucretius calls exiguum clinamen principiorum . lib. 2. a falluntur homines quod se liberos esse putant , quae opinio in hoc solo consistit , quod suarum actionum sint conscii , & ignari causarum à quibus determinantur . haec ergo est eorum libertatis idea quod suarum actionum nuilam cognoscunt causam . nam quod aiunt humanas actiones à voluntate pendere verba sunt quorum nullam habent ideam . bapr . spinoz . op posthum . p. 73. vid. etiam , p. 37. a spinozae princip . philos. cartes demonst. p. 103. b hobbs tripos , p. 314. c spin. op. posth . p. 87 , 88. d ibid. p. 399. d ibid. p. 399. e p. 73. a zeviath . p. 187. a spinoz . op. posthum . p. 586 the notion of a god neither from fear nor policy a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, march the 7th 1697/8 : being the third of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 1698 approx. 54 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45644) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 59827) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 534:3) the notion of a god neither from fear nor policy a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul, march the 7th 1697/8 : being the third of the lecture for that year, founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 31 p. printed by j. l. for richard wilkin ..., london : 1698. this work is also found as the third part of the author's the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted : in eight sermons (wing h845). reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -o.t. -psalms x, 4 -sermons. atheism -early works to 1800. 2005-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-08 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-01 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2006-01 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion books printed for rich. wilkin at the king's-head in st. paul ' s church-yard . mr. harris's sermon , preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , january the 3d. 1697 / 8. being the first of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esquire . — his remarks on some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . in octavo . dr. woodward's natural history of the earth , in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the truth of the christian religion , against the objections of all modern opposers ; in two volumes . in octavo . a serious proposal to the ladies , for the advancement of their true and greatest interest ; part i. by a lover of her sex. the third edition . in twelves . a serious proposal to the ladies ; part ii. wherein a method is offer'd for the improvement of their minds . in twelves . letters concerning the love of god , between the author of the proposal to the ladies and mr. john norris . in octavo . an answer to w. p. his key about the quakers light within , and oaths ; with an appendix of the sacraments . in octavo . a letter to the honourable sir robert howard : together with some animadversions on a book , entituled , christianity not mysterious . in octavo . the notion of a god , neither from fear nor policy . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , march the 7 th . 1697 / 8. being the third of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king ' s-head in st. paul ' s church-yard , 1698. psalm x. 4. the wicked , through the pride of his countenance , will not seek after god : neither is god in all his thoughts . in my last discourse on these words , i came to consider the third particular i had before observed in them ; which was , the great charge the psalmist brings against the wicked and proud person here spoken of , viz. wilful atheism and infidelity . he will not seek after god : and all his thoughts are , there is no god. under which i proposed to consider and refute the atheist's objections , against the being of a god in general . and these i found might be reduced to these two heads : i. that we can have no idea of god. ii. that the notion of him , which is about in the world , owes its original to the foolish fears and ignorance of some men , and to the crafty designs of others . the former of these i have already refuted , and shewed that it is groundless and precarious in all its parts . i shall now therefore consider the second objection against the being of a god in general , viz. that the notion of a deity , which is so generally found among mankind , owes its original to the foolish fears and ignorance of some men , and to the designing and crafty figments of others . and here i shall first give you the sense of these kind of writers on this point : and then endeavour to shew you , how very weak and trivial their arguments are , and how very far short they come of disproving the existence of a deity . and first i shall give you the full sense of this objection , from the words of those that bring it ; beginning with the modern writers , who , as you will find by and by , have little or nothing new , but like carriers horses , follow one another in a track , and because the first went wrong , all the rest will succeed him in the same errour ; not considering , that he who comes behind , may take an advantage to avoid that pit , which those that went before , are fallen into . ( as it is in the words of the translator of (a) philostratus . ) but here it must be premised , that since these kind of men do frequently disguise their true meaning ; it is not the bare words only , but the scope of a writer , that giveth the true light by which any writing is to be interpreted , ( as mr. hobbs (b) very well observes : ) yet this must be said for both him and the other modern atheistick writers , that their disguise is so very thin and superficial , that any one may easily see through it , and discover their true meaning and design . nothing can be clearer , than that 't is the great scope of the author of great is diana of the ephesians , to persuade the world , that the first original of all religion , was from craft and imposture , and that it was cultivated and carried on by the cunning and avarice of the priests . and in his anima mundi , pag. 13 , 14. he tells us , that superstition ( by which these kind of writers always mean religion in general ) did certainly proceed from some crafty and designing person , who observed what were the inclinations of mankind , and so adapted his fictions accordingly : he pretended to have some extraordinary way revealed to him , from an invisible power , whereby he was able to instruct the people ; and to put them into a way of being happy in a future state. and in another place , he saith , (a) that mankind being ill-natured , and unapt to oblige others without reward , as also judging of god almighty by themselves , did at first conceive the gods to be like their eastern princes , before whom no man might come empty-handed ; and thus came the original of sacrifices : and this institution , he saith , was improved by the crafty sacerdotal order , into all that costly and extravagant superstition that did afterwards so abound in the world. now in this passage , 't is plain , that he makes all the jewish religion to be nothing but priest-craft and imposture ; tho' on wretched poor grounds , as i shall hereafter sufficiently make appear . and his opinion of the christian religion , may easily be guessed , by what he delivers , anim. mund. pag. 124. viz. that most christian churches , like the musk-melon from the dunghill , were raised from the filthy corruption and superstition of paganism . and in another place , he saith , (b) that he will engage to make appear , that a temporal interest was the great machine on which all humane actions ever moved ; ( he means , in the establishing of the jewish and christian religions ; ) and that the common pretence of piety and religion , was but like grace before a meal : i. e. according to him , nothing but a meer customary piece of folly that signifies nothing at all , and which he frequently ridicules and exposes (c) . now all this , though not in plain and express words , yet in the most obvious sense and meaning , is equally applicable to the notion of a god ; and no doubt was so intended by the author . and , indeed , take away religion and the notion of a god must of course follow : for 't is impossible to think that if there be a god , he should not expect veneration and worship from those creatures of his , that he hath rendred capable of doing it ; which therefore is their reasonable service , rom. 12.1 . after the same manner doth spinoza declare himself as to the origin of religion ; which he also calls by the name of superstition . (a) he tells us , that the true cause from whence superstition took its rise , is preserved and maintained , is fear . (b) that if all things would but succeed according to mens minds , they would never be enslaved by superstition : but because they are often in great streights , and so put to it , that no counsel or help will be beneficial to them , they are tossed and bandied about between hope and fear , and at last have their mind so debilitated , that they are prone to believe any thing . (c) but that in reality all those things which have been the objects of mens vain religious worship , are nothing but the dreadful phantasms and mad figments of a sorrowful and timorous mind . (d) and the reason ( he saith ) why all men are thus subject by nature to superstition , is only from fear ; and not as some have fansied , from any confused idea of a god , which they will have to be impressed on all mankind . the author of the leviathan , speaks yet a little plainer as to this point ; (e) ignorant men ( saith he ) feign to themselves several kinds of invisible powers , stand in awe of their own imaginations , in time of distress invoke them , in time of success give them thanks , making the creatures of their own fancy gods. this is the natural seed of religion , which men taking notice of , have formed into laws , &c. and he tells us in another place , (f) that fear of power invisible feigned by the mind , or imagined from tales publickly allowed is religion , not allowed , is superstition . so that according to mr. hobbs , religion and superstition differ only in this , that the latter is a lye and a cheat standing only on the authority of private men , whereas the former is supported by the power of the government . in these four things , saith he , elsewhere , (a) consists the natural seed of religion , viz. ignorance of second causes , opinion of ghosts , devotion toward what men fear , and taking things casual for prognosticks . these are the accounts which our modern atheistical writers give of the origin of religion , and the notion of a god among men. and this they , with great assurance , put off as their own new invention ; without being so just as to mention any of the ancients , from whom they have borrowed every article of it . that trite passage every body knows primus in orbe deos fecit timor ; and lucretius mentions fear and the ignorance of second causes , as that which gave the first rise to the notion of a god : for , saith he , (b) when men with fearful minds behold the things in the earth and heavens , they become abject and depressed under the fear of the gods ; whose empire ignorance of causes sets up in the world : for when men cannot see any natural reason for any effect , they strait fansie 't is the product of some divine power . the very same thing he saith also in another place , (c) where he attributes likewise the notion of ghosts , and consequently of the gods interfering with the affairs of the world , to mens not being able to distinguish dreams from real appearances . tully tells us , that there were some in his time , and no doubt long before , who attributed the opinion and belief of the gods to have been feigned by wise men for the good of the commonwealth . (d) and plato acquaints us , (e) that the ancient atheists did affirm , that the gods were not by nature , but by art and laws only , and so were different in different places , according as the different humour of the law givers chanced to determine the matter . sextus empiricus saith , that there were at first some intelligent and prudent men (f) who consider'd what would be beneficial to humane life ; and these first feigned the fabulous notion of gods , and caused that suspicion that there is in mens minds about them . afterwards he saith , that heretofore men lived wild and savage , and preyed upon one another like wild beasts ; till some men being willing to prevent and repress injuries and rapine , invented laws to punish those that did amiss : and then they feigned , that there were gods also , who took cognizance of all mens actions , whether good or bad ; that so no one might dare to commit any secret wickedness , when he was by this means persuaded , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that the gods , tho' unseen by men , did yet inspect into all humane actions , and take notice who did well , and who the contrary . sextus also attributes the rise of mens belief of a god , to their ignorance of second causes , ( as i shewed you before that lucretius doth : ) for he makes democritus speak thus , (a) when men of old saw strange and frightful things in the air or heavens , such as thunder , lightning , thunderbolts , eclipses of the sun and moon , &c. not knowing the natural causes of them , but being terrified by them , they strait imagined the gods to be the authors of them . this therefore being proved to be the true sense of the ancient atheistical writers , and from them copied by the moderns , viz. that fear , ignorance and cunning were the first originals or causes of the notion and belief of a god. let us now fairly examine the case , and see what ground there is for such an assertion ; and whether this can account for that universal notion of a divine and omnipotent being , which we find every where in the world. and , 1. i say , that the notion of a god , could not come from fear ; for if it did , either this fear must be universally inherent in all mankind , or else peculiar only to some dastardly and low-spirited mortals . if the former be asserted , 't is a very convincing argument , that there is a just ground for such a fear ; and that it hath something that is real for its object , that can thus affect all men , after the same manner . and if it be so , that all men are naturally subject to this fear of a deity ; how could any one ever discover , that there was no real ground for this , in the nature of the thing ? how came he himself exempted from this poorness of spirit ? and if he were not exempted from this terrible passion , how came he to discover , that the object of this fear is all a cheat , and nothing but a meer mormo and bug-bear ? 't was very lucky for him , that the rambling atoms of his constitution jumpt by chance into such a couragious and noble frame and temper ! but pray who was this mighty man ? when and where did he live ? what ancient history gives us any account of this happy person , that laughed at that which all the world besides were afraid of ? let the atheists give us but any relation of him , that is authentick , and it shall be allowed as the greatest thing they have ever yet advanced . but i suppose they will not say that this fear is universal ; but that it only possesseth mean and abject spirits , and never invades the great and brave soul. let us see whether this will do them any service . now by brave and great souls , who do they mean ? do they intend by them , such as have power , command and empire over others ? nothing is more certain , than that kings and princes have been equally subject to these fears of a god , and of divine punishment , with the meanest and most contemptible of their subjects . and this (a) lucretius himself owns , ( as also that this fear of a deity is universal ) and we have examples of it in the histories of all ages and parts of the world. but they will say , 't is like , that by brave and great souls , they don't mean kings and princes , but the wise , knowing , and learned part of mankind : these were they that first discovered this cheat , and who , finding its advantage to mankind , have ever since continued it and carried it on for the publick good. these cunning men finding the vulgar generally subject to dismal apprehensions and fears of they knew not what kind of invisible powers , took advantage from thence to tell them of a god , and to form the product of their fears into the notion of a deity . now to this i say , that if these cunning politicians found that there was a fear , dread and apprehension of some divine and almighty being , universally impressed upon the minds of men , as no doubt but there is ; this , i say , is a very convincing argument that such a belief hath a good foundation in the nature of the thing , and consequently hath truth at the bottom . and therefore 't is plain , that these men did not invent , but find this notion and belief actually existing , by a kind of anticipation in the hearts of all mankind . and that they could not possibly invent it , had there been no ground nor reason for such a belief , i shall plainly prove by and by . but again ; that the notion of a god , did not arise only from fear , is plain from hence ; that mankind hath gotten an idea of him , that could never proceed only from that passion . if fear only were to make a god , it would compose him of nothing but black and terrible idea's : it would represent him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , all envious and spiteful ; a grim , angry and vindicative being ; one that delights in nothing but to exercise his tyrannical power and cruelty upon mankind : we should then believe him to be such a power as the indians do their evil god , and we do the devil ; a mischievous and bloody deity , that is the author of nothing but evil and misery in the world : for these must be the dreadful attributes of a being which fear only would create and set up in our hearts . but now , instead of this , we find a quite different notion of god in the world. we justly believe him to be a most kind , loving and gracious being , and whose mercies are over all his works . we are taught by the scriptures , those sacred volumes of his will , to believe that he at first created the world , and all things that are therein , to display his goodness and kindness to his creatures : that he wills not , nor delights in the death of a sinner , nor in the evil and misery of any thing ; but that he hath by most admirable methods of divine love , provided for our happiness both here and hereafter . now such an account as this of the deity , could never take its rise from fear only : and therefore since it cannot be denied but that we have such a notion of god , it must have some more noble and generous an original . we find , indeed , in our selves a just fear and dread of offending so good and gracious a god ; and we believe it suitable to his justice , to punish those that will pertinaciously continue in a state of rebellion against him , after having refused and slighted the repeated overtures of his mercy . but then we know very well , that the notion we have of a deity , is not occasioned by , and derived from this fear ; but , on the contrary , this fear from it . 't is the natural consequence and effect of the belief and knowledge of a god , but it cannot be the cause and original of it . for fear alone can never dispose the mind of man to imagine a being that is infinitely kind , merciful and gracious . the atheist therefore must here take in hope too , as well as fear , as a joint cause of his pretended origin of the belief of a god ; and say , that mankind came to imagine that there was some powerful and invisible being , which they hoped would do them as much good , as they were afraid it would do them hurt (a) . but these two contrary idea's , like equal quantities in an equation with contrary signs , will destroy one another , and consequently the remainder will be nothing . and therefore the mind of man must lay aside such an idea of god , as soon as he hath well considered it , for it will signifie just nothing at all . another very good argument , that the notion of a god , did not take its first original from fear only , may be drawn from hence , that those that do believe and know most of god , are the least subject to that servile passion . if fear only occasioned mens notion and belief of a god , the consequence must be , . that where the notion of a deity is most strong and vivid , there men must be most timorous and apprehensive of danger ; there the greatest distrust , suspicion , and anxious sollicitousness about the events of futurity would be always found . but this is so far from being true in fact , that no one is so free from those melancholy and dreadful thoughts and apprehensions , as he that truly believes in , and fears god. for he can find always in him almighty defence and protection ; he can cast all his care on god who he knows careth for him : when all the treacherous comforts of this world leave him , and when nothing but a gloomy scene of affliction , distress and misery presents its self here ; yea , even when heart it self and strength begin to fail , god will be ( he knows ) the strength of his heart and his portion for ever ; and even in the vast multitude of his afflictions , god's comforts will refresh his soul. but 't is far otherwise with the miserable wretch that hath no belief of , nor any knowledge of god ; if he fall into affliction , trouble , or misery , he hath nothing to support him : he is the most abject and dispirited of all mankind , his whole head is sick , and his heart is faint , and his spirit cannot sustain his infirmity ; for he hath not only no power and ability to bear the present load of misery , but he expects yet much worse to come ; and notwithstanding all his former incredulity and bravery , he now , as the devil himself doth , believes and trembles . and therefore , though as plutarch observes , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it be the chief design of atheism to give men an exemption from fear ; yet 't is a very foolish one , and falls very far short of answering its end : for it deserts and fails its votaries in their greatest extremities and necessities , and by depriving them of all just grounds for hope , must needs expose them to the most dismal invasions of fear . and thus , i think , it is very plain , that the notion of a god could not take its first original from fear . as to the ignorance of second causes , which is sometimes alledged as another occasion of the notion of a deity ; the modern atheists do not much insist upon it , and therefore i need not do so in its refutation . i have shewed already whence they had it ; and i think it sufficient to observe here , that there are no men so ignorant of second causes , nor any that give so poor and trifling accounts of the phaenomena of nature as these atheistical philosophers do . and therefore ignorance ought rather to be reckoned among the causes of atheism and infidelity , than of the idea of god and religion ; for i am very well assured that a through insight into the works of nature , and a serious contemplation of that admirable wisdom , excellent order , and that useful aptitude and relation that the several parts of the world have to each other , must needs convince any one , that they are the products of a divine and almighty power . the invisible things of god may be understood by the things that are made , and his eternal power and godhead discovered by this means (a) ; as hath been excellently demonstrated by the learned dr. cudworth , dr. bentley , mr. ray , and many others . and these kind of gentlemen have betrayed their shallow and superficial knowledge of things , by nothing more , than by pretending to give an account of the original of the world , the motion of the heavenly bodies , of gravity , and several other phaenomena of nature , without having recourse to a deity ; as i shall hereafter more particularly observe . but i now hasten to refute that which they make their great and most common objection against the being of a god ; and to shew , 2. that the notion of a god did not , nor could not , arise from cunning and contrivance ; and that it was not invented by any crafty and politick person . though that it did do so , is the constant assertion of these gentlemen ; and they do it with as much assurance , as if it were a self-evident proposition . in all companies they will nauseously tire you with this battology , over and over again , that all religion is a cheat , and the greatest cheat of all is religion . but this themselves have happily discovered ; and therefore they scorn to be imposed upon by priest-craft ; they will neither be ridden by priests , nor lead by them ; they can go without leading-strings ; and won't be put to the temporal charge of a spiritual guide : and they have quitted the thoughts of going to heaven by the same means as they go to the play-house , ( i.e. ) by giving money to the door-keepers . as the translator of philostratus insolently expresses it . (a) now after all this bold and repeated exclamation against priest-craft and holy shams , &c. would not one think that they had some demonstrative ground , to prove that the notion of god , and religion is all a cheat and imposture ? would not one suppose that they could name the very person that first invented this fourbe ; tell us when , and where he lived , and plainly prove by what means he came to impose so grosly on mankind , and how they came to be such fools as to take it , and dully to submit to it ever since ? nothing sure , that is less than a direct demonstration , ought to protect a man under so rude a liberty as these gentlemen take , of ridiculing all the sacred laws of god and men. but have they any such proof ready ? or have they ever yet produced it ? no , nor is it possible they ever should ; as appears plainly from the ancient histories of all nations in the world. in no one of these do we ever find the least mention made of any one that invented the notion of a god. 't was a thing taken for granted by all the ancient law-givers , that there was a god : this they never went about to prove ; nor had they any need so to do , or to feign it , for they found it universally and naturally stamp'd upon the minds of mankind . this moses himself doth not so much as attempt to teach the jews , as knowing very well that it was what they had a general notion and idea of before . and homer speaks every where of the gods , as of beings universally known and believed , and never goes about to prove their existence . the same thing appears in hesiod , and in the fragments that we have of all the ancient greek poets . and though it be not true in fact , yet 't is a good argument ad hominèm against the atheists , that lucretius pretends to tell you when atheism began , and who was the first bold man that disputed and denied the being of a god. this , he saith , was epicurus . (a) but he cannot deny but that in so doing , epicurus contradicted the common sentiments of all mankind , and broke through those fears and obligations that the generality of men were under to a divine power . but to refute a little more methodically this trite objection . i say , that the notion of a god could not derive its original from the cunning invention of any politick person , for these reasons : 1. because the pretended inventor himself could never possibly have come by such a notion , had there been no such being as a god. sextus empiricus observes very well , that though (b) 't is pretended that law-givers and politicians invented the notion of a god ; yet the asserters of it are not aware of an absurdity that arises thence : for if it should be asked , how they themselves came by such a notion ? they must be at a loss ; they will not say they had it from others , nor can they account how they came by it ; and therefore it must have been from the beginning ; and so all men must have a notion of god , though not all after the same way . and , indeed , 't is not possible to imagine that such a notion could ever have come into any one's head , had there been no such being as a deity . were he an absolute non-entity , and really nothing at all , 't is unconceivable how any one could ever attain an idea of god , or have coined any word that should so have expressed that idea , as to render it intelligible to any one else . the mind of man cannot invent , or make any new simple idea or cogitation ; it cannot possibly make a positive conception of that which is really nothing at all . which way soever we come by our idea's , we cannot have one of what is absolutely a non-entity ; for what is absolutely nothing , can neither come into us by our senses , nor be innate in our minds . and therefore if there were no god , we could never have had any idea of him ; nor could any one ever possibly invent , or frame such a notion in his mind . i know the compounding , ampliating and feigning power of the mind will here be alledged ; and it will be said that we may by that means frame notions of things which perhaps did never , nor ever will exist : thus we may gain the notion of a flying horse , of a creature , half a man and half a horse , a man of a thousand foot high , &c. and therefore say they , (a) why might not the mind of man , by this compounding and ampliating power , feign as well the notion of a deity ? to which i answer , that this power in our minds doth not , nor cannot extend so far . all that we can do by it , is to connect together two or more possible and consistent idea's , or to ampliate or enlarge any one or more of them , in point of time , extent , &c. thus , as was before said , by connecting the idea's of wings and a horse , or of a horse and a man , we may feign a pegasus or a centaure ; and i can imagine either of these creatures , or any other , to live five thousand times as long , or to be fifty thousand times as big , as is usual . but all this is still short of what 't is brought for , and will give no account at all of the invention of the idea of a god. for suppose the mind would endeavour to amplifie the idea of a man into that of god , which is the way sextus empiricus says men might and did come by the notion of a deity . (b) first , he saith , the mind can give him eternity of duration : but how came it by that idea of eternity ? was that idea previous to the invention of a deity ? and had mankind a clear conception of it ? if they had , the notion of god could not be then invented , for one of his chiefest attributes was known before . but i suppose they will say that the notion of eternity was gained by ampliating the idea of duration or time beyond the common and ordinary term : and thus by imagining a man to live a thousand or ten thousand years , i may come to frame the notion of a being that should always exist . but that is a gross mistake ; for a being that should endure ten thousand , or ten millions of years , is not therefore exempt from dying at last , any more than one that endures but ten minutes . had i not in my mind before a clear idea of eternity , i could no more by this ampliating power gain a notion of an eternal being , than i could believe my self to be eternal ; for every thing about me would contradict that notion ; and 't is very strange that i should come to believe any being could have an eternal duration from considering of things that are all perishable and mortal . that which leads men into this mistake , is , i suppose this : we have all of us a notion of a being , perfect or eternal , as to his duration , because there is such a being in reality : and therefore , whenever we go about to consider of time , or of the period or term of the duration of a being , we can ampliate it so , as to suppose it shall never cease to be , but have its being still continued on without end : that is , we can connect the idea that we have of eternity with a being , and so render it eternal . but this could never be done , if there were no idea of eternity at all , if there were nothing eternal , if there were no god. the case is the same as to all the other perfections of the divine nature . we have clear idea's and notions of them in our minds ; and therefore we can talk about them , and be understood : because there are real idea's that answer to those words that we use ; and something really existing , that answers to those idea's . but were there no such being , nor any thing real in nature , to deduce our idea's from , were there no god , 't is impossible there could be any such idea's at all . but however , this assertion , that the mind of man was able to invent the notion of a deity , and communicate it to the world , is a most flat and palpable contradiction to what the atheist at other times urges , and that too , as founded on principles that he is very fond of . in my last discourse , i shewed you , that he objected against the being of a god , from our not being able to have any idea of him ; and this he endeavours to support , by asserting also , that we have no knowledge but sense , and that all our conceptions are passive . now both these are absolutely inconsistent with the original that he is now attributing to the notion of a god. for if it be true , as he saith it is , that we can have no idea of god ; 't is very strange to suppose , that a politick man should invent , and the world receive the idea or notion of that which 'tis impossible for any one to invent , or receive . 't is a little odd , that a man should first cunningly devise he knew not what , and then the affrighted world believe they knew not what ; and that we should prove and assert , and the atheist ridicule and deny the existence of that which we do none of us all know any thing about ! but so it must be , according to the atheist's uniform scheme of things . again , if , as he asserts , all our conceptions be passive , and all our knowledge , sense : which way could this cunning inventer of a god , come by his notion or idea of him ? how could his mind attain any such feigning and ampliating power ? for according to the atheist's principles , the mind could have no active , much less spontaneous power at all ; but all our idea's and conceptions would be meer necessary motions , mechanically occasioned by the impressions of external objects . so that as protagoras tells us ( in plato's theoetet . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : 't is neither possible to conceive that which is not , nor indeed any thing else , but only just as our mind suffers it by impressions from without . and therefore no man could ever possibly invent any thing at all , nor have any power within him of putting or joining together two or more simple idea's , or of ampliating or enlarging any idea or notion at all ; much less could he grow so very subtle as to invent the notion of a deity . and as no law-giver nor politician could , we see , have invented the notion of a deity , if he had had a mind so to do ; so it appears very weak and foolish in him to do it , if he could . for while there was no belief among men , of any divine and almighty power , he would have been a mortal god himself , (a) as hobbs calls the commonwealth : his will would have been his law ; and men's obedience to him , would have been founded in the fear they were under of his great power . and this , according to the atheistical principles , would have been a much better stay and support to his authority , than the idle obligations of conscience and religion . for the aforesaid author tells us , (b) that if the fear of spirits ( i. e. of a god ) were taken away , men would be much better fitted for civil obedience . and in another place he goes a little further yet , and saith , (c) that 't is impossible any government can stand , where any other than the sovereign hath a power of giving greater rewards than life , and greater punishments than death . that is , where there is any obligation on mens minds to a divine and almighty power : which they will chuse to obey , rather than the unlawful commands of an arbitrary prince , that can only kill the body . now there is no doubt but that this is true of such a power or government , as that he calculated his leviathan for ; i. e. one absolutely arbitrary and tyrannical . and all power must be so , if there be no god , and no antecedent good and evil , but what the will of the sovereign shall make so , as mr. hobbs positively asserts there is not . therefore that man must act very unwisely , who when he was possessed of power enough to give laws to , and govern others by his sole will and pleasure , would ever invent the notion of a god and religion . for this was the direct way to cramp himself in his power , to tie up his own hands , and to let the people see that he himself is accountable to god , as well as they ; 't is to teach them , that the power he hath , is but a trust committed to him by god , which he is to discharge for his subjects good and advantage , and not only to gratifie his own will and humour . and this notion might induce the subjects of an arbitrary and tyrannical prince , to ease him of the trouble of a government , that they perceived involved him in a great deal of guilt , and would proportionably encrease the account that he must one day give of his stewardship . but , 2. as the idea and notion of a god , cannot possibly have been invented by any one ; so neither could it have been understood or believed by mankind , if it had been so . had there been only one person that had coined the idea of a god , and no manner of notion at all of any of his attributes or perfections previous to this , in the minds of men ; what would it have signified , to tell them , that there was a god ? how could they understand the meaning of a meer arbitrary word , that had no manner of foundation in nature , nor any idea or notion answering to it ? words are but marks of things , or signs to know them or distinguish them by : and therefore a word that is the sign of what is absolutely nothing , or a non-entity , must needs be nonsense and unintelligible . and consequently , he that should attempt to awe mankind with an empty sound , that had no signification , would certainly be exposed to contempt ; and instead of affrighting others , would only be laughed at himself . the author of anima mundi , saith , (a) that to tell a prophane rabble of an invisible deity , and of a future state of rewards and punishments , will signifie nothing at all : and , that men will not for such metaphysicks , forbear any manner of pleasure or profit , how base soever . how then could the figment of a deity gain admittance into the minds of men , at first ? what would it signifie to tell men of an invisible power , that presides over , and governs the world ; when ( according to the atheist's supposition ) they had no manner of notion of any such being before , and consequently could not know what was meant by such words and expressions . should you tell them , indeed , of a potent neighbour , that was coming strongly armed , to take away their life or goods , they would look about them , and endeavour , by flight or force , to secure themselves . but to tell them of a power that they never saw nor heard any thing of before , and which they are told withal , is impossible to be seen or heard , or any way rendred an object of their senses , could make no impression at all on mankind : or suppose that it could make some impression , and frighten some men at its first proposal , how long would this last ? no longer , at farthest , than till they were by experience convinced that it was false and precarious , and that there was no ground nor reason to believe any such thing . and this they must arrive at in a small time , if the thing were false . 't is impossible such a cheat as this , which it would have concerned every one to have examined , could long have maintained its ground . time discovers , and certainly lays open all impostures ; and that the sooner , the more are concerned to enquire into it . and therefore had this notion and belief of a deity had no other original and foundation than what the atheists pretend , 't is impossible it could have continued so long in the world ; and much more so , that it should have gained ground as we know it hath continually done , and be established on better principles , the more it hath been considered and understood . opinionum commenta delet dies , naturae judicia confirmat , saith cicero . besides , it cannot well be imagined that any man should have the vanity to believe , that a thing which he knew he had invented himself , and which had no manner of ground nor foundation to support it from the nature of the thing , could ever impose upon and delude mankind , or indeed find any admittance in their belief . he must needs think that others would be as sagacious to discover the cheat , as he could be to contrive it ; and that among so many heads , some one would soon detect the forgery of what must necessarily appear false and precarious to the common sense and reason of all men. but , 3 dly , and lastly , the universality of the notion and belief of a god , is also a most demonstrative argument , that it could not arise from the invention of any cunning and designing person . that there is such an universal notion of a deity , cannot , i think , be denied by any one ; and i doubt not but farther discoveries will satisfie us , that there is a notion of god even among those barbarous and savage people that are said to have no manner of idea of him , by a late ingenious author . but supposing that it were so , that the knowledge of a god were quite lost , in three or four dark and uncultivated parts of the earth , whose inhabitants are so brutish , as scarce to think at all : this is no more an argument against the belief of god's being universally diffused throughout the world , than monsters and fools are , that men have not generally a humane shape and reason . there are some anomalies , irregularities and exceptions in all things and cases , which yet are not by any accounted of force enough to over-turn a general rule . i shall not say much to this point , it having been so largely and frequently handled already ; only i cannot omit the testimony of some of the ancient writers , who are very express , that there is an universal notion of a god among mankind , and which they looked upon to be natural , or by way of anticipation . there is , saith cicero , (a) a notion of a god impressed on the minds of all men. and in another place , saith he , (b) what kind of nation or people is there any where to be found , who have not , without learning it from others , a prolepsis or deity . and in two other places , he tells us , (c) that there is no nation so barbarous and wild , who do not acknowledge the being of a god , and some how or other revere and worship him . seneca , in his epistles , (d) frequently saith the same thing . sextus empiricus owns also , (e) that all men have a common notion of god , by way of prolepsis ; and believe him to be a most blessed and happy being , incorruptible , immortal , and uncapable of any kind of evil. and he concludes , that 't is unreasonable to assert , that all men should come to attribute the same properties to god by chance , and not rather be induced thereunto by the dictates of nature . maximus tyrius hath a very plain passage , to prove this common notion of a god , (f) though , saith he , there be so much quarrelling , difference and jangling in the world , yet you may see this agreed in all over the earth , that there is one god , the king and father of all . this the greek and the barbarian both say , the islander and the inhabitant of the continent , the wise and the unwise alike . aristotle saith , (g) that all men have a pre-notion concerning the gods , even both greeks and barbarians . and in another place , he hath a very remarkable passage to this sence , that there is a very ancient tradition ( which our fore-fathers have handed down to posterity , in a mythological dress ) that there are gods ; and that the divine nature sustains or encompasseth all things . but this tradition , he saith , had , in process of time , some figments connected with it ; as , that the gods had humane shapes , or those of other creatures , &c. which if we separate from it , we may suppose it at first divinely spoken and delivered , that the gods were the first beings . (h) many more testimonies might be produced to prove this point , that it was the concurrent opinion , of all the ancient heathen writers , that there was a common notion or belief of a deity in the minds of men ; but these , i think , are sufficient . and now what can the atheist say to such a proof as this ? what greater evidence can be desired of the truth of any thing , than that it hath been believed by all men in all ages and places of the world ? 't is a very good way of arguing from authority , that aristotle uses in his topicks . that , saith he , which seems true to some wise men , ought to appear a little probable ; what most wise men believe , is yet further probable ; and what most men , both wise and vnwise do agree in , is much more probable yet ; but what is received as truth by the general consent of all mankind in all ages of the world , hath certainly the highest degree of evidence , of this kind , that is possible . and what hath such a testimony , 't is intolerable arrogance and folly for any men to deny ; and to set up their single judgments and opinion contrary to the common suffrage of all mankind . but they are so puff't up with pride and vanity , that they do not see the weakness and precariousness of what they advance , nor how inconsistent it is with their other tenets . if it have but the appearance of contradicting the received notion that we have of a god , and if it do but seem never so little to undermine religion , they will set it up at a venture as a demonstration , and stick to it , let it be never so inconsistent with what at other times they deliver . thus sometimes they will assert , that there is no universal idea or notion of a god. at other times they will grant there is such an one , but that it was coined and invented by some cunning politician a long while ago , before any books or histories were written , and by him communicated by tradition to posterity . but here they do not consider that this will necessarily derive all mankind from one common parent : which is a thing they will , at another time , by no means admit of , lest it should seem to countenance the story of adam or noah : which is said to be nothing but an old jewish tradition . and that 't is impossible to account for the peopling of america and all islands remote from the continent , without supposing their inhabitants to be aborigines , and to spring out of the earth like mushrooms . and then , to account for the general notion , that they cannot deny , these aborigines have of a god ; as before they made one wise man invent it , now they will suppose it to be done by a hundred such cunning politicians : who , though in different places and ages of the world , yet did all light by chance on the very same notion of a god , and abuse and cheat mankind just after the same manner ; and though this be the most extravagant and ridiculous assertion that ever can possibly come into the mind of man , as well as contradictory to the former , yet 't is all one for that ; this , or any thing else , shall be supposed rather than they will yield to the conviction of truth , and allow the notion of a deity to have a real foundation . but 't is no wonder to find men that wilfully shut their eyes against the clearest light , to go forward and backward , and often times run against each other in the dark mazes of error : those must needs be at a loss who neglect his guidance , who is the way , the truth and the light , and that spirit which would lead them into all truth ; and those , no doubt , may easily miss of the true knowledge of god , who are resolved they will not seek after him , and all whose thoughts are , that there is no god. finis . books printed for rich. wilkin at the king's-head in st. paul ' s church-yard . immorality and pride the great causes of atheism . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral church of st. paul , january the 3 d. 1697 / 8. being the first of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq in quarto . the atheist's objection , that we can have no idea of god refuted . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , february the 7 th . 1697 / 8. being the second of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq in quarto . remarks on some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . in octavo . all three by j. harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . dr. woodward's natural history of the earth , in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the truth of the christian religion , against the objections of all modern opposers ; in two volumes . in octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45644-e520 (a) blount's life of apollon . p. 19. (b) leviath . p. 338. (a) life of apollon . p. 3. (b) oracles of reason , p. 158. (c) blount's life of apollon . in the preface , and p. 24. (a) causa , à qua superstitio oritur , conservatur & fovetur , metus est . tract . theol. polit. in praef. (b) si homines res omnes suas certo consilio regere possent , vel si fortuna ipsis prospera semper foret ; nulla superstitione tenerentur : sed quoniam cò sapè angusliarum rediguntur ut consilium nullum ad ferre queant , inter spem metumque misere fluctuant , ideo animum ut plurimum , ad quidvis credendum pronissi num habent . ibid. (c) ea omnia quae homines unquam vanâ religione coluerunt , nihil praeter phantasmata , animique tristis & timidi suisse deliria . ibid. (d) ex hâc itaque superstitionis causâ ( sc. metu ) clarè sequitur omnes homines naturâ superstitioni esse obnoxios : quicquid dicant alii , qui putant hoc inde oriri , quod omnes mortales confusam quandam numinis idaeam habent . ibid. (e) leviath . p. 51. (f) leviath , p. 26.51 . (a) leviath , p. 54. (b) caetera , quae fieri in terris coeloque tuentur mortales , pavidis cùm pendent mentibu ' saepè efficiunt animos humiles formidine divùm , depressosque premunt ad terram ; propterea quod ignorantia causarum conferre deorum cogit ad imperium res , & concedere regnum : et quorum operum causas nullà ratione videre possunt , haec fieri divino numine rentur . lib. 6. v. 49. (c) lib. 5. v. 1160. nunc. quae causa deüm , &c. (d) ●i qui dixerunt toram de diis immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reipublicae causâ . (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . plato de legib. lib. 10. (f) — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sext. emp. adv . math. p. 310. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (a) praeterea , cui non animus formidine divium contrahitur ? cui non conrepunt membra pavore fulminis horribili cum plagâ torrida tellus contremit , & magnum percurrunt murmura coelum ? non populi gentesque tremunt ? regesque superbi conripiunt divùm per●ulsâ membra timore ne quod ob admissum foedè , dictumque superbè poenarum grave sit solvendi tempus adactum ? lucret. l. 5. v. 1217. (a) vid. archbishop tillotson's first sermon , p. 47. (a) rom , 1.20 . (a) blount's life of apollon . in the preface . (a) primum graius homo mortales tollere contra est oculos ausus , primusque obsistere contra : quem nec fama deûm , nec fulmina nec minitanti murmure compressit coelum . — lib. 1. v. 67. (b) — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adv. math. p. 314. (a) sext. empiric . adv. mathem . p. 316 , 317. (b) vbi supra . (a) leviathan , p. 87. (b) ib. p. 7. (c) ib. p. 238. (a) pag. 36. (a) in omnium animis deorum notionem natura ipsa impressit . de nat. deorum , lib. 1. (b) quae gens est , aut quod genu● hominum , quòd non habeat sine doctrinâ , anticipationem quandam deorum , quam appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 epicurus . ib. c. 32. (c) tuscul. quaest. l. 1. de legib. l. 1. (d) vid. epist. 117 , 118. de benefic . 4.4 . (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adv. mathem . p. 314. (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dis. 1. p. 5. (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . de coelo , l. 1. c. 3. (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. aristot. metaph. l. 14. c. 8. p. 483. paris . 1654. the darkness of atheisme expelled by the light of nature, or, the existence of a deity, and his creation and government of the world demonstrated from reason and the light of nature only : with an appendix touching the most proper method of preaching the gospel among the heathens / englished by h.c. care, henry, 1646-1688. 1683 approx. 71 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 67 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2007-01 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a33772 wing c509 estc r7365 13099381 ocm 13099381 97398 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a33772) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 97398) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 410:5) the darkness of atheisme expelled by the light of nature, or, the existence of a deity, and his creation and government of the world demonstrated from reason and the light of nature only : with an appendix touching the most proper method of preaching the gospel among the heathens / englished by h.c. care, henry, 1646-1688. [35], 82 p. printed for d. brown ... and t. benskin ..., london : 1683. original title undetermined. written by henry care. cf. dnb. reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -early works to 1800. atheism -controversial literature. 2006-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-07 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-08 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2006-08 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the darkness of atheisme expelled by the light of nature or , the existence of a deity : and his creation and government of the world . demonstrated from reason , and the light of nature only . with an appendix touching the most proper method of preaching the gospel among the heathens . englished by h. c. animis , non auribus . nullus in inferno est atheos , ante fuit . london , printed for d. brown at the black-swan without temple-barr , and t. benskin in st. brides-church-yard , 1683. quisquis profundâ mente vestigat verum ●upitque nullis ile devijs falli in se revolvat intimi lucem visûs longòsque in orbem cogat inflectens motus animùmque doceat quicquid extra molitur suis retrorsum possidere thesauris quod atra dudum texit erroris nubes lucebit ipso perspicacius phaebo boet. de consol . philos . lib. ● metr . who e're profoundly searches after truth , and would not be miss-led by stragling paths ; let him turn on himself his inmost eye , and bend into a ring his ranging thoughts , making his soul see what she seeks abroad in her own native treasures stor'd up lies . then what errors black cloud did hide , will soon shine clearer than the sun it self at noon . to the reader . the publishing a book to prove the existence of a deity amongst people that have all inrolled themselves christians at the font , may possibly be thought unnecessary ; but it must be only such as are strangers to this unhappy age of ours , where it is esteem'd by too many a piece of wit to be prophane , and all things sacred have been made objects of scoff & drollery ; wherein atheists have appeared broad-faced , and with a prodigious impudence defied heaven in the sight of the sun , undertaking to dispute divinity out of the world by reason , and levying arguments against that power which gave them being ; how requisite then it is now to shew the abused world , that these godless ones have all this while committed a rape on their own reason , who freely of her self ( would they but hear her speak ) leads them directly to the knowledge of a deity . nor is it only these open ranters that we are to combate , there is a sort of secret demure atheists , who verbally acknowledge a deity , and perhaps make the most zealous pretensions of religion too , but hearts being not really possest with a firm belief and stable apprehension of a most just and holy power , that being ever present takes an account of , and will one day severely judge all their actions , they thereupon give no other check to their exorbitant lusts , than what external or politick respects may bridle them in with , whence proceeds that innundation of wickedness that at this day overwhelms the world , and though these last may hypocritically counterfeit a veneration of the holy scriptures , there is only this difference between them and the other crew ; that whereas the others disclaim all regard to those sacred oracles ; these pretend to believe them , but really do not . to meet with them both , we recommend this brief treatise to publick view , which not with flourishes of rhetorick , or mustering up authorities , fathers , philosophers , &c. but meerly by natures light , and in an undeniable mathematical method , evinces the existences of a deity ; which once firmly and unfeignedly believed with the necessary consequences thereof would very much stop the torrent of impiety in mens lives , and prepare them for the reception of , and obedience to other articles of the christian faith and gospel duties ; the main part of it is an arrow borrowed from the great morinus his quiver ; he that was lately royal professor of mathematicks , when he first sent it abroad in its roman dress 't was welcomed with the applauses of the sorbon and general approbation of the learned world for its perspicuous brevity , orthodoxness , and close cogent method of arguing . what entertainment it may meet with in this courser english garb , i cannot divine , yet dare venture to say , that whoever shall seriously and understandingly read it over , cannot but confess a deity , or disown his reason , and must acknowledge a god , unless he will deny himself to be man. if it prove in the least useful to reduce any to their allegiance to their soveraign creator , i shall esteem my pains most advantageously laid out in the translation , and therefore conclude with imploring his infinite majesty , that he would by commanding a blessing to attend it , render it effectual to that desired end . advertisement . by dan. brown next door to the sign of the queens head without temple-bar , you may be furnish'd with most sorts of plays , both new and old , to be sold , or lent to read . where you may be also furnished with all sorts of stationary wares ; as , indentures , recoveries , blanck-bonds , and blanck-writs of all sorts ; paper-books , &c. writings fairly ingrossed and copied ; and the best ink for recoveries or records . the preface or introduction . how spreading and epidemical the contagion of atheism is grown of late , there are few so happy as to be ignorant , that the same not only strikes at the root of all religion , but takes away all sense of good and evil , all trust and obligations amongst men ; and consequently is most destructive to humane society and government , is no less evident : to put some stop to this fatal torrent which thus threatens all things sacred and civil with a deluge , not a few have attempted with endeavours no less laudable than laborious : yet scarce attaining that success as was wished , by reason of their not proceeding in such a method of proof , as the adversaries ( who must be allowed to choose their weapons , or they will never acknowledge themselves vanquished ) have thought fit to expect for their conviction ; the authority of sacred scriptures , which pious souls devoutly reverence , they impudently deny ; the sense all nations have of a deity , they alledge is only a general cheat , and a melancholy fancy blown into credulous heads by subtile polititions . the beauty and harmony of the world they 'l tell you , is only caused by the curious motion of dancing atoms , or the apt , yet fortuitous concurrence of actives with passives : in brief , ( for who without horrour can relate their blasphemies ? ) whatever you offer of that kind , they evade ; yet still pretend highly to reason , and intimate they would be satisfyed , could they but meet with such demonstrations might be necessarily conclusive to their understandings , and enforce their assent : and certainly , the goodness , and infinite mercy of god , ( ever legible in all his dealings with mankind , ) doth most illustriously display it self in this , that even when they not only ( like desperate traytors ) renounce all allegiance to him , but deny his very essence , from whence they received their own : yet still he affords them natures light , and deprives them not of those common principles , which if seriously consulted , are able to reduce them from their horrid phrensie , and evidently demonstrate the existence of a deity that created the world , and continually governs it by his providence , and whom to acknowledge love , and obey , is not only their duty , but their glory , perfection , and chiefest happiness . to make it appear that nature of it self doth so far enlighten , and conduct us , is our present design , wherein the more to comply with their humour , which pretends so high a value for reason , we have chosen to proceed in a synthetick method , familiar in geometry , whose students glory in the infalibility of their demonstrations , and may justly boast more certainty than the votaries of any other science , a happiness they principally owe to that excellent mode of arguing by axioms and theorems , which in the subsequent leaves , we have endeavoured to imitate : not doubting but the same may be practicable in all other learning , as well as the mathematicks , and that with greater success than can be expected , from the vulgar logick , or wrangling sophistry of the schools : the foundation is laid on definitions , truly stating the nature of the things treated of , and certain axioms or common notions , self-evident and universally necessary , whence we are apt to conceive the succeeding theorems by a due and continued connexion built hereon , must be confest undeniable , unless we shall abandon our reason , resolve absolutely to dispute against common-sence , and proclaim our selves rather brutes than men. and that we may proceed orderly , we will first , give brief definitions of the terms which we are forced to make use of in the ensuing discourse . secondly , lay down several self-evident axioms , and , thirdly , deduce thence theorems necessarily arising pertinent to our present scope . definitions . 1. esse is a term used to signifie a principle of being , or that whereby whatever is , or can be is. 2. ens ( or a being ) is that which hath an esse , ( or such principle of being ) and is either actual or potential . 3. an actual being is that which actually doth exist . 4. a potential being , is that which may come , or is able actually to exist hereafter . 5. nothing , is that which hath no esse , ( or principle of being ) 6. a finite being , is that which is included & bounded within some limits of being . 7. an infinite being , is that which transcends all , or is included in no bound of being . 8. eternity , is an infinite duration ; or that which transcends all bounds of continuance or enduring . 9. creation , is the production of a being out of nothing . 10. providence , is the method or reason of ordaining things for some end . 11. a pure act , is the perfection of being ; to exclude from it all power to be another thing . 12. nature , ( as here we take it ) is every finite being so far as endowed with its proper virtue ; or , a concourse of finite beings , to to effect something by their proper virtues . axioms . 1. every thing either is , or is not . 2. it is impossible the same thing should at the same time both be , and not be. 3. nothing is before it is . 4. that which is not , can do or effect nothing . 5. that which is , is not in power to be that which already it is . 6. whatever is , is either by or from it self , or hath its essence from another besides it self . 7. that which is by it self , is independant on any thing besides it self ; and so on the contrary . 8. nothing can give that which it self hath not . 9. as a thing is in it self , so is it in its posse , or power . 10. the power of a finite being is infinite , both its active power , and also its passive , so far as 't is reducible to art. 11. the effect of a finite virtue or power cannot be infinite . 12. there is no finite thing , but something more great , or more perfect may be assigned or conceived . 13. nothing can be , or be conceived greater , than that which is infinite . 14. to every finite thing , another thing equal may be conceived . 15. the whole is greater than its part . 16. those things which are the same with any third thing , are the same between themselves in that third thing . 17. that which is the cause of the cause , is also the cause of the thing caused . 18. that which is not eternal , begins to be in time , or hath some other first beginning of duration proper to its self . 19. of that which is eternal , there can no beginning of duration be assigned . 20. everything that is compounded is dividable into those things of which it is compounded . 21. nature makes nothing out of nothing , nor any thing out of every thing . 22. there is no progress to be made in cause , or from cause , to cause infinitely . theorems . 1. an infinite being , is all that which is , or can be . for otherwise , infinite being it self would be included in some limits of being , against our 7th definition ; and hence it follows , that infinite being in its self is every finite being , but without , or above all limits , or ( as others express it ) absolutely , incontractedly , or eminently . nor let any over captious head , conceit that here at first step , we stumble on a paralogism , and fall to beg the question , by taking that for granted , which is to be proved , viz. that there is such a thing as infinite being ; for we here only treat of infinite being abstractedly , as defined in our 7th definition , whence this theorem is necessarily deduced ; now a definition doth not necessarily infer , that there is ( exparte rei ) and indeed such a thing as is defined ; for example , the squaring of a circle is the finding of a right line , which may be equal to the circumference of a circle : this is a true definition , yet there is really no such invention , nor yet is it known whether 't is possible to be done , since it hath not yet been found out by any the most laborious geometricians ; but that there is really such a thing as infinite being , we shall prove by and by . theorem 23. theorem . ii. infinite being is a pure act. for otherwise it should be in power to be some other thing ; definition the 12th ; and so would not be . all that which is , or can be , against our first theorem ; or would be included in some limits of being against our 7th definition . theorem . iii. infinite being is an infinite act , or every act that is , or can be . for otherwise it would not be all that is , or can be against our first theorem , nor a pure act against our second theorem ; therefore infinite being must be an infinite act , and by consequence is good , true , potent , wise , and whatever else can be , or be conceived under the notion of an act or perfection , and that in the highest degree . theorem . iv. infinite being is unchangable . for otherwise it should be in power to be that , into which it is changable ; and so would not be a pure act against our second theorem , nor an infinite act against our third theorem . theorem . v. a finite being cannot be the adequate subject of an infinite . for if it would , the passive power of a finite being must be infinite against our 10th axiom . theorem . vi. there cannot be two infinite beings . for suppose ( if it were possible ) a. and b. to be two infinite beings in any moment of time , now because a. is an infinite being , therefore it will be whatever is or can be at that moment of time ; but whatever is , or can be at the same moment of time , doth not admit of any generical specifick , individual or other difference from it self , but is one and the same both in reason and things ; and therefore neither a. nor b. do admit of any difference at all between themselves , but will be wholly the same in entity according to our 16th axiom , and so not two infinite beings against the hypothesis , whence it is evident , there cannot be two infinite beings . it may possibly be objected , that this theorem concludes aright of two infinites in essence or entity , since such an infinite is indeed all that is , or can be , according to the first theorem , but not of two infinites , whereof at least one is finite by essence , but infinite by accident ; as body which may be infinite in extension , or quality by intension . but we answer , that the finite essence of body , cannot be the subject of an infinite accident , as as infinite extension would be , see our 5th theorem ; therefore there is no such infinite ; the same we say of quality , and irrefragably conclude , there cannot be two infinite beings . theorem . vii . infinite being is not dividable . for first , it cannot be divided into two infinite beings , because a part cannot be equal to the whole , axiom the 15th , nor can here be two infinites , theorem the 16th . nor secondly , can it be divided into two finites , for either of such finites may still be conceived greater , or more perfect axiom the 12th , and to every finite thing , something else may be conceived equal , and addition may be made of them , axiom the 11th : but by such means something would be conceived more great , large , or perfect , than that which is infinite , against our 13th axiom . nor lastly , is it divisible into a finite and an infinite ; for when the finite is taken away , still the infinite being remains , which hence plainly appears cannot at all be divided . theorem . viii . in an infinite being there is nothing before or after . for if there should , it would be dividable , viz. into that which was before , and that which is after ; but that cannot be by our 7th theorem . theorem . ix . infinite being is most simple and uncompounded . for were it any way compounded , it would be dividable into those things whereof it is compounded , axiom the 20th , but infinite being cannot be divided , theorem the 7th ; therefore is not compounded . theorem . x. whatever is , or can be conceived in an infinite being is infinite . for whatsoever is , or can be conceived in an infinite being , is such infinite being it self , which is individable by our 7th theorem . theorem . xi . nothing any way compounded can be infinite . for every compound is dividable , axiom the 20th , but infinite being is undividable , theorem the 7th , therefore no compound is infinite . theorem . xii . infinite being is neither a part , nor a whole . 1. not a part ; for it must be a part either of a finite or an infinite ; if of a finite , a part would be greater than its whole ; if of an infinite , a part would be equal to its whole ; both which are absurd , and contrary to our 7th axiom . 2. neither is it a whole , for a whole , as a whole consists of parts , into which therefore it is dividable , but infinite being is not dividable , theorem the 7th , therefore is neither a part nor a whole , but above both these . theorem . xiii . the difference between a finite being and an infinite , is infinite . for since an infinite being exceeds a finite , which is wanting of the infinite , if such excess , want , or difference , were finite , the infinite might be compounded of two finites , or a finite and an infinite , and so would be dividable into them ; against our 7th theorem . theorem . xiv . infinite being differs in ( or of ) its self , from finite . for otherwise , either the difference between them would not be infinite , against our 13th theorem , or at least there would be two several infinites against our 6th theorem . theorem . xv. esse ( or the principal of being ) is of it self . for it is that whereby whatever is is , definition the first ; now because we see many things are , 't is necessary that there be an esse ( or such principles ) for otherwise nothing could be ; but one esse cannot be from another esse , because that were to run round from cause to cause in infinitum , against our 22d . axiom ; therefore it follows it is of it self . theorem . xvi . that only esse is of its self . for otherwise , if any thing besides were of its self , esse could not be that whereby whatever is , is , against our 1st . definition . theorem . xvii . that esse it self is infinite . for it is included in no bounds of being , and because there are not two infinites , theorem the 6th , therefore esse and infinite being are the same ; and whatever is said of this , may be said of that . theorem . xviii . nothing can of it self pass from nothing to an actual existence . for either it must do so whilst it is not , or whilst it is ; not the first , for that which is not , can do nothing ; axiom the 4th , not the second ; for that which is , is not in power to be that which already it is ; axiom the 5th , therefore , &c. theorem . xix . no finite thing is of its self , nei-neither as to essence , nor as to existence . 1. not as to essence ; for since every finite thing is included in bounds of being this thing , and not another ; if any finite being were of it self as to essence , it would follow , that such beinu was bounded by it self , or did impose limits on it self of being this and not another thing , which must be done either before it was , against our 4th axiom ; or after it was , which will be against our 5th axiom ; & therefore cannot be done at all . 2. not as to existence , for if it should , then such finite being must be esse it self , or the first principle of being , which alone exists by , or of it self , theorem the 16th ; and then it would be infinite ; theorem 17th against the hypothesis ; therefore no finite being is of it self . the same may more briefly be demonstrated another way . thus. only esse is of it self , theorem 16th , but esse is infinite , therefore no finite thing is of it self . theorem . xx. in the production of things there can be no circulation for if a. should give being to b. and b , to c , and c , to the same a. it would follow , that a. in respect of the same c. were both an efficient cause and an effect , and so was before it was , which is absurd , and against our 3d. axiom . theorem . xxi . every finite being hath its being from infinite being . for it hath its being from esse , which is that whereby whatever is is , desinition the the first ; but esse is infinite being , theorems 9th and 17th , therefore , &c. again , whatever is , must either be of its self , or have its being from some other being , axiom 6th ; for nothing , viz. that which hath no being cannot give being to any thing , axiom the 4th , but no finite thing is of its self , theorem 19th , and if it take being from another , such other must be either a finite or an infinite ; if you say the last , you grant our present theorem ; if the first , it will be replyed , that this other being must have its being either from infinite , or some finite being , and so you must still either grant our theorem , or else continue your progress from assigning one finite after another , which would be against our 22d . axiom ; and though you should be permitted so to do to never so great a number , yet could not the same be infinite , because infinite , is undividable , theorem the 7th , but such number ( though never so vast ) being composed of the unities of the finite beings produced , will be dividable into the same ; axiom the 20th , and so will not be infinite , but finite , and by consequence there may be assigned the first of such finite beings whereby the rest were produced , and which it self was produced by none of them , ( for no circulation can be , theorem the 20th ) and when such first finite being is assigned , we shall still say it is not of its self , theorem the 19th , but hath its being from some other being either finite or infinite , but it cannot be from any finite ; for then , this , not that should be the first of finite beings , which is against the hypothesis ; and therefore it must befrom infinite being . then , agreeing the first finite being to come from infinite being , it will follow that the other finite things produced by that first , are likewise from infinite being ; for that which is the cause of the cause , is the cause of the thing caused ; axiom 17. whence appears the truth of our theorem , that every finite hath its being from that which is infinite . that the number of finite things , produced by other finite beings , is not infinite , is thus also demonstrable ; suppose the number of men hitherto produced to be infinite , the same will contain all the men that have been , are , or can be , axiom 13th ; and so no man would be henceforwards producible ; but experience shews us every day and moment fresh men are produced ( and that without circulation ) therefore the number of men produced , is not infinite , but finite ; and consequently there is a first , &c. as before , now what is here instanced in men , holdingt , true by parity of reason in all other finite things which have being one from another , it therefore undeniably follows , that every finite being hath its being from a being that is infinite . here let us take breath a while , and consider , that if a being which is confined to some limits of being , be properly termed finite , then a being which . transcends all bounds of being must be called infinite ; of some of the proprieties of both these we have treated hitherto , comparing them , one with the other , yet not at all determining whether there were any such things , especially any infinite being ; so the explication of the first theorem , but only have made it evident , that if there be such things as finite beings none of them can be of its self ; but every of them can only be from some being that is infinite ; and now we proceed thus . theorem . xxii . the world is finite . for the terestical globe is not the whole world , but a part thereof ; the same we may say of the sun , moon , and every star , or even of heaven it self ; whence it appears , that the world is a certain whole composed of those parts , and is therefore dividable into them , axiom the 20th , so not infinite ; theorem the 7th therefore finite . theorem . xxiii . there is really an infinite being . for there is really a finite being ; as , the earth , the sun , the moon , man , &c. therefore there must be an infinite being from whom these have their being , theorem the 21st . for it cannot be said , that heretofore indeed there was an infinite being that gave being to these finites , but the same is now no more ; for then such infinite being must have been included in limits of duration , and consequently not infinite , definition the 7th , which is contradictory and absurd . theorem . xxiv . infinite being is of it self . for otherwise it hath its being from other besides it self , axiom the 6th , which must be either finite or infinite , but it could not from the first , because the vertue of a finite being , being finite : axiom the 10th , its effects cannot be infinite ; axiom the 11th , nor from the second ; for there cannot be two infinite beings ; theorem the 6th : therefore the axiom is undeniable . again , infinite being , is esse it self , theorem the 17th ; but esse is of its self ; theorem the 25th : therefore infinite being must be of its self . theorem . xxv . infinite being is independent . for it is of it self , theorem the 24th , therefore independent or any other ; axiom the 7th . theorem . xxvi . whatever is independent , is infinite . for , whatever is of its self is esse it self , theorem the 16th but whatever is independent , is of its self , axiom the 7th : therefore whatever is independent , is esse it self ; but such esse 〈◊〉 infinite , theorem the 17th ; therefore so is whatsoever is independent . theorem . xxvii . infinite being is eternal . for otherwise , either it hath its being from some other , against our 24th theorem , or past of it self from nothing to an actual existence , against our 18th theorem , therefore infinite being must needs be eternal , or rather is its own eternity , or eternity it self . theorem . xxviii . no real matter flows from infinite being out of its self , whereby it may produce a finite being . for if there should , infinite being would be dividable , against the 7th theorem . theorem . xxix . infinite being produces a finite being by the simple act of its will. for since no real thing flows from it out of its self whereby it may produce a finite being , theorem the 28th ; therefore it must needs produce the same by some immanent act , which can be no other than the meer act of its will ; for in the production of finite things we must necessarily at last come to some first things produced by infinite being alone , as we have proved , theorem 21st . but innumerable things there were producible , which of themselves were equally indifferent to be produced ; therefore when infinite being goes to produce something out of it self , either all things possible to be produced , should be produced together at once , or nothing ( both which it is plain are false and absurd ) or else lastly , we must admit an election or act of such infinite beings will whereby it produced one thing rather than another ; since it is in its producing , superlatively , free , powerful and wise , yea supream liberty and infinite wisdom and power it self , theorem the 9th . yet still the production of a finite being is peculiarly attributed to the simple act of its wil , and so to love , which is the wills proper act , and not to power or wisdom , because although infinite being , be infinite wisdom and power , as well as infinite love , yet it produces not at all that can be produced , nor all that it understands its self able to produce but only that which it wills or is pleased to produce at that moment wherein from eternity , it will'd it should be , because the will of infinite being , is the same with its omnipotence , theorem the 9th , and therefore is of its self infinitely efficacious and needs nothing else either efficiently or subjectively to assist it in producing ; for otherwise it would not be supreamly free and omnipotent , against the premises , therefore our theorem stands undeniable , viz. that infinite being produces a finite by the simple act of its will. theorem . xxx . a finite being once produced by an infinite , is continually produced or conserved by the same infinite being . for since a finite being is produced by an act of the infinite beings will , theorem the 29th . therefore it is only so far a finite being as infinite being wills it to be ; but how far that wills it to be , so far it doth produce it , because the omnipotent will of infinite being is most efficacious , theorem the 29th . therefore a finite produced by the infinite , is thereby continually produced , which continual production we usually call its conservation , which ceasing , such finite being immediately drops into its original , nothing , and ceases to be . theorem . xxxi . infinite being concurrs efficiently and immediately to all the real effects of a finite being . for since infinite being by an act of its will continually produces a finite being , by giving it both being and power of acting according to the last theorem ; therefore at whatever moment such finite doth act , infinite being wills it so to do ; for otherwise either it should give it power of acting in vain , and so would not be infinite wisdom , against our 9th theorem . oratleast a finite being should act contrary to the will of infinite being , which so would not be infinitely potent against our 29th theorem ; but so far as infinite being , wills a finite being to act or produce a new real effect , so far it causes it to act , and what it wills , it also produces its will , being most efficacious : theorem the 29th . theorem . xxxii . every finite being , immediately depends in its being on infinite being . for 't is produced either by infinite being alone , or by some other finite being ; if the first , the truth of the theorem appears ; if the last , then since infinite being doth so efficiently and immediately concur to all the real effects of a finite being , theorem 31. therefore also every finite being produced by another finite depends in its being immediately on infinite being . theorem . xxxiii no finite being is or can be from eternity . for since every finite hath its being from infinite being , according to our 21st . theorem ; therefore if we suppose any finite being to have actually been from eternity , since it was produced by the simple act of infinite beings will , theorem the 29th . and thereby continually produc'd , theorem the 30th . therefore if infinite being will , ( as it may ) that such finite being shall from hence forwards be everlasting , t' will follow that its duration being included in no bounds , must be infinite , and so individable ; theorem the 7th . in which by consequence there will neither be before , nor after ; theorem the 8th . but it will be all at once ; and therefore a true eternity according to our 6th definition ; but infinite being is also eternal , or rather eternity it self ; now therefore the eternities of the finite and infinite are two , or munerically the same ; if the first , then there will be two eternities against our 6th theorem ; if the second , than since the eternity of an infinite being is the very same with its entity , theorem the 9th . therefore if infinite being can give to a finite being its own eternity , it will also give it its own infinite entity , and so the finite must be infinite against the hypothesis . the same is otherwise demonstrated thus , no finite being can be actually existing , but the same was producible from eternity ; therefore no finite being was , or could be from eternity ; for if it should , it would at the same time be both in act and power , or ( which that implies ) it would at the same moment be actually , and not actually existing , the consequence is plain , the antecedent proved thus ; because every finite being is produced only by an act of infinite beings will , which in producing is most free and unconfined , theorem the 29th . and therefore indifferent in it self , to give ; or not give actual being to this thing , and therefore supposes such finite things to be only in power ; for otherwise its indifferency would be about giving , or not giving being to a thing which already is in act , or to a thing impossible , which on either side is absurd , wherefore there is no finite being can actually be from eternity , though it may from all eternity be possible . theorem . xxxiv . this world had not its being by any physical , or natural generation , nor concourse ' of attoms . for all natural generation tends to some one thing formally and by itself ; but this world is not any one thing formally and by itself , but only by aceident ; that is to say , composed of several bodies , as earth , sun , moon , &c. of different species and discontinuant , therefore could not owe its being to any natural generation . nor yet to the fortuitous concourse of wandring attoms according to the dream of epicurus , whose ridiculous hypothesis being of late reviv'd , hath undeservedly procured to many followers , and is in sum no more but this . that in an infinite vltramundane space , there is an infinite troop of attoms , or little particles which have an eternal motion that makes them encounter and justle each other ; and that such their casual concourse and shuffling together , made up this world and danced them by meer chance into all these beautious visible beings , and in that exact order and harmony which we behold . a conceit so absurd and extravagant that it deserves scarce any other refutation but a hiss ; yet that we may continue our method , we thus seriously and in brief raze its foundations , and say , that these imaginary attoms in this fancied vacuity were either eternally there , or not , if the last , than they were placed thereby somewhat before and above them , and that leads us to our principles of an infinite being or deity ; if the first , then they must of necessity have been without alteration there still ; for whatever is eternal is unchangable , that is , can never cease to be as it was , or produce any other thing by varying its own form ; nor can any thing be infinite in change , since what infinitely is , is the highest perfection of being ; now change is a perfect relative to imperfection , and to imagine a change in what is infinite , is to imagine a change ●rom the highest perfection , which is unimaginable . theorem . xxxv . this world was created in time by infinite being . for since 't is finite , theorem 22. therefore it is not eternal , theorem 33. besides those who with aristotle conceit the world to have been from all eternity , do suppose the motion thereof , or of heaven to be eternal , in that they confess the first mover of the world to be eternal ; which being supposed , either the number of the revolutions of the primum mobile from eternity hitherto , is finite or infinite ; if the first , then its first revolution may be assigned , and consequently the beginning of the worlds duration , and so the same cannot be eternal , axiom the 19th . if the second , then such number , will be no number against the hypothesis ; for that every number is dividable , axiom the 20th . because compounded of a multitude of unites ; definition the 11th . but infinite is undividable , theorem the 7th . whence it follows , that no number can be infinite and consequently this world not eternal . that the number of the revolutions , or turnings round of heaven hitherto is not infinite , may also otherwise be proved ; for were it infinite , it must comprehend all its revolutions that have been , are , or can be , axiom the 13th . and by consequence no more circulation would be possible , but every week we know there are new whirlings round of the first heaven . therefore this world cannot be eternal , but must begin to be in time by a duration proper to it self , but it neither received being from nothing , axiom the 8th . nor had it by any physical generation , theorem 34. nor lastly could it of its self pass from nothing to actual existence , theorem the 18th . and therefore must be brought out of nothing to such actual being , immediately by that whence every finite being takes its esse , viz. infinite being theorem 32. but that which is so produced , is properly said to be created , definition the 9th . therefore this world was created in time by infinite being , which is what we undertook to demonstrate , for infinite being having all things virtually existing in himself , made all matter out of no matter , but from his own active potentiality , who being without , and above all cause , must necessarily be acknowledged as the author of all causes . theorem . xxxvi . this world , and the several beings therein , are governed by the providence of infinite being . for since infinite being is the immediate efficient cause of this world , and the several beings therein produced , theorem 32. and that every efficient cause acts for some end , especially infinite being , because it is infinite wisdom , theorem the 9th . therefore either infinite being must be said in vain to act for some end , or it will order this world , and all the several beings by fit and agreeable means to some end intended and designed by its self in their production ; and this is properly called to rule by its providence , definition the 10th . the same likewise appears otherwise thus , since we manifestly see there is a providence in all animals ; for brutes provide for their young ; parents for their children ; a prince for his subjects , which finite providence must be from infinite being , theorem 32. and therefore infinite being it self must be provident , as well by our 8. as 3. axiom ; yea must be infinite providence ; that is , a providence extended to every finite being ; for otherwise it would not be infinite therefore this world and all things therein are governed by the providence of infinite being . again , every finite being is continually produced by infinite being , which is called the conservation of such finite being , theorem the 30th . but it is produced by an act of its will , which is the same with infinite wisdom , theorem 29. and therefore neither rashly nor to no purpose , but for some end , and therefore it is continually directed to such end , by the same infinite being which indeed would not be infinite , if it were not provident , or rather if it were infinite providence , which leaves nothing any where wholly void of it self . now this providence of infinite being is found to discharge a threefold office . 1. in placing the several finite beings in their several ranks and orders . 2. in preserving them in such their places and order . 3. in moving and directing them to their respective proper ends according to every ones nature ; and therefore it provides that necessary causes shall act necessarily , contingent , contingently , and free causes freely . and most consonant it was to infinite wisdom , to will , that some of its creatures should be free agents ; that is , endued with understanding and will , to the end , that infinite being might not remain unknown amongst all the finite beings produced by its self , and have none to celebrate its glory , and return the tribute of worship and admiration to their creator ; but that it might at least by such free creatures ( which in this behalf , it hath enabled and made after its own image above others ) be owned in their understandings to be of all things , the beginning , middle ( or preserver ) and last end , and by their wills might be above all created things , adored , loved and desired ; that so such free creatures by becoming like to the infinite being in purity , justice , charity , holyness , &c. should always tend thereunto , and at length obtain , and everlastingly enjoy the same . and here we may behold the basis of those two grand pillars of the world , reward and punishment ; for these free creatures being made capable of discerning truth from falshood , and what is just and righteous , from that which is unjust ; and thereby of knowing their own excellency , and consequently their greater obligations above all other finite beings ; therefore by decree of infinite providence , just things are by them either to be done , or suffered , so that if they follow not the one voluntarily , they fall into the other necessarily . theorem . xxxvii . there is some certain ultimate ( or last ) end of all finite beings . for every finite being is produced by infinite being , theorem 32. and therefore is ordained for some end by such infinite being , theorem 36. now this end is either the ultimare end , and so our theorem is granted , or only a mean to some ultimate end ; and if there be such an ultimate end , our theorem is granted , if there be not , then such other end could not be a mean thereunto , against the hypothesis ; therefore there must necessarily be some certain last end of all the several finite beings , in which every finite being attains the complement of its perfection , according to its nature . theorem . xxxviii . infinite being is the ultimate , or last end of all finite beings . for otherwise there would be a progress in ends infinitely , whereby a finite being would never attain that end intended by infinite being in its production , and so it would be ordained thereunto by infinite wisdom to no purpose ; or else there must some finite being be assigned , which was made by infinite being for no other end , than that it might be the end of all other finite beings , theorem the 37th . and so such other finite beings would likewise be the last end of that , and they would mutually be causes to one another in the same kind which all philosophers confess cannot be . besides , the ultimate end is always extreamly desired by those things which tend thereunto , because it satisfies them , and having obtained the same , they rest ; but if no finite being can so much as satisfy it self , but stands in need continually to be produced and conserved , least it should sink into nothing and cease to be ; theorem the 30th . much less can it satisfy any other finite being , especially mans appetite which can never be satiated with any thing finite ; so that we may safely conclude no finite being can be the last end either to its self , or another . once more since a rational creatures is obliged which its whole understanding and entire will to tend to that last end for which it is ordained , therefore if the same shall be any thing besides infinite being , it will be bound to turn it self from that infinite being , which as we said before , made such rational creatures , meerly that by them through understanding and will he might be known and loved ; nothing therefore but infinite being can be imagined tg the last end of all finite beings , and which at last possest by every thing tending thereunto according to its proper nature ; and that immediately through the understanding , and will , or knowledge , and love by rational creatures , and through them by other things mediately . now this infinite , only one , most simple , immutable , independent , eternal being ; the creator , preserver , most provident governour , and ultimate end of the world , and all things therein , is by the unanimous consent of all nations called god , who is infinite goodness , infinite wisdom , infinite love , infinite justice , infinite , and whatever else is becomingly attributed to him ; to whom every creature for its being , power of acting , and preservation received , whether immediately or by secondary causes , doth owe it self , and its being , it power of acting , and all its operations , since the causer , original , and maker of a thing , must needs have a property in it ; nor can he be disseised of his right to a thing , that caused it first to be . but above all , every rational creature ought wholly to devote and consecrate to this omnipotent and ineffable being , the sole and intire use of its understanding , and its will ; since so to do , is both their duty , and their chief perfection and supream happiness ; which consists in knowing and loving him , to whose most sacred and infinite majesty , be thanksgiving , praise , honour , power , and all glory , for ever and ever . amen . theorem . xxxix . god in acting is not bound to the laws of nature , but by his power , infinitely excells natures power . the first part is proved thus , the laws of nature are , that it can make nothing out of nothing , nor any thing out of every thing , axiom 21. but only something out of something , meet and idoneous for that purpose ; but god makes and does whatever he pleases , theorem the 29th . and that out of nothing , theorem 35. therefore much more out of any thing ; since there is a greater power shewn in producing a thing out of nothing at all , than in making it out of some other thing . the second part is thus evinced , as a thing is in its being , so is it in its power , axiom the 9th . but god is infinite being , theorem 38. and therefore his power is infinite . but nature is a finite being , definition the 12th . and so its power finite also , axiom the 10th . therefore the strength or power of god doth infinitely excel that of nature , theorem the 13th . now those wretched votaries of hell , the positive and dogmatical atheists , who with a brazen impudence and imparrallell'd ingratitude , disown their creator , by denying that there is a god ; do yet generally admit of nature , and confess it took its being from none , and therefore are forced to confess that it is of it self , axiom the 6th . and so that it is infinite , theorem 19th . and by consequence omnipotent , theorem 9. but this is absurd and against experience ; for we daily see that nature is very strictly subject to rules and laws , so that it is not able to beget any thing out of every thing , but only out of its proper seeds ; as wheat from wheat , a wolf from a wolf , &c. since nature therefore is subject to laws , who is the law-giver ? if she be a subject , who is the lord ? certainly he who is truly omnipotent , and did first impose these bounds , and circumscribe her power in these lymits ; to wit , god the infinite creator of finite nature . theorem . xl. god can do whatever doth not imply a contradiction . for god can do whatever is possible , otherwise he were not omnipotent , but whatever implies not a contradiction is in it self possible ; therefore god can do whatever implies not a contradiction . the conclusion . thus far humane understanding is able to dart its proper beams , what remains requires some more excellent opticks , and can only be discovered by the assistance of faiths celestial tube ; yet though our reason , or that meer natural light god hath planted in our souls , be not able of it self to fathom those adorable depths and sacred mysteries of the trinity , hypostatical union , resurrection , and other verities of the christian creed , yet in some measure , it prepares for the entertainment of the same , and when they are revealed by god , and declared by his ministers , it enforces our consent to them by its proper light , since thereby it knows , first , that god cannot lye ; and secondly , that god in acting as well within as without himself , is not bound by the laws of nature , theorem 39. and therefore able to do whatever implies not a contradiction , but in the premises and whole body of our religion , no contradiction offers it self ; and therefore the soul lead on by a divine faith , and supported by right reason , embraces these sacred truths when proposed , and yields an unfeigned and undoubting consent and obedience thereunto . in brief , the belief of this proposition , that there is one supream , eternal , independent being , infinite in wisdom , power , and goodness , and maker , governour , preserver , and ultimate end of the world and all creatures therein , viz. god , is the first step to religion , and so asserted by the author of the epistle to the hebrews , he that comes to god must believe that he is ; where by coming to god , according to the mode of expression ordinary with the hebrews is meant , worshiping him , to which none or can address themselves , without believing that he is ; so that a firm assent to the existence of a deity necessarily precedes all adoration of , and obedience to him . for the more ready disposing persons unto which ( especially such as have been seduced of satan to entertain mean thoughts of those sacred oracles wherein god hath more fully and expresly declared himself and his will ) 't is hoped the premised demonstrations may prove in some measure conducive ; since 't is certain that this proleptical principle of the being of a god implanted in mans nature , with the deductions which do immediately flow , and may necessarily be inferr'd from thence , is the original of all natural religion , and the foundation of all that virtue and veneration which we admire in the pagan world ; to this idaea engraven in their souls , were those gallant hero ' s , socrates , plato , tully , seneca , epictetus , and other heathen worthies , endebted for the seminal principles of all that solid honesty and piety , which sparkled with so much lustre in their lives and discourses , that a serious reflection thereon , cannot but summon up blushes on the guilty cheeks of most pretended christians , to see themselves ( to whom the sun of righteousness vouchsafes to appear in a gospel meridian ) surpast in real goodness by those who had only natures glimmering light for their conduct . an appendix concerning the most proper method of preaching to pagans and infidels . the mention of pagans in the close of the precedent discourse , invites us on this opportunity to offer a few things , touching the most effectual course of dealing with them , in order to their conviction and conversion to christianity . that the gospel , viz. the glad-tidings of mans reconciliation to to god through a crucified jesus shall one day be proclaimed in every land , even to the extremest corners of the habitable world , and amongst the most savage and barbarous of adams off-spring is part of our belief , warranted by authority no less then infallible ; and certainly 't is very strange and very sad to consider , that too many , who appear so passionately zealous about what they apprehend , concerns the honour of god in the skirts of religion , and little adiapherous circumstances , should yet unconcernedly behold near three parts of the known world lie chain'd up by the prince of darkness in a stone-blind paganisme , or what is equally wretched , a filthy obscure mahumatisme , without contributing ought but a lazy insignificant vtinam to their relief . do we not much too much busie our selves about mint and cummin , and too little regard the weightier matters , when we so fiercely reincounter each other to the wounding of charity , and banishing peace and brotherly love out of our streets for a few darling opinions , in themselvs no less indifferent , than to us uncertain ; and yet in the mean time seem not at all affected with their deplorable condition , who scarce ever heard of a redeemer . have we not the highest obligations in the world upon us , to be thankfull to that mercifull hand of providence , that hath ordered our lott so graciously , and fixt our habitations in those regions where christianity is universally profest ? and can we any way more illustriously evidence our gratitude in this behalf , than by endeavouring with the pious samaritan lepers to make others sharers in the happiness we enjoy . 't would certainly be more glorious , if these great and fervent spirits would turn the bright flames of their zeal to the burning down ethnick temples , rather than to the wasting and unsettling christian churches , and strive more to enlarge the tents of them in the borders of japhet , than to promote unseasonable divisions in reuben , which must cost each truly pious christian so many sad thoughts of heart . in the primative days , the promulgers of the gospel went out supernaturally furnisht with the gift of tongues , and enabled to seal the truth of their doctrine as well with working of miracles , as laying down their lives , and by performing such actions as could not but be acknowledged the effects of a divine assistance , did ( as it were ) enforce the gentiles belief ; but now those extraordinary gifts being generally ceased , there seems a greater need of improving natural parts to the best advantage , and pursuing the most rational method of instruction , which seems to be first , to cast out the strong man armed , to shew the vanity of their present apprehensions , taking them off from their worshipping idols or devils , by shew-them , that it is no lesse ridiculous then wicked and detestable . secondly , to lead them by the most sutable perswasives and demonstrations to the knowledge of one true god , creator and governour of the whole world and all things therein ; and that he is most good , most wise , most blessed , eternal , immutable , &c. and that if he were not al this , he would want to be so , and so could not be god ; for who in his witts would admit an indigent god into his creed , since all want is imperfection and misery . thirdly , after their minds are hereby settled in this great principle , the existence of a deity , they are next to be informed concerning their own nature , in what condition man was originally created , and how he fell by satans temptation from that glorious state , which may easily be evinced ; for since all other creatures keep in the same natural order ordained for them from the beginning ; how shall we imagine that mans nature ( the noblest part of the creation , and for whose sake the rest seem chiefly made ) should so prodigiously be depraved , and become worse than brutish , raging in quarrels , rapines and cruelties against itself , and abnoxious to ignorance , inconstancy , sloth , diseases , death , and a thousand miseries which would accuse infinite wisdome of an errour , unlesse we believe that man first created upright , and endued with free will , did by transgression forfeit all his happy priviledges , and so became liable to all these evills as just punishments for such his sin . fourthly , hence it follows , that man having offended against an infinite god , there was no appeasing divine justice without an infinite satisfaction ; this only , the son of god could make , whose love to miserable humanity causes him to quit his mansions of glory , to take on him our nature , and by his death to open to us the gates of life and immortality : and here may be unfolded the whole mystery of our blessed saviours incarnation , the purity of his life , grievousness of his crucifiction , certainty of his resurrection , and glorious ascention , &c. fifthly , adde to all this the excellency of the doctrine , shewing , that there is nothing required in the whole christian profession , but what is highly reasonable in it self , and mainly conducive to the accomplishing and ennobling humane nature : not a few rigid persons are apt to draw our religion ( the greatest beauty in the world ) in too sad a habit , with a frowning countenance and sower looks , more ready to frighten than invite raw proselites to a more intimate converse . the persons that undertake this glorious work of propagating the gospel ( which is attended with the plaudites of angels , and prayers of all good men ) ought to be fitted for the same in respect of mission and abilites . 't is no sleight nor trivial affair attempted out of wantonnesse , vanity , or vain-glory ; they are gods ambassadors , and should see they have his commission and warrant , without whom paul plants , and apollo waters , but all in vain . a lively vigorous faith is required to set forth the word with power and authority , and carry them through all dangers , hazards and difficulties that may occur ; they ought also to be very expert in the language of those persons they design to instruct , that they may readily in clear intelligible terms distill their discourses into their souls . thus our blessed lord , though he chose his apostles fishermen , and ordinary mechanicks ( lest vain men should suspect his holy doctrine for the contrivement of some great worldly wits or plot of subtle self-interested politicians ; ) yet before he sent them abroad into the nations , he made them the best linguists in the world ; above all , sweetnesses of nature , and holynesse of life are necessary . this is a continual sermon , and convinces more than all the charms of the most accomplisht orator . how odious did coveteousnesse and cruelty render the very name of christianity to the poor americans , shew us thy faith by thy works is every mans propsal . can we imagine they design any other but to put a cheat on us , who tell us of crowns , and glory , and everlasting happiness in the other world which we can only a spire to by purity and mortification , self-denial , &c. in this ; and yet themselves practice things quite contrary to all these they so eagerly recommend . these stumbling-blocks which cause the name of the lord to be lasphemed amongst the gentiles ought to be removed ; and these fishers of men must approve themselves lights in conversation as well as doctrine ; that so god may be glorified , the souls of their hearers saved , and themselves enjoy that glorious promise made to such as turn many to righteousnesse ; of shining like stars in the firmament for ever and ever . finis . the origine of atheism in the popish and protestant churches shew'n by dorotheus sicurus, 1648 ; made into english, and a preface added by e.b., esquire. origo atheismi in pontificia et evangelica ecclesia. english crenius, thomas, 1648-1728. 1684 approx. 71 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2007-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a60211 wing s3756 estc r6868 12088163 ocm 12088163 53796 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a60211) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 53796) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 823:24) the origine of atheism in the popish and protestant churches shew'n by dorotheus sicurus, 1648 ; made into english, and a preface added by e.b., esquire. origo atheismi in pontificia et evangelica ecclesia. english crenius, thomas, 1648-1728. e. b., esquire. [14], 25 p. printed for walter kettilby ..., london : 1684. reproduction of original in huntington library. on caption title page: "translated out of latin." created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -early works to 1800. 2006-08 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-09 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2006-10 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2006-10 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the origine of atheism in the popish and protestant churches , shew'n by dorothevs sicvrvs , 1684. made english , and a preface added by e. b. esquire . london , printed for walter kettilby , at the bishops-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1684. the translator to the reader . the author of this small piece is altogether unknown to me , and as to the name i suppose it is a made one ; because neither the place where it is printed is expressed , nor the printers name . i conjecture the author of it to be a calvinist , by reason of his great kindness for that religion , as appears in his title page , and throughout the book , calling it every where the evangelical religion . besides , in the beginning of the third section he falls very sharply upon the lutherans and arminians , as if none had been guilty of the crimes there charged but they . but be this as it will , i am much better assured the book was printed beyond the seas and imported into england , both by the paper , print , and person of whom i had it . i have taken the pains to turn it as well as i can into english , because i conceive it may be useful to some of my countrey men who cannot read it in the original ; and if i should happen to be mistaken , the wonder will not be great . and yet i cannot forbear taking a little more pains with it before i know what shall be the event of that which i have already undergone , because i conceive there may be many other causes of the encrease of the abominable and comprehensive sin of atheism besides those my author hath mentioned . it has been observed by many learned men who have reflected on the tempers of the several ages of the world , that the more ignorant times have been strongly prone to superstition ; whence , i suppose , was taken that common proverb , that ignorance is the mother of devotion . there being no people so seemingly devout as the superstitious . it would make a man amazed to see what ridiculous things our ancestors believed in the dark times of popery here in england . no man can read the story of the monk of evesham which fills three whole leaves in matth. paris , wherein is a very exact account of all the pains and places of purgatory . or that in gulielmus newbrigensis concerning the two green children that were found at wolpet in suffolk , and came out of st. martins land , where the sun never shines , and where they never see any greater light than that of a twilight , &c. i say , no man can read these passages in men of that great capacity that they were of in comparison of others who lived in the same times , but he must admire the credulity and ignorance of those ages : and if the great men and scholars could swallow such things , we may from thence conjecture how large the faith and belief of the meaner people was . on the other side , the age of augustus ( in which times our saviour took upon him our nature ) were , as learned , polite and flourishing times as ever hapned since the creation of the world ; but then they were the most corrupt too in point of manners , and the most atheistical in point of belief . that they were learned will appear to any man that shall read the works of cicero , livy , virgil , horace , josephus , &c. and we may be assured that all the more antient greek and latin books which are since lost , were all then extant , and how much the romans in that age envied the grecians the reputation of learning will thence appear too , tho' as ammianus marcellinus acquaints us about three centuries after they became wholly careless of books and learned men , bibliothecis in sepulchrorum ritu in perpetuum clausis , their libraries being like sepulchres shut up never to be opened more . and a little higher . pro philosopho cantor ; & in locum oratoris doctor artium ludicrarum accitur , they entertained instead of a philosopher a singing man , and instead of an orator a teacher of ludicrous arts ; but that it was not so in the times i mention , is apparent from the great number of excellent books that were then written . but then the same books will sufficiently acquaint us with the vniversal corruption of manners that then raged throughout the whole world ; and god be praised , tho' our times seem to be equal in learning , they are not yet so bad as those were , in point of morality . nor did atheism and her sister hypocrisie rage less in that age than debauchery . the philosophy that was then in vogue was the epicurean , of which sect most of the great men of rome in those times were , as the sect of the sadduces prevailed upon the great men of the jewish nation at the same time which was not much better than the epicurean philosophy being but a sort of disguised atheism . nor was the covetous , ambitious , insolent and factious hypocrisie of the pharisees , less odious to god , and mischievous to all true religion , than the contrary sin of atheism ; as appears by our saviours conjoyning them always in his severe reprehensions and threats : and i doubt not but much of the impiety of that age sprung from mens observing the vanity of these outside pretenders to piety , and that in meer abhorrence of their villanies many run into the other extream . because it may seem a little strange to most men that these two effects should spring from such unlikely causes , i will presume to offer something as the causes of them , tho' i shall perhaps please no body but my self by the attempt . as to the first , ignorance alone never produced any devotion in any man. but because in every age god has exerted and manifested his power and providence ; those times that had least natural philosophy in them have attributed to him not only all those great things which he in reality did to demonstrate his power and care of men , but all those works of nature too which they could not understand , such as eclipses and the like : by which means men became so credulous that they easily believed any thing that was told them for want of ability to discern truth from falsehood , and others that were more crafty did work upon this temper and drive on the cheat for their own advantage , still more and more deluding the superstitious and fearful , that they might increase their own wealth and power by their needless superstition and foolish fear . but on the other side in those times in which natural philosophy hath flourished , men being by that enabled to search into the natural and second causes of things , have many times from their discoveries concluded , that there was no god , but that all things succeeded in a regular and natural course ; and if there happened some things which they could give no account of , they either disbelieved them , or thought there was a natural cause tho' they could not for the present find it out . again , the strange , and to men unsearchable order of the divine providence in the government of the world , has to learned men and ages , been very productive of atheism ; it is observed by lactantius that the prosperity of the wicked , and the misery and affliction of the good and virtuous was the thing that gave epicurus the first hint of setting up his atheistick philosophy . to which if we please to add the pride of men who would be thought to understand every thing , to have no dependance , no not upon god himself ; and to be under no restraint or aw : it will somewhat mitigate the wonder . st. paul observeth that knowledge puffeth up . and there is nothing so certain as that the most learned and prosperous times which have ever gone together have been the most proud and insolent , and forgetful of god and all goodness , despising all religion and vertue ; whereas on the contrary , times of great afflictions , wars , famines , plagues , and the like , teach men their imbecillity , make them humble , and shew them how miserable and helpless they are without a god to protect and provide for them ; and i do truely believe that more of the atheism of this and all former ages have sprung from the pride and security of men who thought they stood in need of no god , by reason of their wealth and greatness , than from any other cause whatsoever . prosperity is not only the cause of pride but of sensuality and of all other sorts of debauchery ; men that have wealth at their command , and leisure and liberty to imploy it as they please , do too often make a very bad use of it , and when they have multiplied their sins against heaven till they can scarce hope for mercy from that infinite goodness that dwells there , and debauched and corrupted their natures , that they have but little more of a man than the shape and speech left , they then begin to think it their interest that there should be no god to punish them : and so endeavour to perswade themselves and others that indeed there is none . and i am perswaded , god in his justice gives up many of them to a mind void of judgment , so that they become uncurable to all but god ; and that they are almost as miserable as the damned . to all this give me leave to add one cause more that seems almost peculiar to our times , the factions and divisions in religion , and the fierce disputes , and fearful wars and devastations that have happened thereupon in christendom , within little more than a century of years . those men that are not very fond of religion being in these disputes and quarrels a kind of lookers on , have remarked both the great mistakes and foul play of these contenders , and have sometimes been able to satisfie themselves that both sides were in the wrong , and have much oftner suspected they might be so , and have from thence drawn one general conclusion , that perhaps all this bustle was about a thing that had no real being in the world . and of those that have been engaged in parties in these horrible broils , i doubt not but when they have seen things fall out quite contrary to their expectation , tho' some have thereby been weaned from the world , and from thence have inferred how vain it was to put their trust in man or any thing else on this side the grave : yet others have turn'd atheists , and called in question both that god and providence that governs the world , because things did not go just as they expected they should . the very difficulty of chusing the true religion , amidst the various and contrary pretences , hath made others turn mere atheists to save themselves the trouble of examining their several pretences . the very weariness and dissatisfaction that others have met with in frequent changing their religion have reduced them at last to a perfect indifference for all , and some have taken sanctuary in down-right infidelity and atheism . the abominable hypocrisie of the late times when all the villanies that men could be guilty of , were ushered in by fasts and sermon upon sermon from morning till midnight with a prodigious zeal , and no less apparent knavery and interest at the bottom , have had a very ill effect upon others , and made them conclude against all religion for the sakes of these wicked pretenders to it . the horrid perjuries and abominable deceptions which have of later years been practised by our pretended godly men , have had their share too in this mischief . when there have at any time happened differences in religion , they have not only excited men to use the utmost of their reasons and learning against each other , but passion and wit too have found their admission , and the bitter sarcasms , biting jeers , and sharp scoffs that they have made use of each against other , have by degrees made all religion cheap and contemptible , and exposed both the parties to the scorn of their common enemy , and especially of atheists . a man that shall reflect seriously on all this , will hardly wonder that there should be so much atheism and impiety as there is , but rather that there is any thing else to be found amongst us ; and certainly if the notion and sense of a god were not woven into the nature of mankind , and engraven so deep in his mind , that it is utterly impossible totally to deface it : and lastly , if god himself had not interested himself for the preservation of religion , it would , it must have been long ere this time totally extirpated . religion and civil government do mutually support each other , he that has no religion , deserves no faith nor trust , he that does not fear god truely , will never honour his king heartily , nor serve him stoutly and faithfully . it has not been much regarded perhaps , but there is nothing so certain , as that a ranting , debauched , godless gallant is the worst of subjects ; if it were possible he could be faithful ( which when it shall become his interest to be otherwise , is not to be expected ) yet his crimes are infectious , and he carries gods curse where ever he goes . i grant he that will rebel against his prince for conscience-sake is a dangerous subject , but then he that pretends to be faithful and loyal without it , is no better . now this is another ill effect of our divisions , that whilst some are seduced by ill principles into disobedience to our laws , and hatred of the government ; others have taken the liberty to vent another sort of principles that are destructive of humane society , virtue and all government both civil and ecclesiastical ; so that betwixt them both we are fitted for ruine . now both these insufferable mischiefs have been spread and propagated by the liberty of the press , which hath midwiv'd into the world a number of atheistical debauched books as well as factious and disloyal pieces ; and the former of these are as destructive to government as they are to religion and good manners , without which no government can subsist long . and now to apply all this to my purpose , i say , the worst thing that can betide a man on this side hell , is to be given up by god to vile and base affections , and that which the apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the hatred of god , which is the forerunner of atheism , is the worst and basest , the most devilish affection that can take possession of a man , but yet is too frequently the effect of debauchery , schism , inconstancy and neglect of the service of god , and therefore it is the interest of all those that have any spark of goodness or virtue left , to desert the paths that lead to this precipice , to abhor all that company that may lead them insensibly into this gulf of eternal ruine , and destroy all their reputations and temporal happiness into the bargain . 2. that it is the interest of all that are exalted to any places of power and profit , that have any share in the government to be as tender of religion as of the apple of their eye ; to discountenance debauchery and immorality , and especially atheism , blasphemy , perjury , common swearing , &c. to the utmost of their powers , and however never to employ or trust men of infamous lives or wicked principles . 3. that it is the interest of all men to endeavour to put an end to our factions in religion by all the lawful means that can be thought of . 4. seeing all these miseries i have expressed have sprung from the abuse of liberty and want of the execution of good laws , and that we see whither a licentious freedom will at last lead us , let us heartily submit to the necessary restraints of discipline and government and dread no slavery like that of being the bondmen of lust , and the drudges of the devil . and as to our dissenters , i desire they would seriously consider the state of the churches beyond the seas , of which this author hath given so exact an account , and then reflect upon the little good they have got or done by all their oppositions to that religion which god by his providence has established amongst us , how many horrid sins they have been guilty of under the mask of religion , and perhaps more out of ignorant zeal than intentional wickedness : and lastly , how deeply they are concern'd in the guilt of all the debauchery and atheism of the present age , by weakening the force and abating the reverence that is due , and in all probability would otherwise have been paid to our civil and ecclesiastical governours . and because the very root of all our divisions is a quarrel about our ceremonies , i desire , they would reflect seriously upon the last section of this discourse , and if they cannot be satisfied with the proceedings of their superiours , yet at least to abate somewhat of their hitherto inflexible stubbornness . and because the sence of foreigners is like to be more prevalent with them , than that of english men who are suspected to be interested , i will give them for a conclusion the sense of a learned french protestant in the same case . the person i mention is the author of the history of calvinism and popery in parallel , or , an apology for the reformers and reformation written against m ur maimbourg's history of calvinism , part . 1. chap. 20. it is fit to be known in the first place that we , ( saith he ) would not enter into a schism with a church , nor make any great controversie for a small number of ceremonies : which being of no great use , do yet do no great injury to religion ; and for this cause we cannot but be concerned to see a number of good and devout people beyond the seas , out of an excessive zeal for the simplicity of worship , divorce themselves from the religion established by the prince and state , because of a few ceremonies of small importance , the use of which they will not endure . schism is the greatest of all evils ; and if it were true that these ceremonies did some harm ; yet they can never do so much mischief as the scandal of separation and division do . but yet after all this , i believe these ceremonies are innocent , and that these men are very imprudently offended at them . this gentleman is no friend to ceremonies as appears by this , and in what follows is very importunate with our governours to lay them aside in favour of the dissenters ; and yet he cannot but call the separation made on that account a schism , and an imprudent and scandalous one too , and pronounce our ceremonies innocent , which is enough to condemn our dissenters , and make them liable to answer to god and man for all the misery , sin and bloudshed that have already hapned in this quarrel or shall hereafter happen . and if the little religion that is left in the world do with so much difficulty maintain it self against the atheism that grows upon the age , now that the established religion is defended by laws , made venerable by a few innocent ceremonies , and the countenance of our king and government ; i leave it to all men to judge what would follow upon the breaking down our fences , and exposing it naked and without authority to all that please to put a helping hand to the pulling it down . the origine of atheism both in the popish and reformed churches , shew'n by dorothevs sicvrvs . translated out of latin. he that shall compare the present times with those that are past , shall hardly fall upon an age of more solid learning , excellent discourse , or ingenuous arts , than the present . but then alas we find by experience , that there was never any thing so great but it left room for its own ruine : for by how much the more , learning and arts have spread themselves , into so much the narrower bounds is piety contracted ; so that while the number of learned men increaseth , that of the pious is daily diminished . not only the jesuits , but the members of the other orders , though despised by the former in comparison of themselves , do abundantly shew that the church of rome is replenished with many learned men . hence many have admired how it should come to pass that this religion which is composed with so strict , superstitious , and artificial a respect to the well-being and polity of the pope and jesuits should not only abound with atheists , but even seem to be the source of atheism it self . those famous men , the elegant theophilus spizelius , the religious anthonius reiserus , the once most reverend joannes mullerus , the zealous gisbertus voetius , the learned josua arndius , though they have otherwise at large discoursed of atheism , yet they do not touch this business . but to him that rightly considers it , the thing will not be obscure : for italy where the seat of the popedom is , produceth sublime and active wits , who when they grow up , accustom themselves to humane learning , history , criticks , politicks , and those other studies which belong to publick affairs and the secrets of state , who in the mean time despise the studies of piety , scripture and divinity as mean and easie things which will contribute very little to their reputations in the world . and altho' petrus bembus is long since dead , yet there is still some or other of the number of the holy cardinals and bishops who can suggest seasonably to a young divine , intent upon the bible , that those trifles do not become a grave man. so that these are only divines in name , while they pursue the aforesaid sorts of learning , or any other rather than theology ; esteeming it fitter for men of small capacity , and their curates , than for men of those elevated parts they are of . the jesuits whose supreme law is their interest , do here dexterously lead their followers ; for being weary of divinity and in our times very ignorant and unexpert in it , they are very anxious and careful in the cultivating the arts of administring publick affairs to their own ends ; raising and fomenting wars , searching into the secrets of state , deceiving the minds of princes , in finding out curious things , and such as may best serve to divert the court ladies , and in conveying gun-powder with a godly simplicity under kings ; and in other such like mysteries proper to this most useful sort of men . they will not like their predecessors be troublesome to printers in the publishing commentaries and discourses on the bible , they have their pererius , bonfrerius , cornelius alapide , jansenius , lorinus , estius , justinianus , masius , sanctius , pintus and tirinus , and those that take pleasure in them , may make use of them , and they who having nothing else to do , may write more . the present life needs other studies , jeremias drexelius and carolus scrivanius have written enough for devotion : now let the italians help the italians , the books of nicolas machiavel , and the discourses of trajanus boccalini on parnassus are to be now imployed . the present pope sets a good example to the universal church ; who that he may seasonably and prudently curb the forces of the great turk which hang as a cloud over italy , the seat of the popedom , spares neither councel , labour , nor charge , that not only vienna may be delivered , but also that the wars may be continued against the turks by the emperour and his confederates , and not be hindred by the french king. but then how the great men , kings and princes should be induced and persuaded to the true knowledge of jesus christ , and the study of piety and good works , and diverted from adulteries , the too great oppression of their subjects , from coveting that which is not their own , from rash and unjust wars ; these belong to others , and not to the pope , though he be reputed the supreme bishop . the popedom is now upheld by arms , and all other things are trifles . i grant the church of rome hath not had a better or wiser pope than the present is , in this last age. but then all that love the christian religion and christ , cannot digest this ; that he so carelesly connives ( that i may represent it smoothly ) at the manifest and apparent sins which strike the eyes of the whole world , of his most christian , most catholick kings , and the protectors of the faith , and yet this good pope , if compared with others , does not once frown , but clearly dissembles at all things , lest he should lose his authority , his revenews , and his very kingdom ; which is not obscurely aimed at by some body . i know not whether it be the part of a wise man to retain the antiquated custom of sending consecrated clouts and blankets , with the great peril of his reputation , and in the mean time be too prodigal and careless of the episcopal correption and admonition to the performance of our duties , the amendment of our neighbours , and lastly of all those things which tend to the good of some whole kingdoms some esteem the dela●●… of this pope in the conferring the cardinals hats , and other ecclesiastical promotions as a principal part of his wisdom ; nor do i deny that there is in this a secret which i can easily conjecture the cause of : but to dispose of them at the will and recommendation of the lord protector of the faith ( which new title is now on the anvil at rome , perhaps without the consent of the king of poland ) the duke of lorrain , and the count of starenburg , may seem to the wiser part of mankind too too profane and remote from the divine and apostolical prudence . alas whither does the pope fall ! how barefaced does atheism approach this man ! these great men have excellently plaid their parts against the common enemy , and done that which becomes such persons , and therefore the pope is bound to prefer their clients , and those they recommend , in the most holy church redeemed with the very blood and torments of jesus christ ? that so the body and spouse of christ may pay that debt which the king of italy owes to these noble men for preventing the dangers which threatned his kingdom . but thus our lords the popes do always proceed where they dispose of ecclesiastical preferments according to the pleasure of great men , whatever becomes of the edification and salvation of the church and its members . ii. the youth of that religion in the mean time being seasoned with these studies and examples ( if they have any , and have not forgot and lost all in the camp , ) is imployed as occasion serves in those offices which become void , and pursues the same course of life ; for the church and church affairs are either committed to some curate , who is for the most part very ignorant , or are managed by these men so carelesly and negligently that they seem to mind nothing less . they are wholly taken up with the sublime speculations of the mathematicks , criticks , the secrets of polity , the rights of majesty , &c. but they have either never tasted at all , or lapt like the dogs in the nile , the institutions and compendiums of divinity , the methods of doctrine , and the expressions and phrases of the bible and approved classick authors ; in the interim they are unconcern'd for the truth of the religion of their forefathers , and never attain the knowledge of the roman catechism , in the course of their whole lives ; being oppressed with a multitude of beautiful books , which tend more to their reputation and advantage , and the burthen of other affairs . i have seen many libraries where the catechism was not to be found . and from thence it proceeds that it is so scarce amongst them that i could not without much difficulty get a copy of it for my own use . and thus they live from time to time till some calamity , temptation or disease awake them , and separate them a little from those vain tho' sublime studies , and then in their distresses they seek solid comforts , correspondent to their great wits . for as for the mass , the invocation of saints and angels , purgatory , the infallibility of the pope of rome , and the rest of those whimsies they keep them in view , but like learned men despise and scorn them , as not built upon so much as a rational foundation : for without doubt he must be rather an ass than a learned man , that should from his heart believe these fooleries . they either have not the works of the reformed divines , or the pope and inquisition will not suffer them to read them . for they so severely prohibit the reading of them especially in italy and spain , that they will not suffer their own answers of our books to be publickly sold , lest men should detect the weakness and falshood of their superstition , from the opposite arguments and their frivolous replies ; tho' all our arguments , according to the custom of these men , are represented with the utmost disadvantage , being mutilated , lamed , feigned and falsified ; which was observed long since by a learned man edwin sands . these men , i say , being overtaken by temptations , examining the whole frame of the popish religion , as such , with their acquired and experienced judgment , find at last , that it is nothing but a pack of meer frauds , introduced of purpose to delude the silly rabble , preserve the majesty of the pope , and uphold the monasteries , and in them especially the idle , lazy jesuites and monks . which things being thus dissected , and survey'd with great care , the summ is easily cast up , and is no more than this , all religion is a meer cheat , all seek their own advantage , some directly , others obliquely , what if at last in truth , there is no god ? for i am fully convinced , that no man of good learning and sense , ever entered the roman church for the sake of religion , and the quieting of his conscience without any other bye-ends : for the chiefest parts of popery are so contrary not only to the scriptures , but to common sence almost , that they are forced to patch up a parcel of fables and traditions of all sorts to recommend them to the most rude and ignorant part of the people , which yet they will scarce allow to be true ; from whence it comes to pass , that they can neither understand nor teach any thing of more certainty than these false principles , which yet is absolutely necessary here , when the salvation of the soul is under consideration , and the business is to be transacted with the most perfect rhetorician , that is , with our own conscience , where there is need of the most certain maxims to enable us to resist the devil , when sin or our own conscience of it tempts us . for in matters of faith , we cannot effectually make use of any other testimonies than those of the scripture , nor can any invented reasons be brought , which the animal man shall not find to be such , except those of god. therefore the scripture , because it only is certain , doth most instruct and confirm the conscience . if any thing besides this is feigned , because it is uncertain , it cannot secure and quiet the conscience . and thus far for the present of the popish religion . iii. i come now to the protestant churches , and here if they who call themselves the reformed lutherans and arminians , did as much abhor and detest the thing , as they do the name and profession of epicures and sadduces , they would be no less careful of abstaining from vice , and industrious in the exercise of virtue and piety ; than they are now obstinately engaged in the wickedness and debauchery , and an impious course of life . nor would they be less careful of keeping of commandments of the best and greatest god ; than they are now fearless of the deity . but to speak the truth , almost all of us do rather fear the envy , and detest the name , than bear any aversion in our minds for the thing , which would otherwise be testified by our lives , actions , and manners . for what shall i say ? as i live , and as i desire christ should shew me mercy , i am ashamed and grieved to speak how we live . can they believe the immortality of the soul , who live little better than beasts ? or can they be throughly perswaded that there is a reward laid up in heaven for the righteous , a punishment appointed in hell for the wicked , who scarce fear to break the commandments of god in any thing ; as if they thought god were an empty and vain sound , and that their souls should perish with their bodies ? and altho' we should grant that there are some who fear god , and doubt not but he will assign rewards and inflict punishments according as every man has deserved , yet they are certainly very few , and scarce so many as the gates of thebes , and the mouths of the rich nile : and yet how much less is the number of those whom the dread of the divine justice can reclaim from wickedness and mischief , or perswade to amend their lives ? but what need is there of many words ? no man vigorously pursues heavenly things despising humane , no man is sensible of the anger of god against sin , no man changes his vices for virtue , no man cures his offences committed by the least acts of charity , no man is recalled from baseness by modesty , or from sin by the fear of god ; the lives of all are so polluted with great and abominable crimes , that i need say nothing of the less and almost daily faults ? iv. for altho' if we will judge rightly , luxury is the fault of every age , the over sumptuous expences in diet , the excessive magnificence of dinners and suppers , surfeits , revellings , whoredoms , adulteries , violence , injustice , neglect of good manners , and the like ; are charged , as seneca observes , by the men of all ages upon their own times , nor was there ever yet any generation of men without faults : and as the same philosopher goes on , of this our ancestors have complained , we do , and our children shall ; that the manners of men are totally subverted , villany reigns , and the affairs of mankind go on impairing and descending to all manner of crimes : yet to speak but the truth , in this age of ours , the liberty of committing any villany is encreased to a prodigious height : the neglect of all order and discipline , the pest and corruption of good manners , and whatever else of vice , impiety and turpitude can be conceived , have all of them so prevailed , that impiety and atheism do almost seem to have invaded the lives of men , and to have erected their kingdom in christendom ; and to conclude , there seems to be but little liberty allowed to laws , and the utmost that is possible to lust . i durst averr , that in this corrupted and debauched age , all sorts of wickedness have prevailed to that degree , that it is scarce possible to add any thing to it , nor does any improvement seem possible . for what sort of wickedness and villany is wanting , which if it were supposed to be thrown in , would make our times worse and wickeder in any part ? seeing we are come to this , that we cannot endure to be told of our vices , nor patiently bear the reproof that we have justly deserved , or if there be some few that can endure it , yet even there , according to the proverb , we do but sing and tell stories to the deaf . either i am deceived with the tragedian , or this is not the way to heaven . alas , alas , what is become of christian piety ? v. but omitting unprofitable complaints by which we shall gain nothing , or very little , having thought very often with my self , from whence this foolishness , and vast and boundless calamity could proceed , i resolved at last to inquire into the causes of it , and why we should go on so inconsiderately , negligently , and as it were , with our eyes shut , in a thing of that nature , that only our safety depends upon it ; but it may seem to be safety it self . for the causes of this mischief being once found out and published , it will not , ( as i conceive ) be difficult afterwards , to find out some remedies for this evil , which if they prevail not upon the obstinate , what hope is left i know not , and whether there is any or no , god only knows . vi. and in the first place , i conceive , the principal and chiefest cause of this , to proceed from the neglect of youth and schools : for in the first place , and before all other things , magistrates ought to take care that parents should educate their children well , and tincture them betimes with christian piety , the knowledge of jesus christ , and holy manners . and certainly it is very much the interest of all christian societies , that both the civil and ecclesiastical governours should take care that the youth be rightly and devoutly educated , both by their parents and school-masters and tutors in the university , because in this does almost the total safety of any community consist , and therefore they ought to be very diligent to see that these men do their duties in the religious instructing of their children , and in the improving their scholars and pupils by an excellent discipline . if this had been done or might yet be taken care of ; certainly , atheism and vice had never grown to that height they now are at , and without this , no laws will effectually prevail . for whereas laws punish villanies that are already committed , a good education prevents the perpetration of those crimes that may deserve a chastisement ; and whereas laws correct vices , education restrains them , from whence we may take our measures to observe how much greater efficacy is in good education , than in the best laws . that i may not add , that those who are ill brought up , do afterwards put off all fear and reverence of those laws that are made to punish crimes . and therefore this was always one of the first cares of prudent magistrates ; not what penalties they should inflict upon lewd and wicked men , but how they might prevent their subjects from doing ill things . and because they thought the most likely way to effect this , was to accustom their youth to live well and religiously from their infancy , and to see that their parents did institute and educate their children as they ought , they esteemed it no small part of their duty to take care of it . but how careless the dutch parents are of performing this duty , and how indulgent and remiss they are towards their off-spring , is known to every body . their children accustom themselves to delights and pleasures from their tenderest years , neither do they abstain from filthy and obscene discourse , or impious and blasphemous words against god. they wear silk and rich cloaths of various colours , military ornaments , ingraven breast-plates , foreign habits , and great sleeves : they do all things fiercely , confidently and impudently , and nothing with modesty and shamefacedness ; they revere not their parents : for here , to the amazement of all men , the children have acquired an absolute dominion over their parents , and are in possession of a liberty not to reverence the ancient , nor bear patiently with their equals ; and to conclude , they do not so much desire as in fact shew , that they can do what they list : they are neither deterred from evil by the reverence of men , nor fear of god , of which last they scarce ever heard : they take no notice of religion and piety , and less of virtue and honesty . and to what purpose are many words ? parents in our times do so corrupt their children by their own lewd examples , that they cannot correct them with any authority : for he that teacheth that in his own manners which he detesteth in his children , accuseth himself of his own crimes , whilst he chides them for theirs . with what face i beseech you , can a man blame his child which he hath corrupted by his ill example ? when yet notwithstanding a parent ought to speak nothing before his children , which is not fit to be spoken , nor to do any thing that is indecent or dishonest to be done : but should rather live so honestly and religiously , that his children may propound his way of living as a pattern to be imitated , and by his example , as in a glass , learn from their infancy what to pursue and what to avoid . let parents therefore remember that they are under a necessity of living well and honestly , and to take the utmost care that not the least footstep of disorder and turpitude may appear in their lives , that they may with the greater authority correct the manners of their children , lest those vices they reprehend in them , should be found in themselves , and so their reproofs lose their weight , and by their own defaults the authority of a parent should become vile and light with their own children . vii . and now when children are grown up and fit to be disposed of to masters , to be especially then accustomed to all right and honest actions ; and be instructed in piety , good manners , and learning : what then ? why i am both ashamed and unwilling to speak , but yet i will do it , rather because i must , than because i would ; and in the first place , there is hardly any schools to be found with us , but then how few good schools in curland , lithuania , livonia , swedeland , denmark , in the dukedom and marquisate of cleave , and in other countries professing the evangelical religion , god knows , i found in my travels ? yea , and how few of those which are to be found in holland , can bear the scrutiny of religious and pious men , who seek the welfare of that common-wealth , and of religion , without any respect of persons ; many besides my self can be my witnesses . without doubt our religion had made a greater progress , if we had taken care to found more schools . for , we can never ascribe the great barbarity and ignorance of the boors of livonia and curland , that i may not call it their atheism , to any other cause than the want of schools . and the devil and his instruments did not in any thing so much contradict the eminent lord john fisher , superintendent general of livonia , as in his introducing schools and catechising . and the lord spencer , and lord horly , have since experienced and perhaps do still experience the like diabolical stratagems , these excellent men being the greatest of all enemies to their kingdom . the jesuits have learned more wit at our charge , and our neglects have afforded them a very plentiful harvest . but that which is yet more wonderful in this business is this , that those in whose power it is to erect schools in the villages , altho' they have children of their own , which for want of orthodox masters they are forced to commit to the jesuits , and so run upon an apparent and visible mischief ; yet these , upon certain unknown private and domestick interests , hinder the effecting this most excellent and salutary counsel by all manner of ways , upon certain and frivolous pretences . i do very much fear that in the great day of judgment the famous and excellent virtues of the heathens will condemn our base avarice and improbity ; especially the charity of cimon towards the poor , and the honesty , justice and fidelity of the two cato's . viii . but even where there are schools , many masters ( for i speak not this of all ) do but prepare the way for atheism . for they for the most part that they may win the love of the children , and not offend the parents , treat their scholars too remissly and softly , and do as it were overmuch loosen the reins of discipline , neither restraining them from vice by chastisement , nor reducing them to virtue by good advice . the inquiry is not now , what a master should desire in his scholar , but the scholar would have in the master : they on the other side do not ground their scholars in christian piety , instruct them in the fear of god ; nor form them to modesty and the other virtues . they think they have mighty well and faithfully perform'd their parts ; if they have in some degree instructed them in learning and arts ; but as for the knowledge of piety , the sence of the catechism , the articles of faith , with their foundations in scripture , as no body inquires after these things , so no body delivers them , nor in truth can they ; the masters themselves being very ignorant of those holy things . i confess some begin and end with prayers , but with what fervour and devotion of mind it is not convenient to speak ▪ nor do they as they ought , shew themselves innocent and affable as parents , but remiss and dissolute as companions . and hence it comes to pass that the scholars despise their masters , and become fierce and insolent , loathing all that is good , and of an insufferable stubbornness . ix . i wish the ecclesiastical and civil governours could well consider the greatness of this affair , and in chusing school-masters would yield nothing to their affections , affinity , relations , domesticks , servants or maids , nothing to the recommendations or intreaties of their acquaintances , or even to mercy ; and certainly every body is not to be made a school-master , upon any bodies recommendation , seeing the common-wealth is so much concern'd and interested to have good and learned masters set up , who may inure the minds of children to piety towards god , humanity towards men , and adorn them with ingenuous manners and disciplines . x. and yet it is impossible to represent how careless men now adays are in this great concern . i remember in my travels , i visited a fine city belonging to one of the states of holland , where i knew a man who by the favour of the magistrates , was constituted chief practick physician of the place , and when his pension would not maintain him and his family , the magistrates as an addition to it , gave him the government of their school , though he was utterly incapable of it , and very ignorant of those things that might fit him for that imployment . i speak nothing of the book de religione medici , this is enough for a wise man. on the other side , the best and most learned school-masters , who are of approved lives , of commendable manners , and of a known diligence in teaching , scarce find any acceptance any where , the unlearned having so insinuated themselves in the friendship and acquaintance of the great men , and prevailed so far upon them , that they think none are so fit to undertake the care of teaching children as these , when they are not better fitted for it , than an ass is to be a musician . nor can they teach any thing that is worth one farthing : so great is their ignorance , and yet they have an excellent faculty of concealing it . who knows not of what force kindred , the marriage of a kinswoman , or maid servant if it so happen , is in the disposing of these preferments ? and when by reason of their ignorance and want of experience , they find themselves destitute of that authority which for the most part attends learning : to counterbalance the reputation of the other school-masters who are in some places numerous , they do not only loosen the reins of discipline , that they may by that means increase their schools , but promise marriages to some of the great men ; by which means they arrive at that reputation for learning and orthodoxy , that whereas before they were truly thought the most silly , wrangling heterodox fellows that could be , in a moment they become most learned , religious and conformable . so much is the man changed ! i will illustrate this by an example after the school-custom ; not long since two students were call'd successively out of the university of konigsberg to undertake the government of the school of one of the principal cities of livonia . the first of these by the marriage of one of the great church-mens daughters , was promoted in the cathedral church without any difficulty , and laid down his school-masters place with great reputation . the latter , who brought with him a wife which he had married at konigsberg , tho' he left no stone unturned , and was perhaps equal to the former in solid learning , could never to this day attain the honour of being a member of the cathedral church , and i fear never , &c. of so much greater value are women than men , that the husband shines by a light he derives from the wife . xi . now when the school-masters suffer the youth committed to their trust , to be debauched and run headlong into all kinds of wickedness and villany , whose business it was with all possible care , industry and severity to curb their boldness and impudence , and correct their fierceness , petulancy and youth , prone to luxury by seasonable instruction , admonition and chastisement ; what hope is there when they become men , and come to a greater age , of reforming them ! for when both their parents and school-masters suffer them in all sorts of vices , and let them do what they list , and never take any care to restrain their exorbitances , what wonder is it if they become unable or hardly able to live without those vices which they have been accustomed to from their very infancy ? so does custom become a second nature . nor is it at all probable , that he that has lived loosely , and ill in his youth , should become honest and sober when he arrives at manhood ; nor that he that was wickedly brought up , should be reformed when he is a man. so much is there in the habits that first are taken up by children , and confirmed by a long use . from whence comes it that there are so many adulterers , debauchers of women , knaves , drunkards , desperate and prodigal spend-thrifts and gamesters , so many citizens contaminated with all manner of villany and wickedness , but from this one fountain of the ill and perverse education and government of children ? for they that attribute the debauchery of the age to the reformation , do without doubt need physick . that loose and impious education and ill discipline , which is now in use added to the negligence and dissoluteness of the magistrates , who are more intent upon their own private and domestick advantages than the publick good ; that i may make no complaints against the princes of the world , must certainly bear the blame of all this wickedness . thus you have the first and principal cause of the present atheism in my opinion . xii . and now i come to the next , which is the contempt of the clergy and church-men . i will not at large inquire into the causes of this , nor whether many of them have not brought this disesteem upon themselves by their own faults : tho' it is not possible that our clergy should not be vile in the eyes of men , while they see how basely and poorly they seek church functions and preferments : how careless they are of their people , and unconcern'd for the glory of god. now i say , when men see all this , is it possible that they should not despise those who seek their own , and not the things of jesus christ ? and the very clergy too , observe at time the small esteem the people have of them , as appears by their frequent complaints in their pulpits , tho' they either know not , or are pleased to dissemble their knowledge of the cause , as if they abhorred the remedy more than the disease , i will only add this , that the contempt of the person , for the most part brings with it a contempt of the office. now how deep this is rooted in the minds of the men of this age , no man can be ignorant . i remember i heard a person of no mean consideration at amsterdam use these words , that he valued his cat as much as he did his minister . thus did an evangelical hearer speak of an evangelical pastor . if any that were not of the established church had thought a little under valuingly of them it might have been born , provided it had not been attended with publick scandal , because they have nothing to do with them , as s. paul bore with the athenian philosophers , who call'd him babler , and a setter forth of strange gods : but when the auditors who are committed to his care despise his admonitions and doctrine , as if they were too good and learned in the scriptures , to be instructed by such a man , as it does not seldom happen that those who have wealth and power in the world , will hardly submit themselves to the church-discipline and instruction : there i say , the contempt is not to be indured , because attended with the contempt of the ministery , and tending to the great damage of the hearers . and to this purpose is that of the apostle , let no man despise thee . for i cannot allow the exposition of chrysostom and others , who think that titus was admonished to behave himself so , both as to his doctrine and life , as not to deserve to be despised . for altho' it is most certain , that integrity of manners does add to the authority of the teacher , and render his doctrine more acceptable ; and that a good life , as primasius saith , makes the doctrine of more authority : yet the very sound and sense of the words shew , that the apostle here does not prescribe what titus should do , but what others should not do . joh. crocius upon this place take it , that the apostle did not here speak to titus , but to the whole church of crete , and ordains , that seeing titus was commanded to encounter with their vices and errors , and to defend the truth and religion , no man should be so prodigal of his salvation , as to despise either his person or his office , or prefer himself before him , as better or more worthy . for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used as is observed by s. hierom. witteberg . and fr. baldwin . comm. p. 1501. b. signifies thus much . when any one being confident of himself that he is better than another , despiseth him whom he thinks beneath him . and as being above him in wisdom , thinks the inferiour person worthy to be despised . therefore this is to be imprinted in the first place , in the minds of all that belong to the church , of what order or dignity soever they are of , that they ought to be subject to their minister , because all are sinners who stand in need of instruction , exhortation , reproof and consolation , all which are administred by the ministers of the church , by the word of god commended to them , & therefore they are to be heard of all , [ as the ministers of christ , and stewards of the mysteries of god. ] but if there be any that will not hear , as the greatest part of the men of this age will not , that they are not to be connived at , but to be rebuked with all authority . as the apostle directs in the last cited place out of titus , that they may understand ( saith the grave balduinus ) the authority of the ministery excells all worthly power . we have already the heavy sentence revealed against these despisers , luk. x. 16. matth. x. 40. joh. xiii . 20. but if there be any drones and unworthy of the ministery , let them be driven out of the hive . but as to those who teach the true doctrine , and religion , and catechise in publick and in private , and serve christ and their people faithfully , without any vain hopes of lucre out of love : these i say , ought to have obedience , liberality , and reverence shewn towards them ; lest if we act otherwise , by the just judgment of god we should be left so far to our selves , as to maintain seducers , hypocrites , mercenary men ; those that are covetous of great revenues , carnal men who are totally unfit for that spiritual work , idle bellies indeed of the ministers of christ , and such as wallow in the very mire of pleasures and riches , which hath already hapned , not only to our forefathers , but to some of the most flourishing churches of these times , as we see with sorrowful hearts . xiii . the ill , tho' frequent way of preaching gives us the third cause of atheism . the first duty of a preacher , is to set forth the power and nature of religion , and the second is to perswade men to faith and good works , as all agree who know what it is . for it is in vain to exhort those men who are ignorant of the force and nature of true positive divinity and religion . but a great sort of our preachers having only lightly touched , or rather for the most part totally neglected their text , fall presently to the exhortation , which whoever does prosecute without the knowledge of faith and true religion , does but play the philosopher instead of preaching christ , as philip melancthon has plainly pronounced in this affair . i would not have the latter omitted , but i had rather they would much oftner handle the former . for seeing the gospel teacheth many things above our reason , it is not possible to know which is the true worship of god and religion , unless we know what the gospel teacheth . therefore he will do most good to the church , tho' he will not at first be so acceptable as an english moralist , who can best set forth the matter of faith , which many either totally neglect , contenting themselves with inculcating the precepts concerning manners , without delivering the summ of the christian religion , or do only lightly touching it , and yet after all we wonder whence it comes to pass , that those that have so many years frequented our sermons , being asked concerning the heads of the christian religion can give no account of them , when yet they never in all their lives heard much , if any thing , of them . i lament the misery of these poor sheep , but i shall never more wonder at the multitude of atheists , and of those that are ignorant of all religion . but in short , if the truth may be spoken , the greatest part of the preachers never learned the compendium and form of true theologie ; and what more can be expected from such men ? but i know not how it comes to pass , that no mechanick shall be suffered to exercise a trade , who hath not spent a great time in learning of it . but all are suffered to preach without distinction or choice , nor do i at all regard the certificates which are usually given to young beginners in some places ; for how , and at what price they are purchased of the professors is as clear as the light . but paul's precept was , that the bishop should be apt to teach . and he only will be such who has a right notion of religion , and has by the assistance of the holy ghost had experience of the force and power of it in the various events of his life . for as a builder first forms the whole building in his mind . so the teachers of any arts , ought to have the whole scheme of the arts they profess to teach in their minds that they may be able to shew the beginning and series , or order of all the precepts . but all other arts , because they may be comprehended by reason may be more easily apprehended , whereas the gospel which contains many things above , and against the judgment of reason , is not apprehended without difficulty , and therefore the preacher is obliged to take the more pains that he may render the most obscure things plain . and he will then be able to do this , when he has possessed his own mind with a comprehensive knowledge of all the doctrine of religion before he begins to teach others . therefore it will never be laborious or difficult to such a preacher to invent what he should speak ; but rather his prudence is to be imployed in the chusing out of the great variety and plenty , what may seem most profitable and useful , for the whole christian religion is of a divine original , and being delivered to us in writing by the prophets and apostles , those writings are to be followed . now in this , the first thing is , to understand rightly those things which he has undertaken to handle : for no man can clearly teach another that thing which he doth not throughly understand himself . that verse of horace is very common : verbaque praevisam rem non invita sequentur . for unforc'd words wait on a well known thing . nor does any man attain the knowledge of the holy scriptures by study only ; but it is necessary that by instruction of the holy ghost he should feel the force of them in his own mind , and so be able by his own experience and practice to interpret them . the next things required in a good preacher is , that he have a good way and manner of interpreting or expressing himself ; which is delivered in those precepts by which youth is instructed in eloquence or rhetorick . for no man can ever know the way of teaching well if he be not well instructed in eloquence in his youth : and be very much , and a great while conversant with those arts , in which the precepts of rhetorick are contained . and then an interpreter ought to know the genius of the language , for the holy scriptures have a certain peculiar idiom and phrase , which those that are not acquainted with it from their youth cannot understand . nor is it enough to have some degree of knowledge in the tongues , but to enable a man to judge well , logick and rhetorick are of great use . lastly , if he be able to draw a summ , or compendium of the whole doctrine out of the holy scriptures , he will then endeavour that the people also may comprehend the whole christian doctrine . the primitive church seems to have aimed at this heretofore , when she took such care , that the ignorant might be throughly instructed before they were admitted to baptism , whom she then called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , catechumens . for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to catechise , doth not signifie to teach simply , but to read to a person , and make him repeat after the teacher . and i wish the custom were retained in the church , of exacting of every man once an account of the doctrine ; for we do more diligently consider , and deeply look into those things which we are bound to recite in other words without changing the sense . the last cause of atheism , we fetch from the total abolition of all ceremonies , for we see that religion was never more despised than in those churches where there is no ceremonies . for there is an absolute necessity of some external shews which may recommend and render religion more august and venerable to the common people , who are not able without them , to see into the greatness and dignity of this thing , and we ought not to undervalue that improvement which children make while they sing the psalms , read the bible , and repeat the catechism aloud in the church . for if ceremonies are not impious , ( as they are , which are instituted by the papists for justification , ) and if there be any use of them , such as the recommending religion to the people , and children for whose sake they were chiefly instituted , and both which they retain and preserve in the word , and teach , i see no reason why they should be abolished . o how earnestly do i desire that those who govern our church-affairs would more deeply consider this last cause which at first sight appears so light and contemptible ; and that they would understand what ecclesiastical prudence is . ( concerning which we conjecture nicolaus videlius will with the assistance of god publish something in his elegant book of the prudence of the ancient church ) tho' ours should at least be so unhappy as leave this thing very imperfect . it is a most impious thing , to think that all ceremonies were instituted by wicked popes . there ever were some wise and holy men , who throughly understood that the minds of the common people were so stupid and low , that they could never apprehend the dignity and majesty of religion , unless their minds were fixed and detained with some outward and visible rites , till they might by that means by degrees be more and more lifted up , and so learn to admire it . and yet i would not have too much haste made here , because abraham scultetus a prudent divine , otherwise in this very age left us a tragical example of the ill effects that followed at prague . and thus at length i have opened this putrid sore ; and now if the work might be acceptable , and it might promote the cure of it , o how great thanks should i give to our god ? but if the evil should happen to be only exasperated , and the attempt should incense the patients ; i shall comfort my self with the conscience of my undertaking , and the usual reward of a physician . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a60211-e100 anno 1196. lib. 1. c. 26. quin & videmus tempora ipsa , in atheismum procliviora ( qualia fuerunt augusti caesaris ) tranquilla fuisse . bacon de superstitione l. 16. c. 6. p. 27 cicero de fine bon . l. c. 7. lact. de falsa relig . l. 3. c. 16. joseph . ant. l. xviii . cap. 2. apud imperitos prodigii loco accipiebatur ipsa aquarum penuria — quod in pace sors , seu natura ; nunc fatum & ira dei vocabatur . tact. h. l. 4. c. 26. quibus quaestui sunt capti superstitione animi . liv. l. 4. parum philosophiae naturalis homines inclinat in atheismum , at altiorem scientiam eos ad religionem circumagere . baconis ser. fidelis , xvi . de falsa sapientia , l 3. c. 17. adversae deinde res admonuerunt religionum ; confugimus in capitolium ad ●eos , ad sedem jovis , o. m. liv. l. 5. nullum crimen abest facinusque libidinis , ex quo paupertas romana perît — & turpi fregerunt secula luxu . diviti●●molles , juven . sat. 6. rom. 1. 30. principis est ea maximè curare quae ad deos pertinent , nam & metuunt minus ne quid injusti accipiunt à talibus — & minus insidiantur , ut deos habenti socios , arist . polit. l. 5. c. 11. licentia urbium , aliquando disciplinà metúque , nunquam sponte considet . sen. ep . 97. notes for div a60211-e1090 europae speculum , or a view or survey of the state of religion in the western parts of the world , p. 121. this , and several other passages make me think the author was a hollander . if our laws 〈…〉 . act. xvii . 18. tit. ii. 15. 1 cor. iv. 1. 1 tim. iii. 2. i cannot assent to my author in this , viz. that there is any thing in the gospel against the judgment of reason illuminated by faith. if the rite of confirmation were duly put in execution with us ; no church can take a better and more effectual care for this than ours has done . some thoughts concerning the several causes and occasions of atheism, especially in the present age with some brief reflections on socinianism, and on a late book entitled, the reasonableness of christianity as delivered in the scriptures / by john edwards ... edwards, john, 1637-1716. 1695 approx. 132 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 76 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-01 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a38046 wing e215 estc r18870 12283637 ocm 12283637 58808 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a38046) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 58808) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 182:13) some thoughts concerning the several causes and occasions of atheism, especially in the present age with some brief reflections on socinianism, and on a late book entitled, the reasonableness of christianity as delivered in the scriptures / by john edwards ... edwards, john, 1637-1716. [9], 126 [i.e. 142] p. printed for j. robinson ... and j. wyat ..., london : 1695. the reasonableness of christianity (1695) is by john locke. errata: p. 126 [i.e. 142]. reproduction of original in british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available 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overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng locke, john, 1632-1704. -reasonableness of christianity. apologetics -early works to 1800. apologetics -history -17th century. atheism -controversial literature. socinianism -controversial literature. 2002-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2002-07 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2002-08 jennifer kietzman sampled and proofread 2002-08 jennifer kietzman text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion some thoughts concerning the several causes and occasions of atheism , especially in the present age. with some brief reflections on socinianism : and on a late book entituled the reasonableness of christianity as deliver'd in the scriptures . by iohn edwards , b. d. and sometime fellow of s. iohn's college in cambridge . london : printed for i. robinson at the golden lyon , and i. wyat at the role in s. paul's churchyard ▪ mdcxcv . to the most reverend father in god , his grace thomas , by divine providence lord archbishop of canterbury , primate and metropolitan of all england , &c. my lord , your grace being not only by your place and station , but by your own choice and voluntary act , the grand patron of our religion , it cannot be improper to present you with these brief papers , which , though in themselves very mean and inconsiderable , and unworthy of your grace's view , are a vindication of that holy cause against the repeated cavils and bold insults of atheistical spirits , who ( as your grace with a very deep resentment and regret * observes ) are of late grown very numerous . how vigorously your lordship hath attacked this sort of men , is well known to the world ; and that hitherto they have not been able to bring about their impious designs , is in great part owing to your lordship's successful attempts . i presume , from the encouragement which so illustrious an example hath given me , to engage in the same cause , that is , to lay open the folly and absurdity of their pretences , and withall to discover some of those heads and springs whence the atheistick apprehensions of these present times arise , and whereby they are fed and nourished . which i hope will be of good use to those who desire to be caution'd against the venom of this raging evil , and will in some measure operate even on those who are infected and corrupted with it already . i am sensible how precious your grace's minutes are in this time of extraordinary business and emergency ; and therefore i will not be injurious to the publick by any farther applications to your grace . only i superadd my hearty prayers for your health and long life , wherein the common welfare and happiness both of church and state are so much involved : and so i subscribe my self , your grace's most dutiful son , and devoted servant , iohn edwards . the preface . i designing , by the divine help and conduct , to defend the existence and providence of god by arguments drawn both from the greater and the lesser world ; it is my request to the reader , that he would accept of this brief essay in the mean time , which i conceive will be a suitable introduction and preparative to that other vndertaking . for as in that intended discourse i shall carefully trace and discover the footsteps of the divinity every where ; so here i make it my business to shew how frequent an obvious the occasions of disbelieving it are . by which means we shall effectually learn how to purge our minds of those ill qualities which naturally are subservient to atheism ; we shall know how to remove those stumbling-blocks , to answer those objections , and to clear up those mistakes which usually betray men to this infidelity . and thus there will be a way made for what i design . persons will be fitted to receive and retain the impressions which those topicks that i shall afterwards make choice of will enstamp upon their minds : and i hope the age , which hath lately been stigmatized with marks of atheism , will for the future be renowned for these truly illustrious and glorious characters . i will only farther acquaint the reader , that some part of what i here offer ( viz. such particulars as i thought were convenient for an usual and mix'd auditory ) was deliver'd lately in one of the city-pulpits ; and the other heads , with their enlargement ( which are of somewhat a different strain , and are chiefly adapted to the curious and inquisitive ) are an addition since . but as i have added several things , so i have omitted some , at the desire of those who are concern'd in both . this is all that i had to advertise the reader of ; and so i bid him farewel . some thoughts concerning the causes and occasions of atheism . that the world was not void of atheists in king david's time , may be gathered from his words in psalm xiv . 1. the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god. but it is exceedingly to be lamented , that the number of them is much increased since , yea , that it is the unhappiness of this present age , to be pester'd with not a few of them . notwithstanding those cogent and incontestable arguments for a deity which are suggested from the holy scriptures , and the natural reasonings of sober minds , there is still an atheistical spirit prevailing in the world. there is a sort of men ( if i may call them so whole bold infidelity is so irrational and brutish ) that reckon the notion of a god to be a melancholick conceit , and the mere effect of credulity and ignorance . yea , there are some that pass for wits , who strive for the honour of being accounted the most able atheists of the age. wherefore , instead of rehearsing or urging those topicks which are wont to be produced for the proof of the divinity ; my business at present shall be , to enquire into the causes of atheism , which now vaunts it self with an impudent fore-head , and begins to boast that it hath got footing in a great part of the world. i will search into the occasions , either real or pretended ( for i will mention both ) of this reigning mischief . i will shew you on what grounds the impious do at this day not only , with the psalmist's atheistical fool , say in their hearts , but openly and avowedly proclaim to the world , that there is no god , that is , no supreme over-ruling being of infinite perfection , no eternally wise , intelligent , and omniscient substance that at first gave existence to all things , and ever since upholds them , and takes care of them . i. i assign ignorance to be one great spring of this gross unbelief . as knowing as the world is at this day , there are too many people of inferiour rank whose education hath been so unhappy , that they have not been instructed in the common principles of religion ; and they are more unhappy in that they will not allow themselves time and leisure to look into their own minds , and to rouze those inbred notions which are implanted there by god , and which would ( if they would give way ) lead them to him . wherefore it is the concern of all persons , to know how to converse with themselves , and to rifle their own breasts , that they may find a deity written there : and besides , they should be careful to acquire such a stock of knowledge from without , that they may understand their religion , and not be seduc'd by atheistical notions that fly up and down every where . but this first cause which i assign of atheism , is not only to be found in some meaner sort of people who have not time ( as they order their affairs ) to think of a god , but in others of a higher rank and quality : for by ignorance i mean a wilful and sottish stifling of natural notions and impressions : and this sometimes prevails in men of great parts and knowledge . think it not strange that i reckon such persons in the number of the ignorant ; for ( to speak impartially ) they are so : and this was the sense of the * wisest pagans long since . for to have no knowledge , and to stifle it , is the same thing ; which is the case of these men : they make it their business to choak the innate principles of their minds , and to disregard those notices which their natures suggest to them . thus these persons are stubbornly and obstinately ignorant . whatever their pretences and boastings be , their atheism proceeds from want of learning and wit. for 't is not the part of a learned and ingenious man to destroy the notions of mankind , and pull down what hath been built by the universal suffrage of the world , and in its place to erect a conceit of his own . some may take such for brainish and scholar-like sort of men , but then these are so without thinking ; for it is the want of this that makes them what they are . or , to say the best of this kind of men , and atheist is but a half-witted person : he hath perhaps made some attempts in science , but to little purpose : he hath attain'd to some slight and trivial notions ; but hath not penetrated into the heart of things ; and thence it comes to pass , that he is full of doubts and cavils , which he is able to raise , but he hath not skill and ability enough to answer them . wherefore it was excellently said of my lord bacon , * a little philosophy inclines mens minds to atheism ; but depth in philosophy brings mens minds about to religion and a deity . thus though this mis-shapen monster would be thought to be the genuine issue of true wisdom and sound knowledge , yet it is really the daughter of an affected ignorance . wherefore to secure your selves against atheism , be careful that you blind not your minds ; willingly receive the rays of light into your souls , cherish all sound notions and conceptions , and by all proper methods bring your selves to a right understanding , and steady embracing of all the fundamental principles of your religion . ii. there is great disingenuity and unhandsome dealing in the case , else we should not have so much atheism . here i will prove , that they do not act fairly , but that they are ungenteel , which perhaps will affect these persons more than any thing that i can say . what they are willing and forward to grant in other matters , and on other occasions , they refuse to grant here , yea they utterly deny it , though there be the same reason for one as the other . this plainly appears by their objections . as first , they tell us they have no sensible notices of a god , and therefore they can't admit of it ; for all the knowledge ( say they ) which we have of things , is deriv'd to us from sense . but here we see that these men are partial and disingenuous , for they will not deny that there are many things which they judge not of by sense ; they grant that the swiftness of motion oftentimes out-runs the nimblest sense , and the observation of the quickest eye ; yet they do not deny the motion it self : the element of air , in which the daily converse , is not seen , nor is it heard or felt ( unless when 't is extraordinarily moved and disturbed , which is but seldom : ) nor will they say they taste it ; and 't is as certain that they cannot smell it , ( for this is only the vehicle of smells , but is not it self the object of that sense ) and yet these nice gentlemen do not deny the existence of the air. they can by none of their senses discern the motion of the sun , moon , and stars ( or , as perhaps they think it most proper to say , the earth ) , and yet there is not a man of them that denies that they move . it can't be determin'd by sense , whether the sun be bigger than it appears to be , and therefore epicurus ( who was a great man for sense ) held it was of no greater dimension than it seems to the eye to be ; yea , of no greater heat in it self than it seems to the feeling to be here on earth . and the atheistical poet , who borrow'd his notions from him , was of the same mind , nec nimio solis major rota , nec minor ardor esse potest nostris quàm sensibus esse videtur . lucret. lib. 5. this is certain , that the things that are least discernible act most . the animal spirits , which do all the great things in our bodies , are themselves imperceptible . they are the insensible and invisible parts , as spirits , wind , subtile matter , exhalations , which ( being agitated ) do the chiefest exploits in nature . there are fine particles and atoms diffused through all bodies whatsoever ; and these are the cause of sense and motion in animals : by help of these , minerals , plants , and all vegetables , are brought to perfection . these invisible agents effect strange things , and act most wonderfully in the world. the nutritious iuyce in the nerves , if we may credit the famous glisson , is of mighty use and influence : yet ( as he confesses himself ) there are no cavities to be seen to convey it , and none of this succus is ever discern'd in the dissecting of animals . notwithstanding this , some physicians of the most piercing judgment , have granted ( whatever they do now ) the real being of it . and in other instances it might be shewed , that sense is not always made a judge even in sensible objects , but we gather the being and operation of them from reason and discourse . this the persons whom we are now dealing with do not deny , but even practise it themselves , and are willing to allow of it . why therefore are they so void of ingenuity and fair-dealing , as not to admit of the same in the case that is before us ? why do they most irrationally deny a god because they do not apprehend him by bodily sense , whenas they judge not of some other things by sense , nay though they be proper objects of it ? this is a plain proof of these mens wilful prejudice and partiality , especially if i add , that god is infinitely farther removed from our most exalted apprehensions , than the sun ( of which we spoke before ) is from this earth . this glorious sun * dwelleth in that light which no man can approach unto , whom no man hath see , or can see . secondly , they tell us that there are great difficulties in conceiving a god , and they are loth to swallow these down : and more especially the notion of a spirit ▪ i. e. a being that is void of matter and body is too hard to be conceiv'd by them , and therefore seeing we hold god to be a spirit , they can form no conception of him . i will reply to both the parts of this objection distinctly : and first as to the general cavil , that this notion is accompanied with difficulties , i answer , there are great difficulties in other matters , which yet they leap over with ease , and do not disbelieve the things themselves because of the difficulties that attend them . it is very hard to explain how a little wheel of two inches diameter , fixed on the same axil with two greater wheels of ten inches a-piece , moving together ( the greater ones on the ground , the lesser on a table ) should move over the very same space in equal time , with equal rotation with the greater ones : and yet the thing it self is not denied by any one . and many other puzzling problems might be mentioned , where the hardship doth not discourage them from embracing them . but i will instance in one of their own hypotheses , viz. that of atoms , which they chuse to solve the original of the world by , that they may evade the insuperable difficulties ( as they think them ) of the acknowledgment of a god. if they say that these atoms had their existence from themselves , then instead of denying one god , they assert many , for self-existence is of the very nature and essence of a deity ; wherefore if they were all from themselves , they are all gods. if they say that other matter or atoms were the first cause of these , then they run to infinity , and no body is able to trace them . if they say they are of nothing , then they had as good have begun with that , and have confessed in plain terms , that the world was made out of nothing , and then they come to us , but they are resolved they will not do that . thus they are confounded as to the rise and origine of their atoms . then , as to their motion , whence had they that ? either of themselves or of an other ? they could not have it of themselves , for we see it is not of the nature of matter to move : it is in it self a dull and inert , a lumpish and unactive thing . if this motion was impress'd on it by an other , then that was either some other matter , or something else . if they hold the former , they run again in infinitum , and he is a distracted man that will run after them . if they maintain the latter , they betray their cause , and acknowledge a spirit , for there is no real and substantial thing besides matter and spirit . in brief , whether the former or the latter assertion be held by them , they do in a manner own what they deny : for we will not disagree about the name , if we can agree on the thing it self . that being or agent which gave the first motion to things , is god. if after all they say , that matter had this motion by chance , and so was neither from it self or any other , they talk more absurdly and wildly than before ; for chance is a word made to signifie only the unexpected happening of a thing , but doth not import that there was no cause or author at all of it . but however , if they will stand to this ( as generally they do ) that matter at first had a strong power by chance to jump into an orderly system of heavens , earth , sea , &c. then i ask them , what is the reason that there hath been nothing of this nature since ? what reason can be given why all the atoms and effluviums in the several ages and successions of time , ever since this visible world had its being , have not produced some excellent frame either like this world , or of an other nature ? what! is this lucky chance quite ceas'd ? is this fortunate lottery at an end ? is there no probability of a brave fortuitous hit once again ? is there no such fine piece of work as that of sun , moon , and stars , to be expected once more ? no : there is an utter despair of it ; for from eternity ( according to them ) to this moment , we have had no such good luck , and therefore what reason have we to expect any such afterwards ? yea indeed , what ground have these chance-philosophers to think that there ever was any such thing ? what reason have they to declare it to be their firm perswasion that matter was set into motion from eternity , and that by the frisking of its particles , it at last danced into a world ? yet this and all the rest they believe and vouch rather than they will hold that the beginning of things was from an intelligent and wise being . it appears hence , that they will say any thing rather than acknowledge themselves to be in the wrong : they make nothing of talking idly and impertinently , of running into banter and nonsense , as we have heard . they can give credit to this extravagant fancy , that an everlasting juncto of atoms did without counsel and knowledge club together to make the world. they can tamely submit to this unaccountable maxim , that these infinite bodies , after eternal brushings , agitations , encounters , knocking 's , tiltings , justlings , jumblings , fell by mere chance into this excellent frame that we now behold . thus the atheist , to avoid some seeming difficulties , runs into those which are really so , yea into the greatest absurdities imaginable . if it be difficult to conceive the self-existence and eternity of one god , surely it is insuperably so , to conceive infinite matter moving it self , and giving being to it self from all eternity . it is plain then , that these men deal not fairly and uprightly , but wilfully deceive themselves and others . they cry up reason , and yet maintain things which are repugnant to ordinary discourse and the common dictates of reason ; and therefore are rather to be exploded than with much industry to be confuted . they cannot only swallow down , but digest absurdities when they think fit , and at other times they can fancy them where there are none , nor any shadow of any . then as to that particular difficulty , viz. that the notion of a spirit is inconceivable , and therefore they have no conception of a god ; i return this brief answer , that if this which they say be true , if it be impossible to apprehend the idea of a spirit , then there is no such thing : and if so , then matter alone must do all things in the world , but particularly , it must have understanding and knowledge , is must think and reason , for ( whatever the precarious hypothesis of atoms suggests ) the curious frame of this world could not be erected without knowledge and wisdom , and it cannot be kept up and managed without these . now , i appeal to any considerate man , whether the flat denying of this , and the asserting that the dimensions of a body are intellectual , that to be long and to be broad , and to be deep , are acts and exertments of reason or will , and ( in short ) that extension is thinking , be not far greater absurdities than any thing they imagine to be in the notion of a god. it is a sign therefore that these men make difficulties where there are none , and do not take notice of them where they are . i could here prove that our faculties may form as clear , explicit , and distinct an idea of a spirit ( which they so much boggle and startle at ) as they do of their own existence , or any other principle in nature ; but this i have made my task in an other place . thirdly , they tell us they cannot believe a deity , because there are no proper demonstrations to prove it . for you must know , that there persons whom we have to do with at present , are great men for demonstrations . but i answer , the existence of many things in the world cannot be made out by demonstration , strictly so called , and yet no man questions the reality of them . the skilfullest mathematician under heaven can't demonstrate that the sun shines , and yet there is no doubt at all of it , and he would be counted a mad-man that denies it . we are morally certain of many things which we cannot possibly demonstrate ; but this doth not hinder us from yielding a firm assent to them . and 't is certain , that an assent is an firm on moral grounds as on rigid demonstrations , when the matter is capable of no other grounds ; for the evidence is proportionable to the matter to be proved , and that is as much as can be desired by any intelligent man. there can be no greater than a moral certainty of a deity : for there are no grounds of it mathematically demonstrative . but by being morally certain we are certain enough , and as certain as the nature of the thing will bear . this should content any rational man , and it is unreasonable to demand any more . then , as for those demonstrations which they talk so much of , they cannot but acknowledge , that as they are sometimes managed they yield but little certainty . for , not to speak now of the old academicks and scepticks , who denied geometrical principles ; or of demetrius , sextus empiricus , epicurus , zeno , and others of the ancient philosophers who reason'd against them , i will mention some of our moderns ( and those of great skill and learning ) who have disagreed about mathematical proofs , and thereby proclaim to the world their uncertainty . the greatest astrologers hugely differ as to the distance of the sun from the earth . it is nearer to it ten thousand miles than it was , saith copernicus . but i. scaliger would have the writings of those authors who hold the sun is nearer to the earth than 't was in former days , * to be razed out with sponges , or the writers themselves to be corrected with stripes . and other very good astronomers are so far from consenting to this , that they maintain the sun is farther off from the earth than it was at first . and yet on both sides they proceed on mathematical grounds . there is no mathematical demonstration for comets being above or below the moon , saith * ricciolus , a very skilful mathematician : but others of that faculty have pretended much to the contrary . the paralax is well known to be a mathematical business , that by which the planets are judged to be higher or lower : but the greatest astronomers have quarrell'd with one another about this doctrine . tycho is for it ; but claramontius is against it ; and galilaeus even explodes the proof brought from the paralax . dr. wallis and mr. hobbes's contrasts in print , shew that mathematicks are dubious : and this latter ( who was so stiff an opposer of the notion of a spirit , and consequently of a deity ) finds fault with all geometricians , old and new , in his book entituled the principles and ratiocination of geometricians . cartes's dioptricks and geometry are pretended to be baffled by other learned mathematicians , as bourdin , hobbes , fermat . franciscus du laurens , and dr. wallis , scuffle about a mathematical problem . so that it seems it is not an infallible science . i am certain , saith * dr. henry more , that mathematical certitude it self is not absolute . there is an essay of dr. pell to shew the errors and mistakes of the best and most celebrated astronomers for want of better knowledge in geometry . even † monsieur malebranch , a profound admirer and follower of descarts , acknowledges that in his geometry there are some footsteps of the weakness of the humane mind . and i will conclude with the words of one that was known to be eminent in mathematical studies , * even in geometry and arithmetick ( saith he ) how many things are forcibly concluded to be true which are inexplicable , unimaginable , incomprehensible ? thus you see the mathematical certainty which some men talk of , is not so easily to be attain'd as they fancy . disputes have place in geometry ; demonstrations sometimes prove to be paralogisms . but as for a mathematical demonstration for the proof of a god , it is vainly and unreasonably required , because there can be no such thing , for the matter will not bear it . wherefore though † some divines have been great philosophers and mathematicians , yet they never attempted any such thing . a man must not expect to have every thing proved the same way . if we have things evidenced by the arguments which they are capable of , it is satisfactory , and every wise man rests in it . and these men themselves do so in other things : they acquiesce in that evidence which the things admit of , and they seek no farther . which shews , that in the present case they are disingenuous , and cross-grain'd , and act merely out of prejudice ; which was the thing i undertook to make good . their insincerity nourishes their atheism . therefore let us have a care that we give way to no such thing . iii. another cause of this pernicious opinion , is , ostentation of wit. for you may take notice , that this mischievous plant springs from contrary seeds . as before this kind of men put on a very grave and solid countenance , so now they shew themselves to be very pleasant and airy , and set up for the art of drolling . before they appear'd like philosophers , now they come upon the stage like buffoons . then with a magisterial grimace they affected demonstrations ; now nothing will please them but the comical part . it is observable , that they are a sort of jesting , scoffing people , giving themselves to railery and burlesque . and it is this jocular humour that in part betrays them to atheism , for they take liberty to jest with their maker . these witty and facetious folks must needs play with heaven , and laugh god out of his being . they are defective in sound learning and judgment , and in the place of these have a fanciful way of jeering , which they addict themselves immoderately to . democritus was the great asserter of eternal matter , and thought that the casual motion of it was the cause of all things : the influence of which principle in his cogitations , made him at last laugh at every thing he saw , and mock at all actions and occurrences of humane life ; for 't is certain that if they are all by chance , they are to be denied . the followers of this great man have learnt from him to be laughing philosophers ; and there are abundance of this sect now-a-days . this i look upon as one cause of the great atheism of this age. they think their tongues are their own , and they may say what they please ; and they perswade themselves , that what is wittily said is well said . hence these sparks venture to ridicule religion , to scoff at virtue and piety , and to mock god himself . then at last they really believe what they fancy'd , and jestingly utter'd ; and they assert in good earnest what at first perhaps was said only in merriment . wherefore , to guard your selves from atheism , be always very serious , and abhor the sportful vein , the flashy fancy of these men , who think they can't be men of parts unless they make a mock of god and religion . whereas the brightest and most accomplish'd heads ever exploded this : and in our own nation we have abundant instances of this , that even the * wisest and the wittiest men ( tho no church-men or divines ) have express'd their deep sense of god and serving him , and defied the contrary profane atheistical humour . iv. pride and self-conceit may justly be reckon'd another spring of atheism . men in this and former ages have thought it below them to go tamely along with the generality of mankind in asserting a deity . they would be thought wiser than others : and consequently they affect to go against a commonly receiv'd notion . but more particularly these high-flyers account it base and sneaking to listen to an old story of religion , and to submit their belief to the harangues of the parsons , as they are pleas'd to word it . especially great men are apt to be possessed with this pride , and consequently to be atheistical . they strongly incline to king alphonsus's impious bravado , that if he had been present at the creation , he would have framed the world better than 't is now . there is in many an excessive desire of a name and vogue : and they think to obtain them by scorning the common way , and going out of the beaten road , by giving the lye to all mankind . and though one would think that they might shew the subtilty of their wit by diving farther into things than the vulgar , and not by casting off the agreed sentiments of mankind ; by refining and improving the principles of nature , and not by nulling and evacuating them ; yet they choose the latter , that they may ( as they think ) give the greater proof of their wit and parts , and that it may be seen that they are able to weather a cause be it never so bad . to maintain this all sober considerations are postpon'd : they superciliously renounce ( when they are in the humour ) all reason and arguments ; they arrogantly resolve to hold the conclusion , whatever becomes of the poor premises . atheism owes its being much to this , as i apprehend ; as i think it it is sufficiently evident from what i have said before , when i shew'd that they chuse rather to maintain the greatest absurdities , than to adhere to a received truth . wherefore that we may effectually prevent this folly in our selves , let us banish presumption , confidence , and self conceit ; let us extirpate all pride and arrogance ; let us not list our selves in the number of capricious opiniatours . v. undue apprehensions of a deity joyn'd with superstition are the high road to atheism . those that think amiss of god will easily be enclined to question his existence . it is too true that men model the divinity according to their own fancies : the creature fashions his creator . or , like him that engraved his own image in that of the goddess , they shape themselves and figure out their own absurd notions and conceits , whilest they pretend to give the pourtraiture of god. therefore imposing of false doctrines concerning the attributes of god is very pernicious , for they are destructive of his very being and nature . it is no wonder that when these come to be scann'd and examined , men doubt of the very existence of god , because so irrational and absured things are attributed to him . they are loth to think there is such a one , or they wish there were not . so that they endeavour to destroy that which they can't endure . thus mistakes and misprisions concerning god lead to atheism . false conceptions of a deity expunge at last the belief of one . and so 't was of old in paganism , idolatry was the great mother of atheism : gross superstition undermined the godhead . it hath been falsly and blasphemously said that * fear was it which first introduced a god into the world : but yet it is certainly true that this with some persons hath expelled the notion of him out of the world : for they being timerous and melancholick create to themselves strange fancies concerning him whom they are to worship , and represent him to their thoughts as severe and tyrannical . and the gentile priests and rulers laid hold on this passion of fear , and did what they could to promote and heighten it , that thereby they might keep the people in awe . to which purpose they invented innumerable rites and ceremonies , many of which were harsh , troublesom and afflictive . so that bigotry and excess in religion made way for none at all : and when they were wearied with the intolerable burden of it they cried out , with that nonsensical atheist , tantum religio potuit suadere malorum . then religion it self and the author of it were discarded . this was caused by the undue representations which were made of god : the priests would have the superstitious bigots believe that the divine numen could not be appeased without those wild observances . this is that which plutarch took notice of , telling us that * from such gross , absurd and extravagant devotion men came to disregard a diety , and to conclude there is none rather than to believe there can be such a one , one that is delighted with so unaccountable ceremonies and usages . therefore , to shut out atheism , let us have right conceptions of the supreme being whom we worship and serve . it concerns us to assert rightly the notion of god , lest otherwise we slide into a disbelief of any . who misrepresenteth the divine being is in a ready way to deny him . vi. corrupt affections and lives ( for i will joyn both these together , because they are never asunder ) make men atheists . men of depraved minds and manners doubt of all religions because they like none , and at last they flatly deny what they love not . an atheist first desires and wishes no god , and his desires and wishes work on his understanding . his willingness to have it so enclines him to believe it . he easily credits what he longs for : his affection corrupts his judgment . thus the indulging of lust and vice dispose a man to atheism . to which purpose observe the soil where this poisonous weed springs up , grows , and thrives most , viz. in the courts of debauch'd princes , among such nobility and gentry , and in great cities where vicious and prophane living is most in fashion . they are lewd and dissolute in their manners , and give themselves up wholly to the satisfying of their lusts : and this naturally prejudices them against the belief of a god and a life to come . nothing doth so much extinguish all apprehensions of these as carnal pleasures . he that lives dissolutely and wickedly can't easily entertain the notion of a god , for 't is counter to his course of living . therefore he goes on in his debauchery , and huffs and swaggers , and perhaps swears by the divinity that there is none . it is plain that this sort of men decry a god , because they would not be obliged by his laws . sensuality makes them desirous to remove all stops of a wicked life , and therefore they whet their wits ( such as they are ) to annihilate religion , and to extirpate a deity . an abhorrence of the practical part of piety engages them against the theory . their lives influence on their belief . they are addicted to atheism by their lewd and prophane courses . for we must observe this , that these two mutually advance one an other . as atheism is the highway of wickedness ( which the psalmist takes notice of when he saith , the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god : corrupt are they , and have done abominable iniquity , psal. 53. 1. ) so 't is as true that wickedness is the original of atheism and infidelity . for 't was rightly said by a great man , * none deny there is a god but those for whom it maketh that there were no god. for they know that if there be one , he will certainly judg them for their evil doings . they cannot therefore be secure in their sins unless the notion and remembrance of a deity be blotted out . it is their supposed interest then , not their reason , that makes them deny a god ; for it is their concern to be perswaded , that there is none to punish them . briefly , they are unwilling to believe any thing but what their lust shall put into their creed . thus you see the true reason of the atheism of these times . it is fed and pamper'd by luxury ; the constant fumes and steams of this affect the brain , and discompose the intellect . practical atheism leads to that which is dogmatical , i. e. holding and believing that there is no god. evil and perverse minds , profane and debauch'd lives , strangely byass and incline men to this . wherefore if you would effectually shut out this vile perswasion , take care to suppress your evil affections and practices , for these are wont to court mens understandings to turn atheists . vii . atheists take occasion from our divisions , broils , and animosities , from the many parties and squadrons of sects that are in the world , to bid defiance to all religion ; and they resolve to profess none till they can see them all agreed . thus * tully observed of old , that the dissentions of philosophers , the various sentiments and opinions that prevail'd among them were a cause of some mens denying a deity , at least of their staggering about it . and truly this observator himself , in his books de natura deorum , is so given to the academical vein of disputing , that he seems sometimes to be irresolv'd whether there is any god or no. so it hath been among some of those who have taken upon them the external denomination of christians . the differences in opinion , the errors and heresies which they take notice of , cause them to suspect yea to renounce all truth . a great deal of the atheism of this present age may be ascrib'd to this . some behold the great scufflings that are about religion , not only the single combates , but the pitch'd batelts that are about it , and thereupon they discard all thoughts of any such thing , and become perfect libertines . and herein they are promoted and push'd on by such persons as the author of fiat lux and the treatise of humane reason , who both design scepticism , and so atheism . but though it is thus , though the different perswasions about religious matters have this ill effect , yet this can be no true reason why any man should renounce the belief of a god. for he that is truly rational and considerate , will rather make this an argument of the contrary : for it was foretold by * christ and his † apostles , that errors and delusions should be in the world , and therefore the fulfilling of these prophecies be as witness not only to the truth of the writings of the new testament , and consequently of christianity , but of the divinity it self . for things of this nature , which depend wholly on free and arbitrary causes , cannot be foretold without divine and supernatural help . none but an all-seeing eye could have a prospect of these future occurrences . the predicting of such things to come is an evidence of an omniscient deity . and then as to the thing it self , why should any man think it strange and unaccountable that there are dissentions in christendom ? he may as well wonder that there are men in the world ; for as long as these retain their nature , i. e. are subject to prejudice , love of interest , passion , pride , and the like , there will be errors and heresies , for these proceed from some of those ill principles : and unless god should change the frame of the world , and destroy the freedom of man's will , i. e. make him another creature , it cannot be otherwise . how unreasonably then do men question a god , and cry out against religion it self because they see so many of this sort of disorders in the world ? whereas it is certain , that it is not the fault of religion that things are thus , but they are thus because men have so little religion . again , the cheats and delusions that are in the world are useful for the trial of mankind , that ( as the apostle saith ) they who are approved may be made manifest , 1 cor. 11. 19. i do not say they were design'd for this ( for no evil is design'd by god ) yet it is certain they are expedient for this purpose ; and there is no better way to have an experiment of the upright judgment , sincerity , faithfulness , and constancy of persons , than by their being expos'd to these impostures . lastly , god deservedly punishes men with erroneous and false doctrines . 2 thess. 2. 10 , 11. because they receive not the love of the truth ( yea because they hate it , and oppose themselves to it ) and have pleasure in unrighteousness , for this cause he sends them strong delusion , that they shall believe a lye , and that they shall defend and maintain it . it is just with god to leave men to the error and blindness of their minds , and judicially to give them over the atheistical perswasions when they have wilfully debauch'd and abused their faculties . this is the dreadful , but just judgment of god ; and i doubt not but the present atheism of this age is such . thus it is evident that errors and dissentions about religion are so far from being arguments of the non-existence of a deity , that they are undeniable proofs of it . let not then the diversity of sects and the disputes of wrangling heads ( as particularly the late upstart contrast between the unitarians and trinitarians ) prejudice us against our christian faith. but let us rather be stirr'd up hence to hold fast the principles of our belief , and to own a deity when there are so many in this degenerate age that deny it . and withal , let us endeavour to banish atheism by doing so to our divisions : let us lay aside our religious squabbles , and arrive at last to a happy agreement in doctrine , that we may hereby cut off occasion of atheistick unbelief on this account . however , though in some points we can't fully accord , let us not be hot and firy against one another , as if charity were no virtue with us . viii . there is something more heinous than divisions , which frequently occasions atheism , and confirms men in it ; and that is , the hypocrisie and evil practices of too many that make a very fair profession of christianity . whilst it is observ'd that they talk religiously , and pretend to holiness , but do nothing of what they talk of or pretend to ; whilst it is seen that they have a form of godliness , but deny the power thereof ; whilst it is evident that they cry the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord , and yet are unhallowed in their lives ; whilst it is known that they lay claim to the spirit , but are carnal and sensual in their manners , and enterprize very vile things for their worldly profit and advantage ; in short , whilst it is observ'd that the behaviour of sundry of the avowed professors of christianity is unanswerable to their principles , there is a sort of men that for the sake of these , presently conclude all to be hypocrites , and christianity it self to be an imposture . this then i grant , that the unbecoming lives of christians are an unhappy occasion of atheism sometimes , but they can never be alledged as a sufficient one . for what though there be mere pretenders to godliness ? doth it thence follow that there is none at all ? what though there are great numbers of religious impostors ? must i therefore thence conclude that all professors of religion are an errant cheat ? then by the same logick i may peremptorily infer , that there is no such metal as silver , because by too noted experience we find at this day that it is generally counterfeited ; and there is no such thing as true coin , because so much is adulterated amongst us . no man of sense will make these conclusions : and 't is as certain , that he can with as little reason make the others . let us not then be abused by unsound and fallacious inferences : let us not think there is no religion because there are so many unworthy retainers to it . yea , let us be fully convinced of this , that though christianity hath been , and is to this day abused and sophisticated , and thereby dishonoured ; yet it is a reality , and we may venture our lives upon it . and seeing the evil deportment of some that profess christianity is the greatest encouragement to atheism and vice , let us all make it our great business to adorn our profession with a holy , strict , and exemplary conversation . let our light so shine before men , that others seeing our good works may be so far from denying , that they may glorifie god. and let us pray for the arrival of that happy day ( and i hope it is not very far off ) when religion shall universally bear sway upon earth , and when men shall be throughly convinced of the real worth of christianity from the practices of those that profess it . ix . in the next place , more particularly , the ill examples of some who by their office are spiritual guides and instructors , are mention'd as another great occasion of irreligion and atheism . it is necessary to take notice of this , because it is alledged ( but very frequently without ground ) by the sworn patrons of that cause which i am now pleading against . they observe of some of this order of men , that they urge virtue and holiness with great warmth and pathetick zeal , and yet are very cold , yea wholly neglectful in the practice of them , and visibly favour those vices and enormities which they disswade others from : whence it is no wonder ( say they ) that these persons are not believed to be in good earnest , yea that they are thought not to believe themselves , i. e. to be really perswaded that those things are true which they discourse of ; for it is seen , that their lives wholly contradict their doctrine . whence this rash conclusion is made , that preaching is a meer trade , that the ministerial function is a cheat , and that religion it self is so too , and that a deity is no other . thus where is there more of atheism than in italy , the pope's own soil , part of which is call'd holy land ? which the observing * author of europae speculum ( who had convers'd in his travels with the italians , and knew them very well ) attributes to the gross wickedness of the roman clergy , and particularly of the popes and cardinals , of whose scandalous speeches and actions the people of that country have a greater knowledge than others . they are not ignorant that several popes were inclined to be atheists ; as paul 3. when he was dying told the standers by , that he should now know three things , viz. whether the soul be immortal , whether there be a hell , and whether there be a god. and iohn 23. ( as is plain from that council of constance by whom he was deposed ) profess'd that he look'd upon religion as a fable , and god and the soul's immortality as such . and they dayly behold the lewd and dissolute practices of some of the cardinals and prelates , abbots , monks , and of their parish-priests , which very thing ( as the foresaid author observes ) makes them the most irreligious people in the world , yea causes them to defie all religion for their sakes . especially they conclude , that there is nothing true and real in christianity , because so many of the eminent pretenders to it and assertors of it , live continually in opposition to all religious principles and practices , and are seen to be guilty of the most horrid impieties , of the most execrable villanies that are to be imagined . their being so near to the head of that religion ( as he is stiled ) makes them averse to the whole kind . and this is in some measure the case of people in other countreys , where even the protestant faith is professed , but is accompanied with the scandalous lives and lewd practices of some that are immediately concern'd in holy things , and whose employment it is to direct others in religion . but to speak impartially to any considerate person , this cannot yield an occasion of being atheistical : for though the manners of some of the sacred function be offensive , yet 't is irrational and absurd to blast all religion for their misdemeanours . we do not read that our saviour condemned the iewish church and mosaick law because of the hypocrisie and wickedness of the chief priests , scribes , and doctors of the law. nay , he tells the people , all that they bid you observe , that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works , matth. 23. 3. as much as if he had said , the moral law , and all the offices of religion , are not in the least discredited by the vicious manners of some of your teachers . be careful that you imitate them not in their practices ; but be very observant of the holy doctrine which they deliver ; entertain no ill thoughts of it , because of the corrupt lives of your guides . the like may be said now ; the faults and miscarriages of any ecclesiastical persons must not be charged on the sacred institution of christ ; we ought not to think ill of christianity for the disorderly behaviour of any spiritual officers in the church . we see that there is no man refuses to follow a learned physician 's prescriptions and rules concerning health , because he doth not observe them himself . nor can the spiritual patient with any reason reject the rules of saving health and happiness , though they are not observ'd by the prescriber himself . but to be yet more plain with the persons i am now dealing with , they ( of all men ) cannot with any tolerable pretence make use of this plea : they cannot complain of the lives of the clergy as administring to their disregard of religion , for the more strict and religious any church-man is , the more is he despised and hated by them . a pious clergy-man is reckon'd by them a weak shallow creature , a fantastick bigot , and is laugh'd at as such . so that it is evident , that what they alledge concerning the undue behaviour of some that serve at the altar , is a more groundless cavil ; for they would have all men as wicked and debauch'd as themselves . it must indeed be acknowledged , that this is a great scandal , and of very pernicious consequence , and such as is not to be permitted with impunity in the church : but it is no excusable ground of impiety and atheism . however , since it is so heinous in it self , and is made by the perverse minds of many an excuse for their atheism , it is the concern of all christian guides of souls to be examples to the flock , to conform their lives with great circumspection and exactness to the laws of christ jesus their master , and to take care to perform themselves whatever they require others to do . x. unbelief of a god is occasion'd sometimes by the strange revolutions and changes , the odd events , and unaccountable administrations that are in the world. especially men are inclined to question god's existence as well as his providence when they behold the prosperous state of the most vicious persons , and on the contrary , observe how miserably sometimes the best men are treated in this life , and at death are not at all differenc'd from the worst , but perish alike . then you shall hear one cry out , quis putet esse deos ? and another uses the like language of the poet , dum rapiant mala fata bonos , — sollicitor nullos esse putare deos. but any understanding man , who will take time to consider and deliberate , will see that nothing of this nature can justly administer matter of atheism . for is must be remembred , that we are finite shallow creatures , and are not able to comprehend the wise designs and purposes of heaven in every event that we see : and therefore when we meet with obscure and rugged dispensations , and such as seem to be very disorder'd and irregular , we have no reason to find fault with them , and to think them unworthy of god , and of divine providence , because we are not able to make a judgment of them . those events which seem to be excentrick and at random , are guided by a steady unerring hand : but we have not depth of apprehension to conceive it at present . but it may be afterwards , when our minds are more enlightned , we shall know how to solve these difficult phoenomena . however , at the last day all these intrigues , these knots , these labyrinths , these riddles , shall be fully resolved ; and it shall be part of our employment in the other world , to admire and adore the infinite wisdom of god in the disposal of the affairs here on earth . and particularly we shall then be satisfied , yea we may be now , concerning the foresaid problem , viz. the prosperity of the wicked , and the contrary circumstances of the good ; for 't is evident , that these are according to exact justice and wisdom . god intended the former should have their portion in this life only ; and he designed the latter to be prepared for heaven by those rougher dealings here below . lastly , learned times , especially if accompanied with peace or prosperity , are reckon'd by a * judicious person as another cause of atheism . nor is this inconsistent with what i said before , that ignorance is the mother of atheism . for learned or peaceable times are only thus far conducible to this great evil , that men are then generally too inquisitive and curious , too nice and wanton , and over-busily pry into secrets ; which when they cannot satisfie themselves about , they are inclined to be atheistical , and to doubt even concerning the chief things of religion . wherefore i question not but the starting and keeping up at this day the debates about the doctrine of the holy trinity are a great advancement to this evil disposition of mind . there are those who push on both parties to wrangle and quarrel about this grand point , and in the mean time laugh at the combatants on both sides . whilst they encourage some writers to baffle the trinity of divine persons , their project is to destroy the essence it self . whilst they put them upon maintaining the unity of the godhead , they hope in the close of the dispute to introduce a nullity not only of the deity , but of all religion . for by these bandyings backward and forward , they know that mens minds will be unsettled and that they will be apt to waver about the truth and certainty of the main articles of our religion . when persons observe , that the very divinity of our blessed lord and saviour is toss'd and torn by rude pens ; when they see so catholick a doctrine attack'd with such violence ; what can they think of the other great verities of christianity ? and withall , the anti-trinitarians hereby provoke some of their adversaries to an indecent sort of language concerning these holy mysteries : so that some of these latter have hurt the cause it may be almost as much by their defending it , as the others have by their opposing it . thus it must needs be when persons immoderately indulge curiosity in these abstruse and sublime matters , and will not be content with what the bible and immediate inferences drawn thence suggest to us . by this means they lose their hold , and give their antagonists a clear advantage against them , and manifestly promote the design of those who make it their work to make void the notion of a deity . nay , in the very socinian doctrine it self there seems to be an atheistick tang. would not a man guess that there is in approach to atheism in those reflections which are made on a sermon preach'd by the right reverend bishop of worcester , * where one of the most receiv'd notions concerning the nature of the deity it self is cashier'd . the self-existence of god , which is the primary , fundamental , and essential property , and is the very life and soul of the explicatory part of the doctrine of the deity , is peremptorily pronounced by them to be a contradiction . it is well known , socinus , and crellius , and others of this party , deny god's immensity , i. e. his being present every where as to his essence and nature . all of them agree , that he hath not a knowledge and foresight of every thing that happens in the world , for future contingencies are hid from him . particularly * socinus largely argues against this praescience , and tells us , that he is to be laugh'd at that asserts the contrary . nay , it is farther observable , that this great patriarch of the present cause disowns the immaterial or spiritual nature of god , as may be undeniably gather'd from his † exposition of iohn . 4. 24. and other passages in his writings . and he is followed by crellius , as is manifest from that account which this latter gives of a spirit , when ‖ he speaks of the nature of god. he doth not make it to be any thing above a refined body , a substance void of all gross matter , such as the air or aether is . so that when these men call god a spirit , their meaning is , that he is a fine and tenuious sort of matter , not that he is wholly incorporeal , and altogether free from matter . this is the same with mr. hobbs's corporeal god. thus four of the chief attributes of the deity , viz. self-existence , omnipresence , omniscience , and spirituality , are either in whole or in part rejected . whereupon , i ask this question , whether these things do not discover a tendency ( to say no more ) in the anti-trinitarians to that which i am charging them with ? for to assert a god ▪ and yet to deny some of his choicest properties ( whereby we know him to be god ) is in effect the same with denying a deity . if they distinguish between the english and foreign socinians ( as i perceive they do ) and tell us that the former do not assert the things before mention'd , i answer , the very english prints avouch the first of those particulars : and as for the rest , they being the doctrine of the chief patrons of the socinian cause , yea and of the most of them , the english unitarians are involved in them , because those foreigners are the greatest and most substantial part of that body of men call'd socinians . thus the trinitarian scheme of religion , drawn up by some english socinians of late is thought by them to touch all the trinitarians ( else it could not be stiled the trinitarian scheme ) though every individual trinitarian doth not hold all those things mentioned there . let them apply this , and they will have nothing to object . and further , i would argue from their own avowed principle , which is that they are to admit of nothing but what is exactly adjusted to nature's and reason's light , nothing but what is entirely clear and evident : for though it is true some socinian writers of late have laid aside this notion ( and truly we may observe that they are shifting every day their arguments , and so we know not where to have them ) yet he that is acquainted with the writings that make up the main body of socinianism knows full well that this is a principle constantly asserted and maintain'd by the generality of them , and upon all occasions insisted upon . this hath been the stanch notion of the great dons of the party , and of the famous socinus himself . and slicktingius , though he seems indeed sometimes to be otherwise perswaded , yet comes to this at last , that the trinity is a doctrine that can't be borne , because it can't be understood . and why do * * crellius and others argue from reason and logical arguments against the trinity , if they do not refuse the doctrine upon the account of reason ? and it is certain they would not do this if they were not perswaded that these things in religion must be adjusted to natural reason , and that they are displeased with the doctrine of the trinity and incarnation , &c. because these are not exactly squared to their natural notions . you see then what is the sentiment of the greatest rabbies of this way , and therefore we must make our estimate of the socinian or antitrinitarian doctrine from these , and not from one or two modern writers . this i think will be granted by all men of reason . but what if it doth appear that even the very english and modern socinians , though they seem to wave this principle , do yet retain it , and govern themselves by it ? else why do they complain that * they have no conception of the trinity as the trinitarians represent it to them , they cannot form an idea of it ; it is a notion that excites no idea's in their minds ; it is against reason and natural light ? we are advised by the modern pen-men † to consult our reason about the thing in question ; and if we do so , we shall find an absolute impossibility in the trinitarian doctrine : our reason will assure us that an almighty father and an almighty son are most certainly two gods , and that two creators can be no other than two gods : therefore we may , and we must infer that the explication of the first verses of st. john 's gospel , which advance such a doctrine , is certainly false . again , the english socinians tell us that ‖ the doctrine of the trinity clashing altogether with our natural idea's can be no matter of revelation , and therefore ought not to be believ'd . and hear their final and resolute determination , which fully speaks their absolute adherence to this principle , † we abide by this argument , here we fix our foot , never to be removed , that the inconsistence of the trinity ( as well as the incarnation ) with reason and natural knowledge being undeniably evident , therefore this doctrine can have no real foundation in divine revelation , that is to say , in holy scripture . and we find that our english unitarians * argue from reason in this point , and they declare that they cannot believe it because reason doth not teach it . thus we find that the bottom of all is , the trinity and such like doctrines are above their reason , and natural idea's , and therefore they are no matter of their faith. this is it which the reverend person before named charges these men with in a great part of his * sermon : and certainly he would not have done it if there were no such persons in being . it is too plain that there are such , and i think i have proved it from their own mouths . the sum of their opinion and resolution if this , that there is nothing difficult and abstruse in religion , and that they will not believe any thing in christianity but what they can make out by reason : otherwise it must be discarded presently . now , to apply this principle of the antitrinitarians ; we are assured that we cannot by searching find out god , job 11. 7. his infinite nature and immense essence are not commensurate to our conceptions , are not adjusted to our idea's , but are far above them : it is impossible that the apprehensions of finite creatures should reach these things : therefore according to the foresaid principle , the unitarians are not obliged to believe any such things ; they must not admit of the infinite nature of god , concerning which our conceptions will always be obscure and unproportionate ; yea , they cannot but infer from their own maxim , that god is an impossible being , at least that his immense nature is such . they cannot comprehend and conceive the manner of the immense and infinite presence or knowledge of god ; therefore they must disown the things themselves . thus by vertue of their own profess'd principle , the godhead it self as well as the trinity is shock'd by them : and consequently one would be apt to gather that a socinian , so far as he is led by this principle , is an atheist , or ( lest that should seem harsh ) one that favours the cause of atheism . for he may as well quit the belief of a god because of these difficulties and abstrusities in the nature of god , as renounce the doctrine of the trinity , because there are some inexplicable and unintelligible things that accompany it . but because all men do not follow the natural conduct of their principles ( the divine providence over-ruling in these cases ) i do not here pass an universal censure , i do not speak of every individual man , nay i hope charitably concerning most of them . however , it is to be fear'd , that some are unhappily under the force and sway of the foregoing principle ; and these are the persons i speak of , and no other . these things i freely and openly suggest . which the learned and ingenious gentlemen of the racovian perswasion cannot dislike , unless they disapprove of themselves , unless they disclaim their own writings ; for they cry up in almost all of them ( and in * one very lately ) a freedom of discourse , a liberty of speaking their thoughts , which they applaud as a very generous and noble thing , and much value themselves upon it . they cannot deny that to me which they allow of and magnifie in themselves , especially when i most sacredly profess to them that i have sincerely delivered my thoughts , and spoken what i conceive to be the words of truth and soberness . wherefore i expect to be approved of by persons of their ingenuity and free temper , who ( as i find ) blame others ( even some of the clergy ) for palliating and dissembling , and not speaking out . i think they will not charge me with this fault , for i have acted according to their own generous principles : and i must tell them there is not a friend of theirs in all their dear eleutheropolis that is more disingaged and unbyass'd than i am . but though i have used a becoming freedom , yet there are some things that i omit , because i would let the world see that i am not eager and lavish in blaming and censuring any party of men , especially since it is suggested to me by some that are learned and sober of that perswasion , that it is hard that their opinion should suffer for the ill consequences of it , or for the insincerity of any that profess it , or by reason of the rash indiscreet passages which occurr in some of their late writers . i do it likewise because i would give the world an example of moderation and temper in this disputing and wrangling age ; that it may be seen , that whilst i remonstrate against the errors and mistakes ( as i suppose them to be ) of any side , i can forbear to publish the aggravations of them , and that i had rather the truth should prevail than the contrary opinion , or the maintainers of it should be exposed . finally , i consider that it is improper and unseasonable to contend among our selves at home whilst our armies are engaging the enemy abroad . the proper antidote belonging to this head of my discourse is this ; let us make a difference between finite beings and that which is infinite : for seeing there is such a vast difference between them , we ought to observe it . we cannot form the same conceptions of one and the other ; yea the latter is exalted above our reach and comprehension ; wherefore let us be satisfied , that the properties of an infinite being ( such as god is ) are incomprehensible , and therefore that may be possible in the infinite nature of god ( as namely that it is communicable to three distinct persons ) which is impossible in the finite nature of man or other creatures . let us attend to that which may be known , and that clearly and distinctly , and not trouble our thoughts and wrack our brains about unsearchable mysteries . a lover of peace as well as truth should not be so much sollicitous about the manner of the three personalities or subsistencies as about the trinity it self . we are sure of the latter , as sure as the scripture can make us ; therefore it doth not become us to wrangle about the former ; especially when we find that ill-minded men make use of this quarrel to promote the cause of atheism ; and truly they make advances towards it every day . i proceed to other doctrines which administer to this great evil which i have been speaking of , and which may justly be reckoned among the blemishes of these inquisitive times . such is that of a * late writer , that the books of the old testament were not written by those persons whose names they bear , that the historical parts of the bible are lame and imperfect , and repugnant to themselves ; that the writings were not carefully and faithfully transmitted to us , but abound with many faults and mistakes , that the books of the prophets are mere scraps and fragments , and taken without order and method from other writings . all which put together , destroys the authority of divine revelation , and consequently of all reveal'd religion , from whence we have the strongest and most pregnant arguments for a deity . again , the same design is advanced in these learned times by thrusting of opinions and theories on the world in defiance of the plain letter and historical part of the bible : as if the sacred history , which was written by inspired men , were not as credible and authentick as that of prophane authors . the frame of the primitive earth is represented opposite to what moses tells us it was : the account which he gives of paradise ( as it is a particular place ) is contradicted , yea it is strongly averr'd , that there never was any such thing . what moses relates concerning our first parents is laugh'd at as a romantick story . the universal deluge in noah's time is attributed to an accidental diruption of the earth ; which when scann'd , is found to be fictitious and imaginary , and thence the deluge it self is concluded by many to be so ; and moses is reckon'd by them as an impostor . which is taken notice of , and thus animadverted upon by a curious observer , and one who ( as becometh so learned an head ) joyns religion with his philosophical researches , * the atheistical party had hereby an occasion ( saith he ) boldly to give out that such a deluge as that described by moses was altogether incredible , and that there never was , nor could be any such thing . nothing was talk'd of among them under mathematical demonstrations of the falshood of it , which they vented with all imaginable triumph , and would needs have it that they had here sprung a fresh and unanswerable argument against the authentickness of the mosaick writings ; which is indeed what they drive at , and a point they very fain would gain . for if the pen-man of the first book in the bible be found tripping , then the credit of all the rest falls to the ground ; we may justly question their fidelity , yea deny whatever they say . and so the bible falls , and with it all our religion , and with that necessarily a deity , which is the thing ultimately aimed at , i do not say by the first hand from whence these notions came ( for i charitably hope better things of so learned a person , especially since he hath shew'd himself not unwilling to retract them ) but by those ill-minded men who make their markets of these opinions . all that i will add here is this , that if ( according to a learned * doctor of the sorbon ) it be a very dangerous paradox to presume to deny that the pentateuch was composed by moses , and accordingly hobbes and spinosa are condemn'd by him for using arguments to that purpose , then surely it must be much more dangerous and pernicious to hold that any part of moses's writings is mere forgery and fiction , i. e. was designed only to comply with the ignorant iews at that time , and doth not contain matter of fact . i have said something of this nature in another place , and on another account , but i never had occasion before to represent it as an unhappy handle which atheistically disposed persons may lay hold upon . wherefore let those who are philosophically disposed take warning hence , and forbear to prefer their own precarious hypotheses before the plain account which this inspired historian gives of those first things in the world. let none presume to represent the writings of this first author as false , in order to make their own true , and thereby to gratifie the worst sort of men . i need not say more here , because i have already antidoted against the infection of these two last heads , viz. in those discourses wherein i have treated of the authority and perfection of the scriptures . in the next place , learned enquirers are apt to give encouragement to atheism by an obstinate endeavouring to solve all the phoenomena in the world by mere natural and corporeal causes , and by their averseness to admit of the aid and concurrence of a supernatural or immaterial principle for the production of them . the mechanick philosophy hath done a great deal of mischief on this account : not but that ( so far as it ought to be made use of ) it is generally the most excellent ( because the most plain and sensible ) way of displaying the operations of natural bodies : and it cannot be denied , that since this hath been revived and entertain'd , there hath been that improvement in natural philosophy which never was thought of before , and which could never have been attain'd by the aristotelian way : yet this is to be said with truth and reason , that the great reviver and manager of it hath carried it on too far by undertaking to give an account of all effects and events in the production of vegetables and animals , and in the very formation and organization of the body of man himself by mere mechanick principles , thereby in a manner ascribing divinity to matter and motion . this great philosophick wit over-shot himself here : and though it is true he hath otherways ( viz. by asserting the notion of souls or spirits , and by demonstrating the essential and real difference from bodies ) made some part of amends for this , yet there are many at this day who make very ill use of this doctrine . some take occasion thence to believe , that men as well as brutes are no other than engines and machines , mere neurospasts and senseless puppets . others build upon this notion the conceit of thinking matter , for if pores and particles do all things in the bodies of brutes , it is probable they serve instead of souls to those of humane race : and so a spiritual and immaterial principle is excluded . this philosophy is vain deceit , and too many are spoil'd by it . but they should consider that the noble french philosopher himself did not believe all that he wrote . malebranch , who was a great admirer and defender of him , tells us , that he never pretended that things were made in that manner that he describes them * . yea , we have des cartes's own word for it , † i require not any one , saith he , to believe that bodies which compose this visible world were ever produced in that way which i have represented them . it seems by his own confession , that he was not in good earnest in all the parts of his philosophy , and therefore we may gather that in some of the particulars aforemention'd he only propounded his conjectures . we might carry this thought yet farther , and observe that the generality of the modern philosophers ( not only cartesians , but others ) have contributed much to atheism , by referring all things , not only in organiz'd bodies but in every part of the world , and all the phoenomena that we take notice of in it to a corporeal principle , and to the efficiency and power of this alone . whereas , it is certain that there are many things which happen in the world that cannot be solv'd any other way than by the superintendence of a spiritual being . there are several wonderful occurrences which no man can give an account of , but by supposing an almighty immaterial agent , which is no other than god. thus we must be constrained to repair to an incorporeal principle to solve the cause of the seas constant ebbing and flowing , and the attraction of the loadstone , and the hanging of the clouds , and many other phoenomena in nature : for the accounts that are given are imperfect and inconsistent , and do no ways satisfie any serious enquirer . a man that is not willing to be put off with slight and insufficient suggestions , cannot rest in them as true causes of those things . only philosophical men will be assigning some reasons of things , whether they can or no : and this is an inclination which is incident to the best and wisest naturalists in all ages . but they may as reasonably undertake to shew whence it is that the sun hath its continual motion from east to west , or ( as they would rather express it ) why the earth wheels about upon its axis from west to east : which yet i do not see attempted by any philosopher whatsoever ; and yet there is as much reason for the one as the other . so for gravity , that known affection of bodies whereby they are inclined towards the same common center , it seems not to be solved by any principles of mechanism that have hitherto been propounded , whether it be from a kind of magnetism in some parts of the earth ( as hath been imagin'd by some ) or from the reflected particles of the celestial matter driving down into their places the earthy bodies they find above them , or ( as they at other times are pleased to speak ) from the pressure of the atmosphere , which moves all bodies continually downwards , because it doth it self press always towards the earth : or whether it be ( as the learned isaac vossius holds ) from the diurnal motion of the earth , whereby all heavy bodies ( which move with greater difficulty than light ones ) tend to the middle or center , and light bodies are expelled towards the superficies or from the center . but a man that would be very serious in philosophizing , can hardly acquiesce in any of these solutions . he is not hereby satisfied how non-gravitation can be and not be in a thing at the same time , as in water in the sea or in a river : for it is heavy and presses down , and yet the parts do not gravitate ; for 't is known that those that dive , and are under so great a heap of waters , yet feel it not upon them . here must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , there must be acknowledged an other cause besides those before mention'd ( if they may be said to be causes at all ) . and accordingly i find that some of the most judicious philosophers of our own nation have averr'd that a god , a divine incorporeal substance may be evinced from the phoenomena of gravity . this is made good by strong and nervous arguments in an * undertaking of the learned dr. more . † another ripe-witted naturalist positively determines , that the common phoenomenon of gravity is impossible to be explain'd by any natural operation of matter , or any other law of motion but the positive will of a superiour being , so ordering it . and there is lately risen in our horizon another bright philosophick luminary , from whom we may expect great discoveries : it is his frank acknowledgment that this wonderful property of bodies , whereby the world is tied and link'd together , and all things in it are kept from running back into their first chaos and confusion , and which consequently is necessary for the welfare , yea the very subsistence of the universe , is supernatural . * no power , saith he , of mere nature can produce it : it surpasses all the mechanism of matter . and in several other instances which might be offer'd , there may be seen a despair of resolving the nature of them by material causes wholly . no meaner a person than * doctor lower ( who was voted by all the faculty to be one of the most accomplish'd anatomists of this age ) imputes the wonderful motion of the heart , and the circulation of the blood , to a divine and supernatural cause . he who was as well skill'd as any man in the fabrick of the parts and vessels of the body , and knew all the springs of their actions and operations , was of opinion , that these could not be solv'd by any ordinary principle . i mention this only to let the reader see that some of the bravest and wisest philosophers are forward to own a divine hand even in the common works of nature . they do not think it below a man of philosophy to resolve some things into an immaterial principle . for a pious and christian philosopher may plainly discern that there are some things above the efforts of matter and motion . it cannot be denied ( whatever some are pleas'd to say to the contrary ) that we live in as learned times as ever have been extant . all arts and sciences are improved even to a prodigy ; and particularly the accessions which are made to philosophy are very great and astonishing . but yet i must needs concur with that very thoughtful and ingenious gentleman before cited , who hath most truly told the world , that * without the notion and allowance of spirits our philosophy will be lame and defective in one main part of it , when it leaves out the contemplation of the most excellent and powerful part of the creation , viz. those immaterial beings . and herein he follows all the great and renowned philosophers of our age , especially those of our own country , as dr. more , sir matthew hale , dr. willis , mr. boyle , mr. ray , &c. who pretend not to solve all things in philosophy by mere natural causes , who look not upon man as a piece of clockwork , but have frequent recourse to those springs and causes which are spiritual and incorporeal , and sometimes to the immediate hand of the almighty himself . to conclude then , let not the inestimable blessing of knowledge and learning which is so peculiar to this age , make us forgetful of the grand source and spring of all operations and effects in nature . let us beware of those men who ascribe all the phaenomena in the world to the power of the modified matter , and will leave nothing for god to do himself . neither let us think that to philosophize is to jar with the sacred writings , and to deny the very natural history of it . the scoffers at a deity never had a more hopeful harvest then since these notions have prevail'd . by this means it comes to pass that philosophy , which is the study of wisdom , affronts the truest and highest wisdom ; and even natural philosophy , which is one of the choicest accomplishments of humane minds , leads men even to the denial of the author of nature . no wise man will disapprove of a latitude either in philosophy , or in the dubious and controverted points of theology : but then here he must be upon his guard , for there are those that under the pretence of throwing off some precarious things in the old philosophy , and discarding the empty speculations of the schools cast off those principles which are useful and sound : under the notion of the advancements of arts and sciences , and the improvement of the belles lettres , and carrying learning up to a greater heighth , they in the mean time help to pull these down . especially in religion , under the colour of searching further than others have done into divine matters they abandon some of the choicest principles : under the pretext of reason and good sense they obtrude any new conceit upon the world , and regard not the suffrage of the holy scriptures or of the primitive church . this they call a rational religion , and if you offer any thing against it , they cry it down as a dream , a romance , a fable , a phantom , an hobgoblin , and ( which is a word which they think comprehends all the rest ) priest-craft . and here i might observe that among the opinions which lead to atheism , the denial of daemons and witches , which * of late hath so much prevail'd , is none of the least . for besides that this is an open defiance to unquestionable history , experience and matter of fact , and so introduces the worst sort of scepticism ( which is the high-way to atheism ) it is evident that this supplants the belief of spiritual beings or substances : for witchcraft and all diabolick transactions are disbeliev'd on the account of the improbability , if not impossibility of spirits . so that it is plain the rejecting of the being and commerce of daemons or infernal spirits opens a door to the denial of the deity , of which we can no otherwise conceive than that it is an eternal spirit . there are other doctrines which advance atheism , and may be reckon'd among the dangerous luxuriances of these inquisitive times . such is the vilifying of the hebrew text of the old testament , the proclaiming it to be faulty and erroneous , in order to establishing the seventy's version as only authentick . such is the building the authority of the books of the old testament on the pretended inspiration of certain publick scribes or notaries among the iews , in imitation of such among the egyptians ; the avouching that the leaves or volumes on which those books were wrote are misplaced and put out of order ; the professed declaring that the canonical books are not the same that they were at first , but that several words and passages are left out . all mere fiction and conceit , unworthy of so excellent a genius as f. s's . such also is the maintaining that the greatest part of the religious rites and constitutions which god himself settled among the iews were a transcript of those that were in use among the idolatrous pagan nations , and that the all-wise lawgiver borrow'd those immediately from these . the two former of these attempts null the authority of the sacred writings , and the last of them disparages not only them but the blessed founder of the jewish oeconomy . i speak not this as if any of these opinions can be thought to be true reasons on which a man may ground his disesteem of the scriptures , or of the holy doctrines contain'd in them , or of the sacred inditer of them ; for they are the sentiments but of a very few , and of those whose learning , though it was exceeding great , had not wholly conquer'd their prejudice , or freed them from misapprehensions in some things . i cannot charge them with any direct design of favouring the cause of atheism , but ill-disposed men have made use of their notions to that purpose . wherefore , as we value the reputation of our religion , and the honour of the divine author of it , let us be careful that we split not upon any of these rocks , nor endanger our selves on any of the shallows before mention'd , and thereby make shipwrack of our faith and holy profession , or so endanger our selves that we can hardly be brought off again . i might in the last place take notice of a plausible conceit which hath been growing up to a considerable time , and now hath the fortune to come to some maturity . not to speak of its reception , ( if not its birth ) among some foreign authors , chiefly socinians , it seemed among our selves to be favour'd by that learned , but wavering , prelate who writ the liberty of prophesying , and afterwards by another of his order who compos'd * the naked truth . lately it hath been revived by the author of the naked gospel : and since more particularly fully and distinctly it hath been maintain'd by the late publisher of the reasonableness of christianity , as deliver'd in the scriptures . he gives it us over and over again in these formal words , viz. that nothing is required to be believed by any christian man but this , that iesus is the messiah . he contends that there is no other article of faith necessary to salvation ; this is a full and perfect creed , and no person need concern himself in any other . this takes up about three quarters of his book , for he goes through the history of the evangelists and the acts of the apostles , according to the order of time ( as he thinks ) to give an account of this proposition . but yet this gentleman forgot , or rather wilfully omitted a plain and obvious passage in one of the evangelists , go teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , mat. 28. 19. from which it is plain , that all proselites to christianity , all that are adult members of the christian church , must be taught , as well as baptized , into the faith of the holy trinity , father , son , and holy ghost . and if they must be taught this doctrine ( which is the peremptory charge and commission here given to the apostles , go teach , &c. ) then it is certain that they must believe it , for this teaching is in order to belief . this will be denied by none , i suppose , and consequently more is required to be believed by christian men , and members of christ's church , than that iesus is the messiah . you see it is part of the evangelical faith , and such as is necessary , absolutely necessary , to make one a member of the christian church , to believe a trinity in unity in the godhead ; or , in plainer terms , that though god is one as to his essence and nature , yet there are three persons in that divine essence , and that these three persons are really the one god : for we can't imagine that men and women should be required to be baptized into the faith and worship of any but the only true god. this epitomizer of the evangelical writings left out also that famous testimony in iohn 1. 1. in the beginning was the word ( christ jesus ) and the word was with god , and the word was god. whence we are obliged to yield assent to this article , that christ is the word of god. and there is added in verse 14. another indispensable point of faith , viz. that the word was made flesh , i. e. that god was incarnate , the same with 1 tim. 3. 16. god manifest in the flesh. and it follows in the same verse of this first chapter of st. iohn , that this vvord is the only begotten of the father : whence we are bound to believe the eternal , though ineffable , generation of the son of god. our author likewise takes no notice that we are commanded to believe the father and the son , joh. 14. 10 , 11. and that the son is in the father , and the father in the son , which expresses their unity . this is made an article of faith by our saviour's particular and express command . and other eminent parts of christian belief this writer passes by , without having any regard to them , and yet pretends to present the world with a compleat and entire account of all that is the matter of our faith under the gospel . this cannot but seem very strange and unaccountable to any man of deliberate thoughts , and who expects sincerity from a writer who makes some shew of it ? but this is not all ; this learned gentleman , who with so much industry amasses together quotations out of the gospels and the acts of the apostles , yet is not pleas'd to proceed to the epistles , and to give an account of them as he did of the others ; though the epistles are as considerable a part of the new testament as the gospels and the acts , and the pen-men of them were equally inspired by the holy ghost . can there be any reason given of this partial dealing ? yes , it is most evident to any thinking and considerate person that he purposely omits the epistolary vvritings of the apostles because they are fraught with other fundamental doctrines besides that one which he mentions . there we are instructed concerning these grand heads of christian divinity , viz. the corruption and degeneracy of humane nature , with the true original of it ( the defection of our first parents ) the propagation of sin and mortality , our restoration and reconciliation by christ's blood , the eminency and excellency of his priesthood , the efficacy of his death , the full satisfaction thereby made to the divine justice , and his being made an all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. here are peculiar discoveries concerning christ's righteousness , and our justification by it , concerning election , adoption , sanctification , or the new birth , and particularly saving faith , which is so signal a part of it . here the nature of the gospel , and the new covenant , the riches of god's mercy in the way of salvation by jesus christ , the certainty of the resurrection of humane bodies , and of the future glory , are fully displayed . these are the matters of faith contain'd in the epistles , and they are essential and integral parts of the gospel it self : and therefore it is no wonder that our author , being sensible of this , would not vouchsafe to give us an abstract of these inspired writings , but passes them by with some contempt . and more especially ( if i may conjecture ) he doth this because he knew that there are so many and frequent , and those so illustrious and eminent attestations to the doctrine of the ever to be adored trinity in these epistles . nor is this any uncharitable conjecture , as the reader may easily satisfie himself if he takes notice that this writer interprets the son of god to be no more than the messiah : he expounds iohn 14. 9. &c. after the antitrinitarian mode , whereas generally divines understand some part of those words concerning the divinity of our saviour . he makes christ and adam to be the sons of god in the same senses , viz. by their birth , as the racovians generally do , and so he interprets luke 1. 35. iohn 5. 26. according to their standard . when he proceeds to mention the advantages and benefits of christ's coming into the world , and appearing in the flesh , he hath not one syllable of his satisfying for us , or by his death purchasing life and salvation , or any thing that sounds like it . this and several other things which might be offered to the reader , shew that he is all over socinianized ; and moreover that his design was to exclude the belief of the blessed trinity in this undertaking of his , viz. to prove that the believing of christ to be the messiah is the only point of faith that is necessary and saying . all the other articles and doctrines must fall a sacrifice to the darling notion of the antitrinitarians , namely that christ is not the true god , and coessential with his father . for the sake of this one point they are all dispatch'd out of the world , and are made by him martyrs to this cause . one could scarcely imagine that a person of ingenuity and good sense should go this way to work . which enclines me to think that the ingenious gentleman who is suppos'd by some to be the author of this treatise is not really so . i am apt to believe that the world is impos'd upon in this matter , for in this present attempt there are none of those noble strokes which are visible in that person 's writings , and which have justly gain'd him a fair repute . that vivacity of thought , that elevation of mind , that vein of sense and reason , yea and of elocution too which runs through his works are all extinct here : only he begins as 't were to recover himself about the close when he comes to speak of the laws of christian morality . some may attribute this flatness to the ill cause he manages ; but for my part , i question whether we have the right author , i can't perswade my self but that there is an error of the person : at least i will charitably presume so , because i have so good an opinion of the gentleman who writ of humane understanding and education . but what is the ground of the foresaid assertion ? what makes him contend for one single article , with the exclusion of all the rest ? he pretends it is this , that all men ought to understand their religion . and i agree with him in this ; but i ask him , may not a man understand those articles of faith which i mention'd out of the gospel and epistles , if they be explain'd to him , as well as that one which he speaks of ? why then must there be but one article , and no more ? but he , notwithstanding this , goes on , and urges that there must be nothing in christianity that is not plain , and exactly level to all mens mother-wit and common apprehension . for * god considered the poor of the world , and the bulk of mankind : the christian religion is suited to vulgar capacities , and hath only * such articles as the labouring and illiterate man may comprehend . the writers and wranglers in religion fill it with niceties , and dress it up with notions , ( viz. the trinity , christ's satisfaction , &c. ) which they make necessary and fundamental parts of it . but the bulk of mankind have not leisure for learning and logick : and therefore there must be no such doctrine as that concerning the trinity , the incarnation of the son of god , and the like , which are above the capacity and comprehension of the vulgar . and in the entrance of his book he hath the same notion , for he tells us that the scriptures are a collection of writings designed by god for the instraction of the illiterate bulk of mankind , ( for he is much taken with this phrase , you see , the bulk of mankind ) whereby he understands the ignorant and unlearned multitude , the mob , as he calls it in another place . surely this gentleman is afraid of captain tom , and is going to make a religion for his myrmidons : and to please them he gives them as little of this kind as he possibly can , he contracts all into one article , and will trouble them with no more . now then the sum of all that he aims at is this , that we must not have any point of doctrine whatsoever in our religion that the mob doth not at the very first naming of it perfectly understand and agree to . we are come to a fine pass indeed : the venerable mob must be ask'd what we must believe : and nothing must be receiv'd as an article of faith but what those illiterate clubmen vote to be such . the rabble are no system-makers , no creed-makers ; and therefore away with systems and creeds , and let us have but one article , though it be with the defiance of all the rest , which are of equal necessity with that one. towards the close of his enterprise he hath a fling ( and that a shrewd one ) at the dissenters , telling them that * their congregations and their teachers understand not the controversies at this time so warmly manag'd among them . nay the teachers themselves have been pleas'd to make him their confessor , and to acknowledge to him that they understand not the difference in debate between them . why ? because they ( as well as the conformists ) have obscure notions and speculations , such as iustification , the trinity , satisfaction , &c. terms that all the bulk of mankind are unacquainted with : whereas religion should have no difficulties and mysteries in it . the very manner of every thing in christianity must be clear and intelligible , every thing must be presently comprehended by the weakest noddle , or else it is no part of religion , especially of christianity , which yet is call'd the * mystery of godliness : but this being in the epistles , it is no great matter ; we are not to mind what they say . thus we see what is the reason why he reduces all belief to that one article before rehearsed : as if the other main points which i produced were not as easily learnt and understood as this ; as if there were any thing more difficult in this proposition [ the father , son and holy ghost are one god , or divine nature ] than in that other [ jesus is the messiah ] . truly if there be any difficulty , it is in this latter , for here is an hebrew word first to be explain'd before the mob ( as he stiles it ) can understand the proposition . why therefore doth this author , who thinks it absurd * to talk arabick to the vulgar , talk hebrew to them , unless he be of opinion ( which no body else is of ) that they understand this language better than that ? or , suppose he tells the rabble that messiah signifies anointed , what then ? unless he explains that word to them , it is still unintelligible . so that it appears hence that this article which he hath spent so much time about , is no more level to the understanding of the vulgar then that of the holy trinity , yea it is not so much . to conclude , this gentleman and his fellows are resolved to be unitarians ; they are for one article of faith , as well as one person in the godhead ; and there is as much reason for one as the other , that is , none at all . but it doth not become me perhaps to pronounce this so peremptorily , and therefore i appeal to the judicious and impartial reader ; desiring him to judge of what i have suggested . but this i will say , if these learned men were not highly prejudiced and prepossessed , they would discern the evil and mischief of their assertion : they would perceive that when the catholick faith is thus brought down to one single article , it will soon be reduced to none : the unit will dwindle into a cypher . the proper remedy here is to consider that it is unlawful * to add unto , or diminish ought from the written word : yea , a curse is threatned against those that † add to or take away from the scriptures ; for if it be criminal , and deserves a curse to deal thus with the book of deuteronomy or of the revelation , then by the same reason those that add to or detract from any other part of the holy scriptures are undeniably guilty , and are obnoxious to the divine plagues . i hope such as practise the latter will seriously think of it , and for the future believe themselves concern'd to embrace all the necessary and fundamental articles of faith , as well as one of them . thus i have briefly discover'd the springs and sources of atheism , and i have endeavour'd all along ( more or less ) to stop them up , and hinder the current of them . now , for the close of all , let me add these inferences from the whole , i. we ought to bewail the spreading atheism of this age wherein we live . of old there were but few that openly profess'd it . there are reckon'd up four several sorts or forms of atheism by a late * learned writer , viz. anaximandrian , democritick , stoical , stratonical , and yet there was scarcely one of these that was a downright denying of a god. some have given diagoras , theodorus , protagoras , the title of atheists , and have thought them to be absolutely such : but others , upon a strict search , are of opinion , that they deserv'd not that infamous name ; yea , they find that they were great asserters of a deity . the first of these was accused of atheism , and banish'd for it by the athenians ; not that he denied a god , but because he derided the feigned gods of his time , whom the athenians had such a reverence for . the second passes for an atheist ; but those who have narrowly enquired into things tell us , that he got that name because he spoke against the idolatrous worship of the grecians , and had a kindness ( it is probable ) for another religion : for being a cyrenian , and acquainted with king ptolomee , he came to have some intercourse with the iews of alexandria , and had some notice of the true god. the third was reputed and call'd by some an atheist because he doubted of the truth and reality of the gentile gods. so anaxagoras ( another greek philosopher ) was arraign'd for atheism by the athenians because he denied the sun to be god , and freely discours'd against the other pagan deities . thus the malicious accusers of socrates represented him as an enemy to the gods : part of the crime charged on him , and for which he was condemn'd , was his speaking against the traditions and fables of the poets concerning the gods , and his declaring them to be lewd and wicked . to give this great man his due , he was so far from being an atheist , that he died a martyr for a deity . only to gratifie the vulgar , and that he might not go off unlamented , after he had drank his poison he requested his friends to offer a cock for him to aesculapius . some put democritus into the catalogue of the ancient atheists , but if we read his life in laertius , we shall find that they have little reason to do so . lucretius is the most suspicious man of all , and lucian may be join'd with him , the former a serious , the latter a jocular atheist . but it is sad to consider that the number of this sort of men hath been exceedingly augmented since . * david perron undertook in the presence of king henry the third of france , to prove that there is no god. mersennus , in his commentary on genesis , tells us , that in the year when he wrote it , viz. 1623. there was a vast multitude of them in france : there were at least fifty thousand atheists in the city of paris at that time , and in one house sometimes a dozen were to be found . a worthy * author , whom i had occasion to mention before , acquaints us on his own knowledge , that atheism was very common and rampant in most parts of italy . not to mention machiavel , aretine , &c. it cannot be denied that vanenus openly declared and profess'd himself an atheist , and died so at the stake . indeed i am apt to suspect those who tell us there are scarcely any of this perswasion in the world. thus † one declares that he hath travelled many countries , yet could never meet with any atheists , which are few if any : all the noise and clamour is against castles in the air , i. e. such and no other he fancies them to be . but to come nearer , our own nation hath produced too many of this kind . even in this civilized christian protestant country there are those that are infected with this cursed infidelity , and defie all religion and a god. it is an unquestionable truth , that there are in this great city of the kingdom constant cabals and assemblies of profess'd atheists , where they debate the great point of the existence of an infinite spirit that governs the world , and in the close determine in the negative . i have sometime accidentally happen'd into the company of , and held discourse with some that acknowledge they belong to that society ; and they have not been ashamed to own whatever is done in it . mr. hobbes is their great master and lawgiver . i find that they pay a huge reverence to him . if they acknowledge any divine thing , it is he. if they own any scriptures , they are his writings . the language that i lately met with from the mouth of one that was , i suppose , a well-wisher ( according to his poor ability ) to mr. hobbes's mathematicks , was this , his leviathan is the best book in the world next to the bible : he himself was a man of great piety , and is spoken against by none but the priests . and whom do they ( for this man speaks the sense of the rest ) mean by priests but the ministers of religion ? so they would have a bible and piety without these ; which is as much as to say , they would have neither of them . but indeed this man had a way of being something more plausible than his fellows , and would vouchsafe to mention the bible and piety , and thereby seem as it were to allow of such things ; whereas others are wont to laugh at them as well as at the persons they call priests , for they go together . i may say truly , it is grown fashionable to deride whatever is sacred , and to talk like an atheist . in some companies it shall be question'd whether a person be a gentleman if he does not give proofs of his being prophane . to defend the wildest principles , and to ridicule religion , is counted one certain mark of a wit. he that doth not shew his raillery against virtue and goodness , and speaks not contemptibly of god and religion , is not a man of parts . this is the sentiment and perswasion of a great part of this nation . i would not libel the land of our nativity ; yea , i rather heartily wish that what i have said on this occasion might receive a confutation . but it is too evident that i speak truth ; it is too manifest to be denied that there are every where confiderable numbers of men who openly renounce the existence of god. david's atheist was modest , and only said in his heart , there is no god ; on which account some atheistical spirits now-a-days may think perhaps he deserved the title of fool which the psalmist gives him . but these count themselves a wiser rank of atheists , because they say this with their mouths , and speak it aloud , audibly proclaiming their opinion , and being very zealous to gain proselytes to it . 2. let us abhor the converse and society of those persons whom we know to be of this character . and truly they are very common every where . it is prodigious to see how they daily encrease . there is scarcely a town where there are not some that may justly be reckon'd in this number . do not mistake me . there are some deluded people who are apt to censure all as atheists that are not of their way . the * primitive christians were thus stigmatized , and usually called by that name because they did not comply with the pagan worship and usages . if a man discourses not according to some mens fond notions and bigotisms ; if he speaks against their superstitious practices , he presently hath this brand set upon him . there are those that call all persons atheists and hypocrites that hold not the same principles with themselves . yea , if a man be a great student in philosophy , some weaker people may be apt to fix this character on him . as heretofore all that had skill in mathematicks were said and thought to deal in art magick ; so in the opinion of some at this day men of great art and learning are voted atheists by them , and almost every physician hath this censure past on him by men of weak minds . but i hope none of those i now speak to are so unwise and weak , or at least not so uncharitable and censorious as to bestow this ignominious epither on those to whom it doth not belong . by an atheist or a person very much disposed to be so , i mean one that hath an enmity to the very notion of a divine infinite being , a supreme immaterial substance , that is the soveraign author of nature , and the first cause of all things , from whom all things were , and on whom they depend . i mean such a one as owns no allegiance to this divine ruler and soveraign , and in his words and actions discovers this to the world. and accordingly he is one that acknowledges not the infinite power , wisdom , goodness , and justice of god in the government of all things : he speaks irreverently of all that appertains to religion and godliness : he laughs at the profound mysteries and sublime doctrines of christianity : he endeavours always to diminish the esteem of sacred things : yea , he will be jesting and drolling on them if he hath any talent that way . if he be open-hearted , and not upon the reserve , he will tell them that religion is a mere invention of politick heads to awe the multitude , and to keep the world in good order . he is one that blasts religion with the ignominious title of a popular cheat , and labours to perswade others to do the like . where you find these characters in any person , you may conclude without breach of charity , that he is an atheist . and it is the company of such that i exhort you to beware of , and wholly to avoid . it is almost incredible that such great numbers should be every day led away with this ignis fatuus , and plung'd into bogs and mire , never to be pluck'd out thence . therefore take heed what society you mingle your selves with in this dangerous age. sit not with the known despisers of god and religion , for they will insensibly instill their poison into you . by frequent associating with them you will learn to resemble them . wherefore fly from them as from a serpent , and be not prevail'd with by any entreaties or threats to hold correspondence with them . assure your selves of this , that the title of atheist is the most reproachful and detestable one imaginable , though some of late who glory in their shame entertain other thoughts . nay , some of these persons seem to be partly sensible of it , and change the name into that of deist . at this day atheism it self is slily call'd deism by those that indeed are atheists . though they retain the things , yet they would disguise it by a false name , and thereby hide the heinousness of it . but let us not be deceived and blinded by pretended shews , but throughly apprehend the vileness of this opinion which some endeavour to palliate . it is a very denying the creed of nature , it is a renuntiation of that which the very devils believe , and tremble at . it is briefly but fully represented in st. cyprian's words , * this ( saith he ) is the sum of this most beinous crime , that those who are guilty of it wilfully refuse to acknowledge him whom they cannot be ignorant of . for their own beings and natures furnish them with arguments for a god : and if they did not obstinately shut their eyes , they must needs behold a deity . therefore to be atheists , or without god in the world ( as the * apostle speaks ) cannot but be a great prodigy ; it is unaccountable almost ( if the degeneracy of manking were not so great as it is ) that the world it self should not administer to mens thoughts convictive arguments of a divinity . whence it hath been observ'd by a very wise man , that there never was any miracle wrought by god to convert an atheist , because the light of nature might have led him to confess a god. this shews how detestable and pernicious atheism is ; and much more might be said to this purpose . wherefore i hope i need not multiply words when i call upon you to keep out of the company of those men who you know are infected with this hellish poison . 3. let us labour to work in our selves and others a profound sense of that great god with whom we have to do . generally the belief of a deity is from custom and education , because it is the perswasion of the place and the persons we converse with : but we should not content our selves with this , but arrive to the knowledge of the true grounds and reasons of this belief . seeing this is the first thing in religion , and no man can be religious and vertuous unless he believes there is a god , let us fortifie our minds against atheism by those several arguments and considerations which are wont to be propounded by learned and religious * writers : that we may as throughly be perswaded of this great truth as of our own being , which a great philosopher makes one of his first and indubitable principles . but especially view the works of the creation , and perswade your selves of this , that a material world without an immaterial cause of it , is mere nonsnse . look abroad , and behold the heavens and the earth , and all the furniture of them ; there you may believe a deity , because you do as 't were see it . the creator is made visible by his works . every thing in the sensible world is an † image , a picture , a footstep of the deity . from this exquisite fabrick we infallibly gather the existence of its all-wise architect and moderator . of which i shall give the reader a particular demonstration in a short time and that you may effectually extirpate atheism out of your minds , frequently peruse the h. scriptures . read god in his own book . there you will certainly inform your selves concerning the superintendence of spiritual or immaterial agents , viz. angels , which makes way for the belief of a god , who is a spirit . there you will meet with those wonderful operations and events which can no ways be solv'd without granting an omnipotent and all-wise disposer of things . and there you will find this supreme governour of the world communicating his will and pleasure to mankind . i question not but one great reason ( and i might have mention'd it among the rest ) why men are so disposed to be atheists , is because they never , or very seldom , consult this holy volume : they refuse to hear god himself speaking to them in these writings . wherefore i recommend to you the serious and frequent reading of the bible as the most effectual means to confirm you in the belief of a deity . assure your selves that this book is the best antidote against atheism . 4. and lastly , labour to be truly religious and holy ; beg the divine assistance to sanctifie you in your hearts and lives ; and thereby you will be let into the intimate knowledge of this grand verity which i have been discoursing of . you will then more sensibly understand and be convinced of it than by all the arguments that can be offer'd : or rather , this one will make all the rest effectual . whereas on the contrary , men of unsanctified minds and profane lives despise and scoff at that of which they have no experience , and will not believe the existence and power of god which they never felt : strive then by an inward experiment to confute atheism : so that you may not have any inclination to say in your hearts ( though you do not utter it with your tongues ) there is no god , but that you may be so strongly convinced of the contrary truth that you may be able to assert it with a firm and unshaken belief , and from an internal sense of it on your hearts , to attest the reality of it to the whole world. finis . errat . pag. 104. lin . 8. dele to . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a38046-e160 * sermon of the folly of atheism . sermon at the queen's funeral . notes for div a38046-e530 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hierocl . * his essays . * 1 tim. 6. 16. * exercitat . 99. * de cometis . * preface before his philosoph . writings . † search after truth , book 3. chap. 4. * bishop ward 's serm. † copernicus , lansbergius , clavius , petavius , tacquet , scheiner , gassendus , fromondus , kircher , ricciolus , oughtred , ward , wallis , more , glanvil . * sir tho. more ▪ , sir phil. sidney , sir w. raleigh , sir hen. wotton , lord bacon , mr. selden , mr. cowley , &c. * primus in orbe deos fecit timor . — pap. stat. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * lord bacon's essay of atheism . * de nat. deorum , lib. 1. * mat. 7. 16 . luke 17. 1. † 1 tim. 4. 1. 2 tim. 3. ● , 6. 2 pet. 33. jude 18. * sir edwyn sandys . * lord bacon's essays . * considerations on the explications of the doctrine of the trinity , page 5 , 6 , 7. * praelect . cap. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11. † fragment . disp. de adorat . christi . ‖ deus est spiritus aeternus : spiritum autem cum nominamus , substantiam intelligimus ab omni erassitie , qualem in corporibus oculorum arbitrio subjectis cernimus , alienam . hoc sensu angelos dicimus spiritus , & aerem , &c. de deo & attrib . cap. 15. * comment . vol. 1. page 118. * de uno deo p. lib. 2. sect . 1 , 2. * letter of resolution concerning the doctrine of the trinity . the unreasonableness of the doctrine of the trinity . † an accurate examination of the principal texts , &c. chap. 5. ‖ observations on the answer to the brief history of the unitarians , chap. 2. † letter of resolution concerning the doctrine of the trinity . * observations on the answer to the brief history of the unitarians , chap. 1. * of the mysteries of the christian faith. * an exhortation to a free and impartial enquiry , &c. * spinosa . tract . theol polit . cap. 8 , 9 , 10. * dr. woodward's hist. of the earth , part 3. 161. * du-pin hist. of eccles. writers . prelim. dissertat . * search after truth , book 1. † princip . philos. pars 4. * enchirid. metaphys . cap. 11. † mr. l●ck concerning education . * dr. woodward's nat. hist. of the earth . part 1. * de corde . * concerning education . * mr. hobbs leviath . chap. 34. mr. websters display of supposed witchcraft . dr. becker's enchanted world. * chap. 1. concerning the articles of faith. * p. 302. * p. 302. * page . 303. * 1 tim. 3. 16. * page 302. * deut. 4. 2. † rev. 22. 18 , 19. * dr. cudworth's intellectual system . * l'histoire d' henr. 3. * in his europae speculum . † an essay in a letter from oxford . * just. mart. apol. 2. * haec est summa delicti nolle agnoscere quem ignorare non possis . de vanit . idol . * ephes. 2. 12. * fab. faventini disp. 4. adv . atheos . tho. campanella spizel scrutin . atheismi . muller . atheismus devictus . ian. & ioach. ian. disputat . contr . atheos . dr. more , mr. smith , sir charles . woosley , dr. tenison , ( now archbishop of cant. ) dr. cudworth , dr. barrow . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . plato . a vindication of the holy scriptures. or the manifestation of jesus christ the true messiah already come. being the christians antidote against the poysons of judaisme and atheisme of this present age. proved out of sacred scripture, ancient historians, and jewish rabbins. / by that learned, and late eminent divine, john harrison. harrison, john, of the inner temple. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a87160 of text r209168 in the english short title catalog (thomason e1685_1). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 205 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 88 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a87160 wing h896 thomason e1685_1 estc r209168 99868058 99868058 170262 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a87160) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 170262) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 210:e1685[1]) a vindication of the holy scriptures. or the manifestation of jesus christ the true messiah already come. being the christians antidote against the poysons of judaisme and atheisme of this present age. proved out of sacred scripture, ancient historians, and jewish rabbins. / by that learned, and late eminent divine, john harrison. harrison, john, of the inner temple. [22], 150, [2] p. printed by j.m. and sold by j. benson, and j. playford, at their shops in dunstans church-yard, and in the inner temple., london, : 1656. annotation on thomason copy: "june. 10.". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng jesus christ -divininty -early works to 1800. jesus christ -messiahship -early works to 1800. judaism -relations with christianity -early works to 1800. atheism -early works to 1800. a87160 r209168 (thomason e1685_1). civilwar no a vindication of the holy scriptures. or the manifestation of jesus christ the true messiah already come.: being the christians antidote ag harrison, john, of the inner temple. 1656 36144 53 0 0 0 0 0 15 c the rate of 15 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2008-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-08 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-09 taryn hakala sampled and proofread 2008-09 taryn hakala text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a vindication of the holy scriptures . or the manifestation of jesus christ the trve messiah already come . being the christians antidote against the poysons of judaisme and atheisme of this present age . proved out of sacred scripture , ancient historians , and jewish rabbins . by that learned , and late eminent divine , john harrison . london , printed by j. m. and sold by j. benson , and j. playford , at their shops in dunstans church-yard , and in the inner temple . 1656. the authors epistle to the forlorn and distressed jews in barbary ; and in them , to all others now groaning under the heavie yoke of captivity , in what nation soever ; scattered and dispersed throughout the world . grace , mercy , and peace be multiplyed , in christ jesus the true messiah . being employed not long since into barbary , the land of your captivity , where at this present you live in great bondage and slavery , and so have done this long time ( as do also the rest of your brethren and nation elsewhere , dispersed throughout the world , groaning under the yoke of their cruel task-masters , as did your forefathers in the land of egypt four hundred and thirty yeers ; this captivity of yours having continued now almost four times four hundred yeers ; the last and greatest of all , then the which was never heard nor read of greater of any people , from the creation of the world to this day , nor shall be ) the king at that time of my arrival , upon his expedition towards fez , i appointed to stay at saphia till his return back from those wars ; where i remained in the lower castle almost six moneths , solitary , and in suspense , expecting the doubtful event thereof . whether resorted to me often to accompany me , and for my better instruction in the hebrew ( whereof i had a little taste before ) one of the chief rabbins of that your synagogue , rabbi shimeon , a man of grave and sober carriage , and pleasant otherwise , of whose company i was very glad . now and then ( among other matters ) arguing and reasoning of the messiah ( as ye say , yet to come , but as we say , and are able to prove , by invincible arguments and demonstrations , both out of your own law and rabbins , already come ) which gave me occasion ( having little else to do , and not knowing how to pass that tedious time better ) to gather together all those arguments and reasons i had read , or for the present could conceive of my self , drawn out of the sacred scripture , and other books , as touching that controversie . whereby i might be the more able , over and besides the matter of employment and business i came about , to maintain that religion professed in my country , and the vndoubted faith , whereof his majesty , the king of great britain ( as others his predecessors have done ) pro●●ss●th himself a chief defender ; according to that his most just title , defender of the faith . and afterwards , when the king sent for me to morocus , being lodged amongst you by his appointment in the judaria , in one of your principal houses ; where i staid , before i could get a dispatch from the king , three moneths and an half ; where also i grew familiarly acquainted with divers of your nation and was presented at sundry times ( especially at your marriages and solemn feasts ) with divers of your dainties , which i took very kindly , and ever since have studied what christian dainties i might send you back again in recompense ; or rather duties insteed of those dainties . seeing also in the mean time ( which i could not chuse but see with much pity and compassion ) the great and grievous oppression under which you groan ; taxations , vexations , exactions ; grammings ( as you call them ) even with torments rather then fail ; drubbings ( so many hundred blows at once , as my self have both seen and heard ) with that base servile and most contemptible state and condition ( otherwise above any other nation or people ) under which you live : not only in barbary , but in all other parts of the world besides , as a fatal effect of that heavie curse laid on you by your own forefathers long ago upon the death of christ ( when pilate the judge washed his hands , saying , i am innocent of the blood of this just man , look ye to it ) they cryed with one consent , his blood be upon us , and on our children . as also of that prophesie of our saviour in his life time , when he wept over jerusalem , saying , oh if thou hadst even known , at the least in this thy day , those things which belong to thy peace , but now are they hid from thine eyes , &c. and more particularly to his disciples , he reneweth it over and again ; when ye shall see jerusalem besieged with souldiers , then know ye that her desolation is at hand . for these be the days of vengeance , to fulfil all things that are written . for there shall be great distress in this land , and wrath over this people . and they shall fall on the edge of the sword , and shall be lead captive into all nations , &c. which heavie curse of your own forefathers , and prophesie of his , how truly they have been fulfilled both the one and the other , all the world seeth , and ye your selves feel the effect , as before . the lord in mercy take away the vail from your hearts , that at length ye may know those things which belong to your peace , which now are hid from your eyes : for why will ye die , o ye house of israel ? these considerations ( i say ) and reasons , with some others , have moved me ; and partly in recompense of those your defina's and dainties , whereof i tasted so often while i was amongst you , to send you here a small banquet , of such dainties as christendome can afford ; wishing you would but tast some part of mine ( as i did of yours ) being indeed sabbath days dainties : tast ( i say ) and see how sweet the lord is . and the rather do i invite you to this banquet , yea rather provoke you thereunto , even to your own salvation , which through your fall is come to us gentiles to provoke you ; as it as in that place , for that now the time of your redemption draweth near ( with ours , much neerer now then when we believed ) foretold also both by christ and his apostles , as was your desolation ; and shall one day as surely and certainly come to pass , the one as the other . for god that hath promised , is of power to perform it , he will do it ; he is able to graff you in again into your own olive tree . verily i tell you ( saith our saviour to the pharisees ) ye shall not see me , until the time come , that ye shall say , blessed is he that cometh in the name of the lord therefore such a time shall come , without all doubt , wherein ye shall so say , that is to say , most willingly obey the heavenly calling , without any more resisting the holy ghost , as did your forefathers , also in another place , and jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the gentiles , until the time of the gentiles be fulfilled : so long , and no longer , there is the period . and paul the apostle in a most fervent manner , both prayeth and prophesieth to this effect : brethren , my hearts desire and prayer to god for israel is , that they might be saved . then prophesieth at large in the chapter following , and that most divinely , as of their fall , so of their general call in due time , with many arguments and reasons to that purpose . which prayer and prophesie of h●● , proceeding from a divine instinct and revelation , no doubt shall one day take effect . for it cannot be but that the word of god should take effect . for it is the power of god unto salvation to every one that believeth to the jew first , and also to the grecian : to the jew first , there is the promise , there is the priviledge . lift up your heads now therefore o ye jews , sons of abraham , children of the promise , to whom pertaineth the adoption , and the glory , and the covenants , and the giving of the law , and the service of god , and the promises : of whom are the fathers and of whom concerning the flesh , christ came . i say , lift up your heads , and listen to the heavenly calls of christ and his apostle paul , for your redemption draweth neer . this is the generation of them that seek him , of them that seek thy face : jacob , selah . lift up your heads ye gates , and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in . and let us christians also ( upon whom the ends of the world are come ) lift up our heads and know ( remembring that parable of the fig-tree ) when we see these things begin to come to pass , that the kingdom of god is near , even at the doors . verily , i say unto you , this generation shal not pass , till all these things be done : heaven and earth shall pass away , but my words shall not pass away . they are the words of our saviour . and now brethren ( to return to paul ) i commend you to god and to the word of his grace , which is able to build you up , and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified . be favourable unto zion , for thy good pleasure build the walls of jerusalem . then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of righteousness , even the burnt offering and oblation , then shall they offer calves upon thine altar . o give salvation unto israel out of zion ; when god turneth the captivity of his people , then shall jacob rejoyce , and israel shal be glad . when the lord brought again the captivity of zion , we were like them that dream ; then was our mouth filled with laughter , and our tongue with joy : then said they among the heathen , the lord hath done great things for them . the lord hath done great things for us , whereof we rejoyce . o lord bring again our captivity , as the rivers in the south . save us ( o lord our god ) and gather us from among the heathen , that we may praise thine holy name , and glory in thy praise . comfort us according to the days that thou hast afflicted us , and according to the yeers that we have seen evil . thou wilt arise and have mercy upon zion , for the time to have mercy thereon , for the appointed time is come . for thy servants delight in the stones thereof , and have pity on the dust thereof . then the heathen shall fear the name of the lord , and all the kings of the earth thy glory : when the lord shall build up zion , and shall appear in his glory : and shall turn unto the prayer of the desolate , and not despise their prayer . this shall be written for the generation to come , and the people which shall be created shall praise the lord , for he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary , out of the heaven did the lord behold the earth : that he might hear the mourning of the prisoner , and deliver the children appointed unto death ; that they may declare the name of the lord in zion , and his praise in jerusalem . for god will save zion , and build the cities of judah , that men may dwel there , and have it in possession : the seed also of his servants shall inherit it , and they that love his name shall dwell therein . surely the lord will not fail his people , neither will he forsake his inheritance . he hath alway remembred his covenant and promise , that he made to a thousand generations . thou wilt think upon thy congregation which thou hast possessed of old , and on the rod of thine inheritance , which thou hast redeemed , and on mount zion wherein thou hast dwelt . yea when the lord turneth again the captivity of his people , which will be when they turn unto him by hearty repentance , not before ; when they cryed unto the lord in their trouble , he delivered them out of their distress ; then will he make even their very enemies to become their friends , and give them grace and favour in the sight of all those kings and princes under whom they now live , and groan in most miserable slavery and bondage ( as in their former captivities may be observed ) he saw when they were in affliction , and heard their cry . he remembred his covenant towards them , and repented , according to the multitude of his mercies , and gave them favour in the sight of all them that led them captive ; for the hearts of kings are in the hands of the lord , as the rivers of waters , he turneth them which way soever it pleaseth him . so the lord stirred up the spirit of cyrus king of persia ( after that their seventy yeers captivity in babylon , as also darius and others , to write in their behalf , sundry most favourable edicts for their return into their own country again , with large liberality for the re-edifying of the temple of god in jerusalem : for the lord had made them glad , and turned the heart of the king of asshur unto them , to encourage them in the work of the house of god even the god of israel . therefore ezra blesseth the lord for all these extraordinary favours , saying , blessed be the lord god of our fathers , which so hath put in the kings heart to beautifie the house of the lord that is in jerusalem , &c. yea rather then fail of his promised deliverance to his people , when they cry unto him in their distress , he will rebuke even kings for their sakes : as he did pharaoh king of aegypt , in the days of old ; with this peremptory command by the hand of moses over and over ; let my people go , that they may serve me , or if thou wilt not , &c. inflicting upon them one plague after another , till at length they were forced to drive them away ( as it is in that place ) rise up , get you out from among my people , and go serve the lord , as ye have said . and the egyptians did force the people , because they would send them out of the land in hast ( for they said , we die all ) giving them favour in the mean time in the sight of the egyptians : also moses was very great in the land of egypt , in the sight of pharaohs servants , and in the sight of the people . behold , i have made thee pharaohs god ( saith the lord ) so he brought out israel from among them , for his mercy endureth for ever ; with a mighty hand , and out-stretched arm , &c. after four hundred and thirty yeers captivity in aegypt . and when the four hundred and thirty yeers were expired , even the self same day departed all the hosts of the lord out of the land of egypt . and the lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way , and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light . he divided the sea in two parts , and made israel to pass through the midst of it , and overthrew pharaoh and his host in the red sea , for his mercy endureth for ever . so leading them through the wilderness , and feeding them forty yeers with manna from heaven ; till at length he brought them safe and sound ( as it were upon eagles wings ) maugre all difficulties and oppositions of enemies whatsoever , even to the promised land of canaan , the lot of their inheritance . where thy continued in peace and prosperity so long as they served him , and kept his commandments ; but when once they sinned against him ( or rather as often as they sinned , for it was not once , but often ) and forgate the lord their god , which brought them out of the land of egypt , out of the house of bondage : then he suffered their enemies to prevail against them , and tyrannize over them , somtimes one , and somtimes another , till at length they were carried captives to babylon . yet ever ( as the burden of that psalm is ) when they cryed to the lord in their trouble , he delivered them out of their distress , raising up from time to time judges as he did moses and joshua at the first , which delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors . othoniel , who delivered them out of the hands of the king of aram , as it is in that place , where it is said , that the children of israel did wickedly in the sight of the lord , and forgot the lord their god , and served baalim ; therefore the wrath of the lord was kindled against israel , and he sold them into the hand of chushan-rishathaim , king of aram , whom they served eight yeers . but when they cryed unto the lord the lord stirred them up a saviour , even othoniel , &c. so the land had rest forty yeers . ehud , who delivered them out of the hand of eglon , king of moab . then the children of israel again committed wickedness in the sight of the lord , and the lord strengthned eglon king of moab , &c. so they served eglon king of moab eighteen yeers . but when they cryed unto the lord , the lord stirred them up a saviour , ehud the son of gera , &c. so the land had rest eighty yeers . and after him was shamgar the son of anath , which slew of the philistims six hundred men with an ox-goad , and he also delivered israel . deborah and barack who delivered them out of the hand of jabin , king of canaan . and the children of israel began again to do wickedly in the sight of the lord , and the lord sold them into the hand of jabin king of canaan , whose chief captain was sisera . then the children of israel cryed to the lord , &c. and at that time deborah a prophetess judged israel ; then she sent and called barack &c. and the lord destroyed sisera , and all his chariots , &c. and the land had rest forty yeers . gedeon , who delivered them out of the hands of the midianites . afterward the children of israel committed wickedness in the sight of the lord , and the lord gave them into the hands of midian seven yeers , &c. so was israel exceedingly , impoverished by the midianites : therefore the children of israel cryed unto the lord , &c. and he raised them another saviour , even gedeon , that valiant man , who with three hundred men ( and no more ) such as lapped water with their tongues ( the rest sent away by the lords command ) overthrew the whole host of midian , with this cry , the sword of the lord and of gedeon . thus was midian brought low before the children of israel , so that they lift up their heads no more : and the country was in quietness forty yeers in the days of gideon . but when gideon was dead , the children of israel turned away , &c. and remembred not the lord their god which had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side , &c. after him succeeded abimelech his son , after abimelech tola : after tola , jair the gileadite . after these arose jepthe , who delivered them out of the hand of the ammonites . and the children of israel wrought wickedness again in the sight of the lord , and served baalim , &c. and forsook the lord , and served not him . therefore the wrath of the lord was kindled against israel , and the lord sold them into the hands of the philistims , and into the hands of the children of ammon , &c. then the children of israel cryed unto the lord , &c. so the lord raised them up another valiant man , even jepthe . then the spirit of the lord came upon jepthe , &c. so jepthe went unto the children o● ammon to fight against them , and the lord delivered them into his hands . thus the children of ammon were humbled before the children o● israel . and jepthe judged israel six yeers . after him ibzan of bethlehem judged israel . after him elon . after elon , abdon but the children of israel continued to commit wickedness in the sight of the lord , and the lord delivered them into the hands of the philistims forty yeers . then god raised up sampson , who with the jaw bone of an ass slew a thousand of the philistims at once . and be judged israel in the days of the philistims twenty yeers . thus may we see by at these examples ( and make use thereof , if we be wise ) what the state and condition of gods people hath been ever of ●old , the effect in brief , or burden of the song , nothing else but this : when they sinned against the lord , he delivered them into the hands of their enemies : but when they cryed to the lord in their trouble ( that is to say , repented ) he straightway delivered them out of their distress , raising up from time to time one saviour or deliverer after another , and so immediately governing them by judges till the day of samuel . when this people growing worse and worse , and not contented with this sacred kind of government , immediately from god himself , but desiring a king like all other nations : make us a king to judge us , like all other nations : he gave them a king in his anger , saying to samuel : hear the voice of the people in all that they shall say unto thee ; for they have not cast thee away , but they have cast me away , that i should not reign over them , &c. and as before under the judges , so now under the kings still as they sinned and multiplyed their transgressions , so did the lord inflict and multiply upon them his judgements one plague after another , til at length they were carried captives into babylon . after which long captivity , yet restored again upon their repentance , the time was not long , but they fell again to their old byas , and forgate the lord their god , which had done so great things for them ▪ yea , rather now worse then ever , persecuting the prophets from time to time , whom god raised up amongst them , and killing them one after another , even till the coming of the messiah , and him also they crucified . whereupon ensued this last and final desolation as the full measure of their sine deserved , and as themselves desired , saying , his blood be upon us , and upon our children ; which hath continued now almost these sixteen hundred yeers ; the longest captivity , and greatest misery that ever hapned to any people ; and , so shall continue , till they ( as did their forefathers ) turn to the lord by true and hearty repentance , & cry unto the lord in their trouble , and then will the lord deliver them out of their distress , according to the former examples , and not before . and this is the state and condition of the jews at this day the miserable state i say , with the cause and the remedy which god grant they may make use of , amen . an allarum to the jews , or the messiah already come . first for the promises and prophesies of old , as touching the coming of a messiah , whom we cal christ , both they and we agree ; both of us reading dayly in our churches and synagogues , teaching and holding for canonical the very selfe same scriptures , even the law and the prophets . in so much that the gentile is often times enforced to marvail , when he seeth a people so extreamly bent one against another , as the jewes are against christians , and yet do stand so peremptorily in defence of those very principles , which are the proper causes of their disagreement , but in the interpretation and application thereof ariseth all the controversie , they understanding and applying all things literally and carnally to their long looked for messiah yet for to come : we after a spiritual manner , understanding all those promises and prophesies to be most truely and real● fulfilled in the person of our blesse● messiah already come , they expecting a temporal king to rule and conquer in this world , we acknowledging a spiritual king , whose kingdom is not of this world , as himselfe did many times protest while he was in the world : my kingdom is not of this world . to begin with adam , and so forward . gods promise to adam . the first promise , as touching the messiah is this made to adam after his ●all , for the restoring of mankind to wit that the seed of the woman should break the serpents head , that is to say , one of her seed to be born in time , should conquer the devil , death and sin , as the ancient jews understand this place , which being a spiritual conquest , and against a spiritual enemy the devil , he ( i mean the messiah ) must needs be a spiritual , and consequently not a temporal king , as the jewes imagine . gods promise to abraham . the second to abraham , isaac , and jacob , often repeated . to abraham , gen. 12.3 . in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed . to isaac , gen. 26.4 . in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed . to jacob gen. 28 : 14. in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed . therefore the gentiles as well as the jewes , the blessing is general without exception , all the families of the earth , all nations , no prerogative of the jew , no exception of the gentile , as touching the messiah , i mean the benefit of this so general and great a blessing , though otherwise much every way , as the apostle reasoneth to the romans . whereupon i infer as before , that the messsiah must be a spiritual , and not a temporal king : otherwise it had been but a very small benediction to abraham , or others after him ( who never saw their messiah actually ) if he must have been only a temporal king , and much less blessing had been to us gentiles , if this messiah of the jews must have been a worldly and temporal monarch , to destroy and subdue all those nations formerly blessed ( and blessed shall they be ) to the servitude of jury , as the latter teachers do imagine . the prophesie of jacob . the third , ( which confirmeth the former ) is the prophesie of jacob at his death , gen. 49.10 . the rod or scepter shall not depart from judah . nor a lawgiver from between his feet , till shiloh come , and the people or nations shall be gathered unto him . which the chalde paraphrase , as also onkelos , both of singular authority among the jews , do interpret thus . until christ or the messiah come ( which is the hope and expectation of all nations , as well gentiles as jews ) the government shall not cease in the house or tribe of juda. whence i infer the same conclusion as before , that if the messiah must be the hope and expectation , as well of the gentiles as of the jews , then can he not be a temporal king to destroy the gentiles , as the latter jews would have it , but a spiritual king , as before hath been declared . secondly , if the temporal kingdom of the house of juda , whereof the messiah must com , shal cease and be destroyed at his comming , and not before , that being a certain sign of the time of his manifestation , how then can the jews expect yet a temporal king for their messiah , the scepter already departed and gone , their kingdom and priesthood defaced , their city and temple destroyed , themselves scattered amongst all nations , and so have continued almost this sixteen hundred years , yea such a fatal and final desolation by gods just judgement brought upon that woful nation , and that not many years after the death and passion of our saviour jesus christ , according to his prophesie in his life time , as may fully settle our faith in this point . the prophesie of moses . the fourth is that of moses to the people of israel , the lord thy god will raise up unto thee a prophet like unto me , from among you , even of thy brethren , unto him ye shall hearken , &c. and in the verses following , i will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee ( saith god to moses ) and will put my words into his mouth , and he shall speak unto them all that i shall command him , and whosoever will not hearken unto my words , which he shall speak in my name , i will require it of him . which words cannot be understood of any other prophet that ever lived after moses amongst the jews ; but only of the messiah , as appeareth most plainly in another place in deutrenomy , where it is said , there arose not a prophet in israel like unto moses , whom the lord knew face to face , in all the miracles and wonders which the lord sent him to do , &c. no such prophet except the messiah ever after to be expected : but the messiah he it is that must match and overmatch moses every way , he must be a man as moses was in respect of our infirmities , even according as the people of israel themselves desired the lord in horeb , saying , " let me hear the voice of the lord god no more , nor see this great fire any more , that i dye not . and the lord said unto moses , they have well spoken , i will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren , like unto thee . &c. he must be a law-giver , as moses was , but of a far more perfect law , as hereafter shal appear , he must be such a one whom the lord hath known face to face , as he did moses , but of a far more divine nature . for as it is in isaiah , who shall declare his age ? lastly , he must be approved to the world by miracles , signs and wonders , as moses was , which the lord shall send him to do , as he did moses . but no such prophet hath ever yet appeared in the world , nor ever shall , who hath so fitly answered this type , so perfectly observed the law of moses ( which moses himself could not do ) giving us instead therof a far more excellent law , as was prophesied long before , that he should . and finally , so miraculously approved himselfe to the world , to be sent from god , by signs and wonders done both by himself and his apostles , as hereafter shall appear ) except this christ which we profess , therefore he alone is the true messiah , and no other to be expected . the prophesie of david . the fift , is the prophesie of david , a type also of the messiah , who for that he was a holy man , a man after gods own heart , out of whose linage the messiah was to come , had this mystery most manifestly revealed unto him , for the assurance whereof as of a great mystery , even that of christ and his church , god bindeth himselfe by an oath , saying , i have made a covenant with my chosen , i have sworn unto david my servant , thy seed will i establish for ever , and set up thy throne from generation to generation , selah . which words although the lattter jews will apply to king solomon ( and so in some sort they may , for that he also was a type of the messiah ) yet properly these words , i will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever , so often repeated , cannot be verified of solomon , whose earthly kingdom was rent and torn in pieces , streight after his death , by jer●boam , and not long after , as it were extinguished , but they must needs be understood of an eternal king and kingdom , as must also those other words of god in the psalms : thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee , ask of me , and i will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance , and the ends of the earth for thy possession , thou shalt crush them with a rod of iron , and break them in pieces like a potters vessel : which prophesie was never fulfilled in solomon , nor in any other temporal king in jury after him . and much lesse this that followeth , they shal fear thee as long as the sun and moon endureth , from generation to generation . in his days shall the righteous flourish , and aboundance of peace so long as the moon endureth . his dominion also shall be from sea , to sea , and from the river unto the ends of the earth . they that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him , and his enemies shall slick the dust . the kings of tharshish , and of the isles shall bring presents : the kings of sheba and seba shall bring gifts , yea all kings shall worship him , all nations shall serve him . his name shall be for ever , his name shall endure as long as the sun , all nations shall be blessed in him , and shall bless him . and blessed be the lord god , even the god of israel , which only doth wondrous things . and blessed be his glorious name for ever , and let all the earth be filled with his glory , amen , amen . and so he endeth ; as it were , in a trance , ravished beyond measure , with the sweet and heavenly contemplation of this spiritual and everlasting kingdom of the messiah , for to him , and to no other can all these circumstances , and hyperbolical speeches of david ( rapt with the spirit of prophesie ) properly and primarily appertain , though literally the jews understand them of solomon , as they do many other places in like case , applying them only to the type , never looking to the substance , whereof those types and fitures were but shadows and semblances ; god of his mercy in his good time take away the vaile from their hearts , that at length they may see the true solomon in all his royalty , not any longer to grope at noon days , winking with their eyes against the clear sun like their fore-fathers , as it is in isaiah : a most fearful judgement of god laid upon that nation of old , objected to them many times and oft , both by christ and his apostles , but in vain , go and say unto this people , ye shall hear indeed but shall not understand , ye shall plainly see and not perceive , make the heart of this people fat , make their ears heavy , and shut their eyes , least they see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , and understand with their hearts , and convert and be healed . whereupon ensueth ( even upon this winking and wilful obstinasie ) a most severe denunciation of final desolation . lord how long ( saith the prophet ) and he answered , untill the cities be wasted without inhabitant , the houses without a man , and the land be utterly desolate , &c. but yet a tenth reserved to return , a holy seed remainig in due time to be converted . this judgment and desolation hath been a long time upon them , they feel it and groan under the burthen of it , as their forefathers did in egypt under pharaoh , and yet winking , shut their eys , and will not see it , i mean , acknowledge the true cause of these so great judgements revealed from heaven upon them , even the contempt of gods holy prophets sent unto them from time to time , but especially of the messiah , whose blood lyeth heavily upon them , even to this day , as their forefathers desired , his blood be upon vs and on our children , which all the world seeth is come to pass yea they themselves feel it , yet winking with their eye they will not see it . but there is a tenth to return , &c. the rest which will not this messiah to reign over them , let them look into that parable in the gospel , there shall they find a far more fearful destruction denounced then the former . the first being but for a time , but a type of the other , but a beginning of woes , the other eternal , for ever and ever . the first he pronounceth with tears over jerusalem , the second he denounceth as an angry judge , provoked at length to execute his fierce wrath upon them , without any compassion at all . his words are these , moreover , those mine enemies , which would not that i should reign over them bring them hither , and slay them before me . which words of our saviour although they will in no wise believe , no more then they did the former , yet shal they find his words one day , as truly fulfilled to them in the one as they have done already in the other . and howsoever hitherto they have esteemed of him as a false prophet , a deceiver , yet hath he been to them but too true a prophet in all their calamities both first and last . and so after this long digression i come to the next . the prophesie of jeremy . the sixt , which confirmeth the former , is that of jer. 23.5 . behold the dayes come , saith the lord that i will raise up unto david a righteous branch , and a king shall reign , &c. and this is the name whereby they shall call him , the lord our righteousness . this was spoken of davids seed about 400. years after david was dead and buried , which proveth manifest , that the former promises were not made unto him for solomon his son , or any other temporal king of his line , but only for the messiah , who was called so peculiarly the son and seed of david . the prophesie of ezekiel . the seventh which also confirmeth the other , is that of ezek. 34.23 . i will set up a shepherd over them , he shall feed them , even my servant david , &c. in which words the jews themselves do confesse in their talmud , that their messiah is called by the name of david , for that he shall descend of the seed of david , and so it must needs be , for that king david being dead so long before , could not now come again in his own person to feed them himselfe . the prophesie of isaiah . the eighth is the prophesie of isaiah , 2.2 . it shall be in the last days , that the mountain of the house of the lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains , and shall be exalted above the hills , and all nations shall flow unto it , &c. for the law shall go forth of sion , and the word of the lord from jerusalem . he shall judge among the nations . which very words michah repeateth , chap. 4.1 . and are applied there as also here unto the messiah , they can have no other meaning , by the judgment of the jews themselves . in that day shall the bud of the lord be beautiful and glorious , and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent . unto us a child is born , and unto us a son is given , and the government is upon his shoulders , he shall call his name wonderful , councellour , the mighty god , the everlasting father , the prince of peace , the increase of his government shall have none end . and in the 11. chapter , there shall come a rod forth of the stock of ishai , and a graff shall grow out of his root , and the spirit of the lord shall rest upon him . behold your god commeth , &c. then shall the eyes of the blind be lightened , and the ears of the deaf shall be opened ; then shall the same man leap like a hart , and the dumb mans tongue shall sing , &c. chap. 35.4 . ' and he said , it is a small thing that thou shouldst be my servant , to raise up the tribes of jacob , and to restore the desolations of israel . i will also give thee for a light of the gentiles , that thou maist be my salvation unto the ends of the earth , chap. 49.6 . out of all which places before aledged , i conclude , first the comming of a messiah , which the jews will not deny : secondly , that he must be king , as well of the gentiles as of the jews , which they cannot deny : thirdly , that he must be a spiritual & a temporal king , as they imagin . it followeth next to be proved , that he must be both god and man , even the son of god : the second person in trinity to be blessed for evermore , which also they shall not deny . that the messiah must be both god and man . the jews at the first agreed with us in all , or most points , as touching the messiah for to come , denying only the fulfilling or application thereof in our saviour , but since the latter jews finding themselves not able to stand in that issue against us , they have devised a new plea , saying , that we attribute many things unto jesus , that were not foretold of the messiah to come , namely , that he should be god , and the son of god , the second person in trinity , which we will prove both by scriptures , as also by the writings of their own forefathers . for scriptures , it is evident by all ( or the most ) alledged before , that the messiah must be god , even the son of god , indued with mans nature , that is , both god and man . genesis , where he is called the seed of the woman , it is apparent he must be man , and in the same place , where it is said , he shall break the serpents head , who can do this but only god ? so in isaiah , where he is called the bud of the lord , his godhead is signified , and when he is called the fruit of the earth , his manhood . and so in another place . behold a virgin shal conceive and bare a son and thou shalt call his name immanuel , that is to say , god with us ; which name can agree to none , but to him that is both god and man . and who can interpret these speeches , that his kingdom shall be everlasting , isa. 9. that his name shall be for ever , it shall endure as long as the sun and the moon . that all kings shall worship him , all nations serve him , psa. 72 worship him all ye gods , ps. 97. that no man can tell his age , isa. 53 , that he must sit at the right hand of god , ps. 110. who , i say , can understand or interpret them but of god , seeing in man they cannot be verified , with which place of scripture the evangelists do report , that jesus did put to silence divers of the learned pharisees : for , saith he , if the messiah be davids son , how did david call him lord ? signifying thereby , that albeit he was to be davids son , as he was man yet was he to be davids lord , as he was god , and so do both rab. jonathan , and their own publick commentaries interpret this place . michah is plain , his going forth is from the beginning , and from everlasting . and isaiah is bold to proclaim him by his own name , even god , and to give him his right stile , with all additions , ( as herolds to great kings and princes use to do ) he shall call his name wonderful , councellor , the mighty god , the everlasting father , the prince of peace , &c. in vaine therefore is that objection of the jewes , that el , or elohim , signifying god , is sometimes a plyed to a creature , here it cannot be so , nor in the next place following , ps. 45.6 . thy throne o god is for ever and ever . &c. wherefore god even thy god hath annoynted thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows : which cannot , be applyed to solomon , but as a type of the messiah . howsoever the name jehovah , which is of such reverence among the jewes , that they dare not pronounce it , but in place thereof read adonai , that i am sure they will never grant to belong to any creature . then what say they to that of jer. 23.6 . where the messiah is called in plain terms jehovah , and this is the name whereby they shal cal him , jehovah our righteousnesse . so likewise chap. 33.16 . over again is he called by the same name jehovah our rightousness . and so do the ancient jews themselves expound this place , namely , rabbi abba , who asketh the question what the messiah shal be called , and answereth out of this place , he shall be called the eternal jehovah . the like doth misdrasch , upon the first verse of the 20. psalm . and rabbi moyses hadersan upon gen. 41 expounding that of zephany 3 9. concludeth thus : in this place jehovah signifieth nothing else but the messiah . and so did one of the jews at unawares acknowledge to me , alledging that place out of the psalmes , the lord doth build up jerusalem , &c. that their messiah at his comming should build a new city and sanctuary , much more glorious then the former . so did he also interpret that place of hag. 2.10 . of a third temple . whereupon i inferred , seeing in those words he alledged , the lord doth build up jerusalem , the hebrew word is jehovah , therefore by his own intepretation the messiah must be jehovah which he could not well shift off , but said that adonai ( for jehovah they dare not name ) must there be understood , which point of the godhead of the messiah the most ancient jews did ever acknowledge , proving by sundry places of scripture , not onely that he should be the son of god , but also the word of god incarnate . first that he should be the son of god , they prove out of gen. 49.10 . the scepter shal not depart &c. til shiloh come . which rabbi kimhi proveth to signifie his son , that is the son of god oat of isaiah , where he is called , ' the bud of the lord out of the psalms , where it is said , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee . and a little after ' kiss the son least he be angry , and ye perish , blessed are all they that trust in him . which last words cannot be understood of the son of any man , for it is written , cursed be the man that trusteth in man , jer. 17.5 . secondly , that he shall be the word of god , they prove out of isaiah , as also out of hosea , where it is said , i will save them by the lord their god . ionathan translateth it thus , i will save them by the word of their god . so where it is sayd , the lord sayd to my lord , sit at my right hand , &c. the lord said to his word , sit at my right hand . also where it is sayd , he sent his word and healed them . rabbi isaack arama upon gen. 47. expoundeth it to be meant of the messiah , that shall be gods word : so likewise that of iob , i shall see god in my flesh , &c. rabbi simeon upon gen. 10. gathereth thereupon , that the word of god , shall take flesh womans womb . another out of these words ; jehovah our god is one jehovah , proveth the blessed trinity , saying , by the first iehovah , is signified god the father , by the next , which is elohim , god the son , and by the other johovah , god the holy ghost proceeeding of them both : to all which is added the word one ; to signifie , that these three are indivisible , but this secret ( saith he ) shall not be revealed until the coming of the messiah . these are the words of rabbi ibda , reported by rabbi simeon in a treatise called zoar , of great authority among the jews , where also they said rabbi simeon , interpreteth those words of isaiah , holy , holy holy , lord god of hosts , in this manner . isaiah by repeating three times holy ( saith he ) doth signifie as much as if he had said , holy father , holy son , and holy spirit : which three holies do make but one lord god of hosts , which mystery of the blessed trinity . rabbi hacadosch gathereth out of the very letters of jehovah , upon those words of jeremy before recited , the two natures of the messiah , both divine and humane , his two filiations , the one whereby he must be the son of god , the other whereby he must be the son of man : concluding thereupon , that in him there shall be two distinct natures , and yet shall they make but one christ , which is the same that we christians hold . philo that learned jew shall end this first consideration , touching the nature and person of the messiah , as himself writeth in his book de exulibus , by tradition we have it , saith he , that we must expect the death of an high priest , which priest shall be the very word of god , void of all sin , whose father shall be god , and this word shal be the fathers wisdom , by which all things in this world were created , &c. therefore the messiah must be both god and man , both by the scriptures , as also by their own writers they cannot deny it . that the messiah must change the law of moses . as the messiah must be both god and man , even the natural and onely begotten son of god , and the very word of god incarnate , void of all sin , able to satisfie the wrath of his father , and to fulfil the law of moses for us : which moses himself could not do , nor any other after him . it was a burthensome law to the children of israel , a yoak which neither they nor their forefathers were able to bear : so having once in his own person most exactly accomplished the same here on earth , together with all rites , ceremonies , prophesies , types , figures and circumstances , of his comming clearly fulfilled in him , and by him . it was necessary ( i say ) the substance being once come , those shadows and ceremonies should cease and be abolished , i mean the ceremonial law totally , for as touching the moral law , or the commendments he saith , i came not to destroy the law or the prophets , but to fulfil them , only thus far hath he abolished that too , he hath taken away the curse of it , hanging it on his crosse ; even the hand writing that was against us , together with himselfe crucified . this ceremonial law of moses ( i say ) consisting of such a multitude of ceremonies , figures , types , sacrifices , &c. all of them for the most part pointing at the messiah to come ; for by those outward signs and services appointed by god to his people , they were still put in mind of his covenant , and assured of his promise , that the messiah should come . moreover it being proper and peculiar to one only nation in all the world , namely jury , the exercise thereof permitted , but in one onely place of that country , namely jerusalem , whither every man was bound to repair three times every year , to wit , at the pasqua , pentecost , and the feast of taberbernacles , there and no where else to offer sacrifice . i say this law of moses , being altogether ceremonial , and peculiar to that nation , it was necessary at the coming of the messiah , the same should be abolished , and a more general and perfect law given and established , a law that should be common to all men , serve for all countries , times , places , and persons , otherwise how could the gentiles be made partakers of the covenant , as well as the jews , how could all these nations so far distant from jerusalem , repair thrice every year thither , how should every woman dwelling in the east or west india's repair thither for her purification , after every childbirth , as by the law of moses she was commanded , levit. 12. therefore it is manifest , that this law of moses was given to continue but for a time even till the comming of the messiah , and then another to come in place to continue , till the worlds end . this signified moses to the people , after he had delivered the former law to them , saying , the lord thy god will raise up unto thee a prophet like unto me , from among you , even of thy brethren , unto him shalt thou hearken . as if he had said , ye shall hear me till he come , who must be a lawgiver as my selfe but of a far more absolute and perfect law , and therefore more to be reverenced and obeyed . and then he addeth in the person of god himself , this thundering sentence against all mis-believers : whosoever will not hearken unto my word , which he shall speak in my name , i will require it of him . which words cannot be verefied in any other prophet after moses until christ , for that of those prophets ' there arose none in israel like unto moses , deut. 34.10 . they had no authority to be lawgivers , as moses had , but were all bound to the observation of his law till christ should come , whom moses here calleth a prophet like unto himself , that is , a lawmaker , exhorting all men to hear and obey him . hereunto the prophets subscribe , none of them all presuming to take upon them that priviledge to be like unto him . a prophet like unto moses , they must let that alone to the messiah , whose office it is to change the law of moses , given upon mount sinai , and in stead thereof to promulgate a new law , to begin at sion , as saith the prophet isaiah , the law shall go forth of sion , and the word of the lord from jerusalem . which cannot be understood of moses law , published eight hundred years before this prophesie , and that from sinai , not from sion , but of the preaching of the gospel , which began at jerusalem , and from thence was spread over al the world . which the same isaiah foresaw , when talking of the messiah , he saith , in that day shall five cities in the land of egypt speak the language of canaan , &c. in that day shall the altar of the lord be in the midst of the land of egypt , and a pillar by the border thereof , unto the lord . and the egyptians shall know the lord in that day , and do sacrifice and oblation , and shall vow vows , &c. which could not be verified of the law of moses , for by that law , the egyptians could have neither altar nor sacrifice , but it was fulfilled upon the coming of christ , when the egyptians were made christians . also in another place , and the isles shall wait for his law . the same was likewise foretold by god in malachy , where he saith to the jews , and of the jewish sacrifices , i have no pleasure in you , neither will i receive an offering at your hands , for from the rising of the sun , until the going down of the same my name is great among the gentiles , and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name , and a pure offering , for my name is great among the gentiles , saith the lord of hosts . wherein we see , first a reprobation of the jewish sacrifices , and consequently of the law of moses , which dependeth principally thereupon . secondly , that among the gentiles there should be a pure manner of sacrifice , more grateful unto god then the other , not limitted either in respect of time or place , as the mosaical law and sacrifice was . for so saith god in ezekiel , i gave them statutes which were not good , and judgements , wherein they shal not live , that is not good to continue perpetually , nor shal they live in them any longer , but til the time by me appointed . of which time he determineth more particularly by jeremiah in these word , behold the days come , saith the lord , that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel and judah , not according to that covenant which i made with their fathers , &c. where you see a new covenant or testament promised different from the old , whereupon i conclude , the old law of moses by the messiah must be changed into a new . the time of his manifestation with all other circumstances . now for the time of his manifestation , with all other circumstances , of his birth , life , death , resurrection , ascension and those things also that fel out afterwards , if we shal consider how particularly , and precisely they were all foretold by the prophets , and how long before ( some hundreds , some thousands of years ) before they fel out ; as also how exactly they were all fulfilled in the person of our blessed saviour : all directed like so many lines to one center : we shal ( as it were in a mirrour ) see and behold both the truth of christan religion setled upon a most firm and unmoveable center ; as also the vanity of all other religions whatsoever , especially this most vain expectation of the jews to this day , of their messiah yet for to come , as vain and fond altogether , as was that opinion of one of the philosophers which the word center hath put me in mind of , that the earth , forsooth , did move , and the heavens stand still : and how far they are degenerate , not only from all true light and understanding in heavenly matters , but also even from common sense and reason it self in things of that nature tending thereunto . and first for the time . daniel who lived in the first monarchy , foretold that there should be three monarchies more , the last the greatest of all , to wit , the roman empire , and then the eternal king or messiah should come , his words are these . in the days of these kings , shall the god of heaven ser up a kingdom which shall i never be destroyed , dan. 2.44 . and just according to this time was the messiah born , namely in the days of augustus cesar , luk. 2. ( as both we christians account and the jews acknowledge ) even in those halcyon days of peace , when the temple gates of janus were commanded to be shut , and upon that very day when augustus commanded that no man should cal him lord , was this prince of peace born . therefore to him agreeth this circumstance of time very fitly , most vainly therefore do the jews after this time expect another . secondly , jacob who lived many yeares before , prophesied of this time very precisely , as already hath been alledged , that the messiah whom he there called shiloh , should come at that time , when the scepter or government regal was departed from the house of judah , which was in the days of herod , and never till then , who first usurped that government , his father-in-law king hircanus with all his off-spring of the blood royal of judah , together with the sanhedrim put to death . the genealogies of the kings and princes burned . a new pedegree for himselfe devised . in a word , all authority regal whatsoever belonging to that tribe , at that time , quite extinguished . and just according to this time was our saviour born , namely in the days of herod , mat. 2.1 . therefore to him agreeth this circumstance of time very fitly : most vainly therefore do the jews after this time expect any longer . thirdly , god himselfe saith by his prophet haggai , that the messiah whom he there calleth the desired of all nations : shall come in the time of the second temple , which was then but new built , far inferiour in stateliness and glory to the former built by solomon , which the old men in the book of ezra testifie by their weeping when they saw this second temple , and remembred the glory of the first . the words of the lord by his prophet haggai , are these . speak unto zerubbabel , who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory , and how do you see it now ? it is not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing ? yet now be of good cheer o zerubbabel , for thus saith the lord of hosts , yet a little while and i will shake the heavens and the earth , and the sea , and the dry land . and i will move all nations , and the desire of all nations shal come , and i wil fil this house with glory , saith the lord of hosts . the glory of this last house shal be greater then the first , &c. which must needs be understood of the comming of the messiah , to wit , his personal presence in this second temple , in whom is the fulness of glory , and therefore could he and none other , fil it with glory , being himself indeed the king of glory . lift up your heads o ye gates , and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors , and the king of glory shal come in . so doth malachy prophesie in these words . the lord whom ye seek shal speedily come to his temple , even the messenger of the covenant whom ye desire , behold he shal come , saith the lord of hosts , &c. and so indeed he did , for christ jesus came into the world during this second temple , and did himself likewise foretel the destruction thereof , which came to pass even in that age . therefore to him agreeth this circumstance of time very fitly , most vainly therefore do the jews after this time , to wit , the destruction of the second temple expect any further . fourthly , the messiah by the true computation of daniels prophesie , accounting his hebdomades or weeks for so many years to be multiplyed by seven : that is to say , weeks of years ( as they must needs be understood ) was to come just according to the time before mentioned , his words are these : seventy weeks are determined upon thy people , and upon thine holy city : know therefore , and understand , that from the going forth of the commandement to bring again the people , and to build jerusalem unto messiah the prince , shal be seven weeks , and threescore and two weeks . and after threescore and two weeks shal the messiah be slain and not for himself . and the people of the prince that shal come , shal destroy the city and sanctuary , and he shal confirm the covenant with many for one week , and in the midst of the week he shal cause the sacrifice and oblations to cease . which hebdomades , or weeks of years , whether we account from the first year of cyrus who first determined the jews reduction , or from the second of darius , who confirmed , and put the same in execution , or from the twentieth year of darius , for that he then made a new edict in the favour of nehemias , and sent him into jury : every way they will end in the reign of herod and augustus , under whom christ was born , or in the reign of tiberius , under whom he suffered . and by no interpretation can it be avoided , but that this time is now our , above one thousand five hundred years . besides this being a clear prophesie of the messiah ( howsoever somewhat more intricate and obscure , in respect of the years , wherein the prophet alludeth to the captivity of babylon , as some think ) must needs be interpreted according to the former prophesies also of the messiah . and so doth the prophet expound himself in the former words , namely , that the messiah should be slain , before the destruction of the city and sanctuary . yet is there one week more to make up the number of seventy , in the midst of which week the messiah should be slain , which came to pass accordingly , for in the midst of that week , that is , about three years and an half after his baptisme ▪ christ jesus the true messiah was slain , and not for himself , for pilate could find no fault in him : i finde no fault in the man , i find no cause of death in him , i am innocent of the blood of this just man , look ye to it . not for himself , but for us was he wounded ( as saith the prophet isaiah ) he was wounded for our transgressions . therefore to him doth this circumstance of time bear witness , and consequently the jews after these times by god himself appointed for the messiah , expecting yet for another , besides the vanity of this their expectation , they make god himself a lyar , yea and all their forefathers , abraham , isaac , and jacob , and all the holy prophets ( whose children they hold themselves to be ) who all of them saw these days , and prophesied of them , abraham rejoyced to see my day ( saith our saviour ) and he saw it , and was glad . all these make they lyars with themselves whereby they shew themselves , rather to be the children of the devil , who is the father of lyes , then of abraham , who is the father of the faithful only . for so did that vile serpent at the first , even dare to give god himself the lye ( as it is in genesis ) god saith there to adam : in the day that thou eatest of such a tree thou shalt dye the death : no ( saith the devil ) it is not so , ye shall not dye at all . so do these imps of satan , generation of vipers , as john the baptist in his time called them , even just after the same manner . for saith god by his prophets , at such a time will i send the messiah into the world , and by such and such marks ye shall know him : no saith this froward generation , it is not so , he hath not yet sent him , he is not yet come , we acknowledge no such marks , as that he shall be poor and of no reputation in this world , put to death . we look for a magnificent prince , we will none of such a base fellow , as this jesus to reign over us , a false prophet , a deceiver , and so forth , with whatsoever else their malicious hearts can imagine , their blasphemous tongues being set on fire of hell , are ready to utter to his disgrace . but let them look into that parable of our saviour , and there they shall find him another manner of person then they imagin , i will repeat it unto them . moreover those mine enemies who would not that i should reign over them , bring them hither and slay them before me . god of his mercy give them repentance in time of their heinous and high blasphemies , that they may mourn for him whom they have pierced , every family and tribe apart . repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand , and think not to say with your selves . we have abraham to our father , for i say unto you , that god is able of these stones to raise up children unto abraham . now is the ax put to the root of the tree . the last trumpet will blow , and then it will be too late , when ye shall hear that shril voice ringing in your ears , arise ye dead and come to judgment , that voice wil awake you out of all your dreams , and mate you arise whether you will or no , when ye shal see the son of man come in his glory , even your long looked for messiah , like a magnificent prince indeed , but little to the comfort of those that remain obstinate . awake therefore to your salvation , that ye be not awakened hereafter to your condemnation ; awake thou that sleepest , stand up from the dead , and christ shal give thee light ; shake off all your idle dreams and foolish fantasies of our imaginary messiah , fitter for children then men of discretion ; consider with your selves at length , how long you have overslept your selves , how many ages are now past and gone , since both by computation of scriptures ( as aforesaid ) as also by the observation of your own doctors and teachers , your messiah was to come , and yet you see him not , no nor any likelyhood at all of his comming , more then at the first , yea rather all evidences and probabilities to the contrary that may be ; look into your talmud , and there you shal see plainly , if you be not blind there also , as you are in the scriptures , the vanity of vanities of this your expectation , for so it is indeed . it is often repeated in your talmud , that one elias left this tradition , that the world should endure six thousand years , that is , two thousand before the law , two thousand under the law , and two thousand after that , under the messiah . which last two thousand years , by all computation , could not begin much from the birth of jesus . and your rabbins long since complained in that their talmud , that there seem-to them in those days seven hundred and odd years past since the messiah by the scripture should have appeared ; therefore they do marvaile why god so long deferreth me same , much more then may ye marvail upon whom the ends of the world are come . another observation cabalistical they have upon those words of isa. 9 7. the encrease of his government and peace shall have no end , where the hebrew word is lemarbeh , signifying to encrease or multiply ad multiplicandum : in which word , because they find mem to be shut , which is not usual in the middle of a word they gather many secrets , and and among other , that seeing mem signifieth 600 years , so long it should be from that time of isaiah , until the time of the messiah , which accompt of theirs falleth our so just , that if you reckon the years from acha● king of judah , in whose time isaiah spake these words , until the time of herod under whom christ was born , you shal finde the number to fail in little or nothing . a much like observation hath rabby moses ben maimon in his epistle to his country men the jews in africa , concerning the time of the messiah , which he thinketh to be past , according to the scriptures above a thousand years ( he lived about the year or christ one thousand , one hundred and forty ) but that god deferreth his manifestation for their sins , since which time , hath passed almost 500. years more and yet ye hear nothing of his comming . consider this ye jews of barbary , for to you partly seemeth this epistle to be written . wil you then stay stil , and say stil after so many hundred years past and gone , that for your sins god referreth yet his comming , putting it off from one five hundred years to another , and so in infinitum ? it is all one as if you say , that for your sins god hath broken his promise now , 1 thousand and six hundred years ; and consequently it may be for your sins the messiah will never come , this must be your last refuge , you may as wel say the one as the other . but howsoever you make your selves sinful , yea out of measure sinful , yet let god be just and righteous in his promise ( as it is written ) make not him a lyar as you have done hitherto . to this purpose also appertaineth the narration of one elias ( as rabby josua reporteth it in the talmud ) that the messiah was to be born indeed according to the scriptures before the destruction of the second temple , for that isaiah saith of the synagogue : before she travailed , she brought forth , and before her paine came , she was delivered of a man child , that is , saith he , before the synagogue was afflicted and made desolate , by the romans she brought forth the messiah . but yet , saith he , this messiah for our sins doth hide himself in the seas and other desarts , till we be worthy of his comming . which is as much in effect as if he had said ( the one as probable as the other ) that perhaps for our sins and unworthiness the messiah may not come at all , but return to heaven back again from whence he came . and why i pray have you not stayed as wel in heaven all this while , rather then in the seas and desarts for so many years , to no purpose , i am perswaded if balaams ass were alive again , and did hear these , and such like your idle fantasies and dreams touching your messiah , the very ass would reprove you to your faces , and make you ashamed of them , whereof though i have read somewhat in divers authors , yet could i hardly beleeve any such absurdities to be delivered , much less defended by any reasonable creatures , till i had heard something my self . i urged that place of genesis to one of them , to wit , that the scepter should not depart from judah till shiloh came , that is , the messiah , which being so long since departed and gone , i asked what reason they had , as yet to expect for a messiah , he answered , the scepter was not departed , they had their sheckes , that is to say , chief men of their tribes , in all parts where they inhabit . moreover that some of the moores , forsooth had brought them word of a people or nation of the jewes , inhabiting in a far country , he could not tell me the place where , but first there is a river to be passed , two trees growing on either side directly one against another , which two trees every saturday , and no day else , do of their own accord bow one towards another , making , as it were , a bridg for men to go over . now the jews by reason that day is their sabbath , may not attempt to pass over it . but the messiah at his comming shal bring them altogether , into the land of promise they know not how , rebuild the city and sanctuary in a trice , much more glorious then ever it was before . to which purpose he alledged that place out of the psalms , the lord doth build up jerusalem , and gather together the dispersed of israel . so likewise interpreting that of haggai ( the glory of this last house shal be greater then the first ) of this third imaginary temple . so literally applying that of isaiah , that in those days the wolfe should dwell with the lamb the leopard lie with the kid , the calf and the lyon , and the fat beasts together , and a little child to lead them , &c. that these things should thus come to pass litterally , according to the very hebrew characters . this is all the knowledge they have in the scriptures , the bare hebrew letters , and no more . yet can they not speak one word of the true spiritual language of canaan , but in stead of shiboleth ( like those ephraimites , they pronounce siboleth , no interpretation spiritual of the celestial canaan , the heavenly jerusalem , of the spiritual temple , of the mystical body of the messiah , that is to say , his church no relish at all of the spirit of god , or any spiritual worship amongst them . and yet , forsooth , they will be the people of god alone , and who but they , the children of abraham , and of the promise , and none but they , yea they are so vainly puft up with the foolish pride of this their high pedigree , that they think verily , and will speak it confidently ( i have heard it from them ) that none of them , unless for very heinous offences , as perjury or such like shall be judged after this life , or be in danger of hell fire , they only to have their punishment in this world , and not else . as though hell fire were only prepared for us gentiles , and heaven only for the jews , which unless they repent , they shall finde quite contrary , if the words of our saviour be found true , which hitherto they have found but too true , to their wo , as i noted before . i say unto you that many shall come from the east , and from the west , and shal sit down with abraham , and isaac , and jacob in the kingdom of heaven , and the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth . where are now the jews with their lofty pedigree , even as esau sold to jacob his birth-right for a mess of pottage , so have the jews to us gentiles their birthright to the kingdom of heaven , for a mess of idle dreams and fantasies they imagin to themselves , towers and castles in the air , crowns and kingdoms in expectance , even in this world , another paradice here on earth . but in the end they shall find themselves to have been all this while in a fools paradice , and as it were in a dream , which when one awaketh vanisheth , and so i leave them to their dreams and profound sleep , till it shal please god of his mercy to awake them . thus then it is manifest both by scripture , tradition , and observation of the jews themselves , that about the time before mentioned , to wit , in the days of augustus cesar , the new roman emperor , and of herod the usurper king of jury , who was the first that took away the scepter from judah , even in the time of the second temple , the true messiah was to be born . and hence it was that the whole nation of the jews remained so accent at this time , more then ever before or since in expecting the messiah . whereupon so soon as ever they heard of john baptist in the desart . the jews sent priests and levites from jerusalem , to ask if he were the messiah . and in another place it is said , ' as the people waited and all men mused in their hearts of john if he were the messiah , john answered and said unto them , &c. so that you see in those days the whole people of the jews waited for his comming , all men mused upon their messiah , so did also john himselfe being in prison , sent two of his disciples to jesus , demanding , art thou he that shall come , or shall we look for another : and again at the feast of the dedication , they came flocking to him from all parts , they came round about him , as it is in that place , saying , how long dost thou hold us in suspense , if thou be that christ tell us plainly . all which importeth the great expectation wherein the people remained in those days , of which fame , expectation , and greedy desire of the people divers deceivers took occasion to call themselves the messiah , judas galilaeus , judas the son of hezechias , atonges a shepherd , theudas and egyptus , all notable deceivers . but above all one barcozham , who as the talmud affirmeth , for thirty years together was received for the messiah by the rabbins themselves , till at last they slew him , because he was not able to deliver them from the romans . which facility in the people , when herod saw , he caused one nicholaus damascenus to devise a pedigree for him from the ancient kings of juda , and so he as well as the rest took upon him the title of the messiah , whom divers carnal jews that expected the messiah to be a magnificent king , as herod was , would seem to beleeve and publish abroad , whereupon they are thought to be called herodians in the gospel , who came to tempt christ . but all these deceivers are vanished and gone , their memorial is perished with them : whereunto our saviour , seemeth to allude , where he saith , all that ever came before me are theeves and robbers , but the sheep did not hear them . i say all these false messiahs with their followers , they are vanished and gone ; onely jesus christ and his religion , contrary to all other religions in the world , without either sword , spear or shield , against all world strength and policy hath increased and multiplied , and shall do to the end of the world , as gamaliel long ago prophesied to the jews , wilfully bent , put all in vain , even in the very first infancy thereof to have destroyed it . his words are these . ' and now i say unto you , refrain your selves from these men , and let them alone : for if this councel , or this work be of men it will come to naught , but if it be of god , ye cannot destroy it , lest ye be found even fighters against god . wherefore to conclude , at length this main point of the time of christs appearing , which cutteth the very throat of the jews vain expectation , seeing at or about that time there concurred so many signs and arguments together , as 1 the establishment of the roman empire newly erected ( for then by daniels prophesie was the god of heaven to set up his kingdom . ) 2. the departure of the rod or scepter from the house of juda. 3. the destruction of the second temple , foretold by our saviour , and comming to pass accordingly even in that age . 4. the just calculation of daniels hebdomades , or weeks of years . 5. the observation of rabbins . 6. the publique fame and expectation of all the jews together with the palpable experience of more then sixteen hundred years past since jesus appeared ; wherein we see the jewish people in vain do expect another messiah , they being dispersed over all the world without temple , sacrifice , prophet , or any other pledge at all of gods favour , which never happened to them , till after the death of our saviour , for that in all other their banishments , captivities and afflictions , they had some prophesie , consolation or promise left to them for their comfort , but now they wander up and down ( god having set a mark upon them as he did upon cain ) as a people forlorn , and abandoned both of god and men . his linage or pedegre . secondly , the messiah by the scripture was to be born of the tribe of judah , and to descend lineally from the house of david . there shall come a rod out of the stock of ishai , &c. so did our saviour , as appeareth by his genealogy set down by his evangelists , mat. 1. luk. 3. as also by the thalmud it self , which saith , that jesus of nazareth crucified , was of the blood royal from zerabbabel of the house of david , confirmed by the going up of joseph and mary his mother to bethlehem to be taxed , ' which was the city of david , who was born there , as also it is manifest , for that the scribes and the pharisees , who objected many matters of much less importance against him : as that he was a carpenters son , &c. yet never objected they against him , that he was not of the house of david , which could they have proved , would quickly have ended the whole controversie . his birth with the circumstances thereof . thirdly the messiah by the scripture was to be born of a virgin , so saith isaiah , behold a virgin shal conceive and bring forth a son : the hebrew is he emphaticum , the virgin . and isaiah appointeth this to achaz , for a wonderful and strange sign from god ▪ therefore , saith he , the lord himself will give you a sign behold , which he could not have done in reason , if the hebrew word in that place had signified a young woman only , as some latter rabbins will affirm , for that is no such sign nor strange thing , but very common and ordinary for young women to conceive and bring forth children , and so did the elder jews understand it , as rabbi simeon noteth . and rabbi moses haddersan , upon those words , truth shall bud forth of the earth , saith thus . here rabbis joden noteth , that it is not said , truth shall be engendered , but truth shall bud forth , to signifie that the messiah , who is meant by the word truth , shall not be begotten as other men are , in carnal copulation . to the same effect , and after the same manner to be interpreted is that of jeremy , the lord hath created a new thing in the earth , a woman shall compass a man . and rabbi haccadosch proveth by cabala out of many places of scripture , not only that the mother of the messiah must be a virgin , but also that her name shall be mary . now the birth of jesus christ was thus , &c , that is to say , after this strange and extraordinary manner , therefore must he needs be the true and undoubted messiah . the messiah by the scripture was to born at bethlehem in judea , for so it is written by the prophet . and thou bethlehem ephrathah art little to be among the thousands of judah , yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me , that shall be the ruler of israel , &c. which place the chief priests themselves quoted to that purpose to herod , demanding of them where christ should be born , and they answered him , at bethlehem in judea , for so it is written by the prophet , as before . so also david after much restless study and industrious search to find out this mystery , &c. i will not enter into the tabernacle of my house , nor come upon my pallet or bed , nor suffer mine eyes to sleep , nor mine eyelids to slumber , until i find out a place for the lord , &c. at length , the mystery being revealed unto him , he doth as it were , point to the very place in the words following , lo we heard of it at ephratah , which is bethlehem , gen. 35.19 . and found it in the fields of the forrest . then addeth , ' we will enter into his tabernacle , and worship before his footstoole : foreshewing that divine worship there afterwards done to jesus by those magi or wise men , who came from the east to worship him in that place , even in the cratch , and before his footstoole , presenting unto him gifts of gold , frankincense and mirrh : as was also prophesied in another place , that presents and gifts should be brought unto him from far countries and by great personages . the kings of tarshish and of the isles shal bring presents , the kings of sheba and seba shall bring gifts . cyprian saith , it is an old tradition of the church , that those magi or wise men were kings , or rather little lords of particular places , which is to be understood , such little kings as josuah slew thirty in one battel : howsoever it is manifest they were men of place and reputation in their countries ( neither are prophesies always so strictly and literally to be understood ) they brought with them a great treasure , gold , frankincense and mirrh , yea both herod and all jerusalem took notice of their comming . they had private conference with the king , as touching the star that appeared unto them , leading them to that most bright morning star whereof balaam long before prophesied , saying , i shall see him , but not now , i shall behold him , but not neer , there shal come a star of jacob , &c. jesus then being born at bethlehem in judea ( as was prophesied long before the messiah should be ) and indeed it standeth with great reason , that he that was to be the son of david , should also be born in the city of david : the circumstances also of his birth duely considered both before and after , first the angels salutation to his mother mary , foretelling that his name should be jesus , before ever he was conceived . so esdras prophesied in the person of god himselfe , saying , behold , the time shall come , that these tokens which i have told thee shal come to pass , &c. for my son jesus shal appear , &c. and after these same years shal my son christ dye : here is both his birth and passion , both his names , jesus , christ , plainly expressed . which book , though it be not canonical , yet was it extant in the world before ever christ was born . also rabbi haccadosch proveth by art cabalist out of many places of scripture , that the name of the messiah at his comming shall be jesus , and among other he addeth this reason , that as the name of him who first brought the jews out of bondage into the land of promise , was jesus or josua ( which is all one ) so must his name be jesus , that shal the second time deliver them . secondly , the angels appearing to the shepherds in the night of the nativity , with this joyful message from heaven , behold i bring you tidings of great joy , that shal be to all people , that unto you is born this day in the city of david , a saviour , which is christ the lord : and this is shall be a sign unto you , ye shal find the child swad'led and laid in a cratch . thirdly , the star that appeared , notifying his comming into the world , whereof not onely the wise men before mentioned , but also generally , all the astronomers and soothsayers of that age took special notice , adjudging it to portend universal good to the earth , some gathering thereupon , that some god descended from heaven to the benefit of mankind , and for that cause had that star an image erected to it in rome , and as plinies words are , is cometa unus toto orbe colitur . that onely comet in all the world is adored . fourthly , his presentation in the temple , according to the law of moses , where openly came old simeon by the motion of the spirit ( for he had a revelation from god , that he should not see death , till he had seen the lords christ ) took the child in his arms , acknowledged him for the messiah , prophesied that he should be a light to be revealed unto the gentiles , appointed for the fall and rising again o many in israel , with other events , which afterwards came to pass . so did likewise anne the prophetess , as it is in the same chapter . fiftly , that most pitiful murder of all the infants in and about bethlehem , upon this occasion , as was prophesied by jeremy , saying , a voice was heard on high , mourning and bitter weeping . rachel weeping for her children , and refused to be comforted , because they were not , rachel was buried in the way to ephrath which is bethlehem : and for that cause those infants were called her children , albeit she were dead above two thousand years before they were slain , and above one thousand and five hundred before jeremy wrote this prophecy . among which infants herod also for more assurance , slew an infant of his own , for that he was descended by the mothers side , of the line of judah . which cruelty comming to augustus his ears , he said he had rather be herods swine , then his son , for that he being a jew , was prohibited by his religion to kill his swine , though not ashamed to kill his son . sixtly his flying into egypt hereupon , as also to fulfil that prophesie , ' out of egypt have i called my son ; which isaiah enlargeth further , saying , behold the lord rideth upon a light cloud ( which is his flesh or humanity ) and shal come into egypt , and all the idols of egypt shal tremble at his presence : which latter point eusebius sheweth , was fulfilled most evidently in the sight of all the world , for that no nation came to christian religion with so great celerity and fervour , as did the egyptians , who threw down their idols before any other nation . and as they had been the first in idolatry to other countries , so were they the first by christ his comming unto them that afterwards gave example of true return unto their creator . it followeth in isaiah , i wil deliver the egyptians into the hands of cruel lords ( these were the roman lords and princes , pompey , caesar , antony &c. ) ' and a migh-king shal reign over them , &c. this must needs be augustus the emperor , who after the death of cleopatra the last of the blood of the ptolomies , took possession of all egypt and subjected it as a province to the roman empire . but after these temporal afflictions threatned against egypt , behold a most evangelical promise of deliverance : in that day shal five cities of the land of egypt speak the language of canaan , &c. in that day shal the altar of the lord , be in the midst of the land of egypt , &c. they shal cry unto the lord , because of their oppressors , and he shall send them a saviour , and a great man , and shal deliver them , &c. the lord of hosts shall bless them saying , blessed be my people of egypt , &c. this blessing ( i say ) the egyptians obtained by our saviours being in egypt , whom here the prophet calleth by his own name jesus , a saviour , a great man . finally the comming of john baptist , his forerunner or messenger , as was prophesied , behold , i will send my messenger and he shal prepare the way before me , and the lord whom ye seek shal speedily come to his temple . and again , i will send you eliah the prophet , that is to say , john the baptist , in the spirit and power of eliah , as an angel from heaven expoundeth it , appearing to zacharias his father in the temple , sent to foretel him both of his birth , as also by what name he should call him , even john , saying , thou shalt call his name john , he shal be great in the sight of the lord , he shall go before him in the power and spirit of eliah . and therefore out saviour in plain terms he calleth him eliah , mat. 11.14 . and if you will receive it , this is that eliah which was to come , he that hath ears to hear , let him hear . and as our saviour gave him his due , before a multitude then assembled , calling him eliah : so did this eliah also give our saviour his due , in acknowledging him for the messiah , not assuming unto himself that honour offered unto him by the jews , but refusing it absolutely , and laying it upon jesus our saviour the true owner . then this is the record of john , when the jews sent priests and levites from jerusalem to ask him , who art thou ? and he confessed and denyed not , and said plainly , i am not the christ . i am not the messiah ; i baptize you with water , but there is one among you , whom you know not , he it is that cometh after me , which is preferred before me , whose shoe latchet i am not worthy to unloose , these things were done in bethabara , beyond jordan , where john did baptize . the next day john seeth jesus comming to him , and saith behold the lamb of god , which taketh away the sin of the world . this is he whom i said , after me commeth a man that is preferred before me , for he was before me , and i knew him not , but because he should be declared to israel , therefore am i come baptizing with water . so john bare record saying , i saw the spirit come down from heaven , like a dove , and abiding upon him . and i knew him not , but he that sent me to baptize with water , he said unto me , upon whom thou shalt see the spirit come down , and stay stil upon him , that is he which baptizeth with the holy ghost . and i saw and bare record that this is the son of god . according as it is , in the other three evangelists more at large expressed , how that jesus when he was baptized came strait out of the water , and lo the heavens were opened unto him . and john saw the spirit of god descending like a dove ; and lighting upon him . and loe a voice came from heaven , saying , this is my beloved son , in whom i am wel pleased . the next day john stood again , and two of his disciples , and he beheld jesus walking by and said : behold the lamb of god , and the two disciples heard him speak , and followed jesus . all this was done at bethabara , beyond jordan , in the sight and hearing of a number of people there present , as three of our evangelists do report , which they would never have presumed to have done , had not the matter been most evident , and without all compass of denial or contradiction . and truely no one thing in all this story of jesus life , doth more establish certainty of his being the true messiah , then that john the baptist , whose wisdom , learning , vertue and rare sanctity is confessed , and recorded by the writings of all our adversaries , should refuse the honour of the messiah offered unto himself , and lay it upon jesus , and also should direct those disciples that depended upon him , to the onely following and imbracing of jesus doctrine which is most evidently proved , that he did , for that so many followers and disciples as himself had , not one appeared ever after , that was not a christian . these circumstances i say of the birth and comming of the messiah into this world , so long before foretold by the prophets , and fulfilled so exactly in the person of our blessed lord and saviour wel considered ; i may at length conclude . heaven and earth concurring . men and angels with all other creatures applauding thereunto , yea and god himself from heaven pronouncing it this is my beloved son , in whom i am wel pleased . that therefore as sure as god is god , and cannot lye nor give testimony to any untruth , so sure is jesus christ the son of god , the true messiah and saviour of the world , no other to be expected . his preaching or doctrine . thus having evicted by the birth of our lord and saviour jesus christ , together with the circumstances , both before and after , that he was by birthright the only legitimate ( as i may say ) and true born messiah , all others that were before him , or since , have sprung up , or shal do hereafter to the worlds end , but bastards and usurpers , yea theeves and robbers , and that in the highest degree of thee very that may be , even robbing god of his honour ▪ which he wil not impart to any other : it remaineth yet further to demonstrate the same by his life , death , resurrection , and ascension , with all other accidents and circumstances accordingly to be observed , which may make this mystery more and more manifest , or rather palpable as the apostle witnesseth , saying that which was from the beginning , which we have heard , which we have seen with these our eyes , which we have looked upon , and these hands of ours have handled , &c. that i say which we have seen and heard , declare we unto you : what can be more palpable ? after his baptisme he began to preach ( having before gotten his living ( as most conjecture ) with his own hands , and eaten his bread with the sweat of his brows , to shew himself true man , and that he was made a curse for us ( as it is written , in the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eat thy bread ) and what was his doctrine ? of this world , or worldly delights , of pleasure , or profit , no , no , quite contrary to the humors of this wicked world , and to the corruptions of flesh and blood , which procured him the more hatred ( as in all the four evangelists , matthew , mark , luke and john , who recorded both his sayings and doings may appear ) wholly tending to the sincere service of god in spirit and truth , to the exaltation of gods glory , the beating down of mans pride , by discovering his misery , to the contempt of this wicked world , and vain pomp thereof , to the mortification of all sins in us , patience , peace of conscience , &c. in a word , all directed to the manifestation of his fathers will , and amendment of mans life ; tending wholly to this one ground or principle , thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy soul , which is the first and great commandment ; and thy neighbour as thy self , on which two hangeth the whole law and the prophets . the manner of his doctrine was simple , plain , and easie , altogether according to the evidence of the spirit , not in the enticing words of mans , wisdom , like the heathen orators and phylosophers , nor like the scribes and pharisees , but with power and authority , without either fear or flattery of any mans person , rebuking all mens sins even to their faces , which ( i say ) procured him such a general hatred . it took away no one spiritual point of moses law ( but the ceremonial only and provincial , which by the coming of the messiah was to be taken away ) yea rather revived , interpreted , and made perfect the same , corrupted much by the jews false interpretations and glosses . that ( as they taught ) commanding external observance only , this adding internal obedience also . for whereas that enjoyned ( according to the letter , and as they interpreted ) to love our neighbours and friends , and no further ; this adjoyneth love also your enemies , bless them that curse , you , matth. 5.43 . where that prohibited actually to commit adultry and no more ( as they imagined ) this forbiddeth the adultry of the eye , and of the very heart . and so of all the rest of the decalogue , our saviours doctrine is nothing else but a most exact and sincere exposition , according to the true intent of the law-giver , god the father . therefore i conclude this doctrine so quite contrary to the gross humors of this wicked world , and so repugnant to flesh and blood , so wholly devoted to gods glory , and the sincere observation of his law , is the doctrine proper to the messiah , which the prophets of god foretold should be delivered by him ( at his coming ) into the world . his life and conversation . for his life and conversation ( the express image of his doctrine ) it was stainless , and without reproof , even by the testimony of his very enemies ; acknowledged also by the divels themselves . a man of such gravity , as never in his life he was noted to laugh , but often to weep : of such humility , as being the son of god , yet scarce took upon him the dignity of a servant ; of so mild and sweet a nature , as all the injuries of his enemies never wrested from him an angry word , but on the contrary prayers and tears in their behalfs . in prayer often ; the day he spent in the temple , and elsewhere , preaching to the broken hearted , doing good to all men , healing all manner of diseases , as the prophets foretold the messiah should do ; the night on mount olivet , and other places in prayer . in fastings often , forty days and forty nights together , that the jews might know he was more then a man . finally he was such a one as was described by god in isaiah so many ages before he was born . behold my servant &c. he shall not cry . a bruised reed he shall not break . as also in zachary , behold thy king cometh unto thee , he is just , and having salvation , lowly , &c. such an one i say was our saviour as touching his integrity sanctity , piety , humility , and all other vertues , even by the testimony of his greatest enemies , porphyry , and others , yea of the divels themselves , ergo . his miracles . for his miracles which he wrought for the confirmation of his doctrine , and approbation of his person , as sent from god , the jews themselves do grant , and record the same in divers places of their thalmud ; yea they make mention of many wonderful things that jesus did , which are not written by our evangelists . so doth mahomet in his alcoran , affirming him to have been a great prophet , and to have wrought his miracles by the only power and spirit of god ; and they were such as first were foretold by the prophets that the messiah should work , as namely , to give sight to the blind , to open the ears of the deaf , to make the lame to leap , the dumb to speak , &c. secondly , such as were altogether unpossible for any mortal man to effect , but by the meer power and finger of god , as the raising of the dead to life again , as he did lazarus after he had lain four days stinking in the grave . jairus his daughter , a chief ruler of the synagogue . the widdows son before the gates of the city nain in the presence of a multitude of people there assembled to the funeral , with many other strange miracles recorded by such faithful witnesses ( the evangelists i mean ) four in number , though two or three had been sufficient in law , who afterwards sealed the truth thereof even with their dearest blood , as did infinite others after them . neither could the jews of those times , compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses , ever deny the truth thereof ; the parties themselves then living , and conversing amongst them , upon whom they were wrought . they had no other evasion but this , to say ( and that most blasphemously , contrary to their own knowledge and conscience and therefore our saviour layeth it to their charge as that fearful sin against the holy ghost not to be prayed for ) that he wrought these his miracles by the help of beelzebub the prince of divels . whereas it is most apparent the divel himself had never that power given him to raise one from the dead ; and though he had , yet would he sooner by his good will take away both life and breath from all men at once ( if it were possible ) wishing all men in the world had but one head or neck , like that cruel tyrant in rome , rather then give life to any one ; for he is a murtherer from the beginning . and yet the jews themselves in their thalmud do acknowledge , that the messiah at his coming shall be most wonderful in working miracles . and in their publike commentary upon ecclesiastes they have these words . all the former miracles of the prophets or saints shall be nothing to the miracles of the messiah when he cometh . but such were the miracles of our saviour , the whole multitude applauding hereunto : the like was never seen in israel , he hath done all things well ; never man spake leke this man . seeing also it is impossible , yea blasphemy to think that god should give testimony to any untruth , it must needs follow that all was true which jesus affirmed , and therefore seeing he affirmed himself to be the son of god , and the messiah , it must needs follow ( i say ) by these his miracles , that he was so indeed , according to that speech of his to the jews ; the works that i do in my fathers name , they bear witness of me : and again , if i do not the works of my father , believe me not , but if i do them , though ye believe not me , yet believe my works . as also that answer of his to johns disciples sent to enquire of him as touching that mysterie of the messiah , art thou he that shall come ? &c. jesus answered , go and tell john what things ye have seen and heard , the blinde see , the halt go , the lepers are cleansed , the deaf hear , and the dead rise again , &c. the calling of his apostles . hereunto ( as an appendix to his miracles ) i may well annex the calling of his apostles , disciples , and followers , whereof josephus maketh mention as of a great miracle , who being of divers callings , states , and conditions in the world , yet all on the sudden upon his call left both father , mother , wife , children , and other temporal respects , and followed him , who had nothing to give or promise them in this world , but crosses and afflictions : he that will be my disciple , let him take up his cross and follow me . a man that never spake them fair , but ever crossed them in their humors favouring of flesh and blood ; get thee behind me satan , thou art an offence unto me : his doctrine ever harsh , hard , and repugnant to flesh and blood ; this is an hard saying , who can hear it ? a man in disgrace with the higher powers , the rulers , high priests , scribes and pharisees , do any of the rulers , or of the pharisees believe in him ? a man that had neither friends in the world to bear him out , nor a house to put his head in : the foxes have kotes , and the fowls of the heaven have nests , but the son of man hath not whereon to rest his head . and yet notwithstanding all this , that worldly men and women , and some also notorious sinners , and loose livers before , should leave all their worldly hopes , ease , profit , pleasure ( and their sweet sins too ) to follow such a man , with so great inconveniences , losses , dangers , and disgraces ( as they did ) and should continue with him in all his afflictions , temptations , and persecutions , and be content to die , and lose their lives , rather then forsake him , or abandon his service ; this i say is such a miracle , as never in the world fell out the like , and must needs be granted by the enemy to be supernatural . we read of an emperour that taking in hand to conquer the world , made this proclamation for winning men unto his party : whosoever will come and be my servant , if he be a footman , i will make him a horseman ; if he be an horseman , i will make him ride with coaches ; if he be a farmer , i will make him a gentleman ; if he possess a cottage , i will give him a village ; if he have a village , i will give him a city ; if he be lord of a city , i will make him prince of a region or country ; and as for gold , i will pour it forth unto them by heaps and weight , and not by number . this was the proclamation of cyrus the great king of persia to his followers , very glorious ( as we see ) in pomp of words , and to the eye of flesh and blood . let us now compare herewith the proclamation of our cyrus , jesus christ , to his disciples and followers ; the entrance and preface whereof was this , repent , &c. and then it followeth ( instead of whosoever will come and be my servant , if he be a footman , i wil make him a horseman ) if any man wil follow me , saith christ , let him forsake himself , and take up his cross and follow me ; not on horseback , as the pope doth , with all his proud cardinals & bishops , in his pontificalibus ; i have seen servants on horses , and princes walking as servants on the ground : so did an emperour bare-footed to his holiness : but what would solomon have said if he had seen a prince hold his stirrop ? and yet forsooth will this proud prelate be servus servorum , a follower of christ , and peter's successor . insteed of possessing lands and lordships , gold and treasures , he saith , possess not gold nor silver , nor money in your purses , nor a scrip for the journey , neither two coats , neither shoes , nor so much as a staff in your hands . insteed of these preferments and pleasures of the world , saith christ , contrary to cyrus , in this world ye shall have affliction : yea which is more , ' ye shall be delivered up to the councels , and to the synagogues , ye shall be beaten , and brought before rulers and kings for my sake , ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake , ye shall be betrayed also of your parents , brethren , kinsmen and friends . and which is most of all , ye shall be put to death ; for whosoever will save his life , shall lose it : finally , if any man come to me , and hate not his father and mother , and wife and children and brethren and sisters , yea and his own life also , he cannot be my disciple . and whosoever beareth not his cross , and cometh after me , he cannot be my disciple : for which of you minding to build a tower , sitteth not down before and counteth the cost ? &c. so likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh nor all that he hath , he cannot be my disciple . this was the proclamation and edict of christ to his followers . this was the entertainment proposed by jesus to such as would come and serve under his colours , with express protestation that himself was sent into the world not to bring peace , rest , and ease to flesh and blood , but rather to be the cause of sword , fire , and tribulation . think not that i am come to send peace into the earth , i came not to send peace , but the sword : and yet with these cold offers presented to the world , first by himself to his apostles and disciples won thereby to follow him , even upon the first call , they left all and followed him ; and by them to all others afterwards : i say , by this doctrine so cross and opposite to mans nature , inclination , and sensual appetite , he gained more hearts unto him within the space of forty yeers , then ever did monarch in the world possess loving subjects , by whatsoever temporal allurements they did or might propose ; which argueth the omnipotent puissance of him , that contrary to mans reason in so short a time could bring to pass so miraculous a conquest , were there no other argument in the world of the truth of christian religion , this were sufficient . his death and passion . for his death and passion , with all the disgrace , despite , and indignities were done unto him by the jews , it was also foretold by the prophets , and so expounded by their own rabbins , as also by our saviour himself : behold we go up to jerusalem , and all things shall be fulfilled to the son of man that are written by the prophet , &c. he made his entrance into the citie upon an ass , in all humility as was prophesied the messiah should do , rejoyce greatly , o daughter zion , shout for joy , &c. fulfilled even at the same time , when the people spread their garments in the way , cut down branches from the trees , and strewed them in the way , crying , hosanna to the son of david , &c. he was betrayed by his own disciple , as david in divers places had foretold , under a type of those his secret enemies , in the days of saul , as also himself prophesied beforehand , saying , he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish , he shall betray me . being apprehended , he was most barbarously entreated by the jews . according to that of isai , i gave my back to the smiters , and my cheeks to the nippers , i hid not my face from shame and spitting . after all this inhumane dealing , he was nailed to the cross hand and foot , according to that of david : they pierced my hands and my feet , i may tell all my bones ; they beheld and looked upon me , they parted my garments among them , and cast lots upon my vesture . and in another place , they gave me gall in my meat , and in my thirst they gave me vineger to drink . he was crucified between two malefactors or evil doers , one on the right hand , the other on the left ; according to that of isaiah , he was counted with the transgressors ; yea barrabas , a murderer in the esteem of the jews , preferred before jesus , and quit by a common consent , and cry away with him , and deliver unto us barrabas , crucifie him , crucifie him . he prayed for his enemies and persecutors ; father forgive them , for they know not what they do , according to that of isaiah , he bare the sin of many , and prayed for the trespassers . not a bone of him was broken , according to that law of the passover , a lively type thereof . to conclude , that christ should die for the sins of the world , it was a received opinion of the jews in all ages , both prefigured and foretold throughout all the scripture prefigured by the sacrifice of isaac , the lifting up of the brazen serpent , and by all other sacrifices in the law . foretold not only by the scriptures before mentioned , but also by daniel in most plain terms , after threescore and two weeks shall the messiah be slain , &c. acknowledged also by caiphas himself , high priest even the self same year that christ suffered ; his words are these to the pharisees , taxing their great blindness in this point and in them the whole nation of the jews to this day : ye perceive nothing at all , nor yet do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man die for the people , and that the whole nation perish not , &c. but he that will read the whole story of christ crucified , with the particulars described many hundred yeers before the same fell out , let him turn to isaiah , and acknowledge him for an evangelist , who to signifie the strangeness of the case , beginneth first with a preface , who will believe our report ? &c. all which narration rabbi jonathan , the author of the chaldy paraphrase applyeth to the murder of the messiah by the jews , whereunto agree rabbi simeon , rabbi hadersan , and others : proving further out of dan. 9.27 . that after the messiah shall have preached half seven yeers he shall be slain : which disagreeth little or nothing from the account of us christians . also in their thalmud it is set down for a principle , and the sentence pronounced beforehand peremptorily , and in plain terms , that the messiah at his coming shall be put to death . so then i may conclude upon all these particulars of christ his death & passion , foretold by the prophets , prefigured in the law , and so expounded and acknowledged by the jews themselves , the ancient rabbins before mentioned , and finally , so exactly fulfilled in our lord and saviour ( as by the quotations in the margent may appear ) together with the mild manner of his death , praying for his enemies , father forgive them : and meekly recommending his soul into the hands of god , father , into thy hands i commend my spirit , with other strange accidents and circumstances , that miraculous eclipse of the sun at that very instant , from the sixt to the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land , the vail of the temple rent in twain , from the top to the bottome , and the earth did quake , and the stones were cloven , and the graves did open themselves , and many bodies of the saints which slept , arose , &c. i say , upon all these particularities and circumstances , i hope , i may conclude ( as it is in that place ) with the centurion , and those that were with him watching jesus , who when they saw the earthquake , and the things that were done , they feared greatly , saying , truly this was the son of god . and all the people that came together to that sight , beholding the things which were done , smote their breasts , and returned . so may i conclude , truly this was the son of god , truly this is the messiah , and let all the people of the jews come together again to this sight , and behold him whom they have pierced , and smite their breasts , pricked in their hearts , like those jews in the acts , and cry out . men and brethren , what shall we do ? and return to the lord , and be baptised every one in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sins , which god grant . and the lord pour upon them the spirit of grace and of compassion , that in soul and spirit they may look upon him whom they have pierced , and lament for him ( as it is in the prophet ) every tribe and family apart . his resurrection . for his resurrection it was also foretold by the prophets , and prefigured in jonas . david saith in the person of the messiah , of whom he prophesied in divers places , and was a type , i have set the lord always before me , &c. wherefore mine heart is glad , and my tongue rejoyceth , my flesh also doth rest in hope , for thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave , nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption . also hosea saith , after two days will he revive us , and in the third day he will raise us up . us in the plural number , pointing ( as it should seem ) both at the resurrection of our saviour the third day , as also the raising of a number of the saints together with him at the same time , prefigured in jonas , together with the time of his abode in the sepulcher , and foreshewed many times by our saviour himself to his disciples , such and such things shall be done to the son of man : he shall be apprehended , evil entreated , mocked , scourged , put to death , but the third day he shall rise again . also to the jews demanding a sign , he answered , destroy this temple , and in three days i will raise it up again . and at another time , an evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign , but no signe shall be given them , save the signe of the prophet jonas : for as jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly , so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth . which prophesie of his they full wel remembring , and fearing the event , immediately upon his burial they went to pilate , saying , sir , we remember that deceiver said while he was living , within three days i will rise again : command therefore the sepulcher to be made sure till the third day , lest hit disciples steal him away by night , and say unto the people , he is risen from the dead : and so the last error be worse then the first . all which was done according to their desire : a strong watch appointed , the sepulcher sealed up , all things made so sure by the jews as might be : for they had gotten from pilate a special commission for that purpose to whom he was as forward to grant it , as they to ask it , and that in as large and ample manner as themselves knew or could devise . all which , notwithstanding after a most miraculous manner , the angel of the lord descending from heaven with an earthquake , and rolling back the stone from the door of the sepulcher , the keepers astonied , and become as dead men : jesus our saviour according to the former prophesies is risen again , and hath appeared to his apostles and disciples his faithful witnesses , a number of them , at divers several times , to whom he presented himself alive ( as s. luke writeth ) by many infallible tokens , being seen of them by the space of forty days , and speaking of those things which appertain to the kingdom of god : howsoever the jews suborned the soldiers , giving them largely , to say , his disciples came by night and stole him away , while they slept ; which saying is noised among the jews to this day . how probably ( the former circumstances considered ) let the world judge . therefore i will conclude this point also ( with that of paul ) touching the resurrection of our lord and saviour , he hath declared himself mightily to be the son of god by the resurrection from the dead , and consequently , that messiah promised before by the prophets in the holy scriptures , as the same apostle urgeth . his ascention . for his ascension , it was also foretold by the prophets , and necessarily followeth upon his resurrection to be believed ▪ to wit , that having finished the work of our redemption here one earth , he ascended up into heaven , and there sitteth at the right hand of god . david saith , thou art gone up on high , thou hast led captivity captive , and received gifts for men , &c. and in another place , the lord said to my lord , sit thou at my right hand , &c. which is the place alledged by our saviour , wherewith he put the jews to silence , both as touching the deity and the humanity of the messiah ; for saith he , if david call him lord , how is he then his son ? where we may see david acknowledgeth him his lord , and consequently his god , even the son of god , sitting at the right hand of god ( for the present , as touching his divinity ) afterwards to be accomplished also in his humanity , which david believed as verily should come to pass , and foresaw by the eye of faith , as did thomas , when it was come to pass , putting his hand into his side , and crying , my lord and my god ; so saith david here , my lord : the lord said unto my lord , &c. i say , this article of our faith , as touching his ascension , it followeth necessarily to be concluded upon his resurrection it needeth no other proof . for that whosoever seeth and acknowledgeth that jesus being dead could raise himself to life again , will easily believe also that he was able to ascend up to heaven at his pleasure . and hereof we have also all his apostles and disciples for witnesses , eye witnesses ; in whose presence and sight he ascended : as it is in that place , they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went : and in witness thereof gave up their lives , and sealed the same with their blood . therefore i conclude upon all these premisses so necessarily following and depending one upon another , to wit , his birth , life , doctrine , actions , death , resurrection , & ascension ; seeing nothing hath hapned in the same which was not foretold by the prophets of god , nor any thing foretold by the same prophets concerning the messiah , which was not fulfilled most exactly in the person of our saviour ; we may most certainly assure our selves , that as god is truth , and therefore can neither foretel an untruth , nor yeild testimony to the same ; so it cannot be but that these things which have been shewed to be so manifestly fore prophesied , and so evidently accomplished in the person of this our blessed lord and saviour ; must needs ( i say ) assure us christians , that he was indeed the true messiah : and quite confound the jews in their vain imagination and expectation of another . the sending of the holy ghost , with the first plantation , and wonderful increase of the church . now for those things that followed after his ascension , as arguments and effects of his divine power , they were also foretold by the prophets : to wit , the sending of the holy ghost ( that comforter ) from on high , with the sudden , strange , and miraculous increase of his church throughout the world , even against all worldly power and policy , by the only power and ministry of his word , confirmed with signs and wonders that followed , wrought by his apostles , disciples , and other his faithful servants and witnesses in the primitive church : then the which there can be no greater argument in the world of the truth of christian religion ; if we consider how all other religions in the world have grown and been maintained by force of arms , fire , and sword ; this only by the preaching of christ crucified , in all nations hath encreased and multiplyed , and shal do more and more to the end of the world ; this must increase , all others decrease ; howsoever the turks have possessed the greatest part of the world at this day , yet our saviours prophesie in the end shall be found true : this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached throughout the whole world , for a witness unto all nations now for the first increase of it , how small a number were there gathered together after the ascension at jerusalem , from whence they were to march ( even the twelve apostles , no great army god wot ) to conquer the world ? as it is in that place , the law shall go forth from zion , and the word of god from jerusalem . there was the rendevous , there they stayed , there they rested , there they continued in prayer and fasting , till such time as christ after his ascension , according to his promise , sent them the comforter , even the holy ghost , enduing them with power from on high , and arming them at all points for so great a work . when and where being gathered together , all with one accord in one place , suddenly there came a sound from heaven , as of a mighty wind , and filled all the house where they sate . and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like fire , and it sate upon each of them , and they were all filled with the holy ghost , and began to speak with other tongues , as there is mentioned . and with these fiery cloven tongues these twelve silly souls without any means , men , money , or munition , in a very short time conquered a great part of the world ; insomuch that at one sermon of s. peter , at the same time there were added to the church three thousand souls : and so multiplyed successively from time to time , and from place to place , spreading it self from one country to another , and from one nation to another and so at length into all nations : there is neither speech nor language where their voice is not heard , their line is gone forth through all the earth , and their words into the ends of the world : as we see it is come to pass this day . of which coming of the holy ghost in the time of the messiah , joel prophesied saying ; and it shall be in the last days , that i will pour out my spirit , &c. and on my servants and on my handmaids i will pour out my spirit , &c. it filled all the house where they sate , and it sate upon each of them , and they were all filled with the holy ghost here is a deluge of gods grace poured upon the world immediately upon the ascension of our lord and saviour . first upon his apostles and disciples of those times in greater measure , as the first fruits of his spirit by the which they wrought miracles , spake all manner of languages , healed all manner of diseases , cast out divels , raised the dead , and lastly sealed the same with their blood . poor fishermen and such like of no reputation in the world , without learning , without credit , without means ( as before ) yet by this means conquered the world to the subjection of their master christ ; that stone cast aside of the builders , but now become the head-stone of the corner ; this the lords doing , and it is marvellous in our eyes . the sincerity of the evangelists . now for the evangelists , or writers of the gospel , that is to say , the registers of his birth , life , doctrine , and death : it is to be noted , that our saviour being god , took a different way from the custome of man , in delivering unto us his laws and precepts . for that men who have been law-makers unto the world , knew no surer way of publishing their laws , and procuring authority to the same , then to write them with their own hands , and in their life time to establish their promulgation so lycurgus , solon , and others among the grecians , numa to the romans , mahomet to the sarasins . but jesus ( to shew his divine power in directing the pen and stile of the evangelists , would not leave any thing written by himself , but passed from this world in simplicity and silence , without any other shew or osten●ation of his own doings . meaning notwithstanding afterwards , to his glory , and the edification of his church here on earth , by four irrefragable witnesses or remembrancers ( the four evangelists ) every word should be established and recorded : as may appear by that place where he saith . these things have i spoken unto you being present with you , but the comforter , which is the holy ghost , whom the father will send in my name , he shall bring all things to your remembrance which i have told you . whereupon i infer , that the evangelists and apostolical writers were all of them guided and directed by one and the same spirit , even the spirit of god , for the registring of all things either said or done by our saviour , so far forth as seemed best to his divine will and pleasure , to be registred and recorded for the benefit and edification of his church ; for there were many other things which jesus did ( as john the evangelist testifieth ) which are not written : that is to say , which the holy spirit of god thought needless to faith and salvation , but saith he , these things are written that ye might believe , that jesus is the christ the son of god , and that in believing ye might have life through his name . now for these evangelists four in number , ( which some have resembled to the four beasts in ezekiel ) the first and last are apostles , that wrote as they had seen ; the two middle are disciples , who registred things as they had understood by conference with the apostles . the first gospel was written by an apostle , to give light to the rest ; and the last also by an apostle , to give authority and confirmation to the former . the first was written in the hebrew tongue , for that all those miracles which jesus wrought were done in that country ; he was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of israel , to the end that either the whole nation might believe them , or the obstinate impugne them , which yet never any of their rabbins took in hand to do . the other three were written in the most famous and populous language of all nations at that time , to wit , the greek tongue . they wrote their stories in divers countries , far distant one from another and yet agreed they all most exactly in one and the same narration ( as is to be seen ) though diversly related , yet in truth and substance all one : one sometimes supplying what another hath not , according to the discretion of one and the same spirit , wherewith they were all guided and directed , like those four beasts in ezek. 1.12 . every one went streight forward , whither their spirit led them they returned not . they wrote in divers times , one after another ; and yet the latter did neither correct nor reprehend any thing in the former , as heathen writers use to do . they published their writings when infinite were alive that knew the facts , and of them no small number , who desired by all means to impugne them . they set down in most of their narrations , the time the day , the hour , the place , the village , the house , the persons , with all other circumstances , which the mo they are in number , the more easie to be refuted , if they were not true . neither did they write of things done in far countries or places remote , but in the same country where they were born , in towns and cities that were publikely known , in jerusalem it self , in bethania and bethsaida , vilages hard by jerusalem , in the suburbs and hills about the city , in such a street , at such a gate , at such a porch of the temple , at such a fish-pool , publike places , familiarly known to every one , for these things were not done in a corner , as saith the apostle . all which circumstances duly considered ( never yet impugned ) methinks ( should perswade any man of reason to become a christian : as agrippa in that very place acknowledgeth to paul , saying , almost thou perswadest me to be a christian . they published their writings in their life time . they altered not their writings afterwards as other authors are wont in their latter editions , nor ever corrected they one jot of that which they had first set down . and ( that which never hapned in any other writings in the world besides , nor ever monarch was able to bring to pass for credit of his edicts ) they gave their lives for defence and justifying of that which they had written . their manner of writing is sincere and simple , as becommeth so divine a history ; without all art or rethorical amplifications , as historians use . they flatter none , no not jesus himself , whom they most adore , nor in confessing him to be their god , do they conceal his infirmities of flesh , in that he was man : as his hunger and thirst , his being weary , how he wept , his passions of fear , and the like . nay , these evangelists were so sincere and religious in their narrations , as they noted especially the imperfections of themselves , and of such others , as they principally respected . matthew nameth himself matthew the publican . mark ( peters disciple ) recordeth how s. peter thrise denyed his lord and master , and so of the rest . these mens writings were published for canonical , and received for undoubted truth by all that lived in the very same age , and were privie to every particular circumstance therein contained . they were copied abroad into infinite mens hands , and so conserved with all care and reverence , as holy and divine scripture . they were read in churches throughout all countries and nations , expounded , preached , and taught by all pastors , and commentaries made upon them by holy fathers from time to time . so that no doubt can be made at all either of the authority of them , as originally and immediately proceeding from the holy ghost , or of the certainty : but that we have the very same incorrupt , as the authors left them , for that it was impossible for any enemy to corrupt so many copies over the world , without discovery and resistance . and thus much for the credit and authority of our evangelists . the confession of martyrs . now for the martyrs ( or witnesses ) appointed by god for the sealing and delivery of this doctrine of the gospel of our lord and saviour jesus christ to all the world , they were first and principally his own apostles and disciples ; now ye are witnesses of these things : who both heard his doctrine , and saw his miracles : as s. john testifieth , that which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes , &c. that i say which we have seen and heard , declare we unto you . and s. peter , for we followed no deceivable fables when we opened unto you the power and coming of our lord jesus christ , but with our eyes we saw his majesty . this doctrine ( i say ) of the glorious gospel of our lord and saviour , whereof they were so fully perswaded , they did not only profess it with their mouths , yea even before kings , and were not ashamed , as god saith to paul , as thou hast testified of me in jerusalem , so must thou bear witness also at rome : thou must be brought before caesar : but in witness thereof they gave up their lives , and by their deaths sealed and delivered to the world the truth of that which in their lives they professed , they have sealed that god is true : these are witnesses worthy to be believed , these are martyrs . next to these are all those holy disciples of theirs , all those holy confessors of the primitive church put to death with most exquisite torments , under those cruel roman tyrants , during those ten famous persecutions upon record , called the ten persecutions , catexochen , in respect of the rage , fury and cruelty thereof : and all against poor harmless and innocent christians , daylie torn in pieces , and butchered by those wolves , as sheep appointed for the slaughter : whereof our saviour long before had forewarned his disciples : behold i send you as lambs among wolves &c. persecuted even to the death , for the word of god , and for the testimony which they maintained . in which extream and most incredible sufferings of christians , three points are worthy of great consideration . the first , what infinite multitudes of all estates , conditions , sexes , qualities and age , did suffer daylie for testimony of this truth . the second , what intolerable and unaccustomed torments , not heard of in the world before , were devised by tyrants for afflicting this kind of people . thirdly and lastly , what invincible courage , and unspeakable alacrity these christians shewed in bearing out these afflictions and torments , which the enemies themselves could not attribute but to some divine power , and supernatural assistance . the subjection of spirits . another consideration followeth of his divine power and omnipotency , declared and exercised upon the spirits infernal , which in those days spake in the oracles , and till that time had possessed and deluded all nations . hear the complaint of one of them ▪ hei mihi , cogemiscite , hei mihi , hei mihi , oraculorum defecit me clari●as . wo unto mes lament ye with me , wo , wo to me , for that the honour of oracles hath now forsaken me . which woful complaint is nothing else but a plain confession that jesus was he of whom a prophet said divers ages before , he shall consume all the gods of the earth , and every man shall worship him from his place , even all the isles of the heathen . this confessed also the wicked spirits themselves , when at christs appearing in jewry they came and did their homage to him , and besought him not to afflict or torment them before the time , nor command them presently to return to hell , but rather to permit them some little time of entertainment in the sea , or mountains , or among herds of swine or the like ; which confession they made openly before all men , and declared the same afterwards by their deeds . for presently upon christ his death , and upon the preaching of his name and gospel throughout the world , the oracles in all places ceased , whereof the poets themselves bear witness : cessant oracula d●lphis . whereupon plutarch that lived within an hundred yeers after christ , made a special treatise to sift out the causes why the oracles of the gods ( as they deemed them ) were ceased in his time . and after much turning and winding many ways , at length resolved upon two principal points , or causes thereof . the first , for that in his time there was more store of wise men then before whose answers might stand insteed of oracles : and the other , for that perhaps the spirits accustomed to yeild oracles were by length of time grown old and dead . both which reasons , in the common sense of all men must needs be false , and by plutarch himself cannot stand with probability . for first in his books which he wrote of the lives of famous men , he confesseth , that in such kind of wisdom as he most esteemed , they had not their equals among their posterity . secondly in his treatise of phylosophy he passeth it for a ground , that spirits cannot die , or wax old . and therefore of necessity there must be some other cause yeilded of the ceasing of these oracles : which cannot be but the presence and commandment of some higher power : according to that saying of s. john , for to this end and purpose appeared the son of god , to wit , that he might destroy the works of the divel . neither did jesus this alone in his own person , but gave also power and authority to his disciples and followers to do the like ; according to that their commission in the gospel . then called he the twelve disciples together , and gave them power over all divels , &c. and not only to these twelve did he give this absolute power and authority over unclean spirits , but to the rest likewise ; as may appear in the next chapter following upon the return of their commission : and the seventy returned with joy , saying , lord , even the divels are subdued to us through thy name . and he said unto them , i saw sathan like lightning fall down from heaven : and so reneweth their commission , saying , behold i give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions , and over all the power of the enemy ( that is to say the divel ) nevertheless ( saith he ) in this rejoyce not , that the spirits are subdued unto you , but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven . and this authority over the spirits infernal given by jesus to his disciples in the primitive church , extended it self so far , that not only their words and commandments , but even their very presence did shut the mouths , and drive into fear the miserable spirits , as both lactantius and others do witness ; whence it proceeded , that in all sacrifices , conjurations , and other mysteries of the gentiles , there was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing lucian , exeant christiani , let christians depart , for that while they were present , nothing could be well accomplished . and that professed enemy of christianity , porphyry , who of all other most earnestly endeavoured to impugne us christians , and to hold up the honour of his enfeebled idols , yet discoursing of the great plague that reigned most furiously in the city of messi●a in sicily , where he dwelt , yeildeth this reason , why aesculapius the god of physick ( much adored in that place ) was not able to help them in that extremity . it is no marvel ( saith he ) if this city so many yeers be vexed with the plague , seeing that both aesculapius , and all other gods be now departed from it by the coming of christians : for since that men have begun to worship this jesus , we could never obtain any profit by our gods . thus much confessed this patron of paganism concerning the maim that his gods had received by the power and coming of our lord jesus christ : which albeit he spake with a malicious mind , to bring christians in hatred yet is the confession notable , and confirmeth that story , which plutarch in his forenamed book doth report , that in the latter yeers of the reigne of the emperour tiberius , a strange voice , and exceeding horrible clamour , with hideous cries , screetches , and howlings were heard by many in the grecian sea complaining , that the great god pan was now departed . and this affirmeth plutarch ( that was a gentile ) to have been alledged and approved before the emperour tiberius , who marvelled greatly thereat , and could not by all his diviners and soothsayers , whom he called to that consultation , gather out any reasonable meaning of this wonderful accident . but we christians comparing the time wherein it hapned , unto the time of christ his death and passion and finding the same fully to agree , we may more then probably perswade our selves , that by the death of their great god pan ( which signifieth all ) was imported the utter overthrow of all wicked spirits , and idols upon earth ; according to that vision of our lord and saviour before mentioned , i saw sathan like lightning fall down from heaven , &c. and again in another place , now is the judgement of this world , now shall the prince of this world be cast out , even this great god pan , who in another place is called the god of this world , the prince that ruleth in the ayr , and therefore may well be said by our saviour to fall down from heaven , being before time worshipped in those idols oracles , and heathenish prophanations , as a god in all the world and exalted ( as it were ) into the highest heavens . but behold as dagon , that idol of the philistims , fell flat on his face ( and that twice ) his head and hands dismembred before the ark of god in ashdod ; so did sathan this great god pan , the god of this world , the prince of the ayr , &c. ( let me give the divel his due , yea rather more then his due , as doth the holy scripture ) so did sathan ( i say ) immediately upon the coming of our lord and saviour jesus christ into this world , and preaching of his gospel ( the ark of his everlasting covenant ) fall flat on his face to the ground , his head and hands dismembred : according to that first promise and covenant to our first parents , which was this : that he ( to wit the messiah ) should break the serpents head , &c. which he had done not only in his own person , by subduing sathan with all his whole legions of divels and powers infernal , trampling them under his feet , but also in his members , to whom he gave like authority ; as before , he gave them power and authority over all divels ; yea over all the power of the enemy : which argueth again the power and omnipotency of our lord and saviour jesus christ , who not only in his own person here on earth but also in his servants , disciples , and followers , was able to conquer and subdue even the divels themselves , as they themselves acknowledge ; jesus i acknowledge , and paul i know , &c. and thus much of the subjection of spirits . the punishment of enemies . now resteth this his divine power and omnipotency yet further to be manifested , by another consideration of his justice and severity shewed from heaven upon divers his greatest enemies here on earth , after his departure out of this world : as we may read in josephus of herod the first , who persecuted christ even in his cradle , and slew all those infants in and about bethlehem : and that other herod , tetrarch of galilee , who put john baptist to death , and scorned jesus before his passion : himself scorned afterwards by the emperour , and disgracefully sent into exile : first to lions in france , and after that to the most desert and inhabitable places in spain , where he with heredias wandred up and down in extream calamity all their life time , and finally ended their days , as forlorn and abandoned of all men . in which misery also it is recorded , that the dancing daughter of herodias , who demanded john baptists head , being on a time to pass over a frozen river , suddenly the ice brake , and she in her fall had her head cut off by the same ice , without hurting the rest of her body . so likewise it is recorded in the acts of herod agrippa , who stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church , killed james the brother of john with the sword , and imprisoned peter , how immediately thereupon ( as it is in that chapter ) going down to cesarea , he was there in a solemn assembly striken from heaven with a most horrible disease , whereby his body putrified , and was eaten of worms : as also josephus maketh mention . pilate that gave sentence of death against our lord and saviour , we read that after great disgrace received in jurie , he was sent home into italy , and there slew himself with his own hands . and of the very emperors themselves who lived from tiberius ( under whom jesus suffered ) unto constantine the great , under whom christian religion took dominion over the world ( which contained the space of some three hundred years or thereabouts ) very few or none escaped the manifest scourges of gods dreadful justice , shewed upon them at the knitting up of their days . whereas since the time of constantine ( whiles emperors have been christians , as one hath observed ) few or no such examples can be shewed , except upon julian the apostata , valens the arrian heretick , or some other of like detestable and notorious wickedness . and thus much of particular men chastised by jesus . but if we desire to have a full example of his justice upon a whole nation together , let us consider what befel jerusalem , and the people of that place , for their barbarous cruelty practised upon him in his death and passion . and if we believe josephus and phylo , the jewish historiograpers , who lived in those times , it can hardly be expressed by the tongue or pen of man , what insufferable calamities and miseries were inflicted upon that people presently after his ascension , first of all by pilate their governour under tibarius ▪ and then again by petronius under caligula , after that by cumanus under claudius , and lastly by festus and albious under nero ; through whose cruelties that nation was enforced at last to rebel , and take arms against the roman empire : which was the cause of their utter ruine and extirpation by titus and vespasian . at what time , besides the overthrow of their city burning of their temple , and other infinite distresses ( which josephus an eye witness , protesteth , that no speech or discourse humane can declare ) the same author likewise recordeth eleven hundred thousand persons to have been slain , and fourscore and seventeen thousand taken alive : who were either put to death afterward in publike tryumphs , or sold openly for bond-slaves , into all the parts of the world : and in this universal calamity of the jewish nation , being the most notorious and grievous that ever hapned to any people or nation either before or after them ( for the romans never practised the like upon others ) it is singularly to be observed , that in the same time and place in which they put jesus to death before ; that is , in the time of p●scha when their whole nation was assembles at jerusalem , from all parts , provinces and countries , they received th●● their most pitiful subversion and overthrow , and that by the bands of the roman casar , to whom by publike cry they had appealed from jesus not long before : we have no king but caesar , &c. yea further it is observed , that as they apprehended jesus , and made the entrance to his passion upon mount olivet , where he used much to pray and meditate : so titus ( as josephus writeth ) upon the same mount planted his first siege for their final destruction . and as they led jesus from caiphas to pilate , afflicting him in their presence ; so now were they themselves led up and down from john to simon ( two seditious captains within the city ) and were scourged and tormented before the tribunal seats . again , as they had caused jesus to be scoffed , beaten , and vilanously entreated by the souldiers in pilates palace : so were now their own principal rulers ( as josephus writeth ) most scornfully abused , beaten , and crucified , and that by the souldiers : which latter point of crucifying or vilanous putting to death upon the cross , was begun to be practised by the romans upon the jewish gentry , immediately after christ his death , and not before . and now at this time of the war , josephus affirmeth , that in some one day , five hundred of his nation were taken , and put to this opprobrious kind of punishment : insomuch that for the great multitude , he saith , nec locus sufficeret crucibus , nec cruces corporibus . this dreadful and unspeakable misery fell upon the jews about forty yeers after christs ascension , when they had shewed themselves most obstinate , and obdurate against his doctrine delivered unto them , not only by himself , but also by his disciples ; of which they had now slain s. steven and s. james , and driven into banishment both peter and paul , and others that had preached unto them . this then was the providence of god for the punishment of the jews at that time . and ever after their estate declined from worse to worse , and their miseries daylie multiplied throughout the world . whereof he that will see a very lamentable narration , let him but read the last book of josephus , de bello , judaico , wherein it is reported , besides other things , that after the war was ended , and all the publike slaughter ceased , titus sent threescore thousand jews as a present to his father to rome there to be put to death in divers and sundry manners . others he applyed to be spectacles for pastime to the romans that were present with him . whereof josephus saith , that he saw with his own eyes two thousand and five hundred murdered and consumed in one day , by fight and combate among themselves and with wild beasts , at the emperours appointment . others were assigned in antioch , and other great cities , to serve for faggots , in their famous bonfires at times of tryumph . others were sold to be bondslaves . others condemned to dig and hew stones for ever . and this was the end of that war and desolation . quis talia fando , myrmidonum , dolopumve , aut duri miles vlyssi , temperet a lachrymis ? after this again under trajan the emperour there was so infinite numbers of jews slain and made away by marcus turbo in affrica , and lucius quintus in the east , as was wonderful and in the eighteenth year of adrian the emperour one julius severus being sent to extinguish all the remnant of the jewish generation , destroyed in a very short time ninety and eight towns and vilages within that country , and slew five hundred and fourscore thousand of them in one day . at which time also he beat down the city of jerusalem in such sort , as he left not one stone standing upon another of their ancient buildings , but caused some part thereof to be re-edified , and inhabited only by gentiles . he changed the name of the city , and called it aelia , after the emperors name . he drove out all the progeny and off-spring of the jews forth of all those countries , with a perpetual law confirmed by the emperour , that they should never return , no nor so much as look back from any high or eminent place to that country again . and this was done to the jewish nation by the roman emperors , for accomplishing that demand which their principal elders had made not long before to pilate the roman magistrate ( after he had washed his hands before the multitude to clear himself , at least wise in outward shew , from the blood of jesus , saying , i am innocent of the blood of this just man , look you to it : ) then answered all the people and said , his blood be upon us , and upon our children : and so it came to pass accordingly , even in that very age . then the which what greater argument of the deity and omnipotency of our lord and saviour , who from heaven was able in so short a time , and that in so full measure , to revenge himself upon his enemies here on earth . yea , a whole nation together brought to final desolation . and so much for the punishment of enemies . the fulfilling of prophesies . the last consideration followeth , and so an end ; which is , the fulfilling of prophesies , all those prophesies uttered by our lord and saviour , while he was here upon earth : especially this one of the destruction and desolation of the jewish nation already declared , might suffice for all , which over and over while he was conversant among them , he denounced against them : and foretold should shortly be accomplished upon them , in most fearful manner , as namely at one time , after a long and vehement commination made to the scribes and pharisees ( in which he repeateth eight several times that dreadful threat , wo ) he concludeth , that all the righteous blood injuriously shed from the first martyr abel , and so successively , should very shortly be revenged upon that generation : verily i say unto you , all these things shall come upon this generation : and in the next words threatneth that populous city jerusalem , that it should be made utterly desolate . jerusalem , jerusalem , which killest the prophets , and stonest them that are sent unto thee , how often would i have gathered thy children together , as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings , and ye would not . behold , your habitation shall be left unto you desolate . and at another time , even that solemn time of his entry and riding into jerusalem before his passion , it is said in the gospel , that when he was come neer , he beheld the city , and wept over it , saying , o if thou hadst even known at the least in this thy day , those things which belong unto thy place , but now are they hid from thine eyes ; then denounceth that fearful desolation following , that not one stone should be left upon another , but all thrown down even to the ground : executed upon them , and made good by titus the son of vespatian , and finally , accomplished by julius severus , who in the days of adrian ( as before is rehearsed ) utterly defaced the very ruines of that city in such sort , as he left not one stone standing upon another of all their ancient buildings , but laid them even with the ground . again at another time , as some spake of the temple , how it was garnished with goodly stones , and consecrate things , he said , are these the things you look upon ? the days will come wherein a stone shall not be left upon a stone , that shall not be thrown down and yet more particularly in the same chapter he foretelleth the signs whereby his disciples should perceive when the time was come : when ye shall see jerusalem besieged with souldiers , then know ye that her desolation is at hand . this foretold jesus of the misery that was to fall upon jerusalem , and upon that people ( by the romans ) when the jews seemed to be in most security , and greatest amity with the romans , when they could away with no other government but that : we have no king but caesar ; he that maketh himself a king speaketh against caesar : and consequently at that time they might seem in all humane reason to have less cause then ever to misdoubt such calamities . and yet how certain and assured fore-knowledge , and as it were most sensible feeling jesus had of these miseries , he declared by those pitiful tears he shed upon sight and consideration of jerusalem ( as before is mentioned ) when he wept over it ; as also by that tender speech he used to the women of that city who wept for him as he was led to be crucified , perswading them to weep rather for themselves , and for their children ( in respect of the miseries to follow ) then for him . all which prophesies and predictions of jesus , with sundry other his speeches , foreshewing so particularly the imminent calamities of that nation , and that at such time when in human reason there could be no probability thereof ; when a certain heathen chronicler named phlegon ( about a hundred yeers after christs departure ) had diligently considered , having seen the same also in his days most exactly fulfilled ( for he was servant to adrian the emperor , by whose command the final subversion of that jewish nation was brought to pass ) this phlegon ( i say ) though a pagan , yet upon consideration of these events , and others that he saw ( as the extream persecution of christians foretold by christ , and the like , he pronounced , that never any man foretold things so certainly to come , or that so precisely were accomplished , as were the predictions and prophesies of jesus . and now albeit these predictions and prophesies concerning the punishment and reprobation of the jews , fulfilled so evidently in the sight of all the world , might be a sufficient demonstration of his divine prescience and foreknowledge in things to come ; yet were there also many other things besides fore-shewed by him , which fel out as exactly as these did , which by no humane reason or learning could possibly be foreseen ; as for example , the foretelling of his own death , resurrection , and ascension , with all their several circumstances ; the manner time , place , and all other particularities , as precisely as if they had been already accomplished : and that not only to his own disciples , but even to the scribes and pharisees , who came of purpose to tempt him ; as he that shall but examine the quotations following , which for brevity sake i have but only cyphered , and ( as it were ) pointed at in figures ) may easily perceive . first to his disciples , matth. 16.21 . chap. 17.9.22 . chap. 20 17. chap. 26.1.11.31.45 . joh. 13.33 . chap. 16.16 . and 13.3 . and 18.4 . and 14.2.28 . then to the scribes and pharisees , matth. 12.38 . chap. 21.38 . luke 13.31 . john 2.18 . chap 3.12 . chap. 7.33 . chap. 8.21.28 . chap. 12.31 . also how his disciples should be scattered and forsake him : john 16.32 . of peters denyal . matth. 26 34. and by what manner of death he should glorifie god , john 21.18 . how judas one or his own disciples should betray him , john 6.64.70 . chap 13.10.26 . chap. 17.12 . matth. 26 21.49 . of the sending of the holy ghost ▪ john 7.38 . chap. 14.16.26 . chap. 15.26 . chap. 16.7 . luke 24 49. of his his disciples miracles which they should work in his name , mark 16.17 . luke 10.18 . john 14 12. the cruel persecution that should arise to the professors of his name in all places , matth 10.16 . chap. 24.9 . john 16.1 . the building of his church notwithstanding ( in despite of the divel , and all oppositions ) upon a rock , with this sure word of promise never to fail , that the gates of hell shall not overcome it , matth. 16.18 . and again , i am with you alwaies , even to the end of the world , matth. 28.20 . the signs and tokens that should go before the end of the world ; as first , the false christs , and false prophets that should arise here and there with the church , yea and in the church : that abomination of desolation spoken of by daniel the prophet , to be set in the holy place ; matth. 24.5 . 11.15.23 . meaning ( and so i think would the holy ghost have all men to understand it , when he addeth this parenthesis ; let him that readeth consider it ) even that arch antichrist , now sitting in that holy place , or church ( for so it was in times past whose faith was one so famous in all the world , rom. 1.8 . wars , and rumors of wars , pestilence , famine , and earthquakes , matth. 24.6 . persecution , as before ; then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted , and shall kill you , and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake . matth. 24.9 . so were christians in the primitive church under the roman emperors those cruel caesars ; and so have been of latter times also , under the tyrannie of this arch antichristian caesar , that abomination of desolation , now sitting in the self same place , drunken with the blood of the saints , and with the blood of the martyrs of jesus , whose destruction sleepeth not , come i will shew thee the damnation of the great whore ▪ &c. finally , the preaching of the gospel to all nations , matth. 24.14 . and the uniting and gathering together both of jew and gentile into one fold , under one shepherd even that great shepherd of our souls , that there may be one sheepfold , and one shepherd john 10.16 . this is one of the last signes foretold by our saviour , and but in part remaineth to be accomplished : and what hindreth ? even that abomination of desolation before spoken of , which hath been a stumbling block to all nations hitherto , both turks and jews , for coming to christianity ; which the lord in due time will remove ▪ for babylon shall fall ( as it is in the revelation ) it is fallen , it is fallen , babylon that great city : in part it is fallen already , and what hindreth but that daylie and hourly we may expect the final desolation thereof ? daylie and hourly i say , for with such celerity and violence ( when it shall please god to put in their hearts whom it may concern , to fulfil his will , rev. 17.17 . ) shall this sentence be executed , in one day shal her plagues come upon her , death , and sorrow , and famine ; and she shall be burnt with fire , &c. in one hour she shall be made desolate . rejoyce over her thou heaven , and ye holy apostles and prophets ; for god hath given your judgement on her . and a mighty angel took up a stone , like a great milstone , and cast it into the sea , saying : with such violence shall that great city babylon be thrown down . and here i might cast up together in like manner ( making but one total sum of all ) the prophesies of all those holy apostles , and disciples of our lord and saviour ; both as touching divers particulars whereof they prophesied in those times , fulfilled most exactly ▪ as also touching the general state of the church successively in all ages , even to the end of the world and of the end of the world it self . first for the particulars , i will but point at them , as before . one of those holy prophets prophesied of a general dearth to fall out in those times : which hapned accordingly under claudius caesar , act. 11.27 . also of pauls imprisonment , acts 21.10 . paul in his sayling towards rome , foretelleth the centurion and the rest , of the tempestuous weather to ensue , acts 27.10 . of their shipwrack ; but yet with safety of their lives , vers. 22. and precisely the place where they should be cast ashore ; to wit , upon a certain island , vers. 26. in one of his epistles he prophesieth of his own death , 2 tim. 4.6 . so doth also peter . 2 pet. 1.14 . secondly , for the future state of the church in these last days , with the coming of antichrist into the world , and all his damned crew , those hellish furies : see how precisely these holy apostles and prophets foretel of these times , these perillous times , and how lively they set him out in his colours , with all his additions ( as well becometh such an infernal king ) the angel of the bottomless pit , whose name in hebrew is abaddon , in greek apollyon : that antichrist , that man of sin the son perdition , that wicked one , &c. with all other adjuncts , and circumstances so lively described , as if he had been then already come ; for even in these days ( as the apostle speaketh did this mysterie of iniquity begin to work . see then i say , 2 thes. 2. 1 tim. 3. 2 tim. 4. 2 pet. 2. 1 joh. 2.18 . chap. 4.1 . 2 joh. v. 7. yea the whole revelation is nothing else but a continued prophesie of all such things as should happen to the church militant , even from the apostles times to the end of the world . all which prophesies we see accomplished ▪ except before excepted , the final destruction of babylon , and the calling of the jews , whereof both our saviour himself , as also paul hath prophesied , rom. 11. both which we daylie expect : and then ( as it is in the revelation ) come lord jesus . of which second coming , or general doom , with the manner of it , and all other circumstances , we have also sundry prophesies both of christ and his apostles , which here i will joyn in one as proceeding all from one and the same spirit ; for here all prophesies must come to a full period , nil ultra . i will only quote them as formerly , matth. 16.27 . chap. 19.28 . chap. 20.1 . chap. 24. chap. 25. chap. 26.64 . john 5.25 . &c. 1 cor. 85. 1 thes. 4.14 . chap. 5.1 . jam. 5.8 . 1 pet. 4.7 . 2 pet. 3. jude v. 6. & 14 : rev. 21. where you shall see a new heaven , and a new earth &c. new jerusalem descending from god out of heaven , prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband . thus have i brought you at length ( as after a long and tedious passage by sea ) to see land , and as it were the sea-mark whereunto after so many variable winds , and so often tacking to and again , we have directed our course , even from the first prophesie made to adam in paradise , gen. 3.15 . to the very last period of all prophesies in the revelation , shut up in the second adam , jesus christ ; who is the first and the last , alpha and omega , the beginning and the ending ; in whom all prophesies kiss each other , and have their consummation . these are the words ( saith he ) which i spake unto you while i was yet with you : that all must be fulfilled which are written of me in the law of moses , and in the prophets , and in the psalms , &c. thus it is written , and thus it behoved christ to suffer ▪ and to rise again from the dead the third day ; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations , beginning at jerusalem . i say from this jerusalem , which now lyeth desolate , i have brought you to the new jerusalem , coming down from heaven , as a bride adorned for her husband : from an earthly , to a heavenly paradise , and there i leave you . a collection demonstrative , or sum of the former proofs . the messiah must be a spiritual king to conquer the divel , ●eath , and sin : b●th by scripture , as also by the interpretation of the ancient jews themselves , upon that place of genesis , he shall break thine head : therefore not a temporal king , as the latter jews imagine . the messiah must be king over the gentiles as well as the jews , both by scripture , as also by their own writers : therefore not a temporal king , to reign ●ver the● only ; much less to subdue the gentiles to the servitude of jewry , as some of them imagine the messiah must be both god and man , the son of god , the word of god incarnate , the second person in trin●ty , both by the scriptures , as also by their own writers : therefore no such earthly monarch as they expect . the messiah at his coming ( being to be both king of jew and gentile ) must change the law of moses , to wit , the ceremonial and provincial proper to the jews only , and instead thereof , give a general law to both , absolute and p●rfect , to serve for all persons , times , and places , to endure even to the end of the world : th●refore no such temporal monarch● to be expe●●ed , as they look after for one and the same conclusion followeth upon all the premises , beating upon ●heir main gro●nd ( to wit a temporal or earthly kingdom ▪ which bei●g once shaken , the rest falleth to the ground . all prophesies whatsoever , with every particular circumstance foretold by the prophets of the messiah , were both substantially and circumstantially fulfilled in the person of our blessed saviour ; both as touching his birth , life , doctrine miracles , death , resurrection , ascension ; and other effects afterwards of his divine power , in sending of the holy ghost , and the miraculous encrease of his church , &c. therefore was he indeed the messiah , no other to be expected . the messiah , by daniels prophesie , was to appear immediately upon the establishment of the roman empire : for ( saith he ) in the days of these kings , shall the god of heaven set up a kingdom , which shall not be destroyed , dan. 2.44 . which must needs be understood of the kingdom of christ , or the messiah . and in these days was our saviour born , even in the days of augustus caesar ; therefore in him is the circumstance of time verified . the messiah by jacobs prophesie was to appear immediately when the rod or ●cepter was departed from the house of judah . then appeared that star of jacob , our lord and saviour ; ergo . the messiah by the prophesie of haggai ( as also by their own thalmud ) was to come during the second temple : then came our lord and saviour , ergo . and consequently the jews after this time ( to wit the destruction of the second temple ) in vain expect another . the messiah by the true account , and calculation of daniel's hebdomades , or weeks of years , was to come just according to the times before mentioned : so did our saviour ( as is aforesaid ) therefore to him doth this circumstance of time bear witness : and consequently the jews , after these times by god himself appointed for the messiah ( or rather one and the same time , for there is no other difference , but only in adjuncts and circumstances ) expecting yet for another ; besides their vain expectation make god himself a lyar . the messiah by the scriptures was to be born of the tribe of judah , of the house of david , so was our saviour : therefore he alone the legitimate and true born messiah by birth-right ( as i may say ) as also by prescription , after so long time of peaceable possession no other to be expected . the messiah by the scripture , as also by their own rabbins , was to be born of a virgin , so was our saviour : ergo , all other particulars foretold of the messiah , see them fulfilled as followeth , to wit , prophesies .   fulfilled . mich. ● . 2 . that the place of his birth should be bethlehem . luke 2.4 . jer. 31.15 . that at his birth all the infants thereabouts should be slain . mat. 2.16 . psal. 72.10 . that kings or great personages should come and adore him , and offer gold , and other gifts unto him . mat. 2.1 . mal. 3.1 . that he should be presented in the temple of jerusalem , for the greater glory of that second temple . luk. 2.22 . hos. 11.1 . that he should flee into egypt , and be called thence again . mat. 2.13 . num. 24.17 . that a star should appear at his birth to notifie his coming into the world . mat. 2.9 . mal. 3.1 . & 4.5 . isa. 40.3 . that john baptist ( who came in the power and spirit of eliah , and therefore was called eliah . luke 1.17 . matth. 11.10.14 . ) should be the messenger to go before him , and to prepare the way , and to cry in the desert . mat. 3.1 isa. 42.2 . that he should begin his own preaching with all humility , quietness , and clemency of spirit mat. 5.1 . isa. 53. that he should be poor , abject , and of no reputation in this world luk. 2.7 . isa. 35.5 . that he should do strange miracles , and heal all diseases . mat. 4.23 . isa. 53.12 , dan. 9.26 . that he should die and be slain for the sins of his people . mat. 27. psal. 55.13 . that he should be betrayed by one of his own familiars mat 26.47 . zac. 11.12 . that he should be sold for thirty pieces of silver . mat. 26.15 . zac. 11.13 . that with those thirty pieces there should be bought afterwards a field of potsheards mat. 27. ● . zac. 9.9 . that he should ride into jerusalem upon an ass . mat. 27. isa. 50.6 . that the jews should beat and buffet his face , and defile the same with spitting . mat. 26.67 . isa. 53.5 . that they should whip , rend and tear his body before they put him to death . mat. 26.27 isa. 53.12 . that he should be put to death among thieves and malefactors . luk. 23.33 . isa. 53.7 . that he should be silent before his enemies , as a sheep before his shearer . mat. 27.14 . isa. 53.12 . that he should pray for his enemies and persecutors . luk. 23.34 . psal. 22.18 . & 69.21 . that they should give him vinegar to drink , divide his apparel , and cast lots for his upper garment . mat. 27.34 . psal. 22.16 . zac. 12.10 . that the manner of his death should be crucifying , that is , nayling of his hands and his feet to the cross . joh. 19.18 . zac. 12.10 . that his side should be pierced , and that they should look upon him whom they had so pierced . joh. 19.34.37 . exo. 12.46 . that not a bone of him should be broken , figured in the passover by that spotless lamb without blemish , a type thereof ; and therefore is he called in the new testament , the lamb of god that taketh away the sins of the world : the lamb slain from the beginning of the world . joh. 19.36 . psal. 16.9 . hos. 6.2 . that he should rise again from death the third day . mat. 28.1 . psal 68.18 . & 110.1 . that he should ascend into heaven , and there sit at the right hand of his father tryumphantly for ever . luke 24.51 . act. 7.55 , 56. all these particulars foretold of the messiah , see ( i say ) and examine how exactly they were all fulfilled in our saviour : and therewithal consider those things which fell out afterwards as effects of his divine power ; to wit , the sending of the holy ghost immediately after his ascension ; with the miraculous encrease of his church even in the midst of persecution . the severe punishment of all his enemies , especially that of the jewish nation . the subjection of the divel , with all his infernal power under his apostles and disciples feet , together with the ceasing of oracles . and finally , the fulfilling of all his prophesies ( with those likewise of his apostles and disciples ) most exactly . i say , all these , with the former , put together , and well considered , may settle the heart of any christian man , against all judaism , paganism , yea and atheism too , in the most undoubted truth of his profession , to wit , the christian religion ; with this full and final perswasion ( wherewith i will knit up all ) that there is no other name under heaven given to the sons of men , whereby to be saved , but the name of jesus christ . and therefore to him be the honour of our salvation ascribed , and to no other . to him ( i say ) with the father , and the spirit , even that blessed trinity , elohim , be all honour and glory , now and evermore , amen , amen . finis . table of the contents of the several matters of this book . of the promises and prophesies of old 1 gods promise to adam 3 gods promise to abraham 3 the prophesie of jacob 5 the prophesie of moses 6 the prophesie of david 9 the prophesie of jeremy 15 the prophesie of ezekiel 15 the prophesie of isaiah 16 that the messiah must be both god and man 18 that the messiah must change the law of moses 26 the time of his manifestation , with all other circumstances 33 of his linage or pedegree 56 of his birth with the circumstances thereof 57 of his preaching and doctrine 71 of his life and conversation 75 of his miracles 77 of the calling of his apostles 80 of his death and passion 86 of his resurrection 92 of his ascention 95 of the sending of the holy ghost , with the first plantation and wonderful increase of the church . 98 of the sincerity of the evangelists 102 of the confession of martyrs 109 of the subjection of spirits 111 of the punishment of enemies 118 of the fulfilling of prophesies 128 a collection demonstrative , or the sum of former proofs . 142 notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a87160e-210 accounting from their first entrance to the day of their departure thence . exo. 12.40 . psal. 34.8 . rom. 11.11 . luk. 13.35 . acts 7.51 . luk. 21.24 . rom. 10.1 . rom. 9.4 . psal. 24.6 . luk. 21.28 . mat. 24.32 . acts 20.32 psal. 51.18 . psal. 53.6 . psal. 126.1 psa. 106.47 . psal. 90.15 . psa. 102.13 . psal. 69.35 . psal. 105.8 . psal. 94.24 . psal. 74.2 : & 107.6 . & 106.44 . prov. 21 : 1 ezra 1.1 . chap. 6.1 . chap. 6.22 . chap. 7.28 . psa. 105.14 . exod. 7.16 ▪ & 8.1.20 . & 9.1.13 . & 10.3 . exo. 12.31 . & 11.3 . & 7.1 . psa. 136.11 . accounting the time as before . exo. 12.41 , & 13.21 . psa. 236.13 . judg. 2.16 judg. 3.7 . chap. 3 : 12. judg. 3.30 . & 4.1 . & 4.4 . & 5.31 . & 6.1 . & 6.6 . judg. 6.12 . & 7.5 . & 7.20 . & 8.28 . & 8.33 . & 10.6 . judg. 10.10 & 11.1 . & 11.29 . & 12.7 . & 13.1 . & 25.15 . v●i . 20. 1 sam. 8.5 . notes for div a87160e-2100 gen. 3.15 rom. 3.2 . rom. 9.4 . luk. 19.42 dut. 18.13 ver. 18. deut. 34.30 deut. 18.14 deu. 18.16 . isa. 53.8 . psal. 89.3 . 2 sam. 7.13 1 king. 12 , psal. 2.7 . psal. 72.5 . vers . 7. isa. 6.5 . luk. 19.27 isa. 4.2 . isa. 9.6 . isa. 4.2 . isa. 7.14 . michah 5.2 isa. 9.6 . isa. 4.2 . psal. 2.7 . hos. 1.7 . psal. 110.1 . psal. 107.20 iob 19.16 . deut. 6.4 . ier. 13.6 . acts. 15.10 deu. 18.15 . isa. 2.3 . isa. 29.28 . isa. 42.4 . mal. 1.10 . ezek. 20.25 ier. 31.31 gen. 49.10 . ezr. 3.12 . psal. 24.7 mal. 3.1 . luk. 23.14.22 . mat. 27. isa. 53.5 . ioh. 8.56 . act. 3.21 . chap. 8.44 . gen. 2.17 . gen. 3.4 . mat. 3.7 . luk. 19.27 eph. 5.14 . psal. 71.4 . rom. 3.4 . isa. 66.7 . psal. 147.2 . hag. 2.10 . isa. 11.6 . judg. 12.6 mat. 8.11 . ioh. 19. lu 7.3.15 . mat. 11.3 . ioh. 10.24 . mat. 22.16 . joh. 10.8 . dan. 2.44 . isa. 11.1 . luk. 2.4 . isa. 7.14 . mat. 1.18 . mich. 5.2 . mat. 2.5 . psal. 132.3 . mat. 2.1 . psa. 72.10 . 〈◊〉 12. numb. 24.17 . luk. 1.28 . chap. 2.21 . 2 esd. 7.26 . luk. 2. mat. 3.16 . jer. 31.15 . gen. 35.19 . mat. 2.13 . hos. 11.1 . isa. 19. ● . euseb. lib. mal. 3.1 . chap. 4.5 . luk. 1.13 . ioh. 1.19 . mat. 3.16 . mar. ● . 10 . luk. 3.21 . joh. 1.31 . deut. 6.5 . mat. 22.37 . isa. 42.1 . zach. 9.9 . porph . lib. de laud . philo. isa. 35.5 . ioh. 11.17 . mark 5.22 . luke 7.11 . deu. 19.15 . mat. 9.33 . ioh. 10.25.37 . luk. 7.20 . luk. 7.20 . mat. 16.24 ▪ cha. 16.23 . joh. 6.60 . ch. 7.48 . mat. 8.20 . plut. apo. prisc. regum . mark 1.15 . mat. 16.24 . eccl. 107. mat. 10.9 . ioh. 16.33 . mark 13.9 . ch. 13.13 . luk. 21.16 . mat. 36.25 . luk. 14.26 . mat. 10.34 . luk. 18.31 . mat. 21.2 . zach. 9.9 . mat. 21.8 . psal. 55.13 . & 109.4 . mat. 26. ●● . mat. 26.67 . isa. 50.6 . luk. 23.33 . psal. 22.16 . zach. 12.10 psal. 69.21 . luk. 23.32 . isa. 53.12 luk. 23.18 . isa. 53.12 . ioh. 19.36 . exo. 12.46 . gen. 22.1 . num. 21.8 . dau. 9.26 . ioh. 11.49 . isa. 53. mat. 27. luk. 23. acts 2.37 . zach. 12.10 psal. 16. ● . hos. 6.2 . jonah 1.17 luk. 18.31 . john 2.18 . mat. 12.38 . ch. 27.62 . mat. 28.2 . act. 1.3 . rom. 4.4 . rom. 1.2 . psa. 68.18 . psal. 110.1 . acts 1.10 mat. 24.14 . luk. 24.47 isa. 2.3 . ioh. 14.26 . ch. 15.26 . and 16.7 . acts 2.4 . joel 2.28 . psal. 118 22 act. 4 11. john 14.25 joh. 20.30.21.25 . ezek. 1. luk. 1.2 . mat. 15.24 acts 26.26 mat. 21.18 . luk. 19.41 . mat. 14.33 . mat. 10.3 . mar. 14.67 . luk. 24.48 1 joh. 1.2 . 2 pet. 1.16 . luke 1.2 . acts 23.12 . ch. 27.24 . mat. 10.16 . rev. 6.9 . zeph. 2.11 . juv. sat. 6. plut. de defectu oraculor . 1 iohn 3.8 luke 9.7 . luk. 10.17 . lact. l. 2. div. inst. c. 16. porph . l. 7. cont. christ apud euseb. l. 5. c. 1. de prep. evan. joh. 12.31 . 2 cor. 4.4 . eph. 2.2 . 1 sam. 5.2 . gen. 3.15 . acts 19.15 jos. ant. l. 17. c. 10. luk. 23.12 . lib. 18. c. 9. niceph. l. 1. cap. 10. acts 12.1 . jos. ant. l. 19. c. 7. eutr . hist lib. 7. evag. schol. l. 3. hist. c. 41 joh. 19.15 . lib. 5. c. 28 jos. de bell. l. 7. c. 20 , 21. aelius adrianus . mat. 27.24 mat. 23.35 luk. 19.41 . luk. 21.6 . luk. 21.20 . joh. 19.15 vers. 12. luk. 23.28 . rev. 17.6 . rev. 18.2 . chap. 18.8 . rev. 18 . 1● . rev. 9.11 . rev. 22.20 . luk. 14.44 notes for div a87160e-13900 gen. 3.15 . divine passions piously and pathetically expressed in three severall bookes / written and composed for private consolation ... by edward calver. calver, edward, fl. 1649. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a32308 of text r28545 in the english short title catalog 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a32308) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 45447) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1400:3) divine passions piously and pathetically expressed in three severall bookes / written and composed for private consolation ... by edward calver. calver, edward, fl. 1649. 136 p. printed by t.h. for richard harper, london : 1643. in verse. "being a dialogue between dives and lazarus with the authors epigrams upon that parable. ii. a dialogue between the prodigall son and the pitifull father, with epigrams upon that parable also. iii. contains first an argument against atheisme; secondly, an admiration of gods mercy towards mankinde; thirdly, the care and cure of a wounded conscience." reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. eng jesus christ -parables. atheism. a32308 r28545 (wing c313). civilwar no divine passions. piously and pathetically expressed in three severall bookes. viz. i. being a dialogue between dives and lazarus, with the a calver, edward 1643 40055 49 0 0 0 0 0 12 c the rate of 12 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2006-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-06 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-06 robyn anspach sampled and proofread 2007-06 robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion divine passions . piously and pathetically expressed in three severall bookes . viz. i. being a dialogue between dives and lazarus , with the authors epigrams upon that parable . ii. a dialogue between the prodigall son , and the pitifull father , with epigrams on that parable also . iii. contains first an argument against atheisme . secondly ▪ an admiration of gods mercy towards mankinde . thirdly , the care and cure of a wounded conscience . vvritten and composed for private consolation , and now thought not unfit to be published to all , and presented to certaine worthy persons of this kingdome . by edward calver , gent. london , printed by t. h. for richard harper , and are to be sold at his shop in smithfield , 1643. in landem authoris , on his divine passions . christs parables , were alwaies full of worth , which here in part thy pen hath wel set forth . dives and lazarus well doe tipifie we should not scorne our brothers poverty ; confuting atheists , thou gods mercy praysest , the wounded conscience thou both cur'st & raisest . thou shew'st a fathers passion , for a son , that needs would from him prodigally run . and in thy pleasant epigrams we read we all to god are prodigalls indeed : thy booke hath so much passion , that who heart thy stories , must turne prodigall of teares . s. w. to the right worshipfull sir dennor strut , knight and baronet , to the right worshipfull william heveningham a worthy member of the honourable house of commons , to the worshipfull nicholas bacon , and henry north , justices of the peace , to the worthy thomas baker , nathaniel thurston , and john bayles , esquires , and to mr. john mayhew , &c. noble knight , and worshipfull , and generous gentlemen : i being bound to some of you in the bonds of affinity , to all in affection but above all in duty ; i cannot but hold it my duty to proffer you the best of my endeavours , and for want of any thing worthy , i doe here persent you my good will . i presume not upon your patronage , but only beg your acceptance ; considering that if these my endeavours be worth the accepting , they shall need the lesse assistance . but if any thing here brought forth be deformed , it is sure most fit that he which begot it should father it . the world , peradventure , may wonder that i draw so large a circle , and then turn it to a cypher ▪ that i presume to stamp so many worthy names in the front of this my unworthy worke , and then speake nothing of the worth of your worthy persons in particular : but let the world know that it is not for want of worth in your selves that i forbear the same for i doe ingenuously acknowledge i may justly draw your vertues into as large a volume , as any other who have beene most copious in that kinde . but i , for my part , do hold it a labour little usefull to paint over that to make it passe for currant , which doth shine most perfect in its owne colour . besides , i am resolved your modest eares would be rather offended , then fed , with the sound of your own prayses though unfained . but the chiefest aime of my desires herein is to doe you some service ; not flatter for assistance . therefore , if upon perusall hereof ( if your more serious imployments will admit the same ) you shall reap any benefit , or at least content , i shall , in this kind be sufficiently satisfied . only i desire that upon your judicious view hereof , you would vouchsafe a favourable censure ; of which i am the more confident , because i know you cannot expect any thing polished from a hand so uninstructed . but not to be too full in a preface , to too empty a sequell , i implore your pardon , and desire to be imploy'd , your servant in all humility . edward calver . to the curteous and capable reader . read curteous reader , this is for thy sake , through want of knowledge thou canst not mistake : and as thou canst not , so my trust is built through want of charity thou never wilt . dives . vvhen i in nine moneths had through virgo run , that fruitfull signe , and then appear'd a sun , such fates might from my birth have been collected as if by noble jupiter aspected . so soon as born , i had indowments faire , not only born , but born my fathers heire : and eke with joy my fainting mother smild , whose paines were turn'd so pleasure in her child . great preparation , with the greatest mirth , was duly made to celebrate my birth , where i received honour , with my name , grac'd by the greatest witnessing the same . my parents joy , with comfort joynd was such , no cost was spar'd , nor care was thought too much , but all conduced readily to prove my earthly blisse , decypherd from above . lazarus . vvoe , child of woe ! of all the world a scorn , nothing but woe appear'd when i was born : disast'rous saturn , did with mars comply to make me wretched by nativitie . born , onely born , that natures care allowd me , but being born had scarce a rag to shrowd me : my silly parents sighing for reliefe , one cryd for help , the other wept for griefe . distressted parents , who all comfort wanted , must , for my sake , have now no biding granted : prodigious babe ! how could the world fore-see i should a burden to her greatnesse be ? a wretched infant in my mothers womb , but far more wretched in the world become : so base , yea so unworthy of a name the meanest blush to witnesse me the same . the authors epigram . most fatall starres , if starres may fates decree ; or partfull fate if fates may granted be ; one swims , one sinckes , one hath enough and more , another nothing , begs from doore to doore . the destinies on little dives smile : poore lazarus by them destin'd to exile : rich matrons run when dives comes to birth ; but cannot stir when lazarus should come forth . dives attended in his cradle lying : poore infant lazarus lies neglected crying : dives , his parents dear and only joy : lazarus , his parents object of annoy . dives hath dainties , is in purple drest : lazarus with cold , and hunger is opprest : alas poore lazarus child of woe , indeed : kind people take some pitty here is need . dives . forth from my nurse , as weary of her charmes , i view'd the world , the world unclasp'd her armes , and , as another mother , or as kind , imbrac'd me , sought to satisfie my mind . she set before me all her various joyes , as well jewels , as her wanton toyes , set open all her cabinets of price , and shew'd me all the pleasures might intice . she plaid me musick , made me understand : and gave me lovely venus in my hand , and when my tender spirits did decline , she taught me to revive the same with wine . here i had heav'n , or pleasures did excell , these suted with my youthfull nature well , the world allur'd , my senses prov'd betray'd , the world besieg'd my senses soon obey'd . lazarus . vntimely born , and brought up as untaught , with neither wit , nor education fraught , my friends full poore could little kindnesse shew me , my kindred none , or none at least would know me . but griping hunger forc'd me to intreat the world some leave to labour for my meat , for pity sake unto me to assigne some meanest office , though to feed the swine . but all in vaine , her greatnesse did abhor me , had neither place , nor yet imployment for me , but sternly told me of my sad subjection to wofull stocking , whipping , and correction . whereat amaz'd i soone was strucken mute , betwixt despair , and growing resolute , unto the last bad counsell did intice , bad nature too : but grace restrained vice . the authors epigram . deceitfull world , deciphering thy state who can but erre ? thou art unto the great a flattering syren , but unto the small a very savage cruell caniball . thou dandl'st youthfull dives on thy knee till with thy pleasures he inchanted be , but having got the thing which thou wouldst have , thou mak'st him then thy most contented slave . but if poor lazarus seekes to be imploy'd , or sues for aide , he is by thee deny'd , thou only cry'st he doth thy honour blemish , correct the rascall , let the vermine famish . alas poore lazarus of the world excluded : alas rich dives by the world deluded ; poore lazarus starves his penurie is such : again rich dives surfets with too much . dives . vvhen as the world had given my will content , or i had given unto the world consent , her various beauties did me so inflame . my very heart was ravisht with the same . i freely drunk her pleasures with delight , whereof the more i drunk the more i might : her profits were unto my hot desire but as more fuell to increase that fire . her greatnesse , with respect unto her honour , did , for preferment , make me wait upon her . her glories were so radiantly set forth , i thought upon no other heav'n , but earth . on earth i only did set up my stay , i gave my sences and affections sway , and having treasure which might long endure . i in that harbour thought my selfe secure . lazarus . most wretched creature , destitute of ayd , of all men loathed , and in limmes decay'd , i could not worke , and therefore might not eat ; but griping hunger and inforce for meat ▪ beg then i must , and so i did indeed , i made the world acquainted with my need , i made my greefe apparant , but alas i i must be punish'd , for i had no passe . yet still i beg'd ▪ as to that thraldome ty'd , though oft upon my tender kneen deny'd , i cry'd for succour , and did shew my sores where people passed , and at rich mens dores . thus ▪ whiles i beg'd , i got reliefe of some , but without wofull begging not a crumme ; high wayes and hedges , were any shrouds by day , by night full glad to shroud my selfe in hay . the authors epigram . rich dives laughs , and doth in pleasures swim , as if they only were ordain'd for him . poore lazarus weeps , and makes this pitious mone , i drinke the sorrowes of the world alone . rich dives doth no earthly comfort misse , by birth much wealth , if not the world is his : but silly lazarus , as it doth appeare , is borne to beg , or borne to nothing heere . rich dives heere is master and commands much force , if not too much , is in his hands : poore lazarus heere is but the scumme of all , must stoope to meane men , downe to rich men fall . dives hath friends , is spoken to most faire , dives the worlds owne darling , yea her heire : lazarus is only left , no love , no friend , lazarus is only loath'd , but marke the end . lazarus . consum'd with hunger , misery and care , decrep't with cold for want of rags to weare , my pined corps , and panting heart for ayd began to languish , and my health decay'd . with many sighes , in this my sad estate , i got , at length , unto the rich mans gate , where , in my anguish , in my paine and griefe , i hop'd for succour , and i beg'd reliefe . i cal'd , i cry'd , and , as i durst , i knock'd , but all in vaine , the rich mans gate was look'd : no gate , no doores , no eares could open'd be : his curres did far more kindnes shew then he . whereat my heart within my wretched breast was strucke as dead , yea with meere death possest ▪ thus left of man , all mercy me denying , god , everliving , shew'd me mercy dying . dives . vvhat , am i struck with melancholy's dart ? come earthly comforts , come revive my heart , what have you lost your vertue , or your skill which wont to cure me ? oh! i yet am ill . what desperate change is now in my disease ? that now offendeth which was wont to please , my earthly pleasures , and my endlesse gaines doe now disquiet me , nor asswage mu paines . come , make my will then of my wealth with speed , for now i finde it failes me at my need ▪ and run to some physitian with my state , some learned doctor , for my paines are great . come doctor , come , my sicke estate behold , come shew your learning , give some ease for gold , some present helpe unto my heart apply , a world for life , helpe , helpe , alas , i dye . the authors epigram . if dives surfets and grown sicke , is sad , no earthly aid is wanting can be had , his friends abound ; physitians dare be bold to strive sometimes beyond their rules for gold . but wofull lazarus of the world neglected lies sicke forsaken , harbourlesse , rejected , no friends to chear , no physicke for his good , he surfets not , but rather sterves for food . rich dives now he feels unto his pain that all his wealth , yea all the world is vain , when sicknesse comes their sweetnesse is but small , when death their hony then converts to gall . poore lazarus , all his life time in distresse , whose very face deciphers wretchednesse , when sicknesse comes it makes him death require , when death it gives him what he doth desire . dives . o death most cruell i thou hast struck my heart : o wretched body i thou and i must part : thou to a rotting resting place a while , i to the ruefull dungeon of exile . thou now a carkaise , i a cursed soule , beset with fiends , which will have no controule ▪ out of thy prison , now i see full cleare most ugly divels as they are , appeare . they seaze upon me with infernall spite , they tell me i belong to them by right ; i have beene by them many yeeres imploy'd although they by me have not beene discry'd . and therefore now i must with them away , they long have wayted , but have now their prey , they must unto proud lucifer return with me , that monster doth in fury burne . lazarus . long wish'd for day , most welcome death to me , which sets me thus from all my sufferings free : my wither'd corps now rest , in hope to rise , my weary'd soul is now on wing , and flies . most happy change i how is my chance amended ? on earth cast out , with angels now attended , who all my life did succour me distrest , and now at death will carry me to rest . in soule i meane , which from my body freed , now viewes those angels as they are indeed , which sight excels all earthly joyes as far as doth the sun , the most inferiour star . which glorious spirits , with delight inspir'd , to see my soule thus out of thrall retir'd , doe in their fiery chariots now of love thus , in my spirit , early me above . the authors epigram . heere i must change additions given before , rich lazarus now , rich dives now no more ▪ rich lazarus now hath more then earth can grant , poore dives now in miserable want . rich lazarus now with angels is delighted , poore dives now with divels is affrighted . lazarus in peace of conscience doth excell , dives in conscience hath a very hell , rich lazarus mounts with angels him attending , poore dives now with divels is d●scending . heaven hath for lazarus long prepared ●in hell gapes for dives , and he enters in . lazarus receiv'd with love , delight , and joy , dives with deadly horrour ▪ and annoy : lazarus to have his saved soule contented : dives to have his damned soule tormented . dives . oh ! cursed , cursed , most accursed soule , where am i now ? what fiends are these that howl ? they seize upon me , they torment me sore , i shrike with anguish , they in fury rore . in earths deep centers darke and dreadfull cell , where only angry damned spirits dwell in grossest darknes , yet my sight so clear ▪ most hidious visions to the same appear . in hell , indeed , where i endure that curse which shall not cease , but be heerafter worse , in fire infernall , out of measure hot , which ever burns , and yet consumeth not . i rave , i curse , and i accuse my fate , as if such torments were unjust , too great : but conscience nips me with , not so : i trie , to kill that worme , but oh i it will not die . lazarus . oh ! blessed , blessed , oh , my soule most blest ▪ in abrahams bosome , yea in angels rest : a heavenly mansion , made by god , most good , made mine by jesus , purchas'd by his blood . in heav'n , indeed , where i behold no sight but only heav'nly objects of delight : nor heare i ought that doth offend ; but heere all prayses sing , and alleluj as heare . no darknes heer , i still have perfect day , no sorrowes heere , all tears are wip'd away : no meannesse heere , i match with kings above ; no hatred here , but i have perfect love . heere i have rest which never shall decrease , heere i have pleasures which shall never cease : heere i have riches which shall never rust , heere i injoy the portion of the just . the authors epigram . poore dives now within that fiery lake in hell doth yell , most piteous dolour make , he sees the fire , although it gives no light , the divels too ; though in perpetuall night . rich lazarus now hath rest which shall indure , in heav'n , where only harbour is secure : views man in christ , and christ in god , which sight is the most heav'nly object of delight . poore dives now is desperate indeed , his roaring conscience makes his soule to bleed , the fiends , againe , do rage the faster , why ? to make him silent : no , the lowder cry . rich lazarus now it blest above measure , hath heav'n for glory , happinesse for treasure , yea double happy , he in heaven abides , and in his conscience hath a heav'n besides . dives . most cursed soule , with divels now in chaynes , i feele not only hells infernall paines , but also have a hell within my spirit for losse of heav'n , which saints above inherit . damn'd soule , i curse , but cannot god accuse , he proffer'd grace , but i did grace refuse ; he often touch'd my conscience with a nip which still i smother'd , or in vaine let slip . he sent his servants , yea his only sonne , who still did wooe , but i would not be woon , he gave me riches to relieve the poore , whom i neglected , or disdain'd the more . but now i am for evermore rejected , no meanes of mercy now to be expected , but fiery fiends must pay me now my due without remorse , who would no mercy shew . lazarus . most happy soule now from corruption free'd , which in my body was corrupt indeed , i then ( yea i , for now i doe subsist within my soule ) was then with sin distrest . my earthly body as a house of mire , or dirty clay , polluted my desire , depraved nature , with corrupted sense seduc'd my will , abus'd intelligence . yea infinite allurements unto sin , the world without , the wicked one within , all join'd in one , a very host , indeed , to race my towrs , which were , alas , but reed . but god , who still defendeth from above , did looke upon my weake estate , in love , and in his sonne , accepting what i wanted , where power i had not , there he pardon granted . the authors epigram . if adams seed be still the same by birth , or dives yet hath brethren upon earth ; here let them heare him in his soule complaine for losse of what they yet have time to gaine . if men distrest remaine in sorrows striving , or saved lazarus yet hath seed surviving , here let them in their sorrows overflown , behold his joy , and in his joy their owne . dives as in an ocean , did abound in earthly joyes , wherein he swimming , drown'd : lazarus , as in a channell with his oare , was crost , and tost , and yet got safe to shoare . dives had warnings of a future night , but present joyes put future cares to flight : lazarus , with present miseries opprest , was soon incited to insuing rest . dives . confounded soule , when i was found in earth i lost my selfe , but most of all my worth , nay i could very hardly then discry that man had any such a thing as i. the curious cob-web of my body twin'd , wherein i , out of sight , was out of minde , was then the object that i counted dear , because , in deed , that only did appear ▪ that , that i pamper'd with the choisest cates , and deck'd with jewels of the highest rates ; and that so fully my affections sway'd , that i , who therein should have rul'd obey'd . but now poore soule , i see thee as thou art , a power immortall , once the better part , i see the worth wherein thou were infus'd ▪ and to what end , but all , alas , abus'd . lazarus . most happy soule , thus out of thraldome risen , thou in the body wert indeed , in prison , that house of clay wherein thou wert inclos'd , confin'd thy power , and made thee ill dispos'd , thou , in some motion to the better things , wouldst then have hover'd , but that held thy wings : thou then didst see , but then thy sight , alas , prov'd much deceitfull , looking through that glasse . but now , my soule , thy nimble sight is clear , thou as thou art , dost to thy selfe appear , a jewell most inestimable , such as doth in worth exceed the world by much . pure in thy selfe , and pure in thy desire , with angels equall , and shall yet be higher , in present joy , and art inspir'd with some sweet speculations of more joyes to come . the authors epigram . dives in hell , confounded at his state , now sees his folly's , when it is too late , confesseth too with most outragious cries what , whiles he liv'd the world might not surmise . alas poore dives heaven hath now deni'd thee , the world which was thy joy , doth now deride thee , vnhappy dives , how art thou undone ? thy soule is lost , and yet no world is won . thrice happy lazarus , who in sorrows tost , hast gain'd what dives in his pleasures lost , hast heav'n , where thou art ravished with mirth ; dives hath neither joy in heav'n , nor earth . if sorrows here foretell such future gain , or present pleasures such ensuing pain , why strive we here in pleasures to excell , or count distresse and sorrows here a hell ? dives . thrice wretched , yea most wretched soule am i , wretched ? yea wretched , drown'd in misery , drown'd ? yea and bound in that infernall pit which hath no bottome , yea more wretched yet , not only bound , but bound in chaines , a yoke perpetuall too , which never shall be broke , never ? what never , without end , or date ? oh! this word never makes me desperate . desperate , indeed , no hope for me remaines , i am in hell in everlasting chaines , this purgatory i am in , indeed , am in , 't is true , but out cannot be freed . hence to redeeme me men may be at cost , but all in vaine and to no purpose lost , here intercessions dirges are too late , mans love is vaine , where god above doth hate . lazarus . thrice happy soule am i , what happy thrice ? yea infinitely , in a paradise eternall in the heavens ; oh best of all , and yet more happy , where i cannot fall . no serpent here to tempt me to rebell , i have a place from whence that serpent fell : no aple here whereby i can be try'd , no choice offends where nothing is deny'd . nor can i now in my affections stray , corruption thence is purged clean away , and with the angels which have ever stood , i , freed from ill , am now confirm'd in good . i now , indeed , am from all danger free , i cannot sin , then cannot punish'd be ; i now am happy beyond end , or weight , and therefore happy beyond all conceit . the authors epigram . dives in hell now suffers for that sin which we on earth doe take our pleasure in ▪ dives in soule is with his sin tormented , we in the body are with sin contented . dives in soule contemplates his hard fate , we in the body ponder not our state ; dives in hell , as desperate , must indure ; we upon earth are desperately secure . lazarus in heaven contemnes all earthly toyes : we upon earth regard not heavenly joyes : lazarus in soule , now freed from earth hath rest we in the body thinke that thraldome best . lazarus in soule hath now in fault to mind : we in the body nothing but offend : lazarus in heaven hath now no cure in ●ake : we upon earth have our accounts to make , dives . distressed soule , my miseries indeed are out of measure , yet must more exceed ▪ distressed soule , what punished by art ? thus fully tortur'd , and yet but in part ? i in my soule am hellishly distrest , while my corrupted carkasse is at rest , but that and i ere long must meet againe , not to asswage , but to increase my paine . unhappy soule , was i , indeed , the first that did offend , that i am punish'd worst ? i am in hell , the body yet seems free , did i pollute the body , or that me ? but this is sure , both were created good , and in that state ( wherein we might have stood ) the apple was unto the eye presented , but i unto the eating in consented . lazarus . i happy i , who once was wretched heal'd am now in soule in that elysian field mear heaven , celestiall paradise ; where i , in boundlesse pleasures , greater to discry . i , happy i , have many years injoy'd what pleasures may be , from the body void ; which freedome might have justly been reputed a comfort when the body was polluted . but when the body shall new formed be , and made immortall from corruption free , shall to me , by the hand of the creator , be joyn'd againe , my joy shall then be greater . my present joyes are infinite , yet some of them in hope , which hopes shall then become ; all hop'd for pleasures then shall be suppli'd , the new form'd bridegroome have his reform'd bride . the authors epigram . most happy lazarus , how art thou renown'd : how are thy sad and patient sufferings crown'd with ample , yea within 〈◊〉 victories ? and shalt have , yet is greater weight of glories . thou in thy body were 〈◊〉 distrest : thou in thy soule art now in heaven at rest : thou in thy soule and body joyn'd againe , with saints made perfect , shall triumphant reigne , vnhappy dives , thou hast done thy mirth , thou in the body hadst thy heaven on earth , but now thy spirit , from the body freed , doth finde its selfe in very hell indeed . thou in the body only but devis'd to make the body were imp●rudis'd : but on thy soule , and time to come unheedfull , the state in both is therefore now most ●readfull . dives . most wretched i , besides the woes i have , methinks i heare my bones within my graye , ( as troubl'd with some fatall trumpets sound ) begin to shake and shiver in the ground . disquieted bones why rest you not as rotten ? why are you not eternally forgotten ? what awfull power , or dreadfull earthquake rather is this which wakes , and shakes you thus together ? but can the bones consumed into dust restored be ? yes wofull yes , they must , both bones , and flesh are but in earth refin'd , they must together once againe be joyn'd . oh! how have i offended ? is not death of body for the body condign wrath ? and hell sufficient for the soules reward ? no , no , there is a sentence yet more hard . lazarus . most blessed i , what joyes have i in store ? how out of measure can they yet be more ? yes , joyfull yes , i yet more joyes shall finde when once my body to my soule be joyn'd . when that , long look'd for , act is to be done , how shall my flesh and bones together run , and , by the rising of that lambe was slaine , have power infused to stand up again . then from the sad sepulchre of anoy , how shall i but lift up my head with joy ? and in the body deeply ravish'd be thus from that prison set for ever free ? besides , my body which now rests in peace , shall then from all corruption have release , and like a bridegroom ready trim'd , to me the bride for ever shall new marri'd be . the authors epigram . oh , dives , dives , thou on earth hadst store , hadst all things in abundance , no man more : but , when thy sleep be slept , dost understand thou shalt awake with nothing in thy hand . oh! whither would thy soule then take her flight to keep out of the body if it might ? how would it rather forth the body dwell , then in the body feel another hell . but lazarus thou shalt then come forth with joy , thou in the world hadst nothing but annoy , but when that day of restitution comes , thou shalt have plenty , dives not the crums . thy body which in rags was bound up here , shall then in most celestiall robes appear , thy soule therewith much ravish'd and delighted , shall in much pleasure , be thereto united . dives . t is true indeed , yea too to true , alas , ( as scripture speaks , which alwaies comes to passe ) it is decre'd for all men once to dye , but were that all , more happy then were i. but oh ! this sentence is not here confin'd , the soule and body must againe be joyn'd , the soul from hell , the body from its tombe , and after death , must unto judgement come , confounded wretch , how shall i then subsist ? which if i might not , i the more were blest , but yet i must , alas , i must appear , but with what face , alas i tremble here . i in the body made of sin a sport , i in the body then must answer for 't : the judge of all will justly then define whether his wayes were equalest , or mine . lazarus . oh ! blessed body , though a while in prison , how will the soule take pleasure in thee risen ? and how againe , will thy delights increase when as the soule returns to thee in peace ? how like the turtle sent out of the arke after the stood returning to that barke with signes of joy , shalt thou my soule my dove , be in that day , return'd with signes of love ? how shall my late dry scattered bones up stand , when thou thus bringst a pardon in thy hand ? yea with what comfort shall i be inspir'd when thus my corps is from the grave retir'd ? nay with what courage shall i then appear , what joy , when my redemption draweth near ? what tongue on earth is able to expresse what joy in conscience i shall then possesse ? the authors epigram . most fond , yea most infatuated we have ears and heare not , eyes and will not see : or else how could we , whiles we here remaine , so blinded be in things which are so plain ? how could we else , like men whom charms benum , be so unfeeling of the chance to come to not observe , like men most sure to die , what dives lost , what lazarus gain'd thereby . here who but dives had the cap and knee ? here who came forth with greater pompe then he ? but lo ! hereafter , dead , and cold again , alas he comes forth trembling in a chain . but blessed lazarus , who was here a scorn , as out of time , or most untimely born shall , when the dead are summon'd from the grave , come forth with comfort , then most honour have . dives . oh ! dreadfull , dreadfull , in what dreadfull terrours am i in hell tormented with my errours ? by only meditating on that horrour my soule shall be in when the judge sends for her . but with what feare shall i be then possest , the feare of which doth thus my soule molest , when i at last shall feel the thing i feare , shall rise you dead , and come to judgement here ? how like a prisoner in a chaine at last shall i stand forth to heare my sentence past ? how like a most condemned wretch ? alas , i am condemned ere the sentence passe . my conscience , which once counterfeited sleep , now in my soule a restlesse court doth keep , and then shall make a register come forth worse then a thousand witnesses on earth . lazarus . vvhat joyes are these which now so neer approch ? divinest thoughts , may you thereon incroach ? incroach ? oh! seise thereon , be not deter'd , they were for me before the world prepar'd . for me ? what me , who beg'd from door to door ? and in my selfe , am to my selfe as poore , have neither birth , nor worth in me whereby so mean a wretch should chalenge joyes so high . yet see , and wonderd to these joyes divine i have such right , that they by right are mine : god did prepare , christ purchas'd , i by faith receive them due ; thus imputation saith . but oh ! my sins are great , but that 's no let , in purchasing my joy ; christ paid my debt : but i must give account that 's yet to make ; but he that paid my debt , my count must take . the authors epigram . oh ! happy lazarus , how maist thou stand sure ? how swimst thou in a sea of joyes secure ? thy debt is paid , which was so out of measure , and paying that hath purchas'd thee a treasure , what needst thou shake then at a judgement day ? or of accounts , who hast no debts to pay ? or why shouldst feare the judges face to see when as the judge shall thy redeemer be ? but wretched dives , wretched sure indeed , thou hast a boundlesse fearfull bill to read , wherein thy debt is manifest and clear , no crossing there , no cancelling appear . there was a time , but now that time is lost , wherein thou might'st have got thy reckoning crost : how wilt thou answer to the judge of heaven ? thou canst not pay , nor canst thou be forgiven . dives . most wofull i , who now in wofull ruine , in hell still muse of greater woes eusuing ; one woe doth another woe foreshew , woe , endlesse woe , my foresight is too true . my woes againe are yet as to begin , wretch , i have yet to answer for my sin , where my indictment must be found indeed , before a judge too , who will not be feed . a judge whose mercy i would not imbrace : where mercy moves not , justice must take place : a judge who once cry'd gently come away ; but thou shalt to me , goe you cursed say . how will those angells and those saints abhor me which i abus'd , once seeking to doe for me ? how will those divells which i once obey'd , then cry my wages shall be duly paid ? lazarus . yee cherubins and seraphins , divine , come aid me with your tongues , or teach you mine , that , in some measure , i may so expresse my present joy in future happinesse . my joy conceiv'd of my redemption day when i shall meet my saviour in the way , where i shall blesse the houre that i was borne , when all the kind'reds of the earth shall mourn . when earth , and all the burden on the same shall burne unto that nothing whence they came : the skies shall melt , the stars , the sunne , the moone shall join to make perpetuall night , at noone . when , out of heav'n , the judge of all , most true , shall come downe riding on the clouds , in view , to bind the divels , and the damned down : how sweetly shall he smile on me ? not frown . the authors epigram . most lambe like lazarus , thou shalt be set by , thy blood is not requir'd , thou shalt not die , when sacrifice for ever shall remaine in hell for sin , the goats shall then be slaine . thou heer wert famish'd , when the goats did feed , their hearts were cherish'd , when thy heart did bleed , but , when they shall be sever'd from the sheep , thou shalt rejoice , but they shall howle and weep . but goat like dives , thou shalt pay full deer , for eating up the sheep's allowance heer , when they shall scape , thy blood shall then be shed , thou wert but for a day of slaughter fed . fond thou , who heer wouldst have the upper hand , must on the left at heav'ns tribunall stand , and heare the judge this sentence on thee passe , goe , cursed goat , my sheep must have the grasse . dives . oh ! wretched i , what shall of me become when wretched , goe ye cursed , be my doome ? how shall my soule and body both affrighted , then curse the howr they were again united ? then in what glory shall those saints appeare at whom , proud asse , i once did slout and jeere ? how shall their blessing then increase my curse ? my conscience for abusing of them , worse . how shall the divels then with fury driven seaze me for hell , thus sentenc'd out of heav'n ? and on me with much insultation rage ; as if my torments might their owne asswage . then , with the hideous howling herd of hell , i shall be thrown down to that dreadfull cell , where we in flames , which never faile , shall burne ; from whence we never , never , shall returne . lazarus . how shall i prize those words to me exprest oh! come thou blessed , enter thou my rest ? sweet meditations , heav'nly joyes in heart . these thoughts , indeed , are very heav'n in part . how shall i then , who once was most debas'd , be , with much glory , on the right hand plac'd ? and sit with angels , and with saints , to see the bad condemned , and the good set free . how shall i thence ascend up far above when my redeemer shall his court remove ? when saints shall sing , and angels shall rejoyce , how shall we mount up with a merry noyse ? how justly then shall jesus wear the crown , he having put all adversaries down ? how lowd in heav'n shall i his prayses sing , there grac'd to wait upon so great a king ? the authors epigram . once silly lazarus , now a saint at rest , ere long a judge , at last a son most blest : who could have seen when thou wert upon earth that thou hadst in thee any signe of worth ? when kings and great men shall be in despaire at the great sessions holden in the ayre , there thou shalt in commission sit : and thence ascend far higher with the highest prince . but once rich dives , now poore dives nam'd , ere long arraign'd , at last for ever damn'd : who would have thought when thou wert in thy pride , that robes of purple could such ruines hide ? when saints , which here thou mad'st to mourne , shall sing at heavens assises , thou thy hands shalt wring , and to the mountaines and the hils complaine to fall , and hide thee ; but alas , in vaine . dives . tormented wretch , might i remaine in hell only in soule tormented it were well , well , though in woes which cannot be exprest , yet , to the woes which are to come a rest . but oh ! my body , which in earth now lying is as but in a furnace purifying till it be such ( when it is fully try'd ) as may for ever burning flames abide . that must againe my wofull soule ingage , which burning prison shall my soule inrage , the one unto the other adding fuell the angry divells evermore most cruell . oh! adam , adam , why fogot'st thou this when thou for ever might'st have liv'd in blisse ? when thou on earth in paradise didst dwell , thou thought'st not then on a perpetuall hell . lazarus . now happy ? yea now heavenly i : and sure 't is only that makes happinesse secure ; when once my body from the grave be freed , how shall i then be comforted indeed ? when my blest soule and body both united shall reigne in heaven , how shall i be delighted ? how shall i here be fully satisfi'd , where pleasant streames of endlesse pleasure glide ? one joy doth here another joy begin ; increase of joyes makes joy increase therein . here from one fountaine rivers do distill , where saints and angels ever drinke their fill . here are those riches which all wants supply , because they alwayes fully satisfie : here are those joyes which are for ever crown'd : here nothing else but joy is to be found . the authors epigram . lazarus , thy soule shall downe ere long retire to give thy body motion to mount higher , most swiftly soaring on thy eagle wings , from earth to heaven unto the king of kings . how highly there shall heavenly angels place thee ? how sweetly there shall fellow saints imbrace thee ? how welcome there shall christ thy saviour make thee ? how pleasing there shall god the father take thee ? but with thee dives thus it shall not be , the clean contrary shall be true in thee , when thou in soule and body shalt be cast into that gaping cave of hell at last . how eager shall the divels then be on thee ? how gastly shall the damned gaze upon thee ? what outward tortours shalt thou feel within ? what endlesse torments shalt thou then begin ? dives . oh ! savage senses , brutish appetites , in sensuall pleasure was your choice delights : your rage was only ruler in my heart , you did command my understanding part . yea in my little microcosmus , vaine , did like so many heathen princes reigne : the world , and all things in the world at will were yours , and yet you unsufficed still . thus all that world could not suffice my lust , the divells therefore in another must ; my appetites , which there did so excell , shall here be gorg'd with infinites in hell . each several sense which could not there be cloy'd , shall here be fed till it would food avoid : only the difference that shall then appear , there fed with pleasures , but with torments here . lazarus . the outward senses , which to some are those where at they drink in rivers of repose : were unto me but cunduit pipes of care to let in floods of misery and feare . my senses , and my appetites i grant , did often gape and hunger in my want , but , for the most part , hunger'd in despaire , or fed on troubles , and infected ayre . but when my body here above shall reigne my senses shall not covet here in vaine , each severall sense , and secret appetite shall here be fed with fuln●sse of delight . here is that banquet , which delight ▪ each taste : here is that oyle , which drawne on doth not waste : here are those cases , once figur'd in a sheet : here is that manna which is ever sweet . the authors epigram . thus purblinde we on earth may partly see what plagues in hell prepared be , that seeing those we so may have a care to kill sin heer , if be not punish'd there . thus , sinfull we , whose sinnes , or soules must die , our sinnes heer , or our soules eternally , may labour heer to put our sinnes to death , our tender soules may scape eternall wrath . and thus , again , when we have got , like men , some manly conquest over beastly sin , we may with comfort view those joyes on high , where men shall live , that make their sinnes to die . thus we of all may rightly make good use , fore-sight of danger oft prevents abuse : and where the prize is glorious to behold , it makes the dullest enterpriser bold . dives . my sense of taste was upon earth that cooke within whose kitchin i most pleasure tooke , and when its sacrifice was on the fire , i offer'd up my earnestest desire . this sug'red sense , or rather savage beast , which oft devour'd , when i could not digest , which still cri'd kill , let sacrifice be slaine ; and drunk down liquor as the earth doth raine . this idoll sense , shall one day have its fill , when soule and body 's sacrific'd in hell , where fiery fiends are cooks for ever killing , and divels tapsters , diligent in filling . which cookes with scorching shall my throat inflame those tapsters powre down sulphur in the same ; my soule with torments tortur'd for my sin , shall curse , blaspheme , and roar , and rave within . lazarus . my sense of taste , or taste of sense , indeed , because i was most sensible of need : requir'd on earth no cooke at all , because still griping hunger gave my meat a sawce . yea , i full oft was glad if i had meat , yea glad of that which others scorn'd to eat , yea glad of crums , yea often driven to fast , and glad to smell the meat i might not taste . but when i in my body shall be grac'd to sit in heaven where none but saints are plac'd , and , at most sacred invitations given shall taste the supper of the lambe in heaven . my taste shall then in relishing be skil'd , and , with each sweet distinguished , be fill'd : yea taste the sweetnesse of those streames of bloud , those heavenly fountaines , which on earth were shed . the authors epigram . dives on earth with delicates was fil'd : we taste all dainties that the earth can yeeld : dives did in excesse of liquor sin : we tun down barrels , drown our selves therein . dives , thus drinking , thought not on the poore : we are so drunken we forget them more : dives in hell must therefore suffer need , yea hellish woes : then how shall we be freed ? but once poore lazarus , who on earth distrest , was both with hunger , and with thirst opprest . yet in his conscience then injoy'd that feast in which we famish , or much fast at least . he now in heaven already hath that store we never tasted , and shall yet have more : for which he sought : to which we make no haste : for which he long'd : in which we feel no taste . dives . my sense of smelling which was once so nice , each stincke offended it , but stincking vice ; i stopt my nostrils , and i shut my doores , to shut out lazarus with his fest'red sores . which ayrie sense refresh'd my other powers by sweet perfumes , and odoriferous flowers , extracting thence such savours of delight as fed that most attractive appetite . this sense in the infecting fogs of hell shall suck most deadly savours by the smell , and , stead of flowers , and sweet perfuming , shall be fed with fumes of sulphur boild in gall . besides , the loathsome savours in this den of plagued , poyson'd , and tormented men , the stincke of fiends , and divells unto me is now most grosse , and shall more grievous be . lazarus . my smelling did on earth some comfort give , when i was forc'd camelian like to live : but sweet perfumes and powders vainly spent made me not proud , to make the world a sent . barns , styes , and stables , and full glad of those , were my persumed lodgings of repose : my empty stomack of this sense annoy'd : my stincking sores my empty stomack cloy'd . but when my body shall exalted be to reigne in heaven , from all corruption free , where all things are most sweet and purely try'd ; this sense shall then be sweetly satisfi'd . this sense shall then have the preheminence , made , of the five , the most reviving sense ; if senses then such instruments shall prove , by sucking in some living ayre above . the authors epigram . if dives now could but those dainties smell he tasted here he would give thanks in hell : we taste like dainties double , if not thrice , and yet ungratefull in a paradise . but dives , who here thought not at his board of god , hath now what divels will afford : we oft forget both god , and eke our selves , then what hereafter can we looke for else ? if lazarus were on earth againe , no doubt , he would but of our sweetest odoures flout : we , with our seeming sug'red sweets in love , are but in jest with sweetest joyes above . lazarus did wisely send up , ere he went , his suits as incense , which now yeeld him sent : we , if we will not of the like despair , must send up first a savour sweet by prayer . dives . my sense of feeling , which on earth was that i nurs'd most gently , as a tender brat . no care was lacking to preserve that sense from the sustaining of the least offence . this sense forsooth , might not endure the winde , i little felt the smart in any kinde , of want , of woe , of sicknesse , or of sin , within my selfe , much lesse in other men . but when my soule ascending on a chaine , shall fetch my body hither from the slaine , i here in hell ●hall in that tender part be most tormented , feel the greatest smart , my body here fast bound in fetters lying . shall tortur'd be in flames of sulphur frying : my soule most fully then shall feel the sting of sin , that serpent in my conscience wring . lazarus . fre i was borne , within my mothers wombe my sense of feeling suffer'd in that tombe , and only , sadly , comming forth that cage , i in that part did first salute earths stage . and in that part i panted out my breath , till i was taken off that stage by death : a wretched life insu'd a painfull birth , most wretched , painfull tragedy on earth . but , as my soule , which was on earth distrest , is now in heaven , return'd unto its rest . so shall my body breaking ope its grave , ascend up hither from that silent cave . where it shall feel no hunger , cold nor smart , but heavenly fulnesse , and content of heart ; my feeling sense to make its fulnesse measure , shall here be only sensible of pleasure . the authors epigram . lazarus was here most patient in distresse : we murmure , yea seem often mad in lesse : lazarus was not here with his sin diquieted : we feel not that , or are with that delighted . but lazarus now doth feel his soule at rest : our soules , alas , not yet with sin distrest : but would we finde what lazarus now doth feel , our hearts must first be gentle here , not steel . dives here might not feel the least annoy , but dives he had there for here his joy . if here we feel not penitentiall griefe we shall feel desp'rate with the damned theefe . but dives in his feeling sense in hell is now most plagu'd , which plagues shall yet excell . if we here make that tender sense our god , it will in hell be our most torturing rod . dives . my sense of hearing which was once most nimble to heare each syrens sugred tongue dissemble , each sound of pleasure , musick sweet , and worse , hells language , people swear , blaspeme and curse . but when the cry of lazarus full of care , did pierce the heavens , it could not make me heare : nor could those voyces sent from heaven , by preaching repent , repent , awake me with their teaching . this sense in hell , instead of musicke sweet , when all the damned shall together meet , shall be compell'd to heare me helpe to make a cry in hell would make the earth to shake . we desp'rate creatures roaring in hells flame : the damned divells raging in the same : gods voice of justice like most hideous thunder , above us with his vengeance boyling under . lazarus . my hearing sense i once did exercise with the sad ecchoes of my childrens cries , my beating heart was in my bosome stung to heare those infants cry for food so young . besides the sad heart-breakings at the doore of rich men , rating of my children poore ; with churlish checks , and threats of further griefe , instead of yeelding comfort or reliefe . this sense in heaven shall no such language heare , but come you blessed , kindest welcomes there : no churlish motions ever shall repell my suits there granted ; dives is in hell . this sense in heaven to musick shall attend which earthly senses can not apprehend , for ever ravish'd with those glorious three , to heare how sweetly they in one agree . the authors epigram . dives deny'd what lazarus beg'd in want : dives now beg's , what lazarus must not grant , impartiall justice , dost thy hand so guide one drop of water may not fall beside ? then why are we so in our hearing gul'd with the fond false enchantments of the world ? to stop our eares when poore men aske ? and know we must not beg , if we will not bestow . dives , in hell , is now with horrour fill'd : lazarus hath musicke what the heav'ns can yield : dives hence forth shall never hear of joy : lazarus shall never hear the least annoy . let dives then our daily warning be , he once had musicke , mirth as sweet as we : and , wisely working on examples given , let lazarus now allure our eares to heaven . dives . my eyes which once as windowes did appear , through which the worlds polluted face seem'd cleer ; by which false view my most fond heart became to fall in love most deeply with the same . the world , indeed , did so my wits surprise , its moale-hills seem'd huge mountaines in mine eies : but to this casement sense of mine , alas , heav'n seem'd a mote : oh ! most deceitfull glasse . but these same eyes shall so wide open'd be in hell , that i shall heer be forc'd to see how they were once deluded ; and confesse heav'n is the mountain , earth a moale , or lesse . besides , my sight shall be tormented most in hell , beholding hells infernall host : where i for ever , one of them , shall view how ugly fiends shall use that hidious crew . lazarus . my sense of sight which in me , as the sun doth to the world , did shew me what was done : this sense , most cleer , when i on earth indur'd , was clouded most by stormes of tears obscur'd . and how could i forbeare such showers , to see the world in robes , and none but rags for me ? the world in pleasure , i in paine and griefe ? the world in plenty , i without reliefe ? but this my sense , or those my very eyes , restor'd my body when it shall arise , above all clouds , shall from ecclipse be free'd , all tears shall then be wip'd away indeed . then i shall in my body both behold my body more resplendent made then gold : and ever view that heav'nly vision sweet wherein conjoin'd all heav'nly joyes doe meet . the authors epigram . lazarus on earth , by earthly sorrowes driven to loath the earth , did lift his eyes to heav'n : we upon earth , by earthly joyes inchanted , conceive no other , heav'nly are not wanted . lazarus in heav'n doth now injoy that mirth , which unto heav'n he look'd for , upon earth : our eyes asleep , with earthly beauties lul'd , lose the creator , by the creature gul'd . dives on earth , with earthly saints in love , look'd not for objects fairer far above : if we here living , looke not having sight , for heaven , we dying shall not then have light . but dives now his cursed soule acquaints in hell with such as here he made his saints : if we hereafter better mates require we must looke here to get acquaintanc● higher . the authors petition to the throne of grace . divinest powers , thus by your aid inspir'd , my restlesse muse with quenchlesse sparkles fir'd , dosts through the world , each fragrant garden views , and plucks those flowers , she thinks most fit to use . thus safely mounted on her hovering wings , i taste some sweetnesse of those higher springs which from the pipes of sacred fountaines flow , by oddes more pleasant then the streams below . thus whiles the doter upon earthy toyes , delights in trifles , or more earthly joyes : my thoughts are towring , not downe stooping here , i take my pleasure in a higher sphere . thus , whiles the worldling night and day is tost to gain that wealth which must againe be lost : i reap such gaine as theeves cannot betray , nor time , nor fate , nor tyrants take away . thus i of wealth in poverty may vant of mentall wealth , though otherwise in want : but oh ! you authors of divinest thrift , doe you inrich me with some further gift . thus leave me not , but give me power to strive to reach a strain beyond contemplative ; oh , teach my heart , doe that in temper bring to strike more fully on the practique string . thus give me power that i my selfe may tread those active measures i my selfe have made , that what i proffer to the publicke view , may in my selfe be secretly found true . not thus with sweets fill others hands with posies , and in my bosome cankers stead of roses ; not by my lines thus limit out a way for others steps , and run my selfe astray . but make my action such , as in some part , may give some life to my unpolish'd art , that these my labours so may fruitfull be , if not to others , yet at least to me , and others , by that concord sweet invited , shall with the musicke be at least delighted . the prodigall sonne , and the pittifvll father . the second booke . the prodigall son . my restles thoughts what move you thus to rome ? why rest you not ? what would you doe from home ? what doth incite you ? have you found some prey worth your adventure , that you needs would stray ? yes , yes , rich treasures are abroad no doubt , my stragling thoughts have found some jewels out . but i am tender , travels rough ; and yet my skill but small , for travells much unfit . but wherefore should i thus restraine my will ? i have my portion , that shall purchase skill ; discreetest fathers do not much deny we yonger brothers should our fortunes try . besides my sailes thus fil'd with motion strong , most sweet companions do intice along , with earnest proffers of an equall share in treasures , pleasures , and contentments rare . the pitifull father . my son , my son , who art to me so neer , and whom i tender as a child most dear , what worme is crept into thy troubled head ? or by what serpent art become misled ? whither my child , oh whither would'st thou go ? what is the reason thou would'st leave me so ? dost thou suppose it is no griefe to me thus of a son to disregarded be ? alas my son , thou art too yong indeed to make a venture will such danger breed , what favour canst thou looke to find in lands most strange to thee , and at meere strangers hands ? strange lands , and people , and from me as far as egypt is , or sodoms people were , where thou shalt find thy hopes but mock'd vaine trust , for freedome bondage , and for fruit but dust . the authors epigram . most sinfull sons rebellious we below ; if that a son such disobedience shew , a son too by the woman that is free , how desperate must the feed of hagar be ? too venturous children , from our father stray to make our selves unto our fees a prey , our sin a monster , but our grace a brat , and yet we will be prodigall of that : our tender father , who best knows our frame , our weaknesse , sees , and warns us of the same , we are so wilfull , though most weak , indeed , that we will trust unto our strength , that reed . our father sees what snares abroad are laying , and therefore seeks to keep t is in from straying ; we , by the worlds alluring wiles mistooke , suck down the bait , suspecting not the hook . the prodigall son . vvhat shall i doe ? my fathers head doth shake against the course i goe about to take , but doth he see occasion of such care . is there such danger , and i see no snare ? fathers i know are fearfull , and indeed , are oft more fearfull in this case then need , but that is out of tendernesse and love , which sons must therefore suffer , not reprove , but i have found my tender father kinde , and unto pity ever much inclinde , and though i some forbidden pleasure take he will not punish for compassions sake . besides my youthfull blooming years are such as doe by nature chalenge freedome much , fly then my thoughts , and seise upon such prey as shall admit you pleasure in your way . the pitifull father . my tender son , i see thy tempted heart , i see therein how thou distemper'd art , what forces fight , and enemies perswade against thy little weake resistance made . i moan thy case , and in a fathers care i curb thy foes , and with thy weaknesse beare , yea though they sometimes in thee doe remove all filiall feare , yet i have fathers love . but oh , my son doe not my love abuse , that was the fault of the forsaken jewes : be thou not like the spider in his looms , suck thou not poyson from these hony combs . because thou seest my tendernesse is great more apt to grant , then thou art to intreat , let that not breed presumption in thy minde , not fault thee more because that i am kinde . the authors epigram . most tender father gentle god , indeed , whose matchlesse love doth mothers love exceed , how sweetly sing'st thou with most nursing charmes to keep thy children quieted in thy armes ? how loath art thou to let us off thy hand , because thou seest our backwardnesse to stand , and , when we weake and heedlesse babes are downe , thou tak'st us up , bemoan'st our sals , not frowne . shall we be won then with meer toyes , or worse , out of the armes of such a tender nurse ? toyes proffer'd too by strangers , and our foes , allure us from this bosome of repose ? or yet more fond , shall we our selves defile because our nurse will wash away the soile ? or , worst of all , for sake our loving guide our god , because we finde him slow to chide ? the prodigall son . no doubt but fathers in affection burn , heat of affection into flames will turne , from whence full oft , though often more then needs , the quenchlesse sparkes of jealousie proceeds . this tender care i ought not to forget , nor will , i hope , in any thing is fit , but sometimes pearles in fathers eyes appear but dim , which are to yonger eyes most clear . those youthfull beauties , objects to the eye , which aged fathers cannot well discry : could they but view them as they are , no doubt they would not curbe us busi'd there about . sweet beauties , faces fairer then the sun , where stars , like chrystall , too and fro doe run , whence sparkes , like fayries , father such a dart as flies , and hits , inflames and burns my heart . the pitifull father . deluded infant wilt thou be thus cheated ? my tender son wilt thou not be intreated ? wilt thou , oh wilt thou stop thy ears unto thy tender father , listen to thy foe ? can fading beauty , like a bait , intice thee from thy father , and all good advice ? can a meer colour , and of all most fading , be in thy bosome most of all perswading ? my wanton son t is thou art weak of sight , thy infant eyes cannot discerne aright , thou dot'st on shells , but dost the curnell lose , thou leav'st the substance , dost the shadow chuse . but stubborne childe , although thou stop'st thy ears at my perswasions , yet regard my tears , let not a fainting carefull father weep over a sullen carelesse son a sleep . the authors epigram . oh gracious father , can thy care be such ? oh gracelesse children can we erre so much ? canst thou lament , when we in mirth are mad ? can we be merry when thou art so sad ? wilt thou pursue us when we from thee run ? wilt thou thus wooe when we will not be won ? shall we forsake thee , who in love pursues ? shall we with scorne thy tender care abuse ? oh ignorant children , and most apt to fall , how earnest is our carefull fathers call ? and yet we stray , as if we were so young we did not know our tender fathers tongue . but thou our shepheard who dost still behold thy silly sheep thus straying from thy fold , forsake us not thus , in our way mistook , but bring us back , though it be by thy hooke . the prodigall son . you my companions , my associates sweet , who with most courtly kinde imbraces greet , with whom i count my selfe at home and best , by whom my fancies are become possest . what shall i doe ? oh doe your answer frame , my carefull father doth my courses blame , he would perswade me you doe but delude , and that such pleasures will with griefe conclude . but sweet contentments , is it so indeed ? doe you betray me , will you fail at need ? oh tell me truly , doe you but beguile ? thus make me frown'd on , only for a smile ? sweet voice ! me thinks i heare you answer no , you have no purpose to delude me so , you will be constant , and i yet shall finde increase of pleasure , greater joyes behinde . the pitifull father . distressed father , just as scriptures tell , i brought up children , and they now rebell ; i gave them being nurs'd them up , and loe , they turne their backs as soon as they can goe . the savage suckling , when his feet he feels , against his breeder can but turne his heels . but none so savage nature , never frames such monsters as do quite reject their dames . but thou my child , with whom i grieve to chide , for whom i have all means of pity try'd , to whom hath given a portion may suffice , on whom hath labour'd that thou might'st be wise . wilt thou revolt , art thou so simple grown to seek for wisdome , having lost thine owne , at strangers counsell ? and besides , of those which are me or cheaters , and thy chiefest foes ? the authors epigram . most sad relation ! from the savage 〈◊〉 true births appear : but monsterous sons of men ? of men ? oh most depraved natures rod : but what is this then , monsterous sons of god ? most holy father from whose streams we know the least corruption can not ever flow : how canst thou looke downe as a father milde ▪ vpon such sons thus by our selves defil'd ? defil'd , indeed , we must be so reputed , how can we chuse who joyne with the polluted ? the sin●st piece doth soonest take a staine , the fairest colour shewes a scar most plaine . but why doe we so low polluted ly ▪ and can derive a pedigret so high ? meer beasts doe not beneath their nature fall . can we be most degenerate of all ? the prodigall son . vvell , i must travell , i must crosse the seas ; my awfull father is too hard to please , his age so much civility requires that he forgets what tender youth desires . perhaps if i were further off imploy'd my father would be nearer pacifi'd , or at the least wise then his frequent checks should not my youthfull disposition vex . come then companions let us get on boord whiles tyde doth opportunity affoord ; and safely sally on the ocean flood , with sailes all spreading , whiles the winds are good . that we , thus surg'd on neptunes billows , soon may passe through those dominions of the moon , arriving at those indian banks of treasure , the shoares of sweet security and pleasure . the pitifull father . vnhappy childe , now what means all this speed ? what , art for tarsus ? wilt thou flee indeed , wilt thou be so deluded ? art so blinde , canst thou forsake thy father in this kinde ? oh , how have i offended thee my son ? what wrong , or what unkindnesse have i done ? or rather what most fatherly endeavour have i left undone to protect thee ever ? only with gentle admonitions due , drawne from the center of affection true , i labour'd to reduce thee in thy way who art thus subject to be led astray . remember jonach in the raging deep when once he was awaked out of sleep , how was his soule tormented with the woe his wilfull straying then had brought him to ? the authors epigram . most loving father , dost thou thus perswade poore dust and ashes which thy hands have made ? dost thou thus draw us with thy cords of love , who might'st most justly with a rod reprove ? thou with one touch canst crumble downe this frame , our wals of clay to rubbish , whence they came , and in an instant utterly subvert the most rebellious castle of the heart . shall we poore children then , who cannot stand resist thy just and fatherly command , thy gracious will most willingly resist who at thy will can scourge us as thou list ? nay yet more heavy , when thou seemst to hide thy grievous rod , nay griev'st that thou must chide : shall we then for that plaster make a sore , because thou favour'st we offend the more ? the prodigall son . most pleasant course ! oh with what winged motion on this indented pavement of the ocean , glide we along ? or rather swiftly run , as mounted in the chariots of the sun . successive sure , no expectation fails , most prosp'rous windes doe fill our lofty sails : the ayre is gentle , and our vessell strong , all promising a happy shoare ere long . a happy shoare indeed ; oh see , behold , are yonder not the hils where men dig gold ? sure yes the same ; let downe your plumets , sound , the banks appeare where pleasures do abound . come then some skilfull pilot with your oares and tole us in unto your happy shoares , your flowry banks sufficiently declare what sweet contentments in your confines are . the pitifull father . forsaken father ! is my son on float ? now whither will he in his cockle boat ? what fatall winde doth now thus constant wait to transport such a transpossessed fraight ? unhappy voyage , it must needs be so where head-strong will doth heedlesse master go : the ship , the shell of reasons fraile fore-cast : fond sense the sailes , and most proud flesh the mast . the seas , the streams of sensuall pleasures flowing : the winds untam'd affections strongly blowing : false syrens charm'd security , the calme : blind judgement pilot : satan steers the helme . the haven where to this vessell makes this speed is hells owne channell , though not hell indeed : the seeming pleasures which are thence accruing conclude in sorrow , if not utter ruine . the authors epigram . most prudent father , who dost thus disclose the sublile malice of our secret foes , our inbred traitors , joyn'd with satans force to hale us on in a rebellious course . how justly might'st thou in our straying leave us ? or over-boord with stray jonah heave us ? and make us , who will here not hear thy call , cry out unto thee in the boyling whale ? oh foolish children , yea inchanted we who , in this danger , will no danger see , but rather doe endeavour , yea devise to cherish these our chiefest enemies . our wils are stubborne ; and we will resist : our reason blinded , and we love the mist : our hearts unjust , and we delight deceit : our eyes are wanton , and we lay a bait . the prodigall son . most pleasant borders ! where am i on shore ? your sands are silver , banks are golden oare : the gates within your marble wals are those which open to the gardens of repose . no other sure then paradice below , see heere what various fruits of pleasure grow , how full with clusters doth the tender vine about the trees of golden apples twine ? under whose shadowes , as most pleasant bowers , doth safely sit the choice of beauties flowers , whose sweet perfumes , and colours of delight to highest raptures of content invite . are edens pleasures greater , or so much ? most pretious fruits , may i presume to touch ? your lovely beauties do with smiles expresse your gentle natures will afford no lesse . the pitifull father . deluded child , of judement thus depriv'd , and duty voyd , where art thou now arriv'd ? just on the banks of flowing nilus cast , where thou shalt woefull bondage find at last . those grapes thou dot'st on yield but dreggs of wine , whereon thou drinking mak'st thy selfe a swine : those golden apples but the serpents baite , which proffer pleasure , but performe deceit . those blazing beauties , which thou think'st such stars , are but meere flames to brand thy soule with scars : those flowers of pleasure , which do so perswade , intice to ruine , and most quickly fade . those freedomes which thou dost presume on there are under pharaoh , or the king of sear , whose fairest speech , and sweetest smiles , are all but nets to draw thee to perpetuall thrall . the authors epigram . foreseeing father , who dost thus discerne thy childrens follies , and dost thus fore-warn , how justly art thou in thy justice freed if mercy will not move us to take heed ? can , can a father seeing in this kinde have children which are altogether blinde ? no , no , we from thee do derive such light as can by no means be extinguish'd quite . what then , oh what then so obscures those raies , we grope in darknesse thus at high-noon dayes ? surely , oh surely it comes thus to passe our eyes , those casements , are inchanted glasse . through which we are deluded in our sight , or else our understanding is not right : both sure abus'd , our judgement is defeated by sense , our sense by false appearance cheated . the prodigall son . faint heart , what fail'st ? canst thou dejected be ? revive thy spirits , pleasures here are free ; seest thou not how they flourish in this i le , as if they would intice thee with a smile ? when sweet contentment no desire restraines shalt thou be bashfull ? give desire the raines : thou sit'st as queen within my tender breast , what fate shall then thy awfull force resist ? call home thy thoughts then which are gone astray , rouze thy affections , here is richest prey . and let it in this paradise be seen by thy attendance that thou art a queen . a queen ? then thou may'st questionlesse command , no subject may a sovereigne pow'r withstand , then like a princesse keep thy foes in awe , and take thy pleasure , make thy will thy law . the pitifull father . sad father ! thus inforced to bewray a sons rebellion , running thus astray : can you suppose i without griefe can see , or tell these sorrows ? no it cannot be . he now may thinke he being now remote , he now unseen may set his shell on float , let loose affection , and unlimit will ; but i with sorrow do behold him still . i see the bondage of his better part , by giving power unto his wanton heart : i see the thraldomes of his heart beside by making of his stubborne will its guide . i see how vain the worthlesse pleasures be for which he gives away his heart from me , i see how those his pleasures doe deprave him in those indowments i his father gave him . the authors epigram . most gentle father , tender hearted god , what mother like thee could forbear the rod ? thou dost in bowels of compassion yern , when we run from thee , and will not returne . shall we then , desperate we , without remorse , run headlong still in a rebellious course ? can any childe those pearly drops despise who sees the tears stand in his fathers eyes ? oh senslesse creatures , silly children right who , having goe out of our fathers sight , doe thinke our selves then most secure , when we , poore infants , then in greatest danger be . in greatest danger , it must needs be so , when we lye open to the greatest foe . the heavy sequels are full sad , bewraying the wofull dangers of a wilfull straying . the prodigall son . you flowing pleasures , which like streames distill from purest fountaines , let me drinke my fill : i tast your sweetnes and it gives delight , oh let me fully take my appetite . your taste reviveth more then phaebus beames ; how happy is he bathes him in these streames ? these streames , which so refresheth with a tast : here let me swim , or let me wade at least . sweet currents ! viewing of whose flowing tide . sits glorious flora in her blooming pride , about whose beds of roses fresh and greene . sits beauties nimphs attiring with their queen . is here not heaven ? or paradice below , the garden where the fruits of pleasure grow ? and these the angels , or the saints most dear which i should honour , if not worship here ? the pitifull father . prodigious sure ! had ever father child became so vain , unnaturall , defil'd ? my son hath now no thought at all of me , he quite forgets how tender parents be ? but can a childes forgetfullnesse be such ? and parents never-resting care so much ? my heart is heavy , and my hands i wring . his heart is merry , he doth laugh and sing . nay yet more desperat , he doth now indeavour to leave me quite , to cast me off for ever ; and will have new affinity , new father , new gods , indeed , or cursed idols rather . oh most perverse i shall i with favour yet remember him who doth me thus forget ? can sparks from such a quenched coale revive ? abused patience thus for ever strive ? the authors epigram . most constant father , who art still most stable , though we thy children be most variable : wert thou , like us , to restles change inclind . there were no hope that we should pardon find . but howsoever we , unto our shame , are still transported , thou art still the same : but can we careles children be declind thus from a father thus for ever kind ? thus kind indeed , when we offend he grieves , when we do want , he presently releeves , nay when we urge him to revoke his will , he then takes pity and is patient still . most gratious father , but most graceles we , shall such a father without honour be ? shall we for ever thus bis patience urge ? most tender fathers may be forc'd to scourge , the prodigall son . my ravish'd thoughts here take your fill in pleasure for here is fulnesse , here is ample measure , here nothing wants , here nothing is restrain'd , no coynes found , nor kindnes shown disdain'd . here beauty burnish'd in virmilion glowes , whose beams dart lightning from most youthful browes : oh let me take the comfort of this fire , these flames consume not , but do feed desire . most pretious jewels , what rare prize is here ? such pearles as these cannot be bought too deer ; shall i be sparing of a little drosse to purchase jewells oh it were too grosse . cheer then my thoughts , and usher in content , what gives more courage then a free consent ? the prey is certain , be but you on wing , such pleasant pastime fits our cheerfull spring . the pitifull father . deluded child whose heart is gon a stray , needs must his sences then be led away : for this must by necessity appear the fountaine foule , the streame cannot be cleer . are all my gentle admonitions vaine ? my teares too fruitlesse , will no meanes restraine , but yet unmoved , but rebellious still ? rebellion is like witchcraft , or more ill . what shall i do , who have thus kindly don , shall i be forced to reject a son , and with more sorrow quite forsake infine , a son so neer and naturally mine ? oh what a burden doth a father beare ? to what a straite am i inforc'd with care ? to lose a member is a griefe , but sure to lose a son what father can indure ? the authors epigram . most tender father , pitifullest nurse : most stubborne we whom pity make the worse : thou sooth'st and singst us , proffer'st us the brest : we turne , we spurne , and frowardly resist . thou seek'st with patience to reclaime us still : we seeke the more to have our froward will : thou shak'st thy rod , but shak'st to give a stroke : we shake not but thy shaking hand provoke . thy heart is moved at our desperat course : our hearts unmoved , are without remorse : thou sighing saist must i reject a son ? we laugh , and sing , and further from thee run . kind father canst thou thus keepe natures lawes ? and can no law no bridle hold our jawes ? wert thou not certaine in thy love begun , vncertaine we were certainly undone . the prodigall son . oh sweet ! what rare felicity is here ? where nought offends , where all things fit appear ? where natures shop , full furnisht with supply , stands alwaies open to the passers by . my thoughts what thinke you of these streames so cleere ? my senses can you not suck hony here ? affections can you here not feed desire , and with contentment to the heart retire ? here are the beds where sweetest roses grow : here are the bancks where purest streames do flow : here are the only instruments of mirth : here are the only jewels upon earth . my stragling thoughts then here set up your stay , my striving senses seek no richer prey : affections here your fancies may be quieted : my tender heart then rest thou here delighted . the pitifull father . disquieted , yea discourag'd father ; what all duty , yea humanity forgot ? are all those neere relations now exil'd , betweene the tender parent and the child ? transformed children may become thus strange , but parents love is not so apt to change ; although my son can with his father part , yet this word son comes neer my tender heart . oh careles child , a very child indeed , but children will be childish without heed : but parents are by laws of justice tide , if fair meanes faile to use the rod , and chide . then let me leave no meanes unsought to gain , a child thus lost , though faire meanes be in vain , and chiding fruitlesse , yet his stubborn heart will yeeld , it may be , when he feeles it smart . the authors epigram . hard hearts of ours , where nothing will indent , at least no faire meanes , but are like the flint whose fire wil by no gentle blowing burn , but struck with force will into sparkles turn . is there such marble in our bosomes heel'd as must be hamer'd , or it will not yeeld ? or in the same such adamant indeed , as cannot be dissolved till we bleed ? oh thou most skilfull alchymist of all . who canst extract pure hony out of gall : oh make thy knowledge here be understood , dissolve this stone , thou hast the only blood . but were the hardnes of our hearts so great they would not soften ; yet thou canst creat ; then either do thy art of working shew in melting these , or making of them new . the prodigall son . fair phaebus , rights darke shut in shop adorning by setting ope the windowes of the morning , what glorious objects drest against i rise prepar'st thou to salute my waking eies ? resplendent beauties which do shine so bright . got from beneath the canopie of night : vouchsafe a blessing from your lips , which may fore-tell successe for the succeeding day . you almost angels , may i not adore you ? let no displeasure draw a vaile before you : your piercing beauties , like cupids pow'rfull dart , shot through mine eies , not wound , but warm my heart . but what begin you to withdraw your rayes . as though black fate envy'd my happy dayes ? accurst be the occasion that shall shrow'd such suns by day , such beauties in a cloud . the pitifull father . oh what an endles travell is our care when children borne , are yet againe to bear ? when we welform'd have brought them forth , they then transforme to monsters , when they should be men ? from which prodigious nature to reduce , or change those formes made naturall by use , we finde more hard and tedious then the smart of first producing , and more neer the heart . so soone as forth the potters hand , they fall , oh feeble clay which cannot stand at all : and being down have no desire to rise . but sleep , like swine , in most polluted sties . but can a child of mine thus blinded keep ? or shall i let him thus for ever sleep ? no , let me rather with the rod reprove correction , sometimes , doth make way for love . the authors epigram . oh foolish children , why are we thus idle ? why give we thus our vain desires the bridle ? our fancies fond with shadows thus fulfill . to lose the substance of our fathers will . can we account a fathers kindnes slight who doth thus tender-fatherly invite ? or shall we prize his patrimony poore who to bestow hath infinit in store ? no , no we cannot but confesse t is known our fathers love doth far exceed our own : his portions laid up for each child a part , ten thousand times exceed each childs desert . what then can move us to neglect so much a father tender , having riches such ? who labours thus unto us to convay a state which never , never shall decay ? the prodigall son . oh what a cloud is this which doth appeare ? which darkens thus my day which was so cleer ? can such a sun-shine be obscur'd so soone , shall night incroch upon my day at noone ? late smiling fate beginst thou now to frown , as if thou didst intend to throw me down ? dost thou , who seem'd so sure , begin to reele , wilt thou in thy displeasure , turne thy wheele ? oh you my pleasures and contentments sweet , which did with such most kind imbraces greet , will you now fold , your late unfolded armes , becoming churlish , who bewitch'd with charmes ? but you faire faces , natures choycesti art , whose tender beauties shew a gentle heart , can you prove cruell ? do you too seeme nice ? will you reject now , who did late intice ? the pitifull father . harke , harke , methinks i heare my straved son begins to lose the pleasure he had won , those painted outsides of delight begin to let him see they are deceit within . deceit indeed which is but made to shine . with the meer drosse and refuse of good coy●● . which worthlesse gilding being worne away , it shewes how painted shadowes do betray . my blinded child doth now begin to view those pleasures false , he once accounted true ; and , to his shame and sorrow , may conclude they did but at the best of all delude . but let them , mock , and more deride him yet , him thus befooling , they may teach more wit : he on them hath so deeply set his love , it will not without violence remove . the authors epigram . oh blinded reason , and corrupted stain of once pure nature , now exceeding , vain : can we rest captive in this base subjection ? thus live in thraldome to untam'd affection ? we read of strangers and meer bondmen too who conquer'd passion could that wonder do : and shall we children , and by birth made free , in bondage thus to brutish passion be ? but shall we then take pleasure in this thrall ? and count it sweetest liberty off all ? and will not without violence be freed ? oh this is sordid slavery indeed . and yet these are the heavy cha●●●s we beare , we , gon astray , are taken in this snare ; within which mill , we , by deceit made blind , do , like most grosse contented assesgrind . the prodigall son . but you the objects of my youthfull joy ; who thus would try me by your being coy , you have my heart ; then do not thus persist , but smile agine , you need not be in jeast . the fountaine of my love doth overflow which jeasted at will quickly jealous grow ; then be not coy , but smile , and coole that smart before it workes combustion in my heart . but what still frowne you ? and yet answer no ? can you thus leave me , will you gull me so ? have i prefer'd you above heav'n , oh vaine , and will you now require me with disdaine ? you that have pluck'd the blossomes of my youth , will you with falshood now requite my truth ? you that have suck'd my fountaine of supply , can you now scorne me , having suck'd it dry ? the pitifull father . so , so , my son doth now begin to prove those courses vaine i told him of in love : he thought my counsell then might slighted be , but now he findes , what i did then fore-see . rash headed youth , presuming on their skill , will take their course , against their parents will ; as if they thought their wisedomes were the best ; who , silly soules , with folly are possest . my son upon my fatherly advice did turn his back , as too severe , or nice : but now he doth , to his confusion , find that fathers see , when foolish sons are blind . but as he left me , and would have his will , so let me let him strugle with it still ; no meanes doth more reclaime a child resisting then to be whip'd with cords of his own twisting . the authors epigram . oh thou our god , and father too , most just , who gav'st us all our being out of dust , and having fram'd us by thy matchles skill , dost like a father nurse , and feed us still . how full of wonder finde we all thy deeds ? and yet thy kindnesse most of all exceeds , how could'st thou else so full of pitty be to children so undutifull as we ? thou canst give quailes if we stand need of meat , and thereby too canst teach us how to eate , and , when we have the baits of pleasure took canst thereby curb us , when we feele the hook , oh thou who canst bring day thus out of night , and make our shadowes vanish , with the light : make thou , who thus discover'st all deceit , the hooke appeare , before we take the bait . the prodigall son . oh most unhappy miserable wretch , whom most false joyes most deeply did bewitch , false joyes , indeed , i may most truly say , which did but smile upon me to betray . those my companions who , when i had store , i made most , now mock me being poore : my late full cheekes , which were delighted in , proud beauty scornes , by sicknes now made thin . most desperat wretch , to whom shall i betake me ? when those i thought my dearest friends forsake me ? and cursed pleasures i may call them so , which thus , infine , take pleasure in my woe . i now want food , who food abus'd of late , which want , with sicknesse , doth my strength abate : distressed creature , thus inforc'd infine to want the husks which are bestow'd on swine ; the pitifull father . there , there my rod , begins my child to bleed ? it is not matter , make it smart indeed . and yet , i trust , thy stroaks may be the lesse because he is already in distresse nor can i thus return him his desert , and rest my selfe unfeeling of the smart , for ( howsover i might be in mood ) i would not give one stroak but for his good . but he hath been unruly , make him ●ame , and make him , likewise , to confesse the same : yet be not rough , though he hath badly done , he is , though a rebellious , yet a son . but oh , he hath forgot his father quite ; but oh , that was but childish oversight : yet touch him till he thinke on me again , that yerk , i know will not be given in vain . the authors epigram . meere prodigalls ! we must that title grant , who in our plenty never thinke of want , but winde up from the cistern of our store till , silly asses we can wind no more . but when we find by making of this speed , our buckets doe come empty up at need , we then can see , but not till then , alas , what too rash drawing brings too soone to passe . then , then , when it is almost then too late , we can accuse our courses , curse our fate , and curse those pleasures , causes of our care , which once we thought the only joyes that were . but oh , how watchfull is our fathers eye to make a vertue of necessitie ? who , when we fooles have thus our selves undon , doth , like a father , there by call a son . the prodigall son . all wanton youth take warning by my woes , and see in me the summe of vaine repose , which , like a bud frost bitten ere it bloomes , appeares , but unto no perfection comes . all earthly pleasures are but like a bubble , straight turn to nothing , which were rais'd with trouble : the fairest faces soonest change their dye ; the sweetest charmers are most apt to lye . thus , mov'd with sorrowes , i may tell the same , and make the world take notice of my shame : but , till i had experience of this woe , no meanes could make me think it would be so . but now i think upon my father here , whose fore-sight now i find exceeding cleere , he often told me , and with many a teare , what would befall , but then i would not heare . the pitifull father . hark , hark again , what voyce is this i heare , is this which makes such musick in my eare ? which thus tunes father , hath my son that strain , is he restor'd unto that life again ? he which , indeed , was dead and bury'd deep in grave-like grosse security asleep : hath that lost child the name of father found ? can he that heav'n awaking trumpet sound ? and can i stop my eare then to his voice , where at the heav'ns inhabitants rejoyce ? reject an infant calling upon me that am his father , no it cannot be ? nor can he be more ready to declare his wants in calling then i am to heare : though i , indeed , might justly make him steep his eyes in teares , who would not see me weep . the authors epigram . most carefull father , but most careles we who are most blind in what thou dost fore-see : thou knowst our folly : we will trust our skill : thou wouldst direct us : we will have our will : thou see'st our danger : we are therein blind : thou dost bemoane us : we are not so kind : thou still giv'st warning : still we give no care : thou dost allure us : but we will not heare . thou shew'st the rod : we at such shadowes scoffe : thou shak'st the same : we shake the danger off : thus urg'd thou strik'st : we strive to have our will : thou strik'st again : we strugle with thee still . at length , thou wound'st : we then begin to fall : thou wound'st more deep : we then dear father call : thou hear'st our cry : we yeeld to thy command : thou burn'st the rod : we feel thy stroaking hand . the prodigall son . poore silly pilgrim , by deceit betray'd , thus from my country , and my father stray'd , where i in plenty might have been secure , i here undone must slavery indure . oh heavy yoak intolerable weight ; are these the chaines so gilded by deceit ? which seem'd to proffer liberties so sweet , but now become such fetters to my feet ? poore captive thus in miserable need , whiles poorest servants of my fathers feed : oh now how happy should i think my state were i but servant , where a son of late ? but i for ever justly am exil'd : but justice ties no father from his child , but i have plaid the rebell , prov'd no son : but rebells yeelding have some favour won . the pitifull father . my son , my son , repentant sighs are loud , i heare thy voice , though from beneath a cloud ; no distance , place , nor darknesse can deny my speedy hearing when my children ery . t is true my son , t is true i do confesse , i might insult now thou art in distresse ; but thus to heare thee thus far homward brought doth banish all displeasure from my thought . returne , returne then , linger not the time , thy recantation shall acquit thy crime : i do receive such losses as my gaine , i take no pleasure to prolong thy paine . thou only beg'st to have a bondmans place ; i do not do my children that disgrace : then feare not , fathers joy in such returnes ; distrust disheartens where affection burnes . the authors epigram . most gentle father , pitifull indeed , thy heart is wounded when our hearts do bleed : and yet most wounded then when thou dost see our hearts so hard they will not wounded be . we from thee run , thou callst us back againe , we are undone , yet thou dost not disdaine ; thou giv'st that motion to return , we lack , and yet with praise dost crown our coming back . oh thou that dost thus fatherly respect , and workest both the will , and the effect : make us more able to return , at least , make us more willing when thou dost assist . thou art the potter , we are but the clay ; thou art the shepheard , we the sheep astray : though we be vain , yet lose not thou thy cost , though we be stray'd , yet do not see us lost . the prodigall son . father , dear father i would utter fain , but feare doth that word father dear restrain . father , i faine would have my grievance shown , but oh i am asham'd to make it known . but it is fit i should confesse the same : but thou canst take no pleasure in my shame : thy greatnesse doth in robes of glory shine , then canst thou looke upon such raggs as mine ? but why should i these troubled seas propound , i sayling in whose surges must be drownd ? why feare i thus the fetters which inthrall me , when thus my father doth from prison call me ? thy call deare father , cannot but suffice to shake off all my shackls , bolts and tyes : then at thy call , which thus doth call for speed , i come to meet thee , trusting to be freed . the pitifull father . vvelcome my son , thrice welcome , i' st not meet thou shouldst bee welcom'd with imbraces sweet ? thou , who wert lost , and now art found remain , thou , who wert dead , and art alive againe ? long have i long'd for this thy safe return , whereat my bowells of compassion yern , why shak'st thou then , why blushest being poore ? thy feare is past , thou shalt have raggs no more ? revive my son , be cheerfull then my child , and cease thy sorrowes , i am reconcil'd , oh let those teares be taken from thine eyes , they stir the fountaine where compassion lyes . come tast my dainties , i have choicest fare , and sweetest musick to delight thy eare ; this is my pleasure , i will have it done , in spite of envy , for thou art my son . the authors epigram . thou father of all fatherly respects , whose pittie this , all parents thus directs : what duty then , for this thy kindnesse shown , is due to thee from children of thine own ? most happy children , happy we , indeed , whose fathers kindnes doth thus far exceed ; who , when our follies , in our faces flying , returns us weeping , scekes to still our crying . oh then how silly , sensles i may say , are we ; if we from such a father stray ? can all the worth , can in the world appear , make us set light a fathers love so dear ? but then shall trifles , shall meer painted toyes , shadowes , of pleasures , and but dreames of joyes . or ought detaine us , that shall labour for it , from such a father ? let us sons abhor it . let us not , seeking , lose our selves to gain such husks abroad , and may at home have graine . an epitome . father , i have offended , but alas , shame stops my voice here , will not let it passe . son , cease thy sorrow , let my joyes appease thee , t is not thy teares , but thy return that please me . father , but canst thou thus be pleas'd with me , who have thus sin'd both against heav'n , and thee ? son , this thy sin is vanish'd , as lamented ; i take delight to pardon sin repented . father , but such offenders are too base to raign as sons , grant me a servants place . son , know my servants are as sons to me . so highly honour'd all my saints shall be . father then let me be for ever bound to serve , where service is such freedom found . son , welcome son , no bondman thou shalt be , but shalt inherit with my sons made tree , free then , indeed , when the testator lives to make that freedome certain which he gives . breathings after divine ayre . the third booke . the foolish man hath said in his heart tush there is no god . psal. 14. 1. desires of ayde . most gracious god , and yet a god most meeke ; above the heav'ns , yet stoup'st to earth below ; beyond our reatch , yet giv'st us leave to seek ; past our conceit , yet wouldst have us to know , to seeke and know thee as thou dost appeare , but further knowledge is not granted here . as then we ought not to presume to pry into those secrets must be yet conceal'd so thou hast given us licence , yea a tye , to seeke and know thee as thou art reveal'd ; oh let me read thee in thy copies then but stay my thoughts where thou hast stay'd thy pen . thy largest booke is in thy works indented : thy lesser copy in our soules ingraven : thy sacred volumes are the scriptures printed : thy secret lines are sent by grace from heaven : which secret lines lord center in my breast , those are the keyes to open all the rest . i do confesse that i am much unfit to pry into thy mysteries divine ; besides the starres will not of sparks admit to zoare into those circles where they shine ; though thou the sun from whence those starres have light disdain'st not sparks , but mak'st them burn more bright . oh then thou sun , yea light it selfe , indeed , who dost not quench , muchles disdainst the same , the smoking flax , nor break'st the brused reed , turn thou my spark into so pure a flame as may both warme my chilled soule within , and burst out to the light of other men . thou dost confound things mightie by the weake , out of the mouths of babes ordainest praise , mak'st the unlearned , yea the dumb to speake , rejectest none but who rejects thy waies , that hate to be reform'd ; lord helpe me here , and in my weaknesse let thy strength appeare . breathings after divine ayre . earth stand amazed , stand amaz'd and move , and be you heav'ns astonished above ; a man , and yet no maker ? hells abisse , yea tremble earth and heav'n , and hell at this . superiour powers who fram'd this matchlesse frame this man , and form'd your image in the same , what fretting time , or what infernall powers have rac'd , or thus defac'd that worke of yours ? you made him holy , he defiles his race , you gave him honour , he hath lost that grace , you lent him knowledge , he abus'd that light , yours by creation , he denies you quite . unhappie chance , unhappie change , alas , what brought this most unhappie change to passe ? who turn'd this perfect good to perfect evill , but he that turn'd from angell to a divell ? that hatefull , hurtfull enemy indeed , who whiles man slept , cast tares amongst the seed , or rather only in that peece of clay , cast tares , and stole the pretious seed away . presumptuous theefe and enemy to man , whose hidious theft in heav'n above began , he there aspir'd to steale from the most high , and there most justly rob'd himselfe thereby . for this his fact thrown down from heav'n to hell , he lost himselfe , and maker as he fell . and ever since , his restlesse selfe hath tost to steale from man what he by stealing lost . but silly man shall such a hatefull foe rob thee of god , prevaile upon thee so ? shall hells black vapours so thy soule benight to put out of thee all celestiall light ? but sensles man , or rather savage beast , canst thou thus at the god-head make a jeast ? the fiends in hell more fealtie declare , for they confesse there is a god , and feare . oh horid , hellish blasphemy , or worse , the damn'd in hell deny not god , though curse . and such as here against him dare dispute shall find hereafter hell will them confute . but silly man , or monster of that name , in mind a monster , though a man in frame , resolve this question , if thy wisdome can , is there no god ? how came there then a man ? but here i know thou wilt to nature fly , all things , thou saist , by nature live and die , and natures force doth all conclusions draw , nature shall therefore be thy only law . i grant in all things that created be we may a power which is call'd nature see ; which to such creatures is a law indeed , whose skill no other dialect can read . but thou who hast an understanding part , and hast besides much benefit by art , sparks rak'd up in thy ashes of such light as death , nor divell can extinguish quite , canst thou be grosser then the beast that dies , blind as the beast is , yet hast better eyes ? admit no maker but ingendring power , as earth brings forth the herb , the herb the flower ? but canst thou into natures secrets pry , and canst not view a deitie there by ? earth may bring forth , but not create , fond head , can that give life which in it selfe is dead ? but here thou wilt , out of thy wisdome say , there is , indeed , both dead and living clay , the dead brings forth the creature dull and base , the living doth produce a living race . the sensles earth we may with safety grant brings forth the sensles grasse , the hearb , the plant , that living morter which is man by name by generation doth produce the same : produce , i say , as instruments whereby creating power continues a supply ; god first , indeed , mans god-head to convince , made man of dust , but man so manking since . man then was made , made not himselfe to live , how can he then have any life to give ? or if he hath we must subject it still unto the force of the creators will . but be it so , what can be granted thence ? that sensles earth , or earth indu'd with sense can out of their created substance frame an other substance , or indeed the same . this is but only to preserve , t is plain , that which before was made , not make again : nor can the creature bring forth , as is said , without the help of a creating ai'd . thou mad'st not then thy selfe , nor yet thy son , who did that work then which thou see'st is done ? thou canst no just apologie invent , confesse there is a god then , and repent . thy soule , besides , though now inclos'd in earth , yet pure in substance , and of noble birth , cannot but at some time or other dart some heavenly rayes into thy earthly heart , which doth convince thy knowledge of thy errour , and strikes into thy conscience such a terrour as makes thee feele the power of the most high , which in thy heart thou dar'st thus to deny . were this too little at it is perchance , to work upon thy wilfull ignorance : yet god hath further witnesses no doubt , thousands , he hath not left himselfe without : his word , and works uncessantly declare him in such a voice that all the world may heare him , his word reveales his truth , his works his glory . all creatures being do confirme the story . but here againe thy wretched heart replies , those works of wonder which no mortall eyes can see into their center , something pose thy desp'rate thoughts , thou stand'st amaz'd at those . but for gods word , though writ with his own pen , or from his mouth by heav'ns inspired men , that suites not with thee , sincks not in thy brain , tush words , saist thou , they are but wind or vaine . thou can'st those rules , which we call scripture , read with no such trust to think them true indeed ; but mans invention so to keep in awe men which by nature stand in need of law . but dust and ashes dar'st thou make a tush which makes both angels , and the heav'ns to blush ? racing besides those truths which are ingraven upon thy soule by truth it selfe from heaven . prints of eternity upon thy soule are stamp'd by heav'n : canst thou then slight that roule which to thee reades eternity in print ? is heav'nly ●ire so hidden in thy flint ? thy flint , indeed ; but when this powerfull word , which is more sharpe then a two edged sword , strikes home upon thy flintie soule no doubt , it doth force sparks of heavenly fire there out . but lest these sparks should burst out into flame , thou seek'st by all meanes to put out the same , though making thus these heavenly sparks retire , thou keepst thy selfe unto eternall fire . againe this word , besides the ghostly power that rests within that never raced tower : the potent truth which hath so well been try'd , with sweet consent and harmony supply'd , that harbours in this heav'nly word is such as may convince thy marble heart asmuch . the truth indeed , that we may truly call , one jot whereof did never faile , nor shall ▪ and did thy sight not dazell at this sun thou there mightst cleerly read the same and run . but oh ! thou wretched atheist that dost find the seeing organ of thy soule too blind to view the truths in sacred scripture pend , or wilfull that thou wilt not apprehend : o rest not under that egyptian cloud , cast not away the meanes of light alow'd , but read the scripture , to avoid that curse , disuse of reading makes thee read the worse . hadst thou a heart could truly understand , or eyes set ope by faith to read that hand , thou shouldst discerne such wonders in that glasse as nothing but a god can bring to passe . the truth of this most perfectly appeares by the consent of past foure thousand yeares : each promise , tipe , and prophesie fulfil'd do here of certain testimonies yeeld . the seed to break the serpents head was sown three thousand yeares before the blade was grown , all humane hopes might then have been casshierd and yet at length a glorious crop appear'd . god once drown'd all the mountaines here below , but then above , in mercy , set his bow to be a sign , which hath been still made good that heav'ns no more should poure down such a flood . thus heav'ns , by scripture , often times fore-shew what by experience men in time find true , that men in scripture so may learn to read their makers glory by his pen , and dread . again ( besides the truth that scriptures carry that in themselves they from themselves not varry , whereby they are with that perfection crown'd which in no humane author can be found ) the loftie stile that sacred scriptures bare their height of birth and majestie declare so powerfull , so impartiall and sincere as partiall man could never yet come neere . men deeply learned , and of highest wit , unlesse instructed by this holy writ , write at the fairest but with natures quill dip'd in some fountaine on pernassus hill . their wisdomes to no higher pitch can hover then principalls of nature do discover , imploys that agent which we reason call about no objects but meere naturall . but sacred writ that hath a further reatch , that is transcending flies a higher pitch , that came from heav'n , is spirituall , and here made by the spirit to us men appeare : that conquers reason subdues natures lawes as far unable to dispute the cause , that is eternall , therefore sent to try that part in man which hath no power to die . the scripture only on the soule reflects all earthly objects it , as base , rejects , the soule a spirit , therefore only fit to read those copies by the spirit writ . this writ from heaven then summons up thy soul to heaven that court which issu'd forth this scroule ; glew not thy soule then too neare earthly things , hang no such plumets on its sublime wings . againe the scriptures only have the art to search into the secrets of the heart , they only can discover sin , and prove upon the conscience they came from above . they only a beginning doe relate ; no humane treatise of so ancient date ; they only have preserved been , and shall , though ever , doubtlesse , envy'd most of all . and in them , in the sacred writ i meane , as in a glasse is only to be seen that perfect image of supernall might which can be viewed by no other light . there is i grant it , in each humane frame an eye by nature fixed in the same , which doth by nature beyond nature see a pow'r there supernaturall must bee . which power no doubt hath deified been from the beginning by the race of men , though most for want of power to understand , ascrib'd that power unto some other hand : as some to creatures like themselves but clay ; some to the sun , as former of the day ; some to the moon , some to the stars , yea know some to the prince of hell below . yet all to something ; thus the infidell beleeves there is a power that doth excell , but ignorant of what it is , doth faine or forge a god out of his idle braine . thus natures pen , by reasons power , no doubt , doth point at god , but cannot point him out , doth shew a god ; but what he is , or where , that scriptures only fully can declare . shall then a heathen a meere infidell , who never heard of either heaven or hell , or dreames of soule , alone by natures view discern there is a god and homage due ; ( which is apparant all the world abroad , all nations worship something as a god ) and shalt thou atheist , dar'st thou all alone be worst of all men and acknowledge none ? thou hast , besides the wisest heathens sight , much greater aide , far cleerer beames of light , gods holy and eternall word by name , eternall in the nature of the same , where thou maist its eternall author find , it only gives that sight unto the blind , and this thou hast not , so to make thee pos'd , as pretious oyntment in a box inclos'd , not only in the hidden letter teaching , but open'd by the pow'rfull hand of preaching . canst thou not row then in this calmed ocean ? sit'st thou in darknesse in this heav'nly goshen ? dar'st thou deny that deitie which here doth in such perfect characters appeare ? oh do not thou degenerate so far to be more sordid then the divels are , the divels do much forced duty shew to holy scriptures and do know them true . shall divels then unto the scriptures bow , confesse and feare them , and yet wilt not thou ? deluded atheist be reform'd herein , seeke no such shadowes so to hide thy sin , because the scriptures render thee unjust thou dost condemne them so to save thy lust . let not thy senses thus thy soule inthrall , for lose the scriptures and thou dost lose all , both soule , and body , heav'n , and god , yea soe dost likewise purchase everlasting woe . t is then no marvell that thou art so blind , or rather desp'rate in thy carnall mind that in thy fancy thou cast apprehend no soule , no heav'n , nor pow'r that doth transcend . how canst thou view these when thou dost in spleen reject the glasse where these are to be seen ? the scriptures are gods tapers set up here , extinguish those , no god will then appeare . god , in times past , aid oft appeare , i know , in visions , and in shadowes here below , but when the substance , his eternall son once shin'd here , all those lesser lights had done . bright sun , indeed , well might the stars give way and hid themselves in such a heav'nly day , a heav'nly day when heaven it selfe we find burst through the clouds , came down to earth and shin'd and yet we find this day at last did fade , this glorious sun at length began to wade , and , from these nether regions to retire , ascended to the circles that are higher . well might the world then here beneath lament , and put on sackcloath weeds of discontent bewailing deeply that earth darking day which from the earth tooke such a light away . this heavenly sun now in the heavens again whose glory heavens cannot alone containe : did leave some rayes below , and now and then doth dart down more amongst the sonnes of men , but all that light now of that heavenly taper is set up in a lanthorne here of paper , in holy scripture all that light doth shine , that is the lanthorne which gives light divine . then thou that first in such a sable night that of this nature thou canst see no light ; 't is doubtlesse cause thou dost not duly look into that lanthorn , use that heavenly book . wouldst thou have wisdome , have thy sight made cleer ? thy heart made gentle , and thy soule appear , see hell beneath , and heav'n that is most high , discern thy maker , and eternity ? then use the scripture , thy dim feeble sight is apprehensive of no greater light ; god knowes such secrets do mans sight surpasse , and therefore wisely shewes them through a glasse . a glasse indeed , the scripture is most faire , and more transparent then the purest aire , through which the perfect images are view'd of objects in the highest altitude . presumptuous earth , because thou canst not see by carnall reason how these things can be , thou dost conclude they cannot be in fine , as if there were no greater power then thine . thou art a peece but of the potters clay , what can the peece unto the potter say ? canst thou suppose the brickle vessell made as skilfull as its maker in his trade ? but were this granted , which were too too grosse , yet thou art vainer , at a greater losse , all other creatures but the divells bee the same they were created , but not we ; thou art far weaker , worser , and hast lost much of thy makers workmanship and cost , thy reason is corrupt , thy senses soyl'd , thy nature taynted , and thy soule defil'd . indeed in the perfection of estate wherein perfection did thee first create , thy sight was such thou stood'st not then in need of glasses , or of spectacles to read : thy apprehension was not then so weake but thou hadst power to heare thy maker speake . in his owne language , and couldst understand without the helpe of any second hand . but long in adam thou hast lost that art ; like lucifer in acting of his part ; he would have been , although in heav'n , yet higher : thou wouldst , although in paradise , aspire : he saw gods face , yet that would not suffice : thou knew'st his voice , yet thou wouldst be more wise : he clyming , lost the hight he had before : and thou thy knowledge by desiring more . canst thou suppose then that impaired light yet in thy understanding part so bright as to discern those objects as they are which did exceed thy better sight so far ? vaine man , as thou thy heav'nly relish hast so vainly lost by a forbidden tast ; even so thy sight ; when by a finit eye thou fondly wouldst things infinite discry . to stand and gaze upon the sun , although the sun gives light , yet dims our light we know : and yet the beames which from the sun do fly they dim not , but give sight unto the eye . so if thou look'st , god as he is to see , the more thou look'st the blinder thou shalt be , his countenance doth such a lustre give no mortall eye may see the same , and live . yet from his face , as from a sun doth shine such radient beames and rayes of light divine as gives us light , and so much as our vaine and silly lamps can of a sun contain . then let those rayes which in the scripures shine suffice thy soule that cleerest sight of thine thou by his beames mayst view the sun secure , thy sight can not the sun it selfe indure . thinkst thou by power then of imperfect nature to take a perfect view of thy creator ? meere foole , indeed , thou mightst by reason find this cannot be , were not thy reason blind . but couldst thou reason never so refine , did brighter beams not with thy reason shine : thou couldst not see what once thou mightst have done ; much lesse what was before the world begun . yet such like thoughts in this thy silly vaine and purblinde state doe now molest thy braine , thou but a drop which from the fountaines fell , wouldst to a fountaine in thy bubble swell : thou clim'st beyond the clouds , and think'st it fit to be like god , out of thy mother wit , yea beyond god , and hast this thought accurst if god made all , then who made god at first ? this being hyperbolicall to sense , thou trampl'st on inferiour consequence , as christ , and heaven , the soule and resurrection , because beyond thy sensible collection . but thou whom night doth thus belet at noon what say'st thou to the sun , the stars , the moon , and heavens above ? who made that glorious frame ? there is no procreation in the same . they have , as very heathen do declare five thousand yeares remain'd the same they are , their like they in no likenesse have begot , like other creatures they ingender not . whence thou by sense maist evidently read they from themselves did never first proceed ; yet made they be , 't is manifest and cleer , those objects to thy very sense appear . then see the weaknesse of thy sense hereby ; and yet thy sense thy weaknesse doth discry ; thou seest by sense the body of the sunne , but whence proceeding , there thy sense hath done : thou seest by sense such bodies formed be , but by themselves doth not with sense agree , this to thy sense some others skill doth preach , thou find'st by sense that skill above thy reach ▪ canst thou by sense and carnall reason then thus prove a power beyond the power of men ? and cannot that same power of thee be thought a god ? observing what that power hath wrought ? oh sathans captive , labour to resist that this worlds god , who thus hath cast a mist , breake through those clouds , and view a god above , thou dost by sense a deity approve . view him thou maist in manifold respects , partly be sense , in part by his effects , and then observe what holy scripture saith , and view him further by the eye of faith . for these are they , and only these , whereby that sun doth please to shine down from on high , these are the casements set ope to our sight of heavens most glorious treasury of light : we men below have no such licence given , or pow'r to take a perfect view of heaven , our light so feeble , and our hearts so brasing we can but only pry in through the glasing . but here perhaps , thou wilt this scruple move admit saist thou , there be a heaven above , and in the same such glories as are said , though never yet to mortall eye displaid . what though there be ? what canst thou gain thereby since they are such as thou canst not discry , nor yet hast hope thou ever shalt do here , thou must goe further from them , not more near , death must of all men living make an end , and men by dying rise not , but descend : the grave at last shall be thy resting plot , where all things are concluded and forgot . why shouldst thou then disquiet thy selfe to gain such knowledge as will but disquiet thy braine ? but carnall scholar who dost thus confute thy very sense by sensuall dispute , and as it were in malice go'st about to bring the very truth thou know'st in doubt . canst thou grosse sadduce thus seduced be ▪ be yet thus blinded , yet hast eyes to see ? art thou in honour and becom'st a beast , o like the beast that perisheth at least ? consider better , labour to dispell those fearfull ●●●●●s , they are the fogs of hell : and thither thou must sinke no means can save , beleev'st not thou the rising from the grave . but thou shalt rise , thou canst not that defend , though but to judgement , and againe descend : this thou might'st prove by scripture most apparant , could'st thou give credence to that heav'nly warrant . but howsoever thou dost under prise , the powerfull truth in sacred scripture lies , yet god , disputing with the divell , took his arguments out of that sacred book . he did by scripture sadduces confute : he did by scripture strike the divell mute : he did by scripture first reveale his will , and doth by scripture manifest it still . and if thou only scripture dost disdain doubtlesse there doth no hope for thee remain . god could have us'd some other weapon then to overthrow the divell , and those men , but yet he pleas'd to use no other sword , only to make us trust unto his word . shall god himself thus dignifie and grace it ; and shalt thou dust and ashes then deface it ? oh trust it further , and esteem it better , the power of god is printed in that letter . againe besides the testimonies read in scripture for the rising of the dead . god doth convince thy error in this kinde by sundry means , yea in thy very minde , god hath imprinted in thy very breast within thy soule , which ever shall subsist , an everlasting principall of right which can by no meanes be extinguish'd quite : this principall is naturally strong in aiding justice , and suppressing wrong , from whence it comes thou canst not act a sin of doing wrong without a check within . hast thou done wrong then ( as who hath not here ) get'st thou not pardon for the same , 't is clear this principall , when thou shalt come to dye , will leave thy corps , and on thy conscience flye ; where it for ever restlesse will abide till justice shall be fully satisfi'd : from whence there must some other place appeare to right such wrongs as are not righted here . besides thou couldst not sure account it vaine to be resolv'd the dead shall rise again ; hadst thou but so much happinesse to see how reason here with nature doth agree . search then by reason into natures book ; run to thy mothers long made grave and look if 't be not earth thou cam'st from , whence t is plaine that earth which once did live may live again . what think'st thou of thy rising from thy bed , fore-tells not that thy rising from the dead ? in bed thou dost , in earth thou shalt but sleep , in both in darknesse , though in earth most deep . besides when slumber doth possession take of senses , yet the soule is then a wake , the soule as it can never dye at all so never sleeps , though kept by sleep in thrall . god could have made us , when we were in making , have stood in need of neither sleep , nor waking , had he not purpos'd by them to explain our sleep in death , and life from death again . the deepest darkensse of the longest night at length doth vanish by the morning light : which shewes at last the resurrection day shall chase the night of fatall death away : the entercourse of autumn , and the spring , the winter , and the summer teach this thing , when plants , by a vicessitude , we know both live and dye , and dye , and live in shew . and as the seed which in the earth is sowne , like man it to its deeper furrowes thrown , as dying , there produceth an increase : so man doth but refine there , not surcease . much like the phaenix , from whose ashes breed , as men much learned give us leave to read : another phaenix to supply that roome , by sun-beams dooting on her lofty tombe . but yet , if yet thy heart be such a flint that all this shewne takes no impression in 't , but still in heart thou say'st there is no god , though with thy tongue thou dar'st not for his rod , let me yet put one question to thee more , yet to illustrate what is said before : what say'st to this then ? sith thou art so evill to doubt of god , what think'st thou of a divell ? is there , think'st thou , no divell , and no hell ? thou maist deny them out of doubt as well , for this is certain this from sense doth flow , no god above , no divell then below . but this the grossest heathen doe admit they by experience and meer natures wit discerne a power beyond the power of men , which power hath by them still admired been . but in thy conscience were not such a spark why shouldst thou be so fearfull in the darke ? were there no evill spirits to be seen what do such fears then in thy fancie mean ? in times of danger eminent t is known there 's no mans heart more shaken then thine own : strange apparitions , gastly forms , and such strike trembling in thee nothing else so much . from whence proceeds those hidious shapes , and sights , those hollow voices , and those walking lights , which do so oft in darknesse us affright , but from the prince of darknesse in the night ? if this suffice not , but art still in doubt i know no further meanes to help thee out ; unlesse that it were lawfull in this kind , to run to endor to suffice thy mind to such as have some spirits at command , such could most clearly let thee understand , resolve thy doubt , and make it to thee cleare there are such fiends , yea make the same appear . if all this be too little to suffice , then sure there is some divell in thine eies who keepes thee blinded that thou canst not see those certain truths which thus decypherd be . but oh vain atheist rest not in this state , nay rest thou canst not t is so desperate , then strive against it , exercise thy strength , by use it may grow operative at length . there yet is eye salve to bewray this mist , if that thou dost not wilfully resist , there is a sacred fountaine set apart , one drop whereof would molifie thy heart . despise not then those soveraign streames below which down do from that sacred fountain flow , those healing drops which on the crosse were shed , distil'd in scriptures from the fountaines head . then bring thy heart , that cistern into frame , and let those conduits run into the same , that still thou mayst , by turning of the cock , such fearefull doubts , those brasing doores unlock . thy heart no dout , in doubts the harder growes because the milk which form the scripture flowes , which is most pretious to dissolve such flint , is not apply'd unto that adamant . at scriptures breasts disdaine not sucking then , there 's milke for babes , and meat for strongest men : there 's meat for saempson , sweet meat too , not gall : and hony for the fainting son of saul . there doth that tree of heav'nly knowledge grow which god hath pleas'd to plant with men below : another tree of knowledge shall be given , more glorious too , but that shall be in heaven . but further knowledge then is here reveal'd the more thou seekst , the more t is here conceal'd . and that no doubt , hath been a reason why thou dost those truths which are reveal'd deny . there 's nothing hid that shall not be made known ; but here 's the height of thy ambition shown thou here wouldst to that height of knowledge clime which is reserv'd untill another time . thou here in all things much imperfect art , and therefore here thou canst but know in part : but when thy cloud of flesh be done away things secret shall be manifest as day . but wouldst thou wisely harbour a desire to view those secrets angels do admire , then first beleeve , for god hath made it plain we must beleeve before we do obtain . heaven is a dowery god hath to bestow , faith 's our assurance of the same below : strive then for faith ; thou hast a curious eye : nothing but faith can give thee full supply , faith in this vain and emptie vale i mean , by faith possessing things are yet unseen : that so in fine , when fruitful faith shall cease , thou mayst in glory reap thy faiths increase , in heaven injoy that height of joy , which here doth only to the eye of faith appear . yea foolish man couldst thou become so wise as to beleeve a heaven above the skies , and such a god , a gentle god therein as for his sons sake will remit thy sin ; thou thither likewise should'st be rais'd in fine , for there the faithfull shall in glory shine : and those same hidden secrets which have bin thy tortures here , should most delight thee then . the world to come , which here thou canst not view , thou there should'st finde unto by comfort , true : the god above , which here thou dost deny , thou there should'st see , and his eternity : how god should be without beginning , here confounds thee quite , but there it doth appeare : how spirits do subsist , and what they are thou know'st not here , but 't is discover'd there : and how gods word should make a world : alas , such hidden things do humane sense surpasse : but when that heav'n shall humane sense refine , or rather humane sense shall prove divine , god with such secrets then will thee acquaint , if here , by faith , thou wilt be first his saint . but yet , if yet thou beest a sleep so fast that all this will not rouse thee up at last , but still thou wilt be still a heathen swine , yet know god will be knowne of thee infine : if here thou wilt not know him by his works ( a sin abominated by the turks ) if here thou wilt to know him by that spark now rak'd up in thy conscience , yet his marke ; nor yet wilt know him by the eye of faith , beleeving what the holy scripture saith , but dost this cloud of witnesses repell ; yet god will make thee know him , though in hell ▪ yea more then know , for thou shalt feel him there , and in that den his deity declare , when divells shall torment thee , as their owne , because thou here wouldst have no god-head known . thus i have walk'd in an unwonted strain , which some , it may be , will account as vaine , as if i heare by some what went about to bring a truth most manifest in doubt , who is so grosse may some perhaps , reply to make a question of the deity ? if there be none , why should i now begin to make a doubt where none before hath bin ? indeed with us , where so much light doth shine as if directly underneath the line : with us where god so perfectly appears , and as it were , hath dwelt so many years ; if there should harbour any here so blinde , so dead in sense , and stupifi'd in minde as once to harbour atheisme in thought therein most hideous treachery were wrought . yet sith we finde that scripture doth impart , which only can anatomize the heart . that such a thought in some hath harbour'd been , yea all men are by nature so unclean , ( each heart by nature is deceitfull still , and every thought continually ill ) we doubtlesse may , though to our shame conclude that atheisme is in a multitude ; especially if duly we propound how meerly naturall multitudes are found . againe , besides our nature , which hath stood , since adams fall an enemy to good ; we have another enemy as great , who hinders good with a more deadly hate , the divell that arch enemy , indeed to god himselfe , to adam , and his seed ; he seeks by his inscrutible an art to steal no lesse then god out of the heart , and to that purpose night and day doth spend , suggesting doubts and questions to that end . by which with man he doth too much prevaile , else why did david in that nature faile , who was a man most dear to god we finde , and yet the divell trap'd him in that kinde , when he did almost in his thoughts complain as if that he had wish'd his hands in vain ; from whence it must by consequence arise god , for the time , was taken from his eyes . then if such lofty cedars may be shaken , how may the shrubs be in that nature taken ? poore creatures who have neither care nor skill to frustrate sathans working of his will . such fiery darts the divell dayly throwes , and at our hearts he doth direct his blowes : and i , for my part , cannot testifie that any living , scape them as they fly . only as aged jesses youngest son for safety did to sanctuary run , where he beheld the wound was hid before , and eke got balme to heale his bleeding sore . so when we doe the tempters dart discry we may like david , to the temple fly ; to reading , hearing , meditate , and pray , such fumes as those will drive the fiend away . or as old jacobs children in distresse when bit with serpents in the wildernesse , by only looking on a serpents wing expel'd the poyson of that bite or sting . even so when sathan , that old serpent stings we may have healing underneath those wings which jacobs children in figure view'd , to us a christ , in their similitude . thus , as the divell daily doth belay to steal our goods , to steal our god away . god , that we should by no means let him go , hath left us means to circumvent that foe . and hence proceeds that combate in our breasts , the flesh consenting , but the soule resists : but when the soule submits to carnall sense , the divell then gets the preheminence . and thou within whose bosome no such strife , or combate hath incumbered thy life , the divell sure hath favour'd thee therein , or thou too much infatuated bin . but thou that feelst no want at all of aid , thou gavst him here a paradise indeed , but thou wilt give him heaven which doth exceed : yet doe not count this altogether vaine , ther 's no such drosse but may afford some graine : the troubl'd soule counts no occasion slight that may assist when it is thus in fight ; what thou think'st bane , may be anothers meat , then what thou like'st not , let another eat . though these be hearbs , nay weeds out of the wood , yet hearbs , nay weeds for many things are good , i trust no colloquintida is here , no danger if thy stomack then be clear . lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him ? psal. 8. vers. 4. desires of aid . most gracious god , as then hast lent thy hand to move my heart , and to direct my pen , in some weake measure thus to understand , and make thee understood of other men ▪ god only , wise , almighty , pure , eternall : without whose mercy man must be infernall . so let thy hand lord , be outstretched still to stir my heart , that most polluted spring , that in that fountaine i may dip my quill , and from that depth such secret matter bring as to my selfe may make my selfe appeare , that i may seek to make that fountaine clear . and as we all doe , to our comfort , finde that thou of man hast ever mindfull been ; so let my lines be moving in some kinde that we , again , may not forget thee then , but may for ever , as it is our parts , inthrone thee in the centre of our hearts . lord what is man may well be ask'd of thee , none but thine eye can that exactly see ? thou gav'st him life , when thou hadst given him fashion , thou only therefore canst resolve that question . man peradventure , like a butcher may unmake those walls which thou hast made of clay , rip up mans body , open every part , take out his entrails , looke into his heart , note every artrie , conduit pipe , and veine , and p●y into the chamber of the brain , tell all his sinewes , crushes , bones , and finde how every member is to other joyn'd : let this be granted , as perhaps it may in some imperfect superfices way : yet what can man in this description read of what man in perfection was indeed ? alas , in this man doth indeed no more then as it were unlock the little doore of some rich cabinet , which being done , doth finde it empty , all its jewels gone : where being frustate of his chiefe desire , finds nothing left but only to admire the curious art about that little frame , with lively forms , yet pictures on the same . even so mans body , that same heav'ns device , wherein are lock'd up all our gemmes of price , when cruell death once turnes his key about , unlocks the doore , and lets those jewels out ; mans body straight becomes a trunke bereft of all its matchlesse treasure , empty left : and nothing to the searchers eye remains to satisfie his curious eye or pains but only to admire the makers skill so wonderfull in working of that shell . a shell indeed , we may the corps affirme which hath no soule , the soule a kernell tearm ; the shell a chest of curious art compos'd , the kirnell is the treasure therein clos'd . then of what knowledge is he like to speed , of what man is , by taking up that leed ? which priz'd ope once , by deaths steel pointed dart , mans soule flies out , which is his better part . physitians then by ripping up the dead to view the body , when the soule is f●ed , can thereby doubtlesse , not directly see at all times how the elements agree in humane bodies , nor exactly tell how humors flow , and hurtfull vapours swell , when as the soule commanding in the same , sets every wheel a working in that frame . but say by this , and other helpfull means , whereon some learned wise physitian leans ; he could at all times perfectly relate the ever changing temper and estate of humane bodies , which no mortall can , i am resolv'd 't is past the reach of man : but grant he could , yet what were all his art ? alas , but to discover man in part , the least part , and inferior too as far as is a sparkle from a perfect star . the soule , indeed , that is the only gem , in search whereof the clearest sight is dim : grave pliny , galen , aristotle , all that men for skill did most renowned call in former times , were failing in this kinde , yea in this eye of knowledge almost blinde , the rayes of this so dazled them , though wise , the more they look'd , the more they lost their eyes : excepting cato , and some other few , who were inspir'd with a more piercing view . nay what man living failes not in this kinde ? who knowes the motions of anothers minde . or pryes so far into anothers breast to finde how his affections are at rest ? what endlesse windings occupie his thought , and deep devices in his braine are wrought , which sinking to their centre , do convert to secret resolutions in the heart . nay silly men , we are our selves so far from self discerning what we truly are , within our selves , that we can hardly tell what is amisse in us , or what is well . our hearts in us are so deceitfull grown we cannot search those bottomes of our own . oh silly creatures , silly sure at least , who beare we know not what within our breast , nay in our bosomes shrowd a serpent , which to seem a saint doth mightily bewitch . 't is then no marvell though we may complain that our affections are exceeding vain , our thoughts , our wits , and all with folly haunted , when all comes from a fountain so inchanted . deluded be we , out of question , must , who have a power within us so unjust ; a power indeed , most potent too , a heart , which nature makes the over-ruling part : which force doth sure sufficient battell give , and more then we can conquer whiles we live , yet whiles we live we must be ever trying , though cannot fully conquer without dying . lord , what is man then ? still we must inquire , we are to seek still , raise our judgements higher , how comes our hearts so evill and accurst , sith thou created'st all things good at first ? or how come we unto our selves so blinde that in our selves , our selves we cannot finde ? lost we so much , inheriting of sin , that by that gaine we lost our selves therein ? prodigious action racing such a tower , prevailing so on thy creating power , what thou hadst form'd , deform'd , and form'd again a most deformed form , which doth remain . god al-creating , it was in thy power to have restrayn'd that enemy of our , who wrought upon thy workmanship so far as to unmake , and make us what we are . but this was for our exercise no doubt , that thou maist crowne us when the field is fought : besides to make thy love appear the more remaking us more glorious then before . thou mad'st man sinlesse , subject though to slide , but thou wilt make him sinlesse to abide : thou gav'st him here a paradise indeed , but thou wilt give him heaven which doth exceed : lord what is man then , man that dares to sin , of whom thou hast so ever mindfull been ? a world before this present world was wrought admired man was pretious in thy thought . pretious , indeed , in such a boundlesse measure as if that man should be thy only treasure , and thereupon determin'd in thy breast to seat him highest , and to love him best : such wonders in that moses face foreseeing as pleas'd thee well before , he had his being ; wherein , indeed , was manifestly shown thou wouldst unite mans nature to thine own . when , in thy wisdome , thou didst think it meet to set that fore-known creature on his feet , to give man form that little world to frame , what preparation mad'st thou for the same ? what heart of man can truly on it ponder and not be rap'd up in any holy wonder ? before thou wouldst this wonder undertake , thou sell'st to working wonders for his sake , six dayes , almost , expired in preparing of wondrous things against this wonders roaring . thy powerfull hand , thy spirit was imploy'd by moving on a mighty chaos , void of form or beauty : thence to draw by art the dry and solid from the liquid part . both which thou having as it were given birth , one part was waters , and the other earth ; both which continue hanging in a sort , unto our judgement , without all support . indeed the waters do the earth surround , againe the earth is to the seas a bound , but how this should uphold that globe from fall that doth exceed mans purest sense of all . but ere these orbes were fixed not to move , and sever'd from the orbes that are above ; thou didst ordaine that ornament of light creating day from a prodigious night . in which thy wonder working hand was clear , by making so thy wonders to appear , for without light thy wonders wrought below had been but like the secret winds that blow . but it did please thee to set ope a door to let in light where darknesse dwelt before , and here beneath injoyn'd a pleasant way of entercourse between the night and day . and further yet to furnish thy desire , thou yet mad'st greater lights , and set them higher , and plac'd the lesse in absence of the sun , that night might not to former darknesse run : besides for signes and tokens in our clymes , as perfect rules distinguishing of times ; nay further , by their fervor from above to make the earth a fruitfull mother prove , for till the sun unto our regions come and warms the earth , it seems a barren womb . when thou hadst made the firmament thus faire , whose rayes come darting to us through the aire : extending severall curtaines , as the shrouds between the higher and the nether clouds , that by a secret interposing way , one element support another may . when thou had'st drawne the waters here below into one fountaine , there to ebbe and flow : and when thou had'st the face of earth made plaine , and made its bars the bottome of the main , upon which sure and deep foundation lay'd , the pillars rear'd whereon this frame is staid . thou then began'st to looke into thy store , that thou mights furnish what was void before , yea to make fruitfull and adorne that frame both to inrich , and beautifie the same . thou sayd'st unto the waters multiply , be fruitfull and bring forth abundantly : who hearing in their language , what was said , without delay most cheerfully obey'd . thou sayd'st unto the earth , then barren , beare , the earth did , as it were , thy language hear , and brought forth thousands multitudes and more , of creatures which were never seen before . and to the ayre thy word did but proceed , let there be foules , and it was so indeed . lord what a large and wondrous preparation was this which was the spacious worlds creation ? to entertaine whose greatnesse was it than ? alas , but for that little creature man . nay , as if this had been too little still , to manifest to mankinde thy good will , thou didst prepare a garden ready deck'd with all the objects in it of delight that might seem pleasing , fruit delicious growing on trees most fruitfull , streams most pleasant flowing , whose flowry banck , with flowers and roses set appear'd more glorious then the pearles in jet . all this prepared in this heavenly sort , thou caldst this councell in thy heavnly court , come let us make man in our image drest , for whom we have created all the rest . thou took'st a peece then of thy late form'd clay and form'd a man in a most perfect way ; and by a way can not be understood that form converted into flesh and blood . thou only breathedst on his breathlesse face , which gave him life , and with that life thy grace , which was infus'd into that power divine his soule , in which thy sacred selfe did shine . his body was in such perfection made that , till the serpent did his soule invade , it could not suffer any kind of wrath , but had a power against the power of death . but for his soule that was divine indeed , in it thou couldst thy sacred image read in characters which none could understand so well as thee , because it was thy hand . within that center thou couldst cleerly see , in one , the picture of thy persons three : three faculties within it representing three persons in thy deitie consenting . as father , son , and holy ghost agree to make but one eternall god in thee : so understanding , memory , and will make but one soule , and undevided still . the understanding of it selfe , as prime , the memory by knowledge got in time , the will , and the affections lastly breeding from knowledge , and from memory proceeding . all these at first in adams soule were pure , and sparks which had a nature to indure , adam was in his understanding part so holy , and so innocent in heart that nakednesse , unto his conscience cleere , did neither shame nor nakednesse appeare : his memory was unpolluted still , because his knowledge had begot no ill : his thoughts , his fancies , meditations sweet , and did not with the least disturbance meet ; his will , and his affections all were free'd from all corruption , as they might , indeed ; those cisterns must with water pure be fill'd whose fountaines have no other streames to yeeld . lord , what a heav'nly harmony was here when all these strings were thus in tune , and cleere ? heav'nly , indeed , for thou hadst set the keyes ; rare musick for an earthly paradise . again , besides this concord in his brest , which cannot be sufficiently exprest ; all things without him were at peace and stay'd , the lion , and the lamb together play'd , each creature did with other feed , and sleep ; and all to adam innocent as sheep . all these thou gav'st him freely to command , yea all the world as it did blooming stand : and bad'st him take , and eate , restraining none of all the dainties in the world , but one . and that was no restraint to him no doubt , his mind was so well satisfi'd without , he had not then that motion in him hidden to covet that most which is most forbidden . and in this state that adam might have stood , he had a power to have restrain'd that good : only thou mad'st his libertie so free that he might stand , or he might fall from thee . but adam , loe , he stood not long thus great , grac'd with a help too meet for his estate : but that the divell all his force imployd to worke upon the freedome man injoy'd . the serpent , sathan , lucifer that star which heavens had cast out in a holy war , thrown forth for ever to extend his pride at most no higher then the clouds do ride . who being downe into that chaos hurld , where out , at length , thou did'st create the world : and having fram'd that building by thy power ▪ plac'd man as chiefe upon its highest tower . this author both of envy and deceit , admiring adam in his matchlesse height ; his rancor did with boyling envy swell , he rais'd his powers and stratagems of hell , and joyn'd them all for a most deadly fight against poore adam , innocent and quiet . but recollecting , as it were , his course , of seising upon adam so by force ; perceiving adams happinesse did lye most in his soule , which death could not destroy , this deep imposter , and most subtill fiend dissembled malice , and would seem a friend , and sought by fair means so to take away those pearls in adam , force could not betray . he sought to eve first , but to adam by her , and tempted adam whiles he seem'd to try her ; his baite he unto eves acceptance laid , but eve consenting , adam was betray'd . for sathans fore-cast aym'd at this event that adam would give smiling eve content : and by that means to bring them both in thrall , made one a means to make the other fall : oh! fatall means , and fearfull too , alas , for by that means he brought his will to passe . the bait he proffer'd to obtaine his suit it was no lesse then the forbidden fruit , faire to the eye , and pleasing to the tast , but strong and deadly poyson to digest . the arguments he used to perswade were that they thereby should like gods be made , knowing both good , and evill ; which was true , in part , for they till then no evill knew . but adam tasting , by the divels art , that only fruit which thou hadst set apart , and told him if he tasted he should dye , though sathan did that certaine truth deny : adam did thereby instantly become a slave to sathan , subject to thy doome , and conscious of his sin , and therefore said he saw his nakednesse , and was afraid . afraid , indeed , afraid he well might be , made thus a bondslave , who before was free , and not alone to sathan , but to sin , to his affections now defil'd within , his senses , yea his soule became defil'd , and all the streames that issu'd thence were soyld . his understanding , which before was pure , became corrupted , earthly and obscure , his memory , a nursery of store , in which he treasur'd up contents before ; became a tedious register , wherin his conscience did torment him for his sin . his will , and his affections , which were just , became rebellious , and disorder'd lust : his heart , where innocencie sat as queen , became a cage of spirits most uncleane . yea every sence of his , which were before unto the palace of his soule a doore to keep in vertue , and to shut out sin , were then set ope to let that traytor in . which traytor , enter'd , struck with sin , as dead , the whole man from the feet unto the head ; who to thy foe thus being brought in thrall , lost both thy image , and himselfe withall : nay yet lost more , for by this cursed deed losing himselfe , he lost his wretched seed , he lost thy image , lost thy love , thy grace , he lost himselfe , his happinesse , and race . oh fearfull losse , and eke oh fearfull gain : thou wert depos'd , thy enemy did raigne ; thy image lost , the divell put on his ; heaven was exchang'd for hels most deep abysse . lord what a heavy , hidious change was here ? lord how did man then in thy sight appear ? lord with what patience couldst thou then abide to see the divell so in triumph ride ? or lord what pity in thy bowels boyl'd to see poore adam so for ever foyl'd ? to see poore adam thus undone by theft , thus of his jewells , of thy grace bereft , cast out by thee , of paradise below , and left unto the malice of his foe ? nay foes , indeed , and a most potent troup , the creatures all ; who were ordain'd to stoup at adams beck , now in rebellion rose , the elements they all became his foes , which were his friends , and all at peace before , the winds to rage , the sea began to roare , the fire to burn , and which of all is worst , the earth for his offence became accurst . oh! adam , adam , though we may refuse , as we are sons , our father to accuse , yet being wounded by thy deadly blow , we cannot but lament thy overthrow . hadst thou in tryall nor been over come , though we thy seed , who should succeed thy room , had fallen , our fall it had been small to thine , thy fall as head , hath tainted all thy line . thou art our head , and we thy members be , thou art condemned , how can we be free ? had but a member only fault bin a member only should have dy'd therein . but through the one , death raigned over all , death , by thy death , brought all to death in thrall , death temporall , that no mortall shall divert , death too eternall is our due desert . lord most immense in mercy , yet so pure thy sight can no polluted thing indure : how could thy mercy and thy justice meet in viewing adam thus from off his feet ? but how can we thy mysteries discusse whose wayes are so past finding out by us ? thou , in thy wisdome , it is so divine , couldst make thy mercy through thy justice shine . when thou , whose wayes cannot be understood , saw'st adam thus polluted in his blood , as , lord , thy justice did his sentence give of death , thy mercy said unto him , live . sure 't was the time of love when thou pass'd by , for adam only had deserv'd to dye , that justice did injoyne ; but live again , thy mercy only did that musicke strain . oh! heavenly musick , harmony most blest ; thus peace , and justice , truth , and mercy kist , justice by death thus satisfi'd in striving , mercy againe thus answer'd by reviving . but adams soule did first to sin consent , his body guilty as an instrument , could then the death of adams body serve , when adams soule did greatest death deserve ? no , no , alas , that cannot serve the turne , although the body should for ever burne in flames of hell it could not satisfie , thou hast pronounc'd the soule that sins shall dye . most gracious god , and great beyond conceit , how could poore adam beare this heavy weight , poore , feeble , fearfull , faint , and bending reed support a burden infinite indeed ? here was , indeed , the depth of miseries , adam must dye , but death would not suffice , his fact so foule , and infinite had bin death temp'rall could not expiate his sin . justice must yet be satisfi'd by dying , death temp'rall it could not be satisfying ; adam must therefore suffer death eternall , or rather live a death which is infernall . lord thus we finde , and make confession must thy wayes are right , our condemnation just ; we thus behold thy streams of justice flowing most justly to our utter overthrowing . but though thy justice seem'd to goe before , yet thou hadst mercy treasur'd up in store to free those slaves that adam brought in thrall , that so thou might'st have mercy upon all . well may we say love in thy bosome burn'd , and bowells in thee of compassion yern'd , how like a deare and most indulgent father , or like a melting hearted mother rather , who when her infant hath receiv'd some harmes then most bemoanes it in her tender armes . even so thy goodnes did thy love bewray in that thy mercy could not brook delay , but in the instant , whiles the wound did bleed , prescrib'd a plaister for the wounded seed . and mov'd with fury against adams foe , who like a serpent had betray'd him so , not only for the present curs'd him for 't but thence for ever made his chaine more short , and told that serpent that the womans seed which he had so much shaken in that reed that it should unto such a cedar grow as should infine his kingdome overthrow . oh! pretious promise drop'd from thine own pen , peace upon earth , and good will unto men , both oyle and wine to heale the wounded man drawn from that wounded good samaritan . oh pretious promise , by which adams wife , late of his death , becomes his means of life : oh pretious promise , and for ever sweet , by which divided heaven , and earth did meet : but lord what seed , what heavenly seed was this , whose promise only could afford such blisse ? seed heavenly ? yea seed wonderfull indeed , on which our fathers many years did feed to life , yea unto life eternall , while this seed , it seem'd was buried in the soyle . but when this promise should become fulfil'd lord what a harvest must this seed then yeeld ? but when this seed converteth into bread it must give life sure to the very dead : this did exceed the manna which was given : this was the bread that did come down from heaven , the bread of god , yea very god indeed ; thy selfe , oh lord , was promis'd in this seed ; a bread ordain'd before the world began to save the world , to give new life to man . and when the fulnesse of the time expir'd thou did'st fulfill what man had long desir'd , mad'st that appear in substance to be true which was before but shadow'd to the view . but oh thou wonder-working god above , whose justice thus but amplifies thy love , who but thy selfe could have by searching pry'd how mercy could have justice satisfi'd ? but who but thee could ever have been brought to work a wonder as this worke was wrought , that thou , whose justice did mans sentence give , shouldst , in thy mercy , die , that man might live ? and yet we do unto our comfort find thou , in thy mercy , wert to man thus kind , rather then mankind should for ever lie in chaines of death , the god of life would die . but , gratious god , how can this granted be , thou art a spirit , form corruption free , the fountain too of life it selfe ; how then canst thou be said to dye for sinfull men ? besides great god , if thou , as god , couldst dye , which thing we must for evermore deny : yet man from death could thereby not be free , for man hath sin'd , and man must punish'd be . oh i soule polluting deadly sinck of sin , that mankind should be so defil'd therein , that god himselfe , and only god remain , might not forgive , nor wash away the stain , no way but suffering would make full supplies , offended justice claim'd a sacrifice , man had no offering that would serve the turn : thou mightst not , but thy melting heart did yern . yern , lord indeed , to see hells raging fire , but sawst no sacrifice to thy desire : and yet , that man for ever might not burn , thou didst prepare a body for the turn . because that man no sacrifice could find , nor could thy godhead suffer in that kind : thou didst unite , by everlasting ties , thy selfe to man to be a sacrifice : thy second person and thy only son , begotten long before the world begun : who , scorning shame , through all the danger ran , tooke flesh upon him , and was found a man ; a perfect man , and perfect god likewise , and so became a perfect sacrifice . as man , for man he dy'd , and lay as slain , as god , he conquerd death , and rose again : a perfect man , without defect by sin ; a perfect god he had for ever bin : hid god-head , and his manhood both intire , yet joynd in one , one person we admire : by thy decree , he put out nature on , our nature thus , exceping sin alone ; and , living guiltlesse for himselfe therein , he dying , free'd the guilt of other men . but being guiltlesse , death was not his due ; indeed respecting of himselfe t is true : but he be came man onely to that end as free , to free men that by sin offend . but could the death of one suffice for all yes , such a one as we may truly call both god , and man , yea god , whose sacrifice all men , nay angells cannot equallize : if adam , but a creature , could so fall to bring all creatures of the world in thrall , sure the creating god , made man might free , all mankind fallen in a more full degree . a second adam thus is truly found to save the world the first in sin had drownd , that as by one man , all men guilty stood , even so by one man all might be made good . first adam falling , dy'd be cause he fell : the second standing , dy'd of his good will : a free will offering thus he freely gave , which by his free will had a power to save . a free will offering , lord , we truly say , for of thy selfe thou hadst no debt to pay , untill it pleas'd thee to assigne thy son to pay mans debt , whom sin had quite undon . dear god that thou shouldst bring thy selfe in debt , the greatnesse of it too should be no let , should'st binde thy selfe by promising a seed , when thou before wert absolutely freed , could not the greatnesse of the debt to pay those flames of love within thy breast alay ; when thou consider'st in thy deep fore-cast that it would cost thy dearest blould at last ? lord , what is man we still may aske of thee , that for his sake thou could'st thous moved be , that he which in thy bosome did remaine , should be a lambe from the beginning slaine ? these secrets sure were hid from adams eyes , had he knowne these he would have been more wise : but we , poore wretched we that with him fell , dp know , and yet we doe again rebell . we know , and doe acknowledge as we read , all this fulfill'd , which was before decree'd , that this eternall seed , thy son is come , by thee begotten in the virgins wombe , and by a way beyond our reach , became both god , and man , a lion , and a lambe . we know againe thy scriptures testifie how like a lambe he did both live and dye , how sinlesse , blamelesse , harmlesse , and demure he did the malice of the world indure : number'd with sinners , and yet free from spot , smitten of sinners , yet he threatned not , led as a sheep , did to the slaughter come , yet opened not his mouth , but was as dumbe . where , like a lambe , most innocent and free , to cleare the guilty , must condemned be , and to regaine our freedome by his losse , he by our sins was nayl'd unto the crosse : where wounded with those soul deep wounding spears instead of a distilling floods of tears : heaven was set open , and its fountaines ran with streams of bloud to wash polluted man . where like a lamb , once offer'd up for all , he drank not only vinegar and gall , but dranke that bitter cup , which doth therein , the vialls of thy vengeance due for sin . by drinking which he did asslwage thine ire ; he quench'd the flames of everlasting fire : and purchas'd heaven , to ●●●●●ate gaping hell : and all for mankind , out of meere good will . oh! worke of wonder , can our hearts not shake at this whereat the very earth did quake , the stones did rend , graves let out men that slept , the heavens above put out thelt lights , and wept ? we read again , when he thus like a lamb had finish'd that for which he hither came : how like a lion he began to wake , or how like sampson , he the cords did breake . and did assume his sacred corps again , as one returnd with conquest from the slain : who like a lion joy full of his prey , he having took the sting of death away , and made the grave a bed of sweet repose , he rould away the mightie stone and rose : and came and preach'd , by his new preaching birth , deliverance unto captive men on earth , yea in the earth ; his rising from the grave of all mens rising testimony gave . this lion now of iudas tribe , as man , having fulfild his priest here ; began to take his royall scepter in his hand , as king to rule , as god to kings command . but , lord , his body now was glorifi'd , he might no longer now on earth abide , his kingdome was not of this wotld not here , his seat so raigne was in a higher spheare ; he must to heav'n , into the throne of grace , the earth is but his foot-stoole , and too base . and having fully all thy law fulfil'd , made death , the divell , hell , and sin to yeeld , he did ride up triumphant in renown , after his conquest to receive his crowne : where thou hast crownd him with a crown more worth then all the richest diadems on earth ; with heaven it selfe , and earth besides , with all those higher circles , and this nether ball . and with this scepter in his hand , as fit , hast at thy right hand him in glory set , where he remains exalted , and as god , doth rule the wicked with an iron rod . but as he yet is god , and man , we read as man , he yet for man doth intercede to thee his father , shewing of the scars which he received in his hloody warres . and thus he hath a priest-hood yet on high , though not to suffer , yet to sanctifie all our oblations ; and his saving name the alter where thou wilt accept the same , together with his person , where is kept the forme of man into thy bosome crept . whose sacred body heavens must sure containe till in his body he shall come againe to judge the nations , at the judgement day , which judgement hastens , though we men delay ; where he will unbeleevers overthrow ; but on the faithfull he will heaven bestow , where they thence forward shall for ever stand with palmes of pleasure blooming in their hand . thus , lord , in part thou giv'st us leave to read not only what man is , but what , indeed , thou dost , and wilt doe for thy creature man , nay what thou didst before the world began . in reading which , although , unto our shame , our hearts remaine unmelted by this flame ; yet this thy love makes angells to admire : and sets besides , the divells most on fire . but gracious god , to most ungracious we thus good in a most infinite degree , do'st thou not dinde us to thy beck herein ? look'st thou for nothing from the sons of men ? shall we remaine as senslesse logs unmov'd , returning nothing who are so belov'd ? yes , doubtlesse yes , we are most strongly bound , the stronger too , the more thy love is found ; to yeeld thce something for these gracious tyes ; yea to doe something for our selves like wise . as thou for us hast offer'd up thy son , for us so acting all that might be done : so we are lincked by the selfe same chaine to offer up a sacrifice againe , our selves , our soules and bodies whiles we live to thee , who didst both soule and body give , to serve , to praise , to worship , feare , and love thee , as none made equall , much lesse plac'd above thee . thy love to us should make our love divine ; thy power should make us fear no power but thine : thou art our god , and therefore unto thee all divine worship must directed by : we are exalted , it were then a shame should we not magnifie thee for the same : thou hast made all things for the use of men , men for thy selfe , shall we not serve thee then ? that were too grosse , all creatures in their kinde unto thy beck are readily inclin'd : no creature like us are unto thee bound , and shall we worst of all the rest be found ? lord let thy grace prevent this foule defect , the creatures else , will witnesse our neglect . but yet we owe thee one thing more then they , although in all things faile with them to pay : and that is faith , which is a pearle more worth then all the pearles and jewels else on earth : a jewell which surpasseth humane art , a gem in which the angells have no part . we for our selves , and for that boundlesse store thou giv'st us here , do owe our selves and more , but for thy son , and for the joyes above we owe besides a faith which works by love . oh pretious faith , a fountaine long time seal'd , a hidden manna , treasure unreveal'd unto the world for many hundred years , at least wise as it unto us appears , who do injoy the object of our faith made manifest , as holy scripture saith . indeed our fathers saw this day , 't is ture , and what they saw , they did rejoyce to view ; yet only through thy promises , whereby they did but , as it were , far off discry , or yet more darkly as behinde a vaile , in types , and shadowes , which were things to fail . yet being faith , though weak , it did suffice , thou bearing with the weaknesse of their eyes ; thou didst accept of that which made them glad because the light was yet but dim they had . for till thy son came , it i may so speak , faith was an infant , and his sight but weak : and heaven but as a shop shut up to men , it's windowes were not halfe set open then ; nay thou hadst very little knowledge given for many ages of the name of heaven ; the resurrection , and the world to come ▪ these secrets were but shadowed out to some . these thou kept'st close as under lock and key , reserved mysteries , clouded in on high , untill thy son , that day star did draw nigh , from whom some day did by degrees appear ; by sending of thy prophets to bewray , like cocks by crowing , a succeeding day . especially that prophet who begun to crow immediatly before thy son , john baptist , who at breake of day was sent to give the world a warning to repent , and in the mercy , let men understand the kingdome , yea of heaven was then at hand . yea heaven it selfe was then set open wide , and all those types and figures verifi'd which were as vailes before thy highest frame , which shadowes vanish'd when that substance came , that angel of thy covenant of light , whose presence is a banishment of night . who comming in thy purest brightnesse down , our clouded orbes , with heavenly rayes to crown , he brought thy secret lanthorn in his hand , the gospel , through which light we understand the very secrets in thy court above , yea in thy bosome , in that seat of love . and by this lanthorne which is so divine that in the same thy very face doth shine , he plainly shew'd us all that boundlesse treasure , that well of life , and streams of endlesse pleasure , which heaven hath stor'd up , and to us made clear that he had bought them at a rate full dear , and doth reserve them only to bestow , upon conditions , upon us below . but what conditions doth he then require for saving mankinde from eternall fire ? but what conditions doth he then enjoyne for purchasing a kingdome so divine ? sure had he ty'd us to remaine in hell a thousand yeares for this , it had been well if we had then been crown'd with such a pay : but see his love , who doth but only say you sonnes of men beleeve in me and live . oh sonnes of men what lesser can we give the law impos'd a heavy yoake on men , and then said do the same and live therein : but loe i thy selfe , lord , who the law didst give , sayst by thy son , now but beleeve and live . lord , what is man now better then before , that thou hast heap'd such mercies up in store ? for us poore creatures , or to speak more true , dost mercies to us every age renue . at first thou gav'st us all this world , t is truth , and when this world did flourish in its youth : thou now hast given us with the same , thy son , thy selfe , and all that thou in heaven hast done : all which by faith we claym our owne , whiles here , but what we shall be doth not yet appears . great god , thy mercyes are thy selfe no doubt , most infinitly past all finding out , to us poore silly wretched sinfull men , who are as bad as ever we have been . but what is faith , lord , which thou dost thus palce between us , and thy covenant of grace , as the condition whereupon doth rest all our assurance , lord , of what thou hast ? can our beleife most glorifie thy name ? or wilt thou be best pleased in the same ? sure that is it , t is of thy meere good will which thou extend'st unto us wretches still . thou by our faith canst not advantag'd be , we by beleeving are inrich'd , not thee : thou hast no need that sacrifice be slaine , but that the blood should wash away our stain . indeed by faith we set to , as is due , our seales to witnesse that thy word is true , but all the praise , or profit else redound from our beleeving , on our heads rebound : we do beleeve because it is thy will , but by beleeving our desires fulfill : what thou commandest ought to be fulfild , but we obeying conquer whiles we yeeld . most gratious god , what lord is like to thee , whose laws give life , and whose commands make free ? well my we to thy statutes have regard in keeping which there is such great reward : and yet in all thy just commands injoynd , this one of all , we do most easie find , which is our faith , yet this , of all the rest , most richly crownes us , and doth please thee best . dear faith , how deep are thy foundations laid ? most glorious things may well of thee be said , could we but in thy nature perfect prove the highest mountaines at our beck would move : through thee we see our sines are wash'd away , to thee the very powers of sin obey , by thee we are made heires of things above , yea have an intrest in the god of love , and mounted on the sublime wings , we fly with boldnesse to the throne of grace on high . the fire , and faith agree in these respects , the fire hath heat , and faith hath its effects ; only the heat doth from the fire proceed , even so from faith do other graces breed . faith then is mother of each other grace , those not borne of her are but brats of base , for till that faith doth sanctifie our hearts our highest vertues are but morall parts . faith , lord , is then thy stampe upon the coyn to make it currant , and acknowledg'd thine , upon our graces , wherein thou dost read the very image of thy selfe indeed . lord melt our hearts then , which are else but flint , that this thy stamp may therein leave thy print , and make the working luster of it bright , for we can know it by no other light . for as some pretious roots within the ground can not , or can be very hardly found but only when the springtime doth declare their secret lodgings by the fruit thy beare . so faith , that plant , implanted in our soules , growes so concealed from our sight , like moules , that we want knowledge to discern that root but by the branches , and the fruits that sproot . faith then we must have or we must lose all , a living faith too , or else die we shall , faiths life appeareth by the fruit it beares , it fruit appeareth , being grain not tares . o pretious fruit , may that in us be found , we have no cause then to suspect the ground : only it doth belong to us to weed and cast out all that may offend the seed . conscience wounded with sin . psalme 38. mine iniquities are gone over mine head , as an heavy burthen , too heavy for me , verse . 4. my wounds stinck and are corrupt , because of my foolishnesse . verse 5. i am troubled , i am bowed downe greatly , i goe mourning all the day long . verse . 6. for my loynes are full with a loathsome disease , and there is no sound part in my flesh . verse 7. i am feeble and sore broken , i have roared because of the disquietnesse of my heart . verse 7. oyle , and wine powred in . psalme , 42. vvhy art thou so cast down , oh my soule , and why art thou so disquieted within me ? hope thou in god . psalme , 103. the lord is mercifull and gratious , slow to anger , and plentious in goodnesse . verse 8. he will not alwaies chide , neither will he keepe his anger for ever . verse 9. like as a father pittieth his children , so the lord pittieth them that feare him . verse 13. for hee knoweth our frame , he remembreth we are but dust . verse 14. desires of aid . thou good samaritan , thou god of art , good by thy readynesse , god by thy skill , in powring oyle , and wine into the heart that sin hath wounded ; oh direct my quill that in that best experience , sence of feeling , i may discover both to wound , and healing . we are the wounded travellers indeed , but thou art wounded with compassion more ; our wounds do make thy wounded heart to bleed ; thy blood applyd doth he ale our bleeding sore : oh pretious balme ! oh let it be applyd , and let my hand be , by thy help , a guide . the conscience wounded with sin . oh , my mine iniquities my sin , my sin , too heavy for me , oh i sinck therein , it doth go over as it were my head : intolerable burden , no such lead : my wounds are putrifi'd , corrupt and stinck , my foolishnesse is such ; my teares i drink : troubl'd and pressed with the weight i beare , all the day mourning , never free from care ; my loynes are fil'd with loathsomnesse , besides there is no soundnesse in my flesh abides : my conscience roares within me , and the smart torments me with the anguish of my heart . oyle , and wine powred in . but why art thou thus cast down , oh my soule ? why dost thou not those fearfull doubts controull ? why art thou thus disquieted in my brest ? oh , trust in god , returne unto thy rest the lord , the lord , is mercifull and kind , most slow to wrath , and to forgive inclin'd ; although offended , doth not alwaies chide , his anger doth but for a space abide . like a most tender father to his childe , so is he pitifull , and much more milde ; for he considers where our frailty lyes , and therefore bears with our infirmities . the authors epigram . conscience , oh conscience how comes this to passe ? canst thou be wounded , and yet arm'd in brasse ? yea in a habit far more hard then steel , a conscience seared hath no sense to feel . but can sin wound thus , hath it such a dart , yea wound thus deeply , pricking at the heart ? oh cruell weapon , can it thus indent through brasse , through steel , yea through this adamant ? and yet sin works not thus upon the soule that it would conscience in the act controll , but rather rocks the conscience most asleep when , like an aspe , it makes the wound most deep . then , there is nothing can do conscience good till it be sprinkled with dissolving blood ; but then each motion that doth sin apply doth wound the conscience and doth terrifie . the conscience wounded with sin . alas , alas , the soule that sinsmust die , so scriptures tell me , can the scriptures lie ? no , no , the scriptures never can be broken no word shall fail that is in scripture spoken . oh , then what comfort can remaine for me , how scapes my soule , my sinfull soule then free ? for i have sin'd , and sin to death betraies , death is the wages that hard master payes . inviolable word of god herein , most miserable wretch that i did sin : most wretched slave that such a master hath : most cruell wages , oh eternall death . oyle , and wine powred in . vvhy will you dye ? thus doth our father call , when i delight not in your death at all ? why will you dye then ? oh returne and live , i pardon sin , and freely doe forgive , my mercies please me , i delight remorse ; but justice comes forth by constraint and force . beleeve and live , this god the son hath brought us : and by his death , from death eternall bought us : he paid our ransome , and doth to us cry he that beleeves in me shall never dye : he trode the winepresse of that bitter grape , and drank the dregs off , that we might escape . the authors epigram . the soule that sins shall dye , so scripture saith , and scripture is our evidence of faith ; againe the scripture evidence doth give that such a soule as doth beleeve shall live . is then beleeving in our saviour dying ? or is his death made our death by applying ? how can the scriptures here be reconcil'd , can we both save the parent , and the childs ? surely gods justice must be fully pay'd , but see gods mercy how the debt is laid , man is ingaged , man is quite undone , god , to redeem man , layes to pawne his son . but man hath sin'd , can god then satisfie ? yes , god for man doth become man and dye , whose guiltlesse death to guilty man apply'd is more then if that all the world had dy'd . the conscience wounded with sin . but yet i am not satisfy'd , alas my soule hath sin'd , how can it come to passe anothers soule should set my soule then free , what can anothers death be unto me ? when scripture doth directly testifie the soule that sins , that very soule shall die ? besides , my sins they are exceeding great , nay more , i feare my sins are desp'rate , i have been such an enemy to heaven that i suspect i cannot be forgiven , i faine would beare up , but this beats me downe , this milstone sincks me , oh it makes me drown . oyle , and wine powred in . by the first adam all are bound to dye ; what there was lost , the second doth supply : in the first adam soule and body slain : but in the second both made live again : for in our whole man christ hath fully paid what can be unto soule or body laid . can then the greatnesse of mans sinning let when god himselfe hath undertooke the debt ? no , be the bill ingaging us most large , yet , having faith , we need not fear discharge : for as in adam all condemned be even so in christ are all by faith made free . the authors epigram . old adam falling all men fell therein ▪ because that all men were in adam then : christ our new adam , to renue old man , within our natures a new birth began . by which new birth we are new borne indeed , we in this nature , are new adams seed , begotten in him as the scripture saith in him we live , we move , and dwell by faith . by faith , indeed , for without faith we dye , within this field doth all our treasure lye . through adams sin we by descent are slaine : but through new birth we live in christ again : besides , in christ we were condemn'd and dy'd , he in our whole man all our wants supply'd . nor yet is justice in this nature crost if one man saves , as much as one man lost . the conscience wounded with sin . but oh , my conscience is not yet at rest , sin yet doth wound me , it doth yet molest : what though it were so that all mankinde be by christ from sin originall set free , and so our second adam doth rest ore what our first adam set upon our score ? alas , this cannot conscience free from care : i have a load of actuall sin to beare ; what though i once were drest in cleane attire ? i have return'd to wallowing in the mire : my actuall sin is more then adams curse , condemnes more strongly , and torments me worse . oyle , and wine powred in . misguided conscience be informed better , our father adam was a greater debter ; as he was guilty of our root of sin , so of the branches that take life therein , that , were his score not by another paid , all sin might justly to his charge be laid . even so our second adam hath made good all whatsoever can be understood was lost in adam , and hath charged bin both with the root and branches of our sin : and given for all sin a discharge , although all sinners have not their discharge to show . the authors epigram . oh subtill serpent , how could he invent one should be charg'd with all mens punishment , and yet not one man thereby have redresse , alas , not one mans punishment the lesse . but loving father who hast sent thy son to undoe all this hatefull foe hath done , thy wisdome doth his subtilty exceed , making him only guilty , mankinde freed . freed by the freedome that thy son hath wrought ; the price whereby he hath our freedom bought is sure sufficient fully to acquit all sin in mankinde , mankinde can commit . the reason then that any man is lost is not the want of a redeeming cost , but only the redeemed are too blame not getting their assurance of the same . the conscience wounded with sin . doth christ discharge this debt that man did owe , oh blessed christ , but on condition though , though christ be in this obligation ty'd yet t is but on conditions on our side , it we performe not the condition then the bond is void , and we are undone men . what is it then to me though christ be bound if the condition be not in me found ? oh what is this condition ? i am fraile , i feare i shall in this condition fail ; my conscience tells me i am still ingag'd , how shall my conscience be herein aflwag'd ? oyle , and wine powred in . blest christ indeed , we may most truly say , thus bound for us so great a debt to pay , yet on our part so little doth require , and yet that little likewise doth inspire , sure sweet condition , easie to fulfill where meanes doth furnish to discharge the bill . easie , indeed , what can more easie be then to beleeve that christ hath set us free ? and yet as easie as it is we find this our condition doth no harder bind ; nay he that binds us in this golden chain doth give the thing too he requires again . the authors epigram . oh blessed saviour what couldst thou do more , who to inrich us mad'st thy selfe as poore ? and to requite thee , whence the milions came that did redeeme us , ●ost accept a dram . and yet that dram too which thou dost demand drop'd from thy fountain , falls into our hand , thou hast not only easie payment set , but fillst our purses to discharge the debt . oh froward mankind , shall we fooles then gr●●●● to pay so little , to receive so much ? shall we make forset , all we have betray because we will not a poore homage pay ? faith is but as our fealtie here done to hold our right by in our fathers son , in christ who is our purchaser from thrall , our right , our portion , righteousnesse and all . the conscience wounded with sin . oh blessed faith , art thou with god so great , doth he esteeme thee at so dear a rate ? but wretched i then , and of all too blame who have been so respectlesse of the same that i , poore earthworm , never understood this heavenly jemme , or how it should do good . alas i thought it but a fruitlesse grace which idle christians only did imbrace , i could no beauty in this rachel see . but blear-eyd lea seem'd as fair to me : and therefore it is justly me injoynd if i , for faith now , do meer fancie find . oyle , and wine powred in . the slighting faith we must a fault confesse , but if it be through ignorance the lesse , god winks at times of darknesse , though indeed , we are not thereby absolutely free'd : but when the glorious sun-shine doth apear what can excuse us if we see not cleer ? no just excuse can here excusing be , and yet the sun we often clouded see . so though our sun hath chas'd our night away . yet we have cloudes still to obscure our day , our cloud of folly makes our faith retire ; yet find we smoke though it do argue fire . the authors epigram . three clouds on mankind do like mists benight , and keep some blinded in the very light , first ignorance , then carelesnesse , the third is obstinatly to reject the word , the first is most excusable of all : the second binding to a harder thrall : the third exceeds all , and is sinfull most , if not the sin against the holy ghost . where meanes is wanting saving faith to find we must not judge there though they yet be blind ▪ for god elects , and then doth faith foresee , else how could fooles and infants saved be ? againe , some loyter while they have the day , and yet ere night do labour , and have pay : but such as in the vineyard , being pray'd , will never labour , shall be never paid . the conscience wounded with sin . but wretched i , what can i doe herein ? how can i labour , i am dead in sin , can dead men work ? i hear indeed the call , but can but hear it , cannot work at all , no worke but dead works , god doth such despise , he doth delight a living sacrifice . i doe confesse i faine would work indeed , fain would believe , i fain would learn that creed ; but oh my sins , my sins are in the way my sins doe still my confidence betray ; i faine would faith unto my selfe assume , but sin prevents me , tells me i presume . oyle , and wine powred in . faith is , t is true , the gift of god we read , god doth both worke the will , and eke the deed : faith in this nature is an easie taske , we can doe nothing for the same but aske ; the only labour now impos'd on man is to discerne , and cherish faith began . is faith gods gift ? then let us beat up still , he can bestow that dowry when he will , nay faith already may infused be though scarce discerned in a small degree : then , though we build not castles in the ayre , yet we , of all things , are not to despair . the authors epigram . as faith doth point at things yet unreveal'd , so faith it selfe lyes in it selfe conceal'd . and may be long time in the heart , no doubt , before we truly finde that sewell out . besides our sins doe much obscure that light , and cast a mist before our feeble sight , yea every sin , when faith would else aspire , doth helpe to keep down , if not quench that fire . sin is , indeed , faiths enemy profest , and the more sin , the more is faith supprest ; but when that faith doth once by force command , sin then doth yeeld , faith gets the upper hand , faith for a time , may as it were obey , but in the end faith alwaies gets the day ; and as faith prospers , by degrees gets strength ▪ so sin growes feeble , pines , and dyes at length . conscience wounded with sin . but must sin dye , and by degrees surcease where faith doth live , as faith doth force increase ? oh wretched creature i how shall i do then ? i feel , alas , no death , but life of sin , sin strives as much as ever heretofore , or rather strugles in my bosome more . i doe confesse i feel my soule distrest , and faine would feel fin in my soule supprest : but when i labour to restrain the same it growes inraged , is the worse to tame , oh sad condition , oh my soule sincks here . are there no other signs of faith appear ? oyle , and wine powred in . no signes but such , and yet soule sinck not though , sin must be kill'd but dyes not at one blow : sin in our natures will us battell give , though dying , whiles we doe in nature live ; but sin is , mostly , sure most wounded when it flies on conscience , most tormenteth men . are then our conscience , through our sins unquiet ? sin then , and faith sure are in us at sight ; if sin within us no resistance found , sin in our conscience would delight , not wound . and thus by signes we secret faith may see which without signes cannot discerned be . the authors epigram . faith is , indeed , our tree of life below , which tree we only by the fruit can know : would we know then if we have faith , or no , the root lies hid , we to the fruit must goe . the fruits are feeling first sins wounding dart , next a compunction in the wounded heart ; from whence proceeds a diligence with speed to get a balsome for these wounds that bleed . the other fruits that fruitfull faith doth beare are ever after to be arm'd with care , with zeale , and wisdome to resist that foe who , at advantage , had deluded so . from whence proceeds a hatred unto sin , desire of vertue , and delight therein , all mens endeavouring that my aid supply to make faith lively , and make sin to dye . the conscience wounded with sin . oh blessed faith ! art thou the root indeed ? oh would i could with blessed job then read thee grounded in me : springs doe testifie , though through high mountains , that they have supply ; the fountaine will be falling : and the root it will be rising , forth will branches shoot . i feele , indeed , some drops of vertue flow , and beare some leaves too , which doe make a show : but oh my conscience cannot so be quiet , such signes are frequent in the hypocrite : but sin dissembled under grace is worst , the tree which beares but only leaves is curst . oyle , and wine powred in . faith is the fountaine whence all graces flow , faith is the root whereon those branches grow , and faith gives life , though it may lye as hid , to all our actions , or they else are dead : for christ , in whom all fulnesse doth excell , if we have faith , by faith doth in us dwell . whether our actions though be leaves , or fruit none but our conscience truly can dispute , whether the action from the heart proceeds none but the conscience that rare language reads : but when the conscience hath true knowledge gain'd , that then is fruit which conscience finds unfain'd . the authors epigram . misguided mankinde , whither have we gone to set up merit in our makers throne ? faith is in christ , and christ in faith , why then disdaine we faith , adore the works of men ? sin is the old man , wretched and for lorne , begot in adam , in our natures borne . christ is the new man , by a second birth , through faith conceived , and by grace brought forth . grace flowes from faith , and faith in christ began both those united make but one new man , and then most blest , and not till then we are , when in our soules we feele this infant stir . would we then prove this new man to be ours , we sure must prove it by renewing powers , we must be new men , must have new desires , new strength , new life , new flames of sacred fires . the conscience wounded with sin . but is it certain as this tenet saith , hath each man in him , that hath saving faith . such a new creature as is christ indeed ? then which way shall we those same scriptures read christ is ascended into heaven : again the heavens must hold him , yet must him contain ? but if it be so that this new man must abide in all men that by faith are just , oh then i feare me i am barren still , or faith is in me yet but in the shell : i find some motions now and then , indeed , but prove but motions , nothing doth proceed . oyle , and wine powred in . vvhere faith is christ is , it must needs be so , the spring doth alwayes from the fountain goe christ is the fountain , faith the spring distild , we with the fountain , by the spring are fild : besides the scriptures in this case are rife . is christ not in us , we have then no life . but life , we know , admits degrees therein , so life of faith , as sound , or sick of sin : diseases do the strength of nature breake ; if sin distempers , faith is sick or weake : but sure so long as motion doth remain there yet is life , and may be health again . the authors epigram . bvt in what nature , if you aske of me can christ , that new man , in us dwelling be ? sure chiefly as he is a god to guide ; as he is man he doth in heaven abide . yet in our natures what he did below doth from his fountaine , to our cisterns flow : as he is god , his presence we possesse , as he is man , we doe by faith no lesse . as man , he did the debt of mankinde pay . as god , he purchas'd man a heavenly stay : but both made ours by imputation , when faith , the condition , he perform'd in man . our debt is paid then , and our purchase bought , our father for us nothing left unwrought : only on our part the condition runs , believe in christ , and be imputed sons . blest imputation , and condition sweet : blest creature where these relatives do meet . the conscience wounded with sin . all saving faith , yet without saving power but as it clayms christ for a saviour . but here i sigh , alas , my sight is blinde , faith is a secret lyes full deep to finde , nothing but signes and its effects appear , my sight may quickly be deceived here . leaves may delude , though they he fresh and green , fruit hath been wanting where such leaves were seen . indeed my heart doth proffer me this bait that my endeavours are without deceit ; but here i tremble , i am fore afraid my conscience should be by my heart betray'd . oyle , and wine powred in . the heart of man , unsanctifi'd , t is sure is above all decei●full and impure : but such a heart as doth in sin delight awakes not conscience , but would keep it quiet ; if then the conscience be afraid to sin faith , out of question , did that fear begin . the hypocrite doth all he does for shew : the man sincere doth no such trumpet blow : doth sin in secret then the soule afright ? doth prayer in secret give the soule delight ? are all good duties in the doing sweet ? then doubtlesse faith gives motion to those feet . the authors epigram . all holy duties then we must frequent , faith , to our knowledge hath no other vent , those are the fruits of fruitfull faith : then where those fruits appear not , how can faith be there ? necessity is there upon us laid to us good duties , faith is else betray'd : we must be zealous both to heare and pray : how dare some then cast blocks in such away ? zealous , indeed , what ever else is done is but like empty shadowes of the sun , empty indeed , and when we come to try them they prove like smoake , we finde no comfort by them . then in good duties we must labour still , to draw some matter from them that may fill , some sweetnesse , and some comfort in them finde , or else we vainly do but beat the winde , and yet we must good duties do , although we yet finde nothing in the same but show . because god hath appointed them a way through which , like conduits , he doth grace convay . finis . the rise, growth, and danger of socinianisme together with a plaine discovery of a desperate designe of corrupting the protestant religion, whereby it appeares that the religion which hath been so violently contended for (by the archbishop of canterbury and his adherents) is not the true pure protestant religion, but an hotchpotch of arminianisme, socinianisme and popery : it is likewise made evident, that the atheists, anabaptists, and sectaries so much complained of, have been raised or encouraged by the doctrines and practises of the arminian, socinian and popish party / by fr. cheynell ... cheynell, francis, 1608-1665. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a32802 of text r16168 in the english short title catalog (wing c3815). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 247 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 44 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a32802 wing c3815 estc r16168 11732271 ocm 11732271 48402 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a32802) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 48402) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 21:7 or 245:e103, no 14) the rise, growth, and danger of socinianisme together with a plaine discovery of a desperate designe of corrupting the protestant religion, whereby it appeares that the religion which hath been so violently contended for (by the archbishop of canterbury and his adherents) is not the true pure protestant religion, but an hotchpotch of arminianisme, socinianisme and popery : it is likewise made evident, that the atheists, anabaptists, and sectaries so much complained of, have been raised or encouraged by the doctrines and practises of the arminian, socinian and popish party / by fr. cheynell ... cheynell, francis, 1608-1665. [8], 75 [i.e.79] p. printed for samuel gellibrand ..., london : 1643. pages 74-75, 78-79 numbered 70-71, 74-75 respectively. errata: p. [79]. reproduction of original in thomason collection, british library. eng socinianism. arminianism. atheism. anabaptists. a32802 r16168 (wing c3815). civilwar no the rise, growth, and danger of socinianisme· together with a plaine discovery of a desperate designe of corrupting the protestant religion, cheynell, francis 1643 42809 280 235 0 0 0 0 120 f the rate of 120 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the f category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2004-04 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-04 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2004-06 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2004-06 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the rise , growth , and danger of socinianisme . together with a plaine discovery of a desperate designe of corrupting the protestant religion , whereby it appeares that the religion which hath been so violently contended for ( by the archbishop of canterbury and his adherents ) is not the true pure protestant religion , but an hotchpotch of arminianisme , socinianisme and popery . it is likewise made evident , that the atheists , anabaptists , and sectaries so much complained of , have been raised or encouraged by the doctrines and practises of the arminian , socinian and popish party . by fr. cheynell late fellow of merton college . vt judai olim volebant audire populus domini cùm essent non populus , osc. 1. 9. jactabant patrem abraham cùm essent ex diabolo , job . 8. 44. sic sociniani quoque titulum christianorum sibi arrogant , & fratres nostri spirituales haberi petunt , cùm unum nobiscum patrem deum trin-unum minimè agnoscant . vide d. stegman . photinianism . disp. 1. p. 4. 5. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , inquit philosophus ; parum itaque rationales sunt sociniani qui deteriora sequuntur . london , printed for samuel gellibrand , at the brazen serpent in pauls church-yard . 1643. to the right honovrable the lord viscount say and seale , &c. peace . noble sir , learned casaubon assures me that when the greek fathers wrote to a wicked man they were wont to salute him with that apostolicall benediction , grace be unto you : but when they wrote to a religious man they used the ordinary hebraisme , peace be unto you , because peace doth suppose grace , and doth comprehend all outward blessings . i am sure your very enemies gave you this testimony at oxford , that you were a man of peace , but as it followes in the psalme , when you spake for peace they were for warre . psalme 120. 7. all that your honour desired was , that ( as it became gowned men ) they would take up their bookes , and lay down their armes ; that they would not protect delinquents any longer , but yeeld them up to a legall tryall . you desired that nothing might be tumultuously attempted , but all things orderly reformed . you engaged your honour to them that what plate you found in places fit for plate , the treasury or the buttery should remaine untouched , and most societies engaged themselves by a solemne promise , that they would never give their consent that their plate should be put to any other use then what was sutable and according to their oath , and the intention of the donours , their successors having in all these respects as great an interest in the plate as themselves ; nay they generally confessed that they had no more power to aliene their plate then their lands . in confidence of their promise you told them you did leave their plate in their owne custody , which otherwise you would have secured , and in confidence of your honours promise they brought forth their plate , and made publique use of it , even whilest the souldiers were in towne ▪ your lordship found the university ( as the reverend doctours had left it ) groaning under a kinde of anarchy ; for it was thought fit by the round-house , that the university should be dissolved , and every man left to doe what seemed good in his owne eyes . it was suggested by a doctor well read in politiques , that if they did not dissolve the university , the parliament would dissolve it ▪ but your honour made it appear how much you did abhorre an anarchy , and honour the vniversity ; you assembled those few governours of private colledges which were at home , and the substitutes of all that were absent , you consulted them how the vniversity might be put into its right posture : you assured them that it was not the intent of the parliament to change the government or infringe the liberties of the vniversity , & that though the new statutes were justly complained of , yet you conceived it fit that the vniversity should for the present be governed by lawes that were none of the best , rather then left quite without rule , or government ; they all confessed that you behaved your selfe more like a chauncellour then a souldier , for the vniversity was not over-awed by a garrison , or over-ruled by a councell of warre . you did not impose any taxes upon the university , you did not go about to perswade them that guns were mathematicall instruments , and therefore they might buy guns with that very money which was bequeathed and set apart for mathematicall instruments ; you did not importune any scholars to list themselves in your regiment , nor did you desire that doctours would turne commanders , or that any commanders should be created doctours , or boyes created masters , lest there might be an anarchy even in convocation by such a premeditated confusion ; and yet such counsells and practises have been suggested by some , that are none of the meanest ranke . when i was commanded by speciall warrant to attend your honour , ( deputed by both houses of parliament for the service of king and parliament to settle peace and truth in the vniversity of oxford , and to reduce the said vniversity to its ancient order , right discipline , and to restore it to its former priviledges and liberties ) there was notice given of a pestilent book very prejudiciall both to truth and peace , and upon search made , the book was found in the chamber of mr. webberly , who had translated this socinian master-peece into english for his own private use , as he pretended ; to which vain excuse i replyed that i made no question but he understood the book in latine , and therefore had he intended it only for his own private use , he might have saved the paines of translating it . besides the frontispice of the book under mr. webberlies own hand did testify to his face that it was translated into english for the benesit of this nation . moreover there was an epistle to the reader prefixed before the booke ; ( i never heard of any man yet that wrote an epistle to himselfe ) and therefore sure he intended to print it . finally , he submits all to the consideration of these times of reformation , and the reformers have thought fit that it should be answered and published . i desired at the first intimation to decline the service , because it were better to confute socinianisme in latine ; but i have since considered that 1. the opinions of abailardus , servetus , socinus , are already published in english in a book entitled mr. wo●●ns defence against mr. walker , and therefore if this treatise had been suppressed , their opinions would not be unknown , for they are already divulged . 2. the opinions being published in english without a confutation , it is very requisite that there should be some refutation of the errours published also , for it is not fit that a bedlam should go● abroad without a keeper . 3. if there be but just suspition of a designe to introduce damnable heresies , it is requisite that the grounds of suspition should be manifested , especially if it be such a pestilent heresy a●socinianisme is ( which corrupts the very vitalls of church and state ) it is fit the heresy should be early discovered left both church and state be ruined by it . 4. the parliament is much blamed for imprisoning the translatour without cause : and it is much wondered at that his chamber should be searched by officers : now the cause of both will appear . the translatour and his work were so famous that there was notice given of his good service intended to this nation , upon notice given there was a search made , now upon search made the book being found , and the translatour apprehended , the parliament is rather guilty of his release then of his imprisonment . 5. the translatour cannot complain of the publishing of it , because ( as hath been shewn ) he himself intended to publish it , he submits all to these times of reformation , and so doe i , let the reformers judge . this book belongs to your honour , because it is but a prodromus or fore-runner to make way for a full answer to master webberlies translation , and therefore i present it to you , not only because master webberlies book was seised on by your lordships warrant ; but because i know your honour hath ever patronized the true protestant religion , for protestants doe not place religion in shadowes and ceremonies ; and because you justly abhorre all superstitious rites , whether old or new , all judicious men will esteem you the stricter protestant . that you may testify your dislike of schisme as well as heresy , you have discovered and refuted the uncharitable and bitter errour of the brownists . you have studied nazianzens law of martyrdome , neither to seek nor fear danger ; the first would be rashnesse , and the second cowardlinesse . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . you are not of the sect of the elcesaites whereas eusebius and augustine testify ) taught men to deny the faith in time of persecution , and yet to keep it still in their heart , forgetting that of the apostle , that with the heart man beleeves unto righteousnesse , but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation . rom. 10. 10. you have learnt to be a good christian , and therefore a good subject ; conscience will bind you to obedience , and no other bond will hold men close to their duty ( to that allegiance which is due by the law of god and the land both ) in these treacherous times . it was the wisedome of that famous emperour to banish all renegado's from his court , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , as traytours against god himselfe , for he considered that they who betrayed god for feare , would not stick to betray their prince for gain . i dare say that you are the kings sworne servant , and all men say that in your place you doe advance the kings income to the highest , nay some have been bold to say that you have lesse care of the subjects profit , then of the kings . your devotions speak you a royalist , none prayes more heartily for the king ; it is your iudgement that the kingdome cannot be preserved without an union between the three estates by which the kingdome is governed , and if you might have been heard you would have petitioned , and sollicited for an happy union between king and parliament , only you conceive that an union between a court of justice and capitall delinquents , is intolerable , and an happy union between protestants and papists altogether impossible : we cannot forget how many leagues the papists broke in 6. yeares space ; i reckon from 1572. to 1588. wise homer and witty aristophanes were both in good earnest when they said that no man that had either wealth or innocence could delight in civill warre , and aristophanes shewed himselfe as good a statesman as a poet in his sweet lines of peace , where he advises all men to beware how they enter into a league of peace with men that are unpeaceable ; and sure delinquents and papists are none of the trustiest or meekest men ; what ( saith he ) shall gulls confide in foxes ? {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the papists will certainly count us protestants gulls indeed ( well we may be as innocent as doves , but we are as simple as gulls ) if we confide in jesuited foxes ; let the woolfe and the sheep be first married , and see how they agree : let us try whether we can make a crabbe goe streight forward , or make a hedge-hog smooth . — {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , &c. if we say to the pope as the men of jabesh said to nahash , make a covenant with us and we will serve thee , the pope will answer like nahash the ammonite , on this condition will i make a covenant with you , that i may thrust out all your right eyes , and lay it as a reproach upon all england , all israel , all the reformed churches , 1 sam. 11. 1 , 2. if wee have lost our eyes already , let us be avenged on the philistines ; the lord strengthen us , as sampson said , that we may overthrow the pillars upon which rome stands , so shall we be avenged of the romane philistines for both our eyes . judges 16. 28. but there are other philistines namely arminian and socinian philistines , by which church and state are much endangered , and it is the businesse now in hand to lay open their mystery of iniquity to the publique view . wee may say to these pestilent heretiques as well as to malignant statesmen , ita nati estis ut mala vestra ad rempub. pertineant ; for there are no greater statesmen in the world then the english arminians , and popish socinians ; for such monsters hath england nourished as are not to be found in all africa . herod and pilate , the romane and the racovian antichrist , are made friends in england , all the grand-malignants , arminians , papists , and socinians are of one confederacy , all united under one head the arch-bishop of canterbury , the patriarch or pope of this british world , alterius orbis papa as his brother-pope hath given him leave to phrase it , because he saw the arch-bishop too proud to acknowledge his supremacy , but forward enough to maintain any other point of popery , & ready to joyn with him to suppresse all pure protestants . if this design take effect , there may wel be a reconciliation professed & established between rome and canterbury , the two popes may divide the spoile of the church betweene them if they can but agree at parting . whether some have not endeavoured to make such a reconciliation ; whether all points of popery almost have not been greedily embraced in england , and that of the popes supremacy only rejected , more out of pride then conscience , let the prudent judge , they have light and evidence enough , and new evidence is dayly produced . the lord unite the king and parliament , that truth and iustice , piety and peace may be established in our dayes : so prayes aprill , 18. 1643. your lordships humble servant , fr. cheynelz . it is ordered this eighteenth day of aprill , 1643. by the committee of the house of commons in parliament concerning printing , that this book intit●led the rise , growth , and danger of socinianisme , &c. be printed . iohn white . chap. i. of the rise of socinianisme . the socinians have raked many sinkes , and dunghils for those ragges and that filth , wherewith they have patched up and defiled that leprous body which they account a compleat body of pure religion . ever since the world was possessed with the spirit of antichrist some malignant heretikes have been ever and anon desperately striking at the person , the natures , the offices , the grace and spirit of christ . cerinthius and ebion began to blaspheme christ , even in the apostles time . i need say nothing of theodot us byzont in us , paulus samosatenus , arius and the a rest ; yet it will not be amisse to shew wherein the socinians have refined or enlarged the ancient heresies , which have been long since condemned to hell . ostorodus would not have the name of ebionites imposed upon the socinians , quia vox ebion hebraicé egenum significat , praef. iust. pag. 10. 11. it seemes they would not be counted mean conditioned men : and there are some indeed and those no beggers ( unlesse it beat court ) who are too much addicted to socinian fancies ; and yet if that be true , which ostorodus cites out of eusebius , that the ebionites were so called because they had a mean and beggerly opinion of christ , sure the socinians might well be called ebionites , for none have baser and cheaper thoughts of christ , then they . if ostorodus had thought it worth while to have consulted eusebius his ecclesiasticall history , lib. 3. cap. 24. or epiphanius haeres . 33. he might have seen another reason why those heretikes were called ebionites . the socinians take it no lesse unkindly that they are called arians . ex consensu tantùm in principalibus cum ario de jesu christo , arianismi jure quis argui potest ? saith smalcius . it is well he confesses that they may be called arians who agree with arius in the maine , i deny that the arians had higher thoughts of jesus christ , then the socinians . the arians were termed {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , because they maintained that christ was created {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . some arians did acknowledge that christ was equall to the father in essence and nature , though they denyed him to be of the same essence with the father ; and others of them did only say , that the son was unlike the father , and were therefore called {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ; yet these also were cōdemned because neither of these sects would acknowledge the son to be consubstantiall with the father ; for if they would have confessed that the father and the son were of the same essence , they would never have said that their essence was equall , but rather that their persons were equall , and their essence the same ; for equality is ever between two at the least : therefore by saying that their nature was equall , they implyed that they had two different natures . and they who talked of a dissimilitude of nature , must necessarily suppose , that the father and the son had different natures , for a nature cannot be said to be unlike it selfe : and if this latter sect by dissimilitude meant an inequality , then they were blasphemously absurd , in fancying that there was majus and minus in the same most indivisible , and single essence . reverend beza hath set this forth to the life , in his preface to the description of the heresy and perjury of that arch-heretike , valentinus gentilis , ariomanitae — in duas minimùm factiones divisi sunt , nempe in {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} & {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . he disputes the the point , whether {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} did not imply as much as {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} — nisi voxilla {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ( sicut de dionysio corinthio , basilius ad fratrem scribit ) commodâ quadam interpretatione ( sed plane ut mihi videtur violentâ ) leniatur , nam certè in unâ eademque prorsus essentiâ nullus est neque aequalitatineque inaequalitati locus , utpote quae minimùm in duobus cernantur ; ac proinde in hypostasibus , non in essentiâ spectare aequalitatē necesse est . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} — qui filium patri faciebant dissimilem , se vel arianos prodebant vel stolidos , quum in simplicissimâ & singularissimâ naturâ , nempe deitate , majus & minus quiddam imaginarentur , pag. 4. & 5. by this and much more which might be added , it doth plainly appeare that if the arians were not more rationall , yet they were more devout then the socinians , they had a a more honourable and reverent opinion of christ . for the socinians will not acknowledge that god and christ are equall , or like in nature . the socinians make christ , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the arians thought him the most excellent of all creatures , and therefore said , that he was created before any other creature , and used by god as an instrument to create the rest , as doctor stegman observes , disput. 1. pag. 3. finally the arians and socinians agree in this , that both deny christ to be consubstantiall with the father , and therefore though they differ in telling their tale , in explaining their errour , yet both agree in the maine , and that 's ground enough to call them arians , if smalcius may be judge . doctour stegman usually cals the socinians , photinians , and therefore entitles his own book photinianismus ; and the socinians doe acknowledge that they agree with photinus in the maine , yet they say it is not sufficient ground to call any man photinian because he agrees with photinus in fundamental points ; but smalcius tells us that socinus was the servant of christ , they own his doctrine , and own the man as their fellow-servant : quid photinus ? quid alii ? nisi servi christi ? they give him and others that are as bad as he is , the right hand of fellowship ; and it is commonly conceived that mahumetisme took his rise from photinianisme . i have no book about me , that fhewes so clearly what the photinians held , as iacobus ad portum professor of divinity in academia lausannenfi , in its epistle dedicatory , doc●erunt christum iesum naturâ esse {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , gratiâ divinâ tamen insigniter ornatum , eumque tum demum esse coepisse , cùm in utero virginis mariae conciperetur ; ac proinde verbum dei , vel deum non aliter in ipso quàm in aliis prophet is habitasse , nec ipsi {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} aut {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} unitum fuisse , sed tantum gratiâ & efficaciâ ipsi assedisse : ipsum denique esse {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , sed {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} & {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , non autens {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ut loquuntur , ex quâ infoelici haeresi postmodum mahumetismus ortus esse perhibetur . others call the socinians samosatenians , and therefore thalyaeus calles his booke in which he answers the arguments of socinus , eniedinus , ostorodius , and smalcius , anatome samosatenianismi , in which he shews that the socinian glosses are of the same colour with turkish and iewish blasphemies ; the four professors of the theologicall faculty at leiden , have given a large commendation of thalyaeus in their approbation , printed before the book , and signed with the hands of all the professors , in which they with one voice vote socinianisme to be recoct samosatenianisme ; impiam pauli samosateni sententiam melior & sanctior ecclesia sub cruce adhuc militans , ut enata fuit exhorruit , eaque mox publico episcoporum judicio execrata est . scriptum illud conscriptum contra renatum & ab infausto illo socino ejusque asseclis recoctum samosatenianismum censemus pie docte & solide &c. the samosatenians did borrow their name from paulus samosatenus bishop of the church of antioch , and therefore his practises were the more abominable , because he poysoned that church , in which disciples were first called christians , with hereticall blasphemies against the lord christ , as reverend beza observes . i find in augustine that artimonius did first broach this heresy , and paulus samosatenus did revive it ; but i need say no more of the samosatenians , having said enough already of the photinians , for photinus did confirm that heresie which samosatenus did revive , and therefore the followers of paulus samosatenus . were more commonly called photinians then paulians , or samosatenians . and though philaster reckon samosatenus his heresy by it self , & photinus his heresie by it self , yet to shew that they were not different heresies , he saith photinus did in all things follow paulus samosatenus . i do not reckon up all the disorderly heretikes in order , take them as it happens . nestorius denyed that the self same person was god and man , he would not acknowledge that the word was made flesh , only the word was with that flesh , ( by an effectuall presence ) which was taken of the substance of the virgin , affirmabat enim {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} illi carni ex mariâ prognatae nonnisi {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} adfuisse , as learned beza declares it in brief . if any man desire to be further acquainted with the opinion , and the desputes about it , let him reade s. cyril , and peruse the famous and orthodoxe ( not the spurious and surreptitious ) ephesine councell , and he may receive full satisfaction . the socinians are farre worse then nestorius , for they do not onely deny , that the selfe same person who was borne of the virgin , is the second person in the trinity , but they utterly deny that there is any second person , or third person which is consubstantiall with the father . having mentioned nestorius , i must not skippe over eutyches , who in opposition to nestorius his dividing of the person of christ , did vainely imagine , that the natures of christ were mingled , and so he confounded both natures , and their essentiall properties : yet the eutychians did grant that there were two natures in christ , which the socinians deny . the time would faile me , or at least the readers patience , should i shew how the socinians agree with the noetians , who maintained , that there was but one person in the godhead : with macedonius , who denied the holy ghost to be a person : with the pelagians , concerning their deniall of the image of god in adam before his fall , and their maintaining of free-will , and denyall of originall sinne since the fall . in a word , how they agree with the valentinians , marcionites , cerdonians , manichees , apollinarists , sabellius , the donatists , sadducees , papists , anabaptists , schwenckefeldians , antinomians , and i know not how many more of the like stampe , hath beene shewen by others already , and the manifestation of their errors in the ensuing treatise will sufficiently declare . i will passe over many things very observable , because i would willingly discourse at large of some later passages , and subtile inventions by which socinianisme was introduced into forraine parts , and in some parts established by the suffrage and subscription of too many eminent wits , and great scholars . but i must not in my haste forget abeilardus , or as platina cals him , baliardus , as bernard , abailardus , his name in our english tongue may be balard ; he flourished about the yeare 1140. he had a very ready discoursing wit , and is by some voiced to be the first founder of schoole-divinity ; whether he maintained all those heresies which bernard layes to his charge , i shall not now stand to dispute , there is some cause of doubt ; abeilard lived to make his apology , and if it was but an honest recantation , he hath made some amends . learned mr. gataker in his post-script to mr. wottons defence , pag. 40. & 41. will direct you to authors , from whom you may receive better satisfaction then i can for the present give , unlesse i were furnished with a better library . i shall not doe postellus so much honour as to take notice of him ; as for servetus , i will not staine my paper with his blasphemies : mr. gataker hath shewen his chiefe assertions in the booke forecited from the 42. to the 47. page ; it is much questioned whether the senate of geneva did not deale too severely with him . samosatenus , arius and eutyches did all revive in that cerberus , he was both admonished and refuted by three learned divines of that age , oecolampadius , melanchthon & calvin ; he had time enough given him to recant , hee did stubbornely maintaine his cursed blasphemies for thirty yeares together , as beza shewes ; ob triginta annorum blasphemias execrabiles & indomitam pervicaciam ex senatus genevensis sententiâ justissimo supplici● affectum , quis non tandem nisi planè furiosus & excors abominetur ? the senate of geneva were in good hope by this exemplary punishment upon servetus to crush this cockatrices egge , and kill the viper ; but for all this some under hand , and others more boldly and impudently did seduce the people . bernardine ochin seemed to be an academik , a meere sceptik in religion , he questioned all things , and determined nothing ; lalius socinus carried the matter with such a cleanly conveyance , that he was scarse taken notice of , though he received some checks and admonitions , yet most men thought charitably of him during his life ; his black designes were not fully discovered till after his death ; this is the grandfather of the socinians ; but i will say no more of him yet , till i have shewen what pra●kes were played by those bold fellowes , who acted those tragedies openly upon the stage , which lelius composed behinde the curtaine , valentinus gentilis practised at geneva , george blandrate a physitian in poland , and transylvania . give mee leave to make but two or three observations by the way , and i shall open the practises of these impudent hereticks more fully to you . first , the devill hath done more mischiefe in the church by counterfeit protestants , false brethren , then by professed papists , open enemies . secondly , observe that vaine curiosity did betray the churches , and make them a meere prey to these subtile hereticks ; most men have an itching desire to be acquainted with novelties , and at that time the churches were very inquisitive after a more rationall way of divinity , they began to examine the articles of faith , especially the article of the trinity , by some received axiomes of philosophy , and by that curiosity puzled their reason , and lost their faith . thirdly , though poland and transylvania were grievously infected , yet the mischiefe came from italy , as reverend beza observes , and therefore cryes out , sa●è fatalis esse videtur p●lonis italia . besides the flame brake out first in the italian church at geneva , though the coales were dispersed and blowne too in other places . the italian church had some warning given by the execution of michael servetus in the yeare 1553. but that church was too indulgent for foure or five yeares , yet at last the elders of the italian church , perceiving that some of their flock began to oppose the doctrine of the trinity , they thought fit to set forth some forme of confession , unto which they required all to subscribe , upon the eighteenth day of may , 1558. they all protested by that faith whereby they were oblieged to god , that they would never purposely and malitiously directly or obliquely oppose that confession , or favour any forme , or sect which did make the least appearance of dissenting from it ; and whosoever did violate this protestation , should be held a perjured and perfidious man . valentinus gentilis made no great haste to subscribe , but being called upon , he testified his consent with his owne hand . yet not long after , he said he was pricked in conscience for subscribing to this forme , and therefore contemned his protestation , and endeavoured to seduce the simple people ; whereupon he was convented before the senate of geneva , the points in controversie being rationally discussed , and valentinus nonplust , he had nothing to say , but that he was not well versed in the art of disputing , which was notoriously false , for he was an acute subtile man , as appeares by his confessions , epistles , replies ; his sublime notions about the essence , and subsistences of the trinity and quaternity ; that one question did sufficiently discover his subtilty , an essentia divina ex semetipsa absque ullâ consideratione personarum sit verus deus ; and that thesis of his , deus pater solus verus deus est essentiator , hoc est informator individuorum , nempe filii spiritusque . the god of israel ( saith valentine ) is the onely true god the father of jesus christ ; and so by opposing the father to the son , and affirming that the father only was the true god , he did clearly deny the son to be the true god . clare apparet ( saith the senate ) quum patrem opponis filio & uni duntaxat veram deitatem tribuis , te excludere alterum , quem cum illo confers — facessat antithesis inter patrem & filium ubi fit deitatis mentio — in comparatione fingis duo antitheta , patrem opponis filio ac si in solo patre esset dei essentia — filium essentiatū à patre dicis , à seipso esse neg as — jamsi essentia divina sit in solo patre , vel eripies eam filio , vel partibilem finges , utcunque n●nc centies concedas filium esse verum deum , spoliatus tamen suâ essentiâ titularis solùm erit deus . — individua tibi somnias quorum singula partem essentiae obtineant — deus indefinite est ingenitus , & pater etiam personae respectu ingenitus , filius autem respectu personae à patre est genitus — non abstrahimus personas ab essentia , sed quamvis in ea resideant , distinctionem interponimus . hoc sensu individuos tertullianus vocat patrem & filium , non autem ( ut tu stul●e imaginaris ) individua , quae sub specie comprehendantur . to this effect the senate answered valentines subtilties ; i have put it close together , that i might not be tedious , and yet manifest upon what grounds this great wit was condemned by that grave judicious senate . he had one question more , which he tooke much pride in , namely , utrum essentia concurrat in trinitatem ? to which the senate answered , essentia non concurrit ad distinguendas personas , nec tamen personae sine essentiâ sunt — veteres ad personas tantum nomen trinitatis retulerunt — quarum rerum dices esse trinitatem ? respondes , tria concurrere , essentiam , filium , & spiritum . hinc verò plane perspicitur te essentiam filii & spiritus exinanire . this conceit of valentinus , that the essence , sonne , and spirit , make the trinity , did at once deny the person of the father , and the divine essence of the sonne and spirit ; for , observe how he puts in the essence to make up the trinity , and so left out the person of the father , and by opposing the other two persons to the divine essence , he did imply , that they had an essence different from the divine essence . valentine having received this full answer from the senate , was much enraged , but upon second thoughts , he fell to his devotions , made some shew of repentance , and seemed to be satisfied ; nay , hee proceeded so far as to write to the senate , and acknowledge that he was fully convinced by the cleare and solid reasons laid downe by the consistory , in their answer to his objections : nay , farther yet , he descended to particulars , and confessed that they had manifestly proved , that those three grounds upon which all his fancies were built , were all most false and absurd . first , saith he , i have offended in that whilest i affirmed , the onely god of israel to be the father of iesus christ , i considered not that by opposing the onely god to christ , i denied christ to be god . secondly , i was too rash in considering the divine essence out of the three persons , and concluding from thence , that the essence and the trinity of persons made a quaternity : for now i perceive that the divine essence cannot be considered anywhere , but in the three persons . thirdly , i have offended , in that i said the person of the father was sophisticall . upon these rotten ruines ( saith valentine ) did i build many false consequences , which now i doe abhor and detest , and professe that i beleeve the doctrine of the trinity in the sense of your consistory ; o my conscience hath beene wounded for my inconsiderate answers to that excellent divine and servant of god john calvin ! but i have acknowledged my fault with hearty sorrow , and i make no question but the searcher of hearts hath forgiven me ; i beseech you likewise to forgive me , for i beleeve that the trouble of my minde will bring forth such fruits of repentance in my future conversation , as will wipe off this offensive blot wherewith now i am bespotted and stained , i hope the clemency of the holy ministers is such , that they will receive such a miserable stray beast as i am into their fold againe , and triumph at my conversion . hee proceeded farther yet , made a solemne and orthodoxe confession of his faith , and a recantation of his errors on the 29. of august 1558. at last having abjured his errors under his hand , the senate in hope that his repentance was cordiall and sincere , they commanded him to walke bare-headed , bare-legged and bare-foote thorow every street in the city , with a trumpet blown before him , and a light in his hand , then to kneele downe , aske pardon of the senate , and burne all his heretical doctrines with his owne hand , all which he did upon the second of september following . behold the mercy of geneva to one that was but hopefull , though he had beene an heretick , a schismatick , a seducer , they forgave him , and gave him leave to come forth of prison , without taking any sureties , because he pleaded that he was a stranger , and poore , onely they tooke an oath of him , that he should not depart the city without their licence : but he soone brake his oath , and fled not far off to gribaldus and alciatus , two of his owne stampe , and faction ; but he met there with a governour of a resolute spirit , who began to enquire into his dangerous opinions , and being fully informed of their desperate malignancy , he committed him to prison for a while , but not long after released him , and gave him a faire warning , but no sooner he enjoyed his liberty , but he presently published his opinions in print , and abused the governour with a dedication , as if the book had been published by the governors consent and authority . not long after he travails to lyons where he was imprisoned for the space of 50. days , but he pretended that he did only oppose calvin in the carriage of some controversies , and by that meanes the antichristian spirit , which reignes in the bosome of papists , did incline them to forgive and release him ; it seems the papists cares not what article of faith be denyed , nor how much jesus christ be dishonoured , so calvin be opposed , for by this silly shift he got o●t twice from the papists . confessionem it a potuit attemper are ut à papist is admitteretur , solùm evangelicas ecclesias , & nominatim calvinum perstringens , &c. and by that means he made his first escape ; his second escape was obtained by the selfe same shift . libellum antidotorum & confessionem sic potuit attemperare ut judicaretur solum calvinum impugnare , non ipsam trinit atem ideoque solutus carceribus dimissus est ; as aretius relates in his history of valentine . but hee was not satisfied yet , unlesse he could beguile protestants as well as papists , he went therefore over into poland , and joyned with alciat , and blandrate , in seducing the polonian churches , he confirmed his doctrines by sophistry , some fragments out of the fathers , and some pieces of the alcor●● , to shew that he intended to please the turks , as well as the papists , and to quarrell only with the protestants ; his friend alciat turned direct mahometist being led to it by his principles ; but valentine expressed himself in a more reserved and cunning way then alciat or blandrate , whereupon there fell out some difference between them , and so by gods providence they did the lesse hurt in poland , but there they continued above two years , but at last the king of poland took notice of them , and intended to have published an edict against their hereticall blasphemies , but then the antichristian spirit stirred up cardinal hosius , to suggest another course to his majesty : but god moved the king to banish all strangers , innovatours in doctrine , and perturbers of the peace , out of his kingdome , upon the 5. of march , in the yeare 1566. being banished out of poland , and knowing that calvin was dead , he thought fit to return into the old quarters , never dreaming that he should have faln into the hands of the old governour , whom he had formerly a bused in so high a nature ; but by divine providence the same person though it was not his turne , was governour of that province , ( vide supra , p. 10. ) as aretius declares , gaium ipsum accedens , cui idē adhuc praefectus ( prorogat â forte ipsi extra ordinem ejus provinciae administratione ) praeerat . valentine thought it his best course , to put a good face upon the matter , and challenge any man to dispute with him , but the governour well knowing , that he had been often disputed with , and fairly admonished , cryed , fiat quod justum est , and clapt him up close prisoner , upon the 11. day of june , 1566. the province being under the jurisdictiō of the senate of bern , valentine appealed from the governor of gaium to the senate of bern , & he was brought thither upon the 19. day of july . when he was examined , the senate charged him with heresy , perjury , blasphemy , schism ; and over and above that , he had joyned with alciat and blandrate , in seducing the simple people . to which he answered , that he had nothing to do with either of thē , for alciat , saith he , is a mahumetan , and blandrate is a sabellian and samosatenian ; he complained that those churches which were called evangelicall , or reformed churches , were still too much enslaved to the pope ; and yet when he was among the papists he saw his own confession , of that which he called his faith , passed currant enough . nostras ecclesias damnari quasi adhuc papatui servientes , quum interim ipse inter papistas constitutus posset confessionibus editis elabi . he was questioned for a book which he dedicated to the king of poland , in which he repeated the confession of his faith , which was confuted at geneva , and subjoyned his book of antidotes , in which he indeavours to refute certain theses collected out of augustines 15. bookes , de trinitate , and the 13. chapter of calvins first book of institutions , which treats likewise of the trinity . finally , he made some sharp annotations upon athanasius , and confirmed his own opinion out of the alcoran . the senate picked out all his calumnies , impostures , blasphemies , heresies old and new . wherein valentine agreed with arius , is shewen by aretius , in the 8. chapter of his history ; if any man desire to peruse the determinations of justin martyr , ignatius , tertullian , augustine in this great article of the trinity , he may read them at large in the same history , from the 13. to the 17. chapter . i must hasten to bring valentine to his deserved punishment ; the senate had treated with him , from the 5. of august to the 9. of september , and he remained still stubborn , and pertinacious in his blasphemies , and therefore the senate pronounced sentence of death upon him , which was accordingly executed ; for he could not by prayers , teares , arguments , entreaties , be wrought upon to change his mind : he had a faire warning given him before , by the senate of geneva , if he had had the grace to have taken it , their charge ranne high , and their admonition was propheticall . filium dei quem praedicamus , in diabolum transfiguras . deum quem colimus , vocas deum turcarum , multaque ejus generis , sed vide miser ne te praecipitaverit tuus furor ut voces emitteres quae per jugulum redeant . it is now time to draw the curtain and look for socinus who most of this while , played least in sight , till he went quite out of sight , in the yeare 1562. laelius socinus was the tutor and unckle , faustus socinus was the nephew and disciple ; laelius did contribute materials , faustus added form and method to that monstrous body of errours and blasphemies which we call socinianisme . laelius socinus was borne in the yeare , 1525. his parents were of good rank and quality , his father was styled , ic . torum princeps . the life of socinus is written by a polonian knight , who was tender of his honour , who hath also set forth a dissertation , which he desires may be prefixed before the works of faustus , or rather the notions of laelius digested into order by faustus ; and out of those two treatises we may pick something to give light to the originall of socinianisme ; but we are most beholding to d. calovius , who hath handled this argument more distinctly , then any man that i have met with , and he saith that about four yeares after servetus his death in the year 1557. laelius socinus did underhand encourage them who had raked in servetus ashes , and blowed some coales that were yet alive , and from thence raised a blacker flame . laelius then , no doubt , favoured valentine , for about the year 1558. valentine began to shew himself , and in that year , the italian church put forth their orthodox confession about the trinity at geneva , as hath been already shewed . moreover the polonian knight saith , that laelius did take speciall care of his country-men , quodque praecipue suos erudierit italos : and though laelius did keep his most usuall residence amongst the helvetians , yet his letters travelled up and down the world , and he now and then visited his countrymen in person , who were banished into poland , and germany ; he went twice on pilgrimage , to gaine some proselytes in poland , first in the year , 1551. and afterwards in the yeare , 1557. and there he infected many of the nobles with his pestilent heresies , which have found such good entertainment ever since , that poland doth to this very day ( the lord of heaven be mercifull to them ) labour under that deadly disease . but it was laelius his chief desire to instruct his three brethren , celsus , cornelius , and camillus , in that which he called his religion ; and though they lived farre asunder , ( celsus enim bononiae , reliqui senis agebant ) yet they held such intimate correspondence , that the seeds of this heresy were mutually cherished by their frequent letters . but his nephew faustus was his best scholar , and therefore by divers hints and intimations best acquainted with the secrets of his art . ingenio nepotis confisum plura divinanti innuisse , quàm discenti tradidisse ; ( saith the polonian knight ) non dissimulato inter amicos praesagio pleniùs haec atque foelicius à fausto orbi prodenda ; and faustus socinus doth acknowledge that he did owe all his mysterious knowledge to his unckle only , ( for he was never taught of god ) praeter unum laelium patruummeum — vel potius praeter paucula quaedam ab ipso conscripta & multa annotata , nullum prorsus magistrum me habere contigit . epist. ad maro . sq. you may read particulars in d calovius ( pag. 2. & sequ. ) i need not therefore descend to particulars since the confession is so generall ; only be pleased to observe that the heresy doth directly strike at the nature , person , offices , satisfaction , sacraments of christ . and as the arminians are much offended with the ninth chapter to the romanes , so the socinians are as much offended with the first chap. of the gospel according to saint iohn ; it was therefore laelius one of his master-pieces to pervert that scripture by a devilish gloss . i dare not give a more gentle epithet : faustus doth confesse that his unckle laelius did contribute all the stuffe out of which he framed his exposition upon the first part of the first chapter of saint john ; illam verborum johannis expositionem , & quae ad eandem adserendam produxit , sese magnâ ex parte è laelii sermonibus , dum adhuc viveret , & post ejus mortem ex aliquibus ipsius scriptis sumpsisse & deprompsisse . v. frag. duor . script . socin. & epist. 1. ad dudith . pag. 13. but though laelius soci●us carried matters thus closely , and did all by sleight of wit and hand , yet about 3. yeares before his death he was shrewdly suspected for a seducer , his brother cornelius was apprehended , the rest fled for fear , faustus his nephew and disciple , fled quite out of italy , to lyons in france , laelius in the mean time died in the yeare 1562. and the 37. yeare of his age , as calovius assures me : cum faustus aliquandiu lugduni in gallia viveret , laelius interi●s tiguri extinctus est anno 1562. aetatis ejus septimo supra trigesimum . all laelius his notes were i beleeve committed to faustus , qui patruo suo laelio emortualis extitit , as the same author , de origine theol. soc. § . 25. and therefore certainly most of his opinions would have died with him , had not this unlucky faustus poysoned the world with them . for faustus himself acknowledges that laelius was very sparing in opening himself , except it were in some lighter controversies . nolebat ille sententiam suamnisi in levioribus quibusdam controversiis omnibus aperire , ne turbarentur ecclesiae , & infirmi quorum maximam semper habuit rationem offenderentur , & à vero dei cultu ad idola fortasse iterum adducerentur . frag. f. socini disp. de christi naturâ p. 5. observe by the way that the socinians doe not much differ from the papists in any point in controversie between the papists and reformed churches , unlesse it be in the point of idolatry . but indeed there was one reason more why laelius was so wary , he knew how it fared with michael serv●tus in the year 1553. & that severe example might well keep him in awe for 8. or 9. years after , about which time he died : and indeed faustus seems to glance at some such reason , for he saith laelius had observed that there was a custome which grew in request in some churches , ut execrabiles haberentur quicunque adversus receptas sententias vel mutire quidē ausi essent , in the place forecited . nay i can easily guesse at a third reason yet , because laelius had in former time before he was poysoned with servetus his doctrines taught the same truths which are generally received in the reformed churches , and if he should have retracted so many opinions , the people would not have beleeved him in any thing he had taught , but would have quite faln off to popery againe , as he conceived : for the people had a great opinion of his doctrine , though he was neither doctour nor pastor in the church . neve tandem divina veritas ab eo praedicata ( quineque pastoris neque doctoris officio in ecclesia fungeretur ) ob auctoris non parvam ( i beleeve it should be , though 't is printed magnā ) auctoritatē magna christiani orbis detrimento passim rejiceretur . faustus disp ▪ de christi natura , pag. 6. it was therefore laelius his master-plot to propound doubts & questions to such famous men as calvin , & others in the reformed churches , as if he intended to gain some farther light ( when indeed he sought for further advantage ) by their determinations . quod tamen ut omnem offensionem vitaret addiscendi tantum studio a se fieri dicebat : qua tamen ratione ab initio idem vere ab eo factum fuisse verisimile est , quare etiam discipulum semper se , nunquam autem doctorem profitebatur . faustus ubi supra . master calvin did easily perceive his subtilty , and therefore gave him a faire but sharp admonition about the calends of january , 1552. as the polonian knight doth confesse : si tibi per aereas illas speculationes ( saith calvin ) volitare libet , sine me quae so humilem christi discipulum ea meditari quae ad fidei meae aedificationem faciunt — quod pridem testatus sum , serio iterum moneo , nisi hunc quaerendi pruritum mature corrigas , metuendum esse ne tibi gravia tormenta accersas . faustus saith that his uncle was snatched away by an untimely death , non sine dei consilio , that so those great mysteries which god had revealed to none but laelius , might be made known unto the world . cùm statim fere post mortem ejus , eorum quae ipse palam docere non audebat pars aliqua & literis consignari , & passim divulgari est coepta ; id quod eo vivente nunquam fortasse contigisset , amicis ex iis quae ipse scripserat non adhuc plene edoctis , & adversus praeceptoris voluntatem aliquid eorum quae ab ipso didicerant in vulgus prodere minime audentibus . hac scilicet ratione deus quae illi uni patefecerat omnibus manifesta esse voluit . faustus ubi supra , pag. 6. & 7. i am at this great paines of transcribing , because socinian bookes are so deare , every man will not pay a groat a sheete , the price that i am forced to , onely that i may declare the truth ; so much for laelius . faustus socinus the nephew of laelius was borne in the yeare 1539 , two houres and three quarters before sun-rising on the fift of december ; so scrupulous are some in calculating the nativity of this monster ; and he himselfe tooke notice of it in his epistle ad excellentissimum quendam virum ; he was of no meane parentage , his father was by name alexander socinus , and for his policie , subtilitatum princeps , as he was deservedly stiled ; his mother was nobly descended , the polonian knight hath shewen her descent , matrem habuit agnetem burgesii petruccii senenfis quondam reipub. principis ac victoriae piccolomineae filiam . he studied the lawes till he was about three and twenty yeares of age , and then hee betooke himselfe to the great duke of hetruria his court , where he spent twelve yeares , onely he had so much leisure at court , as to write a booke about the authority of the scripture , in which he doth slily pervert the scriptures , and lay a ground for all his hereticall blasphemies . this is all the account that can be given of him for 35. yeares . i doe not heare of any great brags ( though the socinians doe make loud brags of him ) of his logique , philosophy , schoole-divinity , the learned tongues , onely he spent some two or three yeares in digesting his uncles notes , and then thought he had learning enough to contradict all the fathers and councels , and undertooke to censure all the reformed churches , and to dispute with the greatest scholars in the world : the presumption of his wit , besides the badnesse of his cause , did betray him to his adversaries , especially in the first prizes he played , and he was so subtile as to seeme ingenuous in acknowledging such oversights as he could not possibly conceale : quod vero ais ( saith faustus to puccius ) supellectilem meam hebraeam & graeeam — teipsum latere non potest ejusmodi meam supellectilem non valde curtam modò , sed propemodum nullum esse ; graecos enim fontes , ut egomet omnibus dico , leviter admodum degus●avi , hebraeos vix dum attigi , &c. socin. resp. ad def. puccii , pag. 49. and he confesses that he made a great flourish in the world before he had any logick , hee had vapoured against puccius , palaeologus , volanus , and divers others , he had composed a commentary on the first part of the first chapter of s. iohn , and on the seventh to the romans , his animadversions in theses posn . de trino & uno deo , & alia quaedam imperfecta , as he saith , cum nondum dialecticae ullam operam dedissem , ut post hac non mireris si in meis scriptis multa deprehenderis minus rectè tradita ac conclusa . epist. ad excellentissimum quendam virum . it was no wonder indeed if a man that understood neither greek nor hebrew , nor logick , should give many interpretations , and draw many conclusions which will not hold . now whether after the delicacies of the court , and 35. yeares of his age mis-spent , he was so apt to mould his stiffe braines , and new-cast them into a logicall forme , let the world judge . socinus then was not the greatest scholar in the world , though hee thought himselfe able to teach all the church , and all the world . the polonian knight acknowledges that he was of an hasty cholerique disposition , praecipitem ad bilem natura formaverat ; but it seemes his heat did evaporate at court , in vita a●licâ deferbuisse juvenilem illum socini astum , qui plerumque magna in magnos lapsus pr●cipitat ingenia ; and yet marcellus squarcialupus socinus his good friend doth often complaine of him for his rashnesse , &c. as calovius shewes at large : you may reade plentifull testimonies cited at length , consid. th. socin. pag. 13. & 15. to him therefore i referre you . faustus then had more subtilty then learning ; when he was not able to prove his opinions , he told his auditours , haec si vera non sint , verisimilia saltem & probabilia deprehendetis . he was of a ma●ignant wit , hee knew how to disgrace truth by scoffes and slanders , he thought to affright weake spirited men from the protestant religion , by telling them that they held opinions ( in particular that christ is god ) which made christian religion ridiculous to iewes and turkes , et exteris denique omnibus , but names none else . haecque & hujusmodi alia quaedam , quorum ansam illis dedit graeca vox * {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , ingeniose quidem ( ut illis videtur ) & foeliciter comminiscuntur quae omnia — cùm ridicula magna ex parte appareant efficitur ( proh dolor ! ) ut jesu christi religio — & judaeis & turcis & exteris denique omnibus maximè sit ludibrio . explicat . cap. prim . ioh. pag. 9. our superstitious men of late pressed us to comply with them , in hope of converting papists from their superstition , by conforming our selves to the selfe same superstition , and now the socinians would have us to deny christ to be god , that we may convert turkes and iewes to the christian faith : as if the best way to convert men to the christian faith , were to deny a prime article of our christian faith ; or as if jews and turks would have a better opinion of christ , if the christians should deny him to be god , and so harden them in their beloved blasphemies ; and yet faustus socinus saith his friends did encourage him to write against that inveterate figment of the divine nature of christ , hac enim ratione — & iudaeos & turcas ad christianam religionem allici posse , qui portentosis istis opinionibus quae christianae fidei axiomata esse creduntur ab eâ amplectenda semper sunt deterriti . faustus , ubi supra , pag. 2. i should tyre out my reader , if i should but reckon up the tricks and devices of this faustus ; for he pretended just as our translator here , to be a reformer of the reformers , nay of the reformation it selfe ; he makes many glorious pretences in his booke called solutio scrupulorum . god ( saith he ) in this last age intends to make many new discoveries , and to reforme his church more thorowly then ever . luther he confesses hath discovered truths enough to carry us to heaven ; zuinglius and oecolampadius reformed the church in matters of great weight and moment ; they are justly to be extolled , because they have purged the church from superstition and idolatry , and caused all false worships to be abhorred ; but he doth very slily intimate , that it was now left to him to confute all errors which luther , zuinglius and oecolampadius had not observed in the church ; for saith he , though the idols temple is laid levell with the ground , no man hath as yet set up the temple of christ : nay he goes farther , nec caementa & lapides ad illud extruendum parari ; and we may truly say , socinus lapides loquitur , as the comedian said ; and he knows full well how to daube with untempered morter . he hath written two other pestilent books , in which he hath most cunningly vented his poyson , one is a booke which i never saw , de ss. scripturae authoritate , which calovius tels is one of his most subtile pieces , and seemes to be one of his first essayes : dominicus lopez a jesuit was so taken ( or mistaken ) with it , as to print it in the yeare , 1588. the other pamphlet is a briefe discourse , de causâ ob quam creditur aut non creditur evangelio iesu christi . in this second he speakes plainer then in the former , as they say who have read both , and they conceive that it was purposely put forth as a commentary upon the other ; for socinus did speake more freely still every yeare then other , accordingly as hee saw his discourses entertained and applauded by potent abettours ; he did not put his name to his commentary upon iohn , till he saw how it would take ; libuit antequam nomen nostrum prodamus aliorum exigui hujus laboris nostri judicius cognoscere . explic. ioh. p. 4. and calovius saith , he did not put his name to it till whole churches ( congregations i suppose he meanes ) had subscribed to socinus his tenets , calovius de origine theol. soc. p. 19. he gained very much by his feigned modesty , he saith it was his hearty desire to bring all men to his opinion , yet such was his charity and modesty , that he would account them brethren , who counted him an hereticke , and held his opinions to be pernicious , upon condition they did their best , to live in obedience to christs precepts , and sought in a faire way to convince him by scripture , explic. cap. prim . ioh. pag. 4. but though he pretended to be ruled by scripture , it is most evident that all his art was to withdraw men from hearkning to the plainest texts of scripture which doe contradict blinde carnall reason . he taught the world a new way of disputing in divinity ; we were wont to argue thus , whatsoever god saith is true : but god saith thus and thus ; ergo : but he taught us to prove , that such and such a proposition is true by the causes and proper effects first , or else saith he , it is absurd to thinke that god said any thing but truth , and therefore unlesse it can appeare by some demonstrative argument , that such a proposition is true , we must not pitch upon that proposition , as the minde of the holy ghost in any text of scripture ; what ever the words of the text seeme to hold forth unto us , wee must goe looke out for some other sense which is agreeable to right reason . rationis lumen quo deus nos donavit aperte ostendit non debere nec posse corporalem poenam quam unus debeat ab alio persolvi , idque etiam omnium gentium ac seculorum legibus ac consuetudinibus perpetuo & maximo consensu comprobatum sit , as socinus in his tract deservatore ; behold how the light of reason , the laws , nay the customes ( and perchance some of them unreasonable ) of nations must over-rule god , so that god himselfe shall not be believed , if he doe not speake consonantly to my corrurpt reason , and our vaine customes . it is cleare and evident , that whatsoever socinus produces against christs satisfaction , or our justification , is a meere figment of his owne braine , for he onely urges some colourable arguments , which have but a shew or shadow of reason . but i shall not instance in more particulars now , because i desire to passe on and discover socinus his subtilty , in scattering his errors abroad in sarmatia , transylvania , &c. and therefore this shall suffice for the rise of socinianisme . chap. ii. the growth of socinianisme . ill weeds thrive apace ; laelius had sowne his errors , as hath beene already shewen , in some five or sixe yeares , within ten yeares space there were whole congregations submitted themselves to the socinian yoake in sarmatia as doctor calovius assures mee , intra decennium integra ecclesiae accesserunt haeresi ejusdem in sarmatia , consid , th. soc. prooemial . pag. 65. and this heresie did spread so fast in transylvania , that within twenty yeares after there were some hundreds of congregations infected , ut vix triginta elapsis annis aliquot centuriae coetuum talium ibidem numeratae fuerint . ibid. what they maintained upon their first apostasie , may bee seene in a booke , de falsa & vera unius dei , patris , filii , & s. sti. cognitione . it pleased god that franciscus davidis the superintendent of those new perverted proselytes in transylvania , did lay some rubs in the way of faustus socinus ; for this franciscus desired to know why christ should bee worshipped or prayed unto any longer , if hee were not god ? blandrate and faustus did lay their heads together to answer this quere ; but this same franciscus davidis maintained stoutly that invocation and adoration were parts of divine honour due to god alone ; this hapned about the yeare , 1578. some twenty yeares after the stirres which were in the italian church at geneva , ut supra . but faustus and blandrate could not compose the tumults ( or answer the objections ) which franciscus had raised in transylvania , and so faustus socinus was forced to returne with shame enough into poland : but when faustus could not doe what he would , he seemed to be content to joyne with the davidians , as they were called from franciscus davidis , as farre as they would goe hand in hand with him in opposing the reformed churches , and he did prevaile very much in a synod about the yeare , 1588. in other points also which hee did cunningly winde in , and they greedily swallow ; and he prevailed very farre the next yeare in another synod , and within a matter of foure yeares , as calovius saith , he brought over all ( them whom he had wrought upon , to deny the godhead of christ ) to subscribe to the whole body of socinianisme : and no marvaile , for though there are many parts of socinianisme which have no rationall dependance upon the deniall of the godhead of christ ; yet when once men come to be sofar blinded as to deny that glorious truth which shines so clearly in the gospell , it is no wonder if they see nothing at all . besides he was so wise as to strike in with the nobles , and the courtiers , with the most youthfull and sharp witted pastors , and not only with subtile disputants , but smooth popular oratours , men more able to corrupt the people , witnesse petrus steinius ; or statorius , by whose unhappy eloquence the sublimest subtilties of socinus which transcended vulgar capacities , were so explained and smoothed in a popular , but plausible way , that the most refined notions were made familiar to the common people ; infoelici steinii suadâ subtiles & à rudiorum captu remotiores socini sensus populari ratione tradere & flexanimae orationis genio cunctis probare poterat , &c. this blasphemous wretch did travaile , ab extremâ silesiae or a in intimam lithuaniam , that he might spread his errors , though he did thereby often endanger his life : he lived a long time , he was about 66. years of age when he died ; though it was long ere he began to seduce as hath been shewn , yet he had 30. years time to infect a people that were too willing to be infected ; he died , as calovius informs me , in the yeare 1604. tandem anno etatis quinto ultra sexagesimum blasphemam exhalat animam , aerae christianae 1604. vitaque cum gemitu fugit indignata sub umbras . chap. iii. the danger of socinianisme . learned grotius may remember that there was a time when he himselfe thought socini●nisme to be very dangerous , cum haeresis sit venenum ecclesiae , & quidem praesentissimum , sed tamen haereseos aliqui sint gradus , ut sit hac illâ nocentior priorem aliam non reperiri haresi socini , ad cujus etiam mentionem pii omnes exhorreant , in his speech to the states called h. g. pietas . certain all pious men may well tremble at the very mention of socinianisme , at the very repeating of their basphemies . for my part i dare not call them christians , because they deny the godhead and satisfaction of christ , they will not be baptized in the name of the trinity , they labour to pluck up christianity by the roots , and to overthrow the very foundation of religion . i cannot but blot out smalcius his name out of the white roll of christians , if it were but for that one blasphemy , christianus esse potest qui divinam christi essentiam negat . smal , contr. nova monstra . an errour that takes away all prayer to christ , and worship of him , doth utterly destroy christian religion : but the denyall of the godhead of christ doth take away all prayer to christ and worship of him , ergo . this argument was urged by franciscus davidis and simon budnaeus , but fanstus socinus ( ut supra ) was not able to give any satisfying answer to this triumphing reason . the socinians are mad with reason , if they conceive it reasonable to give divine honour to any save god alone . none pretend to be greater enemies to idolatry , then the socinians , and yet they doe clearly maintain this idolatrous principle , namely that divine honour may be given to one whom they conceive to be a meer man , christ blessed for ever . the socinian errour is fundamentall , they deny christs satisfaction , and so overthrow the foundation of our faith , the foundation of our justification ; they deny the holy trinity , and so take away the very object of our faith ; they deny the resurrection of these bodies , and so take away the foundation of our hope ; they deny originall sinne , and so take away the ground of our humiliation , and indeed the necessity of regeneration ; they advance the power of nature , and destroy the efficacy of grace . it is an antichristian errour , because it takes away the very essence and person of iesus christ , for they deny him to be god , and so take away his essence ; they deny him to be the second person in the trinity , and so destroy his very person also . they doe in effect rob him of all his offices , for if christ be not god , he is not that great prophet foretold by moses , who is prince and author of life , act. 3. 15. 22. ad finem , act. 7. 37 , 38. nor can he be a priest able to save by the offering of himself , because the merit of his sacrifice depends upon the dignity of his person : the offering of a meer man cannot satisfy for so many thousands of men : and therefore the socinians having denyed the godhead of christ , deny that he hath given god full satisfaction . nor can christ be a king , who hath an heavenly and eternall kingdome by nature , if he be not god . it is an anti-spirituall errour , for they deny the nature and person of the holy ghost , the speciall grace and saving efficacy of the holy ghost ; they say , we can understand the deepest mysteries of faith , and beleeve in christ without the speciall assistance of the holy ghost . they overthrow the very nature of faith , for they confound faith and workes ; obedience to gods commands is faith it selfe , or the very substance and forme of faith . fides ( quâ justificamur ) obedientiam pr●ceptorum dei non quidem ut effectum , sed ut suam substantiam & formam continet . socin. miscl . p. 162. they destroy the morall law which was delivered by moses , by saying that is imperfect . christ came to fulfill ( that is , say they ) to make the law perfect ; and they overthrow the gospel , by saying that we are justifyed by the workes of the law , and by their confounding of the law of faith , and the law of workes ; they say as the jewes say , that the great work of the messiah is to proclaime and confirme the law , only they adde that it w●● his in●ent , legem mosaicam ceu minus perfectam perficere & locupletare , and therefore they say , christ and his apostles did so often presse obedience to the law , to shew that we are to be justifyed by the works of the law : and hence it is that they call our blessed saviour , mosen mosissimum , as if christ had not preached the gospel , the law of faith , as the apostle calls it , rom. 3. 27. and by this meanes the law of justification by faith alone without the works of the law , which is the scope of the gospel , is quite overthrown . they set open a wide gap to atheisme , by denying that the soule of man can possibly so subsist by it selfe after this life , as to be capable of joy or torment , of reward or punishment ; they may when they please speak plain english , and say , that there is neither heaven nor hell . animadvertendum est ( say they ) christum & apostolos coactos fuisse quodammodo hominum opinionibus , quae tunc plerunque vigebant , se accommodare , quemadmodum satis aperte docet parabola divitis & lazari . nam aliquem in inferno fuisse & ibi torqueri , in sinu abrahae decumbere , sunt plane fictitia , & similia illis , quae poetae de ixione , sisypho , tantalo scribunt : hâc etiam prudentiâ hodie apud vulgus christianorum in hac materiâ utendum , &c. i have transcribed this out of doctor josuah stegman the reverend superintendent of scawenburg , and when ever i cite stegman briefly in the margin , i intend that learned author , and not ioachimus stegman the grand socinian . the socinians desire to take us off from giving any heed to the received interpretations of a fathers or councells , that so they may obtrude their own fancies and conceits upon us as solid , and rationall , most accurate , but very moderate interpretations , vide brev. disq. p. 7. they of all men doe most affect the conduct of their own private spirit , which they call right reason ; and though they pretend that we are more busie in enquiring after the unanimous consent of fathers and councels , then the true sense of the scriptures , yet they doe not endeavour by this out-cry to extoll and enthrone the scriptures , but to set their own private spirit or b judgement in the chaire , which is indeed to make every man a pope . this conceit of theirs cannot but take well with the multitude , for every man ( as luther saith ) is born with a pope in his belly ; and with a pope in his braine too , for every one would faine have his reason , his fancy to sit judge in all controversies , every man is apt to think himself infallible , and that his private iudgement ought to be the publike standard . finally , every one desires to give a toleration or a dispensation to himselfe , that he may be allowed to maintain such opinions and goe on in such courses as are generally condemned by the judgement of learned and pious men . there is another quarrell that they pick with the reformed churches , and that is for extolling their doctours too highly , such as luther , brentius , melancthon , bucer , chemnitius , calvin , beza , zuinglius and the rest , but they would pardon this errour , if they did not oblige other men to stand to the judgement of these and such like reverend authours ; if they might have but their liberty of prophecying according to their own private spirit or judgement they would be content , but that the churches passe their censures upon such as dissent from the most received interpretations of fathers , councels and the reformed divines , though such interpretations seem unreasonable to the private judgement of our acute socinians . but there is a third fault greater then any of the former , & that is , that the reformed divines make the holy spirit speaking in the scriptures ( and shining into the hearts and minds of men by a glorious light to enable them to understand the scriptures ) the judge of controversies , for by this means say they , the judgement of sound reason is made uselesse and of none effect or authority before the illumination of the holy ghost : this is an high fault indeed ; we are it seemes in great danger of being seduced from the dictates of blind carnal reason to follow the light and voice of the scriptures , & the holy spirit . besides , there is another greater danger , if we follow the spirit so much , we shal not be able to answer that seraphique doctour , valerianus magnus , his book , de acatholicorum credendi regulâ iudicio , set forth at prague , 1628. but it may be the book needs no answer , or they that follow the spirit and the scriptures are not at leisure , they have better imployment . but let the socinians speak their minde clearely , then what is it they would have ? why , they would throw the pope out of his chaire , and they would sit there themselves by turnes , that so they may be popes round ; for every man say they hath reason enough before he is inlightned by the holy ghost to judge of the authority of scriptures by histories , and other principles , and to collect out of the scriptures compared , and the foresaid principles , not onely all things necessary to salvation , but many profitable truths besides , though not so necessary . i should be very glad to learne what those other principles are besides the scripture out of which we may collect truths necessary to salvation ; for this you must look into the seventh chapter of this brevis disquisitio , caterùm ad sacrarum literarum anctoritatem & genuinam mentem dignoscendam principia etiam illa quae philosophica appellant advocanda esse . but if a man be no scholar , why , then those principles which are knowne to him by nature , and his owne observation , are the rules whereby hee must examine ; first , whether the scriptures be the word of god , and then , what is the true sense and meaning of them ; if such a man have but a good wit , a little experience ( saith hee ) will serve the turne . nay , he affirmes that it will serve the turne , if by the helpe of those good principles , his owne good wit , and conference with others , he do but heare the summe of those few things which the socinians conceive necessary to salvation , though he never heare or know , that there is any such booke as the booke of god . mr. chillingworth comes very neere this disquisition-monger in his accurate treatise , for he saith , the scripture is not to be believed finally for it selfe , but for the matter contained in it , so that if men did believe the doctrin contained in the scripture , it should no way hinder their salvation not to know whether there were any scripture or no , chap. 2. pag. 65 , 66. i thought it had beene necessary to have received those materiall objects or articles of our faith , upon the authority of god speaking in the scriptures ; i thought it had beene anabaptisticall to have expected any revelation but in the word of god ; for a revelation , nay a supernaturall revelation is necessary to help naturall reason , as the same mr. chillingworth acknowledges . knot had very unhappily branded mr. chillingworth for a socinian , because he maintaineth , that nothing ought or can bee certainly believed , farther then it may be proved by evidence of naturall reason , ( where i conceive , saith mr. chillingworth , naturall reason is opposed to supernaturall revelation ) and whosoever holds so let him be anathema . sect. 28. in his answer to knots direction to n. n. now let mr. chillingworth say that either there is a revelation to be expected out of the word , as the enthyfiasts do , or else let him acknowledge , that god hath ordained the scriptures as the meanes and instruments to reveale saving truths , and let him teach men to depend upon the ordinances of god , and not make men stand at a gaze to expect a revelation in an extraordinary way . or else let him speake plaine , and say there is truth enough written in the hearts of every man by nature to save him , or that it may be learnt from philosophers writings ; let him say as socinus doth , that the substance of the promises is eternall life , that the maine thing god lookes after is practise , that heathens and christians have the same practicall rules written in their heart , and so if a man doe but hope for eternall life by observing these practicall rules ( as many heathens did , witnesse that verse of phocylides , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and the discourses of socrates , plato , hermes , &c. ) hee may be eternally saved ; and then we shall know how free he is from socinidnisme . or else let him confesse , that naturall reason being helped by a supernaturall revelation in the word , is not able to discerne saving truths , so as to beleeve them after a saving manner , without the speciall assistance of the holy ghost , such assistance as is vouchsafed to none but the elect of god , and then i will acknowledge that he is no socinian . but otherwise , if either he thinke as he seemes to thinke , that all the materiall objects which are necessary to salvation , may be knowne out of some other booke then scripture , or by some other meanes ; and that if a man beleeve them meerely as truths probable by reason , and doe not receive those truths as the oracles of god , but dictates of reason , then sure he may be a socinian still ; nay , if he hold a supernaturall revelation by the word to be necessary , it being the meanes which god hath ordained , and so is made necessary to us by gods ordinance ; yet if hee thinke this outward revelation to be sufficient , without the inward and speciall revelation of the spirit , he may be a socinian still . but this by the way , i shall say the lesse of mr. chillingworth , when i come to touch upon his booke ; sure i am , such dangerous principles as these , will beate greene heads from the study of the scriptures , if they be not censured upon every occasion . i know master chillingworth protests that he is willing to stand to the judgement of the catholique church , of this and former ages , to the consent of protestants , the church of england ; but if he put in the papists into the catholicke church , as i beleeve he will ; then he will say the papists doe not agree , and therefore the catholick church of this age is not against the socinians ; nay the fathers doe not all agree , and so there is not a catholick consent of the ancients , as mr. chillingworth i beeleeve did purposely shew at large in the eighteenth section of his answer to n. n. that so he might winde himselfe out the better in this 28. section : nay , peradventure he will put the socinians in for to give a vote , if you aske for the consent of the catholique church of this age , for hee cals them a company of christians in the 29. section ; and though he saith , they are erroneous in explicating ( he doth not say in denying ) the mysteries of religion , & allowing greater liberty in speculative matters , ( so the socinians call the articles of the christian faith ) then any other company of christians doth , or they should doe , yet for their honour he saith , they explicate the lawes of christ with more rigour and lesse indulgence to the flesh then the papists doe , and that is true , but not much for their commendation , because they thereby disgrace the morall law of god , and say it was imperfect , till christ gave new lawes ; but mr. chillingworth was willing to take any occasion to commend them . moreover if mr. chillingworth by the church of england , meane the arch-bishop of canterbury and his faction , then indeed there will not be a generall consent of the church of england against the socinians . once more , if he take in all the arminians , and some iesuited papists , that ( as vertumnus romanus prescribes ) come to church and heare our common prayers , and receive the sacrament in some congregations in this kingdome , though they bee of mr. fisher , or mr. flued his minde , and ranke all these amongst protestants ( for we have had strange kinde of protestants for these twelve yeares last past , ) then i beleeve there will not be a generall consent of such protestants against the socinians ; and so mr. chillingworth may oppose socinianisme , when all these agree together to oppose it . but indeed hee hath one argument which makes me beleeve that he and more of that faction who countenance many socinian errors , doe not agree with the socinians in all points , because socinianisme if it be taken in all its demensions , is such a doctrine by which no man in his right minde can hope for any honour or preferment either in this church or state , or in any other . many men do indeed adventure as farre as they dare this way , onely they are afraid of thwarting the great designe , as i shall hereafter shew . i dare not excuse mr. chillingworths dangerous principles , though i account him a very rationall man , yet i beleeve him to be the more dangerous , i dare not therefore give him that liberty which he gives others , and cry , quisque abundet in sensusuo , because they are not the words of s. paul , though mr. chillingworth father them upon him , chap. 2. pag. 92. the words of the apostle are , let every man be fully perswaded , or assured in his own minde , rom. 14. 5. i goe on to shew the danger of socinianisme . it is an hotch-potch of gentilisme , turcisme , judaisme , and i know not what , they have put in some scruples of christianity to make up the messe . the centuriatours say , that mahomet did compose his alcoran by the helpe of the iewes , and iohannes antiochenus an arian : and truly turcisme doth much savour of iudaisme and arianisme . now socinianisme is compounded of the selfe same ingredients , socinus borrowed very much from servetus , and servetus from the alcoran , as wajekus proves , and socinus doth acknowledge , vide antiwajek . soc. pag. 33. they say we hinder the conversion of the turks , by departing so far from them ; whereas they agree with turks in denying the godhead , eternall generation , meritorious satisfaction of christ , in blaspheming the trinity : paul alciat , and adam neuser , two socinians turned turks ; nay the turks discourse more solidly about the prescience of god , then the socinians , or arminians doe . the resurrection of these very bodies was believed by none but iewes and turkes at first , ( as the socinians would make us believe ) and the protestants have received it from them . they open a gap to an atheisticall libertinisme , by promising salvation to all hereticks , ignorant persons , if they live but chast , sober , just lives , and expect eternall life , for that is the summe of the promises , and they need not know or beleeve more : all the mysteries of faith are by them counted but meere notions , speculations at best , and it is no great matter if men have diverse and contrary opinions about them they may all fare well enough ; truly i thinke one as well as another , if there be neither heaven nor hell . socinians are not to be permitted in any church , for they deny that there is as yet any triumphant church above , nor is it necessary that there should be any militant church here below . the arminians jumpe with them in the same conceit , they say , christ may bee a king without a kingdome , an head without a body : neque verò necesse esse credimus ad hoc ut christus rex & caput maneat in terris ecclesiam veram semper esse . their reasons are , because christs kingdome doth rather consist in his owne soveraigne authority , then in the obedience and subjection of any people . besides , if there were a necessity of it that there must be a church on earth , then christs people would not be a free willing people , and so there would be no spirituall church , if they are not left at liberty , to accept or refuse christ ; sure that is a rebellious liberty , for a liberty to reject christ , is a liberty to rebell . no man they say need inquire after the true church , much lesse is it necessary that he should be a member of the true church , ubinam quaeso est scriptum christum praecepisse ut unusquisque inquirat , & norit quaenam sit vera ecclesia ? socinus de eccles. thes. they would not have any marks given of a true church , i suppose for fear theirs should be discovered to be a false ; but especially they deny , that the pure preaching of the word is a note of the true church , for with jeasting pilate they aske , what is truth ? how shall it appeare , say they , that any church preaches the saving truth ? nay arminians and socinians both tell us , that there is no need of preaching : saving truths are sufficiently manifested they say , and yet it seemes it is not sufficiently manifested to them , for they cannot tell what it is . they doe not see any great use of the sacraments , they cannot believe that the sprinkling of water upon the body , should have any spirituall effects upon the soule ; they cannot believe that our faith can bee strengthened , our pardon sealed , christ and his benefits imparted to us by eating of bread , and drinking wine . now sure a church that is without ministers , sacraments , markes or signes of a true church , would be but an empty titular church , and to such a church onely should socinians be admitted . socinians are not to be suffered in any state , for they will not shew any obedience or respect to magistrates ; they say , they have no power to punish hainous offenders in time of peace , nor have they power to defend themselves or the people by the sword , in time of warre . but especially , they charge the magistrates to beware how they meddle with good honest hereticks , for all hereticks in the opinion of arminians and socinians ( who speake favourably in their owne cause ) are good pious men . what they say of the law of nations , or of a particular state , i had rather you should reade in their writings then in mine . i beleeve your patience is already tyred with this briefe narration , if any desire to be farther satisfied in particulars let them reade this book . chap. iv. whether england hath been , or still is in danger to be farther infected with socinianisme . farther infected i say , for it is too evident that it hath been in some measure already infected with this pestilent heresie . i know the archbishop of canterbury did pretend to crush this cockatrice of socinianisme , but all things being considered , it is to be feared that his canon was ordained for concealing , rather then suppressing of socinianisme ; for he desired that none but his own party should be admitted to the reading of socinian books , it was made almost impossible for any that were not of his party , to take the degree of batchelour of divinity ( i can say more in that point then another ) or at least improbable they should have means to pay a groat a sheet for socinian books . it is well known that the arch-bishop did highly favour , and frequently employ men shrewdly suspected for socinianisme . master chillingworth , to speak modestly , hath been too patient , being so deeply charged by knot for his inclining towards some socinian tenets : no man in saint ieromes opinion ought to be patient in such a a case , and sure no innocent man would be patient . mr. chillingworth hath not yet answered — christianity maintained . the protestants doe not own many of those principles which are scattered in master chillingworths book , and knot could observe that he proceeded in a destructive way , just as the socinians doe . the reformed churches abroad wonder that we could finde no better a champion amongst all our worthies ; they who travailed hither out of forrain parts blessed themselves when they saw so much froath and grounds ; so much arminianisme and vanity in master chillingworths admired peece : what doth it advantage the protestant cause , if the pope be deposed from his infallible chair , and reason enthroned that socinianisme may be advanced ? but i am afraid doctor potter may take it unkindly that i have named master chillingworth before him ; for his grace employed doctour potter first , and he was cryed up as a patr●ne of the protestant profession , but he sowred his calvinisme with so much arminian leaven , and sweetned popery with some such gentle scruples of moderate divinity as they call it , that the jesuites laughed in their sleeves , and knot was so pleasant that he could scarce refrain from laughing openly . that these two great champions doe vent arminian principles is manifest to any man that hath but peeped into their books . now that arminianisme is a fair step to socinianisme hath been sufficiently proved by bodecherus , ( though he hath been derided , he hath not been answered ) peltius , vedelius and others , so that i need say no more in that point . what art and care hath been used to propagate the arminian errours in england , would require a large volume , and i had laid open all their sleights and projects ( had not my bookes and notes been seised on ) to the full : god may give me opportunity to say something to that point yet before i finish my course . the church of scotland complains of his grace , for he first protected wederburn , when he fled from scotland for fear of the church-censures , because this wederburn had poysoned the young students in divinity with arminianisme in the new colledge at saint andrews ; his grace made the same wederburn bishop of dumblane , that so he might be dean of the kings chappell , and vent all his arminian errours in the royall chappell , in despight of all the presbyteries . then his grace chose out 24. royall chaplaines , such as were most likely to preach the deanes arminian tenets to the state when they saw that all preferment did run that way . i will not say any thing of master sydserf , doctor forbes , &c. you may read the complaint at large in a book entitled ladens . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , or the canterburian self-conviction . but that which did most mischiefe , was a large declaration procured by his grace , but sent in the kings name into scotland , in which their general assembly was much condemned for passing any censure upon arminians . besides , his grace had two scouts in ireland , the bishop of derry , and doctour chappell : behold three kingdomes infected at once with this deadly disease , by the pestilent subtilty of one arch-bishop . but i shall make it appear that we have gone nearer to socinianisme yet . acontius was ( as learned peltius calls him ) clandestinus socinianorum assecla ; now i have wondred often what was the reason that acontius was new printed in oxford by doctour potters book-binder . creature i might say , if i did affect the language of the times . they might as well have printed bonfinius , for i finde him joyned with acontius , they were both sneaking socinians , they followed socinus just as nicodemus followed christ , by stealth & in the dark . iacobus acontius & bonfinius socini clandestini asseclae . judicious and learned pareus not long before his death writ a letter on the first of march , 1613. ad n. n. in which he expresseth himselfe after this manner . arminium vestrum sociniani in polonia expresse ut suum nuper nominarunt , unà cum quodam bonfinio & acontio clandestinis asseclis , quorum authoritate postularunt àfratribus orthodoxis fraternitatem , isti verò fortiter recusarunt . acta ad me misit synodus lublinensis , cui nuper postridie natalis domini respondi , &c. pareus was a man of a very peaceable disposition , willing to compose all differences which might fairely and honestly be compounded , as appeares by his irenicum , and therfore his judgement is to be the more valued , but you see he doth not vent his own private opinion , but declares the judgement of the synod ; i beleeve that every impartiall reader will think this passage very considerable . the socinians have one principle which draws a great party after them of all heretikes , & sectaries . nothing ( say they ) is fundamentally necessary to salvation but only faith or obedience to the commands of christ , for they make faith & obedience all one , ut supra . now acontius was a great stickler in this point , and therefore learned peltius saith , this opinion did open a wide gap to let in all heresies into the church , and yet acontius and the socinians thought nothing else fundamentall but obedience to christs precepts ; men might deny the godhead of jesus christ , and almost any article of the christian faith , and yet be christians good enough in their conceit . nihilque tandem fore fundamentale praeter istud ( scil. obedientiam mandatorum ) ex mente acontii & socinianorum positum . see peltius his epistle dedicatory , prefixed before his harmony . well might acontius his book be intitled stratagemata satanae : but sorry i am that doctour potter should be thought to have such an hand in publishing of it , that it was known in oxford by the name of doctour potters stratagems . i know acontius doth in that book mince the matter , but the book is so much the more dangerous , and cannot but poyson young students more insensibly and irrecoverably . besides acontius his pretence of moderation and charity will work much upon men that understand not his stratagems , they will conceive that he grew every day more moderate and more a accurate also , and that he complyed so far with the socinians meerly out of a desire of peace . but though the book be close and dedicated to queen elizabeth , yet ever and anon he lets fall some hopes of being saved without the acknowledgement of those mysteries which the church hath long held for necessary articles of faith . what did the man that was cured of the palsy beleeve ? why , ( saith he ) he did beleeve as it was fit , that that man who is called iesus was from god , ( mark he doth not say that he was god ) and in favour with god , and hoped that he should be healed by him , and yet his sins were forgiven . credebat enim ut par est hominem eum qui iesus diceretur à deo esse & apud eum gratiosum , itaque sperabat per eum sanitatem se posse adipisci . illa verò eum cognita etiam habuisse omnia quae diu pro articulis fidei necessariis habuit ecclesia quàm sit verisimile , cuique judicandum relinquo . sunt & alia multa loca quae eódem prorsus tendunt . nay he conceives abraham the father of the faithfull to have been ignorant of those heads of divinity which we count articles of faith , fundamentall articles . abraham , saith he , beleeved that he should have off-spring , that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed , that canaan should be his , caeterum de religionis apicibus istis ignorare opinantur ( scil. reformati ) fas non esse mirum est silentium quin , ipsum etiam salutis mysterium per ejus semen tecte admodum obscureque promittitur . i put in ( scil , reformati , ) for doubtlesse it is a jerk at the reformed churches , and so that passage fore-cited , ecclesia diu habuit , is certainly a jerk for the nicene fathers , athanasius and those ancients which required such a distinct confession of faith . you see he seems to leave it doubtfull whether abraham did beleeve in christ or no ; these oblique passages and many such in his third book especially , doe shew what a good mind he had to favour them , who at that time about the yeare 1565. did call the articles of the christian faith into question . no marvaile if he wrote so warily when servetus had been made such an example , in the yeare 1553. besides laelius socinus was now dead , and faustus not grown up to his maturity . sabellius he saith was an heretike for saying that the father did not differ from the son , but he is not so forward to call them heretikes who deny that the son hath the same nature with the father ; he tells us that * we must beleeve christ to be the sonne of god , and to be made man , but he doth not presse us to beleeve that christ is god . we need not wonder at his moderation , when he is very tender even about transubstantiation , and unwilling to appear on either side . magna jamdudum fuit & vere tragica controversia de interpretatione verborum corum , accipite , hoc est corpus meum ; non necesse est autem me hoc loco utrarum sim partium aperire , tantum catenus quidem utrarumque esse me profiteor , quod utrosque adveram dei ecclesiam pertinere nihil prorsus dubitem , lib. 3. — . and a little after , de verborum sententiâ lis est , non de veritate : this is an excellent device indeed to help off the grossest heretikes , and say that they only differ from us about the meaning of some places of scripture . christ saith he bids all come unto him that are heavy laden , and what saith he , will you of your own head say to any man that is comming to christ , heus tu ! frustra accedis qui hoc & illud non credas ? but if you reply that acontius hath not reckoned some points of religion which are of high concernment , and therefore you may safely tell a man unlesse he beleeve them he cannot be saved ; he hath endeavoured to prevent your reply by this excuse ; si miraris inter ea quae recensuimus cognitu necessaria non numerari quosdam summo quamvis loco habitos religionis apices , evolve diligenter , examine saith he whether those high points could be known under the old testament to the people of israel , &c. this is just the socinian device , i will not trouble you any longer with the unsavory discourse of that rotten author , whose main stratageme was a pretended moderation and feigned charity . let us now passe on to some later authours ; doctor francis white was a man countenanced by the arch-bishop to write against the sabbath , and in his epistle dedicatory to the arch-bishop , well knowing what would please his graces tooth , he saith that we are beholding to the testimony of the bishops , for the weightiest matters in religion , and amongst the rest he saith for the eternall deity of the blessed saviour ; it seemes if the christian world had not given credit to the testimony of bishops , the eternall deity of christ had not been acknowledged by christians ; what if bishops had lost their votes , and credit some ages since , must christ have lost his deity , or at least the honour of it ? is there nothing written in scripture concerning the eternall deity of christ ? this is just indeed as tertullian saith , nisi deus homini placuerit , deus non erit . this book was printed in the year 1635. i need say nothing of that little pamphlet about schisme , printed not long since , because other men have said so much of it , i am credibly informed that when the author of it was asked by a great person in this kingdome , what he thought of the socinians , he answered , if you could secure my life i would tell you what i think ; and truly he hath told us what he thinkes in this little tract , viz. that arianisme was but a rent in the church upon matter of opinion ; p. 9. that those passages in our publique formes which offend the arians , are but private fancies , and therefore he desires there may be such a leiturgy as the arians may not dislike . p. 10. and then the socinians and protestants might joyn in one congregation . but must we not say that christ is very god of very god that he is the great god , the true god , god blessed for ever , for fear we offend the arians , socinians , &c. must we not worship the trinity of persons , in the unity of the godhead ? his grace will peradventure thinke it long till he heare what i have to say to his own learned book . i must confesse there is good learning in that book of his , which was printed 1624. i should doe him wrong if i should deny it ; and though there are some passages which sound ill , yet i have charity enough to put a good construction upon most of them ; but if a prudent reader will but compare that book and the enlargement of it together , which was printed in the yeare 1639. he will find a great deale of alteration in that second edition , or rather second book , for it is indeed another book . i shall give you a taste of some passages in the latter book which are not in the former , that you may see how much his grace had altered his religion in those 15. yeares . in the 76. page he saith , the mysteries of faith doe not contradict reason , for reason by her own light can discover how firmly the principles of religion are true . he doth not say reason by the light of scripture , or by the light of the spirit , but reason by her own light can discover how firmly the principles of religion are true . the socinians lay this principle as their foundation , and keep so close to it that they reject the weightiest articles of the christian faith ; because reason cannot discover them to be true by her own light , that is reason ( ante spiritus sancti illustrationem ) before the illumination of the holy ghost , as they explain themselves in their brevis disquisitio , cap. 3. de spiritu sancto . and upon the same ground they doe reject the received interpretations of scripture , because reason cannot discover how firmly they are true . can the arch-bishop make it appeare by the light of reason , that there shall be a resurrection of these selfe same bodies ; that there are three persons and one god : that the word was made flesh ; that god was made man ; that christ was born of a virgin ; that god justifies many thousands of the ungodly by the obedience and satisfaction of one man ; must we not beleeve these articles till reason by her own light , without the illumination of the holy ghost , doth discover them to be true , and how firmly they are to be beleeved because true ? for that i suppose the arch-bishop means , when he saith , reason can discover how firmly these principles of religion are true : why doe the socinians so often challenge us to be tryed by reason , by common sense , by the judgement of all men , but because they conceive , reason by her own light can discover how firmly the principles of religion are true ? i know the socinians doe talk much of the offices of christ , but they receive nothing from the scripture , concerning christs offices , but what is as they say agreeable to reason . they say likewise that it is necessary to salvation to know the promises of god , but they affirme that it will suffice , if a man be but acquainted with the substance of them , if he doth but hope for a better life after this , which even some heathens did without the knowledge of christ or his gospell . reason by its own light did discover unto them that the good and great god had prepared eternall happinesse for our immortall soules : if this then be enough ( as the socinians say it is ) to receive all things as principles of religion which reason by her own light can discover to be true , ( and how neer the arch-bishop comes to them , let the reader judge ) then the philosophers , especially the platonists , were in an happy condition , & it will be lawfull for a man to cry out aloud , sit anima mea cum philosophis , and he shall never be thought an atheist , nay shall passe for a good christian . there was a sermon preached to sir iohn byron when he was in oxford , which favoured strong of this heathenish divinity , and sir john gave the preacher solemne thanks for his paines . let us then canonize the heathens for saints , and put hermes , phocylides , pythagoras , socrates , plato , plotinus , cicero , zoroaster , iamblichus , epictetus , simplicius , into our rubrike , and let not aristotle , alexander or averroes be left out . the heathens did endeavour to keep gods commands in hope of a better life . what doe the socinians , or indeed arminians require more ? now reason by her own light can discover that i ought to love god , better then the world or my selfe , because he is the chiefest good ; reason tells me that i must doe as i would be done to ; the law of nature is written in the hearts of heathens , the writings of philosophers doe abound with principles of morality and good life , and socinus saith , it is sufficient for a mans salvation to know what god hath commanded and forbidden ; and if he erre in other points , he shall not be shut out of heaven , for such errours as reason cannot by her own light discover to be errors . in like manner the arch-bishop , if he will be true to this principle he hath laid down , must affirm that no man shal be dāned for rejecting any articles of the christian faith , which reason by her own light cannot discover to be true , and so manifestly true that they ought to be firmly beleeved . if this be not socinianisme in the highest , let the impartiall reader judge . that the arch-bishop hath added this passage to his old book ( perchance upon master chillingworths weighty inducements ) will appear if the reader be pleased to compare the 76. page of his new book with the 21 page of his old book . there is another suspicious passage in the 25. section of the arch-bishops relation , he descants upon a place of epiphanius , pag. 185. and 186. epiphanius said , that in peter were found even {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the very niceties , and exactnesse of the christian faith , saith the arch-bishop , and presently gives this reason . for he professed the godhead of the sonne and of the holy ghost , pag. 186. how will the socinians triumph when they heare the primate of all england discoursing of the godhead of christ and the holy ghost as niceties ? i grant the word {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , is most commonly used in an ill sense , but certainly epiphanius used it here in a good sense , which the arch-bishop could not but see , and therefore used the word exactnesse , but to gratify the socinians he puts in niceties , as if he had said , if you will be exact , you may say that christ is god , but that 's but a nicety , somewhat more then needs , a man may be saved without it ; for the arminians say athanasius was too bold to prefixe that proud preface before his creed , whosoever will be saved , &c. and i make no doubt but his grace was led much by them , he had such high thoughts of the arminian conceits . the arch-bishop doth acknowledge that in the old latine edition at paris , pag. 497. it is thus translated , in hoc omnes quaestiones ●c subtilitates fidei inveniuntur ; therefore hee might have said that all the mysteries of faith were maintained by peter , though by the malice of anti-spirituall men even the godhead of the holy ghost , and such like mysteries were made questions , or at best counted subtilties , and niceties . moreover when the arch-bishop comes to speak of the proceeding of the holy ghost from the sonne , he perswades the church of rome to moderation , and then le ts fall a sweet bit for the socinians to feed upon , pag. 25. and rome , saith he , in this particular should be more moderate , if it be but because this article filiog was added to the creed by her self ; and it is hard to adde and anathematize too . the socinians are apt enough to say that many of the articles of our faith were framed at rome , and it seemes his grace would confirme them in that opinion . this was added also to his new book , as will appeare , if you compare the 25. page of the new book and the 6. of the old . it is the common practice of men addicted to the socinian way to speak very favourably in this point . these i call very suspitious passages , you must not expect demonstrations in this point , for i know the arch-bishop was too wise to speak plain , though some of these passages are plain enough . and i must professe that i doe not beleeve the arch-bishop ever intended to bring in all points of arminianisme , socinianisme , or popery , but to pick out such points as might stand with the great desig●e ; he was to humour all these three factions , that all three might joyn with him to suppresse calvinisme , and then admire him as the astolike patriarch , pope of this other world of britaine , for he would not have us ignorant that pope urbane the second even in a councel accounted his graces worthy predecessour saint anselme as his own compeere , ( or fellow-pope ) and said he was as the apostolike and patriarch of the other world ; so he then termed this iland . pag. 171. of the new book . but i beleeve his oecumenicall grace had such a thirst to be a governour of this little world , and yet such a liking to the universall grace of the arminians , and the right reason of the socinians , that no man that hath one dram of right reason can possibly free his grace from contradicting himselfe , and thwarting his own designe , by crying up some opinions which could not stand with his own principles in his old book , and his plot which now & then peeps out in his new , and yet he hath jumbled all together for no other reason that can be imagined , unlesse it were his master-plot to countenance other mens opinions that they might promote his designe , and for a copy of his countenance adore him as the primate and patriarch of the britaines , whose judgement is finall , and therefore there lies no appeale from him to rome or cracovia , no not to right reason assisted by universal grace ; it seemssuch slaves he had who to satisfy his ambition and their own , would deny both their principles and his , that the master-plot might thrive and prosper . for it is observable , that our english arminians , and socinians are nothing so true to their own principles , as the ringleaders of these factions are beyond the seas . his grace both in his old book and in his new , saith that reason and ordinary grace superadded by the help of tradition , doe sufficiently enlighten the soul to discern that the scriptures are the oracles of god ; here is the socinians sound , or right reason before the illumination of the spirit , but to please the arminians ; ordinary or universall grace comes in also , and the name of tradition to please the popish party ; and what all these are like to doe without the speciall grace of the holy spirit , i leave it to any protestant to judge . there is another rule which his grace holds fast in both his bookes , namely , that the churches declaration can bind us to peace and externall obedience , where there is not expresse letter of scripture and sense agreed on . what , sir , must there be no deduction , no consequences allowed ? must there be expresse letter of scripture ? there 's one socinian rule . secondly , when the letter of the text is expresse , must not the point contained in the text , and expressed in the letter , be accounted fundamentall , because the sense is not agreed upon , but the point called into question by some learned socinian , or bold arminian ? is the sense of that place of scripture which hath been received by so many fathers , councels , reformed churches , martyrs , not true , or the point not necessary , because it is now called into question by some wanton wits that can hardly agree upon any point ? must we then subscribe to that arminian and socinian principle , nullum dogma controversum est fundamentale ? when a point begins to be controverted shall it cease to be fundamentall ? by this meanes we may bring in an atheisticall libertinisme into the church ; we shall have no more articles of our faith , then the arminians , or socinians please to leave us . i beleeve we shall have a very short creed one of these dayes , if this rule be followed : for as fast as they please to question our articles we must part with them , especially if our great patriarch interpose his authority , his declaration must passe for the churches declaration ; if he say such a point is controverted and i command you silence , it is not fundamentall now , because controverted , then we must be silent and let the truth fall to the ground . this was the old muzle which was put upon the ministers mouthes to make them lie still , like dumbe dogs , whiles the theeves stole away what they pleased , this and that commandement , this and the other article of the christian faith : we must it seemes for peace sake , part with our religion , and disobey god that we may obey the church : sure he that hath the head of a scholar , and the heart of a christian , will scarce have any inward peace if he perform externall obedience in such a case . this may suffice for a taste of the arch-bishops divinity : nor the young students could not but take notice of such passages , and therefore whet their wits to maintain those opinions which his grace countenanced . there was a great scholar who asked one of the canterburian faction , what he thought of the primate of irelands treatise concerning christs incarnation , in which he demonstrates that the word was made flesh , and that therefore christ is god and man ; the canterburian answered , that indeed there was as much produced upon that argument as could be said upon it , but under correction ( saith he ) i conceive the primate hath not cleared the point which he undertook to prove . the men of this strain when they were at their height , began to vary their expressions , they called christ their great master , or our lord and master , at the highest , so that you could scarce tell by their prayers whether they did respect christ or their patrone most , for the chaplaines styled their patrone their very good lord and master . dr. taylour in his epistle dedicatory to the arch-bishop , before the sermon on the gun powder treason , seems to affect that expression of calling christ our great master ; the socinians will beare them company in such generall expressions , and some have thought of composing such a liturgy as might give no offence to arminians or socinians ; that would be an inoffensive liturgy indeed , and they may doe well to enlarge their charity , and make their liturgy inoffensive to the turkes and jewes as well as the socinians ; for any liturgy which will please one that is a thorow socinian , will please turkes , and jewes also , if it be but warily composed , and they will keep themselves in such generall expressions as some doe too much affect . but of all that i have met with , none comes neer mr webberly , a batchelour of divinity , and fellow of lincolne colledge , who hath translated a socinian book into english , for the benefit of this nation , and prepared it for the presse . now they think they may own the businesse , they dare appeare in their proper colours , and blaspheme christ in plaine english . but because some parts of socinianisme strike directly at the superstition of rome so highly extolled in our dayes , and at the pompe of the clergy , which must be maintained by the sword ( for what care they though england swimme in bloud , so they swimme in wealth and pleasure ? ) therefore mr. webberly tells us very honestly , that socinianisme was to be corrected and chastised with respect to the nature of our climate ; what need i adde more ? take all in a word . there are some mysterious parts of socinianisme that se●m rationall , these i think in good earnest , the men of this age have too much doted on . secondly , some parts of socinianisme they qualify and chastise a little , because there is a little too much quick-silver in them . thirdly , some parts they doe totally reject , because they thwart the maine designe . fourthly , some parts of socinianisme are instilled into the people , that they might be made a meer prey to their courts in times of peace , and to their army in times of warre . mr. webberly , for instance , may be so farre irrationall as to be of the councell of warre , which no strict socinian would allow ; but then mr. webberly would teach the people that they must not defend their possessions against invading enemies , by force of armes , because god hath not given his people any earthly possessions by covenant under the gospell , as he did under the law . surely they have heard of iulian who boxed the christians on one eare , and bid them turn the other eare that they might be boxed on both sides in obedience to their masters command . chap. v. shewes that the famous atheists ( anabaptists and sectaries ) so much complained of , have been raised , or encouraged by the doctrines and practises of the arminian , socinian , and popish party . there hath been a great complaint of late that men are turned atheists , and surely not without cause , but let us sadly inquire into the reason . the socinians doe deny christ to be god to the glory of god the father , as they use to say , and i beleeve god the father hath taken it so unkindly at their hands , that he hath given them over to that cursed atheisme which reignes in the heart of every man by nature , and is much strengthened by the profane wits of this latter age . i remember a story of reverend amphilochius who had been an importunate suter to theodosius the emperour , that the arians might not vent their blasphemies so freely against the son of god , because he was as god , equall to his father ; but he could not obtaine his request ; at last the good old man pitched upon this course , he comes to the palace of theodosius the great , and salutes the emperour with all due acknowledgements and accustomed reverence , but as for arcadius the son of theodosius , who was created co-emperour with his father , amphilochius passed him by without any respect or reverence at all , & at last very familiarly stroakes the young emperour upon the head , as if it had been some ordinary boy , and cryed , god save thee good child ; at which the emperour was extreamly enraged , and commanded them to turne amphilochius out of doores : but this reverend man replyed , i beseech your majesty to consider that if you are so much incensed against them who doe not honour your son as they honour your self , what wil god the father think of them who deny equall honour to iesus christ his son , who is equall to his father in nature and power ? the emperour who was wavering before , was much confirmed in his faith , by this seasonable admonition , and presently forbad the arians to dispute any more against the godhead of christ . you may read the story at large in sozomen's ecclesiasticall history . now can we imagine that god the father should take it lesse unkindly at the hands of the socinians and all who admire their acute blasphemies , that they deny jesus christ to be god ? and what punishment is fitter for such blasphemers , then that , rom. 1. professing themselves wise , they should become fooles , and denying the godhead of christ , and the holy ghost , they should be given over , not only to deny the power of godlinesse , but to deny that there is any god at all , because they did not like to retaine the knowledge of god ? 1. the scriptures doe clearly shew that god the father is no more god then jesus christ ; but ( say the socinians ) jesus christ is not god . who sees not what conclusion will follow ? ergo , if they said true , there would be no god at all . 2. the socinians doe not worship the same god with the protestants ; for we worship the trinity in unity , that is , all the three persons as one god , they say it is repugnant to common sense , to hold that the three persons are one and the same god , and therefore they may when they please leave it to common sense to determine whether there be any god at all . 3. the socinians proceed in a destructive way ; now destroy all religion , and atheisme will be embraced in stead of religion . mr. chillingworth hath cleared that point sufficiently , that popery leads men to flat atheisme : and it is plaine and evident that if papists must beleeve neither more or lesse then the pope thinkes fit , the pope may lead them all into atheisme when he pleases . and how pleasing atheisme hath been to some popes , i need not stand to declare , the papists themselves have spoke plaine enough . the papists have extolled the pope above all that is called god , and therefore the dullest papist that can but see that the pope is not god , will be ready to question whether there be any god at all . if the pope have more authority then god , then the conclusion will be easie : but according to the romanists the pope hath more authority then god , for the church is above the scripture , the pope above the church , he is the head of it : let papists though our enemies , frame the conclusion , they who maintaine the popes infallibility , and yet cannot but see how he takes upon him to correct gods own institutions , will conclude that it is possible for god to be deceived , and then i am sure he is no god : and whether the pope be god , let the papists judge . what practises there have been by the popish party for the promoting of the socinian heresies , i could shew at large if it were not too manifest to be proved . faustus socinus writ a most pestilent book de ss. scriptura authoritate , and this book he did privatly send about in writing to his friends ; dominicus lopez a jesuite it seemes was a great friend of his , and the book comming to his hand he thought fit to publish it for the common good . i need say nothing of petavius his notes in epiphan. haeres . 69. cardinall perron his reply to king james , lib. 3. his book of the eucharist . lib. 2. cap. 7. mr. fisher , or mr. floyd . how easily the racovian and romane antichrists would be reconciled , at least so far as to joyn against the calvinists , is evident to any understanding man . and mr. webberly in the appendix or sixth book of his translation , shews that the two great articles which offend the romanists and racovians are , 1. the totall exclusion of all kinde of good workes from justifying a man before god : and 2. the totall negation of mans freewill in doing good . they are enemies to the grace of god , in justifying sinners freely by faith alone in christ , and to the powerfull and efctuall grace of god in converting and sanctifying our souls . this is the grand quarrell , the socinians deny christ to be god , that so they may deny that the bloud of christ did fully satisfy for our sins : these errours strike directly at the covenant of grace , which is the foundation of all our comfort , and if once we undermine the foundation , and reject the principles of christianity , it is then an easie matter to be an atheist : for if the protestant religion be deserted , there is nothing in any other religion to keep a man back from being an atheist ; for popery , to speak strictly , is antichristianisme , and i have said enough of socinianisme ; iudaisme , and turcisme , are too neer of kin to socinianisme : let any man that doubts of this truth , read doctour calovius his decas dissertationum , vedelius de deo synagogae , and he may receive satisfaction without reading others . and for the arminian atheisme , i referre you to vedelius his book , de arcanis arminian . anabaptists are justly complained of , but from whence did they suck their poyson ( i mean the anabaptists of the last edition , ( the men so much complained of ) but from the arminians , socinians and papists ? from the arminians they received their doctrine about the fall and free-will of man ; are they not pure armininians in that great point of predestination ? they oppose the reformed churches in their doctrine about originall sin , the socinians have taught them to deny that infants are conceived and born in sin , and this is the true reason why they deny baptisme to infants , though i know they urge many other reasons to colour the businesse : no man need to wonder that baptisme of infants is neglected by all those who deny originall sinne , pelagius of old , about the yeare 420. said that it was a vaine thing to imagine , that the sinnes of infants were washed away by baptisme , because they have no sin at all , and therefore heaven was set open to them . the anabaptists in the conference at franckendale , maintained that infants were born without originall sinne , nay without the least spot of sinne , and therefore there was no need of their being washed in the laver of regeneration . the socinians tell us that originall sinne is a meere fable , a fancy . they that can goe no farther then english , may read a book of free-will , predestination , the first transgression ; subscribed in the epistle or preface after this manner , your brethren the anabaptists falsly so called . but i beleeve the reason why the anabaptists are complained of at this time , is because they are disobedient to magistrates ; for it is commonly said that they have lately taken up armes in rebellion against the king . i must confesse i have wondred often when i have heard of this dayly complaint , because i know that an anabaptist doth not think it lawfull to be a cutler , he thinks no sword ought to be made , because he conceives it unlawfull to use a sword . it is well known that the anabaptists goe to sea without any ordnance in their ships , that they travaile without any sword by their side : but if there be any fighting anabaptist in these days , i suppose the english socinians have taught the english anabaptists to deny those principles in practise , which they maintain in dispute . who are so active in all counsells of warre at oxford , as men that are shrewdly suspected for socinianisme ? if they deny this truth , their letters which are dayly intercepted will testify to their faces that they are not true to their own principles . yet i commend the chaplaines for their designe , they would fain seise upon mens goods without force or violence , and therefore they tell the people that they ought not now under the gospell to fight for the defence of their goods ; and if they could perswade the people to be anabaptists in this point , then these reverend troopers and meek men of warre , might seise upon all the peoples goods , without force of armes , and so be as true to their racovian principles , as the racovians themselves , they might robbe without weapons , a whole parish might be plundered by one sermon as well as by two troopes , if the people were but throughly instructed in ( or as we say , beaten to ) this conscientious slavery . all the spoile of a whole towne would lye no heavier upon the conscience of one of these chaplaines , then a reare egge upon his stomack , for they are not ashamed to affirme that god hath not given his people any earthly goods or possessions under the gospell , and therefore plundering is not robbing , they doe but take that from men which god never gave them mr. webberly in the third chapter of his treatise , tells us that god hath not given his people any earthly possessions now under the new testament , they must not regard earth but look after heaven ; this is they say the court-divinity ; but sure the rationall lords that have such vast possessions should not be much taken with these raptures ; if they be , it were good for the lords to turne chaplaines or step into a cloyster , and let their own chaplaines be lords in their roome . how the court-chaplaines will maintain this doctrine , and not be as anti-monarchicall as the very anabaptists , i professe i know not , they might have done well to have excepted the crown-lands ; they were wont to preach at the court , that the subjects have nothing of their own , but by this doctrine they will leave the king nothing of his owne ; sure they mean to have all to themselves . they must say that our king lives under the new testament , they will grant him to be a christian , and therefore he must not regard earthly possessions , &c. the king may perceive by this , what good friends he hath at court . nor doe they stick to question the authority as well as the possessions or revenues of kings . the anabaptists as disobedient to a parliament as to a king ; any person or court which hath power to fine or imprison , is by them denyed to be a godly person or a christian court . it was one of the seditious lawes enacted by that lawlesse faction at munster , magistratibus ac principibus nullus subjiciatur . the socinians and arminians think themselves as lawlesse . the * arminians say that they can willingly beare with one that conceives it unlawfull for a magistrate to punish any delinquent with capitall punishment , though he doe not embrace this opinion out of tendernesse of conscience , but only because he hath been trained up in it from his youth . you see the arminians give faire quarter to the papists and socinians ; if any man hath been nursed up in this opinion they will beare with him though his conscience be not tender . they excuse socinus in the same chapter , and say that many honest men were of this opinion before socinus was born . the arminians and socinians make a king of clouts , and put a wooden or painted sword into his hand to affright children , for they say that he must not draw bloud , no not in a legall way , for capitall offences . the * arminians foresaw this consequence , and are content to let it passe , they will not alter the confession of their faith to avoid this inconvenience . in the confession of our faith say they we use none but this generall expression , the power of the sword , and forbeare to mention any capitall punishment , because say they we doe not require all that embrace our confession to maintain that magistrates have power to inflict capitall punishments : whereby it appears that they doe plainly equivocate even in the confession of their faith , or rather the declaration of their opinion . non fidei nostrae confessionem , sed sententiae declarationem exhibemus , they use generall and slippery termes and teach all their sectaries ( the socinians and anabaptists need no teaching ) how to slip their necks out of so wide and loose a collar . reverend iunius shewes that the arminians teach their sectaries to blot the name of any prince or magistrate out of the number of christians and make him an infidell , if he punish the greatest offenders with death in a legall way . doe any reformed divines maintain this seditious tenent which will certainly ruine any state where it is generally received ? did melanchthon , bucer , calvin , beza , bullinger , ever preach such doctrine ? nay did they not constantly oppose the anabaptists in this very point ? nay was not the faction of anabaptists raised by the devil and fomented by rome , on purpose to hinder the reformation begun by those worthy reformers ? read that great counsellour conradus heresbachius his epistle to erasmus , and there you will see the devill raised them up in opposition to the reformers . i know one of late preached valiantly against blessed luther , and said that luthers book de libertate christiana gave the first occasion to the giddy anabaptists to be so extra vagant ; lambertus hortensius indeed hath a touch upon it , but he addes withall , that though thomas muntzer was well read in that book of luther , yet being an illiterate man he did not well understand , or else did wrest that book to his purpose ; now if the book was not well understood , and worse interpreted , sure the interpreter was in fault , for if he had no learning he might have had some ingenuity , or at least humility , and left the book to more learned readers , or candid expositours . thomas muntzerus saxo erat homo ut accepi illiteratus , sed ut apparebat , in hoc libello egregie exercita●us , & scripti interpres parum candidus , we must distinguish betweene the first tumults of anabaptisticall men , and deliberate anabaptisme . the first tumults were raised above an hundred yeares since , by illiterate dreamers , such as nicholas storke , thomas muncer , phifer ringus and the rest ; yet muncer at that time laid a faire foundation for servetus , socinus and the rest to build upon ; for he denyed the satisfaction of christ ; and what doctrine is fundamentall if the satisfaction of christ be not ? the socinians make it their grand designe to perswade men that jesus christ hath not truly and properly satisfied for our sinnes . the heresy of the anabaptists was not backed with any strength of argument , nor methodically digested till servetus and socinus set to work , i must then look upon servetus and * socinus as the maine pillars of deliberate and refined anabaptisme . luther must be excused , for he was not guilty at all , it was an occasion snatched and not given , snatched by muncer , not given by luther , when the anabaptists urged luthers authority ; for luther did utterly disavow any such sense , as they put upon his book , nay he abhorred their designe and opposed their faction even at their very first rise . when muncer was stepped aside to melhusium , luther wrote against him to the senate and desired them to beware of the woolf in a sheeps . skin ; this was very early , in the yeare 1524. and upon the lords day as bullinger assures me . in the yeare 1525. and the sixth of novemb. the anabaptists were so confident of their own strength , that they challenged any reformed minister to dispute with them ; but when they were ready to dispute , one of the anabaptists cryed out , sion sion , rejoyce o hierusalem , they were presently in such a tumult that they were forced to remove to another place ; yet the senate , zuinglius and other learned men were so patient as to argue with them three dayes together , and when the anabaptists saw themselves confuted by the evident demonstrations which zuinglius produced out of the word of god , one of them had a designe beyond all the rest , he said zuinglius was a learned man and could prove any thing , but saith he , o zuinglius i adjure thee by the living god to speak thy conscience , and tell the truth . i will quoth zuinglius , thou art a seditious clowne , since milder answers will not serve the turn , i speak plain and home . upon the 15. day of november , 1525. the senate made a decree against the anabaptists , and declared that zuinglius had convinced them , clearely confuted the anabaptists , and therefore they would proceed severely against all anabaptists . now about this time servetus the great grand-father of faustus socinus , as hath been shewen , began to perk up , for servetus was put to death in the yeare 1553. because he had been a blasphemer for thirty yeares together ; so it seemes he began to vent his blasphemies as soone as thomas muncer himselfe , about the yeare 1523. theodorus strackius ( being to set forth the history of the anabaptists ) slides on a sudden into a long story of servetus that monster of men , and enemy of god , nay ( as he saith ) of the whole true godhead in the sacred trinity ; this servetus that he might shew his good inclination towards the fanaticall sects of these times ( saith strackius ) hath endeavoured to make the baptisme of infants not neglected only , but abominated ; i dare not mention his other blasphemies , at which i think the very devills tremble . there are so many severall sects , both of socinians and anabaptists , who have runne away with their mouths full of anabaptisticall and socinian blasphemies , that we must let them all passe for sectaries of servetus and socinus , though some of them are farre more dangerous then others . the anabaptists maintaine some opinions which are as welcome to the papists and iesuited party in england , as other parts are to the socinians ; the anabaptists did dreame at first of an unwritten word , and a very subtile one too , such as the pope and jesuites dreame of , and such visions and revelations as the priests boast of . the designe of the anabaptists pleased the papists well , because they endeavoured to root out protestant princes and ministers , the papists knew full well that no church or state could stand without magistrates and ministers . there is one iohannes angelius who commends servetus and saith he spake nothing but what david george and such like saints have delivered ; this jesuited politician you see hath praises to spare for servetus , one of the most abominable horrible anabaptists of all others , as reverend bullinger observes lib. 2. contra anabaptistas . cap. 12. because there are 12. or 13. sects of anabaptists in his account , and servetus was one of the worst sort ; but he saith david george went farre beyond even servetus himselfe . the truth is , these two were guilty of sublimed anabaptisme , deadly socinianisme , though david george differed from soci●us in a point or two . now what good friends the iesuites are to the socinians hath been already shewen , what patrons the arminians are of anabaptisme the professours of leyden declare . this being premitted , let us sadly enquire whether our late writers doe encline to the anabaptists and socinians in the great point about the authority of princes and magistrates ; for i know it is commonly said that though the first reformers did oppose the anabaptists in this point , yet the men that seeme to be most zealous for a reformation in these unhappy dayes , are arrant anabaptists in this point . we live in an angry time , and men will speake passionately when they are provoked , and vexed , i will not therefore take upon me to justify the angry expressions of the most judicious writer , much lesse can i ever mention those bastard-pamphlets without indignation , which spring from a licentious and prostituted presse . let us single out some that have lately studied this weighty controversy , and it may be it will appear that they who are said to write against the king have setled & established his lawfull authority upon surer grounds and better principles then those very men who pretend to write for the king . every man is now accounted an anabaptist if he doe not maintain monarchy to be iure divino ; heare then what dr. ferne saith . we confesse that neither monarchy , nor aristocracy , or any other forme is iure divino . nay he saith that that power or sufficiency of authority to govern which is the ordinance of god , is to be found not only in monarchy , but in aristocracy , sect. 3. moreover if we consider the qualification of this governing power , and the manner ofexecuting it even according to monarchicall government . dr. ferne grants that it is the invention of man , and hath not so much as gods permissive approbation till that qualification or forme is orderly agreed upon by men ; in the selfe same sec. be pleased now to hear mr. burroughes : however princes may be exasperated against puritanicall preachers ( sai m. burroughes ) yet they are as much beholding to them as to any people in their kingdomes for bringing people out of conscience to obey authority ; you see here the people are pressed to obey the lawfull authority of the king out of conscience by such as are counted puritanicall preachers . in the answer to the observations printed at oxford by his majesties command , i find that monarchy is not much younger then man himselfe — that regall power sprang first from paternall , a regall power belonged to the pater-familias , pag. 3. as if he meant onely to conclude the subjection of the kings children and family : the patriarchs were patres patriae without a metaphor , they begat their own subjects . but how came divers families to be subjected to one king or common father ? why , reason ( saith he ) did direct the people to choose one common father . p. 6. monarchy then is grounded upon the peoples reason , and yet quite thorowout his book he talkes as if the people had no reason , for he tells them that there may be reasonable motives why a people should consent to slavery , as the turkes and french peasants have done : he teaches them how to perish with a great deale of discretion , or else how to be safe by the benefit of slavery . p. 10 , 11. the observatour saith that regall dignity was erected to preserve the commonalty ; it was so , saith the answerer , p. 8. and when routs became societies they placed an head over them to whom they paid the tribute of reverence for the benefit of protection : what if the people be not , protected must they pay no tribute ? god send his majesty better protectours then this champion . dr. fern discourses just as wisely when he propounds davids rewarding of false ziba as a pattern to our king , he would perswade the king to trust papists as false as ziba to seise upon the estates of his good subjects ; and bestow their estates upon arrant ziba's , men that abuse his majesty and seek their own ends , & when the innocency of the subject and treachery of these ziba's , papists or pickthankes is discovered , yet the king must not reverse his sentence pronounced in favour of the papists though to the ruine of good subjects and their posterity , all this divinity is closely involved by this conscientious doctour , in the 7. section . how farre the divines of this time differ from the doctrine of papists is clearly shewen by mr. burroughes , mr. bridge , and therefore it is strange the papists should be counted the better subjects . mr. burroughes doth acknowledge the kings supremacy , the king ( saith he ) is supreme but not absolute , because his authority is limited both by the law of god and of the land . for we may and ought ( saith doctour ferne ) to deny obedience to such commands of the prince as are unlawfull by the law of god , yea by the established lawes of the land ; for in these we have his will and consent given upon goood advice , and to obey him against the lawes , were to obey him against himselfe , his suddain will against his deliberate will , sect. 1. for instance , it is the kings deliberate wil that this parliament shall not be dissolved , or any forces levyed without consent of both houses of parliament , as appeares by two severall acts made this parliament . if then any take up armes either without consent of parliament , or on purpose to dissolve this present parliament , they doe certainly take up armes against the king himselfe , ( as dr. ferne says ) because against the deliberate will of the king . if any commissions then should be issued out in the kings name to any persons to encourage them to take up armes without the consent of the parliament , or against the parliament , such commissions must be interpreted to proceed from the kings suddaine will , which is not to be obeyed , saith dr. ferne , against the kings deliberate will . they are not the kings friends who advise him to send forth any illegallcommands . there is another answer to dr. ferne intitled a fuller answer , in which there is much law and logick ( viz that in a mixt monarchy there is a co-ordinate supremacy , and coordinata invicem supplent ) and a great many things which the common people understand not . this respondent saith ( as dr. fern doth ) that monarchy is not gods ordinance , but then he tells the people their duty in plaine english , namely , that it is gods ordinance that men should submit without resistance , to that kind of government which they have by consent established , and therefore they must submit to this coordinate supremacy , though it be the ordinance of man for the lords sake , as saint peter saith . pag. 17. here is submission out of conscience for the lords sake , to all legall supremacy ; what can be desired more , unlesse they would make the king an absolute monarch ? ( and so give him an absolute supremacy ) which the king himselfe doth utterly disclaime in his answer to the 19. propositions . the zealous divines of this very time doe abhorre the seditious practises and opinions of all anabaptists , who because the church had not christian kings at first , cry out with open mouth a that the church cannot be safe if there be any king or magistrate in the church ; nay they adde that if a king turn christian he must cease to be a king , because christianity it selfe is repugnant to magistracy , and no b magistrate ought to look after any thing that concernes religion . they maintain that christians ought not to have any judiciall tryalls before magistrates , that no christians ought to punish offendors with death or imprisonment , but with excommunication only . they would not have heretikes punished by the magistrate , c but every man should be left to his liberty to beleeve what he thinks fit , just as the arminians and socinians dreame . i would kings and princes did seriously consider that the d arminians have taught heretikes to rebell against any prince or magistrate who goes about to inflict punishment upon them in a legall way ; for , say they , if the magistrate goes about to punish an heretike because he thinks the heretike in an errour , the heretikes may all joyne together and rise up in armes against the magistrate because they conceive the magistrate to be in an errour ; for the heretikes have as much power to kill the magistrate , as the magistrate hath to execute such seditious heretikes , par omnium in omnes jus est , is not that pure anabaptisme in the highest ? nay they adde farther , that though the heretikes be seditious , reipub. turbones , if they be apostates , if they turne iewes and blaspheme christ , yet they would not have them punished by the magistrates : these arminian , socinian , anabaptisticall errours are justly abhorred by the divines of this very time . there is at this very day a great talke of tubbe-preachers ; if there be any such , the arminians and socinians must defend them as long as they keep in private , but if they preach false doctrine publikely , then indeed the arminians would have them grievously punished , the magistrate may if it be needfull ( say they ) make a whippe of cords and drive them out of the temple , as our saviour did the hucksters : thus they abuse our saviour and the magistrate both in a breath , they will not allow the magistrate to doe any more . they doe not think it necessary that ministers should expect a mission in the first constituting of a church , for then there can be no order , for order is not yet begun , nor must ministers expect a mission when a church is to be reformed , for then they say all order is quite fallen to the ground , and therefore the word may be lawfully preached by them that are not sent , so the arminians ( exam. cens. cap. 21. pag. 228. ) state the point . you see if there be any tubbe-preachers , now our church is but reforming , they doe punctually observe the arminians grave instructions . the arminians allow a liberty of prophecying , if any man shall perswade himselfe that he hath received some spirituall interpretations of the word by the inspiration , suggestion , assistance of the holy ghost , and any magistrate shall imprison this man , because the interpretation is contrary to the spirit of the reformed divines , the magistrate doth imprison the spirit and quench the spirit , and the church of rome may as well emprison any protestant because he brings an interpretation contrary to the spirit of their church , which is as the papists conceive infallibly guided by the spirit . here'snothing but qui sibi persuadet , a strong perswasion required to beare out this enthysiast , though he seemes to the reformed divines to preach nothing but his own brain-sick fancies , nay phrensies , sed hoc ipsum est spiritum extinguere , authoritatem sibi arrogare , spiritum qui cum spiritu nostro ( by our spirit they meane the spirit which enlightens the reformed divines ) non convenit , pro insanâ & corrupta mente , libidine contendendi , adeoque mali spiritus suggestione , censendi , eoque nomine vi armata eum opprimendi — colloca teipsum coram tribunali pontificio , reformationem dogmatum , & articulorum variorum urgentem & orantem ne spiritum tuum quem divinum esse credis extinguat ; quid respondebis si tibi reponat verba tua , an spiritus est quod cuique insana & corrupta mens , contendendi libido , adeoque malus spiritus suggerit ? exam. cens. cap. 24. pag. 276. unlesse we have that infallible spirit which the apostles had to discern spirits , the arminians tell us we must allow men liberty to prophesy contrary to the spirit of the reformed doctours , or else our censure of these enthysiasts will bee doubtfull , uncertain . finally ( for i am weary of this subject ) they will admit anabaptists to be true and lawfull pastours of christ . cap. 23. exam. cens. de baptismo . pag. 248. in fine . sure this is liberty enough , the socinians need not desire more , the arminians and socinians then must patronize these tubbe-preachers . in the next place there is a complaint of brownists , to which complaint i shall answer briefly , and yet fully . first , they are to be blamed who gave the first occasion of this rent : i know between 40. and 50. yeares agoe , there were some followers of browne , but in the latter end of king james his reigne , the number of brownists properly so called was much decreased , and it was a rare thing to meet with a brownist ; but when bishop land began to sit at stern , ( and so he did a while even in arch-bishop abbot his time ) then the number of brownists began to encrease ; the reason was , because ceremonies began to be urged upon the conscience with so much earnestnesse as if they had been necessary to salvation : and about 6. or 7. yeares since when the arch-bishop was in his ruffe , and his priests began to surrogate it , preaching for doctrines the commandements of men , and consequently worshipping god in vaine , math. 15. 9. men of tender consciences ( and those no weake ones neither ) began to feare , that they should transgresse the commandements of god , by observing traditions , math. 15. 3. and conceived it vain , to joyne with them in worship , who worshipped god in vain . many were prevailed with by this reason , but there were some of a moderate temper , who if they might have the liberty of their conscience , and not be forced to the use of any ceremonies , would , and did , communicate even in parish-churches : but the archbishop of canterbury began to lay on greater burdens ; crucifixes must be set up at the east-end , that was too plain ; next , the communion-table , to colour the design , or , at least , to add varnish to it , must be advanced into an altar , & men must by a tacit consent , ( as we were informed at the visitation of merton college ) expressesome outward reverence , by bowing towards the east , the altar , the crucifixe , choose which you please , all if you will ; but in no case must we be commanded to bow , & yet we must be censured as disobedient , if we refuse to bow . this was interpreted by rationall men an asking of our consent to bring in popery : it was now high time to make protestations that we would neither bow to east , nor hoast , nor altar , for if we held our peace we knew not what might come by tacite consent . we were sure that our actions would speak aloud , and how tacite soever our consent was , it would be known to god & our conscience . i will not take this faire hint to tunne into a long story of what censures were passed upon my self or others , for our protestation against this superstitious innovation , but sure i am that by degrees there were so many innovations both in point of doctrine , and externall worship , that the papists themselves thought those of greatest worth , learning and authority in england , knew not well what religion to be of , or where to fasten . the jesuite who wrote the directions to n. n. which mr. chillingworth endeavours to answer , began to triumph in our complyances with rome . heark what he saith . protestantisme waxeth weary of it selfe , the professours of it , they especially of greatest worth , learning and authority , love temper and moderation , and are at this time more unresolved where to fasten , then at the infancy of their church . their churches begin to look with a new face , their walls to speak a new language , their doctrines to be altered in many things , &c. mr. chillingworth is so vaine as to call this painting of churches the beauty of holinesse , sect. 22. but to proceed , if the guides of the church would not endure so much as a nominall inconformity with rome , if they and their adherents looked so like , and preached so like them , that the papists themselves took them for romane catholiques ; no marvaile if the poore people cryed out that england was turned babylon , and began to separate ; for that is very observable which judicious hooker delivers in his ecclesiasticall politie . the people ( saith he ) are not accustomed to trouble their wits with nice and subtile differences in the exercises of religion — and ( saith he ) in actions of this kinde , ( hee speakes of adoration of the crosse , it may well be applyed to adoration towards the east , hoast , altar , crucifixe ) we are more to respect what the greatest part of men is commonly prone to conceive , then what some few mens wits may devise in construction of their owne particular meanings . they then are to be blamed who invented a few cogging distinctions to juggle with god and their conscience , and thought to salve up all with some curious subtilties which the people understood not . if they that should be lights of the church gave no better light then an ignis fatuns , which doth seduce them into bogges and ditches , if they puzzeld the people and gave them good cause to doubt whether it was safe to communicate or no , must the people communicate when they are perplexed with such doubts that they cannot communicate in faith ? he that doubts is damned if he eat , rom. 14. 23. the poore people could not be resolved , and durst not be damned ; sure the archbishop was rather schismaticall , in imposing such burthens upon tender communicants , then the people in separating from externall communion . let mr. chillingworth be judge , sure he is no brownist ; neither is it alwayes of necessity schismaticall to separate from the externall communion of a church , though wanting nothing necessary . for if this church supposed to want nothing necessary , require me to professe against my conscience , that i beleeve some error , though never so small and innocent , which i doe not beleeve , and will not allow me her communion , but upon this condition ; in this case the church for requiring this condition is schismaticall , and not i for s●parating from the church . secondly , all separatists are not brownists ; it is evident from this very place of mr. chillingworth ; for a man may have just cause to separate from the externall a communion of a church , though he think that there are all things necessary to salvation in that church . but no brownist doth conceive that there are all things necessary to salvation in any of our parish churches . they deny that there is any true church or ministers of god to bee found in any parish of england ; or that all the parishes taken collectively can make one church of god ; they say our congregations and ministers are limbs of b antichrist , babylonians , idolaters ; this doctrine i have ever preached against , ( i preached against it even at westminster , where they say there are so many brownists ) and resolve to preach against it still . 3. there are some reverend and learned ministers in this kingdome , who are commonly called the independent ministers , and these are all put downe for brownists , if not anabaptists , in the oxford catalogue , though the arminians have no reason to censure any that goe from a congregation that is lesse pure , to one that is more pure . i will therefore briefely shew that these ministers are neither anabaptists nor brownists . they will not say the magistrate is an head of the church , but they say that every christian magistrate is an head in the church , which no anabaptist will say . they say that the prelates doe not hold from the head , as all officers of the church should doe , ephes. 4. 15 , 16. and yet they acknowledge that it is possible for a prelate , and the diocese under him to hold the head , as the phrase is , colos. 2. 19. and this no anabaptist or brownist will acknowledge . they will communicate even in a parish-assembly , where the minister and people generally desire and labour by all lawfull meanes to procure a reformation . they protest against brownisme , as a * bitter error , and full of cruelty ; what can be desired more , to cleare them from being brownists or anabaptists ? i heard the same man preach since with much fervency and earnestnesse of spirit against the brownists for this their error , and among other inconveniencies which arise therefrom , hee mentioned this , that upon the same ground and reason for which they chiefely make the churches in england no true churches , nor the ministers thereof , true ministers , they must make all those in scotland , france , and other reformed churches , ( whom yet they seeme to acknowledge ) to be no true churches ; and so no true churches to have beene in europe since the reformation but themselves , which were a horrid opinion to enter into a mans heart . 4. brownists doe not , that ever i could learne , differ from protestants , concerning civill government , and therfore i doe not know why men should cry out , that brownists are greater enemies to the state then papists themselves : we have not yet forgot the powder-treason , and we doe still groane under the irish rebellion . 5. if the brownists be as bad as the donatists of old , if they conceive that there is no true church but in parte brownistarum , as they conceived there was none but in parte donati : if they should deny the catholique church ( which they do not ) and refuse to communicate with any of the reformed churches , or with any independent congregation , because they will not communicate with any who are ready to embrace communion with any parish church , let their errour , schisme , pride , uncharitablenesse , cruelty , and bitternesse be aggravated to the highest , yet the papists have no reason to complaine of them ; for papists deny the catholike church as directly as the brownists can be thought to doe , they confine it to their owne party ; the socinians and arminians may hold their peace for shame , for they both tell us , that it is possible that christ may have no church at all , neither in this part nor that , hee may bee an head without a body , an husband without a spouse , a king without subjects , as hath beene shewen above , pag. 49. the socinians say that there is not as yet any triumphant church above , nor is it necessary there should bee any militant church here below . it was no errour in the donatists that they held it possible that the church might bee contracted from a larger extent to a lesser , ( as mr. chillingworth observes ) but their error was that they held it done de facto , when they had no just ground or reason to doe so ; chap. 3. p. 162. but the author of the tract concerning schisme doth quite outleape mr. chillingworth . it is ( saith he ) a thing indifferent , the church may be in any number more or lesse , it may be in any place , countrey or nation , it may be in all , and for ought i know it may be in none , pag. 7. sure the brownist is more moderate , he saith there must be a church . 6. but the great quarrell with the brownist is , that hee would have the common-prayer booke taken away ; to which i answer in a word , that they are not all brownists who desire to have that law abrogated , by which the common-prayer booke is established ; mr. chillingworth desires that there might be this triall made betweene us and the papists , that there might be some forme of worshipping god propounded which is wholly taken out of the scripture ; and herein saith he to the papists , if we refuse to joyne with you , then , and not till then , may you justly say we have utterly and absolutely abandoned your communion . answer to the preface . sect. 23. may not some that are not brownists say the same to us , we keepe our distance from you , meerely because your forme of worshipping god is not taken wholly out of scripture , though for the present then wee joyne not with you , yet doe not say ( till that be done ) that wee doe utterly and absolutely abandon your communion . the author of the tract of schisme would have such a forme of service , as donatists , arians , papists , all that call themselves christians , might joyne in ; p 9 , 10. you see he dislikes the common-prayer booke , and sure dislikes the best part of it , the creeds , he is farre worse then a brownist . be pleased to observe that liturgies were first composed to expell socinianisme , and now this author would have a liturgie composed to let in arianisme , or at least to humour the arians , and sooth them up in their heresie , as if the articles of our creed were but private fancies , and it concerned us more to please hereticks , then preserve our creed . but there is a learned man of a more moderate opinion , and sounder judgement then either of the former , though they bee both very learned men , it is dr. featley , be pleased to heare him speake . there is nothing ( saith he ) in the protestant liturgie or service which the romanists do , or by their owne rules can except at ; the confession , forme of absolution , prayers , hymnes , collects , &c. are either such as the papists themselves use , or at least such as they dislike not ; in his annotations on vertumnus romanus , p. 16 , 17. now this is the very reason the papists bragge so much , and why some that are not brownists take offence at our liturgy . and this learned doctor tels us , that all who love the truth in sincerity , should with bended knees humbly desire that his majesty , and the high court of parliament , would make some more certaine distinctive signe betweene papists and protestants , then monthly comming to church , and taking the oathes of allegiance and supremacy . now how this present liturgy which the papists like so well , can make any such distinction , let the prudent judge . i intend not to run out into the large question , about the necessity or antiquity of liturgies ; but let men that are so violent in this point consider ; 1. how corrupt those liturgies are which are voted for ancient . 2. how much bishop hall is forced to grant , when this question was agitated betweene him and the smectymn●ans . 3. to passe by what is said about the lawfulnesse of a set-forme , let them consider what arguments are produced against the imposition of a set-forme . 4. if it were granted that a set-forme may be imposed , yet those many cart-loads of arguments which are produced against this set-forme are considerable . 5. it is confessed , that a minister should be able to pray as well as preach , and should give and even devote himselfe to prayer , he should meditate and study how to pray . 6. it is granted on all sides that wee ought to pray according to the occasion , and how we should foresee all the wants and straits of a church , and compose a set-forme for them before-hand , it concernes them to declare . when k. iames was to advise prince henry how to pray , hee did not thinke it sufficient to leave him to the church-liturgy , or to any prayers composed by man ; the onely rule of prayer , saith he , is the lords prayer : he advised him to study the psalmes of david , because they being composed by a king , hee might collect prayers out of them most sutable to his wants , and so he should be enabled to pray according to the occasion ; he disswaded him from following the common ignorant sort , that prayes nothing but out of bookes , for that would breed an uncouth coldnesse in him towards god : hee bids him take heed that hee be not over-homely in his expressions , for that would breed a contempt of god : nay he counsels him farther , to pray as his heart moves him , pro re natâ , reade his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , pag 151. 152. let these things be well weighed and considered , and then our fierce men will not terme every man a brownist , who desires to have that law abrogated by which this common prayer booke is established and enjoyned . i need not adde what the arminians and socinians think of liturgies , onely observe , that though the arminians beyond sea were prevailed with to write something for the archbishops , bishops , archdeacons , &c. in england yet they write but faintly , exam. censurae . cap. 21. and they could not be prevailed with to write a word in defence of our liturgy , they will not admit , no not of the most received creeds ; there is ( they say ) too much majesty in them , they call the preface to athanasius his creed , whosoever will be saved must hold , &c. a proud preface , for this is ( say they ) to give divine authority to humane formes , and into the assembly of such bold men let not our soule ever enter : you see what they think of humane formes . exam. censurae praef. pag. 6. 7. and lastly , the brownists had beene in the right if the archbishop of canterbury could have compassed his designe , for his project was to root out all that would not comply , which if he had effected , he had made good the brownists opinion for them , for then there would have beene no true church of god in england indeed ; not a true governing church , for his government would have beene tyranicall , not a true practising church , the practises of his grace and his adherents are sufficiently knowne : nor a true teaching church , as shall evidently be demonstrated in the next chapter . chap. vi . the religion so violently contended for by the archbishop of canterbury and his adherents , is not the true pure protestant religion . i intend not to transcribe overmuch out of bishop mountague , shelford , pocklington , dr. potter , mr. chillingworth , dr. dowe , dr. heylin , &c. their books are commonly sold , and i have given a taste already in the third and fourth chapters of some of these authors ; ex ungue leonem , as they say ; there are a great many passages collected and published already by severall men , so that i am forestalled , and by some happily prevented ; there is a booke entituled ladensium {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} closely penned , and never answered , in which their heresies are filled up by dozens , there will come forth a booke very shortly , in which the designe of reconciling , or rather uniting rome and canterbury , ( for there was no great quarrell betweene them ) will be more fully discovered ; for these reasons i may well shorten my journey . let any man that desires satisfaction , but peruse those bookes which were printed in england betweene 1630. and 1639. and compare them with the harmony of confessions of the reformed churches , and then hee may easily judge . mr. chillingworth proves undeniably that the church of rome is not infallible , but to what end and purpose ? why , that rome and canterbury may shake hands , the pope may abate something in point of supremacy , his primacy being grounded upon his infallibility ; but if the pope , cardinals , &c. the archbishop of canterbury and his adherents were united , the people would be unwilling to part with their masse : why for that if they will but yeild thus farre , as to turne their masse into english , the good men are agreed ; for mr. chillingworth tels the papists , that no godly lay man ( that is , an ignorant papist that is well conceited of the masse ) who is verily perswaded that there is neither impiety nor superstition in the use of their latine service shall be damned as he hopes for being present at it ; excellent divinity ! a strong perswasion will turne superstition and impiety into godlinesse . yet he saith there is some danger as long as the service is in latine , because the want of that devotion which the frequent hearing the offices understood might happily beget in them , the want of that instruction and edification which it might afford them , may very probably hinder the salvation of many , which otherwise might have beene saved ; that is , might have beene saved if the service had beene in english ; this is plaine dealing , the men are likely to agree , the masse in english may beget such devotion , afford such instruction and edification , as is sufficient for salvation . can the papists desire fairer quarter , or a foller acknowledgement ? is not this doctrine sufficient to effect an accommodation betweene rome and canterbury . i dare say all the papists in england will fight for such a protestant religion . mr. chillingworth in his epistle dedicatory gives his majesty to understand , that the papists allow protestants as much charity as protestants allow them ; and therefore such protestants and true papists will easily be reconciled , or indeed are already reconciled . i cannot stand to reckon up mr. chillingworths principles , consider these that follow . 1. god is not offended with us for not doing what hee knowes we cannot doe . whiles we are unregenerate god knowes we cannot repent and beleeve ; is not god offended with us even then , for our impenitence and unbeleefe ? besides , he conceives that unaffected ignorance joyned with implicite faith and generall repentance is not damnable . 2. mr. chillingworth is verily perswaded that god will not impute errours to them as sinnes , who use such a measure of industry in finding truth , as humane prudence and ordinary discretion ( their abilities , and opportunities , their distractions and hinderances , and all other things considered ) shall advise them unto , in a matter of such consequence . sure god will judge men with more then ordinary discretion , and therefore though we may justifie our selves when our opinions and practises are scanned by humane prudence , yet god may justly condemne us for not attending upon him without distraction ; such loose principles as these will nurse men up in security and ignorance , or else betray them to indifferency in religions , to that * arminian libertinisme , which hath been so much admired of late dayes , and cryed up as the only way to maintain peace . for if a man poysoned with this principle be seduced by a papist , arminian , socinian , he need use but ordinary discretion , and therefore take but ordinary care to resist the seducer : alas his abilities are not great , his distractions not few , and his hinderances many ; besides if he have time to consider the arguments propounded , yet hee wants opportunity , and therefore all things considered he had as good yeeld as stand out , for it is in the eye of humane prudence , a matter of no great consequence : for mr. chillingworth saith a papist may be saved , especially if he have the masse in english , and socinians are a company of christians , which though they are erroneous in explicating mysteries and take too great a liberty in speculative matters , yet they explicate and maintaine the lawes of christ with lesse indulgence to the flesh then the papists . 3. mr. chillingworth thinkes it sufficient to beleeve all those bookes of scripture ( to be gods word ) of whose authority there was never any doubt made in the church : hee cannot in reason beleeve the * other bookes so undoubtedly as those books which were never questioned , and he hath the example of saints in heaven to justify or excuse his doubting , nay his denyall . sect. 38. there is no necessity of conforming our selves to the judgement of any church concerning the rest that were never questioned , for that also he urges the authority of some saints in heaven ; ancient fathers , whole churches by their difference about this point , shewed that they knew no necessity of conforming themselves herein to the judgement of any church . sect. 34. and yet of this controversy whether such or such bookes be canonicall , the church is to judge . sect. 35. and the churches testimony is , though no demonstrative enforcement , yet an highly probable inducement , and so a sufficient ground of faith . what kind of faith this is like to prove , i know not , which is grounded upon a probable testimony , to which no man need to subseribe or conform . 4. it is enough to beleeve by a kind of implicite faith , that the scripture is true in gods own sense and meaning , though you know not what god meant , if you use such industry as ordinary discretion shall advise for the knowing of gods meaning , of which i have said enough already ; this may suffice for a taste . dr. potter is very charitable to the papists , because they receive the apostles creed , but whether they receive it in the apostles sense , is the question . whether mr. rouse or dr. potter hath answered that subtile booke most like a protestant , let the learned judge . i have said enough of dr. potter already , i referre the reader to ladens . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . i am even ashamed to repeat what dr. pocklington hath printed in his sermon , sunday no sabbath , see the first edition p. 48. 50. we must have an altar with a crosse upon it , if we will beleeve dr. pocklington , altare christianum . cap. 21. pag. 143. we may comply with the jewes in phrase , and other respects . cap. 22. pag. 147. i hope he doth not mean in caspar barlaeus his sense , or as the socinians mean ; he hath a vain conceit that the christian church of the iewes had altars . i hope they did not bow all , to , or towards the altar when they met . act. 15. we must if we will beleeve this dr. agree with the iewes in externall rites & ceremonies , p. 147. give me leave to throw away this book ; and dr. kellet his tricenium . when the arch bishop of canterbury was to assigne what errours in doctrine might give just cause of separation , he would not adventure to set them down in particular , lest in these times of discord , he might be thought to open a doore for schisme ; he knew full well that some who were countenanced by him had brought in errours enough , which gáve just cause of separation . knot the jesuite spoke plaine english to mr. chillingworth , when he told him that the doctrine of the church of england began to be altered in many things , for which our progenitours forsooke the romane church . for example , it is said that the pope is not antichrist , prayer for the dead is allowed , limbus patrum , pictures ; it is maintained that the church hath authority in determining controversies of faith , and to interpret scripture , about free-will , predestination , universall grace ; that all our workes are not sinnes , merit of good workes inherent justice , faith alone doth not justify , traditions , commandements possible to be kept . your thirty nine articles are patient , nay ambitious of some sense in which they may seeme catholique . calvinisme is accounted heresy , and little lesse then treason . men in talke use willingly the once fearfull names of priests and altars . what saith mr. chillingworth to this bold charge ? why , some things he excuses , and grants the rest . as for the popes not being antichrist , the lawfulnesse of some kinde of prayers for the dead , the estate of the fathers soules before christs ascension , free-will , predestination , universall grace , the possibility of keeping gods commandements , and the use of pictures in the church ; these are not things fit to be stood upon , we must not break charity for such matters , these points have been anciently disputed amongst protestants , if you will beleeve an arch-priest brearley ; and so he leaves that point ; here is a faire compasse , a long rope for a papist , arminian , &c. to dance in . but mr. chillingworth saith the protestants have constantly maintained , and doe still maintain , that good workes are not properly meritorious , and that faith alone justifies ; but either this is false , or else men that are counted protestants have changed their religion . franciscus de sancta clara wil inform him of the extravagancies of some in these points , who passed for such protestants as england hath been guilty of entertaining of late yeares . i have heard it publikely maintained in oxford by mr. wethereld of queenes colledge , that bona opera sunt causae physicae vitae aeternae , he had said before that they were morall causes , by that he meant meritorious , but that expression would not content him . it is well known what dr. duncan maintained at cambridge ; what shelford printed there , what dr. dow and dr. heylin have since maintained , and to their power justifyed ; you may read their words at large in ladensium {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the fifth chapter . the arch-bishop of canterbury hath given us the reason why the jesuites refused to come to our churches , ( it seems he had invited them ) since they themselves acknowledge that there is no positive errour in our liturgy , and it is briefly this . because though our liturgy had in it nothing ill , yet it wanted a great deale of that which was good , and was in their service . i can now give at least a probable conjecture why his grace altered the service-book which he sent into scotland : why , surely to please the jesuites , for he put in something which the jesuites counted good , and so in his apprehension made up the defect . mr. newcomen in his learned sermon hath shewen at large how punctuall his grace was in observing the jesuites instructions for the alteration of our religion . how truth hath been sold at a low rate , by the highest priests , is clearely discovered by mr. hill in his accurate sermon . revend dr. hakewill hath set forth dr. heylin to the life , and therefore i will not presume to adde any thing to his happy observations . the ministers remonstrance will give sufficient light to this point , i hope it will be published ere long . there is a book which passeth from hand to hand as a pretious manuscript called romano-catholicus pacificus , in which there are many faire offers made for a reconciliation between rome and canterbury , the arch-bishop of canterbury shall enjoy the cyprian priviledge and be subject to no patriarch , of which you may read at large in the supplement of the canterburian selfe-conviction , a passage well worthy the serious consideration of all statesmen . i might make my book swell if i should but reckon up the tithe of bishop mountague his popish expressions , and therefore i leave men to peruse his writings , there are few points of popery which you may not find in his bookes or in his articles at visitation ; it seemes our guides were gone so farre that the papists thought they might accept of all propositions of accommodation which were tendered to them by our gentle reconcilers . dr. featley hath excellently discovered what a good opinion the romanists conceive of some who professe themselves members of the church of england ; protestants are now counted heretiques no longer , if you will speak properly and strictly , saith that popish priest , and therefore sure protestantisme is waxed weary of it selfe , as knot speaks ; you may well know what protestants this vertumnus meanes , such as have been cited in this sixth chapter : concerning the book called jesuitica negotiatio , the ministers have said enough already . i admire at the impudence of divers men who have thus freely expressed themselves for the encouragement of the arminian , socinian and popish party , and yet are not ashamed to say that they stand for the protestant religion . i have seen a letter under mr. chillingworths own hand in which he doth excite dr. sheldon of all-soules , and dean potter , &c. to stand in defiance of the parliament , and advises them to stir up the youth ( the young laddes of the university as he calls them ) to oppose the parliament ; now can i or any man beleeve that mr. chillingworth doth intend to maintaine calvinisme , i mean pure protestant religion ? i appeale to the conscience of* dr. sheldon whether he hath not reserved more charity for an infidel then a calvinist ? he hath expressed himselfe very slily in his sermons , and yet plainly enough to intelligent auditours , but i will take the counsell of his text , and judge nothing before the time . i remember his observations upon that text , good master what shall i doe that i may inherit eternall life ? it is not , saith he , what shall i beleeve , as the calvinists would have it , ( or to that effect ) but what shall i doe ? sure the good dr. forgot the jaylours question , what shall i doe to be saved ? and the apostles answer , beleeve , &c. is this the calvinisme he jerkes at ? knot i beleeve had some ground to say that the infection was so generall that it had overspread all soules . i would there had been no need of such discoveries , but since things are grown to this passe , it is folly to complement , we are compelled to speak plain english in sober sadnesse . if our faith will be lost except it be kept by a controversy , it is an act both of faith and love for orthodoxe men to undertake the controversy . dr. potter doth acknowledge the church of rome to be a member of the church universall , and saith the church of england hath a true and reall union still with that church in faith and charity : nay pag. 76. we doe not forsake the communion of the church of rome any more then we forsake the body of christ , whereof we acknowledge the church of rome a member though * corrupted . but it seems in 8. or 9. yeares dr. potter had altered his opinion , for in his sermon preached at the consecration of the bishop of carlslie , in the yeare 1628. i find these words ; [ i am confident were the fathers now alive they would all side with us in our necessary separation from the abominations , idolatry and tyranny of the papacy , with which no good christian can hold any union in faith , any communion in charity . ] p. 64 , 65. the learned and reverend bishop davenant did maintain that the church of rome was apostaticall in his sad determinations ; if it be apostatized from faith as bishop davenant saith , and hath no more charity then dean potter saith it hath , how can we ( especially since our separation from rome ) be said to have a true and reall union with it still in faith and charity ? it is in vaine for him now to distinguish between the church of rome , and the court of rome , though there was once ground for that distinction , for rome is all court now ; if he will have me use charrons similitude , the church is the apple , and the c●ur the worme , the worme hath eaten up the apple , the court hath devoured the church ; we distinguish between fundamentalls and superstructions , and some talke as if the papists were sound in fundamentalls , but the case is cleare that they have overthrown the old foundation , and all their superstructions are upon a new foundation , or upon no foundation at all . for if their churches authority be the foundation of all their faith , and their churches authority be built lastly and wholly upon prudentiall motives ; as mr. chillingworth shewes , cap. 2. pag. 64. sect. 35. then sure here is a new foundation , or else their church is a castle in the ayre , a church without foundations . i dare appeale to master chillingworth whether the papists doe not erre grossely ( and therefore fundamentally ) in those things which belong to the covenant between god and man in christ ? see whether my inference be not grounded on his assertion . pag. 17. the answer to the preface , sect. 26. dr. potter tells us * that their errours and practises for which they have been forsaken of protestants are not damnable in themselves to men who beleeve as they professe ; but the arch-bishop of canterbury is more orthodoxe , or else the man that gave him this note was more orthodoxe , ( for doubtlesse the materialls of that faire fabrick were brought in by men of different religions , the principles are so crosse ) he saith that errour in points not fundamentall may be damnable to some men , though they hold it not against their conscience . sect. 37. numb. 6. pag. 320. dr. potter and some others have a fancy of resting in the profession of such truths as all christians in the whole world agree upon . master chillingworth will put in the socinians for a company of christians ; i hope dr. potter will not joyn with him ; but the arch-bishop dislikes this plot , as it comes from a. c. or at least shewes the danger of it , and would be better advised in this point . he saith he doth not think it safest in a controverted point of faith to beleeve that only which the dissenting parties agree upon , or which the adverse party confesses ; the arch-bishop instances in the doctrine between the orthodoxe and the arian ; if that rule be true which was mentioned before , then saith he 't is safest for a christian to beleeve that christ is of like nature with god the father , and be free from beleefe , that he is consubstantiall with him , &c. his second instance is about the resurrection . his third about the unity of the godhead ; if we will rest in the acknowledgement of one god ( he meanes , and not confesse the trinity of persons in the unity of the godhead , for his grace hath not framed his argument right ) then iewes , turkes and socinians will be as good christians as we are . the fourth instance is about the verity of christs godhead . the arch-bishops relat. p. 309 , 310 , &c. you see whither this charitable principle would lead us , we must take in the socinian first , as a christian , and then we may turn turkes with credit . i will conclude all with a part of dr. potters prayer ; the lord take out of his church all dissention and discord , all heresies , and schismes , all abuses and false doctrines , all idolatry , superstition and tyranny , and unite all christians in one holy band of truth and peace , that so with one minde and one mouth we may all joyne in his service , and for ever glorify the holy name of the most holy and glorious trinity . amen . amen . amen . the printer to the reader . the author being called from london to a businesse of higher conc●rnment could not oversee the presse , but some few sheets being sent to him , he returned some brief corrections which he hath desired me to communicate that the reader might blot out those things which are redundant , and rectify such mistakes as alter the sense of the author . be pleased to take speciall notice of these that follow . s. g. errata . in pag. 2. lin. 6. r. he will not confesse that they pag. 3. l. 19. dele ( if smalcius be judge ) in pag. 3. l. 6. marg. dele [ sociniani ] in pag. 6. l. 18. r. [ with him ] but consider that samosatenus p. 10. l. 20. dele [ they ] p. 27. l. 7. r. but the cause of the quarrell is that the churches p. 28. l. penult . r. without the word . p. 33. l. ult. r. let them read my answer to mr. webberley . p. 37. l. 7. dele therefore . p. 38. l. 10. r. istis quos ignorare . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a32802e-190 vide annotat. casaub. in g. nys. epist. ad amb. & bas. pacem ecclesia , pacem christi amissā quaerere , & turbatā componere , & repertam tenere curavimus sed hujus ipsius fieri nos vel participes vel autores , nec tēporis nostri peccata me ruerunt — nec antichristi ministri sunt passi , qui pace sua , id est , impietatis sua unitato se jactant , agentes se non ut christi episcopos , sed antichristi sacerdotes . hilarius contra auxentium . volumus & nos pacem , sed pacem christi — pacē in qua non fit bellum involutū ; pacē , qua non ut adversartes subjictat , sed ut a mices jungat , hieronym . ep. ad th. contra errores ioh. hi●ros . see mr. gatak●rs defence of mr. wotte● . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , &c. gr. na. zimz orat. 20. elcesaita fidem in persecutione negādam docebant & in corde servandam . aug. de hare sibus ad quod. vult . deū . euseb. de vita const. l. 1. c. 11. vide dinothuw● d● bell● ga●ico ; cundē de be●o belgico . dimetr . meteran . hist. belg. p●pellinier● . memoires de la ligue . insidi● sub pacis nomine latebant 1572. barth. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , &c. at saptens quondam rite ho● pradixit homerus . exors ille , domus , pauperque extorris & exlex , quem bellum civile juvat , crudele , nefandum . aristop . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . vulpt●bus atque leves voltis confidere mergi ? {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} mergus , fulica , ardea , mihi gavia videtur esse ; a gull , or sea . goose , vide observ. flor. chr. in locum . nullâ id ratione queamus ante lup●s quàm connubio sibi junxerit agnam . at nunquā rectà efficias incedere cancrum , non facias unquam ut lavis sict asper echinus . petra romana est mola asinaria , demergatur sola in profundum maris , in collo nostro non suspendatur . barret . d● iur● regu . tacit. a● . l. 4. vibane the 2d . did account my worthy predecessour s. anselm his own compeer , and said he was the patriarch and apostolique of the other world . the archbishop his relat. p. 171. the like priviledge offered to this archbishop by the english fryar bar●●si●s ; see the large supplement of canterburies selfe-conviction pag. 20. what offers were made by signior co● , i leave to one more skillfull to demonstrate . notes for div a32802e-2100 scribant ● laute & accurate qui ad hoc munus ingenii fiductâ vel officii ratione ducuntur ; me verò sublevanda recordationu , vel potius oblivionu mea gratiâ , commoniterium mihimet parasse suffecerit . vinc. li●in . adv. har. a vide calovium consid. theol. socin. pag. 105. 106. & sequ. vide stegman photin . disp. 1 pag. 1. & 3. hebionei christun● tantummodo hominem dicunt . vti augustinus de haresibus . euseb. pamph . hist. lib. 3. cap. gr. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . lat. 24. epihanius hares . 30. ariani patrem & filium & spiritū sanctum nolunt esse uniui ejusdemque naturae at que substantiae , aut ut expressius dicatur , essentia . august . de haeresibus . ariani omnes dicti antiquitus era●t , licet sententiis inter se discordes , qui in pr●c●puum errotem cum ario conspirabant ; nempe filium dei patri consubstantialem esse negantes ●ti smiglecius probat . d bez● , prasatio prafixa explicat . val gentilis perfidi● & perjurii . sociniani cum aetionis filiū nō modo {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , sed etia {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} di●unt . stegman . phot. disp. 1. pag. 7 , 8. sociniani insuper filium de● post munds occasum prorsus non regnaturum cum ario s●mniant sociniani . vide calov . de di . stinct . theol. s●cin . a priscis haresibus . pag. 116. noc est ut photinianum nomen su●terfugiant cum in principalibus se c● photino convenir● fateantur . d stegman photin . disp. 1. pag 3. iacobus ad portum orthod fid defen. advers●● ostorradium . martin . thalyaus anatom . samosat . glossema samosateniorum est ejusdē●oloris cū turcismo ac iudaismo — cum turcis quidem plus habent affini tatu quàm cum iudae● — turcismus en●m ut ex alijs errorum cento nibus , sic ex samosatenia nismo a mahume te est conftatus . pauliani a paulo samosateno christū non semper suisse dicunt sed ej us initiū ex quo de ma. ria natus est asse verant , nec eum ali quid amplius quā hominem putant . ista haeresis aliquāao cujusdā artemonii fuit sed cum defecisset ●staurata est a paulo , & postea sic a photino confirmata &c. aug de hares . execrandus ille samosatenus ejus ecolesiae conspurcator in quâ primi sunt christiani nominati . d. beza ubi supra . august de hares . haresis samosaten ; postea sic a photino confirmata ut photiniani quàm p●ultani celebriús nuncupentur — philaster continuatim ponit ambos ( samosatenū scil. & photinum ) sub singulis & propriis numeris quasi haereses duas , cum dicat photinum in omnibus pauli secutum fuisse doctrinam . vide iacobum ad portū orthodox . fid. defens . stegman . disput 1. pag. 4. 7. 8. calovium considerat . theol. socin. preoemial . gloriantur sociniani selectes quasdam cōfessions sua vel directe vel oblique de deo & christo favisse , samosatenum photinum , baliardum , basilidianos , carpocrat , gnosticos , marcionites , montanistas , noctianos , arianos , berillum , eutych , donatum , helvidiū eunomiū , miletium , sabinum , praxeam , manichaum , sabellium , photinum , & ejusce furfuris perditissimos hareticos , vide caloviunt de d●uct , theol. socin. à priscis haresibus pag. 106. vide d. stegman disp. 1. pag. 4. learned mr. gataker his postscript to mr. wotto●s defence , pag. 40. 41. calov . considerat . theol. socinian . prooemial . p. 120. beza prafat. pra . fix . explicat . h●res . valent . gen● . calovins consid. theol. soc. prooe●ial . pag. 6. michael , servetus p●nas luens , anno 1553. nonnulli geneva iterum è favillis serveti flammas quasdam hareseos ipsius excitare , tum illis quoque inter alios favit lalius socinus . calov . decas dis. pag. 7. impictas val. gent. b●evi script● detecta per d. 1. calvinum vide valentint gent. pro. theses . confession● . libellum antid●torum . responsum d. calvini ad question . georg elandratae . eiusdem brev. admonit ad fratres polonas , nee non confirmat . istius admonit . simleri epistolam ministris in polonia & russia . theses 1. hyperii in acad marpurg assert . doct. cath. de trinitate per alexand. ale●●um theses d. beza in pra●ect de trinitate . b. a●etis histor. val. gent. vide beza pr●●●● . confessi● fidei edita in italica ecclesia genevae habetur in explicat . perfidia val. gentilis pag. 1. ibid. pag 3. vide explicat . prafidia valent . gentilis , p. 14 , 15 , 16. ubisupra pag. 17. epistola valentini gentilis ad senatū genevensem habetur in explicat . perfidia val. gent. p. 27. abjuratio val. gentilis ipsius manu sponte scripta , et ad senatum genevensem missa . vide explicat . perfidia val. gentilis p. 28. er●t in confinio pagus fargiarum ubi habitabat gribaldus — aderant ibidem alciatus — in praefecturâ gaiensi ditionis mag. dom. bernēsium aretius histor. val. gent. gratianopoli . lugduni . quid interea bonus ille hosius cardinalis cum suis catholieis ? nempe ridere suaviter nostros undique ad extinguēdum hoc incendtum accurrētes probrosis libellu lacessere , regiam denique majestatē de coercendis istis blasphemiis cogitantem arectis consiliis provirtbus avoeare ; as merito quidem : quorsu enim satanadversus seipsum depugnaret ? beza prafat. ubi supra . neglecta juramŭti religione ad errores abjuratos postlimini● redibat . aretii hist. val. gent. cap. 2. p 11. august . 1566 : rescript . senat. genev. habetur in explicat persidiae val , gent. p. 20. ortgo socinianisma a lalto fuit ratione inventiones , a fausto ratione dispositionis . eques polonus in vitâ f socini . dissortatio quam eques polonus f. socini ope●bus pramitti voluit . abraham calov . decas dissertat . i icet tiguri apud helvetios sedem fixisses , ad alias tamen europa regto●es non semelex ●urrebat . veruntamen ut unicuique sua constet laus — me & sententiam illam in iohannis evangel. verbis explicandis , & quae ad eam asserendam vel jam dixi vel posthac dicturus sū magna ▪ ex parte ex laelii socini senensis sermonibus dum adhuc viveret , & post ejus mortē ex aliquibus ipsius scriptis quae in manus meas non absque mirabili dei opera atque consilio pervonerun● & hausisse & desumpsisse non minus libenter quam ingenue fate● or . frag. 4. duorum s●ript . f. socini pag. 4. & 5. vide calovium de origine theol. soci . pag. 6 sect. 16. * haer●tici alogi sive alogiani dict● quia {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} à iohanne descriptum & proindeipsum etiam evangeliū , secundum iohanuē rejiciebant . vide aug. de hares . 30. vide petrum carolinum in explicat . doctr. de uno vere deo. p. 16. nec non eniedinū explic. loc. v. & n. t. pag. 136. viderem romani quidem antichristi regnū ab omnibus dirui atque vastari , idolorumque templ● everti , interim tamen christi regnum non resurgere , e●usque templum nedum à quoquam extrui , sed ne caementa quidem & lapides ad illud extruendū ab aliquo parari . socin. explicat . pri●n . ca. ioh. p. 2. notes for div a32802e-7810 vide libellum ministr. . sarmat . & transyl . alba iulia edit , de falsa et vera , &c. d. wigandi servetianismum . in brestensi synodo in sinibus lithuania . an. 1589. in synodo lublinensi . non exigua indiet facta est accesis● , pracipue inobilib●● & in aula educatis — ut & ● lunierum pastorum ordine , quippe qui propensiores in nova dogmata , n●c adeo in veritate confirmati fuerant , calov . de orig soc. pag. 70. d. calovde dist. theol. soc à theol. ss●i . pag. 73. notes for div a32802e-8320 h. grotit pietas , ad ord. . hollande . error christi essentiam & personam negaus fidem destruit , & christianismum tollit . d. stegm . photin p 6. vide smalci● contra nova monstra . deum invocamus tanquam omnium bonorum solam ac primariam causam , christum ver● tanquam secundariam causam a primaria illâ plane pendentem — à deo quacunque bona petimus à christe ea solum qua ad ecclesiam christi spectant : deus enim christo ea largiendi potestatē concessit , non alia , inquit socinus , disp. de adorat . christi cum chr , frank . vide d. stegman . photin . disp. 1. pag. 6. socinianismū barlaus pestem & ●verr●culū esse christiana fidei dudum cred●d●t , vianoque sternere ad {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ejus religionis quam precioso suo sāguine aspersit ater●us aterni dei silius . vindis . c. barlai pag. 8. ea quae negantur a socintanu ad duo capita revocari possunt , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} seu articulum de ss. trinitate , & {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} seu articulum de humani geueru salute . vide cal●v . dist. th. socin , a priscis hares . p. 111. vide stegman . disput. 56. p. 656. a neque patres propterea recipiūt , quia cum scripturâ consentiunt ; sed scripturam ●o mode in intelligendā censen● quia patres ita ex plicarunt . ideoque pri●s de unanimi patrū conciliorūque consensu , quàm de vero scriptura sensu sunt solliciti . brev. disq p. 7. b malle se patribus istis , conciliisque adh●rere , quàm privatum , ubi v●cant , suum de scriptur● sequi iudicium . i● pag. 7. hoe aut●m ann●● est ecclesi● ejusque doctoribus contr●versias cum aliorū obligatione judicādi potestatem adscribere ? brev. disq. cap. 2. pag. 8 , 9. nimirum iudicem ipsi spiritū sanctū statnunt : saltem fine eo nullum cutquam de sacr● judicium concedere volunt . quo ipso rationis sanae judicium ante spiritus sancti illustrationem plane tollitur . disq br . cap. 30. pag. 9. brev. disq cap. 4. vera de judice sententia . itaque neg andum est nullum c●rto assequi verum . quare qui istis sive naturali ingenii b●nitate , sive experientiâ vel mediocriter instructus est , is & ●psas scripturas sacras esse cognoscet &c. brev. disq. p. 35. quid quod princip●orum ●storum ope etiam is qui s●cras literas vel legere non potest , vel nunquam vidit , vel exstare ●●scit , &c. lb. cap. 7. p. 35. reason is in some sort gods word saith mr. chillingworth . answer to the preface , p. 20. arch-bishop of cant. his relation . pag. — 150. the church of rome did promulgate an orthodoxe truth , which was not then catholickely admitted in the church , namely the procession of the holy ghost from the son : if she erred in this fact , confesse her error . the generall councell held at ariminum , did deny the sonnes equality with the father ; the councell at ephesus did confound the two natures in christ . vide calovium de consensu patrum ante concilium nicenum . sociniani trinitatem cerberum , christum spurium , incarnationē christi monstrum absurditatis , satisfactionem commentum appellitant . d. stegman . pag. 22. en christianos chillingworthianos . criminantur resurrectionem ejusdem carnis esse prorsus mahometanam & iudaicam , calov . dist. theol. soc. à pris . hares . p. 104. regem ' sine regn● , caput sine memoris , vitem sine ranis , christum sine ecclesiâ somniant : ●idei articulum de catholicâ ecclesia ●sque ad finem ●nundi evertunt . notes for div a32802e-11090 spreta haud exolesce● ejusmodi calumnia . sed agnita videbitur apud nimis malos , aut nimis credulos , aut minùs ami●os . vind. c. barlas p. 7. naturall reason ( saith mr. chilling . ) then built on principles common to all men is the last resolution unto which the churches authority is but the first inducement ; in the margin . pag. 65. mr. chill . counts himselfe no socinian because he holds supernaturall revelation requisite to help naturall reason . preface sect. 28. yet he saith scripture is not beleeved finally for it self . pag. 65. that a man may be saved who knowes not whether there be any scripture or no . pag. 66. it may be humane prudence and ordinary discretion did advise mr. chillingworth to use no more industry in finding out the truth ; or he hath not been at leisure because of some hindrances and● distraction ; and then he hopes that none of his errours will be imputed to him . p. 19. answer to the preface . i would willingly know whether d. potter doth not take in the socinians into his christian world . p. 255. why he makes the church of england to take part with the jesuites against piscator and calvin , & implies that calvinisme is , as the black-mouthed sorbonist called it , bestiarum religio . p. 256 , 257 , 258. edit. 2. mangones haresium sub praetextu moderatioris theologia ● n●stris ecclesiis verè reformat●s exierunt . ioh. peltius . remonstrantes aiunt sese cum omnibus aliis sectis , imoue socinianis exceptis fraternitatem posse colere , excepta reformata ecclesiâ . apolog. ad censur. prof. leid . arminian●s & socinianes in viginti & ultra articulis per vari●s paragraphos distinctis convenire probatumdedit 1. peltius . non n●gamus ( inquiunt remonstrātes ) esse nonnulla ad salutem creditu necessaria pracise , sed ea pauca esse arbitramur . et hic etiā ( inquiunt profess . leyd ) gentum & spiritū socinianum animadvertimus — paucissima ad sal●tem prorsus necessarta sunt ( inquit socinus ) nempe ut deus & iesus christus divino honore colatur , praesertim verò chartt as erga proximum exerceatur . quam fidē & charitatem putant in eo subsistere qui neget christum esse eund●m cum patre deum & spiritum sanctum esse personam , &c. vide pr●fess . leyd. censurā praefationu re monstr . prefix . confess . sect. 22. a caspar barlaeus iud●os deum abraham● colcre ( quāv● constet eos iesum christū blasphemare ) pios esse posse , deoque acceptos , itemque dei amicos secundum accuratioré theologiam dici posse statuit , uti vedellus de deo synagogae . dr po●ter recites some such passages p. 117. of his own book , but will not take any notice of acontius . dr. potter might have corrected these passages out of his own principles , because for want of clear revelation he frees the church before christ , and the disciples of christ from damnable errour though they beleeved not those things which he who should now deny were no christian , read from p. 245. to 250. of dr. potters book of charity , &c. see dr. page his answer to that treatise ; and a little box of antidotes against some infectious passages in a tract concerning schisme . sum●● religion is socinian● h●c es● , sub spe alterius vit● observare mandata dei , uti calovi●s consid. th so●in prooem p. 86. sufficit ut s●iamus quae reverae praecipiantur vel vetentur à deo , adeo ut si in reliquu error occurrat nemo ob eun dē calo excludatur . socin , epist. 2. ad dudithium . arch-bishops relatiion see pag. 309 , 310 , 311. the arch b●shops relation . pag. 171. the arch-bishop calls socinianisme an hor●id monster of al he●ies , pag. 310. talis non paucis declarantium esset theologia sociniana in pluribus articuli● , quam tamen hacten●● publiee el●gere non ausi funt propter scandalum , ide● ab ●is qua minus i●vtdtosa putarunt insidiose in incipientes , viam illā t●tissimam tentarunt . prefess . leyd. censur. praefat. rem . sect. 23. the old book . p. ●4 . new . 121. the old book . p. 9. the new . p. 31. ab iis quae minus invidiosa putarunt insidiose incip●entes viam illam suam tutissimā tentarūt , ultertus progressu●● si pro vot● succesiss●t — non dubiū est quin remonstr. . soc. & in unam & eandem sectam coaluerint , etsi non in omnibus alits plane conveniant — publice docent unūquemque in sua fide salvari posse , &c. profess . leyd. cens. prafat. sect. 23. notes for div a32802e-15560 the preface to the author , &c. sect. 7 , 8. 11. this is the mother , give her the childe , &c. c. 2. p. 50. the doctrine of indulgences takes away the fear of purgatory , the doctrine of putgatory , the fear of hell ; the love of god will not be kindled in the hearts of ignorāt mē by latine service , nor by the masse if it were in english : because some sins are made veniall , the people may well doubt whether there be any mortall ; because the pope hath struck out the second commandement , the people may think he hath authority to strike out the first . the foundation of all the papists faith , the churches authority , is built lastly and wholly upon prudentiall motives ; ac de atheis quidem non it a fisissem crediturus unquam nisi me tenellum adhue ipsorum agmina , summo discrimine salutu mea s●l●citavissent ante triginta annos , quum li●●ris humanioribus operam in gallia darem ● iunii sac . parallela praefat. libellum de ss. scriptura authoritate dominicus lopez societ . iesu anno 1588. hispali edidit d●calovius de orig. theol. soc. pag. 22. mr. chilling . answer to knots-directio●s to n. n. sect. 18. ideo di●unt re●ōstrantes se nolle hareses aut athelsmū introducere quia nō habent pro hare si id quod revera heresis & atheismus est , & abomns ecclesia qua deum in tribus personis adorat pro heresi & atheismo habetur . uedel . de arean . arminianismi lib. 1. cap 1 lib. 2 c. 10. pag. 86 , 87. vide brochmand . de peccato . c 6. 9. 1. pelagio auxiliares m●nus prabe●t anabaptistae &c. colloqu . frank●a●t . 4 p. 230 , 231. peccatum morte christi it a expiatū & ablatum esse ut infantes naseantur omnis lab●● expertes , ac eapr●pter lavacro regeneration●● nonindigeant . smalcius disp. 2. contr. francium peccatum originis commentum est & fabula . uide conrad . heresb . de factione monast. theod. strack . hist. anabapt . pag 56. * si qui adeo tenera , aut sic à teneru imbutae conscientiae sinc ut credant christian● nulli ne quidem magistratum gerenti licere sanguinem fundere , aut capital●bus suppliciis in sontes animadvertere , remonstiantes eos libenter tolerare paratisunt . exam. cens. cap. 12 pag. 141. * defensio contra injustam vim qu● sine potestate effundendi s●ngu●nem est , non est defensio , sed defensionis larva terrend●s pueris . rem . ubi supra . nam vox gladii quemlibet defensionis modum , etiam quae sine sanguine fi● , significare potest . ibid. accedit quod fie●● non possit ut infirmi isti in quorum gratiā confessi●lus●t homonymtis magistratus , & justos magistratus tolerēt , cū expungant magistratū v●●d●eantē justū ( ex officio nomine d●●●capitali supplicto impiorum ex numer● christia norum , & annumerent infidelibus & homic●dis . isac . iun. exam. apol. r●monstrant . cap. 12. p. 311. satan ejusmodi pestes illum in finem exctavit , ne scil. r●formatio orbis christiani in doctrin● & moribus jam a multo tempore a piis majoribus nostris desiderata , & à deo ter opt. max. tandem per lutherum , zuing. melan bucer . aliosque dei viros suscepta perficeretur . arg. epist. heresbach conr●dus heresbachtus principum iulia cliviae montium &c. institutor & consiliarius qu● notatu digna inter obsidendum occurrebant probe consignavit , utroque insuper principe ju bente retulit , teste theod strackeo . docebat muncerus falsum esse christū satisfecisse pro no bis , quicquid tandē molles isti scribae dicant . h bullinger adversus anabaptistas . lib. 1 p. 2. * socini defens tract de ecclesia sub nomine nicolaidu : omnes qui anabaptista vocantur qui in polonia degunt , — belgio , italia & c — ideoque fraternitatem ●●m omnibus illis ( se . anabaptistis ) inire satagun● ( nempe socini asseclae ) & quo minus res succedat hactenus per eos nullo medo stat sed per illos penes quos ecclesiarum evangelicarum regimen est & gubernatio pag. 62. vide profess . leydens . censuram in confession●m remonstrantium . censur. praesationis . sect. 24. lutherus datis ad senatum melhusanum literis monebat lupum hunc perniciosissimum diligentissime cavendum esse . bullinger adversus anabaptist . lib. 1 ca. 1. anno 1525. in curia tigurina . cyprian and the bishops of ●arthage councell , are cited by anabaptists , but they were not pertinacious in their errour , as the anabaptists now , the arians and donatists of old . there is no command for rebaptization in scripture , nay not so much as example for it , as the a●●baptists did themselves confesse , when they saw that the place , act. 19. 5. made nothing for them , see the conference at frankendale , act. 36. art . 12. vide edictum amplissimi senatus urbis tigurina . bullinger adv. anabap. lib. 1. cap. 5. singuli anabaptista sufficienter nemine impediente & absquejurgiis sententiam suam exposuerunt denuo tamen firmissimis testimoniis sacrarum literarum declaratum est zuinglium cum suis sectatoribus anabaptistas vicisse . serv●tus vetus ille sacrae triadis , id est omnis vere deitatis hostis , adeoque mōs●rū — ne à fanaticis nostroum tē porum sectis abhorrere videretur , baptismum infantium quoque horrendis mod●s flagellavit & abominabilem reddere conatus fuit . strack epist. nuncupat . reliquos articulos muncer● urgebant de verbo dei subtili non script● , de vi●ionibus & reve ●ationibus , &c. bullinger . adversus anabap. lib. 1. cap. 4. the papists allow a divorce & the change of an hereticall wife as well as the anabaptists . iohan. angelius werd in synopsil bodini de repub. nihil a davide georg●o & tal●bus optim●s sanctorum alienum loquutus . abominandes omnes anabaptistas superat blasphemus ille david georgius . bulling adversus ana●ap . lib. 2. c. 14. vide consuram professorum leydensium in confess . remo●strantium , & censur. prafat. remonstr. . in arca a●minianorum ut in arca n●a omnium sp●●ierum animalia , quamus is diverse utentia pabulo , conservantur — politic● stratagemate libertinis omnibus , anataptist● etiam professis , aditum prabent , ut utano sibt parent ad eos opprimendos , quos vident suis conatibus obstare . cens. pr●fat . sect. 23 in synodo sua non obstante confessione sus pad●baptismum non esse creditu necessartum statuunt , nec ministros ( anabapt. ) e● nomine dimovenaos . cens pag. 305 de coena domini error et pontif & luth. rejictunt , non anabaptistarum & soci●ianorum . censur. in cap 23. confess . pag 310. personall defence is lawfull against the suddaine and illegall assaults of messengers sent from the prince , nay if the king himselfe strike at any one he may ward the kings blowes , hold his hands or the like . dr. ferne sect. 2. he doth not condemne the people for hindring the execution of a particular , passionate unlawfull command of the king by a loving violence and importunity . sect. 2. see the book entitled scripture reason , &c. the text rom. 13. doth secure a just ruling prince from all resistance . pag● . magistrates must be submitted to by vertue of gods soveraignty . damnation belongs to obstinate resisters of humane laws which are not opposite to gods law . p. 5. 7. mr. burroughes his sermon of the 1. of hoasts . pag. 45. scripture and reason the book set forth by divers ministers . the conscience is bound to obey the lawfull commands of magistrates , gods wrath is upon the conscience of them that disobey . p. 8. magistr●tes are to be maintained upon the publike stock . p. 8. read pag. 12 , 13. and judge whether these divines doe not plead the kings cause better then dr. ferne ; they say that the very houses of parliament may not resist the authority of the king commanding according to law . pag. 23. read the ministers epistle to the reader , and their answer to the 7. section of dr. ferne . the papists say that although kings doe governe by the lawes of their kingdome , yet because they are against the catholique religion , subjects may rise up against their king and kill him , this doctrine of theirs we abhorre . mr. burroughes sermon of the ● . of hoasts . p. 41. see mr. bridge his answer to dr. fern . the papists doe not only hold it lawfull to depose , & thus to depose their prince , but to kill him also , yea that a private man invested with the popes authority may do thus , all which we abhorre . sect. 5. p. 32. papists owe subjection to a forraine state , crosse centered to this of his majesties , in its interest of state , and meritoriously malitious by its very articles of faith . the fuller answer to dr ferne . p. 23. the name king doth signifie a person invested with different power according to the variety of lawes in seveverall nations . see an answer to the observations printed at oxford by his majesties command . p. 6. what the lawes of the kingdome and priviledges of parliament are , the lawyers books dayly published declare . nemo potest mutare consilium suum in altertus injuriam . there would be no end if the king should undoe what he hath done — there can be no appeale from himselfe to himselfe — he is not to passe sentence in a private but in a publique and judiciall way . answer to the observations , pag. 22. set forth by his majesties command . potestas {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} est {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} by law the king cannot , will not refuse to hearken to his great councell — answer to the observation pag. 28. and pag. 37. he saith that by the happy temper of our government , monarchy is so wisely ballanced , that as we are not exposed to the dangers which attend the rule of the many , so we may avoid the inconveniences which might probably flow from the atbitrary power of one . the same authour doth readily grant that parliaments are good helpes in government . p. 13. ergo they are somewhat more then counsellours . a quemadmodum anabaptistae opinantur quod nullus magistratus in ecclesia esse possit . bulling adv. anabapt. lib. 5. p. 157. see scripture and reason set forth by divers learned ministers . b vide bulling lib. 5. cap. 2. cap. 2. magistratum non posse neque debere curare res religionis . c vide eundem cap. 4 , 5. ejusdem libri . contendunt a●abaptista in ecclesiâ unicuique libe rum esse debero ut agat & credat quod ipsi visum fuerit , ubi supra . cap. 7. d nulla carnalis coercitio nulla poena err●ntibus constituta à deo est — omnes in seipsum armat qui in alios quos errare credit armatur . par omnium in omnes ius est . qui sibi jus tribuit coercendi alio● , idem aliis in seipsum idem justus concedat necesse est . exam. cens. cap. 24. pag. 259. lex ista de apost●tis à christianisnio non agi● nedum de apostatis ad iudaismum , & c — religionem suam liberam christus esse voluit ; qui ab ea deficiant , suo periculo & damno deficiunt . ex censur● cap. 24. p. 264. tub-preachers . nihil tamen ali●d colligetur quam ejectionem hareticorum ex publicis templis ad magistratum pertinētibus licite à magistratu fieri posse , & quidem si necesse sit flagelloè funiculis ei fini facto , ulterius aut plus concludere nemo jure potest . at hoc jus magistratui plenâ manu tribuunt remonstrantes ; hac ergo in parte imitetur magistratus christum . exam. cens. cap. 24. pag. 269. at in p●imá ecclesia institutions cū ordo non est , au● in ejus restitutione cum ordo collapsus est , missionem necessariam esse negant ( remonst . ) proinde cam de essentia muneris ecclesiastici , quod in verbi legitimâ praedicatione consistit , non esse habendam . ex. cen. c. 21. p. 228 aut libertas hac communis esse debet & eo usque extendi quo eam quisque sibi concedi amat , aut vis inferenda aliorum conscientiis exam. cens. c. 24. p 277. remonstrantes causam nullam esse vident cur sententia eorum qu● padobaptismum necessario in ecclesia christi necessitate seu pracepti seu medii retinendum aut usurpandū esse non arbitrantur , ut entolerabilis in ecclesia censenda sit , a● proinde cur pastores isti qui eum p●r conscientiam usurpare non audent — proveris a● degitimis p●storibus christi habendi non sint ? brownists . where the eause of schisme is necessary , there not he that separates but he that is the cause of separation is the schismatique . tract concerning schisme . pag. 4. see mr. chilling . preface , sect. 20. hookers ecclesiast . polit l. 5 sect. 65. mr chill . answer to the preface . p. 16. sect. 22. there cannot be any schisme in leaving communion with any church , unlesse we are obliged to continue in it ; man cannot be obliged by man , but to what either formally or vertually he is obliged by god . was it not lawfull for judah to reforme her selfe whē israel would not joyn ? sure it was or else the prophet deceives me ; that sayes expresly , though israel transgresse , yet let not judah sinne . the archb. of cant. his relation . pag. 149. see mr. chillingworths preface , sect. 44. answer to the 2. motive . there may bee just cause to depart from a particular church in some doct. in s and , practises , though that church want nothing necessary to salva●ion . dr. petter . 2. edit. sect. 3. p. 75. there may be a necessary separation , which yet incurres not the blame of schism : the archb. of canterbury his relation . p. 133. in margine . a nor can you say that israel from the t●me of separation was not a church . see the archb. of cant. relat. pag. 149. b see the defēce of the churches and ministery of england by mr. iacob ag●inst mr. iohnson ; the publishers epistle to the reader prefixed before the booke . non enim si ab hisce coetibus ad alios forte discedat , protinus eos quos deserit contemnit aut à spe salutu exclusos judicat , sed tantummodo ab impurioribus ad puriores se confert , ut veritatem omnem saluti nostrae aliquatenus servientem sibi cura & cordi esse ostendat , & deo ac iesu christo suo conscientiam suam probet , say the arminians in their preface to their confession . * see mr. thomas goodwin his fast sermon preached at westminster . see mr. burroughs his s●rmon of the l. of hoasts . p. 46. the iesuits have ●eene the authors and instruments of all tu●●ults , seditions , &c. as dr. potter shewes , want of charity , &c. sect. 1. pag. 9. the present church of rome perswades men they were as good for any hope of salvation they have not to be christians , as not to bee roman catholiques — be absolutely out of the churches communion , as be out of her communion — whether shee bee not guilty of the same crime with the donatists , and those zelots of the mosaicall law , let reasonable men judge . mr. chillingworth . c. 3. sect. 64. see dr. potter sect. 4. st. augustine and optatus did acknowledge the donatists to bee their brethren , & their baptisme to be true baptisme , vide aug in psal. 32. con 2. epist. 166. et contra donat ●post coll. cap. ult. optat. l. 1. aug. contra crese . lib. 4. cap. 4. de contra donat. lib. 1. c. 10 , 11. dr. potter doth confesse this truth . sect. 4. p. 107 , 108 , 109. the first edition . mr. chillingw . desires that nothing else should be required of any man to make him capable of the churches communion , then that he beleeve the scripture , and that only ; and endeavour to beleeve it in the true sense . his preface to the author , &c. answer to the last motive . ecclesiam nostram in omnibus audiendam esse cōsequttur duo ● us modu , tum quâ mutaverunt pleraque in divinis officiis , tum quâ multa retinuerunt : nam in altero se ad antichristum pertinere declara●unt ; in altero nos esse populum dei , & se esse simias nostras confessi sunt . brist . mot tom. 2. mot. 23. p 242. & seq. see bp. mortons appeale . troubles of frankford . see dr featleys advertisement to the reader , prefixed before ver●●m●us romanus . quare nil dubitamus profiteri athanasium limitem jur● huj us pratergressum esse , quando symbolo suo super●am istam pr●sationē prascripsit . notes for div a32802e-22730 the canterburians selfe-conviction shewes ; 1. their avowed armini●nisme . 2. their affection to the pope , and popery in the grosse , cap. 3. 3. the canterburians joyn with rome in her grossest 1. dolatries , cap. 4. 4. their embracing of popish heresies and grossest errors , cap. 5. 5. their superstitions , cap. 6. 6. the canterburians embrace the masse it self , cap. 7. 7. their maxims of tyranny , cap. 8. see the third edition of this canterb. self-conviction , with the large supplement which containes sundry very materiall passages . mr. chillingworths answer to the preface of charity maintained , which is as it were a second preface , for it followes the preface joyned with an answer to the direction to n. n. p. 9. sect. 7. the answer to the preface p. 19. in the same freface . the second preface . p. 19. * vide vedelium de arc●nu arminianismi : the foure professours of leyden in their approbation of that book declare them to be willfully blind who do not see that it was the scope of the arminians to introduce libertinisme . vtnemo deinceps , quinon sponte cacutire velit , de corum ad libertinismi introductionem scopo dubitare possit approbatio facultatu theologica leydensis . mr. chilling first preface sect. 29. cap. 2 pag 64. * the book of esther , job , ecclesiastes , the epistle of james and jude , the second of peter , the third of john , the epistle to the hebrews , the book of the revelation . we live in a questioning age : & no man knows how soon all the rest may be questioned . you may read more of mr. chillingworths principles , in a book entitled christianity maintained : the passage about henry the 8 , &c. is too famous to be mentioned . nos in diem vivi● mus ; quodcunque nostros animos probabilitate percussit , illud dicimus . it aque soli sumusliberi hoc est sceptici , vide ciceron. tusc. quast . lib. 5. answer to the preface . sect. 26. the arch-bishop himselfe is more sound . a church may hold the fundamentall point literally — yet erre damnably in the exposition of it : and this is the church of romes case — it hath in the exposition both of creeds & councels quite changed and lost the sense & meaning of some of them . the arch bishops relat. pag. 320. vide vedelium de deo synagoga . dr. kellet his tricenium . the laick must trust in his priest , the clergyman in his church . p. 630. the ●u●harist to be adored . p. 637. and received with our hands framed like a crosse . 655. altars adored . p. — 644. the arch bishop of ca●t . his relat. pag. 147. this is the protestant religion which the papists fight for , in thes fighting dayes . behold the protestant religion which the armiminians maintain . mr. chillingworth might have questioned the salvation of the iesuites as well as of the dominicans , ans. to the preface . pag. 20. first preface with an answer to the directions to n. n. sect. 26. mr. wethereld his sermon at saint maries . the arch-bishop of canterbury his relat. sect. 35. punct. . 5. p. 307. a probable conjecture of his graces reason why he altered the service-book . the difference between the scotch li●u●gy and the english is exactly set down in the canterburians selfe conviction p. 97. to 113. see m. newcomen his sermon preached on the fifth of novemb. the large supplement of the canterburian selfe-conviction pag. 19 , 20. bishop mountagu● saith that the ●igne of the crosse is the instrument of divine power and sufficient to drive away devills , it is to be made in the breast or forehead , &c. orig. eccles. tom. prioris parte poster ' pag. 80. scripture and reason , &c. set forth by divers ; ministers . the book called iesuitica negotiatio gave iesuited persons leave to professe the protestant religion , to keep any office , to passe sentence of death upon any person according to his office , so he was as favourable as possible , and gave timely intelligence of any severe sentence . pag. 74. just like the iesuise dr potter speaks of , who hoped well of honest pagans , & rashly dāned the best part of christians . sect. 2. p. 45. i say nothing of dr. sheldon his latine sermon in which he did highly advance the power of the priest . dr potter 2 edit. sect. 3. pag. 68. * impuritas non in dogmatibus fidei reperitur , sed vel in conclusionibus minus certis , vel in ritibus ; alioqui si impuritas ipsum cor & medullam occupet , actum esse de tali ecclesiâ omnes orthodo ●i censent . profess . leyd. censur. praefat. remonst praefix confess . sect. 23. that proud and curst dame of rome , &c. saith dr. potter p. 11. she doth poyson her own children , gives them serpents instead of fishes . p. 14. their charity is contrary to the true nature of charity . p 16 they have more charity for a iew and a turk then a calvinist . p. 17. we are persecuted with fire & sword and cursed into eternall fire by the romane charity , as dr. potter saith . p. 13 * read the cēsure of reverend dr. twisse upon this passage of dr. potter in his treatise of the morality of the fourth commandement . pag. 34. damnable i● themselves is in both editio●s , only corrected in the errata of the second edition , damnable in their issue . d. twisse gives the reason . see dr potter 2d . edition p. 254 , 255. we shall find that in those propositions which without al controversy are universally received in the whole christian world , so much truth is contained as being joyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a manunto everlasting salvation . p. 255. the arminians say no man is an herelike who denies a point which is , or may be controverted , and so they may deny the whole creed . de harcticu quaritur , non qut ea qu● in scrip turis aperte decis● sunt convellere audent , sed qui e● qu● controversa sunt , aut controverti pessunt in dubium vo● cant exam. cens. cap. 24. p. 276. the arch-bishop of cant. his relat. pag. 309 , 310. dr. potter his prayer . the folly of atheism demonstrated to the capacity of the most unlearned reader by clement elis ... ellis, clement, 1630-1700. 1692 approx. 239 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 88 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a39251 wing e555 estc r17534 12656396 ocm 12656396 65384 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a39251) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 65384) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 352:12) the folly of atheism demonstrated to the capacity of the most unlearned reader by clement elis ... ellis, clement, 1630-1700. [2], xi, 159 p. printed and are to be sold by william rogers ... and thomas elis ..., london : 1692. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. imperfect: filmed copy dark and partially illegible. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -early works to 1800. 2003-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-07 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2003-07 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-08 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion imprimatur , august 14. 1691. geo. royse , r. r. in christo patri , ac domino domino iohanni archiepisc. cant. à sac. dom. the folly of atheism , demonstrated , to the capacity of the most unlearned reader . by clement elis , rector of kirkby , a m. and author of the gentile sinner . psal. xiv . 1. liii . 1. the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god. quocunque te flexeris , ibi deum videbis occurrentem tibi . sen. de benef. london : printed , and are to be sold by william rogers at the sun over-against st. dunstan's church in fleetstreet , and thomas elis in mansfield . 1692. the preface . what the design of this plain discourse is , i need not tell any one that reads and understands the title of it ; for by that he may see , that my business therein , is to make it plain to every one that can understand reason , that it is a very foolish thing for one to persuade himself , that there is no god. whether i have done this or no , is a question which i am not concerned to answer any otherwise , than by desiring him that asks it , seriously to read and consider the whole discourse ; and when he hath done so , laying aside all prejudice and partiality , to answer it to himself . if he will not be at this pains , i cannot help it ; but as i heartily bless almighty god , who hath enabled me to do it to my own full satisfaction , so i most humbly beseech his divine majesty , that all who are not satisfied with what is here done , may not fail to find all that satisfaction elsewhere , which they do not meet with here . if any one shall slight this discourse , as a thing wholly needless ; although he grant it to be convincing , and to prove the thing which i have undertaken to prove : i say in the first place , that i could heartily wish , that it were indeed as needless , as he thinks it to be . nothing should make me more glad , than to be well assured , that i have lost my labour , upon no other account but this , that no man is in danger of losing his god through unbelief . but in the next place , i must say also , that i fear he is mistaken . for if this discourse be needless , supposing withal that it be convincing , it must be for one of these two reasons : either first , because all men do already believe that there is a god ; and therefore all discourses on this subject are needless . or , secondly , because there is enough already written by others to persuade men into this belief , and therefore this discourse is needless . he that for the former of these two reasons , thinks not only this , but all discourses tending to persuade men to believe there is a god , to be needless ; seems to me too little to consider how most men live in the world. it is a very sad and uncomfortable thing to be thought on ; but alas ! a thing every where too visible , that very many persons both high and low , behave themselves in all their ways so irreligiously and regardlesly of god , and of his holy laws , that one can hardly imagine how they could , did they on purpose ●●t themselves to do it , give the world any clearer proof that they have not any sense of god , than now they do . the abounding of all sorts of wickedness and prophaneness ; and the great indulgence people give every where to themselves in all manner of vice and vanity ; their deriding of serious piety , mocking at a conscienciousstrictness and regularity of life , and even glorying in their own sins , which they know to be against the plainest laws of god , and threatned by him , with no less than eternal damnation ; seem to me a most evident sign , that men do not really believe that there is a god. the transgression of the wicked ( saith the psalmist , ( psal. 36. 1. ) saith within my heart , that there is no fear of god before his eyes . and whence should it proceed that men fear not god , but hence ; that either they are not throughly convinced , that there is a god to be feared : or they understand so little of god , or what god is , that they know not for what he is to be feared ; and therefore ( as 't is said , psal. 10. 13. ) they contemn god ? 't is true indeed , that there are not many among us who do openly deny that there is a god ; or who will not say , that they believe there is one . but 't is as true also , that of many of these who make this profession , we may use the words of st. paul , tit. 1. 16. they profess that they know god , but in works they deny him ; being abominable and disobedient , and unto every good work reprobate . in rehearsing the articles of the christian faith , every one of us saith for himself — i believe in god. but how many of us unsay it again in our unchristian and ungodly conversation ? our works do much trulier speak the sense of our hearts , than our words are wont to do . shew me thy faith without thy works , and i will shew thee my faith by my works . so st. james challengeth him , that would needs be thought to have a christian faith , whilst he observed not the laws of god. we may well say the same to every one that professeth to believe there is a god , and yet leads an ungodly life . if our hearts and tongues do well agree , when we say we believe there is a god , it seems one of the hardest things in the world to conceive , how our lives should so much disagree with them both . if we did really believe what we say we believe , one would think , we should be more afraid , than we are , of living so unanswerably to our belief ; and more ashamed , than we are of living so unagreeably to our profession . if a man would demonstrate to the world , that he doth but dissemble and lye , when he saith he believes , that there is a god ; by what other way could he do this , than by living a wicked life ? and why then should we not be convinced of it , that this profession of his is indeed a lye , when he proves it to us , as well as such a thing can be proved ? he lives and acts in all things , as pleaseth his own humour and lust ; he behaves himself as one that owns no superior power to restrain him from doing wickedly ; be breaks all the laws of god and man as far as he hath a mind and strength enough to do it ; he seems impatient of living any longer than he may be his own master , or have the liberty to serve the flesh ; he takes all liberty that he can get , and doth as wickedly as he dare , for fear of men ; he regards nothing ( besides his temporal safety ) but his own will and pleasure : and after all this , what clearer demonstration can he give us , that he doth not believe there is a god , whom he is bound to serve ? and now if this be true , i am sure there is much need of discourses against atheism . wickedness of all sorts did never more abound nor triumph in the world , than now it doth : and therefore there never was more need of a reformation of mens lives and manners , than now there is : but in vain are all endeavours to that purpose , so long as men do not believe that there is a god over them , to whom they owe a duty , and are accountable for their whole behaviour . till men be convinced of this , tho they may possibly by force be kept from doing some sorts of evil , they can never be reformed , or persuaded to be good . but if they may once be throughly convinced of this , it may also be hoped , that they may be persuaded to account it both their duty and their interest to live a godly life ; and ( as st. paul speaks , col. i. 10. ) to walk worthy of god unto all pleasing , being fruitful in every good work . but supposing such discourses needful , yee ( will some say ) what need was there of this , sceing there are already so many both larger and learneder on the same subject ? in answer to this , i have no more to say , but these things . first , i do very readily , and with all due thankfulness , both to god , and the learned authors , acknowledg , that there be many both larger and learneder discourses on this subiect than this is . but secondly , even for this very reason , that they are so large and learned , they are the less serviceable to that sort of people , for whose use this is principally design'd . as men of strong reason and good learning , can make good use of long and learned discourses ; and receive much benefit by them ; so men of weak understandings , and of little or no learning , stand in need of short and plain discourses , such as they can from their necessary business get time to read ; and such , as reading , they are able to understand : for their sake it is , that i publish this ; and therefore have i used as great plainness of expression in it as possibly i could ; and yet i am very sure of it , no more than is needful to make them understand it . no man can deny but such people ought to live religiously , as well as others ; and therefore ought to be well grounded in the first principles of religion . and they must be taught in such a way as they are able to learn , is we design to teach them any thing ; and therefore in teaching them , we must use both such arguments , and such language , as are not too hard for them ; or we lose our labour , and they all the benefit they should reap by it . if this be not enough to excuse me , at least , for publishing this discourse , and for writing it too , with so much plainness , as , if i be not deceiv'd , i have done : i will only add this , that i had rather be blamed for being impertinent by them , who either need it not themselves , or see not the need that others have of it ; than bear the rebuke of my own conscience , for not doing , what i am verily persuaded to be very needful , in the best manner i could do it ; tho not half so well as another might have done it . the folly of atheism . we find wicked men , or such as have no religion , by the holy ghost himself , in scripture , frequently called fools : and how hard soever it may be to make such a fool understand or acknowledg his own name , we are very sure he deserves it ; because the spirit of truth ( as the holy ghost is called , ioh. 16. 13. ) hath given it him . the man of a wicked life , if he have any thoughts at all of god , must think either that there is a god , or that there is none . if he thinks that there is a god , he must needs be a fool for living wickedly , and wilfully provoking god's wrath and indignation against himself , which he knows himself unable either to withstand or indure . if he thinks that thire is no god ; the holy ghost , by the mouth of david , hath told us twice over for our better assurance , that he is a fool for that . the fool ( saith he ) hath said in his heart , there is no god , psal. 14. 1. 53. 1 and indeed , the truth of what he hath told us , is as clear to every one who hath reason , and will use it to any good purpose , as the light it self can be to him , who hath and will make use of his sight . to make this plain to the meanest capacity , is my present business ; and to this end , in the first place , i desire that these three things may be consider'd in the words of the holy ghost , which , i say , contain so clear a truth : 1. what is said ; there is no god. 2. how 't is said ; in his heart . 3. who hath said it ; the fool hath said . 1. that which is said is this ; there is no god. doth he who saith this , understand what he saith ? if he do not , he is a fool for saying he knows not what . doth he know what the word [ god ] signifies ? if he do not , he saith he knows not what . god , is he that made the world and all things therein ; the lord of heaven and earth ; who giveth to all life , and breath , and all things ; in whom we live , and move , and have our being , acts 17. 24 , 25 , 28. this is that which all the world hath ever meant by this word [ god ] : the first of all beings , who is of himself from all eternity , without beginning ; which gave being to all things that ever were , and in which , as in the first fountain , is all being , and life , and power , and wisdom , and goodness : of whom , and through whom , and to whom are all things , to whom be glory for ever , amen . rom. 11. 36. this then is it which is said : tho there be a world , yet it had no maker . as much as to say , tho' there be a stately , a useful , a richly furnished , and wisely contrived house , yet it had no builder . tho' there be many things , yet was there no first cause of their being ; tho' all things are disposed in a very wonderful wise order , yet was there no wise orderer of them . we men , who were not always , came into this world , no body knows how ; we are provided for here , no body knows by whom ; we are dayly going hence , no body knows whither ; we have no maker to whom we owe our being ; no owner whose we are ; no preserver whom we are to thank for any thing ; no lord , or governour , whom we are to obey ; to whom we must be accountable ; whose favour or displeasure we need to regard : we may do what we will with our selves , and all we can to any other , whether it be good or hurt . we may get whatever we can , by any means , for our selves , and from others ; we may do what we will with it , when we have got it . all religion is a vain thing ; and civil government is but a crafty contrivance of men. we are under no laws , but such as we please to make to our selves . who is lord over us ? psal. 12. 4. this is it that is said , in saying , there is no god. and surely there does not appear any wisdom in all this . 2. he that saith this , saith it in his heart . he is not so ignorant of god , as one who never heard of any such thing . if any one be so ignorant , 't is certain he 's a fool , and greatly to be pitied for his folly : but in what part of the world he should be found , i know not . he that saith in his heart , there is no god , talks of him within himself , and therfore hath heard of him . yet some who have heard of god , are wholly careless and regardless of him , and very indifferent whether he be or no ; their hearts are at rest within them , and seem unconcern'd about this matter : this is great folly , and 't is well if there be not many such fools , of whom it may be said , god is not in all their thoughts , psal. 10. 4. some there may be also , who wish with all their hearts , and could heartily desire that there were no god , that so , without all fear of him , they might live as they list . all these are fools ; but he that saith in his heart there is no god , seems to outgo all these : he is come to a conclusion about it , and makes himself confident of it . 't is true , indeed , he seems not yet so fool-hardy , as openly to say it with his tongue : tho' some men are grown so impudent , as to boast of their folly , and to call it wit to talk prophanely ; and some parts of the world are so over-run with bruitishness as to suffer this : yet most men , if they be not more modest , are however , more cunning than to speak out all that they think . tho' therefore they think there is no god , yet are they sensible how much it concerns them , that others should not be taught to think so too , or so much as know that they think so . if they should bring others to think as they do , they might soon be made to pay dearly for teaching them this lesson ; for then would all those others take to themselves the same liberty of doing what they list , as they desire to have , and the world would become a very unsafe place for them to live in . he therefore that saith there is no god , is content to say it in his heart only ; and can be very well content too , that all but himself should think otherwise for his own safety ; yea , lest all they who think there is a god , should begin to stand upon their guard against him , as an enemy to mankind ( as they have good reason to account him ) : tho' he be so foolish , as to say in his heart , there is no god ; yet is he so cunning , as to say with his mouth among others , i believe in god. 3. he that saith in his heart there is no god , is the fool : no wise man ever said it . the fear of the lord , that is wisdom , job 28. 28. the knowledg of the holy is understanding , prov. 9. 10. the fear of the lord , is the beginning of knowledg , prov. 1. 7. and of wisdom ; and a good understanding have they that keep his commandments , ps. 111. 10. but fools despise wisdom and instruction , prov. 1. 7. and the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness , prov. 1● . 23. but what fool is he that saith this ? in the language of the holy ghost , the fool is he that goes on in a course of sinning . of him and his fellows , david gives us this account in those two psalms , the 14th , and 51st , they are corrupt , they have done abominable works , there is none that doth good . the lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men , to see if there were any that did understand and seek god : they are all gone aside , they are altogether become filthy , there is none that doth good , no not one . the fool then , is the habitual sinner , who being deeply in love with his sin , cannot indure to think of parting with it . if there be a god , he knows he must very dearly pay for sinning against him ; and therefore so long as he believes there is a god , he cannot enjoy his sins in quietness . he has therefore no way left him but one to sin without a continual disturbance of mind from the checks of his own conscience , and that is , as much as he can , to banish the belief , and even all thoughts of god far from him . this then for the love of his sins he is resolved upon ; and tho' it be very hard for him who hath his eye-sight , to open his eyes , and not see the light ; yet he makes a shift so long to wink against the light , till at last he quite loseth his sight : so long he strives aagainst the belief of a god , that at length no arguments can persuade him to believe . resisting the truth , god justly punisheth him with his own desire , and hides the truth from him for ever : because they received not the love of the truth , &c. god ( saith st. paul ) shall send them strong delusion , that they should believe a lye : that they might be damn'd who believed not the truth , but had pleasure in unrighteousness , 2 thess. 2. 10 , 11 , 12. as they did not like to retain god in their knowledg , god gives them over to a reprobate mind , rom. 1. 28. and 't is most just with god thus to deal with such obstinate fools ; i mean , to hide himself for ever from them , who have a long time done all that ever they could , not to see him . hence the sinner grows more and more a fool , and at last arrives at the fool 's confidence , to believe whatever he has a mind to ; he saith in his heart there is no god : and he that trusteth in his own heart , is a fool , prov. 28. 26. now , having seen these three things , what is said , how 't is said , and who hath said it ; we are to consider how well he deserves the name of fool for saying it : that is , for persuading himself to believe , or for making himself confident , that there is no god. and this his folly will undeniably appear very great , to every one that takes notice but of three things , which are all very visible : 1. he is confident , where he cannot have any , even the least ground of assurance . 2. he is confident , where his confidence can do no good , but will do much hurt . 3. he is confident , where all the reason in the world is against his confidence . if then there be such a thing in the world as a fool , he that saith in his heart , or is confident that there is no god , must needs be a fool. for , 1. he that is confident there is no god , is confident where he cannot have any the least ground of assurance ; that is , he is confident of that which he cannot pretend to know . and is not he a fool that pleaseth himself with such a groundless confidence as this , and ventures his soul on that whereof he cannot say , that he is in any measure sure ? no man was ever yet so vain as to undertake to prove that there is no god. some have been either so dull that they could not , or so stubborn that they would not see or confess they saw reason enough to convince them that there is a god. and some have been so daring as to do their utmost endeavour to prove , that it is not altogether necessary that there must be one , or that 't is possible there may be none . but either that 't is impossible that there should be a god , or that of a certainty there is no such thing , none hath ever attempted to prove , with what confidence so ever he talks of this matter . sum up all that all the atheists in the world have at any time been able to say against the being of a god , it amounts to no more but this , it may be there is a god , and it may be there is not . which is all one as to say , they know not whether there be a god or no. so that even whilst the atheist most confidently denies that there is a god , he is forced to confess , that for any thing he knows to the contrary , there is one . only he imagines there may be no god ; and as he imagines it to be , so he would fain have it to be , and therefore he is confident it is just as he imagins it may be , and would gladly have it be . and would not any of us laugh at that man , who talks with all confidence imaginable of a thing , as if he were sure of it ; and yet when he is askt , how he came to know it , can give no wiser an answer than this , i fain would have it so , and i conceive it may possibly be so , and i am not yet satisfied it is not as i think it may be , and therefore i am very confident 't is just as i say ? would we not , i say , laugh at this as the answer of a fool ? ii. it is folly enough for one to be confident without a reason or ground of assurance ; yet is it a much greater folly on no good ground to be confident , where it is exceedingly dangerous to be confident , and where the confidence doth certainly much hurt , and can do no good . and yet such is his confidence , who is confident there is no god. where there are two opinions , whereof one knows not which is truest ; and there is danger in following the one , and none in following the other ; it must needs be acknowledg'd to be a great folly , to chuse to follow that opinion wherein there is danger , rather than that wherein there is none . if then there be no danger at all in believing there is a god , and a great deal of danger in thinking there is none : he must needs be a fool that thinks there is no god. now these two things will quickly appear to be true . 1. to believe there is a god , ( even tho there were none ) doth much good , and no hurt . 2. to think there is no god ( tho it were true ) doth much hurt and no good . 1. to believe there is a god , ( even tho there were none ) doth much good and no hurt . it will easily be granted by the atheist himself , that if there be a god ( as we certainly believe there is ) to believe it , is not only our duty , but our highest concern . if we have a maker , preserver , and governour , it is very fit and necessary , and can no way be hurtful , but exceeding good and profitable for us to own him , and by all means to endeavour to please him , and to keep in his favour ; seeing that both we and all things are in his hand and power , and so totally depend upon him , that we can neither be happy , nor indeed be at all , but by his blessing , protection , and providence : for in him we live , and move , and have our being , act. 17. 28. we are his people , and the sheep of his pasture , psal. 100. 3. but i say , that tho there were no god ( which yet cannot be ) to believe that there is one , would do much good and no hurt at all . it would do much good , because 't is plain , that this belief ( which nothing else cou'd do ) keeps the world in good order , and makes men sociable , governable , and serviceable to one another . this belief of a god , is that which keeps us from destroying our selves by lasciviousness , intemperance , and luxury ; and from devouring and ruining one another by malice , envy , pride , covetousness , and oppression . so that the world owes its happiness to this belief . in short then , this belief helps us to live soberly , and righteously , and godly in this present world , tit. 2. 12. and to die comfortably in hope of better things than this world affords , when we go out of it . and this certainly is all very good . but now this belief of a god can do no hurt at all . for seeing it naturally inclines men to do good , and restrains men from doing hurt , it self can no way be hurtful . if it can , let the atheist himself shew us what the hurt of it is , even supposing there were no god. is this the hurt it doth us , that it keeps us from using that liberty which were there no god , and we believ'd it , we might freelyuse ? indeed , as i know not , if there were no god , what should make it unlawful for any one to use all the liberty he could get ; so i doubt as little , but if men thought there were none , they would use a great deal more liberty than they do ; but then 't is only because they are fools , and consider not their own good . a wise man , who is govern'd , not by passion , but by reason , as every man should be , would use no more liberty of that kind which wicked men most covet , than god now allows us , were he sure that there were no god. for god allows us all things that are for the good of our selves and mankind , and he forbids us nothing but what visibly tends to the hurt of our selves or others . it can be therefore no other liberty but that of doing hurt , which the belief of a god restrains us from ; and to restrain us from doing hurt , cannot be hurtful . a wise man , i say , would not use this liberty tho he might . for he wisely considers , that all men would have the same right as he to use that liberty ; and if they should do so , as there could be no reason why they should not as well as he , there could be no society , no government , no safe living by one another in the world . or in the next place , is this the hurt which the belief of a god would do , supposing there were none , that in some cases we must suffer evils , which we should not need to suffer , were there no god ? we are poor , it may be , and yet for fear of god we dare not steal nor rob , nor cheat , to relieve our selves . we suffer wrong , and for fear of god we dar● not revenge our selves , and such like . 't is true indeed , the belief of a god obligeth us to suffer rather than to do evil ; but it will be found to do us no hurt but good in this . which that we may discern , we are to think upon these following things . 1. remember , that some of the evils we suffer , are unavoidable by us , whether there be a god or no. that is , they are such as if there be a god , none but he can prevent or remove ; and if there be no god , it is not in our power to do either . now in such cases it is a man's wisdom to suffer them with as little trouble to himself as he can , seeing he must bear them , do what he can : impatience , fretting and rage , do not lessen , but double the suffering , whatever it be . and then the belief of a god binds us in such cases to no more , but to suffer patiently , and in humble submission to his will , and in hope that doing so , all things work together for good to us , rom. 8. 28. and that the light affliction , which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory , 2 cor. 4. 17. seeing then such evils must be born , all the hurt the belief of god doth us , is to enable us to bear them more easily , even as much as he that suffers in hope , may suffer more cheerfully than he that has no hope . 2. observe , that some of these evils are such , as we suffer through the wickedness of men . and here we should remember , first , that were there no belief or fear of god among men , where we now suffer one such evil , we should suffer a thousand . i hope then the belief of a god doth us no hurt in this , that it makes our sufferings fewer than otherwise they would be . secondly , remember , 't is for want of this belief , that men are so forward to hurt one another ; for god forbids it : and if men believed to the purpose that there is a god , forbidding all injuries on pain of damnation , they would not dare to do wrong . who then will say , that the belief of a god can be hurtful , when 't is only the want of it whence all such hurts arise ? well , but it will be yet said , that were it not for fear of god , we might some way or other prevent , or remove such evils as these . for a fuller answer to this , 3. take notice , that of this kind of evils , some are very slight , small , and easily tolerable ; others are very grievous , and not easily supportable . if the evils we suffer one from another be very small , and easie to be born ; will not a wise man , whether there be a god , or no , rather be content to bear them patiently , even for the sake of his own ease and quiet , much more for the peace and quiet of the neighbourhood ; than disturb both himself and his neighbours , by beginning , and continuing a quarrel about little things ; and that when the issue is doubtful , and he cannot be sure he shall be a gainer in the end ? if one have a mind to end quarrels speedily , and to live in pe●ce and quietness , which certainly is a thing very desireable ; to put up in patience and silence light and trivial wrongs , is both the shortest , and easiest ; the cheapest , and most obliging way . and this is it that in such cases the belief of a god doth bind us to . if the evils we suffer from others be very grievous , and not easily supportable ; the laws of god do not forbid us fairly and legally to right and relieve our selves ; much less do they command us to lay our selves open to such evils , or not to guard our selves as well as we can against them ; or to suffer evil-doers to pass unpunished . all that god forbids in such cases , is spiteful , and unnecessary private revenge . now a wise man again , whether there were a god or no , would take this very course that god now commands , and not that which he forbids . if he be in want or poverty , he would use no illegal means of relief ; if he be wrong'd , he would use no illegal ways of righting himself . why ? because he considers he thus makes himself his own judge , and his own carver , and so might every one do as well as he , and at this rate there could be no civil society or government ; but all men would be let loose , like so many wild beasts , to prey upon , and devour one another . what hurt then doth the belief of a god do us , when it binds us to suffer no otherwise than any wise man would of himself do , were he sure there is no god ? is this the hurt it doth , that it binds us to die , rather than any way to dishonour god ; which we need not do , were there no god ? it is true again , that it binds us to this ; and if there were no god , we should not be bound to it . well then , ( saith the atheist ) can any one pretend , that this is no hurt , for a man to lose his life , and all that 's dear to him , at once irrecoverably , for the sake of god , if yet there be no god ? to this i say , if there be any hurt at all in this , yet is it much less than that which will necessarily follow the denying of a god , yea tho he were not . and this must be granted when these few things have been duly consider'd . first , we must all die , whether there be a god or no. i cannot think that any one of those who doubt whether there be a god , doubts too whether or no he shall die ; he is , he thinks , too sure of that . and further yet , we none of us know either when or how we shall die . it may be , tomorrow , or before ; and it may be too in the most painful agony and torment . therefore , secondly , the worst that can be in our dying for god , is this , that we may so be made to die , a little , and we know not how little a while , for ought we know , not one hour or minute before the time when otherwise we should have died . or we may be made to die in torment ; and yet , for ought we know , in far less torment than otherwise we should have died , and it may be , at the same time . thirdly , it cannot be any great hurt to lose a few days of an uncertain and troublesome lifo ; and such days , as for ought we know , would have brought so many evils along with them , as would have made us wish a thousand times over , that we had died sooner , and had never seen so much as one of them . fourthly , if all men were persuaded that there is no god , the wickedness of men would soon make the world so uneasie a place to us , that he would think himself the happiest man , that could soonest find his way out of it . all this considered , 't is evident , that even the faintest hope that any one could conceive , of enjoying a blessed eternity with god , must be enough to make him set light by the loss of a few days more of life in this world . he that cannot be sure that there is no god , ( as no man can be ) and much more he that but thinks there is a god , must needs be a fool , if he had rather live a while to dishonour god , and fall under his wrath , than dye a little before his time , if he thinks it pleasing to god , and rewardable by him . for supposing it uncertain to him , whether there be a god or no , this were plainly to chuse a worse uncertain thing before a better . it were to chuse a few short days of life , which he knows not whether he shall have or no , or whether they will be worth having or no , yea , whether or no they will give him cause to repent that even he had one of them ; rather than a life of eternal blessedness with god , which , if there be a god , he is sure to have ; or rather than to secure himself from an endless state of intolerable torments , which , if the● be a god , he is sure to fall into , who lives to god's dishonour . and now where 's the hurt of dying for god , even tho there were none ? is it this , in the last place , that such an one shall be disappointed in his hope ? is it not ( saith the atheist ) a very miserable thing , to suffer and dye in hope of good things , and after he has paid so dear for his hope , find it defeated in a moment ? well ; but let me tell the atheist , he will find it a much more miserable thing , to have been confident all his life long that there is no god , and then in a moment to find there is one , to his everlasting sorrow . however , in answer to what he here objects ; first , it is certain , that if there be a god , his hope who died for god , is not defeated ; and if there be no god , then the defeating of his hope can be no misery or hurt to him . he that denies a god , denies a future state after death , and so according to him , the whole man , soul and body , dies at once , as beasts do ; and has no more sense of any thing after death , than they have . now that can be no misery or hurt , which cannot be felt : and the frustration of his hope , cannot be felt by him who has no sense of any thing . if the man that 's once dead , feels nothing , whatever he has lost , his loss is nothing at all to him . whilst such an one lived , his hope made his life pleasant , and his sufferings tolerable ; it heightned his joys , and it mitigated his sorrows ; it was his comfort both in life and death ; and now he is dead , if there be a god , he enjoys all he hoped for , and is glad he took the rough way to heaven , and thinks himself well paid for his pains and sufferings ; and if there be no god , he is in as good a condition as all others are , neither better nor worse ; and as they are not sensible of their past pleasures , no more is he of his past sorrows . his belief whilst he lived , did both himself and others much good , and could never hurt either himself or others , living or dead . 2. to think there is no god , ( even if there be none ) doth much hurt ●nd no good at all . if there be a god , ( as we cannot doubt but there is ) the atheist will not deny , that his opinion is the most pernicious and mischievous thing in the world . to deprive ones self for ever of his favour , and to expose ones self to his unsupportable wrath , who alone can save or destroy as he pleaseth ; to lose eternal joys , and run into eternal torments , and merely for the enjoyment of a few days of fruitless sin and vanity , and for the humouring of a lump of flesh , which must within a few days corrupt , and rot in dirt ; can a man possibly do himself greater hurt than this ? and suppose the atheist were in the right , what good could his opinion do him ? nay , what hurt would it not do both him and all the world , were it generally received ? whilst he is of this opinion , he enjoys a few beastly pleasures , and is delighted to live as beasts do , and to think that he shall dye as they do too . o excellent priviledge ! what is it else , that he can make much of this opinion for , but only that he thinks himself at liberty to do as he lists ? well ; but whilst he is so fond of a brutish and licentious life , that he cannot endure to hear of god , because of his love to it ; i would desire to know of him , first , if this be no troub● to him , that he knows this voluptuous life shall so quickly be at an end , and that in so short a time , yea he knows not how soon , all that he now thinks himself happy in , shall be gone for ever ? next , if it be no trouble to him to restrain himself from what he most loves , for fear of bringing sicknesses , pains , and death upon himself ; or that he has at any time so brought these and other like evils upon himself , whereby he is become unable to find any relish or pleasure in the things he loves , and has nothing left him to ease his troubl● ▪ again ; what he has to administer any comfort or refreshment to him , if he fall into any kind of affliction or distress , when he can tast nothing but bitterness in this life , and yet hath not the least hopes of any other ? and lastly , if it do not trouble him , when ever he thinks of it , that he cannot be sure that his opinion is true , and that , for ought he knows to the contrary , there may be a god , and he may the next moment cast him into hell for the life he now leads ? i cannot but think , but when the atheist is at any time awakened to the exercise of his reason , and thinks of these things , he cannot much boast of the good his opinion doth himself ; nay , that he cannot deny , but 't is hurtful to him . and should it be once embraced generally by others , what would become of him and all the world ? there would be nothing in a short time visible , but disorder and confusion , and all manner of mischief and misery , were men once persuaded , that there is no god , no rewarder of the good , no punisher of the wicked ; and that there is nothing either to be hoped for , or feared , but in this life only . had men none over them to keep them in awe , but weak men like themselves , what could be expected , but that they should fall a tearing and eating up one another ? would not every one think it his concern , and his right too , to make the best he could of this present life to himself , as well as he , if he thought there were nothing either better or worse to be expected , than what this life ▪ affords ? would not every one who is persuaded that this world is all that ever he must enjoy , use his utmost cunning and endeavour , without respect to any other person , or any regard to right or wrong , to pick and chuse , and carve out for himself as great a share of it as he possibly could ; yea , tho he must dig through the very bowels of all other men , to come at the things he desired to have ? might not any one challenge as much right to every thing that lay within his reach , as any other whatsoever ? and would not every one catch that could , yea and kill too , or do any thing else he could , that he might catch ? if it be true , that there is no god , to whom all are bound to submit , what law can any one think himself bound to obey , but his own will ? and would not every one be as free as he could make himself , and strive to have his own will , rather than to be subject to another's ? would not every one endeavour to make himself master of as much , and as many as he could ? and would not this striving for the mastery , and scrambling who should get most , bring all things to confusion ? could any thing but mere force and violence bring or keep men under government ? and would men any longer bear so uneasie a yoke , whenever they could find out any way to break or shake it off ? all the world thus would be turn'd into a field of war and blood , and no man could think himself safe from his neighbour . he that is strongest , or could make his party the strongest for a time , could not promise himself that he should long continue so , and not be undermined by the wiles of the weaker , or by the treacheries or revolts of his own men . and they who are weakest , must be sure , whilst they are so , to endure the insolencies , and lye at the mercy of the stronger . no man could call either his goods or his life his own , seeing there could be nothing to hinder any one that had strength and malice enough , from invading them , or endeavouring to advance himself upon the ruins of any one whom he found standing in his way to what he covets . all men may plainly see , that religion , were it generally practised throughout the world , would soon make it happy ; and that the good order that is in the world , is wholly owing to the sense men have of a god ; and that therefore there is so little good order in the world at this day , because there is so little sincere religion , or true sense of god in it . and if there were no sense of god in it , there would be no good order at all . tho it were true then , that there is no god , i dare say , the whole world would soon begin to wish it false ; yea , and rather than all men should think there is none , the atheist himself would wish it false too . all men would quickly find reason enough to curse the man that first discovered so mischievous a truth . but now seeing no man can possibly be assured , that it is true ; what a fool is he that persuades himself it is , to no other end , but that he may be more free to do mischief , and by doing so , teach others to do the like ; thus putting himself , and the rest of mankind into a posture of war , and into the most deplorable condition imaginable ? i mean , into that of enjoying no quiet or safety in this world , no comfort or satisfaction in going out of it , and the danger of suffering more intolerable evils , than any one can now conceive , whenever death shall call him hence . iii. the third argument to prove him a fool , who is confident there is no god , is this : he is confident , where all the reason in the world is against his confidence . and to make this good , i lay this down as a certain principle : it is a sufficient reason to believe that a thing is , when it 's being is discovered unto us , all those ways , whereby we can conceive that such a thing can be discovered unto us , if indeed it be , and may be known . if then god hath made himself known unto us all those ways , whereby we can conceive he can be made known , if he be ; we have all the reason in the world to believe him to be , and so all the reason in the world is against his confidence that denies god to be . he is a fool that desires or calls for more than this ; for that is all one as if he should say , i will not believe that there is a god , 'till he be made known to me more ways than h● can be made known to me , though there be one . now let any one say , what evidence he would have to convince him that there is a god , and i will shew him that he hath it ; unless he would have such evidence as cannot be given , tho' there be a god. all things cannot be discover'd by every kind of evidence , tho' they really are , and may be known . a voice or sound cannot be known by seeing ; yet we are sure it is , because we hear it . a colour cannot be known by hearing ; but we are sure it is , because we see it . sweet and bitter cannot be known by seeing or hearing ; yet we know them by tasting . he 's a fool then that will not believe any of these to be , unless he have such an evidence of it as cannot be given , whilst he hath that which can ; or , who will not believe there is a colour , because he cannot hear or smell it , whilst he sees it ? or thinks there is no voice , because he cannot see , touch , or tast it , tho' he hears it ? and so of the rest . what evidence then would a man have to assure him that there is a god ? god is by nature a spirit , joh. 4. 24. and so invisible , 1 tim. 1. 17. whom no man hath seen , nor can see , vid. 1 tim. 6. 16. ioh. 1. 18. 1 ioh. 4. 12. he 's a fool then that will not believe that there is a god unless he see him : and as much a fool is he , that will not believe him to be , unless he can hear him speak , or feel him : for god being a pure spirit , without a body , or bodily qualities , hath neither a voice , such as bodily things have , whereby he may be heard with our ears ; nor other quality whereby he may be felt with our hands , any more than he hath colour or shape to be seen with our eyes . we must , if we will be reasonable , be satisfied with such evidences of an invisible spirit , as an invisible spirit can give us of its self : and such evidences of himself god hath given unto us ; and by all such ways , as we can think on , has revealed himself unto us , as one of infinite power , wisdom , and goodness , our maker , preserver , and governor . and how can we conceive , that he , who is in himself invisible , should make this manifest unto us , but by some or all of these ways ? i. by some such audible and visible significations and tokens of his being and will , as we are capable of understanding . ii. by imprinting a sense of himself in our minds , making us not only capable of perceiving , but inclined to acknowledg him . iii. by doing such works as are the visible effects of such a being , power , wisdom and goodness . if there be a god , some of these ways he may , and otherwise we cannot conceive how he should be known unto men . and therefore if he have all these ways manifested himself unto us , he is a fool that doth not own him . i. it must be granted very reasonable to expect , that if there be a god who is our lord and governor , he should give us such significations and tokens of his being and will , as we may know him , and how to behave our selves towards him . and if it be such an evidence of him , that the atheist would have for his satisfaction , i say he hath it in that which we call god's word in the holy scripture . if he say , he would believe there is a god , because of his word , if he were sure that it is god's word ; i ask , what he means by saying so ? is it this , that he would believe there is a god , because of his word , were he first sure that there is a god whose word it may be ? this is all one , as to say , that what he calls for as an evidence of a god , can be no evidence ; for he cannot be persuaded 't is his word , till he be first sure that he is : this is to play the fool downright ; he will not believe there is a god , till god hath revealed himself by his word ; god reveals himself by his word , and he will not believe it to be his word , because he is not sure there is a god. if he say , he means no more but this , that what you shew him for the word of god , is not such as may be thought worthy of god , or has not enough in it to convince one , that it is not a forgery of man ? if this be his meaning , then i ask him , what is wanting to it to make it appear worthy of god , and not to be a forgery of man ? if he cannot shew this , and yet excepts against it , he 's a fool ; for either that evidence wherein no defect can be discover'd , must be a sufficient evidence ; or there can be no such thing as a sufficient evidence in the world . well then ; we say , god hath revealed himself and his will by clear significations of both , in his word . and this word we have now written in a book , which we call the bible and the scripture . if this scripture or writing be true , then is it the word of god , for so much it affirmeth of it self . the truth of it therefore is the only thing we are to inquire into . and to make this enquiry as short as may be , let it be considered , that this book is made up of divers smaller books , whereof some are called , the books of the old testament ; others of them , the books of the new one : and we need do no more but inquire into the truth of the latter of these at present ; for if what is written in these , be true ; then is that so too , which is written in the former : for these bear witness to the truth of those . our saviour in the new testament approves of the law of moses , and of the prophets , and of the psalms , which make up the old testament , luke 24. 44. and of the same , st. paul saith , all scripture is given by inspiration of god , 2 tim. 3. 16. and st. peter , that the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man , but holy men of god spake as they were moved by the holy ghost , ● pet. 1. 12. and the apostle to the hebrews saith , that god , who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake in time past un●o the fathers by the prophets , hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son , heb. 1. 1 , 2. if then the writings of the new testament be true , the books of the old testament contain the word of god. and to satisfie our selves that they are true , we need but to understand three things : 1. that there were such men as are said to have written these books ; and that these are their writings . 2. that they were sufficiently qualified for writing these books . 3. that what they have written , hath all the characters of divine truth . 1. there were once such men as are said to have written these books ; and these books were written by them . if any one doubts whether there were once such men as st matthew , mark , luke , iohn , paul , peter , iames , and iude ; or that the books which bear their names , were written by them ; how would he have it proved ? these men died about sixteen hundred years ago , and therefore he will not surely be so unreasonable as to say , shew me the men , or i will not believe that ever they were . but look what reason he hath to believe any thing that was before he was was born , and now he seeth not ; the same he hath to believe that these men once were , and that they wrote these books . histories make express mention of them , one generation to another , from their time to this , hath preserved their memory ; and the books we have , are their lasting monuments . we have the testimony of all christians , of all ages since their time , who have own'd these books as theirs , who have commented on them , and written in defence of the doctrine contained in them ; recorded their travels , and the churches which they planted : and these witnesses are no inconsiderable persons , but the most learned of their times , and such as made the most diligent search into the truth ; and were so well satisfied , as to shed their blood in vindication of it , and ventured their salvation upon it . neither is this all , but we have the testimony of their enemies , of those who persecuted them unto death , and wrote against the truth which they deliver'd . now what can any one desire more than this to satisfy him , that there were such men , and that they wrote these books ? we have the books in our hands , and all sorts of historians , friends and enemies , making mention of them ; and all christian churches , being the best , most learned , and most civilized part of the world , acknowledging , receiving , and even unto death maintaining them . have we not the faith to believe , that there were once such men as cyrus , darius , alexander , or iulius caesar ? do not we believe that cicero , demosthenes , homer and virgil , once were , and that we have their books ? believe we not that we have had kings of this realm in former days , and that we have now laws which they enacted ? nor yet that we had grandfathers , and great-grandfathers , and inheritances derived from them ? and what better reasons can we have to believe any of these things , than such as we have to believe that these men were , and wrote these books ? truly he that will not believe that once a thing was , when all the evidence of its having been is given him , which can be given of any thing past ; must needs be a very unreasonable fool , and not to be discours'd withal , but laugh'd at . for at this rate , nothing that ever was , and is not now , can be believed , without better evidence of it , than can be given if it was , which is impossible . 2. these men were sufficiently qualified for writing these books . for all that can be thought necessary to qualify them for writing these books , is , first , sufficient knowledg of the things whereof they wrote ; and secondly , honesty , to write no other things than what they certainly knew . 1. we cannot in any reason suspect them to have wanted sufficient knowledg , because they had all opportunities of well informing themselves . they write either of the life and deeds of jesus christ , whereof they were eye-witnesses ; or of his doctrine and preaching , which they were ear-witnesses of : or else of the deeds and sufferings of themselves , and their fellows , whereof they were either actors and sufferers , or spectators . that which they had seen and heard , declared they unto us ; and that in writing , as st. iohn saith , 1. ioh. i. 1 , 2 , 3. they have delivered these things to us , which from the beginning were eye-witnesses , and ministers of the word . and it seem'd good unto them , having had perfect understanding of all things from the beginning , to write unto others , that they also might know the certainty of these things , as we gather from st. luke , chap. i. v. 2 , 3 , 4. now that there was such a person as jesus christ , that he was born in the reign of augustus caesar , and was crucified in the regn of tiberius caesar , being sentenced to death by pontius pilate ; and that he had such disciples and followers , not only the testimony of christians , but that of iews and heathens , bitter enemies to christianity , assures us . and what should hinder these men to have sufficient knowledg of what they write ? 2. we have no less reason to believe they were honest men , who had no design to deceive the world. for first , it is to be seen in their writings by all who read them , that they professed and taught sincerity , truth , simplicity , plain and upright dealing ; condemning all hypocrisie , lying and guile , as odious to god , and damnable in men ; denouncing the heavy wrath and indignation of god against the practicers of these vices . and as they taught , so they lived ; and for this they durst appeal to all who knew them . ye are witnesses ( saith st. paul ) and god also , how holily , and justly , and unblameably we behaved our selves among you , 1 thess. ii. 10. we have renounced ( saith he again ) the hidden things of dishonestry , not walking in craftiness , not handling the word of god deceitfully ; but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every man's conscience in the sight of god , 2 cor. iv. 2. secondly , for the truth of the chief matters of fact , which they relate ; they were bold to appeal to the knowledg of great multitudes then living , who might easily have disproved them , had they told any falshood . they told them of the wonderful birth and life of jesus , mentioning the very time of his birth , the place , the manner ; his manifestation to the shepherds , to the wise-men of the east , his persecution by herod , with all the remarkable circumstances thereto belonging : his doctrine and preaching , his miracles , some whereof thousands at once tasted of ; his death without ierusalem , notorious to all ; his resurrection , witnessed by his appearing to hundreds ; his visible ascension into heaven : his sending the holy ghost on the day of pentecost , to the astonishment of many who heard the apostles by him enabled to speak to every one in his own language ; and many more things of this kind , concerning some of which st. paul was not afraid to tell festus the governour , in the presence of king agrippa , the king knoweth of these things , before whom also i speak freely ; for i am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him , for this thing was not done in a corner , acts xxvi . 26. how easie now had it been for the iews to have proved these men lyars , had they been so ? and would they not have done it , if they could ? thirdly , they were men but of a very mean education , most of them , and of no le●●ning ; and cannot reasonably be thought able to contrive , and invent what they write , of their own heads ; and when they had done , to defend it so bravely as they did , for real truth . it must needs be supposed , they were instructed well in their business ; and had a teacher wiser , and more powerful too , than themselves ; or indeed ( as it will appear ) than all the world besides . and this was well known to be jesus christ the eternal wisdom of god ; and his holy spirit of truth , which he , according to his promise , sent upon them ( acts ii. ) to guide them into all truth , joh. xvi . 13. 't was he alone who could , as he had promised , give them a mouth and wisdom , which all their adversaries were not able to gainsay , or resist , luke xxi . 15. indeed it appears , whatever their education had been , they were , when they preached to the world , and wrote , men of good sense and understanding ; who could teach a religion , which now for above sixteen hundred years hath prevail'd over the most learned part of mankind : who could dispute with the learned grecians , acts ix . 29. and though the scribes and pharisees , the most learned iews ; though they of the synagogue of the libertines , and cyrenians , and alexandrians , of cicilia and asia , disputed with them ; acts vi. 9. tho the philosophers of the gentiles , the stoicks and epicureans , encounter'd them , acts xvii . 18. yet were none of these able to resist the wisdom , and the spirit whereby they spake , acts vi. 10. fourthly , supposing them men of wit enough for such a contrivance , yet can they not at the same time be thought such fools too , as to contrive such things without any rational motive or inducement to it ; surely , they must have some great things to propound unto themselves , as the end for which they did this . they well foresaw , that what they did , would expose them to all the evils of this world. and therefore when they first undertook it , they voluntarily left all they had in this world , to follow christ . they were taught by him to deny themselves , and to take up the cross , matth. xvi . 24. and told , that they must be sent as sheep in the midst of wolves ; be deliver'd up to councils , and scourg'd in the synagogues , and hated of all men for his name's sake , matth. x. 16 , 17 , 22. that in this world they should have tribulation , john xvi . 33. and be persecuted , joh. xv. 20. put out of the synagogues , and killed , joh. xvi . 2. all this they knew , and expected . they went forth to preach a doctrine , which by the wise-men of the world would be accounted foolishness , 1 cor. i. 23. and look'd on themselves , as men set forth of god , as it were , appointed to death , and made a spectacle to the world , 1 cor. iv. 9. they hungred and thirsted , were naked , and had no certain dwelling-place . being reviled , they blessed ; being persecuted , they suffer'd it ; being defamed , they intreated ; they were made the filth of the world , and the off-scouring of all things , 1 cor. iv. 11. 2 cor. iv. 8. they constantly and stoutly indured all that befell them ; rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of iesus , acts v. 41. certain then it is , that ( as they prosessed ) their exhortation was not of deceit , nor of uncleanness , nor in guile ; neither did they at any time use flattering words , nor a cloak of covetousness ( as they call'd god to witness ) neither of men sought they glory , 1 thess. ii. 3 , 5. no , 't is plain , they could not propound to themselves any worldly advantage . well then , either they did believe what they preach'd , and wrote , to be true , or they did not . if not , then did they , for the sake of a known and unprofitable lye , forsake all that seems good in this world , even whilst they hoped for nothing in another ; and then they must be no longer thought cunning and crafty men , but the sillest fools that ever were , and very mad-men . if they did believe themselves , and chearfully endured all these things for persuading others to believe , what more can we desire to shew us , that they were honest and plain-dealing men ? fifthly , if it be said , that tho they were men of good sense and competent understanding , yet as honest well-meaning men are easily deceiv'd , so might they be by his cunning whom they follow'd ; and being seduced by him , might in simplicity of mind endeavour to deceive others . this will appear a vain conceit , when 't is consider'd , that he whom they follow'd , was jesus , a person well known , whilst on earth , for his life and conversation among men . he taught openly ; and what he taught , notwithstanding his divine authority to command belief upon his bare word , he did not bid them simply believe , but try and examine . the iews , to whom he preach'd , had all along received the scriptures of the old testament as the word of god ; and for what he taught of himself , he appeals to those scriptures . search the scriptures ( saith he ) for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and they are they which testify of me , john v. 39. and this is not all , but he appeals for the truth of his doctrine , to the works which he wrought before their eyes . the works ( saith he ) which my father hath given me to finish , the same works that i do , bear witness of me , that the father hath sent me , john v. 36. if i do not the works of my father , believe me not ; but if i do , though ye believe not me , believe the works ; that ye may know and believe , that the father is in me , and i in him , john x. 37 , 38. he was then a man approved of god among them , by miracles , and wonders , and signs , which god did by him in the midst of them , as they themselves also knew , acts ii. 22. and after all , he himself suffered death for the confirmation of his doctrine , and therefore could have no worldly end in deceiving his disciples . but what greater evidence could they , or the world desire , that he did not deceive them , than this , that as he taught them to understand his doctrine ; so he gave them power to do the same kind of works , as he had done , for the confirmation of it : according to his promise , iohn xiv . 12. he that believeth in me , the works that i do , shall he do also ; and greater works than these shall he do , because i go to my father . they saw then what he did , and they felt in themselves what he had enabled them to do in his name . yea , many others saw , and felt in themselves the power and vertue of those works which they did . these works were done in the streets and market-places ; in the temple , and in the synagogues ; at their solemn feasts , and in their most full assemblies . so that the people hearing christ , were astonish'd , saying , whence hath this man these things ? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him , that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands ? mark vi. 2. and the priests and rulers of the iews , when they heard peter and iohn , and perceived that they were unlearned , and ignorant men , they marvelled , and they took knowledge of them , that they had been with iesus . and seeing a miracle done by them , they confessed it , saying , that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them , is manifest to all them that dwell in ierusalem , and we cannot deny it , acts iv. 13 , 16. lastly , seeing 't is said , these men might be deceived by jesus , and so deceive others ; let it be farther consider'd , what hopes either he or they could have , that such a delusion should prevail . had they such hope , or had they not ? if not , would they suffer as they did , and as before-hand they knew they must , merely to promote , and carry on a delusion which they had no hope would ever succeed ? will any one lose all he has , endure all pains and miseries , and a cruel death too , only to have the satisfaction of attempting , what he thinks it in vain to attempt ? had they such hope ? and whence had they it ? could they hope that the mighty princes , and the great scholars and wise-men of the world could be deluded by them ? could they hope that all , or many , would give so much credit to a few mean and unlearned men , as for their sakes to change their opinions which they had suck'd in with their mother's milk , wherein their ancestors had lived and died ; yea , and cast away their gods too , whom they had so long worship'd , and by whom they thought themselves protected and made prosperous ? they could never dream of such a thing , and 't is plain that they built not their hope on their own credit or reputation : if they had done so , they would have set themselves out to the eye of the world in their best colours ; they would have carefully conceal'd and hid their own infirmities , and every thing which might lessen their reputation among men . but they were very free in laying open to publick view their own blemishes and failings , their ignorances and their sins . and certainly , this is not the custome of deceivers , or of men that would be believed on the stock of their own reputation . it is therefore plain , that the hope they had of having their doctrine received , was wholly founded on the excellence of the doctrine it self , and on the power of him from whom they had it . they doubted not therefore to leave it to shift for it self , and to be tried by its own apparent goodness . they fear'd not , but he who sent them to preach it , would own it , and give it acceptance where it pleased him it should be embraced ; and finally recompence them abundantly for all their sufferings . these things all consider'd , no man can have reason to doubt of their honesty . and they being found both knowing and honest , they wanted nothing to qualify them for writing these things . and therefore we can have no cause to distrust them , telling us that they wrote the word of god. 3. and now if after all this , we find that these mens writings are such , as have all the characters of divine truth , what more can we desire ? 1. the matters revealed in them , are truly worthy of god to reveal , and necessary for man to know . 2. the manner of their revelation is such , that the hand of god doth visibly appear in it . 3. the success which the doctrine of these writings hath had , is such , as none but god could give it . in sum , they are such things , as if there be a god , we would judge it most fit for him to make known ; and such as are made known in such a manner , as we would think it most proper for him to reveal them in ; and such as have had such success , as we would think it well becoming him to give them . 1. the matters contained in the holy scriptures , are such things as are truly worthy of god , if there be one , to reveal ; and necessary for us men to know . 1. the history of the creation of the world , and of all things in it , and of man especially ; of god's universal providence , and government , and of his special providence over those that serve him ; of his iudgments executed on the wicked , and his special mercies to , and deliverances wrought for the righteous ; this is certainly apt to beget in us the most high thoughts and esteem of god ; the greatest reverence , and most humble adoration of the divine majesty ; the most free submission , and chearful resignation to him , and an entire dependance on him , as our maker , owner , preserver and governor ; on whose goodness and favour depends our life and happiness , and whose displeasure and wrath must needs be our destruction . and can we think it unbecoming god to acquaint us with this ? or needless for us to know it ? 2. to have a true information of the special goodness of god to us men , even from first to last : of his making man at first in his own image , with an immortal soul , and a beautiful body , and his providing all things needful for the good and welfare of both ; and his giving him the dominion over , and the free use of most other creatures . how man fell from this good and honourable state , into all manner of misery , by disobeying god. how the world , the good work of god , became both so wicked , and so full of troubles and sorrows . what wise and gracious methods god has used to preserve in all ages , and in the midst of a world of wickedness , an holy generation of people for himself ; and what wonderful means he hath of his infinite goodness through jesus christ provided for us ; whereby , notwithstanding our natural corruption and guilt , we may yet again be restored to his favour , and our blessedness . 3. to afford us such a sight of god's nature and attributes as we are capable of in this life ; his majesty , immensity , power , wisdom and goodness , and all things necessary to be understood of him , in order to our duty towards him , and happiness in him . to open unto us those unfathomable mysteries , of the incomprehensible trinity in unity , one undivided god in the three distinct persons of father , son and holy ghost ; of the wonderful incarnation of the eternal son of god for the redemption of sinners ; of his passion , resurrection , ascension , intercession , and coming again to iudgment . of the miraculous sending of the holy ghost , his inspiring of the apostles with gifts and graces befitting their office. these , and the like , are such things as men could never attain to the knowledge of , but by divine revelation . 4. to give us laws whereby we are to govern our selves , and such laws as our own reason being made judge , are most holy , and iust , and good ; all visibly tending to advance among us the honour and glory of god who gave them , and promote the happiness of men to whom they are given ; binding us to nothing but to pay unto god such a homage and duty , as we must confess we naturally owe him , and are by our nature fitted to pay him ; to do our selves and others all the good we can , and no hurt at all ; and to do every one of us what lies in our-power to make this world , whilst we live in it , a pleasant , peaceable , and comfortable place of habitation to us . 5. to certifie us , what shall become of us , when by death we shall go out of this world ; what rewards there are for the good , and what punishments for the wicked : to shew us the twofold eternal future state of happiness and misery ; and that our present life is our time of trial and of discipline ; and as we behave our selves , doth certainly bring us to one of these two . to assure us , that our souls do never dye , and that our bodies after corruption , shall be rais'd again incorruptible : and that we must in soul and body be brought to iudgment , and by the laws under which we have lived , be either finally condemned or acquitted . let any one say , what things he can suppose , if there be a god , more worthy of him to reveal , or more needful for us to know , than such as these . could we be better instructed in the knowledge of either god or our selves ? could we be better directed how to honour god , or to do good to our selves ? could we have had any greater encouragements to goodness , or any greater discouragements to live wickedly ? could we desire a fairer or more satisfactory account of things not otherwise knowable , and yet fit to be known by us ? had we not been at an utter loss , and in a lamentable confusion about these things , had they not been thus revealed to us ? have any of the wisest men in the world been able to give us any rational account , or but indifferent satisfaction about the original of the world , or of us men , or of what shall be after death ; what we may either fear or hope for ? in what a confounded state had we been , and what very beasts must we have lived and died , without some knowledge of these things ? and who could ever have made us know these things , but god ? and can we then any longer think , that these things are not most worthy of god to make known unto men ? 2. the manner of revelation is such , that the hand of god doth visibly appear in it . god hath spoken unto us in his word , in in as visible and audible , and every way convincing a manner , as we can conceive how , if there be a god , he should do . god , as was said , is in his nature invisible ; nor hath he a voice , as bodies have , to be heard by ; yet hath he been seen and heard speaking unto men , so as an invisible and incorporal being or spirit can be seen or heard : and so as men may know it 's he that speaks unto them . for his word was delivered 1. with many visible and audible significations and tokens of his presence . 2. with prophecy , foretelling things within the compass of his knowledge only . 3 with miracles , which are the proper works of divine power . 1. the atheist would , for his satisfaction , see and hear god speak . if it will satisfie him , that god hath been seen and heard speaking , he hath been seen and heard both , so as any one can conceive that he could be seen and heard ; that is , in visible and audible significations and tokens of his divine presence . thus did god call upon , and talk with adam and eve in the garden of eden , both before and after they had sinned , gen. ii. 15 , &c. iii. 9 , &c. thus he appeared and spake unto abraham ; as gen. xv. 1 , &c. xvii . 1 , &c. xviii . 1 , 23 , &c. thus did he appear and speak unto moses , in a flame of fire in a bush , exod. iii. 2. and so he did to the israelites from the mount , in fire and smoke , the noise of a trumpet , with thundrings and lightnings , exod. xix . 18 , 19 , 20. i need not say how often , and how many ways god hath so manifested himself speaking unto men . but it may be the atheist will say , if he himself could see or hear god speaking , he would believe it to be his word which he heard . and truly if he be of this mind , that he will believe nothing but what he himself sees and hears , he is too great a fool to be reasoned into any thing , and therefore not to be discours'd with at all . it has been already shew'd , what reason we have to believe that these men speak truth , who tell us all this of god. and if he will not believe upon the best evidence that can be given of a thing , tho it was , he cannot believe at all . however , suppose he should himself see or hear what abraham and moses heard and saw : or suppose he should see the church fill'd , as the tabernacle and temple of old , with a cloud or smoke ; or hear a voice from the altar , as that from between the cherubims over the mercy-seat ; or suppose he should hear and see such a voice and glory as those at the baptism of christ , luke iii. 22. or at the conversion of st. paul , acts ix . 3 , 4. or at the transfiguration of our blessed saviour on the mount ▪ matt. 17. 5. or suppose he should hear god calling upon him , as he did upon samuel , by his name , 1 sam. 3 , 4. would he not ( as that child did before eli better instructed him ) , think it the voice of some other , or account of it but as a dream or a fancy ? if he say again , he would be satisfied thus , and otherwise he cannot ; then i answer , that it is not in the power of man to say any thing that may satisfie him ; and it is much to be fear'd , that god will not give him any other satisfaction . for is it reasonable to expect that god should , merely to humour every obstinate fool , shew himself every day , or as often as a wicked man pleaseth , and just in such a manner as he would have him ; and for no other cause , but because he is sullen and unreasonable , and will not believe any thing that god hath formerly said or done , to satisfie him ? why should god have such hard measure from him , above all others ? will he not believe he hath his father's will and testament , unless his father himself , whenever he requires it , come from the dead to tell him so ? and why must god , who hath given him his will in writing , sufficiently attested , appear as he pleaseth , to confirm it anew unto him ? 2. much of the word of god has been given unto us by way of prophecy , foretelling things to come , which are within the compass of his knowledge only : and the prophecies in the scripture have been notoriously and undeniably fulfilled ; i mean , so many of them as were to be fulfilled before the days wherein we now live ; and if these have been so fulfilled , we can have no cause to doubt , but all the rest will be so too , when the time shall come . now things to come , are acknowledg'd not to be within the compass of man's knowledge , especially such as depend not necessarily on natural causes , or are not wont to follow one another in the ordinary course and order of nature . we are all of us very sure , that we know not what shall be on the morrow , james iv. 14. we cannot tell what a day , ( no , not what the next hour or minute ) may bring forth , prov. xxvii . 1. nay , we know not certainly , whether or no there shall be another day , or who shall live to see it , or in what condition it will find us . we are not only ignorant of such future things as are of least concernment to us , which we have little desire to know , or see no reason to enquire after ; but of the things which we most long to know , and would account it a very great satisfaction to be assured of . we know not whether we shall be at ease or in pain , sick or in health , alive or dead , the very next day or hour : we know not whether we shall be rich or poor , or have any meat to eat , or be able to eat it , if we have it ; so uncertain are all future things to us . yet we are sure , there have been prophecies of things to come , and very true ones too : men have foretold things many hundreds of years before-hand , which came to pass in all circumstances of time , place , and manner , as they had been foretold . some indeed have been bold enough to foretel things by human art and skill , but have only befool'd thereby both themselves , and all that trusted to them . if any of them have sometimes guess'd right , 't was either , first , by chance ; as he that guesseth a thousand times , has ill luck if he guess not right once or twice ; tho he knows no more when he doth so , than when he guesseth wrong . or he saves his credit by craft and cunning , as most of the old oracles , and our astrologers , who utter their predictions in ambiguous expressions , which are capable of a double sense and construction : if things happen as you understood their words , they have got credit without any reason for it ; and if things fall out otherwise than you understood them , they can tell you , you were mistaken in their meaning , and they meant as it hath hapned . 't is true also , that when men will not hearken to the truth of god , he may give them up to delusion , and may suffer a deceiver to hit on a truth , to make way for the belief of a lye , as a very just punishment of an unreasonable infidelity . but they only , whose knowledg of things future , they themselves confess'd to be of god , and not acquired by human art , and whose design it was , to draw men off from idolatry , and every evil thing , to the worship and service of the true and living god ; have constantly , and without failing , foretold things truly ; and the event hath always verified their predictions . and who but god alone , who governs and disposeth of all things according to his own eternal decree and council , could make them so knowing ? in the holy scriptures we have many such prophecies ; as concerning the carrying of the iews captive into babylon by nebuchadnezzar ; their restoration to their own countrey by cyrus : the succession of the four famous monarchies in daniel : the coming of our lord jesus , and his sufferings : the final destruction of the temple , and of the whole iewish nation : and these things , with many more there foretold , have been undeniably fulfilled . and is not this a demonstration , that these mens prophecies were god's own word ? let them bring forth their strong reasons ( saith god by his prophet ) and shew us what shall happen : let them shew the former things what they be , that we may consider them ; or declare us things for to come . shew us the things that are to come hereafter , that we may know that ye are gods , isa. xli . 22 , 23. tell ye , and bring them near , let them take counsel together . who hath told it from that time ? have not i the lord ? and there is no god else besides me , isa. xlv . 21. i am god , and there is none like me , declaring the end from the beginning , and from ancient times the things that are not yet done , saying , my counsel shall stand , and i will do all my pleasure , isa. xlvi . 10 , 11. 3. this word hath been deliver'd with miracles to confirm it , which are the works of divine power only . we know that it is not in the power of man , or of any thing else , but of the great god of nature , and lord of the world , to alter any thing in the course of nature ; to do things which exceed the power of natural causes , or to make things act quite contrary to their natures . when therefore we see such things done , we must acknowledg a power above all natural power whereby they are done . yet is it as certain as history and observation can make it , that such things have been done , and by those very men from whom we have what we call the word of god. indeed , all things in the world , from the greatest to the least , are truly wonderful to us ; as being far above , not only our skill to imitate , but also our reason throughly to understand ; yet we call not all things miracles , only such things as rarely happen , and not according to the ordinary course of nature , are accounted miracles . as when the fire refuseth to burn those that are cast into it ; when the water divides it self , and stands up like two walls on each hand , to let men pass through it on dry ground ; when the sun stands still in heaven , and doubles the length of the day ; when men without any medicinal art or help , by a touch or a word only , either take away , or restore sight , hearing , health and strength ; dispossess devils , command winds and seas , take life from the living , and give life to the dead . these things above the power , and contrary to the course of nature , are miracles . and these , with others many , have been done . not indeed every day , and ordinarily ; for then would they have been disregarded as common things , and cease to be wonders . not secretly neither , nor in some close corners only ; for then few could have witnessed , and fewer would have believed them . neither yet were they done upon any slight or trivial occasion ; for then would they have been look'd on only as casualties and odd chances . but they were done rarely , to encrease the wonder ; yet openly , to gain belief ; and upon special and weighty occasions , that the cause might be more noted . they who did them , own'd that it was god who extraordinarily enabled them , and that not for their sakes ; but for his own glory , and in confirmation of the truth of what he had sent them to teach . in a word , all was to make god known unto men , and to persuade men to seek their happiness in him . by such works did god bear witness to his own word . and every one but a fool will say , blessed be the lord god of israel , who only doth wondrous things , psal. lxxii . 18. thou art great , and dost wondrous things ; thou art god alone , psal. lxxxvi . 10. understand ye brutish among the people , and ye fools , when will ye be wise ? psal. xciv . 8. whoso is wise , and will observe these things , even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the lord , psal. cvii . 43. 3. the success which the doctrine contain'd in the holy scripture hath had , has been such , as none but god alone could give it . if the men , who wrote these books we speak of , had not given great satisfaction to the world , that they spake from god ; how came the doctrine which they taught , to gain belief ? how came it so to take root , and grow , and spread , as it hath undeniably done ? why have not its enemies , the wise-men of this world , after so much straining of their wits , and using all their art and policy to that end , been yet able to convince men of its solly , vanity or falshood ? why have not all the mighty powers on earth , bending their whole force against it , been able to suppress and stifle it ? whatever stratagems the devil or man could invent , have been made use of to this purpose . iews and gentiles conspired together to crush it in the egg. the heathen raged , and the people imagined a vain thing . the kings of the earth set themselves , and the rulers took counsel together , against the lord , and against his anointed ; saying , let us break their bands asunder , and cast away their cords from us . as david prophesied of them , psal. ii. 1 , 2 , 3. the kings of the earth have persecuted this religion with fire and sword. the lusts of mens hearts rise up in open war against it continually . yet hath it taken root and flourish'd ; it has conquer'd , and made the most wonderful change imaginable in mens hearts and lives . this success it has had , not among a few simple ones , easily deceived ; but among the most learned , and understanding , and judicious . and what can this be imputed to , but to the light and power of divine truth ? indeed by its own light men may easily see all things in it , which can be proper to commend it to all who think fit to be govern'd by reason , as all but fools do . if it be said , that idolatry is yet reigning over the greatest part of the world ; and the foolish religion of mahomet hath had very wonderful success , and hath triumph'd over , and quite extinguished christianity in many places ; so that the least part of the world is at this day christian ; and therefore the christian doctrine gains little credit by its success in the world. in answer to this , we say these things . first , whichsoever of these religions , heathenism , mahometism , or christianity , prevail most , or be thought truest ; yet is it true still , that all the world is of some religion , and owns a god. and therefore this is noobjection against what we at first undertook to prove , that there is a god ; only it may seem to weaken one of our arguments , whereby we would prove this . but indeed it doth not weaken it at all . for secondly , we are now only proving , that our scripture is the word of god ; and this is but one of the many arguments we use to that end ; and the rest are convincive enough without it . so that should this argument fail us , yet our whole argument , whereby we would , from our having the word of god , prove that there is a god , stands good . but nether doth our argument fail us , but proves what we would prove by it . for thirdly , we say not , that the christian doctrine is receiv'd by all men , or by most men , or by more than they who are of other religions . all we say is this , it was in a very short time received in most parts of the then known world ; though for the sins of them who profess'd it , god hath suffer'd it in many places to be rooted out again . nor doth this lessen its credit , but rather confirms its truth . for this is the same which it self foretold , and shews the care that god takes of it ; who as he will not suffer it to be quite lost , so neither will he always afford it them who abuse it . thus was it foretold to the church of ephesus , rev. ii. 5. i will come unto thee quickly , and remove thy candlestick out of its place , except thou repent . and thus it happen'd to that and other churches . accordingly as our blessed jesus had told the iews , matth. xxi . 43. the kingdom of god shall be taken from you , and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof . though therefore heathenism or mahometism fill more of the world than christianity , yet hath the christian doctrine had the success which we speak of . fourthly , though at this day it prevails not over most of the world , yet it flourisheth in the most civilized and learned parts of it . whereas idolatry and mahometism prevail only among the more rude , illiterate , barbarous and brutish sort of people . beside this , fifthly , it hath had the success we speak of , by fair , rational and indearing methods , by gentle persuasions , and convincing reasons ; by its own visible purity and goodness ; by the power of miracles ; without any use of force or violence : but other religions prevail only upon the account of education , and custom , and an affectation of treading in the steps of forefathers ; or else by violence and compulsion , fire and sword. again sixthly , other religions are upheld , by keeping men in ignorance , and depriving them of the means of knowledge . and it is no wonder that the greatest part of the world is still in error , when the light of truth is shut out from it . they can chuse no better , who are suffer'd to know no better . but the christian religion seeks not for the advantage of mens blindness , and being in the dark . 't was sent to open mens eyes , and to turn them from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god , acts xxvi . 18. it chargeth all it meets with , to prove all things , and hold fast that which is good , 1 thess. v. 21. if it prevail among men , 't is by reason , and light , and knowledge . men chuse other religions as blind-men do beauties , by chance . and so the most deformed is all one with the most handsome . but christians chuse by sight and judgment . lastly , other religions do favour and flatter men's corruptions , and humor flesh and blood . but the christian religion proclaims open war against these ; crosseth mens corrupt inclinations , contradicts their natural humors , commands them to deny themselves , and their own wills , mortifies their darling lusts , crucifies the flesh , destroys selfishness , commen is patience , lays the cross in their way and injoins them to bear it in hope of things not yet seen , and far off . that other religions prevail , what wonder is it ? neither can it be any argument that they are of god. men can easily invent , and are ready to embrace , and will be very fond of , and not easily change a religion that indulgeth their lusts. but that christianity , commanding men to offer violence to themselves , and to part freely with what they love best , should be receiv'd by any considerable number of men , is very wonderful indeed , and shews it to be of god. the power of lust and corruption is enough to make men embrace other religions ; but the power of god only , and of supernatural grace , could prevail with men to accept of this . i have now done with the first argument , to prove it reasonable to believe , that there is a god ; and have shewn , that if the atheist would have god shew himself to be , by some such visible and audible significations and tokens of his being , as we are capable of perceiving him by , he has all the reason that can be to believe that he hath done so . and i have insisted the longer upon this point , that in shewing the folly of the atheist , i might at once shew the folly of the antiscripturist ; and that he is as well a foo● who denies the scripture to be the word of god , as he that says , there is no god. ii. if this kind of manifestation of himself , which god hath given us in his word , will not suffice ; how else would the atheist have him to manifest himself for his satisfaction ? will he be satisfied , if it be shew'd him , that god hath imprinted such a sense of his being in mens minds , that they are not only capable of perceiving , but generally inclined to acknowledge this truth ? i am now to shew him , that god hath done this , and that mankind hath generally been very sensible that there is a god. indeed we have the testimony of an●els and men to a●●ure us of this ; and one would think this should be enough ; for when every thing that hath reason , bears witness of a thing , he that yet disbelieves it , must confess that he doth so against all the reason in the world ; and he that contradicts all reason , must needs be a fool. as for the testimony of angels , 't is in vain to trouble the atheist with it ; for angels are invisible spirits ; and for the same reason that he denies there is a god , he will also deny that there are any invisible spirits ; seeing these can no otherwise appear , or manifest themselves unto men , than we have already shew'd that god hath done . ●ho therefore it be as evident , as it can be made , that there are such spirits , both good and bad , and that they have frequently born witness of god ; yet seeing it is but the same kind of evidence , with what we have spoken of already , i shall not at all insist upon it now , but only on that which we have from the general consent of mankind . now this testimony of men for the being of a god , is not to be slightly regarded ; it having all the advantage that humane testimony can have . it is not the testimony of some few men , but of mankind generally . it is not the witness of all men in some one or two ages of the world , or of some whole nations only ; but of all nations , and of all a●es and generations , since there have been any men , whom we could hear of , in the world. must it not be a very foolish thing in any man , to make himself confident of a thing , whereof first he can have no degree of assurance ; and secondly , whereof the generality of men think themselves very sure ? there can hardly be a clearer evidence of one's being a fool , than this , that he takes himself to be wiser than all the world besides ; and that too in holding an opinion , wherein he cannot pretend to any evidence at all to ground it upon . let us therefore here consider these things . 1. there has not been , at any time , in any place , any people , discover'd upon the face of the whole earth , that hath not own'd a god. the most barbarous , wild , and even brutish people , without any kind of learning , or common civility , in their manners hardly distinguishable from the beasts of the field by any thing else but this , have been found to have some sort of religious worship among them . though many of them have had no knowledge of the true and living god , for want of instruction ; yet would they rather fall down , and worship any thing , either in heaven , or upon earth , yea the very devils themselvs , than nothing at all . so deeply is this truth , that there is a god , ingraven , as it were in the very nature of mankind , that nothing could ever yet eraze , or wear it quite out . even that gross idolatry which reigns over so great a part of the world , is enough to shame the atheist ; for thereby is it manifest , that the world hath never counted any thing more absurd and foolish , than to think that there is no god. men not knowing who is the true god , were yet so fully convinced that there must be some god ; that they would worship any thing , that they thought could do them either good or hurt , rather than nothing at all . and as this was the belief of all in general ; so look by how much any nation was more civilized and cultivated by good literature ; o much the more care there was taken about religion , as among the egyptians , greeks and romans . and such persons as had the best opportunities , and greatest abilities , for the search and discovery of truth , were abundantly satisfied themselves , and took pains to satisfy others in the reasonableness of this belief . and lastly , they above others , who with good reason were esteem d the best of men ; i mean such as endeavour'd to do the world most good ; who lived virtuously , and justly , and did what they could to make men the better , and the happier for them ; were always the most zealous and earnest promoters and maintainers of this belief . when therefore 't is apparent , that mankind generally , and more especiall● , the learnedst , the wisest , and the best of men have always believed this ; doth not the atheist shew himself a fool in contradicting all men ; having no better reason for his opinion , than only his own imagination ? if any shall object , that it is upon record , that there have been some atheists in the world , and therefore 't is not true , that we have the universal consent of mankind . the answer to this objection is very easie . 1. many of them who were call'd atheists , were not so indeed ; but the most religious persons of their time . it was not because they denied that there is a god , but because they denied those idols , which the heathens worshipped , to be gods indeed , that those blinded idolaters called them atheists . and upon this account it was , that the primitive christians of old were by those idolaters charg'd with atheism . 2. suppose some few have denied that there is a god ; yet were they so few , and inconsiderable , in comparison of the rest who own'd a god , that they ought not to be once named in opposition to a general consent . if , i say , the generality of mankind have eyes and sight , is it reasonable to say , it is not true , because an odd man here or there is born blind ? if , i say , men are rational creatures ; will any think it a sufficient confutation of this , that he can shew me now and then a natural fool ? with as little reason , when i say , men generally own a god , can any one object , it is not true ; because he can name one or two odd men , in so many millions , that have been so blind and foolish , as not to see and know , what all others see and know . 3. these few that have denied a god , had not been taken so much notice of , had they not been very few indeed ; and for their rarity it is , that they were then wonder'd at , and since are recorded in history . but as they were noted for the singularity of their opinion , so were they hated for their wickedness , branded as infamous , and as enemies of mankind . the world was weary of them ; and as soon as any one began to be suspected to be of this opinion , his citizens banish'd him out of their society , as one unfit to live among mankind . which is an argument , that it is so natural to men to own a god , that he who do h not so , has ever been look'd on as a m●nster or s mething that deserves not to be reckon'd among men . 4. these very few , how confident soever , could never produce any considerable reasons for their opinion ; and to talk confidently without reason , is but to rave like one in a high feaver , and not worthy to be heeded . now the athiest hath so little to say for himself , that he has not been able to make many believe , that ever he believed himself in this point ; insomuch that it is at this day a great question disputed among learned men , whether there can be such a thing as an atheist in iudgment . it can hardly be said in propriety of speech , that a man believes what he can shew no reason for believing : and therefore whilst the atheist can give no reason for what he saith , saying , there is no god ; we may say , he doth not believe there is a god ; but it seems we cannot say , he believes there is none . and the main reason of his unbelief , ( for it is no more ) when well search'd into , will be found no other , but that very same upon which there are too many unbelievers now . the love of wickedness makes the thoughts of a god very uneasie to men , and they are very unwilling to entertain a belief that will not suffer them to fulfil their lusts with peace of mind . 5. lastly , remember , that as we have read and heard of some atheists ; so also have we read or heard this also of them ; that for all the shifts they could make , they could not so fully satisfie themselves , as to quiet their own consciences . bluster indeed they would , and make a noise in the day-time , as if they fear'd nothing : business and company diverted them from talking much with themselves , or entring upon serious thoughts : but when night came , and silence was made ; when they were alone and at leisure , and had nothing to do but to think ; whenever their thoughts were fixt on this subject , their fears also came along with them , and they could not so easily as they desired , get quit of that god , whom they used so confidently to defie . indeed there are too many who take a too effectual course to prevent this trouble ; they are very careful to keep their heads day and night so full of the world , and of their lusts and vanities , that the thoughts of god can find no room : and thus they constantly busie their minds , till sleep arrests them . but take any thinking man , that concerns himself at all about god , and a future state , who is willing sometimes to think what he is , whence he came , and whither he shall go when he dies ; and he shall never be able to satisfie himself so fully , that there is no god , but he will find himself sometimes afraid that there is ; and more especially , when he thinks himself near dying , or in any great danger . the bloody emperor , that would own no god but himself , would , when it thundred , run under his bed to hide himself . and one that denied a god all his life long , grew very sad upon his death-bed ; and being ask'd by them who heard his sighs , if he believed there is a god , and if it was that which made him sigh ? no , ( saith he ) i do not believe it , only i am thinking in what a sad condition i shall presently be , if there be one , as i know not but there is . and possibly we may have heard of one , too well known of many , of whom 't is said , that notwithstanding his many boasts and great confidence , he durst never be alone in the dark , or go to sleep without a candle lighted up by him . lay this together , and then say , if he be not a fool , who contrary to the general sense and reason of mankind , will needs be confident that there is no god ? is not he a fool , who dares conclude , that ( except himself , and it may be two or three more just like himself whom the world , of all others , could best spare , and whom it could heartily wish to be rid of ) , all men in the world have been either knaves in making , or fools in believing a lye ? 2. but this argument from the general sense of mankind ; is yet capable of a farther improvement . for it is to be consider'd how , and upon what account , the whole world should in this one point come to be of the same belief . it is not an ordinary thing , to find great multitudes of people , all of one mind , about matters of great and near concernment , if they be not very obvious and plain either to sense or reason . men stand divided into contrary opinions about many things , and especially about matters of religion , and the several ways of religious worship ; and are as contrary to one another , as light and darkness , even in their choice of the gods whom they worship . how is it then , that they all so unanimously consent in this first principle of religion , that there is a god to be worshipped ? this is not a thing obvious to sense . it is not strange , that all should agree , that there is a sun in the heavens , giving light to the world , because they see it . but they see not god. how then are they all agreed in this too , that there is a god , unless this be as obvious to reason , as the other is to sense ? and if it be so , he that denies it , must be a fool , for denying what is obvious to the reason of mankind . i can think of no more but two ways , whereby men should be brought universally to consent in a thing of so weighty concernment , which is not obvious to their senses : either , first , the being of a god is a thing so imprinted in nature , that the reason of man cannot be awake , and consider things , but it must needs perceive it . or , secondly , men have been taught it at first , and have successively taught it to one another , from the beginning . and take which we will of these , and it will be found a most reasonable thing to believe it . first , if this be a truth imprinted in nature , so that it cannot be worn out by time , and become invisible , but so soon as men arrive at the use of reason , and make use of it as they ought , they cannot but see it ; then whosoever saith , that there is no god , must needs be a fool. for he must needs be a fool , who persuades , or endeavours to persuade himself , a thing is not , which it is natural to him to discern , and which he can no sooner open , and use as he ought , the eye of his soul to look after , but he must needs see it . if then it be natural to men , by the use of reason to discern the being of a god ; and if this be the reason why men generally ( notwithstanding all their other disagreements ) are agreed in this belief ; then is it both reasonable and natural for men to believe it ; and if any one believes it not , it is because he is not a perfect man , but is defective in some faculty essential to mankind : it must be either because he wants the use of reason , or because he will not use it ; and whichsoever it be , no man can deny him to be a fool : for what is it else to be a fool , but either to want the common use of reason , or to make no good use of it ? secondly , if men have been at first taught this , and so have taught it one another successively throughout all generations , to this day ; and thus it hath been universally received as a truth by instruction , and uninterrupted tradition , throughout all ages and parts of the world ; this must also be accounted a very good reason to believe it true , and that it could come originally from no other but god himself . yet here the atheist will needs imagine , that he has gain'd a considerable advantage . some cunning men , ( saith he ) for ends of their own which they would serve by it , set abroach this opinion ; and most men , seeing how useful it proved for the preservation of order and good government , easily entertained it ; and rulers , finding the advantage of it to themselves , have done all they could to countenance it , and have punished all that question'd it : and thus , tho but a politick invention at first , it hath prevail'd at length , as a certain truth . now if we had no other reasons but mere tradition for the belief of a god , i confess what is here said , might seem more plausible ; and yet , when well consider'd , not very credible . however , it is no more , but one of the fools may-be's , on which he is content to venture his soul , and all his happiness , and i think him no less a fool for that : he imagines , it may be thus ; but dare he say , he knows it is thus indeed ? no ; but he is so afraid of all thoughts of a god , that he is willing to have any thing thought true , rather than that it should be thought that there is a god , to whom he must give an account of himself . it is certain , that the world generally has believed , there is a god , the atheist cannot deny that : and we all know by experience , that all men are not very apt , in matters of so weighty concernment , to be of one opinion , where the thing is not very obvious to sense or reason . the atheist knows this too : and yet rather than it shall be thought , that it is so agreeable to reason , that men cannot but generally consent in it , without seeming enemies to reason ; the atheist will again set his fancy a-work , to imagine what else may be . and what has he now hit upon ? why , it may be the whole world has been always deceiv●d by somebody , he knows not by whom , into the belief of a god. it is an endless thing to answer dreams , a sick-man's ravings , or a fool 's fancies . however , let it be considered , 1. what is already said , that the atheist cannot pretend to know what he saith , to be true ; but saith only , it may be so for ought he knows . and then for us to say , it may not be so , for ought he knows , is answer enough to all he has said , and to prove him a fool too for saying it : for if it either may be , or may not be so for ought he knows , he 's a fool for venturing his soul upon its being so . the world is now some hundreds above five thousand years old , and no man in this long tract of time could ever yet discover this forgery here imagined : no man could ever find out who it was that first set abroach this opinion ; or in what age or part of the world it first began ; or indeed where at any time it was not , or that ever there was a time when it was not the universal opinion of mankind . it is as old , as is the memory of man upon the earth ; for the very first man that has been heard of in the world , was of this opinion . and whatever history gives us any account of men , since the appearance of the first man , assures us withal , that those men did own a god. yea , we find not only that it was ever the opinion of the anciently-known parts of the world , but also of those very lately-discover'd parts of it , which have had for many thousands of years , ( as far as we can understand ) no manner of correspondence with the rest of mankind . so that if this opinion was propagated both to them and us by tradition , then this tradition can hardly have any later date , than that of the universal flood in the days of noah , about four thousand years ago . 2. think therefore , if it be not much more likely , that this belief was at first taught the world by god himself , than by any such cunning man as the atheist dreams of . it began in the very first man that we have had any notice of ; it hath continued ever since , through all generations of men that we have heard of in all parts of the world : and is it not then most likely , that it was taught the first man by god himself ? there is no difficulty in conceiving this , and we have as good evidence as we can desire , that it was so indeed . but we have no manner of evidence at all , that it was an invention of some later man , nor is it easily conceivable how it should be so . for , 3. it is not easie to imagine , how that man ( whoever the ath●ist would have him to be ) should persuade all those who had always lived without any thoughts of a god , so generally to believe him . he , or a few more with him , could not be of power enough to compel all men by force into this belief . force indeed may compel men to make a shew of believing what they believe not ; but to believe indeed , what men can see no reason for believing , no force in the world can compel men : but that men should universally be compelled , so much as to make a shew of believing what they believed not , by the power of some one , or a few men , is a thing altogether incredible . if then ( as the atheist would have it ) any one , or some few men , did at first persua●e the world into this belief , which it had not before , and which , considering the corruption of men , we may be sure it had no mind to entertain ; he must needs do it by making the thing propounded to their belief ; appear to them very reasonable . for , first , tho some silly and unconsidering people might easily be deceived by men of ●raft and subtilt , yet we cannot suppose all men to have been so simple and inconsiderate . and 't is well known , that the most k●owing , learned , and wise , have ever been of this belief , and therefore it must be reason that could persuade them to it . secondly , tho the men of some one age had been so simple , as to be imposed upon by a fallacy or deceit , yet had no age after it the wit to find it out ? why could no witty atheist , with all his stock of reason and learning , which he is wont to brag on , discover the fallacy , and undeceive the world again ? certainly there have been in some ages of the world , since this opinion first came in , men of good sense , and a competent understanding to know reason when they hear it : why then has no atheist all this while , by his better reasons , convinced at least the more understanding part of mankind , of this error which he supposeth them to have been led into ? thirdly , men are generally so much in love with wickedness , that , first , they must have been very weighty reasons that could persuade any considerable number to believe a god : and secondly , very weak reasons , could they but find any at all , may seem enough to persuade them , there is no god. there is nothing in the world more unwelcome to a wicked man , than any talk of a god. to be bid to believe that there is one by whose holy and strict laws he is to be ruled in all his thoughts , words , and deeds ; one who is every where present with him , observing his whole behaviour , and keeping an exact register of all his sins ; one who will call him to an account , and will punish him for all his wickedness ; this goes exceedingly against the hair : 't is this that fills his soul with fears ; and troubles his mind with sad thoughts ; and marrs his frothy mirth , and spoils his sinful pleasures , and afrights him from his wicked designs , and will not let him quierly have his own will , nor allow him to humour himself , and make much of his flesh . this bridles his appetite , restrains his lusts , crosses his natural inclinations , lays a bar in the way of his worldly interests , cuts him short in his desired liberties : and because of all this , he would be glad in his heart that any one could assure him , that there is no god. hence it appears , that the atheist hath all the advantages on his side , that he can desire , to enable him to convince men of this error , if it be one . by reason of their corruption , men are very ready to hearken to him , and desire nothing more , than to hear him prove what he says ; yea , they would reward him at any rate for his pains . it 's a very easie thing to persuade men unto what they love ; and a weak argument is strong enough to make men believe what they would fain believe : why then is the wicked man's good friend the atheist so sparing of his reasons , when he may so fairly hope to convince men by them ? the truth is , by all this it plainly appears , both that they are very strong reasons , that prevail with men against their own corrupt inclinations , to believe a god ; and that the atheist has no reason at all on his side , seeing he is not able to convince men , who fain would have it so , that there is no god. fourthly , what end had this imaginary man , which the atheist talks of , in putting this opinion of a god , into mens heads ? it was ( saith he ) to make men more tame , and to bring them under government and laws . and 't is very true , that men may easily be made sensible , that without government and laws , we should all be like so many wild beasts of prey , tearing and devouring one another ; and that nothing can make men more governable , than the belief of a god. but after all this , what does that which the atheist saith , amount to ? this we will readily grant him , 1. that considering the general wickedness of mankind , government and severe laws are very necessary things . 2. that the belief of a god , is that which , above all other things , will soonest bring men to submit to government . 3. that if the belief of a god , were an invention of man , it were a very proper invention for the making men more governable . but now the thing which we would hear proved , is , that the belief of a god is but an invention of man for that end . government , indeed , will never be upheld in the world , without this belief , and therefore this belief is necessary to uphold government : but will it now follow from hence , that this belief is only a device of man , to uphold government ? no certainly ; but this follows ( which the atheist has no mind to hear of ) , that he who thinks there is no god , is an enemy to government , and ought not to have the protection of government , nor to enjoy the privileges of a subject ; but ought to be banish'd from all societies of men , as the greatest enemy to them in the world . and now , seeing it is granted by the atheist , that this belief is so necessary for the maintaining of civil government in the world ; i will be bold hence to infer a conclusion quite contrary to his , viz. that it is the more likely for that to be true , and to come from god , and not to be an invention of man. and the reasonableness of this inference will thus appear : 1. government and laws are on purpose to tie men up to live by rule , to restrain them within the bounds of iustice and sobriety ; to keep them from taking the liberty they would otherwise take , and from having their own wills in every thing that they may have a longing mind unto . now that which could persuade men to be thus tied up and restrain'd , must needs appear to them very reasonable in it self , otherwise they would never be brought to thrust their necks into a yoke for the sake of something , which they saw not before-hand good reason to believe . if the atheist say , that though they saw no reason before-hand to believe that there is a god , yet the benefit of good government , and the desire of safety , which they could not have without government , was enough to make them content , whether they believed it or no , that it should pass for a truth . in saying this , he confutes himself ; for if the desire of safety , not to be had without government , was it that persuaded them to admit this opinion of a god , true or false ; and merely for the sake of government , because without it they could not be safe : then did their own safety sufficiently convince them of the necessity of government , and was enough to persuade them to admit of it without the belief of a god. and so the atheist's politician was only a politick would-be , and would seem wise in inventing a thing there was no need of ; for 't is plain , that the belief of a god was not necessary in order to government , if the desire of safety was enough to persuade men to it . but this very pretence of the atheist , that the opinion of a god was set on foot to uphold government , is a confession , that all other motives to subjection without this belief , are insufficient ; and seeing this belief is the principal motive to admit of government , men must needs before-hand see good reason for it , for otherwise it could be no motive at all . 2. if the belief of a god be the principal thing that holds men in subjection to civil government , and within the bounds of iustice and sobriety , then if it be not a true belief , it must be granted , that a lie is the very foundation of all vertue and goodness , peace and order , iustice and honesty , fidelity and safety among men ; and it is for the great good of the whole world , and so the duty of all men to believe a lie ; and that there is nothing so wicked , because nothing can be so dangerous , mischievous and pernicious to mankind , as to believe the truth . it is a truth ( saith the atheist ) that there is no god. then is truth , and the belief of it , the fountain of all evil and mischief , disorder and confusion . 't is a lie ( saith he again ) to say , there is a god. then a lie , and the belief of it , is the fountain of all goodness and vertue , and of all the happiness too in the world. can any one but a fool believe this ? and yet he must believe it , that believes the atheist saying , that the belief of a god is only an invention of man to keep the world in good order . this is enough to be said of our second argument to demonstrate the atheist's folly , taken from the general consent of mankind . and surely , he can hardly be thought a wise-man himself , who ventures to call that man wise , whom the whole world , as we have seen , calls a fool. iii. i come to the third argument grounded on the works of god : and this i may call the testimony of the whole creation , of all things animate and inanimate . if there are such works , as are the visible effects of an eternal being , of infinite power , wisdom and goodness , there must needs be a god ; and he must be a fool that saith , there is none . and here again we have a far more likely cause of the universal consent of mankind in this belief , than that which the atheist imagined as possible only . by the effect the cause is known . if we see things made , we know they had a maker . men generally have seen such things in the world , as they could not conceive to be the effects of any less power than gods , and therefore they very rationally concluded , that there is a god. and this is the argument which st. paul hath taught us , rom. i. 19 , 20. that which may be known of god is manifest in them , for god hath shew'd it unto them . for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen , being understood by the things that are made , even his eternal power and godhead : so that they are without excuse . that is , so much of god , as may be known by the light of nature ( for with god is terrible majesty ; touching the almighty , we cannot find him out , job xxxvii . 22 , 23. how little a portion is heard of him ? job xxvi . 14. ) but so much as may be known of god without divine and supernatural revelation , was manifest in , or among , the very heathen people , for of them st. paul there speaks . and how was it manifest in them ? thus , god himself had shew'd it to them . and which way had he done so , but by his works ? for though god is a being in his own nature invisible , and his essential power and godhead cannot be seen in themselves ; yet are they , and ever have been from the creation of the world clearly seen in his works . how are they seen in his works ? by the eye of the soul , or the understanding , they are understood . and by what , but by the things that are made ? all the visible creatures , from the highest to the lowest , are as so many books , wherein all men have been able to read the eternal being and power of god. in short , god hath left such legible characters of his infinite power and godhead imprinted on the world , and all things therein ; and hath indued man with such a faculty of discerning them , that whoso makes not this good use of his understanding , to read and learn this from the creatures , is without excuse , and a wilfully blind fool. and this is it ( whatever the atheist is pleas'd to fancy to himself , as fools are wont to be very fanciful ) that hath in all ages brought men universally to agree in this belief ; even as all men who see the clear day light , are agreed that the sun is up , although they see it not . and this will always be a sufficient proof of a god to every one that useth his reason to consider things ; and to him that doth not so , there can be no rational proof of any thing . now the works of god are either the common works of creation and universal providence ; or the rarer works of special and extraordinary providence ; and wise-men have ever been wont by both these to reason themselves into the belief of a god. we will at present consider but some few of them . 1. observe the whole and entire frame and fabrick of the visible world. what less can we gather from it , but that there is some infinite power and wisdom , that contrived this vast building , and set all things thus together in that beautiful , curious , and useful order wherein we behold them ? if one see but a house strongly and magnificently built , wisely and usefully contrived , gloriously and sumptuously adorn'd and furnish'd , though he as yet see no man appear in it , or about it , will he be such a fool as to say , it had no builder ? for every house is builded by some man ; but he that built all things is god , heb. iii. 4. if one see a watch or a clock , and observe how artificially all the several parts of it are fashion'd , and put together ; and farther , how all the little wheels , though divers of them have several motions of their own , do all concur to one constant and regular motion of the hand or index ; though he neither saw it made , nor know who made it , will he be so foolish as to say it had no maker ? how much more a fool must he be , who daily beholds the admirable frame of heaven , earth , sea and air , and all things therein ; and observes the glorious beauty and splendor , the unexpressible variety , the wonderful contrivance , the vast compass and capacity , the regular and constant courses , motion and order of them all ; the ample provision made for every thing agreeable to its nature , the mutual service and usefulness of one thing to another , and innumerable other tokens of power , wisdom and goodness , every-where visible ; and yet after all , talks at this rate , though i know not which way these things should come to be as they are , yet surely there needed neither power , nor wisdom , nor goodness , to make , contrive , and order them thus . and though i have a very fair and rational account given me in that which we call the scripture , how they come to be thus , yet i will not believe it . it may be they were always thus of themselves , or they happen'd to be thus by chance , but surely they had no powerful maker , or wise contriver . he that talk'd thus of a house , or a watch , you would think he were mad ; and shall not he that talks thus of the world , and all things therein , be a fool ? yet this is it , and this is all that the atheist hath to say . 2. let us come to some particulars , and take but a slight view of some of those several sorts of things which we see , and daily reap the benefit of ; and see if we can find any one thing whereof any reasonable account can be given , without the belief of a god. let us first lift up our eyes to the heavens above , and observe how the heavens declare the glory of god , and the firmament sheweth his handy work , psal xix . 1. lift up your eyes on high , and behold who hath created these things , that bringeth out their host by number , isa. xl. 26. i , even my hand have stretched out the heavens , and all their host have i commanded , isa. xlv . 12. what a vast round do we there see encompassing this world of creatures ? of what a wonderful greatness are those bright globes of light which move within it , the sun , the moon and stars ; some whereof are certainly known to be many and many times bigger than this whole globe of earth and water , whereon we live . how fitly are all those glorious and sparkling lights plac'd in the firmament for our advantage , to afford us both light , and warmth , and nourishment here below ? how orderly and constantly do they move to shed abroad their influences the more equally upon all the earth , and for the right proportioning of our seasons ? were they nearer us , they would dazle and blind us , instead of enlightning us ; scorch and burn up , instead of warming and cherishing the earth . were they farther off , the earth would be always frozen and barren , and we should die with hunger and cold . did they not move round the lower world , their influences could not in any equal proportion be distributed to the several parts of the earth ; there would be no certain vicissitudes , and orderly returns of night and day , spring and summer , autumn and winter . much of the world would be useless through too much cold and darkness , or excess of heat . how regular , even and constant are their motions , always finish'd exactly in the same space of time , and returning to the same points ? they have never in the least varied them for so many ages , whether it be their yearly , monthly , or daily courses . nor is one year , or one day in any year , ever one minute either longer or shorter , than another year , or another day at the same time of another year . from such observations as these , even the wise heathens , such us cicero , plutarch , and the rest , rationally concluded , that there must needs be a god. yea , says cicero , who would call him a man , who when he sees the motions of heaven so certain , the orders of the stars so setled , and all things so connected among themselves , &c. should yet deny that there is reason in them , or say , this were done by chance , when by no understanding we are able to conceive , with how great wisdom these things are govern'd . yea , what can be so plain and clear ( saith he ) when we look up to heaven , and view the celestial bodies , as that there is some god of most excellent understanding , whereby these things are ordered ? let us now look down upon this great body of earth and water below , and observe how it hangs like a little round ball in the midst of the thin air incompassing it round about , notwithstanding its prodigious bulk and weight , and all that huge load of things continually upon it . yet , as the psalmist saith , psal. lxxviii . 69 god hath established it for ever . and psal. civ . 5. he hath laid the foundations of the earth , that it should not be moved for ever . see it incircled about with water as with a girdle , the seas , as it were , continually roaring against it , and threatning to overflow , and swallow it up . and who but god , can we think , hath set a bound that they may not pass over , that they turn not again to cover the earth ? psal. civ . 9. he ruleth the raging of the sea ; when the waves thereof arise , he stilleth them , psal. lxxxix . 9. he hath said , hitherto shalt thou come , but no farther ; and here shall thy proud waves be stay'd , iob xxxviii . 11. observe , how both earth and water are stock'd , and plentifully furnished with all sorts of things which are useful for the service of men . with stones , metals , and minerals of all sorts , for building , fire , and many other necessary uses ; with herbs and plants , and fruits , fishes , fowls and cattel ; and all things needful for the labour and service of man , for his food and rayment , for his physick , and delight , and recreation ; and all in the greatest plenty and variety . how many thousand sorts of herbs , shrubs , trees and flowers find we on the earth ? how many learned volumes are filled with the vertues of them ? how admirably is every one of these form'd and contrived , with roots whereby they are fasten'd in the earth , and suck in proper nourishment from it ; with veins to convey that nourishment into all the many branches , leaves and fruit ; with bark and rind to guard from the violence of both heat and cold ; with husks and shells to cherish the fruit and seed , and leaves to defend the same unto perfect ripeness ; and with seed for a new propagation ? how doth the same kind of seed always produce the very same kind of plant , and often with a most wonderful increase of its fruit ; especially in such of them , as are most necessary , as in corn for bread , and fruits for food of all sorts ? how do the same kind of plants come up in the same season of the year , of the same vertue , of the same form and figure , both in the branches , leaves , fruits and flowers ? what abundance of various living creatures breed daily , and feed in the earth and water , and fly in the open air ? and how are they all fitted for their several elements ; fishes with fins to swim , birds with wings to fly , and other things with feet to walk ? how aptly are all things furnished with instruments of sense and motion , nourishment , generation and defence ? what one part about them , or within them , is superfluous or useless , or could be well spared ? and how conveniently are they all set , and placed , and united together for their several uses ? the curious and wise contrivance of the meanest creature ▪ the fine contexture of the little body of any small insect ; as of a fly , or a spider , hath been enough to exercise the greatest wits , and to fill whole books with the wonders of them , and yet one half of them is not discover'd . each animal , great and small , is indued with such powers and faculties , as are necessary for its own sustenance and preservation whilst it lives , and for the propagation of its kind after it ; hath a care of its young-ones , and provides for them ; teaches them to shift for themselves , and then leaves them to do so . every thing carefully shuns what 's hurtful to it , and picks and chuses what 's proper for it . whence now comes all this ? from blind chance ? it may be some blind fool may think so , but 't is certain he is a fool for thinking so . did stones and timber , and all other materials , ever jump by chance , into a stately house ? did the letter-stamps in the printer's boxes , ever yet save both the writer and printer their labour , and hit so together by chance , as to make a learned book , or a wise discourse ? could things in the world have been contrived wiselier or more fitly , to all ends and purposes , than they are ? and could things be wisely contrived , without a wise contriver ? if chance ( which is indeed nothing at all ) could produce a thing once or twice , which yet is impossible , can any be so foolish as to think it could be the mother of constant order ? to say , that all things are produced , and preserved constantly in one regular course and order , by chance , is a contradiction that can fit the mouth of a fool only . observe we next , how all things in the world do visibly serve and work together for some wise end and purpose ; and then consider what should guide and direct them all in working to that end ? 't is easie for any one to see , that most of the creatures are such , as are exceeding useful and necessary ; and the world would be an inconvenient place without them , and a very confused and dangerous place too , if things in it did not act as they do . and tho , it may be , some few things we may be able to name , the necessity , use , and goodness whereof , we cannot yet discern ; yet have we reason to impute this to our ignorance , or it may be , more to our negligence , and sloth , and inadvertency . it is certain there be many things which people are apt to think vain , yea , hurtful , which yet industrious and learned men , who study nature , have found to be of special use and virtue . not a toad or a spider , or any poisonous and venomous thing , but the skilful know how to make good use of it , and find that it could not well be wanting : and we may well presume as much of other things , the use whereof we are not yet acquainted with . they may serve to suck out and carry away some of those malignant humours and qualities , which might infect the food we feed on , or air we breathe in ; or to set off the worth , the beauty , and the usefulness of other things , with the greater advantage ; that we may take the more notice of them , and be more thankful for them : or they may be , if not immediately useful to us , yet very needful to some or other of those many creatures which are immediately serviceable to us : however , they serve to exercise our industry and care , and to let us see god's providence over us , in keeping us from the hurt they might do us . but that which we should more especially observe , is , that a very great many things which are without reason and understanding , or so much as sense in themselves , do yet work together for the good and preservation of one another , and of the whole world , in as good order , as tho they had a rule to go by , and understanding to be guided by it , and sate in consultation how to do the best for the common good . so that what man doth in this kind by the help of reason , they all do much more constantly and unerringly without it . the heavens very orderly and duly shed abroad their influence of light and heat , to make the earth both fruitful and pleasant ; to direct , sustain , and cherish both man and beast upon it . in them hath god set a tabernacle for the sun , which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber , and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race : his going forth is from the end of the heaven , and his circuit unto the ends of it , and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof , psal. xix . 4 , 5 , 6. the earth yields its fruits of every sort , in their due seasons , and brings forth a proper sort of food for every thing that live upon it . he causeth the grass to grow for the cattle , and herb for the service of man , that he may bring forth food out of the earth ; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man , and oil to make his face to shine , and bread which strengthneth man's heart , psal. civ . 14 , 15. the waters contentedly keep their channels and bounds , both that there may be a sufficient quantity of them together , to make a fit habitation for all the living things which can live no where else ; and to leave dry land enough for other creatures to live upon . and because the creatures of the earth cannot subsist without a sufficiency of moisture , therefore the waters go up by the mountains , they go down by the valleys , unto the place which god hath founded for them ; he sends the springs into the valleys which run among the hills ; they give drink to every beast of the field , the wild asses quench their thirst , psal. civ . 8 , 10 , 11. and that all the earth may be refresh'd , and have moisture enough to give juice to herbs and trees , these waters , not only send forth springs and rivers , but abundance of vapours ; which in the air thicken into clouds , and are dissolved again into seasonable showers scattered over the face of the earth . he bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds , and the cloud is not rent under them , job xxvi . 8. he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth , psalm cxxxv . 7. he maketh small the drops of waters , they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof , which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly , job xxxvi . 27 , 28. he makes the earth soft with showers , his paths drop fatness ; they drop upon the pastures of the wilderness , psal. lxv . 10 , 11 , 12. we cannot but observe several sorts of earth fitted for several sorts of plants and grain ; and several sorts of plants and grain suited to the natures and palates of several sorts of living creatures , and several sorts of natures and palates in living creatures , whereby it comes to pass , that one sort delights in , and is nourished with that which another sort takes no delight in , and cannot be nourished with , but perfectly hates and shuns as poisonous or hurtful to it . and hence it is , that nothing is lost , or is in vain ; but what one refuseth , another chuseth ; and hence there is enough for all ; and there needs be no strife or contention about any thing ; for as there is enough for all , so is there variety for each one . we see yet farther , what provision is made in nature for the safety and defence of everything : and how every thing naturally , without teaching , endeavours to preserve and defend it self : one has horns , another hoofs , another has fangs or long teeth ; and none of these needs be taught how to use his natural weapons : and such as have no such natural weapons , have either reason to invent artificial ones , as men ; or some other way of saving themselves , as birds have wings to flye for it ; other things have swiftness of foot to run for it ; even moles and worms have a wonderful faculty of speeding into the earth to hide themselves : in the cedars the birds make their nests ; the fir-trees are a house for the stork . the high hills are a refuge for the wild goats , and the rocks for the conies , psal. civ . 17 , 18. young things no sooner fall from their dams , but they seek for milk , and find it without a guide . the little lamb runs to the pap immediately , which the little infant cannot do . why ? the ewe wants wit to direct the lamb , but the mother knows how to direct her child . birds chuse out the most secret places for their nests , and make them with so much curiosity , as man's art cannot imitate . the curious works of the little bee or silk-worm , is a very amazing thing to consider : the industry and providence of the ant , and the wonders that the spider works , are matters of admiration to us . 't would be endless to mention , and indeed impossible for man to discover one half of the wonderful things in nature . and he that can yet imagine that all these things are by chance , and that there is no superior power and wisdom that governs all things , and directs them in their several operations , must needs be more foolish than any beast . once again , let us consider of what kind of ingredients this world , and the things therein do consist , or are compounded : the elements of it , fire , air , earth , and water , are of contrary and mutually destructive natures : their chief qualities are heat and cold , moisture and dryness , and what things can be more opposite to one another ? all things consist of these things , and how come they to be be so evenly temper'd , and blended in such a just proportion , as to agree peaceably together in the same body ? again , most things that we know in the world , last but for a while ; plants , trees , beasts , birds , fishes , and men , after a short time dye , and are no more ; but others of the same kind spring up , and are brought forth to supply their room . and thus the world is in a continual change and is continued by a constant course of generation and corruption ; and one thing always ariseth from the corruption of another . the seed is sown , and corrupts in the earth , and loseth its form , and thence springs up a manifold increase . now for any one to think with himself , how this is brought to pass , will be but for ever to bafflle and confound himself , unless he have recourse to an infinite power and wisdom , that orders all things . that which thou sowest , is not quickned except it dye ; and that which thou sowest , thou sowest not that body which shall be , but bare grain , it may chance of wheat or of some other grain . now what can follow hence , but , that god giveth it a body , as it hath pleased him , and to every seed his own body ? 1 cor. xv. 36 , 37 , 38. who but god , could so evenly temper , blend , and balance , contrary and mutually-destroying natures , into one ; so as the life , and health , strength , and vigor of the body so compounded , consists in the right temperament of these enemies ? who but god can raise one thing from the corruption of another ; make life spring out of death , and constantly provide for a new generation of things , from the ruines and rottenness of those that were before ? lastly ; it is now time that we look a little upon , and into our selves ; and see what cause we can find every one of himself , to say unto god with the psalmist , psal. cxxxix . 14. i will praise thee , for i am fearfully and wonderfully made ; marvellous are thy works , and that my soul knoweth right well . first , should we only look upon our bodies , which are no more but the corruptible cottages wherein our immortal souls are for a while to lodge ; tho we find they are made of flesh , and blood , and bones , covered with skin , as the bodies of some other creatures are ; yet very wonderful is the frame and contexture of these materials in them . how fitly is every part and member fashioned and placed , and connected to the rest , to make it a proper instrument of life or sense , strength or motion ? what one of those instruments of nourishment , whereby our food is received , chew'd , swallow'd , and digested ; the finest parts of it convey'd through the whole body , for its necessary growth or repair , and the grosser parts and dregs cast forth as useless : what instrument of breathing , what vein or artery for the carrying about of the blood and spirits ; what bone , nerve , sinew , muscle , ioint , ligament , or gristle , for strength or action , could we either well spare , or wish better form'd or set for its use ? what one sense of seeing , hearing , tasting , smelling , and touching , could we be content to want ? or how can we imagine , that the instruments of any of these senses , could have been wiselier framed and placed ? nay , there is not a hair or nail about us , but when considered , is found to be of use for fence or beauty . whoso considers those two little seats and springs of life , sense , and motion , the heart , and the brain ; how wonderfully formd , how strongly guarded , how well supplied with a variety of instruments , conveying to them , and carrying from them , as it is necessary for keeping themselves in right order and temper , and for the life , health , strength , and direction of the whole body : whoso but well observes the curious workmanship of the eye or ear , the two intelligencers of the soul ; or thinks on the wonderful ways of seeing and hearing : or he that considers the instruments of speech , and the use , as well as propriety of that excellent faculty to mankind ; cannot chuse but fall into the highest admiration of that infinite power , wisdom , and goodness , to which he owes all these things ! and yet what are all these to the wonders of our souls ? could we think it worth our while to come acquainted a little better with our selves , and to this end sometimes to enter in as far as we can into the several mysteries within us , and enquire after that soul or spirit which is served and waited on by all these bodily instruments , and makes what use of them it thinks good ; we should be sure the more we know of our own souls the more also to know of god , whose image they bear . some such thing every one of us feels within himself ; which is the life of his body , and doth all by it , whatsoever it doth . when the body lies dead , it hath for a short time all its parts and instruments intire ; but they are altogether useless . it 's life , sense , motion , grace and beauty , all is gone , and nothing left but a cold heavy lump , like to a frozen clod of clay . and why is it thus , but that the soul is fled ? o then ! what , and how admirable are the powers of that spirit in man , which actuates his body , directs and commands it , and every member of it as it self pleaseth ; at whose will it moves or rests , and by whose presence it liveth ? yea , what is that , without which we are no longer men ? 't is the soul which sees and hears by these bodily instruments ; 't is the soul that discerns and judges of all the numerous figures and colours , magnitudes and proportions , measures and distances , motions , sounds and voices , harmonies and discords ; that distinguisheth between one thing and another , chuseth and refuseth , and orders all our doings . think well of it , what is it within us , that thinks , and considers , and reasons , and discourseth about all things without words or noise ? what is it in us , which whilst with these bodies we neither see , nor hear , nor taste , nor smell , nor feel , can yet represent the several objects of all these senses to it self , whenever it has a mind to it , and hath as fresh and lively perceptions of them all in it self , as if all these bodily senses were actually exercised by them ? what is the strange power of that within us , which can make present to it self things long since past , and things which are yet to come , as well as those that now are ; yea , and things which neither are , nor ever have been , as though they were ? what 's that in us , which whilst we sit still , is travelling over the world , and taking a view of all times , and can imagine thousands of worlds like unto this , and frame new notions , and lay plots within it self ; model governments , martial armies , and consider , dispute , and reason about such things as tho they were real ? what is that in us , which is awake , whilst our bodies are laid to sleep ; and sometimes runs over in our sleep , all things that passed the day before ; discourses of them , and contrives , and designs for the future too ? alas ! we understand but a very little of our selves , and far less than we might do , if we would a little more study our selves ; we know not how we are nourished , nor how we grow , nor how we see and hear , how we think or dream ; nor the strange operations of our imagination and fancy . but however , we feel that there is something in us that doth such things ; we find that something in us doth remember , and understand , and dispute , and consult , and deliberate , and resolve , and forecast , and chuse , and refuse : yea , that often reflects upon our selves ; and accuses or excuses , condemns or acquits us , applauds or reproves us , is vexed and grieved , or pleased and delighted with our behaviour . we find that we are able in a numberless variety of vvords , to make our thoughts known to others , and by the same means to understand the thoughts of others . we can mutually give and take advice and counsel , teach , comfort and reprove one another . we find something in us , that can discern the use and benefit , the hurt or danger of things about us , and provide for or against them . and now when such things as these , which every one may feel in himself , are well thought on ; can we really remember what we our selves are , and yet be such fools as to say or think there is no god ? if any man be doubtful , whether there be a god or no , he must needs be ignorant of himself . for certainly he that ever considers , either his own nature , or the many things which he every day sees , must needs even naturally , sometimes at least , ask himself this question , whence can i imagine all these things to come ? what great power and vvisdom is it that doth in all things display it self ? let me consider it well . 1. where all things visibly are in a most wise order , there must needs be vvisdom ; and where all things do constantly continue in the same wise order of vvorking , there must be power . and where such ample and excellent provision is made for the preservation of all things , and for our welfare especially ; there must needs be goodness : vvhere then is all this power and vvisdom , and goodness lodg'd ? things are , things act , things are exceeding useful and good ; things have for some thousands of years continued , or succeeded one another in a constant order and usefulness one to another . have they then all this originally in and of themselves ? or is there some almighty , most vvise , and good being over them ; which at first made , and put them into this order , and still upholds them in it ? 2. where there appears nothing at all of understanding and reason , it cannot be imagined , what either power , vvisdom or goodness there can be , to make , order , and govern things , and uphold them all , in that regular and useful way of working wherein we see them . and 't is undeniable that there are abundance of things , which thus work very regularly and constantly , wherein there doth not appear any thing at all of reason or understanding . only mankind , of all the things that we are acquainted with , hath reason . he therefore only can be thought capable of wisdom , and vvisdom is absolutely necessary for the making and ordering of such a world of things . yet , alas , how far doth such a work as that exceed the wisdom of men ? and if it exceeds the wisdom of men , how much more doth it exceed the power of all other things which want vvisdom ? for such a work , there must be some vvisdom and power , infinitely exceeding those of man , or of any other thing that we are here acquainted with . and therefore we must seek these in some superior being . 3. either there must be something unmade , and which made other things ; or some of these things which now are , and are well known not to have bee● always , but to have had a beginning , beg●● to be of themselves without a maker ; or were made by a maker , which was also made , and had a beginning . that nothing could begin to be of it self without a maker , is very plain ; for before it began to be , it was not ; and what was not , could have no power ; and therefore could not begin to be of it self . whatever therefore had a beginning , had it from another , which could make it to be . and if that other had a beginning too , the same may be said of it , that it had it from another , and so we must go on of necessity , till we find something which had no beginning ; but was unmade , and gave beginning to the first thing that ever begun to be . if then , it was any of these visible things , which was unmade , and without be●inning ; in all reason , we must think it to be that which appears the most noble and excellent , which hath reason and wisdom ; and this , as far as we can judge of things , must be man , for whose use and benefit , all things visible seem to be made . if therefore man , excelling all visible things in perfection of nature , be not of himself , without beginning , neither made any one thing in nature serving to his use ; how can we imagine this of any other visible thing ? it cannot be thought , without the greatest folly imaginable , that man was made by any of these visible things , which are so much inferior to him in perfection of nature ; and which seem to be of no use at all , if not made for him . but we men are very sure , that we are so far from being able to make any of these things , that with all our search and study , we cannot understand the natures of them . 4. and we are altogether as sure , that we are not of our selves without beginning , as we are , that we made not one thing in nature . it is but a very little while since any of us now living came into this world , and it will be but a very little while more , before we must go out of it again . we knew not how we came hither when we came , and we know as little how we shall go hence ; and we have but a little power over our selves whilst we stay here . there was a time , not long since , when we had not one of the powers and faculties which now we have , and when we were nothing at all of that which we now perceive our selves to be . we are therefore as sure , as that we are at all , that we had both our being , and all that is now in us , from some other ; who must needs therefore be of far greater power and wisdom than we are of . our parents were indeed the instruments of our being ; but it is as true , that they were no more but instruments of it . for they , and their parents before them , and all parents that ever were , could but say of themselves ; and their coming into the world , the very same things that we now say of our selves . it was never in the power of any parents yet , to make their children what they pleas'd ; no more than it is in the power of a pencil in the hand of a painter , to chuse what kind of picture it shall make ; or indeed whether it shall make any picture at all . no parents could ever assure themselves that they should have children . neither knew they how they were form'd in the womb ; the fashioning and setting together of the parts , and putting life into them , being things infinitely exceeding their power and skill , were therefore no part of their care . they knew not whether any thing should be conceived ; or being conceived , should ever be brought forth ; or what it should be , male or female , perfect or imperfect ▪ a man or a monster , wise or foolish , alive or dead : no more than the husbandman that casts his corn into the furrows , takes care how to form its roots or blade , or knows how it grows , or what it will prove at last . and now that we are , and live , we find our selves in the power , and at the desposal of another . we cannot bring to pass what we will ; we cannot accomplish our own designs and purposes as we would . we cannot preserve to our selves our present possessions . we cannot get what we would have , nor rid our selves of what we would not have . we cannot make the sun to shine on us , nor the wind to blow upon us , nor the rain to fall , where and when we would have it ; nor our corn and grass to grow , nor our cattel to inceease , nor our food , when we have it , to nourish us . we cannot keep our bodies from sickness , lameness , pains and decays ; or make that part of them straight which is crooked , or beautiful which is deformed . we cannot keep out our fears , nor quiet our thoughts , nor prevent casualties , nor prolong life , nor keep away death and corruption . what then can we rationally think of our selves , but that we are the work , and in the power , and under the government of one who is infinite in wisdom , power and goodness , who made , preserves , and disposeth of us , and of all things , as it pleaseth him . and who is that , but god ? he that created the heavens , and stretched them out ; he that spread forth the earth , and that which cometh out of it ; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it , and spirit to them that walk therein , isa. xlii . v. 5. it is certainly known , how we men come into the world by generation successively one after another . one generation passeth away , and another generation cometh , but the earth abideth for ever , eccl. i. 4. is it now possible for any one to conceive , that among all the generations of men that have been , there was no first man or men , at whom these generations of men first began ? if there was any first man , as no man can conceive but there was ; had he a beginning ? or had he no beginning ? if he had a beginning , whence had he it ? he could not give it himself , as we have before seen . no other man could give it him , for he was the first . did he then spring as a plant out of the earth ? ' ●is too ridiculous a conceit to come into a rational man's head . how then should he have his beginning , but from god ? will any say , he had no beginning ? then he must say he was eternal , and had eternally his being , and all his powers , in , and of himself ; and if so , how came he to die , and be no more ? he who had eternally being and life in himself , would he , nay , could he chuse not to be , or to die , and to leave behind him children of so little power , and of so short a life , and not so much as the least notice among them , that they had such a father ? will any think it reasonable to say , that there was no first man ? this only remains to be said by him , who would not have a god. but this is that which none but a fool can think reasonable men of sense and reason have ever accounted it most absurd to talk of an infinite succession of things one after another , without beginning ; of a number of things , wherein there is no first thing ; or which had no beginning . at this rate , an infinite number of generations are long ago past , and an infinite number is the greatest number ; if there can be such a thing . and yet there have been more generations since that infinite number of them was past , and there may be more still , and so there is something greater than , infinite , and a number greater than the greatest . no wise man did ever pretend to understand how such a thing could possibly be , and so it must pass among the ravings of a doting fool . men who are wont to talk so , as that they would be understood , or can understand themselves , will say , that of that great number , or those many generations of men , which have been in the world , there must necessarily have been some first man , or men , and that he or they that were first , could never have been at all , or had any power to propagate others , without a maker . and the very same must we say of the whole world of things which are within our view . what use can we think the world serves for , but for the use of those living creatures which are in it , and more especially of man ? for what use is a house , but for that of the inhabitants ? and it were no less absurd to think that the heavens and the earth made men , and other living creatures ; than it is to think , that the house made the inhabitants that dwell in it . and then if the inhabitants know and confess that they made not the house , as no body but a fool will think that the house made them : so any but a fool will say , some other made the house . as then every house is built by some man , so he that built all things , is god , heb. iii. 4. thus all things , both without us , and within us , do naturally lead us to the acknowledgment of a god , if we will but make use of our reason ; and if we will not , that 's it which makes us fools . god hath not left himself without witness , in that he doth good , and giveth us rain from heaven , and fruitful seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness , acts xiv . 17. and we may easily perceive , if we will think of any thing , that he is not far from every one of us , for in him we live , and move , and have our being : for we are his off-spring , as the heathen poets could tell us , acts xvii . 27 , 28. but if any one continue so foolish as not to confess this , 't is fit he should be sent to school to the beasts : as iob xii . 7 , 8 , &c. ask the beasts and they shall teach thee ; and the fowle of the air , and they shall tell thee ; the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee ; who knoweth not all those , that the hand of the lord hath wrought this , in whose hand is the soul of every living thing , and the breath of mankind ? 2. and yet besides the works of creation , and of ordinary providence , it cannot be denied , but there are works of an extraordinary providence to be observed , whereby god doth yet further discover himself unto us . 't is certain , that things do ordinarily keep one natural constant course and order , and vary not from it . as god commanded , and they were created ; so he hath established them for ever and ever ; he hath made a decree which shall not pass , psal. cxlviii . 5 , 6. they continue this day according to his ordinance , psal. cxix . 91. now as the constant orderly , course of all things in nature , shews that there is an infinite wisdom and power , that put them into this order , and fixed them in this course , keeping and continuing them ordinarily in it : so when sometimes , and upon very remarkable occasions , this ordinary course of nature is changed , and things are done above the power , and quite contrary to the course of nature : and moreover , when the wisest counsels , and most hopeful endeavours , and the most likely means , such as rarely fail , and in all appearance and reason should succeed well ; are all on a sudden blasted , and quite disappointed ; and not only so , but produce the quite contrary to that for which they were design'd ; and all this by reason of some invisible power which no ●an can discern , or by such weak opposition , as none could imagine likely to prevail : what can we think less , but that there is an over-ruling providence of god , who alway holds the rains in his own hands , and doth whatsoever he will both in heaven and in earth ? it is easie to observe , that when wickedness is grown up to a very extraordinary heighth in a nation or kingdom ; though that nation abounds in policy , and strength , and in all things that seem to promise success , and persuade to security ; yet all on a sudden , when there seems least cause of fear , by some extraordinary unlook'd for judgment , it is brought to utter ruine and destruction . and on the other hand , when a good and religious people are oppress'd by tyrants , and assaulted by most potent enemies , and hemm'd in on all sides with seemingly inevitable dangers , so as they sink into despair , and look for nothing but being swallow'd up of those who hate them : all on a sudden , when they could see no reason to hope for any such thing , the threatning cloud flies over them , and rains down vengeance on their enemies ; and the sun shines forth on them brighter than ever . who can conclude less , than that the hand of god is in all this ? now both histories and experience have furnished us with examples of such thi●gs as these : and he must be of a very obstinate humour that is not convinced by them . how easie especially is it to observe in the sacred history of the bible , god's wonderful and extraordinary both iudgments and mercies , both towards whole nations , and also private persons and families ? enough there is of this kind to assure us , that 't is god that changeth the times and the seasons , who removeth kings , and setteth up kings , dan. ii. 21. that against him there is no wisdom , nor understanding , nor counsel , prov. xxi . 30. that he turneth rivers into a wilderness , and water-springs into a dry ground ; a fruitful land into barrenness , for the wickedness of them that dwell therein . he turneth the wilderness into a standing water , and dry ground into water-springs , and there he maketh the hungry to dwell , that they may prepare a city for habitation , psal. cvii . 33 , &c. he brought in a flood upon the world of the ungodly ●nd saved noah the preacher of righteousness . he turned the cities of sodom and gomorrah into ashes , and deliver'd just lot , 2 pet. ii. 5 , 6 , 7. he shew'd his signs and his wonders in the land of egypt , and brought forth his people , psal. cv . 27. he led them through the depths of the sea , and drowned their enemies . the earth open'd and swallow'd dathan , and covered the congregation of abiram . a fire was kindled in their company , the flame burnt up the wicked . psal. cvi. 9 , &c. the sun stood still , and the moon staid , until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies . the sun stood still in the midst of heaven , and hasted not to go down about a whole day , josh. x. 13. the walls of the city ierico fell down when at ioshuah's command the people shouted , iosh. vi. 20. the angel of the lord went out , and smote in the camp of the assyrians an hundred , fourscore and five thousand , 2 kings 19. 35. what should i say more , but as the apostle , heb. xi . 32. the time would fail me , to tell of gideon , and of barak , and of sampson , and of iephtha , of david also , and samuel , and of the prophets . who through faith subdued kingdoms , obtained promises , stopp'd the mouths of lions , quenched the violence of fire , escaped the edge of the sword ; out of weakness were made strong , waxed valiant in fight , turn'd to flight the armies of the aliens . in a word , the lord is known by the judgment which he executeth ; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands , psal. ix . 16. so that a man shall say , verily there is a reward for the righteous , verily he is a god that judgeth in the earth , psal. lviii . 11. and now after all this , i hope , it is abundantly manifest , that the atheist , being confident that there is no god , makes himself confident in a matter wherein all the reason in the world is against him , and against all the evidences that can be given of what he denies , how true soever it be . it cannot therefore be thought needful any otherwise than thus , to shew that he hath no reason at all for his confidence . for when all reason appears against one's opinion , 't is most certain there can be no reason for it . all that he can say for himself is but this , that there appear to him some difficulties in the belief of a god , which he cannot conquer . and doth he not meet with as many , and as unconquerable difficulties in the denying of a god ? if he do not , 't is only because he hath no mind to see them ; for i am sure all the wisest men have met with such . but if it be ( as the atheist pretends ) more difficult to believe that there is a god , than to believe there is none , or than barely not to believe there is ; how comes it to pass , that the generality of mankind hath always believ'd it ? how is it , that nothing seems more natural and easie to most men , than to believe it ; and nothing more hard and against nature , than to conceive how it should be otherwise ? why hath no atheist , by propounding and demonstrating these difficulties , been able hitherto to dissuade any considerable number of men from believing this ? can the atheist give any rational account how this world could be as it is , or how he himself came to be what he is , if there be no god ? if he can , why hath he not , in so many ages of the world , let men see that he can ? why have so few receiv'd any satisfaction from what he hath said to that purpose ? surely it must be , because men find many more difficulties in believing that he speaks reason , or in perceiving that he gives any reasonable account of things without a god , than they d● in believing that there is a god. he hath sometimes one thing to say , and sometimes another , as his invention serves him . sometimes the world may have been eternally , without any beginning ; and sometimes there may have been eternal matter , which form'd it self he knows not how , into that variety of things , which we now see . sometimes there may have been eternally an infinite multitude of small atomes or motes , dancing to and fro , till at last they hit and jumble by chance , into so many bodies as the world now contains . and with such like imaginations , as these , he labours to confound men's thoughts , and to divert them from listning to that rational and satisfactory account , which the holy scripture hath given us , of the original of all things . but as these atheistical wits , have never been able to satisfie one another , so as that they could come to agree in the same principles ; but have been at an irreconcileable difference , and an endless dispute amongst themselves ; not so much about what certainly was , as about what possibly might have been : so neither have any of them been able to convince any considerable numbers of men , no not of those who know nothing of the scripture , to think that the world could have been any of those ways they dream of , without a god. and why so ? but because men have ever thought it more difficult , to be of any of their opinions , than to believe that there is a god. if the atheist could but perswade men that he had reason on his side , it would be very easie for him to draw them all over to his opinion ; for their lusts are all on his side already . but till lust have so totally prevail'd over men , as quite to unman them , and put out the eye of reason ; the atheist's folly is so visible , that the ●alfblind eye of the natural man cannot but see it . it 's very hard ( saith the atheist ) for a man to comprehend in his mind an etern●l infinite being , such as god is said to be ; and how should a man believe what he cannot comprehend by his understanding ? and indeed most true it is , that what is eternal and infinite , no humane understanding can fully and perfectly comprehend . to understand a thing fully and perfectly in all things belonging to it , is to suppose it to have certain bounds or limits of essence and perfection , which if it had , it were not eternal and infinite . and true it is , that god is a being of an unlimited and boundless nature and excellency , and therefore cannot be fully , or in all things , understood by man. but this is so far from making it uneasy to believe that there is a god , that we cannot , when we consider things well , but believe it . we therefore believe that there is a god , because , when we consider how many things there be in the world , and how many , and even unsearchable by us , are the excellencies and perfections of every thing in its kind , we cannot fee how these things could be without a being incomprehensible and infinitely excellent and perfect , whence all being and perfection must be derived . tho' therefore man , who is of a finite and limited understanding , cannot fully comprehend the eternity and infiniteness of god , or throughly understand the infinite nature and perfection of god ; yet may he understand and believe , that there is a being which is eternal and infinite ; that is to say , a god. and it is so easy to conceive that there is such a being , that it is not possible to conceive how there should be none such . we are very sure , that we our selves , and other things , have a being ; and yet we cannot fully comprehend , or throughly understand the excellencies and perfections of our own nature , or of the nature of any thing else , how small and inconsiderable soever it be . it cannot therefore be hard for us to believe that there is something incomprehensible by us , or which we cannot throughly in all things understand . and so easie is it for us to apprehend that there is some eternal being , that we cannot conceive how there could be any thing at all without it . we cannot with any satisfaction to our selves , suppose , that once there was nothing at all . for were it so , that once there had been nothing at all ; it must needs follow , that there never could have been any thing at all : if there once was nothing , whence should any thing have come ? there was in nothing no power , nor disposition to any thing : nothing of which any thing should spring , nothing to make , or give a being to any thing : nothing is nothing , and nothing can do nothing : but now there are many things . had they a beginning , or had they none ? if they had no beginning , we have found many eternal beings , whilst we think it hard to believe there should be one . if they had a beginning , then ( as hath been said ) , they had it of themselves , or from some other . they had it not of themselves , for before they began to be , they were not ; and what is not , can do nothing . they must have it therefore from some other , and that other must be before them ; and must be eternal without beginning . the sum of all that hath been said , is this : the atheist being confident that there is no god , is confident in a matter whereof he can have no reason to be confident , and whereof he cannot pretend to have the least measure of assurance . he is confident without any reason or degree of assurance , where his confidence is the most dangerous thing that can be to himself , and the most mischievous thing that can be to the whole world. he chooseth to follow a groundless opinion wherein there is no safety to himself , and whence there can arise no good , but very much hurt to the world , rather than a probable opinion at least , which it is certainly safe for him to follow ; and which can do no hurt , but much good to all mankind . in denying that there is a god , he must grant that all the happiness of the world depends upon a lie , and that the world would be undone by the knowledg of the truth . he is confident , where all the reason of the world is against his confidence . he is confident there is no god , tho he have all the evidences of a god that can be given of him , if there be one . god hath spoken unto men , so as god can be supposed to speak unto them , if h● be ; god hath appear'd and shew'd himself to men , so , as if there be a god , any one can conceive that he should shew himself . the atheist finds the whole world of mankind consenting that there is a god ; and he finds the tokens of infinite power , and wisdom , and goodness , in all the works of creation and providence , both common and extraordinary : he cannot give any rational account at all of any of these things , without the belief of a god ; and finally , he finds no such difficulties in believing there is a god , but he finds many more , and greater , in conceiving how things should be , as they are , without a god. seeing , as hath been shewn , this is plainly the case ; let all men of common sense now judge , whether he who makes himself confident that there is no god , be not past all dispute , a very fool. but now in vain , have we all this while been considering the atheists folly , if we our selves resolve to be as much or greater fools than he . and certainly , if it be ( as it hath been proved ) a very foolish thing to think that there is no god ; it cannot be less foolish to live without any regard of god , as too many amongst us seem to do ; who behave themselves so in the world , as if god had nothing to do with them , or they with him ; or as tho it were all one to them , whether there be a god or no. if there be a god , and if none but fools deny this , then are we to consider that these things do necessarily follow . 1. every one that is wise , doth take all possible care to confirm himself in so stedfast a belief of god , that nothing may be able to make him doubt of it . take heed , therefore , brethren , lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief , in departing from the living god , heb. iii. 12. the fear of the lord that is wisdom , job xxviii . 28. if there be a god , it must needs be the greatest piece of wisdom that man is capable of , to behave himself religiously towards god ; but this he can never do without firmly believing that there is a god ; this belief being the first and fundamental point in religion . he that cometh to god , must believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him , heb. xi . 6. therefore in the first place , let no one think himself excusable if he be not throughly convinced that there is a god. for no man living that hath the right use of reason , can be ignorant of this , and be held guiltless . god hath so many ways manifested himself unto us , that the blindest heathen cannot say , that he hath not had means enough of knowing that he is . and if a heathen can have no excuse for his being ignorant of this , who hath but at most one half of the means of knowledg which every the most unlearned christian hath , how should any ignorant christian be excused ! tho it be therefore too common a thing to hear both men and women among us , who both are of considerable age , and also understanding , and wise enough for the business of their worldly callings , excusing their ignorance of god , by their want of learning ; yet in truth they can have no excuse at all for this ignorance . it is their negligence , and sloth , and unwillingness to learn , that keeps them ignorant ; and for these , there can be no excuse . can any one live in a christian church , and not have heard enough , if he would have minded it , ( tho he cannot read ) to convince him that there is a god whom he is bound to serve ? nay , can any one live in the world , and not see enough every where to teach him this first and fundamental truth ? he that cannot read god's word , may yet ( if he live in a christian church ) , hear it , and god himself speaking to him in it . and he that lives abroad in the world , tho he cannot see god himself , yet he may every where see his works ; and in them , all the being , the power , the wisdom , and the goodness of god. nay , if he can but eat and drink , he may know there is a god that feeds him ; for he knows very well , that it is not in his own power , nor of any other creature , to provide his food for him , or to enable him to receive good by his food . yet more ; no man , how unlearned so ever he be , can think seriously of himself , and consider what he is , or how he lives , but he may easily discover a god that made him to be what he is , and preserves him in being and life . how inexcusable then must every one be , for not learning that which every thing teacheth him ; and which he cannot but learn , when he doth but consider , that he himself is something ! in the next place , let none of us think it a needless thing , very often , and seriously to consider that there is a god. if we do not much consider it , it will be but a vain thing for us to know it . we should so lose the benefit of god's manifesting himself so fully and so variously to us . consideration must make our knowledg useful to us . if there be a god , it is certain that we depend wholly upon him , and must needs owe a duty to him . yet tho we may know there is a god , if we keep it not in mind , and think but little of it , our knowledg can have little influence on our life and behaviour ; but we shall demean our selves as carelesly , and be every whit as secure and unconcern'd how we live , as tho we had never heard , or thought of any such thing as a god. yea , not to consider , and have this much in our thoughts , seems to be more inexcusable in us , than not to know it at all . as he who knows his lord's will , and doth it not , deserves to be beaten with more stripes , than he that doth not his will , merely because he knows it not , luke xii . 47. so he that considereth not much , that there is a god , when he knows it ; seems more blame-worthy , than he who doth not know it , and therefore cannot consider it . both are faulty , and can have nothing at all to plead for themselves ; but he that knows , and considers not , seems to be more faulty ; and a great deal more may be pleaded against him . the one is ignorant of god , when he might know him ; the other sets light by god , when he knows him . the one not knowing god , knows not how much he deserves his thoughts ; the other tho he knows him , yet carries himself so towards him , as if he thought him not worthy to be thought upon . he likes not to retain god in his knowledg , as 't is said of some , rom. i. 28. as then , if there be a god , 't is altogether necessary that we should know and believe it ; that so we understand how much it concerns us not to live as we list , having one over us to whom we must be accountable , even for every idle word , mat. xii . 36. so when we know this , 't is altogether as necessary we should much consider and think of it , that we may walk worthy of god unto all pleasing , col. i. 10. and not wilfully or giddily run upon our own destruction , by disregarding him . it will be a very terrible thing to the ignorant person at the last day , to meet with a god of whom he never knew ; and then to reflect thus upon himself , had i been any thing but a fool , i might have known this god to my eternal comfort , whom now i find to my everlasting confusion ! and it will be more terrible at that day , for the unconsidering person to find a god armed with vengeance against all that contemn'd , him : and then to reflect on his own folly , saying , what a mad-man was i , who knew there was a god , and did not think him worth a few serious thoughts , when by little serious consideration , i might have prevented this confounding sight , and my own eternal destruction now come upon me through my heedlesness ! as we therefore desire that we may never feel the wrath of god , let us now entertain often and serious thoughts of him . to this purpose , lastly , let us be very constant in the use of all the means which god hath given us , to confirm and establish us in this belief , and lively sense of god ; and take heed ( as we love our souls ) how we give ear to any thing which may weaken this belief , or make us doubt of the being of a god. we have all the reason in the world to be very careful of this , because ( as we have seen , if it be a truth that there is a god , nothing can be more necessary , either to prevent our misery , or to promote our happiness , than a firm belief of it ; and tho it were false ( as it cannot be ) yet would it do a great deal of good , and no hurt at all . let us labour then to be well grounded and setled in this belief ; and to this end , let us well weigh , and consider all those many reasons , which we have above taken notice of , to perswade us to it . especially , let us diligently attend to god's word , and observe his works . the reason why many men , either so weakly believe that there is a god , or so little and slightly think of it ; is , because either their lusts , or their worldly business , or else vanities , hold their thoughts so continually imploy'd about them , that they will not allow themselves time , nor be at the pains to consider those notable evidences which god hath given of himself . he that shuts his eyes , and stops his ears ; when he should read or hear god speaking to him ; or when he should observe the wonderful works of creation and providence ; it is not strange if he never come to have a rational and firm belief of god. therefore if we would ( as it highly concerns us ) be unmovably rooted in this belief , we must observe these rules . 1. let us be sure to keep our reason and understanding , which god has given us , as we are men , constantly awake . let the eye of the soul be kept open , that it may be ready to see god , whensoever , and howsoever , he shews himself . what 's the most rational discourse to a sleeping man ! he neither hears it , nor considers it , and therefore is he no wiser for it . what 's light and beauty to a man that always winks ? he sees them not , and so knows no more of them , than it they were not to be seen . this truth , that there is a god , is as visible to the understanding , as colours are to the eye , but neither are visible to one that is not awake . let us consider , that the best things must certainly be the best worth our seeing and knowing ; and nothing can be better than god , who is the fountain of all goodness . nothing is so carefully to be regarded as that , without the knowledg whereof , we eternally perish , and such is god. hath man understanding and reason for no use ? or is he to use them about every thing of least concernment ; and not about that which above all things in the world , he is mostly concern'd to understand ? if there be a god , we must all of us be either happy or miserable for ever , accordingly as we regard and honour him , or neglect and dishonour him : and can there be any thing , the knowledg whereof doth more concern us ? and yet is it thus with too many of us , that whilst our understanding and reason are very intent upon other things , and never grow weary of considering them , and inquiring after them , they are wholly asleep as to god , and never imploy'd about him , as if to think of him were not any part of our business . o why should we be any longer such fools , as to suffer the business and vanities of this world , which passeth away , and the lusts thereof , or the pleasures of sin which are but for a moment , so to bewitch us , that we can never be awake to god ! seeing that about him we are most of all concern'd , that our souls attain to the most rational and full satisfaction , let our reason be busied about him , above all things , that so we may be able both to live and die like men . 2. let us exercise our reason in considering those things , especially , which are most proper and apt to beget in us the most clear and lively sense of god. for as god hath appointed proper means and helps for the attaining to all those ends which he would have us to pursue : so hath it pleased him to ordain certain means , by the use whereof we may soonest and most perfectly come to the knowledg and belief of himself . such are his word and his works , both of creation and providence ▪ which are therefore to be very diligently studied and meditated upon . we must very frequently read and hear his word ; and when we read or hear it , we must be very attentive to it , and take heed how we do it in a regardless and formal manner , or as a customary task only , which we have set our selves to do ; as tho the reading or the hearing of it , were our only or principal business . our work is to think and consider well of all that we read and hear , that we may be perfectly inform'd , and throughly convinced , and heartily affected with the matters which are therein commended , either to our belief or practice . in vain shall we either read or hear god's word , if we do not labour to see and hear god himself speaking to us , and discovering himself and his will unto us therein . to read in the bible so many chapters a day , or to hear so many sermons a week , is an employment to as little purpose as the reading or hearing any common history , if we make it not our end to come better acquainted with god , and to be instructed in our duty of honouring and serving him . and thus is it also in our seeing , and observing and making use of the many and wonderful works of god : whilst we endeavour only to serve our selves of them , and not to discern god in them , we improve nothing in our knowledg of god by them . how many of us busie our selves daily abroad in the field , or at home in the garden , and what wonders of god's power and wisdom and goodness have we there constantly before our eyes ! and yet we profit no more in the knowledg of god by what we see , than the beasts themselves . how many of us are very busie in studying and observing the courses of the stars , and in searching in the secrets of nature ; and yet never have it once in their thoughts to learn any thing of god by all his wondrous works ! if we would strengthen our belief of god , and make any proficiency in the knowledg of him , we must design this , and exercise our reason in every thing to that end ; and labour to tast and see how good and gracious , how wise and powerful god shews himself in every thing we meet with . there is not the most unlearned person in the world , but if he will give diligent heed to what he hears of god , though he connot read , and to what he sees of god , though he cannot see god himself ; he may find enough to confirm him in the belief of god , and instruct him very far in the nature of god , even past all doubting . especially , 3. if in the next place , he by serious prayer call upon god to open his eyes that they may see , and his ears that they may hear , and his heart that it may understand the things which he hath made necessary for him to believe and know . let us therefore in good earnest beg of god himself , that he would shew and declare himself more clearly and convincingly to us in all the means of knowledg and understanding . no man can have a hearty desire to find god , but he may assure himself that god upon his hearty request will shew himself unto him . if thou seek the lord thy god , thou shalt find him ; if thou seek him with all thy heart , and and with all thy soul , deut. iv. 29. god looketh down from heaven to see if there be any that understand and seek after god , psal. xiv . 2. but alas ! the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after god ; god is not in all his thoughts psal. x. 4. if men had rather be without a god , than have one ; if men be unwilling and afraid to find god , lest they should ( as certainly they must ) find in god a lord and master , whom they are bound to serve and obey ; what wonder is it if god withdraw and hide himself from them that love him not ? why should he not depart out of sight , when he is but an eye-sore to them ? why should he not leave all those to the tyranny of their own lusts , who desire not to have him reign over them ? what reason can be given , why god should afford them any longer eyes to see withal , who above all things cannot endure to see him ? or why should he not suffer satan to blind their minds , that they may never again be able to see that light which they cannot love ? if we would know god , let us shew by our earnest prayers , that we long to know him . let us never have an ear open to any one , whatsoever he be , that calls in question the being of god , or would bring us to doubt of it . but on the contrary , let us resolutely stop our ears , and refuse to hearken to the atheistical discourses of prophane and wicked persons , of what rank , note , or esteem soever they may be in the world. let no one perswade us to think it either unreasonable or unmannerly , thus to behave our selves towards men of this temper . they may call us obstinate and sullen in refusing to hear reason , and uncivil and clownish in turning away from our betters . but how eminent soever , either for learning or honour any one may be , who would entertain us with such discourses , as tend to draw us off from believing a god ; it cannot be neither obstinacy nor incivility , not so much as to take notice of what he saith . it cannot be thought unreasonable , or an obstinate stubbornness , not at all to hearken to any man's discourse , which we are well assured before-hand can have no reason in it . and we are sure before-hand , that whatever reason may be pretended , ( as none brags more of his being a master of reason , than the proud atheist ) ; yet no reason at all can be given us , by any one for this opinion , that there is no god , or against our believing that there is one . and this is very plain , because as hath been said , no man can be in any degree sure that there is no god ; and the belief that there is one , is at least probable , and certainly doth much good and no hurt . what reason can there possibly be in a discourse , perswading not to believe what can never be proved to be false ; what it 's very safe to believe , and the belief whereof doth the greatest good imaginable ? or again , what reason can that discourse have in it , which tends to perswade us to believe what no man can shew to be true ; which it is so dangerous to believe , that a man hazards his soul by it , and the belief whereof will certainly make the wide world too uneasy a place to live in ? it cannot therefore be obstinacy or unreasonableness , never to hearken to any discourse of which we know all this before-hand . neither can it be uncivil , or unmannerly , how great or eminent soever the person be that would entertain us with such discourses , to turn away our ears from him . what incivility can it be , to seem rude to him , who is so rude to the whole world , as in effect to call all men fools but himself ? yea , how can one be uncivil to that man , who declares himself the common enemy of mankind , and of all civil society and government ? how can one be unmannerly to him , whose discourse tends to no better end , than to corrupt all good manners , and to banish virtue from among men ? he that tells us there is no god ; by telling us so , absolves and dischargeth us from all manner of duty , honour , or civil respect to himself as our better , or superior . for if there be no god , who made us to differ from one another , who made him our superior , or us inferior to him ? god did not , if he must be believed ; for he tells us there is none . and man could not without our consent , for who gave any man that right over his fellows ? if he have got to be higher than any one else by might or cunning ; nothing can hinder any one to climb , ●●●never he can , as he has done ; or to trample him under foot , instead of bowing the knee to him . whoever then tempts us to atheism , is soon answer'd if we please . we need do no more , but despise him . or if we will be at any farther trouble with him , we need but ask him two or three questions , and leave him to answer them to himself when he can . 1. when he tells us there is no god , and would have us believe it : before we do so , he cannot think it unreasonable we should ask him , how he knows it ? if he can tell us this , and will not , he is too unkind to be thought a friendly counsellor : and if he cannot , we have little cause to be fond of such a teacher . is it reason to believe one upon his word , that knows not that to be true which he teacheth ? is it wisdom to follow a guide , who confesseth himself to be blind ? 2. when he persuades us to believe there is no god , it cannot but be very fit to ask again , is it safe so to do ? or , is it unsafe to do otherwise ? he cannot assure us , 't is safe to believe there is no god , because he cannot make us know that there is none . and he must needs confess , 't is not unsafe to believe there is a god , because it can do no hurt . is it reasonable then to leave the safe way we are already in , that we may follow him into another , wherein he cannot promise us any safety at all ? 3. if he would have us to believe there is no god , 't is not unreasonable to ask him , why would he have us to believe it ? or , what good will it do either him or us ? if it will do neither any good , why should he persuade us , or we be persuaded to an unprofitable thing ? there is danger in it ; and what reason is there to do what we know 't is dangerous to do , till we see what good may come of it ? 4. if he say , 't is fit to believe it , merely because 't is a truth ; we must needs ask again , how doth he know 't is a truth ? but yet 't is in vain to ask him this , because 't is impossible for him to tell us how he knows it , or to know it . and therefore we have yet no reason to believe it is a truth , because he only calls it so , who doth not know that it is so . but suppose it were , i hope it may be fit to ask him again , is he in good earnest , and would he indeed have us to belive it for a truth ? if he be not willing we should believe it , why doth he tempt us to believe it ? if he would indeed have us believe it , would he not also have us behave our selves as men of that belief ? if not , to what purpose are we to believe it ? if he would have us behave our selves as men that believe not a god , then may we do what we will , and can ; we may rob his house , take his money , defile his wife , and cut his throat . if he deny this , let us ask him , what is it that can make it unlawful for us to do any of these things ? what should restrain men from doing any thing they can for their own advantage ? this is all that the atheist can gain by persuading men to be of his opinion , that he lays himself at every man's mercy to deal as he will with him ; and cannot say , that man sins , that knocks him on the head for his good advice . 2. if there be a god , every one that is vvise will not only think himself highly concern'd to believe it , but so to live and behave himself in the world , as may be most pleasing and acceptable to god. to what purpose can it be tobelieve that there is a god ? or what good can this belief do us , if it do not engage us to live as men who are sensible that they have a god over them , whom they are concern'd to please in all things ? certainly if there be a god who made us and all things , he must needs be concern'd with us , and we with him. and as we can expect no good thing but from him , who is the author and disposer of all things ; so neither can we hope to receive any good thing from him , if we do not our endeavour to please him. why should we thinkhe will bless us according to our desire , if we be not careful to serve and honour him according to his will ? that therefore we may reap the good and benefit of this so necessary a belief , we are to consider well , what it is that we believe , and what duty that belief must needs bind upon us . that which we believe , is , that there is a god ; and to be god , is to be the first cause and author , the maker , preserver , lord , and governour of the whole world , and all things therein ; the fountain of all power , and wisdom , and goodness ; and therefore the highest power , the greatest wisdom , and the chief good. now if god be all this , then it is very easy for every one to see certain duties lying upon us , as we are the creatures of god , which naturally arise from what we believe , even from this one point , that there is a god. 1. god being the first cause , author , and maker of all things , he is the very fountain and original of all being , and life , power , wisdom and goodness . all these are in him originally , as in the inexhaustible spring and fountain ; and there can be nothing at all of any of these things in the world , but what is derived from him ; neither can any of these be any longer in the world , than it pleaseth him . all this must needs be very plain to every understanding . if then we will live as men who are sensible that there is a god by whom we live , and without whom nothing can have either life or being ; we must needs , first , have the highest and most honourable thoughts of god , the greatest reverence and esteem for him , that can possibly be in the heart of man. we are not to conceive of him , as of one whose excellencies and vertues , tho' they exceed those of any other being whatsoever , are yet contain'd within such or such bounds or limits , or are at such a degree , and no higher ; but we are to think of him , as of one who in the perfectictions of the divine nature , is infinitely above all the thoughts of men and angels ; of incomprehensible glory and majesty , of boundless power , wisdom , and goodness ; such as is to be always admired and adored , but never to be fully seen or understood . we are however to labour every day to know more and more of him , that the more we know , the more we may admire , and love , and rejoyce , and even be ravish'd with those unconceivable excellencies , which to discern more clearly , will be our eternal happiness in heaven . our hearts therefore should be always fill'd with , and our mouths should sound forth the praises of god , every one singing with the holy psalmist , bless the lord , o my soul , and all that is within me , bless his holy name , psal. ciii . 1. bless the lord , o my soul. o lord my god thou are very great , thou art clothed with honour and majesty , psal. civ . 1. while i live will i praise the lord ; i will sing praise unto my god , while i have any being , psal. cxlvi . 2. let every thing that hath breath , praise the lord , psal. cl. 6. be thou exalted , o god , above the heavens , and thy glory above all the earth , . psal. cviii . 5. blessed be thy glorious name , which is exalted above all blessing and praise , neh. ix . 5. secondly , it must needs be our duty to walk humbly before god , and to abase our selves in his presence , whose eyes are continually open upon us . we must always bear in mind , that he is our god and maker , and we are at best but the work of his hands , and had never been any thing , had he not been pleas'd to give us a being . how wise , how rich , how great soever we now are , or seem to the eyes of men ; we have it all , even as far as our very being , of god's free gift ; and he can whenever he pleaseth , deprive us of all again . he made all things of nothing , and therefore all things are nothing in comparison of him . what is the clay in the hand of the potter , who can do with it what he will ? and how much less than that is man in the hand of god ? the potter can form the clay into a new shape , or cast it away and trample on it ; but he neither gave it a being , nor can take away it 's being from it . but god gave us , and all things , our very being ; look therefore how much nothing is less than all things , so much are the best of men less than god ; we being all originally nothing . say then with the psalmist . lord , what is man , that thou takest knowledg of him ? or the son of man , that thou makest account of him ? man is like to vanity , his days are as a shadow that passeth away , psal. cxliv . 3 , 4. behold even to the moon , and it shineth not ; yea the stars are not pure in his sight . how much less man that is a worm , and the son of man which is a worm ? job xxv . 5 , 6. all nations before him are as nothing , and they are counted to him , less than nothing , and vanity , isa. xl. 17. verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity , psal. xxxix . 5. and when ever god rebukes him , he makes his beauty to consume away like a moth , v. 11. surely men of low degree are vanity , and men of high degree are a lie ; to be laid in the balance , they are altogether lighter than vanity , psalm lxii . 9. and shall such a thing as man be proud ? can man seem any thing in his own eyes , when he thinks upon god ? alas ! what cannot he do with us , who with a word made all things of nothing ? what can we do , either against him , or without him , without whom we cannot one moment continue in being ? 2. if god be the maker of us and of all things , then is it past all dispute , that both we , and all things , are his ; and that we cannot have the least right to our selves , and therefore none to any thing else , but what he is pleased to allow us . nothing could make him so absolute a right in and over us , to use and dispose us at pleasure , as this , that he made us of nothing . we therefore and all things are absolutely his own ; and being so , 't is his indisputable right , to order and dispose of every thing as it shall seem good to him , to place us where he will , give us what allowance he will , assign us what condition he will , and put us to what use and service it pleaseth him . know ye that the lord he is god , it is he that bath made us , and not we our selves ; we are his people , and the sheep of his pasture , psal. c. 3. therefore , first , it must needs be our duty most humbly to acknowledg god's absolute right in and to us , and all things , and in a due acknowledgment of the same , to yield up our selves , and all things most freely , and without any grudging , to be disposed of by him , according to his own will and pleasure . we must leave it wholly to god , to use his right as he pleaseth , and to do what he will with his own ; knowing assuredly , that whatsoever he doth with us , or any other thing , he doth but what he may do , and can do us no wrong : yea , he always doth what 's best and fittest to be done , because he is of infinite wisdom and goodness . whatever therefore is come to pass , or shall come to pass in the world ; whatever hath befallen , or shall befal us , it is our duty to submit to it , and to set our hearts at rest about it ; remembring that god is always doing , what best becomes him to do ; and permitting to be done , what is most proper to be done . he doth according to his will in the army of heaven , and among the inhabitants of the earth ; and none can stay his hand , or say unto him , what doest thou ? dan. iv. 35. what are we , that we should concern our selves any farther with god's doings , whatever they be , than to admire his wisdom in them ? the posture of soul wherein we should always be , as best becoming us , is that of a most humble and willing resignation of our selves , and all our concerns unto his ordering ; every one saying after our most blessed jesus , not as i will , but as thou wilt , mat. xxvi . 39. and v. 42. thy will be done . secondly , we are to account it our duty in all that we have or do , so to behave our selves , as becometh those who have nothing of their own , neither are their own , but must own both themselves , and all they have to be his , who made them . we must not therefore take to our selves any other liberty in any thing , than what god gives us . we must not make so bold with his right , as to do what we have a mind to do with our selves or any thing else ; but enquire first , what he gives us leave to do . god is pleased to allow us as much liberty in all things , as may do us good ; and hath freely bestow'd his good creatures upon us , so far as they may be serviceable to us in our serving of him . but as we have them of his gift , so hath he given them upon such terms and conditions as pleased him ; and upon no other terms we are to aceount them ours . together with them , he has given us laws and rules to be careful ly observed by us in the use of them . it were very absurd for us to think any thing so ours , that we may use it to god's dishonour , or to hurt our selves or others with what we have . our meat we have for nourishment , not for gluttony ; our drink for refreshment , not for drunkenness ; our cloaths for a decent and warm covering , not for pride : our wit , our strength , our wealth , and all things , to do good with , but not to help or incourage us to hurt any one . all things we possess are our master's goods , and we our selves are his servants . no man ought to say , i may do what i will with mine own ; for nothing is so our own , as that we are sole or absolute owners of it . as god is to be thank'd for the use and benefit of all , so is he also to be consulted and obey'd in the use of all . for the earth is the lord's , and the fulness thereof ; the world and they that dwell therein . psalm xxiv . 1. thirdly , it must needs be our duty , not to repine or murmur , not to be fretful and impatient ; but to be content and satisfied whatever comes to pass . do evil doers , and such as we think deserve worst at the hands of god , flourish and prosper ; what 's that to us ? god is but doing his pleasure with his own . have we not all , and more than is our due ? and hath not he , whose own are all things , a right to distribute them as he pleaseth ? hath god given others any thing that was ours ? and is it not of his free and undeserved gift , that any thing is ours ? fret not thy self because of evil doers , neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity , psal. xxxvii . 1. rest in the lord , and wait patiently for him : fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man that bringeth wicked devices to pass , v. 7. but wait on the lord , and keep his way , v. 34. what have we to do to murmur at god's disposing of his own ? do we suffer evil things ? why should we not , if it seem good unto god ? are we not his ? and may he not use his own as he will ? what ever the evils be , or by whomsoever they are brought upon us , we are to submit with patience . no instrument could hurt us , if he did not permit it ; and may he not permit what he will to be done to his own ? are we rob'd or spoyl'd , let us say , the lord gave , and the lord hath taken away , blessed be the name of the lord , job i. 21. it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good , 1 sam. iii. 18. whatever befals us , let us say , behold here i am , let him do to me as seemeth good unto him , 2 sam. xv. 26. i was dumb , and opened not my mouth , because thou didst it , psalm xxxix . 9. is our present condition scanty , uneasy , unpleasant , unsuitable to our minds ? what are we , that we should think to chuse for our selves , this or that condition of life , which we think best ; who are not our own , neither can chuse , whether we shall live or die ? is not our condition , whatever it be , better than we deserve ? and is it not of god's chusing for us ? and is it not fit he should place his own goods in his own house , where , and how , he pleaseth ? have we not all that we have right to have , when we have what it pleaseth god to give us ? and are we not in the condition we should be in , when we are as it hath pleased god to dispose of us ? shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it , what makest thou ? isa. xlv . 9. shall the thing formed , say unto him that formed it , why hast thou made me thus ? hath not the potter power over the clay , of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour , and another unto dishonour ? rom. ix . 20 , 21. having food and raiment , let us be therewith content , 1 tim. vi. 8. yea , this is our duty , to learn , in whatsoever state we are , therewith to be content , phil. iv. 10. 3. if there be a god , who made both us and all the world , then is he our lord , and the governour of all the world . as he alone by reason of his infinite power , wisdom and goodness can be thought fit to rule the world , so can he not have a more absolute soveraignty over it , or right to govern it , than that which is founded in propriety ; nor any propriety more sure and unquestionable , than that which ariseth from creation or his making all things of nothing . therefore the lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens , and his kingdom ruleth over all , psal. ciii . 19. it is then our duty , to be subject to his laws and government in all things . to submit to his providence , in ordering all the affairs of the world ; and to approve of all his wise dispensations , whatever changes or alterations he makes in states or kingdoms . to obey all his laws , and apply our selves diligently to the learning of them , that we may frame our whole lives by them . it must needs concern us , to be in the fear of the lord all the day long , prov. xxiii . 17. to stand in awe , and not sin . psal. iv. 4. again ; if god , be our governour , it must be our duty to trust to his government , and rejoyce therein . for how can we be safer , or happier , than to be under the government and protection of infinite power , wisdom , and goodness ? the lord reigneth , let the earth rejoice , let the multitude of the isles be glad thereof , psal. xcvii . 1. let us be careful for nothing , phil. iv. 6. neither take thought for the morrow , mat. vi. 34. but trust in the lord and do good : so shall we dwell in the land , and verily we shall be fed , psal. xxxvii . 3. the lord will bless the righteous , with favour will he compass him as with ashield , isa. v. 12. 4. if there be a god , who is the first cause of all things , he must needs be the fountain of all blessedness , and the chief good ; no good thing can be expected but from him alone , and all our happiness must consist in his favour and love . and therefore , the whole desire of our souls should be to continue in his favour , and to have his love . nothing should be so much our study and endeavour , even all the days of our life , as how in all things to please him , and to do such things only as we know to be most acceptable to him . next , it must certainly be our duty to love god above all things ; for 't is most unnatural not to love that best , which is best in it self , and doth us most good . it is therefore our duty to love nothing more than god , nothing so much as god ; nothing but in subordination , or in relation to him . that is , nothing but what god allows us to love , and so as for the love of god , we can any time be willing to part with it ; nothing but what may help us the better to love god , and nothing that abates our love to god. we are to love god in all the things we love , because nothing hath any loveliness , but what is from god. and because god is the chief good , we are to be content with god , whatever else we want ; and whatever else we have , never to be satisfied with it , or to make account that we have any thing at all , whilst we can find no good ground to hope that god is our god , and that we are in his favour . and finally , seeing god is the author of all goodness , we are on all occasions most humbly to address our selves to him in prayer , for a supply of all our wants of what sort soever ; and to return him our daily praise and thanks for every good thing we enjoy . he that doth not thus behave himself towards god , is no better for believing that there is a god ; neither , whatever he may pretend , shall he easily persuade any considering man , that he believes any such thing . finis . books published by the reverend mr. elis. a letter to a friend , reflecting on some passages in a letter to the d. of p. in answer to the arguing part of his first letter to mr. g. 4to . the reflecters defence of his letter to a friend , against the furious assaults of mr. i. s. in his second catholick letter , in four dialogues 4 to . the protestant resolv'd : or , a discourse , shewing the unreasonableness of his turning roman-catholick for salvation , 4 to . religion and loyalty inseparable : a sermon preached at the assizes held at nottingham , septemb. 5. 1690. 4 to . the necessity of serious consideration , and speedy repentance , as the only way to be safe both living and dying , 8 vo . the lambs of christ sed with the sincere milk of of the vvord . in a short scripture-catechism . 12 s a practical discourse concerning death . 8 vo . the fifth edition . a practical discourse concerning a future judg ment . 8 vo . both by william sherlock , d. d. dean of st. pauls , master of the temple , and chaplain in ordinary to their majesties . the true effigies of his grace , iohn lord archbishop of canterbury ; engraven ( from an original lately painted by mrs mary beal ) by robert white , on a large sheet of paper . price 12 d. all printed for william rogers . a confutation of atheisme by iohn doue doctor of diuinitie. the contents are to be seene in the page following dove, john, 1560 or 61-1618. 1605 approx. 267 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 51 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2008-09 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a69226 stc 7078 estc s110103 99845719 99845719 10639 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a69226) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 10639) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1475-1640 ; 1411:03) a confutation of atheisme by iohn doue doctor of diuinitie. the contents are to be seene in the page following dove, john, 1560 or 61-1618. [4], 98, [2] p. printed by edward allde for henry rockett, and and are to be sold at the long shop vnder s. mildreds church in the poultry, at london : 1605. the last leaf is blank. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language 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these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -controversial literature -early works to 1800. 2006-10 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2006-11 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-02 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2007-02 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a confvtation of atheisme by iohn doue doctor of diuinitie . the contents are to be seene in the page following . psalm . 68. god will arise , and his enimies shall be scattered : they also that hate him shall flye from him . at london printed by edward allde for henry rockett , and are to be sold at the long shop vnder s. mildreds church in the poultry . 1605. the contentes of this booke . what atheisme is : chapter , 1. the cause of atheisme . chap. 2. how atheisme may be rooted out of all christian landes . chap. 3. that there is a god. chap. 4. what god is . chap. 5. that there is but one god. chap. 6. the bookes of the bible , are the worde of god. chap. 7. of the will and sufferance of god. chap. 8. the world had a beginning . chap. 9. the soule of man , what it is , whence it commeth , how it is infected with sinne , and the immortalitie of it . chap. 10. of noah his arke , and the deluge . chap. 11. of the destruction of sodom . chap. 12. of christ . chap. 13. the world shall haue an end . chap. 14. there is hell fier . c 〈…〉 to the most high and mightie prince , iames by the grace of god , king of great brittanye , france , and ireland : defender of the faith. most dread soueraigne , your maiesties gratious acceptance of my late treatise against recusancy , causeth me to present vnto your highnes this poore mite , which out of my penury i offer into the treasurye of the church : being no way comparable to the talents which others out of their great plentye , haue cast into the offrings of god. albeit the right worshipfull sr. george more knight , hath learnedly and religiouslie handled the same subiect , yet may i tread the same wine-presse againe , by the example of saint augustine , which confuted the arrians whome athanasius had confuted before him , and the learned of our age which dayly write bookes , notwithstanding others before them haue written bookes of the same argument . and as s. augustine in his time , because there were many haeretikes , wished that all men which were able to write , would write against haeresie : so because now 〈◊〉 many atheistes , it is to be wished that many would write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 atheisme . the state of religion dependeth vpon the state of the pastors and ministers . and therefore s. iohn prophecying of the decay of it , first discouereth the defects of them , as the cause therof : that he of ephesus had lefte his former loue : he of pergamus had them which maintayned the doctrine of balaam and the nicholaitans : he of thyatira suffered iezabell to make the people commit fornication , and eat meate sacrificed to idols : he of sardis had onely a name that he liued , but was dead : he of laodicia was neither hotte nor colde , but such a one as the lord would spewe out of his mouth , that he which tooke vpon him a greater charge then all they , should haue onely hornes like the lambe christ iesus : but as for his doctrine , he should speake like the dragon sathan . and s. paul prophecying of that great apostasie and reuoliment from true religion through the world , shewed the cause to be in him which tooke vpon him to be the vniuersall pastor of the world , that he should be an aduersaerie , exalting him-selfe aboue all that is called god : that sitting in the temple of god , he should not shew himselfe as the minister of god , but as god. the holy ghost deriued the corruption of religion , and calamitie of the church of israel , from the base condition of the priestes in the dayes of ieroboam , saying : that he made priestes of the lowest of the people . and it is a curse denounced against them from god by the prophet malachye , that their priestes should be despised and vyle before the people . your highnes vnder the maiestie of almightie god , now sitteth in the seate of dauid , and vpon the throne of salomen : you haue the same authoritie ouer vs , which iosias , iosaphat , ezechias . and the other godlie kinges had ouer iuda . the lord therefore of his infinite mercie toward you his anoynted , and vs your people , continue in your princely heart this your zeale of his house , and great care of the aduancement of the state of the ministerie for the aduauncement of the ghospell , the increase of godlines , the subuersion of atheisme and all impietie . the lord make you such a king as dauid was , a man according to his owne heart , that your highnes may raigne ouer vs religiously , peaceably & happily , to his glorie , our comfort , and the saluation of your owne soule . the lord graunt to our noble queene that she may be an auncient mother i● is●●●●●… to prince henrie a large heart as he did vnto salomon . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blesse all your posteritie , that they way continue in his ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worlds end . your maiesties humble and obedient subiect : iohn dove , a confvtation of atheisme . chapter 1. what atheisme is : sometimes vnder the name of atheists are comprehended pagans , infidels and idolaters , all such as are ignorant of the true god , albeit in their kinde they be very deuout , religious and godly . so saith the apostle : wherefore remember that ye , being in times past gentiles in the flesh , and called vncircumcision , of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made with handes , that ye were i say , at that time without christ , aliants from the common wealth of israel , strangers from the couenant of promise , and had no hope , & were without god in the world . but what it was to be without god in the world , he expresieth in an other place , saying : euen then when ye knewe not god , ye did se●●…ce vnto them which by nature are not gods. that is , they worship the sunne & moone , and carued idols , the creature in steede of the creator , which is blessed for euermore , amen . these be not the atheists which we are to treate of . other atheists there be , which haue a knowledge of the true 〈◊〉 and how he is to be worshiped , and are in name christians : 〈◊〉 a continuall habit and custome of sinne , haue so hardned 〈◊〉 ●…durated them selues , that they haue no sence or feeling of the iudgement of that true god which they knowe and professe , and would be thought outwardly to serue . and therefore they are bolde to commit sinne against him , because they presume vpon his mercye , or at the least his conniuencye and negligence in punishing , as if they were perswaded god did not see them , or he would not punish them . of such saith the prophet : the foole hath said in his heart there is no god. and of such fooles he speaketh else-where more plainly , saying : wickednes saith to the wicked man , euen in mine heart , that there is no feare of god before his eyes . and what it is to cast away all feare of god from before his eyes , he sheweth more plainly , saying : he hath said in his heart : god hath forgotten , he hydeth away his face , & will neuer see . and this kinde of atheist is in state of damnation aswell as the other , but is not the subiect of my treatise . there are other sortes of men ( or rather beastes ) i meane such beasts as s. paul stroue with at ephesus in the shape of men , farre more abhominable then the other two , of which so oftē i spake : i may iustly say with eliphas , feare cōmeth vpon me & dreade , which maketh all my bones to tremble , and a winde passeth before me , which causeth the hayres of my head to stand vp , and ( that i may vse the wordes of the lord to samuel ) such a wickednes as shall not be purged by sacrifice nor offering for euer . such a slaunder to states & kingdomes , so offensiue to all chast & religious eares , that whosoeuer shall heare of it , his eares shall tingle . these beastes holde there is no god , and they are of foure sortes : the first saith in broade tearmes without blushing , non est deus , there is no god : of that brood , were not onely the olde philosophers diagoras , lucretius , epicurus and others , but also since the gospell was published to the worlde , many of them haue been known , of whome theodoret ( an ancient father ) hath written , as also prateolus , and other writers of later times , and especially lilius grigorius , giraldus ferrariensis maketh mention of a whole iland lately inhabited by such as deny god. and i wish all atheists were banished out of christian states and kingdomes , and sent into that iland , that other places might not be infected by them . the second , doth scoffe at god and deride him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his name , and make open profession of contempt against him and all religion . such an atheist was holophernes , which said vnto achior , because thou hast prophefied amongst vs to day , & hast saide that the people of israel is able to sight , because their god will defend them : and who is god but nabuchodonozor ? he will send his power and destroye the face of the earth , and their god shall not deliuer them . such an atheist was pharao which said : who is the lord that i should heare his voyce , and let the people goe ? i know not the lord neither will i let israel goe . and senacherib who said by the mouth of rabshakah : let not ezekias deceiue you , for he shall not be able to deliuer you out of my hand , neither let ezechias make you to trust in the lord , saying : the lord will surely deliuer vs , & this land shall not be giuen euer into the hand of the king of ashur ; ezechias doth deceiue you , saying : the lord will deliuer vs. who are they among all the gods of the nations that haue deliuered their land out of my hand , that the lord should deliuer ierusalem out of my hand ? such atheists were lucian , which in his writings , that he might be thought to confesse no god , mocked all gods : iulian the apostata , which scoffed at religion : olimpius the arrian , which as he was washing himselfe in his bath , spake blasphemy against the trinitye . doletus which called moses , helias , and christ , the three deceiuers of the worlde . and such atheists are the swaggerers of our age , which are not ashamed to call them selues the damned crue : of the saluation of such there is no hope , whose god is their bellye , whose glory is their shame , and whose end is damnation , as the apostle speaketh : their damnation sleepeth not , nay they are condemned alreadye , because they speake blasphemye against the holy ghost . of such as offend god vpon weakenes , there may be some hope that they will come to repentance , because their sinne is against the father , which is strength . concerning them which offend him vpon ignorance , there is also hope of their conuersion , because they sinne against god the sonne , which is wisedome . but as for these , they mocke god in 〈◊〉 of him , they sinne vpon malice , & therefore their blas●●●●●… against the holy ghost , which is loue and charitye , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no hope of their conuersion , because our sauiour hath already pronounced sentence of damnatiō against them , saying : their sinne shall neuer be for giuen , neither in this life , nor in the life to come . the third , professe the religion which is professed in the place where they dwell , so farre as lawes may not take holde of them , but otherwise are of all religions which may bring them profit , and are of no religion farther then to serue their turne . for example whereof , i cannot instance in any man better , then in william rusus king of england , which professed him selfe to be a christian for feare of the pope & the ecclesiasticall censure , because else he could not haue held his kingdome . of him it is written , that the iewes being many in england , one of them was conuerted to be a christian , and the olde iewe his father taking the matter greiuously , desired the king to interpose his authoritye , and to commaund him to renounce his christian faith againe . the king vpon consideration of 80. markes of siluer ( before hand payed vnto him ) vndertooke the conuersion of the young man to the iewish religion againe : whereupon the partie was conu●nted before the king , hee gaue him charge to renounce christ , but he answered : sir you professe christ yourselfe , how then can you perswade me to be a iewe ? if you be a christian in deed , you will not perswade me to renounce christ , but if your selfe professing christ , will commaund me to denye christ , you are not of any religion , but an atheist ; and if you be so , it is fit the popes holynes should vnderstand so much . the king fearing the popes displeasure , dismissed the man , but saide in great furye : get thee out of my presence , else by s. lukes face , i will scratch out thine eyes . the olde iewe his father expostulated with the king , because the bargaine was not performed , and required restitution of his money : but the king answered , holde ye contented sir , heere is halfe , i will haue the other halfe for my endeauour , i did the best i could . of such atheists we haue many . the fourth sorte , are they which insinuate them-selues into noble-mens houses , and princes courts , taking vpon them to be the great polititians of the worlde , and account all men fooles besides themselues . they also make open profession of religion but for aduantage : i meane them which haue turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machiauel : their diuinitie is policye , their zeale is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their god is the deuill . these english italiana ▪ and 〈◊〉 incarnat , doe holde these damnable opinions : that there was no creation of the world , that there shall be no day of iudgement , no resurrection , no immortallitye of the soule , no hell : they dispute against the bible , reckon vp genealogyes more auncient then adam , alleadge arguments , to proue that the story of noah his arke and the deluge were fables : finally , they holde that the scriptures were deuised by men , onely for policye sake , to maintaine peace in states and kingdomes , to keep subiects in obedience to lawes , and loyaltie to magistrates , by thus terrifying them from enormities when their consciences are possessed with an opinion of hell fire , and alluring them to subiection by hope of eternall life , that so princes may enioy outward peace & temporall prosperitie . examples of this last sorte , we haue leo the tenth of that name bishop of rome , who when he had heard bembus alleadge places out of the scriptures concerning christ , said vnto him : quid mihi narras illam de christo fabulam ? why dost thou tell me that fable of christ ? againe , in ostentation of his riches , said : vide quantum mihi profuit illa de christo fabula . see what treasure i haue scraped together , by publishing to the people that same fable concerning christ ! an example also is machiauel , which holdeth these principles & grounds of policy : princeps qui sapientia est praeditus , debet ea promissa vitare quae suis commodis contraria fore videt . i am vero hominibus nunquam defuturae sunt causae , quibus in violatam fidem colorem inducant . a wise prince must not regard his promise if he finde it not for his profit , neither shall he at any time be destitute of such shiftes and euasions whereby he may iustify and make good the breach and falsifying of his oath . qui sagatior fuerit , vt vulpinum ingenium melius exprimeret , ei faelicius omnia ceciderant . that he must learne to play the fox , which will haue his designes and proiects to take effect . he proposeth vnto princes the example of pope alexander the sixt to immitate , of whome he saith : is nihil quam mortalium impostorem egit , nihil quam ad omnē malitiam & fraudem ( quo hominum genus falleret ) mentem suam exercuit . in asseuerando autem quis magis fuerit efficax , aut qui speciotius iurauit iusiurandum vicissimque , qui minus praestiterit , nemo vnquam fuit . nihilo secius doli nunquam ei non commode ceciderunt . that is , he plotted nothing more , then how he might be the cosoner and deceiuer of men : he set his minde vpon nothing but malice and fraude , whereby men might be by him supplanted & ouertaken , no man promised more largely , nor swore more deeply then he , and no man performed lesse then he , and yet not-withstanding , his falshood & knauery , he neuer fayled of his purpose . proinde , non est quod princeps omnes eas superius descriptas virtutes ostentet : sunt enim aduersus tales dissimulandae saepe numero callidèque tegendae . and yet , for al that , falshood preuaileth better thē plaine dealing , yet a prince must not make a shewe of a large conscience , but he must dissemble , & carry him selfe cunningly before the eyes of the worlde . quocirca , ad omnem fortunae & ventorum conuersionem versatile ingenium princeps habeat necesse est , & ab eo quod bonum est ne discedat : at , si necessitas vrgeat , edoctus sit et malum auertere . wherefore a prince must frame him selfe for all times & seasons as occasions may serue : let him imbrace truth and doe iustice , vnlesse he see cause to the contrary , but if he doe , let him be so wise that he do not disaduantage him selfe . princeps acram curam & diligentiam adhibeat , vt pietatom , fidem , integritatem , humanitatem , religionem sanctè colere videatur , atqui nihil magis est quod prae se ferat quam illam virtutem : fere enim homines magis specie & colore rerum , quam rebus ipsis , permouentur , & iudicant . nemo non videt quid prae te feras , at paucissimi sunt , qui quid sis sensu percipiant . vitam princeps tueatur , curetque imperium conseruare : quibus autem idsiat rationibus , ex modo honesti spaciem prae se ferant , nunquam non honore dignae , laudibusque existimabuntur . let a prince especially take heed to him selfe , that he seeme godly , true , honest , curteous , and aboue all religious , because men for the most parte are caryed away with the outward shewe of religion , and doe iudge all things according to outward appearance . euery man can take notice of that which you seeme to be , but fewe men can sound the bottome of your heart , and diue into your secret thoughts , so farre as to discouer what in deed you are , to conceiue what your intent & meaning is . let a prince looke especially to the defence of his owne life and state , it maketh no matter by what meanes he doe it , be they lawfull or vnlawefull , so as they haue an outward shewe and colour of honestye . chapter 2. of the causes of atheisme . that i may speak somwhat of the causes of atheisme , they are many : some men are become atheists by building vpō a false ground , by misconstruing and wresting that place of tully to their owne perdition : sunt qui negant deos habere procurationem rerum humanarum , quorum sententia falsa est , quia sic omnis religio inanis esset , religione autem sublata tolleretur hominū sides , & magna sequeretur vitae perturbatio & confusio . there are saith tully , some men which deny that there is a god which taketh vpon him the care of humane affaires , whose opinion is euicted to be false , for as much as if it were so , all religion were in vayne , and were it not for religion , there would be no fidelitie or honestie among men , nothing but disorder & confusion through the whole worlde . i cannot deny but religion doth maintaine ciuill gouernment , and kingdomes are best gouerned where men haue the greatest feeling of religion , because the feare of god hauing taken a deepe roote in mens hearts by the often preaching of the worde , doth binde subiects to their princes farre more fast then humane lawes , & the feare of the princes displeasure . and i must needs confesse that the king and the whole state of england are to ascribe this long peace which we haue had , and yet doe inioy , as also this great increase of wealth , and loyaltye of the subiectes , more to the diligent preaching of the ministers then to the sincere gouernmēt of the magistrates , to diuines then to polititians , how little soeuer now diuines be regarded , and how highly soeuer polititians be esteemed . subiects are now more obedient to lawes and loyall to princes then in times past they haue bene , because the gospell is more preached among them then it was in former ages . so then , it is not for feare , but for conscience sake , not because they feare him that can kill the bodie , but because they feare him that is able to destroy both bodie and soule in hell fire . and yet the prouerb in many hath bene fulfilled , filia deuorauit matrem , that the daughter hath deuoured her owne mother , for religion is the mother of peace , and peace is the daughter of religion , because the preaching of christian religion hath brought peace into the worlde . all godly diuines preach the doctrine of st. paul : si fieri potest , quantum in vobis est , cum omnibus pacem habetote , if it be possible and as much as lyeth in you , haue peace with all men . but this long peace which we haue enioyed hath increased our riches , & riches haue made vs to forget god , and so ( like an vnnaturall daughter ) peace hath deuoured religion , which bred and maintayned peace in the world . the prophecie is verifyed : in these last dayes , since the mountaine of the house of god hath beene prepared in the top of the mountaines , and hath beene exalted aboue the hilles , and all nations haue flowed vnto it , and many people haue gone & said : come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the lord , to the house of the god of iacob , and he will teach vs his wayes , and we will walke in his pathes : our swordes haue beene broken into mattocks , & our speares into sythes , nation hath not lifted vp a sworde against nation , neither haue they learned to fight any more . the lamb dwelling with the wolfe hath beene in safetie , the kid with the leopard , the cow feeding with the beare , the calfe with the lyon , the sucking childe hath plaied vpon the hole of the asp , the weaned childe hath put his hand into the hole of the cockatrice without any hurt , and the reason is alleaged by the prophet : because the earth was full of the knowledge of the lord , euen as the waters that couer the sea . this prophecye you see is fulfilled . but these sayings are by them mistaken . for tully doth not argue in this manner : that we must holde there is a god , and maintaine religion , that so ciuill gouernment may be maintayned , and men may liue orderly in a common wealth . but his meaning is cleane contrary : that we must performe all ciuill duties in a common wealth for religion sake , and we must be religious for gods sake , because there is a god which hath ingraffed religion in our hearts , whereby ciuill states may be the better maintayned , and which will punish all such as are not religious , that is , which haue not a true feeling of religion . and it was not the meaning of the prophet esay , that after the knowledge of true religion had planted peace among vs , and peace had brought prosperitie , then we should cease to be religious , & so forget god , but rather increase our zeale , and hauing receiued such benefits at his hands whome we serue , continue faithfull in his seruice . a second cause of atheisme may be the want of due & right hearing of the worde preached , because faith commeth by hearing , and therefore where there is a want of hearing faith fayleth , and , by a consequent , pagisme and infidelitie increaseth . for many of them doe not heare , but absent them-selues , or if they be present , they stand not for figures but for cyphers , they doe not by the worde preached as the virgin mary did by the sayings of our sauiour christ , which layed thē vp in her heart : or as abraham did by the angels , which receiued them into his house , or as the sunamite woman did by elizeus , or the widowe by elias , which entertayned them with willingnes . the worde to them is not as the raine of heauen falling vpon the earth , or the deawe of hermon vpon mount sion , but as the childrens bread cast before whelpes , or pearls cast before swine , seede sowen by the high way side , & the peace of the apostles bestowed vpon vnworthye houses , and therefore returneth backe againe . they stop their cares with the adder , or sleep with eutichus , or make loue as the egiptians did to aholah and aholibah , cloathed with blewe silke and diuers suites , pleasant young men , that they may set aholah and aholibah on fire , bruise the brestes of their virginitye , and powre out their adulterie vpon them , as the prophet speaketh . some heare the preacher with great attention , but as the pharisies did our sauiour to intrappe him in his speech , to take exception against his wordes , as the athenians did st. paul to scoffe at his simplicitie , they read the bible but as porphurye did , to finde ( as they prophanely call them ) absurdities and contradictions in the worde of god , not as the bee which gathereth honye , but as the spider which sucketh poyson out of wholsome flowers . a third cause of atheisme , proceedeth from the long suffring of god , which doth not presently punish atheists . for he doth not onely with patience suffer them to blaspheme his holy name , but also in his wisdome which no man can sound , & in his iudgementes whome no man can search , blesseth them with worldly blessings , as if he did reward their vngodlines . it is not my complaint alone , but it is the complaint of the prophet dauid which cryeth out in this manner : why standest thou so farre off ô lord and hydest thee in due time , euen in affliction ? the wicked hath made boast of his owne hearts desire , and the couetous blesseth himselfe , he contemneth the lord , he is so proud that he seeketh not for god , he thinketh alwaies there is no god , his wayes alwaies prosper , he saith in his heart : i shall neuer be moued , nor be in danger . nay it may very well be said , as it was of iob : that the lord hath made an hedge about him & his house , and about all that he hath on euery side , he hath blessed the worke of his handes , and his substance is encreased in the land. the lord suffred his owne arke to be taken by the philistins his enemies , and his owne people the iraēlites which fought his battle , to be ouerthrowne in the battell . and this cōmendation is giuen of the godly king iosias , that he read the lawe of the lord before the people , he made a couenant with the lord that the people should walke after the lord , and keep his commandements , his testimonies & statutes , with all their hearts , all their soules , & all the people stood to the couenant , he purged the temple , and put downe the idols , he slewe the idolatrous priests , he kept such a passeouer in honour of god , as neuer the like was holden , from the daies of the iudges y t iudged israel , nor in al the daies of the kings of israel & the kings of iuda , he tooke away thē which had familier spirits and the sooth-sayers , and the images , and the idols , and all the abhominations that were espyed in the land of iuda and ierusalem , that like vnto him there was no king before him that turned to the lord with all his heart , all his soule , and all his might , according to all the lawe of moses , neither after him arose there any like him . and yet , see how the lord rewarded him . the very next thing which followeth in the same text , is this : pharao slewe him at megiddo . thus you see how the lord rewarded faithfull iosias which serued him , & trusted in him , with death in this worlde , and ouerthrowe in sighting of his owne battell , and gaue the victory to pharao an heathen king , which put no trust nor considence in him . likewise nabucodonozor burned gods house , robbed his temple in contempt of him and his seruice , & yet god prospered him as if he had rewarded him for so dooing , valerius maximus citeth out of tully the example of dionysius the tirant , which did brag and boast of his sacrilege , that when he sayled to the temple of proserpina which was at locris to robbe the same , the winde and weather did so much fauour him , as if it had beene a pleasing thing to that goddesse to doe her violence , as if she had the rather prospered his nauigation , & giuen successe vnto his busines because he did robbe & spoyle her temple . when the turkes and hungarians ioyne in battell , the hungarians armye cryeth out aloud iesu , iesu , the turkes name their prophet mahomet , but mahomet preuayleth against iesus . the greatest parte of the worlde are insidels , and they encrease daily , but the number of christians doe decrease . and this is agreeable to that which prateolus obserueth , which all eageth that among many causes of atheisme this is not the least , namely , euentus mirabiles quorum causas ignorant , & putant longe aliter fore , si deus existeret omnia cernens & curans , vt sunt faelicitas impiorum , infaelicitas piorum , & eius dei longanimitas qui atrocissimos peccatores statim non punit . strange euents which continually fall out , contrary to the sence and reason of man , the causes whereof man vnderstandeth not , but thinketh that it would be otherwise , if there were a god which did see and regarde humane affaires , as for example , the happines of the vngodly , the vnhappy estate of the godlie , and the long suffering of god him selfe which suffereth grieuous offenders so long to escape vnpunished : whereas contrarywise , if god would be pleased to shewe present examples of his iustice vpon sinners , as he did when he turned lots wife into a piller of salt for looking back , destroyed sodom with fire & brimstone for pride , caused ieroboam his hand to wither for burning incence , eli to breake his necke for suffering his children to abuse the priests office : the earth to swallowe vp core , dathan & abiram for their rebellion : the beares to deuour the children for mocking elisaeus , the dogges to eate iosabell for oppressing naboth , the fire to burne vp nadah and abihu for vsing prophane fier vpon the altar , which tooke away saul his kingdome for disobeying samuel , stroke zachary with dumnes for vnbeleefe , elymas with blindenes for hindering the course of the gospell , balthasar with death for prophaning the holy vessels , ananias and saphira for telling a lye , gehezi with leprosie for taking bribes , and shut moses out of the land of canaan for trespassing at the waters of meriba : i say , if god would vouchsafe to dwell with vs as he did with them , and shew such examples among vs as he did among them , punish whole landes as he did egipt for not letting his people goe , no dout but atheisme would cease , and vngodly men would confesse that there is a god. it is a signe that our sinnes are great , and god doth not loue vs as he loued them . and yet the atheists haue but mistaken all this while , for these be arguments rather to proue vnto them that there is a god. for this is the lords long suffering to bring them to repentance as st. peter teacheth saying : the lord is not slack as some men account slacknes , but is pacient towards vs , and would haue no man to perish , but would haue all men to come to repentance . and as st. paul saith : thou ô man , despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnes , and patience , and long suffering , not knowing that the bountifulnes of god leadeth thee to repentance ? but thou after thine hardnes , and heart that cannot repent , heapest vp as a treasure vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath & of the declaration of the iust iudgement of god. but therefore the prophet dauid in the psalme aboue rehearsed , where he saith : the wicked hath made boast of his hearts desire , his waies alwayes prosper : he inserteth these wordes in the middle of the sentence : thy iudgements ô lord are farre aboue his sight . and st. augustine doth fully satisfie this point , where he saith : diuina miserecordia ad impios & ingratos peruenit . primo quia deus facit oriri solem super bonos pariter & malos , & pluit super iustos & iniustos . secundo vt quidam ista cogitantes ab impietate se corrigant . tertio , vt quidam diuitias longanimitatis eius contemnentes sibi thesaurrizentiram . quarto , patientia dei ad poenitentiam inuitat malos , sicut flagellum dei ad patientiā erudit bonos . quinto , quia placuit diuinae prouidentiae praeparare imposterū bona iustis quibus mali non fruentur , et mala impij quibus boni non cruciabuntur . againe , si nunc omne peccatum plecteretur poenis temporalibus , nihil vltimo iudicio reseruari putaretur , & , si nullum peccatum nunc puniretur , nulla dei prouidentia esse crederetur . gods mercy is extended to the godlesse and vnthankfull men for these causes following : first , because he maketh his sun to shine aswell vpon the vniust as the iust , and his raine to fall vpon the godlesse aswel as the godly . secondly , that some of them considering these thinges , might repent them of their sinnes . thirdly , that othersome despising the riches of his longanimitye might heape vp wrath vnto themselues . fourthly , the patience of god doth invite and allure the wicked to repentance , euen as the scourge of god doth instruct the godly vnto patiēce . fiftly , because thath seemed good to the prouidence of god to prepare in an other worlde ioyes for the righteous , whereof the vnrighteous shall not be partakers , and punishments for the wicked which the godlye shall not feele . and , last of all , if all offences were now punished with temporal punishmēts , it wold be thought that nothing were reserued for the day of iudgement , as contrarywise , if nothing were punished temporallye in this worlde , men would make a dout of gods prouidence . a fourth cause of atheisme is the malice of sathan , as the apostle sheweth vs : if ( saith he ) our gospell be yet hidden , it is hidden to them which are lost , in whome the god of this world hath blinded the mindes , that is , of the infidels that the light of the glorious gospel of christ should not shine in them . beholde sathan his malice and cunning , from time to time . in the first two hundred yeares after the passion of our sauiour christ , he busied himselfe about the first article of the creed to ouerthrow that , and therefore stirred vp the marcionists , the gnosties , the maniches to teach that there was not one god the father almightye maker of heauen and earth , but diuers gods. but finding not his successe therein answerable to his malice , ceased there and went to an other article , and so stirred vp praxeas , noetus , paulus saniosatanus to ouerthrowe the diuinitye of our sauiour christ his sonne , afterwad haeretickes to disproue his conception by the holy ghost , his birth of the virgin mary , and the other articles of fayth which are to be beleued concerning him . being not able to preuaile therein , he descended to the article of the holy ghost , and so stirred vp macedonius to deny the godhead of the holy ghost . being not able to preuaile therein he went to the articles concerning the church , and so in sundrye ages hath gone from one article to an other , vntill he hath gone ouer all the articles of the creed . now , being disproued in them all , he doth not so rest , but returneth againe to the first at which he began , not to proue a multiplicitie of gods as he did before endeuour , but to proue a nullitie of any god , by disprouing the god-head either of the father , or of the sonne , or of the holy ghost , of all three ; but he goeth to worke with greater violence , to chop off all fayth , all religion at one blowe , by prouing that there is neuer a god , and to this purpose hath he armed his polititians with arguments against the bible . but to them may be applyed the wordes of policarpus to marcian the haereticke , who being asked of him : agnoscis me ô policarpe ? dost thou acknowledge me ô policarpus ? answered him : agnosco te esse primogenitum satanae , i knowe thee very well , thou art the sonne and heire of the deuill . the last cause of atheisme is the lenitye and ouer great mildnes of princes and gouernours , which doe suffer atheists to escape vnpunished . i may iustly say it is their fault that there are atheists that will suffer atheists , for so saith the holye ghost concerning azariah the king of iudah : he did vprightly in the sight of the lord , according to all that his father amaziah did : but the high places were not taken away , for the people yet offered , and burned incense in the high places . and the lord smote the king , & he was a leper vnto the day of his death . the king him-selfe you see is commaunded to be a godly man , not he , but his subiects committed idolatrye , yet god punisheth him for the idolatrye of his subiects , but that could not stand with the iustice of god to punish the king for his subiects offences vnles it were the kings faulte that the subiects offended . where the spanish inquisition is , it is a very rare thing to heare of an atheist , which i speake not to that end as if i did wish that inquisition to be brought into any christian kingdome , but onely to shewe that it is better to liue where there is too much seueritie rather then too much loosenes , and where nothing is lawfull , rather then where all things are permitted as if they were lawfull . the lord of his mercy stirre vp the hearts of all his annoynted princes , & inflame their zeale , that they may not onely hate atheisme , as i hope they doe , with a perfecte hatred , but also banish such impietye , that heereafter not onely the opinions but also the verye name of atheist may be as it were buried in hell , and no more heard of in their kingdomes . chapter 3. how atheisme may be rooted out of all christian landes . as prosperitie causeth many men to forget god , and others to denye god : so aduersitie , sicknes , imprisonment & such like chastisements of god for sinne , will make wicked men not onely to acknowledge & confesse god , but also to stoop downe before him , and to flye for succour vnto him . when iulian the apostata was deadly wounded by a dart from heauē , he could not be silent , but that plague extorted out of his mouth a confession of the power of iesus christ whome before he had denyed , & he cryed out : vicisti galilaee , iesus of galile the conquest is thine . though pharao in his prosperitie had said : who is the lord ? i knowe him not , i will not let the people goe : yet when his land was plagued with frogges , he called for moses and aaron and said : pray ye for me vnto the lord , that he may take away the frogges from me and from my people , and i will let the people goe , that they may doe sacrifice to the lord , but as soone as god gaue him a little rest , that the plague ceased , he was hardned againe . when the hand of the lord was heauye vpon the men of ashdod , and he destroyed them and smote them with emeroides they remoued the arke out of the house of dagon , and said : let vs send the arke of god vnto his owne place , that he slay vs not , and our people . when nabuchodonozer was depriued of his kingdome , and turned into an asse to graze in the field for the space of seuen yeares : then he began to be humble , to vnderstand himselfe better , to lift vp his eyes to heauen , to giue thankes to the most high , to praise and honour him that liueth for euer , to confesse that his power is an euerlasting power , that his kingdome indureth from generation to generatiō , that all the inhabitānts of the earth are reputed as nothing , that according to his will he worketh in the armye of heauen , and in the inhabitants of the earth , that none can stay his hand , nor say vnto him , what dost thou ? then he could make both an humble & a large consession , and say : i nabuchodonozer prayse , and extoll , and magnifie the king of heauen , whose workes are all truth , and his waies iudgement , and those that walke in pride he is able to abase . but for as much as now such miracles doe cease , and it belongeth to gods annointed kings to be ielous of his glory , if they wil abanden atheisme out of their kingdomes : first of all they must withdrawe their countenace from all vngodly liuers . for so long as the prince dooth looke cheerfully vpon them , the eyes of the people will be defixed vpon them also , they will admire them , and think their vices to be vertues . you know what hamon said : thus shall he be honoured whome the king doth honour : and againe the argument must followe aswell on the contrary side : thus , and thus , shall he be dishonoured whome the king doth dishonour , you are not ignorant of the saying of salomon : indignatio regis est nuncius mortis , the displeasure of the king is but a fore-runner of death . if the king giue countenance to atheists , the people will respect them by his example , if he frowne vpon them , the people will trample ouer them . the king is like the maior preposition in a sillogisme , the people are like the conclusion . but it is a most certaine rule in logicke : conclusio sequitur deteriorem partem . if the maior be negatiue or perticuler , the conclusion will bee so , if any thing bee worser then other in the king the people wil be sure to followe that . secondly , they must be assisting vnto their ministers . for god in the primitiue church gaue them the gift of working miracles to credit their office and calling whereby they did chastise gods enemies . so st. paul stroke elymas the sorcerer with blindenes for peruerting and seducing the deputye from the fayth . and st. peter stroke ananias and saephira with present death for telling a lye to the holy ghost . and because miracles after a short time were to cease , our sauiour christ left the sworde of excommunication in his church to be in place of miracles , and to continue vnto the end of the worlde . and since the church hath no other sword now , but the cēsure of excōmunication , which is so greatly dispised : if it would please god to put it the hearts of princes to strengthen excommunication with their princely authoritye , to adde the sworde of the kingdome to the keyes of the church , not to suffer any person that is noted of impietye to dwell in the lande , none that is tanquam publicanus & ethnicus , as an heathen or infidell to dwell among christians , but to deliuer them ouer to the hang-man whome the church hath deliuered ouer to suthan , vnles they he heartily openitent , and speedily reformed : no dout but then god would be better knowne in iuda , and his name in ierusalem would be greater . i say , if any man be an atheist , let him not be honoured among the people , but let him haue micheas his entertainment , which was to be fed with the bread of affliction , and water of affliction , or let him be banished out of the lande , not by ostracisme , as arist●des was for his vertues , but as ouid was for his vices , and that i may vse the phrase of the holy ghost , let his house be made a takes . as tully wished , that it were written in euery mans forhead what he thought of the common-wealth of rome , that so true-hearted subiectes might be knowne from traytours : so , i wish it were written in all mens forheads , what they think of god and of christian religion . we can iudge no farther of them then wee heare by their blasphemy , and prophane wordes which they vtter , & see by their loose liues and conuersations . but so farre we may iudge as we heare and see , and we finde there are so many , that we haue good cause to crye out with the prophet dauid , and to say : help lord help , there is not a godly man left , for the faithful are fayled from among the children of men , they speak deceitfully euery one with his neighbour , flattering with their lippes , and speake with a double heart , the lord cut off all flattering lips , and the tongue that speaketh proud thinges . thus much i am fare : there is no policye to religion , no wisdome to well doing , and most firme is the estate of that man , be he high or of lowe degree , which procureth god to be his freind . chapter 4. that there is a god. they which call them-selues the damned crue , yet doe think there is no damnation , they sweare continually by the name of god , and yet they think there is no god. see how they are ouertaken vnawares . as st. paul might very well dispute with the athenians in the defence of that god whome he preached vnto them ; and say : there is a god besides all those gods which you superstitiouslye doe worship ; and is yet vnknown vnto you , witnes your selues and your owne altar , doe not think it absurd that i preach vnto you such a god for if there be not , why do you then erect an altar vnto him & write this superscriptiō vpon it ? ignoto deo , to the vnknowne god. so i dispute against them : if they be , as they confesse their selues , a damned crue , how shall they thinke to escape damnation ? if they swearo by the name of god , why doe they deny god ? for in swearing by him vnawares they doe confesse him . they weare by the woundes and bloud of christ & yet deny the merits of the death of christ . the man of god calleth such men fooles , and such fooles may be rebuked euen out of their owne booke , intituled the ship of fooles . preb scelus horrendum , blasphema tricuspide telo gent humana petit genitum patris altitonautis , atque illi exprobat quod nostros induit artus . languoresque tulit nostros , miseratus abalto casum insaelicen quo primus corruit adam . to them i say no more then out of their owne booke . desine sacrilegis iterum crucifigere labris virgineum partum , poenamque horresce propinquane . they were thought worthy to be put into the ship of fooles which are swearers , but much more doe they shewe them selues to be fooles which sweare by god , and yet say there is no god but i will proue to the damned atheist by these reasons , that there is a god. first they read euery day in the booke of nature that there is a god. i meane by the booke of nature , the great frame of heauen & earth . for what is this whole visible world , but epistola a deo scripta ad humanum genus ? a letter or epistle written from god vnto mankind ? for , in it we may read of the inuisible god in his workes , and his name is engrauen there in hierographicall letters . lactantius proueth it out of tully ( an heathen philosopher ) by the same argument , his wordes are these : nemo est tamrudis , tam seris moribus , quin oculos suos in coelum tollens , tametsi nesciat cuius dei prouidentia regatur hoc omne quod cernitur , aliquam tamen esse intelligat ex ipsa rerum magnitudine , moles , dispositione , constantia , vtilitate , pulchritudine , temperatione , nec possefieri , quis id quod mirabiliratione constat , consilio maiori aliquo sit instructū . no man is such a rusticke , so brutish and voyde of cōmon sence and reason , but as often as he looketh vp to heauen , if he deny this , his owne eyes shall witnes against him , for although this be not sufficient to bring him to the perfecte vnderstanding of that god by whose prouidence he seeth the worlde is gouerned , yet what his eye hath seene , his tongue may tell . the very greatnes of the frame of heauen , the constant motion of the starres , the wonderfull temperature of the elements , doth shewe there is a god which guideth these thinges , and by a consequent there is a god which made these thinges . mercurius trismegistus doth proue it . singula haec astra non similem & aqualem cursum faciunt in coelo . quis est qui euique modum & magnitudinem cursus terminauit ? vrsa haec quae circase voluitur , & vniuersum mundum secum circumferens ; quis est qui ei fabrifecit instrumentum ? quis est qui mariterminum imposuit ? quis est qui terram stabiliuit ? est enim aliquis ô tati , qui herum omnium factor est & dominus . impossibile enim est , vellocum , vel numerum , vel mensuram terminari absque factore . when we see the motion of the planets & fixed starres contrary one to an other , the celestiall spheres in continuall volubilitye , the multiplicitye of their motions , their diurnall or daylye course from the east to the west , their retrograde and vyolent motion from the west to the east , their trepidat motion from the south to the north. when we see the sea farre higher then the earth , and a fluide or liquid body , yet confined within the bankes that it cannot drowne the earth , the earth solid and firme vnder our feet that we cannot sinke , we must confesse ô sonne tatius that there is one which is lord & maker of these thinges , for it is impossible that euery thing should continue in due place , number and meeasure , and so iust a preportion should be obserued without a maker , and who could make these thinges but god ? therfore there is a god. to this booke of nature agreeth the booke of the bible , who saith : the heauens declare the power of god , the firmament sheweth the worke of his handes , one day teacheth another , & one night giueth knowledge to another . againe , the wrath of god is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of men , which detaine the truth of god in vnrrighteousnes , for asmuch as that which may be knowne of god is manifest in them , for god hath shewed it vnto them , for the inuisible thinges of him , that is , his eternall power and godhead are seene by the creation of the worlde , being considered in his workes , to the intent that they should be without excuse . dauid saith : he couereth him selfe with light as with a garment , and spreadeth the heauens like a curtayne , he layeth the beames of his chamber in the waters , maketh the clowdes his chariots , and walketh vpon the winges of the winde . in which wordes , i doe not presse them with the authoritye of the scriptures , because the scriptures are not of sufficient credit with them , but with the reasons which are vsed in the scriptures , which if they cannot answer , they must yeild vnto , and confesse that there is a god. and therefore i conclude against them in this manner : we see dayly effects before our eyes in all the elements , continuall motions in the heauens , but there can be no effecte without a cause , there can be no motion without a mouer , no action without an agent , no worke without a workeman : these be relatiues , and therefore one could not be without the other . mercurius trismegistus could say : statuam siue imaginem fieri sine statuario aut pictore nemo dicit . hoc vero opificium fine opifice factum est ? ô multam cacitatem , ô multam impietatem , ô multam ignorantiam , nunquam ô sili tati priuaueris opifice opificia . a picture cannot be made without a painter ; or a grauen image without a caruer , and can such a piece of worke be made without a worke van ? it is blindenes , it is impietye , it is grosse to entertaine such a conceit . so then we take these for vndouted principles in naturall phiosophye that they may not be denyed , to witte : euery effect hath his cause , euery action his agent , euery motion his mouer . but , as there be many secondary causes , agents & mouers , so there must needes be one principall and aboue the rest . there is ordo causarum , qui in rerum natura non procedit in infinitum , an order of causes sub-ordinate one to an other , and therefore there is no infinite ascention vp in the subordination of causes , but at the lēgth by ascēding we must come to the highest , & we must in ea consistere , stay when we come there , because we can goe no higher , and that is god. what naturall body soeuer is moued , i say it is moued by some other which is higher then it selfe . for example : the sphere of the moone which is the lowest of the heauens , is moued by the spheare of merc. which is higher thē it , mer. is moued by venus which is higher then it , venus by the sun , the sun by mars , mars by iupiter , iupiter by saturne , saturne by the sphere of the fixed staries , and so we ascend vntill we can goe no higher , that is vnto the heauen which is called primum mobile , y t first & highest body w c is subiect to motion & volubility . that also is moued aswell as the rest , not of it selfe , because no naturall bodye can moue it selfe , therefore it hath motion frō some other , not from any other bodye , because there can be no other bodye aboue the highest , therefore it must of necessitye be moued by that which is a spirit and not a bodye , not naturall but metaphisicall , and that can be nothing else but god. in like manner , the sunne and a man doe beget a man , the sunne & putrifaction doe engender flyes , and these thinges being subiect to outward senses are therefore naturall bodyes , and because they are naturall bodyes they haue foure causes , two inward which are matter and forme , and two outward efficient and finall , and there is nature which hath his secret motion , tell me therefore what is that ? you will say peraduenture that is nature which aristotle defineth to be principium motus the beginning of motion : you say rightly , but that is inward , therefore you must besides this assigne an outward cause of motion , and what is that ? if you say the ayre , that is but a middle cause , and therefore you must ascend higher , for , if there be causa media , there is also prima , if there be a midde or subordinate cause , there is also a principall and first cause . and what is that , but onely god , that is causa causarum the cause of all other causes , and from whence all other thinges haue their being ? againe , all agents doe not worke alike , for one thing worketh of necessitye , and that is nature , an other thing worketh ( in these outward and indifferent thinges ) partly of will , and partly of necessitye , & that is man , there you see medium participationis , a meane which participateth with the extremitye , but there can be no meane without two extreames , and there can be no one extreame without the other , and therefore of necessitye there must be a third agent which worketh freely as nature worketh of necessitye , and man partly of will & partly of necessitye . and that can be nothing else , but deus liberrimum agens , euen god which worketh freelye that no power is able to withstand his worke . therefore i conclude this point with iob : aske the beastes and they will teach thee , the foules of the heauen , and they will shewe thee : speake to the earth , and it will tell thee : the fishes of the sea , and they shall declare vnto thee : who is ignorant of all these , but the hand of the lord hath made all these ? secondly , to leaue the work-manship of the whole worlde , and to come to man alone which is but one little part of the same . if man goe no farther then him selfe , he shall see god most liuely in him selfe three manner of wayes : first in his conscience and vnderstanding , secondly in his naturall inclination he hath to religion , thirdly in the excellencye of the work-manship both of his bodye and his soule . concerning the first : i say there is in euery man at some time or other an inward feeling of his conscience , which wil he nill he , maketh him to confesse there is a god. for , suppose a man for his wickednes to be a monster of men , a very slaunder and reproch to mankinde , as nero was that slewe his mother , his master and him selfe : when he hath committed any haynous crime , he doth in his conscience see that god doth behold it , that god doth pursue him , that god wil worke reuenge although there be no witnes to accuse him , no humane power aboue him to execute iustice vpon him . i will not dwell vpon many exāples , neither wil i instance in adam , which as soone as euer he had eaten the apple hid him selfe from the presence of god in the thicket : in herod which when he had beheaded iohn the baptist wrongfully , did think y t he was haunted by iohn the baptist his ghost , saying of christ : surely this is iohn risen from the dead , nor in cain which but intending to murther his brother , watched a time when he was in the field out of the sight of his parents . i will not alleadge the authoritye of the prophet which saith : impius fugit , nemine persequente . the wicked man flyeth when no man doth pursue him : and of the apostle which saith , the gentils which haue not the lawe written ( meaning the bible ) yet haue by nature the effect of the lawe of god written in their hearts , their conscience bearing witnes , and their thoughts accusing or excusing one an other : because they thinke the bible to be a partiall iudge , and no way competent betweene them & vs , and therefore i will alleadge one or two examples out of indifferent authors tending to the same purpose . tully pleading for a man which was accused as a parecide , or one which had murthered his owne father , alleageth this as an especiall proofe of his innocencie , that in the whole course of his behauiour after his father was slayne , nothing could be obserued in him which did sauour of a troubled conscience . and for the better cleering of sextus roscius whose cause was then in hand , he alleageth a former example of a father and his sonne , which in their trauayle tooke vp their lodging , and after supper lay together in one bed : the morowe after , the master of the house comming by chance into the chamber , found the father strangled in his bed and the sonne sleping by his side : when the matter was examined by the iudges , the sonne was acquitted by the equitye of the lawe as a man innocent , because it was then held and by them so adiudged to be a matter impossible , that he should in so short a time haue slept if so be that he had committed murther . a man saith tully which hath slayne his father , shall feele a thousand vexations and furyes of hell tormenting his conscience , according to that saying of the wise man : a good conscience is a continuall feaste , but non est pax impijs , no inward peace , no quietnes of conscience with such men as are notoriouslye wicked . a man i say , that hath committed any crying sinne , shall betraye him selfe by the working of his owne conscience , it will not suffer him to take his bodily rest , it will alter his very face and countenance , as the poet saith : heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vult● ? oh how hard a thing is it for a man to keep his countenance , & not to blush which hath committed an offence ? the lord said to cain after he had committed murther : why is thy countenance cast downe ? such a man feareth the wagging of euery leaf , and the flying of euery bird . an obnox ous man watching , is like to a phrensie man sleeping , for the one resteth not sleeping , and the other resteth not waking , he cannot sit still hee cannot lye stil , he cannot stand still , nor abide long in any place . caligula the tyrant was afeard of euery blast . nero when he had massacred the christiās , put st. paul to the sword , st. peter to the gibbet , was so terryfied by apparitions , as he thought , of s t , paul and st. peter which appeared at his bedside in a dreame : and after he had put his mother agrippina to death , he was so terrified in his conscience , that he knewe not where to bestowe him selfe , at the end for very greife of minde , he ran into a priuye , and there stabbed himselfe . that i may come to religion . tully saith : sunt qui negant deos procurationem habere rerum humanarum , quorum sententia falsa est , quoniam sic omnis religio inanis esset . religion sheweth there is a god , for if there were no god , then could there be no religion . but euery mans soule naturally hath somtimes a feeling of religion , although he dispise god and religion neuer so much . this appeareth by the very heathens them selues , which , be they neuer so rude and barbarous , and depriued of the knowledge of god , yet doe make vnto themselues idols euen of their owne accorde , as mr. caluin verye well obserueth : dei conceptionis apud ethnicos , saith he , idolotria satis est argumenti , quum lapidem potius quam nullum deum colant , y e mansown conceit doth naturally leade him to knowe there is a god , the verye idolatrie of the heathens is a sufficient proofe , which chose rather to worship a stone , then no god at all . and as statius saith : primus in orbe deos fecit timor , as soone as men be in danger and extremitye , be they neuer so vngodly , yet they erect altars , carue images , flye to thē for succour , shewing that in their owne naturall iudgement which they haue by the light and instinct of nature , there is one higher then them selues , one whose power is aboue the power of man to whome they ought to flye vnto for help and deliuery out of trouble , and who is that but god ? nay , witnes in this point the atheistes them selues that there is a god , for in their extremitye of greife they crye out ô god. it is an olde and true prouerb : qui nescit orare transeat mare , if a man knowe not how to serue god , let him sayle vpon the sea , and it will make him to serue god. when the lord sent a great winde that the ship was like to be rent , the mariners were afeard , & euery one cryed vnto his god , they said vnto ionas : thou sleeper arise , and call vpon thy god , if so be that god will think vpon vs that we perish not , and ( as the text saith ) then the men feared the lord exceedingly , and offered sacrifices vnto him , and made vowes . and for this cause namely , that men by the instinct of nature doe incline to religion , and a man is as much distinguished from a beast by his feeling of religion as by his reasonable soule ; after the floud , mercurius trismegistus and menna prescribed lawes and rules of religion to the aegiptians , melissus to the cratians , ianus , to the latines , numa pompilius to the romanes , orpheus and cadmus to the grecians , aswell as moses and aaron to the hebrues , the difference onely this , that the hebrues were in the right way , al the rest in the wrong . but yet all nations besides had their priests , their altars , their gods , their rules and principles of the religion which they professed , which is an argument , that by nature they knewe there was a god. and that i may descend vnto the work-manship of man to shewe that there is a god , it is truely said , that hominis fabricatio est innumeris dei testimonijs ornata , the verye work-manship of man him selfe doth aboundantly witnes that there is a god. let vs therefore first of all looke into the soule of man , and afterward into the state of his bodye . there is in it not onely an infinite capacitye , in so much that the more it knoweth , the more it is able to learne , it is able to conceiue not onely the whole worlde , but also two worldes , yea infinite worldes , it is of infinite desire which is neuer satisfied . i will not speak of daniel which was called : vir multorum disideriorum a man of manye desires , nor of moses which in this transitorye life desired to see the very face of god , but of alexander the great , which when he thought he had subdued the whole worlde , yet was not therewith contented , but affected more worldes : and hearing a philosopher say there were infinite worldes , wept for greife to thinke how great a labour it should be for him to subdue them all , as if he had hoped to conquer all . mans appetite is neuer satisfied : giue him a citye , he desireth a kingdome : giue him a kingdome , he affecteth an empire : giue him an empire , he desireth a worlde . if he could be made lord of the whole world , and knew that besides that there were no more , yet would he not rest there , but desire somwhat which is greater then the worlde , and what can that be but only god ? so then , forasmuch as man is not satisfied with knowledge and contemplation , but laboureth to knowe more ( that still aristotles proposition shall be veryfied in him : omnes homines naturaliter scire desiderant , all men naturallye are desirous of knowledge ) neither yet with possession , but desireth to haue more : what can that be but dei maiestas in mente & voluntate tanquam in speculis reflexa et vnita , euen the maiestie of god in mans minde and in his will as it were in two glasses seene , and reflected backe againe ? againe , forasmuch as the proper obiect of the minde is truth as tully writeth , but the minde of man is infinite , as i haue declared , the obiect must be correspondent vnto the minde , therefore truth must be infinite , and there must be no end of the knowledge and apprehension of truth . and forasmuch as that truth which is in creatures dependeth vpon vncertaintyes , therefore there is some other truth which is immutable and most certayne , and that is god. also , the substance of mans soule hath not his originall or beginning from any materiall thing , because it is not of seed , as in due course i will proue vnto you , neither yet is it mortall , as i will shewe when i come to speake of the soule , therfore it is not of any naturall cause , but is the effect of such a cause as is supernaturall , and metaphisicall , and that is god. but to leaue the soule of man and come to his bodye . mercurius trismegistus writeth of it in this sorte : si vis opisicem etiam per mortalia intueri , cogita ô fili , hominis in vtero fabricam , & opificis exacte artificium expende , & disce quisuam artifex pulchram hanc & diuinam hominis imaginem cordat , quisnam sit qui oculos circumscribat , nares & aures perforauerit , os aperuerit , nertias extenderit & colligauerit , venas in canales efformauerit , ossa indurauerit , carni cutam circum diderit , digitos & articulos distiuxerit , pedibus basim dilatauerit , splenem extenderit , poros cauauerit , heper latum fecerit , pulmonem perforauerit , ventrem capac●●… fecerit , honorabilia palam figurauerit , turpia absconderit ? vide quot artes in vna materia quis haec omnia fecit ? qua mater ? quis pates ? nisi solus immanifestus deus ? if thou ( ô man ) wilt see the inuisible workeman , doe but thinke vpon man how he is framed in the wombe : who made his eyes round , his eares and nostrels holowe , his mouth open ? who stretched out his sinewes , hardned his bones , skinned his flesh , parted his fingers ? who made the passage from his veynes ? who widened the bottomes of his feet , dilated his splene , who opened his pores & his lunges , dilated his liuer , made his belly of such capacitye , his honest partes to be open , and his secret partes to be hidden ? who did all these thinges but onely the inuisible god ? a third reason to proue there is a god , is the generall consent , not onelye of the learned men of the worlde , but also of the worlde it selfe . and why should any fewe wicked men thinke them selues wiser then the worlde ? the denyers of the god head haue beene these men of name : diagoras , theodotus , cyrenaeus , euemarus tegeates , callimachus , podicus , caeus , plinius , lucianus , lucretius , doletus , epicurus : some of them denying that there was a god , others that he tooke the care of gouerning and guiding the worlde , and besides these , verye fewe . but as for the famous and learned philosophers of the worlde , they confessed there was a god. empedooles said : deus est cuius centrum est vbique , circumferentia autem nusquam , god his center is euerye where , his circumference no where . socrates called him magnum iudicem the great iudge , as tully witnesseth : plato acknowledged him in all his workes , aristotle the greatest of all , which in deed was equiualent to all the philosophers , i may iustlye say , there is almost no leafe in his workes , but in it he inserteth the name of god ( euen as almost no page of the bible but in it is vnderstood the name of christ ) who is called by him : prima causa , causa causarum , ens entium , primus mortor , author omnium , lux aterna , simplicissimus actus , conditor mundi , infinitus , immensus , inaffabilis deus , the first cause , the cause of causes , the essence of all thinges of whome all things haue their being , the first mouer , the author of all thinges , the eternall light , most pure act , maker of the world , infinite , vnmeasurable , vnspeakable god. aristotle when he liued , was accused by hiero the priest , because , contra patrios mores & ritus multitudine deorum vnum solum & ●erum deum agnouit , contrary to the religion of his countrye where many gods were worshipped , he acknowledged but one onely true god. and when he dyed , the last wordes which he spake were these : ens entium miserere mei , god haue mercy vpon me . the like was acknowledged by mercurius trismegistus . quid deus ? immutabile bonum . mundus factus est propter hominem , & homo propter deum . what is god ? an immutable goodnes , the worlde was made for man , and man for god. ego fi lt , et humanitatis gratia et erga deum pictatis haec scribo . i write this tract ( my sonne ) in regarde of my loue to vardes man , and my dutye towards god. illud vero ex mente lucidum verbīs filius det , that same pure worde which is borne of god is the sonne of god. natura diuina principium entium , the diuine nature is the beginning of all thinges . deus et pater , & bonum eandem habent naturam , quid est deus , pater , & bonum , quam omnium esse ? god the father , and goodnes , haue the same nature , what is god , the father , and goodnes , but the very essence , and being of all thinges ? here is a manifest acknowledgement of the trinitye . to leaue particular men , what answere the atheists to the iudgement of the worlde ? the consent of nations ? tully draweth his argument in this manner : deus esse non est dubitandum , quoniam corum notitiam omnium animis ipsa impressit natura , that there is a god , it is without question , because all nations doe acknowledge and confesse him by the instinct of nature . but in an other place saith he : omnium consensus vox naturae est , the consent of all men is the voyce of nature it selfe . i haue shewed how all nations imbrace some religion or other , haue their altars , their priests , their gods : as the hebrues from moses , so the egiptians from mercury , the cretians from melissus , the latins frō ianus , the romans from numa , the greckes frō orpheus and cadmus , and all nations from one or other . st. augustin saith , concerning miracles : non nunc necessaria sunt , vt olim , miracula , tum facta erant necessario priusquam crederet mundus , ad hoc vt crederet mundus , quisquis autem adhuc , vt credat prodigia requirit , magnum est ipse prodigium , qui mundo credente , non credit . now miracles are not so necessary as in times past they were , before they were necessary , that so the worlde might beleeue , but now he is a miracle his selfe that will not beleeue , because the world beleeueth . but say i , as he is a wonder that will not beleeue that which the worlde beleeueth : so he is a monster which will not confesse that which the world confesseth . a fourth argument to proue there is a god , is the great multitude of miracles which haue beene manifested to the worlde , euen such things as are farre aboue the strength of nature , & therfore needs must proceed from some higher & supernaturall cause , and who is that metaphysicall cause but euen natura naturans , god him selfe . for example , slightly to passe ouer so many earthquakes , which haue ouerthrowne whole cityes , as eutropius sheweth how the yeare after st. pauls death , the citye of colossus was swallowed vp for despising st. pauls doctine . they are not vnacquainted with the historiographers which shewe how by an earthquake the iland of sicily was made an iland being before one maine continent with italy , how europe and africa were parted when spaine was deuided from barbary which before were one land ? and that i may speak that which mine eyes haue seene , vienna the cheife citye of austria is now more subiecte to earthquakes then other places in the worlde besides , in so much that there is scarce one house in the citye which hath not one rent or other in the stone wall , which came onely by earthquakes . and because that place hath beene more subiecte to earthquakes then other places , one of the bishops of that sea heretofore deuised a certaine prayer continually to be said in the churches of vienna to this effect , that god would defend that citye from earthquakes . let the atheist satisfie me by a natural reason concerning this poynt , else let him confesse that there is a supernatural cause , which if they doe , that is god. what can they saye to so manye strange eclipses , to so manye prodigious raines ? as when it rayned bloud , flesh , stones , coles of fire , of which they may read at large in liuy , plutarch and other authors ? what say they to so many comets appearing in the ayre , after which stil doe insue the death of so many princes , as namely the comet which appeared in the yeare 1506. after which ensued the death of philip king of spayn sonne and heyre to maximlian the emperour , philip prince elector of rhene , albert duke of bauaria , pope iuly the second , iohn king of suecia and noruegia , lewis king of france , maximiliā the emperour , the bish . of spire , the archbishops of colen & magdeburg , the venetiā wars , the wars between the turke and the persian , the king of denmarke christian driuen out of his kingdome , hungary inuaded and rhodes taken by the turke . lewis king of hungary slayne , who can giue a naturall reason of this , and many other like vnto this ? but i will stand especially vpon two things which haue troubled the wise men of the world , let the atheists yeild naturall reasons how these things could be , else let thē cōfesse there is a god w c is aboue nature . first the starre which apeared at the birth of our sauiour being neither a fixed starre , nor yet a planet , for it was nothing like vnto either of them , if we doe respecte the motion of it , the place where , and the time when it apeared , and the vse whervnto it serued , for , it neither moued as the fixed starres from the est to the west , nor as the planets from the west to the est , but from the est to the south , the like neuer heard of before nor since . when the sunne shined it also shone , when the wise men came to palestina it went before them , when they came to ierusalem it vanished away , when they went to bethleem it went before them againe , as if it were a creature indued with reason and vnderstanding , it shewed them the verye house where the childe did lye , whereas a naturall starre by reason of the great distance betweene heauen & earth , could not discouer vnto them the place and scituation of a great citye , much lesse of a small house : when they went forward , it went forward , whē they stood still , it stood still , and as st. augustin saith : quid erat illa stellanisi magnifica lingua coeli , quae nec vnquam antea inter sidera apparuit , nec postea demonstranda perntansit ? quid erat nisi magnifica lingua coeli , quae gloriam dei narraret , quae inusitatum virginis partum inusitato fulgore clamaret , cui non postea apparenti euangelium toto orbe succederet ? what starre was that which was neuer seene before nor since , but the wonderfull voyce of heauen which should declare the glory of god , and publish to the worlde , the vnvsuall child-bearing of a virgin , by an vnvsuall brightnes , which should neuer afterward apeare againe , but in steed of it should be the glorious gospell of iesus christ ? if you aske me what proofe i haue besides the gospell that euer there apeared such a starre : witnes ignatius which sawe our sauiour in the flesh , prudentius the poet , macrobius a professed enemye to christiā religion , which testifieth the same . and it is not vnworthy of obseruatiō , that not the maniches . not celsus , not porphu●y , not iulian in al their cauels against the story of the gospel , did no way so much as in a word take exceptiō against this storye of the star● might eleuate or extenuate the truth thereof . and therfore concerning this , i may say with ignatius , hinc euanuir mundi sapientia , praestigiae factae sunt nugae , magia risus , omnes ritus malitiae aboliti , ignorantiae caligo fugata , quum deus & homo apparuit , & homo vt deus operabatur . in this the wisdome of the worlde was preued to be but follye , the wise in their wisdomeme it proued but a toy , their magicke ridiculous , all their superstitious rites were abolished , the clowdes of ignorance dispersed , when god apeared to the worlde as a man , and man as if he were god. and secondly what naturall cause can they alleage of that great eclipse of the sun , which contrarye to nature lasted from the sixt houre to the ninth , and darkened the face of the whole earth ? for first of all the astrologers knew wel that al eclipses of the sunne which haue beene from the beginning of the worlde ( that onely excepted ) haue beene according to the rules of arte and the nature of an eclipse , which iohannes de sacrobusto desineth in this manner : est interpositio lunae inter aspectum nostrum & solare corpus , an interposition of the moone betweene the body of the sunne and our sight , which , as he saith , cannot be ; but quum luna fuerit in capite vel cauda draconis , vel prope , vel infra metas supradictas , & in coniunctione cum sole . when the moone is in the head or tayle of the dragon , or there abouts , and in coniunction with the sunne . and forasmuch therefore as the eclipse of the sunne which was at the time of the passion of our sauiour christ , was when it was plenilumium , a ful moone , not coniunctio siue nouilunium , not a coniunction of the sunne with the moone , or newe moone , he concludeth that it was no naturall eclipse , but cleane contrary to the rules of astronomye and the course of nature . againe , he sheweth that when the sunne is eclipsed , all the earth is not darkened , but onely one climat , because of the difference of the aspectes in diuers chmats , but this eclipse darkned the whole earth , therefore it was supernaturall , and to the astonishment of the world , insomuch y t dionysius the arcepagi●e at the very time of the eclipse , beholding of it , cryed out on a suddaine aut deus naturae paetitur , aut mundi machina dissoluitur . either the god of nature doth this day suffer , or the frame of the worlde shall be dissolued . againe , darkenes continued for the space of three howers which could not be , if it had bene a naturall eclipse , therefore it was supernaturall , and of it saith st. chrisostom : non poterat ferre creatura iniuriam creatoris , vnde sol detraxit radios suos , ue videret impiorum facinora . the creature could not with pacienceindure the wrong done to the creator , and therefore the sunne withdrewe his beames because he would not beholde so wicked a fact as that the lord of glorye should so vngraciouslye be put to death . but the atheists will aske me , how i can make proofe by any sauing the euangelist , that there was euer such an eclipse ? i answerd forasmuch as at that time when the eclipse was , darkenes was not onely in iudea but throgh al the whole worlde , and therefore at that time not onely dionysius the arcopagite , but also the inhabitants of the whole earth could witnes , as st , origen answered . but least they should thinke we are vtterly voyde of the testimoney of heathen writers : origen disputing against celsus the epicure , an enemye to the christian faith , proueth it vnto him , not by the the testimony of the gospel , but of phlegon a famous chronicler , seruantto adrian the emperer as suidas reciteth phlegons wordes , phlegon his selfe did giue his owne iudgement of this eclipse that it was prodigious . and tertullian disputing with the gentiles , proueth the same eclipse out of their owne writers , saying : et eum mundi casum relatum in archiuis vestris habetis . ye haue the verye same occurrent registred in your owne recordes . a fifte reason to proue there is a god , is the varietye of punishments which haue been inflicted vpon the atheists from time to time which haue denyed god : holophernes which being so great a warriour , beheaded in the middle of his owne campe by a sillye woman , lucian deuoured with dogges , iulian the apostata strookē dead with a darte frō heauen , arrius who died with his belly breaking & his bowelles gushing out as he sate vpō the priuye , olympius washing him selfe in a bathe , and blaspheming the trinitye , while manye men looked vpon him , was consumed suddenly with three fierye dartes , the poyntes of all three meeting in one . let the atheists shewe how these thinges could otherwise be done , but by the extraordinary hand of almighty god , or else if they cannot , let them confesse the god which did these thinges . a sixt reason to proue there is a god , is the confession of the deuils them selues . for what one deuill confesseth , is the confession of them all , for regnum diuisum non potest stare , the kingdome of sathan being diuided within it selfe cannot stand . neither will i for confirmation hereof alleage the authority of st iames which saith , they beleeue and tremble , of st. luke which writeth of the deuils confession saying : christ i knowe , and paul i knowe : of st. marke , where the deuill saith to our sauiour : i knowe thee that thou art euen that holy one of god , neither how moses his rodde deuoured the serpents which was made by the sorcerers of aegipt , how they could not make lyce , because their power was restrayned by an higher power , the finger of god , how dagon fell downe before the arke of god , & could not stand in the chappel where it stood : because they snall not say i am partiall . but what answer can they make to the generall silence of all oracles , that so many oracles speaking before the time of our sauiour christ , all were by him put to silence ? what answer can they make to that famous storye of the oracle of apollo at delphus , which when augustus the emperor offered sacrifice vnto him , to knowe the reason of that vnwonted silence vnheard of in former times : gaue this for the last answer , as being neuer to speake againe . me puer hebraeus , diuos deus ipse gubernans cedere sede iubet , tristemque redire sub orcum . aris ergo dehinc tacitus abcedito nostris . which answer being giuen , augustus erected an altar in the capitoll of rome , with this inscription ingrauen vppon it : ara primogeniti dei. the altar of the first begotten sonne of god. seeing therefore the deuils haue confessed god the father and his sonne christ , such men as will not confesse the same , are in that poynt worsse then deuils . last of all , it stan leth with good reason that it should be the safest opinion for the atheists to holde that there is a god. for if so be that there were no god , there could come no hurt vnto them for thinking so , because all men besides them selues holding the same , there were none that would punish them for their opinion . but if so be that there be a god , ( as i haue prcued vnto them that there is ) surelye one day he will torment them in hell fire for their contempt , because they would not belceue in him , and confesse his name . therefore i conclude with the apostle : corde creditur ad iusticiam , orefit confessio ad salutem , let the heart belecue to righteousnes , and the tongue consesle vnto saluation . at the name of iesus let euery knee bow , both of thinges in heauen , and thinges in earth , & thinges vnder the earth , and let euery tongue confesse , that iesus christ is the lord , vnto the glorye of god the father . amen . chapter 5. what god is ? saint chrisostom saith : ego omne quod intelligo , sinc christo , & spiritu sancto , & patre , nolo intelligere , nisienim intellexero in trinitate quae me seruabit , mihi dulceesse non potest quod intelligo . i can vnderstand no other god , when i heare the name of god mencioned , but the father , the sonne and the holy-ghost . for vnlesse i vnderstandd it to be ment by the holy and vndiuided trinitye , whereby i am saued , my vnderstanding shall content me nothing . so thē , according to s. auguste : god is a diuine nature , consisting of three persons , the father , the sonne , the holy ghost , god , the lord , the cōforter , he which begetteth , which is begotten , he which regenerateth & newe begetteth , of one all things , in one al things , by one al things , frō whence , by whome , & in whom are al things , life w c liueth , life of him which liueth , the quickner of al things which are liuing , one of him selfe , one of an other , one of thē both . the principles of humane artes and liberall sciences are by themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to bee proued by the same artes . an arithmetician cannot proue by arithmeticke that omnis numerus est par aut impar , euerye number is euen or odde . the musitian cannot proue by his owne arte that two crotchets make a quauer , because these be principles of arithmeticke and musicke . all principles , as aristoile teacheth in his demonstrations , if they be demonstrated , must be demonstrated by the metaphysics which are of an higher nature , but that the principles of the metaphysics cannot be demonstrated because there is no higher science . but forasmuch as diuinitye is the highest , it is enough for vs to belceue the principles thereof without farther serching , and happy is the man which seeth not the reason how they should be so , and yet belecueth that they are so . no man hath seene god at any time , because he is inuisible . tully saith : vtioculus , it a anima , sereliqua videns seipsum non videt , the eye seeth not it selfe , and the soule vnderstandeth other thinges better then it selfe , and that this saying : nosce teipsum , know thy selfe , is meant in regarde of the soule of man , because it is so hard to conceiue what it is . but if so be that an eye cannot see it selfe , no meruaile though it haue not seene god , if a man cannot fullye vnderstand him selfe , how should he so perfectly conceiue and define what god is , which is so infinitelye aboue himselfe ? that which is finite him which is infinite , the creature the creator , the pipkin the pipkin maker , he which is made of vile claye him that hath made all thinges of nothing ? but as moses when he was a mortall and sinfull man was not able to beholde the glorye of god , and therfore sawe but his backe partes onelye as he passed by : so let vs which haue but shallowe braynes so far demonstrate faith by reason , as faith may be discerned by reason . the philosophers , as s. augustin saith , seeking after the nature of god , found that he could not be a body , & therefore concluded that he was farre more excellent then all bodyes , and therfore a spirit : that he could not be subiect to change , and therfore that he was aboue all bodyes and soules which are subiect to alteration : that all mutable thinges haue their beginning from that which is without all shadowe of change or mutabilitye , and that hee which is not thus subiect is simply of him selfe depending of nothing but all other thinges haue their dependance on him . againe , they considered that al substances are other bodyes or spirits , and that a spirit is more excellent then a bodie , but that to be moste excellent which hath made both the bodie and the spirite . they considered likewise , that the shape of the body is discerned by the outward sences , and the spirit is perceaued by the vnderstanding , but that which is onely vnderstood is better then that which is seene , and that there was something more excellent then both these , & by so many waies god is known . therfore , for asmuch as god is one simple essence , not compounded of any partes , not consisting of any accidents , and yet subsisting , and the apostle speaketh of him in the plurall number saying : the inuisible things of him are seene by the creation of the worlde because the truth of god is knowne and perceaued by many meanes through the thinges which he hath made : by the continuance of his creatures is vnderstood his eternitie , by the greatnes of them his omnipotencie , by the excellent order wherby he hath disposed them his wisdome , by his gouernment and preseruation of them in that comely and decent order , his goodnes , and all these thinges doe belong to the vnitie of his substance . therefore not to speake of the authoritie of the holy bible , where at the baptisme of our sauiour , the blessed trinitie did sencibly appeare , the father in a voice , the sonne in a man , the holy ghost in a doue , how in the beginning the father made , the son spake , and the holy ghost mooued vpon the waters , bara elohins creauit dij , seu deus trinus , a verbe of the singular number is ioyned to a nominatiue case of the plurall to shew that these three are one , how when three angels came to abraham his house , he prostrated himselfe to them as vnto god , which could not bee without the crime of idolatrie , vnlesse they had bin god : howe sometimes he spake to them in the plurall number as vnto three persōs , & sometimes in the singular as vnto one god : how the angels crie in heauen , holy , holy , holy , lord god of sabaoth , three times holy & once lord to show that there were three persons & one god. but if i come onely to shewe the backe partes of god , so farre as by earthlie comparisons he may be made manifest vnto sinfull man : the atheist doth aske how it can stand , with sence & reason that three should be one , and one should be three ? first let the atheist take example by olimpius the arrian , which washing himselfe in the bathe contempteously asked how this might be ? but was suddenly distroyed by three fierie dartes sent from heauen , and the pointes of these three ioyning all in one , to teach others by his example , howe it is necessarie to beleeue , but no way safe to make a doubt of the principles of diuinitie , and to call into question such deep misteries of our faith , and yet to shew that three might be one , and one three . secondly , the number of three are one number , & yet three vnities in arithmetic , a triangle is three angles and one figure in geometrie , three gimballes compacted together are one ring , & yet three as they be disioyned , and concerning these things do doubt is made . so you see by familiar examples how one may be three , and these three notwitstanding one . thirdly , in the sunne which shineth in the firmament , there are the bodie of the sunne , the brightnes which proceedeth from the body , and the heate which procedeth from them both . so in the trinitie , there is the father from whome all thinges are , the sonne which is the brightnes of his fathers glorie , and ingrauen forme of his person , and the holy ghost , which is the heate and loue of them both . fourthly , in the fire there are light , flame , & heate , the fier cannot be deuided , neither can the trinitie . fiftly , there are three powers and faculties of the soule of man , the memorie , the vnderstanding , and the will , these three are seuerall faculties , yet the soule is one . all these three doe comprehend one another . for man remembreth that he hath memorie , will , and vnderstanding . the vnderstanding likewise comprehendeth al three , for man vnderstandeth that he hath vnderstanding , will and memorie . the will comprehendeth all three , for man is willing that he shall will , vnderstand , and remember . so the father comprehendeth him selfe , the sonne & the holy ghost , the sonne comprehendeth himselfe , the father and the holy ghost , the holy ghost comprehendeth himselfe , the father & the son. sixtlye , that which vnderstandeth , & that which is vnderstood , are all one , when the minde reflected vpon it selfe vnderstandeth it selfe . so , god the father from euerlasting vnderstanding himselfe begat his sonne coeternall with himselfe : as a vninitie is not of any other , but of it selfe , and yet begetteth a vnitie of it selfe : so god the father which is of none , yet vnderstanding of himselfe , alierum se , non aliud generat , begetteth of himselfe an other , not in nature , but in person from himselfe , which yet is all one with himselfe . againe that which vnderstandeth and is vnderstood is all one with that which is beloued , when the vnderstanding doth loue it selfe , and then it is one and the selfe same thing which loueth , and is beloued , and there is the holy ghost , all one with the father and the sonne . and so , as it were in the glasse of nature is represented a liuely image of that essential loue and vnderstanding by which the father , the sonne , and the holy ghost doe loue and vnderstand each other from all eternitie . last of all , in euery thing which is made and framed by the arte of man , there be necessarilie three thinges , and yet these three make one , matter , shape , and order : by the matter is represented the father , by the shape the sonne which is the image of his father , by order the holy ghost , which ordereth and disposeth all thinges . i conclude with st. augustin : te patrem ingenitum , te filium vnigenitum , te spiritum paracletum ab vtrisg , procedētem , colimus & veneramur , we praise & worship thee ô god the father vnbegotten , the sonne onely begotten , the holy spirit the comforter proceeding from them both . chapter . 6. that there is but one god. dauid sayth that the god of gods euen the lorde hath spoken , and called the earth euen from the rising of the sunne to the going downe therof . in which wordes notwithstanding , he doth not intimate that there be many gods , but one , for he called the other gods so , by a figure called ironia , or sarcasmus as . god did by adam when he said : beholde adam is like one of vs , when he ment nothing lesse . such gods are but creatures as i haue shewed , & by nature they are not gods. such gods were the idols of the nations , of which s. paule saith : they turned the truth of god into a lye , and worshipped the creature for the creatour . such gods were dagon , remphan , astoroth , the gods of the philistines , moabites , sidonians . but euen as aarons rodde deuoured the serpents of the sorcerers , so the god of the philistines dagon fel down before . arke the of the couenant where the true god was present , to shewe that such gods were but counter faite gods , and vaine like them which put their trust in them . of such gods saith s. augustin . nec ideo troiaperijt quia mineruam perdidit , quid enim ipsa prius mincrua perdidit vt periret ? an forte , custodes suos ? hoc sane verum est , quippe illis , coesis potuit auferri , neque homines a simulachro , at simulacrum ab hominibus sernabatur quo modo ergo celebratur vt patriam custodiret et ciues , quae suos non potuit custodire custodes ? troy was not therfore ouerthrowne , because it lost the idoll of the goddesse minerua , but tell i pray you what the idol did loose , first , that itself shold be also lost ? you will say shee lost her keepers , and ye say the truth , for when the keepers of her temple were slaine , it was no masterie to steale the goddesse away , for it was not the idoll that kept the man , but the man did keepe the idoll . how absurde a thing therefore was it to worshippe such a goddesse as a defendour and keeper of the cittie , which was not able to keep her selfe , nor the keepers of her chappell ? whereas virgill sayth : victosque deos , paruumque nepotem , suosque tibi commendat troia penates : si autem virgilius tales deos , & victos dicit , et vt vel victi quo quo modo euaderent , homini commendatos , que dementia est existimare his tutoribus roman sapienter fuisse commissam , & nisi eos amisissat , non potuisse vastari ? imo , deos victos tanquam defensores colere , quid aliud est quam non numina bona , sed daemonia mala ? non roma perijsset si illi , perijssent ; sed illi multo antea perijssent , nisi eos roma seruasset . hector in virgill sayth : his god was conquered , and hee commendeth them to the tuition of aenaeas . but what madnesse was it to imagin that rome was wisely committed to the protection of such gods as were conquered , and had neede their selues of mans protection , and that rome could not bee sacked so long as these gods were in safetie ? nay to worship conquered gods as patrons of the citie , is not to serue blessed gods but damned deuils . rome had not bin sacked ouer the sooner because they , were taken , but they had bin taken sooner , had they not bin kept by the cittie . the kingdome of the iewes , saith st. augustin , was founded by one god , and not by a multitude of gods , and was maintained by that one god so long as they serued him . that one god multiplyed the people in aegipt , but neither did their women vse the helpe of lucina in their childe-birth , neither did the man vse the helpe of neptune when they passed ouer the red sea , neither of the nimphes when they dranke water out of the rocke , neither of mars when they conquered amalac , but they obtained more at the handes of their owne god , then euer did the romans at the handes of their multitude of gods whome they serued . lactantius proposeth this question , whether the world is gouerned by one god or manie ? not to stand vpon his authoritie because he was a christian , but to wey his reasons , because i dispute against neathens and insidels , which , as i shewed in the first chapter are also comprehended vnder name of atheistes , although they doe not denie god , because they serue , as the apostle saith : the thinges which by nature are not gods. what neede saith lactantius , hath the worlde of many gods ? vnlesse they suppose that one of himselfe is not sufficient to vndergoe so great a burden ? which needes must be graunted , if euerie god of himselfe be not able without the assistance and helpe of an other . if any of them of himselfe be not omnipotent , then he is not a god , if he be omnipotent thēhe needeth not any partner . if god of him selfe bomnipotent , there can be but one , for if the diuine power be diuided among many gods thē no one can be all sufficiēt of himselfe , but by how manie more they are in number , by so much the weaker they must be in power . he concludeth : quid quod summa illa & diuina potestas , ne semel quidem diuidi potest , quicquid enim capit diuisionem , & interitum necesse est , si autem interitus , procul est a deo. the diuine power which belongeth vnto god cannot be imparted vnto many , for whatsoeuer is capable of diuision is also subiect to corruption , thē the which thing , nothing can be more repugnant to the nature of god. therefore there is but one god. i say therefore with the apostle : now to the king euerlasting , immortall , inuisible , vnto god onely wise , bee honour and glorie for euer and euer . amen . chapter . 7. that the bookes of the bible are the word of god. i made mention before , of the booke of nature , which might worthily be called gods booke , because as i said , it was a letter or epistle wherein god did make himselfe knowne vnto mankinde , and did instruct vs so farre as to knowe and confesse that there was a god. but because that knowledge was but bare and naked and no way sufficient to bring vs to saluation , onely it serued to make vs search and inquire farther , that by inquiring farther we might bee saued : there is an other booke which is more especially called gods booke , i meane his holy bible , wherin we are taught not onely to knowe god in his vissible creatures , but also , in his sonne iesus christ whereby wee are saued . and it stood verse much with his diuine wisdome so prouiding for euerye thing , as the seuerall nature and quallitie of each creature doth require , to write such a booke for mans instruction in his feare & true worship , because man cōsisteth of a body as wel a of as soule , and conceaueth visible things easier then such things as are onely spirituall and are not seene , and by such things as are subiect to his outward sences , man is brought to vnderstand . it pleased him therefore of his great mercie to instruct vs by these visible characters , and written letters which dayly we doe reade . and as s. augustin saith : de illa ciuitate vnde peregrinamur , hae literae nobis venerunt , ipsae sunt scripturae quae nos hortantur vt bene viuaenius . these letters sent vnto vs from that cittie the heauenly ierusalem from whence yet wee doe wander , & they are the scriptures which doe exhorte vs to liue well . and i cannot denie , but the writers themselues of these holy bookes , were so immediately instructed from god himselfe which is the fountaine of all heauenly wisdome , that they needed no writings . but yet with vs it is otherwise , they are the foundation , wee are but the walles which are builded vpō that foundation , we ( saith the apostle ) are builded vpon the foundation of the prophets and the apostles . because by their writings we are edified , but they by whose meanes we are edified & builded , doe leane their selues immediately vppon the chiefe corner stone which is iesus christ . there are great oddes betweene the high mountaines and the little hillocks , and lowe valleyes , they are lightned immediately vpon the first rising of the sunne , but light & heate commeth by degrees from them to the lower partes . as also god foresawe in his wisdome , and we know by experience of the former ages frō the beginning of the worlde vnto moses , when there was no written worde , that there could not be veritatis et doctrinae puritatis salua custodia sine scripto , soundnesse of doctrine could not be preserued , but by committing of it to writing . and therefore it pleased god that these volumes of the bible should bee written . and that these are the holy scriptures giuen by inspiration of god , profitable to teach , to conuince , to correct , and to instruct , that the man of god may be absolute to all good workes : that the man of god which writte them , spake inspired by the holy ghost , that they were written for the saluation of mens soules , & not for the maintenāce of ciuil gouernment , i proue by these arguments following . the first is the truth of all the prophecyes which haue fayled in nothing , w c spake of things long before they came to passe , so certainely as if they had bin already fulfilled . and y t i may make due proofe therof , certissimus & fidelissimus vaticiniorum interpres est euentus : the surest & faithfull est interpreter of prophecies is the euent of thinges : now wee see their predictions are alreadie come to passe , we are eye witnesses that they are true , which truth argueth that they were written by the finger of god which is the holy ghost , which onely could not erre in writing , and not by man , for asmuch as all men are lyers , humanum est errare , it is the nature and propertie of a man to e●●e ▪ in so much that if hee bee without error , hee is not a man. and therfore it is impossible but in so manie predictions foretolde so many yeares before the time & so cōnary to humane reason , but they shold haue bin deceiued if men had bin the authors of these bookes . i will instance for breuitie sake in some one or two especiall thinges which may best serue for this purpose . the scriptures foretolde long before the time that the world should be conuerted to christian religion , all nations should beleeue and submit themselues to the obedience of the faith , a thing in mans iudgement not to bee expected . for the prophet saide concerning the kingdome of christ , i meane his kingdome of the gospell or of grace . the heathens raged , & the people murmured against the lord and his christ , but in vaine , the kinges of the earth stood vp & banded them selues , and the princes assembled themselues togeather . but he that sitteth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne , the lord shall haue them in derision . euen i haue set my king vpon sion mine holie mountaine , i will declare the decree : that is , the lorde hath saide to me , thou art my sonne , this day haue i begotten thee , aske of me , and i shall giue thue the heathen for thine inheritance , and the endes of the earth for thy possession . there could not be a more vnlikely thing foretolde , and yet it was fulfilled long since , no atheist can denie it . tertullian to this purpose saith : who was able to gouerne the world , but onely christ of whome it was foretolde that his kingdome should be extended ouer the whole world ? the kingdome of salomon saith her was confined within the land of iudaea from dan to beersheba , and his territories did reach no farther . darius raigned ouer the pabylonians and persians , but no farther , pharao ouer the aegiptians , and there his dominion ceased . nabuchodonozer was a great monarche , yet he reigned not ouer the whole worlde , but onely from india vnto aethiopia : the like may bee saide of the greekes & the romās , which were called the lords of the world , and yet the whole world was not knowne vnto them , much lesse subdued by them . but as for the kingdome of christ , it hath extended it selfe farre and wide , the gospell hath bin preached in al places , and receaued of all nations of the parthians , medes , elamites , the inhabitantes of mesopotamia , armenia , phnygia , cappadocia , aegipt , pamphilla , asia , africa , and the vttermost indies . of this assertion there bee so many recordes , that it cannot bee denyed . as for some few things which are foretolde in the scriptures & not yet fulfilled , as namely , the conuersion of the iewes , and the destruction of antichrist , the time is not yet come to passe that they should be fulfilled , for all thinges must be performed in that due time which god in his secret wisdome hath appointed . there are other thinges also foretolde which must goe immediately before the ende of the world , which are not yet performed because as you see the ende is not yet . but it is a sufficient argument to induce infidelles to beleeue that all these thinges shall come to passe , because they see all other things alreadie performed in their time and order . for as hee that sometimes lyeth shall not bee beleeued though hee tell the truth so hee which alwaies hath tolde the truth , cannot without impietie bee suspected of fallhood , god cannot deceaue or bee deceaued . and which is not to bee omitted : st. peter did prophecie that at the latter end there should bee such atheistes , which should denie these thinges , and the prophecie is now verified , otherwise this my labour might haue bene spared , their impiety maketh it good which the prophet hath foretolde . againe there is in daniel an auncient prophecie concerning the death of our sauiour christ , euen the verie time and computation of yeares is defined when hee should be put to death . seauenty weekes , ( saith hee , ) are determined vpon thy people , and vpon the holy cittie , to finish the wickednesse , and seale vp the sinnes , and reconcile the iniquitie , and bring in euerlasting righteousnesse , & to annoynt the moste holy . from the going foorth of the commaundement to bring againe the people , and build ierusalem : to messias the prince shall bee 69. weekes , and after he shall bee slaine , but so , that for one weeke hee shall teach , but in the middle of the weeke hee shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease . but these weekes are annuae hebdomadae , euery weeke is seauen yeares and so reckoning weekes consisting of yeares , & not onely of daies , as for euery day in the weeke should be reckoned a yeare , 70. of daniels weekes make 490. yeares . but the temple which was the first and cheifest thing reaedified in ierusalem began in the second yeare of cyrus , the builders were hindred 42. yeares as it appeareth out of the gospell , and in the 46. yeare it was finished , because the laste 4. yeares they had quietnes . longimanus in the second yeare of his raigne giuing foorth a newe edict that they should builde without molestation , and no man vnder payne of death should hinder the workemen , as in times past they had done . from the second year therfore of longimanus the emperour , to alexander the great , were 145. yeares , from alexander to the natiuitye of our sauiour 310. from his birth to his baptisme 30. these being put together , make yeares 485. so the 69. weekes make 482. yeares , but at his baptisme the whole 482. yeares that is 69 , were fullye complete and ended . in the next weeke or 7. yeares , our sauiour taught the people , and in the middle thereof , that is in the fourth yeare he was put to death : what iewe or atheist can except against the truth of this prophecye ? a second proofe that the bookes of the bible are the worde of god , is the generall consent and agreement of so many writers , which writ at diuers times , in diuers places remote one from an other , in diuers languages , and vpon diuers occasions , all writing of one and the selfe-same subiect , all agreeing in doctrine , none contradicting other , that they might not so fitlie bee termed diuers writers as diuers pennes of the same writer . the bookes of moses were written in the wildernesse , of iosua , iudges , and the kinges in the land of promise : of daniell in babylon : the workes of st. paule some at rome , some in other places as athens , ephesus , laodicea , nicapolis : st. iohns reuelation in pathmos , the booke of iob no man knoweth by whome , when , nor where . the bookes of moses about 2554. yeares after the creation of the worlde : the psalmes , some of them 605. yeares after moses , the bookes of ezra after the returne from captiuitie about 605. yeares after dauid by whome manie of the psalmes were made . betweene dauid and the captiuitie , esay and osee vnder king ioathan , achaz , and ezechiaz : ieremie vnder iosias , ioachim , & zedechias , ezechiel , abacuc & daniel in captiuitie , and the whole new testament long after the olde , yet all agree as the diuers thunders which haue one voyce , foure beastes which sing one song , vox tamen vna manet , qualem decet esse sororum . damascen compareth them to a garden bedecked with varyetie of hearbes of excellent vertue , which are to be gathered one by one , and yet to make one garland : or diuers precious stones in one brest-plate of aaron the priest : and as cyrillus speaketh , the kings daughter hath a coate of diuers colours , yet one garment colligitis flores ad spirituales texandas coronas sed ex omni flore spiritus sancti spirat fragnantia . whereas if man had written , not beeing guided by the holye ghost ; they would haue differed as much one from the other , as a mulberrye tree doth from a mirtle , as iohn the baptist did from ieremye , and christ from iohn the baptist , as the iudges of susanna , or the witnesses which made reporte of our sauiour christ . a third proofe is the stile , and manner of writing , the olde testament being written in hebrue , because it was written to the iewes , the newe in greeke , because it was written to the gentiles , to whome that language was most familiar , and best vnderstood , although they were not grecians that did write it . and yet the tongues in which the olde and newe testament were written , so differing one from the other : the same idiotisme and proprietye of speach in both testaments vsed , continuall hebraeismes aswell in the newe as in the olde , doe shewe that they were written by one and the selfe-same spirit , that still god might speake like vnto him selfe . the languages also being more fitte for the worde of god to be written in then other tongues , as more significant , more copious , and indeed , no other language being capable enough of that sacred storye , as benedictus arias montanus verye learnedly hath obserued . for , first , sayeth hee , eorum , qui transferunt duplex est consilium , alij enim student perspicuitati , alij proprietati , quorum vtrumque vnà opera prestari non potest , quum tamen vtrumque sit in archetypo eodem opera a spiritu sancto demandatum , suggestum , neutrum vllo modo praetermissum . these , saith he , which translate the bible , some of them endeauour to be perspicuous , others to keep the proprietye of the tongue , but neither can performe both , that is , to obserue the propriety of the tongue , and yet be perspicuous , whereas the holy ghost in the originall hath obserued both . secondly , ea the nata quae carent punctis varie legi possunt secundum varias grāmaticae regulas , quae autenpunctis distincta sunt , varias admittunt significationes , quae tamen spiritue dei exsua sapien ianobis ambigua tradidit , vt omnia quae varietas illa complectitur , intimis sensibus reponamus . eadem autem vox quae in archetypo , ambigua est , non potest alia lingua reddi ambigua , si vero ambigua reddi non possit vt est in archetypo , fit vt illa sententia non reddatur integra sed manca , quam spiritus sanctus de industria ambiguā tradidit , vt in vtramque partem interpretaremur . those hebrue rootes which are without prickes , may be read and co●stered diuers wayes according to the gramatticall rules , they which are distinguished with prickes , are also ambiguous , which notwithstanding the holy ghoste , did vpon set-purpose deliuer thus ambiguous vnto vs , of his infinite wisdome , that wee might vnderstand and conster them diuers wayes . but the word which is thus ambiguous in the hebruew or greeke , cannot bee fitted by a worde in latine or any other language which shall bee answerable to it in ambiguity , and because it cannot bee ambiguous in the interpreter as well as in the originall , it is deliuered vnto vs maymed and as it were defectiue , which the holy ghost would haue to be more full and perfecte , containing this varietie of senses , by reason of the ambiguitie . and therefore all tongues sauing the greeke and hebrue , in comparison of them , are vnworthie of that great maiestie of the holy ghost . for example , the word barac in the hebrue tongue signifieth both to blesse and to curse , the worde is vsed in the storie of iacob which called his children before him as he lay in his death-bed , & prophecied to them , in which prophecie some hee blessed and some hee cursed . now the translation hath : benedixit , he blessed : thus their father spake vnto them , euery one of them blessed he with a seuerall blessing . ieroms translation hath it in this manner : haec loquutus est eis pater suus , benedixitque siagulis benedictionibus proprijs . now it cannot be a perfect translation , whē it is thus translated : he blessed them al. for he curssed some . neither yet had it beene well translated in this manner : he curssed them all . for he blessed some . because therefore there is no worde answerable to barac which signifieth both to blesse and to cursse , no tongue is so capable of this storye as the hebrue . as for reuben , when he saide vnto him : thou wast light as water , thou shalt not be excellent because thou wentest vnto thy fathers bed , then didst their defile my bed , thy dignitye is gone ; it was no blessing . and when he said vnto simeon and leui , bretheren in euill , the instruments of crueltye are in their habitations , into their secret let not my soule come , my glorye bee not thou ioyned with their assemblye , for in their wrath they slewe a man , and in their selfewill they digged downe a wall , curssed be their wrath , for it was fierce , & their rage , for it was cruell , i will deuide them in jacob and scatter them in israel : these wordes were not such wordes as might importe anye blessing , therefore saith he ; ideo visum est deo scripturas hac potissimum lingua exaratas voluisse , qui simplici sua inimensaque sapientia omnia inuenit , vt multa etiam consilij sui mysteria vnica voce declararet . it pleased god , which by his single and infinite wisdome sound out and deuised all thinges , to deliuer the scriptures in this tongue aboue others , that so in one simple worde he might declare many mysteryes vnto vs. the greeke tongue goeth before the latin , because it is more copious & significāt . for example : this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by some trāslated : incredulitye , by others disobedience , and it signifieth both , but the translator could finde no latin worde which may include both disobedience and incredulitye . but as for the hebrue , it goeth farre beyond it , maiestate , pondere , numero , significatione , in maiestye , weight , number , signification , witnes the sonne of syrach in the very prologue before his booke . likewise , besides the two tongues hebrue & greeke wherein the bible is written , and the idiotisme or propryetye of the hebrue onelye in both , to shewe that the same spirit writte both , that god , whether hee spake hebrue or greeke vnto vs , still he might speake after one manner , and so be like none but him selfe : the verye simplicitye of the style not fauouring of humane eloquence , and the verye discretion which is vsed in euerye booke concerning the style , still applyed to the capacitye of them who especiallye and aboue others were written vnto , doe argue that men could not be the authors of these books . if we doe examine the wordes , the sentences , the arguments , the matter , forme : we shall finde many times that there is difficultye in the wordes , grauitye in the sentences , acutenes in the arguments , rare inuention and great choyce in the matter , a scholler-like methode obserued in the forme of writing , tropes , grammer figures , exornations of rhethoricke , all thinges proued according to the rules of logicke , and yet notwithstanding all these , a vulgar and familiar kinde of speech is vsed . for god him selfe , the angelles , the prophets speaking vnto men , doe accommodate them selues to our capacitye , to the vnderstanding of plow-men , of shepherds , of women , of children , that the conuersion of the world may not be ascribed vnto mans wisdome , or humane eloquence , or any other thing that is in man. the holy ghost doth not write like demosthenes , that it may be said : where is the scribe , the subtil disputer ? &c. he hath made their wisdome foolishnes . but st. peter was able to perswade more with one sermon , then all the nations of the worlde with their orations , more in an hower then they in their life , more by his simple kind of style , thē they by al their eloquēce . magnus ciprianus orator , sed maior petrus piscator . ille misit sagenam in mare & piscatus est orbem . non per oratorem deus lucratus est piscatorem sed per piscatorem oratorem , saith a learned father , st. ciprian was a great orator , but st. peter a greater fisher , he cast his nette into the sea and caught the worlde , god did not conuert the fisher-man by the orator , but he conuerted the orator by the fisher . st. paul when he writ to the romans , writ learnedly and profoundly , because he writ to men that bore high mindes , and did expect learning at his handes , he writ to the corinthians after an other manner , as vnto men not of so great capacitye : when he writ to the galathians he altered his style , vnto the hebrues which had a preiudice of his person , in such sort that they might not suspecte the epistle to come from him . st. iohn writing to a ladye , writ in a lowely manner , and in such sort as he might best befit a woman . there is the discretion and wisdome of the holy ghost , which in men is neuer seene . the fourth proofe that the bible is the worde of god , is euen god his selfe , which neuer would suffer that book to be prophaned . for ptolomye marueyling why no poets nor historiographers writ concerning these misteryes of faith ? answer was made vnto him by demetrius phalerius , that it was the holy scripture , & therefore that all prophane writers which went about to write of the same , were presently plagued of god from heauen , and so caused to desist and relinquish their worke which they tooke in hand : that theopompus because he went about to illustrate some parte of the scripture in the greeke tongue , was so troubled in his minde , that he could proceed no farther . and that theodorus a maker of tragoedyes , because he endeuoured to insert some parte of the scriptures into his tragoedye , was presently stroken blind , like elymas the sorcerer , of whome we read in the story of the gospell . fiftly , the argument followeth well which necodemus vseth to confirme the doctrine of our sauiour christ . master saith he , i knowe thou art a teacher come from god , for no man can doe these thinges which thou dost vnlesse god were with him . and , therefore our sauiour saith in an other place : operibus credite beleeue the workes . and therefore against alexander the great , and domitian the tyrant , which would haue beene accounted gods , s t ambrose vseth this arguement : doe these and these thinges , and then i will confesse that ye are gods. when canutus the king of danes had conquered england , and sitting in his chayre by the sea side , had boasted the like of him selfe that he was a god : it was said vnto him , sit in this place one houre longer , and i will confesle you are a god , but if you cannot sit vntill the full tyde , and commaund the waters that they shall not carye you away , you are no god. but the scriptures haue beene confirmed to be the worde of god , by such miracles as no power of man or deuill could effecte . the birth of our sauiour christ was confirmed by the appearing of a starre which troubled all the star gazers of the worlde , the resurrection of our sauiour by an eclipse which troubled the great astrologians of the world , the healing of a blinde man with claye made of dust and spittle troubled galen the great phisition of the worlde : but as our sauiour confirmed his doctrine by miracles , as moses confirmed his ambassage to come from god by making serpents : so the apostles confirmed their sermons which they preached , and doctrine which they left behinde them in writing , to be the worde of god , by casting out deuils , raysing vp the dead , healing diseases &c. sixtly , the antquitye of the bible proueth it selfe to be gods worde , for as god is antiquus dierum , the ancient of dayes , because he was before all other , so the bookes of moses are more ancient then all other brokes . iosephus maketh mentiō of certaine pillars : in which some thinges were written by the sonnes of seth before the floud , whereof one ( he saith ) remayned to be seene in syria in his owne time . but be it so , these letters were but hyeroglyphicall , like to the letters of the egiptians , not abedarye letters , but shapes and images of beastes , not written in bookes , but engrauen in stone . but as for the abedarye letters , that is grammaticall letters , whereby we write wordes and sentences , they were not deuised before moses deliuered them to the hebrues , from whence the phaenicians learned them , and the greekes receiued them from the phaenicians , and the romans did learne to write of the grecians . and moses was more ancient then cadmus which brought letters into greece , or any other which broght them into other places , as eusebius doth plainly proue . now , forasmuch as no lawes , no precepts of life , no chronicles , no rules cōcerning the worship of god , no contract betwene man & man , no antiquitye can be kept in memorye but by writing : therefore it was necessary for the true knowledge & worship of god , that such a booke should be written wherein god might be knowne , and in what sorte he would be worshiped . but there is no booke of that nature besides the bible which is of any antiquitye , neither the alcaron of the turkes , nor the talmod of the iewes : witnes the talmod and alcaron them selues , nor any other booke of religion , but they were written long since the bible . religion cannot be newe , as god him selfe cannot be newe , therefore that is onely the true religion which is the ancientest of all , and it is impossible to knowe or iudge of the antiquitye of religion , but by the antiquitie of the bookes and recordes wherein the precepts of religion are deliuered and set downe , and againe it is impossible to know what is religion , or how god is to be worshiped , but by bookes wherein are contained the rules of his worship . for as much therefore , as the bookes of moses are more auncient then all other bookes , therefore that religion is the truest which is contayned in them , and because there can be but one true religion , the onely truth is in them , therefore they are the word of god. and , as for the other bookes of the bible which were written long since , they handle the same subiect , they holde the same doctrine as the bookes of moses , and are but all partes and members which make one body of the bible , written by the same spirit , and of the same nature , and therfore are also the word of god , and there is no other written booke of god , but the bible . in the seauenth place , i could alleage for witnesse that the bible is gods word , the great multitudes of martyrs , which haue dyed in the defence of the bible , and sealed the same with their owne bloud , both before , and in , and after the times of the ten bloudy persecutions , to whome god gaue the gift of patience to suffer death willingly for the testimony of the worde . neither could so manye of them haue suffered in such manner , vnlesse god had strengthned them in so good a cause . but because this argument is not so forcible to perswade atheists , as it is to exhort christians , i passe it ouer . last of all , the testimonye of the gentiles proueth the bible to be the worde of god. for , because god the father had eternally decreed to send his sonne to take flesh for the saluation both of iewes and gentiles , and vnlesse they beleeued in him , there could be no saluation purchased by his death , neither for iewe nor gentile : that he might be receiued by the consent of each people , it could not seeme good vnto his heauenly wisdome , vnlesse he did long before our sauiour should come publish his comming both to the iewes and gentiles . and therfore christ was published to the iewes many wayes , as the apostle speaketh , by dreames , visions , angels , but especially by their owne prophets , dauid , esay , ieremye , moses , daniell and the rest , which were iewes , & in that respecte called their owne prophets , that they might giue the more credit vnto them . to the gentiles also he was made known by the heathen prophets and prophetesses , baalam , mercurius trismegistus , hidaspes , and especiallye the tenne virgins called sybils the heathenish prophetesses , of which we may read at large in the workes not onely of the heathens , but also of the fathers , and ecclesiasticall writers of the primatiue church . now forasmuch as the gentiles were vnacquainted with moses & the iewish prophets , and not accustomed to read the canonicall writers , and destitute for the most part , of the bible , and therefore would giue no credit to the testimonyes cyted out of these bookes , and yet were to be conuerted to the fayth by vertue of the commission giuen to the apostles math : 28. where our sauiour said : goe , preach , and baptize all nations : the apostles and disciples in the primitiue church at their first preaching to the gentiles , prooued the bible by the testimonye of heathen writers , the sybils , hydaspes , mercurius , as st. origin and lactantius declare at large . in such sorte did s t paul deale with the inhabitants of creet , alleaging for authoritie the verse of their owne poet epimenides which cicero and lacrtius doe reporte to haue beene a kinde of prophet or diuiner among them . and therfore st. paul saith : a prophet of their owne said of them : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the cretians are alwayes lyers , foule beastes & slowe bellyes . likewise , to the greekes he alleageth the testimonye of a greeke poet menander . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . euill wordes corrupt good manners . and to the scholers at athens , the testimonye of the poet aratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . we are his generation , meaning god. and , for this cause , the heathens called the christians sybillistes , because christian religiō was most of all proued out of the sybils oracles , which writ more playnly and plentifully , then all other heathen writers . and , as clemens alexandrinus writeth : s. paul in one of his sermons saide vnto the people : libros quoque graecos sumite , agnoscite sybillam , quo modo vnum deum significet , & ea quae sunt futura , take in hand your greeke authors , read sybil , see how she teacheth that there is one god , and fore-telleth thinges to come . hydaspen sumite , & legite , & inuenietis de : filium multo clarius & apertius esse scriptum . doe but vouchsafe to read hydaspes , & ye shall finde in him a cleare and euydent testimonye of the sonne of god. and , because the christians were so frequent in alleaging of the sybils oracles for confirmation of christian fayth vnto the gentiles , and conuerted so manye vnto christ by these bookes , as iustin martyr writeth : proclamation was made , that vpon payn of death no man should read them any longer , nor hydaspes his writings , yet the people would not refrayne from reading them . and againe , gods prouidence did wonderfully appeare in the perseruation of the sybills verses for the behoofe of the gentiles , as of the bible for the iewes , in that they were verie faithfully kept in the capitoll of rome and that being once loste by a mischance when the capitol was burned , yet by publik edicte of the senate , diligent search and inquirie was made for all coppies that could be gotten , that so an other booke was newly written and kept in recorde , being duely examined , corrected and purged of all faultes that might else haue escaped . and to that purpose commission was giuen to diuers learned men fitte to bee imployed in such a seruice , which was performed with all dilligence , and the booke was layed vp in the capitol againe , euē as the bookes of moses , were kept in the arke of the couenant . so when the christians labored the conuersion of the romans , they were not onely furnished with proofes of their doctrine out of the sibilles , to cōuince the romans and their idolatrie , but also they were freed from suspition of corrupting those bookes or any clause in them contayned , because whatsoeuer was by them alleaged , was consonant & agreeable to their own : coppie which they kept in their tower , or capitoll , or treasure house , which was the chiefest place of their recordes . now , for as much as nihil est iam dictum quod non fuit dictum prius , there can bee no newe or strange inuention now which hath not bin thought of before , as the wise man speaketh : i cannot finde any way to disprooue the atheists better then that which the apostles vsed to disproue the infidels , that is , by the testimonie and witnesse of heathen authors . for , if they will neither stand to arguments drawen from reason , neither yet to authoritie , neither diuine nor humane , then they reiect all the topics of aristotle and places whereby they should be confuted , they renounce the lawes of schooles and order of disputation & by a consequent , they shew themselues meerily ignorant , and contra indoctos non est disputandum , disputations are not to bee held and maintained against them which knowe not the lawes of disputation . therfore , that i may come to particulars , to shew that the storie of the bible may be prooued by prophane authors : the first reuealing to the gentils of the time and place when , and where our sauiour was borne , was by the conduct of a starre , what mooued the gentils , i meane the wisemen which came frō the east , to come to our sauiour christ by the leading of that star , and being with him to adore him as god ? but euen the prophecy of baalam their own prophet ? the prophecie of balaam which liued in the dayes of moses is inserted into moses his workes . orietur stella ex iaacob , a starre shall arise out of the house of iacob . concerning this starre sayth chalcidius a philosopher : est alia sanctior et venerabilior historia , quae perhibet de ortu stellae cuiusdam , non morbos mortesque denunciantis , sed dese ensum dei venerabilis , ad humanae conuersationis , rerumque mortalium gratiam : quam stellam , quum nocturno itinere conspexissent chaldaeorum profecto sapientes viri , et consideratione rerum caelestium satis exercitati , quaesisse dicuntur recentem dei ortum , repertaque illa maiestate puerili , veneratiesse , et vota tanto deo conuenicutia nuncupasse . there is an other more holy and venerable storie which maketh mention of the rising of a certaine starre , which did not portend sicknesse & death , but the descending of god downe from heauen to conuerse among men after a humane manner , which starre when the wise men of chalde had obserued , as they trauayled in the night , being skilfull & excercised in the study of the motions of the starres , are said to haue enquired out the verye place where god was newlye borne , and when they had found it out , to haue worshipped him , & offered vowes vnto him . and therfore saith s. origin : si a mose prophetiae baalam sacris insertae sunt voluminibus , quanto magis ab his descriptae sunt qui inhabitant tunc mesopotamiam apud quam magnificus habebatur balaam , quosque artis eius constat fuisse discipulos ? ex illo denique fertur magorum genus et institutio in partibus orientis vigere , qui descripta apud se habent omnia quae prophetauit balaam , etiam hoc habuerunt scriptum : quod orietur stella ex jaacob , & exurget homo ex israel . haec scripta habebant magi apud scipsos , & ideo quando natus est iesus , agnouerunt stellam , & intellexerunt impleri prophetiam , magis ipsi quam populus israel qui prophetarum sanctorum verba audire contempsit . illi ergo ex his tantum quae balaam scripta reliquerat , agnoscentes adesse tempus , venerunt , & requirentes eum , statim adorarunt . if balaams prophecie were by moses himselfe in erted into the holy scriptures , how much more was it kept of the inhabitants of mesapotamia among whome balaam was so famous , and which were balaams disciples ? the magitians which florish in the east part of the worlde , had their first beginning and institution deriued from this balaam , and they which had all balaams prophecyes recorded among them , could not be ignorant of this prophecye , to wit : that a starre should arise out of iaacob and a man out of israel . the wise men had this prophecye written in their owne books , and therfore when iesus was borne , they acknowledged the starre , they vnderstood that the prophecye was fulfilled , better then the people of israel which contemned the writings of the holy prophets & vnderstood thē not . they therfore , by that which they had learned out of balaams writings , acknowledging the time to be come , went and worshipped iesus christ . of the slaughter of the infants at bethleem by herod , we haue the testimonye of macrobius an heathen man : of the burning of sodome we haue the testimonye of the place it selfe which yet remayneth and sheweth it selfe : of the eclipse which was at the time of the passion of our sauiour , wee haue the testimonye of phlegon a prophane writer but an excellent historian , as i haue alreadye shewed : of noahs floud , we haue the testimony of ouid a poet : of the resurrection of our sauiour , we haue the testimony of iosephus a iewe and no christian , where he saith : eodem tempore fuit iesus vir sapiens , si tamen virum fas est dicere , erat enim mirabilium operum patrator , & doctor eorum qui libenter vera suscipiunt , plurimosque tum de iudaeis tum de gentilibus sectatores habuit . christus hic erat , quem accusatum a nostrae gentis principibns pilatus quum addixisset cruci , nihilominus non destiterunt illū diligere , qui ab initio caeperunt . apparuit enim ijs tertio die viuus , ita , vt diuinitus de eo vates hoc & alia multa miranda praedixerunt . at that time was iesus a wise man , if it may be lawfull to call him a man , for he was a worker of miracles , and a teacher of such as were willing to imbrace the truth , he had many disciples both of iewes and gentiles . this was christ , whome when pilat had crucified vpon the accusation of our princes , notwithstanding , they which loued him before , did loue him still . but after the third day , he appeared vnto them aliue , according as the prophets ( being inspired from aboue ) fore-tolde this & many other wonderfull thinges concerning him . that which the apostle saith : that god made all thinges by his worde , is also confirmed by mercurius trismegistus the wise man of aegipt , which saith of him : sanctus es , qui verbo constituisti entia omnia , thou art holy which hast made all thinges by thy worde . likewise the incarnation of the worde . exilijt statim ex deorsum latis elementis dei verbum , in purum naturae opificium , et vnitum est opifici menti . the worde of god came out of the lowest element , and became the workmanship of nature , and is vnyted to the minde . what is the lowest element but the virgins wombe which is earth as all other flesh ? he became the workmanship of nature , that is , he was made man , he is vnited to the minde , that is , god the father , which throughout his bookes is so called . againe , man made vnto gods image . omnium vero pater , mens quum esset vita & lux , parturijt hominem sibi similem , quem adamauit vt proprium partum , pulcher enim erat patris imaginem habens , reuera enim deus dilexit propriam formam , eique tradidit omnia sua ipificia . but the minde which is the father of all thinges , when his selfe was life & light , brought forth man like to him selfe , loued him as his owne ofspring , for he was faire and beautifull , because he was after the fathers image , for god indeed loued his owne likenes , & gaue vnto his vse and seruice all his creatures . what are the cheife points of religion contayned in the bible ? but the creation of the worlde , of adam and eue , their placing in paradice , their seduction by the serpent , their expulsion , noah a preacher of righteousnes before the floud , the deluge , the birth of christ , his miracles , his death and resurrection , the virginitye of mary , the day of iudgement : but all these thinges are set downe in the first booke of sybils oracles . i conclude this poynt with s. augustin : sybilla porro vel orpheus et nescio quis homerus , & si qui alij vates , vel theologi vel sapiētes , vel philosophi gentiliū de filio dei , aut patre deo vera praedixisse , seu dixisse perhibentur , valet quidem aliquid ad paganorum vanitatem reuincendam , non tamē ad istorum authoritatem amplectendam , quum illum deum nos colere ostendimus , de quo nec illi tacere potuerunt , qui suos congentiles populos idola & demonia colentes partim docere ausi sunt , & partim prohibere ausi non sunt . if sybil , or orpheus , or homer , or any other prophets , or diuines , or wisards , or philosophers of the gentiles , are said to haue either tolde or fore-tolde true things concerning god , or the sonne of god , that is auaylable to refute the vanitye of the gentiles , although not to get sufficient credite to their workes , that therefore whatsoeuer they write should be imbraced , when we can shewe that we worship the same god , concerning whome they could not be silent their selues , when they tooke vpon them to instructe their fellowe pagans , and idolators , and worshippers of deuils in the true knowledge and worship so farre as they durst . you haue heard it ( i hope ) sufficiently prooued , that the bookes of the bible are the worde of god , and i am sure we haue them among vs very true & vncorrupted . if any iewe or atheist shall dare to say that they are not now so pure and free from errours and corruptions as from the beginning they were : i argue against them in this manner : if they had been corrupted before the time of our sauiour , or in his time , no dout but whē he commaunded vs to search the scriptures , he would haue giuen vs warning to take heed of such corruptions . and , that since his time they haue not bene corrupted we may be secure , because the testimonyes which haue beene alleaged in the newe testament out of the olde , doe all agree with the olde , and the testimonyes which are cyted by the fathers out of the newe testament , doe also agree with the originall out of which they are cyted . to say that the iewes haue corrupted the olde testamēt it were madnes , without proofe or just cause of suspicion . i would that such men as suggest these thinges , would either certisie vt eus bono ? vnto what end the iewes should now in the latter end of the worlde corrupt the hebrue , or else how it should bee possible for them being so scattered , and dispersed in places so farre distant and remote one from an other , corrupt their owne bookes without notice of the whole worlde ? much lesse then were they able to corrupt the bookes which were in the handes of christians . but , for as much as our hebrue bibles and theirs doe agree , and all newe testaments doe likewise agree , it is manifest that neither the olde nor the newe testament are corrupted . wherfore we may conclude , that we haue ( praysed be god ) his worde pure and intyre without any corruption or diminution , as it was left vs by the holy ghost , which ( as the apostle writeth ) is able to make vs wise to saluation through the fayth which is in iesus christ . chapter , 8. of the will and sufferance of god. the atheists doe obiecte as a reproach to diuinitye , that we knowe not the difference betweene the will of god and his sufferance , and because ( saye they ) we cannot aptly distinguish these , therfore we cannot define what god is , & by a consequent , we are not sure that there is a god. this is all one as if they shold say : because the professers of humane artes and liberall sciences cannot assigne to euery species their essentiall differences & proper passions , therefore there are no such differences nor proper passions belonging vnto them , and by a consequent there are no such thinges , and by an other consequent no such species : and againe , that these things be not knowne vnto nature , because they are not knowne vnto vs. so mans ignorance shall ouerthrowe the certaintye and vndouted truth of liberall sciences , & make the secrets of nature to be no secrets . but , it is no meruayle if we cannot shewe the difference betweene the thinges which haue no difference . in man i confesse that will is one thing , and sufferance is an other , because man is not so powerfull , but that his will is often with-stood , and therefore he suffereth against his will. so moses his will was , the people should haue beene obedient , but they were rebellious , and he did suffer their rebellion which he could not hinder . as also men doe suffer oftentimes against their will , that which is in their power to hinder , but not without a greater mischeife , and so moses his will being they should keep their wiues , yet did suffer them by a bil of diuorcement to put them away , but he did suffer them for the hardnes of their hartes , because , had he not suffered them they would haue slayne their wiues . but , god is omnipotent as the apostle speaketh : why doth he yet complayne ? for who resisted his will ? he will haue mercye vpon whome he will haue mercye , and whome he will he hardne●h . and , as our sauiour saith : thou hast hidden these thinges from the wise men of the worlde , because it was thy will and pleasure . so god suffereth so much as he is willing to haue effected , and he willeth no more then he suffereth , and , if he had not this omnipotencye , he were not god , and therefore with god to will and to suffer , are all one . but , idem respectu eiusdem non potest differre a seipso , the same thing in the same respect cannot differ from it selfe . these things be lippis & tonsoribus aeque nota , so common and obuious to euerye simple mans vnderstanding , that i meruayle how any man should be ignorant of them . but as for gods reuealed will , it is often contrarye to his sufferance , in as much as it is contrarie to his secret will which is all one with his sufferance . for example , in his reuealed will he saith : thou shalt not steale , thou shalt not commit adulterie , murther , idolatrie , and yet , in his secret will hee suffered the chaldeans to steale , aaron to commit idolatrie , dauid to commit murder and adultery , for had it not stood w t his wil they could not haue done these thinges , because he is omnipotent , and nothing can be done against his will. neither can the atheists scoffe at this distinction of gods secret will and his reuealed will , because th●y see it so plainely proued . for they finde his reuealed will reuealed vnto them in his written worde , where he saith : thou shalt not commit adulterie , and againe they finde his secret will to be centrarie to that which he published and reuealed in his worde , because he suffered daniel to commit adulterie , vnlesse they will blasphemously , and contrarie to sence and reason , say that the power of god was so weake , y t he was not able to hinder dauids adultery , so indeed it might follow that there were neuer a god , for vnlesse he be omnipotent he is no god. now his reuealed wil is many times contrarie to his sufferance , because he suffereth that which he hath willed and commanded to the contrarie , as i haue shewed you in dauid and the reste . and this will and his sufferance do differ in these pointes , first , in respect of our knowledge , secōdly in respect of the diuers ends wherunto lie willeth and suffereth . concerning our knowledge , wee know his reuealed wil , euer since it was written and published in his worde , but what he will suffer contrarie to that his commaundement , is hidden from vs , and vntil it come to passe , and wee see that hee hath suffered it . as for diuersitie of endes which he purposeth in his will and his sufferance , i will shew you by a familiar example . he willeth that no man shall steale , that so no theife may excuse himselfe by pleading ignorance , and yet hee suffered the chaldaeans to steale iobs cattell , that so hee might make open triall of iobs patience . hee willed that iudas should not betray him , that if hee did betray him hee should not bee excusable , yet secretly hee willed the contrarie and suffered the contrarie , that so might he wrought the worke of our redemption . and that this distinction of wills may not seeme impossible in god , we finde it also in man , when a earthly prince many times maketh a publike proclamation that this or that lawe shall bee executed , and yet notwitstanding hath a secret meaning to hinder many particulars , contrarie to that which he hath published and to dispense with his owne proclamation although the people take no notice thereof . againe these thinges are sayed to differ in this manner , onelye in regarde of our vnderstāding , as his will & his sufferāce are diuersly apprehended by vs , but as they are in god himselfe , they cannot differ , because in him , power , wisdome , will , strength , sufferance , and all other thinges , are all one with himselfe . in god , and with god there are no accidents , his will is his selfe , his wisdome is his selfe , and his sufferance is his selfe , i proue there can be no accidents with god or in him , because hee is not anie vniuersall or perticular thing comprehended in the praedicament of substance which is subiecte vnto accidents . and because he is a transcendent , going aboue all the coordinations which are in the praedicamentall lyne , & actually infinite so that he cannot be included within the compasse of any praedicament , there can be no kinde of differences either accidentall or essentiall in him , he cannot generically , or numerically , or specifically differ from himselfe , or in him selfe . and so this question is easily answered , and whatsoeuer the atheist can alleage against vs. chapeer , 9. that the worlde had a beginning . moses writeth , that in the beginning god made heauen and earth . that is , in the first moment of time , or , when time first began , then god began his worke of the creation of the worlde . which time , forasmuch as it is defined to be numerus or mensura motus , the measure of the motion of all naturall bodyes , and the subiect of time is the very body of heauen which is first moued , and by which all other naturall bodyes are secondarily moued : time was not before nor after the heauens , but they were created both together : and , because after the end of the worlde motion shall cease : euen as before the beginning , so after the ending there shall be no more time . so then , whereas it is saide : in the beginning god made heauen and earth , it is all one as if he had saide , that once he made them . by this making is meant creation , which is to make a thing of nothing , hauing no matter praecedent out of which he should make it , and this must necessarilye followe , because if there had beene any matter before wherof he should haue made the world , that matter had beene in some place , so then , if there were place and matter , there was a worlde before the creation of the worlde , and the worlde could not be the first thing that was made . creation is an action of god , not intentionall but reall , not inward but outward , not immanent but transient , by the which he giueth to thinges their being . for , although the will of god alone with reference to the thinges which are made , were sufficient , yet there is a kinde of influence of gods power executing his will , which doth afterward followe in his worke . it is an action both necessarye and voluntarye : necessarye because hee decreed , and yet voluntarye because it was his will to create the worlde . and that it was no hard thing for him to create the world of nothing , neither absurd to say that god did create any thing of nothing , it is apparant , forasmuch as we see creat on in the angels , which are immateriall , and therefore cannot be of any praecedent matter , as also the soules of men , which he then did , and now continually doth , create , which are a manifest argument to proue creation . out of this doctrine also followeth an other conclusion , that god onely is eternall and before time , because he did once create the heauen and the earth , and gaue them their beginning , whereas before they were not , neither was there anye thing besides him-selfe . god before the worlde was made , was in him selfe , and vnto him selfe insteed of the worlde , and he was alone , because there was nothing but him selfe , and yet not so alone , but that he had all power , wisdome , and happines in him selfe . he had no need of the worlde or any thing contayned in it , for as much as he was eternally without it , and therefore could stand without it , and had not his dependance of it . he was infinitely happy in him selfe , and therefore the creation of it could adde no happynes vnto him , and if he had needed it , he could haue made it before . neither did he then make it because he was wearye of being without it , or that it displeased him that he had not made it before , because he did not make that which he would not , but he would haue that which he made , and that which he would he did make in order , and therefore he made it not rashly but deliberatly , not casually but wisely , and in time he did all thinges , and in time , especially he made thee ô thou atheist , that whilst thou hast time to liue , thou shouldst acknowledge and worship him . the manner how he made it , euen as kings doe , by his commaundement onely . he said the worde , and it was done . if you aske how god should speake ? or who should heare his voyce when there was nothing besides him selfe ? he spake , that is , he decreed with him selfe that it should be so . if you aske what moued him to create it , when he could be aswell without it ? being delighted with the reflection of his owne glorye which he sawe in him selfe , made creatures , because he would haue some to be partakers also of that his happines , as men and angels , and for their sakes he made the worlde , that they might be contayned in it , angels in heauen , men vpon the superficies of the earth , and all other creatures for the vse of man , that so angels and men seeing his goodnes , whereof they were made partakers , should prayse him . as for the philosophers , and poets , and great wise men of the worlde , although they enioyed not the bible , as were mercurius trismegistus , homer , hesiodus , aristotle , tully , ouid , they all held that the world had a beginning , and that god was the maker of it . how then is it that now our atheists denie the same ? surely they thinke themselues wise , and are become foolish , as the apostle speaketh . for they thinke there may bee an effect without a cause , a motion without a moouer , a worke without a workeman . but because disputation is not to be held with them which are ignorant , but with the learned , and the learned will not preiudice their knowledge so much , as to be thought not able to yeild a reason of their assertions : let vs examin the reasons which they alleadge , why they should holde that the world w●●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out beginning ? aristotle ( say they ) affirmeth , that there can be no motion without a mouer , and there must be a due proportion inter motorem & id quod mouetur , betweene that which is moued and that by whome it is moued : there is one sphere which is called primum mobile , the first bodye which is moued , so there must be one first agent to moue the same , but he did moue from eternitie , there was therefore some thing which from eternitye was to be moued by him , and that is the highest sphere . for ( say they ) if he did not from all eternitye moue this sphere , but began the worlde , then non agens factum est agens , of no agent he was made an agent , which could not be without alteration , but that could not be because god is not subiect to alteration , for then should he also be subiect to corruption , and so should be no god. the argument i say , doth not followe , for , although that god is said to be primus motor ab aeterno , the first mouer from eternitye , yet he did not actu mouere ab aterno , this motion of his was not in action eternallye , and therefore it is not rightly inferred that there should befor that cause anye change in god. for god what-soeuer in his eternall fore-knowledge he intended to doe , is said to doe it in the same maner as he intended it , and that motion which was not in rerum natura subsistens , subsisting in the nature of things as they terme it , yet in god was alwayes subsisting , with whome all future thinges are present , which called the things that were not , by their names , as if they were . he ordayned euery thing that it should be , euen before the foundation of the worlde was layed , the reason is , because that eternall and diuine essence doth not acknowledge time , he seeth thinges past , present , and future , not successiuelye , but all at once . therefore they haue not yet attayned to the true vnderstanding of aristotles meaning , which argue in this maner . naturally i confesse , motion is without beginning , because one motion cannot begin without an other precaedent motion , so likewise it cannot end without alteration , because in omni vere continuo physico , in euerye true naturall thing whose partes haue their coherence together , as this hath , there is a perpetuall succession which may be diuided into infinite partes of the same proportion . for euen as in time , and euery part thereof , there is one present moment or instant , which argueth that there is an other past , and an other future : so in euerye motion which is measured by time , there is one present mutation , which argueth one motion precedent , and an other subsequent , because euery motion is a change , either of substance , or of quantitye , or of qualitye , or ofplace . and therfore the first moment of time cannot be assigned , nor the first mutation which is in motion . the naturall philosophers could not discerne by nature , whether was first the hen or the egge , because one cannot be without the other , & therfore they supposed that eternallye the generation of one was the corruption of an other , and so there should be an eternall reuolution of thinges , which indeed naturally must be so , but metaphisically it is not so , because there is a god aboue nature by whome nature is ouer-ruled . neither is it meruayle though philosophye and fayth doe not speake alike concerning the beginning of the worlde , whē the metaphysics and their principles differ so much from the physics & their principles , and aristotle dissenteth so much from aristotle , one and the selfe same man from himselfe . it is one thing to affirme that the worlde simply had no beginning , and an other thing to saye that nature did not make the worlde , and that by the power of nature it shall haue no end , for , god and nature are diuers thinges . aristotle confessed that the worlde began , and shall haue an end , in respect of the diuine and supernaturall power , because he said that god as he is the first mouer , so he is the first cause of motion , and actuallye infinite , a most free agent , not tyed to any secondary causes , instruments , & meanes whereby he worketh . he which is eternall was before all motion , & can be without motion or time , because he made both motion and time . aristotle denyeth that any thing which is eternall can be measured by time , he denyeth god to be in time , and by a consequent he denyeth him to be tyed vnto motion which is measured by time . god moued eternallye , but his motion was metaphysicall , which was nothing else , but to will , to nill , and to vnderstand . the worlde therfore is not without beginning in respect of the first cause which is god , but of the second cause which is nature , for then nature should be iniurious vnto her selfe , if she should doe vyolence vnto her selfe , and be a cause of her owne destruction . and therefore , according to nature there is a reference and due proportion betweene him which mooueth and that which is mooued , and the motion it selfe , and so the eternitie of the mouer must argue the eternitie of the thing which by him is mooued , & of the motion , but god hath , & exerciseth his metaphysical power and authoritie ouer all thinges , whereby he counterchecketh , and ouer ruleth these thinges . the arguments therefore which the philosophers produce to proue the eternitie of the worlde , are reduced vnto these . first , if there were any first motion , the mouer and the mo●ued body from whence this motion proceeded had their beginning , or they were without beginning , if they had a beginning they began by a precedent motion , because nothing can begin but by motion , and so that which is called the first motion could not be the first because another went before it . but if they were without beginning , it is a great absurditie to say that hee which was an eternall mouer , yet did not mooue , and that which was alwayes mooued , notwithstanding was without motion . secondly , time is eternall , for it is in the definition of time , that there is alwaies in it a present instant or moment , which ioyneth together that which is past and that which is future , and therefore the first instant of time cannot be assigned , and therefore motion is also eternall because there is a iust proportion betweene the measure which is time , and the thing measured , w t is motion . thirdly , there must be a proportion between the cause and the effect , the mouer and that which is mooued , because there can bee no comparison betweene that which is infinite and that which is finit , that which is eternall and that which is temporall . but this one answer is instead of dauid his sling to kill golias , of iudeth hir sworde to cut of the head of holophernes , of sampsons iawe bone to slay all the phillistins , and of moses his rod to deuoure the serpents of the sorcerers of aegipt , to wit that these thinges holde onely in naturall mouers which are tyed vnto instrumēts & meanes , but not in god which is a supernaturall and free agent , these arguments holde in thinges that be finit not infinit , physical not metaphisicall , which worke of necessitie and not of wil , but otherwise they be no good consequence , they doe not holde . let this therefore be the state of the question . god had eternally the verie shape and idea of the worlde which he conceaued in his minde , and he eternally decreed when and how it should bee , euen as when a workeman determineth to frame a peece of worke , he first frameth it in his minde , but doth not presently begin the same : so hee decreed eternally , and before all time , when , and how the worlde should bee in time . hee which is the eternall fountaine of goodnesse , which fountaine notwithstanding did not eternally issue foorth into streames , but in time , did not eternally communicate vnto others , this his goodnesse , but was a fountaine of water , which for a long season lyeth hidden in the earth before it doth gush out . but hee was not as a carpenter which maketh an house because he hath neede of an house . therfore he did not eternally create , not because he could not but because he would not , and he would not because hee had eternally decreed that the world shold be in time , and he so decreed , that so hee might bring vs to the knowledge of himselfe , for as much as when wee knowe that the worlde was not alwaies , wee are forced to confesse that there is a superiour cause from whence it had his beginning , whereas if it had bin created from eternitie , and had had no beginning , wee could not so easily haue discerned how god should haue bin the creator of it . and therefore it cannot followe in this place , that there was in god any mutation or mutabilitie , because before the worlde was made he was not willing that it should bee made , and afterward when it was made hee was willing . s. augustine sayeth : nouit deus agens quiescore , & quiescens agere , potest ad actionem nouam sempiternum adhibere consilium , idque sine mutatione sui , quoniam in infinitum non cadit mutatio . god knoweth how to be an agent doing nothing , and to doe nothing being an agent , to bring his eternall decree to a newe action without any alteration of himselfe , because that which is infinite is not subiect to alteration . you cannot say properlie that god made not the worlde sooner because he wold not , because with god there is nothing sooner or later , for although god doth worke in time , yet he cannot be apprehended by time , his actions are measured by time , not in respect of himselfe , but onely in respect of vs , that so his actions may be demonstrated , & made manifest vnto vs. neither ought these things to seeme strāge vnto vs , because the verie light of naturall reason giueth vs thus much to vnderstand , y t there is an order of causes , and that one being subordinate vnto an other , we must still ascend vp vntill we come to one which is aboue all the rest , which is of it selfe actually infinit , and that is god. and againe , reason doth tell vs that because god is of an infinit nature , his essence is simple , not tyed to meanes by which hee worketh ( for according to the rules of philosophie , that agent is moste noble which needeth the fewest meanes ) , and being not tyed to meanes he needeth no matter to worke by . also reason doth tell vs that as euerie thing is , so it worketh , but god is of himselfe absolute and not depending of anye , and therefore worketh in the same manner , that he is a free agent and therfore cannot be compelled , that he is omnipotēt & therefore nothing can be held or difficulte vnto him , & because he is infinite , hee is transcendent aboue all the boundes of nature . out of all these principles i conclude . the world had a beginning , god which is euerlasting made it in time , and hee made it of nothing , that is , without anie matter precedent or going before the creation of it . chapter . 10. of the soule of man , what it is ? whence it commeth ? and the immortallitie of it . an atheist hauing heard a preacher in his sermon make mention of the soule : the sermon being ended , asked him what the soule was ? and whether it were any thing or nothing ? after disputation betweene them both , the atheist saide : i will shewe you what it is . so hee caused a candle to bee lighted and brought to the table , hee blew it out , and sayd : your soule is no more then the flame of that candle , you see an ende of that , it is blowen out , and so shall it be with your soule when you die . paraduenture , some cause of this vngodly assertion might bee the ambiguitie of the worde . for s. augustine in diuers places calleth the soule by no better name then flatus which properly signifieth no more then a breath , or a blast , deus fecit omnem flatum saith hee , god made euerie blast , meaning euerie soule , and it is written that god breathed into adam the breath of life . and in the scriptures it is sometimes confounded with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a breath , and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , anima and spiritus , a soule & a breath or a blast , in signification are all one . therefore that i may distinguish the aequiuocation or ambiguitie of the word , that nothing may be mistaken , it signifieth these thinges , 1. the life of any thing , anima mea est in manibus meis saith dauid , my soule is in mine handes , meaning his life . 2 a desire , so the soule of dauid was ioyned to the soule of ionathan . 3. the whole man consisting of bodie and soule , so 76. soules descended with jacob into aegipt . 4. a blast , or breath , saule said to the amelakite , i pray thee come vpon me and slay me , for anguish is come vpon me , anxietas apprehendit me , etiamsi anima mea adhuc in me est , because my soule is yet within me . and it was said of eutychus which fell downe dead for sleeping at s. paules sermon , anima eius est in ipso , his soule is yet in him , that is , there is yet breath in his bodie that he may bee reuiued againe . 5. it is also taken for nothing , so said the prophet : we haue conceaued , and bin in trauell , and wee haue brought foorth a soule , poperimus spiritum , that is nothing , because the soule or spirit although it bee some thing , & a most excellent thing , yet because it is not visible , nor any sensible thing , he calleth it nothing . 6. it is taken for that which is regenerate by the spirit of god , so sayth the apostle : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the spirit lusteth against the flesh , that is , the spirit as it is guided by god , doth striue and wrastle with it selfe . 7. when the soule and the spirit doe concur together in the same sentence , the soule signifieth mans will , and the spirit his vnderstanding , so the apostle saith : i pray god that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blameles , &c. but last of all , and in this place it is that which is defined by aristotle : actus corporis organici in potentia vitam habentis , an acte or perfection of the body which giueth vnto the bodie life , sense , motion , vegetation , &c. and of this signification of the soule we are to dispute in this place . concerning the originall of the soule , which i proposed in the second place , it is agreed vpon by the best diuines and philosophers , that since the first sabaoth , god ceased from creating any more visible things , but y t he doth quotidie noues animas creare , create new soules querie day & houre , & momēt , for asmuch as euerie moment young children are quickned in their mothers wombes , and that anima hominis creando infunditur et infundendo creatur , mans soule is in one moment infused by creation , and created by infusion of it into the bodie . but optatur desireth to bee resolued by s. augustin concerning this doubt of the originall of the soule : vtrum animae vt corpora , propagàtione nascantur , sintque ex illa vna anima quae primo homini creata est , vel deus sine vlla propagatione animas nouas faciat singulis proprias ? whether euerie mans soule is made out of adams souie , as euery mans bodie is made out of adams bodie , that so , by propagation a soule should come out of a soule , as a bodie commeth out of a bodie ? or whether god doth especially create to euery mans body a newe soule proper onely to that bodie ? he answereth : that in the same manner as god made adams soule of nothing , so hee made all mens soules of nothing , and he proueth it thus . 1. when adam saith of eue : flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone , hee dooth not say , soule of my soule . 2. if any man holde that the soule of man commeth of man , hee must shewe that as one light is kindled of an other , and one fier lighted of an other without diminishing of their former light and heate : so the soule must proceede out of an other soule , the same soule out of which it proceedeth being not diminished , which cannot bee expressed how it might be by the wit of man. and besides , saith hee , it is dangerous to holde so , least ye fal into the error of tertullian which deemed the soule to be a bodie and not a spirit , for so it must be borne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of seede , as the bodie is . if they speake of semen incorporeum a spirituall seede infused inuisibly into the body at the time of mās conception : suppose that which is often seene , that that which is conceaued doth prooue an obortiue and vntimely fruit when it is embrio , or non homo , not a perfect man , not fully shaped in the wombe that spirituall seede must either returne whence it came , which it cannot doe , or perish with the bodie , and then wil follow this absurditie , that an immortall soule is borne of corruptible & mortall seede . tolet the iesuit sheweth that mans soule cannot come ax traduce , by any propagation , for these causes . 1. no naturall agent can produce and bring foorth that which is aboue it selfe , but the soule of man is aboue nature , because it comprehendeth supernaturall thinges . the maior is plaine because no naturall agent can worke , but it must worke vpon matter , the action must bee a materiall action , whereas the soule is immateriall . 2. euerie natural agent , as i haue shewed , doth work vpon matter and the matter is capable of diuision , but the soule of man is indiuisible . 3. god hath created soules in the same manner as hee created angells , but the angells were created of nothing , therefore mens soules were created of nothing . and because i haue entred into this discourse concerning the soule , that i may leaue the atheist for a little season , & handle one point for the instruction of the diuine . the question ariseth vppon this discourse , how the soule commeth to bee infected with sinne ? pope gregorie the great disputeth in this manner : si anima oriatur cum carne ex substantia adae , cur non simul moritur eum carne ? si cum carne non nascitur , cur peccato obligatur ? the soule is either borne together with the bodie of the substance of adam , or else it is onely infused from aboue : if it be borne with the bodie of the substance of adam , then should it also die with the body : if it be infused of god , how can it being newly created , and immediately comming from god which is perfectly righteous , be originally and naturally sinfull , as is the flesh which originally descendeth from a sinfull man ? optatus desireth to be instructed how , when , and where , the soule which of it selfe is pure , beginneth to take infection ? s. augustin answereth that hee is not able to giue him full satisfaction therein . pelagius obiecteth against s. augustin in this manner . if the flesh onely descended from adam , then is the flesh onely polluted with sinne , and not the soule , quia iniustum est vt hodie nata anima non ex adae massa tam antiquum peccatum portet alienum , quia nulla ratione conceditur vt deus qui propria peccata dimittit vnum imputet alienum , because it cannot stand with the iustice of god , that the soule which is newly borne and not descended of adam , and therefore hauing no sinne of her own , shold beare the sinne of an other man , namely of adam , which was committed so long before , for it is not to be thought that god which forgiueth vs our owne sinnes will impute an other mans sinnes vnto vs. the soule saith hee , at the first creation is eyther pure or corrupted , impure it cannot be , because it commeth immediately from god , and being at the first cleane , how commeth it to be vncleane ? how can a spirit bee infected by a body ? that which is immateriall bee polluted by that which is materiall ? but mr. caluin doth satisfie that doubt saying : that although corruption be inherent both in the soule and the body , yet the cause of that hereditarye corruption is not in the substance eyther of the body or the soule , but onely it was ordayned of god that the imperfections of the first parents should bee common to all the children , euen as according to the lawes of earthly princes such as are descended of parents attainted of high treason , are also stayned in their bloud , preiudiced in respect of their landes and honors by their fathers offences committed before their time , and wherof they were ignorant , and it is but imitatio diuinae iusticiae , an imitatiō of that iustice w c is with god. so thē we are borne of impure seede as the psalmist teacheth , and not onely the bodie , but also the soule is infected with sinne , by reason of this our birth , although sinne be more apparent in the body , then in the soule , and the onely cause why the soule is thus infected is this our impure and vncleane birth , and yet the soule is not of seede , or any materiall thing , but it commeth immediately from god. and it is a weake argument which pelagius vseth : that because beleeuing parents doe sanctifie their children , therefore children cannot receaue infection from their parents which are regenerate . for the children doe lineally descend from their parents by carnall generation , but not by spiritual regeneration , because regeneration is not from beneath , but from aboue , not from men , but from the holy ghost . sanctification is an especial blessing giuen in particular : but so , that the general course of al mankinde may take holde of all men , for as much as they all are the sonnes of men . natus est homo natura , sanctificatus ex supernaturali gratia , that wee are borne , it is the worke of nature , that we are sanctified it is supernaturall , & of the especiall grace of god. but i returne to the atheist . the soule i say , as it appeareth by these premises , is of a more excellent and diuine nature thē that it should be subiect to mortalitie and corruption . and therfore , that we may not complaine with theophrastus , who accused nature because she gaue to rauens and harts a long life whome length of life did no way profit , but made mās life of that shortnes , vt tum extingueretur qùum incaepisset sapere , that euen then hee was cut off and vtterly extinguished when hee did but begin to be wise : i will produce these arguments which are alleadged by naturall philosophers to prooue the immortallitie of the soule , that i may refute theophrastus , and shew plainely that wee are not vtterly extinguished by death , and that although wee doe but then begin to bee wise when we are neare our death , yet wee doe not then cease to bee wise , but then we increase in wisdome when the soule is separated from the bodie . my reasons are these . the first is drawne from the vnderstanding of man , for mans soule is of infinit capacitie , the more it vnderstandeth the more it is able to vnderstand . it is able to comprehend not onely the whole world , but infinit worldes . in numbring it can adde and multiply so farre , that of addition and multiplication there shall bee no end . it is able to imagin infinit perfection . but , whatsoeuer is infinit in capacitie , is also infinit in continuance , because , as the proprietie of any thing is , so is the existence of the same . but , for asmuch as it is infinitlye capable in this life , and cannot bee satisfied in this life , therefore it must bee satisfied in the life to come . 2. the obiect of mans vnderstanding is truth , as tully speaketh , not in particular , but in general , which is the way wherby all thinges are knowne , and therefore it cannot be satisfied vntill it come vnto that in which all truth consisteth , and that is god , which is truth it selfe according to his essence , for no accidents are in him . and for asmuch as this cannot be attained vnto in this life , therefore it is reserued vnto a better life . 3. the obiect of mans vnderstanding is ens , euerie thing that is , but because there are some thinges material , and some spirituall , it must conceaue them both , and as for the thinges which be immateriall and without bodies , it cannot distinctly conceaue them in this fraile body , therfore the conceiuing of them belongeth to the soule when it is separated from the bodie . 4. all men by nature desire knowledge as the philosopher speaketh , but scire est rem per causas cognoscere , to knowe a thing is to iudge & discerne of the causes of it . so then because it is naturall to euery man when hee seeth any effect , to search out the causes of that effect : and againe , when hee hath found out the cause , to search farther , and examine what is the cause of that cause , and so to ascend higher vntill he come to the highest cause which is god. and that cannot be in this life , because the essence of god is not conceaued by discoursing of him , but by perfectly seeing of him , and beholding of him face to face euen as he is . my second reason is drawne from the will of man. that also is infinite , for he can loue that which is good , not onely in the first degree , but also in the second and third , neyther can there be any end of his loue , but still his louing and liking may increase , as st. augustin saith in his meditations : en amo te domine , et si hoc non sufficit , amo teplus , et si hoc parum est amabo te validius , behold lord i loue thee , if this be not enough , i wil loue thee more , and if that be not yet enough , i wil stil loue thee more . man may desire that which is infinitely good , & this infinite capacitye of the will must bee fulfilled , and because not in this life , therefore after death . 2. the libertie also and freedome of mans will ( i meane not in diuine but in ciuill and domesticall affayres ) is of an infinit power , which is a sufficient argument to proue the immortality of the soule . for if man will not , no creature is able to force his will to loue this thing or that , voluntas potest cogi , who can impose a necessitie vpon man to bee willing or vnwilling to do this or that ? but onely god which hath created both the will and vnderstanding and is therefore aboue them both . 3. the obiect of the wil is that whatsoeuer is good , i meane all goodnesse in generall , and therefore neuer resteth , but still willeth & desireth , vntill it come to the perfect fruition of god in whome all goodnesse is included , who is essentially good in himselfe . 4. the will of man mooueth it selfe to one thing and an other , and is not mooued by any naturall agent , and as the will is , so is the essence it selfe , and therefore not subiect to corruption . a third reason , the verie appetit of man is also infinit , it findeth no contentment among al the things which are vnder the sunne , it is neuer satisfied with the desire of happinesse , knowledge , honour , glorie , riches , and eternitie , that it may liue after death . but to whatsoeuer nature hath giuen this appetite , it hath also appointed how this appetite shall bee satisfied , and that must bee onely after death . a fourth , the verie operations of the soule it selfe without any reference vnto the bodie . as for example , to beleeue , goeth farre aboue sence , and is an act separated from it . to distinguish between a body and a spirit , to imagin those thinges which are but onely imaginarie , as vacuum , infinitum , in rerum natura , emptines , infinitenes in worldly and naturall thinges , mathematicall lines , to make sillogismes , to define , deuide , demonstrate . and these thinges it doth without the conditions and proprieties of the bodie , & it doth these thinges the better , the more it is abstracted from the body , and therefore doth then , best of all when it is altogether out of the bodie , and at full liberty , these thinges which do not depend vpon the body neither can bee accomplished by the organs and instruments of the body . a fift , nothing can be destroyed by that wherein the perfection of it doth consist , but y e very perfection of the soule doth cōsist it , the abstraction & seperation of it from the body which appeareth by the iudgement of all morall philosophers which holde the very highest perfection of vertue to be then when man doth not follow the passions and perturbations of the body , but doth subdue them wholy to the minde and vnderstanding . the sixt , there is a kinde of reflection of the minde and al the faculties thereof , aboue it selfe the vnderstanding vnderstandeth that it doth vnderstand , the wil willeth that it shal be willing , the memorie remembreth that it doth remember , so it vnderstandeth that it willeth and doth remember , which no bodily nor mortall thing can performe , it is therefore spirituall and immortall . the seauenth . besides the vsuall manner of attaining to knowledge which is proper to it selfe , the soule hath also a more diuine knowledge by the influence of an higher cause , which is by reuelation and infusion . but when it hath such reuelations it is abstracted from the body , and therfore it is in a more perfect estate when it is not at all in the body . the eight . the first originall or beginning of the soule is not by any naturall agent , because it is more perfect then the bodye , for no effect which is more perfect can proceed frō a cause which is of lesse perfection . therfore as it proceeded not frō any natural cause , so it cannot be destroyed by any naturall cause , and therefore it cannot dye by seperation of it from the bodye . the nynth . the soule subsisteth by it selfe , and therefore it cannot die by any accident : the antecedent i proue , because it hath operations proper to it selfe , as i haue shewed . the tenth . euerie thing which is corrupted hath his bane & destruction eyther by that which is contrarie to it selfe , as heate by colde , drynes by moisture , or by the absence of that whereby it is preserued and nourished , as the lampe goeth out for want of oyle , or by the corruption of the subiect in which it is , as the heate of the fire when the fire is extinguished , but nothing is contrarye to the soule because it is a substance and not an accident , neither doth it depend vpon any material cause , but onely on god , neither hath it any subiect because it is no accident . the eleuenth . that which dyeth with the body must also languish and decay with the bodie , and wax olde when the body is olde , as it appeareth by sence , motion and vegetation , which in olde men doe faile , but vnderstanding doth increase in age . the twelfe is the verie conuenience and agreement which the soule hath with god , and the angells it argueth the immortality thereof , for why are they sayd to be immortall , but because they are as the soule is , spirituall , immateriall , simple , no way mixed or depending of the bodye ? the thirteenth . what is more common in this life , then the prosperitye of the wicked and the aduersitye of the godlye ? but it cannot stand with gods iustice nor his prouidence , that there should be no rewarde for wel-doers , and no punishment for vngodly men , therefore because it is not in this life , it must needes be in an other life w t cannot be vnles the soules of men be immortall . to conclude , it is incident to good men to hope well , to euill men to feare and be troubled in their mindes because of their offences , there is conscience . but there cannot be conscience without immortality of the soule . therefore i conclude , that the soule of man is immortall . chapter , 11. of noah his arke and the deluge . the atheists dispute against the storye of noah his arke , & the maner of the drowning of the worlde with water , saying : it was an impossibilitye that so many creatures should be preserued in so small a vessel , or that the worlde should be so destroyed . for the better satisfaction of such vngoldly men , concerning that storye , i obserue these thinges which folowe . concerning the multitude of beastes which were in the arke , of those which were cleane were 7. of euery sorte , that is , 3 , couples for increase , for meat when it should be permitted to eat flesh , for labour , and other vses of man , and the odde beast for sacrifice . of vncleane beastes , 2. of euery sorte for increase . as for fishes , they were in the sea , and not destroyed , because they were farther separated frō the sinnes of men , for they were in an other element , as also such other creatures as can liue in the waters , as otters , sea-wolues , swannes , water-soules &c. agairie , from the kindes of beastes which were in the arke were excluded such as bred not by generation , as mules , such serpents and creeping thinges as are ingendred by the sun out of putrifaction , such as being wholye perished might be restored agayne in other creatures which were preserued , as mules which are ingendred of an horse and a shee asse . therefore these beastes which were in the arke , were onely such as liued vpon the drye , and proceeded by generation . the number of beastes ( according to plinye and gesner ) are not knowne to be aboue one hundreth and fiftye kindes . and it is verye likely that they which are not known , should be neither great , nor manye . and of them which are great , there are not aboue fortye kindes . as for the capacitye of the arke , it was 300. cubits in length , 50 , in bredth , 30. in height : there were 3. chambers or floores in it , therefore there was roome enough to receiue all these beastes , and many more , and meate for them for a long time , that we need not for the defence of this storye to flye to geometricall cubits , saying : that moses being learned in geometrye and all the artes of the egiptians , did vnderstand geometricall cubits , but playne cubits . such a cubit is the length of a mans arme from his elboe to the top of his middle finger . though ( no dout ) such cubits were longer then now they are , because men were of higher stature then now they are . but the length therof being 300. cubits , sheweth that it was 5. times the length of salomons temple which was but 60. cubits long , the bredth of it being 50. it was twice & an halfe as broad as being but 20. cubits broad . but , the length of it being 300. cubits and the bredth 50. being ioyned together , do make of square measure , by the cōmon rules of arte 15. thousand cubits . moreouer , it contayned in the height of it 3. storyes as i haue shewed , one being aboue the other , in regard whereof , it was 3. times as capable of the creatures , contayning 3. times the measure of the lowest roome , excepting onely the thicknesse of the boordes which made the partition betweene the floores , that is in the whole 45. thousand cubits , and euerye seuerall floore contayning 10. cubits in height . the food of the beastes , whatsoeuer it was before , it might behaye , hearbes and berryes , for what food would not hunger cause them to eat ? the worke-manship , though it were aboue the knowledge of man to deuise it , and contriue it in such sorte , and aboue his cunning and strength to guide so great a vessell on the water , and to keepe it frō wrackes : it was an hūdred yeares in building , it needed not to be lanched out into the water as ships are , because the water of itselfe did beare it vp whē all the earth was ouerflowen . from whence had god such great quantity of water to drowne the worlde ? there were two immediat causes , the sea beneath , because the fountaynes of the deep were opened , and the heauen aboue , for the windowes of the heauen were also open . concerning the waters from beneath : the vaynes and pores of the earth were broken vp to send forth more abundance of water , the waters which were before gathered together into certayne places began to swell , and being rarified ouer flowered the bankes , that , as before , according to nature the water was to hide and couer the whole earth , yet , secundum naturae consilium , according to the counsell and dispensation of nature , for the preseruation of these creatures the water and the earth made but one globe : so now againe , for the destruction of these creatures , the waters did hyde & couer the whole earth , as according to nature they ought to doe . and we see by our owne experience , though not in generall , because god hath promised otherwise , yet in particular , how often the water goeth beyond the bankes , & maketh breaches into the land . and it is in mans reason impossible how it should be otherwise , but that the water being a liquid and fluid substance , so farre in quantitye exceeding the earth , and in place higher then the earth , should presentlye drowne the earth . but onely god doth supernaturally gouerne it , & restrayne it against the nature of the first creation . the windowes of heauen were open , that is , as the text doth expound it , it rayned 40. dayes and 40. nights , all the cloudes were melted and dissolued into rayne , and wheras before god separated and diuided the waters from the waters that some were beneath in the sea and riuers , and parte of the earth & some in the ayre frozen and congealed into cloudes : now to make a deluge and generall ouer-flowing , he brake the partition , and let them be at libertye as they were before . i could for their better contentment stand vpon such natural causes as are besides the text , as some diuines & philosophers haue done , which by the windowes of heauen vnderstand cancer pisces , heiades , pleiades , and orion among the starres , mars , venus and luna among the planets . also i could alleadge mechlinus the scholer of albertus magnus in his cōmentaryes , which writeth that before the floud there was a coniunction of iupiter & saturne in the end of cancer , contrary to the ship called argo , which represented the arke , and that this coniunction did portend an inundation , although i need not to stand vpon these thinges , because the naturall causes which i haue alleaged out of the text are sufficient . but they obiect , that the waters couered the mountaynes 15. cubits vpward , as it is in the text , and they aske how that could be , seeing there were but two causes , the swelling of the waters beneath , and the rayne from aboue . for some mountaynes are higher then the middle region of the ayre , and by a consequent they are higher then the clowdes , as namely olympus in thessaly , artas in barbary , the alpes &c : my answer is , that if any parte of the earth is aboue the cloudes , it is naturall for the water also to be aboue that parte of the earth , bee it neuer so high , therefore it is not to be wondred at , much lesse is it impossible or absurd . againe , though the cloudes are not aboue these fewe mountaines , yet the firmament or middle region of the ayre it selfe is farre aboue them , and although some of these mountaynes are found to be by the plum-lyne or perpendiculer 15. surlonges ascending from the playne , and the cloudes are commonly lifted vp but 10. furlonges aboue vs , yet sometimes they are lifted vp 40. furlonges as pliny sheweth . againe , the very waters of the deep doe stand aboue the mountaynes . you aske how that may be ? you say they are beneath the firmament , & that therfore they cannot be aboue the mountaines , seeing these aboue the firmament are the clouds which are a great deale lower then the mountaynes , vnlesse the waters which are beneath the firmament , should be aboue the waters which are aboue the firmament ? to this i answer , that the mistes which are in the vallyes are reckoned among the waters which are aboue the firmament , and yet are sometimes dissolued into rayne before they are drawne vp so high as the mountaynes , for which cause they seeme to them which be in the vallyes , to be gathered together in the tops of the mountaynes , and doe hyde the mountaynes with darknes : in the tops of which mountaines , yet springes doe arise , which are of the waters beneath the firmament . for an other cauell , they obiect , that the floud began the 17. day of the second month , that the rayne continued 40. dayes , that the waters preuayled 150. dayes , where-vpon they aske how it could be that the arke rested vpon the mount of armenia the 7. day of the 7. month , which by this account was 4. dayes before the falling of the water ? to them i answer : the waters preuayled on the earth 150. dayes , albeit they began to be diminished before the full end of 150. dayes . albeit they began to be deminished before y e ful end of 150. dayes . for nothing letteth but y t they might well be saide to preuayle , that is to be strong and deep vpon the earth , albeit they were in parte diminished , and that the arke might drawe so deep of water , as the mount being high , to rest vpon it . and where it is said after the arke rested vpō the mountayne then the waters were abated , that is , it might then more plainly & sensibly be perceiued and apeare to the eyes of noah . the heathen historyes doe mention this deluge , although after a corrupt maner , which is not sufficient to strengthen the truth , but yet serueth to conuince the atheist . and though s. augustine sayth : diluuium gentium nec latina nec graeca nouit historia , no heathenish writers doe remember it , meaning , without corruption : yet iosephus sayth : huius arstem diluuij & arcae meminerunt omnes barbaricae historiae scriptores , that all barbarian historiographers haue mentioned this deluge and arke of noah , whereof he reckoneth these : namely berosus the chaldaean , hicronimus the egiptian , phoenix mnasseas , nicholaus damascenus . and eusebius remembreth greeke writers , alexandrum polihistorem , molonem , empoleneum and others which haue written of it vnder the name of deucalion , as they haue receiued it from others by reporte . ouid maketh a liuely discription of this deluge vnder the name of deucaliō . and iustin martyr sayth : we christians call him noah whom the heathens call deucalion . plutarch sayth , that the doue which was sent out of deucalion his arke brought to him a token of the fall of the water . and lucian an a theist yet sayth : that this generation of man which now is , was not from the beginning , but that it wholye perished which then was , and that this progenye which now is , is an other which descended from deucalion . and of the generation which perished , that they were cruell , wicked , periured , they harboured not strangers , they were inexorable , for which cause they suffered great calamitye , for suddenlye the earth poured out great store of water , great quantitye of rayne fell from the skye , the riuers swelled , the sea arose to such an height , that the worlde was drowned and all thinges perished . of that multitude only deucalion was left aliue who was preserued by these meanes : hee put him selfe with his wife and children in a great arke which he had made , when he had imbarqued him selfe , there came vnto him swine , horses , lyons , and all other beastes which the earth nourished , two of euery sorte . so god lefte not him selfe without witnes among the heathen , that thereby he might stirre them vp to search out the truth , which onely remayned in the church of god. chapter , 12. of the destruction of sodome . when lot had entred into zoar , the lord rayned vpō sodom fire & brimstone , & burned the cittie , & the plaine , and all the inhabitantes , and all that grewe vpon the earth . and lots wife behinde him looked backe , and she was turned into a piller of salte . this is the slorie of the bible , and what ground hath any atheist to deny it ? the christian may easily confound the atheist , because the reliques of it doe yet remayne , and the place doth shew it selfe . concerning the time when it was done , it is set downe in the text , that it was burned in the dayes of abraham , which arose early in the morning and beheld the smoke of it mounting vp as the smoke of a furnace . and by iust computation it is well knowne to haue beene about 392. yeares after the sloud . the place is well knowne to all cosmographers , and is daylye seene by many trauaylers : it is one of the three famous lakes which are in the land of canaan , which are commonly by the figure catachresis called seas . for in that land there are three such waters , the sea of galilie where peter , andrew , iames , and iohn , were about their nettes , when our sauiour did call them to be apostles . the sea of the gaderens , into which the heard of swine did run hedlong when the deuils had entred into them by the permission of our sauiour christ being beyond jorden towards arabia , and the waters are at this time venimous , and as it is thought , polluted by those swines . the third is this which wee are now to speake of and the subiect of our discourse . a greate part of it , which then was land is now all water , and is called asphaltites of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth pitch , because great quantitie of pitch boyleth out of it , and it is also called mare mortuum the dead sea , or mare mortuorum the sea of the dead , because no fish nor other creatures can liue in it . the nature of it is such that if any bordes be throwne into it , they will presently sinke to the bottom , if any vessell be vpon it which hath men in it , so long as the men liue it will bee aboue the water , but as soone as the men are dead being poysoned with the stinke of it , the vessel wil presently sinke . in so much that when vespasian the emperour had caused certaine men to haue their handes tyed behinde them that they might not be able to shift for themselues , and so to be violently plunged into the botome : they were presently driuen vp againe with as great a violence vnto the top , and so sloted vppon the superficies of the water vntill they were dead . the quātitie of this stinking lake is about 8. high almaigne miles , with in the compasse of it were scituated these fiue citties , sodom , gomorah , adama , seboim , and segor , which were destroyed with fire and brimstone , of the which the cheife and principal was sodom . in this water standeth a rocke , which to them that behold it , representeth the image of a woman , that is lots wife . in the bankes round about it , & al the ground which is neare it , are some reliques of these citties yet remayning , for the earth doth looke like ashes taken out of a furnace , there are great stones and peeces of rockes which looke as if they had bin in the fier , greate heapes of salte , a smell of fire as if the place were still burning , a filthye sauour of brimstone , such smokes & vapours continually rising out of the ground , that they doe annoy the villages and inhabitants which are anye way nere that place . some trees doe growe there , and bring fruite , but the fruites thereof neuer come to rypenes : if a man gather one of the apples and cut it with his knife , they are full of nothing but sparkles of fire and noysome smoakes . and therfore , for the confirmation of this story , besides the witnes of the scriptures , we need no more then the testimony of the place it selfe , which doth most plainly discouer it selfe . and therefore , the best counsaile that i can giue the atheist that readeth this storye is this : that hereafter he doe no more denye the truth of it , or make anye question how it might be , but rather thus : quotiescunque legit historiam timeas ne ipse flat historia , so often as he readeth the storye , let him tremble at gods iudgements , leaste he become also an acter of such a tragedye , and the subiecte of the like storye , that is , leaste he be turned into a stone as lots wife was , or consumed with fire and brimstone as sodome was . chapter . 13. of christ . i haue ( i trust ) sufficiently proued that there is a god , that the atheists might be conuerted vnto the true god. but , because this knoweledge of god in his creatures , is onely sufficient to giue them occasion to seeke further , and no way in it selfe able to saue their soules , they must also knowe him in his sonne , by whome onely saluation commeth . when the fulnes of time was come saith the apostle , god sent his sonne made of a womā &c that i may therefore proue vnto them god in his sonne our sauiour christ , by humane authorityes and reasons , because they will not stand to the authoritye of the scriptures : i will not alleage the testimony of the deuils out of the gospell , which sayd : iesus thou sonne of god , what haue we to doe with thee ? art thou come hither to tormēt vs before y e time ? but out of prophane historyes , which sayd in effect the same thing . for , being silenced at his comming , that their oracles could giue no more answer , and being asked a reason of their silence , one of them answered , as in the 4. chapter i haue already shewed vnto you . me puer hebraeus diuos deus ipse gubernans cedere sede iubet , tristemque redire sub orcum . aris ergo dehinc tacitus abcedito nostris . vpon which answer by them giuen , augustus the emperour erected an altar in the capitoll of rome with this inscription : ara primo-geniti dei , an altar dedicated to the first begotten sonne of god. i cannot see how any thing can be playner then the deuils confession by the oracle of apollo , wherein he is called : puer hebraeus , an hebrue childe , & deus a god. a childe there is , his birth and humane nature , like that of the prophet esay : natus est nobis puer , a childe is borne vnto vs , and an hebrue as the apostle speaketh : hee descended not of angells , but of the seede of abraham . and god , there is his diuine nature , god is become a childe , there is christ god and man. our sauiour shewed himselfe many waies to the infidels to be god , & yet to be borne , but they vnderstood him not . tully citeth the prophecy of sybel for proofe y t a king should be borne , and that none shold be saued vnles they did imbrace him , & yet , neither he nor the rest of the romās had the grace to applie it rightly . tully his selfe did onely aleadge it , but not beleeue it , for hee thought it to be some inuentiō of man tēding to the alteration of the state of rome . lentulus applyed it vnto himselfe , hoping hee should be that king , & therfore ioyned in conspiracie with cataline . virgill applyed it to solonius the sonne of pollio because he was his good patron , & was desirous to ; honour & magnifie him aboue other men . and it is very likely that virgil had heard something concerning this matter of the hebrues themselues , because ( as iosephus writeth ) when so euer herod the king of iudaea came to rome he lodged at pollio his house , vnto which house virgill often resorted . but afterward constantine the great did expound that prophecie to bee vnderstood onely of the incarnation of christ . iosephus writeth that there was an auncient prophecie among the romans , that a king should come out of iudaea , which should be the great man of the worlde . but they were so blinde that they could not apply it vnto christ , of whome it was meant , but they vnderstood it of vespacian the emperour because hee conquered the iewes . swetonius maketh mention of a strange accident which fell out at rome before the birth of christ , by which it was publikely acknowledged that nature did beeede a king which should raigne ouer the people of rome , & what that wonder was , dio sheweth : in the capitoll many images were ouerthrowne from heauen , writings in grauen in marble pillers were blotted out . but they had not somuch light as to vnderstand that the kingdome of christ his gospell should ouerthrow idolatrie , and prescribe new christian lawes , whereby his church should be gouerned . great was the blindenes of augustus which could erect an altar to the sonne of god , & yet could not acknowledg the sonne of god whē he was borne and published to the world , and being himselfe a tipe & figure of christ , yet did not see christ in his selfe , of whome hee was a figure . and , that it may not seeme to any man absurde which i haue said , that augustus , was a tipe of christ , wee finde the like in the prophet esay concerning cyrus the king of persia : i haue likened thee to my selfe , thogh thou hast not knowne me . cyrus was a tipe of christ though hee knewe not christ , in that he deliuered gods people out of captiuitie , by giuing them leaue to returne to their countrie and to builde the temple . so was augustus a tipe of christ in his happie & peaceable gouernment of the empire , in that hee was saluted first by that name of augustus the sixt day of ianuarie , and the same day was christ worshipped as a god & king by the wise men which came from the easte : that vnder him were burnt the recordes and specialties of the debts w t were due to the treasure house or chamber of the empire ; for so by our sauiour was cancelled the hand-writing of ordinance which was against vs , and it , was nayled on the crosse , when our sauiour was borne : greate quantitie of oyle did miraculously issue out of the earth , what was that but the birth of the lords annointed w t was annointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue al his fellowes ? vpon that miracle augustus was so astonished y t he made proclamatiō , y t after that time no mā shold call him lord , & what was that but a manifest acknowledgemēt that a greater lord was borne then augustus was ? to this also i may adde the testimonye of the starces and constellations in heauen , to shew the atheist the birth of the son of god vpon the earth . the wisemen , as i haue shewed before , sought out our sauiour christ by the leading of a starre , which staire i haue proued to bee miraculous . and yet although the birth of the sonne of god was not subiect to constellations , but was farre aboue the capacitie of astrologers and the course of the heauens : yet the verie astrologicall predictions , and aspects of other naturall starres were enough to giue occasion to the gentiles to seeke farther and so to come to the knowledge of the birth of christ , for asmuch as they did yeelde benignos influxus et amica lumina , as the astrologers call them ; the best influences ; and moste fauourable aspects vnto the natiuitie of him , of whome they receaued their influences , their lights , their aspects , and all their heauenly vertues . the wise men which came from persia to bethleem , although they could not knowe christ by the heauens , yet the heauens gaue them two manner of wayes to vnderstand that a man shold be borne , which in glorie & honour , vertue and pietie , should farre exceede all other men . for first , the sixt yeare before our sauiour was borne , there was a coniunction of iupiter and saturne in cancer , which mooued all the astrologers then liuing , to say , that shortly after there should insue a verie great change and alteration of religion . secondly the constitution of the heauen which was at the time of our sauiour his birth in the 42. yeare of the empire of augustus the 24. of december a little before midnight did testifie the same . for in it the horoscopus was the eight part of virgo , which signifieth change of religion , saturne was in the highest part of the heauen , sol in the lowest , which did shewe that such a childe was borne which might cause the world to wonder . and as albertus magnus citeth out of albumasar the great astrologer : ascendi in prema facie illius signi virgo pulchra et honesta habens in manu sua duas spicas et nutrit puerum , et vocat ipsum puerum quaedam gēs ipsum , et ascendit cum eastella virginis ; non quod subiaceret stellarum motui qui creauit ipsas stellas , sed quia quum extenderet coelum sicvt pellem , formans librum vniuersitatis , noluit literis eiusdem de esse ex his quae secundum prudentiam suam in libro aeternitatis sunt scriptae etiam elegantissimum illud a natura quod de virgine nasceretur , et per hoc innueretur homo carnalis et verus , qui non naturaliter nascebatur . there arose in the first aspect of the signe virgo , a faire and chaste virgin , hauing two eares of corne in her hand , and a childe in her armes , which childe some nations doe call iesus , not as if he that made the starres were any way subiect to the motion of the starres , but that hee which stretcheth foorth the heauens as a scrole of parchment , when hee writ the booke of nature , might not want witnes out of the booke of nature , of that which before was contayned in the book of aeternitie , which was his secret decree , that a virgin should bring foorth a childe , and so he should be described to vs to be a natural man although not borne after a naturall manner . thus , haue i proued the comming of christ by manie witnesses , of mē , of deuils , of stars & senseles creatures , cyted out of prophane stories , because the atheist wil not beleeue the testimony of god & angels in the holy bible . yet for their better satisfactiō concerning diuers particulars , i will alleage them reason so far as faith may bee made manifest by reason , that if possibly it may be , they may be brought to the acknowledgment of the truth . they aske vs what neede there was that the son of god should take our flesh ? and whether god was not able to saue vs by other meanes ? i answer , man offended god , & therfore it behoued man to make satisfaction , but mā alone was not able to satisfye , therefore god & mā were ioyned together . i proue the minor , that man alone was not able to satisfie , because god would not be satisfyed but by sacrifice , & no sacrifice vnlesse it were infinite , could suffice . that an infinite sacrifice was requisit , i proue by these reasons : an infinite offence cannot be purged but by a sacrifice answerable to the offence , but mans offence was infinite in two respects , first , of the infinite god-head w t was offended , secondly of man himself w t was the offender , which although he be finite , yet voluntate peccandi in infinitum rapitur , hee hath an infinite wil & desire to cōmit offences . and againe , as man alone was not sufficiēt , so it was not for god alone to worke this worke of our redēption , because there was no sacrifice sufficiēt to pacifie god but by death , & , as man without god could not ouer-come death , so god without man could not suffer death , & therefore it was required that the sauiour of the worlde should be god incarnate , and so god and man to make one christ might be vnited together . they aske how it came to passe that man offended ? for their satisfaction i answere : god made two especiall creatures to his owne image , indued with vnderstanding , angels and men : hee gaue thē two giftes wherby they might continue their happy estate , knowledge to distinguish betweene good and euill , & freedome of will to choose one & leaue the other , so that they might choose whether they would fall or stand . the angelles first fell , the cause of their fall was pride , the obiect by which they were puffed vp , the reflection of themselues vpon their own selues beholding their owne glorie and that excellencie whereunto they were created . for they could not be proud without an obiect , & there could be no other obiect to make thē proud but themselues . for god was so farre aboue them in glorie , that the sight of him would make them rather to haue a meane conceite of themselues and as for man he was farre beneath them , that they took no such delight in looking so stedfastlye vpon him , as to compare him with themselues . and therfore they beheld themselues in themselues , and so being delighted with their owne glory , manie of them forgot their owne selues how they were subordinate vnto god , and so their seruice & duetie towards god was interrupted , which did consist in perfect loue , sincere adoration , and imitation of him . and for this cause they were cast downe . after their fall they enuied that man should stand , and mooued him to disobedience , the outward obiect which allured him to disobedience being an apple , they mooued him to take the apple by false suggestions ; that so his estate should bee aduanced . now both angells & men had fallen , it pleased god to restore man againe , but not angells , for these two causes : first , the angells being first in the praeuarication seduced man , and were the cause of his fall . secondly , the angells being spirits and not bodies were of greater perfection then man was , & therefore better able to withstand sinne and all manner of temptations then man was , and therefore god was more highly displeased with the sinne of angells then he was with the sinne of men . and therefore hee sent his sonne for the redemption of man , but not of angells . they aske why the father tooke not flesh rather then the sonne ? why the sonne being incarnate had his conception of the holy ghost without begetting how he could be borne of a virgin , and wherefore he was so borne ? to which questions i answer as followeth : the incarnation of the sonne was the worke of the whole trinitye , yet one person was incarnate , as if three sisters should make a coate , and one put it on . pater & spiritus imple erunt carnem christi maiestate , filius tantum assumptione , the father and the holy ghost filled the flesh of christ by their maiesty , but the sonne by assumptiō of it vnto him selfe quia congruum fuit , vt qui erat in deitate filius dei , esset in humanitate filius hominis , it was most fit that the sonne onely should be incarnate , and not the father , nor the holy ghost , that he which in his diuinity was the sonne of god , might be in his humanitye the sonne of man. he could not haue beene man , had he not beene conceiued . and forasmuch as he came into the world to redeeme mankind , which he could not doe vnles he were without sinne , & he could not haue beene without sinne , had he not beene conceiued onely and not begotten , for if man had begotten him he had begotten him in sinne , because omne simile generat sui simile , euerye thing which begetteth doth beget that which is like to it selfe , and therfore he was not begotten , but onely conceiued without the helpe of man , and he could not haue beene so conceiued , but by the holy ghost . he was therefore conceiued by the holy ghost , that he might be conceiued without sinne . as he was conceiued by the holy ghost that he might be conceiued without sinne , so he was borne of a virgin that he might be borne without sinne . but they aske how he could be borne of a virgin ? i could aske them how eue could be borne of adam without a mother ? or adam of the earth without father or mother ? why could not christ aswell be borne of a mother without a father , as eue of a man without a woman , or adam without man or woman ? and because this doth not onely concerne the a theist , but also the iewe and the maniche , s. augustin for confutation of them both sayth : ego tibi ostendam incredule iudaee & detestande manichaee , peperisse virginem , i will proue to the vnbeleeuing iewe , and the curssed maniche , how a virgin may bring forth a childe . against the iewe he alleageth that twelue roddes according to the number of the 12. tribes were put into the arke of the couenant , among the rest , aarons rodde wanting moysture , and all the rightes of nature , contrary to nature brought forth fruite . quod virga potuit , virgo non potuit ? virga potuit contra naturam nuces producere , nunquid & virgo non potuit contra naturam dei filium generare ? ostendas mihi quo modo virga nuces pratulit , & ego tibi ostendam quo modo virgo filium peperit . that which a rodde could doe , could not a virgin doe ? a rodde could contrary to nature bring forth almonds , and could not a virgin contrary to nature bring forth the sonne of god ? shewe me how the rodde brought forth almonds , and i will shewe thee how a virgin brought forth a childe . rubus sust●…uit ignem , & non amisit viriditatem , sic virgo peperit christum & non amisit virginitatem . the bush burned and yet continued greene , but as the bush bore the heat of the fire without losse of viriditye , so the virgin bore a childe wtthout losse of virginitye . this may suffice to confute the iewe which doth allow the authoritye of the bookes of moses , but it wil not serue for the confutatiō of the atheist , for he will aske me how it may stand with humane reason and with the rules of arte how this may be ? and how there may be penetratio corporum , that one body should penetrate an other ? i will not therfore cyte the authorityes & exāples of the scriptures , how christ arose out of his graue , the graue being shut vp , & the stone not rolled away : how after his resurrection he went into the house where his disciples were , the doores being locked : how at his ascension he peirced the heauens : how he is ( as before i haue shewed ) liberrimum agens , & medijs non alligatum , a free agent , and not tyed to meanes whereby he worketh : how he hath metaphysicum imperium in singula , a supernaturall power whereby he ouer-ruleth all creatures . but i will dispute by reason against the atheist , as s. augustin doth against the maniche : solis radius specular penetrat , & soliditatem illius insensibili soliditate pertransit , & talis videtur foris qualis intus , nec quum ingreditur violat , nec quum egreditur dissipat , quoniam ad ingressum & egressum specular integrum perseuerat . specular non rumpit solaris radius , neque igitur integritatem virginis vitiare potuit ingressus aut egressus deitatis . the sun-beame peirceth through the glasse , & the glasseis not broken , how it passeth through so solid & hard a body , the eye or sense of man cannot perceiue , it looketh alike both within and without : whē it entreth in , the glasse is not cracked by the entrance of it , when it goeth out agayne , the glasse remaineth without blemish as it was before : and so it is with our sauiour christ which passed through the virgins wombe . he came in forme of a seruant that he might suffer , si enim cognouissent , dominum gloriae non crucifixissent , for if he had beene outwardly glorious , that the iewes had knowen him to be the lord of glory , they had neuer put him to so vnglorious a death . and seeing that he came to dye , it behoued him to dye vpon the crosse , & to choose that death aboue all other . placuit deo hominem reconciliasse eodem modo quo nouit cecidisse : homo damnatus est in ligno , reconciliatus est in ligno , vixit in ligno vitae , mortuus est in ligno scientiae , reuixit in ligno crucis . quia primus adam deceptus est in ligno , secūdus adam passus est in ligno . it pleased god that mā should rise by the same maner as he fel , but mās saluatiō came by the wood of y e tree , & therfore his saluatiō came throgh the wood of the tree . because the first adam was deceiued in the tree , the secōd adā suffered in the tree . man liued in the wood of life , man dyed in the wood of knowledge , man reuyued agayne in the wood of the crosse . the differēce being shewed between creating & redeming , & how hard it was for the son to redeeme , ouer that it was for the father to create , as namely the father did his work by speaking , the son his worke by doing , the father commaūding , the son by obeying , the father in 6. dayes , the son in no lesse time thē 33. yeares , the father w t ease , the son with groning , the father as an agēt , the son as a paciēt , the father with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he , which is but an aspiration , the sonne in the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thau , which representeth the gallowes , or the crosse . after reproach , by due course did follow glorie , after suffering death , victorie and triumph ouer death , else hee could not haue deliuered vs from death . and because vnderstanding creatures are in three places , deuils and damned soules in hell , men vppon earth , angelles and blessed soules in heauen , due course required that he should descend into hell to triumph among the deuils & damned soules , arise from the dead to triumph before men , and ascend vp into heauen to triumph among the angells , & blessed soules which are in heauen . it was no strange thing for him to descend into hel , because that descension was onely in soule , & therefore an easie passage . of his resurection from the dead we see manie resemblances , for out of the ashes of the dead phoenix doth arise a liue phoenix , of the corne buried and rotted in the earth , foringeth vp corne againe in greater measure then it was sowed , all these thinges being as vnlikely , and as impossible as the resurection from the dead . in alcumistrie they see that when golde is brought to powder there is a speedie reduction of that same powder into golde againe , & so ofal other metalles : the heauens yeelde no moysture to the earth , but they take it vp againe . and as for his ascention vp into heauen it was most naturall vnto him , for where should a glorified body be , but in a place of glory , and where should god be but in heauen , which is his throne and dwelling place . chapter , 14 the end of the world . the atheist thinketh the worlde shall haue no ende , but hee alleadgeth no reasons to proue his vngodly assertion , more then haue bin already answered by st. peter . our reasons to proue an end and consummation of all things are these . 1. what-soeuer had a beginning must also haue an end . that the worlde had a beginning , i haue alreadie proued in the 8. chapter , and the sequell followeth in natural philosophie , y t it must therefore haue and end because it had a beginning . there must bee resolutio in materiam primam , a resolution into that chaos wherof it was first made according to aristotle the great philosopher of the world . 2. man is commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little world , and for his sake the great worlde was partly made , for if hee stretcht foorth his armes at length , from the endes of his two middle fingers , to his head & foote , may be drawne a circle , his head is as the north pole , his feete instead of the south , his armes as the expansion of heauen , his handes as the east and west , his nauel as the center . in him are colde , heate , moysture , drinesse as the foure elemēts , his heart still mouing representeth heauen which is in continuall motion , his soule an immortal spirit guiding & moouing the bodie , resembleth god the guider of the worlde , but man which is the lesser worlde declineth , it followeth therefore as a good consequent , that the greater worlde also doth decline , and where there is declination there is also corruption , and death . that man declineth , it is manifest , for men are of lower stature , lesser bones and strength , and shorter life then their fore fathers were , but whatsoeuer is languishing , faynting & declining , doth growe to an end , & whence commeth this but from the declining estate of the greater world ? the earth we see , w t is the lower part of it , is not so fruitefull as before it was , but beginneth to bee baren , like the wombe of sara , the fruites which she doth bring foorth yeeld not so much nutriment as before they did . and how commeth that to passe , but because the heauen also fainteth , the planets wax olde , and cannot affoord so great vertue & influence to these lower bodies , as in times past they did ? as i'liny and aulus gellius testifie . but this is a manifest proofe seeing lesse and weaker bodies are conceiued euerye age in the wombe of nature , that nature waxeth olde and wearye of conceiuing , & cuiuscunque est senectus illius est mors , whatsoeuer waxeth olde , that also dyeth and hath an end . 3. if a man do but behold the face of heauen , the moone looketh pale and wan , mars lesse rubicund , sol lesse orient , iupiter not of so amiable and fauourable countenance , venus more hipocriticall , all the rest both of the wandring & fixed stars , more weake & suspicious then they did before . that mightye gyant which was wōt to runne his vnwearied race , now waxeth weary , as if he would stand still in heauen , as he did in the dayes of iosue , shineth more dimly , apeareth more sildome then before , what is this but an argument that shortly the high arch of heauen which is erected ouer our heads , will fall & dissolue it selfe ? 4. what do so many irregular & threatning eclipses portend , such vn-vsuall aspects of the starres , such fearfull coniunctious of planets , such prodigious apparitions of comets ? but , that as the apostle speaketh : the feruent desire of the creature wayteth when the sonnes of god shal be reuealed , euerie creature groneth with vs , and trauaileth in paine together vnto this present , that they may bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption , into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of god ? 5. empires , and kingdomes , and all estates haue their fatall periods . daniel his exposition of nabuchodozer his dreame is now almost fulfilled , the head of gold , the shoulders of siluer , the belly of brasse , are already worne out , nothing of that image is now lefte but the very stumps of clay , their dates are ended , their periods determined long since , & how is it possible that feete of claye should continue for euer , seing golde , siluer , brasse , & yron , such strong mettals are consumed ? what now remayneth therefore , but the stone cut out of the rocke without hands which bruiseth this image in peices ? the euerlasting kingdome of iesus christ in an other worlde , vnto which all the temporal kingdomes in this worlde must giue place , that all these being expired christ in heauenly kingdome may rule for euer ? what remaineth now but that we looke dayly & howerly for this kingdome , that now we begin to climbe jacob his ladder , a peccato ad poenitentiam , a poenitentia ad opera , ab operibus ad iudicium , a iudicio ad miserccordiam , a misericordia ad gloriam , from sinne to repentance , from repentāce to good workes , from workes to iudgment , from iudgement to mercye , from mercy to glorye ? there is the glory of god standing vpon the top of the ladder . last of all that the worlde shall haue an end , & be consumed with fier , witnes not onely st. peter the apostle , but also ouid the poet , his wordes be these : esse quoque infatis reminiscitur affore tempus , quo mare , quo tellus , correptaque regia coeli ardeat , & mundi moles operosa laboret . that the worlde shall haue an end , witnes lucretius , his words are these : vna dies dabit exitio , multosque per annos sustentata ruet moles , & machina mundi , accidet exitium coeli , terraeque futurum . to this also agreeth the poet lucan , his wordes be these : inuida fatorum series , summisque negatum stare diu , nimioque graues sub pondere lapsus , nec se roma ferens . sic cum compage soluta secula tot mundi suprema coegerit hora antiquum repetens iterum chaos , omnia mistis sidera sideribus concurrent , igneapontum astrapetent , tellus extendere littora nolet , excutietque fretum . fratri contraria phoebe ibit , & obliquum bigas agitare per orbem indignata diem poscet sibi , totaque , discors machina , diuulsi turbabit foedera mundi , the fates enuye the states of mortall men , the highest seates doe not continue long : great is the fall vnder the greater burden , ( and greatest thinges doe to them selues great'st wrong ) rome was so great ( whome all the world did feare ) that rome her selfe she could no longer beare . so when this well couch't frame of worlde shall burne , and the last houre so many ages end : to former chaos all thinges shall returne , ( the enuyous fates this issue doe portend ) then all the planets shall confus'dly meete , and fires caelestiall on the flouds shall sleete . the earth shall grudge to make the sea a shore , and cast it off , and push the fload away : the moone enrag'd shall crosse her brother sore , and seeke to alter course , to shine by day : thus all at oddes , in strife and out of frame , they shall disturbe the worlde , & spoyle the same . chapter , 15. of hell fire . thus you haue heard , how by the course of nature the worlde shall haue an end . what then foloweth ? i say to the atheist with s. paul ; and thinkest thou ô man that thou shalt escape the iudgement of god ? shall men thinke there is no punishment for wicked men after this life ? i wish that they would beleue s. ambros : christus moriens in nouissimo testamento singula singulis , officia distribuebat , patri spiritum , militibus vestimenta , corpus iudaeis , pacem discipulis , crucem . apostolis , latroni paraedisium , peccatoribus infernum . when christ dyed in his last wil & testament , he bequeathed diuers legacyes : to his father he commended his soule , to the iewes his bodye , to the soldiers his garments , to his disciples peace , to his apostles the crosse , paradice to the good . theefe which was crucified by him , but hel fire to vngodly men . but to perswade these vnbeleeuers that there is an hell , my reasons are these : first , i haue manifestly prooued that there is a god , and it cannot stand with the nature of god , but that he must be iust , and there can be no iustice in god vnles he punish offenders , they for the moste part do escape punishment in this worlde , gods iudgements doe not ouer take them in this life therefore that god may be iust , their iudgement is reserued vnto another world that they may be punished in an other place , and where is that , but in hell-sire . secondly whereas tully a philosopher , claudius claudianus a poet , seneca , and others being so many , in their description of hell , make mention of minos & rhadamanthus , the iudges there so cruell and inexorable , the furies , the fier , tantalus his euerlasting thirste , ●xion his wheele alwaies rolling , titius vpon whose bowels the vultures are eternally feding , what is this but the same description of hel , which is in the scriptures , eternal fire prepared for the deuill and his angells , and as the prophet esay writeth : fier that shall neuer bee quenched , and a worme of conscience gnawing alwaies and neuer dying ? thirdly , witnes the atheist that there is a hell for wicked men . for many times hauing committed heynous offences , though so secret that no man can detect them , & he so mightie that he feareth no man that should punish him , yet he is inwardly troubled & vexed in his conscience : what is this his conscience but a secret feare that god will punish him ? he soeth that god doth not punish in this world according to the qualitye of such an offence , therfore he feareth punishment in an other world , then witnes the atheist his owne conscience there is a hell . fourthly witnes , the atheist that there is an hell , all be it hee denyeth hell. for hee knoweth , and also verye well considerreth , that in the time of his health he is subiect to sicknes , pouertie , imprisonment , a whole sea of gall and bitternes , nay a worlde of discontentments , yet he would not dye nay whē he is grieuously sicke , his panges intollerable , his disease vncurable , he would giue a great summe of money yet to prolonge his paine vpon earth , to liue heere continually though in continuall sickenes . and why is all this , but because hee is loath to die ? why is that , but because he feareth death ? but if hee thought his soule were extinguished by death , that after death there should be no iudgement , no hel , no feeling of sorrowe , then why should hee feare death ? nay why should not an atheist which is so worldly wise , and which loueth his own ease so much , desire to die , and so to be at rest rather then to liue in continuall sicknes , if he thought that death were an end of sorrowe ? therefore it followeth as a necessarie consequent , that he feareth death , because he thinketh that a farther reckning is to be made of the thinges which he did in this life , that greater panges and torments shall ensue after death then could bee incident vnto him in this life , and that can bee nothing else but hell-fier . fiftly , let the atheist for his better satisfaction concerning this point , but trauaile into the land of canaan , to beholde the lake asphaltites , where sodom stood , and he shall see the verie image and idea of hell before his eyes ouen in this life . when he cōmeth thither these thinges shall present themselues vnto him : tetrus odor , aspectus horrendus , lacus fietidus , fumus venenosus , poma quae morsu tentata , in fumum et fauillam or to fatiscente vanescunt . an vgly and loathsome smel of brimstone , horrible & dreadful prospect , a stinking lake poysoning smoke , apples full of filthie vapours and sparkes of fier , the thinges which hee shall see with his eyes , smell with his nostrells , and taste with his tongue , wil make him to confesse there is an hell . to them which aske whether hell be a materiall place or no ? i answer , it must of necessitie be so , because in it are to be tormented not onely soules , but also bodies . it is no imaginarie thing , because when they come there , it shal be no imaginarie punishēt which they shall suffer . if they aske where hell is ? surely it is in the lowest parts of the earth , because they are farthest from heauen . but i wish them not to be so curious in disputing , and inquiring notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a69226-e270 luc , 21 , 2. contrà menda : chap , 6. dè trinitat : lib. 1. chap , 3. apoc , 2 , 4. & 14 , 15. & 20. apoc , 3 , 1. 15 , & 16. apoc , 13. 17 2 , thes , 2 , 39. 1 , king , 12 , 31 mal , 2. 9. act , 13 , 22. notes for div a69226-e790 ephe , 2. gal , 4. rom , 1. psalme , 14. psalme , 36. psalme , 10. 1. cor. 15 , iob , 4. 1. sam. 3. libro dé cuuatione graecarū affectionū . eleuch : alphabet : c , 1. dè ●isto : pretarum , dialo : 6. iudith . 6. exod , 5. 2 reg , 18. vide suide hist : sozom. l. 6 , c 7. et . 10. tripartit , hist . theodore , l. 5. hist . c. 25. phil , 3. 1 sam , 17. prou , 8. 1 iohn , 4. math , 12. hollend shed in his cronicle . machiauell principis . c , 1. de natura de orum . lib , 1. math , 10. rom , 12 , esay , 2. esay , 11 , rom , 10. luc , 2. gen , 18. 2 reg , 4. 1 reg , 17. deut , 11. psal , 133. math , 7 , & 15 matb , 13. math , 10. act , 20. ezech , 23. math , 22. act , 17. psalm , 10. iob , 1 , 1 , sam , 4 2 , reg. 23 2 , reg , 25 lib. 1. cap. de neglect religione . de haeres . lib. 1. gen , 19 1 , reg , 13 , 1 , sam , 4 , numb , 16 , 2 reg , 2 2 reg , 9. leuit , 10 1 , sam , 15 dan , 5 luc , 1 , act. 8. act. 5 , 2. reg : 5 deut , 32 exod , 8 2 pet , 3. rom , 2. psal , 10. dè ciui : dei , lib , 1. chap , 8. 2 col 4. 2 , reg , 15 exod , 5. exod , 8. 1 sam , 5. dan , 4. esther , 6. pro , 19 , & 20 act. 13. act , 5. 1 reg. 21. dan , 3. psal . 12. act , 17. psalm , 14. what haynous sin , blasphemous mangainst gods beloued sonne doest thou commit ? vp brayding him who did for vs become ? our self-same : flesh : who bore our sin , & pitved frō his throne that most vhappy state of ours frō whence adam was throwne . with such vncircumcised lippes forbeare ( ô wretch ) againe to crucifye the virgins soune , and feare eternall paine . de falsae religione . l. 1. c. 2 ad filium suū tatium quod manifestus deus manifestissimus est . psalm , 19. rom , 1. psal , 104. ad filiū tatiū phisic : l , 2. c , 1 iob , 12. gen , 3. math , 14. gen , 4. pro , 28. rom , 2. oratione pro. s. roscio amorine . pro , 15 esay , 57. ouidij metamorpho : gen , 4. suco●●●● ca●gul : cap , 15 ●is in nerone de natura de●●●… , lib , 1. institut : lib , 1 iouae , 1. pro , 27. dan , 9. exod , 33. metaphy : lib , 1. cap , 1. officiorū , si , 1. 〈◊〉 tatiū cicero in som : stip : phisico : lib , 7. cap , 2. & 10. phes l , 8 c 6 , de coelo . l , 1 , ● , 9 lib , 2 , cap , 3. metaphy : lib , 11 , cap , 7. laērtius dé vita aristot : de pietate et philosophia . paenander sermo sacar glauis . de natu : deo●●●… . l , 1. ●●seuls quest : lab. 1. ciuitatis dei , l. 22 , cap. 8 vide carcaum de meteoris . charion in his chronicles . plutarch in ●ita fabii . luuius . l. 4. decad. 3. et l. 3. dec 1. math. 2. ignatius ad ephes . lib. 2. sa●…turnal . ad ephe. math. 26. libello de sph●ra . sermone de pasions . contra celsum l , 2. vide de ed fusins apud suidam . apologiâ aduersus gentes . iudith . 11 theodo : bist : l , 3. c. 23. sabell : anae . 8. l. 2. c , 11 fulgentius , lib , 7 , & 6. mat. lac . 2. act. 19. marci . 1. ex. 7. ex. 8. 1. sam vide ciceronem lib. 2. de diuinat . arnobius aduersus gentil lib. 3. sueton in octau . c. 94. c , 70 chap , 29 niceph. hist . l 1. c , 17. susdas . an hebrus childe , his selsea god , which other gods doth quell . bids me be silent , leaue my seate , and get me downe to hell . from this same place departe therefore : this oracle will speake no more . ro. 10. phil. 2. in marcum 〈◊〉 . 14. meditat. cap. 31. poster lib : 1 c. 3. iohn . 3. tuscul : quast . lib. 1. ro. 9. ex , 33. magister sentent . l. 1. dist . 3. ro. 1 mat. 3 , gen , 3 , gen , 18 esay , 6. saballius anoe ad , 8 , l. c. 11 , heb , 1 peter lomb : dist : 3 : aug : de trinitate , lib. 4 psal , 50 , gen , 3. ephe , 2 ro. 1 , exod , 7 , 1 , sam , 5. de eiuitate dei , lib , 1 , c : 2 aenaad , lib , 2 de ciuitate dei. l. 4. cap. 34. defalsa religione . lib. 1. c. 3 gal. 4. 1. tim , 1 , in. psal . 90. ephes , 2 , 2. tim. 3. 2 〈◊〉 et . 1 ro. ● psal , 2. aduersus indaeos . c. 7. 8 act. 2. 2 , pet , 3. dan , 9. iohn , 2. apoc , 4. de fide. lib , 4. psal , 45 , dan , 13. math. 16 , prafat in biblea interlinear . gen , 49 , 28. 1 cor , 1. aug. in iohn , chrysost . hom . 4. in esaiae verba vide dominum stantem super thronum iosephus en aristo . antique lib. 12 , c , 2. euseb . lib. 8. peup euen . c. 1. act. 13. iohn . 3. math. 2. math 26. iohn . 9. ex , 4. dan. 7. antiqu lib. vide polidorū virgil de muēt vide euseb : de temporibus et 10. de praepavat : euang et lib 8. heb , 1 lactant. lib. 1 c. 6. hieron cont : intuian : l , 1 , theophi : atio chonus ad auto . lib : 2. clem : a exstro : lib 2. contra celsum . l. 5 de diuinat . lib. 1. tit. 1. 1. cor. 15. menander in thaide . act. 17. strom , lib. 6 in oratione ad autonium p●um . vide dionisium helicar : hist . rom. l. 4 lactantius , l. 1 , c , 6 cornelius tacitus annal . l. 〈◊〉 eccles . 1. math , 2. numb . 24. chalesdiús commentin timaum platon : in numeros hous : 13. mat. 2. saturnal : l , 2. cap. 4. math , 26. iohn , 9. metamor : l , 1 antiquit : l , 8 cap , 4. gen , 1 , iohn , 1. paemandus . ibidem . centra faustīs manichaeum : lib , 3 , cap , 19. ioh , 5. 2 tim. 3. numb . 16. dent. 24 , math. 19. rom , 9 math , 11 , luc , 10 , exod , 20 , iob , 1 , exod. 33 , 2 , sam , 16 exod , 20 math , 26 , act , 1 , math , 7 , gen , 1. rom. 1. 1. sam. 17. iudith . 11. exod. 7. iudic. 16. decluit , doi . lib. 12. ca. 17 adoptatum epist. 157. gen 2 psal . 18. 1. sam. 18. gen , 40 , 2. sam. 1. act , 20. esa . 26. gal. 5. 1. thes . 5 august epist . 157 gen , 2 , de anima lib 3 ad secun linū epist . 53. iustitut lib. 1 psal . 50. 1. cor. 7. iohn . 3 , officiorum lib. ●… metaphisicorum . l. 1. c. 1. postereorum . lib. 1. c , 2 naturalihist . cap. 10. de animalibus . act , 7. 1 reg , 6. gen ● gen , 1. in magnas albumasaris coniunctiones . selius polihist : cap. 18. herodian . herodotise in melpo●●●●●… . lib : 2 cap 23. giuitat : dei. lib. 18. anti , li : ca. 4. lib : 9. de preparat : euang : metam : lib. 1. apolog : 1 , lib : de industria animalium , lib , d : deâ syria . gen , 19 , deut. 29. esa . 13. math. 4. math , 8 , vide garcaei meteora . gal. 4. mat , 8. esay . 9. heb. 2 , symbolum athanasis . de diuina hone. l. 2. lucius florus . l , 4. c. 1. aglog . 4. antiquit. lib. 15. c. 13. oratione ad sanctum caetum . belts indeici . l. 7. c. 12. in octan , aug. c. 94. rom. hist. lib 37 esay , 45. mat , 2. col , 2 , orasius hist . l , 6 , c , 20. heb. 1. mat. 2. petrus aliacus card : quest in gen. 30. inspeculo . in maiori introdactorio , tractatis sexta . numb . 27. exod. 3. math , 28 , luc , 24 , marc , 16 , ioh , 20. & 21 2 , pet , 3 , phis . l. 1. natural hist , l , 7 , c. 16. n●ct , at : l. 13 , c , 1 , psal . 19. ro. 8 , dan. 2 , gen , 28 , 2 pet. 3 , metamor : lib : 1. and there he shewes how 't is ordaynd of olde , that time shall come , when both the earth and sea , with heauens arche , so glorious to beholde , shall burne , and all shall turne vnto decaye . lib : 5. the worlde which stood so many yeares shall in one day destroyed be : destruction likewise shall appeare for heauen and earth most sodenly . belliciuilis lib : 1. rom , 2. tuscul : quaest : lib , 1. mat. 25. esa . 66. firmianus and dubitantius, or, certain dialogues concerning atheism, infidelity, popery, and other heresies and schisme's that trouble the peace of the church and are destructive of primitive piety written in a plain and easie method for the satisfaction of doubting christians / by tho. good. good, thomas, 1609-1678. 1674 approx. 261 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 87 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-11 (eebo-tcp phase 1). 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(eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a41388) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 40515) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1207:7) firmianus and dubitantius, or, certain dialogues concerning atheism, infidelity, popery, and other heresies and schisme's that trouble the peace of the church and are destructive of primitive piety written in a plain and easie method for the satisfaction of doubting christians / by tho. good. good, thomas, 1609-1678. [5], 166, [1] p. printed by l. lichfield for tho. hancox, oxford : 1674. errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng dissenters, religious -england. atheism. 2003-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-07 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-08 marika ismail sampled and proofread 2003-08 marika ismail text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion imprimatur rad. bathvrst . vice-can . oxon. firmianus and dvbitantivs , or certain dialogues concerning atheism , infidelity , popery , and other heresies and schisme's that trouble the peace of the church , and are destructive of primitive piety . vvritten in a plain and easie method , for the satisfaction of doubting christians . by tho. good , d.d. master of baliol colledge in oxon. take heed brethren . least there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeleif , in departing from the living god. heb. 3.12 . oxford , printed by l. lichfield printer to the university , for tho. hancox book-seller in hereford . 1674. to the reader . considering the many learned and judicious tracts , that are extant against atheism , infidelity , popery , with other heresies , sects , & schisms , destructive of the antient catholick religion , and of that peace and vnity , love and charity , which is the badge and mark of christs sheep ; i thought it superfluous to add my poor scrible after such fair copy's , but observing the length , and learning of those elaborate tractat's , which many men have neither money to buy , leasure to read , nor judgment to understand , i conceived that these few short discourses , ( not fitted , nor indeed intended , for the perusal of the learned ) might nevertheless , be gratum opus agricolis , not altogether unprofitable for men of ordinary capacityes , to which purpose i have used such means and methods . that i might be the better understood by these men , i have endeavoured that the matter of these discourses ( for the most part ) might be plain and familiar , the phrase and expressions intelligible . i have made use of two feigned names . ( firmianus and dubitantius , ) to personate the sound believer , and the doubting sceptick christian , who are brought upon the stage , disputing by way of dialogue , which is most suiteable to men of short discourse , and most apt to comply with their apprehension . i hope the more learned reader , ( if any such shall give themselves the trouble to peruse this little manuel ) will not censure the plainness of it , but rather commend the charity of the author toward the w●ll meaning christian , who amongst those many treatises , that have been written , can meet with very few that are calculated for his meridian , and consequently is apt to be blown about with every wind of doctrine , by the slight of men , and cunning craftines whereby they lye in wait to deceive ▪ and who these gamesters are , he that has but half an eye may see , and how many a poor soul has in these times of confusion been blown about from one erroneous opinion to another , until he has turned seeker , scheptick , and at last down right atheist , there is no man so great a stranger in our hierusalem that can be ignorant . wherefore if these short and familiar discourses may have the happiness to prevent the falling of any unsetled , wavering soul , or to restore any that has fallen to a sound mind , 't will be my great satisfaction and rejoying to be able to apply to my self that of st. james , cap. 5.19 . brethren if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him , let him know that he that converts a sinner from the error of his way , shall save a soul from death , and shall cover a multitude of sins . now the god of truth and peace grant , that these poor and weak endeavours may work that good effect upon the erring seduced sinner , and that the multitude of my sins may be covered , with the long white robe of my blessed saviours righteousness , for his holy name sake . amen . thine in the truth that is i● christ jesus . tho. good . dialogue i. against atheisme . firm. good morrow to my old friend dubitantius . dub. a good day to you , firmianus . firm. methinks i read some discontent in your face : what may be the cause of it ? dub. there is a great cause ; i have been so long distracted betwixt diversity of opinions in point of religion , that i am now doubting whether there be any religion at all , or any supream invisible deity to be worshipped . firm. this is the common result of vain janglings , that they usually end in atheism and infidelity . but pray tell me , is it possible , that there should be such fierce disputes , and bitter contentions about a very nothing ? certainly such sharp disputes about the various manners of gods worship , do strongly argue that religion is a thing of highest concern , or that all the wisest men that ever were in the world are fooles , and madmen , to oppose , hate , malign , persecute one another even unto death , for a groundless fancy , a very nothing . dub. your discourse is very rational , for i suppose wise men would never wrangle about a meer romance ; yet i confess i have had strange irrational thoughts , against the very being of god , and the truth of any religion . firm. you justly term such thoughts irrational . did not i once tell you , that when you had fors●ken your mother the church of england , ( the most apostolical catholick in the whole world ) in short time you would become a libertine , an atheist , any thing , or nothing ? dub. do you think that all nonconformists , and separatists from your church , are libertines and atheists ? firm. i am not so uncharitable : but i must tell you , that causeless separation is a very greiveous sin , and punished many times with the seve●est judgments , such as are spiritual blindness , hardness of heart , and a reprobate mind . dub. i fear those judgments have overtaken me : for since i became a separatist from your church , i have been very cold at my devotion , made little conscience of publick , or secret praier ; of obedience to those powers which god has ordained ; of love , charity , honesty , and upright dealing towards my neighbours . i have lived an atheist in practise so long , that i am now ready to be an atheist in opinion , and to say with the foole in the 14. psal. there is no god. i have so long s●ept out of one opinion into another , that at length i am become a very sceptick in religion , doubting of all , and fixing upon none . firm. truly sir , you made good your name by your practise , which renders you a right dubitantius . but pray tell me by what degrees , and methods , you have stept out of our church into the borders of atheism , that i may with the more facility bring you back the same way , by which you have unhappily gone out from us , into the bosome of your dear mother . dub. your demand is reasonable . 't is not unknown to you that i was once a true son of the church of england , you shall hereafter know for what reasons i left her communion , and became a presbyterian : and to be breif i stay'd not long , in that opinion , but presently i proceeded independent , then anabaptist , then quaker , then papist , then antiscripturist , then what you now find me , almost an atheist . firm. i hope you are not fixed in that wretched opinion , as resolvedly to deny him a being , that gave you yours . dub. sir , i am not ; but have many doubts whether there be , and as many thoughts that there is not a god , creator and ●overnour of heaven and earth , and all things in them cont●ined . firm. i have heretofore taken you for a rational man , and therefore i desire a reason from you of such thoughts and doubts . dub. those many controversies , and sharp contentions about religion and worship of god , have caused me to doubt , whether there be any religion at all , or any god to be worshipped . firm. is it imaginable that so many wise men should contend about a trifle , a fancy , a very nothing ? 't is strange that what should be a most rational motive to perswade you to beleive that there is a god , and a religion , should make you doubt of both . there must be something in it , that draws so many combatants into the field , zealous sticklers for their several modes , and formes , of religion , hateing ●ne another even unto death . dub. this you have intimated before . i am fully convinced , that so many fierce disputes about religion , do argue , that t is not a meer fancy . i pray sir , enquire no further after the reasons of my doubts , but let me hear from you , how they may be satisfied . firm. most willingly ; but that we may proceed the more methodically , let it be agreed be●wixt us , what is the true notion of god. upon supposition that god is , what do you conceive of him in your mind ? dub. 't is agreed by all , that the notion or conception of god in our mind , is , † that he is a being infinitely perfect . firm. if god be a being infinitely perfect ▪ then god is : for a being infinitely perfect must necessarily exist and be . dub. do not we say , a rose is a flower , yet it does not follow ( at a●l times ) that a rose is : for in the winter there is no such thing as a rose , and yet the proposition is true . firm. there is a vast difference betwixt a being absolutely perfect , and that which has a limited and finite perfection ; for in this the essence may be really abstracted from the actual existence , but not in that . for a being infinitely or absolutely perfect , must necessarily exist ; not contingently , or impossibly ; for those modes are inconsistent with a being absolutely perfect ; for whatsoever does exist contingently , is in possibility not to exist , which is an imperfection : and impossibility of existence is the greatest imperfection of all other . dub. this reason is so obscure , that albeit i cannot reply to it , yet i am not satisfied with it . i fear some fallacy lies hid in the bowels of it . firm. i believe not ; yet because you do not fully comprehend it , i shall proceed to others tha● are more plain and intelligible . firm. what say you then to that reason which is drawn from the general consent of all nations , as well heathens as christians ; nulla gens tam barbara , &c. saies cicero ; no nation was ever so barbarous which did not confess a god ; now the consent of all nations is the law and dictate of nature , so that t is impossible that all nations should consent in so great a falshood , as the atheist endeavours to maintain . add to this their general practise in worshiping some supream deity ; that rather then worship no god at all , they would worship the sun , moon and stars , ye● the mo●t contemptible creatures , the crocodile , onyons , garlick , a red cloath , any thing they first met with in the morning ; so powerful is the impulse and inclination of nature in this great business of religion , which is the proper distinguis●ing character betwixt a man and a beast : as lactantius has long since observed . dub. i confess that the general consent of nations in the acknowledging and worshiping a god , has been one main reason , that has kept me from being a down-right atheist : yet i have somwhat to say against it ; because this consent is not so general as is pretended , for i have heard there have been men in antient times , and not a few in these we live in , who have said , not only in their hearts , but also with their tongues , there is no god. firm. what are two , or three men in former ages , or a fe● debauched persons in this , to the general consent of all civil nations , from the beginning of the world ? happily you have heard that so●e have denied , the sno● to be white , the fire to be hot . monstrous opinions are no more a prejudice to the dictates of nature , and common consent of all nations , then monstrous shapes and formes in the body are to the laws of nature , which she generally observes , in the forming of men and beasts in their due proportions , and lineaments ▪ what if some few , out of discontent , singularity , animosity , or brutish sensuality , have turned atheists ? is it not a great prejudice to this brutish opinion , that few sober men ( if any ) have been of their party , but such as have been first atheists in practise , sensual , debauched wretches ? nam quo quis in vita purior , &c. saies cicero : ●y how much any man has been more pure in his li●e and conversation , by so much his thoughts of the gods have been more sound and rational . dub. i confess it is a great prejudice to atheism , that the debaucher sort are the greatest ( i● not the only ) sticklers for it ; but still my doubt remains , and therefore i desire to hear from you some more evident reasons , for my full satisfaction . firm. most willingly i shall comply with you● desire . my third argument shall be this . if the world had a beginning , and was not from all eternity , then 't was made by somthing else ; for nothing can make it self . 't is as clear as the sun at noon day , whatsoever is made , is made by another ; for that which is not , cannot work , and consequently cannot produce it self , nor a●y other ●●ing : now this somthing else must be made o● some other cause , or else it self must be the supream cause of all things . if you affirm the former , you must run up into an infini●e number of causes , which is impossible , or else you must come at last to one supream independent being , which is the maker of all things , he himself being made of none , which is the eternal god. dub. i begin to feel the weight of this argument . if you can clearly prove the world to have had a beginning , i shall be your convert , and readily confess , that verily there is a god that hath made the world , and judgeth the earth . firm. this i hope i shall perform by his gracious assistance , whose cause i plead , and whose poor sinful creature i am . first , then by the world we understand the whole systeme , or collection of things in it contained , sun , moon , stars , air , earth , water , men , beasts , fo●les , fishes , plants , and all things whatsoever comprehended in this vast circumference . dub. i willingly grant that by t●● world we are ●o understand all things therein contained , as you have enumerated them , which make up the visible world , created by almighty god , in six daies , as your moses would have us believe . firm. that none of these were from all eternity , i shall prove by instancing in two of the most principal of them , to wit , the sun in the firmament , and man that dwells upon the face of the earth , by which you may judge of the rest . dub. if you can prove that the sun was not from eternity , and that there was a first man , and consequently that mankind had a beginning , i shall be abundantly satisfied , it that wherein at present i much doubt , viz. the worlds beginning . firm. before i proceed to my arguments , you must give me leave , to lay down certain principles which no rational man will deny ; as for example . 1. quicquid fit , fit ab alio , whatsoever is made , is made by somthing else ; for nothing can make it self . 2. omne ens est vel factum , fi●itum , dependens , vel non factum , infinitum , independens ; every thing that is , is either made , finite , independent ; or not made , infinite , independent . 3. vere i●finitum non habet principium , aut finem ; that which is truly infinite , has neither beginning , not end . 4. non datur pro●essus in infinitum ; we cannot pro●eed in numbering , from effects to causes , or in any other way imaginable infinitely , but we must come ●o some period o● end . 5. infinitum no● potest pertransiri , 't is impossible to pass over or through that which is infinite , so as to come to an end of it , seeing what is infinite has no end . 6. infinito ●il potest addi , to that which is infini●e nothing can be added to make it greater , or more then 't was before that addition . 7. aeternitas est duratio ●nterminabilis sine partium successione , in qua non datur prius & posterius ; eternity in its full and proper notion , is a boundless duration , without beginning or end , without succession of parts , as that one part of it should be either before or after another . dub. no rational man can deny any of these principles : but i much wonder , how so great a master of reason , as aristotle was , should grant all or most of these , and hold the eternity of the world , and not be sensible of manifest contradictions . firm. that the eternity of the world is a flat contradiction to many of these principles , is evident ; that aristotle was an acu●e philosopher , cannot be denied ; but it must be granted he was but a man , and one that had only the light of corrupted nature to guide him , he might therefore err , not knowing the scripture , nor indeed the power of god , and therefore he w●s ignorant how the world could have a beginning ; and seeing he very resolutely maintained , that ex nihilo ni●il fit , that whatsoever is made , is made of somthing , and that of somthing else , and so we mu●● proceed in infinitum , which he positively denied as absurd and impossible , as well he might ; or else the world must be from all eternity , proceeding from the first mover , ( whom he conceived to be a necessary , not a free agent ) as heat from the fire , or light from the sun , and therefore eternally existing with that first mover , or first cause : however some have affirmed , that in his book de mundo ( if that be his ) he retracted this error , which has been a grand occasion of atheism , as f●rra ▪ upon aquin●s ●ontra gent. has truly observed . dub. and well he might , if 't was built upon ●o sandy a foundation , as to make god a necessary agent , for that was to render him inferiour to some of his creatures , which are free and voluntary . but pray leave the philosopher to his other errors , and self-contradictions , and make it appear , if you can , that he erred in asserting the eternity of the world . firm. that i hope to perform by principles granted by all sober men . there is nothing in the world , but either 't was made , and had a beginning , or 't was not made , but was from all eternity ; now t is evident , that there is no particular thing in this visible world , which was not made . the sun , moon , & stars were made , men , beasts and plants were made . for brevity sake , i shall only instance in the sun , and in man , that they were made , and had a beginning , and consequently the moon , and stars , ●easts , and plants . 1. that the sun was made , and had a beginning , i thus demonstrate : that which was not from all eternity , but had a beginning , was made , and that by somthing else , because nothing can make it self ; but the sun was not from all eternity . the major is evident , the minor is thus confirmed ; if the sun was from all eternity , then either it moved , from all eternity , or it stood still ▪ if it moved from eternity , then 't was eternally together in the east , meridian , and west , not first in the east , then in the meridian , then in the west : for in an eternal motion , ( if any such motion were possible ) there can be no ●uccession ▪ no first , or last , ( prius or posterius ) because in such a motion there is neither beginning no● end . dub. 't is evident , by what you say , that the sun has not moved from eternity , but how can you prove it did not stand still from eternity , seing there are some that hold it alwaies stood still , and never moved to this day , but that the earth moves and the sun not at all . firm. it hinders not the force of the argument , whether you hold the earth move , and the sun stands still , or the contrary ; for 't is but shifting the scene , and puting the earth instead of the sun , and the reason will be altogether the same . dub. i perceive it does not , and therefore let me hear how you can prove that the sun did not stand still from all eternity . firm. if the sun stood still from eternity , then there was an eternal night upon half the face , or globe of the earth , and an eternal day up on the other half , ( or at least many other gross absurditie● would follow . ) no vicissitudes or changes of night and day , summer and winter , spring and autumn , and consequently no productions , or generations of men , beasts , plants , for that half of the earth which was deprived of the light and heat of the sun , ( which as a second cause gives life and vegetation to all the inferior creatures , that have life and growth ) could bring forth no vegetables , or animals ; and the other half , which was alwaies scorched with too much heat , must of necess●ity be as barren by such heat , as the other by extream cold ; and so we should have an eternal sun to no purpose , and then what will become of your eternal world ? besides if the sun stood still from eternity , what caused it to move in time ? of it s own nature certainly it could never awake out of an eternal sleep : if any thing else set it in motion , then either it must be somthing that was moved by some superior cause , and this cause by another , and so to an infinite number of causes , which is absurd and impossible , or else it must be the first mover and efficient cause of all things , which is god. dub. you have abundantly satisfied me , that the sun had not an eternal being , and consequently that neither men , beasts , or plants , could be from all eternity ; however i desire to hear from you some particular arguments against the eternity of man-kind . firm. there is no particular man but had ▪ beginning , was made and begotten by his parents , they by theirs , and so we must ascend from son to father , up to all eternity , usque ad infinitum , which is utterly impossible , or else we must come to a first man , who could not make or beget himself . now if every particular man be made , and begotten , then the whole kind must be made , because the whole kind is nothing else , but the collection of all particulars . every one of them we see by daily experience had a beginning , and is begotten or made ; therefore 't is made by some other , for quicquid fit , fit ab alio , and this of some other , and so forward until we come to the supream cause of all things , which is god. again , either all men that are , or ever were in the world , were made ; or some were made , and some not made , but had being of themselves : if so , 't is impossible that these men should be of the same kind , with the men that were made , for that which is made depending upon another , cannot be of the same kind with that which is not made and independent , because a thing that is not made , infinite , independent , is of another kind from what is made , finite , and dependent ; and these two ( finite and infinite , dependent and independent ) are opposite members , dividing one and the same most common kind . dub. 't is a clear demonstration , that every particular man being made , the whole kind must be made ; hut pray tell me , might there not be a perpetual successive generation of men up to all eternity , and so a processus in infinitum , an infinite number of them without all beginning ? firm. this is altogether impossible ; for in a catologue , or series of things , every one of which had a beginning , as 't is evident that every particular man had ( and consequently the whole series ) there cannot possible be a processus in infinitum , up to all eternity , or an infinite succession of causes and effects , without all beginning ; eternity properly so called , has neither beginning , no● end , for 't is duratio interminabilis . an infinite unlimited duration , and therefore whatsoever had a beginning cannot possibly be eternal , but the whole series of men had a beginning , for whatsoever is made had a beginning , but the whole series of men was made , therefore it had a beginning , for every particular man had a begining : therefore the whole series , which is nothing else but a collection of all particulars , and therefore it cannot be equal or comensurable to eternity , which is without beginning . again , if the ●eries , or rank of men did run up to eternity , or into an infinite number of successive generations , then that infinite number of men have been swallowed up of death many millions of years before this age we live in , and so death has passed over that number , which is contrary to that certain principle , infinitum non potest pertransiri ; 't is impossible to pass over , or through that which is infinite : nay then ●here would not be any man living at present ; for if an infinite number of men are already dead , then all the men that ever were or may be are dead , for infinito nihil pot●st ●ddi . yea if the world should continue ten millions of years longer , there could not be after those ten millions of years more men in it , then there were ten millions of years before this present ; for nothing can be added to that which is properly infinite , to make it greater in magnitude , or more in number , neither could the father be before the son , nor the gre●t grandfather before or elder then either ; nam in aternitate non datur prius & posterius . in this infinite duration , there is no former or latter , and consequently had the world been from all eternity , it could not truly be said , that any man was before another ; not abraham before isaac , or he before jacob. dub. you have made it very plain , that the world had a beginning , and consequently ( because t is ridiculous to suppose that it had its beginning from it selfe , chance , or atomes ) that there is one supream cause of infinite power and wisdome , the creator of heaven and earth , and of all things therein contained , which is the glorious and eternal god , of whose being i hope i shall hence forth never entertain the least doubt . firm. though you seem to be well satisfied with these reasons , which i have urged for the being of god , yet because something in them are not so intelligible to men of ordinary capacities , who perhaps may cast their eyes upon these papers ; you shall give me leave to use other reasons that are more plain and familiar , and such as may perswade more with men of ordinary abilities , then those that i have proposed to you● self . dub. though i am fully satisfied in that great fundamental point , yet in this i commend your charity , and do not envy the satisfaction of others . but i believe you cannot alledge more convincing reasons th●n those which you have already made use of ; however i desire to hear what you can further say , for the con●irmation of this very great truth . firm. the other reason which i shall produce shall b● taken from the goodly fabrick of the world , the harmonious order of all things therein contained , the horror of conscience in wicked men ; the dread of perjury in very heathens , the appearance of evil spirits , their strange working in witches and wizards ; which may be seen more largely treated of in doctor fotherbys atheomastix , doctor andrews cattechisme , du-plessis truth of christian religion , grotius of the same , doctor mores antidote against atheism , parsons resolutions , doctor stillingfleets origines sacrae , gales gentils court , mr. baxters christian religion , with many others : i shall breifly sum up what these learned men have wrot at large , beginning with that argument which is taken from the goodly fabrick of the world . 1. t was excellently said of tertul. lib. de resur . facilius credas prophetiae si sis discipulus naturae , if we be conversant in the works of nature , they will lead us to the knowledg and beliefe of scripture . there is a most sweet harmony , betwixt those two books , the book of nature and the book of grace . what is said of the one , monstrat quaelibet herba deum ; every herb or plant does shew there is a god , is most true of the scripture ; quaelibet linea deum refert , every line in this book , shews us the power , providence , and wisdome of god. and if the atheist will disdain to read this excellent commentary upon the book of nature , let him seriously peruse the text , the harmonious beauty and order of the universe . plato and some other of the antients , were used to demonstrate the being of a supream deity by a clock ; whose hammer when it striketh sheweth the next wheele that moves it , that the next , and so forward until you come to the clockmaker ; who made all the wheels , and caused their regular motions . another instance is commonly made use of , if a man should travel into a far country , at present not inhabited , and there should behold some goodly building , he would presently conclude it grew not out of the ground , neither did the be●sts make it , but t was the work of some ingenious artists ; or if a man should behold a well ordered army of soldiers , keeping rank and file , turning altogether ( as if they were animated by one soul ) sometimes to the right hand , sometimes to the left , he would presently conclude that there was some expert commander to direct them . even so he that casts his eye upon this goodly fabrick of the world , must needs acknowledg the great power and wisdom of its maker ; he that shall seriously observe the harmonious order , the regular motions of its parts , must needs acknowledge the truth of that saying , psal. 19.1 . the heavens declare the glory of god , and the firmament sheweth his ha●dy work . and rom. 1.19 . that which may be known of god is manifest in them , for the inv●sible things of god are clearly seen , by those things that are made ; viz his eternal power and godhead . job . 26.7 . he stretcheth out the north over t●e empty place , and hangeth the earth upon nothing . seriously consider what is wrote in the , 36.37.38 . chapt. &c. of that book , besides many other excellent texts in the holy scripture , declaring how the glory , wisdome , power of god is manifest in the admirable frame of the world , and the exquisite order and harmony of all things therein contained . see how the heavens warm and water the earth ; how the earth , brings forth the grass , herbs , and plants ▪ how these feed the beasts ; how the beasts serve the several necessities of man ; who is the only creature ( the immortal angels excepted ) that can in a rational manner serve , and set forth the glory of his creator . o how desirable are all his works , and that a man may see even to a sparke , ●ccles . 42.22 . none so little as does not manifest the glory , none so great , which is not subject to the almighty power , and wise disposal of the creatou●r . behold the in●nimate creatures , how they declare it , the sea whose proud waves are bounded by his power , job . 38.11 . of whose wonderfull ebbing and flowing , no man is able to render a satisfactory account ; certainly those that go down to the sea in ships , and do business in great waters , these men see the works of the lord , and his w●nders in the deep . ps. 107. the earth which contains so much rich treasure in the bowels of it , such v●riety of plants , herbs , flowers , both for use & delight in the surface of it . the air that compasseth about both sea and earth , receiving multitudes of vapours , and exhalations from them both , and returning them in gratefull dews and sho●res . the wind that is brought out of gods treasury , no man knows whence it comes , nor whether it goes ; the wisest philosophers are at stand , they know nor what to say of it . the lightning and thunder , two terrible , yet very usefull creatures ; frost and snow , and ice and hail , all which declare the glory of god : see psal. 147.148 . but above all the inanimate creatures , those that are above them , all in place and exellency , do magnify the glory of their creator ; as the sun , moon , and stars . o saith david , psal. 8. when i consider the moon and the stars , which thou hast ordained , what is man that thou art so mindfull of him , and the son of man that thou visitest him ? looke we on the animate creatures , plants , herbs , flowers , grass , grain , how wonderfully they grow and multiply ? consider their variety , beauty ▪ virtue , pleasures , profits , monstrat quaelibet herba deum , every herb points out a deity . consider the fish in the sea , the beasts in the land , the fowls of the air , see how they declare the glory of their maker , peruse with a serious and diligent eye the , 39.40.41 . chap. of job as before . last of all , thou stupid creature , consider thy self , that art fearfully , and wonderfully made . view the excellent harmony , consent and use of all the parts in thy little world , with what dutifull care they serve each other , so that the head cannot say to the feet , i have no need of you ; the consideration of which excellent frame , and contexture of parts in the body of man , made the learned galen stand amazed , and turned him from an atheist , to confess , and believe a god , and to compose an hymn , in praise of his almighty creator . in a word if we consider the whole creation , the harmony and subordination of the several parts of that goodly fabrick of the universe ; they do wonderfully declare the wisdom , power , and glory of the omnipotent eternal maker of heaven and earth . if we behold how the heavens serve the earth , the earth the plants , these the beasts , these man , whose great end and errand for which he was sent into this world , was to serve him , who made the inferior creatures for man , and man for himself , we must needs break out into the psalmists holy rapture , o lord how marveillous are thy works , in wisdome hast thou made them all : and he must certainly be a very unwise man , that doth not consider them , and a very fool , that will not understand them . dub. from what you taught me a little before , that t is utterly impossible for any thing to make it self , or by the power of its own nature , and to spring out of nothing into somthing ; and by what you have now delivered , from the goodly frame , and fabrick of the world , and the harmonious order of its parts , t is evident that it owes not its original to chance , which is a very dream : 't is as cleer as the sun at noon day , that their is an allwise , an almighty god , the glorious maker of heaven and earth ; however i pray you let me heare your other reason , from the sacred bond of oaths , the horror of cons●ience , &c. firm. t is evident that very heathens , and mere natural men , that have made no conscience of telling a thousand lies , of drunkenness , fornification , theft , malice , envy , revenge , &c. durst not seriously and solemnly take one false o●th , for fear of divine vengeance which hath been executed upon perjured persons , as i● evident , from histories sacred and prophane . 't is a most remarkable peice of history , which is related of three notorious villaines , which did swear against narcissus bishop of hierusalem ; as eusebius reports it , lib. 6. chap. 18. of eccl●s . hist. and about the year 1661. we had a very signal instance of divine justice , executed upon on g. at ludlow , in the councill of the marches , who taking a false oath in th●t court , was strucken in the same place presently with suddain death . such judgments as these against perjury were so frequently observed by some heathens , that when diagoras hearing a man for swearing himself in a court of judicature , and being impatient to see that he was not presently thunder-strucken , became an atheist , and because sentence against so great an evill was not suddenly executed , therefore the heart of this fool , this wicked man , was fully set in him about that great mischief , to say there was no god. psal. 14.1 . eccl. 8.11 . dub. some pagans a●d false christians , have dared to take false oaths . the jesuites ( whether they be pagans or christians i know not ) will swear anything , even solemnly in courts of justice , and therefore this argument ▪ ( impious me● dare not take a false oath , therefore there is a deity or some supream power which they fear , ) holds not , for the antecedent is evidently fals ; but this is rational , strange horrors and terrors of conscience , and fearfull judgments have followed perjured persons , ( tho no man knew they were so ) therefore there is some invisible superior power whe●ce such horrors and terrors and judgment● proceed . frm. i do confess that there have been several perjured persons in former , and are in these present times , but for a full answer to this exception , see what is replyed to another very like it pag. 4. however i am content the argument should stand , as you have proposed it , strange horror and terrors of conscience , and fearfull judgment have followed perjured persons , &c. which sufficiently proves what i intended , and therefore i proceed . another argument very like to this , or which is rather an addition to the former , may be tak●n from the feares and torments of an evil co●science , even amongst the very heathens . nero haveing killed his mother , confessed that he was often troubled which her ghost . the wretched caligula at the report of a thunder clap would ●un under his bed . a thousand instances there are amongst heathen writers , of wicked men labouring under the feares and terrors of their own co●science , which juvenal does describe to the life in one or two of his satyrs . what should be the reason that mere pagans , men having no knowledg of the true god , or of his severity against wickedness , should be tormented with the sad prospect of some fearefull judgment , attending upon their villanies tho never so secretly practised , but the timor numinis vindicantis , the fear of divine vengeance ? a third argument may be drawn from the certainty that there are devils , evil spirits , together with their wicked instruments , witches , magicians , sorcerers , conjurers , which none but a foolish atheist ( who will believe no further then his sight leads him ) can doubt of . how frequently the devil has appeared in this nation in times of gross ignorance● , and superstition , and how he does so still to the poor ' indians th●t worship him for their god , is aboundantly manifest by the tradition of our fore fathers , and the testimony of knowing christians , that have been in those parts . what pranks and diabolical feats , have been acted by witches and conjurers , may be seen in those learned authors , that have wrot against them ; as dr. moor , and many others . and albeit the appearances of evil spirits , witch-crafts , &c. are not now so frequent in this nation as heretofore , in times of popery , and darke ignorance , yet does it not therefore follo● , that all our forefathers were melancholly hypocondriacks , deceived themselves , and deceiving us with vain and groundless phansies : but the true reason is this , in times of ignorance , and superstition the devil appears more frequently , to uphold his kingdome over his vassals , and to confirm them in their false worship ; but in times of knowledg and gospel light , the prince of darkness uses all his arts to render men scepticks in religion , and of no religion at all , atheists , infidels , prophane : so that his very appearing would pull down his kingdome , which he exercises over these wretches , who like sadducees believe neither angel , nor spirit , nor any thing further then they can see . now the prince o● the air is too subtil to confute this gro●s errour in his best servants by any or often apparitions . the last reason i shall take from that allowed disti●ction that is betwixt good and evil , better and worse ; which could not be , unless there were some measure of mans actions : and this measure must be a law , either written in mans heart , or instituted and written in bookes or tables ; and thi● law must have a law maker , which must be able both to know , reward , and punish , not only mans words and actions , but his very thoughts , which none can do according to the exact rules of justice , but he that is infinite in knowledg , and wisdom ; that is , none but the omniscient god. besides all this , there are degrees in good and evil ; for of things that are good , some are better then others , of things that are evil some are worse then other . now these degrees of good and evil , take their rise and fall by their aproaching to , or declination from that which is summum bonum , or the chiefest good ; so that , if there were no best , or cheifest good , there could be no better or worse , no good or evil at all , therefore there must be one infinite good . to conclude this first discourse ; seeing the inclination of all people , to believe a god , the instinct of nature to confess it , the excellent fabrick of the world to declare it , the force of wicked mens consciences to fear it ; the custom of civil nations to adore it , do abundantly prove that god is , yea doubtless that there is a god , that judgeth the earth , what a monstrous creature is the fool atheist , that saith in his heart there is no god ? dub. though i was abundantly satisfied with your former reasons against atheism , yet i heartily thank you for these which you have here added , which though they are more largely treated on by several learned authors , yet as you have breifly summed them up , they are more suitable to men of ordinary capacities , and of short discourse , who loose themselves in long treatises , and are apt to forget what they have read in the beginning of them , before they come to the middle , and are more tired with the length , then pleased with the soundness and excellency of such discourses . sir being fully satisfied with your reasons against atheism , i humbly beseech the almighty creatour of heaven and earth , to bless them unto me , to preserve me from all prophane , irreligious courses , from practical atheism , which by its own natural propensity , and the just judgment of the most holy and righteous god , is the great cause of that which is speculative and dogmatical . dialogve ii. against antiscrpturisme . firm. having given you such satisfaction about the being of god , as hath fully removed all your doubts concerning that first and great principle ; if you please we will discourse of the other that is like unto it , the divine au●h●rity of the holy scripture : for upon these two depend the great and weighty business of religion . he that is steadfast in the beliefe of the being of god , and the truth of his mo●t sacred word , ( if he be true to these great fundamentals ) must of necessity be both an orthodox and a serious christian. dub. if you can give me as good satisfaction , in the divine authority of scripture , as you have in the being of an eternal god , creatour of heaven and earth , you will performe a work of greatest charity , but i f●ar of as great difficulty . firm. happily you may perceive some difficulty in it , but if you will make use of your reason , and lay aside all prejudicating opinions , which cheifly arise from that contrariety which is betwixt mens carnall corrupt hearts , and the holy and pure word of god , i hope by his blessing whose cause i plead , to perswade you to give your full assent to this other great principle of christianity . dub. i shall endeavour to weigh your reasons , in the ballance of an even unbiassed judgment , and to receive them , a●imo defaecato , with a mind free from the dregs of sensuality , interest , partiality , or prejudice . firm. upon the confidence to find this ingenuity in you , i shall present you with these following reasons . 1. you do belive that there is an omnipotent god , creatour of heaven and earth , that he made all things therein contained , that being infinite in wisedome and knowledg , he made all these things for some good end , that he hath ordered them to act and worke , in such a manner as is suitable to their several natures , that in as much as they have their being , facultys , operations , from their all wise and glorious maker , they are bound by the law of creation , to do homage and service to him that made them . dub. all this i grant to be very rational . firm. these things being granted ; that ( not to mention other creatures ) as man had his being , reason , and understanding from almighty god , so is he bound to serve him in that way and manner , which is agreeable to mans excellent nature , which must be therefore a reasonable service , which all the world , as well pagans as jews , and christians call religion , which according to all sober people comprehends duties of piety , as praier , praises and sacrifices , duties of temperance , sobriety , and chastity , duties of honesty , justice , righteousness , and all morality . dub. there is nothing more evident , then that as there is a most wise and holy god , that made man , endued him with excellent facultys , of reason and understanding , so there is a debt and duty owing from man to god , his maker , which all the world calls religion , and no people in the world were ever so barbarous , ( saies cicero ) as to be destitute of all religion ; yea there is such a tendency in ▪ the nature of man ( where t is not utterly extinguished by brutish sensuality ) that rather then he will worship no god at all , he will bow down to a sock , or a stone ; so that clear it is , if there be a god the creatour , and man by him created , there must of necessity be a religion . firm. truly nothing does more necessarily follow ( as du-plessis has well observed ) then a god , a man , a religion . but if almighty god did make man to worship him , sure he gave him some rules for that worship , some law to direct him in this great concern of his soul. dub. i cannot deny it ; and that this law was no law written in paper , or engraven in tables of stone , but the law of nature written in mans heart ; which made tertullian , utter these excellent words , o ani●a naturaliter christiana , ô divine soul that art naturally a christian. we see that the fire ascends , the water moves towards the center , birds make their nests , beasts feed their young , not by any outward positive law , but by the unerring hand of nature , and may not man that has a natural inclination to serve his maker , perform this service without any institued law , or prescribed canon . firm. ther 's no disputing against experience ; you see he does not , and when you shall embrace , and understand the holy scriptures , you will see he cannot by reason of his fall from that ●erfect sta●e , in which he was first made , whereas the inferior creatures kept their station . dub. i confess there are different religions in the world , opposite one to another , so that all of them cannot be in the right way of wo●shiping god ; some of necessity must be false and erroneous . firm. if of all religions in the world , all are not in the right , how will you know which is the true religion , which is the false ? this you cannot discern by any imprinted law or light of nature ( unless excited by art and industry ) which is in some measure common to all men that are not natural fools , and madmen , stupid inconsiderate wretches , or debauched bruits , whose reason is ●unk down into gross sensuality . dub. t is very true , if the meer light of nature were sufficient to point out the true religion , i am not able to say why so many sober men , in several parts of the world , who have not debauched their reason , and judgment should so strangely differ about it . firm. i believe you cannot , nor yet why jewes and pagans did offer up bloody sacrifices to these deitys , they worshipped . does any light of nature make it rational that the gods should be pleased with the blood of poor innocent beasts ? or is it rational to imagine that they should delight in humane ●acrifices ? dub. i must acknowledge i do not understand , how the light of nature should teach men , that such sacrifices should please the gods. i have oft●n wondered at this part of worship used by jews , and gentiles ; pray sir , give your selfe the trouble , of informing me whence this practise sprang ? firm. you are satisfied that it had not its original from the light of nature ; for albeit , some kind of sacrifices as prayers , praises , alms-deeds , and it may be the offering of the fruits of the earth , deo datori , to god that gave them , might spring from that light , yet the sacrificing of beasts was never shewed , to jew or gentile by natures candle , but was after the fall of man , appointed by almighty god to prefigure the grand propitiatory sacrifice , which was to be made by the blood of him , that was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world , which the devil ( who is tearmed gods ape ) taught his servants the gentils to imitate , who had the shell but not the kernel , the shadow , but not the substance , the outward rite , but not christ crucified , represented by it . dub. i do acknowledg that the sacrificing of beasts came not from the light of nature ; and you seem to make it probable that 't was from divine revelation , and positive institution . firm. you will be better satisfied , when you shall consider , that the founders of all religions in the world , did pretend to revelations , numa , lycurgus , mahomet , &c. which the devil taught them to do in imitation of moses and the rest of the holy prophets , who spake as they were moved by god. 2. pet. 1.20 . now there being but four religions in the world , iudaism , christianity , paganism , and mahometism ; if i shall prove unto you that christianity , ( whose rule and foundation is the holy scripture ) is the only true religion , and the other three false , i hope you will grant that the foundation on which it stands is the true revelation , and consequently that the scripture is no invention of man , but given by inspiration and revelation from god , which is the summ of my first argument . dub. if you can prove that the other three religions are false , 't will necessarily follow , that the revelations to which they pretend are likwise false . firm. this i shall easily do ; beginning with paganism , which consists in the worshiping of the c●●●tures ▪ 1. the sun , moon , and all the host of heaven ; 2. d●●d men ; that called sabaisme , this h●ll●nisme , from the nations that fi●st used these modes of worship , of both which we have a short account , im the book of wisdome , chap. 13. and 14. but more fully in vossius de idola●ria , and in the author of the gentils court , who hath m●de use of divers excellent men , that have wrote of this subject . that this religion of pagans was against the l●w , and light of nature , both in respect of the things wo●shipped , and also in respect of the abominable ●ites and ceremonies , any man that has the least sparke of that light remaining in him , may ●asily discern . first , the things worshipped were the creatures , some of them that never had life , others th●t once lived but are now dead , whose ghosts or manes the heathens imagined to be confined to their idols ; whereas no creature can be c●pable of religious wors●ip ; for 't is repugnant to all right reason , that one creature should thus worship another , god alone being the proper object of such worship , because in him we live , move , and have our being , and he it is that gives us life and breath , and all things ; therefore deo datori , to god the creator , and giver of all good things , all religious worship is only due . besides some of the wiser heathens , acknowledg that there could be but one god ; 't was a common saying amongst them , dicite plures , dicite nullum , 't is all one to say there are many gods , as to say there is no god , for the notion which they had of god , was that he was ens infinitum , a being of infinite power and perfection ; but natural reason shewed them that there could be but one infinite , because infinite power , and infinite perfection , comprehends all power and perfection , and therefore it cannot be communicated to many , or more then one . secondly , their rites and ceremonies were so ridiculous , and so filthy , that the apostle stiles them abominable idolatries , 't is against the rules of christian modesty , either to hear or speak of them . he that desires to see paganism smartly and solidly confuted , let him peruse the antient fathers , lactantius , arnobius , minutius felix , eusebius , clemens alexandrinus , st. augustine de civitate dei , &c. dub. i alwaies conceived paganism , to be a most vain and vile superstition , contrary to the very light of nature , and i am no better perswaded of mahometism , however i desire to hear your reasons against it . firm. you may please to receive them thus ; my first reason shall be taken from the novelty of , it being not much above a thousand years since that false prophet mahomet published his rapsody of nonsence , fabulous fictions , and damnable blasphemys to the world . first , from which i thus argue , truth is before falsehood , illud verum quod antiquum ; seeing the world is now above 5500 years old , and seeing religion has been practised in it from the creation , t is absurd to imagine , there was no true religion before mahomet , or that the infinite goodness and wisdom of god , should suffer gross errors to infect the whole world at least 3000 years before the true worship of his holy name was known unto men . secondly , mahometism is a mixture of judaism , heresy , and paganism , with some sprinklings of christianity , a bundle of ridiculous fables , prodigious lies , as is evident to any that shall peruse the alcoran . thirdly , 't was propagated by the sword , and such carnal weapons , by sensual motives , and promises of fleshly pleasures , to be injoyed by all those that should be followers of that grand impostor , which are so unworthy of the rational soul , that they cannot be called the cords of man , but are only proper allurements for those whose reason is sunk down into brutish sensuality . dub. these reasons do sufficiently manifest the folly and falseness of this new or rather no religion , but pray you inform me why you rank judaism in the number of false religious , seeing t is grounded on the scripturs of the old testament , which you beleive to be a divine revelation . firm. when i reckon judaism amongst false religions , i mean only that religion which is professed by the modern jews , under & against the gospel , not that which their forefathers under the law lived and died in . since the fall of adam unto the end of the world there was and shall be but one true religion , consisting of repentance from dead works , holy obedience , and faith in jesus christ ; so that the fathers before the law , the israelites under the law , the christians under the gospel , were and are of one and the same religion , for the substance of it ; 1 cor. 10.1.2.3 . they did believe in christ to come , the christians do believe that he is already come ; to them he was vailed in types and shadows ▪ to us he is revealed , and those shadows are vanished at the rising of the sun of righteousness with healing in his wings . dub. by what you have said 't is evident , tha● all religions that are and ever were in the world , ( except the jewish under the law and the christian under the gospel , which are for substance the very same ) are utterly false , and consequently their pretended revelations , on which they are built , the inventions of men and satanical delusions ; and that the christian and the antient jewish being the only true religion , it must follow that the old and new testament is the only certain and divine revelation ; your argument appeares to be very concluding ; i pray you proceed . firm. my second argument shall be taken from the excellency and reasonableness of christian religion . first . this religion is most holy and spirituall ; resolving it selfe into most excellent principles and ends ; the glorifying of god and humbling man , pointing out unto us the most divine and he●venly life in the love and service of our creator , in the dedication and devotion of our souls unto him , in whom we live move and have our being , placing our felicity in spiritual , not in fleshly pleasurs , the rule of it ( being holy scripture ) contains laws most holy , most pure , most righteous . let all the world if they can answer the chalenge made by moses . deu. 4.8 . what nation is there so great that has statues and judgments so righteous , as all the law which is set before you this day ? which as to their clearness are highly improved under the gospel , engaging us upon higher and more heavenly motives : those under the law being for the most part temporal ; to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts , to live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world . tit. 2. " 12. there is no virtue which christian religion commendeth not , no duty which it commandeth not , no vice , no sin , which it does not condemn ; no religion , doth so much condemn pride , worldly-mindedness , sensuality , filthy lusts , a poore , private , narrow spirit , selfishness , as this , no religion doth so much commend humility , meekness ▪ selfe-denyal , charity , peace , unity ; no ●eligion doth so much exalt reason above passion and sence , doth so much enoble the spirit of man , making it to look upon the riches honors pleasures of the world , as so many vain shadows , deluding dreams , transitory nothings ; the great design of it is not carnal and worldly , but high and heavenly , as to set forth t●e glo●y of god , to lift up the soul above the cre●ture , to lead man by the way of holyness to everlasting happiness . this religion gives us the highest motives for " the sincere practise of piety , and all manner of virtuous living th●t possible c●n be , the pleasures of an holy life here , the enjoyment of eve●lasting happiness hereafter ; it gives the strongest reasons against the power o● temp●ation● , te●●hing us to mortifie the lusts of the flesh , an● to contemn the vanities of the world , putting the joyes of heaven , the torments of hell , the love of god in the ballance , against the ple●sures of sin , whi●h are no more then a feather to the massy glob of the earth . " lastly , christian religion from holy scripture , on which 't is founded , doth reve●l unto us the nature , attributes , and works of god , beyond all the religions that ever were in the world ; how doth it magnifie and reconcile the justi●e and mercy of god towards sinful man ? how do●h it set forth the infinite power and wisdom of ●o● ▪ in making the world of nothing , in such an excellent form and beauty , which has drawn all ●o●sidering men into an admiration of the goodly fabrick of it ? yet the must acute philosophers were at a loss how and when 't was made , whether 't was from all eternity , or had a beginning in time ; whether 't was m●de of pr●existen● m●tter , o● of the fo●tuitous concourse of atoms ; whi●h fond opinions deserve not any serious confutation . " but the holy scripture doth ●le●rly solve all these doubts ▪ & is indeed the best cōment on the book of nature , and doth give such an account of the original of the world , the time and method of its production , the peopling of nations , the confusion of languages , the depravation of nature , which the heathens understanding not , fancied two principals , one good , the other evil ; from which all the good and evil in the world did proceed . mans recovery by the sacrificing of the son of god , for want of the knowledge and belief thereof , all the bloody sacrifices practised by the hea●hens , were meer impostures , and ridiculous nothings ; these , and divers other mysteries far above mans capacity to devise , and not within the compass of natural corrupt reason , are made plain unto us by scripture revelation ; which does abundantly prove that none but an infinite god could be authour of this divine revelation , of which those of the heathens , & that of mahomet , were " so many apish imitations & diabolical cheats . dub. i am fully satisfied by the characters which you have given of the religion in practise with the people of god ( especially with the christians ) that the rule and measure of it must be from heaven & not from men , and consequently that all holy scripture is divinely inspired , & is the word of the eternal god. firm. i could further acquaint you with many mo●e reasons to confirm you in this great truth , which are common in every authour that treats of it ; ●s namely the antiquity of holy scripture , some part of it being before all writings ; the continu●nce of it by an extraordinary providence , notwith●tanding the rage and malice of cruel bloody persecutors , the sincerity , impartiality , candour , simplicity of its writers , quibus nullum fuit mendac ii praemium , they had no earthly motives to perswade them to utter such forgeries ( as atheist deem them to be ) nothing but bonds and imprisonments , losses of goods and lives . again it must be acknowledged , that the pen-men of the scripture , were very good men , or very bad , ( for men of a cold indifferency they could not be . ) if they were very good men , they would never have conspired together , to put such a cheat , such a grand imposture upon the world ( as anti-scripturists would have the word of god to be . ) if very bad , they would never have wrot with so much zeal , and earnestness against all manner of wickedness , and especially , against lying and hypocrisie . certainly they would never have exposed themselves , to hazard lives and fortunes for no other reward , then to be esteemed both knaves and fools by all prudent men . add to this that lyers and cheats do not usually agree one with the other ; but there is such a sweet harmony & consent betwixt the pen-men of holy writ , tho they lived at so great a distance from one another , that questionless they were acted by one and the same infallible spirit . lastly , the aversness , the slowness that is in our corrupt hearts to believe all that is written in the law and the prophets , luke 24.25 . a●ising from that contrariety which is betwixt the holy and spiritual word of god , and our carnal and depraved minds , is no small proof of the truth of it , for 't is otherwise impossible to render any ration●l account , why we should doubt , or disbelieve this sacred word , and never once question the truth of ordinary and common histories , which are conveyed down unto us , not with the tenth part of that evidence which we have of the truth of holy scripture . but waving these reasons , i shall only mention two of the best which are urged against infidelity , to bring up the reer of my discourse . the first whereof shall be taken from the fulfilling of prophesies ; the other from miracles , which are the seals of this our magna charta . dub. tho i am sufficiently confirmed in the truth of this great principle , by what you have already said , yet i would most gladly hear your arguments from prophesies and miracles . firm. first for prophesies , i shall acquaint you with some few out of the old testament , to which your own reading may suggest many more , which were exactly fulfilled according as they were foretold . dub. did not astrologers , and heathen oracles foretel many things that came to pass as they were foretold ? firm. i grant it ; but hear what judgment a learned heathen passes upon them . the gods do foretel some natural things to come , for that they observe the order & conjunction of their natural causes , but of things that are contingent , or such as do depend upon the will of man , they have but conjectures and do often times lie , and deceive us in both kinds , for as natural things are variable so much more the will of man ; porphyrius lib. de resp. & ora● . cited by parsons in his resol . pag. 62. dub. this testimony of porphyrius being an heathen and a great enemy to christianity is very considerable , and experi●n●e shews it to be very true , for o●acles have de●eived many ; and we see that astrologers ; can give no certain predictions concerning the weather which dep●nds upon natural causes ; and therefore i desire you to she● me , if you can , any prophesies of scripture , that are more certain . firm. i shall begin with that of abraham , concerning his posterities inheriting the land of promise ; of their servitude in a strange land ; of their mighty deliverance 400 years before it came to pass , you may for this compare , cen. 15.13.14 . &c. with exod. 12. second , iacob being in egypt on his death bed , prophe●●ed thus of his ●on iudah , that the scepter should not depart from him , until shilo came , which fell out accordingly at the birth of our saviour , at which time the scepter was in the h●nd of a stranger , herod by name , and then , and not till then , it finally departed from iuda . third , 't was prophesied of iosias ●00 years before he was born , that he should destroy the altar at bethel . 1. kings . 13. which was exactly fullfilled . 2. kings . 23. fourth , you may see how punctual the prophet isaiah is in fortelling the nativity , the life , the passion of our blessed saviou● , in so much that he writeth more like an historian then a prophet , as also how he foretells the destruction of hier●salem , and the greivous captivity of the jews by , and under , the babylonians , and then the destruction of the babylonians and the rebuilding of hierusalem , by cyrus 200 years before he was born ; the same was foretold by ieremy , about a 100 years after isaiah , and these prophecies were so famous , and so certainly believed , amongst the jews in the time of their captivity , that when the time of their expiration drew near ; daniel thus writeth of himself ; in the first year of darius , i daniel understood in the scripture , the number of the 70 years , &c. dan. 9.1 . neither did the jews only understand and believe this prophecy , but cyrus himselfe an heathen : which was his great inducement to restore the jews and rebuild the temple at his own proper charges ; ezra . 1. and heathen historians confess as much . fifth , the prophecy of daniel , concerning the four great monarchies , is so clear and evident , so distinctly described as if he had lived in them all , dan. 2. and dan. 8. how also he foretold the coming and suffering of the messias after 70 weeks , cap. 9. many more of such prophecies might be alleaged , but these are abundantly sufficient , to attest the divine authority of scripture . dub. t is very true if you could prove there were ever such prophets , or prophecys in the world . firm. what proof do you expect ? will you believe nothing but what you see with your own eies ? dub. that were irrational , if you can prove by a certain tradition , that there were ever such prophecies , delivered by such men , as you name , i shall assent unto them . firm. this i shall perform ; first from the whole nation of the jews , which have delivered them from father to son , down along for many generation ; do you think that a people so carefull and diligent in the keeping and transcribing their records , could , or would agree together , upon no worldly interest at all , yea even to the hazard of their lives , and fortunes to abuse themselves and their posterity ? dub. i confess 't is not very probable ; but have you any other proof , for the certainty of these prophecyes ? firm. yes , from the testimony of very heathens : 't is said by iosephus . lib. 1 , de antiq. iud. cap. 4. that the publick writings of the syreans , chaldaeans , ph●nicians , graeci●ns , are sufficient to testifie the antiquity , truth , authority , and certainity , of holy scriptures , if there were no other proofe in the world beside . there is scarce a memorable passage in the old testament but 't is mentioned by some heathen writer , as the creation of the world , noah's flood , the confusion of tongues , the children of israels living in , and coming out of the land of egyp● , the writings of moses , the babylonish captivity , &c. as you may see in euseb. grotius , de verit christ. relig. parsons resol . cap. 3. lib. 1. part . 1. dub. indeed a testimony from an adversary is beyond all exception , i rest satisfied with what you have said , for the authority of the old testament ; have you any thing to say for the new , more then what you have said in general for them both together ? firm. yes ; i have the miracles of our saviour , and his blessed apostles , wrought for the confirmation of what they taught , acknoledged by heathens , grotius de ver . chris. relig. besides if you assent to the divine authority of the old testament , you must acknowledg the divinity of the new , which is for the most part , nothing else but an explication of the old , and the history of those prophesies , now fullfilled , which were delivered by the prophets , who lived in the time of the law . you may add to this the miraculous preservation of both testaments , not withstanding the malice of persecuting heathens ; who used all arts of cruelty to extinguish them ; the propagation of the christian religion , into so many parts of the prejudicating world , without , yea contrary to all carnal force and worldly inte●est , by a few simple unlearned men , which if t was done without a miracle , was one of the greate●t miracles that ever we read of . to this may be added the opposition of many subtil hereticks , who never durst so much as question the authority of the scripture , but rather betook themselves to their own false glosses , that they might shift of those clear texts which made against them ; whereas it had been a more compendious way to have utterly denyed them , if their impudence had been so great , as to oppose the general belief , of those times wherein they lived . dub. tho i am sufficiently convinced , of the divine authority of the scripture , and of the truth of those miracles which were wronght by christ and his apostles for the confirmation of what they taught ; yet to remove all scruples that may be made against them , i shall desire to be more fully satisfied in two exceptions that are urged by antiscripturists . 1. that they were no true miracles . 2. that we have no certainty that there were ever such persons in the world as christ and his apostles , or that they ever wrought such mighty works as are recorded of them in the new testament . firm. that there were such persons in the world as christ and his apostles , that they wrought those miracles which are mentioned in the history of them , both jews and gentiles , ( sworn enemies to christianity , ) acknowledg , but besides their testimony ( which being from adversaryes is v●●y cogent ) we have the tradition of the catholick church in all ages , and most places of the world , for 1600 years and upwards ; and as he that will go up by the side of the river will at last come to the head and fountain of it , so he that shall ascend through the several centuries of the church , will at last infallibly come to the head of it christ iesus ; to the place of his nativity ; his preaching and mighty works that he did ; his bitter death and bloody passion ; or if he shall descend from christ , through the same centuries , down to this present time , he may be farr more certain , of the birth , and life , and works , and sufferings of this our bessed saviour , of the writings of the holy evangelists , and apostles , then that there have been such men in the world as alexander the great , iulius caesar , pompey , scipio , hannibal , of the warrs , and noble acheivements managed by them , of william the conquerour , the barons warrs , and yet none but a fool or a mad man , or one that has vowed to believe no farther then what he can see with his own eyes , will doubt of these ; for that the tradition which conveys the same of these worthies , and their actions down unto us , is nothing so general as that of the catholick church , neither is it at all practical , but purely historical , wherein we are not at all concerned , whether or no the things reported of those noble warriours be true or false . dub. he that will not assent to what is delivered by universal tradition , takes away the use of one of the most noble sciences in the world , viz. history ; and wants rather a cudgel then an argu●ent to confute him . t is evident by undeniable tradition , that there were such persons as christ and his apostles , that thay did great and marveilous things , but how shall we know whether the works which they did were true miracles ? surely t is very difficult , to know what is true and what is an imposture . firm. thô at present this may appear difficult to you , yet i hope i shall make this difference as manifest to you , as is that which is betwixt gold and drosse . and here i will not trouble you with the niceties of the schoolemen betwixt mirum & miraculum ; that a true miracle is arduum , insoli●um , supra vim naturae , hard , unusuall , and above the powèr of nature ; that it differs from a ●alse one in the efficient , material , and formall cause , which is ignotum per ignotius . but to wave such subtilties , a true miracle may be known from a false one , 1. by the successe ; as exod. 7.12 . t is said aarons rod swallowed up those of the sorcerers , and in the primitive times , t is cleare how the miracles wrought by the apostles , swallowed up in effect all false ones , ●one by satan● instruments ; how ( notwithstanding all those lying wonders , wrought by simon magus , apollonius , and others the prejudicating world was brought over from idolatry and superstition , to embrace poor persecuted christianity , by those true miracles ▪ which otherwise had been the greatest miracle in the world . 2. a true miracle may be known from that which is a jugle or imposture , by the design or end of it , which is for the confirmation of a divine revelation , to bring men over to the worship of the true god , to propagate the true religion , the end of false ones is to draw men from this worsh●p , which note of difference god himself has stamp'd upon false miracles , deut. 13 ▪ dub. but doe not you now run into the same erro●r which you so lately condemned in others ? for by what you have said i must first know which is the true religion , before i can know which is a true miracle , and surely then there will be no use of miracles , to confirme me in the truth , of what i knew before . firm. there is a mutuall confirmation , betwixt the true religion , and a true miracle ; true religion does give light to miracles , these do seal and confirm that religion . we see that all discursive knowledge , does arise from some precedent knowledge , untill we ascend to such principles , that are clear to the light of nature , now evident it is to natural reason , that there is a god , creatour of all things ; that there is but one god , that this one god ought to be religiously worshipped , the intelligent and learned heathens , have acknowledged all these : again 't is evident that there were never but four general religions in the world , paganisme , turcisme , judaisme and christianity , and i think i have already made it manifest , that of all these religions , none is so r●tional or such a reasonable service , as is that of the christian ; which for the substance of it is the oldest of all others , being the same which was practised , by the fathers both before and after the flood , for the spirituality , morality , and unity of the god hea● worshipped , 't is excellent beyond all others , most agreeable to the common principles and notices of the reasonable soul. here upon any serious sober man , may conclude that all these miracles which have been ●ttempted to draw men from christianity , are but mere impostures , and those that have been wrought for the confirmation of it , wherein one true god of infinite majesty , wisdome , power , and glory , is worshipped in spirit and truth , are the only true miracles . dub. pray sir excuse me this unnecessary trouble which i have given you ; for by what you had said before concerning , the supereminent excellency of the christian religion , above all others , i might have seen the force of your reasoning , which ( as i conceive stands thus ▪ if the christian religion be the only t●ue religion then those miracles which were wrought for the confirmation of it , are the only true miracles . firm. you rightly conclude : i shall therefore proceed to the third note or marke of a true mir●cle , and that is the effect and consequent of such a miracle , which is the drawing of the mind from sin to god , the primitive christians much insisted on this as an undoub●ed evidence of t●e miracles wrought by christ , that they were done by divine power , because the effect that followed them was the worke of conversion of sou●● from sin and ido●s , to go● and christ ▪ and all true piety and holinesse of life ; they tended mainly to the overthrow of satans kingdome . christ by his miracles did not only disposesse satan out of mens bodies , but out of his temples ; upon this accou●t he convinces the scribes and pharises , of most irrational blasphemy , when they objected against him , that he did cast out devills by the power of the devill ; but he replyed , every kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand . mat. 12.25 . beside● , christs doctrine , which he confirmed by miracl●s , was in every thing cont●●●y to the devils d●sign ; which was to draw men from the worship of the true god , that himself might be worshiped , to insnare men in the practise of the greatest wickednesse under a pretence of religion , as is very obse●vable in all heathen mysteries ; which indeed were very mysteries of iniquity , abominable idolatry , not to be named to modest eares . dr. stillingfleets orig. sac. lib. 2. cap. 10. 4. true miracles differ from diabolicall impostures in three particolars , 1. in the manner of their working , 2. their number , 3. the quality of ●hings wrought by them . 1. the impostares of satan were done by a great deal o● pomp and ceremony , magical rites , char●es and medicines : what christ did was with a words speaking ▪ yea by the very touch o● his garm●●● . 2. for their number , those satanicall jugli●gs were comparatively very few : there were not many that were cured by the devill and his instruments ; but christ cured whole multitudes , and that not in the revestryes of the te●ple , where fraud and imposture might be easily suspected , but in the presence of the people , arno●ius's objection against the gentiles is very rationall , what wonder is it to shew one or two cured ? when thousands lie continually in your temples languishing for want of cure , which 〈◊〉 e●en weary your god escula●ius with pray●rs and teares , but could have no helpe ●rom him , with all their importunities . 3. for the quality of thing● pretended to be done by miracles ; the cures among the heathens were some slight things , in comparison of those performed by christ : what heathen jugler did ever open the eyes of any man that was born blind , make the dumb to speak , the lame to walke , or raise the dead by a words speaking , or by a touch of the hand ? see dr. s●illingfl●ets book before cited . there is one other argument made use of by the learned dr. hammond , in his tract of the reasonablenesse of christian religion , ( which ● friend caused me to remember ) for the confirmation of the truth of this divine revelation . this learned man proves the mission and doctrine of jesus christ , from that high testimony , wh●ch god the father gave him , by a voice from heaven , coming out of the midst of thunder ; which way of revelation was known to the jews by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the daughter of a voice , and by this god did three times give testimony unto christ , 1 immediatly after his baptism , 2. at his trans●iguration ; 3. a little before his death , and all in the p●esence of sufficient witnesses : this testimony of god the father given three severall times , d●d ●ully ratify the doctrine of christ contained in the scriptures of the new testament ; god gave ●he very same testimony to moses and h●s doctrine , and ●hat in the sight and audience of many thousands . exod. 19.16 . thi● mo●●s often reminds the people of , especiall● deut. 4.32.33 . where he tells them that never any people did heare the voice of god , out of ●●e midst of the fire , as they had done and thi●●ay o●●e●●lation , seems to be so suitable to the 〈…〉 of almighty god , and so pecu●●●r ●o hi● , that the devill , who in other things , 〈◊〉 a●e never attempted to imitate god in t●● 〈◊〉 , nor do i believe ) he was ever a●●e . g●● h●ving restr●ined him by ●his omnipo●●●● 〈◊〉 ●nd re●erved this way of revelation pe●●●● 〈…〉 . d●b . 〈◊〉 disco●rse hath been so rationall , that 〈…〉 ( as ●g●ipp●● ) almost perswaded to be a 〈…〉 bu●●●together such as you are , as to 〈◊〉 ●wo great principle● of christianity , concerni●g ●he being of god , and the divine authority ●f ●oly scripture : and methinks i see all false relig●●ns fall fl●t on their faces , before these great ●ru●hs , as dagon did before the arke . firm. no marviell , for he that doth firmly believe that god is , and that the scripture is his word , must needs abominate those false worships , which are ●o extreamly contrary to his divine nature , and his most sacred writ ; but seeing you are so well perswaded of these principles , i shall not trouble you with any more reasons for the confirmation of them ; onely if you shall hereafter meet with any scoffing atheist or infidell that shall deny either of them , you may for conclusion of all , presse upon him this dilemma or forked argument . either 't is true there is a god , and the scripture is his word , or 't is not true : suppose these things be not true , yet thou believest them to be so , thou art onely in an errour for this short span of time ; but what if they prove , undoutedly true , and thou dost not believe them , to be so , then thou art eternally damned : now what a madness is it for any man , for the avoiding of a seeming temporary errour , to come within the danger of everlasting damnation ? dub. this argument might startle any atheist and make him consider with himselfe how sad his condition will be , if these things be so as solid and undenyable reasons do demonstrate , and yet he should live and die an infidell . o what will become of such an one unto all eternity ? i am full of wonder and amazement , that seeing there are such convincing reasons against atheism and infidelity , that there should be any such creatures upon the face of the earth , when certainly there are none such in hell , for the devill believes and ●rembles . firm. you will cease to wonder , when you shall rightly consider , the certain reasons of those grosse errours ; which are , 1. drollery and foolish jesting , which renders men inconsiderate and mindlesse , even in the affaires of the world , much more in the things of eternity : a man that is given to droll , and jest , is uncapable of any serious businesse . 2. many men are men of short discourse , they do not understand the force of an argument , by reason of the weaknesse of their discursive faculty , which is altogether rusty for want of use , exercise , and ingenious education : though in the booke of nature , the eternall power and god-head of the almighty , be wrote in large characters , yet every one , cannot read in that booke , no more then he that never went to schoole , can read the primer , halfe psalter , or any book of the faire●t print . dub. this is true of many simple and illiterate men ; that are very brutes , not at all to be distinguished from the beasts that perish , but by the erect figure of their bodies : their rational soules , mean while being sunke downe into mere sensuality , such as have not god in all their thoughts , they trouble not themselves to think of him , either that he is , or is not : these digenerate creatures do not concern themselves in matters of religion ; but ( i hope ) you wil● not say that the witt● of the time , are such ignorant animals . firm. i shall not doubt to affirm it , and that for these reasons . 1. you may observe that these witty men are persons of no serious or solid judgments , especially in things of highest concernment : they are such as spend their time in idleness , drollery , vain recreations ; so that albeit the lord has given them those two great bookes to read in , that of nature , and the holy scripture , yet they vouchsafe not to read or meditate upon either . 2. they are under a judiciall blindness ; god has given them reason and understanding , eyes that they might see , hearts that they might understand ; but they wilfully shut their eyes against that light , and then by the just judgment of almighty god , this light is taken from them ; they are given up to blindness of mind , and hardness of heart , as were the antient heathens . rom : 1. 3. their lives are utterly contrary to the holy nature of god , to his sacred word : there is an antipathy , an emnity betwixt their debaucheries , their filthiness , their profaneness , and his most holy laws , rom. 8.7 . every line of it flyes in their faces , threatening them with hel and damnation : whereupon they cavil with , they quarrell against it , they wish there were neither god to punish , nor scripture to threaten destruction against them , and so by insensible degrees , they are brought to think and say in their heart there is no god , as the foole did , psal. 14. so true is that of the poet , quod nimis miseri volunt , hoc facile cr●dunt , the though●● and imaginations of wretched men are governed by their desires , they hate the light because their deeds are evil , though their understandings are convinced by unansweareable arguments , and reasons of the truth of these great principles , yet they will not believe them ; such is the perverseness of their will , that it either blinds their mind , or else draws them against self conviction to believe a lye , and to hold the conclusion , against the most evident proofes and premises . dub. i am perswaded , that you have given very good reasons , why so many are atheists and infidels , and that the cheifest of them are irreligious and prophane livers , that practical atheisme is the greatest cause of that which i● dogmaticall or atheism in opinion . 't was the foole that said in his heart , there wa● no god : first he was a foole , i. e. a sinner , and very wicked , as he is discribed in that psalm ; and thence he proceeded atheist : a foole in practise , and then a fool in judgment , for t is most certain , that a corrupt , and wicked life , is the true parent of ungodly and vile opinions , fro● which by gods blessing upon your good endeavoures , i am now delivered , and am fully perswaded , that god is , and that he is a rewarder of all those that diligently seeke him , that the holy scripture is undoubtedly the word of god , and consequently that the christian religion , is the onely true religion , but observing that of those who profess this religion , there are severall parties , and t is not unknown to you , that heretofore i have adhaered to the church of rome , i would willingly learn from you , which party , they of rome or we of england be most orthodox and catholick . firm : your demand is rationall , i shall most willingly gratifie you in it● o●ely you must give me leave to propose these two questions to you , and let me receive your answ●r unto them at our next meeting . 1. what inducements you had to turne to the church of rome ? 2. what reasons you had to leave it ? dub. you must give me leave also , to recollect my selfe , that i may be ●he better able , to give in my answer to your quaeries . dialogve iii , against popery . firm. i hope you have well considered of the questions which i lately proposed unto you . dub. to the first i returne this answer , my reasons that induced me to adhere to the church of rome were these . 1. the antiquity of that church which has continued ever since the apostles time , when by the testimony of st. paul , her faith was spoken of throughout the world . rom. 1.8 . 2. the universality of it ; no church has spread it self , so farr and nere upon the face of the earth , as that of rome . 3. her consent in doctrine with the primitive church . 4. the unity of it , under one infallible head which cannot err in poynt of faith or manners . 5 the sanctity of it's doctrine ; that 't is free from errour in matters of ●aith ; free from all immorality and improbity in point of manners . 6. the sanctity of life , in the authors , and first-fathers , of the roman religion : these were the chief motives that caused me to adhere to the church of rome . firm. indeed these are six of those 15 notes which bella●mine lib. 4. de not . eccle. and others of his perswasion appropriate to that church : but had you not some other inducements ? as first a vitious life , and the cheap and easy pardon of your sins upon confession of them to a priest , his absolution and injunction of a pitifull pennance . 2dly , were you not under some discontent for your present low condition ? or 3dly , were you not ambitious of preferment , deeming popery to be a ready way to it ? or 4thly , were you not tickled with the cunning extolling of your excellent parts by some subtile jesuite , lamenting your sad condition , that a person o● so rare endowments , should be so miserably mistaken in the great concern of your soule , perswading you that out of the church there is no hope of salvation , and that you being no member of the church of rome , were past all peradventure out of the church , and unlesse you returned to that church , there could be no hope of your salvation ? or lastly before you set up for the church of rome , were you serious and conscientiou● in any religion ? for 't is very easy for one that is of no religion , that makes no conscienc● of his waies , being allured with the joye● of heaven , and affrighted with the terrours of hell , to pitch upon any religion , that confidently promises those , and as confidently a freedome from these : and we know that priests and jesuites want neither art nor impudence to perswa●e silly wretches , that hopes of heaven , and deliverance from hell are only to be found in their church . dub. truely sir i am verily perswaded , that many who have left your church , and gone over to that of rome , have stumbled at such straws : but you have known me long , to be a man of no vitious life , no male content , not ambitious of honour or preferment , not apt to be paffed up with a proud conceit of mine own parts , not cold or carelesse in point of religion ; but the chiefe reasons that moved me to goe over to the church of rome , were those before named , which made me believe that church , to be the only true catholick church , out of which there could be no hope of salvation ; to these i beg your answer . firm. and you shall have it . 1. the doctrine of the present church of rome which alone could denominate her ancient , catholick , and apostolicall , is in severall weighty points quite contrary to holy scripture , neither hath it the generall consent of the fathers and doctors of the catholick church : the pr●sent church of rome , is no more like to what it once was , in the purest primitive times ▪ than an old decrepit man full of diseases , gout , stone , palsy , dropsy , scurvey , blindnesse , deafnesse , wrinkles , and a multitude of infirmities , is the same strong , handsome , healthy man , that he was when at twenty five or thirty years old . dub. thô i have sometimes much reverenced the church of rome , for her antiquity , yet now i begin to doubt that there are many diseases in the body of that church , many wrinkles in her face , which were not from the beginning ▪ but not withstanding those infirmities , 't is the same true church as 't was at the first plantation , as the old decrepite man is the same man that ever he was for substance . firm. i deny not but that the church of rome is in some sence the same it first was , in respect of divers articles it holds : but in respect of those gross errours , it now maintaines , 't is no more like what it was , then the old decrepite diseased man is like what he was in his younger dayes . dub. your comparison is very good and apposite to the present church of rome , which past dispute is full of dangerous and desperate diseases , as i in part do apprehend . i pray you proceed to my other motive . firm. the church of rome , is not so universal as her disciples boast of , neither in respect of place or time . 1. 't is the observation of a learned man , that if the world were divided into 30 parts , 19 of them are heathens , 6 mahometans , and 5 christians , of which the papists are not the one halfe , as mr. breirwood in his enquires does demonstrate . 2. as to the universality of time , the church of rome cannot deduce her present tenents , from the beginning of christianity , through the several ages or centuryes : that it has continued a church , from the first preaching of the gospell i deny not ; but that 't is the same for purity of doctrine , as once it was , is most false : for the antient church of rome , never taught worshiping of images , praying to saints , that monstrous transubstantiation , halfe communion , praier in an unknowne tongue , and many more groundless fopperies , against scripture , the general consent of fathers , common sence and reason . dub. all this , i am inclined to believe : but how could these errours creepe into a church , which did so punctually observe the traditions of their forefathers ? what the church of rome now believes and teaches , it received from the church that was in the next age before it , that from the church next before it , and so quite down to the apostles times , as the author of the dialogues betwixt the vnckle and the nephew , hath most learnedly demonstra●ed . firm. truly very learnedly , even as zeno proved there was no locall motion : you have heard how diogenes confuted him by an ocular demonstration : were not the scribes and pharises great pretenders to a strict observation of the traditions of their fathers ? and yet we know how grosly they had corrupted the law of moses , as is evident by our saviours confutation of them . mat. 5. and in severall other places . dr. crakan●thorp and other learned pr●●●stants do evidently shew , the beginning , the progress of the corruptions of the church of rome , the manner of their spring and growth ; but suppose we cannot punctually t●ll , the beginning and progress of such and such an errour , shall we therefore believe it to be no errour you walk sometimes in the fields , 't is evident to your eyes that the grasse a●d graine do grow , though you do not see them move at all ; sometimes you visit a friend that is sick of a languishing consumption , you see by infallible symptoms that your friend is in a desperate condition , will you not believe him to be so , because you cannot tell the time when , or the manner how , his disease came upon him ? dub i cannot be so unreasonable ; and by what you have said , my third reason falls to the ground , for the present church of rome has no agreement with the primitive , but is extreamly opposite to it , in the points before named , besides many others ; i pray let me hear what you can say against their unity ; for they seem to be firmly united , under one infallible head the pope . firm. truely sir they do but seem so ; for they are miserably divided in the great fundamentall of their faith , their infallibility , and are not they very unjust to us to exact our beliefe , of that , which they themselves know not where to find ? for some of them tell us 't is fixed to the popes chair ; some say 't is to be found in a generall councell , ot●●rs believe it to be in neither , but in both united together , others would perswade us that 't is in the whole body of the church ; so that if you seek after this pretty knack of infallibillity ; you will be abused as young apprentices are used to be in great cittys and corporations ; who in waggery , are sent from shop to shop for a penyworth of ell-broad packthred ; or a pound of stock-fish tallow : or a lefthanded shuttle ; after these poore novices have been sent from one end of the citty to the other , they returne home , without such ridiculous commodities , and are sufficiently exposed to laughter and derision . there 's scarce a controversy in all bellarmin's voluminous workes wherein he recites not the different opinions of the roman catholicks among themselves , insomuch that this great cardinals , workes were not to be bought in rome ( as sir edw : sandyes reports in his europa speculum ) because he had so imprudently discovered , the nakednesse of his mother in point of unity . to say nothing of the contentions betwixt the thomists and scotists , ochamists &c : 't is pleasant to see how sweetly the dominicans , franciscans iesuites , molinists , iansenists , regulars , and seculars agree together . though a laté pope durst be so bold as to decide a controversy for the molimists against the iansenians , and so that which was none before , very luckily became an article of faith ( such is the popes omnipotent power , that he can create articles of faith , out of that which was a pure no●-entity , a very nothing in the primitive times ) yet i heare that the iansenists are so saucy as to continue very iansenists still , notwithstanding his holinesses in●allible determination . dub. i see there is no such unity in the church of rome , as they bragg of ; i desire to heare what you can say against the sanctity of their doctrine . firm : the sanctity of their doctrine , referrs to that of faith and manners , for that of faith , which is briefly comprehended in the apostles creed , or any other doctrinall poynt contained in holy scripture , expressly , or by good consequence deduced from thence by the generall consent of fathers we allow of , but as for popish additions of new atticles , by pope pius the 4. and the councell of tr●nt , that are against scripture ; and can never be justified by the generall consent of the ancient doctors of the church ; we reject as false , and consequently not holy ; this i suppose you will dem●ns●rate when you please to give me the reasons , which made you forsake the present church of rome as to their sa●ctity of manners , their doctrine is so farr from it , that the better sort of heathens would blush to own ; for brevity sake i shal● re●err you to the first and second part of the mistery of jesuitisme , the jesuites morralls set out b● a sorbon doctor , mr. fowles his history of the treasons and rebellions of these holy men ; the two former of these bookes assure us that by the doctrine of probability , and a good intention , the fowlest sins are at most but venial . dub. the jesuites are but one party in the church of rome , many o● their tenents and practises disclai●●d , by other of the papists , and therefore the whole church is not chargeable with their errors . firm. untill that church doth expresly condemn th●m ▪ and execute . ecclesiasticall censur●s upon such of her members , as do broach those damnable doctrines , doth make them rec●nt , or excommunicate them , she is chargeable with them . dub. i am of your opinion and do firmly believe the p●esent c●urch of rome to be neither holy n●● c●tholi●k , but an unsound member of that church ; but what say you to the first ●ounde●s and ●athers of their church , were not t●ey v●ry 〈◊〉 men ? firm. ● b●llarmine could prove what he takes for gran●ed , that t●e fathers and founders o●●heir chu●ch , as it now stands , were the ho●y patriarchs , prophets and apostles , i should agree with him in that note , but the truth is they have no more right to call them their fathers and founders , then the scribes and ●harisees had to ca●l abraham their father ; from whose faith they had so miserably declined ; the fathers of the present church of rome , as 't is now , were the corrupt councells , which were so many pack'd juryes , and the popes ; of whose sanctity you may consult platina , who was a papist . by what i have said ( i hope ) you are satisfied , that you had no justifyable reasons to adhere to the church of rome , as 't is now , so much declined from the primitive ; let me know how and why you did forsake it . dub. i am fully satisfied that the reasons , which drew me over to that church were false and fallacious , and am now as much confirmed , that the reasons which made me leave her communion are solid and demonstrative . 1. which were her monstrous unnecessary imposible doctrine of transubstantiation . firm. how do you prove that to be unnecessary ? dub. the change of the bread and wine into the very body and blood of christ is unnecessary , because certain it is ( and they of the church of rome acknowledge it ) that there never was any such change in the sacraments of ●he old testament , neith●r is there any in the other six of the new , ( as the papists are pleased to multiply them ; now if all other sacraments without any such miraculous change , do attain their ends , for which they were instituted , why should it be required in the holy eucharist ? why not rather in that of baptism ? why should not the baptismall water be changed into christs very blood ? this being the sacrament of regeneration , that that of nutrition ; surely as great a power and vertue is required , to regenerate and make a christian , as to nourish and strengthen him . again the faithful both before and under the law did eate and drink the body and blood of christ , in a spiritual manner , before he had either body or blood . they did eat the same spiritual meat and dranke the same spiritual drinke ; 1. cor. 10.3 . what need is there then of a transubstantiation ? if we seriously peruse the sixt chapt : of st. iohns gospel , we may learne that the body of christ is eaten and his blood dranke in a spiritual manner , that when the disciples murmured , at what our saviour had delivered in the former verses , to satisfye them , he replyes that the words which he spake , were spirit and life : ver. 63. and not to be understood according to their gross conception . i know some the church of rome affirm , that in ●hat chapter , our blessed saviour speaks not of a sacramentall eating of the body of christ ; but certainly is his body may be eaten , and his blood drank , without any such monstrous change by every true beleiver not receiving , why may not he eat the body and drink the blood of christ , without any substantiall change of the bread and wine when he receives ? besides ● most ( if not all ) of the ancient fathers , who held a necessity of giveing the eucharist to infants , urge the 53. verse of this chapter , for their opinion and practise , except yee eat the flesh of the son of man , and drink his bloud , ye have no life in you , surely therefore they conceived , that our saviour meant by these words a sacramentall eating , how then dare any of the clergy of the church of rome , expound it otherwise , seeing they take an oath never to expound scripture , but according to the unanimous consent of the fathers : see the forma juramenti professionis fidei . conc. triden . sess. 24. cap. 4. de reformatione . firm. i very much approve your reason against the necessity of transubstantiation : let me here from you why you tearme it monstrous , and impossible ? dub. 't is therefore monstrous and impossible , because it implyes contradictions , and grosse absurdities 1. that a body is not a body ; an accident is not an accident , for if there should be such a change , the s●me numericall body of our saviour , must be in heaven and earth , nay in ten thousand places at the same time , ●it must be extended and not extended , it must have dimensions and no dimensions , finite and not finite , which cannot be , no not by gods omnipotent , and absolute power ; how do the schoolmens noddles abound with nicetyes , quidditys , perseities , chimaeras , to solve such incompossibilities ? 2. this strange metamorphosis doth make accidents to be no accidents , it takes away the very being of them ; for accid●ntis esse , ●st in●sse , the being of an accident is in-being , here must be colour , sapor , odor , quantity without a subject , which is all one as if we should say a man might be a man without a reasonable soule , in a word i would willingly learne , what does become of christs body , and bloud after 't is received into the mouth , ( or if any prophane mouse should swallow part of it , or lick up a drop of the bloud ) and thence into the stomach , whether it be retransubstantiated into bread and wine , or else be converted by the concoctive , and nutritive faculty , into the body of the communicant , as other nourishment is , and then t will necessarily follow , that christs body is essentially united unto , and made one with the body of every communicant , which borders very nere upon b●asphemy , for by this means iames nailer will ere long ( quod animus m●minisse horret ) be jesus christ. 3. this transubstantiation ( if any such thing were possible ) is wrought by a miracle , but was ever any miracle done by christ and his apostles , which was not discernable by the sences ? when ●e cured the blind , the dumb , the lame , when he turned water into wine , was not this manifest to the sight , the smell , the tast ? shall we think that the god of truth gave to m●n five scences , to deceive 4 of them by one pretended miracle ? or that 't is his method to informe the mind by impostures ? if one or two or three senses may be deceived , why not all ? then what will become of romes orall tradition ? for may not the eare be deceived as well as the eye ? the nose , the tast , the touch ? here are 4 sences to one against that tradition , and then how are the papists certain of what they have received from the present church , or how is shee certaine of what shee received from the church immediatly before her ? is not the doctrine of transubstantiation , which teaches men not to believe their eyes , and other of their sences , a ready way to atheism , and infidelity ? for if four of the five sences may be deceived then farewell all tradition , and if these inferiour faculties , may be thus bafled , what satisfaction could it have been to st. thomas that christ was truly risen from the dead by putting his finger into the print of the nailes , or his hand into his side ? but beside what sence and reason , witness against this monstrous opinion , the scripture is clearely opposite unto it , for christ at the institution of this sacrament , did not take his own body into his hand● , but bread , he brake not his owne body , but bread , he did not eat his own body , he did not drinke his owne blood , but he drank of the fruit of the vine , mat. 26.29 . for so he called it after consecration and distribution ; i will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine &c. in like manner st. paul. 't is stil this bread and this cup. 1. cor. 11.26 . when our saviour saies ( hoc est corpus meum ) what doth ( hoc ) stand for ? either it must signify this thing in my hand , ( i. e. ) the bread , or else his own body ▪ which body he holding in his hand , utters these words ( hoc est corpus meum ) that is corpus meum est corpus meum , a mere identical trifleing proposition , which according to all logick is most absurd , and destroys the very nature of a sacrament , which consists of two essential parts the sign and the thing signified ; besides they of rome con●ess that the body of christ , is not present under the species of bread and wine , when the preist begins to pronounce ( hoc ) nor till he hath uttered the last sillable ( um ) hoc est corpus meum , such poore shifts these men are forced to use . as for antiquity , so much boasted of by those of rome , i know that some of the fathers to draw mens minds from the earthly elements to heavenly misteries , used now and then high rhetoricall expressions , never dreaming of any substantiall change of the elements into the body and bloud of christ , as is evident from iraeneus , panis communis post consecrationem , non est amplius panis communis , sed efficitur eucharistia , quae constat ex duabus naturis terrenâ & cael●sti , haec oblatio ●st figura corporis & sanguinis christi . ambrose 1. ad cor. cap. 11. & lib. 4. de sacram. non dubitavit dominus dicere , hoc est corpus meum cum dedit fignum sui corporis . aug : epist : 23. ad bonifa & 12. cap. contra adiman . hoc est corpus meum i. e. typus corporis mei , ter●ull . panem & vinum appellatione corporis & sanguinis honoravit , non naturam quidem mutans , sed naturae gratiam adjiciens . theod. dial ▪ 1. & 2. in a word the ancient fathers , who opposed the eutychian haeresy , did make use of the sacramentall union of bread and wine , to the body and blood of christ , shewing that the humane nature of christ is not more changed into the divine then the sacramentall bread and wine is into the very body and blood of christ , therefore they believed no such thing , as that monstrous popish transubstantiation . so that we see the falsity and absurdity of it by scripture , antiquity , common sence and reason ; besides the great danger of idolatry , in worshipping a piece of bread , if there be no transubstantiation , as some of the papists themselves confesse , and they also acknowledge , that if the priest , that consecrates were not rightly ordained , or that he did not actually intend to consecrate , or that he omitted any one ceremony ( which they call necessary ) at the time of consecration , that the bread and wine are not duely consecrated , and consequently no transubstantiation , and therefore great probability , that the papists in worshipping the host , do frequently comitt the very great sin of idolatry , which was to me one great reason of forsaking their communion . firm. truely 't was a substantiall reason , and such an one that has wrought upon others beside your selfe , however i desire to hear from you ; what further reasons , you had to leave the church of rome . dub. the next which i shall acquaint you with is the half communion so manifestly against scripture and antiquity . our blessed saviour at the instituition of the sacrament commands , drinke yee all of this , whereas at the giveing of the bread , he said only , take , eate , foreseeing and obviating this grand error of the church of rome ; 't is true the persons then communicating , were only his disciples , which had received their commissio● to preach the gospell , before that time , but not in that ample and full manner , as they received it after his resurection , as is plain from iohn 20 , 22 , 23. and m●t. 28 , 29. but be it granted that they were all in full orders , and upon that account the cup was given them , otherwise they should not have received it , by the same reason the bread might be denyed to the people , because none but priests did then communicate ; but we know that a priest when he doth not consecrate , is in the place of a lay-man , and consequently the disciples not consecrating at the supper were no better , and therefore according to the doctrine , and practise of the church of rome , should not have received the cup. but what will they thinke of the whole church of corinth , to whom st. paul sent a first and second epistle , they cannot imagine they were all priests , observe then how ●e ●xhorts all of them , to examine themselves in order to the receiving of the holy eucharist under both kinds . 1. cor 11. this is so evi●ent that our adve●saries have nothing to reply . as for antiquity the practise of the c●urch of rome is clearly against it , as iam able to demonstrate , from express testimonies , of the fathers , but our learned writers have ●aved me that trouble , those that please may peruse chami●re , ch●mnitius , iewell , cracanthorp ; the confe●sion of the councell of co●stance stands as a lasting monument against the popish innovation in this particular ; the words are these , we decree in like manner , that though in the primitive church ▪ the holy eucharist , was received under both kinds , by the faithfull , yet this custome to avoid some dangers and scandals is reasonably introduced that it should be received by the preists only in both kinds , by the people in one ; is not this with the socinians to make the sacraments mere indifferent ceremonies , alter able at the churches pleasure ? but the councell of trent flyes higher ; if any man shall say that all faithfull christians ▪ by gods command , or for necessity of salvation , ought to receive the sacrament in both kinds ▪ let him be acursed , i wonder whether pope gelasius , sate in , or was out of his infallible chair , when he roundly said , we find that some do abstain from the chalice of the sacred blood ; let them receive the entire sacrament or be kept from the whole , because the division of one and the same mystery cannot be without grand sacriledge . either the pope was not infallible , or the present church of rome is most sacrilegious . firm. you rightly judge , and were their fancy of transubstantiation true ( as nothing is more false and ridiculous ) yet were it not sufficient to debar the laity of the cup , because they receive the blood of christ with his body , for this is not to drinke but to eat it , and besides the sacrament is not a sign of his blood in the veins , but as 't was shed and powred out ; might not the preists as well receive his blood , with his body , and then 't were as superfluous for them to drin●e of the cup , as for the people ; but i pray proceed in your reasons against popery . dub. my third reason is taken from the invocation of saints departed ; which is against scripture , and antiquity : 't is an attribute belonging to god alone , that ●he is a god hearing prayers . 't is a chiefe part of his worship , thou shalt worship the lord thy god , and him o●ely shalt thou serve , it robs christ of one part of his preistly office who now sitts at gods right hand , interceding for us , there is but one mediator betwixt god and man , the man christ i●sus , certainly is holy men , both before and under the law , prayed to god alone through faith in the promised seed or messias , without invocateing any departed saint , because there was none then ( as they of the church of rome confess , ) admitted to the beatifical vision , and consequently could not know the need or praiers of men upon earth , in the glass of the trinity , there is less reason now to make our adresses , to the spirits of just men made perfect , christ himselfe sitting , at gods right hand , and interceding for us . besides the worship of angells is forbidden by st. paul. col. 2. and the angell in the revelation twice sorbade st. iohn to worship him , cap. 19. and 22 yea the worshippers of angells were in the primitive times , branded with the title of haereticks , under the name of ( angelici ) and therefore much less ought wee to worship the saints departed , for certainely they being the more excellent creatures , are much more capable of such worship then the soules of men , that are now in abrahams bosome , in paradise , not yet in that perfect bliss and glory , which they shall enjoy when their soules and bodies shall be reunited , but according to many of the fathers in a certaine and joyfull expectancy of it , after the last and finall judgment , where the place of their present abode is i shall tell you when ●he fathers are agreed about it . for this saint worship certain it is there is no express scripture , and 't is as certain there is no generall consent of antiquity , let any man peruse mr. meads excellent treatise of the apostacy of the latter times , wherein 't is apparent how the cannonizing of saints in the church of rome , agrees with the heathens apotheosis , their praying to them with the worshipping of heroes , their dij medioxumi , their haveing severall saints for patrons of particular countryes , trades and callings , phisitians for divers diseases , like the heathens dij tutelares , as may be seen in chemnitius his examen and in other learned men . firm. you need not spend more words about this grosse superstition , which is nothing else , but a mixture of christianity , and paganisme , and of all the errours of the church of rome , most dangerous , for the lord our god is a jealous god , and will not suffer the honour and worship , that is due to him alone , to be given to any other . dub. i shall submit to your advice , and proceed to a fourth reason against popery , which is their adoration of images so much condemned in holy scripture , what more expressly forbiden then image worship by the second commandement ? which they of rome have cunningly left out in their mass books , offices , primmers , and catechism's , and without all shew of reason , asserted it to be a positive command , belonging onely to the jews , how demonstratively is the fourth of deutronomie against it from the 12 verse to the 18 ? many other texts might be urged to the same purpose , all which the schoolmen endeavour to baffle , by their pittifull distinctions ; betwixt an image and an idol , a picture upon a cloath and one ingraven in wood , or stone , betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which every esurient groeculus ; every mean sciolist , will smile at , betwixt mediatè , relutivè , and terminative , which a●e distinctions ( at least some of them ) without a difference , mere chimericall phansies : if a man shall seriously peruse the 13 ▪ and 14. chapters of the book of wisdome ( which at rome is canonicall scripture ) and consider what answers the heathens returned to those that objected against them their idol worship , that they worship not the image , but the ( numen ) or divine power it represented , he will easily discern that the wiser sort of heathens made as wise appologies , for their image worship ; as the wisest papists do for theirs . as for the antiquity of this grosse superstition both fathers & councels are against it , as is evident from that excellent homily of our church concerning the perill of idolatry , if it be replyed t were the images of the heathens they opposed , true 't is , for in the first ages of the church there were no others , the christians of those times , abominateing all image worship , but the reasons they give against the heathen imagery wound the church of rome under the fifth rib ; no christian church did then use images in their oratoryes ; in after ages they were admitted only for an historicall use , as may be seen in st gregories writings , who lived above 600 years after christ , true 't is by the second nicene councell their worship was decreed ; and so this iniquity was established by a law , such a one as that packed convention could legitimate , and hence forward not only the pictures of saints , but of god himself and of the blessed trinity were set up in churches , which was an high dishonour to the glorious majesty of the almighty , to be portraid like an old man , and gave an occasion to ignorant people to conceive him to be so indeed , hence i have heard some of them say , when they swore ( by god ) that they swore by a good man , by which 't is evident , how the grosse superstition of the church of rome , hath crooked silly souls , and that all such images , are teachers of lies , very vanities , as the scripture shews and reason demonstrates . for to say nothing of the blasphemous images of god the father , and the holy trinity , doth not the image of any saint , whom these pseudo-catholicks worship , lie to their imaginations ? representing that which is not ; for nothing but the soules , and spirits of those saints do now remain , so that whilest they picture and worship them in bodily shapes , which pictures represent , what is not , they worship they know not what , praying onely to the soules of saints , yet phansying them in bodily shapes as when they lived here on earth : how doth it concern all serious christians , to beware of the religious worship of any creature of gods or mans makeing ? of angell , saint , or image , which is so expressly forbidden in the word of god ? and surely if we might worship the picture of a man , which is mans creature , 't were much more rational to worship a true man , yea the son , moon and starrs , and all th● host of heaven , they being all of them the creatures of almighty god. firm. you rightly conclude , were not a judiciall blindness , upon the eyes of our adversaries , they could not be guilty of so dangerous a suspition . dub. i shall trouble you but with one reason more for my forsakeing the church of rome , which was breifely their praiers in an unknown tongue , a practise , manifestly contrary to plain scripture , and the antient doctors of the church , a most unreasonable service , opposite to that which we are to perform to almight● god ; 't is so bafled by st. paul , that all the learned ●en of the roman party have nothing of sence or reason to answer , and as for antiquity 't was not so much as thought upon , in the first ages in the church , the liturgies then every where were in the known and vulgar tongue , otherwise how should the unlearned say ( amen . ) the practise of the church of rome is in this ▪ as in divers other of their fopperyes , a very mistery of iniquity , i could heartily wish ; that for the undeceiveing of ignorant papists ; their missales , pontifical's , breviaryes , lady psaltres &c. were translated into the english and other vulgar tongues , that such poore deluded soules might see to what absurd prayers they say ( amen ) to what childish ridiculous ceremonies they ●ubmit . i might here add the vain reptitions , of so many ave-maria's , & pater-noster's , upon their beads , their saying of them at certain houres as a pensum , or taske , or a pennance to make a compensation for their sins , rather then as a willing serious duty from the heart and soule ; which is not religious praying , but a childish saying of prayers , a vain heathenish babling , after the manner of an old wises charm ; resting in the work done ; as if the bare saying of prayers , without any intention of the mind , were the only end of praying , or the effectuall ●erven● prayer of a righteous man. iam. 5.16 . i might also add their cheating purgatory , their purchasing of pardons , and indulgences , for sins past , and for many hundred yeares to come , by sums of money sett downe in the tax booke of their chancery , their pilgrimages , and bodily severityes to expiate for the sins of their soules , their allowing of brothell houses to grati●ye the unmarried clergy , and others in their unclean lusts , for which the pope receives a lu●ty pension . but to deale truely with you no one thing wrought a greater dislike of popery in me then their barbarous bloody cruel●y , towards those that they please to call haereticks , their savage inquisition , their parisian , irish , and other massacres , their marian butcherings , their intended matchless powder treason , their poysoning and stabing of kings , their justifieing of rebellion and all manner of wickedness , by their right intention , and doctrine of probability as is to be seen in the first and second part of the mistery of jesuitisme , in the jesuites morralls ; can such villany ▪ such cruelty and christianity stand together ? did christ and his apostles propagate the gospel with such carnall weapons ? how severely does our saviour rebuke his angry disciples , when they would have called for fire from heaven to destroy the uncivill schismatical samaritans ? y●e know not what spirit yee are of , for the son of man is not come to d●stroy mens lives ▪ but to save them ; luk. 9.55 . o that christs pretending vicar had the spirit of the meeke and holy jesus . these sir , were the reasons which moved me to forsake the communion of the church of rome , for upon this account i could not believe her to be the catholick church , or any sound part of it , but a very schismatical haeretical one , that had departed exceeding much from primitive christianity from the faith that was once delivered to the sain●s . firm. you have given very sufficient reasons ▪ for your departure from that unsound church , which may satisfie any serious ▪ considering christian , and you have saved me the trouble of any further addition to them ; i am now fully perswaded that you are neither atheist , infidel , or papist ; pray you let me know what is your present perswasion , and what church you most ●pprove . dub. truely sir there are so many sects amongst the protestants , that i am in no small doubt , with which of them to hold commuion ; but my inclination leads me chiefly , to returne to my old mother the church of england , from which most unhappily ( as i am now convinced ) i heretofore separated ; however for the remov●l of some scruples , which yet remain with me , ● earnestly desire you to give your selfe the trouble of a short discourse , concerning the severall sects now in england . firm. i shall most ●readily gratifie you in this your very reasonable request , nothing doubting but that i shall , by gods gratious assi●tance ) remove all your scruples , and fix you a true son of that church , which is the most catholick apostolical church now exstant in all the world , which those that do acknowledge the holy script●re to be the infallible word of god , the perfect rule of all the substantialls of christianity both for faith and manners , and have some competent knowledge in the records of antiquity , ( the want of which is one great cause of h●resy and schism ) , as to be able to trace christian religion , through the severall ages of the church from the apostles down to these presen● times , i say those that do acknowledge these things cannot doubt of . dub. you much confirm me in what i have often heard from grave and learned men , that one great cause of errours in religion , is ignorance in the writings of the ancient doctors of the church , councels , and ecclesiasticall histories , this is not every mans work that have neither books to read nor brains to understand them . and that t●e surest way to be an orthodox christian , is by studying descendendo beginning with the records of the first century , then discending to the second , thence to the third , and so on to the succeding ages of the church , whereby he will perceive how the true religion has been handed downe from one age to another , and how and when , this or that errour sprang up ; as he ●hat sails down some great and clear pure river , may easily perceive , where little rivuletts , and puddles , have run into it , and have muddyed , and troubled the cleare● stream . firm. i much approve of what you say concerning the rise and cause of errours in religion , the chiefe reason of them is ignorance in the records of antiquity , and holy scriptures , and want of orderly proceeding in our studies from age to age ; whereby we may easily perceive , how and when the puddles & corrupt rivule●s of errour have troubled the purer stream of christianity , and you may without much labour perceive that if you had been well instructed , in the being and attributes of almighty god , in a firm beliefe of his most sacred word , you had never fallen into those most dangerous errours of popery , quakerism or o● any such pernicous sect . dub. i do confesse my error , and especially that i was so great a stranger , not onely to the writings of the fathers , but to the holy scripture it selfe , which i did too much neglect and scorn , but seeing by gods blessing , upon your endeavours , i am fully satisfied of the vanity , absurdity , and falshood of atheism ; infidelity , and popery ; if you please to give your self th●t trouble , we will proceed in our discourse concerning quakerism , anabaptism , independency , and presbytery , i shall not trouble you with any other sect , because they are all included in some one of these , or at least are so vain and ridiculous , that we should do them to much honour , if we should gratifie them with a sober and serious confutation . firm. i shall most willingly embrace your proposall ▪ and if it please you we will proceed to quakerism , the errour which you embraced immediatly before , you turned papist , and in truth 't is a faire introduction to popery , and by many grosse errours which the quakers embrace , 't is as evident as the light at noon day , who were the fathers of those spurious brats . dub. this is a very truth ; the quakers holding many things which are maintained by papists , we may easily know whose children these poor deluded souls are , and the corespondence betwixt them , made my passage to rome more ready and easy . dialogve iv against qvakerism . firm. you have informed me in our last discourse that being sometime a quaker you had a ready way open to become a papist . i pray tell me why and how you turned a quaker . dub. you put me hard to it . for i can give yo● no ver● good reasons for that change , and those that moved me are so ridiculous , that i am almost ashamed to name them , yet such as they are i shall give you the trouble of hearing them , i am almost perswaded , that the man that perverted me , used some enchantments and diabolicall arts . so that i was rather bewitched . then rationally perswaded , to be of that party , ( as i have heard some have been ) but because i am not certain of this , i shall wave it , and shew you my reasons . 1. i observed that the cause why there were so many sects and schisms in the world , was for want of a certain infallible rule to guide us in our judgments and practises . as i was made believe , and i was perswaded that the quakers had such a rule , to wit , the light within them . 2. i observed these men to be very demure in their carriage , very austere in their lives , sober and temp●●●t● , of afflicted dejected countenances ▪ very punctuall and just in their dealings , not abating one fart●ing of the price of any commodity they first demanded ; gre●t contemners of the world , no respecters of any mans person how great soever ; so meeke , humble and lowly in their apparell and behavior that they cannot endure the wearing of gold-rings , silver or silks in themselves or any others , and if any man should strike them on the one cheek , these poore innocent soules were so farr from revenge that they would turne the other , so that i conceiued them to be so many nathaniels so many true israelites in whom there was no guile . firm. how could you be deceived by such painted sepulchers ? what could you see more in them then what was conspicuous in the scribes and phari●ees of old ? take i● for an infalible rule , that whosoever hold or practise any thing which is contrary to the law of nature and good manners , expresse scripture , the usages of all sober and civill people in the world , are so farr from being true christians that they are not worthy the name of men . dub. i am fully of your perswasion that these men hold and practise many things which are contrary to the law of nature , good manners and holy scripture , but for my farther satisfaction , let us discourse some of their tenents and practises . firm. for their tenents you may at your leisure peruse the synopsis of quakerisme wrote by mr. danson . the heads whereof are breifly these taken out of their owne writings , which are a mixture of popery and socinianisme ; as . 1. they affirm that there are not three persons in the trinity . 2. that christ did not make satisfaction for the sins of men . 3. that justification is not by imputed righteousness , but that our owne inhaerent righteousness , and good works is the cause of our justification . 4. that a state of perfection and freedome from sin is attainable in this life . 5. that there is a light in every man sufficient to guide him to salvation . 6. that the scripture is not the word of god , or a standing rule of faith and manners . 7. that there is no resurrection of the dead . 8. that there is no need or use of ordinances , as baptisme and the lords supper , 9. that 't is unlawfull to take an oath before a magistrate upon any account whatsoever . dub. i know these and many more to be the positions of quakers and that they are directly contrary to sacred schripture ; firm. these things are so clearly confuted by the expresse word of god and tradition of the catholick church , that 't is superfluous to trouble you with any further discourse about them . as for their practises they are extreamly opposite to all good manners , and the civilities of a●l nations that are not grosly barbarous , as well as ●o the holy scripture ; and whereas you have observed their carriages to be very demure , austere , and that they are of a sad countenance ; 't is no more then what our blessed saviour reproved in the scribes and pharisees long since , indeed to be sad and mourn in times of publick humiliation , calamities and great judgements is christian ; but to be constanly so , savours too much of the pharisee , and is contrary to holy scripture which instructs us , there is a time to laugh as well as to weepe , there is nothing which more delights and cheers the heart then the exercise of a good conscience towards god and man , and we know a merry heart maketh a cheerefull countenance , whereas a sad soure face a hanging downe look too much resemble caines mark , and is a very probable signe of a disquieted , discontented , guilty , troubled , if not a malitious minde . dub. i am much of your judgment , but i pray you tell me what do you ●hink of their denying all civil respect either in word or gesture to their equals and superiours ? firm. this practise of theirs is against the v●ry law and light of nature as well as plain scripture , a meere levelling devise of their seducers ( the popish priests and jesuits ) to make a confusion among us , to destroy all goverment , to take away all honor and respect which is due to our superiours , for what honor and reverence has that man in his heart towards them who will express none in his words or gestures according to the laudable custome of the country where he dwels ? dub. truly i have often admired at the uncivil behaviour of quakers in saying ( thou and thee ) to their betters in not bowing the knee or putting of the hat to their superiors . firm. you might well wonder at such barbarous uncivil carriage , but pray you tell me what think you of their pitching a certain price upon their commodities of which they will not abate one farthing , was not that a certain sign● of their honest and upright dealing ? dub. i confe●s i once thought so , but afterwards i considerd that a man may cheat and co●en in few words as well as in many , and i believe that these men most of them are a● great cheat● as any in the world . firm. and i pray you what think you of their other rare quali●ies before mentioned ? dub. i did once believe them to be great contemners of the world , meek , humble , lowly , &c. but 't is evident they are quite contrary to what they seem to be . 1. for i know that most of them are extreamly coveteous and narrow breasted , without all bowels of pitty or mercy towards those that want , unless they be of that fanatick party ; which is meer faction , no christian charity at all ; and whereas many of them have been known to have been persons of mean fortunes at first they are now rich and wealthy , and none of them ( though very poore before they turned quakers ) now in a necessitous condition , being maintained as 't is very probable by their new masters the iesuits , a very rich and opulent society , who make more proselites by the length of their purse strings then by the strength of argument , or personated mimical gestures . 2. as for their humility and lowliness , 't is evident they shew no such virtues in their carriage towards their betters ; their contempt of gold-rings , silver-lace and rich attire , is no infallible proof of their humility ; diogenes may be as proud in his tub as alexander in his palace , he may trample upon platos pride with greater pride ; as haughty a spirit may be hid under a plain country russet , as under the richest ●ables . firm. no question ; but what do you think of their meekness and mildness , that they will rather suffer an hundred injuries then revenge one , that they will not take armes to offend the enemy or defend themselves or their country , are not these rare signes of christian meekness ? dub. i see you are now in jest ; you know ttha time was when they did take up arms in an hostile manner against the king and his loyal subjects , and if they had a fair opportunity they would do the like again , and appear as cruel and bloody as ever did anabaptist fifth monarchy-man or iesuite . firm. i confess that many of them were in armes under cromwel against the royal party ; the light within them did warrant them to rebel against their lawful soveraign , but now the light within them shews that 't is not lawful to resist magistrates by carnal weapons . dub. you are pleased to make your self mercy with these mens bare-fac't hypocricy , what a jugles this light within them ? more unconstant then that of the moon , a meere phansy , a diabolical suggestion ; the divil suits his tentations according as opportunities present themselves , when there is good probability of prevailing by rebellion and treason , then the light ( or rather darkness within them ) suggests unto them , 't is lawful to take up arms , to plunder and murder their fellow subjects , yea the king himself , but when there is no probability to prosper by such villanous enterprises , then that light within them perswades them to be as quiet as lambs , as innocent as so many pretty pigeons . firm. of a truth , this light by which they are guided , is the very blackness of darkness , nothing but a groundless fancy , which any man in the world may as well pretend for his rule as thes● phanaticks ; when several sects are contending , shall the light within them be the umpire ? when the anabaptists fift monarchy men , and diverse other sects contend for their several opinions , whether are they to go but to the law and to the testimony ? if they speak not according to this word , 't is because there is no light in them . esai . 8.20 . dub. i have much wondered that any men should be so much deluded by their vain imaginations , as to measure their opinions and practises by so uncertain , so unconstant a guide as the light within them , which is so frequently beclouded by pride , ignorance , interest , passion , humor , and singularity . firm. you need not wonder , if you shall seriously consider that they who flatte● themselves , that they are in a state of perfection , that they cannot sin , are above ordinances , that cast off fear , and restrain prayer , job . 15.4 . should fall into the snare of the devil , and lye under a judicial blindnes● . and that they do so , seems very probable by what one tolderfee of lemster , in the country of hereford relates of himself , in his recantation of quaquerism● . i have heard also of divers of these seduced wretches , that at their meetings , before they utterred their enthusiasms , have swollen so much they have been re●dy to burst , and 't is too evident that the brethren of the rosy c●oss , have a great influence upon them : and it is upon record at bristol , that before there was any quaker in that city , two franciscans did foretell to one mr. cowlishaw an ironmonger there , ( whose oath is to be seen upon the register ) that within eighteen daies quaquerism should be set up in bristol , which came to pass accodingly : and besides all this a popish priest bragged in my hearing th●t he had been a speaker at their meetings ; by all which 't is evident whose disciples these silly fools are . for your further confirmation you may peruse mr. prin's quakers unmasked . dr stilling-fleets against the idolatry of rome , and fryer barbanson , who above two hundred years since laid the ground work of this sect in a book whose title is occul●ae divini amoris semitae . dub. i am fully satisfied concerning the folly and madness of this phanaticism , and from whence it sprang ; please you we will discourse of anabaptisme ; pray you what do you think of that ? dialogve v. against anabaptisme . firm. anabaptism is a most carnal and bloody sect , as appears by the history of iohn of leiden , knipperdoling , wrot by sleiden and bullenger . dub. but what do you think of their opnion ●oncerning inf●nt baptism ? i shall not trouble you with other of their tenents , which are common to them with other schismaticks . firm. that opinion of theirs is contrary to scripture , and the practise of the catholick church . dub. i have often he●rd them say , that if there were any express text in scripture for the baptisi●g of infants , they would allow of that practise firm. though there be no express place in scripture for it , as there was for circumcising of children under the law yet there are many texts which do infer it by rational consequence . what express text is there for the communicating of woemen ? which nevertheless the anabaptists practise ; have they not express texts for obeying the civil magistrate ? for taking an oath before him ; thou shalt swear , the lord liveth in justice , in judgment , and truth . thou shalt fear the lord and swear by his name . i call god for a rec●rd upon my soul ; an oath for confirmation is ( not was ) an end of all strife . and we have the angel in the revelation ( which was never under the levitical law ) swearing . yo● see here are express texts for obedience to magistrates , and for taking an oath before them ; yet the anabaptists will not swear at all , which is a moral duty enjoyned in the third cōmandment ; and how obedient they are to the supream powers let germany and england witness in our ●ate civil wars , so that you may see that if there were an express text for infant baptism , they would not yeild unto it but follow their own wild imaginations . dub. doubtless 't is grand hypocrisy to call for express texts for infants-baptism , and yet to act directly against such texts in other points of necessary duty . firm. true it is we have no express texts for infants-baptism , yet we have many that do necessarily infer it , as that of our savio●r suffer little children ●o come unto me which he took in his arms and blessed , certainly those that were capable of his blessing , were capable of the seal of it . the children of believers are said to be holy : the promise is to you and to your children : go teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost . all which places evidently shew that the children of believing christians have as much right to baptism , as the children of the jews had to circumcision : unless we should say that the lord was more gratious to the jews then he is to us christians , and that the hand of his mercy is shortned to us , which was so much stretched out to them . if their children were in covenant with god , ( as it is evident they were ) deut. 29.11 . then are the children of christians under the same priviledge , unless any man can give a good reason to the contrary , which must be drawn either frō the mercy , or judgment of god : there is no shew of reason to say 't was from his judgment , much less from his mercy , for who dare say 't is a mercy not to be in covenant with god ? to these texts of scripture , we may add the practise of the catholick church for fifteen hundred years , as appears by the writers in their several centuries , which is the best commentary upon the scripture . the fathers who lived in the first ages of the church had a fairer o●po●tunity to understand the meaning of the apo●tles , and their immediate successors , then we that live at so great a distance . tertullian one of the most ancient of them confesseth the practise of infant baptism , tho he does not approv● it . cyprian and fidus would never have contende● about the ●ircumstance of time , if they had doubted of the lawfulness of the thing . i m●y add to what has been said ; either the baptising of infants is a small error , or 't is a great and gross one : if i● be but a small error , an error of charity towards poor infants , why did the ana●ap●i●ts in the late times of confusion , separate from those churches which did not impose it as a necessary con●ition of communion with them ? if it be a great and gross one , then the catholick church has maintained a gross error for fifteen hundred years and upward . how then was that promise made good unto it , that christs spirit should lead it into all truth and that the gates of hell should not prevail against it ? dub. indeed those texts of scripture so well explained by the practise of the catholick church ●or so many years since the time of the apostles , is an evident argument for the proof of infant baptism ; but are you certain that infant baptism was practised in the primitive times ? firm. we are most certain from the writings of the fathers in those times . irenaeus , lib. 2. cap. 39. origen . lib. 5. in cap. 6. ad rom. cyprian lib. 3. epist. 8. ad ●idum . hieronymus lib. 3. contra pelagianos . nazian . ora●iones in sacrum lavacrum . basil orat. exhort . ad baptismum . chrisost. homil. 1. ad neophyr . augustine lib. 10. de gen. cap. 23. the custome of baptising infants is an apostolical tradition , lib. 4. de baptismo cap. 24. idem aff●rmat prosper . lib. 22. de vocatione ge●tium , cap. 8. these three fathers making use of the baptising of infants as an argument against the pelagians , who denyed original sin , which practise of infant baptism these subtile hereticks durst never deny , because they knew 't was the practise of the catholick church . dub. 't is strange th●t so m●ny testimonies of the antient doctors of the church , with such evident places of scripture before allegd , should not silence these perverse men . firm. by terming them perverse , you render a just reason why neither scripture , nor fathers , nor arguments ●ill satisfie them ; few of this sect , ( or indeed of any other ) are le●rned , except it be their leaders , ( popish priests and jesuits ) which spread such errors by design to make divisions among us , that they might ●eign . now 't is no strang thing to see ignorance and perversness to dwell under the ●ame roof ; for whosoever is capable of conviction must have some knowledg and reason , that he may be able to understand the force of an argument when 't is proposed unto him , as seduced sectaries ( being men of very short discourse ) do not . besides that little portion of reason which remains in them is so beclouded with sel●conceit , interest , and faction , prejudice , pride , and uncharitableness , th●t they have utterly lo●t all use of it . he that doubts of this , let him discourse either with quaker , or anabaptist , and he will find them a very proud , ignorant , conceited , perverse people . dub. i have sufficient experience of their pride and perversness ; but leaving them to their own simple fancyes & enthusiasms , let us proceed to the presbyterians , to which party i first adhered when i forsook the church of england , and and of all dissenters from th●t church , in my opinion , they have the greatest shew of reason for their separation . firm. in my judgment they have less reason to separate then any other , because they agree with us in doctrinals , and are divided from us because of some ceremonies , which are confessedly things indifferent ; and for some modes of government , viz. the episcopal and presbyterian , of which , tho the former be the best , and most antient , yet learned and most moderate men of both parties , do acknowledg , that neither of these forms of government , are so essential to the being of a church , but that it may subsist and be a true church under either of them , potius ad bene esse quam simpliciter ad esse , but more of this hereafter : but before we begin our discourse about presbyterie , let us speak a few things concerning independency , for i have heard that you were somtimes of that perswasion . dub. true , i was once an independent , or congregational man , bu● seeing all sectaries are in respect of church fellowship independe●ts , and that these men for the most part have the same objections against the church of england as the independents make use of , i thought it superfluous to trouble you with any particular discourse ●oncerning them . firm. there are three things belonging to independency , which we have not discoursed upon as yet , neither will they properly fall under debate in our intended dialogue about presbyterie ; if you please we will take a breif survey of them . dub. i willingly embrace this motion . dialogue vi against independency . firm. the first thing that i except against in the independency , is the goverment practised in their particular congregations , without any jurisdiction one over another , so that every of their assemblies , is absolute within it self , without depending upon any classical , diocesian , provincial , national church , or general counsel , whence they have the name of independents . dub. is it true that they will no● admit o● any superior power over their respective congreg●tions , nor appeal in case of divisions among themselves , unjust and injurious sentences given in their partial judicatories . firm. they admit of no appeals , or no coercive po●er over them in any consistories , classis , or counsel ; one congregational ●hurch may advise , exhort , or admonish another as brethren , or equals , but not punish or correct as judges o● superiors ; what do you say to this new knack of church government . dub. i think it to be anarchical and confused , the natural parent of all schisms and hereses ; i do not no● so much wonder how england of late years , since this headless faction prevaild amongst us , became a second amsterdam . what error what heresy so gross , so damnable , what injustice , what oppression never so greivous which might not go unpunisht in such assemblys from which there lies no appeal ? how must they be broken into infinite fractions , especially where the fear of a common enemy does not unite and peice them together ? firm. you rightly apprehend ; for all these dangers and inconveniences , are the necessary , consequents of independent congregations where any popish wolf in sheeps cloathing has a fair opportunity to sow the seeds of anabaptism , quaquerism , socianism , or any poysonous heresy whatsoever , to spread the principles of sedetion , and treason ; as has been of late to much practised in this nation , & i wish such tares be not still scattered in our separating conventicles to this very day . 't was the observation of sir rob. cotton above three-score yea●s since that priests and jesuits did put on the habits of captains , merchants , &c. that that they might deceive poor ignorant people under that disguise , opera posthu . pag. 148. dub. you have said enough against this headless church goverment , and the sad consequences of it . i pray you proceed to the second thing you promised to debate concerning independency ▪ firm. the second error does concern tiths , which generaly the independents ( with other sectarys ) would perswade the world are a great oppression upon the people , meerly levitical and not due or lawfull under the gospel . dub. i desire to hear from you what may be replyed to these cavils , for i believe they are no better . firm. the paying of tiths is no oppression upon the people , no injury to them at all , for if no free-holder , farmer or tenant whatsoever ha's any legal or equitable right ●r title to the tenth part by purchase , donation , inheritance , lease , or by any other imaginable conveiance : then the paying of tiths can be no injury at all , but the free holder , farmer , or purchaser ha's no legal right to the tenth part , no more then the minister has to the other nine , because for many hundred years it has been invested in the church by as good laws as any layman has right or title to the free hold farm or lease which he has purchased or pays rent for ; so that the tenth part cannot discend to any m●n by inheritance , gift or puchase , neither does any tenant , pay one penny of rent to his land lord for that part of the increase of fruits , grain , grass or any other commodity whatsoever . dub. truly sir , i have heard as much ; and if tithes were taken from the church , no question landlords would raise their rents and fines and purchasers would quickly find the price of land rais'd proportionably to a tenth part . firm. this is so plain that nothing but gross ignorance , envy and malice against the clergy can entertain the least doubt of it . dub. sir , you put me in mind of one thing which i have often thought upon , and much wonderd at ; that generally those that go under the n●me of protestants in your church , have little respect for their ministers : whereas papists and presbyterians shew great respect to theirs . firm. you need not wonder at it , the true reason of this contempt is for want of zeale to that religion which th●y profess ; where●s papists and presbyterians are zealous in theirs . but your meer formal protestants ( of which number there are too many ) is a formal nothing one that is so far from the power of godliness , that he has not the naked formality of it : now there cannot be a greater sign of an irreligious atheist , then contempt of the clergy , for where they are despised , god cannot be honoured nor religion had in esteem ; if the gentleman that has assigned reasons for the contempt of the clergy had thought on this , t' would have been worth all the reasons in his whole book , but it may be he was so much a stranger to his own heart , that he thought not of it . dub. but are not many ministers themselves a chief cause that they are so contemned ? firm. i was about to tell you so ; 't is much to be be wailed that too many in holy orders are through ignorance , negligence in the duties of their calling , loosness in their lives and conversations very scandalous , the greatest nonconformists of all others , not true to our church and her injunctions in the most weighty matters , placing all their conformity in outward ceremonies , and neglecting what is most necessary for their own salvation , and of those poor souls which are committed to their charge , which are in great danger to perish through the ignorance , negligence and evil example of such blind guids . dub. but is not the poverty of many of them and the poor pittances allotted for their subsistence as great a cause of their contempt as any ? firm. 't is very true ; and 't were a work worthy of the defendor of the faith , and a religious parliament to redress this very great grievance , by uniting little churches , by finding out some effectual means for restoring of impropriate tithes and glebs to their respective ministers ; which impropriations are the very dregs of popery , and a grand sacriledge in any one that shall detain them from the church . dub. i do a little wonder why you should c●ll impropriations popish , seeing many of those who took up arms against king charles the first , di● it upon th● account of opposing popery , and hindering the gro●th of i● in this ●●nd , and yet some of them are no ●mall i●p●op●ia●ors . firm. certainly there was never a more manifest peic● of hypocrisy in the world , for men to be so seemingly zealous against the superstitions of rome , and yet be so deeply in love with her sacriledge . sur●ly there is some marvellous sweetness in tiths and church lands , that prelatical , presbyte●ians , all parties can swallow down such morsels without any scruple : but let them take heed they prove not like that little book , rev. 10.9 . sweet to the palate , but bitter in the belly . dub. indeed i have heard that the popes of rome were the first and cheifest authors of impropriations , and that they did alienate ti●hs and glebes from their respected parish churches for the maintenance of abbies , priories , nunneries , &c. firm. 't is ve●y certain that these alienations were made by the authority of the bishop of rome for those uses , and at the demolishing of those places , those impropriate tiths and church lands , were either given or sold to courtiers and other of the nobility and gentry , which has proved the ruine of many antient and flourishing families , and a very great hinderance to the growth of religion for want of an able ministry in many poor parishes , where according to the old saying scandalous livings have made a scandalous clergy ; and nothing would be a more effectual redress of this grievance , then ( as was said before ) the uniting of litle parishes , the restoring of impropriate tiths and glebes to the church ; together with a diligent inspection of the bishops into the lives and learning of all those whom they shall either ordain , or institute . dub. i am fully perswaded , that the paying of tiths is no oppression or injury to any man ; but the independents , and other sectaries imagine that tiths are a levitical maintenance , and therefore to be abrogated under the gospel ; that ministers now are to be maintain'd by a voluntary contribution , or at best to have a set stipend . firm. that tiths received not their beginning from the levitical law , is evident to any unbyased judgment , from the example of abrahams paying them to melchisedeck ; of iacobs vowing to give the tenth of all that the lord should bless him with ; from the apostles large discourse about abraham and melchisedeck , heb. 7. by all which 't is evident that tiths had not their original from the levitical ●aw , and were not at first affixt to the ar●nical , but to the melchisedechian priesthood . as to that of stipend and voluntary contribution , 't is a meer plot of the devil , and popish emissaries , to render ministers contemptible , by ●aking them stipendiaries , or eleemosynaries , directly contrary to what st. paul has laid down , the elders that rule well are worthy of double honor ; which sufficiently evinceth , that they ought to have an honorable maintainance , and not to depend upon the cold and frozen charity of the people , ( i am sure st. paul found his corinthians very backward to supply the ministers necessity in better times then these we live in ) like so many stipendaries , or alms-men , by which they will be force● to preach placentia , or starve , and suit their doctrine to the humor of every mechanick . what a strange piece of non-sense is it , that amongst our congregational men , the minister should be the only poor dependent ? 't is most certain and evident to all that can make use of their reason , that gods way for the ministers maintenance is the best , which both before , and under the law given by moses , was by tiths , at least by god's approving of ab●aham's paying them to melchisedeck . ' ●was strongly insinuated , that the great lord of heaven and earth would in after times order and appoint that tiths should be the maintenance for the priest and levite ; which has continued for many hundreds of years under the gospel , and there are many fair proofs from holy scripture , that they are due by divine right ; they are established by civil and ecclesiastical laws , are the most convenient and rational way for the ministers support , who by this meanes , when the earth brings forth plen●ifully shares with the people in that blessing ; when less fruitfully as in times of scarcity , suffers with them in this calamity , and thus partaking with them in blessings and affli●●ions will be the fitter to stir them up thankfulne●s● for the one , and to press upon them the great duties of patience and humiliation under the other dub. i did not doubt of the lawfulness and reasonableness of tiths before we entred upon this discourse but now there is not the least scruple in me concerning them . firm. therefore let us now proceed to another gross error maintaind by the independents and other sectaries , about the electing of gifted brethren into the office of ministers . dub. that any gifted brother any one that perswades himself that he has the spirit , and through a strong imagination conceives himself fit to speak in the congregation , may without any farther tryal , or lawfull call take upon him the office of publick preaching and ministring in the congregation ( which is the most sacred and weighty of of all other ) this is nothing less then a presumptuous usruping of the priests office . this i know to be the opinion and practise of independents and other sectareis ; let me have your judgment of it . firm. that you shall most willingly . and herein my judgment is that this is one of the most wild and fanatick opinions , that ever entred into the minds of men ; that it opens a wide gap to all schisms and heresies , a certain cause of all manner of disorder and confusions in the church : upon this account , priests and jesuits , and all manner of sectaries , have had so fair an opp●rtunity to vent their poysonous tenents in the●● independent congregations . dub. i am fully perswaded that shisms and heresies are the necessary consequents of mens invading the ministry without regular ordination . but for my better satisfaction , i pray you let me understand the reasons that make against this independent practise . firm. my reasons are these ; drawn first from plain scripture , as ierem. 14.14 . and 23.21 . where there is a complaint against those prophets that prophesied lyes in gods name , and he sent them not . and again the same prophet , i have not sent these prophets , and yet they ran ; i have not spoken unto them , and yet they prophesied , therefore they shall not profit these people at all . neither was this sending and calling a necessary requisite only under the law , but also in the time of the gospel . the first that were ever called and sent to preach the glad tidings of the kingdom of heaven , were the apostles , who were first disciples to the best of masters , before they were sent out to preach . first qualified fo● the work , and then sent. so upon the treason and death of iudas , matthias was made an apostle in his place , but by election and ordination . acts 1. heb. 5. no man must take this hono● upon him but he that is called of god ; either immediately , or by the governors of the church ; and hereupon it was that st. paul left timothy at ephesus , and titus at creete , to ordain elders in every citty , instructing them how the priests and deacons ought to be qualified . 't is well worth our observation how the apostle makes the salvation of men to depend ordinarily upon the preaching of sent and called ministers ; rom. 10. whosoever calleth upon th● name of the lord he shall be saved ; but such calling presupposeth believing , hearing , preaching , sending ; how shall they preach , except they be sent ? dub. 't is evident by the scriptures , both of the old and new testament : that no man ought to take upon him the office of a minister , before he has a lawful call from the church , or can by working miracles make it appear , that he is immediately called from god , which is not now to be expected . firm. and 't is as evident from the practise of the church from the time of the apostles , even to this present age ; for he that shall peruse her records shall find that whosoever did presume to take upon himself the office of publick preaching , or administation of the sacraments , without an extraordinary call , arrested by miracles , or an ordinary one from the governors of the church , was ever accounted a theif and a robber , no true shephard that entred in at the church door , but crept in , or climb'd up some other way . and hereupon tertullian complains , that in their heretical conventicles their women were bold pratlers , they did preach , dispute , baptize ; meer laicks ; did usurp the priests office , by which means , instead of converting heathens , they did pervert christians . st. hierom also in an epistle to paulinus , complains , that every one did presume to interpret holy scripture ; prating old women , doting old men , husbandmen , masons , iacks of all trades ; even as it has been in this divided nation ; trades-men , shoemakers , ●oblers , glovers , taylors , have skip'd from the shop to the pulpit , and have left stitching of graments , to make a rent in the church . dub. there is no ingenuous man that is acquainted with the tenents of anabaptists and quakers , that will deny , that our sectaries have sharpned their tools , which they have used against us , at the forges of these philistins . have you any thing else to object aginst these schismatick practices ? firm. yes , the prudential order which is used in all other callings ; the ablest lawer , gentleman , soldier , mu●● not execute the office of a judge justice of peace , commander in war without a commission ; a student in physick cannot practise without a linence ; no man can set up his trade in a well governd corporation untill he has serv'd out his app●entiship , and is made a freeman . such excellent order is observd in civil aff●irs ; but in the great concerns of the church , there should b● nothing but confusion , if these men might be sufferd to act according to their irrational and extravagant phansies . dub. 't is most apparent that their actions are against scripture , the practise of the cartholick church , and the dictates of reason ; which no christian , no sober man will contradict . therefore let us leave this headless faction , and discourse about presbytery which has the most plausible reasons for its nonconformity to our church , of any other that do seperate from us . dialogve vii . against presbytery . firm. . the first step you made out of our church ( as i have heard ) was unto presbyterie ; i desire to know the reasons why you left our communion , and made choice of theirs ? dub. i confess the first step i made out of the church of england , was into the tents of presbyterie , thence to the independents , and so to the anabaptists , and at last i became little better then an atheist , as i before have declared . thus unh●ppy man as i was , being out of the true church , i was like noah's dove out of the ark ; fluttering over the floods of e●rors , and boi●terous waves of shism● , factions , and heresies , finding no firm land for the sole of my foot to rest upon . firm. this was not your case alone , but of many ●n un●table soul , th●t in those la●e times of rebellion , & confusion , eph. 4. has been blown about with every wind of doctri●e by the sleight of men , ( jesuits , priest , and socintans ) and their cunning craftines● , whereby they hav● lain in wait to deceive . an ●●ence it was th●t the prophet david's curse fell he●vy upon them : for they have fallen from one wickedness to another ; from one wicked opinion to a s●●ond , a third , &c. till at length they have turned seekers , scepticks , atheists , and scoffers at all religion . dub. this was once my condition , but praised be the lord , who has brought my foot out of the snare . i have by his blessing shaked off all those wild and groundless fancies , and am more then half perswaded that the church of england , is one of the mo●t orthodox , apostolical churches under the cope of heaven . however for my better confirmation , let me hear your answers to those exceptions which the presbyterians have urged , against her goverment by arch-bishops , bishops , deans and chapters , her lyturgie , her set forms of prayer , her ceremonies , her receiving persons of scandalous lives , and grosly ignorant in the principles of religion , to the holy sacrament of the body and blood of christ. these were the great scandals at which i somtimes stumbled and fell from the communion of the church , into the congregation of our classical brethren . firm. i shall mos● willingly give in my answer to those exceptions , in that order you have ranked them . therefore in the first place , let me hear what you can object against our bishops . dub. i have been told , they are antchristian , not heard of in the primitive times . such plants as our heavenly father hath not planted , and therefore to be rooted out . firm. true 't is , such dirt has been cast upon that sacred order by ignorant and discontented persons ; such an one was aerius the first anti-episcopal man we read of ; but this groundless opinion is abundantly confuted by the testimony of holy scripture , by the practise of the ●niversal church ; attested by the general consent of fathers and councels , as you may see in dr. hammond's book against blondel ; dr. taylor 's treatise of the divine right of episcopacy , with many others . first , the scripture is clean for differrent orders in the clergy . our blessed saviour besides his seaventy disciples , had his twelve apostles , which were superior to them , as is evident by the chusing of matthias into the place of iudas ; from the example of timothy and titus , the one a ●ishop of creet , the other of ephesus ; by the general consent of antiquity , in those and other churches . in that once famous church of rome , we have the catalogue of those bishops which presided there , about thirty of them suffering martyrdom for the testimony of our lord jesus . what should i mention the angels of the seaven asiatick churches ? which by the general consent of the f●thers , were the bishops of those churches ; nay st. hierome himself ( no good friend to this order ) does acknowledg , that when christians began to he divided , one being of paul , an other of cephas , to prevent such schisms , there past an vniversal decree throughout the world , th●t bishops should be setled in every citty , who should govern with the common councel of the bresbyters ; and that one of the bresbyters should be elected and set over the rest , for taking away the seeds of schism . dub. i am very well perswaded , by what you have said , that the primitive goverment of the church , was by bishops , with the assistance of the presbyterie , who had authority over the presbyters , and were their superiors . but i pray you satisfie me in this one thing . why did st. paul so sh●rply reprove the corinthians , for not excommunicating the incestuous person , if they had no authority so to do without a bishop ? firm. this at the first sight seems to be a very smart objection : but if we seriously consider the words upon which 't is grounded , it has no weight at all . the text that is cited to prove it is . 1. corinth . 5.2 . ye are puffed up , and have not rather mourned , that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you . where the apostle reproves them for want of humiliation , for so soul a sin , not for the neglect of excommunication . he that had committed that great sin , was to be taken away , or cut off from the ●hurch , but they themselves could not exclude him , but this was to be done by the spirit of st. paul , verse 3 , 4. in whom the power of jurisdiction was originally ●eated ; there being then no bishop of corinth ; for evident it is , that in those churches , where there were no bishops , the apostles kept the power of jurisdiction in their own hands , until bishops were setled among them , as is manifest in the churches of ephesus and creet . neither can it ever be proved that bresbyters ( as such ) had any jurisdiction belonging to the publick goverment of the church , but by particular substitution and delegation from the apostles , and bishops , and no● by virtue of their own order . dub. i am very well satisfied , both from scripture , and the general practise of the church ( which is the best comment on the text ) that episcopacy is an apostolical institution : and i confess i am much confirm'd in this perswasion , by gods blessing upon our english bishops and episcopal men ; such as cranmer , ridley , iewel , carlton , abbots , morton , andrews , vsher , ( who of english extraction ) hall , laud , and sanderson , hooker , cracanthorp , iackson , &c. whose profound learning and piety , has given the greatest wounds to the church of rome , that ever she received ●rom any protestant writers ; and their judicious works have been the strongest sence against popery , heresie , rebellion and schism , that the christian world can ever boast of . firm. i much rejoyce that you have so good an opinion of our bishops and episcopal men ; i hope the authority of these renowned worthies will weigh much with you in our following discourses . we will now , if you please , proceed to your exceptions against deans and chapters , you shall find all those learned men before mentioned , and many more your opposites in this your second exception , as well as in the former . dub. 't is probable i shall , however that i may receive full satisfaction from you , give me leave to propose some doubts and scruples which i have against them . as 1. they were not from the beginning , but as it were of yesterday . 2. they seem to be very useless , serving only to maintain the pride and grandure of many idle drones . 3. many poor parochial churches are rob'd of their tiths and glebs to maintain such lazy ministers . 4. their vicars choral , and singing-men are many of them of no very commendable conversation , have little sense , or relish of religion . 5. their toning of prayers , their chore service is like a latine masse , not understood by the people . 6. their organs , and other musical instruments are levitical , utterly unlawful under the gospel . firm. you may think these are such knots which admit of no easy solution ; but i shall presently make you understand the contrary . first , i shall shew you that cathedrals , deans and chapters , ( though not under those names ) were from the beginning of christianity . it is clear from the acts of the apostles , and the records of the church , that the apostles and disciples of our lord and saviour jesus christ ( those spiritual fishermen ) cast in their nets where they were like to make the greatest and most advantegious draughts . they usually preached in the most populous citys , where they established churches which anon after were called mother-churches , to which the suburbican , or those that dwelt in the adjacent villages were subject , and with the mother-churches made up the bishops diocess , which they governed ( as st. hirome confesses ) by the common councel and assistance of presbiters , termed at rome in after times cardinals , or chief presbiters , and in the time of charles the great ( as the magdeburgenses inform us ) were incorpated into a colledge under the name of dem and chapter ; the dean by the canon-law being called arch-presbiter . before the sounding of universsitys , these cathedrals were the schools of the prophets , where young students were train'd up in the study of divinity and other good learning ; gerard gives us a tast of their first institution , their corruption , and how they might be restored to their primitive uses . i could wish that some learned person who has the advantage of books , and well studyed men to consult with , and leisure , ( all which we country ministers are deprived of ) would write in the vindication of cathedrals , and manifest to this invidious age , that the institution of deans and chapters is very usefull to the church , and very antient , as i before intim●ted ( although under other names : ) and i do somwhat wonder that neither bishop , dean , or ganon ( so far as i know ) has hitherto vindicated these churches , from those reproaches which have been cast upon them , by ignorant , spitefull , sacrilegious persons . † dub. but do not we see that bishops , deans and canons , do not joyn together in the goverment of the church , but rather are at variance and oppose one another , are mostly non-resident , keep not that hospitality which their predecessors usually did ? and therefore they being thus useless , 't were fit their lands were sold and imployed to better purposes . firm. this was your second exception against cathedrals , but a very frivelous one , drawn from the worst topick , from personal abuses , to take a way the true use of the thing it selfe . this is meer clowns logick and makes as much against parish churche● , schools , universities and all courts of justice , as against cathedrals . the abuses ought to be taken away ; i am as much for a reformation as any man , but not for an extirpation . if bishops , deans , and chapters , do not joyn together in the goverment of the church , 't is the fault of their persons not of their institution . deans and canons ought to be of councel to the bishop in a subordinate way ; not to have cordinate power and authority with him . if they are too much guilty of non-residence , ( as it cannot be denyed but that many of them are , ) this ought to be reformd by mulcts and punishments , but especially by those that have the power of collating those dignities , that they do not confer them upon any person that lives out of the diocess , or at too great a distance from the cathedral , which is a very great abuse and wants reformation . as for the keeping of hospitality , the cavil is just the same which the egiptyans had against the isralits , for not fulfilling their tale of brick , when they denyed them straw to make it . sacrilegious hands have robbed cathedrals of many of their rich mannors , and how should it be possible for deans and prebends to maintain that hospitality which their predecessors heretofore have kept . i know a canon , of one of the most auntient cathedrals in england , that his necessary expences in his residence , & journeys , being deducted , did not receive de claro five pounds yearly , for seven years in twelve . now according to the law of god and nature , families , wives , and children must be provided for ; and how can such necessary provision and any considerable hospitality stand together , out of an hundred marks or an hundred pounds of yeary income ; which is more then some cathedral residentaries do receive to my knowledge ? i wish that those of the gentry who have their thousands of yearly revenues would forbear their squandring away of their rich patrymonies in vanities and very sinful courses , that they would keep hospitality and residence , upon their own rich mannors , amongst their poor tenants and neighbours who eat the bread of carefulness , and then they might with greater confidence c●vil at the non-residence and w●nt of hospitality in the ●lergy . the best way to pull out the moth which they discover in the churches eye , is first of ●ll to cast out the beam which is in their own eye . second , whereas you object , that cathedral dignities are made subservient to the pride and luxury of the idle and lazy ministers ; my reply shall be very short . if any such be ●rept into such places i shall not be their advocate , but be ready to throw the first stone at them . but i pray you do not cast such dirt upon those who have laboured in the word and doctrine , but esteem them worthy of double honor , however the infirmities of old age , have now seized upon them ; dimness of sight , weakness of memory , an hoarse voice , and feeble lungs . if these cathedral perferments be great encouragements to younger men , ( which none but fools and sacrilegious persons will deny : ) vvhy may not such places , be as so many ecclesiastical hospitals for these ( milites emiriti ) old souldiers of jesus christ ? who have war'd a good warfare , and though now they are less able to teach in the pulpit , yet may they instruct out of it , by their grave and exemplary lives , and sage councels . 1. tim. 5.17 . let the elders that rule well ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be worthy of double honor . dub. i beg your pardon for those hasty words that dropt from me against cathedrals , i clearly understand they are not so useless as the ignorance , envy , and malice of some men would render them . let me hear from you how you can vindicate them from defrauding parochial churches of their tithes and glebs , by appropriating them to themselves . firm. this exception cannot totally be avoided ; yet cathedrals are not so much in fault as the supream power of the land , which took away their rich mannors , and gave them in their stead lean and scandalous impropriations , which ( as some say ) was done in policy to prevent their total abolition , which fate abbies and priories had lately sufferred under ; for those rich mannors being exchanged for poor impropriations , cathedrals were not now so sweet and lushious morsels to sacrilegious palates . dub. but is there no meanes to augment the maintenance of those churches whose tithes are impropriate to cathedrals ! firm. at his majesties happy restauration , there was a fair opportunity which offerred it self , the like we cannot expect . how easie had it been then to have setled a competent maintenance upon most churches in the nation ? some augmentations by his majesties appointment were then made , i wish there had been more : i know no other way to redress this grievance , but by annexing some prebends unto the vicaridges of these impropriated churches , which might be done in cathedrals of the old foundation , where there are minor prebendaries distinct from residentiaries , mean while those parochial churches are supplyed mostly by the vicars choral , whose maintenance from their colledge and privy tithes , received from those churches where they serve , is not contemptible . i wish 't were better , and that some of them , by their industry and conscientious diligence in their ministry did deserve a better subsistance , at which wish no man can take exceptions , but he that is guilty of ignorance or negligence in the duty of his calling , which is his fault in being so , and not mine in wishing it should be otherwise . dub. i perceive by your discourse that 't is rather the unhappiness , then the fault of cathedrals that parochial tithes are appropriated unto them ; but certainly i● canons residentiaries were beneficed in , or near the citties where cathedrals are scituate , and a competent maintenance allowed them from the respective cittizens , the vicars choral ( those of them who are not preachers ) might assist as curates , for baptizings , burials , and other inferiour offices , and so by the continual residence of the bishops , deanes , canons and vicars choral , the chore service , preaching catechizing , church discipline , and goverment might be much better performed then now it is , and those scandals and reproaches which are so frequently cast upon cathedrals , more rationally be confuted . firm. i much approve of what you say , for the non-residency of bishops , deans , and canons , and the remote vicaridges of vicars choral from their respective cathedrals , is the just occasion that the service of god is very perfunctorily performed , to the great scandal of the goverment of the church , which we can look upon as a grieveance , but 't is only in the power of king and parliament to redress , dub. the lord put it into their hearts , to undertake so good and pious a work . ●et me now hear what you can answer to what is objected against the lives a●e conversations of vicars choral , petty canons , singing-men , as they are setled in some cathedrals . eiru● . my answer is , that the charge is too general , and favours of want of charity . that some of them may be such , whose conversation is not so commendable as it should be , or that they have not that sense and relish of ●eligion , which ought to be in men of that place and calling , i fear may too justly be charged upon them ; but much of this dirt might be wiped off by the constant residence , grave example , and strict discipline of those to whom the goverment of the church belongs . 't is confessed , that through the corruption of our natures , the best duties , frequently perform'd , are apt to degenerate into cold and airy formalities . 't is the great happiness of those christians which dwel near cathedrals , that they may meet three t●mes a day , evening , morning , and noon , to offer up prayer and praises to the high and holy god ; but 't is very much to be lamented , that cittizens , and others , not hindred by necessarie occasions , should be so frequently absent from these solemn assemblies , as usually they are . it is yet more to be lamented , that those whose duty it is to officiate at those solemn services should look upon them as a ( p●nsum , ) a task , a burden ; as naughty boyes at school do their lessons ; how far are such stupid souls from holy david's zeal and piety . one thing ( saith that good king ▪ psal. 22.4 . ) have i desired of the lord , which i shall seek after , that i may dwel in the house of the lord all the daies of my life , to behold the beauty of the lord , and to enquire in his temple . want of sense & zeal at holy offices , is not the fault of chore , or quire service , but of those that officiate ; who if they will seriously fix their hearts upon those holy duties , when they sing and give praise , as david did , attending to the matter of their heavenly and ravishing anthems , as well as to the musick , they would not look ●pon the service as a burden , but as a blessed opportunity thus to praise almighty god in the beauty of holyness . dub. happily it might be so to those who understood those anthems , but i have heard some say , that the singing in chores is to them much like a latine service , they knowing not what is sung . firm. this is your fift exception , and 't is indeed a very weak one ; there being none who frequent this service , but know very well what is sung , ( unless it be the full anthem : ) let those that make this objection , frequent this service , and then they will be ashamed of so frivelous a cavile , and easily perceive the fault to have been in themselves , and not in the service . dub. there is one exception yet behind against your chore service ; as the use of musicall instruments , in the performance of a great part of it , which are said to be levitical , and therefore unlawful under the gospel , as we have seen in the geneva notes upon the last psalm , as also in aquinas , quest. 22.9 , 19. and divers other learned men. firm. this is a very gross mistake ; for musical instruments are not part of the levitical law , never instituted by moses , who was so faithful a servant in his trust that he would not have omitted to enjoyn them , had they been given him in charge by allmighty god. they were in use long before moses , presently after the creation of the world , for gen. 4. we read that the rare gift of playing on musical instruments was given to iubal . can we imagine that such a gift was bestowed on him to stir up wantonness and lust , by the more artificial singing , of unsavory sonnets ? or is it not more rational to conceive that this skil in musick was given to men to sing forth the praises of our great creator in a more excellent manner ? when we glorify the lord we ought to exalt him as much as we can : ecclesiasticus . 43.30 . and surely if musick has a natural influence upon our affections to stir up and quicken them in wantoness and daliance , certainly it may work the same effect , upon them to quicken and enliven them in a more devout and intensive praising of almighty god in all those that have a religious tendency , and a serious disposition to his worship and service ; besides seing 't is a moral and perpetual duty , to shew forth the praises of god , all rational men will consent that this ought to be performed after the best manner , and consequently with such skil and are that has the greatest influence upon our affections , rather then after such a manner which renders the service of god mean and contemptible as 't is rendred in many of our parochial churches . dub. you have fully satisfied me that musical instruments in the service of god are not levitical , but are natural means to stir up the affections in these sacred hyms and anthems . nevertheless i have heard that many who are much taken with chore anthems , are much offended at the manner of reading of prayers in cathedrals ; when they pray for the sick , they use the ordinary tone which is used in parish churches , at other times they pronounce their prayers in a middle way between reading and singing . which seems to be not so grave and sutable to the solemnity of prayer . firm. i confess this is a common objection , and some that are no enimies to cathedral service have in this much desired a reformation , but this must be left to the prudence of those that set at the serne ; mean while we ought not to condemn the quireservice for this seeming indecency , well knowing that the stress of religious duties does not consist in the toning and modulation of the voice but in the musick of the heart and affections , in a serious and devout fixing of the mind upon the things that are read or sung , the want of which , in those who read prayers or sing anthems , is no little sin , and one main reason why some of our singing-men are not so seriously devout as they ought to be , & really those that are frequently present , officiating in holy duties unpreparedly , carelessly , formally , and irreverently , by gods just judgment may be given up to a senceless stupidity , for their prophanation of the holy ordinances of god. dub. 't is certain , that a●prophane carless performing of divine service is a very great sin , and a necessary cause of irreligion and practical atheism , one exception i had allmost forgott which concerns choristers , who are said to be , for the most part , very untoward children . firm. first , this cannot be denyed , but the reasons are first , negligence in the musick masters , whose chiefest care it is to teach them to sing , and the end why they sing : namely to set forth the praises of their creator ▪ neither are they so careful to instruct them how to behave themselves reverently and devoutly at the worship and service of god. secondly , some of them are not set to the grammer school , where upon they squander away a great part of their time in vain sports , and idleness which is the mother of all villany and wickednss . thirdly . but the chiefest reason of all is that our choristers are commonly the children o● mean parents , who for the most part are very ignorant in the great matters of religion , and extreamly negligent in the concerns of their own and their childrens souls ; now deans and chapters are necessitated to make choise of such poor children , because the better sort of people , disdain to have their children brought up in that noble science of musick , which is their gross ignorance ; besides their scorn and contempt of this science , they misconceive that if they should send them to the musick school it would hinder them in their grammer learning , which might easily be prevented by imploying those hours only at musick which are spent in foolish , insignificant sports and pastimes , which as i am inform'd , is the practise in some places beyond sea ; where their youths spend much of the afternoons in musick and dancing , training , mathematicks , and such like manly and profitable exercises , which conduce both to the health of the body , and benefit of the understanding . dub. i perceive that those exceptions against deans and chapters and cathedral service are not so substantial , as once i conceived them to be . if you please , we will now proceed to those which i have heard urged with much earnestness against ●et forms of prayer , and in particular against the liturgie of the church of england . firm. most willingly , i pray you favour me with the recital of them . dub. 't would be to much trouble and to little purpose to mention all that i have heard , seing many of them are very frivolous and not worthy of a serious answer , those that seem to be the most material , are , first that they are imposed by mans authority . secondly , they stint the spirit . thirdly they are cold and dead forms , our spirits are not affected , and quickned by them , as by conceived and extemporary prayers ▪ firm. first , whatsoever is imposed upon us by mans authority contrary to the word of god is utterly unlawfull , but set forms taken out of ●ods word , are not contrary to that word , especially when not only the very matter of them is contained in holy scripture , but the very words and phrase . 't is a strange peice of nonsence that what is in it self lawfull and laudable should cease to be so , because 't is commanded by our superiors . true indeed , that things in themselves lawfull ( being in their own nature but indifferent ) if commanded as necessary and intrinsically holy , are upon that account unlawfull and repugnant to christian liberty ; but more of this when we shall di●course about ▪ ceremonies . secondly , that the spirit is stinted by a set form ; and that reading of prayers out of a book , cannot be praying by the spirit . to this i reply , that if their were any truth in these exceptions , how comes it to pass that ●e have so many set forms of prayer , and thanksgiving in holy scripture ? how do set form● of prayer more stint the spirit , then set forms of psalms for singing ? yea ; does a set form of prayer more stint the spirit then the extemporary conceptions of the minister limit and stint the spirit of the congregation , to whom they are upon this account in the nature of set forms ? when these queries shall be rationally answered , i shall through away all set forms which have been used by the ●hristian churches for above 1400 years . besides those of the presbyterian perswasion allow'd them as lawfull in their conferences with the bishops anon after his majesties restauration . as to the other part of the other exception that reading of prayers out of a book cannot be praying by the spirit ; this to those who understand the true meaning of that phrase is a most frivilous cavill ; for setting aside the extraordnary gift of prayer , to pray in , or by , the spirit denotes first the making of our prayers according to the mind of the spirit exprest in the scripture , as may appear col. 3.16 . secondly , to pray by the spirit , is to pray by that principle of grace wrought in our hearts by the holy spirit , and enabling us to every good duty , as well as to prayer . thirdly to pray by the spirit is when the spirit do's stir up our hearts to this holy duty , working in us good desires , and motions , quickning our faith and fervency , whereby our hearts minds & spirits go along with out tongues and words , utterd either in a set form or by our extemporary expressions , which is usually practized by knowing christians in their closset devotions . dub. i confess i am not able to shew why set forms of prayer should stint the spirit , more then set forms of singing , and i am perswaded that praying by the spirit , signifies no more then the assistance of the holy spirit quickning and stirring us up to , and in , prayer ; whereby our hearts and spirits are fixed in that holy duty joyning and going along with the tongue and voice , but truly i find by experience that my spirit is more stirred up by a prayer that is new , which i never heard before , being lively deliver'd , then by a common form read out of a book . firm. this is the chiefest reason ●hich renders men such admirers of extemporary prayers , and so opposite to set forms ; their own experience tels them that they are more taken with such prayers then with common forms read out of a book ; whi●h phanciful experience no wise man will plead against reason and judgment , it being very deceitful and the issue of a very common corruption , and humane infirmity , which inclines us to be more taken with what is new , then with what we have often heard , especially when 't is deliver'd in a lively tone , with pleasing actions and gesticulations of the body , and without book , though for substance , and soundness , what is read be infinitely before it . pray sir , answer me but this one question ; whether are your affections more stir'd up at the reading of some portion of scripture by the minister , or at a good sermon , delivered from the pulpit ? dub. i confess i am much more affected , my affections are more wrought upon by a good sermon deliver'd with life and action then at the reading of the best chapter in the bible . firm. i believe you , yet you will not say that the best sermon that ever was made by man , is to be prefer● before a portion of sacred scripture . the explication , or application of the word , mixt with much of mans conceptions , before the pure word it self , and esteem the hearing of it read useless and unlawful . dub. god forbid i should : firm. you see by this one instance , how fallible your own phantiful experience has been , and how it has lead you against scripture , against the general practise of the church , against all sober reason , so dangerous a thing it is for men of short discourse , that are not masters of reason , but are guided to phansies , over powred by passions , engaged in parties to meddle with controversies , which are too high and hard for them . dub. i confesse that 't was no great wonder , that so mean a man as i should be mistaken , but 't is very strange , that so many grave and learned men as were in the late assembly , should be so much against the common prayer book of the church of england , which i have heard learned men affirme to be the best liturgie in the world . firm. 't was very strange that so many learned men , should be overborn by some leading men , that had more zeal than judgm●nt , and happily more of interest and designe then of learning and piety ▪ but as there have been parliament-drivers , so there have been assembly-drivers , and convocation-drivers , before you or i were born , and will be after we are in our graves . and i am confident , tha● disg●ised priests and jesuits have had more then one finger , in animating the presbiterians , against the church of england , as well as ( to my knowledge ) they have had in somenting anabaptisme ▪ and quaquerisme , so● 't is their maxime , divide & impera , divide the hereticks , and w●e shall reign . i have more charity then to believe that the assembly ( the greatest part of them ) were of opinion that set forms of prayer were either useless , or unlawful , though they cannot be excused from too much compliance ( i fear ) against their own judgments . they could not be ignorant that the vote against the book of common-prayer was contrary to the sentiments of the most learned men in all the reformed churches beyond sea , of very sober men in this nation , ( known heretofore by the name of puritans ) the most discreet and moderate of that party were never against set forms ; of the reverend bishops of the church of england ; many of which sacred order have bee● as famous in their generation , both for learning and piety as former ages ever knew ; yea since his majesties happy restauration , the chiefest of the presbiterian perswasion , have acknowledged set forms of prayer in publick to be lawful , they plainly confess in their conference with the bishops they are not against them ; but every daies experience will make it evident , they must be for them , as well as not against them , unles● the late assembly , could have as easily voted , and made all ministers of the church of england , discreet , judicious , orthodox , and of a ready elocution , as they did rashly and inconsiderately , vote down the liturgie . besides the congregation , especially the weaker sort , those t●at are ignorant , and cannot read , may better joyn in prayer , when the forms of i● are known and common , then they can in strange ●nd extemporary expressions , with which they are ●ltogether unacqainted ; which being the practise in the late ti●es of confusion , has taught the people only to hear prayers , as if they were so many sermons , wherein they were not at all concerned to joyn with their hearts and tongues , and to say amen ; or as if the ear were the only member to be imployed in that holy duty . again , set and prescribed forms , consisting of scriptural phrases and expressions , unaffected and ●●tted to the understanding of the meanest c●pacitie , are soonest received into the heart , and aptest to excite and carry along with them judicious and steady ●ffections , as king charles the fir●● ha● observed in his most excellent book . hereunto may be added , that out of well composed forms , the weaker christians may be furnished with a stock of wholesome expressions , composed by the advice , & joynt sistance of the cheif pastors and ministers of th● church , for their help and direction in their private devotions , which i● imposible to b● done by the suddain , various , uncertain expressions of divers particular ministers . besides , set forms are necessary for uniformity in the publick worship ; and upon this account learned and sober men have wished there were but one publick liturgie in all christian churches in the world ; which ( if it were possible ) would be a great means of peace and unity amongst christians , by preventing the spreading of schisms and heresies , that may be as well prayed up as preached up ; as also undecent , unscriptural expressions , tautologies , vain-repetitions , phantastical affected words and phrases , utterly abhorrent from the sobriety and gravity of divine oratory , which is quite another thing from that of the stage or desk . lastly , should we deal with an understanding recusant , endeavouring to perswade him to forsake his superstitious worship , and to joyn himself to our assemblies ; how could we assure him ( if we have no publick established liturgie ) that our way and manner of worship is , and shall continue scripture-proof , sound and innocent , without errours and indecencies ? do we think that any wise man , would leave his popish blind way of worship , to be guided by our dark lanthorn ; not being rationaly assured , after what way we do worship the god of our fathers ? which we cannot satisfie him in , if we have no set liturgie . dub. i very much approve of your reasons for publick set forms of prayer ; as also of your ●nswer to that argument drawn from experience , which appears so great and mighty to some mens vain imaginations , but is indeed very weak and fallacious . firm. you must give me leave to adde two things more in answer to that argument drawn from experience , and then we will discourse of those exceptions against our common-player in particular . 1. i will oppose experience to experience , those that repro●ch our common-prayer , for a cold and dry service , extolling extemporary conceptions so much beyond it ; let these men make this easie experiment to themselves . let them take some of th● best of extemporary prayers verbatim , which your short-hand-writers can exactly do , let these prayers be read or repeated memoriter , with all the advantages of pleasing tones , bodily gesticulations , lively pronunciations , and assure your self they will at length appear to be as dull , dry and cold as any part of our liturgie . 2. i would have you seriously consider what the most judiceous hooker sayes concerning sermons , and reading of scripture ; why the former are so highly esteem'd and the other so much slighted ; the truth is , they please more then lessons and chapters by reason of those outward advantages which a sermon well delivered has above th● scripture barely read ; besides the singular attention and affection which men are apt to express toward the one , and their cold disposition toward the other ; partly because 't is usual to let those things pass carelesly by our ears which we have often heard before or , know we may haer again when ever we please ; and partly for that sermons are new and fresh , and if they slip by us for the present , what excellencies soever they contain is lost , which creats the grater atte●●ion , which causes the greater affections : so far that worthy man. this certainly is one great reason why set forms of prayer are so much undervalued in respect of extemporary and conceiv'd effusions . dub. i am abundantly satisfied , that set forms of prayer are not only lawfull , but very usefull in the publike service of the church . i shall now by your good leave descend to those exceptions which are made more particularly against the liturgie of the church of england . first , that 't is taken out of the masse book . secondly that it contains many shreds of prayer , which are short and customary wishes , rather then serious and devout prayers . thirdly , that it appoints divers apocryphal chapters to be publikly read , which contain things incredible and ridiculous . as for those exceptions which are made against some particular passages in the body of the liturgy , they are so frivolous that they are not worth the trouble of a serious confutation ; he that pleases may see them sufficiently baffled by mr hooker , mr ball himself ( a nonconformist ) in his tryal of the grounds of seperation , with many others . firm. your first excep●ion is the issue of spite and ignorance ; what though it contains many things that are in the masse book , as the creeds , the te● commandments , the lords-prayer , and divers collects ? shall a true man refuse to take his goods , and make the best he can of them because he finds them in a theifs house ? or shall the husbandman refuse pure wheat because 't was once mingl'd with chaff , and tares , albeit 't is now winno●ed and s●fted ? or shall we refuse pauls epistles , because there are in them certain savory passages taken out of the writings of idolatrous heathens ? the church of rome was once a glorious church , true 't is ; it s now sadly corrupted , yet as corrupt as 't is , all is not chaff which that church retains , there remain● in her some good wheat which was in her before her novel superstitions were in their swadling cloaths , this wheat wee retain , the ch●ff we h●ve blown away with a fan of an orderly reformation , you see what a malicious cavil this is , that our common-prayer is taken out of the m●ss ; malice in some , and ignorance , in others have been the true parents of this groundless calumny . 2. as to your second exception ; that our liturgie contains many short cuts and shreads of prayer : pray you what do you think of the publicans prayer , ( god be mercifull to me a sinner ) is any prayer in our liturgie more short then that which our saviour so well aproved ? short ejacuculations , concise forms , holy breathings of the spirit are very frequent in the scripture , and past all peradventure very acceptable to almighty god ; those that cavil at the shortness of our prayers and collects , let them justify the length of theirs if they can , from any one prayer in scripture , or fathers that is a quater of an hower long . let any rational man who is acquainted with the nature of prayer , and humane infirmities , seriously consider , ●hether or no , our church has not carried her self very prudently both in the method , phrase , form and ordering of her service . are not all her holy offices the matter , and mostly the very words and choi●e●t portions of holy scriptures , what an unworthy calumny is it , to tell the world our common-prayer is taken out of the masse ? could any thing be utter'd more fals and invidious ? those excellent prayers she uses , how are they ●itted to our infirmities , mixed with psalms , hymns , and choise portions of scripture ? is not this order and method more sutable to the weak capacities , and unsteady attentions of the greatest part of the congregation , then a long extemporary prayer , for matter many times heretical , schismatical , irreverent , strangly bold , unbeseeming a poor sinful worme , to offer up to the high and dreadful majesty , of our great and good god ? dub. i know by my own experience th●t long extemporary prayers are very apt to dull ●nd de●den our attentions , and i cannot deny but that sometimes i have been very much scandalized both at the matter , as also at the un-scriptural , ●hantastical , affected expressions used in such prayers , which is not to be seen in the common-prayer book , whose phrase and words are very grav● , and decent , and being taken out of the word of ●od are most fit to be offer'd up to the almighty god , when we speak unto him in prayer . i am fully satisfied with the excellent method , matter , grave oratory of the english liturgie , being 't is so consonant to , and coresponding with , the holy scripture . so that i stand amaz'd at the impudence of those that first gave out , that 't was borrowed from the mass book , and at the dull ignorance of those , that will believe so noto●ious a lye. the book i acknowledge to be rarely compos'd , and not onely useful in our publick worship , but also a very profitable directory for our family , & private devotions . now to the last objection : were it not better that some apochryphal chapters were left out of the calender , and canonical lessons set in their place ? firm. many learned men have indeed thought so , and have wished for a change in this particular , mr hooker has these words , those ecclesiastical books ( for so they were cald in auntient times , not apocryphal under which title were contain'd such books which the church allowed not at all to be read in publick ) i say those ecclesiastical books which in case my self did think ( as some do ) that 't were more safe and better that they were not to be read at all publikly : nevertheless as in other things of like nature , so in this i should be loath to oppose my private judgment against the force of their reverend authority , considering the excellency of some things in all , and of all things in certain of those ecclesiastical books which we publikly read , and therefore i have thought it better to let them stand as a list or a marginal border unto the old testament , and to grant at the least unto some of them publike audience in the house of god. dub. i do fully acquiess in the pious , prudent , and peaceable determination of this worthy man : and so from the exceptions that are made against the liturgy i desire your discourse may proceed to those which are made against the ceremonies of the church ; 't is superfluous to name them all . but only those which are most spoken against , the surplice , the ring in marriage , bowing at the name of jesus , kneeling at the sacrament , and especially the cross in baptisme , which are said to be popish and superstitions . firm. as the kingdom of heaven does not consist in meats , and drinks , but in righteousness and peace , rom. 14. so neither does it consist in gestures , vestures , or any thing that is in it self indifferent ; when the church commands us to wear such a vestment , or to use such a gesture for uniformity sake , and outward decency , not placing any intrinsecal holiness , or absolute necessity in any of those ceremonies : 't is our duty and not any superstition at all to be obedient ; yea we are guilty of the sin of disobedience , and superstition also if we stand out against lawfull authority . for there is a two fold superstition , one positive , as when we ascribe holiness to any thing that is in its own nature indifferent , morrally neither good nor evil ; another negative , as when we dogmatize , and call that evil which morally is not so , and in such things , weare not , kneel not , is as much superstition as weare or kneel possibly can be . what is it to any understanding man , whether he prayes or preaches in black or white or any other colour , unless it be for decency and uniformity ? the power of the church limits us to a white surplice , rather then to a black iump , or short cloak . dub. but is not this an intrenchment upon our christian liberty , to be confind to particular modes and forms ? firm. not at all . so long as our practice only is limited , and our judgment left free as before any such canon was made ; 't is strang that the same men who enjoyned three ceremonies at the taking of the covenant as to be bare headed , bare handed , the right hand lifted up , should so much scruple them in our publick service . but in a word , 't is plain scripture , that every soul should be subject to the higher powers , not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake . now unless the non-conformists can bring as plain scripture against our ceremonies , to prove them morally evil , they must incurr the sin of schisme , and disobedience to those powers which god has ordained ; and these are far greater sins then the wearing of a surplice , though we had borrow'd it from the pope himself . dub. you mind me now of one of the greatest exceptions against the surplice , &c. because the papists use it in their superstitious worship , therefore 't is unlawful for us to wear it in ours . firm. if this were a good reason , 't would follow ; whatsoever the papists do use or have abused in their superstition , 't is unlawful for us , ( who have abandoned such trash and i rumpery to ) use , but papists have abused our churches , ( halices , and other ornaments in their fals worship and services , therefore we may not use them ; but down with them , down with them even to the ground . dub. this indeed will be a very necessary consequent , but a very costly one , i fear the men that make this exception , would not be very forward to build them up again : if idolatry and superstition , were a just cause to make us lay aside our surplices ; by the same reason we must pull down our churches , and upon the same accompt the primitive christians ought not to have eaten meat offered to idols , neither to have made use of the heathens tempels , to celebrate the worship and service of the true god. firm. you see then how frivilous the exception against the surplice is , and so are all those that are offer'd against the ring in marriage , bowing at the name of jesus . kneeling at the sacrament , the crosse after baptisme , and therefore i shall very briefly pass them over . 1. for the ring 't is as antient , at least , as turtullian who lived about two hundred years after christ , he makes mention of it more then once , and our church do's use it as an ancient ceremony , no ways essential to matrimony . 2. bowing at the name of jesus is likewise very antient : the reason of it was , 1. to shew our readiness to yield obedience and subjection to him as our lord and king ; to whom all power both in heaven and earth is given , and to whom every knee must bow . phil. 2.10 . the antient christians rather bowed at the naming of jesus , then at the name of christ , in opposition to the unbelieving jews , who most of all blasphemed that sweet and saving name of jesus : which therefore they did indeavour the more highly to exalt . 3. to declare their certain belief of what the apostle forete●● , that at the name of iesus every knee should bow , of things in heaven , things in earth , and things under the earth , that all things should be subject unto him . phil. 2. 3. kneeling at the sacrament , our church conceives to be the most humble and reverend posture , and therefore most suitable to so high and heavenly a mistery , especially it being administred with a prayer ; yet we do not condemn the practise of other churches , where this holy sacrament is received sitting or standing ; neither should they condemn us for kneeling because christ's disciples receiv'd it in a table gesture , to which we are no more bound then to the place , or time , in which they reciv'd it . an upper room and after supper as the learned dr. sanderson has evidently demonstrated . 4. the cross after baptisme is also a very antient ceremony , which the christians of the first ages , used in a couragious and undaunted opposition against the heathens , and jews , who scoffed and derided them for beleiving in , and worshiping a crucified god for their saviour , who could not save himself . true 't is in process of time , the cross was abused , to grose superstition , and therefore say some , it ought to be laid aside , as ezekias abollished the brasen serpent when the people made it an idol . dub. much more ought the cross to be taken away being abused to superstition , because 't was but an humane invention , where as the brasen serpent , was set up by gods own direction and command . firm. very true , but then let ezekias do it , not the people on their own heads , without the authority of the king. however the use of an innocent ceremony ought not to be taken away because of ' its abuse ; and here it ought to be consider'd , whether it be better to use the cross to put us in mind of our duty , not to be ashamed of christ crusifi'd , as also of the courage and boldness of the primitive christians , who not withstanding the scoffs and reproches of infidels , would make such open profession of their faith in christ crucified , as to use the sign of the cross , not only in baptism , but also upon sundry other occasions ; or else , whether 't were better to forbear the use of it , because it has been so much abused to superstition : let the suprem power judge which of these is fittest to be done , and determine accordingly either for the negative or the affirmative ; and i believe every sober and peacable christian will esteem it his duty to submit unto such a determination . dub. but seing these and other ceremonies have been and are a great scandal to tender consciences , and the occasions of many sh●rp contentions amongst christians , agreeing in the substantials of religion , and seing that conformists themselves confess them not to be in their own nature necessary , but only expedient for order and decency , were it not better they were laid aside , then continued is they are , the perpetual causes of discord and dissention amongst us ? firm. and are order , decency , and uniformity ( without which there wi●l be neither ●ove , peace , or unity , ) su●h inconsiderable nothings , that a few innocent ce●emonies must be utterly abollished to gratifie the dogmatizing humors of those men , who esteem things in themselves indifferent , to be sinful and unlawful , which is s●●t superstition ? 't is indeed much to be lamented , that we should quarrel about mint and cummin , to the prejudice of more weighty and material duties , and the scandal of our religion . but by reason of our inn●te and acquited corruptions 't is necessary that offences should come yet wo : be unto that man by whom they come ; i know weakness and renderness of conscience is much pretended , and we ought to take heed how we offend any of christs little ones ; but how can these men be reckon'd in the number of weak or little ones , who seem to themselves so great , so strong and able , in the things of religion ? and for their tendernesse of conscien●e , we appeal to their bloody civil warrs , 't is well known by whom and how they were began , and carry●d on , till at length they came up to the death of the king , tho ( i believe ) very much against the intentions , and designs , of the most grave , and sober men , of that party . dub. but really sir , were it not more beseeming christian prudence so far to condescend to our dissenting brethren ( who agree with us in the doctrine of our church ) in taking away , at least some , of those ceremonies which are more liable to exception , then to comply with the superstitious papists in the use of them ? firm. i confess , some moderate men have thought so , especially since we are frustrated of of one main end , for which our first reformers retained them , which was to draw over the papists into the communion of our church , which they did adhere unto , for the ten first years of queen elizabeth , until they were interdicted by the popes bull , but seeing we are deprived of all hopes of that much desired issue and that by the cunning of priests and jesuits , stirring up and animating the conformists and non-conformists against each other , about these ceremonies . our differences amongst our selves do daily increase and multiply ; some wise and peaceable men have desired that the use of certain of those ceremonies might be forborn at least for a time , which not withstanding , they are still continued . these peaceable men abhor the great sin of separation & do continue their conformity to the rites of our church ; daily begging at the throne of grace that the god of truth and peace would for his mercy ●ake so assist those powers which he has ordained that they may be instrumental for the establishing of truth and peace amongst us . dub. i like well of the temper of these men , and wish that their moderation were not only known unto , but practised by , all men ; for certainly if the spirit of love , peace , and meekness , did rule more in our peevish and froward hearts , we should enjoy a greater measure of peace , love , and christian charity , then these angry times have hither to been happy with . i return you my hearty thanks for that satis●action which you have given me in those scruples which have much troubled me about the goverment , liturgie and ceremonies of the church of england , there is yet one thing behind , at which i have somwhat been scandalliz'd , 't is this : your church does receive persons who are notoriously pro●h●ne in their lives , and grossly ignorant in the principls of religion , to the holy sacrament of the body and blood of christ : besides she tollerates at least ministers , that are scandalous in their conve●s●tion , frequenters of al●-houses , not at all serious in religion , shew little sence of it in their discourses , preaching or practises : men of little conscience , and of as little learning . firm. this accusation is most fals ; whether it springs from spite or malice , or extream ignorance , i know not : sure i am our church orders that no su●h persons be admitted to the holy sacrament , th●t no such ministers be permitted to officiate , that they are to be suspended once , and again , and if they do no not reform they are to be deprived ; for the first you may see the rubrick before the communion , and the 26. canon . for the second see artic , 26. and canon the 74. and 75. and canon . 10. made 1640. which are so clear against the admitting of profane persons to to the communion , or tollerating of scandalous ministers without due punishment , that whosoever chargeth these abuses upon our church must be grosly ignorant or very malitious . dub. yet we see that such prophane persons are admitted to the sacrament , as members of your church , and such unworthy minsters are allowed to officiate . firm. such persons are no members of out church , but rather the synagoge of satan , and that minister who does admit , such persons natoriously prophane , to the holy sacrament is a greater non-con●ormist to the orders of the church , then he that scruples at a surplice , and those church-wardens who neglect to present them , are guilty of perjury , and ought to be debar'd themselves from the communion can. 26. dub. 't is evident that such ministers are not punished either by admonition , suspensition , or deprivation . firm. this is not true in all places to my knowledge , where such ministers or people escape unpunished , 't is mostly by the fault of the church-wardens and sides-men , in not presenting them ; for what judge either ecclesiastical or civil , can punish offences that are not brought before him ? dub. but many times offences and scandal● have been presented , and the offender not punis●●d ; yea your ecclesiastical judges are more severe against those who are non-conformists to the laws o● the church , ●hen ag●inst those that are non-conformists to the laws of god as profane irreligeous wretches . firm. no m●n c●n excuse the personal abuses that are committed in any court , civil , or ecclesiastical ; all court officers never yet were , nor ever will be men of integrity , ●nd of unbias'd judgments , no question that many abuses which are committed by the officers of ecclesiastical courts might be prevented if the bishops would be somtimes personally present in their respective consisto●ies as was intimated , they ought to be canon . 11. made . 1640. if we must seperate from a church , that enjoyns no intollerable conditions for communion with her because of some personal ●aul●s of those who are entrusted with her goverment , we must turn seekers , for where shall we find a church , whose officers are alwaies all of them impartially just and upright ? dub. i confess there is no good reason , we should seperate from a church , because of personal abuses in the governors , or under officers , where the goverment in ' its constitution is not faulty , neither the terms of communion intollerable ; but is there any reason that nonconformists should be more sh●rply dealt with , then deb●ucht profane persons ? firm. if we should compare schisme , seperation , non-conformity , with profaness , it would not be easy to say , which is the greatest , or which is the least sin , the first may be , majoris culpae , the other majoris infamiae , as aquinas rightly judgeth , 1.2 . q. 73. a. 5. of carnal , and spiritual sins : those ( as pride , and malice , ) are greater sins , but these ( as drunkenness , fornication , ) are more scandalous . but to wave the comparison , and to give you freely my own sentiments in this particular . i do conceive that debauchery , and profaness , ought to be more severely punished , then negative seperation , and simple non-conformity . my reasons are these 1. every prudent parent will be mo●e severe against a wicked child , that continues under his roof , professing obedience a●d s●bjection , then against that child which has utterly forsaken his father , and utterly abandon'd his house , and family . 2. the sins of pro●●ness and deb●uchery being willful , ( for drunkards , and profane persons , do not ple●d ignor●nce and weakness , ) are o●● more m●lign●nt nature then sins of ignoranc● ▪ though it be such an ignorance which was not all together invincible , but contracted by pride , pevishness , interest , or prejudice under which many seperatists , and non-conformists , are in bondag● and ●aptivity . 3. the lives and conversations o● debauched , and profane persons , who go under the name of protestants , and members of our church , ( though intruth they are not , but rather limbs of satan ) are the greatest reproach and scandal to it . these are the men that furnish shismaticks , and non-conformists with their best arguments , which they urge against us . for what they object against our church goverment , liturgie , or ceremonies , is ●or the most part very frivilous , and there is no quaker , anabaptist , independents , but m●kes the proph●ness of the episcopa● party , the chief reason and ground of his separation . dub. this i confess to be true , from my own experience . nothing wrought so much upon me to fo●sake the church of england , as the wicked and ungodly lives of those which she receives into her communion . firm. that was your error ; for you cannot say th●t she receives any into her communion , whom by her rubrick , and canons she ●xcludes ; and although through the laziness and connivence of church officers , or governors , or both , many an ungodly person receives the sacament , yet there is no just ground for a seperation from the church , which teaches nothing but what is catholick and apostolical : only i confess , tha● in the exercise of discipline , she comes short of the primitive severity against obstinate sinners ; yet the present canons are so strict , that if they were duly observed , no openly wicked , or ungodly person , should be admitted to the communion ; which would be a great satisfaction ( i am perswaded ) to those that now seperate from us . dub. but seing the primitive discipline has been so long time wished for , above an hundred years since , as appears by the rubrick before the commination ; how comes it to pass , that 't is not restored ? shall we be still wishing and never acting or doing ▪ firm. why it has not been restored , i know no other reason that is given , but this ; the times will not bear it ; why the ●●mes will not bear it , i know not , unless it be in respect of se●taries , who cry down many antient us●ges of the church ( which they do not understand ) for popery ; an● , these men must not be offended , least they be driven to an utter hatred , o● opposition to our church ; or else , which is more probable , such is the wickedness and profaness of the times , that they will not endure the primitive severity . when will that time come , that such strict discipline will be endured ? the church has been in expectation of it above this hundred years , but still schisms , and sects , profaness and wickedness , encrease every day more and more . no question the times , as to sects and p●ofaness , ( if that were a sufficient reason ) are much more unfit to bear the antient discipline , then they were when that wish was first made , and the longer it is disused , the more unfit they will be , which i wish our prudent ●overnors would take into their serious considerations . dub. certainly a strict discipline , impartially executed , upon all transgressors of gods holy laws , by sharp rep●oofs , severe admonitions , due suspensations from the sacrament , excommunications , penances according to the quality of the offence , would give a great check , to that impiety and wickedness which reigns so much in our land ; and take away much of the scandal , which is given by our mixt communions , at which block of offence many have stumbled , and fell out of our church into conventicles , and seperate congregations . firm. no question , a strict discipline would do much towards an h●ppy reformation of manners in the episcopal party , but as you have observed , the great scandal that is taken by the non-conformists , at the profaness and wickedness of that party , so i must tell you , that as great a scandal is given by them , to those who conform to the church of england : though their lives and conversations being contrary to her laws & canons , they are no more members of our church , then a glass eye , or wooden leg , are live parts of a mans body . dub. i do not see wherein the non-conformists , whether presbyterians or independents , have given any just occasion of scandal to any , they being men that are very sober in their lives , and great professors of religion , given much to family-duties , to prayer , to hearing of sermons . firm. hinc illae lachrymae , here lies the scandal which m●kes religion stink in the nostrils of profane and wicked men , when they shall see that men professing holiness , should make no conscience of disobedience , of perjury , of rebellion against , and at last of murdering , their leige sovereigne ; a man upon whom his most mallicious and cr●tical enemies , could never charge any scanlous sin . dub. these indeed are very grievious sins , and much to be lamented , but surely you cannot charge them upon the generality of thesemen , but only upon some ambitious hypocrites , that made religion a stalking-horse , to bring about their devilish designs . firm. 't is true that all the non-conformi●●s in england , were not in actual armes against the king , neither did they sit in the high court of injustice upon him , neither did they all , as natural agents , cut of his head ; but morally , that is , very sinfully and wickedly , they had their hands stain'd with that royal blood : for whosoever did abet these sons of belial in their rebellions , treasons , murders , of their king and fellow subjects , either by consenting to their villanies , praying for their prosperity , praising god for their victorious success , or by assisting them with their councels , advice , free and voluntary contributions , by writing and preaching up the justice of their cause , are guilty before god , os treason , murder , and rebellion . dub. this censure is very severe , and yet i cannot tell what to reply against it . many well meaning people observing certain abuses in church and common-wealth , much desired a reformation of them , and promised to themselves great things from the long parliament ; whereupon ( such is the brutish inclination of earnest desires , and great expectations in the minds of men , that are of short discourse ) that these poor inconsiderable persons , were engaged against king and country , before they had well weighed , that good intentions cannot justify unlawful actions ; that god has no need of the sinner : that we must not do evil , that good may come thereon . but i am perswaded that these seduced men do see their former errors , and are ●ruly penitent , abominating from their hearts , all treasons and rebellions against their dread sovereign , and for the future will keep themselves from such unchristian practises . firm. i much commend you for your chari●y , and for those that had their hands in that grand rebellion , acd are no● truly penitent , my hearty prayers are , that the lord would be merciful unto them , and bless them , and shew them the light of his countenance . my severe censure ( as you were p●●ased ●o ●ail it ) was never intended against such ; but we see very few that have manifested any signal tokens of repentance , for their lifting up their hands against the lord 's anointed ; rather we may fear they will commit the same wickedness against his majestie that now swayes the royal scepter , if they hid a fair opportunity . disobedience , is a long step to rebellion ; and is it not evident , that our present non-conformists are more disobedient , more refractory against his majesties laws ecclesiastical , then those that lived before the late warrs ; who though they were non-conformists , yet were they not separatists , brownists ( as our present non-conformists for the most part are : ) some of them ( mr. as ball in his tryal of the grounds of separation , and others ) smartly wri●ng against such fanati●ks . and truly were there not a judicial blindness upon these men , they might see by a wonderful providence , the lord did not own them in their rebellious undertakings . how strangely did their numerous and potent armies dwindle into no thing : ho● miraculously was our gratious soveraign preserved , against all their treasonable attempts , and brought to the throne of his fathers , with the greatest honor , most general expressions of love and rejoycing , that ever any prince received from ●oyal subjects , and all this , without the spil●ing of one drop of blood . the lord set it upon the heart of king and people , to keep this sign●l dispensation of his providence in perpetual remembrance , & not to ruine thēselves by atheism , irreligion , profaneness , or any enormous wickedness , for which the wrath of god has b●en pou●ed out in full viols , upon wicked kings , and ungodly people , as sacred , and other ●i●●ories do s●sficiently manifest . dub. it may be feared that there are discontented persons who are like wrangling gamsters , that having a bad game dealt , them desire the cards might be shuffl'd again that they might have a better stock , but i am perswaded many would conform were there a toleration in reference to some ceremonies as has been said , and the renouncing of the covenant not enjoyn'd . firm. you have had my opinion as to a toleration in point of ceremonies ; as to the covenant , tho it h●s been the opinion of several moderate men that it had been better if it had dyed without any such solemn act for ' its abrenunti●tion , yet being it was peccant in all the four causes , the efficient , formal , material , and final , 't was expedient in some respects for the parliament to vote that it should be renounced by all that expect preferment in the church of england , and i do not see how any man who conceives himself bound by it can be a faithful subject to his prince ; besides there seems to be a signal judgment in it , that the covenant which was used as an engine to remove the cavaleers out of their livings , should have the same effect upon the contrivers and ●igid imposers of it ; for many of those were undon because they would not take it , these because they would not renounce it . — nec lex est justior ulla , — quam necis artifices arte perire sua . 't is justice law that he should feel the smart , who was first author of that cruel art. i remember what tacitus sayes of cajus vibius . eò immitior quia toleraverat . and 't is like that the cavileers having such a hard measure from the imposition of the covenant , would when power was in their hands , make use of the law of retaliation , by driving on the act for renouncing the covenant ; and peradventure in some men there might be a grain or more of the spirit of revenge not beseeming christian charity , how ever 't is a remarkable peice of divine providence , that those who pressed the covenant upon their brethren without mercy , should suffer by it without mercy . dub. but as long as men have so little of a christian spirit in them , as to act by the law of retaliation , of spite and revenge , there is little of peace and unity to be expected . firm. we ought not to judge acts of parliament to be the efforts of revenge and spite , as for the act about the covenant there was some kind of necessity for it , as to make tryal who were loyal and obedient subjects , who not , for as 't was said before , he that conceives himself bound by the scotc●-chaine cannot be a good english subject . however if the suspending of that act would assuredly unite us in love and peace , i hartily wish that 't were not prest upon those that are of a quiet and peaceable spirit , agreeing with us in the most necessary points of religion , that so we that have one faith , one baptisme , one hope , one lord iesus christ , one god the father of all , might keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , which is both our duty and our interest , if we consider what advantage the papists make of those divisions which are too many amongst us , the seeds whereof have been sown by the roman-emissarys . dub. 't is not to be doubted but that peace and unity and love among our selves , would much dishearten those restless enemies of our church and state , who le●ve no stone unturn'd to divide us that they might reign over us and perswade us by their most cogent arguments , ( which are gun-powder , fire and fagot , bloody massacres ) to embrace their gross superstition : and cause religion and primitive christianity to flourish in our miserable divided nation , while that time which is now spent in vain wranglements and un-christian contentions would be better imploy'd in devout prayer , holy meditation , in mortification of our corruptions , in duties of piety towards almighty god , of love , mercy , and charity one towards another . and now sir , give me leave to pay you my very hearty acknowledgments , for the profitable pains which you have taken to bring me out of those bracks , and bogs of atheisme , infidelity , schisme , and heresy unto my old mother the church of engl●nd , in whose faith and communion , thou o father of mercies , prince of peace , and god of all consolation , ever blessed and most sacred trinity ● grant that i may continue unto ●y lives end , and that i may so continue , i beg your daily prayers . firm. 't is our great christian duty , to pray one for another . i shall not be wanting in the performance of it , for your establishment in the true ancient catholick christianity , and i earnestly beseech you to remember me in your frequent intercessions , and supplications at the throne of grace . blessed be the god of all power , and wisdome who has thus prosper'd my weak endeavours in converting you from the error of your waies . i will ad no more but this ; that you be true to the doctrine , worship , discipline of our church , as they are contain'd in the articles , liturgie , canons , and rubricks of it , hold not any truth in unrighteousness , let your practise shew to the world , that you truly and heartily believe what you profess , be honest , just in your dealings towards men , temperate , and sober towards your selfe , serious , and single hearted in all duties of piety towards god , and whatsoever things are honest , whatsoever things are true , whatsoever things are just , holy , lovely , of good report , think on these things , practise these things , make not the actions of men , the customs and examples of these loose and evil times , humane laws , your rule to walk by , but let the holy will and word of god , be the adequate measure of your life , and conversation walk conscientiously according to this rule , and peace , and mercy shalll be upon you , as a true israelite , and one of gods peculiar people . amen . finis . errata . page 9. l. 11. read dependent . p. 12. l. 10. for puting , r. putting . p. 21. for their r. there . p. 22. l. 3. leave our whether they be pagans or christians i know not . p. 38. l. 12. for statues r. statutes . p. 70 l. 26. ● . some of the church . p. 83. l. 12. for suspition r. superstition . p. 104. l. 20. potius ad bene esse quam simpliciter ad esse , is misplaced . p. 113. ●r . ● . ●ot ●ankfulness . p. 116.25 . r. licence . p. 119. l. 22. r. clear . p. 121. l. 25. ● . who was of . p. 123. l. 22. r. incorporated . p. 126. l. 28. r that have ruled well . p. 129. l. 13. r. stiled . p. 132. l , 29. r. that sit at the stern . p. 133. l. 22. r. but not the end . p. 136. l. ● . r. throw away . p. 138. l. 19. r. by phansies p 140. l. 30. r. assistance . p. 155. l. 15. r. ●●t●rio●sly . ibid. 2● . 1 ▪ suspension . p. 1●5 . l. ●3 . r. suspensions . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a41388-e390 † dr. moors antidote , and dr. stillings●eets orig. sacrae p●g . 395. notes for div a41388-e3160 r. b. notes for div a41388-e6630 c●●visse videas crescere non vides . see mr. pools nullity of the roman faith. cen●●l . 〈◊〉 s●ss . 12. c●n. 1. non imagini , s●d numini sacrificamus . ae mr fowes history . 2 cor. 10.4 . notes for div a41388-e10480 prov. 24. eccle. 8.2 . rom. 13.1 . pet. 2. ier. 4.2 . deut. 6.13 . heb. 6.16 . 2. cor. 1. rev. 10.6 . 1 cor. 1.14 . act. 2. math. 28. notes for div a41388-e11560 1. cor. 9. notes for div a41388-e13100 ●po● . 2.3 . † 't was not long since , that some of the presbyterian a●d i●pendent perswasion were deans and ca●ons of christ church in oxford ; such d●gnities not then thought to be useless and a●●i-christian ; why should they be esteemed so now ? an antidote against atheisme, or, an appeal to the natural faculties of the minde of man, whether there be not a god by henry more ... more, henry, 1614-1687. 1653 approx. 381 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 101 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a51284 wing m2639 estc r10227 12533829 ocm 12533829 62817 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a51284) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 62817) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 769:4) an antidote against atheisme, or, an appeal to the natural faculties of the minde of man, whether there be not a god by henry more ... more, henry, 1614-1687. [32], 164 [i.e. 162], [6] p. printed by roger daniel ..., london : 1653. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -early works to 1800. 2002-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-01 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-02 olivia bottum sampled and proofread 2003-05 aptara rekeyed and resubmitted 2004-11 andrew kuster sampled and proofread 2004-11 andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an antidote against atheisme , or an appeal to the natural faculties of the minde of man , whether there be not a god. by henry more fellow of christ colledge in cambridge . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . trismegist . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . aristot. london ▪ printed by roger daniel , at lovell's inne in pater-noster-row . anno 1653. to the honourable , the lady anne conway . madame , the high opinion or rather certain knowledge i have of your singular wit and vertues , has emboldened , or to speak more properly , commanded me to make choice of none other then yourself for a patronesse of this present treatise . for besides that i do your ladiship that right as also this present age and succeeding posterity , as to be a witnesse to the world of such eminent accomplishments & transcendent worth ; so i do not a little please my self , while i find my self assured in my own conceit that cebes his mysterious & judicious piece of morality hung up in the temple of saturne , which was done in way of divine honour to the wisdome of the deity , was not more safely and suteably placed then this carefull draught of natural theology or metaphysicks , which i have dedicated to so noble , so wise , and so pious a personage . and for my own part it seems to me as reall a point of religious worship to honour the vertuous as to relieve the necessitous , which christianity terms no lesse then a sacrifice . nor is there any thing here of hyperbolisme or high-flow'n language , it being agreed upon by all sides , by prophets , apostles , and ancient philosophers , that holy and good men are the temples of the living god. and verily the residence of divinity is so conspicuous in that heroical pulchritude of your noble person , that plato if he were alive again might finde his timorous supposition brought into absolute act , & to the enravishment of his amazed soul might behold vertue become visible to his outward sight . and truly madame , i must confesse that so divine a constitution as this , wants no preservative , being both devoid & uncapable of infection ; and that if the rest of the world had attain'd but to the least degree of this sound complexion & generous frame of minde , nay if they were but brought to an aequilibrious indifferency , and , as they say , stood but neutralls , that is , if as many as are supposed to have no love of god , nor any knowledge or experience of the divine life , did not out of a base ignorant fear irreconcilably hate him , assuredly this antidote of mine would either prove needless and superfluous , or , if occasion ever called for it , a most certain cure. for this truth of the existence of god being as clearly demonstrable as any theorem in mathematicks , it would not fail of winning as firm and as universall assent , did not the fear of a sad after-clap pervert mens vnderstandings , and prejudice and interest pretend uncertainty & obscurity in so plain a matter . but considering the state of things as they are , i cannot but pronounce , that there is more necessity of this my antidote then i could wish there were . but if there were lesse or none at all , yet the pleasure that may be reaped in perusal of this treatise , ( even by such as by an holy faith & divine sense are ever held fast in a full assent to the conclusion i drive at ) will sufficiently compensate the pains in the penning therof . for as the best eyes & most able to behold the pure light do not unwillingly turn their backs of the sun to view his refracted beauty in the delightfull colours of the rainbow ; so the perfectest minds & the most lively possest of the divine image , cannot but take contentment & pleasure in observing the glorious wisdome & goodness of god so fairly drawn out and skilfully variegated in the sundry objects of externall nature . which delight though it redound to all , yet not so much to any as to those that are of a more philosophicall & contemplative constitution ; & therefore madame , most of all to yourself , whose genius i know to be so speculative , & wit so penetrant , that in the knowledge of things as well natural as divine you have not onely out gone all of your own sexe , but even of that other also , whose ages have not given them overmuch the start of you . and assuredly your ladiship 's wisedome and judgement can never be highly enough commended , that makes the best use that may be of those ample fortunes that divine providence has bestow'd upon you . for the best result of riches , i mean in reference to ourselves , is , that we finding ourselves already well provided for , we may be fully masters of our own time : & the best improvement of this time is the contemplation of god and nature , wherein if these present labours of mine may prove so gratefull unto you and serviceable , as i have been bold to presage , next to the winning of soules from atheisme , it is the sweetest fruit they can ever yield to your ladiships humbly devoted servant henry more . the preface . atheisme and enthusiasme though they seeme so extreamely opposite one to another , yet in many things they do very nearly agree . for to say nothing of their joynt conspiracy against the true knowledge of god and religion , they are commonly entertain'd , though successively , in the same complexion . for that temper that disposes a man to listen to the magisteriall dictates of an over-bearing fancy , more then to the calm and cautious insinuations of free reason , is a subject that by turns does very easily lodge and give harbour to these mischievous guests . for as dreams are the fancies of those that sleep , so fancies are but the dreams of men awake . and these fancies by day , as those dreams by night , will vary and change with the weather & present temper of the body . so that those that have onely a fiery enthusiastick acknowledgement of god ; change of diet , feculent old age , or some present dampes of melancholy will as confidently represent to their fancy that there is no god , as ever it was represented that there is one ; and then having lost the use of their more noble faculties of reason and understanding , they must according to the course of nature , bee as bold atheists now , as they were before confident enthusiasts . nor do these two unruly guests only serve themselves by turns on the same party , but also send mutuall supplies one to another ; being lodg'd in severall persons . for the atheist's pretence to wit and natural reason ( though the foulenesse of his mind makes him fumble very dotingly in the use thereof ) makes the enthusiast●●cure ●●cure that reason is no guide to god. and the enthusiast's boldy dictating the carelesse ravings of his own tumultuous fancy for undeniable principles of divine knowledge , confirms the atheists that the whole buisinesse of religion & notion of a god , is nothing but a troublesome fit of over-curious melancholy . therefore , i thought i should not be wanting to religion and to the publique , if i attempted , some way , to make this fansifull theosophy or theomagy , as it is very ridiculous in it self , so also to appeare to the world , and if it were possible , to the very favourers of it ; it being the most effectuall means in my judgment , to remove this dangerous evill out of the minds of men , and to keep it off from theirs that are as yet untainted . and this i indeavoured in those two late pamphlets i wrote , namely my observations and my reply . in both which i putting my self upon the merry pin ( as you see it was necessary so to do ) and being finely warm'd with anger and indignation against the mischief i had in designe to remove , if i may seem after the manner of men to have transgressed in any niceties , yet the ingenuous cannot but be very favourable in their censure , it being very hard to come off so clearly well , in the acting of so humorous a part ; there scarce being any certaine judge of humours , but the humour of every man that judges . and i am very well aware that some passages cannot but seem harsh to sad and weakly spirits , as sick men love no noise nor din , and take offence at but the smell of such meats , as are the most pleasant and strengthening nourishment of those that are well . but as for my selfe i can truly pronounce that what i did , i did in reason & judgment , not at all offending that life that dwelleth in mee . for there was that tonicall exertion , and steady tension of my spirits , that every chord went off with a cleare and smart sound , as in a well-tuned instrument set at a high pitch , and was good musick to my self that throughly understood the meaning of it . and my agile and swift motion from one thing to another , even of those that were of very different natures , was no harsh harmony at all to mee , i having the art to stop the humming of the last stroke , as a skilfull harper on his irish harpe , and so to render the following chord cleane , without the mixing or interfaring of any tremulous murmurs , from the strings that were touch'd immediately before . and i did the more willingly indulge to my self this freedome and mirth , in respect of the libertines whom i was severely and sharply to reprove , and so made my self as freely merry as i might , and not desert the realities of sobernesse , that thereby they might know , that no superstitious sneaksby , or moped legallist ( as they would be ready to fancy every body that bore no resemblance at all with themselves ) did rebuke them or speak to them , but one that had in some measure attain'd to the truth of that liberty , that they were in a false sent after . thus was i content to become a spectacle to the world , in any way or disguise whatsoever , that i might thereby possibly by any means gain some souls out of this dirty and dizzy whirle-poole of the flesh , into the rest and peace of god ; and to seem a fool my self to provoke others to become truly and seriously wise . and as i thought to winne upon the libertine by my mirth and freenesse , so i thought to gain ground upon the enthusiast , by suffering my self to be carried into such high triumphs and exaltations of spirit as i did . in all which ( though the unskilfull cannot distinguish betwixt vain-glory and divine joy or christian gloriation ) i do really nothing but highly magni●y the simplicity of the life of christ above all magick , miracles , power of nature , opinions , prophecies , and what ever else humane nature is so giddily and furiously carried after , even to the neglecting of that which is the sublimest pitch of happinesse that the soul of man can arrive to . wherefore many of those expressions in my reply that seem so turgent are to be interpreted with allusion to what this divine life does deservedly triumph over , and particularly what magicians boast they can do : as in that passage which seems most enormous pag. 49th . i still the raging of the sea &c. which is the very same that medea vaunts of in ovid , — concussaque sisto , stantia concutio cantu freta , nubila pello . and for the rest that has falne from me in those free heats , i 'me sure there is neither expression nor meaning that i cannot not only make good by reason , but warrant and countenance also by some thing plainly parallell thereto , in scripture , philosophers and fathers , especially origen , whom i account more profoundly learned and no lesse pious then any of them . but as i said the drift and scope of all was , vigourously to witnesse to this buisy and inquisitive age , that the simplicity of the life of christ , though it bee run over by most and taken no notice of , that is , that perfect humility and divine love , whence is a free command over a mans passions and a warrantable guidance of them , with all serenity , becoming prudence , and equity ; that these are above all the glory of the world , curiosity of opinions , and all power of nature whatsoever . and if the sense of this so plaine a truth with all it's power and lovelinesse did so vehemently possesse my soul , that it caused for the present some sensible mutations and tumults in my very animall spirits and my body , the matter being of so great importance , it was but an obvious piece of prudence to record those circumstances , that professing my self so very much moved , others might be the more effectually moved thereby ; according to that of the poet — si vis me flere , dolendum est primùm ipsi tibi . and i am no more to be esteemed an enthusiast for such passages as these , then those wise and circumspect philosophers , plato and plotinus , who upon the more then ordinary sensible visits of the divine love and beauty descending into their enravish'd soules , professe themselves no lesse moved , then what the sense of such expressions as these will bear , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and to such enthusiasme as is but the triumph of the soul of man , inebriated as it were , with the delicious sense of the divine life , that blessed root , and original of all holy wisdome & virtue , i am as much a friend , as i am to the vulgar fanaticall enthusiasme a professed enemie . and eternal shame stop his mouth , that will dare to deny , but that the fervent love of god and of the pulchritude of vertue will afford the spirit of man more joy and triumph , then ever was tasted in any lustfull pleasure , which the pen of unclean wits do so highly magnify both in verse and prose . thus much i thought fit to premise concerning my two late pamphlets , which i have done in way of civility to the world , to whom i hold my selfe accountable , especially for any publique actions , who now i hope will not deem those unexpected motions of mine so strange and uncouth , they so plainly perceiving what musick they were measured to . but as for this present discourse against atheisme , as there is no humour at all in it , so i hope there is lesse hazzard of censure . for here is nothing to give offence , unlesse we be so weak-sighted , that the pure light of reason & nature will offend us . here 's no lavish mirth , no satyricall sharpenesse , no writhing or distorting the genuine frame & composure of mine own mind , to set out the deformity of anothers , no rapture , no poetry , no enthusiasme , no more then there is in euclid's elements , or hippocrates his aphorismes . but though i have been so bold as to recite what there is not in this present discourse , yet i had rather leave it to the quick-sightednesse of the reader to spie out what there is , then be put upon so much immodesty my self , as to speak any thing that may seem to give it any precellency above what is already extant in the world about the same matter . onely i may say thus much , that i did on purpose abstaine from reading any treatises concerning this subject , that i might the more undisturbedly write the easy emanations of mine own mind , and not be carried off from what should naturally fall from my self , by prepossessing my thoughts by the inventions of others . i have writ therefore after no copy but the eternall characters of the mind of man , and the known phaenomena of nature . and all men consulting with these that indeavour to write sense , though it be not done alike by all men , it could not happen but i should touch upon the same heads that others have , that have wrote before mee ▪ who though they merit very high commendation for their learned atcheivements , yet i hope my indeavours have been such , that though they may not deserve to be corrivalls or partners in their praise and credit , yet i doe not distrust but they may do their share towards that publique good , that such performances usually pretend to aime at . for that which did embolden me to publish this present treatise , was not , as i said before , because i flatte●'d my self in a conceit that it was better or more plausible , then what is already in the hands of men : but that it was of a different sort , and has it 's peculiar serviceablenesse and advantages apart and distinct from others ; whose proper preeminences it may aloofe off admire , but dare not in any wise compare with . so that there is no tau●ology committed in recommending what i have written to the publique view , nor any lessening the labours of others by thus offering the fruit of mine own . for considering there are such severall complexions and tempers of men in the world , i do not distrust but that as what others have done , has been very acceptable and profitable to many , so this of mine may be well rellish'd of some or other , and so seem not to have been writ in vain . for though i cannot promise my reader that i shall entertaine him with so much winning rhetorick and pleasant philology , as hee may find else where , yet i hope hee will acknowledge , if his mind be unpreiudic'd , that he meets with sound and plain reason , and an easy and cleare method . and though i cannot furnish him with that copious variety of arguments that others have done , yet the frugall carefulnesse and safenesse of choise that i have made in them , may compensate their paucity . for i appeale to any man , whether the proposall of such as will easily admit of evasions ( though they have this peculiar advantage that they make for greater pompe and at first sight seem more formidable for their multitude ) does not embolden the atheist and make him fancy , that because he can so easily turn the edge of these , that the rest have no more solidity then the former ; but that if hee thought good , and had leisure , hee could with like facility enervate them all . wherefore i have endeavoured to insist upon such alone , as are not onely true in themselves , but are unavoidable to my adversary , unlesse he will cast down his shield , forsake the free use of the naturall facultyes of his mind , and professe himself a mere puzzled sceptick . but if he will with us but admit of this one postulate or hypothesis , that our faculties are true , though i have spoke modestly in the discourse it self , yet i think i may here without vanity or boasting , freely professe that i have no lesse then demonstrated that ●here is a god. and by how much more any man shall seriously indeavour to resist the strength of my arguments , by so much the more strong he shall find them ; as he that presses his weak finger against a wall of marble ; and that they can appear slight to none but those that carelessly and slightly consider them . for i borrowed them not from books , but fetch 't them from the very nature of the thing it self and indelible ideas of the soul of man. and i found that keeping my self within so narrow compasse as not to affect any reasonings but such as had very clear affinity and close connexion with the subject in hand , that i naturally hit upon what ever was materiall to my purpose , and so contenting my self with my own , received nothing from the great store and riches of others . and what i might easily remember of others , i could not let passe if in my own judgement it was obnoxious to evasion . for i intended not to impose upon the atheist , but really to convince him . and therefore des-cartes , whose mechanicall wit i can never highly enough admire , might bee no master of metaphysicks to mee . whence it is that i make use but of his first argument only , if i may not rather call it the schooles or mine own . for i thinke i have mannag'd it in such sort and every way so propp'd it and strengthened it , that i may challenge in it as much interest as any . but as for his following reasons , that suppose the objective reality of the idea of god does exceed the efficiency of the mind of man , and that the mind of man , were it not from another , would have conferr'd all that perfection upon it self , that it has the idea of , & lastly , that it having no power to conserve it self , and the present and future time having no dependance one of another , that it is continually reproduc'd , that is conserv'd by some higher cause , which must be god ; these grounds , i say , being so easily evaded by the atheist , i durst not trust to them , unlesse i had the authours wit to defend them , who was handsomely able to make good any thing . but they seem to me to be liable to such evasions as i can give no stop to . for the mind of man , as the atheist will readily reply , may be able of her self to frame such an actuall idea of god , as is there disp●●ed of , which idea will be but the present modification of her , as other notions are , and an effect of her essence , and power , and that power a radicall property of her essence . so that there is no excesse of an effect above the efficiency of the cause , though wee look no further then the mind it self , for she frames this notion of god as naturally and as much without the help of an higher cause , as she does any thing else whatsoever . and as for the mind 's contributing those perfections on her self , shee has an idea of ; if shee had been of her self , the atheist will say , it implyes a contradiction , and supposes that a thing before it exists , may consult about the advantages of its own existence . but if the mind be of it self , it is what it finds it self to be , and can be no otherwise . and therefore lastly if the mind find it self to exist , it can no more destroy it self , then produce it self , nor needs any thing to continue its being , provided that there be nothing in nature that can act against it and destroy it ; for what ever is , continues so to be , unlesse there be some cause to change it . so likewise from those arguments i fetch'd from externall nature , as well as in these from the innate propertyes of the mind of man , my careful choise made very large defalcations , insisting rather upon such things as might be otherwise , and yet are farre better as they are , then upon such as were necessary and could not be otherwise . as for example ; when i consider'd the distance of the sun , i did not conceive that his not being plac'd so low as the moone , or so high as the fixed starres , was any great argument of providence , because it might be reply'd that it was necessary it should be betwixt those two distances , else the earth had not been habitable , & so mankind might have waited for a being , till the agitation of the matter had wrought things into a more tolerable fitness or posture for their production . nor simply is the motion of the sun or rather of the earth , any argument of divine providence , but as necessary as a piece of wood's being carried down the stream , or straws about a whirle-poole . but the laws of her motion are such , that they very manifestly convince us of a providence , and therefore i was fain to let goe the former , and insist more largely upon the latter . nor thought i it fit , to rhetoricate in proposing the great variety of things , and praecellency one above another , but to presse close upon the designe and subordination of one thing to another , shewing that whereas the rude motions of the matter a thousand to one might have cast it otherwise , yet the productions of things are such as our own reason cannot but approve to bee best , or as wee our selves would have design'd them . and so in the consideration of animalls , i do not so much urge my reasons from their diversity and subsistence , ( though the framing of matter into the bare subsistence of an animall is an effect of no lesse cause then what has some skill and counsell ) but what i drive at , is the exquisite contrivance of their parts , and that their structure is farre more perfect , then will meerly serve for their bare existence and continuance in the world ; which is an undenyable demonstration that they are the effects of wisdome , not the results of fortune or fermented matter . lastly when i descend to the history of things miraculous and above the ordinary course of nature , for the proving that there are spirits , that the atheist thereby may the easier bee induced to believe there is a god , i am so cautious and circumspect , that i make use of no narrations that either the avarice of the priest , or the credulity and fansifullnesse of the melancholist may render suspected . nor could i abstaine from that subject , it being so pat and pertinent unto my purpose , though i am well aware how ridiculous a thing it seems to those i have to deale with . but their confident ignorance shall never dash mee out of countenance with my well-grounded knowledge : for i have been no carelesse inquirer into these things , and from my childhood to this very day , have had more reasons to believe the existence of god and a divine providence , then is reasonable for mee to make particular profession of . in this history of things miraculous or super-naturall , i might have recited those notable prodigies that happened , after the birth , in the life , and at the death of christ ; as the star that led the wise men to the yong infant ; voices from heaven testifying christ to bee the sonne of god ; and lastly that miraculous eclipse of the sun , made , not by interposition of the moon , for shee was then opposite to him , but by the interpos●●ion or totall involution , if you will , of those scummy spots that ever more or lesse are spread upon his face , but now over-flowed him with such thicknesse and so universally , that day-light was suddainly intercepted from the astonished eyes of the inhabitants of the earth . to which direfull symptomes though the sunne hath been in some measure at severall times obnoxious , yet that those latent causes should so suddainly step out and surprise him , and so enormously at the passion of the messias , hee whose mind is not more prodigiously darkened then the sun was then eclips●d , cannot but at first sight acknowledge it a speciall designement of providence . but i did not insist upon any sacred history , partly because it is so well and so ordinarily known , that it seemed lesse need●ull ; but mainly because i know the atheist will boggle more at whatever is fetch'd from establish'd religion , and fly away from it , like a wild colt in a pasture at the sight of a bridle or an halter , snuffing up the aire and smelling a plot afarre off , as hee foolishly fancies . but that hee might not be shy of mee , i have conform'd my self as neer his own garbe as i might , without partaking of his folly or wickednesse , that is , i appeare now in the plaine shape of a meere naturalist , that i might vanquish atheisme ; as i did heretofore affectedly symbolize in carelesse mirth and freedome with the libertines , to circumvent libertinisme . for hee that will lend his hand to help another fallen into a ditch , must himself though not fall , yet stoop and incline his body : and hee that converses with a barbarian , must discourse to him in his own language : so hee that would gaine upon the more weake and sunk minds of sensuall mortalls , is to accommodate himself to their capacity , who like the bat and owle can see no where so well as in the shady glimmerings of their own twilight . an antidote against atheisme . chap. i. the seasonable usefulnesse of the present discourse , or the motives that put the authour upon these indeavours of demonstrating that there is a god. the grand truth which wee are now to bee imployed about , is the proving that there is a god ; and i made choice of this subject as very seasonable for the times wee are in , and are coming on , wherein divine providence granting a more large release from superstition , and permitting a freer perusall of matters of religion , then in former ages , the temp●er would take advantage where hee may , to carry men captive out of one darke prison into another , out of superstition into atheisme it self . which is a thing feasible enough for him to bring about in such men as have adhered to religion in a meere externall way , either for fashion sake , or in a blind obedience to the authority of a church . for when this externall frame of godlinesse shall breake about their eares , they being really at the bottome devoyd of the true feare and love of god , and destitute of a more free and unprejudic'd use of their facultyes , by reason of the sinfullnesse and corruption of their natures ; it will bee an easy thing to allure them to an assent to that , which seemes so much for their present interest ; and so being imboldned by the tottering and falling of what they took for religion before , they will gladly in their conceipt cast down also the very object of that religious worship after it , and conclude that there is as well no god as no religion ; that is , they have a mind there should be none , that they may be free from all wringings of conscience , trouble of correcting their lives , and feare of being accountable before that great tribunall . wherefore for the reclayming of these if it were possible , at least for the succouring and extricating of those in whom a greater measure of the love of god doth dwell , ( who may probably by some darkening cloud of melancholy or some more then ordinary importunity of the tempter be dissettled and intangled in their thoughts concerning this weighty matter ) i held it sit to bestow mine indeavours upon this so usefull and seasonable an enterprise , a● to demonstrate that there is a god. chap. ii. what is meant by demonstrating there is a god , and that the mind of man , unlesse he do violence to his facul●ies , will fully ●ssent or dissent from that which notwithstanding may have a bare possibility of being otherwise . but when i speak of demonstrating there is a god , i would not be suspected of so much vanity and ostentation as to be thought i mean to bring no arguments , but such as are so convictive , that a mans understanding shall be forced to confesse that is is impossible to be otherwise then i have concluded . for for mine own part i am pro●e to believe , that there is nothing at all to be so demonstrated . for it is possible that mathematicall evidence it self , may be but a constant undiscoverable delusion , which our nature is necessarily and perpetually obnoxious unto , and that either fatally or fortuitously there has been in the world time out of mind such a being as we call man , whose essential property it is to be then most of all mistaken , when he conceives a thing most evidently true . and why may not this be as well as any thing else , if you will have all things fatall or casuall without a god ? for there can be no cu●be to this wild conceipt , but by the supposing that we our selves exist from some higher principle that is absolutely good and wise , which is all one as to acknowledge that there is a god. wherefore when i say that i will demonstrate that there is a god , ● do not promi●e that i will alwayes produce such arguments , that the reader shall acknowledge so strong as he shall be forced to confesse that it is utterly unpossible that it should be otherwise . but they shall be such as shall deserve full assent and win full assent from any unprejudic'd mind . for i conceive that we may give full assent to that which notwithstanding may possibly be otherwise : which i shall illustrate by severall examples . suppose two men got to the top of mount athos , and there viewing a stone in the form of an altar with ashes on it , and the footsteps of men on those ashes , or some words if you will , as optimo maximo , or , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the like , written or scralled out upon the ashes ; and one of them should cry out , assuredly here have been some men here that have done this : but the other more nice then wise should reply , nay it may possibly by otherwise . for this stone may have naturally grown into this very shape , and the seeming ashes may be no ashes , that is no remainders of any fewell burnt there , but some unexplicable and imperceptible motions of the aire , or other particles of this fluid matter that is active every where , have wrought some parts of the matter into the form and nature of ashes , and have fridg'd and plaid about so , that they have also figured those intelligible characters in the same . but would not any body deem it a piece of weaknesse no lesse then dotage for the other man one whit to recede from his former apprehension , but as fully as ever to agree with what he pronounced first , notwithstanding this bare possibility of being otherwise ? so of anchors that have been digged up , either in plaine fields or mountainous places , as also the roman vrnes with ashes and inscriptions , as severianus , ful : linus and the like , or roman coynes , with the effigies and names of the caesars on them ; or that which is more ordinary , the sculls of men in every church-yard , with the right figure , and all those necessary perforations for the passing of the vessells , besides those conspicuous hollowes for the eyes and rowes of teeth , the os styloeides , ethoeides , and what not ? if a man will say of them , that the motion of the particles of the matter , or some hidden spermatick power has gendred these both anchors , vrnes , coynes , and sculls in the ground , hee doth but pronounce that which humane reason must admitt as possible : nor can any man ever so demonstrate that those coynes , anchors , and vrnes , were once the artifice of men , or that this or that scull was once a part of a living man , that hee shall force an acknowledgment that it is impossible that it should be otherwise . but yet i doe not think that any man , without doing manifest violence to his facultyes , can at all suspend his assent , but freely and fully agree that this or that scull was once part of a living man , and that these anchors , vrnes and coynes , were certainly once made by humane artifice , notwithstanding the possibility of being otherwise . and what i have said of assent is also true in dissent . for the mind of man not craz'd nor prejudic'd will fully and unreconcileably disagree , by it's own natural fagacity , where notwithstanding the thing that it doth thus resolvedly and undoubtingly reject , no wit of man can prove impossible to bee true . as if wee should make such a fiction as this , that archimedes with the same individuall body that hee had when the souldiers slew him , is now safely intent upon his geometricall figures under ground , at the center of the earth , farre from the noise and din of this world that might disturb his meditations , or distract him in his curious delineations he makes with his rod upon the dust ; which no man living can prove impossible : yet if any man does not as unreconcileably dissent from such a fable as this , as from any falshood imagineable , assuredly that man is next doore to madness or dotage , or does enormous violence to the free use of his facultyes . wherefore it is manifest that there may bee a very firme and unwavering assent or dissent , when as yet the thing wee thus assent to may be possibly otherwise ; or that which wee thus dissent ●rom , cannot bee proved impossible to be true . which point i have thus long and thus variously sported my self in , for making the better impression upon my reader , it being of no small use and consequence , as well for the advertising of him , that the arguments which i shall produce , though i doe not bestowe that ostentative term of demonstration upon them , yet they may bee as effectuall for winning a firme and unshaken assent , as if they were in the strictest notion such ; as also to reminde him that if they bee so strong and so pa●ly fitted and suteable with the facultyes of mans mind , that hee has nothing to reply , but only that for all this , it may possibly bee otherwise , that hee should give a free and full assent to the conclusion . and if hee do not , that hee is to suspect himself rather of some distemper , prejudice , or weaknesse , then the arguments of want of strength . but if the atheist shall contrariwise pervert my candour and fair dealing , and phan●y that he has got some advantage from my free confession , that the arguments that i shall use are not so convictive , but that they leave a possibility of the thing being otherwise , let him but compute his supposed gains by adding the limitation of this possibility ( viz. that it is no more possible , then that the clearest mathematicall evidence may be false ( which is impossible if our facultyes be true ) or in the second place , then that the roman vrnes and coins above mentioned may prove to be the works of nature , not the artifice of man , which our facultyes admit to be so little probable , that it is impossible for them not fully to assent to the contrary ) and when he has cast up his account , it will be evident that it can be nothing but his grosse ignorance in this kind of arithmetick that shall embolden him to write himself down gainer and not me . chap. iii. an attempt towards the finding out the true notion or definition of god , and a cleare conviction that there is an indelible idea of a being absolutely perfect in the mind of man. and now having premised thus much , i shall come on nearer to my present designe . in prosecution whereof it will bee requisite for mee , first to define what god is , before i proceed to demonstration that he is . for it is obvious for mans reason to find arguments for the imp●ssibility , possibility , probability , or necessity of the existence of a thing , from the explication of the essence thereof . and now i am come hither , i demand of any atheist that denies there is a god , or of any that doubts whether there be one or no , what idea or notion they frame of that they deny or doubt of . if they will prove nice & squeamish , and professe they can frame no notion of any such thing , i would gladly aske them , why they will then deny or doubt of they know not what . for it is necessary that he that would rationally doubt or deny a thing , should have some settled notion of the thing hee doubts of or denies . but if they professe that this is the very ground of their denying or doubting whether there be a god , because they can frame no notion of him , i shall forthwith take away that allegation by offering them such a notion as is as proper to god as any notion is proper to any thing else in the world . i define god therefore thus , an essence or being fully and absolutely perfect . i say fully and absolutely perfect , in counterdistinction to such perfection as is not full and absolute , but the perfection of this or that species or kind of finite beings , suppose of a lyon , horse or tree . but to be fully and absolutely perfect is to bee at least as perfect as the apprehension of a man can conceive , without a contradiction . but what is inconceivable or contradictious is nothing at all to us , for wee are not now to wagg one atome beyond our facultyes . but what i have propounded is so farre from being beyond our facultyes , that i dare appeale to any atheist that hath yet any command of sense and reason left in him , if it bee not very easie and intelligible at the first sight , and that if there bee a god , he is to be deemed of us , such as this idea or notion sets forth . but if hee will sullingly deny that this is the proper notion of god , let him enjoy his own humour ; this yet remains undenyable that there is in man , an idea of a being absolutely and fully perfect , which wee frame out by attributing all conceivable perfection to it whatsoever , that implyes no contradiction . and this notion is naturall and essentiall to the soul of man , and can not bee wash'd out , nor conveigh'd away by any force or trick of wit what●oever , so long as the mind of man is not craz'd , but hath the ordinary use of her own facultyes . nor will that prove any thing to the purpose , when as it shall be alledg'd that this notion is not so connaturall and essentiall to the soul , because she framed it from some occasions from without . for all those undenyable conclusions in geometry which might be help'd and occasion'd from some thing without , are so naturall notwithstanding and essentiall to the soul , that you may as soon un-soul the soul , as divide her from perpetuall assent to those mathematicall truths , supposing no distemper nor violence offered to her facultyes . as for example , shee cannot but acknowledge in her self the several distinct ideas of the five regular bodies , as also , that it is impossible that there should bee any more then five . and this idea of a being absolutely perfect is as distinct and indelible an idea in the soul , as the idea of the five regular bodyes , or any other idea whatsoever . it remaines therefore undenyable , that there is an inseparable idea of a being absolutely perfect ever residing , though not alwayes acting , in the soul of man. chap. iv. what notions are more particularly comprised in the idea of a being absolutely perfect . that the difficulty of framing the conception of a thing ought to bee no argument against the existence thereof : the nature of corporeall matter being so perplex'd and intricate , which yet all men acknowledge to exist . that the idea of a spirit is as easy a notion as of any other substance what ever . what powers and propertyes are containd in the notion of a spirit . that eternity and infinity , if god were not , would bee cast upon something else ; so that atheisme cannot free the mind from such intricacyes . goodnesse , knowledge and power , notions of highest perfection , and therefore necessarily included in the idea of a being absolutely perfect . but now to lay out more particularly the perfections comprehended in this notion of a being absolutely and fully perfect , i think i may securely nominate these ; self-subsistency , immateriality , infinity as well of duration as essence , immensity of goodnesse , omnisciency , omnipotency , and necessity of existence . let this therefore bee the description of a being absolutely perfect , that it is a spirit , eternall , infinite in essence and goodnesse , omniscient , omnipotent , and of it self necessarily existent . all which attributes being attributes of the highest perfection , that falls under the apprehension of man , and having no discoverable imperfection interwoven with them , must of necessity be attributed to that which we conceive absolutely and fully perfect . and if any one will say that this is but to dresse up a notion out of my own fancy , which i would afterwards ssily insinuate to be the notion of a god ; i answer , that no man can discourse and reason of any thing without recourse to settled notions decyphered in his own mind . and that such an exception as this implies the most contradictious absurdities imaginable , to wit , as if a man should reason from something that never entred into his mind , or that is utterly out of the ken of his own facultyes . but such groundlesse allegations as these discover nothing but an unwillingnesse to find themselves able to entertain any conception of god , and a heavy propension to sink down into an utter oblivion of him , and to become as stupid and senselesse in divine things as the very beasts . but others it may be will not look on this notion as contemptible for the easie composure thereof out of familiar conceptions which the mind of man ordinarily figures it self into , but reject it rather for some unintelligible hard termes in it , such as spirit , eternall , and infinite , for they do professe they can frame no notion of spirit , and that anything should be eternal or infinite , they do not know how to set their mind in a posture to apprehend , and therefore some would have no such thing as a spirit in the world . but if the difficulty of framing a conception of a thing must take away the existence of the thing it self , there will be no such thing as a body left in the world , and then will all be spirit or nothing . for who can frame so safe a notion of a body , as to free himself from the intanglements ▪ that the extension thereof will bring along with it . for this extended matter consists of either indivisible points , or of particles divisible in infinitum . take which of these two you will , and you can find no third ) you will be wound into the most notorious absurdityes that may be . for if you say it consists of points , from this position i can necessarily demonstrate , that every speare or spire-steeple or what long body you will is as thick as it is long ; that the tallest cedar is not so high as the lowest mushrome ; and that the moon and the earth are so neere one another , that the thicknesse of your hand will not go betwixt ; that rounds and squares are all one figure ; that even and odde numbers are equall one with another ; and that the clearest day is as dark as the blackest night . and if you make choice of the other member of the disjunction , your fancy will bee little better at ease . for nothing can be divisible into parts it has not : therefore if a body be divisible into infinite parts , it has infinite extended parts : and if it has an infinite number of extended parts , it cannot be but a hard mystery to the imagination of man , that infinite extended parts should not amount to one whole infinite extension . and thus a grain of mustard-seed would be as well infinitely extended , as the whole matter of the universe ; and a thousandth part of that grain as well as the grain it self . which things are more unconceivable then any thing in the notion of a spirit . therefore we are not scornfully and contemptuously to reject any notion , for seeming at first to be clouded and obscur'd with some difficulties and intricacies of conception ; sith that , of whose being we seem most assured , is the most intangled and perplex'd in the conceiving , of any thing that can be propounded to the apprehension of a man. but here you will reply that our senses are struck by so manifest impressions from the matter , that though the nature of it bee difficult to conceive , yet the existence is palpable to us , by what it acts upon us . why , then all that i desire is this , that when you shall be reminded of some actions and operations that arrive to the notice of your sense or understanding , which unlesse we do violence to our faculties we can never attribute to matter or body , that then you would not be so nice and averse from the admitting of such a substance as is called a spirit , though you fancy some difficulty in the conceiving thereof . but for mine own part i think the nature of a spirit is as conceivable , and easy to be defin'd as the nature of anything else . for as for the very essence or bare substance of any thing whatsoever , hee is a very novice in speculation that does not acknowledge that utterly unknowable . but for the essentiall and inseparable properties , they are as intelligible and explicable in a spirit as in any other subject whatever . as for example , i conceive the intire idea of a spirit in generall , or at least of all finite created and subordinate spirits ▪ to consist of these severall powers or properties , viz. self-penetration . self-motion , self-contraction and dilatation , and indivisibility ; and these are those that i reckon more absolute ; i will adde also what has relation to another , and that is the power of penetrating , moving and altering the matter . these properties and powers put together make up the notion and idea of a spirit , whereby it is plainly distinguished from a body , whose parts cannot penetrate one another , is not self-moveable , nor can contract nor dilate it self , is divisible and separable one part from another ; but the parts of a spirit can be no more separated , though they be dilated , then you can cut off the rayes of the sunne by a paire of scissors made of pellucide crystall . and this will serve for the settling of the notion of a spirit ; the proofe of it's existence belongs not unto this place . and out of this description it is plain that a spirit is a notion of more perfection then a body , and therefore the more fit to be an attribute of what is absolutely perfect , then a body is . but now for the other two hard terms of eternall and infinite , if any one would excuse himself from asse●●g to the notion of a god , by reason of the incomprehensiblenesse of those attributes , let him consider , that he shall whether he will or no be forced to acknowledge something eternal , either god or the world , and the intricacy is alike in either . and though he would shuffle off the trouble of apprehending an infinite de●ty , yet he will never extricate himself out of the intanglements of an infinite space ; which notion will stick as closely to his soul , as her power of imagination . now that goodnesse , knowledge and power , which are the three following attributes , are attributes of perfection , if a man consult his own facultyes , it will be undoubtedly concluded , and i know nothing else he can consult with . at least this will be returned as infallibly true , that a being absolutely perfect has these , or what supereminently containes these . and that knowledge or something like it is in god , is manifest , because without animadversion in some sense or other , it is impossible to be happy . but that a being should bee absolutely perfect , & yet not happy , is as impossible . but knowledge without goodnesse is but dry subtilty , or mischievous craft ; and goodnesse with knowledge devoyd of power is but lame and ineffectuall : wherefore what ever is absolutely perfect , is infinitely both good , wise and powerfull . and lastly it is more perfection that all this be stable , immutable and necessary , then contingent or but possible . therefore the idea of a being absolutely perfect represents to our minds , that that of which it is the idea is necessarily to exist . and that which of its own nature doth necessarily exist , must never fail to be . and whether the atheist will call this absolute perfect being , god or not , it is all one ; i list not to contend about words . but i think any man else at the first sight will say that wee have found out the true idea of god. chap. v. that the soul of man is not abrasa tabula , and in what sense shee might be said ever to have had the actuall knowledge of eternal truths in her . and now wee have found out this idea of a being absolutely perfect , that the use which wee shall hereafter make of it , may take the better effect , it will not be amisse by way of further preparation , briefly to touch upon that notable point in philosophy , whether the soul of man be abrasa tabula , a table book in which nothing is writ ; or whether shee have some innate notions and ideas in her self . for so it is that shee having taken first occasion of thinking from externall objects , it hath so imposed upon some mens judgements , that they have conceited that the soul has no knowledge nor notion , but what is in a passive way impressed , or delineated upon her from the objects of sense ; they not warily enough distinguishing betwixt extrinsecall occasions and the adaequate or principal causes of things . but the mind of man more free and better excercised in the close observations of its own operations and nature , cannot but discover , that there is an active and actuall knowledge in a man , of which these outward objects are rather the reminders then the first begetters or implanters . and when i say actuall knowledge , i doe not mean that there is a certaine number of ideas flaring and shining to the animadversive faculty like so many torches or starres in the firmament to our outward sight ▪ or that there are any figures that take their distinct places , & are legibly writ there like the red letters or astronomical characters in an almanack ; but i understand thereby an active sagacity in the soul , or quick recollection as it were , whereby some small businesse being hinted unto her , she runs out presently into a more clear and larger conception . and i cannot better describe her condition then thus ; suppose a skilful musician fallen asleep in the field upon the grasse , during which time he shall not so much as dream any thing concerning his musical faculty , so that in one sense there is no actuall skill or notion nor representation of any thing musicall in him , but his friend sitting by him that cannot sing at all himself , jogs him and awakes him , and desires him to sing this or the other song , telling him two or three words of the beginning of the long , he presently takes it out of his mouth , and sings the whole song upon so slight and slender intimation : so the mind of man being jogg'd and awakened by the impulses of outward objects is stirred up into a more full and cleare conception of what was but imperfectly hinted to her from externall occasions ; and this faculty i venture to call actuall knowledge in such a sense as the sleeping musicians skill might be called actuall skill when he thought nothing of it . chap. 6. that the soul of man has of her self actuall knowledge in her , made good by sundry instances and arguments . and that this is the condition of the soul is discoverable by sundry observations . as for example , exhibite to the soul through the outward senses the figure of a circle , she acknowledgeth presently this to be one kind of figure , and can adde forthwith that if it be perfect , all the lines from some one point of it drawn to the perimeter , must be exactly equal . in like manner shew her a triangle , she will straightway pronounce that if that be the right figure it makes toward , the angles must be closed in indivisible points . but this accuracy either in the circle or the triangle cannot be set out in any materiall subject , therefore it remains that she hath a more full & exquisite knowledge of things in her self , then the matter can lay open before her , let us cast in a third instance , let some body now demonstrate this triangle described in the matter to have it's three angles equall to two right ones : why yes saith the soul this is true , and not only in this particular triangle but in all plain triangles that can possibly be describ'd in the matter . and thus you see the soul sings out the whole song upon the first hint , as knowing it very well before . besides this , there are a multitude of relative notions or ideas in the mind of man , as well mathematicall as logicall , which if we prove cannot be the impresses of any materiall object from without , it will necessarily follow , that they are from the soul her self within , and are the naturall furniture of humane understanding . such as are ●hese , cause , effect , whole and part , like and vnlike , and the rest . so equality and inequality , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proportion & analogy ▪ symmetry and asymmetry , and such like : all which relative ideas i shall easily prove to be no materiall impresses from without upon the soul , but her own active conception proceeding from her self whilst shee takes notice of externall objects . for that these ideas can make no impresses upon the outward senses is plain from hence ; because they are no sensible nor physicall affections of the matter . and how can that , that is no physicall affection of the matter affect our corporeall organs of sense ? but now that these relative ideas , whether logical or mathematicall be no physicall , affections of the matter is manifest from these two arguments . first they may be produced when there has been no physicall motion nor alteration in the subject to which they belong , nay indeed when there hath been nothing at all done to the subject to which they doe accrue . as for example , suppose one side of a room whitened the other not touch'd or medled with , this other has thus become unlike , and hath the notion of dissimile necessarily belonging to it , although there has nothing at all been done thereunto . so suppose two pounds of lead , which therefore are two equal pieces of that metall ; cut away half from one of them , the other pound , nothing at all being done unto it , has lost it's notion of equall , and hath acquired a new one of double unto the other . nor is it to any purpose to answere , that though there was nothing done to this pound of lead , yet there was to the other ; for that does not at all enervate the reason , but shewes that the notion of sub ●double which accrued to that lead which had half cut away , is but our mode of conceiving , as well as the other , and not any physicall affection that strikes the corporeall organs of the body , as hot and cold , hard and soft , white and black , and the like do . wherefore the ideas of equall and vnequall , double and sub-double , like and vnlike , with the rest , are no externall impresses upon the senses , but the souls own active manner of conceiving those things which are discovered by the outward senses . the second argument is , that one and the same part of the matter is capable at one and the same time , wholly and entirely of two contrary ideas of this kind . as for example , any piece of matter that is a middle proportionall betwixt two other pieces , is double , suppose , and sub-double , or tripple and sub-tripple , at once . which is a manifest signe that these ideas are no affections of the matter , and therefore do not affect our senses , else they would affect the senses of beasts , and they might also grow good geometricians and arithmeticians . and they not affecting our senses , it is plain that wee have some ideas that we are not beholding to our senses for , but are the meer exertions of the mind occasionally awakened , by the appulses of the outward objects ; which the out-ward senses doe no more teach us , then he that awakened the musician to sing taught him his skill . and now in the third and last place it is manifest , besides these single ideas i have proved to be in the mind , that there are also severall complex notions in the same , such as are these ; the whole is bigger then the part : if you take equall from equall , the remainders are equall : every number is either even or odde ; which are true to the soul at the very first proposal ; as any one that is in his wits does plainly perceive . chap. vii . the mind of man being not unfurnish'd of innate truth , that wee are with confidence to attend to her naturall and unprejudic'd dictates and suggestions . that some notions and truths are at least naturally & unavoydably assented unto by the soul , whether shee have of her self actuall knowledge in her or not . and that the definition of a being absolutely perfect is such . and that this absolutely perfect being is god , the creatour and contriver of all things . and now we see so evidently the soul is not unfurnished for the dictating of truth unto us , i demand of any man , why under a pretence that shee having nothing of her own but may be moulded into an assent to any thing , or that shee does arbitrariously and fortuirously compose the severall impresses shee receives from without , hee will be still so squeamish or timorous , as to be affraid to close with his own facultyes , and receive the naturall emanations of his owne mind , as faithfull guides . but if this seem , though it be not , too subtile which i contend for , viz ; that the soul hath actuall knowledge in her self , in that sense which i have explained , yet surely this at least will be confess'd to be true , that the nature of the soul is such , that shee will certainly and fully assent to some conclusions , how ever shee came to the knowledge of them , unlesse shee doe manifest violence to her own faculties . which truths must therefore be concluded not fortuitous or arbitrarious ▪ but natural so the soul : such as i have already named , as that every finite number is either even or odde . if you adde equal to equal , the wholes are equal ; and such as are not so simple as these , but yet stick as close to the soul once apprehended , as that the three angles in a triangle are equal to two right ones : that there are just five regular bodies neither more nor lesse , and the like , which we will pronounce necessarily true according to the light of nature . wherefore now to reassume what we have for a while laid aside , the idea of a being absolutely perfect above proposed , it being in such sort let forth that a man cannot rid his minde of it , but he must needs acknowledge it to be indeed the idea of such a being ; it will follow that it is no arbitrarious nor fortuitous conceipt , but necessary and therefore natural to the soul at least if no● ever actually there . wherefore it is manifest , that we consulting with our own natural light concerning the notion of a being absolutely perfect , that this oracle tells us , that it is a spiritual substance , eternal , infinite in essence and goodness , omnipotent , omniscient , and of it self necessarily existent . for this answer is such , that if we understand the sense thereo● , we cannot tell how to deny it , and therefore it is true according to the light of nature . but it is manifest that that which is self-subsistent , infinitely good , omniscient and omnipotent , is the root and original of all things . for omnipotency signifies a power that can effect any thing that implies no contradiction to be effected ; and creation implyes no contradiction : therefore this perfect being can create all things . but if it found the matter or other substances existing aforehand of themselves , this omnipotency and power of creation will be in vain , which the free and unprejudic'd faculties of the minde of man do not admit of . therefore the natural notion of a being absolutely perfect , implies that the same being is lord and maker of all things . and according to natural light that which is thus , is to be adored and worshipped of all that has the knowledge of it , with all humility and thankfullnesse ; and what is this but to be acknowledged to be god ? wherefore i conceive i have sufficiently demonstrated , that the notion or idea of god is as naturall , necessary and essentiall to the soul of man , as any other notion or idea whatsoever , & is no more arbitrarious or fictitious then the notion of a cube or terraedrum , or any other of the regular bodyes in geometry : which are not devised at our own pleasure ( for such figments and chimaras are infinite , ) but for these it is demonstrable that there can be no more then five of them . which shews that their notion is necessary , not an arbit●arious compilement of what we please . and thus having fully made good the notion of god , what he is , i proceed now to the next point , which is to prove , that hee is . chap. viii . the first argument for the existence of god taken from the idea of god as it is representative of his nature and perfection : from whence also it is undeniably demonstrated that there can be no more gods then one. and now verily casting my eyes upon the true idea of god which we have found out i seem to my self to have struck further into this businesse then i was aware of . for if this idea or notion of god be true , as i have undenyably proved , it is also undeniably true that he doth exist ; for this idea of god being no a●bitrarious figment taken up at pleasure , but the necessary and naturall emanation of the mind of man , if it signifies to us that the notion and nature of god implyes in it necessary existence as we have shown it does , unlesse we will wink against our own naturall light , wee are without any further scruple to acknowledge that god does exist . nor is it sufficient grounds to diffide to the strength of this argument , because our fancy can shuffle in this abater , viz. that indeed this idea of god , supposing god did exist , shews us that his existence is necessary , but it does not shew us that he doth necessarily exist . for he that answers thus , does not observe out of what prejudice he is inabled to make this answer , which is this : he being accustomed to fancy the nature or notion of every thing else without existence , and so ever easily separating essence and existence in them , here unawares hee takes the same liberty , and divides existence from that essence to which existence it self is essentiall . and that 's the witty fallacy his unwarinesse has intangled him in . again when as we contend that the true idea of god represents him as a being necessarily existent , and therefore that he does exist ; and you to avoid the edge of the argument reply , if he did at all exist ; by this answer you involve your self in a manifest contradiction . for first you say with us , that the nature of god is such , that in its very notion it implyes its necessary existence , and then again you unsay it by intimating that notwithstanding this true idea and notion ▪ god may not exist , and so acknowledge that what is absolutely necessary according to the free emanation of our facultyes , yet may be otherwise : which is a palpable contradiction as much as respects us and our facultyes , and we have nothing more inward and immediate then these to steer our selves by . and to make this yet plainer at least if not stronger when wee say that the existence of god is necessary , wee are to take notice that necessity is a logicall terme , and signifies so firme a connexion betwixt the subject and praedicate ( as they call them ) that it is impossible that they should bee dissevered , or should not hold together , and therefore if they bee affirm'd one of the other , that they make axioma necessarium , an axiome that is necessary , or eternally true . wherefore there being a necessary connexion betwixt god and existence ; this axiome , god does exist , is an axiome necessarily and eternally true . which we shall yet more clearly understand , if we compare necessity and contingency together ; for as contingency signifies not onely the manner of existence in that which is contingent according to its idea , but does intimate also a possibility of actual existence , ( so to make up the true and easy analogy ) necessity does not only signify the manner of existence in that which is necessary , but also that it does actually exist , and could never possibly do otherwise . for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessity of being and impossibility of not-being , are all one with aristotle , & the rest of the logicians . but the atheist and the enthusiast , are usually such profess'd enemyes against logick ; the one meerly out of dotage upon outward grosse sense , the other in a dear regard to his stiffe and untamed fancy , that shop of mysteryes and fine things . thirdly , wee may further add , that whereas wee must needs attribute to the idea of god either contingency , impossibility , or necessity of actuall existence , ( some one of these belonging to every idea imaginable ) and that contingency is incompetible to an idea of a b●ing absolutely perfect , much more impossibility , the idea of god being compiled of no notions but such as are possible according to the light of nature , to which wee now appeal : it remains therefore that necessity of actuall existence bee unavoidably cast upon the idea of god , and that therefore god does actually exist . but fourthly and lastly , if this seem more subtile , though it bee no lesse true for it , i shall now propound that which is so palpable , that it is impossible for any one that has the use of his wits for to deny it . i say therefore , that either god or this corporeall and sensible world must of it self necessarily exist . or thus , either god or matter or both doe of themselves necessarily exist . if both , wee have what we would drive at , the existency of god. but yet to acknowledge the necessary existence of the matter of it self , is not so congruous and suteable to the light of nature . for if any thing can exist independently of god , all things may ; so that not onely the omnipotency of god might be in vain , but beside there would be a letting in from hence of all confusion and disorder imaginable ; nay of some grand devill of equall power and of as large command as god himself : or if you will of six thousand millions of such monstrous gigantick spirits , fraught with various and mischievous passions , as well as armed with immense power , who in anger or humour appearing in huge shapes ▪ might take the planets up in their prodigious clutches , and pelt one another with them as boyes are wont to do with snowbals ; and that this has not yet happened will bee resolved onely into this , that the humour has not yet taken them . but the frame of nature and the generation of things would be still lyable to this ruine and disorder . so dangerous a thing it is to slight the naturall dependencyes and correspondencyes of our innate ideas and conceptions . nor is there any refuge in such a reply as this , that the full and perfect infinitude of the power of god , is able easily to overmaster these six thousand millions of monsters , and to stay their hands . for i say that six or fewer , may equallize the infinite power of god. for if any thing may be self-essentiated besides god , why may not a spirit of just six times lesse power then god exist of it self ? and then six such wil equallize him , a seventh will overpower him . but such a rabble of self-essentiated and divided deities , does not only hazzard the pulling the world in pieces , but plainly takes away the existence of the true god. for if there be any power or perfection whatsoever , which has its original from any other then god , it manifestly demonstrates that god is not god , that is , is not a being absolutely and fully perfect , because we see some power in the world that is not his , that is , that is not from him . but what is fully and wholly from him , is very truly and properly his , as the thought of my minde is rather my mindes , then my thoughts . and this is the only way that i know to demonstrate that it is impossible that there should be any more then one true god in the world ; for if we did admit another beside him , this other must be also self-originated ; and so neither of them would be god. for the idea of god swallows up into it self all power and perfection conceivable , and therefore necessarily implies that whatever hath any being , derives it from him . but if you say the matter does only exist and not god , then this matter does necessarily exist of it self , and so we give that attribute unto the matter which our natural light taught us to be contain'd in the essentiall conception of no other thing besides god. wherefore to deny that of god , which is so necessarily comprehended in the true idea of him , and to acknowledge it in that in whose idea it is not at all contain'd ( for necessary existence is not contain'd in the idea of any thing but of a being absolutely perfect ) is to pronounce contrary to our natural light , and to do manifest violence to our faculties . nor can this be excused by saying that the corporeall matter is palpable and sensible unto us , but god is not , and therefore we pronounce confidently that it is , though god be not , and also that it is necessary of it self , sith that which is without the help of another must necessarily bee and eternally . for i demand of you then sith you professe your selves to believe nothing but sense , how could sense ever help you to that truth you acknowledged last , viz that that which exists without the help of another , is necessary and eternall ? for necessity and eternity are no sensible qualities , and therefore are not the objects of any sense ; and i have ready very plentifully proved , that there is other knowledge and perception in the soul besides that of sense . wherefore it is very unreasonable , when as we have other faculties of knowledge besides the senses , that we should consult with the senses alone about matters of knowledge , and exclude those facultyes that penetrate beyond sense . a thing that the profess'd atheists themselves will not doe when they are in the humour of philosophising , for their principle of ato●es is a businesse that does not fall under sense , as lucretius at large confesses . but now seeing it is so manifest that the soul of man has other cognoscitive faculties besides that of sense ( which i have clearly above demonstrated ) it is as incongruous to deny there is a god , because god is not an object fitted to the senses , as it were to deny there is matter or a body , because that body or matter , in the imaginative notion thereof , lies so unevenly and troublesomly in our fancy and reason . in the contemplation whereof our understanding discovereth such contradictious incoherencies , that were it not that the notion is sustain'd by the confident dictates of sense , reason appealing to those more crasse representations of fansy , would by her shrewd dilemma's be able to argue it quite out of the world . but our reason being well aware that corporeal matter is the proper object of the sensitive faculty , she gives full belief to the information of sense in her own sphear , slighting the puzzling objections of perplexed fancy , and freely admits the existence of matter , notwithstanding the intanglements of imagination , as she does also the existence of god , from the contemplation of his idea in our soul , notwithstanding the silence of the senses therein . for indeed it were an unexcusable piece of folly and madnesse in a man , when as he has cognoscitive faculties reaching to the knowledge of god , and has a certain and unalterable idea of god in his soule , which he can by no device wipe out , as well as he has the knowledge of sense that reaches to the discovery of the matter ; to give necessary self-existence to the matter , no faculty at all informing him so ; and to take necessary existence from god , though the natural notion of god in the soul informe him to the contrary ; and only upon this pretence , because god does not immediately fall under the knowledge of the senses ; thus partially siding with one kind of faculty only of the soul , and proscribing all the rest . which is as humoursomely and foolishly done , as if a man should make a faction amongst the senses themselves , and resolve to believe nothing to be but what he could see with his eyes , and so confidently pronounce that there is no such thing as the element of aire nor winds nor musick nor thunder . and the reason forsooth must be because he can see none of these things with his eyes , and that 's the sole sense that he intends to believe . chap. ix . the second argument from the idea of god as it is subjected in our souls , and is the fittest naturall meanes imaginable to bring us to the knowledge of our maker . that bare possibility ought to have no power upon the mind , to either hasten or hinder it's assent in any thing . we being delt with in all points as if there were a god , that naturally wee are to conclude there is one . and hitherto i have argued from the naturall notion or idea of god as it respects that of which it is the idea or notion . i shall now try what advantage may be made of it , from the respect it bears unto our souls , the subject thereof , wherein , it does reside . i demand therefore who put this indelible character of god upon our souls ? why and to what purpose is it there ? nor do not think to shuffle me off by saying , we must take things as we find them , and not inquire of the finall cause of any thing ; for things are necessarily as they are of themselves , whose guidance and contrivance is from no principle of wisdome or counsell , but every substance is now and ever was of what nature and capacity it is found ; having it's originall from none other then it self ; and all those changes and varieties we see in the world , are but the result of an eternall scuffle of coordinate causes , bearing up as well as they can , to continue themselves in the present state they ever are , and acting and being acted upon by others , these varieties of things appeare in the world , but every particular substance with the essential properties thereof is self-originated , and independent of any other . for to this i answere , that the very best that can be made of all this is but thus much ; that it is meerly and barely possible ▪ nay if we consult our own faculties , and the idea of god , utterly impossible : but admit it possible ; this bare possibility is so laxe , so weak , and so undeterminate a consideration , that it ought to have no power to move the mind this way or that way that has any tolerable use of her own reason , more then the faint breathings of the loose aire have to shake a mountaine of brasse . for if bare possibility may at all intangle our assent or dissent in things , we cannot fully mis-believe the absurdest fable in aesop or ovid , or the most ridiculous figments that can be imagin'd ; as suppose that eares of corn in the field heare the whistling of the wind and chirping of the birds ; that the stones in the street are grinded with pain when the carts go over them : that the heliotrope eyes the sun and really sees him as well as turns round about with him : that the pulp of the wall-nut , as bearing the signature of the brain , is indued with imagination and reason . i say no man can fully mis-believe any of these fooleries , if bare possibility may have the least power of turning the scales this way or that way . for none of these nor a thousand more such like as these imply a perfect and palpable contradiction , and therefore will put in for their right of being deemed possible . but we are not to attend to what is simply possible , but to what our naturall faculties do direct and determine us to . as for example , suppose the question were , whether the stones in the street have sense or no , we are not to leave the point as indifferent , or that may be held either way , because it is possible and implyes no palpable contradiction , that they may have sense and that a painfull sense too . but we are to consult with our naturall faculties , and see whither they propend : and they do plainly determinate the controversy by telling us , that what has sense and is capable of pain , ought to have also progressive motion , to bee able to avoyd what is hurtfull and painfull , and we see it is so in all beings that have any considerable share of sense . and aristotle who was no doater on a deity , yet frequently does assume this principle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that nature does nothing in vain . which is either an acknowledgment of a god , or an appeale to our own rationall faculties . and i am indifferent which , for i have what i would out of either , for if we appeale to the naturall suggestions of our own faculties , they will assuredly tell us there is a god. i therefore again demand and i desire to be answered without prejudice , or any restraint laid upon our naturall faculties , to what purpose is this indelible image or idea of god in us , if there be no such thing as god existent in the world ? or who seal'd so deep an impression of that character upon our minds ? if we were travailing in a desolate wildernesse , where we could discover neither man nor house , and should meet with herds of cattell or flocks of sheep upon whose bodies there were branded certain markes or letters , we should without any hesitancy conclude that these have all been under the hand of some man or other that has set his name upon them . and verily when we see writ in our souls in such legible characters the name or rather the nature and idea of god , why should we be so slow and backward from making the like reasonable inference ? assuredly he whose character is signed upon our souls , has been here , and has thus marked us that we and all may know to whom we belong . that it is he that has made us , and not we our selves ; that we are his people and the sheep of his pasture . and it is evidently plain from the idea of god , which includes omnipotency in it , that we can be made from none other then he ; as i have before demonstrated . and therefore there was no better way then by sealing us with this image to make us acknowledge our selves to be his , and to do that worship and adoration to him that is due to our mighty maker and creatour , that is to our god. wherefore things complying thus naturally , and easily together , according to the free suggestions of our naturall faculties , it is as perverse and forced a buisinesse to suspend assent , as to doubt whether those romane vrnes and coynes i spoke of digg'd out of the earth be the works of nature or the artifice of men. but if wee cannot yet for all this give free assent to this position ▪ that god does exist , let us at least have the patience a while to suppose it . i demand therefore supposing god did exist , what can the mind of man imagine that this god should do better or more effectuall for the making himself known to such a creature as man , indued with such and such faculties , then we find really already done ? for god being a spirit and infinite , cannot ever make himself known necessarily , and adaequa●ely by any appearance to our outward senses . for if he should manifest himself in any outward figures or shapes , portending either love or wrath , terrour or protection , our faculties could not assure us that this were god , but some particular genius good or bad : and besides such dazeling and affrightfull externall forces are neither becoming the divine nature , nor suteable with the condition of the soul of man , whose better faculties and more free god meddles with , does not force nor amaze us by a more course and oppressing power upon our weake and brutish senses . what remaines therefore but that he should manifest himself to our inward man ? and what way imaginable is more fit then the indelible impression of the idea of himself , which is ( not divine life and sense ▪ for that 's an higher prise laid up for them that can win it , but ) a naturall representation of the god-head and a notion of his essence , whereby the soul of man could no otherwise conceive of him , then an eternall spirit , infinite in goodnesse , omnipotent , omniscient and necessarily of himself existent . but this , as i have fully proved , we find de facto done in us , wherefore we being every way dealt with as if there were a god existing , and no faculty discovering any thing to the contrary , what should hinder us from the concluding that he does really exist ? chap ▪ x. naturall conscience , and religious veneration , arguments of the existence of god. hitherto we have argued for the existency of the god-head from the naturall idea of god , inseparably and immutably risiding in the soul of man. there are also other arguments may be drawn from what we may observe to stick very close to mans nature , and such is naturall remorse of conscience , and a feare and disturbance from the committing of such things as notwithstanding are not punishable by men : as also a naturall hope of being prosperous and successefull in doing those things which are conceived by us to be good & righteous ; and lastly religious veneration or divine worship ; all which are fruits unforcedly and easily growing out of the nature of man ; and if we rightly know the meaning of them , they all intimate that there is a god. and first of naturall conscience it is plain that it is a fear and confusion of mind arising from the presage of some mischief that may be●all a man beside the ordinary course of nature , or the usuall occurrences of affaires , because he has done thus or thus . not that what is supernatural or absolutely extraordinary must needs fall upon him , but that at least the ordinary calamityes and misfortunes , which are in the world , will be directed and levelled at him sometime or other , because he hath done this or that evill against his conscience . and men doe naturally in some heavy adversity , mighty tempest on the sea or dreadfull thunder on the land ( though these be but from naturall causes ) reflect upon themselves and their actions , and so are invaded with fear , or are unterrifide , accordingly as they condemne or acquit themselves in their own consciences . and from this supposall is that magnificent expression of the poet concer-cerning the just man nec fulminant is magna jovis manus , that he is not affrayd of the darting down of thunder and lightening from heaven . but this fear , that one should bee struck rather then the rest , or at this time rather then another time , because a man has done thus or thus , is a naturall acknowledgment that these things are guided and directed from some discerning principle , which is all one as to confesse that there is a god. nor is it materiall that some alledge that marmers curse and swear the lowdest when the storm is the greatest , for it is because the usualnesse of such dangers have made them loose the sense of the danger , not the sense of a god. it is also very naturall for a man that follows honestly the dictates of his own conscience , to be full of good hopes , and much at ease , and secure that all things at home and abroad will goe successfully with him , though his actions or sincere motions of his mind act nothing upon nature or the course of the world to change them any way : wherefore it implyes that there is a superintendent principle over nature , and the materiall frame of the world , that looks to it so that nothing shall come to passe , but what is consistent with the good and welfare of honest and conscientious men. and if it does not happen to them according to their expectations in this world , it does naturally bring in a belief of a world to come . nor does it at all enervate the strength of this argument that some men have lost the sense and difference betwixt good and evill , if there be any so fully degenerate ; but let us suppose it , this is a monster , and i suspect of his own making . but this is no more prejudice to what i ayme at , who argue from the naturall constitution of a man the existency of a god ; then if because democritus put out his eyes , some are born blind , others drink out their eyes and cannot see , that therefore you should conclude that there is neither light nor colours : for if there were , then every one would see them , but democritus and some others doe not see them . but the reason is plain , there hath been force done to their naturall facultyes and they have put out their sight . wherefore i conclude from naturall conscience in a man that puts him upon hope and fear of good and evill from what he does or omits , though those actions and omissions doe nothing to the change of the course of nature or the affaires of the world , that there is an intelligent principle over universall nature that takes notice of the actions of men ▪ that is that there is a god ; for else this naturall faculty would be false and vaine . now for adoration or religious worship it is as universall as mankind , there being no nation under the cope of heaven that does not do divine worship to something or other , and in it to god as they conceive ; wherefore according to the ordinary naturall light that is in all men , there is a god. nor can the force of this argument be avoyded , by saying it is but an universall tradition that has been time out of mind spread among the nations of the world . for if it were so ( which yet cannot at all be proved ) in that it is universally received , it is manifest that it is according to the light of nature to acknowledge there is a god. for that which all men admit as true , though upon the proposall of another , is undoubtedly to be termed true according to the light of nature . as many hundreds of geometricall demonstrations that were first the inventions of some one man , have passed undenyable through all ages and places for true , according to the light of nature , with them that were but learners not inventours of them . and it is sufficient to make a thing true according to the light of nature , that no man upon a perception of what is propounded and the reasons of it ( if it be not cleare at the first sight and need ●easons to back it ) will ever stick to acknowledge for a truth . and therefore if there were any nations that were destitute of the knowledge of a god , as they may be it is likely of the rudiments of geometry , so long as they will admit of the knowledge of one as well as of the other , upon due and ●it proposall ; the acknowledgment of a god is as well to be said to be according to the light of nature , as the knowledge of geometry which they thus receive . but if it be here objected that a thing may be universally receiv'd of all nations and yet be so farre from being true according to the light of nature , that it is not true at all ▪ as for example that the sun moves about the earth , and that the earth stands still as the fix'd center of the world , which the best of astronomers and the profoundest of philosophers pronounce to be false : i answere that in some sense it does stand still , if you understand by motion the translation of a body out of the vicinity of other bodyes . but suppose it did not stand still , this comes not home to our case ; for this is but the just victory of reason over the general prejudice of sense ; and every one will acknowledge that reason may correct the impresses of sense , otherwise we should admit the sun and moon to be no wider then a sive , and the bodyes of the starrs to be no bigger then the ordinary flame of a candle . therefore you see here is a clashing of the faculties one against another , and the stronger carryes it . but there is no faculty that can be pretended to clash with the judgement of reason and natural sagacity that so easily either concludes or presages that there is a god : wherefore that may well go for a truth according to the light of nature that is universally received of men , be it by what faculty it will they receive it , no other faculty appearing that can evidence to the contrary . and such is the universall acknowledgment that there is a god. nor is it much more materiall to reply , that though there be indeed a religious worship excercised in all nations upon the face of the earth , yet they worship many of them but stocks and stones , or some particular piece of nature , as the sunne , moon , or starrs ; for i answer , that first it is very hard to prove that they worship any image or statue , without reference to some spirit at least , if not to the omnipotent god. so that we shall hence at least win thus much , that there are in the universe some more subtile and immateriall substances that take notice of the affairs of men , and this is as ill to a slow atheist , as to believe that there is a god. and for that adoration some of them do to the sunne and moon , i cannot believe they do it to them under the notion of mere inanimate bodies , but they take them to be the habitation of some intellectuall beings , as that verse does plainly intimate to us , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the sun that hears and sees all things ; and this is very neer the true notion of a god. but be this universall religious worship what it will , as absurd as you please to fancy it , yet it will not faile to reach very farre for the proving of a deity . for there is no naturall faculties in things that have not their object in the world ; as there is meat as well as mouths , sounds as well as hearing , colours as well as sight , dangers as well as feare , and the like . so there ought in like manner to be a god as well as a naturall propension in men to religious worship , god alone being the proper object thereof . nor does it abate the strength of the argument that this so deeply radicated property of religion in man , that cannot be lost , does so ineptly and ridiculously display it self in manking . for as the plying of a dogges●eet ●eet in this sleep , as if there were some game before him , and the butting of a yong lambe before he has yet either hornes or enemies to encounter , would not be in nature , were there not such a thing as a hare to be coursed , and an horned enemy to be incountred with horns : so there would not be so universall an excercise of religious worship in the world , though it be done never so ineptly and foolishly , were there not really a due object of this worship , and a capacity in man for the right performance thereof ; which could not be unlesse there were a god. but the truth is , mans soul in this drunken drowsy condition she is in has fallen asleep in the body , and like one in a dreame talks to the bed-posts , embraces her pillow instead of her friend , falls down before statues in stead of adoring the eternall and invisible god , prayes to stocks and stones instead of speaking to him that by his word created all things . i but you will reply that a yong lambe has at length both his weapon and an enemy to encounter , and the dreaming dogge did once and may again pursue some reall game ; and so he that talks in his sleep did once conferre with men awake , and may do so again ; but whole nations for many successions of ages have been very stupid idolaters , and do so continue to this day . but i answere that this rather informes us of another great mystery , then at all enervates the present argument or obscures the grand truth we strive for . for this does plainly insinuate thus much , that mankind is in a laps'd condition , like one fallen down in the fit of an epilepsy , whose limbes by force of the convulsion are moved very incomposedly and illfavourdly ; but we know that he that does for the present move the members of his body so rudely and fortuitously , did before command the use of his muscles in a decent exercise of his progressive faculty , and that when the fit is over he will doe so again . this therefore rather implyes that these poore barbarous souls had once the true knowledge of god , and of his worship , and by some hidden providence may be recover'd into it again ; then that this propension to religious worship , that so conspicuously appeares in them , should be utterly in vain : as it would be both in them and in all men else if there were no god. chap. xi . of the nature of the soul of man , whether she be a meere modification of the body , or a substance really distinct , and then whether corporeall or incorporeall . vve have done with all those more obvious faculties in the soul of man , that naturally tend to the discovery of the existence of a god. let us briefly , before wee loose from our selves and lanch out into the vast ocean of the externall phaenomena of nature , consider the essence of the soul her self , what it is , whether a meer modification of the body or substance distinct therefrom ; and then whether corporeall or incorporeall . for upon the clearing of this point wee may happily be convinced that there is a spiritual substance ▪ really distinct from the matter . which who so does acknowledge will be easilier induced to beleeve there is a god. first therefore if we say that the soul is a meer modification of the body , the soul then is but one universall faculty of the body , or a many facultyes put together , and those operations which are usually attributed unto the soul , must of necessity be attributed unto the body . i demand therefore to what in the body will you attribute spontaneous motion ? i understand thereby a power in our selves of wagging or holding still most of the parts of our body , as our hand suppose or little finger . if you will lay that it is nothing but the immission of the spirits into such and such muscles , i would gladly know what does immit these spirits and direct them so curiously . is it themselves , or the braine , or that particular piece of the braine they call the co●arion or pine-ker●ell ? whatever it be , that which does thus immit them and direct them must have animadversion and the same that has animadversion has memory also and reason . now i would know whether the spirits themselves be capable of animadversion , memory and reason : for it indeed seemes altogether impossible . for these animall spirits are nothing else , but matter very thin and liquid , whose nature consists in this , that all the particles of it be in motion , and being loose from one another fridge and play up and down according to the measure and manner of agitation in them . i therefore now demand which of the particles in these so many loosely moving one from another , has animadversion in it ? if you say that they all put together have , i appeal to him that thus answers how unlikely it is that that should have animadversion that is so utterly uncapable of memory , and consequently of reason . for it is as impossible to conceive memory competible to such a subject , as it is , how to write characters in the water or in the wind . if you say the brain immits and directs these spirits , how can that so freely and spontaneously move it self or another that has no muscles ? besides anatomists tell us that though the brain be the instrument of sense , yet it has no sense at all of it self ; how then can that that has no sense , direct thus spontaneously and arbitrariously the animall spirits into any part of the body ? an act that plainely requires determinate sense and perception . but let the anatomists conclude what they will , i think i shall little lesse then demonstrate that the brains have no sense . for the same thing in us that has sense has likewise animadversion , and that which has animadversion in us has also a faculty of free and arbitrarious fansy and of reason . let us now consider the nature of the brain , and see how competible those operations are to such a subject . verily if wee take a right view of this laxe pith or marrow in mans head , neither our sense nor understanding can discover any thing more in this substance that can pretend to such noble operations as free imagination and sagacious collections of reason , then we can discern in a cake of sewer or a bowle of curds . for this loose pulp , that is thus wrapp'd up within our cranium is but a spongy and porous body , and pervious not onely to the animall spirits but also to more grosse juice and liquor , else it could not well be nourished , at least it could not be so soft and moistned by drunkennesse and excesse as to make the understanding inept and sottish in its operations . wherefore i now demand in this soft substance which we call the brain , whose softnesse implyes that it is in some measure liquid , and liquidity implyes a severall motion of loosned parts ; in what part or parcell thereof does fancy , reason and animadversion lye ? in this laxe consistence that lyes like a net all on heaps in the water , i demand in what knot , loop , or intervall thereof does this faculty of free fancy and active reason reside ? i believe you will be asham'd to assigne me any : and if you will say in all together , you must say that the whole brain is figured into this or that representation , which would cancell memory and take away all capacity of there being any distinct notes and places for the severall species of things there represented . but if you will say there is in every part of the brain this power of animadversion and fansy , you are to remember that the brain is in some measure a liquid body , and we must inquire how these loose parts vnderstand one anothers severall animadversions and notions : and if they could ( which is yet very inconceivable ) yet if they could from hence doe any thing toward the immission and direction of the animall spirits into this or or that part of the body , they must doe it by knowing one anothers minds , and by a joynt contention of strength , as when many men at once , the word being given , lift or tugge together for the moving of some so masty a body that the single strength of one could not deal with . but this is to make the severall particles of the brain so many individuall persons ; a fitter object for laughter then the least measure of beliefe . besides how come these many animadversions to seem but one to us , our mind being these , as is supposed ? or why if the figuration of one part of the brain be communicated to all the rest , does not the same object seem situated both behind us and before us , above and beneath , on the right hand and on the left , and every way as the impresse of the object is reflected against all the parts of the braines ? but there appearing to us but one animadversion and one site of things , it is a sufficient argument that there is but one , or if there be many , that they are not mutually communicated from the parts one to another , and therefore there can be no such joynt endeavour toward one designe , whence it is manifest that the braines cannot immit nor direct these animall spirits into what part of the body they please . moreover that the braine has no sense , and therefore cannot impresse spontaneously any motion on the animall spirits , it is no slight argument in that some being dissected have been found without braines , and fontanus tells us of a boy at amsterdam that had nothing but limpid water in his head in stead of braines ; and the braines generally are easily dissolvable into a watry consistence , which agrees with what i intimated before . now i appeale to any free judge how likely these liquid particles are to approve themselves of that nature and power as to bee able by erecting and knitting themselves together for a moment of time , to beare themselves so as with one joynt contention of strength to cause an arbitrarious ablegation of the spirits into this or that determinate part of the body . but the absurdity of this i have sufficiently insinuated already . lastly the nerves , i mean the marrow of them which is of the self same substance with the braine , have no sense as is demonstrable from a catalepsis or catochus : but i will not accumulate arguments in a matter so palpable . as for that little sprunt piece of the braine which they call the conarion , that this should be the very substance whose naturall faculty it is to move it self , and by it's motions and nods to determinate the course of the spirits into this or that part of the body , seems to me no lesse foolish and fabulous then the story of hi● that could change the wind as he pleased by setting his cap on this or that side of his head . if you heard but the magnificent stories that are told of this little lurking mushrome , how it does not onely heare and see , but imagines , reasons , commands the whole fabrick of the body more dextrously then an indian boy does an elephant , what an acute logician , subtle geometrician , prudent statesman , skillfull physician and profound philosopher he is , and then afterward by dissection you discover this worker of miracles to be nothing but a poor silly contemptible knobb or protuberancy consisting of a thin membrane containing a little pulpous matter much of the same nature with the rest of the braine , spectatum admissirisum teneatis amici ? would not you sooner laugh at it then goe about to confute it ? and truly i may the better laugh at it now , having already confuted it in what i have afore argued concerning the rest of the braine . i shall therefore make bold to conclude that the impresse of spontaneous motion is neither from the animall spirits nor from the braine , and therefore that those operations that are usually attributed unto the soul are really incompetible to any part of the body ; and therefore that the soul is not a meer modification of the body , but a substance distinct therefrom . now we are to enquire whether this substance distinct from what ordinarily we call the body , be also it self a corporeall substance , or whether it be incorporeall . if you say that it is a corporeall substance , you can understand no other then matter more subtile and tenuious then the animall spirits themselves , mingled with them and dispersed through the vessells and porosities of the body , for there can be no penetration of dimensions . but i need no new arguments to confute this fond conceipt , for what i said of the animall spirits before , is applicable with all ease and fitnesse to this present case . and let it be sufficient that i advertise you so much , and so be excus'd from the repeating of the same things over again . it remains therefore that we conclude that that which impresses spontaneous motion upon the body , or more immediatly upon the animall spirits , that which imagines , remembers , and reasons , is an immateriall substance distinct from the body , which uses the animall spirits and the braines for instruments in such and such operations : and thus we have found a spirit in a proper notion and signification that has apparently these faculties in it ; it can both understand and move corporeall matter . and now this prize that we have wonne will prove for our designe of very great consequence . for it is obvious here to observe that the soul of man is as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compendious statue of the deity . her substance is a solid effigies of god. and therefore as with ease we consider the substance and motion of the vast heavens on a little sphere or globe , so we may with like facility contemplate the nature of the all-mighty in this little meddall of god , the soul of man , enlarging to infinity what we observe in our selves when wee transferre it unto god ; as we do imagine those circles which we view on the globea to be vastly bigger while we fancy them as described in the heavens . wherefore we being assur'd of this that there is a spirituall substance in our selves in which both these properties do resid , eviz . of understanding and of moving corporeall matter , let us but enlarge our minds so , as to conceive as well as we can of a spirituall substance that is able to move and actuate all matter whatsoever never ●o farre extended , and after what way and manner soever it please , and that it has not the knowledge onely of this or that particular thing , but a distinct and plenary cognoscence of all things ; and we have indeed a very competent apprehension of the nature of the eternall and invisible god , who like the soul of man , does not indeed fall under sense , but does every where operate so , that his presence is easily to be gathered from what is discovered by our outward senses . chap. i. the universall matter of the world be it homogeneall or heterogeneall , self mov'd or resting of it self , that it can never be contriv'd into that order it is without the super-intendency of a god. the last thing i insisted upon was the specifick nature of the soul of man , how it is an immateriall substance indued with these two eminent properties , of understanding and power of moving corporeall matter . which truth i cleared , to the intent that when we shall discover such motions and contrivances in the largely extended matter of the world as imply wisdome and providence we may the easilier come off to the acknowledgment of that eternall spirituall essence that has fram'd heaven and earth , and is the author and maker of all visible and invisible beings . wherefore we being now so well furnish'd for the voiage , i would have my atheist to take shipping with me , and loosing from this particular speculation of our own inward nature to lanch out into that vast ocean , as i said , of the externall phaenomena of universall nature , or walke with me a while on the wide theatre of this outward world , and diligently to attend to those many and most manifest marks and signes that i shall point him to in this outward frame of things that naturally signify unto us that there is a god. and now first to begin with what is most generall , i say that the phaenomena of day and night , winter and summer , spring-time and harvest , that the manner of rising and setting of the sun , moon and starrs , that all these are signes and tokens unto us that there is a god , that is , that things are so framed that they naturally imply a principle of wisdome and counsell in the authour of them . and if the●e be such an authour of externall nature , there is a god. but here it will be reply'd ▪ that meere motion of the universall matter will at last necessarily grinde it self into those more rude and generall delineations of nature that are observed in the circuits of the sunne , moone and s●arres , and the generall consequences of them . but if the mind of man g●ow so bold as to conceipt any such thing , let him examine his faculties what they naturally conceive of the notion of matter . and verily the great master of this mechanicall hypothesis does not suppose not admitt of any specificall difference in this universall matter , out of which this outward frame of the world should arise . neither do i think that any man else will easily imagine but that all the matter of the world is of one kind for its very substance or essence . now therefore i demand concerning this universall uniform matter , whether naturally motion or rest belongs unto it . if motion it being acknowledg'd uniforme , it must be alike moved in every part or particle imaginable of it . for this motion bring naturall and essentiall to the matter is alike every where in it , and therefore has loosened every atome of it to the utmost capacity , so that every particle is alike , and moved alike , and therefore there being no prevalency at all in any one atome above another in biggnesse or motion , it is manifest that this universall matter , to whom motion is so essentiall and intrinsecall , will be ineffectu●ll ●or the producing of any varity of appearances in nature , and so●o sunnes , nor starres no● earths , nor vortic●s 〈◊〉 ever arise out of this infinitely thin and still matter , which most thus eternally remain unperceptible to any of 〈◊〉 , were our senses ten thousand millions of times 〈…〉 then they are ▪ indeed there could not be any such thing as either man or sense in the world . but we see this matter shewes it self to us , in abundance of varieti●●●●● appearance ; therefore there must be another principle besides the matter to order the motion of it so , as may make these varieties to appear : and what will that prove but a god ? but if you 'l say that motion is not of the nature of matter ( as indeed it is very hard to conceive it , the matter supposed homogeneall ) but that it is inert and stupid of it self ; then it must be moved from some other , and thus of necessity we shall be cast upon a god , or at least a spirituall substance actuating the matter ▪ which the atheists are as much affraid of , as children are of spirits , or themselves of a god. but men that are much degenerate know not the naturall emanations of their own minds , but think of all things confusedly , and therefore it may be will not stick to affirm , that either the parts of the matter are specifically different , or though they be not , yet some are moveable of themselves , others inclinable to rest , and was ever so ; for it happened so to be , though there be no reason for it in the thing it self ; which is to wound our faculties with so wide a gap , that after this they will let in any thing , and take away all pretence to any principles of knowledge . but to scuffle and combat with them in their own dark c●verns , let the universall matter be a heterogeneall chaos of confusion , variously moved and as it happens : i say there is no likelyhood that this mad motion would ever amount to so wise a contrivance as is discernable even in the generall delineations of nature . nay it will not amount to a naturall appearance of what we see and is conceived most easy thus to come to passe , to wit , a round 〈◊〉 , moon , and earth . for it is shrewdly to be suspected that if there were no superintendent over the motions of those aetheriall whirle-pooles , which the french philosophy supposes , that the form of the sun and the rest of the starres would be oblong not round , because the matter recedes all along the axis of a vortex , as well as from the center , and therefore naturally the space that is left for the finest and subtilest element of all , of which the sunne and starres are to consist , will be long not round . wherefore this round figure we see them in , must proceed from some higher principle then the meere agitation of the matter : but whether simply spermaticall , or sensitive also and intellectuall , i 'le leave to the disquisition of others who are more at leasure to meddle with such curiosities . the businesse that lies me in hand to make good is this , that taking that for granted which these great naturallists would have allowed , to wit , that the earth moves about the sunne , i say the laws of its motion are such , that if they had been imposed on her by humane reason and counsell , they would have been no other then they are . so that appealing to our own faculties , we are to confesse that the motion of the sunne and starres , or of the earth , as our naturallists would have it , is from a knowing principle , or at least has pass'd the approbation and allowance of such a principle . for as art takes what nature wi●l afford for her purpose , and makes up the rest her self ; so the eternall mind ( that put the universall matter upon motion , as i conceive most reasonable , or if the matter be confusedly mov'd of its self , as the atheist wilfully contends ) this eternall mind , i say , takes the easy and naturall results of this generall impresse of motion , where they are for his purpose , where they are not he rectifies and compleats them . and verily it is farre more suteable to reason that god making the matter of that nature that it can by meere motion produce something , that it should go on so farre as that single advantage could naturally carry it , that so the wit of man , whom god has made to contemplate the phaenomena of nature , may have a more fit object to exercise it self upon . for thus is the understanding of man very highly gratifi'd , when the works of god and there manner of production are made intelligible unto him by a naturall deduction of one thing from another : which would not have been if god had on purpose avoided what the matter upon motion naturally afforded , and cancelled the laws thereof in every thing . besides to have altered or added any thing further where there was no need , had been to multiply entities to no purpose . thus it is therefore with divine providence ; what that one single impresse of motion upon the vniversall matter will afford that is usefull and good , it does allow and take in ; what it might have miscarried in , or could not amount to , it directs or supplies . as in little pieces of wood naturally bow'd like a mans elbow , the carver does not unbow it , but carves an hand at the one end of it , and shapes it into the compleat figure of a mans arme. that therefore that i contend for is this , that be the matter moved how it will , the appearances of things are such as do manifestly intimate that they are either appointed all of them , or at least approved by an universall principle of wisdome and counsell . chap. ii. the perpetuall parallelisme of the axis of the earth and its due proportion of inclination , as also the course of the moon crossing the ecliptick , evident arguments that the fluid matter is guided by a divine providence . the atheists sophisme of arguing from some petty inconsiderable effects of the motion of the matter , that the said motion is cause of all things , seasonably detected and deservedly derided . now therefore to admit the motion of the earth , & to talk w th the naturallists in their own dialect , i demand whether it be better to have the axis of the earth steddy , and perpetually parrallell with its self , or to have it carelesly tumble this way and that way as it happens , or at least very variously and intricately . and you cannot but answer me that it is better to have it steady and parallel : for in this lyes the necessary foundation of the art of navigation and dialling . for that steddy stream of particles which is supposed to keep the axis of the earth parallel to it self , affords the mariner both his cynosura and his compasse . the load-stone and the load-star depend both on this . and dialling could not be at all without it . but both of these arts are pleasant , and the one especially of mighty importance to mankind . for thus there is an orderly measuring of time for our affaires at home , and an opportunity of traffick abroad , with the most remote nations of the world , and so there is a mutual supply of the severall commodities of all countreys , besides the inlarging of our understanding by so ample experience we get of both men and things . wherefore if we were rationally to consult , whether the axis of the earth is to be held steady and parallel to it self , or to be left at randome , wee would conclude that it ought to be steady . and so we find it de facto , though the earth move floating in the liquid heavens . so that appealing to our own facultyes , we are to affirm that the constant direction of the axis o● the earth was established by a principle of wisedom● and counsell ▪ or at least approved of it . again , there being severall post●●es of this steady direction of the axis of the earth , v●z , either perpendicular to a plane going through the center of the sun , or coincident or incl●ning , i demand which of all these reason and knowledge would make choise of . not of a perpendicular posture , for both the pleasant variety and great conveniency of summer and winter , spring● time and harvest would be lost ; and for want of accession of the sun , these parts of the earth that bring forth fruit now and are habitable , would be i● an incapacity of ever bringing forth any , and consequently could entertain no inhabitants ; and those parts that the full h●at of the sun could reach , he plying them allwayes alike without any annual recession or intermission , would at last grow tired and exhausted . and besides consulting with our own facultyes we observe , that an orderly vicissitude of things , is most pleasant unto us , and does much more gratifie the contemplative property in man. and now in the second place ▪ nor would reason make choice of a coincident position of the axis of the earth . for if the axis thus lay in a plane that goes through the center of the sun , the ecliptick would like a colure or one of the meridians passe through the poles of the earth , which would put the inhabitants of the world into a pittifull condition . for they that scape best in the temperate zone , would be accloy'd with very tedious long nights , no lesse then fourty dayes long , and they that now have their night never aboue fovr and twenty houres , as friseland , iseland , the further parts of russia and norway , would be deprived of the sun above a hundred and thirty dayes together , our selves in england and the rest of the same clime would be closed up in darknesse no lesse then an hundred or eighty continuall dayes , and so proportionably of the rest both in and out of the temperate zones . and as for summer and winter , though those vicissitudes would be , yet it could not but cause very raging diseases , to have the sun stay so long describing his little circles neer the poles and lying so hot upon the inhabitants that had been in so long extremity of darknesse and cold before . it remaines therefore that the posture of the axis of the earth be inclining , not coincident nor perpendicular to the forenamed plane . and verily it is not onely inclining , but in so fit proportion , that there can be no fitter excogi●ated , to make it to the utmost capacity as well pleasant as habitable . for though the course of the sun be curbed within the compasse of the tropicks and so makes those parts very hot , yet the constantgales of wind from the east ( to say nothing of the nature and fit length of their nights ) make the torrid zone not only habitable but pleasant . now this best posture which our reason would make choise of , we see really establish'd in nature , and therefore , if we be not perverse and willful , we are to inferre that it was established by a principle that has in it knowledge and counsell , not from a blind fortuitous jumbling of the parts of the matter one against another , especially having found before in ourselves a knowing spiritual substance that is also able to move and alter the matter . wherefore i say we should more naturally conclude , that there is some such universall knowing principle , that has power to move and direct the matter ; then to fancy that a confused justling of the parts of the matter should contrive themselves into such a condition , as if they had in them reason and counsell , and could direct themselves . but this directing principle what could it be but god ? but to speake the same thing more briefly and yet more intelligibly , to those that are only acquainted with the ptolemaicall hypothesis : i say that being it might have happened that the annuall course of the sun should have been through the poles of the world , and that the axis of the heavens might have been very troublesomely and disorderly moveable , from whence all those inconveniencies would arise which i have above mentioned ; and yet they are not but are so ordered as our own reason must approve of as best ; it is naturall for a man to conceive , that they are really ordered by a principle of reason and counsell , that is , that they are made by an all wise and all-powerful god. i will only adde one or two observables more , concerning the axis of the earth and the course of the moon , and so i will passe to other things . it cannot but be acknowledged that if the axis of the earth were perpendicular to the plane of the sun 's ecliptick , that her motion would be more easy and naturall , and yet for the conveniencies afore mentioned we see it is made to stand in an inclining posture . so in all likelyhood it would be more easy and naturall for that hand-maid of the earth the moon , to finish her monethly courses in the aequinoctiall line , but we see like the sun she crosses it and expatiates some degrees further then the sun him self , that her exalted light might be more comfortable to those that live very much north , in their long nights . wherefore i conclude that though it were possible , that the confused agitation of the parts of the matter might make a round hard heap like the earth , and more thin and liquid bodies like the aether , and sun , and that the earth may swimme in this liquid aether like a rosted apple in a great bowle of wine , and be carried about like straws or grasse cast upon a whirle-poole , yet that it's motion and posture should be so directed and attemper'd as we our selves that have reason upon due consideration would have it to be ; and yet not to be from that which is knowing and in some sense reasonable ; is to our faculties , if they discerne any thing at all , as absonous and absurd as any thing can be . for when it had been easier to have been otherwise , why should it be thus , if some superintendent cause did not oversee and direct the motions of the matter , allowing nothing therein but what our reason will confesse to be to very good purpose ? but because so many bullets joggled together in a mans hat will settle to such a determinate figure , or because the frost and the wind will draw upon dores and glasse-windows pretty uncouth streaks like feathers , and other fooleries which are to no use or purpose , to inferre thence that all the contrivances that are in nature , even the frame of the bodyes both of men and beasts , are from no other principle but the jumbling together of the matter , and so because that this does naturally effect something that it is the cause of all things , seems to me , to be a reasoning in the same mood and figure with that wise market-mans , who going down a hill , and carrying his cheeses under his armes , one of them falling and trundling down the hill very fast , let the other go after it , appointing them all to meet him at his house at gotham , not doubting but they beginning so hopefully would be able to make good the whole journey . or like another of the same town , who perceiving that his iron trevet he had bought had three feet , and could stand , expected also that it should walk too and save him the labour of the carriage . so our profound atheists and epicureans according to the same pitch of wisdome do not stick to infe●●e , because this confused motion of the parts of the master may amount to a rude delineation of hard and soft , rigid and fluid , and the like ; that therefore it will go on further and reach to the disposing of the matter in such order as does naturally imply a principle ▪ that someway or other contains in it exact wisdome and counsell . a position more beseeming the wise-men above mentioned , then any one that has the least command of his naturall wit and faculties . wherefore we having sufficiently detected the ridiculous folly of this present sophisme , let us attending heedfully to the naturall emanations of unprejudic'd reason conclude , that the rising and setting of the lights of heaven , the vicissitude of day and night , winter and summer , being so ordered and guided , as if they had been settled by exquisite consultation , and by clearest knowledge ; that therefore that which did thus ordaine them is a knowing principle , able to move , alter and guide the matter according to his own will and providence , that is to say , that there is a god. and verily i do not at all doubt but that i shall evidently trace the visible foot-steps of this divine counsell and providence , even in all things discoverable in the world . but i will passe through them as lightly and briefly as i can . chap. iii. that rivers , quarries of stone , timber-wood , metalls , mineralls , and the magnet , considering the nature of man , what use he can make of them , are manifest signes that the rude motion of the matter is not left to it self , but is under the guidance and super-intendency of an all-wise god. let us therefore swiftly course over the vallies and mountains , sound the depth of the sea , range the woods and forests , dig into the entrailes of the earth , and let the atheist tell me which of all these places are silent and say nothing of a god. those that are most dumbe will at least compromize with the rest , that all things are by the guidance and determination ( let the matter move as it will ) or at least by the allowance , and approbation of a knowing principle : as a mason that makes a wall , sometimes meets with a stone that wants no cutting , and so only approving of it he places it in his work . and a piece of timber may happen to be crack'd in the very place where the carpenter would cleave it , and he need not close it first that he may cleave it asunder afterwards ; wherefore it the mee● motion of the matter can do any rude generall thing of good consequence , let it stand as allowable ; but we shall find out also those things which do so manifestly ●avour of designe and counsell , that we cannot naturally withhold our assent , but must say there is a god. and now let us betake out selves to the search , and see if all things be not so as our reason would desire them . and to begin at the top first , even those rudely scattered mountains , that seeme but so many wens and unnaturall protu●erancies upon the face of the earth , if you consider but of what consequence they are , thus reconciled you may deeme them ornaments as well as usefull . for these are natures stillatories in whose hollow cavernes the ascending vapours are congealed to that universal aqua vitae , that good fresh-water , the liquor of life , that sustaines all the living creatures in the world , being carried along in all parts of the earth in the winding chanels of brookes and rivers . geography would make it good by a large induction . i will onely instance in three or foure : ana and tagus run from sierra molina in spain , rhenus , padus and rhodanus from the alpes , tenats from the riphean , garumna from the pyrene●n mountains , achelous from pindus , hebrus from rhodope , tigris from niphates , or●ntes from libanus , and euphraetes from the mountains of armenia , and so in the rest . but i will not insist upon this , i will now betake my self to what does more forcibly declare an eye of providence , directing and determining as well as approving of the results of the supposed agitation of the parts of the matter . and that you may the better feel the strength of my argument , let us first briefly consider the nature of man , what faculties he has , and in what order he is in respect of the rest of the creatures . and indeed though his body he but weak and disarmed , yet his inward abilities of reason and artificiall contrivance is admirable . he is much given to contemplation , and the viewing of this theatre of the world , to trafick and commerce with forrain nations , to the building of houses and ships , to the making curious instruments of silver , brasse or steele , and the like . in a word he is the flower and chief of all the products of nature upon this globe of the earth . now if i can shew that there are designes laid even in the lowest and vilest products of nature that respect man the highest of all , you cannot deny but that there is an eye of providence that respecteth all things , and passeth very swiftly from the top to the bottome , disposing all things wisely . i therefore now demand , man being of this nature that he is , whether these noble faculties of his would not be lost and frustrate were there not materialls to excercise them on . and in the second place i desire to know , whether the rude confused agitation of the particles of the matter do certainly produce any such materialls fit for man to exercise his skill on or no ; that is to say , whether there were any necessity that could infallibly produce quarries of stone in the earth which are the chief materialls of all the magnificent structures of building in the world ; and the same of iron and steel , without which there had been no use of these stones ; and then of sea-coal and other necessary fewel , fit for the working or melting of these metalls ; and also of timber trees , for all might have been as well brush-wood and shrubs ; and then assuredly there had been no such convenient shipping , what ever had become of other buildings ; and so of the load-stone that great help to navigation , whether it might not have laine so low in the earth as never to have been reached by the industry of man ; and the same may be said also of other stones and metalls , that they being heaviest might have laine lowest . assuredly the agitated matter , unlesse there were some speciall over-powering guidance over it , might as well have over-slipt these necessary usefull things , as hit upon them : but if there had not been such a creature as man , these very things themselves had been uselesse , for none of the bruit beasts make use of such commodities , wherefore unlesse a man will doe enormous violence to his faculties , he must conclude that there is a contrivance of providence and counsell in all those things , which reacheth from the beginning to the end , and orders all things sweetly . and that providence foreseeing what a kind of creature she would make man , provided him with materialls from whence he might be able to adorne his present age , and furnish history with the records of egregious exploits both of art and valour . but without the provision of the forenamed materialls , the glory and pompe both of warre and peace had been lost . for men instead of those magnificent buildings which are seen in the world , could have had no better kind of dwellings , then a bigger sort of bee-hives or birds-nests made of contemptible sticks and straws & durty mo●ter . and instead of the usuall pompe and bravery of warre , wherein is heard the solemne sound of the hoarse trumpett , the couragious beating of the drumm , the neighing and pransing of the horses , clattering of armour , and the terrible thunder of cannons , to say nothing of the glittering of the sword and spear ▪ the waving and fluttering of displayed colours , the gallantry of charges upon their well managed steeds and the like : i say had it not been for the forenamed provision of iron , steel and brasse , and such like necessary materialls , instead of all this glory and solemnity , there had been nothing but howlings and showtings of poor naked men belabouring one another with snag'd sticks , or dully falling together by the eares at fi●ti-cuffs . besides this , beasts being naturally armed , and men naturally unarmed with any thing save their reason , and reason being ineffectuall having no materialls to work upon , it is plaine that that which made men , beasts and metalls , knew what it did , and did not forget it self in leaving man destitute of naturall armature , having provided materialls , and giving him wit and abilityes to arme himself , and so to be able to make his party good against the most fierce and stoutest of all living creatures whatsoever , nay indeed left him unarmed on purpose that he might arme himself and excercise his naturall wit and industry . chap. iv. a further proof of divine providence taken from the sea , and the large train of causes laid together in reference to navigation . having thus passed over the hills and through the woods and hollow entrailes of the earth , let us now view the wide sea also , and see whether that do not informe us that there is a god , that is , whether things be not there in such sort as a rationall principle would either order or approve , when as yet notwithstanding they might have been otherwise . and now we are come to view those campos natantes as lucretius calls them , that vast champian of water the ocean , i demand first whether it might not have been wider then it is , even so large as to overspread the face of the whole earth , and so to have taken away the habitation of men and beasts . for the wet particles might have easily ever mingled with the dry , and so all had either been sea or quag-mire . secondly though this distinction of land and sea be made , whether this watry element might not have fallen out to be of so thin a consistency as that it would not beare shipping ; for it is so farre from impossibility , as there be de facto in nature such waters , as the river silas for example in india . and the waters of b●risthenes are so thin and light , that they are said to swim upon the top of the stream of the river hypanis . and we know there is some kind of wood so heavy , that it will sink in any ordinary kind of water . thirdly and lastly , i appeale to any mans reason , whether it be not better that there should be a distinction of land and sea , then that all should be mire or water ; and whether it be not better that the timber-trees afford wood so light that it swim on the water , or the water be so heavy that it will beare up the wood , then the contrary . that therefore which might have been otherwise , and yet is settled according to our own hearts wish who are knowing and rationall creatures , ought to be deemed by us as established by counsell and reason . and the closer we looke into the buisinesse we shall discerne more evident foot-steps of providence in it . for the two maine properties of man being contemplation and sociablenesse or love of converse , there could nothing so highly gratify his nature as power of navigation , whereby he riding on the back of the waves of the sea , views the wonders of the deep , and by reason of the gl●bnesse of that element , is able in a competent time to prove the truth of those sagacious suggestions of his own mind , that is , whether the earth be every way round , and whether there be any antipodes , and the like ; and by cutting the aequinoctiall line decides that controversy of the habitablenesse of the torrid zone , or rather wipes out that blot that lay upon divine providence , as if so great a share of the world had been lost by reason of unfitnesse for habitation . besides the falling upon strange coasts and discovering men of so great a diversity of manners from our selves , cannot but be a thing of infinite pleasure and advantage to the enlargement of our thoughts from what we observe in their conversation , parts , and poli●y . adde unto this the sundry rarities of nature , and commodities proper to severall countries , which they that stay at home enjoy by the travailes of those that go abroad , and they that travaile grow rich for their adventure . now therefore navigation being of so great consequence , to the delight and convenience ▪ of humane life , and there being both wit and courage in man to attempt the seas , were he but ●itted with right materialls and other advantages requisite ; when we see there is so pat a provision made for him to this pu●pose , in large timber for the building of his ship , in a thick sea-water sufficient to beare the ships burden , in the magnet or load-stone for his compasse , in the steady and parallell direction of the axis of the earth for his cynosura ; and then observing his naturall wit and courage to make use of them , and how that ingenit desire of knowledge an● converse , and of the improving of his own parts and happinesse stirre him up to so notable a designe ; we cannot but conclude from such a traine of causes so ●ittly and congruously complying together , that it was really the counsell of a● universall and eternall mind that has the overseeing and guidance of the whole frame of nature , that laid these causes so carefully and wisely together , that is , we cannot but conclude that there is a god. and if we have got so fast foot-hold already in this truth by the consideration of such phaenomena in the world that seeme more rude and generall , what will the contemplation of the more particular and more polished pieces of nature afford in vegetables , animalls and the body of man ? chap. v. though the meere motion of the matter may do something , yet it will not amount to the production of plants and animalls . that it is no botch in nature that some phaenomena be the results of motion , others of substantiall formes . that beauty is not a meere phancy ; and that the beauty of plants is an argument that they are from an intellectuall principle . hitherto we have only considered the more rude and carelesse strokes and delineaments of divine providence in the world , set out in those more large phaenomena of day and night , winter and summer , land and sea , rivers , mountains ▪ metalls and the like ; we now come to a closer view of god and nature in vegetables , animalls , and man. and first of vegetables , where i shall touch only these foure heads , their forme and beauty , their seed , their signatures & their great vse as well for medicine as sustenance . and that we may the better understand the advantage we have in this closer contemplation of the works of nature , we are in the first place to take notice of the condition of that substance which we call matter , how fluid and slippery and undeterminate it is of it self : or if it be hard , how unfit it is to be chang'd into any thing else . and therefore all things rot into a moisture before any thing can be generated of them , as we soften the wax before we set on the seal . now therefore , unlesse we will be so foolish , as because the uniforme motion of the aire , or some more subtile corporeall element , may so equally compresse or beare against the parts of a little vapourous moisture as to forme it into round drops ( as we see in the dew and other experiments ) and therefore because this more rude and generall motion can do something , to conclude that it does all things ; we must in all reason confesse that there is an eternall mind , in vertue whereof the matter is thus usefully formed and changed . but meere rude and undirected motion , because naturally it will have some kind of results , that therefore it will reach to such as plainly imply a wise contrivance of counsell , is so ridiculous a sophisme , as i have already intimated , that it is more fit to impose upon the inconsiderate souls of fooles and children then upon men of mature reason and well exercis'd in philosophy . admit that raine and snow and wind and haile and ice and such like meteors may be the products of heat and cold , or of the motion and rest of certaine small particles of the matter ; yet that the usefull and beautifull contrivance of the branches , flowers and fruits of plants should be so too ( to say nothing yet of the bodyes of birds , fishes , beasts and men ) is as ridiculous and supine a collection , as to inferre that because mere heat and cold does soften and harden waxe and puts it into some shape or other , that therefore this mere heat and cold or motion and rest , without any art or direction made the silver seal too , and graved upon it so curiously some coat of armes , or the shape of some birds or beasts , as an eagle , a lyon and the like . nay indeed this inference is more tolerable farre then the other , these effects of art being more easy and lesse noble then those others of nature . nor is it any botch or gap at all in the works of nature that some particular phaenomena be but the easy results of that generall motion communicated unto the matter from god , others the effects of more curious contrivance or of the divine art or reason ( for such are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rationes seminales ) incorporated in the matter , especially the matter it self being in some sort vitall , else it would not continue the motion that it is put upon when it is occasionally this or the other way moved ; & besides , the nature of god being the most perfect fullnesse of life that is possibly conceivable , it is very congruous that this outmost and remotest shadow of himself be some way though but ob●curely vitall . wherefore things falling off by degrees from the highest perfection , it will be no uneven or unproportionable step , if descending from the top of this outward creation , man , in whom there is a principle of more fine and reflexive reason , which hangs on , though not in that manner in the more perfect kind of brutes , as sense also , loth to be curb'd within too narrow a compasse , layes hold upon some kinds of plants , as in those sundry sorts of zoophyta , but in the rest there are no further foot-steps discovered of an animadversive forme abiding in them , yet there be the effects of an inadvertent form ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) of materiated or incorporated art or seminall reason : i say it is no uneven jot , to passe from the more faint and obscure examples of spermaticall life , to the more considerable effects of generall motion , in mineralls , metalls & sundry meteors , whose easy & rude shapes have no need of any particular principle of life or spermaticall forme distinct from the rest or motion of the particles of the matter . but there is that curiosity of forme and beauty in the more noble kind of plants bearing such a sutablenesse and harmony with the more refined ●ense and sagacity of the soul of man , that he cannot chose ( his intellectuall touch being so sweetly gratifide by what it deprehends in such like objects but acknowledge that some hidden cause much a kin to his own nature , that is intellectuall , is the contriver & perfecter of these so pleasant spectacles in the world . nor is it all to the purpose to object , that this buisinesse of beauty and comelinesse of proportion is but a conceit , because some men acknowledge no such thing , & all things are alike handsome to them , who yet notwithstanding have the use of their eyes as well as other folkes . for i say this rather makes for what we a yme at , that pulchritude is convey'd indeed by the outward senses unto the soul , but a more intellectuall faculty is that which relishes it ; as a geometricall scheme is let in by the eyes , but the demonstration is discern'd by reason . and therefore it is more rationall to affirm that some intellectuall principle was the authour of this pulchritude of things , then that they should be thus fashion'd without the help of that principle . and to say that there is no such thing as pulchritude , because some mens souls are so dull & stupid that they relish all objects alike in that respect , is as absurd and groundlesse as to conclude there is no such thing as reason and demonstration , because a naturall fool cannot reach unto it . but that there is such a thing as beauty , & that it is acknowledged by the whole generations of men to be in trees , flowers and fruits ; the adorning and beautifying of buildings in all ages is an ample & undenyable testimony . for what is more ordinary with them then the taking in flowers and fruitage for the garnishing of their work ? besides i appeal to any man that is not sunk into so forlorne a pitch of degeneracy , that he is as stupid of these things as the ba●est of beasts ▪ whether for example a rightly cut tetraedrum , cube or icosaedrum have no more pulchritude in them , then any rude broken stone lying in the field or high wayes ; or to name other solid figures which though they be not regular properly so called , yet have a settled idea and nature , as a cone , sphear or cylinder , whether the ●ight of these doe not gratifie the minds of men more , and pretend to more elegancy of shape , then those rude cuttings or ch●ppings of free stone that fall from the masons hands and serve for nothing but to fill up the middle of the wall , and so to be hid from the eyes of man for their ●glinesse . and it is observable that if nature shape any thing near this geometricall accuracy , that we take notice of it with much content and pleasure ; as if it be but exactly round ( as there are abundance of such stones found betwixt●two hills in cuba an iland or america ) or ordinatly quinquangular , or have the sides but parallell , though the angles be unequall , as is seen in some little stones , and in a kind of alabaster found here in england ; these stones i say gratifie our sight , as having a neerer cognation with the soul of man , that is rationall and intellectuall ; and therefore is well pleased when it meets with any outward object that fits and agrees with those conge●it ideas her own nature is furnished with . for symmetry , equality , and correspondency of parts is the discernment of reason , not the object of sense , as i have heretofore proved . now therefore it being evident that there is such a thing as beauty , symmetry and comelinesse of proportion ( to say nothing of the delightfull mixture of colours ) and that this is the proper object of the understanding and reason ( for these things be not taken notice of by the beasts ) i think i may safely inferre that whatever is the first and principall cause of changing the fluid and undeterminated matter into shapes so comely and symmetricall , as wee see in flowers and trees , is an understanding principle , and knows both the nature of man and of those objects he offers to his sight in this outward and visible world . for these things cannot come by chance or by a multi●arious attempt of the parts of the matter upon themselves , for then it were likely that the species of things ( though some might hit right , yet most ) would be maym'd and ridiculous ; but now there is not any ineptitude in any thing which is a signe that the fluidnesse of the matter is guided and determined by the overpowering counsell of an eternall mind , that is , of a god. if it were not needlesse i might now instance in sundry kinds of flowers , herbes and trees ● but these objects being so obvious and every mans phansie being branched with the remembrance of roses , marigolds , gillyflowers , pionyes , tulips , pa●sies , primroses , the leaves and clusters of the vine , and a thousand such like , of all which they cannot but confesse , that there is in them beauty and symmetry and gratefull proportion , i hold it superfluous to weary you with any longer induction , but shall passe on to the three considerations behind , of their seed , signatures and vsefulnesse , and shall passe through them very briefly , the observables being very ordinary and easily intelligible . chap. vi. the seeds and signatures of plants , arguments of a divine providence . i say therefore in that every plant ▪ has its seed , it is an evident signe of divine providence . for it being no necessary result of the motion of the matter , as the whole contrivance of the plant indeed is not , and it being of so great consequence that they have seed for the continuance and propagation of their own species , and for the gartifying of mans art also , industry and necessityes , ( for much of husbandry and gradening lyes in this ) it cannot but be an act of counsell to furnish the severall kinds of plants with their seeds , especially the earth being of such a nature , that though at first for a while it might bring forth all manner of plants , ( as some will have it also to have brought forth all kinds of animalls ) yet at last it would grow so sluggish , that without the advantage of those small compendious principles of generation , the graines of seed , it would yield no such births ; no more then a pump grown dry will yield any water , unless you pour a little water into it first , & then for one bason-full you may fetch up so many soe-fulls . nor is it materiall to object that stinking weeds , and poysonous plants bear seed too as well as the most pleasant and most usefull , for even those stinking weeds and poysonous plants have their use . for first the industry of man is excercised by them to weed them out where they are hurtfull . which reason if it seem slight , let us but consider that if humane industry had nothing to conflict and struggle with , the fire of mans spirit would be half extinguish'd in the flesh , and then wee shall acknowledge that that which i have alledged is not so contemptible nor invalid . but secondly who knows but it is so with poysonous plants , as vulgarly is phansied concerning toads and other poysonous serpents , that they lick the venome from off the earth ? so poysonous plants may well draw to them all the maligne juice and nourishment that the other may be more pure and defaecate , as there are receptacles in the body of man and emunctories to draine them of superfluous choler , melancholy and the like . but lastly it is very well known by them that know any thing in nature and physick , that those herbs that the rude and ignorant would call weeds are the materialls of very soveraigne medicines , that aconitum hyemale or winter wolfes bane , that otherwise is ranck poyson , is reported to prevaile mightily against the bitings of vipers and scorpions , which crollius assenteth unto . and that that plant that bears death in the very name of it , solanum laethiferum , prevents death by procuring sleep , if it be rightly apply'd in a feaver . nor are those things to be deemed unprofitable whose use we know not yet , for all is not to be known at once , that succeeding ages may ever have something left to gratifie themselves in their own discoveries . we come now to the signatures of plants , which seems no lesse argument that the highest originall of the works of nature is some understanding principle , then that so carefull provision of their seed . nay indeed this respects us more properly and adaequare●y then the other , and is a certaine key to enter man into the knowledge and use of the treasures of nature . i demand therefore whether it be not a very easie and genuine inference from the observing that severall herbs are marked with some marke or signe that intimates their vertue , what they are good for ; and there being such a creature as man in the world that can read and understand these signes and characters , hence to collect that the authour both of man and them knew the nature of them both ; for it is like the inscriptions upon apothecaries boxes that the master of the shop 〈◊〉 on ▪ that the apprentise may read them ; nay it is better , for here is in herbs inscribed the ve●y nature and use of them ▪ not the meere name . nor is there any necessity that all should be thus signed , though some be ; for the rarity of it is the delight ; for otherwise it had been dull and cloying , too much harping upon the same string . and besides divine providence would onely initiate and enter mankind into the usefull knowledge of her treasures , leaving the rest to imploy our industry that we might not live like idle loyterers and truants . for the theatre of the world is an excercise of mans wit , not a lazy polyanthea or book of common places . and therefore all things are in some measure obscure and intricate , that the sedulity of that divine spark the soul of man , may have matter of conquest and triumph when he has done bravely by a superadvenient assistance of his god. but that there be some plants that bear a very evident signature of their nature and use , i shall fully make good by these following instances . capillus vener● , polytrichon or m●ydenhaire , the lye in which it is sodden or in●us'd , is good to wash the head and make the haire grow in those places that are more thin and bare . and the decoction of quinces , which are a downy and hairy fruit , is accounted good for the fetching again hair that has fallen by the french poxe . the leaf of balme and of alleluia or wood-sorrell , as also the roots of anthora represent the heart in figure and are cardiacall . wall nuts beare the whole signature of the head . the outward green cortex answers to the pericranium , and a salt made of it is singularly good for wounds in that part , as the kernell is good for the brains which it resembles . vmbilicus veneris is powerfull to provoke lust as di●scorides affirmes . as also your severall sorts of satyrions which have the evident resemblance of the genitall parts upon them : aron especially , and all your orchisses , that they have given names unto from some beasts or other , as cynosorchis , orchis myodes , tragorchis and the like . the last whereof , notorious also for its goatish smell and tufts not unlike the beard of that lecherous animall , is of all the rest the most powerful incentive to lust. the leaves of hypericon , are very thick prick'd , or pinck'd with little holes , and it is a singular good wound-herb , as usefull also for deobstructing the pores of the body . scorpioides , echium , or scorpion-grasse is like the crooked tayle of a scorpion , and ophioglossum or adders-tongue has a very plain and perfect resemblance of the tongue of a serpent , as also ophioscorodon of the intire head and upper parts of the body , and these are all held very good against poyson and the biting of serpents . and generally all such plants as are speckled with spots like the skins of vipers or other venemous creatures , are known to be good against the stings or bitings of them , and are powerfull antidotes against poyson . thus did divine providence by naturall hieroglyphicks read short physick lectures to the rude wit of man , that being a little entered and engaged he might by his own industry and endeavours search out the rest himself , it being very reasonable that other herbs that had not such signatures ▪ might be very good for medicinall uses , as well as they that had . but if any here object that some herbs have the resemblance of such things as cannot in any likelyhood referre to physick , as geranium , cruciata , bursa pastoris , & the like ; i say they answer themselves in the very proposall of their objection : for this is a signe that they were intended onely for ludicrous ornaments of nature , like the flourishes about a great letter that signify nothing but are made onely to delight the eye . and 't is so farre from being any inconvenience to our first progenitours if this intimation of signatures did faile , that it cast them with more courage upon attempting the vertue of those that had no such signatures at all ; it being obvious for them to reason thus , why may not those herbs have medicinall vertue in them that have no signatures , as well as they that have signatures have no vertue answerable to the signes they beare ? which was a further confirmation to them of the former conclusion . and it was sufficient that those that were of so present and great consequence as to be antidotes against poyson that so quickly would have dispatch'd poore rude and naked antiquity , or to helpe on the small beginnings of the world by quickning and actuating their phlegmatick natures to more frequent and effectuall venery ( for their long lives shew they were not very fiery ) i say it was sufficient that herbs of this kind were so legibly sign'd with characters that so plainly bewrai'd their usefull vertues , as is manifest in your satyrions , ophioglossum , and the like . but i have dwelt too long upon this theory , wee 'l betake our selves to what followes . chap. vii . arguments of divine providence drawn from the usefulness of plants . vve are at length come to the fourth and last consideration of plants , viz. their vse & profitablenesse . and to say nothing now of those greater trees that are fit for timber , and are the requisite materials for the building of ships and magnificent houses , to adorne the earth , and make the life of man more splendid and delectable ; as also for the erecting of those holy structures consecrated to divine worship amongst which we are not to forget that famous aedifice , that glorious temple at jerusalem consecrated to the great god of heaven and earth : as indeed it was most fit that he whose guidance & providence permitted not the strength of the earth to spend it self in base gravel and pebbles insteed of quarries of stones , nor in briars and brush-wood instead of pines , cedars and okes , that he should at some time or other have the most stately magnificent temples erected to him , that the wit and industry of man and the best of those materials could afford . it being the most suteable acknowledgment of thanks for that piece of providence that can be invented . and it is the very consideration that moved that pious king david to designe the building of a temple to the god of israel ; see now , sayes he , i dwell in a house of cedar , but the arke of god dwelleth within curtains . but as i sayd i will add nothing concerning these things being contented with what i have glanced upon heretofore . we will now briefly take notice of the profitablenesse of plants for physick and food , and then paste on to the consideration of animalls . and as for their medicinall uses , the large herballs that are every where to be had are so ample testimonies thereof , that i have said enough in but reminding you of them . that which is most observable here is this , that brute beasts have some share in their vertue as well as men. for the toad being overcharged with the poison of the spider , as is ordinary believed , has recourse to the plantane leafe . the weasel when she is to encounter the serpent , armes her self with eating of rue . the dog when he is sick at the stomach , knows his cure , falls to his grasse , vomits , and is well . the swallowes make use of celandine ; the linnet of euphragia for the repairing of their sight . and the asse when hee 's oppress'd with melancholy , eats of the herbe asplenium or miltwaste , and so eases himself of the swelling of the spleene . and virgill reports of the dictamnum cretense or cretian dittany , that the wild goats eate it when they are shot with darts or arrowes , for that herb has the vertue to work them out of their body and to heale up the wound . — non illa feris incognita capris gramina , cum tergo volucres h●esere sagitt●e . which things i conceive no obscure indigitation of providence ; for they doing that by instinct and nature , which men who have free reason cannot but acknowledge to be very pertinent and fitting , nay such that the skillfullest physitian will approve and allow ; and these creatures having no such reason and skill themselves , as to turne physitians ; it must needs be concluded that they are inabled to do these things by vertue of that principle that contrived them , and made them of that nature they are , and that that principle therefore must have skill and knowledge , that is , that it must be god. we come now to the consideration of plants as they afford food both to man and beasts . and here we may observe that as there was a generall provision of water by setting the mountains and hills a broche , from whence through the spring-heads and continued rivulets drawn together ( that caused afterwards greater rivers with the long winding distributions of them ) all the creatures of the earth quench their thirst : so divine providence has spread her table every where , not with a juicelesse green carpet , but with succulent herbage and nourishing grasse , upon which most of the beasts of the field doe feed . and they that feed not on it , feed on those that eate it , and so the generations of them all are continued . but this seeming rather necessary then of choise , i will not insist upon it . for i grant that counsell most properly is there implyde where we discerne a variety and possibility of being otherwise , and yet the best is made choise of . therefore i will onely intimate thus much , that though it were necessary that some such thing as grasse should be , if there were such and such creatures in the world , yet it was not at all necessary that grasse and herbs should have that colour which they have , for they might have been red or white , o● some such colour which would have been very offensive and hurtfull to our sight . but i will not insist upon these things ; let us now consider the fruits of trees , where i think it will appear very manifestly , that there was one and the same authour both of man and them , and that assuredly he knew what he did when he made them . for could apples , and oranges , and grapes , and apricocks , and such like fruit , be intended for beasts that hold their heads downward and can scarce look up at them , much lesse know how to reach them ? when we feed our dogs , we set the dish or trencher on the ground , nor on the table . but you 'le say that at last these fruits will fall down , and then the beasts may come at them : but one thing is , there are not many that desire them , and so they would rot upon the ground before they be spent , or be squander'd away in a moment of time , as it might easily fare with the most precious of plants the vine . but man who knowes the worth of the grape knowes to preserve it a long season ( for it is both eaten and drunk some yeares after the vintage ) as he does also gather the rest of the fruits of the earth , and layes up both for himself and his cattel : wherefore it is plainly discoverable that mans coming into the world , is not a thing of chance or necessity , but a designe , as the bringing of worthy guests to a well furnish'd table . and what i have intimated concerning the vine is as eminently , if not more eminently , observable in the ordinary kinds of graine , as wheat and barly , and the like , which also like the vine are made either edible or potable by mans art and industry ; but that 's not the thing that i care so much to observe . that which i drive at now is this : that bread-corne that brings so considerable increase by tillage and husbandry would scarce be at all without it : for that which grows wildly of it self is worth nothing : but it being so wholesome and strengthning a food , that it should yield so plentifull increase , and that this should not be without humane art and industry , does plainly insinuate , that there is a divine providence that intended to excercise the wit of man in husbandry and tillage : which we may the more firmly assure our selves of , if we add unto this the carefull provision of instruments so exactly fitted out for this imployment , viz. the laborious oxe , and the stout but easily manageable horse ; iron for the plough-share , and ropes for the horse-geares to pull by . and it is very seasonable to take notice of this last , it belonging to this consideration of the profitablenesse of plants . and i appeale to any body that will but take the pains a while to consider of what great use and consequence cordage is in the affaires of men , whether it was not a palpable act of providence to send out such plants out of the earth which would affoord it . for we can discover no necessity in nature that there must needs be such plants as hempe and flaxe . wherefore if we will but follow the easy suggestions of free reason , we muust cast it upon providence , which has provided man-kind of such a commodity , that no lesse affaires depend upon , then all the tackling of ships , their sayles and cable-ropes , and what not ? and so consequently all forraigne traffick , and then the transportation of wood and stone , and other necessary materialls for building ; or the carriage of them by land in waines and carts , besides the ordinary use of pulleyes or other engines for the lifting up of heavy weights which the strength of man without these helps would not easily master ; besides what i hinted before concerning the use of cordage in husbandry , in plowing and carrying home the fruits of the earth . the uses indeed of the forenamed plants are so universall , and take place so in every affaire of man , that if it were lawfull to be a little merry in so serious a matter , a man might not unfittingly apply that verse of the poet to this so generall a commodity ; omnia sunt homini tenui pendentia filo . that all the businesses of men do very much depend upon these little long fleaks or threds of hempe and flaxe ▪ or if you will say , that there may some scambling shift be made without them in long chaines of iron , or sayles of woollen and the like ; yet we seeing our seives provided for infinitely better , are in all reason to judge it to proceed from no worse a principle then divine providence . i might now reach out to exotick plants , such as the cinnamon-tree , the balsame-tree , the tree that beares the nutmegge invelloped with the mace , as also the famous nut-tree , which at once almost affords all the necessaries of life . for if they cut but the twiggs at evening , there is a plentifull and pleasant juice comes out , which they receive into bottles and drink instead of wine , and out of which they extract such an aqu●vitae as is very soveraign against all manner of sicknesses . the branches and boughs they make their houses of ; and the body of the tree being very spongy within , though hard without , they easily contrive into the frame and use of their canoes or boates . the kernell of the nut serves them for bread and meat , and the shells for cups to drink in , and indeed they are not mere empty cups , for there is found a delicious cooling milk in them : besides there is a kind of hemp that incloses the nut , of which they make ropes and cables , and of the finest of it sailes for their ships ; and the leaves are so hard and sharpe-pointed , that they easily make needles or bodkins of them , for stitching their sailes and for other necessary purposes . and that providence may shew her self benigne as well as wise , this so notable a plant is not restrain'd to one coast of the world , as suppose the east-indies , but is found also in some parts of africa , and in all the islands of the west-indies , as hispaniola cuba , as also upon the continent of carthagena , in panama , norembega , and severall others parts of the new-found world . but i thought fit not to insist upon these things , but to containe my self within the compasse of such objects as are familiarly and ordinarily before out eyes , that we may the better take occasion from thence to return thanks to him who is the bountiful authour of all the supports of life . chap. viii . the usefullnesse of animalls an argument of divine providence . we are now come to take a view of the nature of animalls : in the contemplation whereof we shall use much what the same method we did in that of plants , for we shall consider in them also , their beauty , their birth , their make and fabrick of body , and vsefullnesse to man-kind . and to dispatch this last first . it is wonderfull easy and naturall to conceive , that as almost all are made in some sort or other for humane uses , so some so notoriously and evidently , that without maine violence done to our faculties we can in no wise deny it . as to instance in those things that are most obvious and familiar ; when we see in the solitary fields a shepheard , his flock , and his dog , how well they are fitted together ; when we knock at a farmers door , and the first that answers shall be his vigilant mastiffe , whom from his use and office he ordinarily names keeper , and i remember theophrastus in his character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tells us , that his master when he has let the stranger in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking his dog by the snout will relate long stories of his usefullnesse and his services he does to the house and them in it . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . this is he that keepes the yard , the house and them within . lastly when we view in the open champian a brace of swift grey-hounds coursing a good stout and well-breathed hare , or a pack of well tuned hounds , and huntsmen on their horse-backs with pleasure and alacrity pursuing their game , or heare them winding their hornes neere a wood side , so that the whole wood rings with the echo of that musick and chearefull yelping of the eager doggs : to say nothing of duck-hunting , of foxe-hunting , of otter-hunting , and a hundred more such like sports and pastimes , that are all performed by this one kind of animall ; i say when we consider this so multifarious congruity and fitnesse of things in reference to our selves , how can we withhold from inferring , that that which made both dogs and ducks and hares and sheep , made them with a reference to us , and knew what it did when it made them ? and though it be possible to be otherwise , yet it is highly improbable that the flesh of sheep should not be designed for food for men ; and that dogs that are such a familiar and domestick creature , to man , amongst other pretty feats that they doe for him , should not be intended to supply the place of a servitour too , and to take away the bones and scraps that nothing might be lost . and unlesse we should expect that nature should make jerkins & stockings grow out of the ground , what could she doe better then afford us so fit materialls for clothing as the wooll of the sheep , there being in man wit and art to make use of it ? to say nothing of the silk-worme that seems to come into the world for no other purpose ▪ then to furnish man with more costly clothing , and to spin away her very entrailes to make him fine without . agains when we view those large bodies of oxen , what can ●e better conceit them to be then so many living and walking powdring tubbs and that they have animam pro sale , as philo speaks of fishes , that their life is but for salt to keepe them sweet till we shall have need to eate them ? besides their hides afford us leather for shooes and boots . as the skins of other beasts also serve for other uses . and indeed man seems to be brought into the world on purpose that the rest of the creation might be improved to the utmost usefulnesse & advantage ; for were it not better that the hides of beasts and their flesh should be made so considerable use of as to feed and cloath men , then that they should rot and stink upon the ground , and fall short of so noble an improvement as to be matter for the exercise of the wit of man , & to afford him the necessary conveniences of life ? for if man did not make use of them , they would either dye of age , or be torne apieces by more cruel masters . wherfore we plainly see that it is an act of reason & counsel to have made man that he might be a lord over the rest of the creation ▪ & keep good quarter among them . and being furnish'd with fit materialls to make himself weapons , as well as with naturall wit and valour , he did bid battaile to the very fiercest of them , and either chased them away into solitudes and deserts , or else brought them under his subjection and gave lawes unto them ; under which they live more peaceably , and are better provided for ( or at least might be , if men were good ) then they could be when they were left to the mercy of the lyon bear or tiger . and what it he doe occasionally and orderly kill some of them for food ? their dispatch is quick and so lesse dolorous then the paw of the bear or the teeth of the lyon , or tedious melancholy and sadnesse of old age , which would first torture them , and then kill them and let them srot upon the ground stinking and uselesse . besides , all the wit and philosophy in the world can never demonstrate , that the killing and slaughtering of a beast is any more then the striking of a bush where a birds nest is , where you fray away the bird and then seize upon the empty nest. so that if we could pierce to the utmost catastrophe of things , all might prove but a tragick-comedy . but as for those rebells that have fled into the mountains and deserts , they are to us a very pleasant subject of naturall history besides we serve our selves of them as much as is to our purpose . and they are not onely for ornaments of the universe , but a continuall exercise of mans wit and valour when he pleases to encounter . but to expect and wish that there were nothing but such dull tame things in the world , that will neither bite nor scratch , is as groundlesse and childish as to wish there were no choler in the body nor fire in the universall compasse of nature . i cannot insist upon the whole result of this warre , nor must forget how that generous animall the horse , had at last the wit to yield himself up , to his own great advantage and ours . and verily he is so fitly made for us , that we wight justly claim a peculiar right in him above all other creatures . when we observe his patient service he does us at the plough , cart , or under the pack-saddle , his speed upon the high way in matters of importance , his dociblenesse and desire of glory and praise , and consequently his notable atchievements in war , where he will knap the speares a pieces with his teeth , and pull his riders enemy out of the saddle ; and then that he might be able to performe all this labour with more ease , that his hoofs are made so fit for the art of the smith , and that round armature of iron he puts upon them ; it is a very hard thing not to acknowledge , that this so congruous contrivance of things was really from a principle of wisdome and counsell . there is also another consideration of ani●alls and their usefulnesse , in removing those evills we are pester'd with by reason of the abundance of some other hurtfull animalls , such as are mice and rats and the like ; and to this end the cat is very serviceable . and there is in the west-indies a beast in the form of a beare which cardan calls vrsus formicarius , whose very businesse it is to eate up all the ants which some parts of that quarter of the world are sometimes excessively plagued withall . we might add also sundry examples of living creatures that not onely bear a singular good affection to mankind , but are also fierce enemies to those that are very hurtfull and cruell to man ; and such are the lizard , an enemy to the serpent ; the dolphin to the crocodile ; the horse to the bear ; the elephant to the dragon , &c. but i list not to insist upon these things . chap. ix . arguments of divine providence fetched from the pulchritude of animalls , as also from the manner of their propagation . i return now to what i proposed first , the beauty of living creatures ; which though the coarse-spirited atheist will not take notice of , as relishing nothing but what is subservient to his tyranny or lust : yet i think it undeniable , but that there is comely symmetry & beautifulnesse in sundry living creatures , a tolerable usefull proportion of parts in all . for neither are all men and women exquisitly handsome , indeed very few , that they that are may raise the greater admiration in the minds of men , and quicken their natural abilities to brave adventures either of valour or poetry . but as for the brute creatures though some of them be of an hatefull aspect , as the toad , the swine & the ra● ; yet these are but like discords in musick to make the succeeding chord goe off more pleasantly , as indeed most of those momentany inconveniences that the life of man ever and anon meets withall they but put a greater edge and vigour upon his enioyments . but it is not hard to find very many creatures , that are either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the philosopher distinguishes , that are either very goodly things and beautifull , or at least elegant and pretty ; as most of your birds are . but for statelinesse and majesty what is comparable to a horse ? whether you looke upon him single , with his mane and his taile waving in the wind , and hear him coursing and neighing in the pastures ; or whether you see him with some gallant heros on his back , performing gracefully his usefull postures , and practising his exploits of warre ; who can withhold from concluding that a providence brought these two together , that are fitted so well to each other that they seem but one compleat spectacle of nature ? which imposed upon the rude people neere thessaly , and gave the occasion of the fabulous centaurs , as if they had been one living creature made up of horse and man. that which i drive at is this , there being that goodlinesse in the bodies of animalls , as in the oxe , grey-hound and stagge ; or that majesty and statelinesse , as in the lyon , the horse , the eagle and cock ; or that grave awfullnesse , as in your best breed of mastives ; or elegancy and prettinesse , as in your lesser dogs , and most sorts of birds , all which are severall modes or beauty , and beauty being an intellectuall object , as symmetry and proportion is ( which i proved sufficiently in what i spake concerning the beauty of plants ) that which naturally followes from all this is , that the authour or originall of these creatures , which are deemed beautifull , must himself be intellectuall , he having contrived so gratefull objects to the mind or intellect of man. after their beauty let us touch upon their birth or manner of propagation . and here i appeale to any man whether the contrivance of male and female in living creatures be not a genuine effect of wisdome and counsell ; for it is notoriously obvious that these are made one for the other , and both for the continuation of the species . for though we should admit with cardan and other naturallists , that the earth at first brought forth all manner of animalls as well as plants , and that they might be fastned by the navell to their common mother the earth , as they are now to the female in the wombe ; yet we see she is growne steril and barren , and her births of animalis are now very inconsiderable . wherefore what can it be but a providence , that whiles she did beare she sent out male and female , that when her own prolifick vertue was wasted ▪ yet she might be a dry-nurse or an officious grand-mother to thousands of generations ? and i say it is providence , not chance nor necessity , for what is there imaginable in the parts of the matter that they should necessarily fall into the structure of so much as an animall , much lesse into so carefull a provision of difference of sexes for their continuall propagation ? nor was it the frequent attempts of the moved matter that first light on animalls , which perpetually were suddainly extinct for want of the difference of sexes , but afterward by chance differenced their sexes also , from whence their kinds have continued . for what is perpetuall , is not by chance ; and the births that now are by putrefaction shew that it is perpetuall . for the earth still constantly brings forth male and female . nor is it any thing to the purpose to reply ( if you will make so large a skip as to cast your self from the land into the water to dive for objections ) that the eele , though it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an animall so perfect as to have bloud in it , yet that it has no distinction of sexe : for if it have not , there is good reason for it , that creature arising out of such kind of matter as will never faile generation . for there will be such like mud as will serve this end so long as there be rivers and longer too , and rivers will not faile so long as there is a sea. wherefore this rather makes for discriminative providence that knew afore the nature and course of all things , and made therefore her contrivances accordingly , doing nothing superfluously or in vain . but in other generations that are more hazardous , though they be sometimes by putrefaction , yet she makes them male and female , as 't is plain in frogs and mice . nor are we to be scandalized at it , that there such carefull provision made for such contemptible vermine as we conceive them : for this onely comes out of pride and ignorance , or a haughty presumption that because we are incouraged to believe that in some sense all things are made for man , that therefore they are not made at all for themselves . but he that pronounces thus , is ignorant of the nature of god and the knowledge of things . for if a good man be mercifull to his beast , then surely a good god is bountifull and benigne , and takes pleasure that all his creatures enjoy themselves that have life and sense and are capable of any enjoyment . so that the swarmes of little vermine , and of flyes , and innumerable such like diminutive creatures , we should rather congratulate their coming into being , then murmure sullenly and scornfully against their existence ; for they find nourishment in the world , which would be lost if they were nor , and are againe convenient nourishment themselves to others that prey upon them . but besides , life being individuated into such infinite numbers that have their distinct sense and pleasure and are sufficiently ●itted with contentments , those little soules are in a manner as much considerable for the taking off or carrying away to themselves the over-flowing benignity of the first original of all things , as the oxe the elephant or whale . for it is sense , nor bulk that makes things capable of enjoyments . wherefore it was fit that there should be a safe provision made for the propagation and continuance of all the kinds of living creatures , not onely of those that are good , but of those also that we rashly and inconsiderately call evill . for they are at least good to enjoy themselves and to partake of the bounty of their creatour . but if they grow noysome and troublesome to us , we have both power and right to curbe them : for there is no question but we are more worth then they or any of the brute creatures . but to returne to the present point in hand ; there are also other manifest footsteps of providence which the generation of living creatures will discover to us , as for example , the maner of procreation of fishes and birds . for there being that notable difference in animalls that some of them are oviparous , others viviparous , that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as philo comprehends them by that generall terme ) that fishes and birds should be oviparous is a plain signe of counsell and providence . for though it will be granted that their species might continue and subsist , though they had been viviparous , yet it would have brought their individualls to very small numbers . for as for fishes , since grasse and herbs are no fruit of the sea , it was necessary that they should feed one upon another , and therefore that they should multiply in very great plenty , which they could not have done any thing neer to that fullnesse they now do , if they had been viviparous as four-footed beasts are : but being now oviparous , and the lesser kinds of them so many at first , and sending forth such infinite numbers of spawn , their generations are neither extinct nor scanted , but are as plentifull as any creatures on the land. and the reason why birds are oviparous & lay egges but do not bring forth their yong alive , is because there might be moreplenty of them also , and that neither the birds of prey , the serpent nor the fowler should straiten their generations too much . for if they had been viviparous , the burden of their wombe , if they had brought forth any competent number at a time , had been so big and heavy , that their wings would have failed them , and so every body would have had the wit to catch the old one . or if they brought but one or two at a time , they would have been troubled all the yeare long with feeding their yong , or bearing them in their wombe ; besides there had been a necessity of too frequent . venery , which had been very prejudiciall to their dry carcases . it was very reasonable therefore that birds should propagate by laying of egges . but this is not all the advantage we shall make of this consideration . i demand further what is it that makes the bird to prepare her nest with that artifice , to sit upon her egges when she has laid them , and to distinguish betwixt these and her uselesse excrement ? did she learne it of her mother before her ? or rather does she not do she knows not what , but yet what ought to be done by the appointment of the most exquisite knowledge that is ? wherefore something else has knowledge for her , which is the maker and contriver of all things , the omniscient and omipotent god. and though you may reply that the hatching of their egges be necessary else their generations would cease ; yet i answere that all the circumstances and curiosities of brooding them are not necessary . for they might have ma●e shift on the ground in the grasse , and not made themselves such curious and safe nests in bushes and trees . besides if all things were left to chance , it is far easier to conceive that there should have been no such things as birds , then that the blind matter should ever have slumbled on such lucky instincts as they that seem but barely necessary . but you 'le object that the ostrich layes egges and hatches them not , ●o that these things are rather by chance then providence . but this rather argues a more exquisite discerning providence then is any argument against it . for the heat of the ground ( like those ovens in egypt , diodorus speaks of ) whereon she layes them , proves effectuall for the production of her yong . so nature tyes not the female to this tedious service where it is needlesse and uselesse ; as in fishes also , who when they have spawn'd are discharg'd of any further trouble : which is a most manifest discovery of a very curious and watchfull eye of providence which suffers nothing to be done ineptly and in vaine . i will only make one advantage more of this speculation of the birth of animalls , and then passe on to what remains . it is observed by those that are more attentive watchers of the works of nature , that the foetus is framed out of some homogeneall liquour or moysture , in which there is no variety of parts of matter to be contrived into bones and flesh ; but , as in an egge for example , about the third day the hen has sate on it , in that part where nature beginnes to set upon her worke of efformation , all is turned into a crystalline liquid substance about her , as also severall insects are bred of little drops of dew : so in all generations besides it is supposed by them , the nature does as it were wipe clean the table-booke first , and then pourtray upon it what she pleaseth . and if thus be her course to corrupt the subject matter into as perfect privation of form as she may , that is , to make it as homogeneall as she can , but liquid and plyable to her art and skill ; it is to me very highly probable , if not necessary , that there should be something besides this fluid matter , that must change it , alter and guide it into that wise contrivance of parts that afterwards we find it . for how should the parts of this liquid matter ever come into this exquisite fabrick of themselves ? and this may convince any atheist that there is a substance besides corporeall matter , which he is as loth to admit of as that there is a god. for there being nothing else in nature but substantia or modus , this power of contriving the liquid matter into such order and shape as it is , being incompetible to the liquid matter it self , it must be the modus of some other substance latitant in the fluid matter , and really distinguishable from it , which it either the soul or some seminall from or archeus , as the chymists call it , and they are all alike indifferent to me at this time . i ayming here only at a substance besides the matter , that thence the atheist may be the more easily brought off to the acknowledgment of the existence of a god. nor can the force of this argument be eluded by saying the matter is touched and infected by the life of the female whiles she bore the egge , or that her phansy gets down into her wombe . for what life or phansy has the earth , which as they say gendred at first all animalls , some still ? and what similitude is there betwixt a bee and an oxe , or a waspe and an horse , the those insects should arise out of the putrifide bodies of these creatures ? it is but some rude and generall congruity of vitall preparation that sets this archeus on work rather then another . as mere choler engages the phansy to dream of fiering of gunns , and fighting of armies : sanguine figures the imagintion into the representation of faire women , and beautifull children : phlegme transforms her into water and fishes ; and the shadowy melancholy intangles her in colluctation with old hagges and hobgoblins , and frights her with dead mens faces in the dark . but i have dwelt on this subject longer then i intended . chap. x. the frame or fabrick of the bodies of animalls plainly argue that there is a god. i come now to the last consideration of animalls , the outward shape and fabrick of their bodies , which when i have shew'd you that they might have been otherwise , and yet are made according to the most exquisite pitch of rea●on that the wit of man can conceive of , it will naturally ●ollow that they were really made by wisdome and providence , and consequently that there is a god. and i dem●nd first in generall concerning all those creatures that have eyes and eares , whether they might not have had onely one eye and one eare a piece ; and to make the supposition more tolerable , had the eye on one side the head , and the eare on the other , or the eare on the crown of the head , the eye in the forehead for they might have lived and subsisted though they had been no better provided for then thus . but it is evident that their having two eyes and two eares , so placed as they are , is more safe , more sightly , and more usefull . therefore that being made so constantly choice of , which our own reason deemeth best , we are to inferr that that choice proceeded from reason and counsell . again i desire to know why there be no three-footed beasts , ( when i speak thus , i doe not meane monsters , but a constant species of kind of animalls ) for such a creature as that would make a limping shift to live as well as they that have foure . or why have not some beasts more then foure-feet , suppose sixe & the two middlemost shorter then the rest , hanging like the two legges of a man a horse-back by the horse sides ? for it is no harder a thing for nature to make such frames of bodies then others that are more elegant and usefull . but the works of nature being neither uselesse nor inept , she must either be wise her self , or be guided by some higher principle of knowledge : as that man that does nothing foolishly all the dayes of his life , is either wise himself , or consults with them that are so . and then again for the armature of beasts , who taught them the use of their weapons ? the lyon will not kick with his feet , but he will strike such a stroke with his tayle , that he will breake the back of his encounterer with it . the horse will not use his tayle unlesse against the busy flyes , but kicks with his feet with that force that he layes his enemy on the ground . the bull and ram know the use of their hornes as well as the horse of his hoofes . so the bee and serpent know their stings , and the beare the use of his paw . which things they know merely by naturall instinct , as the male knowes the use of the female . for they gather not this skill by observation and experience , but the frame of their nature carries them to it , as it is manifest in young lambes that will butt before they have horns . therefore it is some higher providence that has made them of this nature they are . and this is evident also in birds that will flutter with their wings , when there is but a little down upon them , and they are as yet utterly unusefull for flying . and now i have fallen upon the mention of this kind of creature , let me make my advantage of that generall structure observable in them . the forme of their heads being narrow and sharpe , that they may the better cut the aire in their swift flight , and the spreading of their tayles parallell to the horizon for the better bearing up their body ; for they might have been perpendicular as the tayles of fishes in the water . nor is it any thing that the owle has so broad a face , for her flight was not to be so swift nor so frequent . and as for fishes and the bladder of wind found in their bodies , who can say it is conveigh'd thither by chance , but is contriv'd for their more easy swimming , as also the manner of their finnes , which consist of a number of gristly bones long and slender like pinnes and needles , and a kind of a skin betwixt , which is for the more exactnesse and makes them thin and flat like oares . which perfect artifice and accuracy might have been omitted and yet they have made a shift to move up and down in the water . but i have fallen upon a subject that is infinite and inexhaustible , therefore that i be not too tedious i will confine my self to some few observations in ordinary beasts and birds ( that which is most known and obvious being most of all to our purpose , ) and then i shall come to the contemplation of man. and indeed what is more obvious and ordinary then a mole , and yet what more palpable argument of providence then she ? the members of her body are so exactly fitted to her nature and manner of life : for her dwelling being under ground where nothing is to be seene , nature has so obscurely fitted her with eyes , that naturalists can scarce agree whither she have any sight at all or no. bu● for amends , what she is capable of for her defence and warning of danger , she has very eminently conferr'd upon her : for she is exceeding quick of hearing . and then her short tayle and short leggs , but broad fore-feet armed with sharpe clawes , we see by the event to what purpose they are , she so swiftly working her self under ground and making her way so fast in the earth , as they that behold it cannot but admire it . her leggs therefore are short that she need dig no more then will serve the merethicknesse of her body . and her fore-feet are broad , that she may scoup away much earth at a time . and little or no tayle she has , because she courses it not on the ground like the rat or mouse of whose kinred she is , but lives under the earth and is fain to dig her self a dwelling there : and she making her way through so thick an element , which will not yield easily as the aire or the water , it had been dangerous to have drawn so long a train behind her : for her enemy might fall upon her reare and fetch her out before she had compleated or had got full possession of her works . cardan is so much taken with this contemplation , that though i find him often staggering , yet here he does very fully and finnely professe that the contrivance of all things is from wisedome and counsell : his words are so generous and significant that i hold them worth the transcribing . palam est igitur , naturam in cunctis sollicitam mirum in modum fuisse , nec ●biter sed ex sententia omnia praevidisse , hominesque quibus hoc beneficium deus largitus est , ut causam rerum primam inveniant , participes esse illius prim● naturae , neque alterius esse generis naturam quae haec constituit , ab illorum mente , qui causam eorum cur ita facta sint plene assequi potuerunt . thus forcibly has the due contemplation of nature carried him beyond nature and himself , and made him write like a man rap'd into a divine exstasy . but there are as manifest foot-steps of divine providence in other creatures as in the mole . as for example ; the hare , whose temper and frame of body are plainly fitted on purpose for her condition . for why is she made so full of feare and vigilancy ever re●ring up and listning whiles she is feeding ? and why is she so exceeding swift of foot , and has her eyes so prominent , and placed so that she can see better behind her then before her ? but that her flight is her onely safety , and it was needful for her perpetually to eye her pursuing enemy , against whom she durst never stand at the bay , having nothing but her long soft limber eares to defend her . wherefore he that made the hare made the dog also , and guarded her with these properties from her eager foe , that she might not be too easy a booty for him , and so never be able to save her self , or afford the spectatour any considerable pastime . and that the hare might not alwayes get away from the grey hound , see how exquisitely his shape is fitted for the course : for the narrownesse and slendernesse of his parts are made for speed ; and that seeming impertinent long appendix of his body , his taile , is made for more nimble turning . there are other animalls also whose particular fabrick of body does manifestly appeare the effect of providence and counsell , though naturallists cannot agree whether it be in the behalf of the beast thus framed or of man. and such is that creature which though it be exotick yet is ordinarily known by the name of a camell : for why are those bunches on his backe , but that they may be instead of a ●ack-saddle to receive the burden ? and why has he four knees and all his legges bending inwards , like the fore-feet of other beasts , and a protuber●anoy under his breast to lean on , but that being a tall creature he might with ease kneel down and so might the more gainly be loaden ? but cardan will by no meanes have this the designe of nature , but that this frame of the camell's body is thus made for his own convenience : for he being a creature that lives and seeks his food in waste and dry deserts , those bunches he would have receptacles of redundant moysture , from whence the rest of his body is to be supply'd in a hard and tedious time of drought , and that his legges being very long , he ought to have knees behind and a knob beneath , to rest his weary limbes in the wildernesse , by sitting or kneeling in that posture he does , for he could not so conveniently lie along as the horse or asse or other creatures . but i should not determine this to either alone , but take in both causes , and acknowledge therein a richer designe of providence , that by this frame and artifice has gratifide both the camell and his master . chap. xi . the particular frames of the bodies of fowls or birds palpable signes of divine providence . we passe on now to the consideration of fowls or birds : where omitting the more generall properties of having two ventricles , and picking up stones to conveigh them into their second ventricle , the gizzerne , ( which provision and instinct is a supply for the want of teeth ) as also their having no paps as beasts have , their yong ones being nourished so long in the shell , that they are presently fit to be fed by the mouths of the old ones ( which observations plainly signify that nature does nothing ineptly and foolishly , and that therfore there is a providence ) i s●all content my self in taking notice only of some few kinds of this creature that familiarly come into our sight , such as the cock , the duck , the swan and the like . i demand therefore concerning the cock , why he has spurres at all , or having them how they come to be so fittingly placed . for he might have had none ▪ or so misplaced that they had been utterly uselesse , and so his courage and pleasure in fighting had been to no purpose . nor are his combe and his wattles in vaine , for they are an ornament becoming his martiall spirit , yea an armature too , for the t●gging of those often excuses the more useful parts of his head from harm . thus fittingly does nature gratify all creatures with accommodations sutable to their temper , and nothing is in vaine . nor are we to cavill at the red pugger'd attire of the turkey , and the long excrescency that hangs down over his bill , when he swells with pride and anger ; for it may be a receptacle for his heated bloud , that has such free recourse to his head , or he may please himself in it as the rude indians , whose jewells hang dangling at their noses . and if the bird be pleasur'd we are not to be displeased , being alwaies mindfull that creatures are made to enjoy themselves , as well as to serve us , and it is a grosse piece of ignorance and rusticity to think otherwise . now for swannes and ducks and such like birds of the water , it is obvious to take notice how well they are fitted for that manner of life . for those that swim their feet are framed for it like a paire of oares , their clawes being connected with a pretty broad membrane , and their necks are long that they may dive deep enough into the water . as also the neck of the herne and such like fowl who live of fishes and are fain to frequent their element , who walk on long stilts also like the people that dwell in the marshes ; but their clawes have no such membranes , for they had been but a hindrance to those kind of birds that onely wade in the water and do not swim . it is also observable how nature has fitted other birds of prey , who spy their booty from aloft in the aire , and see best at that distance , scarce see at all neere at hand . so they are both the archer and shaft , taking aime afar off , and then shooting themselves directly upon the desired mark , they seize upon the prey having hit it . the works of providence are infinite , i will close all with the description of that strange bird of paradise , for the strangenesse has made it notorious . there is a bird that falls down out of the aire dead , and is found sometimes in the molucco ilands ▪ that has no feet at all no more then an ordinary fish. the bignesse of her body and bill , as likewise the form of them , is much what as a swallows ; but the spreading out of her wings and tayle has no lesse compasse then an eagles . she lives and breeds in the aire , comes not near the earth but for her buriall , for the largenesse and lightnesse of her wings and tayle sustain her without lassitude . and the laying of her egges and brooding of her young is upon the back of the male which is made hollow , as also the breast of the female for the more easy incubation . whether she live merely of the dew of heaven or of flyes and such like insects , i leave to others to dispute ; but cardan professes he saw the bird no lesse then thrice , and describes it accordingly . nor does scaliger cavill with any thing but the bignesse of the wings and littlenesse of the body , which he undertakes to correct from one of his own which was sent him by orvesanus from java . now that such contrivances as these should be without divine providence , is as improbable to me as that the copper ring with the greek inscription upon it found about the neck of an overgrown pike , should be the effect of unknowing nature , not the artifice and skill of man. chap. xii . vnavoydable arguments for divine providence taken from the accurate structure of mans body , from the passions of his mind , and fitnesse of the whole man to be an inhabiter of the universe . but we needed not to have rambled so farre out into the works of nature , to seek out arguments to prove a god , we being so plentifully furnish'd with that , at home which we took the pains to seek for abroad . for there can be no more ample testimony of a god & a providence then the frame and structure of our own bodyes . the admirable artifice whereof galen , though a mere naturallist , was so taken with , that he could not but adjudge the honour of a hymne to the wise creatour of it . the contrivance of the whole and every particular is so evident an argument of exquisite skill in the maker , that if i should pursue all that suites to my purpose , it would amount to an entire volume . i shall therefore only hint at some few things , leaving the rest to be supply'd by anatomists . and i think there is no man that has any skill in that art , but will confesse the more diligently and accurately the frame of our body is examined , it is found the more exquisitely conformable to our own reason , judgement , and desire . so that supposing the same matter that our bodyes are made of , if it had been in our own power to have made our selves , we should have fram'd our selves no otherwise then we are . to instance in some particular . as in our eyes , the number , the situation , the fabrick of them is such that we can excogitate nothing to be added thereto , or to be altered either for their beauty , safety or usefulnesse . but as for their beauty i will leave it rather to the delicate wit and pen of poets and amorous persons , then venture upon so tender and nice a subject with my severer style . i will onely note how sa●●ly they are guarded , and fitly framed out for that use they are intended . the brow and the nose saves them from harder strokes : but such a curious part as the eye being necessarily lyable to mischief from smaller matters , the sweat of the forehead is fenced off by those two wreaths of haire which we call the eye-brows ; and the eye-lids are fortify'd with little stiffe bristles as with palisadoes , against the assault of flyes and gnats , and such like bold animalcula . besides the upper-lid presently claps down and is as good a fence , as a portcullis against the importunity of the enemy : which is done also every night , whether there be any present assault or no , as if nature kept garrison in this acropolis of mans body the head & look'd that such lawes should be duly observ'd , as were most for his safety . and now for the vse of the eye which is sight , it is evident that this organ is so exquisitely framed for that purpose , that not the least curiosity can be added . for first the humour and tunicles are purely transparent , to let in light and colours unfoul'd and unsophisticated by any inward tincture . and then again the parts of the eye are made convex , that there might be a direction of many raies coming from one point of the object unto one point answerable in the bottome of the eye ; to which purpose the crystalline humour is of great moment , and without which the sight would be very obscure and weake . thirdly the tunica vvea has a musculous power , and can dilate & contract that round hole in it which is called the pupill of the eye , for the better moderating the transmission of light . fourthly the inside of the vvea is black'd like the wals of a tennis-court , that the rayes falling upon the retina ▪ may not , by being rebounded thence upon the vvea , be returned from the vvea upon the retina again , for such a repercussion would make the sight more confused . fifthly the tunica arachnoides , which invellops the crystalline humour by vertue of its processus ciliares can thrust forward or draw back that precious usefull part of the eye , as the neernesse or distance of the object shall require . sixthly and lastly the tunica retina is white , for the better and more true reception of the species of things ( as they ordinarily call them ) as a white paper is fittest to receive those images into a dark roome . if the wit of man had been to contrive this organ for himself , what could he have possibly excogitated more accurate ? therefore to think that meer motion of the matter , or any other blind cause could have hit so punctually ( for creatures might have subsisted without this accurate provision ) is to be either mad or sottish . and the eye is already so perfect , that i believe the reason of man would have easily rested here , & admir'd at it's own contrivance : for he being able to move his whole head upward and downward and on every side , might have unawares thought himself sufficiently well provided for . but nature has added muscles also to the eyes , that no perfection might be wanting ; for we have oft occasion to move our eyes , our head being unmoved , as in reading and viewing more particularly any object set before us : and that this may be done with more ease and accuracy , she has furnish'd that organ with no lesse then six severall muscles . and indeed this framing of muscles not only in the eye but in the whole body is admirable ; for is it not a wonder that even all our flesh should be so handsomly contriv'd into distinct pieces , whose rise and insertions should be with such advantage that they do serve to move some part of the body or other ; and that the parts of our body are not moved only so conveniently as wil serve us to walke and subsist by , but that they are able to move every way imaginable that will advantage us ? for we can fling our leggs and armes upwards and downwards , backwards , forwards and round , as they that spin , or would spread a mol●hill with their feet . to say nothing of respiration , the constriction of the diaphragme for the keeping down the guts and so enlarging the thorax that the lungs may have play , and the assistance of the inward intercostall muscles in deep suspirations , when we take more large gulps of aire to coole our heart overcharged with love or sorrow . nor of the curious fabrick of the larynx so well fitted with muscles for the modulation of the voice , tunable speech , and delicious singing . you may adde to these the notable contrivance of the heart , it 's two ventricles and it's many valvulae , so fram'd and situated as is most fit for the reception and transmission of the bloud , which comes about through the heart , and is sent thence away warm to comfort & cherish the rest of the body : for which purpose also the valvulae in the veines are made . but i will rather insist upon such things as are easy and intelligible even to idiots , who if they can but tell the joynts of their hands or know the use of their teeth , they may easily discover it was counsel , not chance , that created them . for why have we three joynts in our leggs and armes as also in our fingers , but that it was much better then having but two or four ? and why are our fore-teeth sharp like cheesells to cut , but our inward-teeth broad to grind , but that this is more exquisite then having them all sharp or all broad , or the fore-teeth broad and the other sharp ? but we might have made a hard shift to have lived though in that worser cōdition . again why are the teeth so luckily placed , or rather why are there not teeth in other bones as well as in the jaw-bones ? for they might have been as capable as these . but the reason is , nothing is done foolishly nor in vaine , that is , there is a divine providence that orders all things . again to say nothing of the inward curiosity of the eare , why is that outward frame of it , but that it is certainly known , that it is for the bettering of our hearing ? i might adde to these that nature has made the hind-most parts of our body which wee sit upon most fleshy , is providing for our ease and making us a natural cushion , as well as for instruments of motion for our thighes and legges . she has made the hinder-part of the head more strong , as being otherwise unfenced against falls and other casualties . she has made the back-bone of severall vertebrae , as being more fit to bend , more tough & lesse in danger of breaking then if they were all one intire bone without those gristly junctures . she has strengthned our fingers and toes with nailes , wheras she might have sent out that substance at the end of the first or second joynt , which had not been so handsome ●or usefull , nay rather somewhat troublesome and hurtfull . and lastly she has made all the bones devoid of sense , because they were to bear the weight of themselves and of the whole body . and therefore if they had had sense , our life had been painfull continually and dolorous . and what she has done for us , she has done proportionably in the contrivance of all other creatures ; so that it is manifest that a divine providence strikes through all things . and therefore things being contrived with such exquisite curiosity as if the most watchfull wisdome imaginable did attend them , to say they are thus framed without the assistance of some principle that has wisdome in it , & that they come to passe from chance or some other blind unknowing originall , is sullenly and humorously to assert a thing , because we will assert it , and under pretense of avoyding superstition , to fall into that which is the onely thing that makes superstition it self hatefull or ridiculous , that is , a wilfull and groundlesse adhering to conceits without any support of reason . and now i have considered the fitnesse of the parts of mans body for the good of the whole , let me but consider briefly the fitnesse of the passions of his minde , whether proper , or common to him with the rest of animalis , as also the fitness of the whole man as he is part of the vniverse , and then i shall conclude . and it is manifest that anger does so actuate the spirits and heightens the courage of men and beasts that it makes them with more ease break through the difficulties they incounter . feare also is for the avoyding of danger , and hope is a pleasant praemeditation of enjoyment , as when a dog expects till his master has done picking of the bone . but there is neither hope , nor feare , nor hate , nor any peculiar passion or instinct in brutes that is in vaine ; why should we then think that nature should miscarry more in us then in any other creature , or should be so carefull in the fabrick of our body , and yet so forgetfull or unlucky in the framing of the faculties of our soules ; that that feare that is so peculiarly naturall to us , viz. the feare of a deity , should be in vaine , and that pleasant hope and heavenly joyes of the mind which man is naturally capable of , with the earnest direction of his spirit towards god , should have no reall object in the world ? and so religious affection which nature has so plainly implanted in the soul of man should be to no use ▪ but either to make him ridiculous or miserable : whenas we find no passion or affection in brutes either common or peculiar but what is for their good and welfare . for it is not for nothing that the hare is so fearfull of the dog , & the sheep of the wolfe ; & it there be either fear or enmity in some creatures for which we cannot easily discerne any reason in respect of themselves , yet we may well allow of it as reasonable in regard of us , and to be to good purpose . but i thinke it is manifest that sympathy and antipathy , love and enmity , aversation , feare , and the like , that they are notable whetters and quickners of the spirit of life in all animalls , and that their being obnoxious to dangers and encounters does more closely knit together the vitall powers , and makes them more sensibly relish their present safety , and they are more pleased with an escape then if they had never met with any danger . their greedy assaults also one upon another while there is hope of victory highly gratifies them both . and if one be conquer'd and slaine , the conquerour enjoyes a fresh improvement of the pleasure of life , the triumph over his enemy . which things seeme to me to be contriv'd even in the behalf of these creatures themselves , that their vitall heat and moysture may not alwayes onely simber in one sluggish tenour , but some times boyle up higher and seeth over , the fire of life being more then ordinarily kindled upon some emergent occasion . but it is without controversy that these peculiar passions of animalls many of them are usefull to men ▪ ( as that of the lizards enmity against the serpent ) all of them highly gratify his contemplative faculty , some seem on purpose contriv'd to make his worship merry ; for what could nature intend else in that antipathy betwixt the ape and snayle , that that beast that seems so boldly to claime kinred of man from the resemblance of his outward shape , should have so little wit or courage as to runne away from a snayl , and very ●ufully and frightfully to look back , as being affraid she would follow him as erasmus more largely and pleasantly tells the whole story ? but that nature should implant in man such a strong propension to religion , which is the reverence of a deity , there being neither god nor angell nor spirit in the world , is such a slurre committed by her as there can be in no wise excogitated any excuse . for if there were a higher species of things to laugh at us as wee doe a● the ape , it might seem more tolerable . but there can be no end neither ludicrous nor serious of this religious property in man , unlesse there be something of an hig●er nature then himself in the world . wherefore religion being convenient to no other species of things besides man , it ought to be convenient at least for himself : but supposing there were no god , there can be nothing worse for man then religion . for whether we look at the externall effects thereof , such as are bloudy massacres , the disturbance and subversion of common-weales , kingdomes and empires , most salvage tortures of particular persons , the extirpating and dispossessing of whole nations , as it hath hapned in america , where the remorselesse spaniards in pretense of being educated in a better religion then the americans , vilifyed the poor natives so much , that they made nothing of knocking them o th' head merely to feed their doggs with them , with many such unheard of crueltyes . or whether we consider the great affliction that that severe governess of the life of man brings upon those souls she seizes on ▪ by affrighting horrours of conscience , by puzzeling and befooling them in the free use of their reason , and putting a barre to more large searches into the pleasing knowledge of nature , by anxious cares and disquieting feares concerning their state in the life to come , by curbing them in their naturall and kindly injoyments of the life present , and making bitter all the pleasures and contentments of it , by some checks of conscience and suspicions that they do something now that they may rue eternally hereafter ; besides thosse ineffable agonies of mind that they undergo that are more generously religious , and contend after the participation of the divine nature , they being willing , though with unspeakeable paine , to be torn from themselves to become one with that universall spirit that ought to have the guidance of all things , and by an unsatiable desire after that just and decorous temper of mind ( whereby all arrogancy should utterly cease in us , and that which is due to god , that is , all that we have or can do , should be lively and sensibly attributed to him , and we fully and heartily acknowledge ourselves to be nothing , that is , be as little elated , or no more rellish the glory and praise of men , then if we had done nothing or were not at all in being ) doe plunge themselves into such damps and deadnesse of spirit , that to be buried quick were lesse torture by farre , then such darke privations of all the joyes of life , then such sad and heart-sinking mortifications : i say , whether we consider these inward pangs of the soul , or the externall outrages caused by religion ( and religious pretense will animate men to the committing such violences , as bare reason and the single passions of the mind unback'd with the fury of superstition will never venture upon ) it is manifest that if there were no god , no spirit , no life to come , it were farre better that there were no such religious propensions in man-kind , as we see universally there is . for the feare of the civill magistrate , the convenience of mutuall ayde and support , and the naturall scourge and plague of diseases would contain men in such bounds of justice , humanity and temperance , as would make them more clearly and undisturbedly happy , then they are now capable of being , from any advantage religion does to either publique state or private person , supposing there were no god. wherefore this religious affection which nature has implanted , and as strongly rooted in man as the feare of death or the love of women , would be the most enormous slip or bungle she could commit , so that she would so shamefully faile in the last act , in this contrivance of the nature of man that instead of a plaudite she would deserve to be hissed off the stage . but she having done all things else so wisely , let us rather suspect our own ignorance then reproach her , and expect that which is allowed in well approved comedies , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for nothing can unlose this knot but a deity . and then we acknowledging man to dwell as it were in the borders of the spirituall and materiall world ( for he is utriusque mundi nexus , as scaliger truly calls him ) we shall not wonder that there is such tugging and pulling this way and that way , upward and downward , and such broken disorder of things ; those that dwell in the confines of two kingdomes , being most subject to disquiet and confusion . and hitherto of the passions of the mind of man , as well those that tye him down to the body , as those that lift him up towards god. now briefly of the whole man as he is part of the vniverse . it is true if we had not been here in the world , we could not then have missed our selves ; but now we find our selves in being and able to examine the reasonableness of things , we cannot but conclude that our creation was an act of very exquisite reason & counsel . for there being so many notable objects in the world , to entertaine such faculties as reason and inquisitive admiration ▪ there ought to be such a member of this visible creation as man , that those things might not be in vaine : and if man were out of the world , who were then left to view the face of heaven , to wonder at the transcursion of comets , to calculate tables for the motions of the planets and fix'd starres , and to take their heights and distances with mathematicall instruments , to invent convenient cycles for the computation of time , and consider the severall formes of yeares , to take notice of the directions , stations and repedations of those erratick lights ▪ and from thence most convincingly to informe himself of that pleasant and true paradox of the annuall motion of the earth , to view the asperityes of the moon through a di●ptrick-glasse , and venture at the proportion of her hills by their shadowes , to behold the beauty of the rain-bow , the halo ▪ parelii and other meteors , to search out the causes of the flux and reflux of the sea , and the hidden vertue of the magnet , to inquire into the usefullnesse of plants , and to observe the variety of the wisdome of the first cause in framing their bodies , and giving sundry observable instincts to fishes ▪ birds and beasts ? and lastly as there are particular priests amongst men , so the whole species of man-kind being indued with reason and a power of finding out god , there is yet one singular end more discoverable of his creation , viz. that he may be a priest in this magnificent temple of the vniverse , and send up prayers and praises to the great creatour of all things in behalf of the rest of the creatures . thus we see all filled up and fitted without any defect or uselesse superfluity . wherefore the whole creation in generall and every part thereof being so ordered as if the most exquisite reason and knowledge had contrived them , it is as naturall to conclude that all this is the work of a wise god , as at the first sight to acknowledge that those inscribed vrnes and coynes digg'd out of the earth were not the products of unknowing nature , but the artifice of man. chap. i. that , good men not alwayes faring best in this world , the great examples of divine vengeance upon wicked and blasphemous persons are not so convincing to the obstinate atheist . the irreligious jeares and sacrileges of dionysius of syracuse . that there have been true miracles in the world as well as false , and what are the best and safest wayes to distinguish them that we may not be impos'd upon by history . hitherto i have insisted upon such arguments for the proving of the existence of god , as were taken from the ordinary and known phaenomena of nature ; for such is the history of plants , animalls and man. i shall come now to such effects discovered in the world as are not deemed naturall , but extraordinary and miraculous . i do not mean unexpected discoveries of murders , a conspicuous vengeance upon proud and blasphemous persons , such as nicanor , antiochus , herod and the like , of which all histories , as well sacred as profane are very full , and all which tend to the impressing of this divine precept , in the poet , upon the minds of men , discite justitiam moniti & non temnere divos . for though these examples cannot but move indifferent men to an acknowledgment of divine providence , and a superiour power above and different from the matter ; yet i having now to do with the obstinate and refractory atheist , who , because himself a known contemner of the deity he finds to be safe and well at ease , will shuffle all these things off , by asking such a question as he did , to whom the priest of neptune shewed the many d●naria hung up in his temple by his votaries saved from ship-wrack , & therefore vaunted much of the power of that god of the sea ; but what is become of all those , saith he , that notwithstanding their vowes have been lost ? so i say , the atheist to evade the force of this argument will whisper within himself ; but how many proud blasphemous atheisticall men like my self have escaped , and those that have been accounted good have dyed untimely deaths ? such as aesop and socrates , the prophets , apostles and martyrs , with sundry other wise and good men in all ages and places , who yet being not so well aware of the ill condition and restinesse of this wicked world , of which they have truely profess'd themselves no citizens , but strangers , have suffered the greatest mischiefs that can happen to humane nature , by their innocent meaning and intermedling in aliena republica ; it having usually been more safe , craftily and cautiously to undermine the honour of god , then plainly and honestly to seek the good and wellfare of men. nay outragious affronts done on purpose to religion , will the atheist further reply , have not onely past applauded by the world , but unpunish'd by divine justice : as is notorious in that sacrilegious wit , dionysius of syracuse , who spoiling jupiter olympius of his costly robe very stiff and ponderous with gold , added this apologetical jear to his sacrilege , that this golden vestment was too heavy for the summer , and too cold for the winter , but one of wooll would fit both seasons . so at epidaurus he commanded the golden beard of aesculapius to be cut off and carried away , alledging that it was very unfit that the son should wear a beard when as his father apollo wore none . that also was not inferiour to any of his sacrilegious jests , when taking away the golden cups and crowns held forth by the hands of the images of the gods , he excused himself , saying , that he received but what they of their own accord gave him ; adding that it were a gross piece of foolishness , when as we pray to the gods for all good things , not to take them when they so freely offer them with their own hands . these and other such like irreligious pranks did this dionysius play , who notwithstanding fared no worse then the most demure and innocent , dying no other death then what usually other mortalls do : as if in those ages there had been as great a lack of wit , as there was here in england once of latin , and that he escaped a more severe sentence by the benefit of his clergy . but others think that he was pay'd home and punish'd in his son that succeeded him . but that , will the atheist reply , is but to whip the absent , as aristotle wittily said to him that told him that such an one did unmercifully traduce him behind his back . wherefore i hold it more convenient to omit such arguments as may intangle us in such endless altercations , & to bring only those that cannot be resolved into any naturall causes , or be phansyed to come by chance , but are so miraculous , that they do imply the presence of some free subtile understanding essence distinct from the brute matter , and ordinary power of nature . and these miraculous effects , as there is nothing more cogent if they could be believed ; so there is nothing more hard to the atheist to believe then they are . for religionists having for pious purposes , as they pretend , forged so many false miracles to gull and spoile the credulous people , they have thereby with the atheist taken away all belief of those which are true . and the childish & superstitious fear of spirits in melancholick persons who cre●te strange monsters to themselves & terrible apparitions in the darke , hath also helped them with a further evasion , to impute all spectres and strange apparitions to mere melancholy and disturbed phansy . but that there should be so universall a fame , and feare of that , which never was , nor is , nor can be ever in the world , is to me the greatest miracle of all . for if there had not been at some time or other true miracles ( as indeed there ought to be , if the faculties of man , who so easily listens to and allowes of such things , be not in vain ) it is very improbable that priests and cunning deluders of the people would have ever been able so easily to impose upon them by their false . as the alchymist would never go about to sophisticate metalls , & then put them off for true gold and silver , but that it is acknowledged that there is such a thing as true gold and silver in the world . in like manner therefore as there is an indeavour of deluding the people with false miracles , so it is a signe there have been and may be those that are true . but you 'l say there is a touch-stone whereby we may d●scerne the truth of metalls , but that there is nothing whereby we may discover the truth of miracles recorded every where in history . but i answer there is ; and it is this . first if what is recorded was avouched by such persons who had no end nor interest in avouching such things . secondly if there were many eye-witnesses of the same matter . thirdly and lastly if these things which are so strange and miraculous leave any sensible effect behind them . though i will not acknowledge that all those stories are ●alse that want these conditions , yet i dare affirme that it is mere humour and sullennesse in a man to reject the 〈◊〉 of those that have them ; for it is to believe nothing but what he seeth himself : from whence it will follow that he is to read nothing of history , for there is neither pleasu●e nor any usefullnesse of it , if it deserve no belief . chap. ii. the moving of a sieve by a charme . coskinomancy . a magicall cure of an horse . the charming of serpents . a strange example of one death-strucken as he walked the streets . a story of a suddain winde that had like to have thrown down the gallows at the hanging of two witches . and now that i have premised thus much i will b●iefly recite some of few those many miraculous passages we meet with in writers , beginning first with the bare and simple effects of spirits , as i will aforehand adventure to pronounce them , and then afterwards we shall come to the apparitions of spirits themselves . and of those bare effects we will not care to name what may seem slightest first . bodinus relates how himself and severall others at paris saw a young man with a charme in french , move a sieve up and down . and that ordinary way of divination which they call coskinomancy or finding who stole or spoiled this or that thing , by the sieve and sheares , pictorius vigillanus professeth he made use of thrice , and it was with successe . a friend of mine told me this story concerning charms , that himself had an horse , which if he had stood sound had been of a good value . his servants carried him to severall farriers but none of them had the skill to cure him . at last unknown to their master , they led him to a farrier , that had , it should seem , some tricks more then ordinarie , and dealt in charms , or spells , and such like ceremoni●s : in vertue of these he made the horse sound . the owner of him after he had observ'd how well his horse was , asked his servants , how they got him cured , whence understanding the whole matter , and observing also that there was an s. branded on his buttock , which he conceited stood for satan , chid his servants very roughly , as having done that which was unwarrantable and impious . upon this profession of his dislike of the fact , the horse forthwith ●ell as ill as ever he was , in so much that for his unserviceablenes he was faine to be turned up loose in the pasture . but a kinsman of the owners coming to his house & after chanceing to see the horse in the grounds took the advātage of a low price for so fair a gelding & bought him . the horse had no sooner changed his master but presently changed his plight of body also & became as sound as ever . charming also of serpents is above the power of nature . and wierus tells us this story of a charmer at saltzburg , that when in the sight of the people he had charmed all the serpents into a ditch and killed them , at last there came one huge one far bigger then the rest , that leapt upon him , and winded about his wast like a girdle , and pulled him into the ditch , and so killed the charmer himself in the conclusion . that also i will adventure to refer to the effects of spirits which i heard lately from one mrs . dark of westminster concerning her own husband ; who being in the flower of his age , well in health and very chearfull , going out of his house in the morning with an intent to return to dinner , was , as he walked the streets , sensibly struck upon the thigh by an invisible hand , for he could see no man near him to strike him . he returned home indeed about dinner-time , but could eat nothing , onely he complain'd of the sad accident that befell him , and grew forthwith so mortally sick , that he dyed within three dayes . after he was dead there was found upon the place where he was struck , the perfect figure of a man's hand , the four fingers palme and thumb black and sunk into the flesh , as if one should clap his hand upon a lump of dow . and hitherto there is nothing related which will not abide the exactest triall and be cleared from all suspicion of either fraud or melancholy . but i shall propound things more strange , and yet as free from that suspicion as the former . and to say nothing of vvinds sold to merchants by laplanders , and the danger of losing the third knot ( which was very frequent as olaus affirmes before those parts of the world were converted to christianity ) ● shall content my self for the present with a true story which i heard from an eye-witnesse concerning these preternatural winds . at cambridge in the raigne of queen elizabeth there was two vvitches to be executed , the mother and daughter . the mother when she was called upon to repent and forsake the divel , she said , there was no reason for that , for he had been faithfull to her these threescore yeares , and she would be so to him so long as she lived ; and thus she died in this obstinacy . but she hanging thus upon the gallowes , her daughter being of a contrary mind renounced the divel , was very earnest in prayer and penitence ; which by the effect , the people conceived the divel to take very heinously . for there came such a sudden blast of wind ( when as all was calme before ) that it drave the mothers body against the ladder so violently , that it had like to have overturned it , and shook the gallows with such force , that they were faine to hold the posts for fear of all being fung down to the ground . chap. iii. that winds and tempests are raised upon mere ceremonies or forms of words prov'd by sundry examples . margaret warine discharg'd upon an oake at a thunder-clap . amantius and rotarius cast headlong out of a cloud upon a house top . the vvitch of constance seen by the shepheards to ride through the aire . vvierus that industrious advocate of witches recites severall ceremonies that they use for the raising of tempests , and doth acknowledge that tempests do follow the performance of those ceremonies , but that they had come to passe neverthelesse without them : which the divell foreseeing , excites the deluded women to use those magick rites , that they may be the better perswaded of his power . but whether there be any causall connexion betwixt those ceremonies and the ensuing tempests i will not curiously decide . but that the connexion of them is supernaturall is plain at first sight . for what is casting of flint-stones behind their backs towards the west , or flinging a little sand in the aire , or striking a river with a broom , and so sprinkling the wet of it toward heaven , the stirring of vrine or water with their finger in a hole in the ground , or boyling of hogs bristles in a pot ? what are these fooleries available of themselves to gather clouds and cover the aire with darknesse , and then to make the g●ound smoke with peales of haile and raine , and to make the aire terrible with frequent lightnings and thunder ? certainly nothing at all . therefore the ensuing of these tempests after such like ceremonies must be either from the prevision of the divell ( as wierus would have it ) who set the witches on work , or else from the power of the divell which he hath in his kingdome of the aire . and it seems strange to me that wierus should doubt this power , when he gives him a greater ; for what is the transporting of vapours or driving them together , to the carrying of men and cattel in the aire , ( of which he is a confident asserter ) unlesse it require larger divells or greater numbers ? and that there are sufficient numbers of such spirits will seem to any body as credible , as that there are any at all . but now for the truth of this , that certain words or ceremonies do seem at least to cause an alteration in the aire and to raise tempests ; remigius writes that he had it witnessed to him by the free confession of neer two hundred men that he examined : where he adds a story or two in which there being neither fraud , nor melancholy to be suspected , i think them worth the mentioning . the one is of a witch , who to satisfy the curiosity of them that had power to punish her , was set free that she might give a proof of that power she professed she had to rai●e tempests . she there●ore being let go ▪ presently betakes her self to a place thick set with trees , scrapes a hole with her hands fills it with vrine , and stirres it about so long , that she caused at last a thick dark cloud charged with thunder and lightning to the terrour and affrightment of the beholders . but she bade them be of good courage ▪ for she would command the● cloud to discharge upon what place they would appoint her , which she made good in the sight of the spectatours . the other story is of a young girle , who to pleasure her father complaining of a drought , by the guidance and help of that ill master her mother had devoted and consecrated her unto , rais'd a cloud , and water'd her father's ground only , all the rest continuing dry as before . let us add to these the story of cuinus and margaret warine . while this cuinus was busy at his hay-making , there arose suddenly great thunder and lightning , which made him runne homeward , and forsake his work , for he saw sixe oakes hard by him overturned from the very roots , and a seventh also shatter'd and torn a pieces : he was fain to lose his hat and leave his fork or rake for hast ; which was not so fast but another crack overtakes him and rattles about his eares ; upon which thunder-clap , he presently espied this margaret warme a reputed witch upon the top of an oake , whom he began to chide . she desired his secrecy , and she would promise that never any injury or harm should come to him from her at any time . this cuinus deposed upon oath before the magistrate , and margaret warine acknowledged the truth of it , without any force done unto her , severall times before her death , and at her death . [ see remigius daemonolatr . lib. 1. cap. 29. ] remigius conceives she was discharged upon the top of the oake at that last thunder clap and there hung amongst the boughs ; which he is induced to believe from two stories he tells afterwards . the one is of a tempest of thunder and lightning that the herdsmen tending their cattell on the brow of the hill alman in the field of guicuria were f●ighted with , who running into the woods for shelter suddenly saw two countrey men on the top of the trees , which were next them , so durty , and in such a pickle , and so out of breath , as if they had been dragg'd up and down through thornes and miry places ; but when they had well eyed them , they were gone in a moment out of their sight they knew not how nor whither . these herdsmen talked of the businesse , but the certainty of it came out not long after . for the free confessions of those two men they then saw , being so exactly agreeing with what the herdsmen had related , made the whole matter cleare and undoubted . the other story is of the same persons , known afterward by their names , viz. amantius and his partner rotarius , who having coursed it aloft again in the aire , and being cast headlong out of a cloud upon an house , the later of them being but a novice and unexperienced in those supernaturall exploites , was much astonish'd and affraid at the strangenesse of the matter , but amantius being used to those feats from his youth , his parents having devoted him from his childhood to the divell , made but a sport of it , and laughing at his friend called him foole for his feare , and bad him be of good courage ; for their master , in whose power they were , would safely carry them through greater dangers than those . and no sooner had he sayd these words , but a whirlwinde took them , and set them both safe upon the ground : but the house they were carryed from , so shook , as if it would have been overturn'd from the very foundations . this , both those men examin'd apart , confessed in the same words , not varying their story at all ; whose confessions exactly agreed in all circumstances with what was observed by the country people concerning the time and the manner of the tempest and shaking of the house . i will onely add one story more of this nature , and that is of a witch of constance , who being vext that all her neighbours in the village where she lived were invited to the wedding , and so were drinking and dancing and making merry , & she solitary and neglected , got the divell to transport her through the aire , in the middest of day , to a hill hard by the village : where she digging a hole and putting vrine into it , rais'd a great tempest of haile , and directed it so , that it fell onely upon the village , and pelted them that were dancing with that violence , that they were forc'd to leave off their sport . when she had done her exploite she returned to the village , and being spied was suspected to have raised the tempest , which the shepheards in the field that saw her riding in the aire knew well before , who bringing in their witnesse against her , she confess'd the fact . i might be infinite in such narrations , but i will moderate my self . chap. iv. supernaturall effects observ'd in them that are bewitch'd and possess'd . the famous story of magdalena crucia . we will now passe to those supernaturall effects which are observed in them that are bewitch'd or possess'd . and such are ; foretelling things to come , telling what such and such persons speak or do as exactly as if they were by them , when the party possess'd is at one end of the town and sitting in a house within doores , and those partyes that act and conferre together are without at the other end of the town ; to be able to see some and not others ; to play at cards with one certain person and not to discern any body else at the table besides him ▪ to act and talk and goe up and down and tell what will become of things , and what happens in those fitts of possession , and then so soon as the possessed or bewitched party is out of them , to remember nothing at all , but to enquire concerning the welfare of those whose faces they seemed to look upon but just befo●e , when they were in their fitts . all which can be no symptomes nor signes of any thing else but of the devil got into the body of a man , and holding all the operations of his soul , and then acting and speaking and sporting as he pleases , in the miserable tenement he hath crouded himself into , making use of the organs of the body at his own pleasure for the performing of ●uch pranks and fears as are farre above the capacity ▪ st●ength or agility of the party thus bewitched or possessed . all these things are fully made good by long and tedious observations recorded in the discovery of the witches of warbois in huntingtonshire anno 1594. the memory whereof is still kept fresh by an anniversary sermon preacht at huntington by some of the fellows of queens colledge in cambridge . there is al●o lately come forth a narration how one mrs . muschamp's children were handled in cumberland ▪ which is very like this of mr. throckmorton's children of warbois . that which is generally observed in them both is this , that in their fitts they are as if they had no soule at all in their bodyes , and that whatsoever operations of sense , reason or motion there seemes to be in them , it is not any thing at all to them , but is wholly that stranger's , that hath got into them . for so soone as their fitts are over , they are as if they had been in so profound a sleep , that they did not so much as dreame , and so remember nothing at all of what they either said , or did , or where they had been ; as is manifest by an infinite number of examples in the forenamed relations . of the truth of which passages here at home we being very well ascertain'd , we may with the more confidence venture upon what is recorded concerning others abroad . as for example ▪ the possession of the religious virgins in the monastery of werts , others in hessimont , others also not farre from xantes , and in other places , where there were eye-witnesses enough to take notice how strangely they were handled , being flung up from the ground higher then a mans head , and falling down again without harme , swarming upon trees as nimbly as cats , and hanging upon the boughes , having their flesh ●orne off from their bodyes without any visible hand or instrument , and many other mad prankes which is not so fit to name , but they that have a mind may read at large in wierus . i would passe now to other effects of witchcraft , as the conveying of knives , balls of haire , and nailes into the bodyes of them that are bewitched ; but that the mention of these nunnes puts me in mind of that famous story in wierus of magdalena crucia , first a nunne , and then an abbatesse of a nunnery in corduba in spain . those things which were miraculous in her were these ; that she could tell allmost at any distance how the affairs of the world went , what consultations or transactions there were in all the nations of christendome , from whence she got to her self the reputation of a very holy woman and a great prophetesse . but other things came to passe by her or for her sake , no lesse strange and miraculous ; as that at the celebrating of the holy encharist , the priest should allwayes want one of his round wafers , which was secretly conveyed to magdalen , by the administration of angells , as was supposed , and shee receiving of it into her mouth a●e it , in the view of the people , to their great astonishment and high reverence of the saint . at the elevation of the host magdalen being near at hand , but yet a wall betwixt , that the wall was conceived to open and to exhibite magdalen to the view of them in the chappell , and that thus she partaked of the consecrated bread . when this abbatesse came into the chappel her self upon some speciall day , that she would set off the solemnity of the day by some notable and conspicuous miracle : for she would sometimes be lifted up above the ground three or foure cubits high ; other sometimes bearing the image of christ in her armes , weeping sa●ou●ly , she would make her haire to increase to that length and largenesse that it would come to her heels , and cover her all over and the image of christ in her armes , which anon notwithstanding would shrink up again to its usuall size ; with a many such specious though ●nprofitable miracles . but you 'll say that the narration of these things is not true , but they are feigned for the advantage of the roman religion , and so it was profitable for the church to forge them and record them to posterity . a man that is unwilling to admit of any thing supernaturall would please himself with this generall shuffle and put-off . but when we come to the catastrophe of the story he will find it quite otherwise ; for this saint at last began to be suspected for a sorceresse as it is thought , and she being conscious , did of her own accord , to save her self , make confession of her wickednesse to the visiters of the order , as they are called , viz. that for thirty yeares shee had been marryed to the divel in the shape of an aethiopian ; that another divel●ervant ●ervant to this , when his master was at dalliance with her in her cell , supplyed her place amongst the nunnes at their publick devotions ; that by vertue of this contract she made with this spirit , she had done all those miracles she did . upon this confession she was committed , and while she was in durance , yet she appear'd in her devout postures praying in the chappell as before at their set houres of prayer ; which being told to the visiters by the nunnes , there was a strict watch over her that she should not stirre out . neverthelesse shee appeared in the chappell as before , though she were really in the prison . now what credit or advantage there can be to the roman religion by this story , let any man judge . wherefore it is no figment of the priests or religious persons , nor melancholy , nor any such matter ( for how could so many spectatours at once be deluded by melancholy ? ) but it ought to be deemed a reall truth : and this magdalena crucia appearing in two severall places at once , it is manifest that there is such a thing as apparitions of spirits . but i must abstaine as yet from touching that argument , i having not dispatch'd what i propounded concerning the vomiting up of nailes , the conveying of knives and pieces of vvood into the bodies of men , and the like . which things are so palpable and uncapable of delusion , that i think it worth the while to insist a little upon them . chap. v. examples of bewitch'd persons that have had balls of haire , nayles , knives , wood stuck with pinns , pieces of cloth , and such like trash conveigh'd into their bodies , with examples also of other supernaturall effects . i will begin with that memorable true story that langius tels of one vlricus neusesser who being grievously tormented with a pain in his side , suddenly felt under his skin , which yet was whole , an iron naile as he thought . and so it prov'd when the chirurgion had cut it out : but neverthelesse his great torments continued , which enraged him so , that he cut his own throat . the third day when he was carried out to be buried , eucharius rosenbader , and joannes ab ettenstet , a great company of people standing about them , dissected the corps , and ripping up the vent●icle , found a round piece of wood of a good length , four knives , some even and sharp , others indeated like a saw , with other two rough pieces of iron a span long . there was also a ball of haire . this happened at fugenstall ▪ 1539. vvierus tells also a story of one that was possessed , of which himself was an eye-witnesse , that vomited up pieces of cloth with pins stuck in them , nailes , needles and such like stuffe : which he contends doth not come from the stomack , but by a prestigious slight of the devil is only ingested into the mouth . antonius benivenius also witnesses of his own knowledge , that a woman his patient , after a great deal of torture , and disquiet , and staring distraction , and extraordinary swelling of her belly , at last fell a vomiting of long crooked nailes , pinns , and a clue of haire and vvaxe , and so great a crust of bread as no man's swallow could ever get down . then she fell a prophecying and raging in such sort as those that are bewitched or possessed , so that the physician was forced to leave her to the cure of the church . meinerus clatsius his servant , when he was bewitch'd , his throat was so swelled that his face became blew again with it , and therefore his mistresse , judith a devout mat●on , fearing he would be choked , betook her self to her prayers with the rest of her family . vvilliam in the mean time ( for so was his name ) begins to discharge at the mouth , and sends out of his throat the forepart of the shepheards breeches , whole flints and their fragments , clues of yarne , besides long locks of womens haire , needles , a piece of the lining of a boies coat , a peacocks feather which he had pulled out of the taile of it eight dayes before , with other more slight stuffe . cardan tells a story also of a good simple countrey fellow and a friend of his , that had been a long time troubled with vomiting up glasse , iron , n●iles and haire , and that at that time he told cardan of it he was not so perfectly restored but that something yet crash'd in his belly as if there we●e a bag of glasse in it . i might add seasonably hereunto what is so credibly reported of mrs. muschamp's child , that it was seen to vomit up pieces of vvood with pinns stuck in it . but i will conclude all with that story of about thirty children that were so strangely handled at amsterdam 1566. of the truth whereof vvierus professeth himself very well assured . they were tortured very much , and cast violently upon the ground , but when they arose out of their fitt knew nothing but thought they had been onely asleep . for the remedying of this mischief they got the help of physicians , vvizards and exorcists , but without successe ▪ onely while the exorcists were reading , the children vomited up needles , thimbles , shreds of cloth , pieces of pots , glasse ▪ haire , and other things of the like nature . now the advantage i would make of these stories is this , that these effects extraordinary and supernaturall being so palpable and permanent , they are not at all lyable to such subterfuges as atheists usually betake themselves to , as of melancholy , & disturbance of phansy in those that professe they see such strange things , or any fraud or impost●re in those that act . all that can with any shew of reason be alledged is this , that such partyes in their ●itts of distraction may devoure such things as they vomit up , or at least put them into their mouthes . but they that are by might easily see that , distracted people doing things carelessly and openly . and these things happen to those that are thus handled against their wills ; and as they are not discovered to doe any such things , of themselves , so neither do they confess afterwards that they did it , when they are come to their right senses ; and ordinarily it is found out that some woman or other by sorcery or vvitchcraft was the authour of it . besides it is evident that there can be no mistake at all in some of these passages ; for how can an iron naile get betwixt the skin and the flesh , the skin not at all ripped or touch'd ? or how is it possible for any body to swallow down knives and pieces of iron a span long ? which besides that story of vlricus neusesser , is made good in another of a young wench , who when she had made cleane a paire of shoes with a knife , which she put in her bosome , she after seeking for it , it could not be found any where , till at length it began to discover it self in a swelling on her left side , and at last was pulled out thence by the chirurgion . you may read the whole story in vvierus , lib. 4. it was done at levensteet in the dukedome of brunswick 1562. an old women had come to the house in the morning , and a strange black dog was found under the table . there are also other miraculous and supernaturall effects , as in that maid of saxonies speaking of greek ; and in another in italy telling what was the best verse in all virgill . in another whom caelius rhodiginus profess'd he saw that spoke from betwixt her legs . another at paris whom dr. picard and other divines would have dispossest , whom one hollerius a physician deriding , as if it had been nothing but melancholy in the woman and ignorance in those divines , was after convinc'd of the contrary , when he saw her standing betwixt two other women and crying out of a sudden , discerning her hands to be so fast bound that there was no loosing of them without cutting the string . there was not the appearance of any thing to any body but to the possessed onely , who said she saw then a white cloud come neer her when she was bound . chap. vi. the apparition eckerken . the story of the pyed piper . a triton or sea-god seen on the banks of rubicon . of the imps of witches , and whether those old women be guilty of so much dotage as the atheist fancies them . that such things passe betwixt them and their imps as are impossible to be imputed to melancholy . the examination of john winnick of molesworth . the reason of sealing covenants with the divell . but it is now high time to cleare up this more dim and cloudy discovery of spirits into more distinct and articulate apparitions , according as i did at first propound . and these i shall cast into two ranks : such as appeare near to us on the ground , or such as are seen afarr off , above in the aire . and here again to begin with small things first . near elton a village half a mile distant from embrica in the dukedome of cleve , there was a thing had its haunt , they called it eckerken ; there appeared never more then the shape of an hand , but ●t would beat travellers , pull them off from their horses , and overturn carriages . this could be no phansy , there following so reall effects . the story of the pyed piper , that first by his pipe gathered together all the rats and mice , and drown'd them in the river , and afterward , being defrauded of his reward , which the town promis'd him if he could deliver them from the plague of those vermine , took his opportunity , and by the same pipe made the children of the town follow him , and leading them into a hill that opened , buried them there all alive ; hath so evident proof of it in the town of hammel where it was done , that it ought not at all to be discredited . for the fact is very religiously kept amongst their ancient records , painted out also in their church-windowes , and is an epoche joyn'd with the yeare of our lord in their bills and indentures and other law●nstruments . that also seems to me beyond all exception and evasion which suetonius relates of a spectrum appearing on the b●nks of the river rubicon : which was thus , julius caesar having marched with his armie to this river , which divides gall●a citerior from italy , and being very doubtfull with himself whither he should passe over into italy or not , there was seen on the river side a man of a prodigious stature and form playing on a reed . the strangeness of his person as well as the pleasantnesse of his musick had drawn severall of the shepherds unto him , as also many of the souldiers , amongst whom were some trumpeters ; which this 〈◊〉 ( as melanchthon ventures to call him ) or sea god well ob●erving nimbly snatches away one of the trumpets ou● of their hands , leaps forthwith into the river , and 〈◊〉 a march with that strength and violence , that he seem'd to ●end the heavens , and made the aire ring again with the m●ghty fo●cibleness of the blast , in this manner he p●ssed over to the other side of the river . whereupon caesar taking the omen , leaves off all further dispute with himself carries over his army enters italy , secure of success from so manifest tokens of the favour of the gods. to confirme this truth of apparitions , if we would but admit the free confessions of vvitches concerning their impes , whom they so frequently see and converse withall , know them by their names , and do obeisance to them ; the point would be put quite out of all doubt , and their proofs would be so many , that no volume would be large enough to containe them . but forsooth these must be all melancholy old●women that dote and bring themselves into danger by their own phansyes and conceits . but that they doe net dote , i am better assured of , then of their not doting , that say they do . for to satisfy my own curiosity i have examined severall of them , and they have discours'd as cunningly as any of their quality and education . but by what i have read and observ'd i discerne they serve a very perfidious master , who playes wreaks many times on purpose to betray them . but that 's only by the by . i demand concerning these witches who confesse their contract and frequent converse with the divel ; s●me with him in one shape , others in another ; whether mere melancholy and imagination can put powders , rods , oyntments , and such like things into their hands , and tell them the use of them , can impresse markes upon their bodies ▪ so deep as to take away all sense in that place , can put silver and gold into their hands , which afterwards commonly proves but either counters , leaves ▪ or shells , or some such like uselesse matter ? these reall effects cannot be by mere melancholy . for if a man receive any thing into his hand , be it what it will be , there was some body that gave it him . and therefore the vvitch receiving some reall thing from this or that other shape that appeared unto her , it is an evident signe , that it was an externall thing that she saw , not a mere figuration of her melancholy phansy . there are innumerable examples of this kind , but the thing is so triviall and ordinary that it wants no instances . i will only for down one , wherein there is the apparition of three spirits . john vv●nnick of molsew●rth in huntington-shire being examin'd 11. aprill 1646. confessed as followes . having lost his purse with seven shillings in it , for which he suspected one in the family where he lived , he saith , that on a friday while he was making hay bottles in the barn , and swore and curs'd and rag'd , and wisht to himself that some wise body would help him to his purse a●d money again , there appear'd unto him a spirit in the shape of a beare but not so big as a coney , who promis'd upon condition that he would fall down and worship him , he would help him to his purse . he assented to it , and the spirit told him to morrow about this time he should find his purse upon the floor where he made bottles , and that he would then come himself also ; which was done accordingly : and thus at the time appointed recovering his purse he fell down upon his knees to the spirit , and said , my lord and god i thank you . this spirit brought then with him two other , in the shape the one of a white cat , the other of a coney , which at the command of the beare-spirit he worshipped also . the beare-spirit told him he must have his soul when he dyed , that he must suck of his body , that he must have some of his bloud to seale the covenant . to all which he agreed , and so the beare-spirit leaping up to his shoulder , prick'd him on the head , and thence took bloud . after that , they all three vanished , but ever since came to him once every twenty four houres , and suck'd on his body , where the markes are found . and that they had continually done thus for this twenty nine yeares together . that all these things should be a mere dreame is a conceit more slight and foolish than any dreame possibly can be . for that receiving of his purse was a palpable and sensible pledge of the truth of all the rest . and it is incredible that such a series of circumstances back'd with twenty nine yeares experience of being suck'd and visited dayly , sometimes in the day time , most commonly by night , by the same three familiars , should be nothing but the hanging together of so many melancholy conceits and phansies . nor doth the sealing of covenants and writing with bloud make such stories as these more to be suspected : for it is not at all unreasonable that such ceremonies should passe betwixt a spirit and a man , when the like palpable rites are used for the more firmly tying of man to god. for whatsoever is crasse and externall leaves a stronger impresse upon the phansy , and the remembrance of it strikes the mind with more efficacy . so that assuredly the divel hath the greater hanck upon the soul of a witch or wizard , that hath been perswaded to complete their contract with him in such a grosse sensible way , and keepes them more fast from revolting from him , than if they had only contracted in bare words . chap. vii . the nocturnall conventicles of witches ; that they have often dissolved & disappeared at the naming of the name of god or jesus christ ; and that the party thus speaking has found himself alone in the fields many miles from home . the dancing of men , women and cloven-footed satyres at mid-day ; john michaell piping from the bough of an oake , &c. but i shall now adde further stories that ought to gain credit for the conspicuous effects recited in them . as that which paulus grillandus reports of one not far from rome , who at the perswasion of his wife anointing himself , as she had done before him , was carried away in the aire to a great assembly of wizards and vvitches , where they were feasting under a nut-tree . but this stranger not relishing his cheare without salt , at last the salt coming , and he blessing of god for it , at that name the whole assembly disappeared , and he poore man was left alone naked an hundred miles off from home ; whither when he had got he accused his wife , she confess'd the fact , discovering also her companions , who were therefore burnt with her . the same authour writes a like story of a young girle thirteen years old in the dukedome of spalatto , who being brought into the like company and admiring the strangenesse of the thing , and crying out blessed god , what 's here to do ! made the whole assembly vanish , was left herself in the field alone , and wandring up and down was found by a countrey man to whom shee told the whole matter . so the husband of the witch of lochiae , whom she brought into the like assembly , by saying o my god where are we ? made all to vanish , and found himself naked alone in the field fifteen dayes journey from home . severall other stories to this purpose bodinus sets down , which these sensible effects of being so far distant from home and being found naked in the fields , shew to be no freakes of melancholy but certain truth . but that the divel in these junquetings appeares to the guests in the form of a satyr , black goat , or else sometimes in the shape of an ill-favoured black man , is the ordinary confession of vvitches , by this way discovered and convicted . of his appearance in the shape of a man in black at least , if not a black man , a young woman committed for the suspicion of vvitchcraft , at the castle in cambridge told my learned friend dr. cudworth and my self this story . how one lendall-wife , who afterwards at cambridge suffered for a witch , made a motion to her of procuring her a husband ; she accepted of it . the day and hour appointted , her sweet-heart met her at lendall's house . he brake the businesse to her ; but in the middle of the conference she did but turne her head aside and he was vanished , and instead of a good proper yeomanlike man there was found in the chaire , where he did sit , nothing but a young whelp lying on the cushion . shee told us also how upon a time when she dwelt with a dame in a little town near cambridge , and was sent into the fields to gather sticks , that lendall-wife did meet her there and urged the old businesse again , and b●cause she would not consent to it , that shee beat her unmercifully , pulled off all her cloathes , and left her naked and in a manner dead upon the ground , and that she thought , if her dame had not come to seek her , and had not found her , she had died no other death . she told us also how at another time the door being shut and she going to bed , that her sweet-heart came to her himself , earnestly desiring that the match might goe on : which she as resolutely refusing , he grew very angry , and asked her if she would make a fool of him , and gave her such a parting blow upon her thigh that it was black and blew a good while after . but that which i aime at happened sometime betwixt these passages i have already related . while this marriage was driving on , the wench was again invited to lendall-wife's house , where she might meet with her sweet-heart at a supper . shee told us , when she was come , that shee waited ● great while below , and marvelled that there was neither fire nor rost-meat nor any thing else that could promise any such entertainment as was expected , nor did she see any thing brought into the house all the while she was there , and yet notwithstanding , that at supper time the table was well furnish't as well with guests as meat . he that did sit at the upper end of the table was all in black , to whom the rest gave very much respect , bowing themselves with a great deal of reverence whenever they spake to him . but what the wench seemed most of all affected with , was that the company spake such a language as she understood not ; and lendall-wife whom at other times , she said , she could understand very well , when she spake then at table she could not understand at all . old stranguidge ( of whom there hath been reported ever since i came to the universitie that he was carried over shelford steeple upon a black hogge and tore his breeches upon the weather-cock ) was one of the company . i doe not remember any other she told us of that wee knew ; but there were severall that she her self knew not . it was darke when they went to supper , and yet there was neither candle nor candlestick on the board , but a moveable light hovered over them , that waf●ed it self this way and that way in the aire betwixt the seeling and the table . under this glimmering lamp they ate their victuals and entertain'd discourse in that unknown dialect . she amazed at the strangenesse of the businesse and weary of attending of so uncouth a company , as she said , slunck away from them and left them . as for my own part , i should have looked upon this whole narration as a mere idle fancy or sick mans dream , had it not been that my beliefe was so much enlarged by that palpable satisfaction i received from what wee heard from foure or five vvitches which we lately examined before : and yet what i heard was but such matters as are ordinarily acknowledged by such vvitches as will confesse . and therefore i shall rather leave my reader to wait the like opportunity , then trouble my self with setting down any further examinations of my own . i will only adde a story or two out of remigius concerning these conventicles of witches , and then i will proceed to some other proofs . john of hembach was carried by his mother being a witch to one of these conventicles , and because he had learnt to play on the pipe , was commanded by her to exercise his faculty & to get up into a tree , that they might the better hear his musick . which he doing , & looking upon the dancers , how uncouth and ridiculous they were in their motions and gestures , being struck with admiration at the novelty of the matter , suddenly burst out into these words , good god , what a mad company have we here ! which was no sooner said , but down came john , pipe and all , and hurt his shoulder with the tumbling cast , who when he called to the company to help him , found himself alone , for they had all vanish'd , john of hembach told the story , but people knew not what to make of it , till some of that mad crue that danc'd to his pipe , were apprehended upon other suspicions , as catharina praevotia , kelvers orilla , and others , who made good every whit what john had before told ( though they knew nothing of what he told before ) adding also more particularly that the place where he pip'd to them was maybuch . the other memorable story that i shall relate out of remigius is this . one nicolea langbernhard , while she was going towards assenunturia along a hedge side , spied in the next field ( it was about noon-time of day ) a company of men and women dancing in a ring ; and the posture of their bodies being uncouth and unusuall made her view them more attentively , whereby she discerned some of them to have cloven feet , like oxen or goats ( it should seem they were spirits in the shape of lusty satyrs ) she being astonish'd with fear cryes out , jesus help me and send me well home . she had no sooner said so , but they all vanished saving onely one peter grospetter , whom a little afterwards she saw snatch'd up into the aire and to let fall his maulkin ( a stick that they make cleane ovens withall ) and her self was also driven so forcibly with the winde , that it made her almost loose her breath . she was faine to keep her bed three dayes after . this peter ( though at first he would have followed the law on nicolea for slandring him , yet ) afterward freely confess'd and discovered others of his companions , as barbelia the wife of joannes latomus , mayetta the wife of laurentius , who confessed she danced with those cloven-footed creatures at what time peter was amongst them . and for further evidence of the businesse john michaell , herds-man , did confesse , that while they thus danced , he plaid upon his crooked staffe , and struck upon it with his fingers , as if it had been a pipe , sitting upon an high bough of an oake ; and that so soon as nicolea called upon the name of jesus , he tumbled down headlong to the ground , but was presently catch'd up again with a whirldwind , and carryed to weiller meadowes , where he had left his herds a little before . adde unto all this , that there was found in the place where they danced a round circle wherein there was the manifest ma●kes of the treading of cloven feet , which were seen from the day after nicolea had discover'd the businesse , till the next winter that the plough cut them out . these things happened in the yeare 1590. chap. viii . of fairy circles . a larger discussion of those controversies betwixt bodinus and remigius , viz. whether the bodyes of witches be really transformed into the shape of wolves and other creatures ; whether the souls of witches be not sometimes at those nocturnall conventicles , their bodies being left at home ; as also whether they leav● not their bodies in those extasies they put themselves in when they promise to fetch certain newes from remote places in a very short time . it might be here very seasonable , upon the foregoing story , to enquire into the nature of those large darke rings in the grasse , which they call fairy circles , whether they be the rendezv●●z of witches , or the da●cing places of those little puppet-spirits which they call elves or fairies . but these curios●ties i leave to more busy wits . i am onely intent now upon my serious purpose of proving there are spirits ; which i think i have made a pretty good progresse in already , and have produced such narrations that cannot but gain credit with such as are not perversly and wi●lfully incredulous . there is another more profitable question started , if it could be decided , concerning these night-revellings of vvitches , whether they be not sometimes there , their bodies lying at home , as sundry stories seem to favour that opinion : bodinus is for it , remigius is against it . it is the same question , whether when vvitches or vvizards professe they will tell what is done within so many miles compasse , and afterwards to give a proof of their skill first anoint their bodies and then fall down dead in a manner , and so lye a competent time senselesse , whether , i say , their souls go out of their bodies , or all be but represented to their imagination . we may add a third , which may happily better fetch off the other two ; and that is concerning your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( which the germans call were-vvolff ; the french loups garous ) men transformed into vvolves : and there is much what the same reason of other transformations . i shall not trouble you with any histories of them , though i might produce many . but as well those that hold it is but a delusion of the divell and mere tragedies in dreames , as they that say they are reall transactions , do acknowledge , that those parties that have confessed themselves thus transformed have been weary and sore with running , have been wounded and the like . bodinus here also is deserted of remigius , who is of the same mind with vvierus , that sly , smooth physician , and faithfull patron of vvitches , who will be sure to load the divell as much as he can , his shoulders being more able to bear it , and so to ease the haggs . but for mine own part , though i will not undertake to decide the controversy , yet i thinke it not a●●isse to declare , that bodinus may very well make good his own , notwithstanding any thing those do alledge to the contrary . for that which wierus and remigius seem so much to stand upon , that it is too great a power for the divell and too great indignity to man , that he should be able thus to transform him ; are in my mind but slight rhe●orications , no sound arguments . for what is that outward mis●apement of body to the inward deformity of their souls , which he helps on so notoriously ? and they having given themselves over to him so wholy , why may he not use them thus here , when they shall be worse used by him hereafter ? and for the changeing of the species of things , if that were a power too big to be granted the divell , yet it is no more done here , when he thus transforms a man into a vvolf , then when he transforms himself into the shape of a man. for this vvolf is still a man , and that man is still a divell . for it is so as the poet sayes it was in vlysses his companions which circe turned into hoggs , they had the head , the voice , the body and bristles of hoggs ; — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but their understanding was unchanged , they had the mind and memory of a man as before . as petrus bourgotus professeth that when his companion michael verdung had a●ointed his body and transform'd him into a wolf , when he look'd upon his hairy feet he was at first affraid of himself . now therefore it being plain that nothing materiall is alledged to the contrary , and that men confesse they are turn'd into wolves , and acknowledge the salvage cruelties they then committed upon children , women and sheep , that they find themselves exceeding weary , and sometimes wounded ; it is more naturall to conclude they were really thus transformed , then that it was a mere delusion of phansy . for i conceive the divell gets into their body , and by his subtile substance , more operative and searching than any fire or putrifying liquour , melts the yielding compages of the body to such a consistency , and so much of it as is fitt for his purpose , and makes it plyable to his imagination : and then it is as easy for him to work it into what shape he pleaseth , as it is to work the aire into such forms and figures as he ordinarily doth . nor is it any more difficulty for him to mollify what is hard , then it is to harden what is so soft and fluid as the aire . and he that hath this power , we can never stick to give him that which is lesse , viz. to instruct men how they shall for a time forsake their bodies , and come in again . for can it be a hard thing for him , that can thus melt and take a pieces the particles of the body , to have the skill and power to loosen the soul , a substance really distinct from the body and separable from it ; which at last is done by the easy course of nature , at that finall dissolution of soul and body which we call death ? but no course of nature ever transforms the body of man into the shape of a wolf ; so that this is more hard and exo●bitant from the order of nature then the other . i but you 'l say the greatnesse and incrediblenesse of the miracle is this ; that there should be an actuall separation of soul and body and yet no death . but this is not at all strange if we consider that death is properly a disjunction of the soul from the body by reason of the bodie 's unfitnesse any longer to entertain the soul , which may be caused by extremity of diseases , outward violence or age ; and if the divell could restore such bodies as these to life , it were a miracle indeed . but this is not such a miracle , nor is the body properly dead , though the soul be out of it . for the life of the body is nothing else but that fitnesse to be actuated by the soul. the conservation whereof is help'd , as i conceive , by the anointing of the body before the extasy ; which ointment filling the pores keeps out the cold and keeps in the heat and spirits , that the frame and temper of the body may continue in fit case to entertain th● soul again at her return . so the vital streames of the carcasse being not yet spent , the prist●ne operations of life are presently again kindled , as a candle new blown out and as yet reeking , suddenly catches fire from the flame of another , though at some distance , the light gliding down along the smoke . wherefore there being nothing in the nature of the thing that should make us incredulous , these sorceresses so confidently pronouncing that they are out of their bodies at such times , and see and do such & such things , meet one another , bring messages , discover secrets and the like , it is more naturall and easy to conclude they be really out of their bodies , then in them . which we should the more easily be induced to believe , if we could give credit to that story wierus tells of a souldier out of whose mouth whilest he was asleep a thing in in the shape of a wesell came , which nudd●●ng along in the grasse and at last coming to a brook side , very busily attempting to get over ▪ but not being able , some one of the standers by that saw it , made a bridge for it of his sword ▪ which it passed over by , and coming back made use of the same passage , and then entred into the souldier's mouth again , many looking on : when he waked he told how he dream'd he had gone over an iron bridge , and other particulars answerable to what the spectatours had seen afore-hand . wierus acknowledgeth the truth of the story , but will by all meanes have it to be the divell , not the soul of the man ; which he doth in a tender regard to the witches , that from such a truth as this they might not be made so obnoxious to suspicion that their extasies are not mere dreames and delusions of the divell , but are accompanied with reall effects . i will not take upon me to decide so nice a controversy , only i will make bold to in●ermeddle thus farre as to pronounce bodinus his opinion , not at all unworthy of a rationall and sagacious man. and that though by his being much addicted to such like speculations he might attribute some naturall effects to the ministry of spirits , when there was no need so to doe , yet his judgement in other things of th●s kind is no more to be slighted for that , then cartesius , that stupendious mechanicall witt , is to be disallowed in those excellent inventions of the causes of those more generall phaenomena of nature , because by his successe in those he was imboldned to enlarge his principles too farre , and to assert that a●imalls themselves were mere machina's : like aristoxenus the musician that made the soul nothing else but an harmony ; of whom tully pleasantly observes , quod non recessit ab arte sua . every genius and temper , as the sundry sorts of beasts and living creatures , have their proper excrement : and it is the part of a wise man to take notice of it , and to chuse what is profitable , as well as to abandon what is uselesse and excrementitious . chap. ix . the coldnesse of those bodyes that spirits appear in witnessed by the experience of cardan and bourgotus . the naturall reason of this coldnesse . that the divell does really lye with vvitches . that the very substance of spirits is not fire . spirits skirmishing on the ground . field fights and sea fights seen in the aire . but to return into the way , i might adde other stories of your daemones metallici , your guardian genii , such as that of socrates , and that other of which bodinus tells an ample story , which hee received from him who had the society and assistance of such an angell or genius , which for my own part i give as much credit to as to any story in livy or plutarch : your lares familiares , as also those that haunt and vexe families appearing to many and leaving very sensible effects of their appearings . but i will not so farre tire either my self or my reader . i will only name one or two storyes more , rather then recite them . as that of cardan , who writes as you may see in otho melander , that a spirit that familiarly was seen in the house of a friend of his , one night layd his hand upon his brow which felt intolerably cold . and so petrus bourgotus confessed that when the divell gave him his hand to kisse , it felt cold . and many more examples there be to this purpose . and indeed it stands to very good reason that the bodies of divels being nothing but coagulated aire should be cold , as well as coagulated water , which is snow or ice and that it should have a more keen and piercing cold , it consisting of more subtile particles , than those of water , and therefore more fit to insinuate , and more accurately and stingingly ▪ to affect and touch the nerves . wherefore witches confessing so frequently as they do , that the divel lyes with them , and withall complaining of his tedious and offensive coldnesse , it is a shrewd presumption that he doth lie with them indeed , and that it is not a mere dreame , as their friend wierus would have it . hence we may also discover the folly of that opinion that makes the very essence of spirits to be fire : for how unfit that would be to coagulate the aire is plain at first sight . it would rather melt and dissolve these consistencies then constringe them and freeze them in a manner . but it is rather manifest that the essence of spirits is a substance specifically distinct from all corporeall matter whatsoever . but my intent is not to philosophize concerning the nature of spirits , but only to prove their existence . which the story of the spectre at ephesus may be a further argument of . for that old man which apollonius told the ephesians was the walking plague of the city , when they stoned him and uncovered the heap , appear'd in the shape of an huge black dog as big as the biggest lion. this could be no imposture of melanchly nor ●raud of any priest. and the learned grotius , a man far from all levity and vain credulity , is so secure of the truth of ty●neus his miracles , that he does not stick to term him impudent , that has the face to deny them . our english chronicles also tell us of apparitions ; armed men , foot and horse , fighting upon the ground in the north part of england and in ireland for many evenings together , seen by many hundreds of men at once , and that the grasse was troden down in the places where they were seen to fight their battailes : which agreeth with nicolea langbernhard her story of the cloven-footed dancers , that left the print of their hoofs in the ring they trod down , for a long time after . but this skirmishing upon the earth puts me in mind of the last part of this argument , and bids me look up into the aire . where omitting all other prodigies i shall only take notice of what is most notorious , and of which there can by no meanes be given any other account , then that it is the effect of spirits . and this is the appearance of armed men fighting and encountring one another in the sky . there are so many examples of these prodigies in historians , that it were superfluous to instance in any . that before the great slaughter of no lesse than fourescore thousand made by antiochus in jerusalem recorded in the second of maccabees chap. 5. is famous . the historian there writes that through all the city for the space almost of fourty dayes there were seen horsemen running in the aire , in cloth of gold , and arm'd with lances , like a band of souldiers , and troops of horsemen in array encountring and running one against another , with shaking of shields , and multitudes of pi●●es , and drawing of swords , and casting of darts , and glittering of golden ornaments , and harnesse of all sorts . and josephus writes also concerning the like prodigies , that happened before the destruction of the city by titus ▪ prefacing first , that they were incredible , were it not that they were recorded by those that were eye-witnesses of them . the like apparitions were seen before the civill warres of marius and sylla . and melanchthon affirmes that a world of such prodigies were seen all over germany from 1524 to 1548. s●ellius amongst other places doth particularize in a●●rtsfort , where these fightings were seen not much higher then the house tops ; as also in amsterdam where there was a sea-fight appearing in the aire for an houre or two together , many thousands of men looking on . and to say nothing of what hath been seen in england not long ago , there is lately a punctuall narration of such a sea-fight seen by certain hollanders , and sent over hither into england , but a lion appearing alone at the end of that apparition , though it may be true for ought i know , yet it makes it obnoxious to suspicion and evasion and so unprofitable for my purpose . but the phaenomena of this kind , whose reports cannot be suspected to be in subserviency to any politick designe , ought in reason to be held true , when there have been many profess'd eye-witnesses of them . and they being resolvable into no naturall causes , it is evident that we must acknowledge supernaturall ones , such as spirits , intelligences or angels , term them what you please . chap. x. a very memorable story of a certain pious man , who had the continuall society of a guardian genius . i had here ended all my stories , were i not tempted by that remarkable one in bodinus , to our-run my method . i but named it heretofore , i shall tell it now more at large . i am the more willingly drawn to relate it , such examples of the consociation of good spirits being very scarce in history . the main reason whereof , as i conceive , is because so very few men are heartily and sincerely good . the narration is more considerable in that he that writes it , had it from the man 's own mouth whom it concerns ; and is as follows . this party , a holy and pious man , as it should seem , and an acquaintance of bodinus's , freely told him , how that he had a certain spirit that did perpetually accompany him , which he was then first aware of , when he had attain'd to about thirty seven years of age , but conceiv'd that the said spirit had been present with him all his life time , as he gathered from certain monitory dreams and visions , whereby he was forewarn'd as well of severall dangers as vices . that this spirit discovered himself to him after he had for a whole year together earnestly pray'd to god to ●end a good angell to him , to be the guide and governer of his life and actions ; adding also , that before and after prayer he used to spend two or three houres in meditation and reading the scriptures , diligently enquiring with himself , what religion , amongst those many that are controverted in the world , might be best , beseeching god that he would be pleased to direct him to it . and that he did not allow of their way , that at all adventures pray to god to confirm them in that opinion they have already preconceived , be it right or wrong . that while he was thus busy with himself in matters of religion , that he light on a passage in philo judaeus in his book de sacrificiis , where he writes , that a good and holy man can offer no greater nor more acceptable sacrifice to god , then the oblation of himself , and therefore following philo's counsell , that he offered his soul to god. and that after that , amongst many other divine dreames and visions , he once in his sleep seemed to hear the voice of god saying to him , i will save thy soul , i am he that before appeared unto thee . afterwards that the spirit every day would knock at the doore about three or four a clock in the morning , though he rising and opening the doore could see no body , but that the spirit persisted in this course , and unlesse he did rise , would thus rouze him up . this trouble and boisterousnesse made him begin to conceit that it was some evill spirit that thus haunted him , and therefore he daily pray'd earnestly unto god , that he would be pleased to send a good angell to him , and often also sung psalmes , having most of them by heart . wherefore the spirit afterward knocked more gently at the doore , and one day discovered himself to him waking , which was the first time that he was assured by his senses that it was he ; for he often touched and stirred a drinking-glasse that stood in his chamber , which did not a little amaze him . two dayes after when he entertain'd at supper a certain f●●end of his , secretary to the king , that this friend of his was much abash'd while he heard the spirit thumping on the bench hard by him , and was strucken with fear , but he ●ad him be of good courage , there was no hurt towards ; and the better to assure him of it , told him the truth of the whole matter . wherefore from that time , ●aith bodinus , he did affirm that this spirit was alwayes with him , and by some sensible signe did ever advertize him of things : as by striking his right eare if he did any thing amisse ; if otherwise , his left . if any body came to circumvent him ▪ that his right eare was st●uck , but his left eare , if a good man and to good ends accosted him . if he was about to eat or drink any thing that would hurt him , or intended or purposed with himself to do any thing that would prove ill , that he was inhibited by a signe , and if he delaid to follow his businesse , that he was quickened by a ●●gne given him . when he began to praise god in psalmes and to declare his marveilous acts , that he was presently raised and strengthened with a spirituall and supernaturall power . that he daily begg'd of god that he would teach him his will , his law and his truth ; and that he set one day of the week apart for reading the scripture and meditation , with singing of psalmes , and that he did not 〈◊〉 out of his house all that day ; but that in his ordinary conversation he was sufficiently merry and of a chearfull minde , and he cited that saying for it , vidi facies sanctorum laetas . but in his conversing with others ▪ if he had talked vainly and indiscreetly , or had some daies together neglected his devotions , that he was forthwith admonished thereof by a dreame . that he was also admonished to rise betimes in the morning , and that about four of the clock a voice would come to him while he was asleep , saying , who gets up first to pray ? he told bodinus also how he was often admonish'd to give almes , and that 〈◊〉 more charity he bestow'd , the more prosperous he was . and that on a time when his enemies sought after his life , and knew that he was to go by water , that his father in a dreame brought two horses to him , the one white , the other bay ; and that therefore he bid his servant hire him two horses , and though he told him nothing of the colours , that yet he brought him a white one and a bay one . that in all difficulties , journeyings and what other enterprizes soever , he used to ask counsell of god , and that one night , when he had begged his blessing , while he slept he saw a vision wherein his father seemed to blesse him . at another time , when he was in very great danger , and was newly gone to bed , he said that the spirit would not let him alone till he had raised him again , wherefore he watched and pray'd all that night . the day after he escaped the hands of his persecuters in a wonderfull manner ; which being done , in his next sleep he heard a voice saying , now sing , quisedet in latibulo altissi●● . a great many other passages this party told bodinus , so many indeed , that he thought it an endlesse labour to recite them all . but what remains of those he has recited , i will not stick to take the pains of transcribing them . bodinus asked him why he would not speak to the spirit for the gaining of the more plain and familiar converse with it . he answered that he once attempted it , but the spirit instantly struck the doore with that vehemency , as if he had knock'd upon it with an hammer , whereby he gathered his dislike of the matter . but though the spirit would not talk with him , yet he could make use of his judgement in the reading of books and moderating his studies . for if he took an ill book into his hands and fell a reading , the spirit would strike it , that he might lay it down , and would also sundry times , be the books what they would , hinder him from reading and writing overmuch , that his minde might rest , and silently meditate with it self . he added also , that very often while he was awake , a small , subtile , inarticulate sound would come unto his eares . bodinus further enquiring whether he ever see the shape and form of the spirit , he told him that while he was awake he never see any thing but a certain light very bright and clear and of a round compasse and figure ; but that once , being in great jeopardy of his life , and having heartily pray'd to god that he would be pleased to provide for his safety , about break of day , amidst his slumberings and wakings , he espyde on his bed where he lay a young boy clad in a white garment tinctured somewhat with a touch of purple , and of a visage admirably lovely and beautifull to behold . this he confidently affirmed to bodinus for a certain truth . chap. xi . certain enquiries upon the preceding story ; as , what these guardian genii may be . whether one or more of them be allotted to every man , or to some none . what may be the reason of spirits so seldome appearing ; and whether they have any settled shape or no. what their manner is of assisting men in either devotion or prophecy . whether every mans complexion is capable of the society of a good genius . and lastly whether it be lawfull to pray to god to send such a genius or angel to one or no. it is beside my present scope , as i have already professed , to enter into any more particular and more curious disquisitions concerning the nature of spirits , my ayme being now onely to demonstrate their existence by those strange effects recorded every where in history . but this last narration is so extraordinarily remarkable , that it were a piece of disrespect done to it , to dismisse it without some enquiries at least into such problems as it naturally affords to our consideration , though it may well seem plainly beyond the power of humane witt , or lawes of modesty to determine any thing therein . in the first place therefore , it cannot but amuse a man's minde to think what these officious spirits should be , that so willingly sometimes offer themselves to consociate with a man ; whether they may be angels uncapable of incorporation into humane bodies , which vulgarly is conceived : or whether the souls of the deceased , they having more affinity with mortality and humane frailty then the other , and so more sensible of our necessities and infirmities , having once felt them themselves ; a reason alledged for the incarnation of christ by the authour to the hebrews : which opinion has no worse favourers then plutarch , maximus tyrius , and other platonists : or lastly , whether there may not be of both sorts . for separate souls being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in a condition not unlike the angels themselves , it is easy to conceive that they may very well undergo the like offices . secondly we are invited to enquire , whether every man have his guardian genius or no. that witches have many , such as they are , their own confessions testify . the pythagorea●s were of opinion that every man has two genii , a good one and a bad one . which mahomet has taken into his religion , adding also , that they sit on mens shoulders with table-books in their hands , and that the one writes down all the good , the other all the evill a man does . but such expressions as those i look upon as symbolicall rather then naturall . and i think it more reasonable that a man changing the frame of his minde changes his genius withall : or rather , unless a man be very sincere and single-hearted that he is left to common providence , as well as if he be not desperately wicked or deplorably miserable , scarce any particular evill spirit interposes or offers himself a perpetuall assistent in his affaires and fortunes . but extreme poverty , irksome old age , want of friends , the contempt , injury and hardheartednesse of evill neighbours , working upon a soul low sunk into the body and wholy devoid of the divine life , does sometimes kindle so sharp , so eager , and so piercing a desire of satisfaction and revenge , that the shreeks of men while they are a murdering , the howling of a wolf in the fields in the night , or the squeaking and roring of tortured beasts do not ●o certainly call to them those of their own kinde , as this powerfull magick of a pensive and complaining soul in the bitternesse of it's affliction attracts the ayd of these over-officious spirits . so that it is most probable that they that are the forwardest to ●ang witches are the first that made them , and have no more goodnesse nor true piety then these they so willingly prosecute , but are as wicked as they , though with better luck or more discretion , offending no further then the law will permit them , and therefore they securely starve the poor helpless man , though with a great deal of clamour of justice ▪ they will revenge the death of their hogg , or cow. thirdly it were worth our disquisition , why spirits so seldome now adayes appear , especially those that are good ; whether it be not the wickednesse of the present age , as i have already hinted ; or the generall prejudice men have against all spirits that appear , that they must be straightwayes divells ; or the frailty of humane nature that is not usually able to bear the appearance of a spirit , no more then other animalls are , for into what agonies horses and doggs are cast upon their approach , is in every ones mouth , and is a good circumstance to distinguish a reall apparition from our own imaginations ; or lastly whether it be the condition of spirits themselves , who , it may be , without some violence done to their own nature cannot become visible , it being happily as troublesome a thing to them , to keep themselves in one steady visible consistency in the aire , as it is for men that dive , to hold their breath in the water . fourthly it may deserve our search , whether spirits have any settled forme or shape . angells are commonly pictured like good plump cher●y-cheek'd lads . which is no wond●r , the boldnesse of the same artists not sticking to picture god almighty in the shape of an old man. in both it is as it pleases the painter . but this story seems rather to favour their opinion , that say that angells and seperate s●uls have no settled forme but what they please to give themselves upon occasion , by the power of their own phansy . ficinu● , as i remember , somewhere calls them aereall starres . and the good genii seem to me to be as the benigne eyes of god running to and fro in the world with love and pitty beholding the innocent endeavours of harmlesse and single-hearted men , ever ready to doe them good and to help them . what i conceive of separate soules and spirits , i cannot better expresse then i have already in my poem of the pr●existency of the soul. and i hope it will be no sin to be better then my word , who in my preface have promissed no poetry at all , but i shall not think much to offer to your view these two stanzas out of the forenamed poem . like to a light fast lock'd in lanthorn dark , whereby by night our wary steps we guide in slabby streets , and dirty chanels mark ; some w●aker rayes from the black top do glide , and flusher streams perhaps through th' horny side . but when we 've past the perill of the way , arriv'd at home , and laid that case aside , the naked light how clearly doth it ray , and spread its joyful beames as bright as summer's day ? even so the soul in this contracted state , confin'd to these straight instruments of sense , more dull and narrowly doth operate ; at this hole heares , the sight must ray from thence , here tasts , there smells ; but when she 's gone from hence , like naked lamp she is one shining spheare , and round about has perfect cognoscence what ere in her horizon doth appear ; she is one orb of sense , all eye , all airy eear . and what i speak there of the condition of the soul out of the body , i think is easily applicable to other gen●i , or spirits . the fift enquiry may be , how these good gen●i become serviceable to men , for either heightening their devotions or inabling them to prophecy ; whether it can be by any other way then by descending into their bodies and possessing the heart and braine . for the euchites , who affected the gift of prophecy by familiarity with evill spirits , did utterly obliterate in their souls the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the principles of goodnesse and honesty ( as you may see in psellus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) that the evill spirits might come into their bodies , whom those sparks of virtue , as they said , would drive away , but those being extinguish'd they could come in and possess them and inable them to pr●phecy . and that the imps of witches do sometimes enter their own bodies as well as their's to whom they send them , is plain in the story of the witches of warbois . it is also the opinion of trismegist , that these spirits get into the veines and arteries both of men and beasts . wherefore concerning the dreames and visions of this holy man that so freely imparted himself to bodinus , it may be conceived reasonable that the good genius insinuated himself into his very body , as well as the bad into the bodies of the wicked , and that residing in his braine and figuring of it , by thinking of this or that object , as we ourselves figure it when we think , the external senses being laid asleep , those figurations would easily be represented to the common sense ; and that memory recovering them when he awaked , they could not but seem to him as other dreames did saving that they were better , they ever signifying some thing of importance unto him . but those raptures of devotion by day , might be by the spirits kindling a purer kinde of love-flame in his heart , as well as by fortifying and raising his imagination . and how far a man shall be carried beyond himself by this redoubled soul in him , none , i think , can well conceive unlesse they had the experience of it . and if this be their manner of communion , it may well be enquired into , in the sixt place , whether all men be capable of consociation with these good genii . cardan somewhere intimates that their approaches are deprehensible by certain sweet smells they cast . from whence it may seem not improbable , that those bodies that smell sweet themselves , where the mind does not stink with pride and hypocrisy , have some naturall advantage for the gaining their society . but if there be any peculiar c●●plexion or naturall condition required , it will prove lesse hopefull for every one to obtaine their acquaintance . yet regeneration come to it 's due pitch , though it can not be without much paine and anguish , may well rectify all uncleannesse of nature ; so that no singularly good and sincere man can reasonably despaire of their familiarity . for he that is so highly in favour with the prince , it is no wonder he is taken notice of by his courtiers . but the last and most considerable question is , whether it be lawfull to pray to god for such a good genius or angell . for the example in the foregoing story seems a sufficient warrant . but i conceive faith and desire ought to be full-sayle to make such voiages prosperous , and our end and purpose pure and sincere , but if pride , conceitedness● ▪ or affectation of some peculiar priviledge above other mortalls , spurre a man up to so bold an enterprise , his devotions will no more move either god or the good geni● , then the whining voice of a counterfeit will stirr the affection of the discreetly charitable . nay this high presumption may invite some reall fiends to put a worse jest upon him then was put upon that tattered rogue guzman , by those mock-spirits , for his so impudently pretending kindred , and so boldly intruding himself into the knowledge and acquaintance , of the gentry and nobility of genoa . but the safest magick is the sincere consecrating a mans soul to god , and the aspiring to nothing but so profound a pitch of humility as not to be conscious to ourselves of being at all touched with the praise and applause of men ; and to such a free and universall sense of charity as to be delighted with the welfare of another as much as our own . they that solely have their eye upon these will find coming in what ever their heart can desire . but they that put forth their hand to catch at high things , as they phansy , and neglect these , prove at last but a lague to themselves , and a laughing-stock to the world . these are the severall speculations that the foregoing narration would naturally beget in the mindes of the curious . but methinks i hear the atheist replying to all this , that i have run a long division upo● very uncertain grounds , and asking me not without some scorn and anger , whether i believe that multifarious fable i have rehearsed out of bodinus and so much descanted upon . to which i answer , that i will not take my oath that the most likely passage in all plutarch's lives , or livies history is assuredly true . but however that i am not ashamed to professe , that i am as well assured in my own judgement of the existence of spirits , as that i have met with men in westminster-hall , or seen beasts in smithfield . chap. xii . that whether the species of things have been from all eternity , or whether they rose out of the earth by degrees in time , the frame of them is such , that against all the evasions of the atheist they naturally imply that there is a god. thus have we gone through the many and manifold effects represented to our senses on this wide theater of the world. the faintest and obscurest whereof are arguments full enough to prove the existence of a deity . but some being more palpable then other some , and more accommodate to awaken the dull and slow belief of the atheist into the acknowledgement of a god , it will not be amisse to take notice of what evasions he attempts to make for the extricating himself out of those that he pharisies the most sensibly to entangle him , and the most strongly to hinder his escape . and such are especially these two last i insisted upon , the curious frame of mans body , and apparitions . and the force of the former some indeavour to evade thus ; that there hath ever been man and woman and other species in the world , and so it is no wonder that like should propagate its like , and therefore that there is no want of any other invisible or materiall cause but the species of things themselves : and so these admirable contrivances in nature must imply no divine vvisdome nor counsell or any such thing . but here i demand whether there were ever any man that was not mortall , and whether there be any mortall that had not a beginning , and if he had , it must be either by generation or creation . if by creation , there is a god. if by aequivocall generation , as rising out of the earth , our argument will hold good still notwithstanding this evasion , but if you 'll say there was never any man in the world but was born of a woman , this must amount but to thus much ▪ that there hath been an infinite number of successions of births . if there be meant by it any thing more then thus , it will not prove sense . for though our phansy cannot run through an infinite series of effects , yet our reason is assured there is no effect without a cause , and be the progresse of causes and effects as infinite as it will , at last we resolve it naturally into some first ; and he that denies this , seems to me w●llfully to winke against the light of nature , and do violence to the faculties of his minde . and therefore of necessity there must be at least one first man and vvoman which are first ordine naturae , though infinity of time reckoning from the present causeth a confusion & obscurity in our apprehensions . and these which are thus first in order of nature or causality must also exist first before there can be any other men or women in the world. and therefore concerning these first it being manifest that they were born of no parents , it follows they were created or rose out of the earth , and so the evasion will be frustrated . besides if you affirm that there was never any man in the world but who was born of a vvoman , and so grew to mans estate by degrees , it will fall to some mans share to be a babe and a man at once , or to be both father and child , for so soon as mankind was ( let it be from aeternity , and beyond aeternity is nothing ) those that then existed were begot of some body , and there was nothing before them to beget them , therefore they begot themselves . but that they should at once then have been perfect men , their substances being of alterable and passive matter , that is wrought diversly and by degrees into that frame it hath , is as rash , as if they should say that bootes , and shooes , and stockins , and pyes , and peels , and ovens have been together with all aeternity : when as it is manifest there ought to be an orderly intervall of time before these things can be , wherein must precede the killing of oxen , and flaying of them , as also of sheep , tanning , spinning , cutting , and many more such like circumstances . so that it is enormously ridiculous to say that mankind might have been at once from all aeternity , unlesse the omnipotency of a god , who can do what ever we can imagine and more , should by his unresistable fiat cause such a thing in a moment so soon as himself was , which was ever , and he was never to seek for either power or skill . but that the fluid matter of it self should have been thus raised up from all aeternity into such compleat species of things , is very groundlesse and irrationall . i say , that there ever should be such a thing as this in the world , a man at once existing of himself in this corporeall frame that we see , who notwithstanding did afterwards dye like other mortalls ; is a fable above all poeticall figments whatsoever , and more incredible then the hardest article that any religion ever offered to the atheist's beliefe . others therefore deserting this way of evasion betake themselves to another , which , though it seem more plausible at first view , is fully as frivolous . they say that all the species of things , man himself not excepted , came first ●ut of the earth by the omnifarious attempt of the particles of the matter upon one another , which at last light on so lucky a construction and fabrick of the bodies of creatures as we see , and that having an infinite series of time to try all tricks in , they would of necessity at last come to this they are . but i answer , that these particles might commit infini●e tautologies in their strokes and motions , and that therefo●e there was no such n●cessi●y at all of falling into those formes and shapes that appea●e in the world . again , there is that excellent contrivance in the body , suppose , of a man , as ● have heretofore instanced , that it cannot but be the effect of very accurate knowledge and counsell . and lastly this concourse of atoms they being left without a guide , it is a miracle above all apprehension , that they should produce no in●pt species of things , such as should of their own nature have but three leggs , and one eye , or but one eare , rowes of teeth along the vertebrae of their backs , and the like , as i have above intimated , these in●ptitudes being more easy to hit upon , than such accurate and irreprehensible frames of creatures . but to ●lude the force of this argument against the fortuitous concourse of atoms ▪ they 'll excog●ta●e th●s mad evasion ; that nature did indeed at first bring forth such ill-favoured and ill-appointed monsters , as well as those that are of a more exquisite frame ; but those that were more pe●fect fell upon those other and kill'd them , and devoured then , they being not so well provided of either limbs or senses as the other , and so were never able to hop fast enough from them , or maturely to discover the approaching d●ngers that ever and anon were coming upon them . but this unjust and audacious calumny cast upon god and nature will be easily discover'd and convicted of fa●shood if we do but consider , first that trees , harbs , and flowers , that do not stine from their places , or exercise such fierce cruelty one upon another , that they all in their severall kinds are handsome , and elegant , and have no ineptitude or defect in them . secondly that all creatures born of putrefaction , as mice ▪ and froggs and the like , as those many hundreds of insects , as grashoppers , flyes , spiders and such other , that these also have a most accurate contrivance of parts , & that there is nothing fram'd rashly or ineptly in any of them . lastly in more perfect creatures , as in the scotch barnacles , which historians write of , of which if there be any doubt , yet gerard relates that of his own knowledge , which is as admirable , and as much to our purpose , that there is a kind of fowle which in lancashire are called tree geese , they are bred out of rotten pieces of broken ships and ●●unks of trees cast upon a little iland in lancashire they call the pile of foulders ; the same authour saith he hath found the like also in other parts of this kingdome : those fowles in all respects , though bred thus of putrefaction , ( and that they are thus bred is undeniably true as any man if he please may satisfy himself by consulting gerard the very last page of his history of plants ) are of as an exact fabrick of body , and as fitly contriv'd for the functions of such a kind of living creature , as any of those that are produced by propagation . nay the●e kind of fowles themselves do also propagate , which has imposed so upon the foolishness of some , that they 〈◊〉 denied that other way of their generation , wh●● as 〈◊〉 being generated one way does not exclude the 〈…〉 seen in froggs and mice . where●ore those productions out of the 〈…〉 putrefaction being thus perfect and accurate in 〈…〉 well as others , it is a manifest discovery that 〈…〉 never frame any species of things ineptly and 〈…〉 that therefore she was ever guided by counsell and 〈◊〉 that is , that nature her self is the effect of an all-knowing god. nor doth this consideration onely take away this present evasion , but doth more palpably and intelligibly enervate the former . for what boots it them to fly unto an infinite propagation of individualls in the same aeternall species , as they imagine , that they might be able alwaies to assigne a cause answerable to the effect ; when as there are such effects as these , and products of putrefaction , where wisdome and counsell are as truely conspicuous as in others ? for thus are they neverthelesse necessarily illaqueated in that inconvenience which they thought to have escaped by so quaint a subtilty . chap. xiii . that the evasions of atheists against apparitions are so weak and silly , that it is an evident argument that they are convinced in their own judgements of the truth of these kinds of phaenomena , which forces them to answer as well as they can , though they be so ill provided . now for their evasions whereby they would elude the force of that argument for spirits , which is drawn from apparitions , they are so weak and silly , that a man may be almost sure they were convinced in their judgement of the truth of such like stories , else it had been better flatly to have denied them , then to feigne such idle and vain reasons of them . for first they say they are nothing but imaginations , and that there is nothing reall without us in such apparitions . but being beaten off from this slight account , for that many see the same thing at once , then they fly to so miraculous a power of phansy , as if it were able to change the aire into a reall shape and form , so that others may behold it , as well as he that fram'd it by the power of his phansy . now i demand of any man , whether this be not a harder mysterie and more unconceivable then all the magicall metamorphoses of divells or witches . for it is farre easyer to conceive that some knowing thing in the aire should thus transform the aire into this or that shape , being in that part of the aire it doth thus transform , then that the imagination of man , which is but a modification of his own mind , should be able at a distance to change it into such like appearances , but suppose it could , can it animate the aire that it doth thus metamorphize , and make it speak , and answer to questions , and put things into mens hands , and the like ? o the credulity of besotted atheisme ! how intoxicated and infatuated are they in their conceits , being given up to sensuality , and having lost the free use of the naturall faculties of their minde ! but shall this force of imagination reach as high as the clouds also , and make men fight pitched battails in the aire , running and charging one against the other ? here the same bold pretender to wit and philosophy caesar vaninus ( who cunningly and jugglingly endeavours to infuse the poyson of atheisme into the mind of his reader on every occasion ) hath recourse to those old cast rags of epicurus his . school , the exuvious effluxes of things ; and attempts to salve these phaenomena thus ; that the vapours of mens bodies and it seems of horses too , are carried up into the aire and fall into a certain proportionable posture of parts , and so imitate the figures of them aloft among the clouds . but i demand how the vapours of the horses finde the vapours of their riders : and when and how long are they coming together : and whether they appeare not before there be any armies in the field to send up such vapours : and whether harnesse and weapons send up vapours too , as swords , pikes , and shields : and how they come to light so happily into the hands of those aeriall men of warre , especially the vapours of metalls ( if they have any ) being heavier in all likelyhood then the recke of a●●malls and men : and lastly how they come to discharge at one ano●her and to fight , there being neither life nor soul in them : and whether sounds also have their exuviae that are reserved till these solemnities ; for at alborough in suffolke 1642 were heard in the aire very loud beatings of drums ▪ shooting of muskets , and ordinance ▪ as also in other such like p●odigies there hath been heard the sounding of trumpets , as snellius w●ites . a●d pliny also makes mention of the sounding of ●rumpets and clashing of armour heard out of the heavens about the cymbr●ck wars , and often before . but here at alborough all was concluded with a melodious noise of musicall ●nstruments . the ex●viae 〈◊〉 fiddles it seems ●ly up into the aire too , or were those musical accen●s frozen there for a time , and at the heat and firing of the canons the aire ●elenting and thawing became so harmoniously vocall ? with what vain concei●s are men intoxicated , that willfully wink ●g●inst the light of nature , and are ●stranged from the true knowledge and acknowledgment of a god! but there is another evasion which the same se●ulous insinuatour of a●heisme would make use of in case this should not hold , which seems more sober but no lesse false . and that is this : that these sigh●i●gs and skirmishings in the aire are only the 〈◊〉 of some reall battail on the earth . but this in nature is plainly impossible . for of necessity these armies thus fighting , being at such a distance from the spectatours that the same of the battail never arrives to their eares , their eyes can never behold it by any re●lexion from the clouds . for besides that reflexion makes the images more dim then direct sight , such a distance from the army to the clouds , and then from the clouds to our eye , will lessen the species so exceedingly that they will not at all be visible . or if we could imag●ne th●t there might be some times such an advantage in the figure of these clouds as might in some sort remedie this lessening of the species , yet their surfaces are so exceeding rudely polish'd , and reflection which , as i said , is ever dim enough of it self ▪ is here so extraordinarily imperfect ▪ that they can never be able , according to the course of nature , to returne the species of terrestriall objects back again to our sight , it being so evident that they are unfit for what is of farr less difficulty . for we never finde them able to reflect the image of a starr when as not onely glass , but every troubled pool or durty plash of water in the high-way does usually do it . but that it is far easier for a star , then for any of these objects here upon earth to be reflected to our eyes by those rude naturall looking-glasses placed among the clouds , sundry reasons will sufficiently inform us . for first , the starrs do not abate at all of their usuall magnitude in which they ordinarily appeare to us , by this refl●ction ; the difference of many hundreds of leagues making no difference of magnitude in them , for indeed the distance of the diameter of the orbite of the earth makes none , as must be acknowledged by all those that admit of the annuall motion thereof . but a very few miles do exceedingly diminish the usuall biggnesse of the species of an horse or man , even to that littlenesse , that they grow invisible . what then will become of his sword , shield , or speare ? and in these cases we now speak of , how great a journey the species have from the earth to the cloud that reflects them , i have intimated before . secondly it is manifest , that a starre hath the preheminence above these terrestiall objects , in that it is as pure a light as the sunne , though not so bigg , but they but opake coloured bodies , and that therefore there is no comparison betwixt the vigour and strength of the species of a starre and of them . thirdly in the night-time , the eye being placed in the shadow of the earth , those reflections of a starr will be yet more easily visible ; whenas the great light of the sun by day , must needes much debilitate these reflected images of the objects upon the earth , his beams striking our eyes with so strong vibrations . fourthly and lastly , there being starres all over the firmament , so as there is , it should seem a hundred times more ●asie for naturall causes to hit upon a paraster or parastron ( for let analogie ●mbolden me so to call these seldome or never seen phaenomena , the image of a single starre or whole constellation reflected from the clouds ) then upon a parclios or paraselenc . but now the story of these is more then an hundred times more frequent then that of the paraster . for it is so seldome discovered that it is doubted whither it be or no , or rather acknowledged not to be , of which there can be no reason , but that the clouds are so ill-polished that they are not able to reflect so considerable a light as a starre . from whence i th●nk , we may safely gather ▪ that it is therefore impossible that they should reflect so debile species as the colours , and shapes of beasts and men , and that so accurately , as that we may see their swords , helmets , shields , speares , and the like . wherefore it is plaine that these apparitions on high in the aire , are no reflections of any objects upon earth ; or if it were imaginable that they were , that some supernaturall cause must assist to conglaciate & polish the surfaces of the clouds to such an extraordinary accuracy of figure & smoothnesse , as will suffice for such prodigious reflections . and that these spirits that rule in the aire may not act upon the materials there , as well as men here upon the earth work upon the parts thereof , as also upon the neighbouring elements so farre as they can reach , shaping , perfecting , and directing things , according to their own purpose and pleasure , i know no reason at all in nature or philosophy , for any man to deny . for that the help of some o●ficious gen● is implyed in such like prodigies as these , the seasonablenesse of their appearance seems no contemptible argument , they being according to the observation of historians , the forerunners of commotions and troubles in all kingdomes and common-wealths . yet neverthelesse as good artificers as i here suppose ▪ they working upon nature must be bounded by the laws of nature . and reflection will have its limits as well as refractiō , whither for conveiance of species or kindling of hea● ; the lawes and bounds whereof that discerning wit cartesius being well aware of , doth generously and judiciously pronounce ; that a burning-glasse , the distance of whose focus from the glasse doth not beare a lesse proportion to the diameter thereof , then the distance of the earth from the sun to the diameter of the sun , will burn no more vehemently then the direct raies of the sun will do without it , though in other respects this glasse were as exactly shaped & curiously polished , as could be exspected from the hand of an angel. i have now compleated this present treatise against atheisme in all the three parts therof : upon which while i cast mine eye and view that clear and irrefutable evidence of the cause i have undertaken , the external appearances of things in the world so faithfully seconding the undeniable dictates of the innate principles of our own mindes , i cannot but w th cōfidence aver , that there is not any one notion in all philosophy more certain & demonstrable then that there is a god. and verily i think i have ransacked all the corners of every kind of philosophy that can pretend to bear any stroke in this controversie , with that diligence , that i may safely pronounce , that it is mere brutish ignorance or impudence , no skill in nature or the knowledge of things , that can encourage any man to pro●esse atheisme , or to embrace it at the proposall of those that make profession of it . but so i conceive it is , that at first some famously learned men being not so indiscreetly zealous and superstitious as others , have been mistaken by idiots and traduced for atheists , and then ever after some one vain-glorious fool or other , hath affected with what safety he could to seem atheisticall , that he might thereby forsooth be reputed the more learned , or the profounder naturallist . but i dare assure any man , that if he doe but search into the bottome of this enormous disease of the soul , as trismegist truely calles it , he will find nothing to be the cause thereof , but either vanity of mind , or brutish sensuali●y , & an untamed desire of satisfying a mans own will in every thing , an obnoxious conscience , and a base fear of divine vengeance , ignorance of the scantness & insufficiency of second causes , a jumbled feculencie and incomposednesse of the spirits by reason of perpetuall intemperance & luxurie , or else a dark bedeading melancholy that so starves and kils the apprehension of the soul in divine matters especially , that it makes a man as inept for such contemplations , as if his head was filled with cold earth , or dry grave-moulds . and to such slow constitutions as these , i shall not wonder , 〈◊〉 as the first part of my discourse must seem marvelous subtile , so the last appear ridiculously incredible . but they are to remember that i do not here appeal to the complexional humours or peculiar relishes of men , that arise out of the temper of the body , but to the known & unalterable idea's of the mind , to the phaenomena of na●ure and records of history . upon the last whereof if i have something more fully insisted , it is not to be imputed to any vain credulity of mine , or that i take a pleasure in telling strange stories , b●t that i thought sit to fortify and strengthen the faith of others as much as i could ; being well assured that a contemptuous misbelief of such like narrations concerning spirits , and an endeavour of making them all ridiculous and incredible , is a dangerous prelude to atheisme it self , or else a more close and cra●ty profession or insinuation of it . for assuredly that saying was nothing so true in politicks , no bishop , no king ; as this is in m●taphysicks , no spirit , no god. a table of the chapters of each book . book i. i. the seasonable usefulness of the present discourse , or the motives that put the authour upon these indeavours of demonstrating that there is a god. 〈…〉 pag. 1 ii. vvhat is meant by demonstrating there is a god , and that the mind of men , unless he do vi●lence to his faculties , will fully assent or dissent from that which notwithstanding may have a bare possibility of being otherwise . 2 iii. an attempt towards the finding out the true notion or definition of god , and a clear conviction that there is an indelible idea of a being absolutely perfect in the mind of man. 6 iv. vvhat notions are more particularly comprised in the idea of a being absolutely perfect . that the difficulty of framing the conception of a thing ought to be no argument against the existence thereof : the nature of corporeall matter being so perplex'd and intricate , which yet all men acknowledge to exist . that the idea of a spirit is as easy a notion as of any other substance what ever . what powers and properties are contain'd in the notion of a spirit . that eternity and infinity , if god were not ▪ would be cast upon something else ; so that atheisme cannot free the mind from such intricacies . goodness , knowledge and power , notions of highest perfection , and therefore necessarily included in the idea of a being absolutely perfect . 8 v. that the soul of man is not abrasa tabula , and in what sense she might be said ever to have had the actuall knowledge of eternall truths in her . 13 vi. that the soul of man has of herself actual knowledge in her , made good by sundry instances and arguments . 14 vii . the mind of man being not unfurnish'd of innate truth , that we are with confidence to attend to her naturall and unprejudic'd dictates and suggestions . that some notions and truths are at least naturally and unavoidably assented unto by the soul , whether she have of her self actuall knowledge in her or not . and that the definition of a being absolutely perfect is such . and that this absolutely perfect being is god , the creatour and contriver of all things . 17 viii . the first argument for the existence of god taken from the idea of god as it is representative of his nature and perfection . from whence also it is undeniably demonstrated that there can be no more gods then one. 19 ix . the second argument from the idea of god as it is subjected in our souls , and is the fittest natural means imaginable to bring us to the knowledge of our maker . that bare possibility ought to have no power upon the mind , to either hasten or hinder it's assent in any thing . we being dealt with in all points as if there were a god , that naturally we are to conclude there is one . 25 x. naturall conscience , and religious veneration , arguments of the existence of god. 29 xi . of the nature of the soul of man , whether she be a mere modification of the body , or a substance really distinct , and then whether corporeal or incorporeal . 35 the second book . i. the universall matter of the world be it homogeneall or heterogeneall , self-mov'd or resting of it self , that it can never be contriv'd into that order it is ●ithout the super-in●endency of a god. 43 ii. the perpetuall parallelisme of the axis of the earth and its due proportion of inclination , as also the course of the moon crossing the ecliptick , evident arguments that the fluid matter is guided by a divine providence . the atheists sophisme of arguing from some petty inconsiderable effects of the motion of the matter , that the said motion is the cause of all things , seasonably detected and deservedly derided . 47 iii. that rivers , quarries of stone , timber-wood , metalls , mineralls , and the magnet , considering the nature of man , what use he can make of them , are manifest signes that the rude motion of the matter is not left to it self , but is under the guidance and super-intendency of an all-wise god. 53 iv. a further proof of divine providence taken from the sea , and the large train of causes laid together in reference to navigation . 56 v. though the mere motion of the matter may do something , yet it will not amount to the production of plants and animalls . that it is no botch in nature that some phaenomena be the results of motion , others of substantiall formes . that beauty is not a mere phansy : and that the beauty of plants is an argument that they are from an intellectuall principle . 59 vi. the seeds and signatures of plants , arguments of a divine providence . 64 vii . arguments of divine providence drawn from the usefulnesse of plants . 69 viii . the usefulnesse of animalls an argument of divine providence . 74 ix . arguments of divine providence fetched from the pulchritude of animalls , as also from the manner of their propagation . 78 x. the frame or fabrick of the bodies of animalls plainly argue that there is a god. 86 xi . the particular frames of the bodies of fowls or birds palpable signes of divine providence . 91 xii . vnavoydable arguments for divine providence taken from the accurate structure of mans body , from the passions of his mind , and fitnesse of the whole man to be an inhabiter of the universe . 93 the third book . i. that , good m●n not alwayes faring best in this world , the great examples of divine vengeance upon wicked and blasphemous persons are not so convincing to the obstinate atheist . the irreligious jeares and sacrileges of dionys●us of syracuse . that there have been true miracles in the world as well as false , and what are the best and safest wayes to distinguish them that we may not be impos'd upon by history . 105 ii. the moving of a sieve by a charme . coskinom●ncy . a magicall cure of an horse . the charming of serpents . a strange example of one death-strucken as he walked the streets . a story of a suddain winde that had like to have thrown down the gallows at the hanging of two witches . 109 iii. that winds and tempests are raised upon mere ceremonies or forms of words prov'd by sundry examples . margaret war●e discharg'd upon an oake at a thunder-clap . amantius and rotarius cast headlong out of a cloud upon a house top . ●he witch of constance seen by the shepheards to ride through the aire . iii iv. super●atural effects observ'd in them that are bewitch'd and possess'd . the famous story of magdalena crucia . 115 v. examples of bewitch'd persons that have had balls of haire , nayles , knives , wood stuck with pinns , pieces of cloth , and such like trash conveigh'd into their bodies , with examples also of other supernaturall effects . 119 vi. the apparition eckerken . the story of the pyed piper . a triton or sea-god seen on the banks of rub●con . of the imps of witches , and whether those old women be guilty of so much do●age as the atheist fancies them . that such things passe betwixt them and their imps as are impossible to be imputed to melancholy . the examination of john winnick of molesworth . the reason of scaling covenants with the diveil . 123 vii . the nocturnal conven●●les of witches ; that they have often d●ssolved and disappeared at the naming of the name of god or jesus christ ; and that the party thus speaking has found himself alone in the fields many miles from home . the dancing of men , women and cloven-footed satyres at mid-day ; john michaell piping from the bough of an oake , &c. 127 viii . of fairy circles . a larger discussion of those controversies betwixt bodinus and remigius , viz. whether the bodyes of witches be really transformed into the shape of wolves and other creatures ; whether the souls of witches be not sometimes at those nocturnall conventicles , their bodies being left at home ; as also whether they leav● not their bodies in those extasies they put themselves in , when they promise to fetch certain newes from remote places in a very short time . 132 ix . the coldnesse of those bodyes that spirits appear i● witnessed by the experience of cardan and bourgotus . the naturall reason of this coldnesse . that the divell does really lye with vvitches . that the very substance of spirits is not fire . spirits skirmishing on the ground . field sights and sea-fights seen in the aire . 137 x. a very memorable story of a certain pious man , who had the continuall society of a guardian genius . 140 xi . certain enquiries upon the preceding story ; as , what these guardian genii may be . whether one or more of them be allotted to every man , or to some none . what may be the reason of spirits so seldome appearing ; and whether they have any settled shape or no. what their manner is of assisting men in either devotion or prophecy . whether every mans complexion is capable of the society of a good genius . and lastly whether it be lawfull to pray to god to send such a genius or angel to one or no. 144 xii . that whether the species of things have been from all eternity , or whether they rose out of the earth by degrees in time , the frame of them is such , that against all the evasions of the atheist they naturally imply that there is a god. 151 xiii . that the evasions of the atheists against apparitions are so weak and silly , that it is an evident argument that they are convinced in their own judgements of the truth of these kinds of phaenomena , which forces them to answer as well as they can , though they be so ill provided . 158 finis . the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted in eight sermons, preach'd in the cathedral-church of st. paul, london, 1698 : being the seventh year of the lecture founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. 1698 approx. 370 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 118 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a45638 wing h845 estc r15119 12337341 ocm 12337341 59815 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a45638) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 59815) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 533:21) the atheistical objections against the being of a god and his attributes fairly considered and fully refuted in eight sermons, preach'd in the cathedral-church of st. paul, london, 1698 : being the seventh year of the lecture founded by the honourable robert boyle, esq. / by john harris ... harris, john, 1667?-1719. [226] p. printed by j. l. for richard wilkin ..., london : 1698. each sermon has special t.p. except the fifth which is combined with the fourth. each of the titles in this volume has a special t.p., is paged separately, and is catalogued separately. reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. [i] immorality and pride, the great causes of atheism -[ii] the atheist's objection, that we can have no idea of god, refuted -[iii] the notion of a god, neither from fear nor policy -[iv-v] the atheist's objections, against the immaterial nature of god and incorporeal substances, refuted : in two sermons ... -[vi] a refutation of the objections against the attributes of god in general -[vii] a refutation of the objections against moral good and evil -[viii] a refutation of the atheistical notion of fate or absolute necessity. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -sermons. atheism -early works to 1800. 2005-03 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-07 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-08 john cords sampled and proofread 2005-08 john cords text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the atheistical objections , against the being of a god , and his attributes , fairly considered , and fully refuted . in eight sermons , preach'd in the cathedral-church of st. paul , london , 1698. being the seventh year of the lecture founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. academiae cantabrigiensis liber . immorality and pride , the great causes of atheism . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , january the 3 d. 1697 / 8. being the first of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. to the most reverend father in god thomas lord archbishop of canterbury ; sir henry ashurst baronet ; sir john rotheram serjeant at law ; john evelyn senior esquire ; trustees appointed by the will of the honorable robert boyle esquire . most reverend and honoured , as i had the honour to preach this sermon by your kind and generous appointment , so i now publish it in obedience to your commands , and humbly offer it , as also my ensuing discourses , to your candid patronage and acceptance . i have ( in pursuance of your grace's direction ) studied to be as plain and intelligible as possibly i could , and shall , by the divine assistance , prosecute my whole design after the same manner ; which method of treating this subject , appears very suitable to the pious and excellent design of our noble and honourable founder . i humbly desire your prayers to almighty god , that he will vouchsafe to render my weak endeavours effectual to shew the groundlessness and inconclusiveness of those objections which atheistical men usually bring against the great and important truths of religion ; which is the end they are sincerely directed to , by most reverend and honoured , your most obliged humble servant , j. harris . psalm x. 4 . the wicked through the pride of his countenance , will not seek after god : neither is god in all his thoughts . in this psalm is contained a very lively description of the insolence of atheistical and wicked men , when once they grow powerful and numerous ; for then , as we read at the third verse , they will proceed so far , as openly to boast of and glory in their impiety : they will boldly defie and contemn the great god of heaven and earth , v. 13. they will deny his providence , v. 11 . and despise his vengeance : and , as we are told in these words of my text , they will grow so proud and high , as to scorn to pay him any honour or worship , to pray to him or call upon him ; but will endeavour to banish the very thoughts of his being out of their minds . the wicked through the pride of his , &c. in which words , we have an account more particularly , by what methods and steps men advance to such an exorbitant height of wickedness , as to set up for atheism , and to deny the existence of a god ; for there are in them these three particulars , which i shall consider in their order . i. here is the general character or qualifications of the person the psalmist speaks of ; which is , that he is a wicked man. the wicked through the pride , &c. ii. the particular kind of wickedness , or the origin from whence the spirit of atheism and irreligion doth chiefly proceed ; and that is pride . the wicked through the pride of his countenance , &c. and , iii. here is the great charge that is brought against this wicked and proud man ; viz. wilful atheism and infidelity : he will not seek after god : neither is god in all his thoughts : or , as it is in the margin of our bibles , with good warrant from the hebr. all his thoughts are there is no god. in discoursing on the two first of these heads , i shall endeavour to shew , that immorality and pride are the great causes of the growth of atheism amongst us : and on the third , i shall consider the objections that atheistical men usually bring against the being of a deity , and shew how very weak and invalid they are . and first i think it very necessary to say something of the causes of infidelity and atheism , and to shew how it comes to pass that men can possibly arrive to so great a height of impiety . this my text naturally leads me to , before i can come to the great subject i design to discourse upon ; and i hope it may be of very good use to discover the grounds of this heinous sin , and the methods and steps by which men advance to it ; that so those who are not yet hardened in it , nor quite given up to a reprobate mind , may , by the blessing of god , take heed , and avoid being engaged in such courses as do naturally lead into it . i. therefore let us consider the general character or qualifications of the person here spoken of in my text , and that is , that he is a wicked man. the wicked through the pride , &c. and this is every where the language of the sacred scripture , when it speaks of atheistical men. david tells us ( psal. 14.1 . and 51.1 . ) that 't is the fool ( i. e. the wicked man , for so the word nabal often signifies , and is so here to be understood ) 't is he that hath said in his heart there is no god. 't is such an one as is a fool by his own fault ; one stupified and dull'd by vice and lust , as he sufficiently explains it afterwards ; one that is corrupt and become filthy , and that hath done abominable works . so the apostle st. paul supposes , that those men will have in them an evil heart of unbelief , who do depart from the living god , and live without him in the world . and indeed , it is very natural to conclude , that those which are once debauched in their practices , may easily grow so in their principles : for when once 't is a man's interest that there should be no god , he will readily enough disbelieve his existence : we always give our assent very precipitantly to what we wish for , and would have to be true . a man oppressed with a load of guilt , and conscious to himself , that he is daily obnoxious to the divine vengeance , will be often very uneasie , restless , and dissatisfied with himself , and his mind must be filled with dismal and ill-boding thoughts . he is unwilling to leave his sins , and to forego the present advantage of sensual pleasure ; and yet he cannot but be fearful too , of the punishments of a future state , and vehemently disturbed now and then , about the account that he must one day give of his actions . now , 't is very natural for a man under such circumstances , to catch at any thing that doth but seem to offer him a little ease and quiet , and that can help him to shake off his melancholy apprehension of impending punishment and misery . some therefore bear down all thought and consideration of their condition , in an uninterrupted enjoyment of sensual delights , and quite stupifie and drown their conscience and reason in continual excesses and debauchery ; and thus very many commence atheists , out of downright sottishness and stupidity , and come at last to believe nothing of the truths of religion , because they never think any thing about it , nor understand any thing of it . others , who have been a little enured to thinking , and have gotten some small smattering in the superficial parts of learning , will endeavour to defend their wicked practices by some pretence to reason and argument . these will one while justifie their actions , by forced and wrested citations and explications of some particular texts of scripture ; at another time they will shroud themselves under the examples of the prevarications of some great men in sacred scripture , as a licence to them , to be guilty of the same or the like wicked acts ; without considering at all , of their great penitence afterwards . sometimes they will dispute the eternity of hell torments , deny that their soul shall survive the body , and please themselves with the glorious hopes of being utterly annihilated . now they will argue against the freedom of their own wills ; and by and by , against that of the divine nature : and from both conclude , that there can be no harm nor evil in what they do , because they are absolutely necessitated to every thing they commit . but against all this precarious stuff , the sacred scriptures do yet appear and afford a sufficient refutation . the next step therefore must be to quarrel at , and expose them ; to pretend that there are absurdities , contradictions and inconsistencies in them : to assert that the religion they contain , is nothing but a meer human and political institution , and the invention of a crafty and designing order of men , to promote their own interest and advantage ; but that they are of no manner of divine authority , nor universal obligation . and when once they get thus far , they begin to be at liberty ; now they can pursue their vicious inclinations without controul of their consciences , or the conviction of god's holy word , and are got above the childish fears of eternal misery . by this time , the true and through calenture of mind begins ; they grow now deliriously enamoured with the feign'd products of their own fancies ; and these notions appear to them now , adorned with such bright and radiant colours , and so beautiful and glorious , that they will rush headlong into this fools paradise , though eternal destruction be at the bottom ; for now they stick at nothing ; they retrench the deity of all his attributes , absolutely deny his presidence over the affairs of the world , and make him nothing but a kind of necessary and blind cause of things , nature , the soul of the world , or some such word , which they have happened to meet with in the ancient heathen writers . but they profess that 't is impossible to have any idaea of him at all ; and what they cannot conceive or have an idaea of , they say is nothing , and by consequence there can be no such thing as a god. this , or such like , i 'm perswaded is the usual method , by which these kind of men advance to absolute infidelity and atheism : and in this , they are every step confirmed and established by the seeming wit , and real boldness , with which atheistical men dress up their arguments and discourses ; and of which , if they were stripped and divested , their weakness and inconclusiveness must needs appear to every one . but the mirth and humour , and that surprising and extravagant vein of talking which always abounds in the company of such men , so suits and agrees with his own vicious inclinations , that he becomes easily prejudiced against the truth of religion , and any obligation to its precepts and injunctions : and so he will soon resolve to seek no more after god , but will employ all his thoughts to prove that there is no such being in the world. but on the other hand , it appears wholly impossible for a man to arrive at such a pitch as absolute infidelity and atheism , if he hath been virtuously educated , and be enclined to live a sober and a moral life . for there is certainly nothing that religion enjoins , but what is exactly agreeable to the rules of morality and virtue ; nothing but what is conformable to right reason and truth ; nothing but what is substantially good and pleasant , and nothing but what will approve it self to a thinking mind , as certainly conducing to the good of human society , and to every one's quiet , ease , and happiness here in this life : and over and above this , it gives us an assurance of a glorious immortality in the world to come . now , can it be imagined , that any sober and virtuous man , and one that is not prejudiced by the inducements of sensual pleasure , if he seriously considers things , will not be induced to take upon him the profession of our holy religion : and with all due gratitude to our gracious god , accept of so vast a reward as this of eternal happiness ? especially too when it is ▪ for doing that only out of a true principle of religion , which it is supposed he was inclined to perform without it , by the principles of reason and honour . a man that is enclined to live virtuously , justly , temperately , and peaceably in this present world , will soon be satisfied , if he read the holy scriptures , that it is this which lies at the bottom of all revealed religion , and for whose advancement and propagation among mankind , all that gracious dispensation was contrived and delivered to us . what reason can therefore be possibly assigned , why such a person should disbelieve the truths of religion ? is not a desire of happiness so natural to us , that 't is the great inducement of all our actions ? and will not every man aim to get as much of this as he can , according to the notion he hath of it ? what is there then that can prejudice such a man's mind against the belief and expectation of a future reward at the hand of god ? is it not natural to embrace any offer that proposes to us a great advantage ? and are not we very ready to believe the truth of any thing that is advanced of that nature ? the great truths therefore of religion , containing nothing impossible , absurd or improbable in them , and exhibiting to him infinite advantages on such easie conditions , must needs be the delightful objects of a good and virtuous man's faith. he , indeed , that hath just grounds to fear that his irregular life will incapacitate him for the favour of god , and the joys of another world , may be willing , and at last infatuated so far , as really to disbelieve what he knows he cannot obtain . but one that is of a moral , sober and virtuous disposition , can never be supposed to be so unaccountably absurd , as to commence atheist contrary to his interest , his inclination , and his reason . and as 't is hardly possible to conceive a person can be an atheist , without being first wicked ; so it appears as difficult to imagine , that if he be an atheist , he should not continue to be so . i know the contrary is often pretended ; viz. that one that believes nothing of a god or religion , may yet be , and often is guided by a principle of reason and honour , and will do to others as he would be done unto himself : such an one ( it is said ) will be satisfied of the necessity of humane laws , and of the advantages that do thence arise to mankind : he will think himself obliged to submit to the laws of his country , and consequently will keep up to the rules of common justice and honesty ; and this ( say they ) is enough , and all that religion can pretend to enjoin . (a) there is a late french author , that endeavours to maintain by arguments and examples , that the principles of atheism do not necessarily lead to vice and immorality . but in the proof of this , he comes very short of his design . he alledges , that some professing christianity have always , and do still , live as bad lives and as wickedly as any atheists whatsoever can do : and that some atheists have lived very regularly and morally . but what then ? allowing and granting all this ; it doth not in the least follow that atheism doth not lead to immorality and a corruption of manners . for it is neither asserted that atheism is the only way of becoming wicked ; nor that an atheist must necessarily be guilty of all manner of vice. no doubt very many men betake themselves to a sinful course , without having any principles to justifie themselves by , as the atheist pretends to : but are drawn into wickedness purely by incogitancy and want of consideration . and such kind of persons , though they make an outward profession of christianity , yet they may be , and doubtless often are , as vicious and immoral as any other men , without ever arriving at the point of speculative atheism , or perhaps without ever so much as doubting of the being of a god , of the truth of religion , or of a future state of rewards and punishments . no one saith also that an atheist must necessarily be guilty of all manner of vice and immorality : but 't is plain enough , that his principles lead him to prosecute any vicious inclination that is suitable to him , and to do any thing that he can safely , to procure to himself that kind of happiness or satisfaction he proposes to enjoy . many sins are disagreeable to some particular periods and circumstances of a man's life , to his constitution , genius and humour . now 't is easie to suppose a man may abstain from such , for his own ease , health and quiet 's sake . self-love will preserve the atheist from such open and notorious acts of wickedness , as will expose him to the capital punishment of human laws ; and which will endanger depriving him of his being here , where he only proposes to be happy . this principle also of self-love , will hinder him from exposing himself to ignominy and scandal ; and will make him endeavour to keep fair in the opinions of those whose disesteem would give him a great degree of unhappiness . but it doth not in the least follow from hence , that because he is not guilty of all manner , or of this or that particular vice , that therefore he is a good moral man , and guilty of none at all : it cannot be concluded from hence , that such a person will avoid committing any fact , be it never so wicked , when it is stript of all these inconveniences , and can be done secretly , safely and securely : when 't is agreeable to his constitution and humour , fashionable and gentile , and contributes very much to that kind of satisfaction he is inclin'd to ; for as one that had consider'd this point well , observes , self-love , which like fire covets to resolve all things into it self , makes men they care not what villany or what impiety they act , so it may but conduce to their own advantage . ( preface to great is diana of the ephesians . ) and indeed , if he be not absolutely stupid , and one that proposes to himself no manner of end at all , he will certainly do this very thing : he will pursue and practise indifferently such kind of designs and actions , be they good or bad , as will give him as much pleasure and happiness as he can have here in this short life , where , miserable wretch as he is , he only hath any hope . and nothing can nor will hinder such a person from endeavouring to do or obtain any thing he hath a mind to , but the fear of being exposed to punishment and misery here , from those among whom he lives . now , this consideration can have no place in secret actions , and consequently nothing will hinder a man of these abominable principles from committing the most barbarous villany that is consistent with his safety , and subservient to his desires ; that can be either concealed in secresie , or supported by power . for , as to the principle of honour , that such men will pretend to be governed and guided by , and which they would set up to supply the room of conscience and religion ; 't is plain , that 't is the veriest cheat in nature : 't is nothing but a meer abusive name , to gull the world into a belief that they have some kind of principle to act and proceed by , and which keeps them from doing an ill thing : whereas the atheist can have no principle at all , but that sordid one of self love ; which will still carry him to the perpetrating of any thing indifferently , according as it best conduces to his present interest and advantage . they deny that there are any actions truly good or honourable , or wicked and base in themselves ; but that this is all owing to the peculiar customs , laws , and constitutions of places and countries : and that as all men are , so actions also , are naturally equal and alike : and how far such notions as these will carry men , 't is very easie both to imagine and to observe . one would think nothing could be more noble , honourable and comely , than for a man to stick firm and constant to those principles that he pretends to , and by no means whatever to be brought to abjure and deny them . sincerity is so lovely and desirable a vertue , that it doth approve it self , as it were naturally , to the reason of all mankind : and 't is equally useful , nay , indeed necessary , to the due government of the world. but this noble virtue , so peculiar to a man of true honour and greatness of mind , the atheist will practise no longer than it is for his interest and advantage , and while it is consistent with his safety . that men may profess or deny any thing to save their lives , is the avowed principle of one of their great writers . and the same is expresly asserted in other words , even in lesser cases than that of danger of death , by the translator of philostratus's life of apollonius tyanaeus , with a great pretence to wit and humour . but if men may lye and prevaricate from so base and abject a principle as fear , no doubt they may do so for interest and advantage , for that is certainly as good a ground , as cowardliness and baseness ; and then what becomes of this boasted honour that is so much talk'd of ; this greatness of mind , that will keep a man from doing an ill thing . in reality , 't will at last amount to no more than this , that he will forbear doing an ill thing , when he thinks it will prove ill to him : he will be just , honest and sincere when he don't dare be otherwise , for fear of the law , shame , and ignominy : for all men of atheistical principles would be knaves and villains if they durst , if they could do it safely and securely : such a man ( 't is like ) shall return you a bag of money , or a rich jewel you happen to depose in his hands ; but why is it ? 't is because he dares not keep it and deny it ; 't is great odds but he is discovered and exposed by this means ; and besides , 't is unfashionable and ungenteel to be a cheat in such cases . but to impoverish a family by extravagance and debauchery , to defraud creditors of their just debts , or servants of their wages , to cheat at play , to violate one's neighbour's bed to gratifie one's own lust , are things , which though to the full as wicked and unreasonable in themselves , are yet swallowed down as allowable enough , because common and usual , and which are not , the more is the pity , attended with that scandal and infamy that other vices are . thus 't is very plain , that this pretended principle of honour in an atheist or a wicked man , and this obedience and deference that he pretends to pay to the laws of his country , is a most partial and changeable thing , and vastly different from that true honour and bravery that is founded on the eternal basis of conscience and religion ; 't is an airy name that serves only to amuse unthinking and short-sighted persons into a belief , that he hath some kind of principles that he will stick to ; that so he may be thought fit to be trusted , dealt and conversed withall in the world. and thus , i think , it is very clear and apparent that wickedness naturally leads to infidelity and atheism , and infidelity and atheism to the support and maintenance of that : and that it is the wicked that will not seek after god , and whose thoughts are that there is no god. which was my first particular . i come next to consider , ii. that peculiar kind of wickedness which the psalmist here takes notice of , as the chief ground from whence infidelity and atheism proceed : and that is pride . the wicked , through the pride of his countenance will not seek after god , neither is god in all his thoughts . and i question not but this vice of pride , is generally the concomitant of infidelity , and the chief ground from whence the spirit of speculative atheism proceeds . when men of proud and haughty spirits lead ill lives , as they very often do , they always endeavour to justifie themselves in their proceeding , be it never so irregular and absurd , and never so contrary to the considerate sentiments of all the rest of the world. a proud man hates to acknowledge himself in an errour , and to own that he hath committed a fault : he would have the world believe that there is a kind of indefectibility in his understanding and judgment , which secures him from being deceived and mistaken like other mortals . whatever actions therefore such a person commits , he would fain have appear reasonable and justifiable . but he sees plainly that he cannot make wickedness and immorality do so , as long as religion stands its ground in the world. the sacred scriptures are so plain and express against such a course of life , that there is no avoiding being convicted and condemned while their authority remains good : 't is impossible any way to reconcile a vicious life to the doctrine there delivered : and therefore he sees plainly , that one that professes to believe the great truths of religion , and the divine authority of those sacred books , and yet by his practices gives the lye to his profession , and while he acknowledges jesus christ in his words , doth in his works deny him ; he sees , i say , that such an one stands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , self-condemned , and can never acquit himself either to his own conscience , or to the reason of mankind . now this is perfectly disagreeable to the genious and humour of a proud man ; he cannot bear to be thought in any respect incoherent or inconsistent with himself : and therefore having vainly tried to justifie himself in his wickedness , by alledging the examples of some good men in sacred scripture , that have been guilty of great sins , but whose repentance he can by no means digest : and having also fruitlessly endeavoured to rely on the perverted sense of some particular texts of scripture , which he knows are sufficiently refuted by the analogy of the whole ; he finds at last that 't is the best way to deny the divine authority of the bible , and the truth of all revelation , and so boldly shake off at once all obligation to the rules of piety and virtue ; and since religion can't be wrested so as to give an allowance to his way of living , he will take it quite away , banish that and god almighty out of the world , and set up iniquity by a law. and nothing can be more pleasing and agreeable to the arrogance of such men than this way of proceeding : it gratifies an insolent and haughty spirit prodigiously , to do things out of the common road ; to pretend to be adept in a philosophy that is as much above the rest of mankind's notions , as 't is contradictory to it : to assume to himself a power of seeing much farther into things than other folk , and to penetrate into the deepest recesses of nature . (a) he would pass for one of nature's cabinet councellors , a bosome favourite that knows all the secret springs of action , and the first remote causes of all things . he pleases himself mightily to have discovered with what ridiculous bugbears the generality of mankind are awed and frighted ; he can now look down (b) with a scornful pity on the poor groveling vulgar , the unthinking mobb below , that are poorly enslaved and terrified by the fear of a god , and of ills to come they know not when nor where : he despises such dull biggots as will be imposed upon by priests , and that will superstitiously abstain from the enjoyment of present pleasure , on account of such idle tales as the comminations of religion . and as he despises those that are not wicked , so he upbraids those that are so , with inconsistency with their principles and profession , and for doing the same things that he doth , when they have nothing to bear them out : and thus he doubly gratifies his pride , by justifying himself , and condemning and triumphing over others . nay , the very mistakes and errours of such a man , we are told , appear laudable and great to him , and he can please himself at last , with saying , that he hath not erred like a fool , but secundum verbum . vid. oracles of reason , p. 92. when men have a while enured themselves to talk at this rate , and to blow themselves up with such lofty conceits and fancies , they grow by degrees more and more opinionated , and do dote more and more on their own dear notions ; and finding by this means quiet and ease in the practice of their sins , they at last degenerate so far as firmly to believe the truth of what they perhaps at first advanced and talk'd only from a spirit of contradiction ; and become so stupid and blind , as , like great liars , to believe their own figments and inventions (a) to such any extravagant and inconsistent hypothesis , so it do but clash with sacred scripture , shall be no less than a real demonstration ; a bold and daring falsity shall pass for undoubted truth ; and a prophane jest , or a scurrilous reflection on the character or person of one in holy orders , shall be a sufficient refutation of the plainest demonstration he can bring against their principles and practices . for it is most certain , that though a proud man always think himself in the right , and arrogate to himself an exemption from the common frailties and errours of mankind ; yet there is no body so frequently deceived and mistaken , as he ; for he doth so over-estimate all his faculties and endowments , and is so much enamoured of , and trusts so much to his own quickness and penetration , that he usually imagines his great genius able to master any thing without the servile fatigue of pains and study : and therefore he will never give himself time seriously to examine into things , he scorns and hates the drudgery of deeply revolving and comparing the idaeas of things in his mind , but rashly proceeds to judgment and determination on a very transient and superficial view : and there will he stick , be the resolution he is come to never so absurd and unaccountable ; for he is as much above confessing , an errour in judgment , as he is of repenting of a fault in practice . and indeed , as the absurd and ridiculous paradoxes which atheistical writers maintain , shew their shallow insight into things , and their precipitancy in forming a determination about them ; so the pride and haughtiness with which they deliver them , abundantly demonstrates the true spirit of such authors , and the real ground both of their embracing and maintaining their opinions . plato describes the atheists of his age , to be a proud , insolent , and haughty sort of men , the ground of whose opinion was , he saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in reality , a very mischievous ignorance ; though to the conceited venders and embracers of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . it appeared to be the greatest wisdom , and the wisest of all opinions . lactantius tells us in his discourse , de ira dei , p. 729. oxon. that the true reason why diagoras melius and theodorus , two of the ancient atheists denied a deity was , that they might gain the glory of being the authors of some new opinion , contradictory to the common notions of mankind . and of the former of these , diagoras , sextus empiricus acquaints us , that because a certain perjured person , who had wrong'd him , lived unpunished by the gods , he was so enraged at it , that he undertook to maintain there were no gods at all . lib. adr. mathem . edit . genev. 1621. the like pride and arrogance lactantius tells us he found in the two great writers that appeared against christianity , in his time , in bithynia . the former of these , who , 't is probable , was the famous porphyry , called himself antistes philosophiae , the chief or prince of philosophers ; and saith lactantius , nescio utrum superbius an importunius , pretended to correct the blind errors of mankind , and to guide men into the true way ; he could not bear , that unskilful and innocent persons should be enslaved by the cheats of , and become a prey to , crafty and designing men. lib. de justit . p. 420 , 421. oxon. with the like assurance do the modern writers of this kind express themselves : and though they have in reality very little or nothing new , but only the arguments of the ancients a little varied and embelished , ( as i shall have occasion to observe hereafter more at large , ) yet they all set up for new lights , and mighty discoverers of the secrets of nature and philosophy ; and all of them assume the glory of first leading men into the way of truth , and delivering them out of the dark mazes of vulgar errors . this was the pretence of vanini , who was burnt for atheism at tholouse , a. d. 1619. whose mind , he says , grew more and more strong , healthful and robust , as he exercised it in searching out the secrets of that supreme philosophy , which is wholly unknown to the common and ordinary rank of philosophers : and this , he saith , will soon be discovered , by the perusal of his physico-magicum , which was now to see the light. vid. vanini amphitheatr . in epist. dedicat. after the same manner do machiavel , spinoza , hobbs , blount , and all the late atheistical writers , deliver themselves ; instances of which , i think , i need not stay to give , since 't is conspicuous through the whole course of their writings , and , no doubt , taken notice of by every reader ; only of the first of these , viz. machiavel , i cannot but take notice , that vanini himself saith , that 't was his pride and covetousness that made him deny the truth of the miracles recorded in sacred scripture . amphitheatr . p. 51. edit . lugduni , 1615. and as the writings , so the discourses of these gentlemen do equally discover this pride and vanity : for they do usually deliver themselves with such a scornful and contemptuous air , when they either endeavour to establish their own , or to overthrow their adversaries arguments , as sufficiently shews the propriety and truth of the psalmist's observation here , that 't is through the pride of his countenance , that the wicked will not seek after god. the lxxii . indeed render it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the abundance of his wrath : and therein they are followed by the vulgar latin. as if the wicked were angry against god , and enraged at his presidency over humane affairs : as if they fretted under , and quarelled at the severity of his laws and government , and scorned to apply themselves to him by prayer , and to submit to him by obedience . but though this may be a good sence of the words ; and though , i doubt not , a stubborn frowardness and perverseness of our wills against the will of god , may be a frequent cause and ground of infidelity : yet our english translation appears to me to be much better warranted from the hebrew ; for there it is properly , through the elevation of his nose or face . which , truly , is very emphatical , and expresses such a proud and scornful gesture of face , as is the natural indication of the internal haughtiness of a man's mind ; or as the targum , on this place , render it , of the arrogance of his spirit . such a turn and air of countenance as argues a proud contempt of all the rest of mankind , who trot on in the common road , believe and worship a god , and poorly submit to be governed by his laws and precepts . and thus having dispatched my two first particulars , and shewed , that wickedness and pride are two great causes of infidelity and atheism ; i should now proceed to speak to the third thing observable in my text , viz. iii. the great charge which the psalmist brings against the wicked person here mentioned , that he will not seek after god ; neither is god in all his thoughts . but this i must leave for my next discourse , and shall now conclude with a word or two by way of application . since the case stands thus , that wickedness in general , and pride in particular , do so naturally lead to infidelity and atheism ; and that 't is hardly possible to imagine a man can entertain such an opinion without them : let every one then , that hath any inclination or temptation that way , seriously examine his own mind , whether he be not prejudiced towards it by some vitious desires and affections ; whether he doth not heartily wish that there were no god nor religion ; whether he hath not , by his past actions , really loaded himself with guilt , and therefore is disturbed in his mind with the apprehension , that the divine punishment will overtake him , and light upon him , for his sins : let him search diligently whether he hath not recourse to infidelity , as to an opiate in this case , to allay the pains of his conscience , and to compose the disorder of his guilty mind , and to gain , as it were , an insensibility in sinning . for if the case be thus , 't is plain , he is not free , and at liberty , to make a just judgment of the truth of things ; he is already a party , and much more enclined to one side of the question than to the other ; and consequently , he will pitch on that as truth , which he would have to be so . but this is certainly a very partial way of proceeding , and such as no wise man would use in a matter of so very great moment , to engage one's self rashly in a determination , before a thorough and careful examination of the evidence on both sides : this is to look on things in a false light , through coloured glasses , through diseased and icterical eyes ; and then to believe them to be in reality , what our depraved and prejudicate apprehensions make them . the enemies to religion say , that the preachers of it are not to be minded ; the arguments they bring are all forced and strained , because 't is their trade , and they get money by it ; and their craft obliges them to cry out , great is diana of the ephesians ! i hope therefore this being so precarious and partial a way of proceeding , to subscribe to religion by implicit faith , and to take it up upon trust from those , whose interest ( they say ) it is to propagate it in the world : i hope , i say , that men will not act so on the other hand , and embrace atheism and infidelity on the same precarious grounds . i hope all such persons can clearly approve themselves to be truly virtuous and moral in their inclinations and practices ; and are sure that they have no strong inclinations to such actions as the world calls vicious . for if they have , and do take real pleasure in the practice of wickedness , 't is plain that they must be prejudiced and bigotted to their lusts and humours ; they cannot be free-thinkers in the case ; the cloggs of ill custom , and a loose education bear them down , and they cannot shake them off . their present interest influences and governs their belief , and enslaves and tyrannizes over their reason . let them consider impartially the arguments for infidelity , and they will find them all forced and strained paradoxes , invented by sceptical and canting philosophers , a crafty and designing sort of men , who set up atheism because they get by it , and whose interest it is that there should be no god and religion . let not therefore men be so stupid and blind as to talk of prejudices on the side of religion , and never perceive that there are any at all on that of infidelity . if they scorn to take up religion on trust , without examining into its grounds and reasons ; for their own sakes let them be as cautious and inquisitive on the other hand , and not run hood-winked into eternal destruction , by subscribing to atheism in hast , and without that previous consideration and regard , which so great and important an affair requires : for if they will but strip themselves of those prejudices which arise from their vices , and avoid being impetuously born down by their depraved inclination ; they will soon perceive that the grounds and principles of infidelity are abundantly too precarious to afford them any thing like a demonstrative assurance of the falsity of religion : without which , surely no man of sense , and that can think at all , will ever run the hazard of damnation . finis . books printed for rich. wilkin at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard . dr . woodward's natural history of the earth . in octavo . remarks on some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth ; by j. harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the truth of the christian religion , against the objections of all modern opposers ; in two volumes . in octavo . a serious proposal to the ladies , for the advancement of their true and greatest interest ; part i. by a lover of their sex. the third edition . in twelves . a serious proposal to the ladies ; part ii. wherein a method is offer'd for the improvement of their minds . in twelves . letters concerning the love of god , between the author of the proposal to the ladies and mr. john norris . in octavo . an answer to w. p. his key about the quakers light within , and oaths ; with an appendix of the sacraments . in octavo . a letter to the honourable sir robert howard : together with some animadversions on a book , entituled , christianity not mysterious . in octavo . now in the press . discourses on several practical subjects , by the late reverend w. payne , d.d. with a preface giving an account of his life , writings , and death . in octavo . the atheist's objection , that we can have no idea of god , refuted . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , february the 7 th . 1697 / 8. being the second of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. psal. x. 4 . the wicked , through the pride of his countenance , will not seek after god ; neither is god in all his thoughts . in these words , i have , in a former discourse , taken notice of these three particulars : i. the general character or qualifications of the person here mentioned , which is , that he is a wicked man. ii. the particular kind of wickedness , or origin from whence the spirit of atheism and irreligion doth chiefly proceed , and that is pride ; the wicked , through the pride of his countenance , &c. iii. the great charge which the psalmist brings against the person here spoken of in my text , viz. wilful atheism and infidelity ; he will not seek after god , neither is god in all his thoughts . the two first of these i have already dispatch'd , and therefore shall now proceed to discourse on my third head , viz. the great charge here brought against this wicked person , that he will not seek after god ; neither is god in all his thoughts : or , as it is in the margin , with good grounds ( as i have before observed ) from the hebrew , all his thoughts are , there is no god. which appears to me to imply a wilful and malicious slighting and contemning of god , and his laws , and an endeavour to banish the very thoughts of his existence out of their minds . and under this head , i shall make it my business to enumerate all the pretended arguments and objections which i have met with , and are of any weight , against the being of a god , in general ; and then endeavour to shew how weak and inconclusive they are , and how miserable a support they will prove for atheism and infidelity . but first it will be necessary , briefly to clear up one point , and to obviate one objection that may be made against this very attempt of mine , of refuting and answering the atheists arguments and objections . it will , i doubt not , be said , that there is not now , nor ever perhaps was in the world , any such person as a speculative atheist , or one that believes , there is no god. it is said , with great assurance , by some , that the ancient atheists were only such as declared against the plurality of gods , and the idolatry and superstition of the heathen worship . and we are told by one , very lately , (a) that he hath travelled many countries , and could never meet with any atheists , ( which are few , if any ; ) and all the noise and clamour , saith he , is against castles in the air. to which i answer , that nothing can be more plain and clear , than that both ancient and modern writers do give us an account of such persons as were known and reputed atheists , by those that were contemporary with them , and did well understand their principles and tenets . i need not insist on proofs from any of the ancient christian writers ; for 't is sufficient , that plato , diogenes laertius , plutarch , cicero , and many others , do acquaint us , that such kind of men there have been in the world. tho' i shall particularly produce the testimony of two authors , one ancient , and the other , 't is probable , now living , to prove this point ; and these are , sextus empiricus , and he that wrote the thoughts on the comet that appeared in the year 1680. sextus is express , (a) that diagoras melius , prodicus chius , euemerus , critias atheniensis , theodorus , and many others , were absolute atheists , and denied that there were any gods at all . and the french gentleman (b) saith the same of most of those mentioned by sextus , and other ancient writers ; and to the number , adds some others of a modern date : and mr. blount saith , (c) that the epicureans constantly affirmed , there were no gods. now the evidence of these authors will , i hope , be allowed , because they seem well-wishers to the cause of infidelity themselves . to these i might add , were it necessary , that vaninus himself tells us frequently of atheists that he met with , ( and no one will doubt but that he knew where to find one at any time , ) and he calls machiavel , expressly , atheorum facilè princeps (d) but indeed , this assertion of these gentlemen , that there is no such thing as an atheist in the world , is like most other things that they advance , uncertain and precarious , and often contradicted by what at other times they deliver : for though they are sometimes , and in some companies , for reasons that are very obvious , unwilling to take the title of atheist on themselves or their party ; yet they are often ready enough to bestow it on others ; and when it is subservient to their purpose , will insinuate , (a) that the greatest lights and teachers of the church believe as little of religion as themselves . but i say also , 2. that 't is one thing to disbelieve the existence of a god , and another to declare so to the world. and it doth not at all follow , that a man is not an atheist , because he doth not openly profess himself to be so , at all times , and in all companies . there are no writers so insincere as these kind of gentlemen ; they are very cautious and tender how they expose themselves to the just punishment of the law. vaninus himself , though he did at last suffer death madly , for his infidelity , ( as one (b) saith of him , that died as madly himself , ) yet is he very cautious and careful , in his writings , how he renders himself obnoxious to the censure of the inquisition ; and he declares , (c) that he will submit all things to the judgment of the roman church . so a gentleman of our own nation , though he endeavours , as effectually as 't is possible , under-hand , to ridicule and undermine religion ; yet he would sain appear to the world to be a good christian , and one that hath a mighty veneration for god and his laws : but , in the mean time , 't is very easie to discover his true principles and design ; for he declares ▪ (d) that he thinks it much safer to believe as the church believes , and to pin his faith always on my lord of canterbury ' s sleeve , as he saith he will do , and subscribe to any ridiculous legend , rather than incurr the censure of the popish clergy ; as he basely calls the ministers of this most excellent protestant church : for the same laudable reasons also , he forbears communicating , what he doth , or ought to think truth , to mankind , ( as he tells us in many places . ) now if this be the case with these men of honour , that they dare not speak their minds , nor discover their true sentiments plainly to the world ; we must by no means conclude over-hastily of their orthodoxy , by what they say in discourse at some times , or publish in print at others : but , in short , if they set up such a notion of a god , as is essentially inconsistent with the idea that all mankind have of such a being ; if they make him either a necessary agent , or a blind , idle and unactive one ; if they divest him of his providence , or cramp him in his attributes , as those that call themselves deists generally do : in a word , if they make him such an impotent and careless being , as either cannot or will not govern the world , give laws to his people , vindicate his own honour , and punish and reward men according to their actions : 't is plain , i say , that though in words they may profess to believe and honour a god , yet in reality they deny him , and have no manner of notion of his true nature and perfections . but 't is not the name only , nor the empty sound of the word deity , but the thing , that is wanting in the world ; 't is the true knowledge and belief of this only , that can clear a man from the imputation of atheism : if he be not right in this point , i. e. if he have not such a belief of god , as implies in it a knowledge of the perfections of his nature , he may call himself by as fine and fashionable names as he pleases , and pretend to deism and natural religion ; but in reality he is an atheist , and so ought to be esteemed by all mankind ; for as one saith , (a) that knew very well what an atheist was , such are atheists , as deny god's providence ; or who restrain it in some particulars , and exclude it in reference to others , as well as those who directly deny the existence of a deity : and vaninus (b) calls tully atheist , on this very account ; and in another place , he saith , (c) that to deny a providence , is the same thing as to deny a god. this therefore being returned in answer to the objection , that there is no such thing as an atheist : let us now go about to examine and consider the arguments and objections that are usually brought by atheistical men , against the being of a god. and these , one would think , should be exceeding weighty ones , and no less than direct demonstrations ; for if they are not such strenuous proofs as are impossible to be refuted , i 'm sure the atheist ought to pass for the most senseless and stupid of all mankind . he slights and despises that inestimable offer of being happy for ever ; he runs the risque of being eternally miserable ; he bids open defiance to the laws of god and man ; and he opposes his own opinion and judgment , to the sober and considerate sentiments of the judicious part of mankind , in all ages of the world. now surely , in such a case , he ought to be very sure that he cannot be mistaken ; and to be as demonstratively certain , as of the truth of any theorem in euclid , that there is no god , no moral good nor evil , no revealed religion , nor any future state of rewards and punishments . but can any man have the face to pretend to this ? will not the common sense of all mankind pronounce this impossible ? and that a demonstration of the non-existence of these things , is not to be obtained ? can any one be directly assured , that there is not so much as a possibility that these things should be true ? and if so , then 't is plain , that for any thing he can directly prove to the contrary , the atheist may be in the wrong , and consequently be eternally damned and miserable . now would any one , that can think at all , run this dreadful hazard ? much less sure , one that pretends to be a man of penetration and judgment , and to philosophize above the vulgar : and yet this every atheist doth ; and that too on no other grounds but the strength of some trifling objections against , and seeming absurdities in , the notion of a god , and religion , which the extravagant wit of wicked men hath invented and coined to stop the mouths of those that reprove them , to stifle and bear down the stings of conscience , and to gain some pretence to reason and principles in their impious proceedings . but surely these persons must know well enough , that 't is a very easie thing to start objections against the most plain and obvious truths ; they know also , that in other cases , themselves think it very unreasonable to disbelieve the truth of a thing , only because they can't readily answer all the objections a witty man may bring against it , and because they cannot solve all the phoenomena of it . now , why should not they proceed so in matters of religion ? they know that all the great truths of it , have been demonstrated over and over , by those learned and excellent persons which have written in the defence of it ; nay , they know too , that most of their objections have been already refuted and answered , and that they adhere to a cause that hath been frequently baffled . they know the weight and importance of the subject , and that if religion should at last prove to be true , they must be for ever miserable : all this , i say , they very well know ; and therefore it looks strangely like an infatuation upon them , that they will run this dreadful hazard only on the strength of a few objections , and a bare surmise only that there is no such thing as a god or religion . these objections are their only hold and pretence that they can stick to and abide by , and what and how great they are , i shall now proceed to examine . these i shall take in their natural order : and , 1. consider such objections as are brought against the being of a god in general . 2. such as are alledged against his attributes and perfections . 3. such as are advanced against the truth and authority of revealed religion . the groundlessness and inconclusiveness of all which i shall endeavour as clearly as i can to demonstrate . and first , i shall consider and refute the objections and arguments that are brought against the being of god in general ; and these are ( as far as i can find ) all reducible to these two heads . it is said , 1. that we can have no idea of god. 2. that the notion of a deity owes its original , either to the foolish fears of some men , or the crafty designs of others . i shall at this time handle the former of these , and refute the objections that are brought against the existence of a deity , from our not being able ( as they say ) to have any idea or notion of him . the atheist alledges , that whatsoever is unconceiveable is really nothing at all : that we can have no idea , or possible notion of any thing that is not some how or other an object of our senses ; for all knowledge is sense : and we can only judge of the existence of things by its evidence and testimony . now god is by divines said to be incomprehensible , infinite , and invisible ; i. e. something that 't is impossible to know any thing about ; that is every where , and yet no where ; that sees every thing , and yet no body can see him ; nor can we perceive any thing of him by any other of our senses : we cannot tell what to make of such an account as this of a god ; we can have no ●●●tasm , idea or conception of any such thing ; and therefore we justly conclude , there is no such being in nature . and as for that precarious notion of a god , that is so much talk'd of in the world , 't is nothing but a meer phantome or mormo devised and set up by politick and designing men to keep the rabble in awe , and to scare such fools as are afraid of their own shadows . the several points of this objection , i shall singly consider ; and , as to the first part of it , that what we cannot attain any idea of ; or , that what is absolutely vnconceiveable , is really nothing at all ; perhaps it may be true , taking it in the most strict and proper sence of the words ; for though i am not of protagoras's mind , that man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet as i think , that that which is absolutely unconceivable in its own nature , is not possible to be existent ; so what is absolutely so to us , we can know nothing at all of , nor reason , nor argue about it ; since there is no doing of this but from our ideas . but i cannot see how this will be advantageous at all to the cause of infidelity : for there is neither any one that asserts , nor is the atheist able to prove , that that being which we call god , is absolutely unconceiveable . there is a vast difference between a thing 's being vnconceivable , and incomprehensible ; between our having no idea at all of a thing , and our having an imperfect one ; and between our knowing nothing at all of a being , and our comprehending all the possible perfections and excellencies of such a being . we readily grant that the immense nature of god is incomprehensible to our finite understandings ; but we don't say 't is absolutely unconceivable , and that we can know nothing at all about it . the common notion (c) which all mankind have of a god , is a sufficient refutation of this part of the objection , as it is also a very good proof of the real existence of a deity ; for if there were no such being , 't is impossible to conceive how any idea of him could ever have come into any one's mind , as i shall hereafter more largely prove . 2. there is implied in this objection , that we can have no possible idea , nor notion of the existence of any thing that is not the object of our senses : and from hence these sublime thinkers argue against the existence of a deity , and conclude there is no god , because they cannot see him , and because he is not perceivable by any of our bodily senses . thus one of our modern atheistical writers asserts , that the only evidence we can have of the existence of any thing , is from sense . and in another place , (a) whatsoever we can conceive ( saith he ) hath been perceived first by sense , either at once or in parts , and a man can have no thought representing any thing not subject to sense . and he defines sense to be original knowledge . which is but the reverse of what protagoras , long ago determin'd : for plato , in his theaetetus , tells us , that he defined all knowledge to be sense . now , is not this admirable philosophy ? and worthy of those that pretend to a sublimer pitch of knowledge than the vulgar ? there is no knowledge , say they , but sense . if so , then , as protagoras saith , all sense must be knowledge ; and consequently , he that sees , hears , smells or feels any thing , must immediately know all that is to be known about it : by seeing the letters of any language , or hearing the words pronounced , a man or a beast must needs understand all the sense and meaning of it ; and the philosophick nature of all bodies will be perfectly comprehended , as soon as ever they once come within the reach of our senses . this is , indeed , a good easie method of attaining learning ; and perhaps very suitable to the genius of these gentlemen ! but i cannot account from this notion , how they come to have so much more penetration and knowledge than their neighbours . are their eyes and ears , noses and feeling , so much more accurate than those of the vulgar ? yes , doubtless , these are truly men of sense ! their lyncean eyes can penetrate mill-stones , and the least silent whisper of nature moves the intelligent drum of their tender ears ; nothing escapes their knowledge , but what is undiscoverable by the nicest sense , and can only be comprehended by reason . reason ! an ignis fatuus of the mind , whose uncertain direction they scorn to follow , while this light of nature , sense , can be their guide . nor will it avail them to alledge here , that when they say , we have no knowledge but what we have from our senses ; they mean only , that all our knowledge comes in that way , and not by innate idea's : for the author i have mentioned above , is express , that we can have no thought of any thing not subject to sense ; that the only knowledge we have of the existence of all things , is from sense ; and that sense is original knowledge . and if so , there can be no such thing as comparing or distinguishing of idea's in our mind ; but the simple idea's of sensible objects being impressed upon our brain , must needs convey to us , by that means , all the knowledge that we can ever obtain about them , and that as soon too as ever the objects are perceived . but than this , nothing can be more false and absurd : for 't is plain , that by our bare sensations of objects , we know nothing at all of their natures . our mind , indeed , by these sensations , is vigorously excited to enquire further about them : but this we could by no means do , if sense were the highest faculty and power in our natures , and we were quite devoid of a reasoning and thinking mind . this , democritus of old was very well aware of , ( however he comes now to be deserted by the modern atheistick writers , ) for saith he , (a) there is in us two kinds of knowledges ; one dark and obscure , which is by the senses ; the other genuine and proper , which is by the mind . and nothing can be more plain , than that we have certain knowledge of the existence of many things , which never were , nor perhaps can possibly be the objects of our bodily senses . protagoras himself saith , (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : take heed that none of the uninitiated hear you , who are such as think nothing to exist , but what they can lay hold of with their hands ; and who will not allow any thing that is invisible , to have a place among beings . the epicurean atheist must needs grant the existence of his atoms , and his empty space ; when yet they must be both acknowledged to be no way sensible . those that hold a soul or life in matter , plastically diffused through all parts of the universe , by which all things are actuated and regulated , cannot deny but this power is invisible , and no way the object of bodily sense . nay , those that assert a corporeal deity , and say , that nothing can possibly exist but body ; must needs own , that something of this deity , as his wisdom , power and understanding , which is certainly the chief and most noble of all his essence , can no ways fall under our bodily senses . let him that asserts , that what is not the object of sense , is really nothing at all ; let him tell me , if he ever saw that power , faculty , understanding or mind , by which he is enabled to make such a determination ? that there is such a power or mind in him , 't is impossible for him to doubt or deny : for that very doubting and denying , will refute him ; and must convince him , that there must be something in him of a real nature , that can thus think and consider , doubt and deny ; and at last conclude , that there is nothing actually existent , but what is sensible : for what is really and absolutely nothing , can never think , consider , doubt or determine . now let him call this mind or soul of his what he pleases , i do not here consider its nature ; let it be a substance distinct from matter , be it a happy combination of animal spirits ; or the brisk agitation of any fine and subtile parts of matter , 't is all one to our present purpose , it certainly exists , or is ; and yet is it by no means an object of sense . for animal spirits , motion , and the sinest and subtilest parts of matter are no more sensible to us now , than an incorporeal substance is . and as he is thus assured that there is something real in himself , which yet is the object of none of his senses ; so he cannot but conclude the same of other men that are round about him , that they also have a soul or mind of the same nature : for he must know and be satisfied , that they can think , reason , doubt , affirm , deny and determine , as well as himself . now , if he must grant that there are on this account many things existent in the world , which do no way fall under the cognisance of our senses , it will be strangely senseless and ridiculous to argue against the being of a god from his not being so ; and to deny that there is any such thing , because he cannot see him with his bodily eyes , because he cannot feel him with his hands , and hear the sound of his voice actually speaking from heaven . for the existence of that divine being whom no eye hath seen nor can see , is as plainly demonstrable from reason and nature , from his visible works in the world , and from the inward sentiments of our unprejudiced minds , as the being of our own and others minds is from the power of thinking and reasoning that we find in our selves and them . 3. but thirdly , 't is objected further , (a) that we cannot have any idea of god , and consequently may conclude , there is no such being ; because he is , by divines , said to be incomprehensible and infinite : ( that is , say they ) something which we can know nothing at all about ; for we cannot have any phantasm or conception of any such thing . thus saith that famous atheistical writer , whatever we know , we learn from our phantasms ; but there is no phantasm of infinite , and therefore no knowledge or conception of it . no man , saith he , can have in his mind an image of infinite power or time : and there is no conception or idea of that which we call infinite . in another place , he asserts , (c) that the attributes of god signifie nothing true nor false , nor any opinion of our brain ; and are not sufficient premises to inferr truth , or convince falshood . and the name of god ( he saith ) is used , 〈◊〉 to make us conceive him , but that we may honour him . and he elsewhere saith , (d) that those that venture to discourse philosophically of the nature of god , or to reason of his nature from his attributes , losing their understanding in the very first attempt , fall from one inconvenience to another , without end or number , and do only discover their astonishment and rusticity . this bold writer doth in another place tell us , (e) that god must not be said to be finite ; and so being neither finite nor infinite , he must be nothing at all : which is the very same dilemma that the sceptick , sextus empiricus , (f) makes use of against a deity . another modern author of the same stamp , tells us , that he that calls any thing infinite , doth but , rei quam non capit attribuere nomen quod non intelligit ; give an unintelligible name to a thing which he doth not understand . all which agrees exactly with what sextus also saith , in many places of his book ; and whom these gentlemen follow pretty closely in most things , without taking any notice at all of him . now to this , i return ; that as 't is very foolish and precarious , to deny the existence of a god , because he is not an object of our bodily senses ; so , to conclude , that there is no such being , from our not being able perfectly to comprehend him , and to have a true and adequate idea of him , is equally absurd and unaccountable . for at this rate , we may soon come to deny the existence of most things in nature , since there are very many of which we do not adequately comprehend the nature of , and know all that is to be known about them . there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , something incomprehensible in the nature of all things . are there not a thousand beings , which we are sure are truly and actually existent in nature , the manner of whose operation and action we cannot comprehend , and whose phaenomena we cannot philosophically explain ? let any of these penetrating gentlemen try their skill at gravity , light , sound , magnetism and electricity , and oblige the world with such an adequate account of any one of them , as shall make all impartial and curious men acquiesce in it as satisfactory . let him clearly shew us how his own sensations are made ; how the circulation of the blood first begins , and continues its vital tour round his body ; how pestilential and contagious diseases first invade and are propagated ; how several medicines , that may be properly enough call'd specifick's , operate ; and particularly , how the cortex peruvianus cures an intermitting fever : in a word , let him tell us how his own body ( setting aside accidents ) decays , grows old , and dies , when the same digestions and assimulations are made to day , as were yesterday , and there is no apparent defect in the nutriment of any one part of it . he that can account for these , and many other such like things , which are obvious to every one's daily observation , will certainly approve himself to be a man of very curious and acute thought , and of very deep insight into nature : and when he hath fully convinced me , that he throughly comprehends the nature of but these few things , i will allow that he hath some ground to disbelieve the existence of whatever appears to him incomprehensible . but if a person will candidly own , as he that hath any knowledge and modesty must do , that there are many things in the history of nature , of which he cannot meet with a satisfactory solution and explication ; he hath certainly no manner of reason to disbelieve the existence of a god , on the same account ; and to say , there is no such thing , because his nature is incomprehensible to our finite and imperfect capacities . we cannot , by searching , find out god , nor discover the almighty unto perfection , job xi . 7 . but again ; there is a vast difference between apprehending and comprehending of a thing ; between knowing a thing really to be , and knowing all that is possible to be known about that thing . we cannot indeed perfectly comprehend the nature of god , because we have shallow , limited , finite and imperfect capacities and faculties ; and the deity contains in himself all possible perfection . every one must grant , that 't is impossible the lesser should contain and comprehend the greater , especially too when the extent and fulness of one , infinitely exceeds the capacity of the other . from hence therefore to inferr that we can have no idea nor knowledge at all of god , is very absurd and incongruous . 't is a strange method of arguing , that i can know nothing at all of a thing , because i can't know every particular that belongs to it ; and he would deservedly be esteemed a madman , that should deny that there is any such thing as the sun , because he cannot tell how many miles he is in diameter , how far he is from us , and which way he comes by a supply of matter to continue his enlivening fire and heat . when some great and advantageous revolution is brought about in any nation ; when the publick good is secured , the laws and liberties preserved , and confusion , bloodshed , and misery of all kinds , prevented , by the wise and deep council and conduct of him , or those that are at the helm of affairs : would it not be gross stupidity , for a man to assert , that all this came about by chance , and that there was no wisdom nor conduct , that so opportunely managed all things ; only because he cannot penetrate into all the secret steps and methods of it , and see all the hidden springs , by which it was moved regularly on to its intended perfection ? there are many things whose existence 't would be ridiculous to doubt of , whose nature and qualities we are very far from being able perfectly to comprehend and explain . and amongst the rest , there is nothing but our own existence , that we can be more assured of , than that there is a god. for as to all objects of sense , we may , as monsieur des cartes shews , have some reason to doubt of their actual existence without us , till we are first satisfied that our senses do not deceive us : till we know this , for any thing we can demonstratively prove to the contrary , all sensible objects may be meer phantasms and delusions , and nothing but the internal configurations of our own brains , and the result of imagination and fancy . but when once we are assured that there is a god , who is perfectly knowing , wise , and good , we shall discover that he can be no deceiver ; we shall find that 't is not suitable to the idea we have of him , that he should delude and cheat us with false appearances ; and consequently we may well conclude , that he hath appointed our senses to be proper judges of their own objects , and that those things are actually existing without us , whose idea's we so plainly perceive in our selves , and which we truly judge to be so . and if we will impartially consult our own thoughts , and reason clearly from those idea's that we have within us ; i think , we may most demonstratively be assured of the existence of a god , and that he is such a most perfect or infinite being , as the sacred scriptures and divines describe him to be . i will allow that the greatest certainty that we can have of the existence of any thing , is of our own being ; of which , as i have already said , no one can possibly doubt : for whatsoever can think reason , doubt , will , and determine , must needs be something , and have a true and real being . and because we find by this means , that there is certainly something actually existing ; it will plainly follow , that something or other must always have been so : for if ever there was a time when there was nothing , there never could have been any thing at all : for absolute nothing could never have done , or produced any thing . something therefore ( 't is plain ) must have been always , or eternally existing , and which never could have had any beginning . for if it ever had any beginning , tho' never so many thousands of millions of ages ago , it must have then began from meer nothing , which 't is impossible for any man to conceive . now , if we consider our selves , or any things else that are round about us in the world ; we shall plainly find , that neither we nor they , can be this thing that always was existent , and which we have discovered must have been without beginning ; for we know well enough , that it was but a little while ago when we began to be , and that 't is but a short space before we shall die , and cease to be in this world any more . besides , we find in our selves , and discover in things without us , such defects , limitations and imperfections , as sufficiently must convince us , that neither we nor they can be independent beings , nor indeed the cause of one another's existence . we must therefore in our thoughts have recourse to some first cause or origin , from whence all things do proceed : and that there must be some first cause , or some being , which produced both our selves and the things that are round about us in the world , we cannot but be assured of , for we know , nothing can cause , or make it self to be ; and we see that we cannot make or produce each other ; and we perceive that none of our forms or modes of existence are indestructible and eternal ; but that all things are continually slitting and changing : some improving and increasing , while others are decreasing and dying . the common matter , indeed , of all bodies will remain , and we do not find it to be perishable , as their forms are ; but then , this we may easily know cannot be the first cause of all other things ; since we have no idea of its being an active , intelligent , wise , and powerful being , as that must be ; but the notion we have of it is , that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , purely passive , and obsequiously capable of all variety of forms and motions ; as i shall hereafter more largely shew . if we farther carefully consider of this being , that we have thus found must have eternally been or existed ; we shall find also , that it must for ever continue to be for the time to come ; for we cannot imagine , how a being that hath eternally existed for the time past , should ever terminate or cease to be for the time to come ; since there is nothing in its self , or in any thing without it , that can possibly be the cause of its destruction . such a being therefore will be properly eternal , and necessarily self-existent , without beginning or end , or any possibility of dying or ceasing to be . such a being also , must on this account , be the creator , author , and cause of all things : because , nothing can be the cause of it self ; and therefore they must either be eternal and necessarily self existent , as we are assured they are not ; or else derived from , and produced by this eternal and infinite being . and as the beings themselves are derived from , and produced by this eternal and self existent being , so must all their perfections and qualifications too : for they are indeed the most noble things in their natures . knowledge therefore , and wisdom , thought and reasoning , and all the excellent powers and faculties that are found in any creatures , must come from the same power that produced those beings and natures in which they are inherent . and if these excellencies and perfections are derived from this necessarily existent being , they must certainly be in him in the greatest perfection : for if they were not in him , they could not be derived from him ; since 't is unconceivable that any thing can give or communicate to another , either what it hath not it self , or a greater degree of any thing than it is master of . this eternal and self-existent being therefore must have in it , and that in the utmost perfection , all the excellencies that we admire and value in any other things . it must have the power of doing all things that are possible to be done , and therefore be almighty ; it must know all things that are possible to be known , and therefore be omniscient : in a word , it must be all-wise and good , just and true , merciful and gracious , and contain in it all possible excellencies and perfections . now this may very well pass for a description of the deity ; and 't is such an one as is very intelligible and plain to the meanest capacity that can but think at all . and it gives us such an idea of god , as we see is easily attainable by an obvious and familiar chain of consequences , and which puts our minds not at all on the wrack to conceive . as for the word infinite , which is often applied to god , and which these gentlemen quarrel so much at , and of which they affirm , that it is impossible to have any conception or idea ; i say , that it is groundlessly and precariously asserted : and that nothing but the wilful darkness and confusion which they have brought upon their own minds can make it appear unintelligible . for as the excellent dr. cudworth hath proved the idea that we have of infinite , is the same with that which we have of perfection . and therefore when we say , that god is infinite in power , wisdom or goodness , we mean by it , that he is most perfectly or compleatly so ; and that he wants nothing which is necessary to render him most perfect , and excellent in that respect of which we speak of him. now a being that any way is deficient or imperfect , and that hath not all the possible excellencies that are to be had , is finite , and that in the same proportion as it is defective . thus , for instance , those beings which endure but for a time , which had a beginning , and will have an end , are finite or imperfect , as to their existence : but god , who is , was , and is to come , who is and will be from everlasting to everlasting , he is properly said to be infinite (a) or perfect , as to existence or duration . for there is no restriction , limitation or imperfection in his nature , in this respect , as there is in that of all creatures whatever . a being whose power extends to but a few things , is very imperfect or finite in power ; and if there be any possible thing that it cannot do , 't is still so far imperfect in power . but a being that can do all things that are not contradictory to his nature , or all possible things , is properly said to be infinite or perfect in power , or almighty ; so a being that knows all things possible to be known , is infinite or perfect in knowledge : and the like of any other attributes or perfections : in all , the comparison or proportion is the same . a being that wants no degree of excellency or perfection is god ; infinite in power , wisdom , justice , goodness and truth . but if a being want any one , or any degree or proportion of these things , it is finite and imperfect , and that in the same degree or proportion . now , where is the inconceivableness , confusion , absurdity , and nonsence of all this ? is it not as easie to conceive or apprehend that a being may have in his nature all possible perfection , as it is to have an idea of one that is imperfect and deficient ? for how comes the idea of imperfection into our mind ? how come we to know that a thing is finite , defective and limited , unless we have also an idea or notion of infinity or perfection ? how can we know what is wanting in any being , unless we have an idea of it , that it is in some other being ? most certain therefore it is , that we may have as true and clear an idea of the existence of a god , as of any thing in nature : (b) and in fact it is most notoriously true , that a clear and distinct notion that there is such a being , hath and doth still appear in the minds of all mankind ; and it is impressed there , i doubt not , by the peculiar care of that divine and merciful being himself . and therefore those that assert , that we have not , nor can have any notion or idea of a god , nor of his attributes and perfections , and that on that account deny his existence ; discover such wretched ignorance as well as obstinacy , that they are really a disgrace to humane nature . for pretending to be over-wise , they become fools , they are vain in their imaginations , and their foolish heart is darkened ; their vicious inclinations have debauched their reason and understanding : and though god be not far from every one of us , since in him we live , move , and have our being ; yet their wickedness and pride is such , that they will not seek after god , neither is god in all their thoughts . from which wilful blindness and stupidity , may the god of truth deliver them , by the gracious illuminations of his blessed spirit ; to whom , with our lord and saviour jesus christ , be all honour and glory , &c. finis . books printed for rich. wilkin at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard . mr. harris's sermon , preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , january the 3d. 1697 / 8. being the first of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esquire . — his remarks on some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . in octavo . dr. woodward's natural history of the earth , in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the truth of the christian religion , against the objections of all modern opposers ; in two volumes . in octavo . a serious proposal to the ladies , for the advancement of their true and greatest interest ; part i. by a lover of her sex. the third edition . in twelves . a serious proposal to the ladies ; part ii. wherein a method is offer'd for the improvement of their minds . in twelves . letters concerning the love of god , between the author of the proposal to the ladies and mr. john norris . in octavo . an answer to w. p. his key about the quakers light within , and oaths ; with an appendix of the sacraments . in octavo . a letter to the honourable sir robert howard : together with some animadversions on a book , entituled , christianity not mysterious . in octavo . the notion of a god , neither from fear nor policy . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , march the 7 th . 1697 / 8. being the third of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. psalm x. 4 . the wicked , through the pride of his countenance , will not seek after god : neither is god in all his thoughts . in my last discourse on these words , i came to consider the third particular i had before observed in them ; which was , the great charge the psalmist brings against the wicked and proud person here spoken of , viz. wilful atheism and infidelity . he will not seek after god : and all his thoughts are , there is no god. under which i proposed to consider and refute the atheist's objections , against the being of a god in general . and these i found might be reduced to these two heads : i. that we can have no idea of god. ii. that the notion of him , which is about in the world , owes its original to the foolish fears and ignorance of some men , and to the crafty designs of others . the former of these i have already refuted , and shewed that it is groundless and precarious in all its parts . i shall now therefore consider the second objection against the being of a god in general , viz. that the notion of a deity , which is so generally found among mankind , owes its original to the foolish fears and ignorance of some men , and to the designing and crafty figments of others . and here i shall first give you the sense of these kind of writers on this point : and then endeavour to shew you , how very weak and trivial their arguments are , and how very far short they come of disproving the existence of a deity . and first i shall give you the full sense of this objection , from the words of those that bring it ; beginning with the modern writers , who , as you will find by and by , have little or nothing new , but like carriers horses , follow one another in a track , and because the first went wrong , all the rest will succeed him in the same errour ; not considering , that he who comes behind , may take an advantage to avoid that pit , which those that went before , are fallen into . ( as it is in the words of the translator of (a) philostratus . ) but here it must be premised , that since these kind of men do frequently disguise their true meaning ; it is not the bare words only , but the scope of a writer , that giveth the true light by which any writing is to be interpreted , ( as mr. hobbs (b) very well observes : ) yet this must be said for both him and the other modern atheistick writers , that their disguise is so very thin and superficial , that any one may easily see through it , and discover their true meaning and design . nothing can be clearer , than that 't is the great scope of the author of great is diana of the ephesians , to persuade the world , that the first original of all religion , was from craft and imposture , and that it was cultivated and carried on by the cunning and avarice of the priests . and in his anima mundi , pag. 13 , 14. he tells us , that superstition ( by which these kind of writers always mean religion in general ) did certainly proceed from some crafty and designing person , who observed what were the inclinations of mankind , and so adapted his fictions accordingly : he pretended to have some extraordinary way revealed to him , from an invisible power , whereby he was able to instruct the people ; and to put them into a way of being happy in a future state. and in another place , he saith , (a) that mankind being ill-natured , and unapt to oblige others without reward , as also judging of god almighty by themselves , did at first conceive the gods to be like their eastern princes , before whom no man might come empty-handed ; and thus came the original of sacrifices : and this institution , he saith , was improved by the crafty sacerdotal order , into all that costly and extravagant superstition that did afterwards so abound in the world. now in this passage , 't is plain , that he makes all the jewish religion to be nothing but priest-craft and imposture ; tho' on wretched poor grounds , as i shall hereafter sufficiently make appear . and his opinion of the christian religion , may easily be guessed , by what he delivers , anim. mund. pag. 124. viz. that most christian churches , like the musk-melon from the dunghill , were raised from the filthy corruption and superstition of paganism . and in another place , he saith , (b) that he will engage to make appear , that a temporal interest was the great machine on which all humane actions ever moved ; ( he means , in the establishing of the jewish and christian religions ; ) and that the common pretence of piety and religion , was but like grace before a meal : i. e. according to him , nothing but a meer customary piece of folly that signifies nothing at all , and which he frequently ridicules and exposes (c) . now all this , though not in plain and express words , yet in the most obvious sense and meaning , is equally applicable to the notion of a god ; and no doubt was so intended by the author . and , indeed , take away religion and the notion of a god must of course follow : for 't is impossible to think that if there be a god , he should not expect veneration and worship from those creatures of his , that he hath rendred capable of doing it ; which therefore is their reasonable service , rom. 12.1 . after the same manner doth spinoza declare himself as to the origin of religion ; which he also calls by the name of superstition . (a) he tells us , that the true cause from whence superstition took its rise , is preserved and maintained , is fear . (b) that if all things would but succeed according to mens minds , they would never be enslaved by superstition : but because they are often in great streights , and so put to it , that no counsel or help will be beneficial to them , they are tossed and bandied about between hope and fear , and at last have their mind so debilitated , that they are prone to believe any thing . (c) but that in reality all those things which have been the objects of mens vain religious worship , are nothing but the dreadful phantasms and mad figments of a sorrowful and timorous mind . (d) and the reason ( he saith ) why all men are thus subject by nature to superstition , is only from fear ; and not as some have fansied , from any confused idea of a god , which they will have to be impressed on all mankind . the author of the leviathan , speaks yet a little plainer as to this point ; (e) ignorant men ( saith he ) feign to themselves several kinds of invisible powers , stand in awe of their own imaginations , in time of distress invoke them , in time of success give them thanks , making the creatures of their own fancy gods. this is the natural seed of religion , which men taking notice of , have formed into laws , &c. and he tells us in another place , (f) that fear of power invisible feigned by the mind , or imagined from tales publickly allowed is religion , not allowed , is superstition . so that according to mr. hobbs , religion and superstition differ only in this , that the latter is a lye and a cheat standing only on the authority of private men , whereas the former is supported by the power of the government . in these four things , saith he , elsewhere , (a) consists the natural seed of religion , viz. ignorance of second causes , opinion of ghosts , devotion toward what men fear , and taking things casual for prognosticks . these are the accounts which our modern atheistical writers give of the origin of religion , and the notion of a god among men. and this they , with great assurance , put off as their own new invention ; without being so just as to mention any of the ancients , from whom they have borrowed every article of it . that trite passage every body knows primus in orbe deos fecit timor ; and lucretius mentions fear and the ignorance of second causes , as that which gave the first rise to the notion of a god : for , saith he , (b) when men with fearful minds behold the things in the earth and heavens , they become abject and depressed under the fear of the gods ; whose empire ignorance of causes sets up in the world : for when men cannot see any natural reason for any effect , they strait fansie 't is the product of some divine power . the very same thing he saith also in another place , (c) where he attributes likewise the notion of ghosts , and consequently of the gods interfering with the affairs of the world , to mens not being able to distinguish dreams from real appearances . tully tells us , that there were some in his time , and no doubt , long before , who attributed the opinion and belief of the gods to have been feigned by wise men for the good of the commonwealth . (d) and plato acquaints us , (e) that the ancient atheists did affirm , that the gods were not by nature , but by art and laws only , and so were different in different places , according as the different humour of the law givers chanced to determine the matter . sextus empiricus saith , that there were at first some intelligent and prudent men (f) who consider'd what would be beneficial to humane life ; and these first feigned the fabulous notion of gods , and caused that suspicion that there is in mens minds about them . afterwards he saith , that heretofore men lived wild and savage , and preyed upon one another like wild beasts ; till some men being willing to prevent and repress injuries and rapine , invented laws to punish those that did amiss : and then they feigned , that there were gods also , who took cognizance of all mens actions , whether good or bad ; that so no one might dare to commit any secret wickedness , when he was by this means persuaded , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the gods , tho' unseen by men , did yet inspect into all humane actions , and take notice who did well , and who the contrary . sextus also attributes the rise of mens belief of a god , to their ignorance of second causes , ( as i shewed you before that lucretius doth : ) for he makes democritus speak thus , (a) when men of old saw strange and frightful things in the air or heavens , such as thunder , lightning , thunderbolts , eclipses of the sun and moon , &c. not knowing the natural causes of them , but being terrified by them , they strait imagined the gods to be the authors of them . this therefore being proved to be the true sence of the ancient atheistical writers , and from them copied by the moderns , viz. that fear , ignorance and cunning were the first originals or causes of the notion and belief of a god. let us now fairly examine the case , and see what ground there is for such an assertion ; and whether this can account for that universal notion of a divine and omnipotent being , which we find every where in the world. and , 1. i say , that the notion of a god , could not come from fear ; for if it did , either this fear must be universally inherent in all mankind , or else peculiar only to some dastardly and low-spirited mortals . if the former be asserted , 't is a very convincing argument , that there is a just ground for such a fear ; and that it hath something that is real for its object , that can thus affect all men , after the same manner . and if it be so , that all men are naturally subject to this fear of a deity ; how could any one ever discover , that there was no real ground for this , in the nature of the thing ? how came he himself exempted from this poorness of spirit ? and if he were not exempted from this terrible passion , how came he to discover , that the object of this fear is all a cheat , and nothing but a meer mormo and bugbear ? 't was very lucky for him , that the rambling atoms of his constitution jumpt by chance into such a couragious and noble frame and temper ! but pray who was this mighty man ? when and where did he live ? what ancient history gives us any account of this happy person , that laughed at that which all the world besides were afraid of ? let the atheists give us but any relation of him , that is authentick , and it shall be allowed as the greatest thing they have ever yet advanced . but i suppose they will not say that this fear is universal ; but that it only possesseth mean and abject spirits , and never invades the great and brave soul. let us see whether this will do them any service . now by brave and great souls , who do they mean ? do they intend by them , such as have power , command and empire over others ? nothing is more certain , than that kings and princes have been equally subject to these fears of a god , and of divine punishment , with the meanest and most contemptible of their subjects . and this (a) lucretius himself owns , ( as also that this fear of a deity is universal ) and we have examples of it in the histories of all ages and parts of the world. but they will say , 't is like , that by brave and great souls , they don't mean kings and princes , but the wise , knowing , and learned part of mankind : these were they that first discovered this cheat , and who , finding its advantage to mankind , have ever since continued it and carried it on for the publick good. these cunning men finding the vulgar generally subject to dismal apprehensions and fears of they knew not what kind of invisible powers , took advantage from thence to tell them of a god , and to form the product of their fears into the notion of a deity . now to this i say , that if these cunning politicians found that there was a fear , dread and apprehension of some divine and almighty being , universally impressed upon the minds of men , as no doubt but there is ; this , i say , is a very convincing argument that such a belief hath a good foundation in the nature of the thing , and consequently hath truth at the bottom . and therefore 't is plain , that these men did not invent , but find this notion and belief actually existing , by a kind of anticipation in the hearts of all mankind . and that they could not possibly invent it , had there been no ground nor reason for such a belief , i shall plainly prove by and by . but again ; that the notion of a god , did not arise only from fear , is plain from hence ; that mankind hath gotten an idea of him , that could never proceed only from that passion . if fear only were to make a god , it would compose him of nothing but black and terrible idea's : it would represent him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , all envious and spiteful ; a grim , angry and vindicative being ; one that delights in nothing but to exercise his tyrannical power and cruelty upon mankind : we should then believe him to be such a power as the indians do their evil god , and we do the devil ; a mischievous and bloody deity , that is the author of nothing but evil and misery in the world : for these must be the dreadful attributes of a being which fear only would create and set up in our hearts . but now , instead of this , we find a quite different notion of god in the world. we justly believe him to be a most kind , loving and gracious being , and whose mercies are over all his works . we are taught by the scriptures , those sacred volumes of his will , to believe that he at first created the world , and all things that are therein , to display his goodness and kindness to his creatures : that he wills not , nor delights in the death of a sinner , nor in the evil and misery of any thing ; but that he hath by most admirable methods of divine love , provided for our happiness both here and hereafter . now such an account as this of the deity , could never take its rise from fear only : and therefore since it cannot be denied but that we have such a notion of god , it must have some more noble and generous an original . we find , indeed , in our selves a just fear and dread of offending so good and gracious a god ; and we believe it suitable to his justice , to punish those that will pertinaciously continue in a state of rebellion against him , after having refused and slighted the repeated overtures of his mercy . but then we know very well , that the notion we have of a deity , is not occasioned by , and derived from this fear ; but , on the contrary , this fear from it . 't is the natural consequence and effect of the belief and knowledge of a god , but it cannot be the cause and original of it . for fear alone can never dispose the mind of man to imagine a being that is infinitely kind , merciful and gracious . the atheist therefore must here taken in hope too , as well as fear , as a joint cause of his pretended origin of the belief of a god ; and say , that mankind came to imagine that there was some powerful and invisible being , which they hoped would do them as much good , as they were afraid it would do them hurt (a) . but these two contrary idea's , like equal quantities in an equation with contrary signs , will destroy one another , and consequently the remainder will be nothing . and therefore the mind of man must lay aside such an idea of god , as soon as he hath well considered it , for it will signifie just nothing at all . another very good argument , that the notion of a god , did not take its first original from fear only , may be drawn from hence , that those that do believe and know most of god , are the least subject to that servile passion . if fear only occasioned mens notion and belief of a god , the consequence must be , that where the notion of a deity is most strong and vivid , there men must be most timorous and apprehensive of danger ; there the greatest distrust , suspicion , and anxious sollicitousness about the events of futurity would be always found . but this is so far from being true in fact , that no one is so free from those melancholy and dreadful thoughts and apprehensions , as he that truly believes in , and fears god. for he can find always in him almighty defence and protection ; he can cast all his care on god who he knows careth for him : when all the treacherous comforts of this world leave him , and when nothing but a gloomy scene of affliction , distress and misery presents its self here ; yea , even when heart it self and strength begin to fail , god will be ( he knows ) the strength of his heart and his portion for ever ; and even in the vast multitude of his afflictions , god's comforts will refresh his soul. but 't is far otherwise with the miserable wretch that hath no belief of , nor any knowledge of god ; if he fall into affliction , trouble , or misery , he hath nothing to support him : he is the most abject and dispirited of all mankind , his whole head is sick , and his heart is faint , and his spirit cannot sustain his infirmity ; for he hath not only no power and ability to bear the present load of misery , but he expects yet much worse to come ; and notwithstanding all his former incredulity and bravery , he now , as the devil himself doth , believes and trembles . and therefore , though as plutarch observes , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it be the chief design of atheism to give men an exemption from fear ; yet 't is a very foolish one , and falls very far short of answering its end : for it deserts and fails its votaries in their greatest extremities and necessities , and by depriving them of all just grounds for hope , must needs expose them to the most dismal invasions of fear . and thus , i think , it is very plain , that the notion of a god could not take its first original from fear . as to the ignorance of second causes , which is sometimes alledged as another occasion of the notion of a deity ; the modern atheists do not much insist upon it , and therefore i need not do so in its refutation . i have shewed already whence they had it ; and i think it sufficient to observe here , that there are no men so ignorant of second causes , nor any that give so poor and trifling accounts of the phaenomena of nature as these atheistical philosophers do . and therefore ignorance ought rather to be reckoned among the causes of atheism and infidelity , than of the idea of god and religion ; for i am very well assured that a through insight into the works of nature , and a serious contemplation of that admirable wisdom , excellent order , and that useful aptitude and relation that the several parts of the world have to each other , must needs convince any one , that they are the products of a divine and almighty power . the invisible things of god may be understood by the things that are made , and his eternal power and godhead discovered by this means (a) ; as hath been excellently demonstrated by the learned dr. cudworth , dr. bentley , mr. ray , and many others . and these kind of gentlemen have betrayed their shallow and superficial knowledge of things , by nothing more , than by pretending to give an account of the original of the world , the motion of the heavenly bodies , of gravity , and several other phaenomena of nature , without having recourse to a deity ; as i shall hereafter more particularly observe . but i now hasten to refute that which they make their great and most common objection against the being of a god ; and to shew , 2. that the notion of a god did not , nor could not , arise from cunning and contrivance ; and that it was not invented by any crafty and politick person . though that it did do so , is the constant assertion of these gentlemen ; and they do it with as much assurance , as if it were a self-evident proposition . in all companies they will nauseously tire you with this battology , over and over again . that all religion is a cheat , and the greatest cheat of all is religion . but this themselves have happily discovered ; and therefore they scorn to be imposed upon by priest-craft ; they will neither be ridden by priests , nor lead by them ; they can go without leading-strings ; and won't be put to the temporal charge of a spiritual guide : and they have quitted the thoughts of going to heaven by the same means as they go to the play-house , ( i. e. ) by giving money to the door-keepers . as the translator of philostratus insolently expresses it . (a) now after all this bold and repeated exclamation against priest-craft and holy shams , &c. would not one think that they had some demonstrative ground , to prove that the notion of god , and religion is all a cheat and imposture ? would not one suppose that they could name the very person that first invented this fourbe ; tell us when , and where he lived , and plainly prove by what means he came to impose so grosly on mankind , and how they came to be such fools as to take it , and dully to submit to it ever since ? nothing sure , that is less than a direct demonstration , ought to protect a man under so rude a liberty as these gentlemen take , of ridiculing all the sacred laws of god and men. but have they any such proof ready ? or have they ever yet produced it ? no , nor is it possible they ever should ; as appears plainly from the ancient histories of all nations in the world. in no one of these do we ever find the least mention made of any one that invented the notion of a god. 't was a thing taken for granted by all the ancient law-givers , that there was a god : this they never went about to prove ; nor had they any need so to do , or to feign it , for they found it universally and naturally stamp'd upon the minds of mankind . this moses himself doth not so much as attempt to teach the jews , as knowing very well that it was what they had a general notion and idea of before . and homer speaks every where of the gods , as of beings universally known and believed , and never goes about to prove their existence . the same thing appears in hesiod , and in the fragments that we have of all the ancient greek poets . and though it be not true in fact , yet 't is a good argument ad hominem against the atheists , that lucretius pretends to tell you when atheism began , and who was the first bold man that disputed and denied the being of a god. this , he saith , was epicurus . (a) but he cannot deny but that in so doing , epicurus contradicted the common sentiments of all mankind , and broke through those fears and obligations that the generality of men were under to a divine power . but to refute a little more methodically this trite objection . i say , that the notion of a god could not derive its original from the cunning invention of any politick person , for these reasons : 1. because the pretended inventor himself could never possibly have come by such a notion , had there been no such being as a god. sextus empiricus observes very well , that though (b) 't is pretended that law-givers and politicians invented the notion of a god ; yet the asserters of it are not aware of an absurdity that arises thence : for if it should be asked , how they themselves came by such a notion ? they must be at a loss ; they will not say they had it from others , nor can they account how they came by it ; and therefore it must have been from the beginning ; and so all men must have a notion of god , though not all after the same way . and , indeed , 't is not possible to imagine that such a notion could ever have come into any one's head , had there been no such being as a deity . were he an absolute non-entity , and really nothing at all , 't is unconceivable how any one could ever attain an idea of god , or have coined any word that should so have expressed that idea , as to render it intelligible to any one else . the mind of man cannot invent , or make any new simple idea or cogitation ; it cannot possibly make a positive conception of that which is really nothing at all . which way soever we come by our idea's , we cannot have one of what is absolutely a non-entity ; for what is absolutely nothing , can neither come into us by our senses , nor be innate in our minds . and therefore if there were no god , we could never have had any idea of him ; nor could any one ever possibly invent , or frame such a notion in his mind . i know the compounding , ampliating and feigning power of the mind will here be alledged ; and it will be said that we may by that means frame notions of things which perhaps did never , nor ever will exist : thus we may gain the notion of a flying horse , of a creature , half a man and half a horse , a man of a thousand foot high , &c. and therefore say they , (a) why might not the mind of man , by this compounding and ampliating power , feign as well the notion of a deity ? to which i answer , that this power in our minds doth not , nor cannot extend so far . all that we can do by it , is to connect together two or more possible and consistent idea's , or to ampliate or enlarge any one or more of them , in point of time , extent , &c. thus , as was before said , by connecting the idea's of wings and a horse , or of a horse and a man , we may feign a pegasus or a centaure ; and i can imagine either of these creatures , or any other , to live five thousand times as long , or to be fifty thousand times as big , as is usual . but all this is still short of what 't is brought for , and will give no account at all of the invention of the idea of a god. for suppose the mind would endeavour to amplifie the idea of a man into that of god , which is the way sextus empiricus says men might and did come by the notion of a deity . (b) first , he saith , the mind can give him eternity of duration : but how came it by that idea of eternity ? was that idea previous to the invention of a deity ? and had mankind a clear conception of it ? if they had , the notion of god could not be then invented , for one of his chiefest attributes was known before . but i suppose they will say that the notion of eternity was gained by ampliating the idea of duration or time beyond the common and ordinary term : and thus by imagining a man to live a thousand or ten thousand years , i may come to frame the notion of a being that should always exist . but that is a gross mistake ; for a being that should endure ten thousand , or ten millions of years , is not therefore exempt from dying at last , any more than one that endures but ten minutes . had i not in my mind before a clear idea of eternity , i could no more by this ampliating power gain a notion of an eternal being , than i could believe my self to be eternal ; for every thing about me would contradict that notion ; and 't is very strange that i should come to believe any being could have an eternal duration from considering of things that are all perishable and mortal . that which leads men into this mistake , is , i suppose this : we have all of us a notion of a being , perfect or eternal , as to his duration , because there is such a being in reality : and therefore , whenever we go about to consider of time , or of the period or term of the duration of a being , we can ampliate it so , as to suppose it shall never cease to be , but have its being still continued on without end : that is , we can connect the idea that we have of eternity with a being , and so render it eternal . but this could never be done , if there were no idea of eternity at all , if there were nothing eternal , if there were no god. the case is the same as to all the other perfections of the divine nature . we have clear idea's and notions of them in our minds ; and therefore we can talk about them , and be understood : because there are real idea's that answer to those words that we use ; and something really existing , that answers to those idea's . but were there no such being , nor any thing real in nature , to deduce our idea's from , were there no god , 't is impossible there could be any such idea's at all . but however , this assertion , that the mind of man was able to invent the notion of a deity , and communicate it to the world , is a most flat and palpable contradiction to what the atheist at other times urges , and that too , as founded on principles that he is very fond of . in my last discourse , i shewed you , that he objected against the being of a god , from our not being able to have any idea of him ; and this he endeavours to support , by asserting also , that we have no knowledge but sense , and that all our conceptions are passive . now both these are absolutely inconsistent with the original that he is now attributing to the notion of a god. for if it be true , as he saith it is , that we can have no idea of god ; 't is very strange to suppose , that a politick man should invent , and the world receive the idea or notion of that which 'tis impossible for any one to invent , or receive . 't is a little odd , that a man should first cunningly devise he knew not what , and then the affrighted world believe they knew not what ; and that we should prove and assert , and the atheist ridicule and deny the existence of that which we do none of us all know any thing about ! but so it must be , according to the atheist's uniform scheme of things . again , if , as he asserts , all our conceptions be passive , and all our knowledge , sense : which way could this cunning inventer of a god , come by his notion or idea of him ? how could his mind attain any such feigning and ampliating power ? for according to the atheist's principles , the mind could have no active , much less spontaneous power at all ; but all our idea's and conceptions would be meer necessary motions , mechanically occasioned by the impressions of external objects . so that as protagoras tells us ( in plato's theoetet . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : 't is neither possible to conceive that which is not , nor indeed any thing else , but only just as our mind suffers it by impressions from without . and therefore no man could ever possibly invent any thing at all , nor have any power within him of putting or joining together two or more simple idea's , or of ampliating or enlarging any idea or notion at all ; much less could he grow so very subtle as to invent the notion of a deity . and as no law-giver nor politician could , we see , have invented the notion of a deity , if he had had a mind so to do ; so it appears very weak and foolish in him to do it , if he could . for while there was no belief among men , of any divine and almighty power , he would have been a mortal god himself , (a) as hobbs calls the commonwealth : his will would have been his law ; and men's obedience to him , would have been founded in the fear they were under of his great power . and this , according to the atheistical principles , would have been a much better stay and support to his authority , than the idle obligations of conscience and religion : for the aforesaid author tells us , (b) that if the fear of spirits ( i. e. of a god ) were taken away , men would be much better fitted for civil obedience . and in another place he goes a little further yet , and saith , (c) that 't is impossible any government can stand , where any other than the sovereign hath a power of giving greater rewards than life , and greater punishments than death . that is , where there is any obligation on mens minds to a divine and almighty power : which they will chuse to obey , rather than the unlawful commands of an arbitrary prince , that can only kill the body . now there is no doubt but that this is true of such a power or government , as that he calculated his leviathan for ; i. e. one absolutely arbitrary and tyrannical . and all power must be so , if there be no god , and no antecedent good and evil , but what the will of the sovereign shall make so , as mr. hobbs positively asserts there is not . therefore that man must act very unwisely , who when he was possessed of power enough to give laws to , and govern others by his sole will and pleasure , would ever invent the notion of a god and religion . for this was the direct way to cramp himself in his power , to tie up his own hands , and to let the people see that he himself is accountable to god , as well as they ; 't is to teach them , that the power he hath , is but a trust committed to him by god , which he is to discharge for his subjects good and advantage , and not only to gratifie his own will and humour . and this notion might induce the subjects of an arbitrary and tyrannical prince , to ease him of the trouble of a government , that they perceived involved him in a great deal of guilt , and would proportionably encrease the account that he must one day give of his stewardship . but , 2. as the idea and notion of a god , cannot possibly have been invented by any one ; so neither could it have been understood or believed by mankind , if it had been so . had there been only one person that had coined the idea of a god , and no manner of notion at all of any of his attributes or perfections previous to this , in the minds of men ; what would it have signified , to tell them , that there was a god ? how could they understand the meaning of a meer arbitrary word , that had no manner of foundation in nature , nor any idea or notion answering to it ? words are but marks of things , or signs to know them or distinguish them by : and therefore a word that is the sign of what is absolutely nothing , or a non-entity , must needs be nonsense and unintelligible . and consequently , he that should attempt to awe mankind with an empty sound , that had no signification , would certainly be exposed to contempt ; and instead of affrighting others , would only be laughed at himself . the author of anima mundi , saith , (a) that to tell a prophane rabble of an invisible deity , and of a future state of rewards and punishments , will signifie nothing at all : and , that men will not for such metaphysicks , forbear any manner of pleasure or profit , how base soever . how then could the figment of a deity gain admittance into the minds of men , at first ? what would it signifie to tell men of an invisible power , that presides over , and governs the world ; when ( according to the atheist's supposition ) they had no manner of notion of any such being before , and consequently could not know what was meant by such words and expressions . should you tell them , indeed , of a potent neighbour , that was coming strongly armed , to take away their life or goods , they would look about them , and endeavour , by flight or force , to secure themselves . but to tell them of a power that they never saw nor heard any thing of before , and which they are told withal , is impossible to be seen or heard , or any way rendred an object of their senses , could make no impression at all on mankind : or suppose that it could make some impression , and frighten some men at its first proposal , how long would this last ? no longer , at farthest , than till they were by experience convinced that it was false and precarious , and that there was no ground nor reason to believe any such thing . and this they must arrive at in a small time , if the thing were false . 't is impossible such a cheat as this , which it would have concerned every one to have examined , could long have maintained its ground . time discovers , and certainly lays open all impostures ; and that the sooner , the more are concerned to enquire into it . and therefore had this notion and belief of a deity had no other original and foundation than what the atheists pretend , 't is impossible it could have continued so long in the world ; and much more so , that it should have gained ground as we know it hath continually done , and be established on better principles , the more it hath been considered and understood . opinionum commenta delet dies , naturae judicia confirmat , saith cicero . besides , it cannot well be imagined that any man should have the vanity to believe , that a thing which he knew he had invented himself , and which had no manner of ground nor foundation to support it from the nature of the thing , could ever impose upon and delude mankind , or indeed find any admittance in their belief . he must needs think that others would be as sagacious to discover the cheat , as he could be to contrive it ; and that among so many heads , some one would soon detect the forgery of what must necessarily appear false and precarious to the common sense and reason of all men. but , 3 dly , and lastly , the universality of the notion and belief of a god , is also a most demonstrative argument , that it could not arise from the invention of any cunning and designing person . that there is such an universal notion of a deity , cannot , i think , be denied by any one ; and i doubt not but farther discoveries will satisfie us , that there is a notion of god even among those barbarous and savage people that are said to have no manner of idea of him , by a late ingenious author . but supposing that it were so , that the knowledge of a god were quite lost , in three or four dark and uncultivated parts of the earth , whose inhabitants are so brutish , as scarce to think at all : this is no more an argument against the belief of god's being universally diffused throughout the world , than monsters and fools are , that men have not generally a humane shape and reason . there are some anomalies , irregularities and exceptions in all things and cases , which yet are not by any accounted of force enough to over-turn a general rule . i shall not say much to this point , it having been so largely and frequently handled already ; only i cannot omit the testimony of some of the ancient writers , who are very express , that there is an universal notion of a god among mankind , and which they looked upon to be natural , or by way of anticipation . there is , saith cicero , (a) a notion of a god impressed on the minds of all men. and in another place , saith he , (b) what kind of nation or people is there any where to be found , who have not , without learning it from others , a prolepsis or anticipation of a deity . and in two other places , he tells us , (c) that there is no nation so barbarous and wild , who do not acknowledge the being of a god , and some how or other revere and worship him . seneca , in his epistles , (d) frequently saith the same thing . sextus empiricus owns also , (e) that all men have a common notion of god , by way of prolepsis ; and believe him to be a most blessed and happy being , incorruptible , immortal , and uncapable of any kind of evil. and he concludes , that 't is unreasonable to assert , that all men should come to attribute the same properties to god by chance , and not rather be induced thereunto by the dictates of nature . maximus tyrius hath a very plain passage , to prove this common notion of a god , (f) though , saith he , there be so much quarrelling , difference and jangling in the world , yet you may see this agreed in all over the earth , that there is one god , the king and father of all . this the greek and the barbarian both say , the islander and the inhabitant of the continent , the wise and the unwise alike . aristotle saith , (g) that all men have a pre-notion concerning the gods , even both greeks and barbarians . and in another place , he hath a very remarkable passage to this sence , that there is a very ancient tradition ( which our fore-fathers have handed down to posterity , in a mythological dress ) that there are gods ; and that the divine nature sustains or encompasseth all things . but this tradition , he saith , had , in process of time , some figments connected with it ; as , that the gods had humane shapes , or those of other creatures , &c. which if we separate from it , we may suppose it at first divinely spoken and delivered , that the gods were the first beings . (h) many more testimonies might be produced to prove this point , that it was the concurrent opinion , of all the ancient heathen writers , that there was a common notion or belief of a deity in the minds of men ; but these , i think , are sufficient . and now what can the atheist say to such a proof as this ? what greater evidence can be desired of the truth of any thing , than that it hath been believed by all men in all ages and places of the world ? 't is a very good way of arguing from authority , that aristotle uses in his topicks . that , saith he , which seems true to some wise men , ought to appear a little probable ; what most wise men believe , is yet further probable ; and what most men , both wise and unwise do agree in , is much more probable yet ; but what is received as truth by the general consent of all mankind in all ages of the world , hath certainly the highest degree of evidence , of this kind , that is possible . and what hath such a testimony , 't is intolerable arrogance and folly for any men to deny ; and to set up their single judgments and opinion contrary to the common suffrage of all mankind . but they are so puff't up with pride and vanity , that they do not see the weakness and precariousness of what they advance , nor how inconsistent it is with their other tenets . if it have but the appearance of contradicting the received notion that we have of a god , and if it do but seem never so little to undermine religion , they will set it up at a venture as a demonstration , and stick to it , let it be never so inconsistent with what at other times they deliver . thus sometimes they will assert , that there is no universal idea or notion of a god. at other times they will grant there is such an one , but that it was coined and invented by some cunning politician a long while ago , before any books or histories were written , and by him communicated by tradition to posterity . but here they do not consider that this will necessarily derive all mankind from one common parent : which is a thing they will , at another time , by no means admit of , lest it should seem to countenance the story of adam or noah : which is said to be nothing but an old jewish tradition . and that 't is impossible to account for the peopling of america and all islands remote from the continent , without supposing their inhabitants to be aborigines , and to spring out of the earth like mushrooms . and then , to account for the general notion , that they cannot deny , these aborigines have of a god ; as before they made one wise man invent it , now they will suppose it to be done by a hundred such cunning politicians : who , though in different places and ages of the world , yet did all light by chance on the very same notion of a god , and abuse and cheat mankind just after the same manner ; and though this be the most extravagant and ridiculous assertion that ever can possibly come into the mind of man , as well as contradictory to the former , yet 't is all one for that ; this , or any thing else , shall be supposed rather than they will yield to the conviction of truth , and allow the notion of a deity to have a real foundation . but 't is no wonder to find men that wilfully shut their eyes against the clearest light , to go forward and backward , and often times run against each other in the dark mazes of error : those must needs be at a loss who neglect his guidance , who is the way , the truth and the light , and that spirit which would lead them into all truth ; and those , no doubt , may easily miss of the true knowledge of god , who are resolved they will not seek after him , and all whose thoughts are , that there is no god. finis . books printed for rich. wilkin at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard . immorality and pride the great causes of atheism . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral church of st. paul , january the 3 d. 1697 / 8. being the first of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq in quarto . the atheist's objection , that we can have no idea of god refuted . a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , february the 7 th . 1697 / 8. being the second of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq in quarto . remarks on some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . in octavo . all three by j. harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . dr. woodward's natural history of the earth , in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the truth of the christian religion , against the objections of all modern opposers ; in two volumes . in octavo . the atheist's objections , against the immaterial nature of god , and incorporeal substances , refuted . in two sermons preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , april 4 th . and may 2 d. 1698. being the fourth and fifth of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. john iv . 24 . god is a spirit — the occasion of these words was this : our blessed lord , in his way into galilee , passed through sychar , a city of samaria , near to which was the famous well of the patriarch jacob. to this well our saviour went to refresh himself on his journey ; and as he always made it his business to be doing good , took occasion from a woman's coming to draw water , to discourse with her about the business of his mission . by way of introduction to which , he first gives her some proofs of his being endowed with a super-natural knowledge . from whence she justly concluding him to be a prophet , or a person enrich'd with divine and extraordinary gifts and qualifications ; she ask'd him concerning one great point that had been long in dispute between the samaritans and the jews , ( i. e. ) about the true place for religious worship . the jews rightly asserted jerusalem to be the place where men ought to worship . the samaritans contended , that it ought to be with them , at shiloh , in mount ephraim , where the ark and tabernacle were placed long before the building of the temple at jerusalem , and where also the patriarchs , before the law , did use to sacrifice to , and worship god. they pretended also to be the true successors of jacob , and of the ancient patriarchs , and consequently , that their place of worship had the greatest support from antiquity . this pretence was an umbrage to that temple that they set up in mount gerizim ( in the time of darius ) in opposition to that at jerusalem , (a) and which they supposed to give an holiness to that mountain , even after the temple was destroyed . and the samaritan version of the pentateuch hath plainly falsified the text of moses , in deut. xxvii . 4 . by substituting mount gerizim instead of mount ebal , in order to gain some honour to this celebrated place . but notwithstanding all these mighty pretensions , the samaritans were perfectly in the wrong . the ancient pedigree that they boasted so much of , was wholly false and precarious . for they were , in reality , only the successors of some assyrians , who were planted in the cities of samaria by salmaneser , when he carry'd the tribe of ephraim captive into assyria ; as you may read at large , 2 king. xxvi . 24 . this therefore being the true state of the case between the jews and the samaritans ; our saviour's answer to the woman was , that the jews were in the right , because they worshipped the true god , and that too in such a manner as was agreeable to that revelation god had given them of his will : we know what we worship — but the samaritans were doubly mistaken , both as to the object , and as to the place of their worship . they , he tells her , worshipped they knew not what . in which , it seems probable , that he may allude to what is said of their ancestors the assyrians in the place before mentioned , 2 king. xvii . 26 . ( viz. ) . that they worshipped the god of the land. that is , they blindly paid their devotion to the god of their new country , without having any true and real knowledge of him : but along with him , they worshipped their own assyrian deities too ; such as succoth-benoth , ashima-nergal , and the like . our saviour tells this woman also , that a time of reformation was now at hand , when the worship of god should not be confined either to jerusalem , or mount gerizim ; and that a more pure and spiritual manner of worship should be established ; one that was not embarrass'd with so vast a number of external rites and ceremonies , but one more suitable to the nature of god , and to the improved sentiments of mankind : for god , saith he , is a spirit ; and they that worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth . this seems to be the occasion and connexion of these words : which having briefly shewed you , i proceed now to speak to the words themselves , god is a spirit . by which terms , god and spirit , thus connected together , we understand an infinite being , most wise and powerful , containing in himself all possible perfection , without being subject to any of those defects and limitations which we plainly discover in material beings . and after this manner the holy scriptures do describe god almighty to us ; they attribute such perfections and qualifications to him , as we can have no possible idea of , as belonging to matter . body or matter is a sluggish , insensible , passive and unintelligent thing , not possibly able to move of it self , or to act or perform any thing by its own power ; but all the motion and activity that it hath , comes to it by communication from something that is without it , or distinct from it . but all power , both in heaven and earth , is the lords : in his hands are power and might : with him is wisdom and strength , he hath counsel and understanding . he made all things ; he stretcheth forth the heavens alone , and spreadeth abroad the earth by himself . there is none like to him , who created and maintaineth all things , and in whom all things live , and move , and have their being (a) . the form and fashion of all material things , we see , is continually flitting and changing , and there is nothing among them of any constant and lasting duration . but god is immutable and eternal , the same yesterday , to day , and for ever ; he was , and is , and is to come , and with him is no variableness , neither shadow of turning (b) . material beings are all limited and imperfect as to their extent . the place they are in confines and circumscribes them ; nothing else can be there with them , nor they themselves any where else . but the heaven of heavens cannot contain god , which yet he more than fills with his presence : which presence no one can flee or hide himself from : he is the searcher even of our hearts , and knoweth the most secret thoughts of men. there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight , but all things are naked and open before him (c) . this and such like is the account that the sacred scripture gives of god , which is plainly inconsistent with his being material or corporeal : and therefore it calls him in the words of my text a spirit , a divine , most excellent and perfect being , that discovers himself to our reason and understanding , but cannot possibly do so to our senses ; for him no eye hath seen nor can see ; he is invisible , he is a spirit . but here the atheist thinks he hath a sufficient ground for insuperable objections ; here his philosophy is called in to his assistance ; and by the strength of that , he will undertake to maintain , that there is not , nor cannot be any such thing as a spirit , ( i. e. ) any incorporeal or immaterial being or substance . and therefore since the sacred scripture and divines do describe the deity after this absurd and impossible manner , 't is a good argument ( say they ) that there is no such being at all : for when men pretend to describe god after such a manner as is nonsensical , unintelligible and impossible , ( and yet say , that theirs is the only right way of speaking of him ) : when men attribute such a manner of existence to him , as we know is contradictory to the nature of things ; we have then just ground to disbelieve all that they advance , in defence of so ridiculous and absurd a notion , and consequently to conclude that there is no god at all . and hence we see these men raise another great objection against the being of a god , viz. that his nature is so described as to be unintelligible and nonsense , which i shall now therefore endeavour to refute . and in order to shew the groundlesness and invalidity of this objection , i shall in pursuance of my former method : i. give you the sense of the modern and ancient atheists on this point . and then , ii. endeavour to refute what they advance , and shew how unreasonable it is to build atheism and infidelity on so weak and invalid a foundation . and , 1. i shall give you the modern and ancient atheists sense on this point . mr. hobbs , that lofty pretender to philosophy , declares that to say there is any immaterial substance , is not so much an error , as it is nonsense ; 't is using an insignificant word , whereby we conceive nothing but the sound (a) . and in his kingdom of darkness , where he undertakes to correct the university learning , he is very angry with aristotle's metaphysicks , because it brought in , as he saith ( tho' falsly , as i shall prove hereafter ) the doctrine or notion of separated essences , and also of immateriality and incorporeity ; for what is not corporeal , he saith , is nothing , and consequently no where . and this he undertakes to prove from a passage which he seems to have borrowed from ocellus lucanus , tho' without naming him ; and which , tho' it be a poor sophism , and much worse than those he is condemning ; yet he boldly lays it down as a demonstration . the universe , saith he , is corporeal , that is to say body , and hath the dimensions of magnitude , namely , length , breadth , and depth ; also every part of body is body ; and consequently every part of the universe is body , and that which is not body is no part of the universe . and because the universe is all , that which is no part of the universe is nothing , and consequently no where (b) . in another place he saith , that no man can conceive any thing but he must conceive it in some place , of some determinate magnitude , and as that which may be divided into parts (c) . and again , p. 17. and 207. he tells us , that an incorporeal substance is a contradictory and inconsistent name ; 't is all one as if a man should say , an incorporeal body ; which words when they are joined together , do destroy one another ; and therefore body and substance are all one (a) . elsewhere he tells us , that the proper signification of the word spirit in common speech , is either a subtile , fluid and invisible body , or else a ghost or other idle phantasm of our imagination (b) , and a little after he asserts , that to men that understand the meaning of the words substance and incorporeal , they imply a contradiction ; and that to say an angel or spirit is an incorporeal substance , is to say in effect there is no angel nor spirit (c) . and this notion he defends in his answer to bishop bramhall's book written against his leviathan ; and perseveres in asserting that god himself is a most pure simple and corporeal spirit ; and he defines a spirit in general to be a thin , fluid , transparent and invisible body (d) . thus also spinoza , in his opera posthuma , p. 13. determines extended substance ( that is body ) to be one of the infinite attributes of the deity , and this he undertakes to demonstrate from hence ; that there is not ( as he saith ) any other substance but god ; and who consequently is a corporeal , as well as a cogitative being . deus est res extensa (e) . this , you perceive , is the plain sense of these writers , that there is no other substance but body ; and consequently to talk of a spirit or an incorporeal substance , is to them perfect nonsense and contradiction . but tho' this be their opinion and assertion , yet they did not invent it , nor first find it out : they are as far from being originals in this , as in other things ; for herein they do but copy the sentiments of the ancient atheists , and tread exactly in their steps . that there was nothing but body in the world , was long ago the assertion of such unthinking men as our modern atheists are . plato tells us , that there were some in his time , who asserted nothing to be substance but what they could feel , and which would resist their touch : and these men affirmed body and substance to be the same thing ; and what they were not able to lay hold of , and to grasp with their hands , they said was really nothing at all . and if any one happened to talk with them about any thing that was not body , they would ridicule and despise him , and not hear a word more that he should say (a) . aristotle acquaints us , that just such were the atheistical principles of his contemporaries . they affirm ( saith he ) matter or body to be the only substance ; and that all other things are only passions and affections of it . and in another place , he saith , that these men asserted all things to be one ; that there is but one nature only , which is the matter of all things , and this is corporeal , and hath magnitude (b) . and this was long before the opinion also of leucippus , and democritus . epicurus argues against plato , that there can be no incorporeal deity ; not only because no man can frame a conception of an incorporeal substance , but also because whatever is incorporeal , must needs want sense , and prudence and pleasure ; all which things are included in the notion of god : and therefore an incorporeal deity , saith he , is a contradiction (c) . and his followers , as appears by lucretius , continued in the same opinion , that there is no other substance in nature but body (a) ; and they had no notion of any incorporeal thing , but their vacuum or empty space , which was really nothing at all . sextus empiricus tells us , that all the epicureans , and some of the stoicks , as basileides in particular , maintained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that there was nothing incorporeal or immaterial (b) . by these testimonies we see plainly , that the modern atheists transcribe the ancient opinions exactly , and have been able to add very little to them . and the notion that mr. hobbs seems so fond of , and which he would fain set up as his own discovery , that a spirit is nothing but a thin fluid and transparent body : seems to me to be plainly taken from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which aristotle tells us , was the definition that some then gave of a spirit , or the soul of man. and thus having truly stated the case , and shewed you what the sentiments of the ancient and modern atheists were and are , as to the matter before us . i shall now proceed to examine by what reasons and arguments they endeavour to support their assertion , that there is no such thing as any incorporeal substance , but that whatever really is , is body . and here i find their main and chief argument to be this ; that an immaterial substance is an unconceivable thing : 't is what no man can possibly have any notion or conception of ; 't is a perfect contradiction in terms , and consequently nonsense and impossible . this is every where almost the language of mr. hobbs , as i have before observed . he also pretends to discover the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the true cause of this fiction about immaterial substances . the notion , he tells us , took its rise from the abuse of abstracted words , and such-like metaphysical and scholastical terms , which some have fansied as real entities separated and distinct from the subject , or matter , of which they are attributes or qualities only . thus for instance , because we can consider thinking or a reasoning power alone by it self , and distinct from body ; therefore some have been so foolish as to conclude that it is not the action or accident of that body in which it is , but a real substance by it self . and 't is upon this account , that (a) when a man is dead and buried , they will say , his soul ( that is , his life ) can walk separated from the body , and is seen by night among the graves , whereas life is only a name of nothing , (b) and the soul or mind of man is in reality nothing else but the result of motion in the organical parts of his body (c) . 't is like the forms and qualities of other things , depending purely on the mechanism , modification , and motion of the parts of matter , according as it happens to be variously disposed , figured and agitated ; and consequently it can be nothing at all distinct from that body whose form or quality it is . and this soul or mind , or any other faculty or quality in man , coming once to be conceived as a thing distinct from the body , and being invisible and insensible , hath been called by such names as we use to give to fine subtile and aereal bodies . such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , spiritus , and the like : which do properly signifie the wind , or , which is near akin to it , the breath of man (d) . and so mr. hobbs tells us , that in order to express our greater honour of god , the name of spirit hath been given to him likewise , as better expressing to vulgar apprehensions his fine aereal and subtile nature , than the grosser word of body . but however , philosophers and men of sense must take care , and not be imposed upon by insignificant words , so far as to imagine there can in reality be any such thing as an incorporeal substance : for that is , when throughly considered , an absolute contradiction and nonsense . 't is nothing but an empty name , with which some poor wretches are frighted , as the birds are from the corn by an empty doublet , a hat and a crooked stick (e) ; as he is pleased to express himself . and this is the summ of what this mighty philosopher advances against immaterial substances . spinoza is the only man besides , which i have met with , that aims at disproving the existence of incorporeal beings : which in his opera posthuma he pretends demonstratively to do . but his chief and indeed only argument is this ( as i hinted before ) that there is but one only substance in the world , and that is god. matter or body he asserts to be one of the attributes of this substance , or the mode by which god is considered as res extensa ; from whence he concludes , that there can be no substance but what is corporeal , because body is an essential property of his one only substance , the divine nature . the precariousness of which obscure and metaphysical way of arguing , i shall plainly shew below . and , thus having given you the sum , of what these writers advance against the doctrine of incorporeal substances , i shall next proceed to refute it , and to shew you how weak and inconclusive their arguments and objections are . in order to which , i say , in the first place , 1. that 't is a very precarious and groundless way of arguing , to deny the existence of any thing only from our particular apprehensions and conceptions not being able to master it . for it will not in the least follow , that there can be no such thing as an incorporeal substance or a spirit , because some few men pretend that they cannot conceive how any such thing can possibly be . and i have already shewed , (a) that we have very just reason to allow the truth of , and to be satisfied of the existence of many things , whose nature neither we , nor perhaps any one else , can fully understand and comprehend . these gentlemen pretend that they cannot conceive or have any idea of an incorporeal substance . but yet they think , i suppose , that they have a clear idaea and conception of body . tho' should you put them to describe it , they would be very much at a loss . for as one hath well observed , ( mr. lock in his essay of humane understanding , book 2. c. 23. ) if we carefully examine our idea of substance , we shall find that it is a kind of complex one , consisting as it were of several idea's coexisting together : which because we are apt to conceive as one thing , we give it the general name of substance : as imagining that word to express something , tho' in reality we know not what , which is the support of these accidents or qualities which occasion the idea's we have in our minds of it . let us therefore take any corporeal substance , as suppose gold ; and inquire in our mind what is that support , substratum or substance , in which the accidents of yellowness , great specifick weight , and strange ductility under the hammer do inhere ; all which concurr to give us that complex idea which we have of gold ; shall we not find our selves put to it how to conceive , or to have a clear idea of this ? if we should say that the subject of these properties are the solid extended parts ; we shall not be much the nearer satisfaction : for our mind will be inquisitive agen what is the support or subject of that extension and impenetrability . we may say , indeed , that 't is the substance it self : which is a word that we use , and implies something or other that is the support of these properties , but what that is , we have , i think , no clear and certain idea . when yet we have clear and distinct conceptions enough of these properties which we find in this body , and from whence we pronounce it to be gold. so if on the other hand we take any incorporeal substance , as suppose the mind or soul of man ; and enquire what is the true support of that self-moving power , that reasoning and cogitative faculty , and that liberty or freedom of action which we plainly perceive to be inherent in it : we shall indeed be at a loss , but yet no more than we were before in reference to gold. for as from considering the properties peculiar to that body , we were satisfied that they must be inherent in something , tho' how or in what , we have no clear idea ; so when we consider life , cogitation and spontaneous motion in our soul , we know very well that those more real properties must have something also for their support , or some substance to inhere in : tho' what that is , and the peculiar manner of this we are wholly ignorant of . but then we have as just reason to believe that this substance is real , as that the substance of gold is so . for cogitation , life , and spontaneous action , are properties undoubtedly of as real a nature as great intensive weight , yellowness and ductility can possibly be . and as we cannot but conclude both these to be real substances , so we cannot also but conceive them as natures absolutely distinct and different from each other , and which can have no necessary dependance upon and relation to each other : for we can never imagine that gold can be ever brought to think , reason or move it self spontaneously , any more than we can conceive a soul or mind to be yellow , heavy or ductile . that is , we have quite different idea's of each of them , and which nothing but wilful or long habituated ignorance can ever make us confound together . and thus it appears to me that we may have as clear an idea of incorporeal substance , as we have of body ; and that the former is no more unconceivable than the latter . and therefore 't is as absurd to argue against the existence of a spirit , only from our not having any clear idea of the substance of a spirit ; as it would be to say there is no such thing as body , because we don't know exactly what the substance of body is : which i dare say no man can affirm that he doth . 't is very possible that men may be so blinded and prejudiced by false principles , so stupified by ignorance , idleness or vice , and so engaged and enslaved to a peculiar sett of notions , which advance and support that way of acting and proceeding which they take delight in , that a great many things may appear unconceivable and impossible to them , which shall be far from being so to others , whose minds are free , and more enured to thinking . should you tell a man , who is a stranger to geometry and astronomy , of the many admirable and surprizing truths that can certainly be demonstrated from the principles of those noble sciences , he would boldly pronounce them impossible ; and all your discourse and proof ( should you attempt any such thing ) would to such a person be nonsense , and your words meer empty and insignificant sounds . and there are many persons in the world , on whom the clearest and strongest method of reasoning that ever was , will make no manner of impression at all , because their minds are not at all enured to a close way of arguing and thinking . and truly the atheistical writers do discover so poor a knowledge in philosophy , and so very little acquaintance with true reasoning and science ; that 't is no wonder at all that they should not be able to conceive and comprehend a great many things which others are very well satisfied with . i know very well , saith the ingenious person before cited , that people whose thoughts are immersed in matter , and who have so subjected their minds to their senses , that they seldom reflect on any thing beyond them , are apt to say they cannot comprehend a thinking thing ; which perhaps is true , &c. and therefore such a philosopher as mr. hobbs , that defines knowledge to be sense ; and saith , that the mind of man is nothing but motion in the organical parts of his body , may easily be infatuated so far as to assert that there is no other substance but body , and that a spirit or incorporeal being , is a nonsensical , contradictory and impossible notion . while others , who can raise their minds a little higher , and who can penetrate farther into things , will be fully satisfied that such philosophy is nonsense and impossibility . as indeed some persons , in all ages of the world , of which we have any account , have ever been . for , 2. which is another very good ground , from whence to refute this absurd opinion that there is no such thing as an incorporeal being : i say , there have been always many persons in the world , that have firmly believed and embraced the doctrine of immaterial substances , and who have also asserted the deity to be of that nature . and this will undeniably refute the two great points of mr. hobbs his opinion . for , if it be proved plainly that there hath been all along a received belief and opinion that there are immaterial substances , and that god himself is such an one : it is then most clear and certain , that the notion is neither inconceivable , contradictory , nor nonsense : and also that it did not take its rise and original only from the abuse of the philosophy of aristotle . not the former ; for what is in its own nature unconceivable , nonsensical and absurd , could never sure gain an admittance into the belief of so many great men , as we shall see presently this opinion did . not the latter ; for what was commonly received in the world before the time of aristotle , could never be derived only from his and the schoolmen's philosophy , as mr. hobbs is pleased to say this belief of immaterial substances was . and that there was always in the world , a notion and belief of another more noble substance than body , and that the deity was of an incorporeal or spiritual nature , we have the united suffrages of all the ancient writers that are preserved down to our time . cicero tells us , that the heathen philosophers generally defined god to be mens pura & sincera , soluta & libera ab omni concretione mortali (a) ; and speaking of thales milesius in particular , he saith of him , aquam dixit esse initium rerum , deum autem cum mentem quae ex aquâ cuncta fingeret . now this mind they all distinguished plainly from matter , and looked upon it as a much more noble principle than 't was possible to conceive matter to be . lactantius acquaints of pythagoras (a) . quòd unum deum confitetur , dicens incorporalem esse mentem , quae per omnem naturam diffusa & intenta , vitalem sensum cunctis animalibus tribuat . and plutarch gives us much the same account of him in his books , de placitis philosophorum , viz. that he made two principles ; one active , which was mind or god : the other passive , or the matter of the world. and those verses of empedocles , are very remarkable ; wherein speaking of the deity , he asserts him not to be of humane shape : and also that , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — ( i. e. ) that he is no way perceivable by any of our senses ; which is as much as to say , he is incorporeal . and in the next lines he doth expresly tell us what he is : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a sacred and ineffable mind , which by swift thoughts moves and actuates the whole world. anaxagoras also asserted , that (b) an ordering and regulating mind was the first principle of all things ; and this mind he made , as aristotle saith of him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the only , pure , simple , and unmixt thing in the world : thereby plainly distinguishing it from matter , the parts of which , he , who was as sextus empericus calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knew very well to be promiscuously blended and mixed togethere very where . sextus also tells us , that that mind which anaxagoras asserted to be god ; was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an active principle ; in opposition to matter , which is a passive one , * and this is agreeable to what the poets say of spiritus intus alit ; mens agitat molem , &c. we are told likewise by sextus , that xenophanes held 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that there is but one god , and he incorporeal . and plutarch describing the deity , hath these remarkable words , god is mind , a separated form perfectly unmixed with matter , and without any thing that is passible , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and in another place he asserts , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that 't is impossible matter alone can be the sole principle of all things (a) . plato every where distinguisheth between corporeal , and incorporeal substances , calling the former by the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensible , and the latter always either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , immaterial or intelligible ; and he saith , that certain intelligible and incorporeal forms , are the true and first substance ; and that incorporeal things which are the greatest and most excellent of all others , are discoverable by reason only , and nothing else (b) . and in another place , he saith , that they were instructed by their forefathers , that mind and a certain wonderful wisdom , did at first frame , and doth now govern all things , his words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in phileb . p. 28. which sufficiently shews the antiquity of the notion of an incorporeal deity , and the way also how they came by it . of the same opinion also was socrates , as we are told by plutarch , and others . lib. de placit . philos. 1. c. 3. zeno and the stoicks defined the deity to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an intellectual and rational nature ; or as plutarch recites their opinion , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; an intelligent spirit devoid of all bodily shape . ibid. and sextus empericus tells us of aristotle , that he constantly asserted god to be incorporeal , and the utmost bounds of the universe (a) . and aristotle concludes his book of physicks with affirming (b) that 't is impossible the first mover ( or god ) can have any magnitude ; but he must needs be devoid of parts , and indivisible . and plutarch gives us this as the received and common opinion of the stoicks , that god was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a spirit that was extended , or did penetrate throughout the whole world. de placitis philosoph . lib. 1. c. 3. p. 882. now by these passages , and many others that might easily be produced , it appears very plain that the most ancient writers had a good clear notion of god , and that they speak of him as of a mind perfectly distinct from matter , or as an immaterial or incorporeal being . many of them also deliver themselves very expresly as to the soul of man ; which , as plutarch tells us (c) , they generally asserted to be incorporeal ; and that it was naturally a self-moving and intelligible substance . but of this , more in another place . and that the ancients did believe god to be a spirit , or a most powerful , intelligent , and perfect immaterial substance will yet farther appear , if we consider what notion they had of , and how they defined matter or body . plato describes it by the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that which thrusts against other bodies , and resists their touch or impulse . others call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that which so fills up a place , as , at that time , to exclude from it any other body . sometimes they called it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in contradistinction to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that is , they distinguished it to be of a pure passive nature , and which was acted and determined only by impulse from without it , or distinct from it ; they knew very well that there was also besides it , some active thing , something that was the cause of motion and action in the universe . for , as plutarch well observes , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (a) 't is impossible matter alone can produce any thing , unless there be besides it some active cause . sextus empiricus also gives this definition of matter or body (b) that it is that which resists other things which are brought against it ; for resistance , saith he , or impenetrability , is the true property of body . by these accounts that they have given us of matter or body , 't is very easie to understand their notion or idea of it ; which , indeed , was the just and true one . they thought matter or body to be a purely passive thing , incapable of moving or acting by it self ; but wholly determined either by some internal and self-moving mind , or by the motions and impulses of other bodies without it : that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , as we now adays speak , impenetrably extended , and did so fill up space or place , as to exclude any other body from being in the same place with it at the same time : if to this you add what aristotle , and some others , said of it , that it was also capable of all forms , figures and modifications , you have then the whole that ever they thought matter could do or be . now from hence 't is exceeding clear that they could not , as indeed we find actually they did not , think matter or body the only substance in the world ; and that the deity was material or corporeal . for they always described the divine nature by attributes and properties that were the very reverses of what they appropriated to matter or body . god , they have told us , is an intelligent mind , pervading and encompassing all things ; an active energetical principle ; the cause of all motion and operation whatever ; intangible , indivisible , invisible , and no ways the object of our bodily senses ; but yet whose essence is plainly discoverable by our reasoning and understanding faculty . this was , as we have seen , the notion or idea that many of the ancient philosophers had of the deity ; and this plainly shews us , that they look'd upon him to be what st. john here defines him , an incorporeal being , or a spirit . there were indeed some even then , as i have before shewed , who being wholly immersed in matter themselves , did assert that there was nothing else but body in the world. such were leucippus and democritus ; and afterwards epicurus and his sect , who perverted the ancient atomical and true philosophy to an atheistical sense , and made use of it for the banishing the notion and belief of a god out of their own and others minds : as , indeed , some others long before them had attempted to do (a) . but in this , 't is very plain ( as (b) an excellent person of our nation hath observed ) that these men did not understand the philosophy they pretended to : for it doth most clearly follow from the principles of the true atomical or corpuscular philosophy , that there must be some other substance , distinct from , and more noble than matter ; and which is of an immaterial , incorporeal or spiritual nature . and this , i hope , it will not be judged impertinent briefly to prove at this time ; because some , who seem not so throughly to understand it , have of late reckoned the mechanical philosophy among the causes of the growth of atheism and infidelity . it is very much to the purpose , that the ancient atomists before democritus and leucippus , did plainly assert and maintain the doctrine of incorporeal substances , and that the deity was also of that nature himself , as i think i have sufficiently proved in this discourse ; and therefore those confident modern writers , who say that the ancients never had any notion of an immaterial being , betray equally their ignorance with their assurance : for the doctrine of immaterial substances was as well the concomitant , as indeed it is the necessary result of this kind of philosophy . the embracers of it , found plainly that they had a clear and distinct idea of two things , viz. passive matter , and active power ; and these they found were perfectly distinct from each other , and no way dependent at all upon each other . to the former of these , they only attributed extension and impenetrability , and a power of being variously figured , modified , disposed and moved . to the latter , they ascribed cogitation , life , sensation , and the power of motion , which they plainly saw did belong to this , and could not do so to the other . and these two , they made the two great principles or general heads of being in the universe , and called them by two vastly different names , as i have before shewed , viz. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the one passive matter or bulk , and the other self-activity , or life . in the former of these , viz. passive matter ; they found that there was nothing real , besides its bulk , or impenetrably extended parts : and that consequently all forms and qualities in bodies were no real entities distinct from the body in which they inhered , but only the parts of the body differently modified , disposed and agitated , and therefore they held , that when any body received a new form or quality differing from what it had before , there was no new entity produced , any more than an old one destroyed ; for that they look't upon to be perfectly impossible : and this was the true ground of that fundamental axiom of theirs , that nothing could be made or produced out of nothing ; which they did not ( as the modern atheists do ) advance at all in opposition to a creative and almighty power 's producing all things at first from nothing ; but purely against the producibleness of real entities out of nothing , in an usual and natural way : which those that assert forms and qualities to be substantial and real beings , must needs grant to be daily done . but it was this , and this only , that that axiom was levelled against . and hence it was that they asserted the deity and the souls of men to be real entities distinct from matter , and not to be producible out of the power of matter ; as all qualities which are nothing but modes of it , they maintained , were : and this made them perhaps have recourse to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the prae-existence and transmigration of souls ; for they could never believe their souls were , as one expresses it , younger than their bodies , and that they perished , when the bodies died . and therefore nothing can be plainer , than that the very principles of this philosophy did lead men to the acknowledgment of incorporeal substances , and forced them to believe life , motion , and cogitation to be things that could not be modifications of matter , nor perishable and producible , as the common qualities and forms of body or extended bulk are . and thus when it is rightly considered and throughly understood , the atomical or mechanical philosophy is so far from being any way instrumental to the leading men into atheism , that there is none other that doth so truly distinguish between matter and incorporeal beings ; none that renders the operations and qualities of bodies so intelligible , and none that prepares so clear , natural , and easie a way for the demonstration of immaterial substances , as this kind of philosophy doth . indeed , as almost all things are , so this is capable of , and hath been made use of to ill purposes by its atheistical votaries ; who did anciently , as they do now , assert that cogitation , life , sensation , and active power , were all producible out of bare matter without a deity . but as this was what the true atomists never could think possible ; so it is really involved with the most monstrous absurdities that ever any opinion was : and which therefore ought not to be charged on the philosophy it self , but only on that dark , unintelligible and inconsistent system of it , which the ignorant atheists have compiled ; and that only to render it subservient to their wicked designs of excluding the idea's of god and of incorporeal substances out of the world. tho' ( god be thanked ) they do in this point so far fail of success , that nothing can be clearer than that 't is utterly impossible to account for any first cause of things , for cogitation , life , sensation , or motion , according to their principle , that there is no other substance but body : and this necessarily leads me to another very good argument , for the necessity of allowing incorporeal substances , and to prove that god himself is of that nature , or a spirit , viz. the strange absurdities of the contrary opinion . but these being very many , and it being of great moment truly to clear up this point , in an age wherein men are so fond of corporealism . i shall deferr this till my next discourse : wherein i shall finish this and my remaining arguments to prove god to be a spirit , and that there are beings of an immaterial and incorporeal nature . the end of the fourth sermon . the fifth sermon . john iv . 24 . god is a spirit . — i have already shewn the meaning and import of these words , and what we understand by god's being a spirit . i have shewn you also the atheist's objections against the immaterial nature of god , and the existence of incorporeal substances ; and have endeavoured to refute them , from two arguments . i have proved , 1. that 't is a precarious and unfair way of arguing against the existence of any thing , only because our particular apprehensions and conceptions cannot master it : and that it will not follow , that there is no such thing as an incorporeal substance , on the account only of some mens declaring that they cannot conceive how any such thing can be . where likewise i shewed , that the notion of a spirit , or an immaterial substance , is as intelligible as that of body ; and that we have as much reason to believe the existence of the former , as of the latter . 2. i have plainly proved , that the notion of incorporeal substances hath all along been believed and received by many knowing and judicious men amongst the most ancient writers and philosophers ; and consequently that it can neither be nonsence and impossible , nor of so late an original as the perverted philosophy of aristotle : both which the atheists are pleased to assert . 3. i proceed now to speak to a third argument , to prove the deity to be of a spiritual or immaterial nature , and that there are incorporeal substances : and this i shall draw from the many and strange absurdities of the contrary opinion , that there is nothing but matter in the world. and if these can fully be made to appear , i hope the doctrine involved with them will also appear false and precarious ; and that the contrary opinion , of the real existence of incorporeal beings , will find an easie admittance into our faith. but here i must premise , as taken for granted , that we are all agreed on the definition of , or know what we mean by matter or body , viz. that it is substance impenetrably extended ; whereby we distinguish it from spirit , which is a thinking substance without corporeal extension , or without having partes extra partes . for if this be not the notion which our adversaries have of it , as well as we ; 't is in vain to dispute about it at all . if therefore they have any other idea of it that is different from this , let them produce it , and make it as clear and intelligible as this is ; for without doing so , they do nothing to the purpose . and if they have not a clear and distinct idea of matter or body , how come they so boldly to say that matter and substance are all one ? how can they distinguish the idea's of body and spirit so plainly , as to be sure there can be no such thing as an incorporeal substance , but that it implies a contradiction ? unless they fully know what matter or body is , there may be millions of varieties and degrees of immaterial substances ; or there may be no such thing as body at all , for any thing they can prove to the contrary . the atheist must then do one of these two things ; he must either establish a new notion of matter , that shall be so intelligible and plain , that all mankind shall as readily acquiesce in it , as they do in the old and common one , or else he must resolve to keep to that . the former of these he hath not yet done , nor i believe is very ready to do ; but when he doth it , 't will be time enough to consider it . in the mean while , i will readily join issue with him , on the common and received notion of body : and from thence undertake to maintain , that nothing is more absurd and unaccountable than their assertion , that there is no other substance but matter or body in the world. for , first , had there been nothing else but matter in the world from eternity ( and if there be nothing else now , there never was any thing else ) i cannot possibly see how these gentlemen can account for motion , (a) or shew us how matter came first to be moved . and matter without motion sure could never be god , never be the cause of any thing , nor could it ever produce , act , or do any thing whatever . before motion began , matter could have been nothing but an heavy , lifeless lump of vast extended bulk ; which must have lain also for ever in the same dead and unactive position , if nothing had been superinduced to put it into motion and action . and no one sure can be so stupid as to call this a deity ! this is as mr. blount rudely and irreverently expresseth himself , worse than to suppose (a) a hum-drum-deity , chewing of his own nature ; a droning god , that sits hoarding up of his providence from his creatures . and this even he can't but acknowledge , is an atheism no less irrational , than to deny the very essence of a divine being . i hope therefore they will grant , that matter without motion cannot be suppos'd to be a deity . and if so , then the divine nature ( whatever it be ) must be something distinct from , and more noble than matter , and more akin to motion , than to matter or body in general , or to it quatenus matter , as the schools speak . and indeed , motion taken in this sense , not for a translation of body from one place to another , but for the active cause of motion , may be very well said to be incorporeal , or the deity it self . but how came this motion into matter at first ? and which way did matter attain this divine activity , or god-like energy ? here they must assert one of these three things , either , 1. that motion came into matter from something without it , and distinct from it . or , 2. that motion is essential to matter , and co-eternal with it . or , 3. that it came into it afterwards by chance , or without any cause at all . the first of these they will not say , i doubt , because it 's truth : but however , if they do , our controversie is at an end ; for we believe that 't was a divine and powerful mind , perfectly distinct from , and more noble than matter , who first made it , and moved it , and doth still continue to modifie and dispose it according to his infinite wisdom and providence . and one would think no man can be so senseless as to maintain the last , viz. that motion came into matter without any cause at all , and that it was chance only that first produced it ; for chance here signifies nothing in reality : and truly , men that will be so ridiculously absurd as to assert , that a body , or particle of matter , that is once at rest , may move by chance only , or may chance to move of it self , though there be nothing to cause its motion , deserve no serious refutation , but ought to be treated only as we do fools and madmen , with silent pity and compassion . and yet so very fond are some persons of any thing that opposes truth , that they will run into the greatest absurdities to maintain it . for a late corporealist is pleas'd to say , (a) that matter can move of it self : and to shew his deep skill in philosophy , he tells us , that wind , fire , and very fine-sifted small dust , are matter , and yet self movers . and of wind and fire , he profoundly asserts , that they cannot lose their motion , or cease moving , so long as they continue to be wind and fire . that is , as long as wind and fire are in motion , they cannot cease to move . this , indeed , is a very deep and important discovery ! but yet 't is what hardly any man would have publish'd in print , but one that concludes a body must needs move of it self , only because he can't see with his eyes the cause or origin of its motion . and yet even this he may often see in the case of fire , if he will but vouchsafe to observe how 't is usually kindled . a little consideration would have satisfied him also , that winds may be produced in the atmosphere , by the air 's being moved some way , by heat , compression , or some other accidental cause , as well as in an eolipile , or a pair of bellows . and as for his fine dust's rising up in a cloud of it self ; had he understood that the agitation of any fluid will keep the small particles of any heavier matter mixed with it from descending to the bottom of it , nay , and raise them up from thence too ; and had he not forgotten that this was the case here , ( the air being so agitated by the motion of sifting ) he would not , sure , have been so silly as to have brought these as instances of spontaneous motion in matter . but however , he is not the first that hath been guilty of this absurdity . for aristotle upbraids some , in his time , (a) with introducing motion into matter , without any cause , or without supposing any principle whence it should proceed . the second point therefore , is , i suppose , that which our corporealist will adhere to , viz. that motion is essential to , and co-eternal with matter ; and that either all matter and motion taken together , or else some fine and subtile parts of it are the deity . but this , if it be throughly considered , will appear almost as absurd and unaccountable as that matter should be moved without any cause at all . for , in the first place , 't is plain , that motion is not essentially included in the idea of matter . i can conceive matter to the full as well , if not better , when it is at rest , as when it is in motion . when i look on any body , or consider any determinate quantity of matter , i can conceive that 't is a substance that is impenetrably extended , divisible , and moveable ; that it fills up such a space , and that it excludes any body from being there with it at the same time , without conceiving it to be in motion at all ; much less being forced to acknowledge that it must be , and was always in motion . whereas certainly , if motion were as essential to matter , as impenetrability and extension , 't were as impossible for me to conceive it at rest , as it is to conceive it without those qualifications or properties : but no doubt i have as true an idea of a stone or a bullet , or of any other body or part of matter , when it lies still on the ground , as i have of it when 't is projected from a sling or a gun. now if motion be not essentially included in the idea or notion that we have of matter , how can any one suppose it as essential to , and co-eternal with it ? this is a conclusion beyond the power of our reason to make ; no one can come to it naturally , and in the ordinary way of apprehending and reasoning ; and 't is much more unintelligible and mysterious than a great many other things which they pretend they cannot believe purely on this account . but supposing that motion be essential to matter ; it must then be so to every particle of it , and that uniformly alike , or in the same proportion . and if so , then every atom of matter must always retain its original degree of motion or velocity , and can never possibly be deprived of it : for no accidental cause can any way either encrease or diminish , promote or hinder the essential properties of a being . thus , for instance , take a particle of matter , or any body whatever , and move it as fast or as slow as you please , place it where or how you please , separate it from other particles or bodies , or combine it with them ; still 't will retain its essential properties of extension and impenetrability , and they will receive no intension and remission all this while . but now 't is quite otherwise in the case of motion ; we find the same body may be brought to move sometimes faster , sometimes slower , and sometimes ( to all appearance ) be reduced to absolute rest ; which could never be , if motion were essential to each particle of matter , in such a determinate degree of velocity , and there were ( as is now supposed ) nothing else without or distinct from matter to put it into motion . for then nothing could ever accelerate or retard its motion : no one body could ever move faster or slower than another . but a snail or the pigritia would keep pace with the seemingly instantaneous irradiations of light. and thus we may see plainly , that without supposing some principle of motion distinct from matter , motion could never have come into it , nor have been co-eternal with it . but allowing them that motion should get into matter neither they nor we know how , or that it is eternal and essential to it : if there be nothing else but matter and motion in the universe , which way will they account for the deity ? they dare not say matter alone without motion can be god ; and i think there can be nothing more clear , than that bare motion in matter can never make a deity . for if motion came into matter any time after its existence , the deity must then be produced , and consequently receive a beginning ; and so the first cause of all things must be caused himself after all things , which is contradictory to the notion of a deity . if they say that motion is co-eternal with , and essential to matter , and the deity be matter thus eternally moved ; then either every particle of matter must be essentially god , or else he must be the result of the whole , or of some parts of matter combined together . if the former be asserted , there must of necessity be as many gods as there are atoms or physical monads : for each of them are individually distinct from each other , and have their separate and peculiar properties of impenetrability , extension and motion ; which in this fine hypothesis , are the only perfections of the divine nature . but no doubt they will say , that 't is not any one particle of matter that is a god alone , and therefore they cannot be all deities singly ; but 't is all of them , or at least a good convenient number of these luckily combined together , out of whom the deity is composed . though which of these to stick to , our corporealists are very much at a loss ; spinoza asserting the former , and mr. hobbs the latter . but i think 't is no great matter which they adhere to ; for both are alike unaccountable and absurd : for if there be not a divine nature , and its perfections , in each single atom of matter ; will barely combining some , or all of them , together make a deity of them ? can it ever enter into the heart of man to conceive that barely collecting together a parcel of roving particles of matter , such as agitated dust , or motes moving up and down in the sun , will ever unite them into a god ? give the combination almighty power , wisdom , and goodness ? when there was nothing like this before in any of the atoms themselves ? certainly , men that can assert such monstrous opinions as these , do not think as other people do ; or , indeed , rather do not think at all . these certainly labour under the disease mentioned by epictetus , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , (a) a stony insensibility or deadness of understanding , by which they are besotted and stupified in their intellectuals ; so that they can believe and assert any thing , if it be subservient to their designs , tho' never so contradictory to the clearest light of reason and truth . but to go on : granting to the corporealists that matter either hath been always in motion , or for what time they please ; allowing its particles to be small or great , to move swiftly or slowly , and to be combined together , or disjoined from each other as they think fit . i enquire what all this will signifie towards producing of cogitation , wisdom , and vnderstanding ? or to the production of life , self activity , or spontaneous power ? and yet these are the most great and noble things in the world ; these are the highest perfections of the divine nature , and in these we place the essence of the deity . now here matter and motion is more than ever at a loss ; and i think it demonstratively certain that it cannot account for these things . aristotle did very truly find fault with the corporealists of his time , that they did not , as ours cannot now , assign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , (b) any cause of well and fit ; any origin of , or reason for that wisdom and regularity , that harmonious relation and aptitude of one part of the creation to another , which is so very conspicuous in all things ; supposing that there is nothing in nature but matter and motion . and it is most certainly true , that the idea which we have of body doth not necessarily include cogitation in it , nor our notion of cogitation include body : but they are two as distinct idea's as any we have . so far are they from being the same thing , that we cannot possibly conceive cogitation with extension . no man ever conceived a thought to be so many inches or yards long ; to be deep , thick or broad , to be divisible into two or more parts , or to have any kind of figure or determinate position or extension ; whereas if whatsoever be unextended , or not body , be absolutely nothing , as these gentlemen assert : cogitation , wisdom , understanding , and spontaneous power must be nothing : or else they must be figurate bodies ; than which nothing can be more absurd . and if we farther examine our own mind , and consult our own reason , we shall find that we cannot possibly conceive how thinking , wisdom , consciousness , and spontaneous power can possibly be the result of bare motion of the parts of matter . was there ever any one that seriously believed a particle of matter was any wiser or had any more understanding for being moved than it was before when it lay still ? for let it be never so briskly agitated , is it not still body ? there is no other idea ariseth from hence , but only that it changeth its place , and is united successively to several parts of space , that it will move such other particles of matter as 't is capable of , and be retarded in its motion by hitting or striking against them ; these , and such like , are all the ideas that we can have of a body in motion ; but what is this to thought and consciousness ? did ever any one but a stupid corporealist imagine that a particle of matter by being moved , was made intelligent ? and that its travelling from place to place , made it understand all things in its way ? and did any one ever think that the knowledge of such a rambling atom encreased in proportion to the velocity of its motion ? yes , doubtless ! and thus a bullet discharged from the mouth of a cannon , ought to be look'd upon as one of the most ingenious beings in nature . and hence it will follow , that the more hast any one makes to tumble over books , or to ramble over countries ; and the more precipitantly he makes a judgment of notions or opinions , the better account he can give of authors and places ; and the more solid and substantial will be his learning . this , indeed , is the best account that can be given of the fineness and quickness of thought , that some men so much pretend to ; for this way they may come by a vast share of penetration , and be volatilized far above the dull studious and considerate vulgar : and the event shews that they frequently make use of the experiment . but again ; as we cannot possibly conceive that the motion of one particle of matter alone , can give it knowledge and understanding ; so neither can we suppose that a body composed of many of them , can acquire any such thing barely on the account of the motion or agitation of its parts , for motion only will do no more to the whole , than it did to each one singly ; and 't is not conceivable that three , or three millions of bullets will be any wiser for being discharged together , than if they were all shot singly in pursuit of understanding . nor can any happy combination or constitution of parts avail any thing in this case , any more than motion ; nor can that be effectual to super-induce wisdom and understanding into matter . the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be no more a god , than jupiter's log was among the frogs , nor than the most dense and gross body in nature . for after all the various positions , configurations , and combinations of matter , is it not matter still ? will rarefying or subtilizing of matter change its nature and essential properties ? a rare body is nothing but a contexture of fine and subtile particles , which being separated farther asunder than is usual , are also perhaps more briskly agitated and moved . and pray what is here new ? what will this do towards divinity ? will bare figure and position of parts change the nature of those parts , and give them cogitation and knowledge when they had no such thing singly and before ? will adding , subtracting , multiplying or dividing of numbers , make them any thing else more noble than what they were before ? will not the summs , remainders , products , or quotients be still figures and numbers like the first digits , out of which these do by combination or various positions arise ? and is it not just so with matter ? will a particle of it be made any more wise and intelligent , for being render'd smaller than it was before ? and hath a little particle more sense than a larger ? will three or four , or four millions of these be more ingenious than a body or lump that is as big as them all ? and will moving a few atoms a good distance from each other , separate them into knowledge , and disjoin them into an understanding power which none of them had before ? if men can swallow such things as these , and think at this extravagant and unaccountable rate ; i fear all good arguments and sound reason will be lost upon them , and they ought to be neglected as downright stupid or distracted . and yet these , and such like absurdities , must be the natural consequences of supposing matter and motion alone capable of thinking , that matter can be rarified into a deity , and that divine and almighty wisdom , knowledge , goodness and power , are the result of body luckily disposed and moved ; which yet was the opinion of hobbs , and is still of many of his admirers and followers . for notwithstanding those excellent demonstrations that many learned men (a) amongst us have established , that matter and motion cannot possibly produce cogitation , consciousness , understanding and liberty of will : there is lately an ignorant corporealist who asserts , (b) that the inflamed and glowing particles of the blood , called spirits , tho' they are not in themselves sentient and intelligent , are yet the active principle of life and motion , of sense and understanding in man and beast ; and do act the understanding or brain to apprehend , judge and remember . now by this 't is plain that he supposes cogitation , understanding , consciousness and liberty , and all the faculties of the soul of man to be nothing but the result of some peculiar motions in a fitly organized body . the animal spirits he thinks are like the elastick particles in the spring of a watch , tho' they cannot tell what a clock it is themselves , yet they can by means of the spring which they actuate , do that and many other things that the movement shall be fitted for : or to make use of a comparison of his own ; the animal spirits may do as the wind doth in the chest of an organ , tho' it can make no musick of it self , yet by being communicated so as to inspire the several pipes , it may actuate them into a very fine harmony . it is not my business nor design to discourse here of the soul of man : but yet i would fain beg these corporealists clearly to explain , how self-consciousness , reflection , and liberty of action can possibly be accounted for by this hypothesis . for this necessarily makes men meer machines at long run . an engine is never the more free and conscious to its self of its own operations for being fine and curiously contrived : and the wonderful clock at strasburgh knows no more what it doth , nor is it any more the spontaneous cause of its so many and curious motions , than the ancient clepsydra , or a modern hour-glass knoweth what it is about , when it rudely measureth the duration of any part of time. for whatever is performed by meer matter and motion must needs be necessary in every step and degree of its course , be the way of acting in the engine never so curious , and never so remote from the cognisance of our senses . they know well enough , as i shall shew below , that there is no possible room for freedom of action , consciousness of any operation , nor for a cogitative and reasoning power , according to this way of explicating the operations of the humane soul. for in the animal spirits they grant there is no such thing ; they are only a fiery and briskly agitated fluid , which serves to actuate any part of the rational machine pro re natâ : and these several parts or organs of the machine can no more produce any such thing without the animal spirits , than the hand or dial-plate of a watch can , or any other part of a curious instrument . if therefore you enquire of them , wherein they place this cogitation , self-consciousness and liberty ; they will tell you 't is in the man , 't is in the whole ; 't is neither his soul alone , nor his body alone ; 't is no spiritual substance distinct from matter , but 't is the whole man that thinks , reasons , and acts freely by the form of the whole : but this is very unaccountable , and is what neither they nor any one else , i believe , can ever apprehend or conceive ; that liberty should be the result of necessarily moved matter ; that cogitation should arise from senseless and unthinking atoms , and that knowledge and consciousness of its own operations should come into any engine by its being finely and curiously contrived , and be nothing but the necessary result of bare local motion , and rightly organized matter . these absurdities some other corporealists clearly perceiving , and being fully convinced that 't is impossible to account for cogitation , consciousness , and the like , from bare matter and motion ; and to educe the perfections of the deity out of the power of matter only . these , i say , had recourse to another way of maintaining their beloved assertion , that there is no other substance but body . they assert , that cogitation is essential to matter : or , as spinoza words it , all substance is essentially cogitative and extended ; so that as there is no substance but what is material , so there is none but what is cogitative too . indeed , as i shewed you before , he asserts that there is but one only substance , which is god , or in other words , universal matter ; and cogitation and extension ( he saith ) are the two infinite attributes , or else the affections of the attributes of the deity (a) . and this , with a great deal of assurance ( as the way of these writers is ) he pretends to demonstrate mathematically , by a pompous , tho' a very obscure , apparatus of definitions , axioms , postulates and propositions . but it is not calling a thing a demonstration , that will make it to be so ; nor concluding with quod erat demonstrandum , that will make every body acquiesce in a proposition , when it is either perfectly unintelligible or false . and yet such are those that spinoza brings to prove and support this strange opinion . the monstrous absurdities of which , i shall now consider . and first , 't is plain , that if cogitation be as essential to matter as extension ; then all and every particle of it must needs be a thinking substance or body by it self , distinct from all other particles of matter in the world. there is no one doubts but 't is so , in reference to the proper and allowed affections of body , impenetrability and extension . every least particle or atom of matter hath these properties as compleat within it self , as they are in the whole bulk of the universe , or in any larger body whatsoever : these are also individually distinct in each particle ; so that its properties , though of the same kind , are not the very same with those of other parts of matter . now if to each such particle of matter cogitation be also added ; then every atom in the universe will be a thinking , intelligent and reasoning being , distinct from all the rest , and have its own proper and peculiar faculties and operations ; 't will be a different person from all others ; and every individual particle of matter will be so from it , and from every one else in the world. every atom also will be equal to any of the rest , in respect of this cogitative power ; will have it in the very same proportion , and not be wiser or more foolish , duller or more ingenious than its neighbours . and if this be so ( as it must necessarily be , if all matter be essentially cogitative ) then there must either be no god at all , or else every particle of matter must be a distinct god by it self ; and so the most ridiculous polytheism that ever was imagin'd , must be introduced and allowed of . for if there be any such things as perfect knowledge , power , wisdom and goodness , every one of these particles must have it : for 't is impossible infinite or perfect power , wisdom , knowledge and goodness , can be produced out of finite ; the lesser can never produce the greater , nor any thing make or give that which it hath not within it self : and therefore it plainly follows , that either there is no deity at all , or else that every particle of matter must be a god by it self , according to this hypothesis . for finite or imperfect cogitation can no more be the cause of infinite , than cogitation can arise from incogitative matter . and this spinoza saw very well ; and therefore he asserts all cogitation , as well as all substance , to be infinite (a) . indeed , to avoid this abominable absurdity of each particle of matter 's being god by it self ; he saith , that there is but one only substance in nature , and that this is god (b) but this will not help him out , nor do him much service in defending him from the horrid absurdities of this notion . for if by substance , he mean only substance in general , or the idea that we have of some substratum , support or subject of inhesion in which we conceive the properties and accidents of real beings to inhere ; as by his definition of substance he seems to imply ; 't is plain , this is only a metaphysical notion , only a general word or term that serves to denote our conception of something in a being that doth not depend upon the properties of it , nor inhere in them , but they upon and in it . but we can have no notion of substance existing without any properties , any more than of properties without it . if therefore he mean that god is such a substance as this , that god is the term or idea of substance in general , he makes the deity nothing at all but a meer name , a meer ens rationis , or creature of the brain only ; than which nothing can be more ridiculous and foolish . for 't is the attributes or properties of the deity that we chiefly contend for , and which we are chiefly obliged to acknowledge and reverence ; and 't is these that we assert must be inherent in an infinite and immaterial substance , or spirit . but if by there being but one only substance , which he saith is god , spinoza means , that the deity is the whole mass of beings or of matter in the universe , as by what he delivers in many places , i do really believe that he did ; for he asserts , that all corporeal substance is infinite and one (c) ; and that extension and cogitation are the attributes , or the affections of the attributes of god , as i hinted before . i say , if this be his opinion , there cannot possibly be a more unaccountable , absurd and impossible notion of god advanced . and 't is also absolutely inconsistent and contradictions with what he doth at other times assert . for if substance , matter , and god , signifie all the same thing , and all matter be essentially cogitative , as such ; then 't is plain , as i have shewed already , that god cannot be the whole matter of the universe , but each particle of matter will be a god by it self . for if there be any such thing as infinite perfection , it must be essentially in every particle of matter ; otherwise infinite perfection may arise out of what is only finite , which is impossible . and if every particle of matter have this infinite perfection , the whole mass of these , collectively considered , will be by no means one god , or one being , infinitely perfect , but a swarm of innumerable deities , every one of which will be personally distinct from each other , and yet contain all possible perfection in it self . but allowing him all the collective mass of beings , or the universe to be god ; what a strange kind of a deity would this make ? the divine nature must then necessarily be divisible , part of it here , and part there ; part of it in motion , and part of it at rest ; part of it hot , and part cold ; part fire , and part water ; and , in a word , subject to all manner of imperfections , vicissitudes , changes , contrarieties and alterations that can be imagined . but this the common sense of all mankind will abhorr and detest to be spoken of the deity : and besides , 't is contrary to what spinoza asserts in other places , where he saith substance is indivisible (d) . but how there can be but one only substance , and that the matter of the universe ; and how this substance can be indivisible , when yet each particle of matter must be a distinct substance by it self , and is divisible , and divided from all others , as our reason and our senses do every day inform us , is a flight of metaphysicks above my understanding , and can , i believe , never be conceived by any one that understands the meaning of the words or terms such an opinion shall be delivered in . but he indeed that doth not , and that will admire lofty and insignificant sounds , without sense , or he that hath some wicked and base design to cover under such cant , may conceive any thing , or at least say that he doth so . the operations and actions also of a corporeal deity ( were it possible there should be such an one ) must be all absolutely necessary , and determined by pure physical and mechanical fatality . for he would be really and truly natura naturata , only the bare result of motion in matter , as 't is variously formed , figured , moved and disposed so as to produce any natural effect . and this , i doubt not but some of these corporealists very well understand ; and that is the reason that makes them so very fond of the notion of a corporeal deity , and of asserting , that there is nothing in the world but body : for then they know very well , that there can be nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in nature , such a physical necessity as will perfectly exclude all freedom and liberty of will amongst men , and consequently destroy all notions of , and distinctions between good and evil. they don't care to say plainly there is no god , that looks a little too bare-faced : for atheism is a name they don't love to take . but they will readily and studiously endeavour to advance such an account and notion of a deity as shall do as well ; such an one as they know is in effect the same as to say there is no god at all . and this the representing him as corporeal , will effectually do ; for this subjects him to a physical necessity , makes him nothing at all but nature , and deprives both him and us of the noble principle of freedom of will : and then they know that there can be no such things as rewards and punishments proportionate to mens actions ; but that all things are alike , without any distinction of good and evil , and consequently that they may do any thing that they have a mind to . and this appears to be the issue that they would willingly bring all things to ; for if this were not the case , what reason can be given why men should be such zealous sticklers for a corporeal deity ? why should they still , in spite of sense , reason and philosophy , maintain , that there can be no such thing as an incorporeal or immaterial substance ? is it purely out of a devout and holy desire to understand the divine nature more clearly , in order to speak of him more properly , to adore him more religiously , and obey him more heartily ? i fear , not : for if matter and motion can think , and ( as they say ) the properties or attributes of god can be accountable that way , and there be really and truly a wise , powerful , just and good god , though corporeal ; why should not these gentlemen look upon themselves obliged to obey such a god , as well as a spiritual one ? why do they quarrel with , and cast off his holy word , and reject and despise his revealed will ? is not a corporeal deity ( according to their notion ) truly a being endowed with all possible perfections . is not he the first cause , maker and preserver of all things ? and consequently is not he as fit and worthy to be worshipped as well as a spiritual one ? and cannot such a deity acquaint his creatures how he will be worshipped and served ? cannot he reward them for so doing , and punish them for offending against him , equally as if he were incorporeal ? if he cannot , indeed , then there is something more than bare speculation in the case , and there must be some substantial reason why deists and antiscripturists are always corporealists . and this is the truth of the matter ; the god of the corporealists is not the true deity , whatever they may pretend , but a blind , stupid , senseless idol , that hath nothing but the name of god wickedly applied to it . 't is only nature or a plastick power in nature , the whole mass of , or some sine , subtile and active parts of matter in rapid motion , without any understanding , (a) wisdom , or design , without liberty of will or freedom of action ; but physically and mechanically necessary in all its operations . their god is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as herodotus speaks , he is the servant of necessity , and cannot possibly himself avoid the destined fate . and to be sure , if god be not a free agent , nothing else can : for all things flowing from him by an inevitable necessity (b) , or being parts of him , as spinoza asserts , they must be under the same necessity with the deity , and he saith plainly , that every thing that is determined to operate , is so determined necessarily by god , and could not act at all if god did not thus necessarily determine it (c) . that the will of man cannot be called free , but is only a necessary cause (d) . and in another place (e) he tells us plainly , that there are no such things as final causes in nature , they being only the ignorant figments of mankind ; but that all things are governed by absolute necessity . a while after this , (f) he asserts man to be a meer machine , and saith , that 't is only those who are ignorant of causes that say he was thus finely formed by any art or design ; or who attribute his composition to any supernatural wisdom . and then at last he comes to the great point on which all this philosophy turns ; which is , that good and evil are not by nature ; but that the notions of them came only from mens mistaken opinion , that all things were made for them ; and who therefore call that good which is agreeable to their fancy , and that evil which is contrary to it . by which short connexion of their opinions , 't is clear enough why spinoza was a corporealist , as also why mr. hobbs advanced the same notions . and i doubt those that espouse the same opinions now adays , know too well the consequences of them . but of the precariousness of these notions , i must say no more now ; designing particularly to confute them hereafter , as they are made objections against the truth , and obligation of religion in general . finis . advertisement . remarks on some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth ; by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . in octavo . discourses on several practical subjects ; by the late reverend william payne , d. d. with a preface giving some account of his life , writings , and death . both printed for richard wilkin . a refutation of the objections against the attributes of god in general . in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , september the fifth , 1698. being the sixth of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. jerem. ix . 24 . let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , who exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight , saith the lord. pride and vain-glory , are things which human nature is strangely subject to ; there being scarce any one so mean , but who judges that he hath something or other that he may justly be proud of , and value himself for . but as pride is folly in the general , so it apparently discovers itself in this respect , that those men are usually most vain , who have the least reason to be so , and that too in things that are the least valuable in themselves . thus , as the prophet intimates in the verse before the text , men frequently glory in bodily strength , in beauty , and agility , and in the affluence of external possessions : things which are the meanest appurtenances to our natures , and which are neither in our power to get nor keep . wisdom indeed , and judgment , learning and parts , wit and penetration , and all the nobler endowments of our minds , are things of the greatest intrinsick worth and value , and we have much more reason to esteem our selves for them , than for all the goods of fortune , or any bodily excellencies . but yet , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom and knowledge neither ; tho' as the targum on the place hints , it were as great as that of solomon himself ; for we have in reality no just ground to value our selves for even this , when we consider that the best of us have it but in a very slender proportion ; and that our highest knowledge is very imperfect and defective . hence it comes to pass , or at least ought to do so , that the modesty and humility of truly knowing men encreases with their learning and experience : their being raised something above the common level , instead of lessening and shortening in their eyes the statures of other men , encreases their prospect of a boundless field of knowledge all around them ; the more of which they discover , the more they find yet undiscover'd . but he that knows but little , vainly thinks he knows every thing , and judges all is empty and void that is without the bounds of his scanty horizon . another great vanity there is also in pride , which is , that men are frequently conceited and proud of those things , which they have the least share of , and are fond of such actions as do plainly discover their defects . for usually those men are most forward to talk of learning , who are least acquainted with books ; and those make the greatest noise about , and pretensions to philosophy , who have the least insight into nature . those who talk most of certainty and demonstration have usually the most confused idea's , and the most superficial notions of things , and are the farthest of all men from true science . this is apparently seen in the pretenders to scepticism and infidelity , and in all the atheistical writers . no men express themselves with such an insupportable insolence as these new lights , these reformers of our philosophy and our politicks ; who yet after all are proud knowing nothing , as st. paul speaks , rom. 1.21 . but are vain in their imaginations ; their foolish heart is darkened , and professing themselves to be wise , they become fools . and therefore it is that the wisdom of god appears as foolishness to them , because the carnal mind savoureth not the things that are of god. tho' would men but studiously apply themselves to consider of , would they carefully and impartially examine into , and would they but seriously make use of those means that god hath graciously given mankind , in order to attain a sufficient knowledge of his nature and perfections ; they would then find so much beauty , wisdom , harmony , and excellency in this inexhaustible fund of knowledge , as would sufficiently reward their pains and endeavours . and this we may glory in ; this knowledge will be the most noble and honourable that our capacities can attain unto ; and in comparison of which , there is no other qualification and excellence in our natures at all valuable . for here we have an object the greatest and most perfect that can be , the more we know of which , the more we shall exalt and perfect our selves . here are no empty speculations ; no difficiles nugae , no false lights , nor phantastical appearances ; but 't is a real and substantial , an useful and practical knowledge ; a knowledge that doth not only delight us for the present , but which brings constant and lasting satisfaction here , and eternal happiness hereafter . let him therefore that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth god , that he is the lord , who exerciseth loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth , for in these things do i delight , saith the lord. in which words , there are these two things chiefly considerable : i. a supposition that god is capable of being known to us by his attributes . ii. an account of some of those attributes which he exerciseth in the earth , and in which he delights . under which two heads , i shall , in pursuance of my general design , endeavour to answer those objections that atheistical men have brought against the attributes and perfections of the divine nature . 1. here is a supposition that god is capable of being known to us by his attributes . he that glorieth , let him glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth god , that he is the lord , who exerciseth loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth . 't is plainly supposed here , that this knowledge which we are directed to acquire , is a possible knowledge . god would not command us to understand him by his attributes of goodness , mercy and justice , which he continually exerciseth in the earth , if it were impossible for us to attain to it : he would not delight to do such works in the world , if nothing of them could be known , nor himself by them . but the psalmist tells us , the lord is known by his works : and that the heavens declare his glory , and the firmament sheweth his handy work : and st. paul is express , that the invisible things of him are clearly seen , being understood by the things that are made , even his eternal power and godhead . and indeed , these attributes of god are what is most and best known to us , and from the certain knowledge that we have of these , we may be effectually assured of the existence of some first cause , some supream being in whom all these attributes and perfections must inhere . the infinite nature , indeed , of this divine being is incomprehensible to our shallow and scanty understandings , and we cannot by searching find it out , nor discover the almighty unto perfection . but notwithstanding we have as certain a knowledge , and as clear idea's of his attributes as we have of any thing in the world. and grotius's gloss on this place is very just and proper : god doth not bid men know him according to his nature , which exceeds humane capacity to do , but according to those attributes or properties of his which relate to mankind , which the hebrews call middôth , i.e. those measures or dimensions of him which are proportionable to our understandings and capacities . and such his attributes are , for we see them visibly exerted in the works of the creation , and we find them necessarily included in the notion that we have of the supream being , or the first cause of all things ; as i have already shewed in another discourse . but this , some are pleased to deny ; and say , that nothing at all can be known of god , but only , that he is : for his nature is perfectly incomprehensible ; that we do but dishonour god , by pretending to understand and to talk about his attributes ; about which we can say nothing but only what serves to express our astonishment , ignorance , and rusticity ; and therefore the civil magistrate ought to determine what attributes shall be given to the deity . this seems to be the sense of vaninus , and is plainly of mr. hobbs ; and was before them of sextus empiricus . which take in their own words : non deum melius intelligimus quam per ea quoe negamus nos intelligere , saith vaninus (a) . again , deum nuuis tam plenè indicatum intelligimus vocibus , quàm iis quoe ignorantiam nostram proetendunt . we can have , saith mr. hobbs , no conception of the deity , and consequently all his attributes signifie only our inability and defect of power to conceive any thing concerning him , except only this , that there is a god (b) . and in another place , saith he , god's attributes cannot signifie what he is , but ought to signifie our desire to honour him ; but they that venture to reason of his nature from these attributes of honour , losing their vnderstanding in the very first attempt , fall from one inconvenience to another without end and number , and do only discover their astonishment and rusticity (c) . again , when men ( saith he ) out of principles of natural reason dispute about the attributes of god , they do but dishonour him ; for in the attributes we give to god , we are not to consider philosophical truth (d) . and therefore he concludes , that those attributes which the soveraign power shall ordain in the worship of god , as signs of honour , ought to be taken and used for such by private men in their publick worship (e) . in which he agrees as he useth to do , exactly with sextus empiricus ; who tells us that the sceptick is in the right for asserting gods according to the laws and custom of his country ; and in paying them that veneration and worship which on the same account becomes due to them , will not venture to determine any thing philosophically about them (a) . now from these passages , i think it appears plain enough , that tho' these men did in words pretend to own and acknowledge a god , yet in fact they were atheists , and had no true belief of any such being . for a deity without the attributes of understanding and wisdom , without ends or design ; none of which mr. hobbs asserts expresly , can be in god (b) , is a ridiculous stupid being , an idol that every rational agent must needs despise , and which can never be the object of any one's adoration , love , or obedience . to assert therefore that the attributes of god are not discoverable by reason , nor agreeable to philosophical truth , but may be declared to be any thing which the soveraign power pleases to make them ; this is designedly to expose the belief and notion of a deity , and to render it so precarious , that it can be the object of no rational man's faith. and this last named writer treats the deity after the same manner in most other places of his works ; he saith , we must not say of him that he is finite , that he hath figure parts or totality , that he is here or there , that he moveth or resteth , or that we can conceive or know any thing of him ; for all this is to dishonour him : and yet to say that he is an immaterial substance , that he is an infinite and eternal spirit , is , he saith , nonsense , and what destroys and contradicts it self . however he is willing to allow the word immaterial or spirit to be used towards god , as a mark of honour and respect . that is , we may attribute to god what we know to be nonsense and contradiction , and this is the way to honour him ; and to speak of him any other way , is to dishonour him ! who doth not perceive that it was plainly the design of this writer to treat of the deity after such a manner , as should deprive him of all knowledge and care of humane affairs , and consequently , effectually banish out of mens minds a just veneration for him , and adoration of him ? such men are the most dangerous and mischievous of all others ; profess'd atheists can do no great harm ; for all persons are aware of them , and will justly abhor the writings and conversation of men that say boldly there is no god. but there are but few such ; they have found a way to pass undiscovered under a fairer dress and a softer name : they pretend to be true deists and sincere cultivators of natural religion ; and to have a most profound respect for the supream and almighty being : but when this profound respect comes to be throughly examined and duly understood , it will appear to be the most abominable abuse that can be , and a most wicked and blasphemous idea of the deity . for they make him either nothing but the soul of the world , universal matter , or natura naturata , a god that is an absolutely necessary agent , without any rectitude in his will ; without any knowledge , wisdom , goodness , justice , mercy , or providence over his works . but let such persons take what names they please upon themselves , a little consideration will soon discover what they are in reality ; and , i hope , give men a just abhorrence of such notions , tho' never so speciously put forth . but let us now proceed to examine what ground there is from the nature of the thing , for men to advance such wicked opinions , and to shew the weakness and precariousness of them . and here it must be premised and taken for granted , that there is a god. this is what the persons i am now concerned with , pretend to own , and to acknowledge . which being supposed : it appears very plain that we may have if we will , and some persons , as i have shew'd (a) , have always had , a very clear notion or idea of the attributes and perfections of such a being ; as also that they are fixed and immutable properties in the divine nature . for by professing to believe a god , they must mean , if they mean any thing , the first cause and author of all things , and the governour and disposer of them ; a divine being , containing in himself all possible perfections ; without being subject to any manner of defect . this i have already hinted at in another place (b) , and shall now more largely prove . so far is it from being true , that we cannot reason of the nature of god from his attributes , nor discourse of those attributes from our reason ; that this seems to be the only proper way of enquiring into the wonderful depth of the divine perfections . i mean , the only way we have without revelation , for i am not now considering what god hath farther discovered of himself to us by his word . for tho' the deity doth abound with infinite excellencies and perfections ; yet by the light of nature we can discover those only , of which he hath given us some impression on our own natures ; and these are the scales and proportions by which our reason must measure the divine attributes and perfections . for in order to gain good and true notions of these , we ought to take our rise from those perfections and excellencies which we find in the creatures , and especially in our selves . there can be but two ways of coming to the knowledge of any thing ; by its cause , and by its effects . 't is impossible for us to make use of the former of these , in reference to the deity : for he being himself without cause , and the first cause and original of all things cannot be known to us this way . but by the second way , he very properly may be the object of our knowledge , and we ought to apply our selves to this method , in order to understand the attributes of god. for whatever excellency or perfection we can any way discover in the effects of god in the world , i. e. in the works of the whole creation ; the same we cannot but suppose must be in him , in the highest and most noble proportion and degree ; since they are all owing to , and derived from him. and if we take a serious and considerate view of the excellencies and perfections that are to be found in the creatures , or the works of god in the world ; we shall find that they may be reducible to these four general heads ; being or substance , life , sensibility , and reason . all which we find to be in our selves , and therefore they are at hand , and ready to assist our meditations ; and these will , if duly considered , lead us into a good way of discovering the attributes and perfections of the divine nature . and i doubt not but a great reason why men have had and advanced wrong notions of god , hath been because they have had such of themselves , and of those perfections that are in our own natures . men that do not understand that the true perfection of humane nature consists in moral goodness , or in an universal agreeableness of our will to the eternal laws of right reason , cannot conceive aright of the attributes and perfections of god : for they will be for making him like themselves , guided by vehement self-love , and inordinate will , or whatever predominant passions possess them . 't were easie to trace this in the epicurean notion of a god dissolved in ease and sloth , and who neglects the government of the world , to enjoy his own private pleasures ; and in the hobbian one of a deity not guided by any essential rectitude of will , but only by arbitrary , lawless , and irrisistible power ; for both these opinions are exactly agreeable to the genius and humours of their authors and propagators . but to proceed with our deduction of the divine attributes from the excellencies and perfections which we find in our selves . 1. if in the first place we consider being , and the high perfections that do belong to it ; we shall find that they must needs be in the deity , who is the first and supream being , and the cause and author of all others in the world , in the utmost perfection . now the highest perfections belonging unto being , we find to be these two : 1. that it shall have an underivable and necessary existence , always be , and never cease , die , terminate or be extinct ; and , 2. that it be great and ample as to its extent , in opposition to littleness or scantyness , and to being limited , circumscribed , bounded or restrained by any other thing . and if we attribute these two perfections to god , thence will plainly arise his eternity , and his immensity or omnipresence . for what cannot possibly cease to be , but hath necessary existence included in its nature , is eternal . and what cannot be any way limited , circumscribed or restrained , must needs be boundless and immense , and present every where . and i dare say , that these notions of god's eternity and immensity , do find an easie admission into , and are firmly rooted in all considerate and unprejudiced minds ; and who are not debauched by sceptical and atheistical metaphysicks . for 't is impossible for any one that thinks at all , to have a notion of a deity that can die , or cease to be ; or that is so confined and imprisoned in any one part of space , that he can extend himself no farther : no! it must be an epicurean stupefaction of soul , indeed , that can induce a man to fancy a mortal or a topical god ; one that may be slain , or die of old age , or be shackled and confined to any one part of the universe , exclusive of the rest . and tho' a man cannot find perhaps that he hath an adequate idea of eternity ; yet that god must be without beginning or end , he will readily allow , as soon as he considers the thing ; for he will perceive that the first cause of all things could not be caused by any thing else , but must be self-existent , and without beginning : and if nothing could cause his being , nothing can take it away neither , and consequently he must be everlasting or eternal . and of this attribute the heathens had a clear idea and belief , giving god the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and swearing usually by the immortal gods. tully saith , deum nisi sempiternum intelligere quî possumus ? how can we conceive the deity any otherwise than to be an eternal being . and aristotle in many places makes eternity essential to the idea of god ; and particularly , lib. 2. de coelo . and so as to immensity or omnipresence , tho' he , indeed , cannot tell the manner how a spirit or immaterial substance permeates matter , or is present to every part of it ; yet he will conclude that the deity must some how or other actually fill and be present with all things ; since 't is impossible he should be excluded any where , or be in any respect bounded or limited ; as 't is also that he should act or operate where he is not . nor would , i believe , any free and unprejudiced mind have recourse either to the notion of god's being universal matter or infinite space , in order to solve his immensity or omnipresence . for the former , he would see , necessarily makes the deity materially divisible , into parts actually separated from each other ; and to be part of him here , and part there ; which he could not but think monstrously absurd and impossible : and the latter renders god nothing at all , but imaginary room , vacuity or space , in which bodies are capable of moving up and down , or to and fro , without hindrance or impediment from any medium . which how it should , any more than the former account for the energetical power , wisdom , justice and goodness of the divine nature , ( the noblest perfections he can have any idea of ) 't would be as impossible for him to conceive , as it is for the assertors of it to prove . the ancient heathens allowed this attribute of immensity to the deity , by common consent . tully tells us , that pythagoras asserted , deum esse animum per naturam rerum omnium intentum & comeantem , de nat. deorum . and he cites it as the opinion of thales milesius ; deorum omnia esse plena , de legib. lib. 2. which virgil also affirms expresly , — jovis omnia plena . and again , deum namque ire per omnes terras tractusque maris , coelumque profundum , georg. lib. 4. and seneca tells us , that god is ubique & omnibus proesto (a) . and in another place (b) , quocunque te flexeris , ibi deum videbis occurrentem tibi , nihil ab illo vacat , opus suum ipse implet . 2. if we consider life ; another perfection which we find in our selves , we must needs conclude that this is in the deity too , who is the great author and fountain of life , in the highest degree and proportion imaginable . now the perfection of life seems to consist in activity , or an energetical power to act , or operate ; in opposition to impotence , weakness , or inability . and this perfection , no one sure can possibly doubt to be in the deity . for besides that 't is impossible for us to conceive that life and activity in our selves can proceed from a dead and unactive principle ; our reason must needs reject the notion of an inanimate , and impotent deity , or of one that is any way defective in power , as soon as it can be proposed to it . can we imagine that a being from whom all life , power and energy is derived , can be without it himself ? and that he who hath , as simplicius calls it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a whole entire or perfect power , that hath all the power of nature at his command , can be unable to perform whatever is possible to be done ? that is , whatever is agreeable to , and consistent with , the other attributes of the divine nature ? and if so , must not then such a being be own'd to be almighty or omnipotent ? from whence we see another great attribute doth plainly arise . and of this attribute of the deity , there was a plain and clear notion all along among the heathen writers ; as appears from homer in many places , who speaking of god , says , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the same thing also we have in the fragments of linus , long before him. and in callimachus also , in express words . as also in agatho , an ancient greek poet cited by aristotle in his ethicks . so in virgil and ovid , you have frequently the title of pater omnipotens given to the deity . and this attribute of infinite power in god , epicurus set himself with all his might to confute ; denying there was any such thing as infinite power at all ; that thereby ( says lucretius , lib. 1. ) he might take away religion too . and from hence also his eternity might be naturally deduced . for we cannot conceive this life or activity , this almighty power that is in god , can ever cease , decay or determine , any more than it can have had a beginning , and consequently such a being must necessarily exist , be eternal , or endure and live for ever . 3. if we proceed a little higher , and consider sensibility which is another great perfection that we find in our selves , and some other creatures , we must needs attribute this also , and that in the highest degree , to the divine nature . i take this now in the general , for that power or faculty whereby any being is capable of taking pleasure or feeling pain . and such a sensibility , or something analogous to it , we cannot but think god must have in the most exquisite perfection , since our own , as well as that of all other creatures , must be derived from him. and tho' , indeed , we ought to think that the infinite perfection of his nature secures him from all possibility of feeling pain , ( since nothing can contradict his will , run counter to his desires , or frustrate his expectations ) yet we have no reason to suppose the deity insensible of pleasure ; but may justly conclude from hence , that he is always most perfectly happy . for he contains in himself all possible good and infinite excellencies and perfection , and of this he is most exquisitely sensible , and consequently must eternally be pleased and delighted with himself in the enjoyment of his own infinite fulness : and this notion many of the heathens had of god , that he was a most happy being ; stiling him frequently , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 4. but the highest perfection which we can discover in our selves , and in any created beings whatever , is reason . and this , no doubt , we ought also to attribute to god in the highest degree and perfection . now the perfection of reason seems to consist in these two things : 1. in knowledge and wisdom in the understanding faculty . and , 2. in rectitude or righteousness in the will. all which we cannot but suppose the divine nature to be perfectly endowed with . and first as to knowledge and wisdom ; the former of which , implies an understanding of things as they are in themselves , according to their true natures and properties : and the latter , a considering of them as to their relations to , and dependances upon one another ; or in other words , according as they are fit or qualified to be ends or means . and these must certainly be in god , for the same reason that we have found in him the other perfections above-mentioned . to the deity therefore , from this consideration , we ought to attribute omniscience , and infinite , or most perfect wisdom ; for no doubt we ought to conclude , that the deity both knows every thing according to its nature , and also understands its usefulness and subservience to any end , design or purpose whatsoever . and therefore it was as stupidly or impiously said by mr. hobbs , that there can be no such thing as knowledge in god , and that he can have no ends. for i cannot imagine there can one so grossly ignorant and foolish be found among mankind , who doth really believe there can be an ignorant or a foolish god ; and who would not abhor such a position as monstrously absurd and impossible . a man must be a long while conversant with atheistical and sceptical philosophy , before he can grow so dull as not to perceive the force and power of the psalmists logick and reasoning in psal. 94. v. 8 , 9 , &c. and he must be very studiously brutish and learnedly foolish , before he can think that he that planted the ear , should not be able to hear himself ; and that he that formed the eye should not see ; and that he that gave and taught all knowledge to men should have none himself . the mighty reason that mr. hobbs is pleased to give , why there can be no understanding in god is , because that faculty being in us nothing but a tumult of mind , raised by external things that press the organical parts of our bodies (a) , there can be no such thing in god. and in other places , he sagaciously determines , that 't is impossible to hear without ears , to see without eyes , and to understand without brains , none of which god hath ; and therefore must be ignorant and stupid . but , methinks , 't is very hardly done of him , to determine the deity to be corporeal ▪ and yet to assign him none of these material organs in order to make him an intelligent being . why should not the same matter which is able to form the mechanick understanding of so great a philosopher , be capable of being modified as intelligently in the divine nature ? must the deity have the worst and most stupid body of all others ? into what abominable absurdities will such principles as these lead a man ! or rather into what abominable impieties and blasphemies will vice and pride hurry him ! he doth not only think wickedly that the deity is such an one as himself , but infinitely worse ; a corporeal being that hath less and fewer perfections than a corporeal man ! but i must not dwell on shewing the design of this writer , having sufficiently done it already . i shall only now add , that i think i have already proved that matter alone cannot think , know , nor understand ; and therefore it is not mens brains , but their soul that hath this intelligent power ; and no doubt an infinite and immaterial mind , needs not any material organs to convey knowledge to him , in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge do inhabit , and from whom they are all derived and do proceed . and there was , anciently amongst the heathens , a clear belief of the infinite knowledge and wisdom of god. tully tells us , that thales used commonly to say , deos omnia cernere , the gods behold or know all things . and seneca saith , deo nihil clausum est ; interest animis nostris , & mediis cogitationibus intervenit . and as to the wisdom of god , tully deduces it after the same manner as we now have done , by attributing the excellencies of the creature to the deity in the highest perfection . sapiens est homo , saith he , & propterea deus ; man hath wisdom , and therefore god , from whom the wisdom in man is derived , must needs have it himself . but again , as we must attribute to god infinite knowledge and wisdom ; so we must rectitude of will or perfect righteousness too . and since the rectitude of the will consists in an exact conformity of it and all its affections to the impartial rule of right reason ; we cannot but suppose also , that the will of god is in a most exquisite conformity to the dictates of his unerring reason ; and that the deity doth in every respect act exactly agreeable thereunto . and by this means we shall find that god must be just and righteous in all his proceedings , and that he always executeth justice and righteousness in the earth , and delights in these things . our adversaries , indeed , do assert , that there is no such thing as any distinction between good and evil , just and vnjust , that can be taken from any common rule , or from the objects themselves ; but only with relation to the person that useth them ; who calls that good which he loves , and that evil which he hates (a) . that god doth every thing by his irresisistible power ; and that in that is founded our obedience to him , and not in any principle of gratitude to him (b) for benefits which we have received from him . that justice is founded in power , and that whatever is enacted by a soveraign power can't be unjust . the groundlessness of which impious and dangerous notions , i shall fully shew in a subsequent discourse ; and therefore shall only now observe , that this way of depriving the deity of these most excellent and lovely attributes of justice and goodness , and making him to act only according to the arbitrary dictates of irresistible power , gives us the notion of a devil instead of a deity , of an absolute tyrant , instead of a righteous governour of the world ; and is directly contrary to the sober and considerate sentiments of all mankind * , in whose minds a plain distinction between good and evil is founded , and who can never be brought without doing great violence to themselves , to assert that the deity is not guided in all things by the eternal rules of truth and justice , and that the judge of all the earth should not do right . they see the comliness and loveliness that there is in good and just actions among men ; and therefore cannot suppose that an infinite and almighty being can do any thing contrary to them ; they are sensible that deviations from those rules proceed only from the defects and imperfections that are in our natures ; but that god , who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , who possesseth and sustaineth all things , cannot make use of any indirect means to procure himself happiness , or to stave off misery ; since the perfection of his nature gives him all the one , and secures him from all the other . and they which certainly never believe that god will do any action , that they do not think suitable to be done by a good and just man ; but will on just grounds conclude , that whatever excellence or perfections they can any way discover to be in a good man , must needs be in the highest proportion in god , and consequently that the deity must be most righteous , just and good , and most kind , merciful and gracious in all his dealings with his creatures . and thus we see how by considering the excellencies and perfections which we find in our selves , and attributing them in the highest proportion to that supream being the deity , from whence they must all be derived ; we may attain to a good and clear knowledge of the properties and attributes of the divine nature : we may find them to be such as are agreeable to the plainest reason and to philosophical truth : and consequently conclude , that they can have no such weak and precarious foundation as the order of the civil power , and the will of the supream magistrate . and were it now my business , 't were very easie from hence to shew also the true foundation of religious worship ; that it doth depend on the right apprehensions and notions that we have of the attributes of god ; and that our obedience to him , is founded in our gratitude to him for the benefits which we receive from him , and consequently is our reasonable service . but the proof of this will be more proper in another place . finis . a refutation of the objections against moral good and evil . in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , october the third , 1698. being the seventh of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. jerem. ix . 24 . let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , who exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things do i delight , saith the lord. in these words , as i have already shewed , there are these two things considerable : i. a supposition that god is capable of being known to us by his attributes . ii. an account of some of those attributes which he exerciseth in the earth , and in which he delights . on the former of these , i did , in my last discourse endeavour to remove the objections against the attributes of god in general , and to shew that they are plainly discoverable by reason , and agreeable to philosophical truth . as to the second , the attributes of god mentioned here by the prophet , and which he is said to delight to exercise in the earth . i think it not necessary to discourse particularly of them , having in my last sermon shewn how they , as well as all other excellencies and perfections which we can discover in the creatures , must of necessity be in the divine nature in the greatest perfection ; because they are all derived from him. but that which i judge will be more proper to be done now , as being agreeable to my design of answering the atheistical objections in their natural order , will be from hence to remove two great barrs to the true knowledge of god and of his attributes , which sceptical and unbelieving men have here placed in the way . for indeed , till this be done , no true notion of god or of his perfections can be established in mens minds ; nor any ground fixt whereon to build a rational belief of natural or revealed religion , or any kind of worship of the supream and almighty being . and these two great objections of our adversaries are , 1. that there is in reality no such thing as moral good and evil ; but that all actions are in their own nature indifferent . 2. that all things are determined by absolute fatality : and that god himself , and all creatures whatsoever , are necessary agents , without having any power of choice , or any real liberty in their nature at all . these are two of the strongest holds of atheism and infidelity , which 't is therefore absolutely necessary to batter down and demolish : and these do in some sense communicate with and run into one another ; and indeed the former plainly follows from the latter . but however , they being very frequently made use of distinctly by the opposers of religion , and the former being maintained by some persons whom i cannot find do hold the latter ; i shall endeavour to refute them severally . beginning with that which i have first proposed ; viz. that there is in reality no such things as moral good and evil , but that all actions are in their own nature purely indifferent . and this position our adversaries are very express in maintaining , as will sufficiently appear by their own words . the virtues that men extoll so highly , saith mr. blount (a) , are not of equal weight and value in the balance of nature ; but that it may fare with them , as with coin made of copper or leather : which tho' it may go at a high rate in one country by proclamation ; yet will it not do so in another , for want of intrinsick value . 't is plain enough what he means by this ; but how this assertion will agree with his allowing some things to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (b) , good and just in their own nature , as he doth in his account of the deists religion , let the admirers of those contradictory oracles of reason , consider . but , indeed , 't is no new or uncommon thing with these kind of men to make contradictory propositions subservient to their purposes : as they often do in this very case . for when you upbraid them with a disbelief of revelation , they will say , that 't is enough for any man to live up to the principles of natural religion , and to adhere inviolably to all things , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; for those are things that are obligatory on all mankind , and not like revealed truths , mere political and topical institutions . whereas at another time , if you tell them of some gross immoralities that they are guilty of , and which are plainly contrary to reason , and to the clearest light of nature ; then they will answer you , that good and evil are only thetical things ; which receive their very essence from human laws or customs only , but that by nature nothing is either good or bad ; and that all actions are alike and indifferent ; so hard is it , as an excellent person observes (a) , to contradict truth and nature , without contradicting ones self . but to go on , spinoza takes care to deliver himself very plainly , as to this matter . bonum & malum nihil positivum in rebus sc. in se consideratis indicant (b) . and in another place , he tells us , postquam homines sibi persuaserunt , omnia quae fiunt , propter ipsos fieri , id in unaquàque re praecipuum judicare debuerunt , quod ipsis , utilissimum ; & illa omnia praestantissima aestimare , à quibus optimè afficiebantur . unde has formare debuerunt notiones , quibus rerum naturas explicarunt , sc. bonum & malum , ordinem & confusionem , &c. (c) . and the same thing also he asserts in many other places . mr. hobbs also expresly maintains , that there is nothing simply nor absolutely good or evil , nor any common rule about them to be taken from the objects themselves , but only from the person ; who calleth that good which he likes or desires , and that evil which he hates , &c. (d) nothing , saith he , is in its own nature just or vnjust , because naturally there is no property , but every one hath a right to every thing (e) ; and therefore he defines justice to be only keeping of a covenant (f) . and in another place he tells us , that good and evil are only names that signifie our appetites and aversions ; which in different tempers , customs and doctrines of men are different (g) . the same thing he asserteth also in many other places of his writings (h) . and this doctrine the translator of philostratus is so fond of , that , tho' he be sometimes very desirous of being thought an original , yet he transcribes this entirely from mr. hobbs (a) ; as indeed mr. hobbs , according to his usual way , had before , in a great measure done from sextus empiricus ; who in very many places declares that it was the opinion of the scepticks , that there was nothing good or evil in it self (b) . and he endeavours to prove this point , by the very same arguments which the modern assertors of this opinion , do make use of (c) . and tho' mr. hobbs boast much of his notions about these things to be new , and originally his own ; yet 't is plain , that it was the old atheistick doctrine long before plato's time. for he tells us , lib. 2. de rep. p. 358. that there were a sort of men who maintained , that by nature men have a boundless liberty to act as they please , and that in such a state , to do that to another which is now called an injury , or a piece of injustice , would be good ; tho' to receive it from another would be evil : and that men did live a good while at this rate , but in time finding the inconveniencies of it , they did agree upon laws , in order to live peaceably and quietly with one another . and then that which was enacted by these laws , was called just , and lawful . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . this is the principle we see of those atheistical men : which tho' some of them do now and then take care to conceal , or to express a little cautiously , yet they understand one another well enough : and so indeed may any one do them , that thinks it worth his while to consider seriously of , and to search into the bottom of the matter . and this is truly one of the great depths of atheism and infidelity : 't is a principle that when once thoroughly understood and imbibed , confirms a man in the disbelief of all manner of religious obligation . for he that hath once swallowed down this abominable tenet , will , as some of the lately mentioned writers discover themselves to do , believe nothing of the deity , but that he is almighty and arbitrary power , or a blind fatal and necessary agent : either a being that makes his will his law , and who is not guided in his actions or dispensations , by the dictates of reason nor by any rules of justice and goodness : or else one that properly speaking , hath no ends nor designs at all (a) ; but is without any understanding (b) , freedom of will , choice or wisdom ; one who cannot possibly help doing as he doth , but is impelled in every thing by absolute necessity . so that there being ( as according to these principles there cannot be ) no goodness in the deity , there can be none any where : but all actions , antecedent to human laws , will be indifferent . and the obligation that men are under to human laws being only , as hobbs saith , from fear of punishment ; no doubt a man of this wicked perswasion will stick at the perpetration of no villany nor immorality , that will any way advantage himself , and which he can commit secretly and securely ; but will pursue his own private benefit and interest ( the only good he understands , and thinks himself obliged to mind ) by all possible means and endeavours . this therefore being the case before us , it will very much concern us to return a fair answer to , and fully to refute this dangerous objection against all religion , and indeed against the good and welfare of all governments , and all civil societies : and which i wish we had not so much reason to believe , is fixt in the minds of too many amongst us . and in order to do this the more clearly and effectually , it will be necessary first truly to state the point , and to dis-engage it from some difficulties and perplexities which our adversaries have designedly clouded it withall . say they whatever is the object of any man's desires that he calls good ; as also whatsoever is in any respect beneficial and advantageous to him . and on the other hand , that which is hurtful and prejudicial to him , and is the object of his hatred and aversion , that he calls evil , and so doubtless it is to him . now , say they further , since that which may be good to one man , or desired by him now , may be evil to another , or may by the very same person , be hated and shunned at another time ; it plainly follows , that the nature of good and evil , is perfectly precarious , and will be as various and changeable as the different humours and inclinations of mankind can make it . and thus mens actions will be denominated accordingly . every one accounting that a good one which he likes , which promotes his interest , and is conducible to his advantage : and calling that an evil one , which he disapproves of , and which is contrary to his interest and inclination . to all which , i say , that these men run their argument a great way too far , and conclude much more from it than the nature of the thing will bear . for allowing as a first principle that all men desire good , and that they cannot do otherwise ; allowing also that apparent or seeming good hath the same effect as real good , while it is the object of any particular man's desires : nay , allowing also this apparent good to be a very precarious thing , and to depend very much on the different humours , tempers and inclinations of mankind ; which is the whole basis on which these writers found their argument . i say , granting all this , it doth not come up to the question between us , nor form any real objection against the natural difference between good and evil , and the eternal obligation of morality ; for the point in dispute is not whether such an essential and immutable difference as this now spoken of , be discernible in all the actions of mankind ; for 't is readily allowed that there are a great many indifferent , and which are neither good nor bad in their own natures , but may be either , as circumstances determine . this , i say , is not the case ; but whether there be not some such actions , as do plainly discover themselves to the unprejudiced judgment of any rational man , to be good and evil in their own natures , antecedent to the obligation of any human laws . or in other words , whether there be not some actions which do carry along with them such a clear and unalterable reasonableness and excellency , as that they do approve themselves to be good and lovely to any unprejudiced mind , and consequently mankind must be under an universal and eternal obligation to perform them , and to avoid and shun their contraries . as also , whether we have not all the reason in the world to believe that those actions , which the mind of man can thus discover to be morally and essentially good , are agreeable to the will of god , and directed by it : and to conclude , that the deity also acts and proceeds in all respects according to the same universal and eternal dictates of reason , and is just and good , equitable and righteous in all his dealings with his creatures ; and that he exerciseth these things in the earth . this i take to be the true state of the case ; and this is what we assert , and our adversaries deny ; and what i shall now endeavour to prove . in order to which , it must be allowed in the 1. place , that man is a thinking being , and hath the power of reasoning and inference . it must be allowed also , that we are capable of knowing this , and do most evidently discover such a power in our selves . and since all intelligent creatures do naturally desire to be happy , we must do so too , and consequently endeavour to obtain that kind of happiness which is agreeable to our natures and faculties ; i. e. a happiness that shall relate to our whole natures , and not to the body only : now the happiness of any being consisting in the free and vigorous exercise of its powers and faculties , or in the perfection of its nature ; and the nature of man being reason , the happiness of mankind must consist chiefly in the free and vigorous exercise of his reasoning faculty ; or being in such a condition as that we can do all things that are agreeable to , and avoid all such things as are disagreeable to it . now all this supposed and granted , as i think none of it can be denied , it will plainly follow , that all such actions as do universally approve themselves to the reason of mankind , and such as when duly examined and considered , do constantly and uniformly tend towards , and promote the happiness of man , considered as to his whole nature , and chiefly as to that part of him in which his nature doth more properly consist , which is his rational and understanding faculty : such actions , i say , must necessarily be said to be in their own nature good ; and their contraries must be denominated evil , after the same manner ; for whatsoever is universally approved , is universally good : to call a thing good being nothing else but to declare its conducibility to that end it was designed for . now according to our adversary's assertion , men call that good which promotes their own advantage and happiness , and so no doubt it ought to be esteemed ; all that they mistake in , being , that they don't understand wherein their true happiness consists . and therefore if a thing doth in its own nature approve it self to the impartial reason of mankind , and can on due examination manifestly appear to conduce to the interest , advantage and happiness of human nature ; such a thing must by all rational and thinking men be pronounced naturally and morally good ; and its reverse , evil in the same manner . and that this is the case in reference to that which is commonly called moral good and evil , will appear plain and evident when we shew , 2. that there are some things and actions which the free and unprejudiced reason of all mankind , cannot but acknowledge to be comely , lovely , and good in their own natures as soon as ever it considers them , and makes any judgment about them . and this is what is apparent to the observation of all men to have been ipso facto done ; and the truth of it cannot be denied : for have not all nations in the world agreed in paying some kind of worship and veneration to the deity ? was there ever any place where , or time when , obedience to parents , gratitude for benefits received , acts of justice , mercy , kindness , and good nature , were not accounted reasonable , good and decent things ? i know some persons have boldly told the world that 't is quite otherwise , and that there are some whole nations so savage and barbarous as to have no notion of any deity , who have no manner of religious worship at all , and who have no notion or idea of moral good and evil : but when we consider that these accounts come originally only from a few navigators , who probably did not stay long enough at those places to acquaint themselves with the language of the natives , and who consequently could not have much knowledge of their notions , opinions , and customs ; it will be too hardy a conclusion to inferr positively that men pay no worship to , nor have any idea of a god , only because they did not see them at their devotions . and moreover , when we have had later and more accurate accounts of some of those places , which do plainly disprove the former assertions , we have good reason , i think , to suspend our assent to them . and then as to their notions of good and evil , it will not follow that they account stealth and murder as good and comely things as justice and mercy , only because these relators had some of those acts committed on them . for commonly they themselves shew them the way , by wickedly robbing , imprisoning and murdering them ; and therefore why the poor indians may not return some such actions upon their enemies and invaders , without being supposed to be quite ignorant of the difference between good and evil , i confess , i do not see . and by what too often appears from their own relations and books of travels , the indians have not more reason to be thought savage and barbarous , than those that give us such an account of them ; for by their actions they discover as poor notions of morality , as 't is possible for any men to have . but after all , suppose the fact true , as i do really believe it is not , that there is any nation of men so stupid as to be quite devoid of any notion of a god , or of the difference between good and evil : all that can be concluded from hence is , that some men may for want of commerce with other parts of the world , and for want of thinking , and cultivating and exercising their rational faculties , degenerate into meer brute beasts ; and indeed , as such the relators describe them ; according to whose account of them , many species of the brute creation discover more understanding , and act , if i may so speak , more rationally ; but it cannot be fairly argued from hence , that they never have had any notion or belief of these things ; or that their reasons will not assent to the truth of them hereafter , when their unhappy prejudices may be removed , and they may become civilized by commerce . much less sure will this prove , that there is no notion of a deity , nor of moral good and evil in all the other parts of the world , and amongst men that can think , and do exercise their reason and understanding . will not a general rule stand its ground tho' there be a few exceptions against it ? will men take their measures to judge of human nature only from the monstrosities of it , from the worst and most stupid parts of mankind ? men may as well argue that all mankind are devoid of arms or hands , or are universally defective in any other part of the body , because some few are daily born so , or rather have them cut off . we see there are often natural defects in mens minds as well as their bodies , and that some are born fools and idiots , as well as others blind and lame ; and a great many we see make themselves so by their own fault ; but sure no one will conclude from hence , that all mankind are fools and idiots , unless he be a degree worse than one himself . and yet men may even as justly make any of these absurd inferences , as to say , there is in the minds of men no power to distinguish a natural difference between good and evil , only because there are some stupid and barbarous people , among whom no such thing can be discovered . for my part , i do most heartily believe , that 't is impossible for a rational and thinking mind , acting as such , to be insensible of the difference between moral good and evil : i cannot imagine that such a person can think it a thing indifferent in its own nature , whether he should venerate , love and worship the god that made him , and from whom he derives all the good he can possibly enjoy ; or whether he should slight , despise , blaspheme or affront him . it seems utterly impossible to me , that any thinking and considerate man , should judge it an indifferent thing in its own nature , whether he should honour and reverence his father , or abuse him and cut his throat : or that he can esteem it to be as good and decent a thing to be ungrateful or unjust , as it is to acknowledge and to return a kindness , to render every one their due , and to behave our selves towards others , as we would have them do towards us . i do not think that the instances produced by a late ingenious writer , of some wild people's exposing their sick and aged parents to die by the severities of wind and weather , nor of others who eat their own children , are of force to prove that there is really and naturally no difference between good and evil , any more than i will believe that he cited those passages with a design to make the world think so ; for i think , allowing the truth of all these relations , no such inference can be thence deduced . a practical principle , of the truth and power of which a man may be demonstratively assured , may yet be over-born in some respects by other opinions which ignorance and superstition may have set up in a man's mind . this gentleman saith , p. 25. of human understanding , that a doctrine having no better original than the superstition of a nurse , or the authority of an old woman , may be length of time grow up to the dignity of a principle in religion or morality . now should a precarious and wicked opinion over-rule a man in one or two particular cases , and carry him against the rules of morality , will it follow from thence that a man doth believe those rules of no natural force , and that it is an indifferent thing whether he observe them or not ? ought i to conclude , that because i have read of a king that sacrificed his son to moloch , that therefore he believed it as good and reasonable a thing to burn his children alive , as to preserve , take care of them , and give them a good education ? certainly , 't would be a fairer and more reasonable inference , to conclude that his reason and natural affection was over-power'd by his idolatrous and superstitious opinion ; and that the reason why he did such a wicked and unnatural action was because he expected some very great benefit for it from the idol , or that he would inflict some very great judgment upon him , if he did not do it . and so in the cases above-mentioned , one may well enough believe that those barbarous and inhumane wretches that starved their parents and eat their children ; did not nor could not believe it was as good and reasonable so to do , as it would be to preserve them ; but only that they were under the power of some wicked superstition , or abominable custom that had unhappily crept in among them ; which they thought it a greater evil to break ( if they thought at all ) than they did to act against their judgment , natural reason , and affection . for this way ( as he observes ▪ ) 't is easie to imagine how men , may come to worship the idols of their own minds , grow fond of notions they have been long acquainted with there , and stamp the characters of divinity upon absurdities and errors , &c. p. 26. so that i cannot see any consequence at all , in asserting the non-existence of moral good and evil , from a few barbarous and ignorant wretches doing some actions that bear hard on the rules of morality : for notwithstanding that they may be lost in a great measure in some places ; yet these things , and many others that might be instanced in , do certainly carry such self-evidence along with them ; that a free and unprejudiced mind must needs perceive which way to determine , as soon as ever they can be proposed to it , and considered of by it . for any one in the world that doth but understand the meaning of the terms in any of the lately mentioned moral propositions , will be demonstratively assured of the truth of them : and he will see as clearly that god is to be worshipped , that parents are to be honoured , and in a word , that we ought to do to others as we would be done unto , as he assents to the truth of such axioms as these : that a thing cannot be and not be , at the same time ; that nothing hath no properties ; and that the whole is greater than any one , and equal to all its parts taken together : for the reason why all mankind allow these as first principles , is because their truth is so very apparent and evident , that they approve themselves to our reason at first sight . and so , i think , do all these great principles in morality ; they certainly affect impartial and considerate minds , with as full a conviction as any of the former can possibly do . and would no more have been denied or disputed than the others are , had they not been rules of practice , and did they not require something to be done , as well as to be believed . for he that rightly understands what is meant by the words god , and worship ; will see the necessary connexion between those terms , or the truth of this proposition , god is to be worshipped , as evidently as he that knows what a whole and a part is , will see that the whole must be greater than a part. and no proposition in geometry can be more demonstratively clear , than these moral ones are , to men that are not wilfully blind and wickedly prejudiced against such practical truths . for as one hath well observed (a) , morality may be reckoned among those sciences that are capable of demonstration . and that these moral truths have a stronger connexion one with another , and a more necessary consequence from our idea's , and come nearer to a perfect demonstration than is commonly imagined ; insomuch , that as he saith in another place , they are capable of real certainty as well as mathematicks (b) now if the case be so , as most certainly it is ; it will plainly follow , that those things that do thus demonstratively approve themselves to the unprejudiced reason of all mankind , must be good and lovely in their own natures , or morally so , antecedent to the obligation of human laws , customs or fashions of particular countries . and in this plain distinction between good and evil , which our reason , when duly used , impowers us thus at first sight to make , is founded that which we call conscience : which is a kind of an internal sensation of moral good and evil. and this candle of the lord , set up by himself in mens minds , and which 't is impossible for the breath or power of man wholly to extinguish (a) ; is as natural to a rational mind , as the sense of pain and pleasure is to the body ; for as that is given us by the author of our natures to preserve us from bodily evils , and to capacitate us to enjoy such a kind of happiness ; so conscience is our guard against the invasions of moral or spiritual evils ; and will , if rightly followed , give us always so much peace , joy , and satisfaction of soul , as cannot possibly be had any other way . but again ; 2. it is most plain also , that there are some things which do universally and naturally tend to promote the happiness and welfare of mankind , and others that do equally contribute to its misery : and consequently on this account we must esteem the former to be really and naturally good things , and the latter , evil. now one would think , that one need not spend time to prove that the practice of moral virtue , doth uniformly and naturally promote the happiness of mankind , and that vice and immorality do as naturally and necessarily tend to its misery . for doth not any one plainly perceive , that there is no virtue , or part of morality , but what hath some particular good and advantage to human nature , connected with it , as all vice and wickedness hath the contrary ? doth not a sincere veneration for that supream and almighty being , from whom all our powers and faculties are derived , and a consciousness to our selves that we are obedient to his will , and consequently under his protection ; doth not this , i say , bring constant peace , comfort and satisfaction along with it ? and prove our greatest support under any troubles and afflictions ? and on the other hand , hath not generally speaking he that is guilty of impiety , profaneness and irreligion , dismal doubts and dire suspicions in his mind of impending punishments , and misery ? is not such a mans whole course of action , a continual state of war in his own breast , and a constant contradiction of his reason and his conscience ? what hath such a person to support him , or to give him any comfort on a sick or a death-bed , when the hurry and amusements of sensual pleasure are over ; and when all the treacherous enjoyments of this world begin to fail him , and discover themselves to be counterfeit and fictitious ? but again , is it not plain to every one , that truth , justice and benevolence , do naturally and essentially conduce to the well being and happiness of mankind , to the mutual support of society and commerce , and to the ease , peace and quiet of all governments and communities ? and doth it not as clearly appear on the contrary that breach of trusts and compacts , lying and falsifying of mens words , injustice , oppression , and cruelty , do inevitably render that place or society miserable where they abound ? what an unexpressible wretchedness would mankind be in , if hobbs his state of nature were in being amongst us ? i. e. a state wherein no man would have any notion of moral virtue , but where every one should think himself to have a right to all things , and consequently be still endeavouring to obtain them ; and making it his daily business to vex , rob , ruin and destroy all who opposed his will , and they also be doing continually the same things against him , and against one another . a man must be stupidly and wilfully blind before he can assert such a state as this , to be as happy and advantageous to mankind , as where all moral virtues are observed and exercised : and therefore mr. hobbs himself is forced to allow that rational agents would have recourse to the enacting of laws for the due government and regulation of society . but how these laws should ever come into peoples heads , that are supposed to have no manner of notion of any distinction between good or evil , just or unjust ; and when there is in reality no such thing , is what i cannot not possibly conceive . on the contrary , i think that the constant and universal support , that these moral virtues have always had from human laws , is a most demonstrative argument that men have always thought them substantially and morally good and excellent in themselves ; and that they do naturally and eternally conduce to the good of all societies . indeed , some things may be , and often are enacted or prohibited by human laws , that have no real nor intrinsick goodness , nor natural evil in them ; but are only good and evil , according to some particular circumstances and exigencies of affairs . and thus god himself was pleased to appoint the jews many rites and observances that had not any real or intrinsick goodness in them , but only were necessary for the present circumstances and condition of that nation . but then these are every where in holy writ , post-poned to moral virtue (a) , declared by god himself to be of much lesser value ; and whenever there was a competition between them , these were to give place to those ; which were properly speaking good in their own natures , and of universal and eternal obligation ; whereas the others were only good pro & nunc . therefore they are said by the apostle , to be not good , i. e. in themselves or in their own natures ; but only by institution . but this is not the case as to such actions as we have been mentioning , which are called morally good or evil ; for these have been constantly and universally distinguished by humane laws , and have never been confounded or changed . for can any man produce a law that ever obtained universally against paying adoration and worship to the deity ? against mens honouring their parents , or against their being just , good , merciful , and righteous in their dealings with one another ? against such things , as st. paul tells us , there is no law. nor is it possible for our adversaries to shew us , that the contrary immoralities were ever universally thought good and lawful ; or allowed and established by any general authority whatsoever ; and should the reverses to moral virtue be enjoined as laws , and every one commanded to be unjust , oppressive , and cruel , as now he is enjoyned the contrary , any one may imagine what would be the dismal consequences of it . 3. but again , another argument for the natural distinction between good and evil , may be drawn from the consideration of our passions and affections : for these are so framed and contrived by our wise creator , as to guide and direct us to good , and to guard and preserve us from evil by a kind of natural instinct , which we find in our selves frequently previous to all reasoning and consideration . thus , we perceive a strange horrour , and very ungrateful sensations seize upon us immediately , on the sight of a scene of misery , or a spectacle of cruelty ; and as soon as ever our ears are entertained with the doleful relation of such actions ; so also an instance of great injustice or very base ingratitude , raises a just indignation in us against the offending person ; and we cannot avoid being uneasily moved and affected in such cases . while on the contrary , a very pleasing satisfaction of soul arises in us , when we see , or hear of an instance of great kindness , justice , generosity , and compassion . now this sympathizing of our natural affections with our reason ; and their approving and disapproving the very same things that it doth , is a very convincing argument that there is an essential difference between actions as to their being good or evil , and that we have a plain knowledge of such a distinction . for no doubt god implanted these passions and affections in our natures , and gave them this turn which we plainly perceive they have , in order to prepare the way for our reasons more thoroughly assuring us of the natural goodness and excellence of moral virtue , when it comes to be ripe , and sufficient for that end ; and in the mean time , to keep children and young persons , in whom we perceive these natural efforts to be very strong , by a kind of anticipation or natural instinct from doing such things as their reason , freely exercised , will afterwards condemn them for . and now upon the whole , there being thus plainly proved an essential and natural difference between moral good and evil ; and that the reason of all mankind freely and impartially exercised doth agree in this point , that morality conduces to the happiness , and immorality to the misery of human nature : we may very justly conclude from hence , that all other rational agents must judge of good and evil after the same manner , and plainly distinguish one from the other . and they also must know and understand that their perfection and happiness ( though they may differ in some circumstances from us ) doth consist in acting according to the eternal rules of right reason and moral virtue . for if the case be not so , several rational natures all derived from the same deity , may come to make contradictory judgments , even when they act according to the great and common rule of their nature . but the principle of right reason , at this rate , would be the most precarious thing imaginable , and men could never possibly be assured that they were in the right in any point , or knew any thing at all . assuredly therefore this great rule of right reason that god hath given his creatures to govern and direct themselves by , is no such uncertain thing , is in no respect contradictory to it self ; but must be uniformly and constantly the same in all beings , that are endowed with it , when it is rightly and perfectly followed . and from hence also we cannot but conclude , that the same eternal , constant and uniform law of right reason and morality that god hath given as an universal guide to all rational beings , must also be in him in the greatest and most exquisite perfection . and that , not only because all perfections and excellencies in the creatures must necessarily be in that first being from whom they are derived , as i have already proved ; but also , that if it were not so , god must be supposed to have given us a rule of action that is contrary to his own nature , or at least vastly different from it . and that he hath contrived our powers and faculties so , as to deceive us in the most material and essential points , and indeed hath left us no possible way of knowing the truth of any thing whatsoever . for , if when , as i have shewn above , god hath not only fixed in our natures , a desire of happiness ; but also disposed them so , that every power faculty and capacity of them convinces us that the exercise of moral virtue is the way , and indeed , the only way to make us entirely happy . if i say after all this , there be no such things as moral virtue and goodness , but that all things and actions , both in us and the deity , are purely and in their own natures indifferent ; 't is plain , reason is the most ridiculous thing in the world , a guide that serves to no manner of purpose but to bewilder us in the infinite mazes of errour , and to expose us to roam and float about in the boundless ocean of scepticism , where we can never find our way certainly to any place , nor direct our course to the discovery of any truth whatsoever . but this not being to be supposed of the deity , who contains in himself all possible excellence and perfection ; it must needs be that our reason will direct us to conclude the deity also guided and directed in all his proceedings by the eternal rules of right reason and truth : and consequently that he will and doth always exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth ; as the prophet here speaks . and indeed , the hobbian notion of a deity guided only by arbitrary will omnipotent , without any regard to reason , goodness , justice , and wisdom , is so far from attributing any perfection to god , or as they pretend , being the liberty and sovereignty of the deity ; that it really introduces the greatest weakness and folly , and the most brutish madness that can be ! for what else can be supposed to be the result of irresistible and extravagant will , pursuing the most fortuitous caprichio's of humour , without any wisdom , ends , or designs to regulate its motions by ? and of this the ancient heathens were so sensible , that they always connected goodness with the idea that they had of an omnipotent mind's being supream lord over all things in the universe ; for mind not guided and directed by goodness was , according to them , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , mere folly and madness , and consequently no true deity . there is a remarkable passage of celsus's to this purpose , which though introduced upon another design , yet very clearly shews the idea that the heathens had of the goodness and wisdom of the deity . god , saith he , can't do evil things , nor will any thing contrary to nature ( or reason ) — for god is not the president or governour of irregular or inordinate desires ; nor of erroneous disorder and confusion , but of a nature truly just and righteous . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . orig. contr . cels. lib. 5. p. 240. cantabr . excellently to the same purpose , is that saying of plotinus , the deity doth always act according to his nature or essence , and that nature or essence discovereth goodness and justice in all its operations : for indeed , if these things should not be there ( i. e. in god ) where can they else be found ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; p. 265. ficin . and 't is plain that the heathens had a true notion , that the deity must be a good , just and righteous being ; because several of the old atheists , as protagoras , &c. argued against the existence of a deity , from the worlds being so ill made and ordered as it is , and from there being so much evil and misery among mankind , as they pretended to find in the world ; but now there had been no manner of force in this argument , and it had been ridiculous to bring it , if , both the atheistical proposers of it , and their antagonists , had not had a clear notion that goodness , justice and righteousness are naturally included in the idea of a god. accordingly vaninus tells us , that protagoras used to say , si deus non est unde igitur bona ? si autem est , unde mala , amph. aetern . provid . p. 90. and the same thing tully tells us also ( lib. de nat. deorum ) that diagoras used to object against a deity . all which sufficiently proves that they were all agreed that there was some common standard of good and evil ; and that the notion of a deity had always these attributes of goodness and justice connected with it . and if this be so , as undoubtedly it is , we shall gain one more good argument for this natural and eternal distinction between good and evil , and a yet much nobler foundation for morality . for we cannot but think , that a god who hath perfect goodness , justice and mercy , essential to his nature , and who hath created several orders of being in the world , to make them happy , and in order to display his own glory , by his just , kind and gracious dealing with them : we cannot but think , i say , that god will give to those of his creatures , whom he hath endowed with reason , and a power of liberty and choice , such a method of knowing his will , ( the way that leads to their own happiness ) as that they shall never be mistaken about it , but by their own gross fault and neglect . and also that he will make the difference between good and evil , and between virtue and vice so plain and conspicuous , that no one can miss of the knowledge of his duty , but by a wilful violation of those powers and faculties god hath graciously implanted in his nature . and all this we see god hath actually done : and indeed much more ; having over and above connected very great rewards with the practice of virtue and morality . and hath either naturally planted in the minds of men a notion of some future state , or else hath given our nature such a power , as that we may attain to such a notion : for we find a very plain belief and expectation of such a state , among many of the ancient and modern heathens . and over and above all this , he hath also given us a clear revelation of his will in the holy scripture , that sure word of prophecy and instruction , whereby we may , if we will , gain a yet plainer knowledge of our duty , be more perfectly instructed in the method of eternal salvation , and find also much higher encouragements , and much greater helps and assistances than we had before in the state of nature . and all this is vouchsafed us to enforce the more effectually the practice of moral virtue , and to enable us more perfectly to perform those things , which the universal reason of mankind approves as good , lovely and advantageous to human nature . finis . books printed for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard . remarks upon some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . in octavo . and , immorality and pride the great causes of atheism . the atheist's objection , that we can have no idea of god , refuted . the notion of a god , neither from fear nor policy . the atheist's objections , against the immaterial nature of god , and incorporeal substances , refuted . a refutation of the objections against the attributes of god in general : in six sermons preach'd at the cathedral church of st. paul , 1698. being the first six of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal society . dr. payne's discourses on several practical subjects . in octavo . dr. abbadie's vindication of the christian religion , in two parts . in octavo . a serious proposal to the ladies , in two parts . in twelves . letters concerning the love of god , between the author of the proposal to the ladies , and mr. norris . a treatise of the asthma , divided into four parts . in the first is given a history of the fits , and the symptoms preceeding them . in the second , the cacochymia , that disposes to the fit , and the rarefaction of the spirits which produces it , are described . in the third , the accidental causes of the fit , and the symptomatic asthmas are observ'd . in the fourth , the cure of the asthma fit , and the method of preventing it , is proposed . to which is annex'd a digression about the several species of acids distinguish'd by their tastes : and 't is observ'd how far they were thought convenient or injurious in general practice , by the old writers ; and most particularly in relation to the cure of the asthma ; by sir john floyer . in octavo . a refutation of the atheistical notion of fate , or absolute necessity . in a sermon preach'd at the cathedral-church of st. paul , november the seventh , 1698. being the eighth of the lecture for that year , founded by the honourable robert boyle , esq by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . london , printed by j. l. for richard wilkin , at the king's-head in st. paul's church-yard , 1698. jerem. ix . 24 . let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , who exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth : for in these things do i delight , saith the lord. i did , in my last discourse , begin to speak to the second particular considerable in these words , viz. an account of some of those attributes which god is here said to exercise in the earth , and in which he delights . on which i did not think it necessary to discourse particularly ; but from thence took an occasion to remove two great bars to the true knowledge of god and of his attributes , which sceptical and unbelieving men had raised in the way . which were these : i. that there is in reality no such things as moral good or evil : but that all actions are in their own nature indifferent . ii. that all things are determined by absolute fatality : and that god himself , and all creatures whatsoever , are necessary agents , without having any power of choice , or any real liberty in their natures at all . the former of these i did then dispatch , plainly proving the existence of moral good and evil , and answering the objections against it . i proceed now to speak to the latter ; which is an objection that our adversaries are very fond of , and do all of them , upon occasion , have recourse to . and it is indeed a great point gain'd if they could make it out , and will effectually destroy all manner of religious obligation , and all dread of punishment for doing amiss . for as one observes on these three things all religion is founded : 1. that there is a god who made , presides over , and governeth all things . 2. that there are some things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in their own natures good and just . 3. that there is also something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , something in our own power to do , whereby we are accountable for our actions , and become guilty when we do amiss . but there can certainly be neither good nor evil in any man's actions , and no rewards or punishments can be the consequents of them , if nothing at all be in our own power , if whatever we act or commit , it is absolutely impossible for us to avoid acting or committing . which yet must be the case , if , as they assert , things are determined by absolute fatality ; and that god himself and all creatures whatsoever are necessary agents , without having any power of choice , or any real liberty in their natures at all . i shall therefore at this time , 1. shew you that this is plainly their assertion , from their own words . 2. i shall endeavour to shew the groundlesness of of those reasons on which they build their hypothesis . and 3. from some arguments , establish the contrary position of the freedom and liberty of human nature . 1. and that this is the assertion of the two great atheistical writers , is very plain , mr. hobbs declares himself to be of the opinion , (a) that no man can be free from necessitation . that nothing taketh beginning from it self , but from the action of some other immediate agent without it self . and that therefore , when first a man hath an appetite or will to something , to which immediately before he had no appetite nor will , the cause of his will is not the will it self , but something else not in his own disposing . so that whereas it is out of controversie that of voluntary actions the will is the necessary cause , and by this which is said , the will is also caused by other things whereof it disposeth not , it followeth , that voluntary actions have all of them necessary causes , and therefore are necessitated . (b) this ( saith he also ) is a certain truth ; that there are certain and necessary causes which make every man to will what he willeth , ib. p. 306. and then as to the deity , i have already more than once taken notice , that hobbs denies him any understanding , sense , or knowledge ; (c) and asserts him to be without any ends or designs in his actions and operations . which plainly makes him an agent absolutely and physically necessary ; as , indeed , follows also from the notion of his being corporeal , which the same writer every where maintains (d) . spinoza also is very express in this matter , as i have already shewn (e) in some measure . in mente ( saith he ) nulla est absoluta sive libera voluntas ; sed mens ad hoc vel illud volendum determinatur à causâ , quae etiam ab aliâ , & haec iterùm ab aliâ & sic in infinitum (f) . and in another place , voluntas non potest vocari causa libera , sed tantum necessaria . (g) and yet on another occasion , and in another book , he hath these words , clarè & distinctè intelligimus , si ad nostram naturam attendamus , nos in nostris actionibus esse liberos , & de multis deliberare propter id solum , quod volumus (a) . which is as plain and palpable a contradiction to what he , with the same air of assurance , delivers in other places , as can possibly be . mr. hobbs also cannot be acquitted from expresly contradicting himself as to this point of liberty and necessity ; for he tells us in his reasons for his opinion ) (b) that he that reflecteth on himself cannot but be satisfied . that a free agent is he that can do if he will , and forbear if he will. and such an agent he allows man to be , and saith he hath proved it too . but how he will reconcile this with his assertion that no man can be free from necessitation , and that all our actions have necessary causes , and therefore are necessitated , i cannot imagine . as to spinoza's account of the deity , in reference to this point , i have given a hint or two of it already . he makes god to be the same with nature , or the universe , to be corporeal and an absolutely necessary agent ; one who cannot possibly help doing as he doth ; one who hath no power of creation , nor doth act according to free will (c) . but is limited and restrained to one constant method of acting by the absolute necessity of his nature , or by his infinite power . and lest any one should misunderstand him so far , as to imagine that he means by this , that god is by the excellency and perfection of his nature , in all his operations exactly conformable to the rules of justice , goodness and right reason ; he plainly excludes that notion in these words ; qui dicunt deum omnia sub ratione boni agere , hi aliquid extra deum videntur ponere , quod à deo non dependet , ad quod deus tanquam ad exemplar in operando attendit , vel ad quod , tanquam ad certum scopum collimat : quod profectò nihil aliud est quam deum fato subjicere (a) . now , i think nothing can more shew the wicked perversness of this writer's mind , than this passage ; for he could not but know very well that when divines assert the deity to be essentially and necessarily good , they do not mean that goodness is any thing extrinsical to the divine nature , much less that it is something which hath no dependance upon it : but only that the excellency and perfection of his nature is such , as that it is in every thing exactly conformable to right reason ; and therefore this was certainly a wilful perversion of their sense , set up on purpose to overthrow the notion of moral goodness in the deity . but how vain is it for him to tell us , that for the deity to act sub ratione boni , is for him to be subject to fate , when at the same time he himself asserts , that god is in every respect a necessary agent , without any free will , nay , without any knowledge or vnderstanding in his nature at all ? this is so plain a demonstration , that it was his chief and primary design to banish out of mens minds the notion of moral goodness , that nothing can be more : and therefore tho' he was resolved to introduce absolute necessity into all actions both divine and human ; yet it should be such an one as should leave no umbrage for any distinction between good and evil , or any foundation for rewards and punishments . and in this notion of necessity , these writers follow democritus , heraclitus , leucippus , and that atheistical sect ; who maintain'd that there was nothing in all nature but matter and motion . and therefore when these modern writers assert that there is nothing in the universe but body , as they do , they run fate farther than most of the old heathen patrons of necessity did . for there was none but the democritick sect , that supposed fate to have a power over the will of man ; and in this particular , even they were deserted by epicurus ; as i observe below . the pythagoreans , platonists , and stoicks agreed that the mind of man was free . and 't is well known that the stoicks did in this free power of the will of man , found that arrogant assertion of theirs , that a wise man was in one respect more excellent than the gods ; for they were good by the necessity of their nature and could not help it , whereas man had a power of being otherwise , and therefore was the more commendable for being so . there was , indeed , some of the poets , and some few of the philosophers too , who did subject the gods themselves to fate or necessity . thus seneca in one place saith , necessitas & deos alligat ; irrevocabilis divina pariter ac humana cursus vehit . ille ipse omnium conditor ac rector scripsit quidem fata , sed sequitur , semper paret , semel jussit . which opinion is effectually refuted and exposed by lucian , in that dialogue of his called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . as also by lactantius in his first book de falsâ religione , chap. 11. but this , as i doubt not but seneca and some others understood in a softer sense than at first sight it appears to have , so was it the doctrine of but a few ; for generally the heathens did fully believe that prayers and sacrifices would alter a man's fortune and circumstances for the better ; that they would appease the anger , and gain the favour and blessing of the gods , and that their nature was not so absolutely fatal and necessary , but that they could freely deal with their creatures according as they deserved at their hands . for we find balbus the stoick mentioned by cicero , telling us , that the nature of god would not be most powerful and excellent , if it were subject to the same necessity or nature , quâ coelum , maria , terraeque reguntur : nihil enim est praestantius deo , nulli igitur est naturae obediens & subjectus . so that these writers tread in the steps of the worst , and most atheistical of the heathen philosophers , and maintain a more rigid fate , and a more irresistible necessity than most of them did . but , 2 : i come next to shew the groundlesness of those reasons and arguments on which these men build their hypothesis of absolute necessity . and first as to the reasons of mr. hobbs . the chief that he brings against the freedom of human actions are these , saith mr. hobbs , in all deliberations and alternate successions of contrary appetites , 't is the last only which we call will ; this is immediately before the doing of any action , or next before the doing of it become impossible . also , nothing , saith he , can take beginning from it self , but must do it from the action of some other immediate agent without it ; if therefore a man hath a will to something , which he had not before : the cause of his willing is not the will it self , but something else not in his own disposing . so that whereas 't is out of controversie , that of voluntary actions the will is the necessary cause ; and by this which is now said , the will is also caused by other things whereof it disposeth not , it follows that voluntary actions have all of them necessary causes , and therefore are necessitated . agen also , every sufficient cause , saith he , is a necessary one , for if it did not produce its effect necessarily , 't was because something was wanting to its production , and then it was not sufficient . now from hence it follows that whatsoever is produced , is produced necessarily , and consequently all voluntary actions are necessitated . and to define a free agent to be that , which when all things are present which are necessary to produce the effect , can nevertheless not produce it , is contradiction and nonsense ; for 't is all one as to say the cause may be sufficient ( i. e. ) necessary , and yet the effect shall not follow . this is the substance of all mr. hobbs his proof against free will ; in which , there are almost as many mistakes as there are sentences ; and from hence it plainly will appear , that either he had no clear idea's of what he wrote about ; or else did designedly endeavour to perplex , darken and confound the cause : for in the first place , he confounds the power or faculty of willing in man with the last act of willing , or determination after deliberating . and consequently doth not distinguish between what the schools would call hypothetical and absolute necessity : which yet ought to be carefully done in the point between us ; for an agent may be free , and no doubt every man is free to deliberate on , and to compare the objects offered to his choice , and yet not be so after he hath chosen . then , indeed , necessity comes in ; 't is impossible for any one to choose and not to choose , or to determine and not to determine ; and after the election is made , no one ever supposed that a man is free not to make it . and therefore if by the will mr. hobbs means that last act of willing or electing , which immediately precedes acting , or which is next before the doing of a thing become impossible , as he expresseth himself ; he fights with his own shadow , and opposes that which no body ever denied : for no man ever supposed freedom and determination to be the same thing ; but only that man before he determined was free , whether he would determine so and so , or not . and accordingly he himself defines a voluntary agent , to be him that hath not made an end of deliberating (a) . agen , 2. 't is hard to know what he means here , by nothing taking its beginning from it self : he is talking about voluntary actions , and about the freedom of human nature , and therefore should referr this to the will of man : but the instances he afterwards produces , are of contingent things (b) , which are nothing at all to his purpose . but if this be spoken of the will , what will it signifie ? i grant nothing can take its beginning from itself ; the will of man took its beginning from god , and voluntary actions ( we say ) take their beginning from the faculty or power of willing placed in our souls : but what then ? doth it follow from thence , that those actions we call voluntary are necessitated , because that they take their original from that free power of election god hath placed in our natures , and not from themselves ? i dare say , no one can see the consequence of this part of the argument . and it will not in the least follow from hence , that the cause of a man's willing , is not the will it self ; but something else not in his own disposing : which yet he boldly asserts . it is the power of willing , or that faculty which we find in our selves , of being free ( in many cases ) to act or not act , or to act after such a particular manner , which is generally called the will ; and this is commonly said to be free . tho' i think ( as one hath observed ) (a) it is not so proper a way of speaking , as to say , the man is free . for besides that 't is not usual , nor indeed proper , to predicate one faculty of another ; 't is hardly good sense to say the will is free , in the manner now explain'd ; for that would be the same thing as to say , that a free power is free ; whereas it is not the power , but the man that hath the power , that is free . but however the other way of expression hath prevailed and doth do so , and i don't think any one is misled by it into error ; for that which every body understands and means by saying the will of man is free , is , that man hath in his nature such a free power , as is called his will. now from hence it will not follow that a man is free whether he will will , or not ; for he must will someway , either to act , or not to act ; or to act after such a particular manner . but it will follow , that when a man hath made any particular volition , or hath determined the point whether he shall act , or forbear to act , he is then no longer at liberty , as to this particular case and instant ; for the determination is then actually made , and the man no longer free not to make it . but this proves nothing at all against the liberty or freedom of the mind of man. again , what doth mr. hobbs mean by the will 's being the necessary cause of voluntary actions ? doth he mean that the will of man must of necessity act freely , and produce actions voluntarily ; if he doth , we are agreed ; but if he means that the will is previously necessitated in every act of volition to will just as it doth , and could not possibly have willed otherwise ; this is to beg the question , and to take for granted the great thing in dispute ; 't is to call that out of controversie , which is the only thing in controversie ; which indeed , when a man contradicts the common sense and reason of mankind , without proof , is the best way of proceeding . but that which looks most like an argument for the necessity of all humane actions , is this which he brings in the last place . that cause ( saith he ) is a sufficient cause which wanteth nothing requisite to produce its effect , but such a cause must also be a necessary one ; for had it not necessarily produced its effect , it must have been because something was wanting in it for that purpose , and then it could not have been sufficient : so that whatever is produced , is produced necessarily ; for it could not have been at all without , a sufficient ( or necessary ) cause ; and therefore also , all voluntary actions are necessitated . now all this proves to his purpose ( i think ) just nothing at all : he proceeds on in his former error of confounding the act of willing with the power of willing ; and of making hypothetical the same with absolute necessity ; for , not now to dispute what he saith of every sufficient cause's being a necessary one ; allowing that when ever any volition or determination is made , or when ever any voluntary action is done , that the will of man was a sufficient cause to produce that effect ; nay , that it did at last necessarily produce it ; he can inferr nothing from hence more than this ; that when the will hath determined or willed , 't is no longer free to will , or nill that particular thing at that particular instant ; which i don't believe any body will ever , or ever did deny . but this will not prove at all that the will was necessitated to make that determination à priori , and that it could have made no other ; which yet is what he means , and ought to have clearly made out . for the same power or faculty of liberty , which enabled it to make that determination , would have been a sufficient cause for it to have made another contrary to it , or differing from it : and then when that had been made , it would have been as necessary as the former . and therefore that definition of a free agent 's being that , which when all things are present which are needful to produce the effect , can nevertheless not produce it , ( tho' i don't think it the best ) doth not , when rightly understood , imply any contradiction , nor is it nonsense at all . for the meaning of it is , that he is properly free , who hath the power of determination in himself ; and when all requisites are ready , so that nothing shall extrinsecally either hinder him from , or compel him to act , can yet choose whether he will act or not . thus , if a man hath pen , ink and paper , and a place to write upon , his hand well and at liberty , and understands how to write ; he hath all things present that are needful to produce the effect of writing ; yet he can nevertheless not produce that effect ; because he can choose after all , whether he will write or no. mr. hobbs defines a free agent to be him that can do if he will , and forbear if he will , and that liberty is the absence of all external impediments (a) ; which if he intended any thing by it , but to palliate a bad cause , and to amuse the person he wrote to , is as much nonsense and contradiction to what he himself advances about necessity as is possible . for how a man can be said to act necessarily , that hath no external impediments to hinder him , or causes to compel him , but is free to act if he will or forbear if he will , is what i believe no man can possibly conceive . thus we see plainly , that this great patron of necessity hath very little to say for his darling notion , and that he plainly contradicts and is inconsistent with himself . had he indeed dared speak out , and thought it time to declare his opinion freely , he would , no doubt , have proceeded on other grounds in this point , and made use of arguments more agreeable to his set of principles : which being allowed him , would have demonstrated an absolute necessity of all things whatsoever . for he was a thorough corporealist , and maintained that there was nothing more in nature , but matter and motion ; which if it were true , it is most certain , that all things and actions must be inevitably fatal and necessary ; for ( as mr. lock well observes ) nothing but thought or willing , in a spirit , can begin motion . the necessity therefore in such an hypothesis would be the true ancient democritick fate , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or , as epicurus calls it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a through material necessity mechanically producing all things : or the fate of the naturalists , who held nothing besides matter and motion . but this notion , for some reasons best known to himself , he did not think fit to insist on , when he wrote this tract against the liberty of human nature . tho' his successor spinoza , with a little variation did ; whose arguments we must next consider . spinoza , as i have formerly shewed , was an absolute corporealist as well as mr. hobbs ; but finding that cogitation could never be accounted for from matter and motion only , he supposes cogitation essential to matter ; and as he makes but one only substance in the world , which is the matter of all things , or god ; so he supposes cogitation to be one of the essential attributes of this deity , as extension is the other . and from hence he concludes , that all things , according to the infinite variety of their several natures , must necessarily flow from god or the whole , and must be just what they are , and cannot be , nor could not possibly have been , any otherwise (a) . he doth indeed stile the deity causa libera , and say he is only so (b) . but the reason he assigns for it , is only because nothing can compel him to , or hinder him from doing any thing ; but he expresly denies him to have either understanding or free will (c) . and he declares oftentimes , that all things flow from the deity by as absolute a necessity , as that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right ones . and then as to the mind of man , he gives this reason why it cannot have any free will ; quia mens ad hoc , vel illud volendum determinatur à causâ , quae etiam ab alia , & haec iterum ab aliâ & sic in infinitum (d) . the same thing also he asserts in another place (e) , and from thence undertakes to prove also , that god cannot have any free will ; and withal saith , that understanding and will , as they are called , belong to the nature of god , just as motion and rest , and other natural things do , which are absolutely determined to operate just as they do , and cannot do otherwise (a) . this is the argument of spinoza , to prove that there is no such thing as freedom in the nature of man , but that he is determined in every thing by absolute and inevitable necessity . and this necessity also 't is plain according to him , is purely physical and mechanical . as to the refutation of which , i think , i have already effectually removed the foundation on which it is all built , by proving that there are such beings as immaterial substances , and that god himself is such an one , or a spirit (b) . for all the necessity spinoza contends for , depends purely on his notion of the deity ; as appears sufficiently from what i have produced of his words . if therefore it be true , that god be an immaterial substance , a being distinct from nature , or the universe ; and the creator and producer of all things , ( as i think i have very clearly proved ) 't is most certain that the whole chain of spinoza's argument for necessity is broken to pieces . for the reason he assigns for the necessary operations of the deity , are not the perfections of his nature determining him to good and just , lovely and reasonable things ; but that the deity being universal nature , all things and operations are parts of him , and their several ways and manners of acting and existing according to the necessary laws of motion and mechanism , are his understanding and will : which ignorant people , he saith , may perhaps take in a literal sense , and think that god can properly know or will any thing ; but that in reality there is no such thing as understanding or free will in god , since all things flow from him by inevitable necessity . and if there be not any freedom in the deity , that is in the whole , there can be none in men , or in any other beings , who are but parts of him . if this indeed be true , that there is no other god but nature ; then 't is easie to see that all things must be governed by absolute fatality , and be in every respect physically necessary ; there can then be no such thing as contingency , or any voluntary actions ; and if we were sure of this , 't is indeed the greatest ignorance and folly in the world , to pretend to talk any thing about it . but on the other hand , if there be a deity who is an infinitely perfect being , distinct from nature : who created all things by the word of his power , and for whose sole pleasure they are and were created , then none of those consequences will follow ; but it will appear very reasonable to believe , that god hath still a care and providence over that world which he made at first : and that he delights to exercise loving kindness , judgment and righteousness in the earth ; as the prophet here speaks : that he hath made some creatures capable of knowing and vnderstanding this , and who consequently have a free power , as in other things , so of giving praise and glory to so great and wonderful a being , nay , and of glorying themselves in being capacitated to attain so excellent a knowledge . and that man hath such a power or freedom of will , in his nature , is what i shall now proceed in the last place plainly to prove . 1. and the first argument i shall make use of to demonstrate this , shall be the experience of all mankind . and this , one would think , should be of great weight , and turn the scale against all the atheistical metaphysicks in the world ; and so , no doubt it would , were it not wicked mens interest to advance the contrary notion . now that we have a free power of deliberating , in many cases , which way 't is best for us to proceed ; that we can act this way or that way , according as we like best ; and that we can often forbear whether we will act at all , or not , is a truth so clear and manifest , that we are ( i think ) almost as certain of it as we are of our own being and existence ; and 't is an unimaginable thing how any man can be perswaded that he hath no such power (a) . indeed , one may by sophistical words , metaphysical terms , and abstruse unintelligible banter , be perhaps a little amused and confounded for the present . but that any one should by such a jargon be persuaded out of his senses , his reason , and his experience , and continue in that opinion , is what i do believe never yet befel any rational and thinking man. when zeno brought his silly sophisticals argument to prove there was no such thing as motion ; his antagonist thought it to no purpose to return an answer to what plainly was contradictory to the common sense of mankind ; and therefore convinc'd him only , by getting up and walking . and the very same return will baffle and expose all the pretended arguments for necessity . for 't is plain , he had a power first whether he would have walked or not , he could have walked five turns , or fifty ; he could have gone across the room , or length-wise ; round it , or from angle to angle . and i dare say , no sophistry or metaphysicks whatever would have convinced him that none of these were in his power , when he plainly found them all to be so ; any more than he was convinced a body could not move out of its place , when he had seen and tried a thousand times that it would . 't is the same thing in reference to the thoughts of our minds , as it is in the motions of our bodies . we plainly find we have a power in abundance of cases , to preferr one thought before another , and to remove our contemplation from one notion or idea to another : we can , in our minds , compare and revolve over the several objects of our choice ; and we can oftentimes choose whether we will do this , or not ; and this internal freedom in reference to our thoughts and idea's , we do as plainly perceive , and are as sure of , as we are that we can voluntarily move our body or any part of it from place to place . and as i have plainly shewed you above , our adversaries do grant and allow this when it is for their turn . but they will say , tho' we seem to be free , and do think and perceive our selves to be so , yet in reality we are not ; and it is only our ignorance of things and causes , which induces us to be of this mistaken opinion (a) ; and the idea of liberty which men have is this , that they know no cause of their actions ; for to say they depend on the will , is to talk about what they do not understand , and to use words of which they have no idea's at all . to which , i say , that i cannot but be of the opinion that it is a good rational way enough of proceeding , to pronounce of things according as we do experience them to be , and to declare them to be that which we have all the reason in the world to think and believe that they really are . and i think we may well enough own and be contented with the charge of ignorance here laid upon us . for the case is thus : we think our selves free , because we plainly find and experiment our selves to be so in a thousand instances ; and this also these penetrating gentlemen sometimes , as i have shewed , do kindly allow ; and we are indeed wholly ignorant of any causes that do absolutely determine us to action ; or which do necessitate us in what we do ▪ previous to that free power which we find in our selves ; so that plainly perceiving our selves to have this free power , and being ignorant of any true reason why we should believe we are mistaken in what we perceive and know , we do , indeed , ( such is our ignorance and weakness ) embrace the opinion that there is a liberty of action in human nature . and this free power or liberty which we find in us , we not being deep metaphysicians , call the will ; by which we understand , as i have shewed before , not any particular act of volition , but the power or faculty of willing . and since we plainly perceive that in many cases we are not determined to action by any thing without us , but do choose or refuse , act or not act , according as we please ; and being withal grosly ignorant of any cause these actions have , but what we find and perceive them to have , we call our free will the cause of these actions , and say they depend on it : and yet after all , do we not find out , that we talk about what we do not understand , and use words that we have no idea of . but our adversaries , it seems , have a quite different rellish of things , they soar in a higher and more subtle region , they will not condescend to speak common sense in this matter ; tho' they plainly understand , ( as they tell us ) that they are really free as to many actions , and can deliberate whether they will do them or not , purely because they have a free power so to do (a) ; tho' they are satisfied that they can act if they will , or forbear if they will (b) ; yet they say this is in reality a mistake , and that there is no such thing as freedom after all , but that all actions are absolutely necessitated . and as for the power or faculty which is vulgarly called the will ; that sometimes is one thing sometimes another , according as they think fit to name it . sometimes 't is an act of volition that follows the ultimum dictamen intellectûs , and sometimes 't is the understanding itself (c) . now 't is nothing but an idea (d) , and by and by a meer ens rationis (d) , or an imaginary cause of action , which ignorant men have fansied that they have in themselves (e) . so hard is it for men that fly so high , to have a distinct view of any thing below . but i proceed , 2. to another argument , for the freedom of humane nature ; and that is , the monstrous absurdities and consequences of the contrary opinion . for the assertion that all our actions are necessitated , it perfectly destroys the notions of good and evil , rewards and punishments , and of all manner of obligation both to divine and human laws : and consequently is the most destructive principle , that can be advanced , to the good of society . i have already proved that there is a natural distinction between actions as to good and evil , that this is plainly discoverable by the light of reason , and that all nations in all ages of the world have been sensible of it ; and if this be proved , ( as i think it hath been ) we ought not to desert it , only because we can't readily solve all the difficulties about the freedom of the will of man , which a sceptical man may raise against it ; much less ought we to embrace an opinion that perfectly contradicts it ; as this of absolute necessity certainly doth . for if all things and actions whatever are absolutely necessary , and cannot possibly be otherwise than they are ; there can be no such thing as good or evil , right or wrong , honourable or base , &c. and why should any creatures trouble themselves about paying any veneration to the deity , if that he could not help making them just such as they are ? and if he hath absolutely necessitated them to do just as they do ? god hath , according to these horrid principles , no natural right to any obedience from us , as a free agent would , who had out of his own gracious goodness bestowed so many gifts and mercies upon us . this mr. hobbs well knew , and therefore he tells us , that there is no obedience due to god out of gratitude to him for creating or preserving us , &c. (a) but what we pay him , is founded only in his irresistible power . and so likewise , as to human laws and the good of the government or commonwealth where we are placed . no man , according to these abominable tenets , hath any obligation upon him to obey rulers , to be just and honest in his dealings , to be loving and merciful , helpful and beneficial to his neighbours ; but he may rebel , murder , rob , and oppress , without being subject to any guilt at all ; and if he can but escape punishment from the magistrate he is safe enough , and hath no reason to be disturbed in his own mind ; for he can't help any of all this , he is under an absolute necessity of doing what he doth , and no one ought to blame him for it . indeed , spinoza says , that the government may , if they think fit , put such a man to death ; but not because he is guilty and deserves it , but because he is mischievous and dangerous to them , and therefore is to be feared . and when one wrote to him on this point , alledging , that if the will were not free , all vice would be excusable ; he answers , quid inde (a) ? nam homines mali non minus timendi sunt , nec minus perniciosi , quando necessariò mali sunt . by which he plainly allows that all wickedness is excusable , tho' it be not always tolerable , as it is not when it becomes formidable . fear is that which according to these men doth every thing in the world , in this case . a subject pays obedience to the laws , not because he thinks himself bound in conscience so to do , or because it is just and reasonable ; but because he is afraid of punishment if he do not do it . and the magistrates punish an offender , not because they think he hath committed any fault , or is guilty of any crime properly speaking ; but because they are afraid of him , and under an apprehension that he is likely to do them a mischief . and thus a man that is guilty of all manner of immorality , an assassinator of princes , a firer of cities , a betrayer of his country , a poisoner , coiner , a common robber , or the most flagitious villain that can be imagined , is as innocent as a saint from any guilt of sin he hath upon him ; for he is necessitated to do what he doth , he can't help it , any more than another man can , that acts virtuously , as 't is called : and therefore he may and ought to have as much peace and satisfaction in his own mind , and as much respect and honour paid him from others too , provided they are not afraid of him , as ever any man had . but will not such a principle as this be the most mischievous and dangerous to mankind that can possibly be ? doth it not open a door to all the wickedness that can possibly enter into the heart of man to commit ? and consequently ought not all governments to be afraid , as they themselves would express it , of men that vent such notions as these , so plainly contradictory to , and inconsistent with the good of human society ? and as this is a most pernicious , so 't is the most impudent and daring opinion that ever was advanced : for it charges all mankind in all ages of the world , with the most gross and palpable folly that can be : for , besides that it gives the lye to the experience and certain knowledge of every body , as i shewed before ; it renders all laws , and rules of action , and all the sanctions of them , ridiculous : it makes all advice and exhortation useless , and to no purpose ; all censure , punishment and reproof is vnjust and unreasonable ; all honours and rewards it renders unmerited ; and all knowledge , wisdom , care and circumspection , become by this means , the most foolish and unaccountable things in the world ; for if all things are governed by absolute fatality , any one may see that all these things signifie nothing at all , but 't is plain , the wisest part of the world as they have been justly esteemed , are in reality the greatest fools and most stupid idiots that can be : for they encourage men to act well , and discourage them from doing amiss , by elaborate and studied methods , when after all , 't is impossible according to this notion , that any one can possibly avoid doing just as he doth . nor can i see how these wonderful discoverers themselves , that have thus luckily found out that all mankind are mistaken in thinking themselves free , when they are not so ; i can't see , i say , how according to their own notions they can be acquitted from being as ignorant and mistaken , and as arrant fools as the rest of mankind . for why do they write books , and spin out such elaborate treatises as they fansie they do ? and why should they set themselves up above others , and expect praise and glory for their fine thoughts and elevated notions ? they can 't sure be so ignorant as to expect to convince any body , or to proselyte any one over to their opinion ? can any man help being of that opinion he embraces ? if he can , he hath free will , and is not necessitated to hold what he doth hold ; which destroys all they are so studiously advancing . but if he cannot alter his opinion freely , but is absolutely necessitated to believe what he doth believe ; how ridiculous is it to pretend to dispute or argue in such a case ? they will say , no doubt , that they are necessitated to write , and can't help it : but if the government should plead the same thing , for punishing them for so doing ; they would , we know , make a large out-cry against persecution , and the infringement of that native liberty , that every man hath to enjoy his own opinion . for these gentlemen make use of liberty and necessity , according as it best serves their purpose . when they commit immoralities and wicked actions ; they then ought not to be punished either by god or man , because they are necessitated to do it , and can't help it . but if a government , judging such notions destructive to the good of human society , and contrary to the express word of god , thinks fit to prohibit the propagation of them , and to punish the authors of them : how do these men then cry up the liberty of human nature ? then every man's opinion ought to be free , no compulsion must be used , every man's conscience is to be his guide , and the like . but how ridiculously vain is all this , according to these principles ? is not the magistrate as much necessitated to punish as they are to offend ? and the government to make laws as they are to break them ? oh by no means ! they would be free to sin and to commit wickedness , and then necessitated not to be punished . they would have men think them necessitated in all their actions , so as to excuse them from blame , and they would have the magistrate free to forbear punishing them , tho' he think them never so guilty . that is , in short , they would do what they please , and no one should call them to an account for it ; they would act like fools , and yet be thought wise men ; they would proceed contrary to reason , and yet have the reputation of having principles , and pursuing the dictates of reason and truth : and they would build themselves a reputation in the world by advancing paradoxes contrary to the common sense and reason of mankind : by pretending to a higher pitch of knowledge than their neighbours , and by calling all the rest of the world fools and ignorant . in a word they would say , with those in the psalmist , we are they that ought to speak , who is lord over us . this , i am fully perswaded , is what they aim at in all their arguments and objections against religion , and particularly in the bustle that they make about this point , of the absolute necessity of all events and actions . which how weakly they prove , and how contradictorily they maintain , against the common sense and experience of all mankind , i think i have sufficiently shewn . finis . advertisement . remarks upon some late papers relating to the universal deluge , and to the natural history of the earth . by john harris , m. a. and fellow of the royal-society . in octavo . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a45638-e540 (a) pensees diverses ecrites à un docteur de sorbonne à l'occasion de la cométe qui parut au mois de decembre , 1680. rotterdam . 8 vo . (a) vid. jul. caes. vanini amphitheatr . in titulo & epist. dedicator . (b) despicere unde queas alios , passimque videre errare , atque viam palantes quaerere vitae . lucr. lib. 2. (a) vid. great is diana of the ephesians . animus tamen in supremae & vulgo philosophantibus incognitae philosophiae arcanit investigandis validior factus & robustior ; ut physico-magicum nostrum , quod mox ex umbrâ in lucem prodibit pellegent , aequa posteritas facilè est judicatura . notes for div a45638-e3780 (a) two essays from oxford , in the apology . (a) adv. mathem . p 317 , 318 , &c. genevae , 1621. (b) pensees diverses à l' occasion de la comete , tom. 2. §. clxxiv . p. 531. (c) anim. mand. p. 96. (d) amphitheatr . d. providentiae , p. 35. (a) vid. blount's translation of the life of apollonius , p. 84. (b) anima mundi , in the oracles of reason , p. 54. (c) amphitheatr . p. 151 , 334. lugdun . 1615. (d) blount's translation of philostratus's life of apollonius , in the preface . (a) blount's anima mundi , in oracles of reason , pre● . (b) amphitheatr . p. 124. (c) pag. 152. leviathan , p. 208. (c) sextus empiricus allows , that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a common notion or idea of a god , even when he dispu●es against him . adv. math. p. 333. (a) hob's leviath . p. 11. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. vid. sext. empiric . adv . mathem . p. 164. (b) sext. emp. (a) hobb's leviathan , p. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sext. empir . adv . ma●● . p. 17. and a little after , he asserts , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (c) leviath . p. 11 , 190. (d) leviath . par. iv . c. 46. p. 374. (e) pag. 190. (f) adv. mathem . p. 333. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sext. empir . adv . math. pag. 150. (b) vid. mr. lock 's essay of vnderstanding . p. iv. ch. x. notes for div a45638-e8080 (a) blount's life of apollon . p. 19. (b) leviath . p. 338. (a) life of apollon . p. 3. (b) oracles of reason , p. 158. (c) blount's life of apollon . in the preface , and p. 24. (a) causa , à qua superstitio oritur , conservatur & fovetur , metus est . tract . theol. polit. in praef. (b) si homines res omnes suas certo consilio regere possent , vel si fortuna ipsis prospera semper foret ; nulla superstitione tenerentur : sed quoniam eò saepè angustiarum rediguntur ut consilium nullum ad ferre queant , inter spem metumque misere fluctuant , ideo animum ut plurimum , ad quidvis credendum pronissimum habent . ibid. (c) ea omnia quae homines unquam vanâ religione colucrun● , nihil praeter phantasmata , animique tristis & timidi fuissé deliria . ibid. (d) ex hàc itaque superstitionis causâ ( sc. metu ) clarè sequitur omnes homines naturâ superstitioni esse obnoxios : quicquid dicant alii , qui putant hoc inde oriri , quod omnes mortales confusam quandam numinis idaeam habent . ibid. (e) leviath . p. 51. (f) leviath . p. 26. 51. (a) leviath . p. 54. (b) caetera , quae fieri in terris coeloque tuentur mortales , pavidis cùm pendent mentibu ' saepè efficiunt animos humiles formidine divùm , depressosque premunt ad terram , propterea quòd ignorantia causarum conferre deorum cogit ad imperium res , & concedere regnum : et quorum operum causas nullâ ratione videre possunt , haec fieri divino numine rentur . lib. 6. v. 49. (c) lib. 5. v. 1160. nunc quae causa deum , &c. (d) ii qui dixerunt totam de diis immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reipublicae causâ . (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . plato de legib. lib. 10. (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sext. emp. adv . math. p. 310. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (a) praeterea , cui non animus formidine divùm contrahitur ? cui non conrepunt membra pavore fulminis horribili cum plagâ torrida tellus contremit , & magnum percurrunt murmura coelum ? non populi gentesque tremunt ? regesque superbi conripiunt divùm perculsâ membra timore ne quod ob admissum foedè , dictumque superbè poenarum grave sit solvendi tempus adactum ? lucret. l. 5. v. 1217. (a) vid. archbishop tillotson's first sermon , p. 47. (a) rom. 1.20 . (a) blount's life of apollon . in the preface . (a) primum graius homo mortales tollere contra est oculos ausus , primusque obsistere contra : quem nec fama deûm , nec sulmina nec minitanti murmure compressit coelum . — lib. 1. v. 67. (b) — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adv. math. p. 314. (a) sext. empiric . adv. mathem . p. 316 , 317. (b) vbi supra . (a) leviathan , p. 87. (b) ib. p. 7. (c) ib. p. 238. (a) pag. 36. (a) in omnium animis deorum notionem natura ipsa impressit . de nat. deorum , lib. 1. (b) quae gens est , aut quod genus hominum , quòd non habeat sine doctrinà , anticipationem quandam deorum , quam appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 epicurus . ib. c. 32. (c) tuscul. quaest. l. 1. de legib. l. 1. (d) vid. epist. 117 , 118. de benefic . 4.4 . (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adv. mathem . p. 314. (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dis. 1. p. 5. (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . de coelo , l. 1. c. 3. (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. aristot. metaph. l. 14. c. 8. p. 483. paris . 1654. notes for div a45638-e12130 (a) joseph . antiquit . l. 11. c. 8. (a) 1 chron. 29.11 , 12. job 12.9 , &c. isa. 44.24 , &c. acts 17.24 , 25 , &c. (b) rev. 4.8 . jam. 1.17 . deut. 33.27 . (c) 2 chron. 6.18 . jer. 23.24 . jer. 17.10 . & 20.12 . (a) leviath . p. 19. (b) leviath . p. 371.207 . (c) leviath . p. 11. (a) leviath . p. 17.207 . (b) leviath . p. 208. (c) leviath . p. 214. (d) answer to bishop bramhall , p. 31 , 36. (e) ethices pars 2. prop. 2. p. 42. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sophist . p. 172. ficin . (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . metaph. l. 1. c. 7. (c) dr. cudw . intel. syst. p. 20. (a) praeterea nihil est quod possis dicere ab omni corpore sejunctum , &c. lib. 1. v. 431. (b) adv. math. p. 267. (a) leviath . p. 373. (b) p. 372. (c) leviath . p. 190. & de cive c 15. §. 14. and in another place , he saith , mens nihil aliud est praeterquam motus in quibusdam partibus corporis organici . (d) leviath . p. 207 , 208. (e) leviath . p. 373. (a) see my second sermon . essay of human vnderstanding , p. 143. (a) lib. de nat. deorum , & tuscul. quaes● . lib. 1. (a) de irà dei , c. 11. p. 742. oxon. lib. 1. c. 3. (b) plutarch de placitis philosoph . lib. 1. c. 3 ▪ p. 876. * sext. empir . adv . mathem . p. 309. (a) de placit . philos. l. 1. c. 3. (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in polit. p. 547. ficin . (a) adv. m●th . p. 155. (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nat. auscult . l. 8. c. 15. (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lib. de placitis philos. 4. c. 2. p. 898. (a) de placitis philos. lib. 1. c. 3. (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adv. math. p. 32. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . arist. metaph. l. 1. c. 3. p. 842. paris . (b) dr. cudw . in his intellectual syst. of the vniverse . notes for div a45638-e16840 (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith anaxagoras . vid. diog. laert. (a) oracles of reason , p. 126 , 127. (a) observ. on dr. bentley's serm. p. 6 , 7. (a) metaph. l. 1. c. 3. (a) arrian . lib. 1. c. 5. (b) lib. 1. metaph. c. 3. (a) dr. cudworth , dr. bentley , and others . (b) observations on dr. bentley's sermon , p. 10. (a) op. posthum . p. 12. & 14. (a) op. post. p. 21.6 . 4 , 5. (b) ib. p. 12. (c) ib. p. 14. (d) ib. p. 11. (a) quando attribuimus deo sensus , scientiam & intellectum , quae in nobis nihil aliud sunt quàm suscitatus à rebus externis organa prementibus animi tumultus , non est putandum aliquid tale accidere deo. hobbs de civ . c. xv . §. 14 . p. 271. the same thing he saith also , leviath . c. 31. p. 190. (b) omnia inevitabili necessitate ex dei naturâ sequi statuo . op. past. p. 453. vid. etiam , p. 24 , 18 , 26 , &c. (c) op. post. p. 24. (d) p. 28. (e) p. 36. (f) p. 37. notes for div a45638-e20230 (a) amphitheatr . provid . aetern . p. 9. (b) humane nature , p. 69. (c) leviath . p. 374. (d) leviath . p. 191. (e) leviath . p. 192. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adv. math. p. 317. (b) leviath . p. 190. (a) sermon 4 th . and 5 th . (b) in my second sermon . (a) ep. 95. (b) de benef. lib. 4. (a) leviath . p. 190. (a) leviath . p. 24 , 63 , 64. spinoza oper. posth . p. 37. (b) leviath . p. 187. * plato calls the deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the very idea or essence of good. and herein he seems to have followed the pythagoreans and timaeus lacrus in particular : who asserts of mind , according to him the first principle of the universe , that it is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of the nature of good : and saith further , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that they call it god , and the principle of the best things . aristotle also reckons moral goodness among the perfections of the divine nature : and plutarch saith , 't is one of the chiefest excellencies in the deity ; and that on this account it is that men love and honour him. hierocles in carm. pythagor . asserts the deity to be essentially good , and not by accidental or external motives . notes for div a45638-e23840 (a) anima mund. in or. of reason , p. 117. (b) oracles of reason , p. 89. (a) a. bish. tillots . serm. vol. 4. p. 315. (b) op posthum , p. 164. (c) ibid p. 37. vid. etiam , p. 171 , 185 , 360 , &c. (d) leviath . p. 24. (e) ibid. p. 63 , 64. (f) p. 73. (g) ibid p. 79. (h) vid. hum. nature , p. 38. element . de cive c. 1. §. 2. (a) blount's life of apollonius , p. 151. (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — pyrrh . hypot . p. 46. and again , p. 147. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . (c) vid. sext. emp. adv. math. p. 450 , 451 , &c. 462 , 463 , &c. (a) spinoz . op. posthum . p. 36. (b) ostendamad dei naturam neque intellectum neque voluntatem pertinere . ibid. p. 18. vid. etiam , p. 29. (a) essay of human understand . p. 274 , 275. (b) pag. 284. (a) essay of hum. understand . p. 276. (a) mich. 6.8 . deut. 10.12 . 1 sam. 15.22 . psal. 50.8 . notes for div a45638-e26960 dr. cudworth in preface to his intellectual system . (a) hobbs tripos , p. 297. (b) ibid. p. 312. (c) vid. sermon v. p. 51. serm. vi. p. 5. (d) vid. serm. v. p. 49. (e) serm. v. p. 51. (f) spinoza op. posthum . p. 85. (g) p. 28. (a) princep . philos. cartes . demonstrat . p. 103. (b) hobbs tripos , p. 314. (c) p. 29. op. posthum . and p. 33 , 18. (a) op. posth . p. 32. (a) tripos , p. 311. (b) ibid. 315. (a) mr. lock , in his essay of humane vnderstanding . (a) tripos , p. 314. (a) ex necessitate divinae naturae , infinita infinitis modis sequi debent . op. posthum . p. 16 , 18. (b) p. 17. (c) p. 18. tract . theol. polit. c. 4. p. 63. (d) op. posthum . p. 85. (e) p. 28. (a) p. 29. (b) vid. serm. 4 , & 5. (a) had it not been a thing undeniable that the will of man is free , and had not epicurus , and his follower lucretius , very well known that it was a thing which every one could not but experience in himself , he had certainly , as a very learned person observes ( dr. lucas enquiry after happiness , vol. 1. p. 156 , 157. ) followed his old master democritus , and asserted the mind of man to be as necessarily and fatally moved by the strokes of his atoms , as natural and irrational bodies are . but this opinion he was forced to desert , and to assert the liberty of the soul of man ; and 't was to make this out according to his senseless hypothesis , that he invented that unaccountable oblique motion of his atoms ; which lucretius calls exiguum clinamen principiorum . lib. 2. (a) falluntur homines quod se liberos esse sutant , quae opinio in hoc solo consistit , quod suarum actionum sint conscii , & ignari causarum à quibus determinantur . haec ergo est eorum libertatis idea quod suarum a●●ionum nullam c●gnescunt causam . nam quod aiunt humanas actiones à voluntate pendere verba sunt quorum nullam habent ideam . eapt . spinoz . op ▪ posthum , p. 73. vid. etiam , p. 37. (a) spinozae princip . philos. cartes demonst. p. 103. (b) hobbs tripos , p. 314. (c) spin. op. posth . p. 87 , 88. (d) ibid. p. 399. (d) ibid. p. 399. (e) p. 73. (a) leviath . p. 187. (a) spinoz . op. posthum . p. 586 the folly and unreasonableness of atheism demonstrated from the advantage and pleasure of a religious life, the faculties of humane souls, the structure of animate bodies, & the origin and frame of the world : in eight sermons preached at the lecture founded by ... robert boyle, esquire, in the first year mdcxcii / by richard bentley ... bentley, richard, 1662-1742. 1699 approx. 389 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 143 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2004-03 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a27428 wing b1931 estc r21357 12055793 ocm 12055793 53141 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a27428) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 53141) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 857:41) the folly and unreasonableness of atheism demonstrated from the advantage and pleasure of a religious life, the faculties of humane souls, the structure of animate bodies, & the origin and frame of the world : in eight sermons preached at the lecture founded by ... robert boyle, esquire, in the first year mdcxcii / by richard bentley ... bentley, richard, 1662-1742. the fourth edition corrected. [4], 280 p. printed by j.h. for h. mortlock ..., london : 1699. reproduction of original in huntington library. table of contents: p. 278-280. advertisement: p. 280. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atheism -early works to 1800. atheism -sermons. deism -early works to 1800. deism -sermons. christianity and atheism -early works to 1800. sermons, english -17th century. 2003-09 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-09 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-10 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2003-10 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-12 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the folly and unreasonableness of atheism demonstrated from the advantage and pleasure of a religious life , the faculties of humane souls , the structure of animate bodies , & the origin and frame of the world : in eight sermons preached at the lecture founded by the honourable robert boyle , esquire ; in the first year , mdcxcii . by richard bentley , d. d. chaplain in ordinary , and library-keeper to his majesty . the fourth edition corrected . london , printed by i. h. for h. mortlock at the phoenix in st. paul's church-yard , 1699. to my most honoured patrons , trustees appointed by the will of the honourable robert boyle , esq the right reverend father in god , thomas , lord bishop of lincoln , sir henry ashurst , kt and baronet , sir iohn rotheram , serjeant at law , iohn evelyn , senior , esquire . most honoured , god having disposed the heart of that incomparable person , the honourable robert boyle , esquire , lately deceased , the glory of our nation and age , whose charity and goodness were as universal as his learning and fame ; to settle an annual salary for some divine or preaching minister , who shall be enjoyned to perform the offices following : 1. to preach eight sermons in the year , for proving the christian religion against notorious infidels , viz. atheists , deists , pagans , iews and mahometans ; not descending to any controversies that are among christians themselves : these lectures to be on the first monday of the respective months of ianuary , february , march , april , may , september , october , november ; in such church as the trustees shall from time to time appoint : 2. to be assisting to all companies , and encouraging them in any undertaking for propagating the christian religion : 3. to be ready to satisfie such real scruples as any may have concerning those matters ; and to answer such new objections or difficulties as may be started , to which good answers have not yet been made : you have been pleased to believe me able in some measure to perform these offices , and to command this first essay to be made publick . i am very sensible of the great honour , as well as the great extent and difficulty of the task ; and shall endeavour to the utmost of my poor ability to answer the religious and generous design of that excellent person , and the good opinion you have entertained of , my most honoured patrons , your very obliged and humble servant , r. bentley . march 17. 1691 / 2. the folly of atheism , and ( what is now called ) deism : even with respect to the present life . the first sermon preached march 7. 1691 / 2. psalm xiv . v. 1. the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god ; they are corrupt , they have done abominable works , there is none that doth good . i shall not now make any enquiry about the time and occasion and other circumstances of composing this psalm : nor how it comes to pass , that with very little variation we have it twice over , both here the 14th . and again number the 53d . not that these and such-like are not important considerations in themselves ; but that i think them improper now , when we are to argue and expostulate with such persons , as allow no divine authority to our text ; and profess no greater , or , it may be they will say , less veneration for these sacred hymns , than for the profane songs of anacreon or horace . so that although i my self do really believe , that all such as say in their hearts , there is no god , are foolish and corrupt , both in understanding and will ; because i see infinite wisdom it self has pronounced them to be so : nevertheless this argument would at present have no force upon these men , till in due time and method we have evinced the sufficient authority of holy scripture . but however there are other books extant , which they must needs allow of as proper evidence ; even the mighty volumes of visible nature , and the everlasting tables of right reason ; wherein , if they do not wilfully shut their eyes , they may read their own folly written by the finger of god , in a much plainer and more terrible sentence , than belshazzar's was by the hand upon the wall. and as the impious principles of these persons do preclude any argumentation from the revealed word of god : so they prevent us also from speaking at present to the second part of the text. the whole verse hath apparently two propositions ; the one denoting the folly of atheism , the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god : the second declaring the corruption and flagitiousness of life which naturally attend it ; they are corrupt , they have done abominable works , there is none that doth good . now this latter part to a genuine atheist is meer iargon , as he loves to call it ; an empty sound of words without any signification . he allows no natural morality , nor any other distinction of good and evil , just and unjust ; than as human institution and the modes and fashions of various countries denominate them . the most heroical actions or detestable villanies are in the nature of things indifferent to his approbation ; if by secrecy they are alike conceal'd from rewards or punishments , from ignominy or applause . so that till we have proved in its proper place the eternal and essential difference between virtue and vice ; we must forbear to urge atheists with the corruption and abominableness of their principles . but i presume , the first part of the text , the folly and sottishness of atheism ( which shall be the subject of this discourse ) will be allowed to come home to their case : since they make such a noisy pretence to wit and sagacity ; and i believe several of them first engage in that labyrinth of nonsense and folly , out of an absurd and preposterous affectation of seeming wiser than their neighbours . but before i proceed any farther , it will be necessary to clear and vindicate this expression of the psalmist , the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god. for i know not any interpreters , that will allow it to be spoken of such , as flatly deny the being of god ; but of them , that believing his existence , do yet seclude him from directing the affairs of the world , from observing and judging the actions of men. i suppose they might be induced to this , from the commonly received notion of an innate idea of god , imprinted upon every soul of man at their creation , in characters that can never be defaced . whence it will follow , that speculative atheism does only subsist in our speculation ; whereas really humane nature cannot be guilty of the crime : that indeed a few sensual and voluptuous persons may for a season eclipse this native light of the soul ; but can never so wholly smother and extinguish it , but that at some lucid intervals it will recover it self again , and shine forth to the conviction of their conscience . and therefore they believed , that the words would not admit of a strict and rigorous interpretation ; but ought to be so temper'd and accommodated to the nature of things , as that they may describe those profane persons ; who , though they do not , nor can really doubt in their hearts of the being of god , yet they openly deny his providence in the course of their lives . now if this be all that is meant by the text , i do not see how we can defend , not only the fitness and propriety , but the very truth of the expression . as to that natural and indeleble signature of god , which human souls in their first origin are supposed to be stamp'd with , i shall shew at a fitter opportunity , that it is a mistake , and that we have no need of it in our disputes against atheism . so that being free from that prejudice , i interpret the words of the text in the literal acceptation , which will likewise take in the expositions of others . for i believe that the royal psalmist in this comprehensive brevity of speech , there is no god , hath concluded all the various forms of impiety ; whether of such as excludes the deity from governing the world by his providence , or judging it by his righteousness , or creating it by his wisdom and power . because the consequence and result of all these opinions is terminated in downright atheism . for the divine inspection into the affairs of the world doth necessarily follow from the nature and being of god. and he that denies this , doth implicitly deny his existence : he may acknowledg what he will with his mouth , but in his heart he hath said , there is no god. a god , therefore a providence ; was a general argument of virtuous men , and not peculiar to the stoics alone . and again , no providence , therefore no god ; was the most plausible reason , and the most frequent in the mouths of atheistical men. so that it seems to be agreed on all hands , that the existence of god and his government of the world do mutually suppose and imply one another . there are some infidels among us , that not only disbelieve the christian religion ; but oppose the assertions of providence , of the immortality of the soul , of an universal iudgment to come , and of any incorporeal essence : and yet to avoid the odious name of atheists , would shelter and skreen themselves under a new one of deists , which is not quite so obnoxious . but i think the text hath cut them short , and precluded this subterfuge ; in as much as it hath declared , that all such wicked principles are coincident and all one in the issue with the rankest atheism : the fool , that doth exempt the affairs of the world from the ordination and disposal of god , hath said in his heart , there is no god at all . it was the opinion of many of the ancients , that epicurus introduced a deity into his philosophy , not because he was perswaded of his existence , ( for when he had brought him upon the stage of nature , he made him only muta persona , and interdicted him from bearing any part in it , ) but purely that he might not incurr the offence of the magistrate . he was generally therefore suspected verbis reliquisse deum , re sustulisse ; to have framed on purpose such a contemptible paultry hypothesis about him , as indeed left the name and title of god in the world ; but nothing of his nature and power . just as a philosopher of our own age gave a ludicrous and fictitious notion about the rest of the earth , to evade the hard censure and usage , which galileo had lately met with . for my own part , as i do not exclude this reason from being a grand occasion of epicurus's owning a god ; so i believe that he and democritus too were compelled to it likewise by the necessity of their own systems . for seeing they explain'd the phaenomena of vision , imagination , and thought it self , by certain thin fleeces of atoms , that flow incessantly from the surfaces of bodies , and by their subtilty and fineness penetrate any obstacle , and yet retain the exact figures and lineaments of the several bodies from which they proceed ; and in this manner insinuating themselves through the pores of humane bodies into the contexture of the soul , do there excite sensation and perception of themselves : in consequence of this hypothesis they were obliged to maintain , that we could have no fancy , or idea , or conception of any thing , but what did really subsist either intire or in its several parts . whence it followed , that mankind could have no imaginations of iupiter or mars , of minerva or isis ; if there were not actually such beings in nature to emit those effluvia , which gliding into the soul must beget such imaginations . and thence it was , that those philosophers adapted their description of the deity to the vulgar apprehensions of those times ; gods and goddesses innumerable , and all of humane figure : because otherwise the conceptions of mankind about them could not possibly be accounted for by their physiology . so that if epicurus and democritus were in earnest about their philosophy , they did necessarily and really believe the existence of the gods. but then as to the nature and authority of them ; they bereaved that iupiter of his thunder and majesty : forbidding him to look or peep abroad , so much as to enquire what news in the infinite space about him ; but to content himself and be happy with an eternal laziness and dozing , unless some rambling troops of atoms upon the dissolution of a neighbouring world might chance to awake him . now because no israelite in the days of the psalmist is likely to have been so curious about natural knowledge , as to believe the being of god for such a quaint and airy reason as this , when he had once boldly denied his dominion over the world ; and since there is not now one infidel living , so ridiculous as to pretend to solve the phaenomena of sight , fancy or cogitation by those fleeting superficial films of bodies : i must beg leave to think , both that the fool in the text was a thorough confirmed atheist ; and that the modern disguised deists do only call themselves so for the former reason of epicurus , to decline the publick odium , and resentment of the magistrate ; and that they cover the most arrant atheism under the mask and shadow of a deity : by which they understand no more , than some eternal inanimate matter , some universal nature , and soul of the world , void of all sense and cogitation , so far from being endowed with infinite wisdom and goodness . and therefore in this present discourse they may deservedly come under that character which the text hath given of them , of fools that have said in their hearts , there is no god. and now having thus far cleared our way ; in the next place we shall offer some notorious proofs of the gross folly and stupidity of atheists . if a person that had a fair estate in reversion , which in all probability he would speedily be possess'd of , and of which he might reasonably promise to himself a long and happy enjoyment , should be assured by some skilfull physician ; that in a very short time he would inevitably fall into a disease , which would so totally deprive him of his understanding and memory , that he should lose the knowledge of all things without him , nay all consciousness and sense of his own person and being : if , i say , upon a certain belief of this indication , the man should appear overjoyed at the news , and be mightily transported with the discovery and expectation ; would not all that saw him be astonished at such behaviour ? would they not be forward to conclude , that the distemper had seized him already , and even then the miserable creature was become a meer fool and an idiot ? now the carriage of our atheists or deists is infinitely more amazing than this ; no dotage so infatuate , no phrensie so extravagant as theirs . they have been educated in a religion , that instructed them in the knowledge of a supreme being ; a spirit most excellently glorious , superlatively powerfull and wise and good , creator of all things out of nothing ; that hath endued the sons of men , his peculiar favorites , with a rational spirit , and hath placed them as spectators in this noble theatre of the world , to view and applaud these glorious scenes of earth and heaven , the workmanship of his hands ; that hath furnished them in general with a sufficient store of all things , either necessary or convenient for life ; and particularly to such as fear and obey him , hath promised a supply of all wants , a deliverance and protection from all dangers : that they that seek him , shall want no manner of thing that is good . who besides his munificence to them in this life ; hath so loved the world , that he sent his onely-begotten son , the express image of his substance , and partaker of his eternal nature and glory , to bring life and immortality to light , and to tender them to mankind upon fair and gracious terms ; that if they submit to his easie yoke , and light burthen , and observe his commandments which are not grievous , he then gives them the promise of eternal salvation ; he hath reserved for them in heaven an inheritance incorruptible , and undefiled , and that fadeth not away ; he hath prepared for them an unspeakable , unconceivable perfection of joy and bliss , things that eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither have entred into the heart of man. what a delightfull and ravishing hypothesis of religion is this ? and in this religion they have had their education . now let us suppose some great professor in atheism to suggest to some of these men , that all this is meer dream and imposture ; that there is no such excellent being , as they suppose , that created and preserves them ; that all about them is dark senseless matter , driven on by the blind impulses of fatality and fortune ; that men first sprung up , like mushroms , out of the mud and slime of the earth ; and that all their thoughts , and the whole of what they call soul , are only various action and repercussion of small particles of matter , kept a while a moving by some mechanism and clock-work , which finally must cease and perish by death . if it be true then ( as we daily find it is ) that men listen with complacency to these horrid suggestions ; if they let go their hope of everlasting life with willingness and joy ; if they entertain the thoughts of final perdition with exultation and triumph ; ought they not to be esteem'd most notorious fools , even destitute of common sense , and abandon'd to a callousness and numness of soul ? what then , is heaven it self , with its pleasures for evermore , to be parted with so unconcernedly ? is a crown of righteousness , a crown of life , to be surrendred with laughter ? is an exceeding and eternal weight of glory too light in the balance against the hopeless death of the atheist , and utter extinction ? 't was a noble saying of the emperor marcus , that he would not endure to live one day in the world , if he did not believe it to be under the government of providence . let us but imagin that excellent person confuted and satisfied by some epicurean of his time ; that all was but atoms , and vacuum , and necessity , and chance . would he have been so pleased and delighted with the conviction ? would he have so triumph'd in being overcome ? or rather , as he hath told us , would he not have gone down with sorrow and despair to the grave ? did i but once see an atheist lament and bewail himself ; that upon a strict and impartial examination he had found to his cost , that all was a mistake ; that the prerogative of humane nature was vanished and gone ; those glorious hopes of immortality and bliss , nothing but cheating joys and pleasant delusions ; that he had undone himself by losing the comfortable error , and would give all the world to have better arguments for religion : there would be great hopes of prevailing upon such an atheist as this . but , alas ! there are none of them of this temper of mind ; there are none that understand and seek after god ; they have no knowledge , nor any desire of it ; they thrust the word of god from them , and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life ; they willingly prefer darkness before light ; and obstinately choose to perish for ever in the grave , rather than be ●●irs of salvation in the resurrection of the just. these certainly are the fools in the text , indocil intractable fools , whose stolidity can baffle all arguments , and be proof against demonstration it self ; whose end ( as the words of st. paul do truly describe them ) whose end and very hope is destruction , an eternal deprivation of being ; whose god is their belly , the gratification of sensual lusts ; whose glory is in their shame , in the debasing of mankind to the condition of beasts ; who mind earthly things , who if ( like that great apostle ) they were caught up to the third heaven , would ( as the spyes did of canaan ) bring down an evil report of those regions of bliss . and i fear , unless it please god by extraordinary methods to help their unbelief , and enlighten the eyes of their understanding ; they will carry their atheism with them to the pit ; and the flames of hell only must convince them of their error . this supine and inconsiderate behaviour of the atheists is so extremely absurd , that it would be deem'd incredible , if it did not occurr to our daily observation ; it proclaims aloud , that they are not led astray by their reasoning , but led captive by their lusts to the denial of god. when the very pleasures of paradise are contemn'd and trampled on , like pearls cast before swine ; there 's small hope of reclaiming them by arguments of reason . but however , as solomon adviseth , we will answer these fools not according to their folly , lest we also be like unto them . it is expedient that we put to silence the ignorance of these foolish men , that believers may be the more confirmed and more resolute in the faith. did religion bestow heaven without any terms or conditions indifferently upon all ; if the crown of life was hereditary , and free to good and bad ; and not settled by covenant upon the elect of god only , such as live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world : i believe there would be no such thing as an infidel among us . and without controversie 't is the way and means of attaining to heaven , that makes profane scorners so willingly let go the expectation of it . 't is not the articles of the creed , but the duty to god and their neighbour , that is such an inconsistent incredible legend . they will not practise the rules of religion , and therefore they cannot believe the promises and rewards of it . but however , let us suppose them to have acted like rational and serious men : and perhaps upon a diligent inquisition they have found , that the hope of immortality deserves to be joyfully quitted , and that either out of interest , or necessity . i. and first , one may conceive indeed , how there might possibly be a necessity of quitting it . it might be tied to such terms , as would render it impossible ever to be obtain'd . for example , if it should be required of all the candidates of glory and immortality , to give a full and knowing assent to such things as are repugnant to common sense , as contradict the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the universal notions and indubitable maxims of reason ; if they were to believe , that one and the same thing may be and not be at the same time and in the same respect ; if allowing the received idea's and denominations of numbers and figures and body , they must seriously affirm , that two and two do make a dozen , or that the diameter of a circle is as long as the circumference , or that the same body may be all of it in distant places at once . i must confess that the offers of happiness upon such articles of belief as these , would be meer tantalizing of rational creatures ; and the kingdom of heaven would become the inheritance of only idiots and fools . for whilst a man of common capacity doth think and reflect upon such propositions ; he cannot possibly bribe his understanding to give a verdict for their truth . so that he would be quite frustrated of the hope of reward , upon such unpracticable conditions as these : neither could he have any evidence of the reality of the promise , superiour to what he is conscious to of the falsity of the means . now if any atheist can shew me in the system of christian religion any such absurdities and repugnancies to our natural faculties ; i will either evince them to be interpolations and corruptions of the faith , or yield my self a captive and a proselyte to his infidelity . ii. or , 2dly , they may think 't is the interest of mankind , that there should be no heaven at all ; because the labour to acquire it is more worth than the purchase : god almighty ( if there be one ) having much overvalued the blessings of his presence . so that upon a fair estimation , 't is a greater advantage to take one's swing in sensuality , and have a glut of voluptuousness in this life , freely resigning all pretences to future happiness ; which , when a man is once extinguish'd by death , he cannot be supposed either to want or desire : than to be tied up by commandments and rules so contrary to flesh and blood ; to take up one's cross , to deny himself , and refuse the satisfaction of natural desires . this indeed is the true language of atheism , and the cause of it too . were not this at the bottom , no man in his wits could contemn and ridicule the expectation of immortality . now what power or influence can religion have upon the minds of these men ; while not only their affections and lusts , but their supposed interest shall plead against it ? but if we can once silence this powerfull advocate , we shall without much difficulty carry the cause at the bar of impartial reason . now here is a notorious instance of the folly of atheists , that while they repudiate all title to the kingdom of heaven , meerly for the present pleasure of body , and their boasted tranquillity of mind ; besides the extreme madness in running such a desperate hazard after death , ( which i will not now treat of ) they deprive themselves here of that very pleasure and tranquillity they seek for . for i shall now endeavour to shew , that religion it self gives us the greatest delights and advantages even in this life also , though there should prove in the event to be no resurrection to another . her ways are ways of pleasantness , and all her paths are peace . but before i begin that , i must occurr to one specious objection both against this proposition and the past part of my discourse ; namely , that religion doth perpetually haunt and disquiet us with dismal apprehensions of everlasting burnings in hell ; and that there is no shelter or refuge from those fears , but behind the principles of atheism . ( 1. ) first therefore i will freely acknowledge to the atheists ; that some part of what hath been said is not directly conclusive against them ; if they say , that before they revolted from the faith , they had sinned away all expectation of ever arriving at heaven : and consequently had good reason so joyfully to receive the news of annihilation by death , as an advantageous change for the everlasting torments of the damn'd . but because i cannot expect , that they will make such a shameless and senseless confession , and supply us with that invincible argument against themselves : i must say again , that to prefer final extinction before a happy immortality does declare the most deplorable stupidity of mind . nay although they should confess , that they believed themselves to be reprobates , before they disbelieved religion ; and took atheism as a sanctuary and refuge from the terrors of hell : yet still the imputation of folly will stick upon them : in as much as they chose atheism as an opiate to still those frightning apprehensions , by inducing a dulness and lethargy of mind ; rather than they would make use of that active and salutary medicine , a hearty repentance ; that they did not know the riches of the goodness and forbearance and long-suffering of god , and that a sincere amendment of life was never too late nor in vain ; iesus christ being the saviour of all men , and a propitiation for the sins of the whole world ; who came into the world to save sinners , even the chief of them all ; and died for the ungodly , and his bitterest enemies . ( 2. ) and secondly , as to the fears of damnation ; those terrors are not to be charged upon religion it self , which proceed either from the want of religion , or superstitious mistakes about it . for as an honest and innocent man doth know the punishments , which the laws of his country denounce against felons and murtherers and traytors , without being terrified or concern'd at them : so a christian in truth as well as in name , though he believe the consuming vengeance prepared for the disobedient and unbelievers , is not at all dismayed at the apprehensions of it . indeed it adds spurs , and gives wings to his diligence , it excites him to work out his salvation with fear and trembling ; a religious and ingenuous fear , that is temper'd with hope and with love and unspeakable joy . but he knows , that if he fears him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell , he needs not fear that his own soul or body shall ever go thither . i allow that some debauched and profligate wretches , or some designing perfidious hypocrites , that are religious in outward profession , but corrupt and abominable in their works , are most justly as well as usually liable to these horrours of mind . 't is not my business to defend or excuse such as these ; i must leave them , as long as they keep their hardness and impenitent hearts , to those gnawing and excruciating fears , those whips of the divine nemesis , that frequently scourge even atheists themselves . for the atheists also can never wholly extinguish those horrible forebodings of conscience . they endeavour indeed to compose and charm their fears , but a thousand occasions daily awaken the sleeping tormenters . any flight consideration either of themselves , or of any thing without ; whatsoever they think on , or whatsoever they look on ; all administer some reasons for suspicion and diffidence , lest possibly they may be in the wrong ; and then 't is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living god : there are they in great fear , as 't is in the 5th verse of this psalm , under terrible presages of judgment and fiery indignation . neither can they say , that these terrors , like tales about spectres , may disturb some small pretenders and puny novices , but dare not approach the vere adepti , the masters and rabbies of atheism . for 't is well known both from ancient and modern experience , that the very boldest of them , out of their debauches and company , when they chance to be surprized with solitude or sickness , are the most suspicious and timorous and despondent wretches in the world : and that the boasted happy atheist in the indolence of body , and an undisturbed calm and serenity of mind , is altogether as rare a creature , as the vir sapiens was among the stoicks ; whom they often met with in idea and description , in harangues and in books , but freely own'd that he never had or was like to exist actually in nature . and now as to the present advantages which we owe to religion , they are very conspicuous ; whether we consider mankind , ( 1. ) separately , or ( 2. ) under society and government . 1. and first , in a single capacity . how is a good christian animated and cheer'd by a stedfast belief of the promises of the gospel ; of an everlasting enjoyment of perfect felicity , such as after millions of millions of ages is still youthfull and flourishing and inviting as at the first ? no wrinkles in the face , no gray hairs on the head of eternity ; no end , no diminution , no satiety of those delights . what a warm and vigorous influence does a religious heart feel from a firm expectation of these glories ? certainly this hope alone is of inestimable value ; 't is a kind of anticipation and pledge of those joys ; and at least gives him one heaven upon earth , though the other should prove a delusion . now what are the mighty promises of atheism in competition with these ? let us know the glorious recompences it proposes : utter extinction and cessation of being ; to be reduced to the same condition , as if we never had been born . o dismal reward of infidelity ! at which nature does shrink and shiver with horror . what some of the * learnedest doctors among the iews have esteem'd the most dreadfull of all punishment , and have assigned for the portion of the blackest criminals of the damn'd ; so interpreting tophet , abaddon , the vale of slaughter and the like , for final excision and deprivation of being : this atheism exhibits to us , as an equivalent to heaven . 't is well known , what hath been disputed among schoolmen to this effect . and 't is an observation of plutarch , that the generality of mankind , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as well women as men , chose rather to endure all the punishments of hell , as described by the poets ; than part with the hope of immortality , though immortal only in misery . i easily grant , that this would be a very hard bargain ; and that not to be at all , is more eligible , than to be miserable always : our saviour himself having determin'd the question ; wo to that man , by whom the son of man is betrayed ; good were it for that man , if he had never been born . but however thus much it evidently shews , that this desire of immortality is a natural affection of the soul ; 't is self-preservation in the highest and truest meaning ; 't is interwoven in the very frame and constitution of man. how then can the atheist reflect on his own hypothesis without extreme sorrow and dejection of spirit ? will he say , that when once he is dead , this desire will be nothing ; and that he that is not , cannot lament his annihilation ? so indeed it would be hereafter , according to his principles . but nevertheless , for the present , while he continues in life ( which we now speak of ) that dusky scene of horror , that melancholy prospect of final perdition will frequently occur to his fancy ; the sweetest enjoyments of life will often become flat and insipid , will be damp'd and extinguish'd , be bitter'd and poison'd by the malignant and venomous quality of this opinion . is it not more comfortable to a man , to think well of himself , to have a high value and conceit of the dignity of his nature , to believe a noble origination of his race , the off-spring and image of the great king of glory : rather than that men first proceeded , as vermin are thought to do , by the sole influence of the sun out of dirt and putrefaction ? is it not a firmer foundation for contentment and tranquillity , to believe that all things were at first created , and are since continually order'd and dispos'd for the best , and that principally for the benefit and pleasure of man : than that the whole universe is meer bungling and blundring ; no art or contrivance to be seen in 't ; nothing effected for any purpose and design ; but all ill-favouredly cobled and jumbled together by the unguided agitation and rude shuffles of matter ? can any man wish a better support under affliction , than the friendship and favour of omnipotence , of infinite wisdom and goodness ; that is both able , and willing and knows how to relieve him ? such a man can do all things through christ that strengtheneth him , he can patiently suffer all things with cheerfull submission and resignation to the divine will. he has a secret spring of spiritual joy , and the continual feast of a good conscience within , that forbid him to be miserable . but what a forlorn destitute creature is the atheist in distress ? he hath no friend in extremity , but poison or a dagger or a halter or a precipice . a violent death is the last refuge of the epicureans , as well as the stoicks . this , says lucretius , is the distinguishing character of a genuine son of our sect , that he will not endure to live in exile and want and disgrace out of a vain fear of death ; but dispatch himself resolutely into the state of eternal sleep and insensibility . and yet for all this swaggering , not one of a hundred of them hath boldness enough to follow the direction . the base and degenerous saying of one of them is very well known ; * that life is always sweet , and he should still desire to prolong it ; though , after he had been maim'd and distorted by the rack , he should lastly be condemn'd to hang on a gibbet . and then , as to the practical rules and duties of religion : as the miracles of our lord are peculiarly eminent above the lying wonders of daemons , in that they were not made out of vain ostentation of power , and to raise unprofitable amazement ; but for the real benefit and advantage of men , by feeding the hungry , healing all sorts of diseases , ejecting of devils , and reviving the dead : so likewise the commands which he hath imposed on his followers are not like the absurd ceremonies of pagan idolatry , the frivolous rites of their initiations and worship , that might look like incantation and magick , but had no tendency in their nature to make mankind the happier . our saviour hath enjoyn'd us a reasonable service ; accommodated to the rational part of our nature . all his laws are in themselves , abstracted from any consideration of recompence , conducing to the temporal interest of them that observe them . for what can be more availing to a mans health , or his credit , or estate , or security in this world , than charity and meekness , than sobriety and temperance , than honesty and diligence in his calling ? do not pride and arrogance infallibly meet with contempt ? do not contentiousness and cruelty and study of revenge seldom fail of retaliation ? are not envious and covetous , discontented and anxious minds tormenters to themselves ? do not we see , that slothfull and intemperate and incontinent persons destroy their bodies with diseases , their reputations with disgrace , and their families with want ? are adultery and fornication forbidden only by moses and christ ? or do not heathen law-givers punish such enormities with fines , or imprisonment , with exile or death ? 't was an objection of iulian the apostate ; that there were no new precepts of morality in our religion : thou shalt not kill , thou shalt not steal , thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife . why all the world , says he , is agreed about these commandments : and in every country under heaven , there are laws and penalties made to enforce all the ten , excepting only the sabbath and the worship of strange gods. we can answer him another way ; but he may make our infidels ashamed to complain of those ordinances as hard impositions , which the sense of all nations has thought to be reasonable : which not only the philosophers of greece and italy and the ancient world ; but the banians of mogul , the talapoins of siam , the mandarins of china , the moralists of peru and mexico , all the wisdom of mankind have declared to be necessary duties . nay if the atheists would but live up to the ethics of epicurus himself , they would make few or no proselytes from the christian religion . for none revolt from the faith for such things as are thought peculiar to christianity ; not because they must love and pray for their enemies , but because they must not poison or stab them : not because they must not look upon a woman to lust after her , but because they are much more restrain'd from committing the act. if wanton glances and lascivious thoughts had been permitted by the gospel , and only the gross act forbidden ; they would have apostatized nevertheless . this we may conjecture from what plato and others have told us , that it was commonly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , immoderate affections and lusts , that in the very times of paganism induced men to be atheists . it seems their impure and brutal sensuality was too much confined by the religion of those countries , where even venus and bacchus had their temples . let not therefore voluptuous atheists lay all the fault of their sins upon the infirmity of humane nature ; nor plead that flesh and blood cannot resist those temptations , which have all their force and prevalence from long custom and inveterated habit. what enticement , what pleasure is there in common profane swearing ? yet neither the fear of god nor of the law will persuade men to leave it . 't is prevailing example that hath now made it fashionable , but it hath not always been so , nor will be hereafter . so other epidemical vices , they are rife and predominant only for a season , and must not be ascribed to humane nature in the lump . in some countries intemperance is a necessary part of conversation ; in others sobriety is a vertue universal , without any respect to the duties of religion . nor can they say , that this is only the difference of climate , that inclines one nation to concupiscence and sensual pleasures ; another to blood-thirstiness and desire of revenge . it would discover great ignorance in history , not to know that in all climates a whole people has been over-run with some recently invented or newly imported kind of vice , which their grandfathers never knew . in the latest accounts of the country of guiana , we are told that the eating of humane flesh is the beloved pleasure of those savages : two nations of them by mutual devouring are reduced to two handfulls of men . when the gospel of our saviour was preached to them , they received it with gladness of heart ; they could be brought to forgo plurality of wives ; though that be the main impediment to the conversion of the east indies . but the great stumbling-block with these americans , and the only rock of offence was the forbidding them to eat their enemies : that irresistible temptation made them quickly to revolt and relapse into their infidelity . what must we impute this to ? to the temperature of the air , to the nature of the soil , to the influence of the stars ? are these barbarians of man-eating constitutions , that they so hanker after this inhumane diet , which we cannot imagin without horror ? is not the same thing practised in other parts of that continent ? was it not so in europe of old , and is it not now so in africa ? if an eleventh commandment had been given , thou shalt not eat humane flesh ; would not these canibals have esteem'd it more difficult than all the ten ? and would not they have really had as much reason as our atheists , to plead the power of the temptation , and the propensity of flesh and blood ? how impudent then are the atheists , that traduce the easie and gracious conditions of the gospel , as unreasonable and tyrannical impositions ? are not god's ways equal , o ye children of destruction , and are not your ways unequal ? ii. secondly and lastly , for the good influence of religion upon communities and governments , habemus confitentes reos ; 't is so apparent and unquestionable , that 't is one of the objections of the atheist , that it was first contrived and introduced by politicians , to bring the wild and straggling herds of mankind under subjection and laws . out of thy own mouth shalt thou be judged , thou wicked servant . thou say'st that the wise institutors of government , souls elevated above the ordinary pitch of men , thought religion necessary to civil obedience . why then dost thou endeavour to undermine this foundation , to undo this cement of society , and to reduce all once again to thy imaginary state of nature , and original confusion ? no community ever was or can be begun or maintain'd , but upon the basis of religion . what government can be imagin'd without judicial proceedings ? and what methods of judicature without a religious oath ? which implies and supposes an omniscient being , as conscious to its falshood or truth , and a revenger of perjury . so that the very nature of an oath ( and therefore of society also ) is subverted by the atheist ; who professeth to acknowledge nothing superiour to himself , no omnipresent observer of the actions of men . for an * atheist to compose a system of politicks is as absurd and ridiculous , as epicurus's sermons were about † sanctity and religious worship . but there was hope , that the doctrine of absolute uncontroulable power and the formidable name of leviathan might flatter and bribe the government into a toleration of infidelity . we need have no recourse to notion and supposition ; we have sad experience and convincing example before us , what a rare constitution of government may be had in a whole nation of atheists . the natives of newfoundland and new france in america , as they are said to live without any sense of religion , so they are known to be destitute of its advantages and blessings ; without any law or form of community ; without any literature or sciences or arts ; no towns , no fixed habitations , no agriculture , no navigation . and 't is entirely owing to the power of religion , that the whole world is not at this time as barbarous as they . and yet i ought not to have called these miserable wretches a nation of atheists . they cannot be said to be of the atheist's opinion ; because they have no opinion at all in the matter : they do not say in their hearts , there is no god ; for they never once deliberated , if there was one or no. they no more deny the existence of a deity ; than they deny the antipodes , the copernican system , or the satellites iovis : about which they have had no notion or conception at all . 't is the ignorance of those poor creatures , and not their impiety : their ignorance as much to be pitied , as the impiety of the atheists to be detested and punish'd . 't is of mighty importance to the government to put some timely stop to the spreading contagion of this pestilence that walketh by day , that dares to disperse its cursed seeds and principles in the face of the sun. the fool in the text had only said in his heart , there is no god : he had not spoken it aloud , nor openly blasphem'd , in places of publick resort . there 's too much reason to fear , that some of all orders of men , even magistracy it self , have taken the infection : a thing of dreadfull consequence and most imminent danger . epicurus was somewhat wiser than ordinary , when he so earnestly advised his disciples against medling in publick affairs : he knew the nature and tendency of his own philosophy ; that it would soon become suspected and odious to a government , if ever atheists were employ'd in places of trust. but because he had made one great rule superior to all , that every man's only good was pleasure of body and contentment of mind : hence it was that men of ambitious and turbulent spirits , that were dissatisfied and uneasie with privacy and retirement , were allowed by his own principle to engage in matters of state. and there they generally met with that fortune , which their master foresaw . several cities of greece that had made experiment of them in publick concerns , drove them out , as incendiaries and pests of commonweals , by severe edicts and proclamations . atheism is by no means tolerable in the most private condition : but if it aspire to authority and power ; if it acquire the command of an army or a navy ; if it get upon the bench or into the senate , or on a throne : what then can be expected , but the basest cowardice and treachery , but the foulest prevarication in justice , but betraying and selling the rights and liberties of a people , but arbitrary government and tyrannical oppression ? nay if atheism were once , as i may say , the national religion : it would make its own followers the most miserable of men ; it would be the kingdom of satan divided against it self ; and the land would be soon brought to desolation . iosephus , that knew them , hath inform'd us , that the sadduces , those epicureans among the jews , were not only rough and cruel to men of a different sect from their own ; but perfidious and inhumane one towards another . this is the genuine spirit and the natural product of atheism . no man , that adheres to that narrow and selfish principle , can ever be just or generous or gratefull ; * unless he be sometime overcome by good-nature and a happy constitution . no atheist , as such , can be a true friend , an affectionate relation , or a loyal subject . the appearance and shew of mutual amity among them , is wholly owing to the smallness of their number , and to the obligations of a faction . 't is like the friendship of pickpockets and highwaymen , that are said to observe strict justice among themselves , and never to defraud a comrade of his share of the booty . but if we could imagine a whole nation to be cut-purses and robbers ; would there then be kept that square-dealing and equity in such a monstrous den of thieves ? and if atheism should be supposed to become universal in this nation ( which seems to be design'd and endeavour'd , though we know the gates of hell shall not be able to prevail ) farewell all ties of friendship and principles of honour ; all love for our country and loyalty to our prince ; nay , farewell all government and society it self , all professions and arts , and conveniencies of life , all that is laudable or valuable in the world. may the father of mercies and god of infinite wisedom reduce the foolish from their errors , and make them wise unto salvation ; confirm the sceptical and wavering minds , and so prevent us , that stand fast , in all our doings , and further us with his continual help , that we may not be of them that draw back unto perdition , but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. amen . matter and motion cannot think : or , a confutation of atheism from the faculties of the soul. the second sermon preached april 4. 1692. acts xvii . 27. that they should seek the lord , if happily they might feel after him , and find him ; though he be not far from every one of us : for ▪ in him we live , and move , and have our being . these words are a part of that discourse which st. paul had at athens . he had not been long in that inquisitive and pragmatical city , but we find him encountered by the epicureans and stoicks , two sorts of people that were very ill qualified for the christian faith : the one by reason of their carnal affections , either believing no god at all , or that he was like unto themselves , dissolv'd in * laziness and ease ; the other out of spiritual pride presuming to assert , that † a wise man of their sect was equal , and in some cases superior to the majesty of god himself . these men corrupted through philosophy and vain deceit , took our apostle , and carried him unto areopagus , ( a place in the city , whither was the greatest resort of travellers and strangers , of the gravest citizens and magistrates , of their orators and philosophers ; ) to give an account of himself and the new doctrine that he spoke of . for , say they , thou bringest strange things to our ears ; we would know therefore what these things mean. the apostle , who was to speak to such a promiscuous assembly , has with most admirable prudence and art , so accommodated his discourse , that every branch and member of it is directly opposed to a known error and prejudice of some party of his hearers . i will beg leave to be the more prolix in explaining the whole ; because it will be a ground and introduction not only to this present , but some other subsequent discourses . from the inscription of an altar to the unknown god , which is mentioned by heathen authors , lucian , philostratus , and others , he takes occasion ( v. 24. ) to declare unto them , that god that made the world and all things therein . this first doctrine , though admitted by many of his auditors , is directly both against epicureans , that ascribed the origin and frame of the world not to the power of god , but the fortuitous concourse of atoms ; and peripatetics , that supposed all things to have been eternally , as they now are , and never to have been made at all , either by the deity or without him . which god , says he , seeing that he is lord of heaven and earth , dwelleth not in temples made with hands , neither is worshipped with men's hands as though he needed any thing , seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things . this is opposed to the civil and vulgar religion of athens , which furnish'd and serv'd the deity with temples and sacrifices , as if he had really needed habitation and sustenance . and that the common heathens had such mean apprehensions about the indigency of their gods , it appears plainly , to name no more , from aristophanes's plutus , and the dialogues of lucian . but the philosophers were not concern'd in this point ; all parties and sects , even the * epicureans themselves , did maintain ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) the self-sufficiency of the godhead : and seldom or never sacrificed at all , unless in compliance and condescension to the custom of their country . there 's a very remarkable passage in tertullian's apology , who forces a philosopher to sacrifice , & c. ? it appears from thence , that the philosophers , no less than the christians , neglected the pagan worship and sacrifices ; though what was conniv'd at in the one , was made highly penal and capital in the other . and hath made of one blood all nations of men , for to dwell on all the face of the earth ; and hath determin'd the times before appointed , and the bound of their habitation . this doctrine about the beginning of humane race , though agreeable enough to the platonists and stoics , is apparently levell'd against the epicureans and aristotelians : one of whom produced their primitive men from meer accident or mechanism ; the other denied that man had any beginning at all , but had eternally continued thus by succession and propagation . neither were the commonalty of athens unconcern'd in this point . for although , as we learn from * isocrates , demosthenes and others of their countrymen , they professed themselves to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aborigines , not transplanted by colonies or otherwise from any foreign nation , but born out of their own soil in attica , and had the same earth for their parent , their nurse and their country ; and though some perhaps might believe , that all the rest of mankind were derived from them , and so might apply and interpret the words of the apostle to this foolish tradition : yet that conceit of deriving the whole race of men from the aborigines of attica was entertain'd but by a few ; for they generally allowed that the egyptians and sicilians , and some others were aborigines also , as well as themselves . then follow the words of the text , that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him ; though he be not far from every one of us . for in him we live , and move , and have our being . and this he confirms by the authority of a writer that lived above 300 years before ; as certain also of your own poets have said , for we are also his off-spring . this indeed was no argument to the epicurean auditors ; who undervalued all argument from authority , and especially from the poets . their master epicurus had boasted , that in all his writings he had not cited one single authority out of any book whatsoever . and the poets they particularly hated ; because on all occasions they introduced the ministry of the gods , and taught the separate existence of humane souls . but it was of great weight and moment to the common people ; who held the poets in mighty esteem and veneration , and used them as their masters of morality and religion . and the other sects too of philosophers did frequently adorn and confirm their discourses by citations out of poets . for as much then as we are the off-spring of god , we ought not to think that the godhead is like unto gold or silver , or stone graven by art or man's device . this is directly levell'd against the gross idolatry of the vulgar , ( for the philosophers are not concern'd in it ) that believed the very statues of gold and silver and other materials , to be god , and terminated their prayers in those images ; as i might shew from many passages of scripture , from the apologies of the primitive christians , and the heathen writers themselves . and the times of this ignorance god winked at , ( the meaning of which is , as upon a like occasion the same apostle hath expressed it , that in times past he suffer'd all nations to walk in their own ways ) but now commandeth every one to repent ; because he hath appointed a day , in the which he will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . hitherto the apostle had never contradicted all his audience at once : though at every part of his discourse some of them might be uneasie , yet others were of his side , and all along a moderate silence and attention was observed , because every point was agreeable to the notions of the greater party . but when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , the interruption and clamour became universal : so that here the apostle was obliged to break off , and depart from among them . what could be the reason of this general dissent from the notion of the resurrection , since almost all of them believed the immortality of the soul ? st. chrysostom hath a conceit , that the athenians took 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the original word for resurrection ) to be preached to them as a goddess , and in this fancy he is follow'd by some of the moderns . the ground of the conjecture is the 18th verse of this chapter , where some said , what will this babler say ? other some , he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , strange deities , which comprehends both sexes ) because he preached unto them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , iesus and the resurrection . now , say they , it could not be said deities in the plural number , unless it be supposed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a goddess , as well as iesus a god. but we know , such a permutation of number is frequent in all languages . we have another example of it in the very text , as certain also of your own poets have said , for we are also his off-spring . and yet the apostle meant only one , aratus the cilician , his countryman , in whose astronomical poem this passage is now extant . so that although he preached to the athenians jesus alone , yet by a common mode of speech he might be called , a setter forth of strange gods. 't is my opinion , that the general distaste and clamour proceeded from a mistake about the nature of the christian resurrection . the word resurrection ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) was well enough known amongst the athenians , as appears at this time from * homer , aeschylus and sophocles ; they could hardly then possibly imagin it to signifie a goddess . but then it always denoted a returning from the state of the dead to this present world , to eat and drink and converse upon earth , and so after another period of life to die again as before . and festus a roman seems to have had the same apprehensions about it . for when he declares the case of st. paul his prisoner to king agrippa , he tells him , that the accusation was only about certain questions of the jewish superstition ; and of one iesus which was dead , whom paul affirmed to be alive . so that when the athenians heard him mention the resurrection of the dead , which according to their acceptation of the word was a contradiction to common sense , and to the experience of all places and ages ; they had no patience to give any longer attention . his words seemed to them as idle tales , as the first news of our saviour's resurrection did to the apostles themselves . all interrupted and mocked him , except a few , that seem to have understood him aright , which said they would hear him again of this matter . just as when our saviour said in an allegorical and mystical sense , except ye eat the flesh of the son of man , and drink his blood , ye have no life in you ; the hearers understood him literally and grosly . the iews therefore strove among themselves , saying , how can this man give us his flesh to eat ? this is a hard saying , who can hear it ? and from that time many of his disciples went back , and walked no more with him . i have now gone through this excellent discourse of the apostle , in which many most important truths are clearly and succinctly deliver'd ; such as the existence , the spirituality , and all ▪ sufficiency of god , the creation of the world , the origination of mankind from one common stock according to the history of moses , the divine providence in over-ruling all nations and people , the new doctrine of repentance by the preaching of the gospel , the resurrection of the dead , and the appointed day of an universal judgment . to all which particulars by god's permission and assistance i shall say something in due time . but at present i have confined my self to that near and internal and convincing argument of the being of god , which we have from humane nature it self ; and which appears to be principally here recommended by st. paul in the words of the text , that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him , though he be not far from every one of us . for in him ( that is , by his power ) we live , and move , and have our being . the proposition , which i shall speak to , from this text is this : that the very life and vital motion and the formal essence and nature of man is wholly owing to the power of god : and that the consideration of our selves , of our own souls and bodies , doth directly and nearly conduct us to the acknowledgment of his existence . and , 1. i shall prove , that there is an immaterial substance in us , which we call soul and spirit , essentially distinct from our bodies : and that this spirit doth necessarily evince the existence of a supreme and spiritual being . and , 2. that the organical structure of humane bodies , whereby they are fitted to live and move and be vitally informed by the soul , is unquestionably the workmanship of a most wise and powerfull and beneficent maker . but i will reserve this latter part for the next opportunity ; and my present undertaking shall be this , to evince the being of god from the consideration of humane souls . ( 1. ) and first , i say , there is an immaterial substance in us , which we call soul , essentially distinct from our bodies . i shall lay it down as self-evident , that there is something in our composition , that thinks and apprehends , and reflects and deliberates ; that determines and doubts , consents and denies ; that wills , and demurrs , and resolves , and chooses , and rejects ; that receives various sensations and impressions from external objects , and produces voluntary motions of several parts of our bodies . this every man is conscious of ; neither can any one be so sceptical as to doubt of or deny it : that very doubting or denying being part of what i would suppose , and including several of the rest in their idea's and notions . and in the next place 't is as self-evident , that these faculties and operations of thinking , and willing , and perceiving , must proceed from something or other as their efficient cause : meer nothing being never able to produce any thing at all . so that if these powers of cogitation , and volition , and sensation , are neither inherent in matter as such , nor producible in matter by any motion and modification of it ; it necessarily follows , that they proceed from some cogitative substance , some incorporeal inhabitant within us , which we call spirit and soul. ( 1. ) but first , these faculties of sensation and perception are not inherent in matter as such . for if it were so ; what monstrous absurdities would follow ? every stock and stone would be a percipient and rational creature . we should have as much feeling upon clipping a hair of the head , as upon pricking a nerve . or rather , as men , that is , as a complex being compounded of many vital parts , we should have no feeling nor perception at all . for every single atom of our bodies would be a distinct animal , endued with self-consciousness and personal sensation of its own . and a great number of such living and thinking particles could not possibly by their mutual contract and pressing and striking compose one greater individual animal , with one mind and understanding , and a vital consension of the whole body : any more than a swarm of bees , or a crowd of men and women can be conceived to make up one particular living creature compounded and constituted of the aggregate of them all . ( 2. ) it remains therefore , secondly , that seeing matter in general , as matter , has not any sensation or thought ; if it have them at all , they must be the result of some modification of it : it must acquire them by some organical disposition ; by such and such determinate motions , by the action and passion of one particle upon another . and this is the opinion of every atheist and counterfeit deist of these times , that believes there is no substance but matter , and excludes all incorporeal nature out of the number of beings . now to give a clear and full confutation of this atheistical assertion , i will proceed in this method . 1. first i will give a true notion and idea of matter ; whereby it will again appear that it has no inherent faculty of sense and perception . 2. i will prove , that no particular sort of matter , as the brain and animal spirits , hath any power of sense and perception . 3. i will shew , that motion in general superadded to matter cannot produce any sense and perception . 4. i will demonstrate , that no particular sort of motion , as of the animal spirits through muscles and nerves , can beget sense and perception . 5. i will evince , that no action and passion of the animal spirits , one particle upon another , can create any sense and perception . 6. i will answer the atheist's argument of matter of fact and experience in brute beasts ; which , say they , are allowed to be meer matter , and yet have some degree of sense and perception . and first i will give a true notion and idea of matter ; whereby it will appear that it has no inherent faculty of sense and perception . and i will offer no other , but what all competent judges , and even atheists themselves do allow of ; and which being part of the epicurean and democritean philosophy is providentially one of the best antidotes against their other impious opinions : as the oil of scorpions is said to be against the poison of their stings . when we frame in our minds any notion of matter , we conceive nothing else but extension and bulk ; which is impenetrable and divisible and passive ; by which three properties is understood , that any particular quantity of matter doth hinder all other from intruding into its place , till it self be removed out of it ; that it may be divided and broken into numerous parts of different sizes and figures , which by various ranging and disposing may produce an immense diversity of surfaces and textures ; that if it once be bereaved of motion , it cannot of it self acquire it again , but it either must be impell'd by some other body from without , or , ( say we , though not the atheist ) be intrinsecally moved by an immaterial self-active substance , that can penetrate and pervade it . wherefore in the whole nature and idea of matter , we have nothing but substance with magnitude , and figure , and situation , and a capacity of being moved and divided . so that no parts of matter consider'd by themselves , are either hot or cold , either white or black , either bitter or sweet , or betwixt those extremes . all the various mixtures and conjugations of atoms do beget nothing but new inward texture , and alteration of surface . no sensible qualities , as light , and colour , and heat , and sound , can be subsistent in the bodies themselves absolutely consider'd , without a relation to our eyes , and ears , and other organs of sense . these qualities are only the effects of our sensation , which arise from the different motions upon our nerves from objects without , according to their various modification and position . for example , when pellucid colourless glass , or water , by being beaten into powder or froth , do acquire a very intense whiteness ; what can we imagine to be produced in the glass or water , but a new disposition of parts ? nay an object under the self-same disposition and modification , when 't is viewed by us under differing proportions , doth represent very differing colours , without any change at all in it self . for that same opake and white powder of glass , when 't is seen thro' a good microscope , doth exhibit all its little fragments pellucid and colourless ; as the whole appear'd to the naked eye , before it was pounded . so that whiteness , and redness , and coldness , and the like , are only idea's and vital passions in us that see and feel : but can no more be conceived to be real and distinct qualities in the bodies themselves ; than roses or honey can be thought to smell or taste their own sweetness , or an organ be conscious of its musick , or gun-powder of its flashing and noise . thus far then we have proved , and 't is agreed on all hands , that in our conception of any quantity of body , there is nothing but figure and site , and a capacity of motion . which motion , if it be actually excited in it , doth only cause a new order and contexture of parts : so that all the idea's of sensible qualities are not inherent in the inanimate bodies ; but are the effects of their motion upon our nerves : and sympathetical and vital passions produced within our selves . 2. our second enquiry must be ; what it is in the constitution and composition of a man that hath the faculty of receiving such idea's and passions . let us carry in our minds this true notion of body in general , and apply it to our own substance ; and observe what prerogatives this rational machin ( as the atheists would make us to be ) can challenge above other parcels of matter . we observe then in this understanding piece of clock-work ; that his body , as well as other senseless matter , has colour , and warmth , and softness , and the like . but we have proved it before , and 't is acknowledged ; that these qualities are not subsistent in those bodies , but are idea's and sensations begotten in something else . so that 't is not blood and bones , that can be conscious of their own hardness or redness : and we are still to seek for something else in our frame and make , that must receive these impressions . will they say that these idea's are performed by the brain ? but the difficulty returns upon them again : for we perceive that the like qualities of softness , whiteness and warmth , do belong to the brain it self ; and since the brain is but body , those qualities ( as we have shewn ) cannot be inherent in it , but are the sensations of some other substance without it . it cannot be the brain then , which imagins those qualities to be in it self . but they may say , 't is not the gross substance of the brain that causes perception ; but the animal spirits , that have their residence there ; which are void of sensible qualities , because they never fall under our senses by reason of their minuteness . but we conceive , by our reason , though we cannot see them with our eyes , that every one of these also hath a determinate figure : they are spheres , or cubes , or pyramids , or cones , or of some shape or other that is irregular and nameless ; and all these are but modes and affections of magnitude ; and the idea's of such modes can no more be subsistent in the atoms so modified , than the idea of redness was just now found to be inherent in the blood , or that of whiteness in the brain . and what relation or affinity is there between a minute body and cogitation , any more than the greatest ? is a small drop of rain any wiser than the ocean ? or do we grind inanimate corn into living and rational meal ? my very nails , or my hair , or the horns and hoofs of a beast may bid as fair for understanding and sense , as the finest animal spirits of the brain . 3. but thirdly , they will say , 't is not the bulk and substance of the animal spirits , but their motion and agility , that produces cogitation and sense . if then motion in general or any degree of its velocity can beget cogitation ; surely a ship under sail must be a most intelligent creature ; though while she lies at anchor , those faculties be asleep : some cold water or ice may be phlegmatick and senseless ; but when it boils in a kettle , it has wonderfull heats of thinking and ebullitions of fancy . nay the whole corporeal mass , all the brute and stupid matter of the universe must upon these terms be allowed to have life and understanding : since there is nothing that we know of , in a state of absolute rest. those things that seem to be at rest upon the surface of the earth , are daily wheel'd about its axis , and yearly about the sun with a prodigious swiftness . 4. but fourthly , they will say , 't is not motion in general , that can do these feats of sensation and perception ; but a particular sort of it in an organized body through the determinate roads and channels of muscles and nerves . but , i pray , among all the kinds of motion , whether straight or circular , or parabolical , or in what curve they please ; what pretence can one make to thinking and liberty of will , more than another ? why do not these persons make a diagram of these cogitative lines and angles ; and demonstrate their properties of perception and appetite , as plainly as we know the other properties of triangles and circles ? but how little can any motion , either circular or other , contribute to the production of thought ? no such circular motion of an atom can be all of it existent at once ; it must needs be made gradually and successively both as to place and time : for body cannot at the same instant be in more places than one . so that at any instant of time the moving atom is but in one single point of the line . therefore all its motion but in that one point is either future or past ; and no other parts are coexistent or contemporary with it . now what is not present , is nothing at all , and can be the efficient of nothing . if motion then be the cause of thought ; thought must be produced by one single point of motion , a point with relation to time as well as to place . and such a point to our conceptions is almost equivalent to permanency and rest , or at least to any other point of any motion whatsoever . what then is become of the privilege of that organical motion of the animal spirits above any other ? again , we have shewn , that this circular and other motion is but the successive flux of an atom , and is never existent together ; and indeed is a pure ens rationis , an operation of the soul , which considering past motion and future , and recollecting the whole by the memory and fancy , calls this by one denomination and that by another . how then can that motion be the efficient of thought , which is evidently the effect and the product of it ? 5. but fifthly , they will say farther , ( which is their last refuge ) that 't is not motion alone , or under this or that denomination , that produceth cogitation ; but when it falls out that numerous particles of matter , aptly disposed and directed , do interfere in their motions , and strike and knock one another ; this is it which begets our sensation . all the active power and vigour of the mind , our faculties of reason , imagination and will are the wonderfull result of this mutual occurse , this pulsion and repercussion of atoms . just as we experience it in the flint and the steel ; you may move them apart as long as you please , to very little purpose : but 't is the hitting and collision of them that must make them strike fire . you may remember i have proved before , that light and heat , and the rest of those qualities , are not such idea's in the bodies , as we perceive in our selves . so that this smiting of the steel with the flint doth only make a comminution , and a very rapid whirling and melting of some particles : but that idea of flame is wholly in us. but what a strange and miraculous thing should we count it , if the flint and the steel , instead of a few sparks , should chance to strike out definitions and syllogisms ? and yet it 's altogether as reasonable , as this sottish opinion of the atheists ; that dead senseless atoms can ever justle and knock one another into life and understanding . all that can be effected by such encounters of atoms , is either the imparting or receiving of motion , or a new determination and direction of its course . matter , when it acts upon matter , can communicate nothing but motion ; and that we have shew'd before to be utterly unable to produce those sensations . and again , how can that concussion of atoms be capable of begetting those internal and vital affections , that self-consciousness and other powers and energies that we feel in our minds : seeing they only strike upon the outward surfaces ; they cannot inwardly pervade one another ; they cannot have any penetration of dimensions and conjunction of substance . but , it may be , these atoms of theirs may have sense and perception in them , but they are refractary and sullen ; and therefore , like men of the same tempers , must be bang'd and buffeted into reason . and indeed that way of argumentation would be most proper and effectual upon these atheistical atomists themselves . 't is a vigorous execution of good laws , and not rational discourses only , either neglected or not understood , that must reclaim the profaneness of those perverse and unreasonable men. for what can be said more to such persons , that are either so disingenuous or so stupid , as to profess to believe , that all the natural powers and acquired habits of the mind , that penetrating understanding and accurate judgment , that strength of memory and readiness of wit , that liberality and justice and prudence and magnanimity , that charity and beneficence to mankind , that ingenuous fear and awfull love of god , that comprehensive knowledge of the histories and languages of so many nations , that experienced insight into the works and wonders of nature , that rich vein of poetry and inexhausted fountain of eloquence , those lofty flights of thought and almost intuitive perception of abstruse notions , those exalted discoveries of mathematical theorems and divine contemplations ; all these admirable endowments and capacities of humane nature , which we sometimes see actually existent in one and the same person , can proceed from the blind shuffling and casual clashing of atoms . i could as easily take up with that senseless assertion of the stoicks , that vertues and vices and sciences and arts , and fancies and passions and appetites are all of them real bodies and distinct animals ; as with this of the atheist , that they can all be derived from the power of meer bodies . 't is utterly incredible and impossible ; and we cannot without indignation go about to refute such an absurd imagination , such a gross contradiction to unprejudiced reason . and yet if the atheists had not been driven from all their posts and their subterfuges ; if we had not pursued their atoms through all their turnings and windings , their cells and recesses , their interferings and justlings ; they would boast , that they could not be answer'd ; and make a mighty flutter and triumph . nay though they are so miserably confounded and baffled , and can offer no further explication of the cause and the manner ; yet they will , sixthly , urge matter of fact and experience , that meer body may produce cogitation and sense . for , say they , do but observe the actions of some brutes , how nearly they approach to humane reason , and visibly discover some glimpses of understanding : and if that be performed by the pure mechanism of their bodies ( as many do allow , who yet believe the being of god , and an immaterial spirit in man ) then 't is but raising our conceptions , and supposing mankind to be engines of a finer make and contexture , and the business is done . i must confess , that the cartesians and some others , men that have given no occasion to be suspected of irreligion , have asserted that brutes are meer machins and automata . i cannot now engage in the controversie , neither is there any necessity to do so ; for religion is not endanger'd by either opinion . if brutes be said to have sense and immaterial souls ; what need we be concern'd , whether those souls shall be immortal , or annihilated at the time of death . this objection supposes the being of god ; and he will do all things for the wisest and best ends . or if brutes be supposed to be bare engins and machins ; i admire and adore the divine artifice and skill in such a wonderfull contrivance . but i shall deny then that they have any reason or sense , if they be nothing but matter . omnipotence it self cannot create cogitative body . and 't is not any imperfection in the power of god , but an incapacity in the subject ; the idea's of matter and thought are absolutely incompatible . and this the cartesians themselves do allow . do but convince them , that brutes have the least participation of thought , or will , or appetite , or sensation , or fancy ; and they 'll readily retract their opinion . for none but besotted atheists , do joyn the two notions together , and believe brutes to be rational or sensitive machins . they are either the one or the other ; either endued with sense and some glimmering rays of reason from a higher principle than matter ; or ( as the cartesians say ) they are purely body , void of all sensation and life : and like the idols of the gentiles , they have eyes and see not ; ears , and hear not ; noses , and smell not : they eat without hunger , and drink without thirst , and howl without pain . they perform the outward material actions ; but they have no inward self-consciousness , nor any more perception of what they do or suffer , than a looking glass has of the objects it reflects , or the index of a watch of the hour it points to . and as one of those watches , when it was first presented to the emperour of china , was taken there for an animal : so on the contrary , our cartesians take brute animals for a sort of watches . for considering the infinite distance betwixt the poor mortal artist , and the almighty opificer ; the few wheels and motions of a watch , and the innumerable springs and organs in the bodies of brutes ; they may affirm ( as they think , without either absurdity or impiety ) that they are nothing but moving automata , as the fabulous * statues of daedalus , bereaved of all true life , and vital sensation ; which never act spontaneously and freely , but as watches must be wound up to set them a going ; so their motions also are excited and inhibited , are moderated and managed by the objects without them . ( 2. ) and now that i have gone through the six parts that i proposed , and sufficiently shewn that sense and perception can never be the product of any kind of matter and motion ; it remains therefore , that it must necessarily proceed from some incorporeal substance within us . and though we cannot conceive the manner of the soul's action and passion ; nor what hold it can lay on the body , when it voluntarily moves it : yet we are as certain , that it doth so , as of any mathematical truth whatsoever ; or at least of such as are proved from the impossibility or absurdity of the contrary , a way of proof that is allowed for infallible demonstration . why one motion of the body begets an idea of pleasure in the mind , another an idea of pain ; why such a disposition of the body induces sleep , another disturbs all the operations of the soul , and occasions a lethargy or frenzy ; this knowledge exceeds our narrow faculties , and is out of the reach of our discovery . i discern some excellent final causes of such a vital conjunction of body and soul ; but the instrumental i know not , nor what invisible bands and fetters unite them together . i resolve all that into the sole pleasure and fiat of our omnipotent creator : whose existence ( which is my last point ) is so plainly and nearly deducible from the established proof of an immaterial soul ; that no wonder the resolved atheists do so labour and bestir themselves to fetch sense and perception out of the power of matter . i will dispatch it in three words . for since we have shewn , that there is an incorporeal substance within us : whence did that proceed , and how came it into being ? it did not exist from all eternity , that 's too absurd to be supposed ; nor could it come out of nothing into being without an efficient cause . something therefore must have created our souls out of nothing ; and that something ( since nothing can give more than it has ) must it self have all the perfections , that it hath given to them . there is therefore an immaterial and intelligent being , that created our souls : which being was either eternal it self , or created immediately or ultimately by some other eternal , that has all those perfections . there is therefore originally an eternal , immaterial , intelligent creator ; all which together are the attributes of god alone . and now that i have finished all the parts , which i proposed to discourse of ; i will conclude all with a short application to the atheists . and i would advise them as a friend , to leave off this dabbling and smattering in philosophy , this shuffling and cutting with atoms . it never succeeded well with them , and they always come off with the loss . their old master epicurus seems to have had his brains so muddled and confounded with them , that he scarce ever kept in the right way ; though the main maxim of his philosophy was to trust to his senses , and follow his nose . i will not take notice of his doting conceit , that the sun and moon are no bigger , than they appear to the eye , a foot or half a yard over ; and that the stars are no larger than so many glow-worms . but let us see how he manages his atoms , those almighty tools that do every thing of themselves without the help of a workman . when the atoms ( says he ) descend in infinite space ( very ingeniously spoken , to make high and low in infinity ) they do not fall plumb down , but decline a little from the perpendicular , either obliquely or in a curve : and this declination ( says he ) from the direct line is the cause of our liberty of will. but , i say , this declination of atoms in their descent , was it self either necessary or voluntary . if it was necessary , how then could that necessity ever beget liberty ? if it was voluntary , then atoms had that power of volition before : and what becomes then of the epicurean doctrine of the fortuitous production of worlds ? the whole business is contradiction and ridiculous nonsense . 't is as if one should say , that a bowl equally poized , and thrown upon a plain and smooth bowling-green , will run necessarily and fatally in a direct motion : but if it be made with a byas , that may decline it a little from a straight line , it may acquire by that motion a liberty of will , and so run spontaneously to the jack . it would behoove the atheists to give over such trifling as this , and resume the old solid way of confuting religion . they should deny the being of the soul , because they cannot see it . this would be an invincible argument against us : for we can never exhibit it to their touch , nor expose it to their view ; nor shew them the colour and complexion of a soul. they should dispute , as a bold brother of theirs did ; that he was sure there was no god , because ( says he ) if there was one , he would have struck me to hell with thunder and lightning , that have so reviled and blasphemed him . this would be an objection indeed . alas , all that we could answer , is in the next words to the text , that god hath appointed a day in which he will judge all the world in righteousness , and that the goodness and forbearance , and long-suffering of god , which are some of his attributes , and essential perfections of his being , ought not to be abused and perverted into arguments against his being . but if this will not do , we must yield our selves overcome : for we neither can , nor desire to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them ; and give them such experimental conviction of the existence of god. so that they ought to take these methods , if they would successfully attack religion . but if they will still be medling with atoms , be hammering and squeezing understanding out of them ; i would advise them to make use of their own understandings for the instance . nothing , in my opinion could run us down , more effectually than that . for we readily allow , that if any understanding can possibly be produced by such clashing of senseless atoms ; 't is that of an atheist , that hath the fairest pretensions and the best title to it . we know , it is the fool , that hath said in his heart , there is no god. and 't is no less a truth than a paradox , that there are no greater fools than atheistical wits ; and none so credulous as infidels . no article of religion , though as demonstrable as the nature of the thing can admit , hath credibility enough for them . and yet these same cautious and quick sighted gentlemen can wink and swallow down this sottish opinion about percipient atoms , which exceeds in incredibility all the fictions of aesop's fables . for is it not every whit as likely or more , that cocks and bulls might discourse , and hinds and panthers hold conferences about religion , as that atoms can do so ? that atoms can invent arts and sciences , can institute society and government , can make leagues and confederacies , can devise methods of peace and stratagems of war ? and moreover , the modesty of mythology deserves to be commended , the scenes there are laid at a distance ; 't is once upon a time , in the days of yore , and in the land of utopia , there was a dialogue between an oak and a cedar : whereas the atheist is so impudently silly , as to bring the farce of his atoms upon the theatre of the present age ; to make dull senseless matter transact all publick and private affairs , by sea and by land , in houses of parliament , and closets of princes . can any credulity be comparable to this ? if a man should affirm , that an ape casually meeting with pen , ink , and paper , and falling to scribble , did happen to write exactly the leviathan of thomas hobbs : would an atheist believe such a story ? and yet he can easily digest as incredible as that ; that the innumerable members of a humane body , which in the style of the scripture are all written in the book of god , and may admit of almost infinite variations and transpositions above the xxiv letters of the alphabet , were at first fortuitously scribled , and by meer accident compacted into this beautifull , and noble and most wonderfully usefull frame , which we now see it carry . but this will be the argument ▪ of my next discourse , which is the second proposition drawn from the text , that the admirable structure of humane bodies , whereby they are fitted to live and move , and be vitally informed by the soul , is unquestionably the workmanship of a most wise and powerfull and beneficent maker : to which almighty creator , together with the son and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory and majesty and power both now and from henceforth evermore . amen . a confutation of atheism from the structure and origin of humane bodies . part i. the third sermon preached may 2. 1692. acts xvii . 27. that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him ; though he be not far from every one of us : for in him we live , and move , and have our being . i have said enough in my last , to shew the fitness and pertinency of the apostle's discourse to the persons he address'd to : whereby it sufficiently appears that he was no babler , as some of the athenian rabble reproached him ; not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a busie prating fellow ; as in another language they say sermones serere , and rumores serere in a like mode of expression ; that he did not talk at random , but was throughly acquainted with the several humours and opinions of his auditors . and as moses was learned in all the wisdom of the aegyptians , so it is manifest from this chapter alone , if nothing else had been now extant , that st. paul was a great master in all the learning of the greeks . one thing further i shall observe from the words of the text , before i enter upon the subject which i proposed ; that it requires some industry and consideration to find out the being of god ; we must seek the lord , and feel after him , before we can find him by the light of nature . the search indeed is not very tedious nor difficult ; he is not far from every one of us ; for in him we live , and move , and have our being . the consideration of our mind and understanding , which is an incorporeal substance independent from matter ; and the contemplation of our own bodies , which have all the stamps and characters of excellent contrivance ; these alone , though we look upon nothing abroad , do very easily and proximately guide us to the wise author of all things . but however , as we see in our text , some thoughts and meditation are necessary to it ; and a man may possibly be so stupid , or wilfully ignorant or perverse , as not to have god in all his thoughts , or to say in his heart , there is none . and this being observed , we have an effectual answer to that cavil of the atheists ; who make it an objection against the being of god , that they do not discover him without any application , in spite of their corrupt wills and debauch'd understandings . if , say they , such a god as we are told of , had created and formed us , surely he would have left upon our minds , a native and indeleble inscription of himself , whereby we must needs have felt him , even without seeking , and believed in him whether we would or no. so that these atheists being conscious to themselves , that they are void of such belief , which ( they say ) if god was , would actually and necessarily be in them , do bring their own wicked doubting and denying of god , as evidence against his existence ; and make their very infidelity an argument for it self . to which we reply , that god hath endu'd mankind with powers and abilities , which we call natural light , and reason , and common sense ; by the due use of which we cannot miss of the discovery of his being ; and this is sufficient . but as to that original notion and proposition , god is , which the atheist pretends should have been actually imprinted on us , antecedently to all use of our faculties ; we may affirm , that the absence of such a notion doth not give the least presumption against the truth of religion : because though god be supposed to be , yet that notion distinct from our faculties would not be requisite ; nor is it asserted by religion . first , it would not be requisite ; because , without any such primitive impression , we can easily attain to the knowledge of the deity by the sole use of our natural reason . and again , such an impression would have render'd the belief of a god irresistible and necessary , and thereby have bereaved it of all that is good and acceptable in it . for as the taking away the freedom of humane will , and making us meer machins under fatal ties and impulses , would destroy the very nature of moral vertue ; so likewise as to faith , there would be nothing worthy of praise and recompence in it , if there were left no possibility of doubting or denying . and secondly , such a radical truth , god is , springing up together with the essence of the soul , and previous to all other thoughts , is not asserted by religion . no such thing , that i know of , is affirmed or suggested by the scriptures . there are several topics there used against the atheism and idolatry of the heathens ; such as the visible marks of divine wisdom and goodness in the works of the creation , the vital union of souls with matter , and the admirable structure of animate bodies , and the like . but if our apostle had asserted such an anticipating principle engraven upon our souls before all exercise of reason ; what did he talk of seeking the lord , if haply they might feel after him and find him ? since if the knowledge of him was in that manner innate and perpetual , there would be no occasion of seeking , nor any hap or hazard in the finding . such an inscription would be self evident without reasoning or study , and could not fail constantly to exert its energy in their minds . what did he talk of the unknown god , and ignorantly worshipping ? when if such an original signature were always inherent in their hearts ; god could not be unknown to , or ignorantly worshipp'd by any . that primary proposition would have been clear , and distinct , and efficacious , and universal in the minds of men. s. paul therefore , it appears , had no apprehension of such a first notion ; nor made use of it for an argument ; which ( since whosoever hath it , must needs know that he hath it ) if it be not believed before by the adversary , is false ; and if it be believed , is superfluous ; and is of so frail and brittle a texture , that whereas other arguments are not answered by bare denying without contrary proof , the meer doubting and disbelieving of this must be granted to be ipso facto the breaking and confuting of it . thus much therefore we have proved against the atheist ; that such an original irresistible notion is neither requisite upon supposition of a deity , nor is pretended to by religion ; so that neither the absence of it is any argument against the being of god , nor a supposed false assertion of it an objection against the scripture . 't is enough that all are furnish'd with such natural powers and capacities ; that if they seriously reflect , if they seek the lord with meditation and study , they cannot fail of finding and discovering him : whereby god is not left without witness , but the atheist without excuse . and now i haste to the second proposition deduced from the text , and the argument of my present discourse , that the organical structure of humane bodies whereby they are fitted to live , and move , and be vitally informed by the soul is unquestionably the workmanship of a most wise , and powerfull and beneficent maker . first , 't is allowed and acknowledged by all parties , that the bodies of men and other animals are excellently well fitted for life , and motion , and sensation ; and the several parts of them well adapted and accommodated to their particular functions . the eye is very proper and meet for seeing , the tongue for tasting and speaking , the hand for holding and lifting , and ten thousand operations beside : and so for the inward parts ; the lungs are suitable for respiration , the stomach for concoction , the lacteous vessels for the reception of the chyle , the heart for the distribution of the blood to all the parts of the body . this is matter of fact , and beyond all dispute ; and in effect is no more than to say , that animals are animals ; for if they were deprived of these qualifications , they could not be so . this therefore is not the matter in question between us and the atheists : but the controversie is here . we , when we consider so many constituent parts in the bodies of men , all admirably compacted into so noble an engine ; in each of the very fingers , for example , there are bones , and gristles , and ligaments , and membranes , and muscles , and tendons , and nerves , and arteries , and veins , and skin , and cuticle , and nail ; together with marrow , and fat , and blood , and other nutricious juices ; and all those solid parts of a determinate size , and figure , and texture , and situation ; and each of them made up of myriads of little fibres and filaments , not discoverable by the naked eye ; i say , when we consider how innumerable parts must constitute so small a member , as the finger , we cannot look upon it or the whole body , wherein appears so much fitness and use , and subserviency to infinite functions , any otherwise than as the effect of contrivance and skill , and consequently the workmanship of a most intelligent and beneficent being . and though now the propagation of mankind be in a settled method of nature , which is the instrument of god : yet we affirm that the first production of mankind was by the immediate power of the almighty author of nature : and that all succeeding generations of men are the progeny of one primitive couple . this is a religious man's account of the frame and origination of himself . now the atheists agree with us , as to the fitness of man's body and its several parts to their various operations and functions ( for that is visible and past all contradiction ) but they vehemently oppose , and horribly dread the thought , that this usefulness of the parts and the whole should first arise from wisdom and design . so that here will be the point in debate , and the subject of our present undertaking ; whether this acknowledged fitness of humane bodies must be attributed , as we say , to a wise and good god ; or , as the atheist averr , to dead senseless matter . they have contrived several tricks and methods of deceit , one repugnant to another , to evade ( if possible ) this most cogent proof of a deity ; all which i will propose and refute : and i hope to make it appear , that here , as indeed every where , but here certainly , in the great dramatick poem of nature , is , dignus deo vindice nodus , a necessity of introducing a god. and first , i will answer what exceptions they can have against our account : and secondly , i will confute all the reasons and explications they can give of their own. 1. first , i will answer what exceptions they can have against our account of the production of mankind . and they may object , that the body it self , though pretty good in its kind and upon their hypothesis , nevertheless doth not look like the workmanship of so great a master , as is pretended by us ; that infinite wisdom and goodness and power would have bestowed upon us more senses than five , or at least these five in a much higher perfection ; that we could never have come out of the hands of the almighty , so subject to numerous diseases , so obnoxious to violent deaths ; and at best , of such a short and transitory life . they can no more ascribe so sorry an effect to an omniscient cause , than some ordinary piece of clock-work with a very few motions and uses , and those continually out of order , and quickly at an end , to the best artist of the age. but to this we reply : first , as to the five senses , it would be rash indeed to affirm , that god , if he had pleased , could not have endued us with more . but thus much we may averr , that though the power of god be infinite and perfect , yet the capacities of matter are within limits and bounds . why then doth the atheist suspect that there may possibly be any more ways of sensation than what we have already ? hath he an idea , or notion , or discovery of any more ? so far from that , that he cannot make any addition or progress in those very senses he hath , further than they themselves have informed him . he cannot imagine one new colour , or tast , or smell , beside those that have actually fallen under his senses . much less can he that is destitute of an entire sense , have any idea or representation of it ; as one that is born deaf hath no notion of sounds ; or blind , of colours and light. if then the atheist can have no imagination of more senses than five , why doth he suppose that a body is capable of more ? if we had double or triple as many , there might still be the same suspicion for a greater number without end ; and the objection therefore in both cases is equally unreasonable and groundless . secondly , we affirm , that our senses have that degree of perfection which is most fit and suitable to our estate and condition . for though the eye were so piercing , as to descry even opake and little objects some hundreds of leagues off , even that improvement of our sight would do us little service ; it would be terminated by neighbouring hills and woods , or in the largest and ▪ evenest plain by the very convexity of the earth , unless we could always inhabit the tops of mountains and cliffs , or had wings too to fly aloft , when we had a mind to take a prospect . and if mankind had had wings ( as perhaps some extravagant atheist may think us deficient in that ) all the world must have consented to clip them ; or else humane race had been extinct before this time , nothing upon that supposition being safe from murder and rapine . or if the eye were so acute , as to rival the finest microscopes , and to discern the smallest hair upon the leg of a gnat , it would be a curse and not a blessing to us ; it would make all things appear rugged and deformed ; the most finely polish'd chrystal would be uneven and rough : the sight of our own selves would affright us : the smoothest skin would be beset all over with ragged scales , and bristly hairs . and beside , we could not see at one view above what is now the space of an inch , and it would take a considerable time to survey the then mountainous bulk of our own bodies . such a faculty of sight so disproportion'd to our other senses and to the objects about us would be very little better than blindness it self . and again , god hath furnished us with invention and industry , so that by optical glasses we can more than supply that imaginary defect of our own eyes , and discover more remote and minute bodies with that assistance , than perhaps the most whimsical atheist would desire to do without it . so likewise if our sense of hearing were exalted proportionably to the former , what a miserable condition would mankind be in ? what whisper could be low enough , but many would over-hear it ? what affairs , that most require it , could be transacted with secrecy ? and whither could we retire from perpetual humming and buzzing ? every breath of wind would incommode and disturb us : we should have no quiet or sleep in the silentest nights and most solitary places ; and we must inevitably be struck deaf or dead with the noise of a clap of thunder . and the like inconveniences would follow , if the sense of feeling was advanced to such a degree as the atheist requires . how could we sustain the pressure of our very cloaths in such a condition ; much less carry burthens and provide for conveniences of life ? we could not bear the assault of an insect , or a feather , or a puff of air without pain . there are examples now of wounded persons , that have roared for anguish and torment at the discharge of ordnance , though at a very great distance ; what insupportable torture then should we be under upon a like concussion in the air , when all the whole body would have the tenderness of a wound ? in a word , all the changes and emendations that the atheists would make in our senses , are so far from being improvements , that they would prove the utter ruin and extirpation of mankind . but perhaps they may have better success in their complaints about the distempers of the body and the shortness of life . we do not wonder indeed , that the atheist should lay a mighty stress upon this objection . for to a man that places all his happiness in the indolency and pleasure of body , what can be more terrible than pain or a fit of sickness ? nothing but death alone , the most dreadfull thing in the world . when an atheist reflects upon death , his very hope is despair ; and 't is the crown and top of his wishes , that it may prove his utter dissolution and destruction . no question if an atheist had had the making of himself , he would have framed a constitution that could have kept pace with his insatiable lust , been invincible by gluttony and intemperance , and have held out vigorous a thousand years in a perpetual debauch . but we answer ; first , in the words of st. paul : nay , but , o man , who art thou , that repliest against god ? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it , why hast thou made me thus ? we adore and magnifie his most holy name for his undeserved mercy towards us , that he made us the chief of the visible creation ; and freely acquit his goodness from any imputation of unkindness , that he has placed us no higher . secondly , religion gives us a very good account of the present infirmity of our bodies . man at his first origin was a vessel of honour , when he came first out of the hands of the potter ; endued with all imaginable perfections of the animal nature ; till by disobedience and sin , diseases and death came first into the world. thirdly , the distempers of the body are not so formidable to a religious man , as they are to an atheist : he hath a quite different judgment and apprehension about them : he is willing to believe , that our present condition is better for us in the issue , than that uninterrupted health and security , that the atheist desires ; which would strongly tempt us to forget god and the concerns of a better life . whereas now he receives a fit of sickness , as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the kind chastisement and discipline of his heavenly father , to wean his affections from the world , where he is but as on a journey ; and to fix his thoughts and desires on things above , where his country and his dwelling is : that where he hath placed his treasure and concerns , there his heart may be also . fourthly , most of the distempers that are incident to us are of our own making , the effects of abused plenty , and luxury , and must not be charged upon our maker ; who notwithstanding out of the riches of his compassion hath provided for us store of excellent medicines , to alleviate in a great measure those very evils which we bring upon our selves . and now we are come to the last objection of the atheist , that life is too short . alas for him , what pity 't is that he cannot wallow immortally in his sensual pleasures ! but if his life were many whole ages longer than it is , he would still make the same complaint , brevis est hic fructus homullis . for eternity , and that 's the thing he trembles at , is every whit as long , after a thousand years as after fifty . but religion gives us a better prospect and makes us look beyond the gloomy regions of death with comfort and delight : when this corruptible shall put on incorruption , and this mortal put on immortality . we are so far from repining at god , that he hath not extended the period of our lives to the longaevity of the antediluvians ; that we give him thanks for contracting the days of our trial , and receiving us more maturely into those everlasting habitations above , that he hath prepared for us . and now that i have answer'd all the atheist's exceptions against our account of the production of mankind , i come in the next place to examine all the reasons and explications they can give of their own . the atheists upon this occasion are divided into sects , and ( which is the mark and character of error ) are at variance and repugnancy with each other and with themselves . some of them will have mankind to have been thus from all eternity . but the rest do not approve of infinite successions , but are positive for a beginning ; and they also are subdivided into three parties : the first ascribe the origin of men to the influence of the stars upon some extraordinary conjunction or aspect : others again reject all astrology ; and some of these mechanically produce mankind , at the very first experiment , by the action of the sun upon duly prepared matter : but others are of opinion , that after infinite blundering and miscarrying , our bodies at last came into this figure by meer chance and accident . there 's no atheist in the world , that reasons about his infidelity ( which god knows most of them never do ) but he takes one of these four methods . i will refute them every one in the same order that i have named them : the two former in the present discourse , reserving the others for another occasion . i. and first , the opinion of those atheists that will have mankind and other animals to have subsisted eternally in infinite generations already past , will be found to be flat non-sence and contradiction to it self , and repugnant also to matter of fact. first , it is contradiction to it self . infinite generations of men ( they say ) are already past and gone : but whatsoever is now past , was once actually present ; so that each of those infinite generations was once in its turn actually present : therefore all except one generation were once future and not in being , which destroys the very supposition : for either that one generation must it self have been infinite , which is nonsence ; or it was the finite beginning of infinite generations between it self and us , that is infinity terminated at both ends , which is nonsence as before . again , infinite past generations of men have been once actually present : there may be some one man suppose then , that was at infinite distance from us now : therefore that man's son likewise , forty years younger suppose than his father , was either at infinite distance from us or at finite : if that son too was at infinite distance from us , then one infinite is longer by forty years than another ; which is absurd : if at finite , then forty years added to finite makes it infinite , which is as absurd as the other . and again , the number of men that are already dead and gone is infinite , as they say : but the number of the eyes of those men must necessarily be twice as much as that of the men themselves , and that of the fingers ten times as much , and that of the hairs of their heads thousands of times . so that we have here one infinite number twice , ten times , and thousands of times as great as another , which is contradiction again . thus we see it is impossible in it self , that any successive duration should be actually and positively infinite , or have infinite successions already gone and past . neither can these difficulties be applied to the eternal duration of god almighty . for though we cannot comprehend eternity and infinity ; yet we understand what they are not. and something , we are sure , must have existed from all eternity ; because all things could not emerge and start out of nothing . so that if this prae-existent eternity is not compatible with a successive duration , as we clearly and distinctly perceive that it is not ; then it remains , that some being , though infinitely above our finite comprehensions , must have an identical , invariable continuance from all eternity ; which being is no other than god. for as his nature is perfect and immutable without the least shadow of change ; so his eternal duration is permanent and indivisible , not measurable by time and motion , nor to be computed by number of successive moments . one day with the lord is as a thousand years , and a thousand years as one day . and secondly , this opinion of infinite generations is repugnant likewise to matter of fact. 't is a truth beyond opposition , that the universal species of mankind hath had a gradual increase , notwithstanding what war , and famine , and pestilence , and floods , and conflagrations , and the religious profession of celibacy , and other causes , may at certain periods of time have interrupted and retarded it . this is manifest from the history of the jewish nation , from the account of the roman census , and registers of our own country , where the proportion of births to burials is found upon observation to be yearly as fifty to forty . now if mankind do increase though never so slowly , but one couple suppose in an age ; 't is enough to evince the falshood of infinite generations already expired . for though an atheist should contend , that there were ten thousand million couple of mankind now in being , ( that we may allow him multitude enough ) 't is but going back so many ages , and we descend to a single original pair . and 't is all one in respect of eternal duration yet behind , whether we begin the world so many millions of ages ago , or date it from the late aera of about six thousand years . and moreover this recent beginning of the world is further established from the known original of empires and kingdoms , and the invention of arts and sciences : whereas if infinite ages of mankind had already preceded , there could nothing have been left to be invented or improved by the successfull industry and curiosity of our own . the circulation of the blood , and the weight and spring of the air ( which is as it were the vital pulse and the great circulation of nature , and of more importance in all physiology , than any one invention since the beginning of science ) had never lain hid so many myriads of generations , and been reserved for a late happy discovery by two great luminaries of this island . i know the atheist may endeavour to evade this by supposing , that though mankind have been from everlasting , and have perpetually encreas'd by generation ; yet at certain great periods there may be universal deluges , which may not wholly extinguish mankind ( for , they 'll say , there is not water enough in nature for that ) but may cover the earth to such a height , that none but a few mountainers may escape , enough to continue humane race ; and yet being illiterate . rusticks ( as mountainers always are ) they can preserve no memoirs of former times , nor propagate any sciences or arts ; and so the world must needs be thought by posterity to have begun at such periods . but to this i answer , first , that upon this supposition there must have been infinite deluges already past : for if ever this atheist admits of a first deluge , he is in the same noose that he was . for then he must assert , that there were infinite generations and an infinite increase of mankind before that first deluge ; and then the earth could not receive them , but the infinite bodies of men must occupy an infinite space , and then all the matter of the universe must be humane body ; and many other absurdities will follow , absurdities as infinite , as the generations he talks of . but if he says , that there have been infinite deluges heretofore , this is impossibility again ; for all that i said before against the notion of infinite past generations , is alike applicable to this . secondly , such universal deluges ( since the deity is now excluded ) must be produced in a natural way : and therefore gradually , and not in an instant : and therefore ( because the tops of mountains , they say , are never overflown ) the civilized people may escape thither out of villages and cities ; and consequently , against the atheist , arts , and sciences , and histories , may be preserved , and derived to the succeeding world. thirdly , let us imagine the whole terraqueous globe with its atmosphere about it ; what is there here , that can naturally effect an universal deluge ? if you would drown one country or continent with rains and inundations , you must borrow your vapour and water from some other part of the globe . you can never overflow all at a time . if the atmosphere it self was reduced into water , ( as some think it possible ) it would not make an orb above 32 foot deep , which would soon be swallowed up by the cavity of the sea , and the depressed parts of the earth , and be a very feeble attempt towards an universal deluge . but then what immense weight is there above , that must overcome the expansive force of the air , and compress it into near the thousandth part of the room that it now takes up ? we , that acknowledge a god almighty , can give an account of one deluge , by saying it was miraculous ; but it would be strange to see an atheist have recourse to a miracle ; and that not once only , but upon infinite occasions . but perhaps they may endeavour to prove the possibility of such a natural deluge , by borrowing an ingenious notion , and pretending , that the face of nature may be now quite changed from what it was ; and that formerly the whole collection of waters might be an orbicular abyss , arched over with an exterior crust or shell of earth , and that the breaking and fall of this crust might naturally make a deluge . i 'll allow the atheist all the fair play in the world . let us suppose the fall of this imaginary crust . first , it seems to be impossible , but that all the inhabitants of this crust must be dash'd to pieces in its ruins . so that this very notion brings us to the necessity of a new production of men ; to evade which it is introduced by the atheist . again , if such a crust naturally fell , then it had in its own constitution a tendency towards a fall ; that is , it was more likely and inclinable to fall this thousand years , than the last . but if the crust was always gradually nearer and nearer to falling ; that plainly evinces , that it had not endured eternally before its fall. for let them assign any imaginable period for its falling , how could it have held out till then ( according to the supposition ) the unmeasurable duration of infinite ages before ? and again , such a crust could fall but once ; for what architect can an atheist suppose , to rebuild a new arch out of the ruins of the other ? but i have shewn before that this atheist hath need of infinite deluges to effect his design ; and therefore i 'll leave him to contrive how to make infinite crusts one upon the back of another ; and now proceed to examine in the second place , the astrological explication of the origin of men. ii. if you ask one of this party , what evidence he is able to produce for the truth of his art , he may perhaps offer some physical reasons for a general influence of the stars upon terrestrial bodies : but as astrology is consider'd to be a system of rules and propositions , he will not pretend to give any reason of it à priori ; but resolves all that into tradition from the chaldeans and aegyptians , who first learnt it by long observation , and transmitted it down to posterity ; and that now it is daily confirmed by events ; which are experienced to answer the predictions . this is all that can be said for astrology as an art. so that the whole credibility of this planetary production of mankind must depend upon observation . but are they able to shew among all the remains of the chaldaick observations for four hundred and seventy thousand years ( as they pretended ) any tradition of such a production ? so far from that , that the chaldeans believed the world and mankind to have been from everlasting , which opinion i have refuted before . neither can the aegyptian wizards with their long catalogue of dynasties , and observations for innumerable years , supply the atheists with one instance of such a creation . where are the fragments of petosiris and necepso , that may countenance this assertion ? i believe if they had had any example of men born out of the soil , they would rather have ascribed it to the fruitfull mud of the nile ( as they did the breeding of frogs , and mice , and monsters ) than to the efficacy of stars . but with the leave of these fortune-tellers , did the stars do this feat once only , which gave beginning to humane race ? or have they frequently done so , and may do it again ? if frequently , why is not this rule deliver'd in ptolemee and albumazar ? if once only at the beginning , then how came it to be discover'd ? who were there then in the world , to observe the births of those first men , and calculate their nativities , as they sprawl'd out of ditches ? those sons of earth were very wise children , if they themselves knew , that the stars were their fathers . unless we are to imagine , that they understood the planets and the zodiack by instinct , and fell to drawing schemes of their own horoscopes , in the same dust they sprung out of ? for my part i can have no great veneration for chaldaick antiquity ; when i see they could not discover in so many thousand years , that the moon was an opake body , and received her light from the sun. but suppose their observations had been never so accurate , it could add no authority to modern astrology , which is borrowed from the greeks . 't is well known that berosus , or his scholars new modelled and adapted the babylonian doctrines to the graecian mythology . the supposed influences of aries and taurus for example , have a manifest relation to the graecian stories of the ram that carried phrixus , and the bull that carried europa . now which of these is the copy , and which the original ? were the fables taken from the influences , or the influences from the fables ? the poetical fables more ancient than all records of history ; or the astrological influences , that were not known to the greeks till after alexander the great ? but without question those fabulous tales had been many a time told and sung to lull children asleep , before ever berosus set up his intelligence office at cos. and the same may be said of all the other constellations . first , poetry had filled the skies with asterisms and histories belonging to them ; and then astrology devises the feigned virtues and influences of each , from some property of the image , or allusion to the story . and the same trifling futility appears in their xii signs of the zodiack , and their mutual relations and aspects . why no more aspects than diametrically opposite , and such as make aequilateral figures ? why are the masculine and feminine , the fiery and airy , and watry and earthly signs all placed at such regular distances ? were the virtues of the stars disposed in that order and rank , on purpose only to make a pretty diagram upon paper ? but the atheistical astrologer is doubly pressed with this absurdity . for if there was no counsel at the making of the world , how came the asterisms of the same nature and energies to be so harmoniously placed at regular intervals ? and how could all the stars of one asterism agree and conspire together to constitute an universal ? why does not every single star shed a separate influence ; and have aspects with other stars of their own constellation ? but what need there many words ? as if the late discoveries of the celestial bodies had not plainly detected the imposture of astrology ? the planet saturn is found to have a great ring that encircles him , and five lesser planets that move about him , as the moon doth about the earth : and iupiter hath four satellites , which by their interposition between him and us make some hundreds of eclipses every year . now the whole tribe of astrologers , that never dream'd of these planets , have always declared , that when iupiter and saturn come about again to any given point , they exert ( consider'd singly by themselves ) the same influence as before . but 't is now manifest , that when either of them return to the same point ; the planets about them , that must make up an united influence with them , have a different situation in respect of us and each other , from what they had the time before : and consequently the joint influence must be perpetually varied , and never be reducible to any rules and observations . or if the influences be conveyed hither distinct , yet sometimes some of the little planets will eclipse the great one at any given point ; and by that means intercept and obstruct the influence . i cannot now insist on many other arguments deducible from the late improvements of astronomy , and the truth of the copernican system ; for if the earth be not the centre of the planetary motions , what must become then of the present astrology , which is wholly adapted to that vulgar hypothesis ? and yet nevertheless , when they lay under such wretched mistakes for many myriads of years , if we are willing to believe them ; they would all along , as now , appeal to experience and event for the confirmation of their doctrines . that 's the invincible demonstration of the verity of the science : and indeed as to their predictions , i think our astrologers may assume to themselves that infallible oracle of tiresias , o laertiade , quicquid dico , aut erit , aut non . there 's but a true and a false in any telling of fortune ; and a man that never hits on the right side , cannot be called a bad guesser , but must miss out of design , and be notably skilfull at lighting on the wrong . and were there not formerly as great pretentions to it from the superstitious observation of the entrails of cows , of the flying of vulturs , and the pecking of chickings ? nay , the old augurs and soothsayers had better reason to profess the art of divining , than the modern astrological atheist : for they supposed there were some daemons , that directed the indications . so likewise the chaldean and aegyptian astrologers were much more excusable than he. it was the religion of their countries to worship the stars , as we know from unquestionable authority . they believed them intelligent beings , and no other than very gods ; and therefore had some reason to suspect , that they might govern humane affairs . the influence of the stars was in their apprehensions no less than divine power . but an atheist , that believes the planets to be dark , solid and senseless bodies , like the brute earth he treads on ; and the fixt stars and the sun to be inanimate balls of fire ; what reasons can he advance for the credit of such influences ? he acknowledgeth nothing besides matter and motion ; so that all that he can conceive to be transmitted hither from the stars , must needs be perform'd either by mechanism or accident ; either of which is wholly unaccountable , and the latter irreconcileable to any art or system of science . but if both were allowed the atheist ; yet as to any production of mankind , they will be again refuted in my following discourse . i can preserve a due esteem for some great men of the last age , before the mechanical philosophy was revived , though they were too much addicted to this nugatory art. when occult quality , and sympathy and antipathy were admitted for satisfactory explications of things , even wise and vertuous men might swallow down any opinion that was countenanced by antiquity . but at this time of day , when all the general powers and capacities of matter are so clearly understood ; he must be very ridiculous himself , that doth not deride and explode the antiquated folly. but we may see the miserable shifts that some men are put to ; when that which was first founded upon , and afterward supported by idolatry , is now become the tottering sanctuary of atheism . if the stars be no deities , astrology is groundless : and if the stars be deities , why is the astrologer an atheist ? he may easily be no christian ; and 't is difficult indeed to be both at once : because , as i have said before , idolatry is at the bottom ; and by submitting humane actions and inclinations to the influence of the stars , they destroy the very essence of moral virtue and the efficacy of divine grace : and therefore astrology was justly condemn'd by the ancient fathers and christian emperours . an astrologer , i say , may very easily be no christian ; he may be an idolater or a pagan : but i could hardly think astrology to be compatible with rank atheism ; if i could suppose any great gifts of nature to be in that person , who is either an atheist or an astrologer . but let him be what he will , he is not able to do much hurt by his reasons and example . for religion it self , according to his principles , is derived from the stars . and he owns , 't is not any just exceptions he hath taken against christianity , but 't is his destiny and fate ; 't is saturn in the ninth house , and not judgment and deliberation , that made him an atheist . a confutation of atheism from the structure and origin of humane bodies . part ii. the fourth sermon preached iune 6. 1692. acts xvii . 27. that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him ; though he be not far from every one of us : for in him we live , and move , and have our being . in the former part of this enquiry i have examin'd and refuted two atheistical notions opposed to the great doctrine of the text , that we owe our living and being to the power of god : the one of the aristotelian atheists , who , to avoid the difficulties of the first production of mankind , without the intervention of almighty wisdom and power , will have the race to have thus continued without beginning , by an eternal succession of infinite past generations ; which assertion hath been detected to be mere nonsense , and contradictory to it self : the other of the astrological undertakers , that would raise men like vegetables out of some fat and slimy soil well digested by the kindly heat of the sun , and impregnated with the influence of the stars upon some remarkable and periodical conjunctions : which opinion hath been vamp'd up of late by cardan and cesalpinus , and other news-mongers from the skies ; a pretence as groundless and silly , as the dreaming oneirocriticks of artemidorus and astrampsychus , or the modern chiromancy and divinations of gypsies . i proceed now to the two remaining paradoxes of such sects of atheists , as laying aside astrology and the unintelligible influence of heavenly bodies , except that which proceeds from their gravity and heat , and light , do either produce mankind mechanically and necessarily from certain connexions of natural causes ; or more dully and supinely , though altogether as reasonably , resolve the whole business into the unaccountable shuffles and tumults of matter , which they call chance and accident . but at present i shall only take an account of the supposed production of humane bodies by mechanism and necessity . the mechanical or corpuscular philosophy , though peradventure the oldest , as well as the best in the world , had lain buried for many ages in contempt and oblivion ; till it was happily restor'd and cultivated anew by some excellent wits of the present age. but it principally owes its re-establishment and lustre , to mr. boyle that honourable person of ever blessed memory , who hath not only shewn its usefulness in physiology above the vulgar doctrines of real qualities and substantial forms ; but likewise its great serviceableness to religion it self . and i think it hath been competently prov'd in a former discourse , how friendly it is to the immateriality of humane souls , and consequently to the existence of a supreme spiritual being . and i may have occasion hereafter to shew further , that all the powers of mechanism are intirely dependent on the deity , and do afford a solid argument for the reality of his nature . so far am i from the apprehension of any great feats , that this mechanical atheist can do against religion . for if we consider the phaenomena of the material world with a due and serious attention , we shall plainly perceive , that its present frame and constitution and the established laws of nature are constituted and preserved by gravitation alone . that is the powerfull cement , which holds together this magnificent structure of the world ; which stretcheth the north over the empty space , and hangeth the earth upon nothing ; if we may transfer the words of iob from the first and real cause to the secondary agent . without gravity , the whole universe , if we suppose an undetermin'd power of motion infused into matter , would have been a confused-chaos , without beauty or order , and never stable and permanent in any condition . now it may be prov'd in its due place , that this gravity , the great basis of all mechanism , is not it self mechanical ; but the immediate fiat and finger of god , and the execution of the divine law ; and that bodies have not the power of tending towards a centre , either from other bodies or from themselves : which at once , if it be proved , will undermine and ruine all the towers and batteries that the atheists have raised against heaven . for if no compound body in the visible world can subsist and continue without gravity , and if gravity do immediately flow from a divine power and energy ; it will avail them nothing , though they should be able to explain all the particular effects , even the origination of animals , by mechanical principles . but however at present i will forbear to urge this against the atheist . for , though i should allow him , that this catholick principle of gravitation is essential to matter without introducing a god ; yet i will defie him to shew , how a humane body could be at first produced naturally , according to the present system of things , and the mechanical affections of matter . and because this atheist professeth to believe as much as we ; that the first production of mankind was in a quite different manner from the present and ordinary method of nature , and yet affirms nevertheless , that that was natural too ; which seems at the first sight to be little less than a contradiction : it should lie upon him to make out , how matter by undirected motion could at first necessarily fall , without ever erring or miscarrying , into such a curious formation of humane bodies ; a thing that by his own confession it was never able to do since , or at least hath not done for some thousands of years : he should declare to us what shape and contexture matter then had , which it cannot have now : how it came to be altered by long course of time , so that living men can no longer be produced out of putrefaction in the primary way ; and yet the species of mankind , that now consists of and is nourished by matter so altered , should continue to be the same as it was from the beginning . he should undertake to explain to us the first steps and the whole progress of such a formation ; at least by way of hypothesis , how it naturally might have been , tho' he affirm not that it was actually so . whether he hath a new notion peculiar to himself about that production , or takes up with some old one , that is ready at hand : whether that most witty conceit of anaximander , that the first men and all animals were bred in some warm moisture , inclosed in crustaceous skins , as if they were various kinds of crab-fish and lobsters ; and so continued till they arrived at perfect age ; when their shelly prisons growing dry and breaking made way for their liberty : or the no less ingenious opinion of the great empedocles ; that mother earth first brought forth vast numbers of legs , and arms , and heads , and the other members of the body , scatter'd and distinct , and all at their full growth ; which coming together and cementing ( as the pieces of snakes and lizards are said to do , if one cuts them asunder ) and so configuring themselves into humane shape , made lusty proper men of thirty years age in an instant : or rather the divine doctrine of epicurus and the aegyptians ; that there first grew up a sort of wombs , that had their roots in the earth , and attracted thence a kind of milk for the nourishment of the inclosed foetus ; which at the time of maturity broke through those membranes , and shifted for themselves . i say , he ought to acquaint us which of these he is for , or bring a new explication of his own ; and not require us to prove the negative , that a spontaneous production of mankind , neither warranted by example , nor defended by reason , nevertheless may not possibly have been true . this is a very unreasonable demand , and we might justly put him off with such an answer as this ; that there are several things , which all men in their wits do disbelieve , and yet none but mad-men will go about to disprove . but to shew him how much we endeavour to satisfie and oblige him , i will venture once for his sake to incurr the censure of some persons for being elaborately trifling . for with respect to the most of mankind , such wretched absurdities are more wisely contemn'd than confuted ; and to give them a serious answer , may only make them look more considerable . first then , i take it for granted by him , that there were the same laws of motion , and the like general fabrick of the earth , sea and atmosphere , at the beginning of mankind , as there are at this day . for if any laws at first were once settled and constituted ; like those of the medes and persians , they are never to be reversed . to violate and infringe them , is the same as what we call miracle ; and doth not sound very philosophically out of the mouth of an atheist . he must allow therefore , that bodies were endowed with the same affections and tendencies then as ever since , and that if an ax-head be supposed to float upon water , which is specifically much lighter than it ; it had been supernatural at that time , as well as in the days of elisha . and this is all that i desire him to acknowledge at present . so that he may admit of those arguments as valid and conclusive against his hypothesis , that are fairly drawn from the present powers of matter , and the visible constitution of the world. now that we may come to the point ; all matter is either fluid or solid , in a large acceptation of the words , that they may comprehend even all the middle degrees between extreme fixedness and coherency , and the most rapid intestine motion of the particles of bodies . now the most cavilling atheist must allow , that a solid inanimate body , while it remains in that state , where there is none , or a very small and inconsiderable change of texture , is wholly incapable of a vital production . so that the first humane body , without parents and without creator , if such an one ever was , must have naturally been produced in and constituted by a fluid . and because this atheist goes mechanically to work ; the universal laws of fluids must have been rigidly observed during the whole process of the formation . now this is a catholick rule of staticks ; that if any body be bulk for bulk heavier than a fluid , it will sink to the bottom of that fluid ; and if lighter , it will float upon it ; having part of it self extant , and part immersed to such a determinate depth , as that so much of the fluid as is equal in bulk to the immersed part , be equal in gravity to the whole . and consequently if several portions of one and the same fluid have a different specifick gravity , the heavier will always ( in a free vessel ) be gradually the lower ; unless violently shaken and blended together by external concussion . but that cannot be in our present case . for i am unwilling to affront this atheist so much , as to suppose him to believe , that the first organical body might possibly be effected in some fluid portion of matter , while its heterogeneous parts were jumbled and confounded together by a storm , or hurricane , or earthquake . to be sure he will rather have the primitive man to be produced by a long process in a kind of digesting balneum , where all the heavier lees may have time to subside , and a due aequilibrium be maintain'd , not disturb'd by any such rude and violent shocks , that would ruffle and break all the little stamina of the embryon , if it were a making before . now because all the parts of an undisturb'd fluid are either of equal gravity , or gradually placed and storied according to the differences of it ; any concretion that can be supposed to be naturally and mechanically made in such a fluid , must have a like structure of its several parts ; that is , either be all over of a similar gravity , or have the more ponderous parts nearer to its basis. but there need no more concessions than this , to extinguish these supposed first-born of nature in their very formation . for suppose a humane body to be a forming in such a fluid in any imaginable posture , it will never be reconcileable to this hydrostatical law. there will be always something lighter beneath , and something heavier above ; because bone , or what is then the stuff and rudiments of bone , the heaviest in specie , will be ever in the midst . now what can make the heavier particles of bone ascend above the lighter ones of flesh , or depress these below those , against the tendency of their own nature ? this would be wholly as miraculous , as the swimming of iron in water at the command of elisha , and as impossible to be , as that the lead of an edifice should naturally and spontaneously mount up to the roof , while lighter materials employ themselves beneath it : or that a statue , like that in nebuchadnezzar's vision , whose head was of fine and most ponderous gold , and his feet of lighter materials , iron and clay , should mechanically erect it self upon them for its basis. secondly , because this atheist goes mechanically to work , he will not offer to affirm , that all the parts of the embryon could according to his explication be formed at a time . this would be a supernatural thing , and an effectual refutation of his own principles . for the corpuscles of matter having no consciousness of one anothers acting ( at least before or during the formation ; as will be allowed by that very atheist , that attributes reason and perception to them , when the formation is finished ) they could not consent and make a compact together , to carry on the work in several places at once ; and one party of them be forming the brain , while another is modelling the heart , and a third delineating the veins . no , there must be , according to mechanism , a successive and gradual operation : some few particles must first be united together , and so by apposition and mutual connexion still more and more by degrees , till the whole system be completed : and a fermentation must be excited in some assignable place , which may expand it self by its elastical power ; and break through , where it meets with the weakest resistance ; and so by that so simple and mechanical action , may excavate all the various ducts and ventricles of the body . this is the only general account , as mean as it appears to be , that this machin of an atheist can give of that fearfull and wonderfull production . now to confute these pretences , first , there is that visible harmony and symmetry in a humane body , such a mutual communication of every vessel and member of it , as gives an internal evidence ; that it was not formed successively , and patch'd up by piece-meal . so uniform and orderly a system with innumerable motions and functions , all so placed and constituted , as never to interfere and clash one with another , and disturb the oeconomy of the whole , must needs be ascribed to an intelligent artist ; and to such an artist , as did not begin the matter unprepared and at a venture ; and , when he was put to a stand , paused and hesitated , which way he should proceed ; but he had first in his comprehensive intellect a complete idea and model of the whole organical body , before he enter'd upon the work. but secondly , if they affirm , that mere matter by its mechanical affections , without any design or direction , could form the body by steps and degrees ; what member then do they pitch upon for the foundation and cause of all the rest ? let them shew us the beginning of this circle ; and the first wheel of this perpetual motion . did the blood first exist , antecedent to the formation of the heart ? but that is to set the effect before the cause : because all the blood that we know of , is made in and by the heart , having the quite different form and qualities of chyle , before it comes thither . must the heart then have been formed and constituted , before the blood was in being ? but here again , the substance of the heart it self is most certainly made and nourished by the blood , which is conveyed to it by the coronary arteries . and thus it is through the whole system of the body ; every member doth mutually sustain and supply one another ; and all are coaetaneous , because none of them can subsist alone . but they will say , that a little ferment first making a cavity , which became the left ventricle of the heart , did thence further expand it self , and thereby delineate all the arteries of the body . now if such a slight and sorry business as that , could produce an organical body ; one might reasonably expect , that now and then a dead lump of dough might be leaven'd into an animal : for there a like ferment makes notable tumours and ventricles ; besides sundry long and small chanels , which may pass tolerably well for arteries and veins . but i pray , in this supposed mechanical formation , when the ferment was expanded to the extremities of the arteries , if it still had any elastical force remaining , why did it not go on and break through the receptacle , as other ferment must be allowed to have done at the mouth and the nostrils ? there was as yet no membranous skin formed , that might stop and repell it . or if the force of it was spent , and did not wheel about and return ; what mechanical cause then shall we assign for the veins ? for this ferment is there supposed to have proceeded from the small capillary extremities of them to the great vein and the heart ; otherwise it made valves , which would have stopp'd its own passage . and why did that ferment , that at first dispersed it self from the great artery into infinite little ramifications , take a quite contrary method in the making of the veins , where innumerable little rivulets have their confluence into the great vein , the common chanel of the blood ? are such opposite motions both equally mechanical , when in both cases the matter was under the same modification ? and again , when the first ferment is excited , and forms the left ventricle of the heart ; if the fluid matter be uniform and of a similar texture , and therefore on all sides equally resist the expansion ; then the cavity must continue one , dilated more and more , 'till the expansive force and the uniform resistance be reduced to an equality , and so nothing at all can be formed by this ferment , but a single round bubble . and moreover this bubble ( if that could make a heart ) by reason of its comparative levity to the fluid that incloses it , would necessarily ascend to the top ; and consequently we should never find the heart in the midst of the breast . but if the fluid be supposed to consist of heterogeneous particles , then we cannot conceive how those dissimilar parts should have a like situation in two several fluids , when the ferment begins . so that upon this supposition there could be no species of animals , nor any similitude between them : one would have its lungs , where another hath its liver , and all the other members preposterously placed ; there could not be a like configuration of parts in any two individuals . and again , what is that which determines the growth of all living creatures ? what principles of mechanism are sufficient to explain it ? why do not all animals continually increase in bigness during the whole space of their lives , as it is reported of the crocodile ? what sets a bound to their stature and dimensions ? or if we suppose a bound and ne plus ultra to be mechanically fixed : but then why so great a variety in the bulk of the several kinds ? why also such constancy observed in that manifold variety ? for as some of the largest trees have seeds no bigger or even less than some diminutive plants , and yet every seed is a perfect plant with trunk and branches and leaves inclosed in a shell : so the first embryon of an ant is supposed by inquisitive naturalists to be as big , as that of an elephant , and to promise as fair at its primitive formation for as spacious a body : which nevertheless by an immutable decree can never arrive to the millionth part of the others bulk . and what modification of the first liquid matter can vary so much , as to make one embryon capable of so prodigiously vast augmentation , while another is confined to the minuteness of an insect ? is not this manifestly a divine sanction , that hath fixed and determin'd the shape , the stature , the appetites , and the duration of all creatures in the world ? hither must we have recourse in that great and mysterious affair of an organical formation : and i profess that i cannot discern one step in the whole , that is agreeable to the natural laws of motion . if we consider the heart , which is supposed to be the first principle of motion and life , and divide it by our imagination into its constituent parts , its arteries and veins and nerves and tendons and membranes , and innumerable little fibres , that these secondary parts do consist of ; we shall find nothing here singular , but what is in any other muscle of the body . 't is only the site and posture of these several parts and the configuration of the whole , that give it the form and functions of a heart . now why should the first single fibres in the formation of the heart be peculiarly drawn in spiral lines ; when the fibres of all other muscles are made by a transverse rectilinear motion ? what could determine the fluid matter into that odd and singular figure , when as yet no other member is supposed to be form'd , that might direct the course of that fluid matter ? let mechanism here make an experiment of its power , and produce a spiral and turbinated motion of the whole moved body without an external director . when all the organs are once framed by a supernatural and divine principle , we do willingly admit of mechanism in many functions of the body : but that the organs themselves should be mechanically formed , we conceive it to be impossible and utterly inexplicable . and if any atheist will give a clear and philosophical account of the things that are here touch'd upon ; he may then hear of many more and perhaps more difficult than these , which their unfitness for a popular auditory , and the remaining parts of my subject , that press forward to be treated of , oblige me now to omit . but as the atheist , when he is put to it to explain , how any motion of dead matter can beget thought and perception , will endeavour to defend his baffled impiety with the instance of brutes , which he calls thinking machines : so will he now also appeal from the arbitration of reason in the case of animal productions , to example and matter of fact. he will declaim to us about the admirable structure of the bodies of insects ; that they have all the vital parts , which the largest of quadrupeds and even man himself can boast of ; and yet they are the easie and obvious products of unintelligent nature , that spontaneously and mechanically form them out of putrefied carcasses and the warm moisture of the soil : and ( which is mightily to his purpose ) these insects , so begotten without parents , have nevertheless fit organs of generation and difference of sex , and can propagate their own kinds , as if themselves had been begotten so too : and that if mother earth in this her barrenness and decrepitness of age can procreate such swarms of curious engins , which not only themselves enjoy their portion of life , but by a most wonderfull instinct impart it to many more , and continue their species : might she not in the flower of her youth , while she was succulent and fertil , have produced horses and elephants and even mankind it self , the largest and perfectest animals , as easily as in this parched and steril condition she can make a frog or an insect ? thus he thinks , he hath made out from example and analogy , that at the beginning of things every species of animals might spring mechanically out of the soil without an intelligent creator . and indeed there is no one thing in the world , which hath given so much countenance and shadow of possibility to the notion of atheism , as this unfortunate mistake about the aequivocal generation of insects : and as the oldest remains of atheistical writings are full of this comparison ; so it is the main refuge of those , that in this and the last age have had the folly and impudence to appear in so wretched a cause . now to this last subterfuge of the mechanical atheists we can occurr several ways . and at present we affirm , first , ex abundanti , that though we should allow them the spontaneous production of some minute animals , yet a like primitive origination of mankind could not thence be concluded . because they first tacitly suppose , that there is an universal decay of moisture and fertility in the earth . and they cannot avoid the necessity of so doing : for if the soil be as fruitfull now , as it was in the beginning ; why would it not produce men , and the nobler kinds of beasts in our days too , if ever it did so ? so that if that supposition be evinc'd to be erroneous and groundless , all the arguments that they build upon it , will be subverted at once . now what more easily refuted , than that old vulgar assertion of an universal drought and exsiccation of the earth ? as if the sun could evaporate the least drop of its moisture , so that it should never descend again , but be attracted and elevated quite out of the atmosphere ? 't is now a matter agreed and allowed by all competent judges , that every particle of matter is endowed with a principle of gravity , whereby it would descend to the centre , if it were not repelled upwards by heavier bodies . so that the smallest corpuscle of vapour , if we suppose it to be exhaled to the top of the atmosphere , thence it must come down again , or at least must there remain incumbent upon others : for there 's either nothing or nothing heavier above it to protrude it any higher , neither can it spontaneously mount any more against the tendency of its nature . and lest some ignorant atheist should suspect , that peradventure there may be no such top of the atmosphere ; but that it may be continued on to the sun or to indefinite space : he must vouchsafe to be instructed , that the whole weight of any column of the atmosphere , and likewise the specifick gravity of its basis are certainly known by many experiments ; and that by this computation ( even making allowance for its gradually larger expansion , the higher we go , ) the very top of any pillar of air is not one hundred miles distant from the surface of the earth . so that hence it is manifest , that the whole terraqueous globe with its atmosphere cannot naturally have lost the least particle of moisture , since the foundation of the world. but still they may insist , that although the whole globe cannot be deprived of any of its moisture , yet the habitable earth may have been perpetually the drier , seeing it is assiduously drained and exhausted by the seas . but to this we reply , that the very contrary is demonstrable ; that the longer the world shall continue , the moister the whole aggregate of the land will be . for ( to take no notice of the supply of its moisture by rains and snow and dews and condensation of vapours , and perhaps by subterraneous passages ) the tops of mountains and hills will be continually washed down by the rains , and the chanels of rivers corroded by the streams ; and the mud that is thereby conveyed into the sea will raise its bottom the higher ; and consequently the declivity of rivers will be so much the less ; and therefore the continents will be the less drain'd , and will gradually increase in humidity from the first period of their duration to the final consummation of all things : if the successive production of plants and animals , which are all made up of and nourish'd by water , and perhaps never wholly return to water again , do not keep things at a poise ; or if the divine power do not interpose and change the settled course and order of nature . but let us allow their supposition , that the total of the dry land may have been robbed of some of its moisture which it had at its first constitution : yet still there are some parts of the earth sufficiently soak'd and water'd , to produce , men and animals now , if ever they did at all . for do not the nile , and the niger , and the ganges , and the menam , make yearly inundations in our days , as they have formerly done ? and are not the countries so overflown still situate between the tropicks under the direct and most vigorous rays of the sun , the very place where these mechanical atheists lay the scene of that great transaction ? so that if mankind had ever sprung naturally out of the soil , the experiment would succeed now every year in aethiopia and siam ; where are all the requisite qualifications that ever have been , for such a production . and again , if there hath been such a gradual diminution of the generative faculty of the earth , that it hath dwindled from nobler animals to puny mice and insects ; why was there not the like decay in the production of vegetables ? we should have lost by this time the whole species of oaks and cedars and the other tall and lofty sons of the forest , and have found nothing but dwarfish shrubs and creeping moss and despicable mushroms . or if they deny the present spontaneous production of larger plants , and confine the earth to as pigmie births in the vegetable kingdom , as they do in the other : yet surely in such a supposed universal decay of nature , even mankind it self that is now nourished ( though not produced ) by the earth , must have degenerated in stature and strength in every generation . and yet we have certain demonstration from the aegyptian mummies , and roman urns and rings and measures and aedifices and many other antiquities , that humane stature is not diminished at all for the last two thousand years . now if the decay has not been constant and gradual , there has been no decay at all ; or at least no natural one , nor what may be accounted for by this mechanical atheist . i conclude therefore , that although we should allow the spontaneous production of insects ; yet no argument can be deduced from thence for a like origination of mankind . but , secondly , we affirm , that no insect or animal did ever proceed aequivocally from putrefaction , unless in miraculous cases , as in aegypt by the divine judgments ; but all are generated from parents of their own kind , male and female ; a discovery of that great importance , that perhaps few inventions of this age can pretend to equal usefulness and merit ; and which alone is sufficient ( if the vices of men did not captivate their reason ) to explode and exterminate rank atheism out of the world. for if all animals be propagated by generation from parents of their own species , and there be no instance in nature of even a gnat or a mite either now or in former ages spontaneously produced : how came there to be such animals in being , and whence could they proceed ? there is no need of much study and deliberation about it : for either they have existed eternally by infinite successions already gone and past , which is in its very notion absurd and impossible ; or their origin must be ascribed to a supernatural and divine power , that formed and created them . now to prove our assertion about the seminal production of all living creatures ; that we may not repeat the reasons which we have offer'd before against the first mechanical formation of humane bodies , which are equally valid against the spontaneous origin of the minutest insects ; we appeal to observation and experiment , which carry the strongest conviction with them , and make the most sensible and lasting impressions . for whereas it hath been the general tradition and belief , that maggots and flies breed in putrefied carcasses , and particularly bees come from oxen , and hornets from horses , and scorpions from crabfish , &c. all is now found to be fable and mistake . that sagacious and learned naturalist francisco redi made innumerable trials with the putrid flesh of all sorts of beasts and fowls and fishes and serpents , with corrupted cheese and herbs and fruits and even insects themselves : and he constantly found , that all those kinds of putrefaction did only afford a nest and aliment for the eggs and young of those insects that he admitted to come there ; but produced no animal of themselves by a spontaneous formation . for when he suffer'd those things to putrefie in hermetically sealed glasses , and vessels close cover'd with paper ; and not only so , lest the exclusion of the air might be supposed to hinder the experiment ; but in vessels cover'd with fine lawn , so as to admit the air and keep out the insects : no living thing was ever produced there , though he exposed them to the action of the sun , in the warm climate of florence , and in the kindest season of the year . even flies crush'd and corrupted , when inclosed in such vessels , did never procreate a new fly : though there , if in any case , one would have expected that success . and when the vessels were open , and the insects had free access to the aliment within them , he diligently observed , that no other species were produced , but of such as he saw go in and feed and deposit their eggs there : which they would readily do in all putrefaction ; even in a mucilage of bruised spiders , where worms were soon hatch'd out of such eggs , and quickly changed into flies of the same kind with their parents . and was not that a surprizing transformation indeed , if according to the vulgar opinion those dead and corrupted spiders spontaneously changed into flies ? and thus far we are obliged to the diligence of redi : from whence we may conclude , that no dead flesh nor herbs nor other putrefied bodies , nor any thing that hath not then actually either a vegetable or animal life can produce any insect . and if we should allow , as he did , that every animal and plant doth naturally breed and nourish by its substance some peculiar insect : yet the atheist could make no advantage of this concession as to a like origination of mankind . for surely 't is beyond even an atheist's credulity and impudence , to affirm that the first men might proceed out of the galls and tumors of leaves of trees , as some maggots and flies are supposed to do now ; or might grow upon trees , as the story goes about barnacles ; or perhaps might be the lice of some vast prodigious animals , whose species is now extinct . but though we suppose him guilty of such an extravagant folly , he will only shift the difficulty , and not wholly remove it ; for we shall still expect an account of the spontaneous formation of those mountainous kind of animals and men-bearing trees . and as to the worms that are bred in the intestines and other inward parts of living creatures , their production is not material to our present enquiry , till some atheist do affirm , that his own ancestors had such an original . i say , if we should allow this concession of redi , it would do no service to our adversaries : but even here also they are defeated by the happy curiosity of malpighi and others , who observed and discovered , that each of those tumours and excrescences of plants , out of which generally issues a fly or a worm , are at first made by such insects , which wound the tender buds with a long hollow trunk , and deposit an egg in the hole with a sharp corroding liquor , which causeth a swelling in the leaf , and so closeth the orifice : and within this tumor the worm is hatcht and receives its aliment , till it hath eat its way through . neither need we recurr to an aequivocal production of vermin in the phthiriasis and in herod's disease , who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , eaten of worms , or maggots . those horrible distempers are always accompanied with putrefying ulcers ; and it hath been observed by the most accurate lewenhoeck , that lice and flies , which have a most wonderfull instinct and acuteness of sense to find out convenient places for the hatching and nourishment of their young , do mightily endeavour to lay their eggs upon sores ; and that one will lay above a hundred eggs , and may naturally increase to some hundreds of thousands in a quarter of a year : which gives a full and satisfactory account of the phoenomena of those diseases . and whereas it is said , exod. 16. v. 20. that some of the israelites left of the manna until the morning , and it bred worms and stank ; which an atheist may make an objection , as either against us , or against the truth of the scriptures : i understand it no otherwise , than that the manna was fly-blown . it was then the month of october , which in that southern climate , after the preceding autumnal rains , doth afford a favourable season and copious nutriment for infinite swarms of insects . neither do i ascribe it to a miraculous power , that some of the manna should breed worms , but that all the rest should be preserved sound and untainted . and if any one shall rigidly urge from that passage the literal expression of breeding ; he must allow moses to speak in the language of the vulgar in common affairs of life . we do now generally believe the copernican system ; yet i suppose upon ordinary occasions we shall still use the popular terms of sun rise and sun-set , and not introduce a new pedantick description of them from the motion of the earth . and then as to the vulgar opinion , that frogs are made in the clouds and brought down by the rains , it may be thus easily refuted : for at that very instant , when they are supposed to descend , you may find by dissection not only their stomachs full of meat , but their intestines full of excrement : so that they had lurked before in the day-time in holes and bushes and grass , and were then invited abroad by the freshness of a shower . and by this time we may understand , what credit and authority those old stories ought to have about monstrous productions in aegypt after the inundation of the nile , of mice and frogs and serpents , half flesh and half mud ; nay of the legs , and arms , and other limbs of men , & quicquid graecia mendax ; altogether as true , as what is seriously related by helmont , that foul linen , stopt in a vessel that hath wheat in it , will in 21 days time turn the wheat into mice : which one may guess to have been the philosophy and information of some housewife , who had not so carefully cover'd her wheat , but that the mice could come at it , and were there taken napping , just when they had made an end of their cheer . corn is so innocent from this calumny of breeding of mice ; that it doth not produce the very weevils that live in it and consume it : the whole course of whose generation and periodical changes hath been curiously observed and described by the ingenious lewenhoek . and moreover , that we may deprive the atheist of all hopes and pretensions of argument from this baffled opinion of aequivocal insects , we will acquaint him from the most accurate observations of swammerdam , that even the supposed change of worms into flies is no real transmutation ; but that most of those members , which at last become visible to the eye , are existent at the beginning , artificially complicated together , and cover'd with membranes and tunicles , which are afterwards stript off and laid aside : and all the rest of that process is no more surprizing , than the eruption of horns in some brutes , or of teeth and beard in men at certain periods of age . and as we have establish'd our assertion of the seminal production of all kinds of animals ; so likewise we affirm , that the meanest plant cannot be rais'd without seed by any formative power residing in the soil . to which assertion we are encourag'd , first , from the known seeds of all vegetables , one or two only excepted , that are left to future discovery : which seeds by the help of microscopes are all found to be real and perfect plants , with leaves and trunk curiously folded up and enclosed in the cortex : nay one single grain of wheat or barly or rye , shall contain four or five distinct plants under one common tunicle : a very convincing argument of the providence and goodness of god ; that those vegetables that were appointed to be the chief sustenance of mankind , should have that multiplied foecundity above any others : and secondly , by that famous experiment of malpighi , who a long time enclosed a quantity of earth in a vessel , secured by a fine cloth from the small imperceptible seeds of plants that are blown about with the winds ; and had this success of his curiosity , to be the first happy discoverer of this noble and important truth , that no species of plants can be produc'd out of earth without a praeexistent seed ; and consequently they were all created and raised at the beginning of things by the almighty gardener , god blessed for ever . and lastly , as to those various and elegant shells , that are dug up in continents and embodied in stones and rocks at a vast distance from any sea ; which this atheist may possibly allege for an instance of a plastick faculty of nature ; 't is now generally agreed by the most diligent inquirers about them , that they are no sportfull productions of the soil , as was formerly believed , but that all did once belong to real and living fishes ; since each of them exactly resembles some shell of the seas , both in its outward lineaments , and inward texture , and specifick gravity , and all other properties : which therefore are so far from being subservient to atheists in their audacious attempts against god and religion , that they rather afford an experimental confirmation of the universal deluge . and thus we have competently shewn , that every species of living creatures , every small insect , and even the herbs of the field give a casting vote against atheism , and declare the necessity of a supernatural formation . if the earth in its first constitution had been left to it self , what horrid deformity and desolation had for ever overspread its face ? not one living inhabitant would be found on all its spacious surface ; not so much as a worm in the bowels of it , nor one single fish in the vast bosom of the sea ; not a mantle of grass or moss , to cover and conceal the nakedness of nature . an eternal sterility must have possessed the world , where all things had been fixed and fasten'd everlastingly with the adamantin chains of specifick gravity ; if the almighty had not spoken and said , let the earth bring forth grass , the herb yielding seed , and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind ; and it was so . 't was god , that then created the first seminal forms of all animals and vegetables , that commanded the waters to bring forth abundantly , and the earth to produce living creatures after their kind ; that made man in his own image after his own likeness : that by the efficacy of his first blessing made him be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth ; by whose alone power and conservation we all live and move and have our being . may the same most glorious god of his infinite mercy grant , that as we have sought the lord , and felt after him , and found him in these works of his creation : so now that we have known god , we may glorify him as god both now , and for evermore . amen . a confutation of atheism from the structure and origin of humane bodies . the third and last part the fifth sermon preached septemb. 5. 1692. acts xvii . 27. that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him ; though he be not far from every one of us : for in him we live , and move , and have our being . in my former discourses i have endeavour'd to prove , that humane race was neither ( 1 ) from everlasting without beginning ; nor ( 2 ) owes its beginning to the influence of heavenly bodies ; nor ( 3 ) to what they call nature , that is , the necessary and mechanical motions of dead senseless matter . i proceed now to examin the fourth and last plea of the enemies to religion and their own souls , that mankind came accidentally into the world , and hath its life and motion and being by mere chance and fortune . we need not much wonder , that this last opinion should obtain almost universally among the atheists of these times . for whereas the other require some small stock of philosophy to understand or maintain them : this account is so easie and compendious , that it needs none at all ; and consequently is the more proper and agreeable to the great industry and capacity of the most numerous party of them . for what more easie to say , than that all the bodies of the first animals and plants were shuffled into their several forms and structures fortuitously , that is , these atheists know not how , nor will trouble themselves to endeavour to know ? for that is the meaning of chance ; and yet this is all , that they say , or can say to the great matter in question . and indeed this little is enough in all reason ; and could they impose on the rest of mankind , as easily as delude themselves , with a notion , that chance can effect a thing ; it would be the most expedite and effectual means to make their cause victorious over vertue and religion . for if you once allow them such an acceptation of chance , you have precluded your self ( they think ) from any more reasoning and objecting against them . the mechanical atheist , though you grant him his laws of mechanism , is nevertheless inextricably puzzled and baffled with the first formation of animals : for he must undertake to determine all the various motions and figures and positions and combinations of his atoms ; and to demonstrate , that such a quantity of motion impressed upon particles so shaped and situated , will necessarily range and dispose them into the form and frame of an organical body : an attempt as difficult and unpromising of success , as if he himself should make the essay to produce some new kinds of animals out of such senseless materials , or to rebuild the moving and living fabrick out of its dust in the grave . but the atheist , that we are now to deal with , if you do but concede to him , that fortune may be an agent ; presumes himself safe and invulnerable , secure above the reach of any further disputes . for if you proceed to ask questions , and bid him assign the proper causes and determinate manner of that fortuitous formation , you thereby deny him what you granted before , and take away the very hypothesis and the nature of chance ; which supposeth that no certain cause or manner of it can possibly be assigned . and as the stupidity of some libertines , that demand a sight of a spirit or humane soul to convince them of its existence , hath been frequently and deservedly exposed ; because whatsoever may be the object of our sight , must not be a soul or spirit , but an opake body : so this atheist would tax us of the like nonsense and contradiction ; if after he hath named to us fortune or chance , we should expect from him any particular and distinct account of the origin of mankind . because it is the very essence and notion of his chance , to be wholly unaccountable : and if an account could be given of it ; it would then no longer be chance but mechanism , or a necessary production of certain effects from certain causes according to the universal laws of motion . thus we are to know , that if once we admit of fortune in the formation of mankind ; there is no further enquiry to be made , no more difficulties to be solved , and no account to be demanded . and who then can admire , if the inviting easiness and compendiousness of this assertion should so dazle the eyes of our atheist , that he overlooks those gross absurdities , that are so conspicuous in it ? ( 1 ) for first , if this atheist would have his chance or fortune to be a real and substantial agent ; as the vulgar seem to have commonly apprehended , some making it a divinity , others they do not conceive what : he is doubly more stupid and more supinely ignorant than those vulgar ; in that he assumes such a notion of fortune , as besides its being erroneous , is inconsistent with his atheism . for since according to the atheists , the whole universe is corpus & mane , body and nothing else : this chance , if it do really and physically effect any thing , must it self be body also . and what a numerous train of absurdities do attend such an assertion ? too visible and obvious to deserve to be here insisted on . for indeed it is no less than flat contradiction to it self . for if this chance be supposed to be a body ; it must then be a part of the common mass of matter : and consequently be subject to the universal and necessary laws of motion : and therefore it cannot be chance , but true mechanism and nature . ( 2 ) but secondly , if he forbear to call chance a real agent , and is content to have it only a result or event ; since all matter or some portion of it may be naturally exempt from these supposed mechanical laws , and be endowed with a power of spontaneous or fortuitous motion ; which power , when it is exerted , must produce an effect properly casual , and therefore might constitute the first animate bodies accidentally , against the supposed natural tendency of the particles of those bodies : even this second assertion is contrary to common sense , as well as common observation . for how can he conceive , that any parcel of dead matter can spontaneonsly divert and decline it self from the line of its motion without a new impulse from external bodies ? if it can intrinsically stir it self , and either commence its motion or alter its course ; it must have a principle of self-activity , which is life and sense . but sense i have proved formerly to be incompatible with mere bodies , even those of the most compound and elaborate textures ; much more with single atoms or solid particles of matter , that having no intestine motion of parts are destitute of the first foundation and capacity of life . and moreover , though these particles should be supposed to have this internal principle of sense , it would still be repugnant to the notion of chance : because their motions would not then be casual , but voluntary ; not by chance , but choice and design . and again , we appeal to observation , whether any bodies have such a power of fortuitous motion : we should surely have experiment of it in the effects of nature and art : no body would retain the same constant and uniform weight according to its bulk and substance ; but would vary perpetually , as that spontaneous power of motion should determin its present tendency . all the various machins and utensils would now and then play odd pranks and capricio's quite contrary to their proper structures and designs of the artificers . whereas on the contrary all bodies are observed to have always a certain and determinate motion according to the degrees of their external impulse , and their inward principle of gravitation , and the resistance of the bodies they occurr with : which therefore is without error exactly foreseen and computed by sagacious artists . and if ever dead matter should deviate from this motion ; it could not proceed from it self , but a supernatural agent ; and ought not to be called a chance , but a miracle . for chance is but a mere name , and really nothing in it self : a conception of our own minds , and only a compendious way of speaking , whereby we would express , that such effects , as are commonly attributed to chance , were verily produced by their true and proper causes , but without their designing to produce them . and in any event called casual , if you take away the real and physical causes , there remains nothing , but a simple negation of the agents intending such an event : which negation being no real entity , but a conception only of man's intellect wholly extrinsecal to the action , can have no title to a share in the production . as in that famous example ( which plutarch says , is the only one , where fortune is related to have done a thing artificially ) when a painter having finish'd the picture of a horse , excepting the loose froth about his mouth and his bridle ; and after many unsuccessfull essays despairing to do that to his satisfaction , in a great rage threw his spunge at it , all besmear'd , as it was , with the colours ; which fortunately hitting upon the right place , by one bold stroke of chance most exactly supplied the want of skill in the artist : even here it is manifest , that considering the quantity and determination of the motion , that was impressed by the painter's hand upon the spunge , com ▪ pounded with the specifick gravity of the spunge , and resistance of the air ; the spunge did mechanically and unavoidably move in that particular line of motion , and so necessarily hit upon that part of the picture ; and all the paint , that it left there , was as certainly placed by true natural causes , as any one stroke of the pencil in the whole piece . so that this strange effect of the spunge was fortuitous only with respect to the painter , because he did not design nor forsee such an effect ; but in it self and as to its real causes it was necessary and natural . in a word , the true notion of fortune ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) denoteth no more , than the ignorance of such an event in some knowing agent concerned about it . so that it owes its very being to humane understanding , and without relation to that is really nothing . how absurd then and ridiculous is the atheist , that would make this fortune the cause of the formation of mankind ; whereas manifestly there could be no such thing or notion in the world as fortune , till humane nature was actually formed ? it was man that first made fortune , and not fortune that produced man. for since fortune in its proper acceptation supposeth the ignorance of something , in a subject capable of knowledge ; if you take away mankind , such a notion hath no existence , neither with relation to inanimate bodies that can be conscious of nothing , nor to an omniscient god , that can be ignorant of nothing . and so likewise the adequate meaning of chance ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) ( as it is distinguished from fortune ; in that the latter is understood to befall only rational agents , but chance to be among inanimate bodies ) is a bare negation , that signifies no more than this , that any effect among such bodies ascribed to chance , is really produced by physical agents , according to the established laws of motion , but without their consciousness of concurring to the production , and without their intention of such an effect . so that chance in its true sense is all one with nature ; and both words are used promiscuously by some ancient writers to express the same thing . and we must be wary , lest we ascribe any real subsistence or personality to this nature or chance : for it is merely a notional and imaginary thing ; an abstract universal , which is properly nothing ; a conception of our own making , occasion'd by our reflecting upon the settled course of things ; denoting only thus much , that all those bodies move and act according to their essential properties and qualities without any consciousness or intention of so doing . so that in this genuine acceptation of chance , here is nothing supposed , that can supersede the known laws of natural motion : and thus to attribute the formation of mankind to chance , is all one with the former atheistical assertion , that ascribes it to nature or mechanism : and consequently it hath received a prolix and sufficient refutation in my preceding discourse . ( 3 ) but thirdly , 't is likely that our atheist may willingly renounce the doctrine of chance as a thing differing from nature , and may allow it to be the same thing , and that too no real and substantial agent , but only an abstract intellectual notion : but still he hath another expedient in reserve , which is a middle and safe way between the former rigorous mechanism and the extravagancies of fortuitous motion : viz. that at the beginning all things ( 't is true ) proceded necessarily and fatally according to the mechanical powers and affections of matter : but nevertheless the several kinds of animals were not formed at the first trial and effort without one error or miscarriage ; ( as strict mechanism would suppose ; ) but there was an immense variety of ferments and tumors and excrescences of the soil , pregnant and big with foetus's of all imaginable shapes and structures of body : millions of which were utterly uncapable of life and motion , being the molae , as it were , and the abortions of mother earth : and many of those that had life and powers to preserve their own individuals , yet wanted the due means of propagation , and therefore could not transmit their species to the following ages : and that those few only , that we now find in being , did happen ( for he cannot express it but by the characters of a chance ) to have all the parts necessary not only for their own lives , but for the continuation of their kinds . this is the favourite opinion , among the atheists , and the most plausible of all ; by which they think they may elude that most formidable argument for the being of god , from the admirable contrivance of organical bodies and the exquisite fitness of their several parts for those ends and uses they are put to , and seem to have been designed for . for , say they , since those innumerable instances of blunder and deformity were quickly removed out of knowledge and being ; it is plain that no animals ought now to be found , but such as have due organs necessary for their own nourishment and increase of their kinds : so that this boasted usefulness of parts , which makes men attribute their origination to an intelligent and wise agent , is really no argument at all : because it follows also from the atheists assertion . for since some animals are actually preserved in being till now , they must needs all of them have those parts that are of use and necessity : but that at first was only a lucky hit without skill or design , and ever since is a necessary condition of their continuation . and so for instance , when they are urged with the admirable frame and structure of the eye ; which consists of so great a variety of parts , all excellently adapted to the uses of vision ; that ( to omit mathematical considerations with relation to opticks ) hath its many coats and humours transparent and colourless , lest it should tinge and sophisticate the light that it lets in , by a natural jaundice ; that hath its pupil so constituted , as to admit of contraction and dilatation according to the differing degrees of light , and the exigencies of seeing ; that hath eye lids so commodiously placed , to cleanse the ball from dust , to shed necessary moisture upon it through numerous glandules , and to be drawn over it like a curtain for the convenience of sleep ; that hath a thousand more beauties in its figure and texture never studied nor admired enough : they will briskly reply , that they willingly concede all that can be said in the commendation of so noble a member ; yet notwithstanding they cannot admit for good reasoning , he that formed the eye , shall not he see ? for it was blind nature alone or matter mechanically moved without consciousness or direction , that made this curious organ of vision . for the short of the matter is this : this elegant structure of the eye is no more than is necessary to seeing ; and this noble faculty of seeing is no more than is necessary to life ; and consequently is included in the very suppositions of any animals living and continuing till now ; though those be but the very few that at the beginning had the good fortune to have eyes , among many millions of monsters that were destitute of them , sine vultu caeca reperta , and therefore did fatally perish soon after their birth . and thus when we insist on other like arguments of divine wisdom in the frame of animate bodies ; as the artificial position of many myriads of valves , all so situate as to give a free passage to the blood and other humors in their due chanels and courses , but not permit them to regurgitate and disturb the great circulation and oeconomy of life ; as the spiral , and not annulary , fibres of the intestines for the better exercise of their functions ; as the provident furnishing of temporary parts for the foetus during the time of gestation , which are afterwards laid aside ; as the strange sagacity of little insects in choosing fit places for the exclusion of their eggs , and for the provision of proper food , when the young ones are hatcht and need it ; as the ardent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural affection in those animals , whose off-spring cannot at first procure their own sustenance , but must infallibly perish , if not fed by the parents ; as the untaught instincts and impresses upon every species , directing them without imitation or deliberation to the ready knowledge of proper food , to one and the best way of their preservation and defence , and to the never-failing propagation of their own kind : what-ever considerations of this nature you propose to this atheist , as indeed such instances are innumerable , all evidently setting forth the almighty's wisdom and goodness to such as are able to judge , and will judge impartially ; he hath this one subterfuge from them all , that these things are mistaken for tokens of skill and contrivance , though they be but necessary consequences of the present existence of those creatures . for he that supposeth any animals to subsist , doth by that very supposition allow them every member and faculty that are necessary to subsistence ; such as are those we have just now enumerated . and therefore , unless we can prove à priori and independent of this usefulness , now that things are once supposed to have existed and propagated ; that among almost infinite trials and essays at the beginning of things , among millions of monstrous shapes and imperfect formations , a few such animals , as now exist , could not possibly be produced ; these after-considerations are of very little moment : because if such animals could in that way possibly be formed , as might live and move and propagate their beings ; all this admired and applauded usefulness of their several fabricks is but a necessary condition and consequence of their existence and propagation . this is the last pretence and sophistry of the atheists against the proposition in my text , that we received our life and being from a divine wisdom and power . and as they cannot justly accuse me of any ways concealing or balking their grand objection : so i believe these following considerations will give them no reason to boast , that it cannot receive a just and satisfactory answer . ( 1 ) first therefore , we affirm that we can prove and have done it already by arguments à priori ( which is the challenge of the atheists ) that these animals , that now exist , could not possibly have been formed at first by millions of trials . for since they allow by their very hypothesis ( and without standing to that courtesie we have proved it before ) that there can be no casual or spontaneous motion of the particles of matter : it will follow that every single monster among so many supposed myriads must have been mechanically and necessarily formed according to the known laws of motion , and the temperament and quality of the matter that it was made of . which is sufficient to evince , that no such monsters were or could have been formed . for to denominate them even monsters ; they must have had some rude kind of organical bodies ; some stamina of life , though never so clumsy ; some system of parts compounded of solids and liquids , that executed , though but bunglingly , their peculiar motions and functions . but we have lately shewn it impossible for nature unassisted to constitute such bodies , whose structure is against the law of specifick gravity . so that she could not make the least endeavour towards the producing of a monster ; or of any thing that hath more vital and organical parts , than we find in a rock of marble or a fountain of water . and again , though we should not contend with them about their monsters and abortions ; yet since they suppose even the perfect animals , that are still in being , to have been formed mechanically among the rest ; and only add some millions of monsters to the reckoning ; they are liable to all the difficulties in the former explication , and are expresly refuted through the whole preceding sermon : where it is abundantly shown , that a spontaneous production is against the catholick laws of motion , and against matter of fact ; a thing without example , not only in man and the nobler animals , but in the smallest of insects and the vilest of weeds : though the fertility of the earth cannot be said to have been impaired since the beginning of the world. ( 2 ) secondly , we may observe that this evasion of the atheist is fitted only to elude such arguments of divine wisdom , as are taken from things necessary to the conservation of the animal , as the faculties of sight and motion and nutrition , and the like ; because such usefulness is indeed included in a general supposition of the existence of that animal : but it miserably fails him against other reasons from such members and powers of the body , as are not necessary absolutely to living and propagating , but only much conduce to our better subsistence and happier condition . so the most obvious contemplation of the frame of our bodies ; as that we all have double sensories , two eyes , two ears , two nostrils , is an effectual confutation of this atheistical sophism . for a double organ of these senses is not at all comprehended in the notion of bare existence : one of them being sufficient to have preserved life , and kept up the species ; as common experience is a witness . nay even the very nails of our fingers are an infallible token of design and contrivance : for they are useful and convenient to give strength and firmness to those parts in the various functions they are put to ; and to defend the numerous nerves and tendons that are under them , which have a most exquisite sense of pain , and without that native armour would continually be exposed to it : and yet who will say , that nails are absolutely necessary to humane life , and are concluded in the supposition of simple existence ? it is manifest therefore , that there was a contrivance and foresight of the usefulness of nails antecedent to their formation . for the old stale pretence of the atheists , that things were first made fortuitously , and afterwards their usefulness was observ'd or discover'd , can have no place here ; unless nails were either absolutely requisite to the existence of mankind , or were found only in some individuals or some nations of men ; and so might be ascribed to necessity upon one account , or to fortune upon the other . but from the atheist's supposition , that among the infinite diversity of the first terrestrial productions , there were animals of all imaginable shapes and structures of body , all of which survived and multiplied , that by reason of their make and fabrick could possibly do so ; it necessarily follows , that we should now have some nations without nails upon their fingers ; others with one eye only , as the poets describe the cyclopes in sicily , and the arimasp● in scythia ; others with one ear , or one nostril , or indeed without any organ of smelling , because that sense is not necessary to man's subsistence ; others destitute of the use of language , since mutes also may live : one people would have the feet of goats , as the feigned satyrs and panisci ; another would resemble the head of iupiter ammon , or the horned statues of bacchus : the sciapodes , and enotocoetae and other monstrous nations would no longer be fables , but real instances in nature : and , in a word , all the ridiculous and extravagant shapes that can be imagin'd , all the fancies and whimsies of poets and painters and aegyptian idolaters , if so be they are consistent with life and propagation , would be now actually in being , if our atheist's notion were true : which therefore may deservedly pass for a mere dream and an error : till they please to make new discoveries in terra incognita , and bring along with them some savages of all these fabulous and monstrous configurations . ( 3 ) but thirdly , that we may proceed yet further with the atheist , and convince him , that not only his principle is absurd , but his consequences also as absurdly deduced from it : we will allow him an uncertain extravagant chance against the natural laws of motion : though not forgetting that that notion hath been refuted before , and therefore this concession is wholly ex abundanti . i say then , that though there were really such a thing as this chance or fortune ; yet nevertheless it would be extremely absurd to ascribe the formation of humane bodies to a cast of this chance . for let us consider the very bodies themselves . here are confessedly all the marks and characters of design in their structure , that can be required , though one suppose a divine author had made them : here is nothing in the work it self , unworthy of so great a master : here are no internal arguments from the subject against the truth of that supposition . have we then any capacity to judge and distinguish , what is the effect of chance , and what is made by art and wisdom ? when a medal is dug out of the ground , with some roman emperor's image upon it , and an inscription that agrees to his titles and history , and an impress upon the reverse relating to some memorable occurrence in his life ; can we be sure , that this medal was really coined by an artificer , or is but a product of the soil from whence it was taken , that might casually or naturally receive that texture and figure : as many kinds of fossils are very odly and elegantly shaped according to the modification of their constituent salts , or the cavities they were formed in ? is it a matter of doubt and controversie , whether the pillar of trajan or antoninus , the ruins of persepolis , or the late temple of minerva were the designs and works of architecture ; or perhaps might originally exist so , or be raised up in an earthquake by subterraneous vapour ? do not we all think our selves infallibly certain , that this or that very commodious house must needs have been built by humane art ; though perhaps a natural cave in a rock may have something not much unlike to parlors or chambers ? and yet he must be a mere idiot , that cannot discern more strokes and characters of workmanship in the structure of an animal ( in an humane body especially ) than in the most elegant medal or aedifice in the world. they will believe the first parents of mankind to have been fortuitously formed without wisdom or art : and that for this sorry reason , because it is not simply impossible , but that they may have been formed so . and who can demonstrate ( if chance be once admitted of ) but that possibly all the inscriptions and other remains of antiquity may be mere lusus naturae , and not works of humane artifice ? if this be good reasoning , let us no longer make any pretences to judgment or a faculty of discerning between things probable and improbable : for , except flat contradictions , we may upon equal reasons believe all things or nothing at all . and do the atheists thus argue in common matters of life ? would they have mankind lie idle , and lay aside all care of provisions by agriculture or commerce ; because possibly the dissolution of the world may happen the next moment ? had dinocrates really carved mount athos , into a statute of alexander the great , and had the memory of the fact been obliterated by some accident ; who could afterwards have proved it impossible , but that it might casually have been formed so ? for every mountain must have some determinate figure , and why then not a humane one , as possibly as another ? and yet i suppose none could have seriously believ'd so , upon this bare account of possibility . 't is an opinion , that generally obtains among philosophers , that there is but one common matter , which is diversified by accidents , and the same numerical quantity of it by variations of texture may constitute successively all kinds of bodies in the world ▪ so that 't is not absolutely impossible ; but that , if you take any other matter of equal weight and substance with the body of a man , you may blend it so long , till it be shuffled into humane shape and an organical structure . but who is he so abandon'd to sottish credulity , as to think , upon that principle , that a clod of earth in a sack may ever by eternal shaking receive the fabrick of man's body ? and yet this is very near a ▪ kin , nay it is exactly parallel to the reasoning of atheists about fortuitous production . if mere possibility be a good foundation for belief ; even lucian's true history may be true upon that account , and palaephatus's tales may be credible in spite of the title . it hath been excellently well urged in this case both by ancients and moderns , that to attribute such admirable structures to blind fortune or chance , is no less absurd than to suppose , that if innumerable figures of the xxiv letters be cast abroad at random , they might constitute in due order the whole aeneis of virgil or the annales of ennius . now the atheists may pretend to elude this comparison ; as if the case was not fairly stated . for herein we first make an idea of a particular poem ; and then demand , if chance can possibly describe that : and so we conceive man's body thus actually formed , and then affirm that it exceeds the power of chance to constitute a being like that : which , they may say , is to expect imitation from chance , and not simple production . but at the first beginning of things there was no copy to be followed , nor any prae-existent form of humane bodies to be imitated . so that to put the case fairly , we should strip our minds and fancies from any particular notion and idea of a living body or a poem : and then we shall understand , that what shape and structure soever should be at first casually formed , so that it could live and propagate , might be man : and whatsoever should result from the strowing of those loose letters , that made any sense and measures , might be the poem we seek for . to which we reply , that if we should allow them , that there was no prae-existent idea of humane nature , till it was actually formed , ( for the idea of man in the divine intellect must not now be consider'd ) yet because they declare , that great multitudes of each species of animals did fortuitously emerge out of the soil in distant countries and climates ; what could that be less than imitation in blind chance , to make many individuals of one species so exactly alike ? nay though they should now , to cross us and evade the force of the argument , desert their ancient doctrine , and derive all sorts of animals from single originals of each kind , which should be the common parents of all the race : yet surely even in this account they must necessarily allow two at least , male and female , in every species : which chance could neither make so very nearly alike , without copying and imitation ; nor so usefully differing , without contrivance and wisdom . so that let them take whether they will : if they deduce all animals from single pairs of a sort ; even to make the second of a pair , is to write after a copy ; it is , in the former comparison , by the casting of loose letters to compose the prae-existent particular poem of ennius : but if they make numerous sons and daughters of earth among every species of creatures , as all their authors have supposed ; this is not only , as was said before , to believe a monky may once scribble the leviathan of hobbes , but may do the same frequently by an habitual kind of chance . let us consider , how next to impossible it is that chance ( if there were such a thing ) should in such an immense variety of parts in an animal twice hit upon the same structure , so as to make a male and female . let us resume the former instance of the xxiv letters thrown at random upon the ground . 't is a mathematical demonstration , that these xxiv do admit of so many changes in their order , may make such a long roll of differently ranged alphabets , not two of which are alike ; that they could not all be exhausted , though a million millions of writers should each write above a thousand alphabets a day for the space of a million millions of years . what strength of imagination can extend it self to embrace and comprehend such a prodigious diversity ? and it is as infallibly certain , that suppose any particular order of the alphabet be assigned , and the xxiv letters be cast at a venture , so as to fall in a line ; it is so many million of millions odds to one against any single throw , that the assigned order will not be cast . let us now suppose , there be only a thousand constituent members in the body of a man , ( that we may take few enough ) it is plain that the different position and situation of these thousand parts , would make so many differing compounds and distinct species of animals . and if only xxiv parts , as before , may be so multifariously placed and ordered , as to make many millions of millions of differing rows : in the supposition of a thousand parts , how immense must that capacity of variation be ? even beyond all thought and denomination , to be expressed only in mute figures , whose multiplied powers are beyond the narrowness of language , and drown the imagination in astonishment and confusion . especially if we observe , that the variety of the alphabet consider'd above , was in mere longitude only : but the thousand parts of our bodies may be diversified by situation in all the dimensions of solid bodies : which multiplies all over and over again , and overwhelms the fancy in a new abyss of unfathomable number . now it is demonstratively certain , that it is all this odds to one , against any particular trial , that no one man could by casual production be framed like another ; ( as the atheists suppose thousands to be in several regions of the earth ; ) and i think 't is rather more odds than less , that no one female could be added to a male ; in as much as that most necessary difference of sex is a higher token of divine wisdom and skill , above all the power of fortuitous hits , than the very similitude of both sexes in the other parts of the body . and again we must consider , that the vast imparity of this odds against the accidental likeness of two casual formations is never lessen'd and diminish'd by trying and casting . 't is above a hundred to one against any particular throw , that you do not cast any given set of faces with four cubical dice : because there are so many several combinations of the six faces of four dice . now after you have cast all the hundred trials but one : 't is still as much odds at the last remaining time , as it was at the first . for blind insensible chance cannot grow cunning by many experiments ; neither have the preceding casts any influence upon those that come after . so that if this chance of the atheists should have essayed in vain to make a species for a million millions of ages , 't is still as many millions odds against that formation , as it was at the first moment in the beginning of things . how incredible is it therefore ; that it should hit upon two productions alike , within so short duration of the world , according to the doctrine of our atheists ? how much more , that it should do so within the compass of a hundred years , and of a small tract of ground ; so that this male and female might come together ? if any atheist can be induced to stake his soul for a wager , against such an inexhaustible disproportion ; let him never hereafter accuse others of easiness and credulity . ( 4 ) but fourthly , we will still make more ample concessions , and suppose with the atheist , that his chance has actually formed all animals in their terrestrial wombs . let us see now , how he will preserve them to maturity of birth . what climate will he cherish them in , that they be not inevitably destroyed by moisture or cold ? where is that aequability of nine months warmth to be found ? that uniform warmth , which is so necessary even in the incubation of birds , much more in the time of gestation of viviparous animals . i know , his party have placed this great scene in aegypt , or some where between the two tropicks . now not to mention the cool of the nights , which alone would destroy the conceptions ; 't is known that all those countries have either incessant rains every year for whole months together , or are quite laid under water by floods from the higher grounds ; which would certainly corrupt and putrefy all the teeming wombs of the earth , and extinguish the whole brood of embryons by untimely abortions . ( 5 ) but fifthly , we will still be more obliging to this atheist , and grant him his petition , that nature may bring forth the young infants vitally into the world. let us see now what sustenance , what nurses he hath provided for them . if we consider the present constitution of nature ; we must affirm , that most species must have been lost for want of fostering and feeding . 't is a great mistake , that man only comes weak and helpless into the world : whereas 't is apparent , that excepting fish and insects ( and not all of them neither ) there are very few or no creatures , that can provide for themselves at first without the assistance of parents . so that unless they suppose mother earth to be a great animal , and to have nurtured up her young off-spring with a conscious tenderness and providential care ; there is no possible help for it , but they must have been doubly starved both with hunger and cold . ( 6 ) but sixthly , we will be yet more civil to this atheist , and forgive him this difficulty also . let us suppose the first animals maintain'd themselves with food , though we cannot tell how . but then what security hath he made for the preservation of humane race from the jaws of ravenous beasts ? the divine writers have acquainted us , that god at the beginning gave mankind . dominion ( an impressed awe and authority ) over every living thing that moveth upon the earth . but in the atheists hypothesis there are no imaginable means of defence . for 't is manifest , that so many beasts of prey , lions , tigres , wolves , and the like , being of the same age with man , and arriving at the top of their strength in one year or two , must needs have worried and devoured those forlorn brats of our atheists , even before they were wean'd from the foramina terrae , or at least in a short time after : since all the carnivorous animals would have mulplied exceedingly by several generations , before those children that escaped at first , could come to the age of puberty . so that men would always lessen , and their enemies always encrease . but some of them will here pretend , that epicurus was out in this matter ; and that they were not born mere infants out of those wombs of the earth ; but men at their full growth , and in the prime of their strength . but i pray what should hinder those grown lusty infants , from breaking sooner those membranes that involved them ; as the shell of the egg is broken by the bird , and the amnion by the foetus ? were the membranes so thick and tough , that the foetus must stay there , till he had teeth to eat through them , as young maggots do through a gall ? but let us answer these fools according to their folly. let us grant , that they were born with beards , and in the full time of manhood . they are not yet in a better condition : here are still many enemies against few , many species against one ; and those enemies speedily multiplying in the second and third and much lower generations ; whereas the sons of the first men must have a tedious time of childhood and adolescence , before they can either themselves assist their parents , or encourage them with new hopes of posterity . and we must consider withall , that ( in the notion of atheism ) those savages were not then , what civilized mankind is now ; but mutum & turpe pecus , without language , without mutual society , without arms of offence , without houses or fortifications ; an obvious and exposed prey to the ravage of devouring beasts ; a most sorry and miserable plantation towards the peopling of a world. and now that i have followed the atheists through so many dark mazes of error and extravagance : having to my knowledge omitted nothing on their side , that looks like a difficulty ; nor proposed any thing in reply , but what i my self really believe to be a just and solid answer : i shall here close up the apostle's argument of the existence of god from the consideration of humane nature . and i appeal to all sober and impartial judges of what hath been deliver'd ; whether those noble faculties of our souls may be only a mere sound and echo from the clashing of senseless atoms , or rather indubitably must proceed from a spiritual substance of a heavenly and divine extraction : whether these admirable fabricks of our bodies shall be ascribed to the fatal motions or fortuitous shufflings of blind matter , or rather beyond controversie to the wisdom and contrivance of the almighty author of all things , who is wonderfull in counsel , and excellent in working . to whom , &c. a confutation of atheism from the origin and frame of the world. part i. the sixth sermon preached october 3. 1692. acts xiv . 15 , &c. that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living god , who made heaven and earth and the sea , and all things that are therein : who in times past suffer'd all nations to walk in their own ways . nevertheless , he left not himself without witness , in that he did good , and gave us rain from heaven , and fruitfull seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . all the arguments , that can be brought , or can be demanded , for the existence of god , may , perhaps not absurdly , be reduced to three general heads : the first of which will include all the proofs from the vital and intelligent portions of the universe , the organical bodies of the various animals , and the immaterial souls of men. which living and understanding substances , as they make incomparably the most considerable and noble part of the naturally known and visible creation ; so they do the most clearly and cogently demonstrate to philosophical enquirers the necessary self-existence , and omnipotent power , and unsearchable wisdom , and boundless beneficence of their maker . this first topick therefore was very fitly and divinely made use of by our apostle in his conference with philosophers and that inquisitive people of athens : the latter spending their time in nothing else , but either to tell or hear some new thing ; and the other , in nothing , but to call in question the most evident truths , that were deliver'd and receiv'd of old. and these arguments we have hitherto pursued in their utmost latitude and extent . so that now we shall proceed to the second head , or the proofs of a deity from the inanimate part of the world ; since even natural reason , as well as holy scripture , assures us , that the heavens declare the glory of god , and the firmament sheweth his handy-work ; that he made the earth by his power , he hath established the world by his wisdom , and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding ; that he commanded and they were created ; he hath also established them for ever and ever ; he covereth the heavens with clouds , he prepareth rain for the earth , he crowneth the year with his goodness . these reasons for god's existence , from the frame and system of the world , as they are equally true with the former , so they have always been more popular and plausible to the illiterate part of mankind ; insomuch as the epicureans , and some others , have observed , that mens contemplating the most ample arch of the firmament , the innumerable multitude of the stars , the regular rising and setting of the sun , the periodical and constant vicissitudes of day and night and seasons of the year , and the other affections of meteors and heavenly bodies , was the principal and almost only ground and occasion , that the notion of a god came first into the world : making no mention of the former proof from the frame of humane nature , that in god we live and move and have our being . which argument being so natural and internal to mankind , doth nevertheless ( i know not how ) seem more remote and obscure to the generality of men ; who are readier to fetch a reason from the immense distance of the starry heavens and the outmost walls of the world , than seek one at home , within themselves , in their own faculties and constitutions . so that hence we may perceive , how prudently that was waved , and the second here insisted on by st. paul to the rude and simple semi-barbarians of lycaonia : he left not himself without witness , in that he did good , and gave us rain from heaven , and fruitfull seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . which words we shall now interpret in a large and free acceptation ; so that this second theme may comprehend all the brute inanimate matter of the universe , as the former comprized all visible creatures in the world , that have understanding or sense or vegetable life . these two arguments are the voices of nature , the unanimous suffrages of all real beings and substances created , that are naturally knowable without revelation . and if , lastly , in the third place , we can evince the divine existence from the adjuncts and circumstances of humane life ; if we find in all ages , in all civiliz'd nations , an universal belief and worship of a divinity ; if we find many unquestionable records of super-natural and miraculous effects ; if we find many faithfull relations of prophecies punctually accomplished ; of prophecies so well attested , above the suspicion of falshood ; so remote and particular and unlikely to come to pass , beyond the possibility of good guessing or the mere foresight of humane wisdom ; if we find a most warrantable tradition , that at sundry times and in divers manners god spake unto mankind by his prophets and by his son and his apostles , who have deliver'd to us in sacred writings a clearer revelation of his divine nature and will : if , i say , this third topick from humane testimony be found agreeable to the standing vote and attestation of nature , what further proofs can be demanded or desired ? what fuller evidence can our adversaries require , since all the classes of known beings are summoned to appear ? would they have us bring more witnesses , than the all of the world ? and will they not stand to the grand verdict and determination of the universe ? they are incurable infidels , that persist to deny a deity ; when all creatures in the world , as well spiritual as corporeal , all from humane race to the lowest of insects , from the cedar of libanus to the moss upon the wall , from the vast globes of the sun and planets , to the smallest particles of dust , do declare their absolute dependance upon the first author and fountain of all being and motion and life , the only eternal and self-existent god ; with whom inhabit all majesty and wisdom and goodness for ever and ever . but before i enter upon this argument from the origin and frame of the world ; it will not be amiss to premise some particulars that may serve for an illustration of the text , and be a proper introduction to the following discourses . as the apostles , barnabas and paul , were preaching the gospel at lystra a city of lycaonia in asia the less , among the rest of their auditors there was a lame cripple from his birth , whom paul commanded with a loud voice , to stand upright on his feet ; and immediately by a miraculous energy he leaped and walked . let us compare the present circumstances with those of my former text , and observe the remarkable difference in the apostle's procedings . no question but there were several cripples at athens , so very large and populous a city ; and if that could be dubious , i might add , that the very climate disposed the inhabitants to impotency in the feet . atthide tentantur gressus , oculique in achaeis finibus — are the words of lucretius ; which 't is probable he transcribed from epicurus a gargettian and native of athens , and therefore an unquestionable evidence in a matter of this nature . neither is it likely , that all the athenian cripples should escape the sight of st. paul ; since he disputed there in the market daily with them that met him . how comes it to pass then , that we do not hear of a like miracle in that city ; which one would think might have greatly conduced to the apostle's design , and have converted , or at least confuted and put to silence , the epicureans and stoics ? but it is not difficult to give an account of this seeming disparity ; if we attend to the qualifications of the lame person at lystra : whom paul stedfastly beholding , and perceiving that he had faith to be healed , said with a loud voice , stand upright on thy feet . this is the necessary condition , that was always required by our saviour and his apostles . and iesus said unto the the blind man , receive thy sight , thy faith hath saved thee ; and to the woman that had the issue of blood , daughter , be of good comfor , thy faith hath made thee whole , go in peace . 't was want of faith in our saviour's countrymen , which hinder'd him from shedding among them the salutary emanations of his divine vertue : and he did not many mighty works there , because of their unbelief . there were many diseased persons in his own country , but very few that were rightly disposed for a supernatural cure. st. mark hath a very observable expression upon the same occasion : and he could do no mighty work there , save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk , and healed them . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . we read in st. luke 5. 17. and the power ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) of the lord was present to heal them . and , chap. 6. v. 19. and the whole multitude sought to touch him : for there went virtue ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) out of him , and healed them all . now since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are words of the same root and signification ; shall we so interpret the evangelist , as if our saviour had not power to work miracles among his unbelieving countrymen ? this is the passage , which that impious and impure atheist lucilio vanino singled out for his text , in his pretended and mock apology for the christian religion ; wickedly insinuating , as if the prodigies of christ were mere impostures and acted by confederacy : and therefore where the spectators were incredulous , and consequently watchfull and suspicious , and not easily imposed on , he could do no mighty work there ; there his arm was shortened , and his power and virtue too feeble for such supernatural effects . but the gross absurdity of this suggestion is no less conspicuous , than the villainous blasphemy of it . for can it be credible to any rational person , that st. mark could have that meaning ? that he should tax his lord and saviour , whom he knew to be god almighty , with deficiency of power ? he could do no mighty works ; that is , he would do none , because of their unbelief . there 's a frequent change of those words in all languages of the world. and we may appeal with st. chrysostom to the common custom of speech , whatever country we live in . this therefore is the genuine sence of that expression ; christ would not heal their infirmities , because of the hardness and slowness of their hearts , in that they believed him not . and i think there is not one instance in all the history of the new testament of a miracle done for any ones sake , that did not believe jesus to be a good person , and sent from god ; and had not a disposition of heart fit to receive his doctrine . for to believe he was the messias and son of god , was not then absolutely necessary , nor rigidly exacted ; the most signal of the prophecies being not yet fulfilled by him , till his passion and resurrection . but , as i said , to obtain a miracle from him , it was necessary to believe him a good person and sent from god. herod therefore hoped in vain to have seen some miracle done by him : and when the pharisees sought of him a sign from heaven , tempting him ; they received this disappointing answer , verily i say unto you , there shall no sign be given to this generation . and we may observe in the gospels , that where the persons themselves were incapable of actual faith ; yet the friends and relations of those dead that were raised again to life , of those lunaticks and demoniacks that were restored to their right minds , were such as sought after him and believed on him . and as to the healing of malchus's ear , it was a peculiar and extraordinary case : for though the person was wholly unworthy of so gracious a cure ; yet in the account of the meek lamb of god it was a kind of injury done to him by the fervidness of st. peter , who knew not yet what spirit he was of , and that his master's kingdom was not of this world. but besides this obvious meaning of the words of the evangelist , there may perhaps be a sublimer sense couched under the expression . for in the divine nature will and can are frequently the self-same thing ; and freedom and necessity , that are opposites here below , do in heaven above most amicably agree and joyn hands together . and this is not a restraint , or impotency ; but the royal prerogative of the most absolute king of kings ; that he wills to do nothing but what he can ; and that he can do nothing which is repugnant to his divine wisdom and essential goodness . god cannot do what is unjust , nor say what is untrue , nor promise with a mind to deceive . our saviour therefore could do no mighty work in a country of unbelievers ; because it was not fit and reasonable . and so we may say of our apostle , who was acted by the spirit of god ; that he could do no miracle at athens , and that because of their unbelief . there is a very sad and melancholy account of the success of his stay there . howbeit certain men clave unto him and believed ; a more diminutive expression , than if they had been called a few . and we do not find , that he ever visited this city again , as he did several others , where there were a competent number of disciples . and indeed if we consider the genius and condition of the athenians at that time , how vitious and corrupt they were ; how conceited of their own wit and science and politeness , as if they had invented corn and oil and distributed them to the world ; and had first taught civility , and learning , and religion , and laws to the rest of mankind ; how they were puffed up with the fulsome flatteries of their philosophers and sophists and poets of the stage : we cannot much wonder , that they should so little regard an unknown stranger , that preached unto them an unknown god. i am aware of an objection , that for ought we can now affirm , st. paul might have done several miracles at athens , though they be not related by st. luke . i confess i am far from asserting , that all the miracles of our saviour are recorded in the gospels , or of his apostles in the acts. but nevertheless , in the present circumstances , i think we may conjecture , that if any prodigy and wonder had been performed by our apostle among those curious and pragmatical athenians ; it would have had such a consequence , as might have deserved some place in sacred history , as well as this before us at lystra : where when the people saw what paul had done , they lift up their voices , saying in the speech of lycaonia , the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men : and the priests came with oxen and garlands , and would have sacrificed to them , as to iupiter and mercurius . that this was a common opinion among the gentiles , that the gods sometimes assumed humane shape , and conversed upon earth as strangers and travellers , must needs be well known to any one , that ever looks into the ancient poets . even the vagabond life of apollonius tyanensis shall be called by a bigotted sophist , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a peregrination of a god among men. and when the lystrians say , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , gods in the shape of men , they mean not , that the gods had other figure than humane even in heaven it self ( for that was the receiv'd doctrine of most of the vulgar heathen , and of some sects of philosophers too , ) but that they , who in their own nature were of a more august stature and glorious visage , had now contracted and debased themselves into the narrower dimensions and meaner aspects of mortal men. now when the apostles heard of this intended sacrifice , they rent their cloaths and ran in among the people , crying out , &c. st. chrysostom upon this place hath a very odd exposition . he enquires why paul and barnabas do now at last reprove the people , when the priest and victims were even at the gates ; and not presently , when they lift up their voice , and called them gods : for which he assigns this reason , that because they spoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the lycaonian tongue , the apostles did not then understand them : but now they perceived their meaning by the oxen and the garlands . indeed it is very probable , that the lycaonian language was very different from the greek ; as we may gather from ephorus and strabo that cites him , who make almost all the inland nations of asia minor to be barbarians ; and from stephanus byzantius , who acquaints us , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a juniper-tree , was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the speech of the lycaonians , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but notwithstanding we can by no means allow , that the great apostle of the gentiles should be ignorant of that language : he that so solemnly affirms of himself , i thank my god , i speak with tongues more than you all . and at the first effusion of his heavenly gift , the dwellers in cappadocia , in pontus and asia , phrygia and pamphylia ( some of them near neighbours to the lycaonians ) heard the apostles speak in their several tongues the wonderfull works of god. and how could these two apostles have preached the gospel to the lystrians , if they did not use the common language of the country ? and to what purpose did they cry out and speak to them , if the hearers could not apprehend ? or how could they by those sayings restrain the people from sacrificing ; if what they said was not intelligible ? but it will be asked , why then were the apostles so slow and backward in reclaiming them ? and what can be answer'd to the query of st. chrysostom ? when i consider the circumstances and nature of this affair , i am persuaded they did not hear that discourse of the people . for i can hardly conceive , that men under such apprehensions as the lystrians then were , in the dread presence and under the very nod of the almighty iupiter , not an idol of wood or stone , but the real and very god ( as the athenians made their complement to demetrius poliorcetes ) should exclaim in his sight and hearing : this , i say , seems not probable nor natural ; nor is it affirm'd in the text : but they might buzz and whisper it one to another , and silently withdrawing from the presence of the apostles , they then lift up their voices and noised it about the city . so that paul and barnabas were but just then inform'd of their idolatrous design , when they rent their cloaths , and ran in among them , and expostulated with them ; sirs , why do ye these things ? we also are men of like passions with you ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , * mortal men like your selves , as it is judiciously render'd in the ancient latin version , otherwise the antithesis is not so plain : for the heathen theology made even the gods themselves subject to humane passions and appetites , to anger , sorrow , lust , hunger , wounds , lameness , &c. and exempted them from nothing but death and old age : and we preach unto you , that ye should turn from these vanities ( i. e. idols ) unto the living god , which made heaven and earth and the sea , and all things that are therein : who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not all nations , but all the heathen ( the word heathen comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) all the gentiles , distinguished from the jews , as the same words are translated rom. 15. 11. and 2 tim. 4. 17. and ought to have been so , rom. 1. 5. and 16. 26. but much more in our text , which according to the present version seems to carry a very obscure , if not erroneous meaning ; but by a true interpretation is very easie and intelligible ; that hitherto god had suffer'd all the gentiles to walk in their own ways ; and excepting the jews only , whom he chose for his own people , and prescribed them a law , he permitted the rest of man ▪ kind to walk by the mere light of nature without the assistance of revelation : but that now in the fulness of time , he had even to the gentiles also sent salvation , and opened the door of faith , and granted repentance unto life . so that these words of our apostle are exactly co-incident with that remarkable passage in his discourse to the athenians : and the ( past ) times of this ignorance ( of the gentile world ) god winked at ( or * overlook'd : ) but now commandeth all men every where to repent . and nevertheless , says our text , even in that gloomy state of heathenism , he left not himself without witness , in that he did good , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , always doing good from heaven , ( which seems to be the genuine punctuation , and is authorized by the syriack interpreters ) and gave us rain and fruitfull seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . even the very gentiles might feel after him and find him ; since the admirable frame of heaven and earth and sea , and the munificent provision of food and sustenance for his creatures , did competently set forth his eternal power and godhead ; so that stupid idolaters and prophane atheists were then and always without excuse . our adversaries have used the same methods to elude the present argument from the frame of the world , as they have done to evade the former from the origin of mankind . some have maintain'd , that this world hath thus existed from all eternity in its present form and condition : but others say , that the forms of particular worlds are generable and corruptible ; so that our present system cannot have sustain'd an infinite duration already gone and expired : but however , say they , body in general , the common basis and matter of all worlds and beings , is self-existent and eternal ; which being naturally divided into innumerable little particles or atoms , eternally endued with an ingenit and inseparable power of motion , by their omnifarious concursions and combinations and coalitions , produce successively ( or at once , if matter be infinite ) an infinite number of worlds ; and amongst the rest there arose this visible complex system of heaven and earth . and thus far they do agree , but then they differ about the cause and mode of the production of worlds , some ascribing it to fortune , and others to mechanism or nature . 't is true , the astrological atheists , will give us no trouble in the present dispute ; because they cannot form a peculiar hypothesis here , as they have done before about the origination of animals . for though some of them are so vain and senseless , as to pretend to a thema mundi , a calculated scheme of the nativity of our world : yet it exceeds even their absurdity , to suppose the zodiack and planets to be efficient of , and antecedent to themselves ; or to exert any influences , before they were in being . so that to refute all possible explications that the atheists have or can propose , i shall proceed in this following method . i. first , i will prove it impossible that the primary parts of our world , the sun and the planets with their regular motions and revolutions , should have subsisted eternally in the present or a like frame and condition . ii. secondly , i will shew , that matter abstractly and absolutely consider'd , cannot have subsisted eternally ; or , if it has , yet motion cannot have coexisted eternally with it , as an inherent property and essential attribute of the atheist's god , matter . iii. thirdly , though universal matter should have endured from everlasting , divided into infinite particles in the epicurean way , and though motion should have been coaeval and coeternal with it : yet those particles or atoms could never of themselves by omnifarious kinds of motion , whether fortuitous or mechanical , have fallen or been disposed into this or a like visible system . iv. and fourthly , à posteriori , that the order and beauty of the inanimate parts of the world , the discernible ends and final causes of them , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or a meliority above what was necessary to be , do evince by a reflex argument , that it is the product and workmanship , not of blind mechanism or blinder chance ; but of an intelligent and benign agent , who by his excellent wisdom made the heavens and earth : and gives rains and fruitfull seasons for the service of man. i shall speak to the two first propositions in my present discourse ; reserving the latter for other opportunities . i. first , therefore : that the present or a like frame of the world hath not subsisted from everlasting . we will readily concede , that a thing may be truly eternal , though its duration be terminated at one end. for so we affirm humane souls to be immortal and eternal , though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , there was a time when they were nothing ; and therefore their infinite duration will always be bounded at one extreme by that first beginning of existence . so that , for ought appears as yet ; the revolutions of the earth and other planets about the sun , though they be limited at one end by the present revolution , may nevertheless have been infinite and eternal without any beginning . but then we must consider , that this duration of humane souls is only potentially infinite . for their eternity consists only in an endless capacity of continuance without ever ceasing to be , in a boundless futurity that can never be exhausted , or all of it be past and present . but their duration can never be positively and actually eternal ; because it is most manifest , that no moment can ever be assigned , wherein it shall be true , that such a soul hath then actually sustain'd an infinite duration . for that supposed infinite duration will by the very supposition be limited at two extremes , though never so remote asunder ; and consequently must needs be finite . wherefore the true nature and notion of a soul's eternity is this : that the future moments of its duration can never be all past and present ; but still there will be a futurity and potentiality of more for ever and ever . so that we evidently perceive , from this instance , that what-ever successive duration , shall be bounded at one end , and be all past and present , for that reason must be finite . which necessarily evinceth , that the present or a like world can never have been eternal ; or that there cannot have been infinite past revolutions of a planet about a sun. for this supposed infinity is terminated at one extreme by the present revolution , and all the other revolutions are confessedly past ; so that the whole duration is bounded at one end , and all past and present ; and therefore cannot have been infinite , by what was proved before . and this will shew us the vast difference between the false successive eternity backwards , and the real one to come . for , consider the present revolution of the earth , as the bound and confine of them both . god almighty , if he so pleaseth , may continue this motion to perpetuity in infinite revolutions to come : because futurity is inexhaustible , and can never be all spent and run out by past and present moments . but then , if we look backwards from this present revolution , we may apprehend the impossibility of infinite revolutions on that side : because all are already past , and so were once actually present , and consequently are finite , by the argument before . for surely we cannot conceive a praeteriteness ( if i may say so ) still backwards in infinitum , that never was present : as we can an endless futurity , that never will be present . so that though one is potentially infinite ; yet nevertheless the other is actually finite . and this reasoning doth necessarily conclude against the past infinite duration of all successive motion and mutable beings : but it doth not at all affect the eternal existence of god , in whose invariable nature there is no past nor future ; who is omnipresent not only as to space , but as to duration ; and with respect to such omnipresence , it is certain and manifest , that succession and motion are mere impossibilities , and repugnant in the very terms . and secondly , though what hath been now said , hath given us so clear a view of the nature of successive duration , as to make more arguments needless : yet i shall here briefly shew , how our adversaries hypothesis without any outward opposition destroys and confutes it self . for let us suppose infinite revolutions of the earth about the sun to be already gone and expired : i take it to be self-evident ; that , if none of those past revolutions has been infinite ages ago , all the revolutions put together cannot make up the duration of infinite ages . it follows therefore from this supposition , that there may be some one assignable revolution among them , that was at an infinite distance from the present . but it is self-evident likewise , that no one past revolution could be infinitely distant from the present : for then an infinite or unbounded duration may be bounded at two extremes by two annual revolutions ; which is absurd and a contradiction . and again , upon the same supposition of an eternal past duration of the world , and of infinite annual revolutions of the earth about the sun ; i would ask concerning the monthly revolutions of the moon about the earth , or the diurnal ones of the earth upon its one axis , both which by the very hypothesis are coaeval with the former ; whether these also have been finite or infinite ? not finite to be sure ; because then a finite number would be greater than an infinite , as 12 or 365 are more than an unit. nor infinite neither ; for then two or three infinites would exceed one another : as a year exceeds a month , or both exceed a day . so that both ways the supposition is repugnant and impossible . and thirdly , the arguments already used , from the gradual increase of mankind , from the known plantations of most countries , from the recent invention of letters and arts , &c. do conclude as forcibly against the eternity of the world , as against infinite generations of humane race . for if the present frame of the earth be supposed eternal ; by the same notion they make mankind to have been coeternal with it . for otherwise this eternal earth , after she had been eternally barren and desolate , must at last have spontaneously produced mankind , without new cause from without , or any alteration in her own texture : which is so gross an absurdity , that even no atheist hath yet affirmed it . so that it evidently follows , since mankind had a beginning ; that the present form of the earth , and therefore the whole system of the world had a beginning also . which being proved and established ; we are now enabled to give answers to some bold queries and objections of atheists ; that since god is described as a being infinitely powerfull and perfectly good ; and that these attributes were essential to him from all eternity ; why did he not by his power , for the more ample communication of his goodness , create the world from eternity , if he created it at all ? or at least , many millions of ages ago before this short span of duration of five or six thousand years ? to the first we reply , that since we have discover'd an internal and natural impossibility , that a successive duration should be actually eternal ; 't is to us a flat contradiction , that the world should have been created from everlasting . and therefore it is no affront to the divine omnipotence , if by reason of the formal incapacity and repugnancy of the thing , we conceive that the world could not possibly have been made from all eternity , even by god himself . which gives an answer to the second question , why created so lately ? for if it could not be created from eternity , there can no instant be assigned for its creation in time , though never so many myriads and millions of years since , but the same query may be put , why but now , and why so late ? for even before that remoter period , god was eternally existent , and might have made the world as many myriads of ages still backwards before that : and consequently this objection is absurd and unreasonable . for else if it was good and allowable , it would eternally hinder god from exerting his creative power : because he could never make a world so early , at any given moment ; but it may truly be said he could have created it sooner . or if they think , there may be a soonest instant of possible creation : yet since all instants have an equal pretence to it in humane apprehension , why may not this recent production of the world , according to sacred authority , be supposed to be that soonest ? at least it may make that claim to it , that cannot be baffled by their arguments , which equally conclude against all claims , against any conceivable beginning of the world. and so when they profanely ask , why did not this supposed deity , if he really made the heavens , make them boundless and immense , a fit and honourable mansion for an infinite and incomprehensible being ? or at least vastly more ample and magnificent , than this narrow cottage of a world ? we may make them this answer ; first , it seems impossible and a contradiction , that a created world should be infinite ; because it is the nature of quantity and motion ; that they can never be actually and positively infinite : they have a power indeed and a capacity of being increased without end ; so as no quantity can be assigned so vast , but still a larger may be imagin'd ; no motion so swift or languid , but a greater velocity or slowness may still be conceived ; no positive duration of it so long , than which a longer may not be supposed ; but even that very power hinders them from being actually infinite . from whence secondly it follows ; that , though the world was a million of times more spacious and ample , than even astronomy supposes it ; or yet another million bigger than that , and so on in infinite progression ; yet still they might make the same exception world without end . for since god almighty can do all that is possible ; and quantity hath always a possibility of being enlarged more and more : he could never create so ample a world , but still it would be true , that he could have made a bigger ; the foecundity of his creative power never growing barren , nor ever to be exhausted . now what may always be an exception against all possible worlds , can never be a just one against any whatsoever . and when they scoffingly demand , why would this imaginary omnipotence make such mean pieces of workmanship ? what an indigent and impotent thing is his principal creature man ? would not boundless beneficence have communicated his divine perfections in the most eminent degrees ? they may receive this reply , that we are far from such arrogance , as to pretend to the highest dignity , and be the chief of the whole creation ; we believe an invisible world and a scale of spiritual beings all nobler than our selves : nor yet are we so low and base as their atheism would depress us ; not walking statues of clay , not the sons of brute earth , whose final inheritance is death and corruption ; we carry the image of god in us , a rational and immortal soul ; and though we be now indigent and feeble , yet we aspire after eternal happiness , and firmly expect a great exaltation of all our natural powers . but whatsoever was or can be made , whether angels or archangels , cherubims , or seraphims , whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers , all the glorious host of heaven , must needs be finite and imperfect and dependent creatures : and god out of the exceeding greatness of his power is still able , without end , to create higher classes of beings . for where can we put a stop to the efficacy of the almighty ? or what can we assign for the highest of all possible finite perfections ? there can be no such thing as an almost infinite : there can be nothing next or second to an omnipotent god : nec viget quicquam simile aut secundum ; as the heathen poet said excellently well of the supposed father of gods and men. the infinite distance between the creator and the noblest of all creatures can never be measured nor exhausted by endless addition of finite degrees . so that no actual creature can ever be the most perfect of all possible creation . which shews the folly of this query , that might always be demanded , let things be as they will ; that would impiously and absurdly attempt to tie the arm of omnipotence from doing any thing at all , because it can never do its utmost . ii. i proceed now to the second proposition , that neither matter universally and abstractly consider'd , nor motion as its attribute and property , can have existed from all eternity . and to this i shall speak the more briefly ; not only because it is an abstruse and metaphysical speculation ; but because it is of far less moment and consequence than the rest : since without this we can evince the existence of god from the origin and frame of the universe . for if the present or a like system of the world cannot possibly have been eternal ; and if without god it could neither naturally nor fortuitously emerge out of a chaos ; we must necessarily have recourse to a deity , as the contriver and maker of heaven and earth ; whether we suppose he created them out of nothing , or had the materials ready eternally to his hand . but nevertheless , because we are verily persuaded of the truth of this article , we shall briefly assign some reasons of our belief in these following particulars . first , it is a thing possible , that matter may have been produced out of nothing . it is urged as an universal maxim ; that nothing can proceed from nothing . now this we readily allow ; and yet it will prove nothing against the possibility of creation . for when they say , nothing from nothing ; they must so understand it , as excluding all causes , both material and efficient . in which sense it is most evidently and infallibly true : being equivalent to this proposition ; that nothing can make it self , or , nothing cannot bring it s no self out of non-entity into something . which only expresses thus much , that matter did not produce it self , or , that all substances did not emerge out of an universal nothing . now who-ever talked at that rate ? we do not say , the world was created from nothing and by nothing ; we assert an eternal god to have been the efficient cause of it . so that a creation of the world out of nothing by something ; and by that something , that includes in its nature a necessary existence and perfection of power ; is certainly no contradiction ; nor opposes that common maxim. whence it manifestly follows , that since god may do any thing that implies not a contradiction ; if there be such an essence as god , he may have created matter out of nothing , that is , have given an existence to matter , which had no being before . and secondly , it is very probable , that matter has been actually created out of nothing . in a former discourse we have proved sufficiently , that humane souls are not mere modification of matter , but real and spiritual substances , that have as true an existence , as our very bodies themselves . now no man , as i conceive , can seriously think , that his own soul hath existed from all eternity . he cannot believe the stuff or materials of his soul to have been eternal , and the soul to have been made up of them at the time of his conception . for a humane soul is no compound being ; 't is not made of particles , as our bodies are ; but 't is one simple homogeneous essence : neither can he think , that the personality of his soul with its faculties inherent in it has existed eternally ; this is against common sense ; and it needs no refutation . nay , though a man could be so extravagant , as to hold this assertion ; that his soul , his personal self , has been from everlasting ; yet even this in the issue would be destructive to atheism ; since it supposes an eternal being , endued with understanding and wisdom . we will take it then as a thing confessed , that the immaterial souls of men have been produced out of nothing . but if god hath actually created those intelligent substances , that have such nobility and excellency of being above brute senseless matter ; 't is pervicaciousness to deny , that he created matter also : unless they 'll say , necessary existence is included in the very essence and idea of matter . but matter doth not include in its nature a necessity of existence . for humane souls , as is proved before , have been actually created , and consequently have not necessary existence included in their essence . now can any man believe , that his spiritual soul , that understands , and judges , and invents ; endowed with those divine faculties of sense , memory and reason ; hath a dependent and precarious being created and preserved by another ; while the particles of this dead ink and paper have been necessarily eternal and uncreated ? 't is against natural reason ; and no one while he contemplates an individual body , can discern that necessity of its existence . but men have been taught to believe , that extension or space , and body are both the self-same thing . so that because they cannot imagine , how space can either begin or cease to exist ; they presently conclude , that extended infinite matter must needs be eternal . but i shall fully prove hereafter , that body and space or distance are quite different things , and that a vacuity is interspersed among the particles of matter , and such a one as hath a vastly larger extension , than all the matter of the universe . which now being supposed ; they ought to abstract their imagination from that false infinite extension , and conceive one particle of matter , surrounded on all sides with vacuity , and contiguous to no other body . and whereas formerly they fansied an immense boundless space , as an homogeneous one ; which great individual they believed might deserve the attribute of necessary existence : let them now please to imagine one solitary atom , that hath no dependence on the rest of the world ; and is no more sustained in being by other matter , than it could be created by it ; and then i would ask the question , whether this poor atom , sluggish and unactive as it is , doth involve necessity of existence , the first and highest of all perfections , in its particular nature and notion ? i dare presume for the negative in the judgments of all serious men . and i observe the epicureans take much pains to convince us , that in natural corruptions and dissolutions , atoms are not reduc'd to nothing ; which surely would be needless , if the very idea of atoms imported self existence . and yet if one atom do not include so much in its notion and essence ; all atoms put together , that is , all the matter of the universe can not include it . so that upon the whole matter , since creation is no contradiction ; since god hath certainly created nobler substances than matter ; and since matter is not necessarily eternal ; it is most reasonable to believe , that the eternal and self-existent god created the material world , and produced it out of nothing . and then as to the last proposition , that motion as an attribute or property of matter cannot have been from eternity . that we may wave some metaphysical arguments , which demonstrate that local motion cannot be positively eternal ; we shall only observe in two words ; that if matter be not essentially eternal , as we have shewed before ; much less can motion be , that is but the adjunct and accident of it . nay though we should concede an eternity to matter ; yet why must motion be coaeval with it ? which is not only not inherent and essential to matter ; but may be produced and destroyed at the pleasure of free agents : both which are flatly repugnant to an eternal and necessary duration . i am aware , how some have asserted that the same quantity of motion is always kept up in the world ; which may seem to favour the opinion of its infinite duration : but that assertion doth solely depend upon an absolute plenum ; which being refuted in my next discourse , it will then appear how absurd and false that conceit is , about the same quantity of motion ; how easily disproved from that power in humane souls to excite motion when they please , and from the gradual increase of men and other animals , and many arguments besides . therefore let this also be concluded , that motion has not been eternal in an infinite past duration : which was the last thing to be proved . a confutation of atheism from the origin and frame of the world. part ii. the seventh sermon preached novemb. 7. 1692. acts xiv . 15 , &c. that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living god , who made heaven and earth and the sea , and all things that are therein : who in times past suffer'd all nations to walk in their own ways . nevertheless , he left not himself without witness , in that he did good , and gave us rain from heaven , and fruitfull seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . when we first enter'd upon this topic , the demonstration of god's existence from the origin and frame of the world , we offer'd to prove four propositions . 1. that this present system of heaven and earth cannot possibly have subsisted from all eternity . 2. that matter consider'd generally , and abstractly from any particular form and concretion , cannot possibly have been eternal : or , if matter could be so ; yet motion cannot have coexisted with it eternally , as an inherent property and essential attribute of matter . these two we have already established in the preceding discourse ; we shall now shew in the third place , 3. that , though we should allow the atheists , that matter and motion may have been from everlasting ; yet if ( as they now suppose ) there were once no sun , nor stars , nor earth , nor planets ; but the particles , that now constitute them , were diffused in the mundane space in manner of a chaos without any concretion or coalition ; those dispersed particles could never of themselves by any kind of natural motion , whether call'd fortuitous or mechanical , have conven'd into this present or any other like frame of heaven and earth . i. and first as to that ordinary cant of illiterate and puny atheists , the fortuitous or casual concurse of atoms , that compendious and easie dispatch of the most important and difficult affair , the formation of a world ; ( besides that in our next undertaking it will be refuted all along ) i shall now briefly dispatch it , from what hath been formerly said concerning the true notions of fortune and chance . whereby it is evident , that in the atheistical hypothesis of the world's production , fortuitous and mechanical must be the self-same thing . because fortune is no real entity nor physical essence , but a mere relative signification , denoting only this ; that such a thing said to fall out by fortune , was really effected by material and necessary causes ; but the person , with regard to whom it is called fortuitous , was ignorant of those causes or their tendencies , and did not design or foresee such an effect . this is the only allowable and genuine notion of the word fortune . but thus to affirm , that the world was made fortuitously , is as much as to say , that before the world was made , there was some intelligent agent or spectator ; who designing to do something else , or expecting that something else would be done with the materials of the world , there were some occult and unknown motions and tendencies in matter , which mechanically formed the world beside his design or expectation . now the atheists , we may presume , will be loth to assert a fortuitous formation in this proper sense and meaning ; whereby they will make understanding to be older than heaven and earth . or if they should so assert it ; yet , unless they will affirm that the intelligent agent did dispose and direct the inanimate matter , ( which is what we would bring them to ) they must still leave their atoms to their mechanical affections ; not able to make one step toward the production of a world beyond the necessary laws of motion . it is plain then , that fortune , as to the matter before us , is but a synonymous word with nature and necessity . it remains that we examine the adequate meaning of chance ; which properly signifies , that all events called casual , among inanimate bodies , are mechanically and naturally produced according to the determinate figures and textures and motions of those bodies ; with this negation only , that those inanimate bodies are not conscious of their own operations , nor contrive and cast about how to bring such events to pass . so that thus to say , that the world was made casually by the concourse of atoms , is no more than to affirm , that the atoms composed the world mechanically and fatally ; only they were not sensible of it , nor studied and consider'd about so noble an undertaking . for if atoms formed the world according to the essential properties of bulk , figure and motion , they formed it mechanically ; and if they formed it mechanically without perception and design , they formed it casually . so that this negation of consciousness being all that the notion of chance can add to that of mechanism ; we , that do not dispute this matter with the atheists , nor believe that atoms ever acted by counsel and thought , may have leave to consider the several names of fortune and chance and nature and mechanism , as one and the same hypothesis . wherefore once for all to overthrow all possible explications which atheists have or may assign for the formation of the world , we will undertake to evince this following proposition . ii. that the atoms or particles which now constitute heaven and earth , being once separate and diffused in the mundane space , like the supposed chaos , could never without a god by their mechanical affections have convened into this present frame of things or any other like it . which that we may perform with the greater clearness and conviction ; it will be necessary , in a discourse about the formation of the world , to give you a brief account of some of the most principal and systematical phaenomena , that occur in the world now that it is formed . ( 1. ) the most considerable phaenomenon belonging to terrestrial bodies is the general action of gravitation , whereby all known bodies in the vicinity of the earth do tend and press toward its center ; not only such as are sensibly and evidently heavy , but even those that are comparatively the lightest , and even in their proper place , and natural elements , ( as they usually speak ) as air gravitates even in air , and water in water . this hath been demonstrated and experimentally proved beyond contradiction , by several ingenious persons of the present age , but by none so perspicuously and copiously and accurately , as by the honourable founder of this lecture in his incomparable treatises of the air and hydrostaticks . ( 2. ) now this is the constant property of gravitation ; that the weight of all bodies around the earth is ever proportional to the quantity of their matter : as for instance , a pound weight ( examin'd hydrostatically ) of all kinds of bodies , though of the most different forms and textures , doth always contain an equal quantity of solid mass or corporeal substance . this is the ancient doctrine of the epicurean physiology , then and since very probably indeed , but yet precariously asserted : but it is lately demonstrated and put beyond controversie by that very excellent and divine theorist mr. isaac newton , to whose most admirable sagacity and industry we shall frequently be obliged in this and the following discourse . i will not entertain this auditory with an account of the demonstration ; but referring the curious to the book it self for full satisfaction , i shall now proceed and build upon it as a truth solidly established , that all bodies weigh according to their matter ; provided only that the compared bodies be at equal distances from the center toward which they weigh . because the further they are removed from the center , the lighter they are : decreasing gradually and uniformly in weight , in a duplicate proportion to the increase of the distance . ( 3. ) now since gravity is found proportional to the quantity of matter , there is a manifest necessity of admitting a vacuum , another principal doctrine of the atomical philosophy . because if there were every where an absolute plenitude and density without any empty pores and interstices between the particles of bodies , then all bodies of equal dimensions would contain an equal quantity of matter ; and consequently , as we have shew'd before , would be equally ponderous : so that gold , copper , stone , wood , &c. would have all the same specifick weight ; which experience assures us they have not : neither would any of them descend in the air , as we all see they do ; because , if all space was full , even the air would be as dense and specifically as heavy as they . if it be said , that , though the difference of specifick gravity may proceed from variety of texture , the lighter bodies being of a more loose and porous composition , and the heavier more dense and compact ; yet an aethereal subtile matter , which is in a perpetual motion , may penetrate and pervade the minutest and inmost cavities of the closest bodies , and adapting it self to the figure of every pore , may adequately fill them ; and so prevent all vacuity , without increasing the weight : to this we answer ; that that subtile matter it self must be of the same substance and nature with all other matter , and therefore it also must weigh proportionally to its bulk ; and as much of it as at any time is comprehended within the pores of a particular body must gravitate jointly with that body ; so that if the presence of this aethereal matter made an absolute fulness , all bodies of equal dimensions would be equally heavy : which being refuted by experience , it necessarily follows , that there is a vacuity ; and that ( notwithstanding some little objections full of cavil and sophistry ) mere and simple extension or space hath a quite different nature and notion from real body and impenetrable substance . ( 4. ) this therefore being established ; in the next place it's of great consequence to our present enquiry , if we can make a computation , how great is the whole summ of the void spaces in our system , and what proportion it bears to the corporeal substance . by many and accurate trials it manifestly appears , that refined gold , the most ponderous of known bodies , ( though even that must be allowed to be porous too , because it 's dissoluble in mercury and aqua regis and other chymical liquors ; and because it 's naturally a thing impossible , that the figures and sizes of its constituent particles should be so justly adapted , as to touch one another in every point , ) i say , gold is in specifick weight to common water as 19 to 1 ; and water to common air as 850 to 1 : so that gold is to air as 16150 to 1. whence it clearly appears , seeing matter and gravity are always commensurate , that ( though we should allow the texture of gold to be intirely close without any vacuity ) the ordinary air in which we live and respire is of so thin a composition , that 16149 parts of its dimensions are mere emptiness and nothing ; and the remaining one only material and real substance . but if gold it self be admitted , as it must be , for a porous concrete , the proportion of void to body in the texture of common air will be so much the greater . and thus it is in the lowest and densest region of the air near the surface of the earth , where the whole mass of air is in a state of violent compression , the inferior being press'd and constipated by the weight of all the incumbent . but , since the air is now certainly known to consist of elastick or springy particles , that have a continual tendency and endeavour to expand and display themselves ; and the dimensions , to which they expand themselves , to be reciprocally as the compression ; it follows , that the higher you ascend in it , where it is less and less compress'd by the superior air , the more and more it is rarified . so that at the height of a few miles from the surface of the earth , it is computed to have some million parts of empty space in its texture for one of solid matter . and at the height of one terrestrial semid . ( not above 4000 miles ) the aether is of that wonderfull tenuity , that by an exact calculation , if a small sphere of common air of one inch diameter ( already 16149 parts nothing ) should be further expanded to the thinness of that aether , it would more than take up the vast orb of saturn , which is many million million times bigger than the whole globe of the earth . and yet the higher you ascend above that region , the rarefaction still gradually increases without stop or limit : so that , in a word , the whole concave of the firmament , except the sun and planets and their atmospheres , may be consider'd as a mere void . let us allow then , that all the matter of the system of our sun may be 50000 times as much as the whole mass of the earth ; and we appeal to astronomy , if we are not liberal enough and even prodigal in this concession . and let us suppose further , that the whole globe of the earth is intirely solid and compact without any void interstices ; notwithstanding what hath been shewed before , as to the texture of gold it self . now though we have made such ample allowances ; we shall find , notwithstanding , that the void space of our system is immensly bigger than all its corporeal mass. for , to procede upon our supposition , that all the matter within the firmament is 50000 times bigger than the solid globe of the earth ; if we assume the diameter of the orbis magnus ( wherein the earth moves about the sun ) to be only 7000 times as big as the diameter of the earth ( though the latest and most accurate observations make it thrice 7000 ) and the diameter of the firmament to be only 100000 times as long as the diameter of the orbis magnus ( though it cannot possibly be less than that , but may be vastly and unspeakably bigger ) we must pronounce , after such large concessions on that side , and such great abatements on ours , that the summ of empty spaces within the concave of the firmament is 6860 million million million times bigger than all the matter contain'd in it . now from hence we are enabled to form a right conception and imagination of the supposed chaos ; and then we may proceed to determine the controversie with more certainty and satisfaction ; whether a world like the present could possibly without a divine influence be formed in it or no ? ( 1. ) and first , because every fixt star is supposed by astronomers to be of the same nature with our sun ; and each may very possibly have planets about them , though by reason of their vast distance they be invisible to us : we will assume this reasonable supposition , that the same proportion of void space to matter , which is found in our sun's region within the sphere of the fixt stars , may competently well hold in the whole mundane space . i am aware , that in this computation we must not assign the whole capacity of that sphere for the region of our sun ; but allow half of its diameter for the radii of the several regions of the next fixt stars . so that diminishing our former number , as this last consideration requires ; we may safely affirm from certain and demonstrated principles , that the empty space of our solar region ( comprehending half of the diameter of the firmament ) is 8575 hundred thousand million million times more ample than all the corporeal substance in it . and we may fairly suppose , that the same proportion may hold through the whole extent of the universe . ( 2. ) and secondly as to the state or condition of matter before the world was a-making , which is compendiously exprest by the word chaos ; they must either suppose , that the matter of our solar system was evenly or well-nigh evenly diffused through the region of the sun , which would represent a particular chaos : or that all matter universally was so spread through the whole mundane space ; which would truly exhibit a general chaos ; no part of the universe being rarer or denser than another . and this is agreeable to the ancient description of chaos , that * the heavens and earth had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , one form , one texture and constitution : which could not be , unless all the mundane matter were uniformly and evenly diffused . 't is indifferent to our dispute , whether they suppose it to have continued a long time or very little in the state of diffusion . for if there was but one single moment in all past eternity , when matter was so diffused : we shall plainly and fully prove , that it could never have convened afterwards into the present frame and order of things . ( 3. ) it is evident from what we have newly prov'd , that in the supposition of such a chaos or such an even diffusion either of the whole mundane matter or that of our system ( for it matters not which they assume ) every single particle would have a sphere of void space around it 8575 hundred thousand million million times bigger than the dimensions of that particle . nay further , though the proportion already appear so immense ; yet every single particle would really be surrounded with a void sphere eight times as capacious as that newly mention'd ; its diameter being compounded of the diameter of the proper sphere , and the semi-diameters of the contiguous spheres of the neighbouring particles . from whence it appears , that every particle ( supposing them globular or not very oblong ) would be above nine million times their own length from any other particle . and moreover in the whole surface of this void sphere there can only twelve particles be evenly placed , as the hypothesis requires ; that is , at equal distances from the central one and from each other . so that if the matter of our system or of the universe was equally dispersed , like the supposed chaos ; the result and issue would be , not only that every atom would be many million times its own length distant from any other : but if any one should be moved mechanically ( without direction or attraction ) to the limit of that distance ; 't is above a hundred million millions odds to an unit , that it would not strike upon any other atom , but glide through an empty interval without any contact . ( 4. ) 't is true , that while i calculate these measures , i suppose all the particles of matter to be at absolute rest among themselves , and situated in an exact and mathematical evenness ; neither of which is likely to be allowed by our adversaries , who not admitting the former , but asserting the eternity of motion , will consequently deny the latter also : because in the very moment that motion is admitted in the chaos , such an exact evenness cannot possibly be preserved . but this i do , not to draw any argument against them from the universal rest or accurately equal diffusion of matter ; but only that i may better demonstrate the great rarity and tenuity of their imaginary chaos , and reduce it to computation . which computation will hold with exactness enough , though we allow the particles of the chaos to be variously moved , and to differ something in size and figure and situation . for if some particles should approach nearer each other than in the former proportion ; with respect to some other particles they would be as much remoter . so that notwithstanding a small diversity of their positions and distances , the whole aggregate of matter , as long as it retain'd the name and nature of chaos , would retain well-nigh an uniform tenuity of texture , and may be consider'd as an homogeneous fluid . as several portions of the same sort of water are reckoned to be of the same specifick gravity ; tho' it be naturally impossible that every particle and pore of it , consider'd geometrically , should have equal sizes and dimensions . we have now represented the true scheme and condition of the chaos ; how all the particles would be disunited ; and what vast intervals of empty space would lie between each . to form a system therefore , 't is necessary that these squander'd atoms should convene and unite into great and compact masses , like the bodies of the earth and planets . without such a coalition the diffused chaos must have continued and reign'd to all eternity . but how could particles so widely dispersed combine into that closeness of texture ? our adversaries can have only these two ways of accounting for it . first , by the common motion of matter , proceeding from external impulse and conflict ( without attraction ) by which every body moves uniformly in a direct line according to the determination of the impelling force . for , they may say , the atoms of the chaos being variously moved according to this catholick law , must needs knock and interfere ; by which means some that have convenient figures for mutual coherence might chance to stick together , and others might join to those , and so by degrees such huge masses might be formed , as afterwards became suns and planets : or there might arise some vertiginous motions or whirlpools in the matter of the chaos ; whereby the atoms might be thrust and crowded to the middle of those whirlpools , and there constipate one another into great solid globes , such as now appear in the world. or secondly by mutual gravitation or attraction . for they may assert , that matter hath inherently and essentially such an internal energy , whereby it incessantly tends to unite it self to all other matter : so that several particles , placed in a void space , at any distance whatsoever would without any external impulse spontaneously convene and unite together . and thus the atoms of the chaos , though never so widely diffused , might by this innate property of attraction soon assemble themselves into great sphaerical masses , and constitute systems like the present heaven and earth . this is all that can be proposed by atheists , as an efficient cause of the world. for as to the epicurean theory , of atoms descending down an infinite space by an inherent principle of gravitation , which tends not toward other matter , but toward a vacuum or nothing ; and verging from the perpendicular * no body knows why , nor when , nor where ; 't is such miserable absurd stuff , sorepugnant to it self , and so contrary to the known phaenomena of nature , though it contented supine unthinking atheists for a thousand years together ; that we will not now honour it with a special refutation . but what it hath common with the other explications , we will fully confute together with them in these three propositions . ( 1. ) that by common motion ( without attraction ) the dissever'd particles of the chaos could never make the world ; could never convene into such great compact masses , as the planets now are ; nor either acquire or continue such motions , as the planets now have . ( 2. ) that such a mutual gravitation or spontaneous attraction can neither be inherent and essential to matter ; nor ever supervene to it , unless impress'd and infused into it by a divine power . ( 3. ) that though we should allow such attraction to be natural and essential to all matter ; yet the atoms of a chaos could never so convene by it , as to form the present system : or if they could form it , it could neither acquire such motions , nor continue permanent in this state , without the power and providence of a divine being . i. and first , that by common motion the matter of chaos could never convene into such masses , as the planets now are . any man , that considers the spacious void intervals of the chaos , how immense they are in proportion to the bulk of the atoms , will hardly induce himself to believe , that particles so widely disseminated could ever throng and crowd one another into a close and compact texture . he will rather conclude , that those few that should happen to clash , might rebound after the collision ; or if they cohered , yet by the next conflict with other atoms might be separated again , and so on in an eternal vicissitude of fast and loose , without ever consociating into the huge condense bodies of planets ; some of whose particles upon this supposition must have travell'd many millions of leagues through the gloomy regions of chaos , to place themselves where they now arebut then how rarely would there be any clashing at all ; how very rarely in comparison to the number of atoms ? the whole multitude of them generally speaking , might freely move and rove for ever with very little occurring or interfering . let us conceive two of the nearest particles according to our former calculation ; or rather let us try the same proportions in another example , that will come easier to the imagination . let us suppose two ships , fitted with durable timber and rigging , but without pilot or mariners , to be placed in the vast atlantick or the pacifique ocean , as far asunder as may be . how many thousand years might expire , before those solitary vessels should happen to strike one against the other ? but let us imagine the space yet more ample , even the whole face of the earth to be cover'd with sea , and the two ships to be placed in the opposite poles : might not they now move long enough without any danger of clashing ? and yet i find , that the two nearest atoms in our ev●●ly diffused chaos have ten thousand times less p●●portion to the two void circular planes around them , than our two ships would have to the whole surface of the deluge . let us assume then another deluge ten thousand times larger than noah's . is it not now utterly incredible , that our two vessels , placed there antipodes to each other , should ever happen to concur ? and yet let me add , that the ships would move in one and the same surface ; and consequently must needs encounter , when they either advance towards one another in direct lines , or meet in the intersection of cross ones ; but the atoms may not only fly side-ways , but over likewise and under each other : which makes it many million times more improbable , that they should interfere than the ships , even in the last and unlikeliest instance . but they may say , though the odds indeed be unspeakable that the atoms do not convene in any set number of trials , yet in an infinite succession of them may not such a combination possibly happen ? but let them consider , that the improbability of casual hits is never diminished by repetition of trials ; they are as unlikely to fall out at the thousandth as at the first . so that in a matter of mere chance , when there is so many millions odds against any assignable experiment ; 't is in vain to expect it should ever succeed , even in endless duration . but though we should concede it to be simply possible , that the matter of chaos might convene into great masses , like planets : yet it 's absolutely impossible , that those masses should acquire such revolutions about the sun. let us suppose any one of those masses to be the present earth . now the annual revolution of the earth must proceed ( in this hypothesis ) either from the summ and result of the several motions of all the particles that formed the earth , or from a new impulse from some external matter , after it was formed . the former is apparently absurd , because the particles that form'd the round earth must needs convene from all points and quarters toward the middle , and would generally tend toward its center ; which would make the whole compound to rest in a poise : or at least that overplus of motion , which the particles of one hemisphere could have above the other , would be very small and inconsiderable ; too feeble and languid to propell so vast and ponderous a body with that prodigious velocity . and secondly , 't is impossible , that any external matter should impell that compound mass , after it was formed . 't is manifest , that nothing else could impell it , unless the aethereal matter be supposed to be carried about the sun like a vortex or whirlpool , as a vehicle to convey it and the rest of the planets . but this is refuted from what we have shewn above , that those spaces of the aether may be reckon'd a mere void , the whole quantity of their matter scarce amounting to the weight of a grain . 't is refuted also from matter of fact in the motion of comets ; which , as often as they are visible to us , are in the region of our planets ; and there are observed to move , some in quite contrary courses to theirs , and some in cross and oblique ones , in planes inclined to the plane of the ecliptick in all kinds of angles : which firmly evinces , that the regions of the aether are empty and free , and neither resist nor assist the revolutions of planets . but moreover there could not possibly arise in the chaos any vortices or whirlpools at all ; either to form the globes of the planets , or to revolve them when formed . 't is acknowledged by all , that inanimate unactive matter moves always in a streight line , nor ever reflects in an angle , nor bends in a circle ( which is a continual reflexion ) unless either by some external impulse , that may divert it from the direct motion , or by an intrinseck principle of gravity or attraction that may make it describe a curve line about the attracting body . but this latter cause is not now supposed : and the former could never beget whirlpools in a chaos of so great a laxity and thinness . for 't is matter of certain experience and universally allowed , that all bodies moved circularly have a perpetual endeavour to recede from the center , and every moment would fly out in right lines , if they were not violently restrain'd and kept in by contiguous matter . but there is no such restraint in the supposed chaos , no want of empty room there ; no possibility of effecting one single revolution in way of a vortex , which necessarily requires ( if attraction be not supposed ) either an absolute fulness of matter , or a pretty close constipation and mutual contact of its particles . and for the same reason 't is evident , that the planets could not continue their revolutions about the sun ; though they could possibly acquire them . for to drive and carry the planets in such orbs as they now describe , that aethereal matter must be compact and dense , as dense as the very planets themselves : otherwise they would certainly fly out in spiral lines to the very circumference of the vortex . but we have often inculcated , that the wide tracts of the aether may be reputed as a mere extended void . so that there is nothing ( in this hypothesis ) that can retain and bind the planets in their orbs for one single moment ; but they would immediately desert them and the neighbourhood of the sun , and vanish away in tangents to their several circles into the abyss of mundane space . ii. secondly we affirn , that mutual gravitation or spontaneous attraction cannot possibly be innate and essential to matter . by attraction we do not here understand what is improperly , though vulgarly , called so , in the operations of drawing , sucking , pumping , &c. which is really pulsion and trusion ; and belongs to that common motion , which we have already shewn to be insufficient for the formation of a world. but we now mean ( as we have explain'd it before ) such a power and quality , whereby all parcels of matter would mutually attract or mutually tend and press to all others ; so that , for instance , two distant atoms in vacuo would spontaneously convene together without the impulse of external bodies . now fiirst we say , if our atheists suppose this power to be inherent and essential to matter ; they overthrow their own hypothesis : there could never be a chaos at all upon these terms , but the present form of our system must have continued from all eternity ; against their own supposition , and what we have proved in our last . for if they affirm , that there might be a chaos notwithstanding innate gravity ; then let them assign any period though never so remote , when the diffused matter might convene . they must confess , that before that assigned period matter had existed eternally , inseparably endued with this principle of attraction ; and yet had never attracted nor convened before , in that infinite duration : which is so monstrous an absurdity , as even they will blush to be charged with . but some perhaps may imagin , that a former system might be dissolved and reduced to a chaos , from which the present system might have its original , as that former had from another , and so on ; new systems having grown out of old ones in infinite vicissitudes from all past eternity . but we say , that in the supposition of innate gravity no system at all could be dissolved . for how is it possible , that the matter of solid masses like earth and planets and stars should fly up from their centers against its inherent principle of mutual attraction , and diffuse it self in a chaos ? this is absurder than the other : that only supposed innate gravity not to be exerted ; this makes it to be defeated , and to act contrary to its own nature . so that upon all accounts this essential power of gravitation or attraction is irreconcilable wirh the atheist's own doctrine of a chaos . and secondly 't is repugnant to common sense and reason . 't is utterly unconceivable , that inanimate brute matter , without the mediation of some immaterial being , should operate upon and affect other matter without mutual contact ; that distant bodies should act upon each other through a vacuum without the intervention of something else by and through which the action may be conveyed from one to the other . we will not obscure and perplex with multitude of words , what is so clear and evident by its own light , and must needs be allowed by all , that have competent use of thinking , and are initiated into , i do not say the mysteries , but the plainest principles of philosophy . now mutual gravitation or attraction , in our present acception of the words , is the same thing with this ; 't is an operation or virtue or influence of distant bodies upon each other through an empty interval , without any effluvia or exhalations or other corporeal medium to convey and transmit it . this power therefore cannot be innate and essential to matter . and if it be not essential ; it is consequently most manifest , since it doth not depend upon motion or rest or figure or position of parts , which are all the ways that matter can diversify it self , that it could never supervene to it , unless impress'd and infus'd into it by an immaterial and divine power . we have proved , that a power of mutual gravitation , without contact or impulse , can in no-wise be attributed to mere matter : or if it could ; we shall presently shew , that it would be wholly unable to form the world out of chaos . what then if it be made appear , that there is really such a power of gravity , which cannot be ascribed to mere matter , perpetually acting in the constitution of the present system ? this would be a new and invincible argument for the being of god : being a direct and positive proof , that an immaterial living mind doth inform and actuate the dead matter , and support the frame of the world. i will lay before you some certain phaenomena of nature ; and leave it to your consideration from what principle they can proceed . 't is demonstrated , that the sun , moon and all the planets do reciprocally gravitate one toward another : that the gravitating power of each of them is exactly proportional to their matter , and arises from the several gravitations or attractions of all the individual particles that compose the whole mass : that all matter near the surface of the earth , ( and so in all the planets ) doth not only gravitate downwards , but upwards also and side-ways and toward all imaginable points ; though the tendency downward be praedominant and alone discernible , because of the greatness and nearness of the attracting body , the earth : that every particle of the whole system doth attract and is attracted by all the rest , all operating upon all : that this universal attraction or gravitation is an incessant , regular and uniform action by certain and establish'd laws according to quantity of matter and longitude of distance : that it cannot be destroyd nor impaired nor augmented by any thing , neither by motion or rest , nor situation nor posture , nor alteration of form , nor diversity of medium : that it is not a magnetical power , nor the effect of a vortical motion ; those common attempts toward the explication of gravity : these things , i say , are fully demonstrated , as matters of fact , by that very ingenious author , whom we cited before . now how is it possible that these things should be effected by any material and mechanical agent ? we have evinced , that mere matter cannot operate upon matter without mutual contact . it remains then , that these phaenomena are produced either by the intervention of air or aether or other such medium , that communicates the impulse from one body to another ; or by effluvia and spirits that are emitted from the one , and pervene to the other . we can conceive no other way of performing them mechanically . but what impulse or agitation can be propagated through the aether from one particle entombed and wedged in the very center of the earth to another in the center of saturn ? yet even those two particles do reciprocally affect each other with the same force and vigour , as they would do at the same distance in any other situation imaginable . and because the impulse from this particle is not directed to that only ; but to all the rest in the universe , to all quarters and regions , at once invariably and incessantly : to do this mechanically , the same physical point of matter must move all manner of ways equally and constantly in the same instant and moment ; which is flatly impossible . but if this particle cannot propagate such motion ; much less can it send out effluvia to all points without intermission or variation ; such multitudes of effluvia as to lay hold on every atom in the universe without missing of one . nay every single particle of the very effluvia ( since they also attract and gravitate ) must in this supposition emit other secondary effluvia all the world over ; and those others still emit more , and so in infinitum . now if these things be repugnant to humane reason ; we have great reason to affirm , that universal gravitation , a thing certainly existent in nature , is above all mechanism and material causes , and proceeds from a higher principle , a divine energy and impression . iii. thirdly we affirm ; that , though we shouldallow , that reciprocal attraction is essential to matter ; yet the atoms of a chaos could never so convene by it , as to form the present system ; or if they could form it , yet it could neither acquire these revolutions , nor subsist in the present condition , without the conservation and providence of a divine being . ( 1. ) for first , if the matter of the universe , and consequently the space through which it 's diffused , be supposed to be finite ( and i think it might be demonstrated to be so ; but that we have already exceeded the just measures of a sermon ) then , since every single particle hath an innate gravitation toward all others , proportionated by matter and distance : it evidently appears , that the outward atoms of the chaos would necessarily tend inwards and descend from all quarters toward the middle of the whole space ; for in respect to every atom there would lie through the middle the greatest quantity of matter and the most vigorous attraction : and those atoms would there form and constitute one huge sphaerical mass ; which would be the only body in the universe . it is plain therefore , that upon this supposition the matter of the chaos could never compose such divided and different masses , as the stars and planets of the present world. but allowing our adversaries , that the planets might be composed : yet however they could not possibly acquire such revolutions in circular orbs , or ( which is all one to our present purpose ) in ellipses very little eccentric . for let them assign any place where the planets were formed . was it nearer to the sun , than the present distances are ? but that is notoriously absurd : for then they must have ascended from the place of their formation , against the essential property of mutual attraction . or were each formed in the same orbs , in which they now move ? but then they must have moved from the point of rest , in an horizontal line without any inclination or descent . now there is no natural cause , neither innate gravity nor impulse of external matter , that could beget such a motion . for gravity alone must have carried them downwards to the vicinity of the sun. and that the ambient aether is too liquid and empty , to impell them horizontally with that prodigious celerity , we have sufficiently proved before . or were they made in some higher regions of the heavens ; and from thence descended by their essential gravity , till they all arrived at their respective orbs ; each with its present degree of velocity , acquired by the fall ? but then why did they not continue their descent , till they were contiguous to the sun ; whither both mutual attraction and impetus carried them ? what natural agent could turn them aside , could impell them so strongly with a transverse side-blow against that tremendous weight and rapidity , when whole planets were a falling ? but if we should suppose , that by some cross attraction or other they might acquire an obliquity of descent , so as to miss the body of the sun , and to fall on one side of it : then indeed the force of their fall would carry them quite beyond it ; and so they might fetch a compass about it , and then return and ascend by the same steps and degrees of motion and velocity , with which they descended before . such an eccentric motion as this , much after the manner that comets revolve about the sun , they might possibly acquire by their innate principle of gravity : but circular revolutions in concentric orbs about the sun or other central body could in no-wise be attain'd without the power of the divine arm. for the case of the planetary motions is this . let us conceive all the planets to be formed or constituted with their centers in their several orbs ; and at once to be impress'd on them this gravitating energy toward all other matter , and a transverse impulse of a just quantity in each , projecting them directly in tangents to those orbs. the compound motion , which arises from this gravitation and projection together , describes the present revolutions of the primary planets about the sun , and of the secondary about those : the gravity prohibiting , that they cannot recede from the centers of their motions ; and the transverse impulse with-holding , that they cannot approach to them . now although gravity could be innate ( which we have prov'd that it cannot be ) yet certainly this projected , this transverse and violent motion can only be ascribed to the right hand of the most high god , creator of heaven and earth . but finally , if we should grant them , that these circular revolutions could be naturally attained ▪ or , if they will , that this very individual world in its present posture and motion was actually formed out of chaos by mechanical causes : yet it requires a divine power and providence to have preserved it so long in the present state and condition . for what are the causes , that preserve the system of our sun and his planets ; so that the planets continue to move in the same orbs , neither receding from the sun , nor approaching nearer to him ? we have shewn , that a transverse impulse , impress'd upon the planets , retains them in their several orbs , that they are not drawn down toward the sun. and again , their gravitating powers so incline them towards the sun , that they are not carried upwards beyond their due distance from him . these two great agents , a transverse impulse , and gravity , are the secondary causes , under god , that maintain the system of sun and planets . gravity we understand to be a constant energy or faculty , perpetually acting by certain measures and naturally inviolable laws ; we say , a faculty and power : for we cannot conceive that the act of gravitation of this present moment can propagate it self or produce that of the next . but the transverse impulse we conceive to have been one single act. for by reason of the inactivity of matter and its inability to change its present state either of moving or resting , that transverse motion would from one single impulse continue for ever equal and uniform , unless changed by the resistance of occurring bodies or by a gravitating power . so that the planets , since they move horizontally ( whereby gravity doth not alter their swiftness ) and through the liquid and unresisting spaces of the heavens ( where either no bodies at all or inconsiderable ones do occur ) may preserve the same velocity , which the first impulse imprest upon them , not only for five or six thousand years , but many millions of millions . it appears then , that if there was but one vast sun in the universe , and all the rest were planets , revolving around him in concentric orbs , at convenient distances : such a system , as that , would very long endure ; could it but naturally have a principle of mutual attraction , and be once actually put into circular motions . but the frame of the present world hath a quite different structure : here 's an innumerable multitude of fixt stars or suns ; all which being made up of the same common matter , must be supposed to be equally endued with a power of gravitation . for if all have not such a power , what is it that could make that difference between bodies of the same sort ? nothing surely but a deity , could have so arbitrarily indued our sun and planets with a power of gravity not essential to matter ; while all the fixt stars , that are so many suns , have nothing of that power . if the fixt stars then are supposed to have no power of gravitation , 't is a plain proof of a divine being . and 't is as plain a proof of a divine being ; if they have the power of gravitation . for since they are neither revolved about a common center , nor have any transverse impulse , what is there else to restrain them from approaching toward each other , as their gravitating power incites them ? what natural cause can overcome nature it self ? what is it that holds and keeps them in fixed stations and intervals against an incessant and inherent tendency to desert them ? nothing could hinder , but that the outward stars with their systems of planets must necessarily have descended toward the middlemost system of the universe , whither all would be the most strongly attracted from all parts of a finite space . it is evident therefore that the present frame of sun and fixt stars could not possibly subsist without the providence of that almighty deity , who spake the word and they were made , who commanded and they were created ; who hath made them fast for ever and ever , and hath given them a law , which shall not be broken . ( 2. ) and secondly in the supposition of an infinite chaos , 't is hard indeed to determin , what would follow in this imaginary case from an innate principle of gravity . but to hasten to a conclusion , we will grant for the present , that the diffused matter might convene into an infinite number of great masses at great distances from one another , like the stars and planets of this visible part of the world. but then it is impossible , that the planets should naturally attain these circular revolutions , either by principle of gravitation , or by impulse of ambient bodies . it is plain , here is no difference as to this ; whether the world be infinite or finite : so that the same arguments that we have used before , may be equally urged in this supposition . and though we should concede , that these revolutions might be acquired , and that all were settled and constituted in the present state and posture of things ; yet , we say , the continuance of this frame and order , for so long a duration as the known ages of the world , must necessarily infer the existence of god. for though the universe was infinite , the now fixt stars could not be fixed , but would naturally convene together , and confound system with system : because , all mutually attracting , every one would move whither it was most powerfully drawn . this , they may say , is indubitable in the case of a finite world , where some systems must needs be outmost , and therefore be drawn toward the middle : but when infinite systems succeed one another through an infinite space , and none is either inward or outward ; may not all the systems be situated in an accurate poise ; and , because equally attracted on all sides , remain fixed and unmoved ? but to this we reply ; that unless the very mathematical center of gravity of every system be placed and fixed in the very mathematical center of the attractive power of all the rest ; they cannot be evenly attracted on all sides , but must preponderate some way or other . now he that considers , what a mathematical center is , and that quantity is infinitely divisible ; will never be persuaded , that such an universal equilibrium arising from the coincidence of infinite centers can naturally be acquired or maintained . if they say ; that upon the supposition of infinite matter , every system would be infinitely , and therefore equally attracted on all sides ; and consequently would rest in an exact equilibrium , be the center of its gravity in what position soever : this will overthrow their very hypothesis . for at this rate in an infinite chaos nothing at all could be formed ; no particles could convene by mutual attraction ; because every one there must have infinite matter around it , and therefore must rest for ever being evenly balanced between infinite attractions . even the planets upon this principle must gravitate no more toward the sun , than any other way : so that they would not revolve in curve lines , but fly away in direct tangents , till they struck against other planets or stars in some remote regions of the infinite space . an equal attraction on all sides of all matter is just equal to no attraction at all : and by this means all the motion in the universe must proceed from external impulse alone ; which we have proved before to be an incompetent cause for the formation of a world. and now , o thou almighty and eternal creator , having considered the heavens the work of thy fingers , the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained , with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify thy glorious name , evermore praising thee and saying ; holy , holy , holy , lord god of hosts , heaven and earth are full of thy glory : glory be to thee , o lord most high. a confutation of atheism from the origin and frame of the world. the third and last part . the eighth sermon preached december 5. 1692. acts xiv . 15 , &c. that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living god , who made heaven and earth and the sea , and all things that are therein : who in times past suffer'd all nations to walk in their own ways . nevertheless , he left not himself without witness , in that he did good , and gave us rain from heaven , and fruitfull seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . having abundantly proved in our last exercise , that the frame of the present world could neither be made nor preserved without the power of god ; we shall now consider the structure and motions of our own system , if any characters of divine wisdom and goodness may be discoverable by us . and even at the first and general view it very evidently appears to us ( which is our fourth and last proposition , ) that the order and beauty of the systematical parts of the world , the discernible ends and final causes of them , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or meliority above what was necessary to be , do evince by a reflex argument , that it could not be produced by mechanism or chance , but by an intelligent and benign agent , that by his excellent wisdom made the heavens . but before we engage in this disquisition , we must offer one necessary caution ; that we need not nor do not confine and determin the purposes of god in creating all mundane bodies , merely to humane ends and uses . not that we believe it laborious and painfull to omnipotence to create a world out of nothing ; or more laborious to create a great world , than a small one : so as we might think it disagreeable to the majesty and tranquillity of the divine nature to take so much pains for our sakes . nor do we count it any absurdity , that such a vast and immense universe should be made for the sole use of such mean and unworthy creatures as the children of men. for if we consider the dignity of an intelligent being , and put that in the scales against brute inanimate matter ; we may affirm , without over-valuing humane nature , that the soul of one vertuous and religious man is of greater worth and excellency than the sun and his planets and all the stars in the world. if therefore it could appear , that all the mundane bodies are some way conducible to the service of man ; if all were as beneficial to us , as the polar stars were formerly for navigation : as the moon is for the flowing and ebbing of tides , by which an inestimable advantage accrues to the world ; for her officious courtesie in long winter nights , especiaally to the more northern nations , who in a continual night it may be of a whole month are so pretty well accommodated by the light of the moon reflected from frozen snow , that they do not much envy their antipodes a month's presence of the sun : if all the heavenly bodies were thus serviceable to us , we should not be backward to assign their usefulness to mankind , as the sole end of their creation . but we dare not undertake to shew , what advantage is brought to us by those innumerable stars in the galaxy and other parts of the firmament , not discernible by naked eyes , and yet each many thousand times bigger than the whole body of the earth : if you say , they beget in us a great idea and veneration of the mighty author and governour of such stupendous bodies , and excite and elevate our minds to his adoration and praise ; you say very truly and well . but would it not raise in us a higher apprehension of the infinite majesty and boundless beneficence of god , to suppose that those remote and vast bodies were formed , not merely upon our account to be peept at through an optick glass , but for different ends and nobler purposes ? and yet who will deny , but that there are great multitudes of lucid stars even beyond the reach of the best telescopes ; and that every visible star may have opake planets revolve about them , which we cannot discover ? now if they were not created for our sakes ; it is certain and evident , that they were not made for their own . for matter hath no life nor perception , is not conscious of its own existence , nor capable of happiness , nor gives the sacrifice of praise and worship to the author of its being . it remains therefore , that all bodies were formed for the sake of intelligent minds : and as the earth was principally designed for the being and service and contemplation of men ; why may not all other planets be created for the like uses , each for their own inhabitants which have life and understanding ? if any man will indulge himself in this speculation , he need not quarrel with revealed religion upon such an account . the holy scriptures do not forbid him to suppose as great a multitude of systems and as much inhabited , as he pleases . 't is true ; there is no mention in moses's narrative of the creation , of any people in other planets . but it plainly appears , that the sacred historian doth only treat of the origins of terrestrial animals : he hath given us no account of god's creating the angels ; and yet the same author , in the ensuing parts of the pentateuch , makes not unfrequent mention of the angels of god. neither need we be sollicitous about the condition of those planetary people , nor raise frivolous disputes , how far they may participate in the miseries of adam's fall , or in the benefits of christ's incarnation . as if , because they are supposed to be rational , they must needs be concluded to be men ? for what is man ? not a reasonable animal merely , for that is not an adequate and distinguishing definition ; but a rational mind of such particular faculties , united to an organical body of such a certain structure and form , in such peculiar laws of connexion between the operations and affections of the mind and the motions of the body . now god almighty by the inexhausted fecundity of his creative power may have made innumerable orders and classes of rational minds ; some in their natural perfections higher than humane souls , others inferior . but a mind of superior or meaner capacities than humane would constitute a different species , though united to a humane body in the same laws of connexion : and a mind of humane capacities would make another species , if united to a different body in different laws of connexion . for this sympathetical union of a rational soul with matter , so as to produce a vital communication between them , is an arbitrary institution of the divine wisdom : there is no reason nor foundation in the separate natures of either substance , why any motion in the body should produce any sensation at all in the soul ; or why this motion should produce that particular sensation , rather than any other . god therefore may have join'd immaterial souls , even of the same class and capacities in their separate state , to other kinds of bodies and in other laws of union ; and from those different laws of union there will arise quite different affections and natures and species of the compound beings . so that we ought not upon any account to conclude , that if there be rational inhabitants in the moon or mars or any unknown planets of other systems , they must therefore have humane nature , or be involved in the circumstances of our world. and thus much was necessary to be here inculcated ( which will obviate and preclude the most considerable objections of our adversaries ) that we do not determine the final causes and usefulness of the systematical parts of the world , merely as they have respect to the exigencies or conveniencies of humane life . let us now turn our thoughts and imaginations to the frame of our system , if there we may trace any visible footsteps of divine wisdom and beneficence . but we are all liable to many mistakes by the prejudices of childhood and youth , which few of us ever correct by a serious scrutiny in our riper years , and a contemplation of the phaenomena of nature in their causes and beginnings . what we have always seen to be done in one constant and uniform manner ; we are apt to imagin there was but that one way of doing it , and it could not be otherwise . this is a great error and impediment in a disquisition of this nature : to remedy which , we ought to consider every thing as not yet in being ; and then diligently examin , if it must needs have been at all , or what other ways it might have been as possibly as the present ; and if we find a greater good and utility in the present constitution , than would have accrued either from the total privation of it , or from other frames and structures that might as possibly have been as it : we may then reasonably conclude , that the present constitution proceeded , neither from the necessity of material causes , nor the blind shuffles of an imaginary chance , but from an intelligent and good being , that formed it that particular way out of choice and design . and especially if this usefulness be conspicuous not in one or a few instances only , but in a long train and series of things , this will give us a firm and infallible assurance , that we have not pass'd a wrong judgment . i. let us proceed therefore by this excellent rule in the contemplation of our system . 't is evident that all the planets receive heat and light from the body of the sun. our own earth in particular would be barren and desolate , a dead dark lump of clay , without the benign influence of the solar rayes ; which without question is true of all the other planets . it is good therefore , that there should be a sun , to warm and cherish the seeds of plants , and excite them to vegetation ; to impart an uninterrupted light to all parts of his system for the subsistence of animals . but how came the sun to be luminous ? not from the necessity of natural causes , or the constitution of the heavens . all the planets might have moved about him in the same orbs and the same degrees of velocity as now ; and yet the sun might have been an opake and cold body like them. for as the six primary planets revolve about him , so the secondary ones are moved about them , the moon about the earth , the satellites about iupiter , and others about saturn ; the one as regularly as the other , in the same sesquialteral proportion of the times of their periodical revolutions to the semidiameters of their orbs. so that , though we suppose the present existence and conservation of the system , yet the sun might have been a body without light or heat , of the same kind with the earth and iupiter and saturn . but then what horrid darkness and desolation must have reign'd in the world ? it had been unfit for the divine purposes in creating vegetable and sensitive and rational creatures . it was therefore the contrivance and choice of a wise and good being ; that the central sun should be a lucid body , to communicate warmth and light and life to the planets around him . ii. we have shewed in our last , that the concentric revolutions of the planets about the sun proceed from a compound motion ; a gravitation toward the sun , which is a constant energy infused into matter by the author of all things , and a projected transverse impulfe in tangents to their several orbs , that was impress'd at first by the divine arm , and will carry them around till the end of the world. but now admitting that gravity may be essential to matter ; and that a transverse impulse might be acquired too by natural causes , yet to make all the planets move about the sun in circular orbs ; there must be given to each a determinate impulse , these present particular degrees of velocity which they now have , in proportion to their distances from the sun and to the quantity of the solar matter . for had the velocities of the several planets been greater or less than they are now , at the same distances from the sun ; or had their distances from the sun , or the quantity of the sun's matter and consequently his attractive power been greater or less than they are now , with the same velocities : they would not have revolved in concentric circles as they do , but have moved in hyperbola's or parabola's or in ellipses very eccentric . the same may be said of the velocities of the secondary planets with respect to their distances from the centers of their orbs , and to the quantities of the matter of those central bodies . now that all these distances and motions and quantities of matter should be so accurately and harmoniously adjusted in this great variety of our system , is above the fortuitous hits of blind material causes , and must certainly flow from that eternal fountain of wisdom , the creator of heaven and earth , who always acts geometrically , by just and adequate numbers and weights and measures . and let us examin it further by our critical rule : are the present revolutions in circular orbs more beneficial , than the other would be ? if the planets had moved in those lines above named ; sometimes they would have approached to the sun as near as the orb of mercury , and sometimes have exorbitated beyond the distance of saturn : and some have quite left the sun without ever returning . now the very constitution of a planet would be corrupted and destroyed by such a change of the interval between it and the sun : no living thing could have endured such unspeakable excesses of heat and cold : all the animals of our earth must inevitably have perished , or rather never have been . so that as sure as it is good , very good , that humane nature should exist ; so certain it is that the circular revolutions of the earth ( and planets ) rather than those other motions which might as possibly have been , do declare not only the power of god , but his wisdom and goodness . iii. it is manifest by our last discourse , that the aethereal spaces are perfectly fluid ; they neither assist nor retard , neither guide nor divert the revolutions of the planets ; which rowl through those regions as free and unresisted , as if they moved in a vacuum . so that any of them might as possibly have moved in opposite courses to the present , and in planes crossing the plane of the ecliptick in any kind of angles . now if the system had been fortuitously formed by the convening matter of a chaos ; how is it conceivable , that all the planets both primary and secondary , should revolve the same way from the west to the east , and that in the same plane too without any considerable variation ? no natural and necessary cause could so determin their motions ; and 't is millions of millions odds to an unit in such a cast of a chance . such an apt and regular harmony , such an admirable order and beauty must deservedly be ascribed to divine art and conduct . especially if we consider , that the smallest planets are situated nearest the sun and each other ; whereas iupiter and saturn , that are vastly greater than the rest and have many satellites about them , are wisely removed to the extreme regions of the system , and placed at an immense distance one from the other . for even now at this wide interval they are observed in their conjunctions to disturb one anothers motions a little by their gravitating powers : but if such vast masses of matter had been situated much nearer to the sun or to each other ( as they might as easily have been , for any mechanical or fortuitous agent ) they must necessarily have caused a considerable disturbance and disorder in the whole system . iv. but let us consider the particular situation of our earth and its distance from the sun. it is now placed so conveniently , that plants thrive and flourish in it , and animals live : this is matter of fact , and beyond all dispute . but how came it to pass at the beginning , that the earth moved in its present orb ? we have shown before , that if gravity and a projected motion be fitly proportion'd , any planet would freely revolve at any assignable distance within the space of the whole system . was it mere chance then , or divine counsel and choice , that constituted the earth in its present situation ? to know this ; we will enquire , if this particular distance from the sun be better for our earth and its creatures , than a greater or less would have been . we may be mathematically certain , that the heat of the sun is according to the density of the sun beams , and is reciprocally proportional to the square of the distance from the body of the sun. now by this calculation , suppose the earth should be removed and placed nearer to the sun , and revolve for instance in the orbit of mercury ; there the whole ocean would even boil with extremity of heat , and be all exhaled into vapors ; all plants and animals would be scorched and consumed in that fiery furnace . but suppose the earth should be carried to the great distance of saturn ; there the whole globe would be one frigid zone , the deepest seas under the very equator would be frozen to the bottom ; there would be no life , no germination ; nor any thing that comes now under our knowledge or senses . it was much better therefore , that the earth should move where it does , than in a much greater or less interval from the body of the sun. and if you place it at any other distance , either less or more than saturn or mercury ; you will still alter it for the worse proportionally to the change. it was situated therefore where it is , by the wisdom of some voluntary agent ; and not by the blind motions of fortune or fate . if any one shall think with himself , how then can any animal at all live in mercury and saturn in such intense degrees of heat and cold ? let him only consider , that the matter of each planet may have a different density and texture and form , which will dispose and qualifie it to be acted on by greater or less degrees of heat according to their several situations ; and that the laws of vegetation and life and sustenance and propagation are the arbitrary pleasure of god , and may vary in all planets according to the divine appointment and the exigencies of things , in manners incomprehensible to our imaginations . 't is enough for our purpose to discern the tokens of wisdom in the placing of our earth ; if its present constitution would be spoil'd and destroy'd , if we could not wear flesh and blood , if we could not have humane nature at those different distances . v. we have all learnt from the doctrine of the sphere , that the earth revolves with a double motion . for while it is carried around the sun in the orbis magnus once a year , it perpetually wheels about its own axis once in a day and a night : so that in 24 hours space it hath turn'd all the parts of the equinoctial to the rayes of the sun. now the uses of this vertiginous motion are very conspicuous ; for this is it that gives day and night successively over the face of the whole earth , and makes it habitable all around : without this diurnal rotation one ▪ hemisphere would lie dead and torpid in perpetual darkness and frost , and the best part of the other would be burnt up and depopulated by so permanent a heat . it is better therefore , that the earth should often move about its own center , and make these usefull vicissitudes of night and day , than expose always the same side to the action of the sun. but how came it to be so moved ? not from any necessity of the laws of motion or the system of the heavens . it might annually have compassed the sun , and yet have always turn'd the same hemisphere towards it . this is matter of fact and experiment in the motion of the moon ; which is carried about the earth , in the very same manner as the earth about the sun , and yet always shews the same face to us. she indeed , notwithstanding this , turns all her globe to the sun by moving in her menstrual orb , and enjoys night and day alternately , one day of hers being equal to about 14 days and nights of ours . but should the earth move in the same manner about the sun , as the mood does about the earth ; one half of it could never see the day , but must eternally be condemned to solitude and darkness . that the earth therefore frequently revolves about its own center , is another eminent token of the divine wisdom and goodness . vi. but let us compare the mutual proportion of these diurnal and annual revolutions ; for they are distinct from one another , and have a different degree of velocity . the earth rowls once about its axis in a natural day : in which time all the parts of the equator move something more than 3 of the earths diameters ; which makes about 1100 in the space of a year . but within the same space of a year the center of the earth is carried above 50 times as far once round the orbis magnus , whose wideness we now assume to be 20000 terrestrial diameters . so that the annual motion is more than 50 times swifter than the diurnal rotation , though we measure the latter from the equator , where the celerity is the greatest . but it must needs be acknowledged , since the earth revolves not upon a material and rugged , but a geometrical plane , that the proportions of the diurnal and annual motions may be varied in innumerable degrees ; any of which might have happen'd as probably as the present . what was it then that prescribed this particular celerity to each motion , this proportion and temperament between them both ? let us examin it by our former rule : if there be any meliority in the present constitution ; if any considerable change would be for the worse . we will suppose then , that the annual motion is accelerated doubly ; so that a periodical revolution would be performed in 6 months . such a change would be pernicious ; not only because the earth could not move in a circular orb , which we have consider'd before ; but because the seasons being then twice as short as they are now , the cold winter would overtake us , before our corn and fruits could possibly be ripe . but shall this motion be as much retarded , and the seasons lengthen'd in the same proportion ? this too would be as fatal as the other : for in most countries the earth would be so parched and effete by the drought of the summer , that it would afford still but one harvest , as it doth at the present : which then would not be a sufficient store for the consumption of a year , that would be twice as long , as now . but let us suppose , that the diurnal rotation is either considerably swifter or slower . and first let it be retarded ; so as to make ( for example ) but 12 circuits in a year : then every day and night would be as long as thirty are now , not so fitly proportion'd neither to the common affairs of life , nor to the exigencies of sleep and sustenance in a constitution of flesh and blood. but let it then be accelerated ; and wheel a thousand times about its center , while the center describes one circle about the sun : then an equinoctial day would consist but of four hours , which would be an inconvenient change to the inhabitants of the earth ; such hasty nights as those would give very unwelcome interruptions to our labours and journeys and other transactions of the world. it is better therefore , that the diurnal and annual motions should be so proportion'd as they are . let it therefore be ascribed to the transcendent wisdom and benignity of that god , who hath made all things very good , and loveth all things that he hath made . vii . but let us consider , not the quantity and proportion only , but the mode also of this diurnal motion . you must conceive an imaginary plane , which passing through the centers of the sun and the earth extends it self on all sides as far as the firmament : this plane is called the ecliptick ; and in this the center of the earth is perpetually carried without any deviation . but then the axis of the earth , about which its diurnal rotation is made , is not erect to this plane of the ecliptick , but inclines toward it from the perpendiculum in an angle of 23 degrees and a half . now why is the axis of the earth in this particular posture , rather than any other ? did it happen by chance , or proceed from design ? to determin this question , let us see , as we have done before , if this be more beneficial to us , than any other constitution . we all know from the very elements of astronomy , that this inclined position of the axis , which keeps always the same direction and a constant parallelism to it self , is the sole cause of these gratefull and needfull vicissitudes of the four seasons of the year , and the variation in length of days . if we take away the inclination ; it would absolutely undo these northern nations ; the sun would never come nearer us , than he doth now on the tenth of march or the twelfth of september . but would we rather part with the parallelism ? let us suppose then that the axis of the earth keeps always the same inclination toward the body of the sun : this indeed would cause a variety of days and nights and seasons on the earth ; but then every particular country would have always the same diversity of day and night , and the same constitution of season , without any alteration : some would always have long nights and short days , others again perpetually long days and short nights : one climate would be scorched and swelter'd with everlasting dog-days ; while an eternal december blasted another . this surely is not quite so good as the present order of seasons . but shall the axis rather observe no constant inclination to any thing , but vary and waver at uncertain times and places ? this would be a happy constitution indeed . there could be no health , no life nor subsistence in such an irregular system ; by those surprizing nods of the pole we might be tossed backward or forward in a moment from ianuary to iune , nay possibly from the ianuary of greenland to the iune of abessinia . it is better therefore upon all accounts that the axis should be continued in its present posture and direction : so that this also is a signal character of divine wisdom and goodness . but because several have imagin'd , that this skue posture of the axis is a most unfortunate and pernicious thing ; that if the poles had been erect to the plane of the ecliptic , all mankind would have enjoyed a very paradise upon earth ; a perpetual spring , an eternal calm and serenity , and the longaevity of methuselah without pains or diseases ; we are obliged to consider it a little further . and first as to the universal and perpetual spring , 't is a mere poetical fancy , and ( bating the equality of days and nights which is a thing of small value ) as to the other properties of a spring , it is naturally impossible , being repugnant to the very form of the globe . for to those people that dwell under or near the aequator , this spring would be a most pestilent and insupportable summer ; and as for those countries that are nearer the poles , in which number are our own and the most considerable nations of the world , a perpetual spring will not do their business ; they must have longer days , a nearer approach of the sun , and a less obliquity of his rayes ; they must have a summer and a harvest-time too to ripen their grain and fruits and vines , or else they must bid an eternal adieu to the very best of their sustenance . it is plain , that the center of the earth must move all along in the orbis magnus ; whether we suppose a perpetual aequinox , or an oblique position of the axis . so that the whole globe would continue in the same distance from the sun , and receive the same quantity of heat from him in a year or any assignable time , in either hypothesis . though the axis then had been perpendicular ; yet take the whole year about , and the earth would have had the same measure of heat , that it has now . so that here lies the question ; whether is more beneficial , that the inhabitants of the earth should have the yearly quantity of heat distributed equally every day , or so disposed as it is , a greater share of it in summer and in winter a less ? it must needs be allowed , that the temperate zones have no heat to spare in summer ; 't is very well if it be sufficient for the maturation of fruits . now this being granted ; 't is as certain and manifest , that an even distribution of the yearly heat would never have brought those fruits to maturity , as this is a known and familiar experiment , that such a quantity of fewel all kindled at once will cause water to boil , which being lighted gradually and successively will never be able to do it . it is clear therefore , that in the constitution of a perpetual aequinox the best part of the globe would be desolate and useless : and as to that little that could be inhabited , there is no reason to expect , that it would constantly enjoy that admired calm and serenity . if the assertion were true ; yet some perhaps may think , that such a felicity , as would make navigation impossible , is not much to be envied . but it 's altogether precarious , and has no necessary foundation neither upon reason nor experience . for the winds and rains and other affections of the atmosphere do not solely depend ( as that assertion supposeth ) upon the course of the sun ; but partly and perhaps most frequently upon steams and exhalations from subterraneous heat , upon the positions of the moon , the situations of seas or mountains or lakes or woods , and many other unknown or uncertain causes . so that , though the course of the sun should be invariable , and never swerve from the equator ; yet the temperament of the air would be mutable nevertheless , according to the absence or presence or various mixture of the other causes . the ancient philosophers for many ages together unanimously taught , that the torrid zone was not habitable . the reasons that they went upon were very specious and probable ; till the experience of these latter ages evinced them to be erroneous . they argued from coelestial causes only , the constant vicinity of the sun and the directness of his rayes ; never suspecting , that the body of the earth had so great an efficiency in the changes of the air ; and that then could be the coldest and rainiest season , the winter of the year , when the sun was the nearest of all , and steer'd directly over mens heads . which is warning sufficient to deterr any man from expecting such eternal serenity and halcyon-days from so incompetent and partial a cause , as the constant course of the sun in the aequinoctial circle . what general condition and temperament of air would follow upon that supposition we cannot possibly define ; for 't is not caused by certain and regular motions , nor subject to mathematical calculations . but if we may make a conjecture from the present constitution ; we shall hardly wish for a perpetual ▪ aequinox to save the charges of weather glasses : for 't is very well known , that the months of march and september , the two aequinoxes of our year , are the most windy and tempestuous , the most unsettled and unequable of seasons in most countries of the world. now if this notion of an uniform calm and serenity be false or precarious ; then even the last supposed advantage , the constant health and longaevity of men must be given up also , as a groundless conceit : for this ( according to the assertors themselves ) doth solely , as an effect of nature , depend upon the other . nay further , though we should allow them their perpetual calm and aequability of heat ; they will never be able to prove , that therefore men would be so vivacious as they would have us believe . nay perhaps the contrary may be inferr'd , if we may argue from present experience : for the inhabitants of the torrid zone , who suffer the least and shortest recesses of the sun , and are within one step and degree of a perpetual aequinox , are not only shorter lived ( generally speaking ) than other nations nearer the poles ; but inferior to them in strength and stature and courage , and in all the capacities of the mind . it appears therefore , that the gradual vicissitudes of heat and cold are so far from shortning the thread of man's life , or impairing his intellectual faculties ; that very probably they both prolong the one in some measure , and exalt and advance the other . so that still we do profess to adore the divine wisdom and goodness for this variety of seasons , for seed-time and harvest , and cold and heat , and summer and winter . viii . come we now to consider the atmosphere , and the exterior frame and face of the globe ; if we may find any tracks and footsteps of wisdom in the constitution of them. i need not now inform you , that the air is a thin fluid body , endued with elasticity or springiness , and capable of condensation and rarefaction ; and should it be much more expanded or condensed , than it naturally is , no animals could live and breath : it is probable also , that the vapours could not be duly raised and supported in it ; which at once would deprive the earth of all its ornament and glory , of all its living inhabitants and vegetables too . but 't is certainly known and demonstrated , that the condensation and expansion of any portion of the air , is always proportional to the weight and pressure incumbent upon it : so that if the atmosphere had been either much greater or less than it is , as it might easily have been , it would have had in its lowest region on the surface of the earth a much greater density or tenuity of texture ; and consequently have been unserviceable for vegetation and life . it must needs therefore be an intelligent being that could so justly adapt it to those excellent purposes . 't is concluded by astronomers , that the atmosphere of the moon hath no clouds nor rains , but a perpetual and uniform serenity : because nothing discoverable in the lunar surface is ever covered and absconded from us by the interposition of any clouds or mists , but such as rise from our own globe . now if the atmosphere of our earth had been of such a constitution ; there could nothing , that now grows or breaths in it , have been formed or preserved ; humane nature must have been quite obliterated out of the works of creation . if our air had not been a springy elastical body , no animal could have exercised the very function of respiration : and yet the ends and uses of respiration are not served by that springiness , but by some other unknown and singular quality . for the air , that in exhausted receivers of air-pumps is exhaled from minerals and flesh and fruits and liquors , is as true and genuine as to elasticity and density or rarefaction , as that we respire in : and yet this factitious air is so far from being fit to be breathed in , that it kills animals in a moment , even sooner than the very absence of all air , than a vacuum it self . all which do inferr the most admirable providence of the author of nature ; who foreknew the necessity of rains and dews to the present structure of plants , and the uses of respiration to animals ; and therefore created those correspondent properties in the atmosphere of the earth . ix . in the next place let us consider the ample provision of waters , those inexhausted treasures of the ocean : and though some have grudged the great share that it takes of the surface of the earth , yet we shall propose this too , as a conspicuous mark and character of the wisdom of god. for that we may not now say , that the vast atlantick ocean is really greater riches and of more worth to the world , than if it was changed into a fifth continent ; and that the dry land is as yet much too big for its inhabitants ; and that before they shall want room by increasing and multiplying , there may be new heavens and a new earth : we dare venture to affirm , that these copious stores of waters are no more than necessary for the present constitution of our globe . for is not the whole substance of all vegetables mere modified water ? and consequently of all animals too ; all which either feed upon vegetables or prey upon one another ? is not an immense quantity of it continually exhaled by the sun , to fill the atmosphere with vapors and clouds , and feed the plants of the earth with the balm of dews and the fatness of showrs ? it seems incredible at first hearing , that all the blood in our bodies should circulate in a trice , in a very few minutes : but i believe it would be more surprizing , if we knew the short and swift periods of the great circulation of water , that vital blood of the earth , which composeth and nourisheth all things . if we could but compute that prodigious mass of it , that is daily thrown into the channel of the sea from all the rivers of the world : we should then know and admire how much is perpetually evaporated and cast again upon the continents to supply those innumerable streams . and indeed hence we may discover , not only the use and necessity , but the cause too of the vastness of the ocean . i never yet heard of any nation , that complained they had too broad or too deep or too many rivers , or wished they were either smaller or fewer : they understand better than so , how to value and esteem those inestimable gifts of nature . now supposing that the multitude and largeness of rivers ought to continue as great as now ; we can easily prove , that the extent of the ocean could be no less than it is . for it 's evident and necessary , ( if we follow the most fair and probable hypothesis , that the origin of fountains is from vapors and rain ) that the receptacle of waters , into which the mouths of all those rivers must empty themselves , ought to have so spacious a surface , that as much water may be continually brushed off by the winds and exhaled by the sun , as ( besides what falls again in showers upon its own surface ) is brought into it by all the rivers . now the surface of the ocean is just so wide and no wider : for if more was evaporated than returns into it again , the sea would become less ; if less was evaporated , it would grow bigger . so that , because since the memory of all ages it hath continu'd at a stand without considerable variation , and if it hath gain'd ground upon one country , hath lost as much in another ; it must consequently be exactly proportioned to the present constitution of rivers . how rash therefore and vain are those busie projectors in speculation , that imagin they could recover to the world many new and noble countries , in the most happy and temporate climates , without any damage to the old ones , could this same mass of the ocean be lodged and circumscribed in a much deeper channel and and within narrower shores ! for by how much they would diminish the present extent of the sea , so much they would impair the fertility and fountains and rivers of the earth : because the quantity of vapors , that must be exhaled to supply all these , would be lessened proportionally to the bounds of the ocean ; for the vapors are not to be measured from the bulk of the water , but from the space of the surface . so that this also doth inferr the superlative wisdom and goodness of god , that he hath treasured up the waters in so deep and spacious a storehouse , the place that he hath founded and appointed for them . x. but some men are out of love with the features and mean of our earth ; they do not like this rugged and irregular surface , these precipices and valleys and the gaping channel of the ocean . this with them is deformity , and rather carries the face of a ruin or a rude and indigested lump of atoms that casually convened so , than a work of divine artifice . they would have the vast body of a planet to be as elegant and round as a factitious globe represents it ; to be every where smooth and equable , and as plain as the elysian fields . let us examin , what weighty reasons they have to disparage the present constitution of nature in so injurious a manner . why , if we suppose the ocean to be dry , and that we look down upon the empty channel from some higher region of the air , how horrid and ghastly and unnatural would it look ? now admitting this supposition ; let us suppose too that the soil of this dry channel were covered with grass and trees in manner of the continent , and then see what would follow . if a man could be carried asleep and placed in the very middle of this dry ocean ; it must be allowed , that he could not distinguish it from the inhabited earth . for if the bottom should be unequal with shelves and rocks and precipices and gulfs ; these being now apparel'd with a vesture of plants , would only resemble the mountains and valleys that he was accustomed to before . but very probably he would wake in a large and smooth plain : for though the bottom of the sea were gradually inclin'd and sloping from the shore to the middle : yet the additional acclivity , above what a level would seem to have , would be imperceptible in so short a prospect as he could take of it . so that to make this man sensible what a deep cavity he was placed in ; he must be carried so high in the air , till he could see at one view the whole breadth of the channel , and so compare the depression of the middle with the elevation of the banks . but then a very small skill in mathematicks is enough to instruct us , that before he could arrive to that distance from the earth , all the inequality of surface would be lost to his view : the wide ocean would appear to him like an even and uniform plane ( uniform as to its level , though not as to light and shade ) though every rock of the sea was as high as the pico of teneriff . but though we should grant , that the dry gulf of the ocean would appear vastly hollow and horrible from the top of a high cloud : yet what a way of reasoning is this from the freaks of imagination , and impossible suppositions ? is the sea ever likely to be evaporated by the sun , or to be emptied with buckets ? why then must we fancy this impossible dryness ; and then upon that fictitious account calumniate nature , as deformed and ruinous and unworthy of a divine author ? is there then any physical deformity in the fabrick of a humane body ; because our imagination can strip it of its muscles and skin , and shew us the scragged and knotty backbone , the gaping and ghastly jaws , and all the sceleton underneath ? we have shewed before , that the sea could not be much narrower than it is , without a great loss to the world : and must we now have an ocean of mere flats and shallows , to the utter ruin of navigation ; for fear our heads should turn giddy at the imagination of gaping abysses and unfathomable gulfs ? but however , they may say , the sea-shores at least might have been even and uniform , not crooked and broken as they are into innumerable angles and creeks and inlets and bays , without beauty or order , which carry the marks more of chance and confusion , than of the production of a wise creator . and would not this be a fine bargain indeed ? to part with all our commodious ports and harbours , which the greater the in-let is , are so much the better , for the imaginary pleasure of an open and streight shore without any retreat or shelter from the winds ; which would make the sea of no use at all as to navigation and commerce . but what apology can we make for the horrid deformity of rocks and crags , of naked and broken cliffs , of long ridges of barren mountains , in the convenientest latitudes for habitation and fertility , could but those rude heaps of rubbish and ruins be removed out of the way ? we have one general and sufficient answer for all seeming defects or disorders in the constitution of land or sea ; that we do not contend to have the earth pass for a paradise , or to make a very heaven of our globe , we reckon it only as the land of our peregrination , and aspire after a better , and a coelestial country . 't is enough , if it be so framed and constituted , that by a carefull contemplation of it we have great reason to acknowledge and adore the divine wisdom and benignity of its author . but to wave this general reply ; let the objectors consider , that these supposed irregularities must necessarily come to pass from the establish'd laws of mechanism and the ordinary course of nature . for supposing the existence of sea and mountains ; if the banks of that sea must never be jagged and torn by the impetuous assaults or the silent underminings of waves ; if violent rains and tempests must not wash down the earth and gravel from the tops of some of those mountains , and expose their naked ribbs to the face of the sun ; if the seeds of subterraneous minerals must not ferment , and sometimes cause earthquakes and furious eruptions of volcano's , and tumble down broken rocks , and lay them in confusion : then either all things must have been over-ruled ▪ ruled miraculously by the immediate interposition of god without any mechanical affections or settled laws of nature , or else the body of the earth must have been as fixed as gold , or as hard as adamant , and wholly unfit for humane habitation . so that if it was good in the sight of god , that the present plants and animals , and humane souls united to flesh and blood should be upon this earth under a settled constitution of nature : these supposed inconveniences , as they were foreseen and permitted by the author of that nature , as necessary consequences of such a constitution ; so they cannot inferr the least imperfection in his wisdom and goodness . and to murmure at them is as unreasonable , as to complain that he hath made us men and not angels , that he hath placed us upon this planet , and not upon some other , in this or another system , which may be thought better than ours . let them also consider , that this objected deformity is in our imaginations only , and not really in things themselves . there is no universal reason ( i mean such as is not confined to humane fancy , but will reach through the whole intellectual universe ) that a figure by us called regular , which hath equal sides and angles , is absolutely more beautifull than any irregular one . all pulchritude is relative ; and all bodies are truly and physically beautifull under all possible shapes and proportions ; that are good in their kind , that are fit for their proper uses and ends of their natures . we ought not then to believe , that the banks of the ocean are really deformed , because they have not the form of a regular bulwark ; nor that the mountains are out of shape , because they are not exact pyramids or cones ; nor that the stars are unskilfully placed , because they are not all situated at uniform distances . these are not natural irregularities , but with respect to our fancies only ; nor are they incommodious to the true uses of life and the designs of man's being on the earth . and let them further consider , that these ranges of barren mountains , by condensing the vapors , and producing rains and fountains and rivers , give the very plains and valleys themselves that fertility they boast of : that those hills and mountains supply us and the stock of nature with a great variety of excellent plants . if there were no inequalities in the surface of the earth , nor in the seasons of the year ; we should lose a considerable share of the vegetable kingdom : for all plants will not grow in an uniform level and the same temper of soil , nor with the same degree of heat . nay let them lastly consider , that to those hills and mountains we are obliged for all our metals , and with them for all the conveniencies and comforts of life . to deprive us of metals is to make us mere savages ; to change our corn or rice for the old arcadian diet , our houses and cities for dens and caves , and our cloathing for skins of beasts : 't is to bereave us of all arts and sciences , of history and letters , nay of revealed religion too that inestimable favour of heaven : for without the benefit of letters , the whole gospel would be a mere tradition and old cabbala , without certainty , without authority . who would part with these solid and substantial blessings for the little fantastical pleasantness of a smooth uniform convexity and rotundity of a globe ? and yet the misfortune of it is , that the pleasant view of their imaginary globe , as well as the deformed spectacle of our true one , is founded upon impossible suppositions . for that equal convexity could never be seen and enjoyed by any man living . the inhabitants of such an earth could have only the short prospect of a little circular plane about three miles around them ; tho' neither woods nor hedges nor artificial banks should intercept it : which little too would appear to have an acclivity on all sides from the spectators ; so that every man would have the displeasure of fancying himself the lowest , and that he always dwelt and moved in a bottom . nay , considering that in such a constitution of the earth they could have no means nor instruments of mathematical knowledge ; there is great reason to believe , that the period of the final dissolution might overtake them , ere they would have known or had any suspicion that they walked upon a round ball. must we therefore , to make this convexity of the earth discernible to the eye , suppose a man to be lifted up a great height in the air , that he may have a very spacious horizon under one view ? but then again , because of the distance , the convexity and gibbousness would vanish away ; he would only see below him a great circular flat , as level to his thinking as the face of the moon . are there then such ravishing charms in a dull unvaried flat , to make a sufficient compensation for the chief things of the ancient mountains , and for the precious things of the lasting hills ? nay we appeal to the sentence of mankind ; if a land of hills and valleys has not more pleasure too and beauty than an uniform flat ? which flat if ever it may be said to be very delightfull , is then only , when 't is viewed from the top of a hill. what were the tempe of thessaly , so celebrated in ancient story for their unparallelled pleasantness , but a vale divided with a river and terminated with hills ? are not all the descriptions of poets embellish'd with such ideas , when they would represent any places of superlative delight , any blissfull seats of the muses or the nymphs , any sacred habitations of gods or goddesses ? they will never admit that a wide flat can be pleasant , no not in the very elysian fields * ; but those too must be diversified with depressed valleys and swelling ascents . they cannot imagin † even paradise to be a place of pleasure , nor heaven it self to be ‖ heaven without them . let this therefore be another argument of the divine wisdom and goodness , that the surface of the earth is not uniformly convex ( as many think it would naturally have been , if mechanically formed by a chaos ) but distinguished with mountains and valleys , and furrowed from pole to pole with the deep channel of the sea ; and that because of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it is better that it should be so . give me leave to make one short inference from what has been said , which shall finish this present discourse , and with it our task for the year . we have clearly discovered many final causes and characters of wisdom and contrivance in the frame of the inanimate world ; as well as in the organical fabrick of the bodies of animals . now from hence ariseth a new and invincible argument , that the present frame of the world hath not existed from all eternity . for such an usefulness of things or a fitness of means to ends , as neither proceeds from the necessity of their beings , nor can happen to them by chance , doth necessarily inferr that there was an intelligent being , which was the author and contriver of that usefulness . we have formerly demonstrated , that the body of a man , which consists of an incomprehensible variety of parts , all admirably fitted for their peculiar functions and the conservation of the whole , could no more be formed fortuitously ; than the aeneis of virgil , or any other long poem with good sense and just measures , could be composed by the casual combinations of letters . now to pursue this comparison ; as it is utterly impossible to be believed , that such a poem may have been eternal , transcribed from copy to copy without any first author and original : so it is equally incredible and impossible , that the fabrick of humane bodies , which hath such excellent and divine artifice , and , if i may so say , such good sense and true syntax and harmonious measures in its constitution , should be propagated and transcribed from father to son without a first parent and creator of it . an eternal usefulness of things , an eternal good sense , cannot possibly be conceived without an eternal wisdom and understanding . but that can be no other than that eternal and omnipotent god ; that by wisdom hath founded the earth , and by understanding hath established the heavens : to whom be all honour and glory and praise and adoration from henceforth and for evermore . amen . finis . the contents . sermon i. the folly of atheism , and ( what is now called ) deism ; even with respect to the present life . psalm xiv . v. 1. the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god ; they are corrupt , they have done abominable works , there is none that doth good . pag. 1 sermon ii. matter and motion cannot think : or , a confutation of atheism from the faculties of he soul. acts xvii . 27. that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him ; though he be not far from every one of us : for in him we live , and move , and have our being . p. 36 sermons iii , iv , v. a confutation of atheism from the structure and origin of humane bodies . acts xvii . 27. that they should seek the lord , if haply they might feel after him , and find him ; though he be not far from every one of us : for in him we live , and move , and have our being . p. 68 , 99 , 132 sermons vi , vii , viii . a confutation of atheism from the origin and frame of the world. acts xiv . 15 , &c. that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living god , who made heaven and earth and the sea , and all things that are therein : who in times past suffer'd all nations to walk in their own ways . nevertheless , he left not himself without witness , in that he did good , and gave us rain from heaven , and fruitfull seasons , filling our hearts with food and gladness . p. 165 , 199 , 238 advertisement . there are now in the press , five dissertations about phalaris's epistles , aesop's fables , &c. with an answer to the objections of the honourable charles boyle , esquire . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a27428-e430 dan. 5. 5. posidon apud ciceron . plutarch . &c. mr. de : cartes . psal. 34. 9. joh. 3. 16. 2 tim 1. 10. matt. 11. 30. 1 joh. 5. 3. heb. 5. 9. 1 pet. 1. 4. 1 cor. 2. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , max. tyr. diss. 1. 2 tim. 4. 8. jam. 1. 12. 2 cor. 4. 17. v 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 psalm . 〈◊〉 13. 46. phil. 3. 19. 2 cor. 12. 2. num. 13. 32. mar. 9. 24. eph. 1. 19. prov. 26. 4. tit. 2. 12. mark. 8. 34. prov. 3. 17. rom. 2. 4. 1 tim. 4. 10. 1 joh. 5. 14. 1 tim. 1. 15. rom. 5. 6 , 10. phil. 2. 12. matt. 10. 28. heb. 10. 31. heb. 10 ▪ 27. cic. plutarch , &c. * vide pocockii notas ad portam mosis , p. 158 , &c. plutarch . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. p. 1104 , 1105. ed. ruald . mar. 14. 2 ▪ phil. 4. 13. lib. 3. * mecaenas apud senec . ep. 101. debilem facito ▪ manu ; debilem pede , coxa : &c rom. 12. 1. julianus apud cyrillum , p. 134. matt. 5. 44. ver . 28. plato de legib. lib. 10. p. 886. ed. steph. luke 19. 22. * hobbes de cive , leviathan . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , laert. de sanctitate & de pietate adversus deos. cic. de laert. p. 34 , 47 , 50. voyage du sieur de champlain . p. 28. & 93. plutarch . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lucret . &c. plutarch . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cicero , athenaeus , ae●ian , &c. josephus de bello iudaico , l. 2. ● . 12. * si sibi ipse consentiat , & non interdum naturae bonitate vincatur . cic. de offic. 1. 2. acts 17. 18. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † arriani epictet . l. 1. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . seneca ep. 53. est aliquid qu● sapiens antecedat deum : ille naturae beneficio , non suo sapiens est . v. 19. v. 20. lucianus in philopat . philostrat . de vita apol. l. 6. c. 2. pausan . in eliacis . v. 25. * lucret. 2. ipsa suis pollens opibus ▪ nihil i●●●ga no●●●● . tertul. apolog. cap. 46. quis enim philosophum sacrificare compellit ? quinimmo & deos vestros palam destruunt , & superstitiones vestras commentariis quoque accusant . v. 26. * isocrates . in paneg. demosth. in epitaph . cic or. pro flacco . euripides . &c. diog. laert . in praef. thucyd. lib. 6. herodot . &c. v. 27 , 28. plutarch . de aud. poet . & contra colot . laert. in vita epicuri . v. 29. v. 30 , 31. act. 14. 16. v. 33. v. 28. arati phoen. v. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * hom. il. w. 551. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. aesch. eumen. 655. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soph. electra , 136. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . acts 25. 19. luke 24. 11. john 6. 53. v. 60. v. 66. seneca ep. 113. plutarch de contrad stoic . * vide zenobium & suidam in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & scholiastem eurip . hecubae v. 838. epicurus apud laert. lucret. l. 5. cicero de fin. l. 1. acad . l. 2. lucret l. 2. cic de fato & l. 1. de nat. deorum plutarch , &c. psal. 139. 16. plautus . virgil. livius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . eph. 4. 14. rom. 9. 20. lucret. l 3. vide observations upon the bills of mortality . so diodorus siculus , lib. 1. c 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. vitruvius , lib. 9. c. 4. lucret . lib. 5. ut babylonica chaldaeam doctrina , &c. apuleius de deo socratis : seu illa ( luua ) proprio & perpeti fulgore , ut chaldaei arbitrantur , parte luminis compos , parte altera cas●a fulgeris . maimonides more nevochim de zabiis & chaldais . plato in cratylo . diodorus , lib. 1 c. 2. eusebius demonst. evangel . lib. 1. c. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concil . laod. can. 36 conc. 6. in trullo . can 61. cod just. lib. 9. tit . 18. cod. theodos. l. 9. tit . 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 60. tit . 39. job 26. 7. plutarch . de plac. phi. lib. 5. c. 19. & sympos . l. 8. c 8. censorinus de die natali cap. 4. plutarch . de plac. phil. 5. 19. censorin . ibidem . censorinus . ibid. lucret. lib. 5. diodorus siculus , lib. 1. c. 2. 2 k. 5. 6. archimedes de insiden●ibus humido , lib. 1. stevin des elements hydrostatiques . cartesius de formatione faetûs . swammerdam histor. insect . p. 3. see the former sermon . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nicander . redi de generatione insectorum malpighius de gallis , swammerdam de gen . insect . lewenhoeck epistol . act 12 23. continuat . epistol . p. 101. helmont imago ferment . &c. p. 92. edit 1652. serm ▪ 2. plutarch . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . plato x. de legibus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emped . psal. 94. 9. lucret. lib. 5. multaque tum tellus etiam portenta creare , &c. lucret . 5. lucret. lib. 4. nil ideo quoniam natum est in corpore , ut uti possemus : sed quod natum est , id procreat usum . plinius & strabo . lucret. 5. dictis dabit ipsa fidem res forsitan , & graviter terrarum motibus orbis omnia conquassari in parvo tempore cernes . palaeph . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de incredibilibus . cicero de natura deorum , 2. 37. lucret. 5. hinc ubi quaeque loci regio opportuna dabatur crescebant uteri , &c. & ibidem . inde loci mortalia saecla creavit , multa modis multis varia ratione coorta . 〈◊〉 arithmet . cap. de progressione . lucret. 5. verum , ut opinor , habet novitatem summa , recensque natura est mundi , neque pridem exordia cepit . cesalpin . berigard . gen. 1. 28. lucret. 5. isai. 28. 29. chap. 17. v. 2. psal. 19. 1. jer. 51. 15. psal. 148. 5 147. 8. 65. 2. lucret. 5. praeterea coeli rationes ordine certo , et varia annorum cernebant tempora verti : & lib. 6. nam bene qui didicere deos securum agere aevum , si tamen interea mirantur , &c. cic. de nat. deor. lib. 2. quis hunc hominem dixerit , qui cum tam cert●s coeli motus , tam ratos astrorum ordines , &c. plutarch . de plac . phil . 1. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ver. 8. lucret. lib. 6. ver. 17. ver 9. luke 18 42. 8. 48 matt. 13. 58. mark 6. 5. vanini dial . p. 439. chrys. ad locum , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is volo , acts 4. 20. iohn 7. 7. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is possum . vid. budaei comm. l gr. see john ch . 9. and matt. 16. 14. luk. 23. 8 mark 8 12. matt. 17. 15. 15. 22. luke 8. 4. luke 22. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , c. 17. v. 34. cicero pro flacco . adsunt athenienses , unde humanitas , doctrina , religio , fruges , jura , leges ortae atque in omnes terras distributae putantur . isoc . paneg. diod. sic. 13. see john 21. 25. and 2 cor. 12. 12. wer. 11. eunapius , cap. 2. ver. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrys. ad loc . ephorus apud strab. lib. 14. steph voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 1 cor. 14. 18. acts 2. ver. 7. ver. 15. ver. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . athenaeus , 6. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ver. 15. * mortales sumus similes vobis homines . so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , if i die , a common expression in gr. writers . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hom. see acts 4. 27. 14. 5. 26. 17. gal. 2. 14. acts 17. 30. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . horat. nec siquid miri faciat natura , deos id tristes ex alto coeli demittere tecto . serm. iii. horat. car. 1. 12. by the first proposition . by the third proposition . serm ii. serm. vii . lucret. lib. 1. serm. v. p. 6 , 7. serm. v. p. 12 , 13. mr. boyle's physicom . exp. of air hydrostat . paradoxes . lucret. lib. 1. newton philos natur . princ. math. lib. 3. prop. 6. mr. boyle of air and porosity of bodies . mr. boyle ibid. newton philos. nat. principia . math. p. 503. * diod. sicul. lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . apoll. rhodius lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * lucret. nec regione loci certa , nec tempore certo . serm. v. p. 32. newton ibidem p. 480. vide serm. vi. & ser. viii . newton philosophiae naturalis princ. math. lib. iii. psal. 148. psal. 8. newton phil. natur . princip . math. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plat. gen. 1. newton ibidem , p. 415. tacquet de circulorum volutionibus . gen. 8. see mr. boyle of the air. mr. boyle's second continuation of physicomechanical exp. about the air. lucret. et mare , quod late terrarum distinet oras . psal. 104. nequaquam nobis divinitus esse creatam naturam rerum , tanta stat praedita culpa . principio quantum coeli regit impetus ingens , inde avidam partem montes sylvaeque ferarum possedere , tenent rupes vastaeque paludes , et mare , quod late terrarum distinit oras . lucret. lib. 5. heb. 11. gen. 1. deut. 33. 15. vide aelian . var. hist. lib. iii. * virg aen 6. at pater anchises penitus convalle virenti . & ibid. hoc superate jugum . & ib. et tumulum coepit . † flours worthy of paradise , which not nice art in beds and curious knots , but nature boon pour'd forth profuse on hill and dale and plain . paradise lost , lib. 4. ‖ for earth hath this variety from heaven of pleasure situate in hill and dale . ibid. lib. 6. serm. v. prov. 3.