tatis, me minuamus poteftatem. Itaque Religio vera fita et in mediocritate inter fuperstitionem cum hærefibus fuber tiflofis ex una parte, et Atheismum cum hærefibus prophanis ex altera. Superftitio repudiata luce fcripturarum, fèque dedens traditionibus prauis vel apocryphis, et nouis reuelationibus, vel falfis interpretationibus fcripturarum multa de voluntate Dei fingit, et fomniat, á fripturis deuia et aliena. Atheifmus autem et Theomachia contra poteftatem Dei infurgit, et tumultuatur, verbo dei non credens, quod voluntatem eius reuelat ob incredulitatem poteftatis eius, cui omnia funt pofsibilia. Hærefes autem quæ ex ifto fonte emanant, grauiores videntur cæteris. Nam et in politijs atrocius est poteftatem et maieftatem Dei minuere, quam famam principis notare. Harefium autem quæ poteftatem Dei minunt, præter Atheifmum purum tres funt gradus, habentque vnum et idem myfterium: (Nam omnis antichristianifmus operatur in myfterio, id eft fub imagine boni) hoc ipfum, vt voluntatem dei ab omni afperfione malitiæ liberet. Primus gradus eft eorum, qui duo principia conftituunt paria, ac inter fe pugnantia, et contraria, vnum boni, alterum mali. Secundus gradus eft eorum, quibus nimiùm læfa videtur maieftas Dei in conflituendo aduerfus eum principio affirmatiuo et actiuo. Quare exturbata tali audacia, nihilo minùs inducunt contra deum principium negatiuum et priuatiuum. Nam volunt effe opus ipfius materiæ et creaturæ internum, et

as wee make no imputation to his will, fo is the goodneffe of the will of God to be affirmed, as we make no derogation from his power: Therefore true religion seated in the meane betwixt Superstition, with fuperftitious herefies on the one fide, and Atheisme, with prophane herefies on the other: Superftition reiecting the light of the scriptures, and giuing of it felf ouer to vngrounded traditions and writinges doubtfull and not Canonicall, or to newe reuelations, or to vntrue interpretations of the Scriptures themfelues doth forge and dreame many thinges of the vvill of God, which are ftrange and farre distant from the true fence of the fcriptures: But Atheisme and Theomachie rebelleth and mutineth against the power of God, giuing no faith to his worde, which reuealeth his will, vpon a difcredit and vnbeliefe of his power, to whom all thinges are poffible. Now those herefies which spring out of this fountain feeme more haynous then the other for euen in ciuile gouernment it is held an offence in a higher degree to deny the power and authority of a prince, then to touch his honour and fame. Of these herefies which derogate from the power of God beside plain atheisme, there are three degrees, and they haue all one and the fame miftery : for all Antichriftianity worketh in a misterie, that is, vnder the shadow of good, and it is this to free and deliuer the will of God from all imputation and afperfion of ill. The first degree is of those who make and fuppofe two principles contrary and fighting one against the other, the one of good, the other of euill.

The fecond degree is of them to whome the Maiestie of God feemes too much wronged in fetting vppe and erecting against him another aduerfe and opposite principle, namely fuch a principle as fhould bee actiue and affirmatiue, that is to fay, cause or fountaine of any effence or being: therefore reiecting all fuch prefumption they doe neuerthelesse bring in against God: a principle negatiue and priuatiue, that is a caufe of

natiuum, et fubftantiuum, vt ex fe vergat et relabatur ad confufionem, et ad nihilum, nefcientes eiufdem effe omnipotentiæ ex aliquo nihil facere, cuius ex nihilo aliquid. Tertius gradus eft eorum, qui arclant et reftringunt opinionem, priorem tantùm ad actiones humanas, quæ participant ex peccato, quas volunt fubftantiuè, abfque nexu aliquo caufarum, ex interna voluntate et arbitrio humano pendere, ftatuuntque latiores terminos fcientia Dei, quàm poteftatis, vel potius eius partis poteftatis Dei, (nam et ipfa fcientia poteftas eft) qua fcit quàm eius, quâ mouet, et agit, vt præfciat quædam otiofe, quæ non prædeftinet et præordinet. Et non abfimile eft figmento, quod Epicurus introduxit in Democritifmum, vt fatum olleret, et fortunæ locum daret, declinationem videlicet atomi, quod femper à prudentioribus inanifsimum commentum habitum eft. Sed quicquid a deo non pendet, vt autore, et principio, per nexus et gradus fubordinatos id loco Dei erit, et nouum principium, et Deafter quidem. Quare meritò illa opinio refpuitur, vt læfio et diminutio maieftatis et poteftatis Dei. Et tamen admodum rectè dicitur, quòd Deus non fit author mali, non quia non author, fed quia non mali.

not being and fubfifting, for they will haue it to be an inbred proper worke, and nature of the matter and creature it felfe, of it selfe to turne aganie and refolue into confufion and nothing, not knowing that it is an effect of one and the fame omnipotencie, to make nothing of fomewhat, as to make somewhat of nothing. The third degree is of those, who abridge and reftraine the former opinion onely to those humane actions which pertake of finne: which actions, they will haue to depende fubftantiuely and originally, and without any fequele or fubordination of caufes vpon the will, and make and fet downe and appoint larger limites of the knowledge of God then of his power, or rather of that parte of Gods power (for knowledge it felfe is a power whereby he knoweth) then of that by which hee moueth and worketh, making him foreknow fome thinges idlie and as a looker on, which hee doeth not predeftinate nor ordayne: Not vnlike to that deuife which Epicurus brought into Democritus opinion, to take away deftinie and make way to Fortune, to witte, the start and flippe of Attemus, which alwaies of the wiser fort was reiected as a moft friuolous shift. But whatsoeuer depends not of God, as Author and Principle by inferiour linkes and degrees, that must needes bee in place of God, and a new principle, and a certaine vfurping God: wherefore worthely is that opinion refused as an indignitie and derogation to the maieftie and power of God, and yet it is most truely affirmed, that God is not the author of euill, not because he is not author, but because not as of euill.

De ecclesia et Scripturis.

Proteges eos in tabernaculo tuo a contradictione linguarum.

Ontradictiones linguarum vbique occurrunt extra tabernaculum Dei. Quare quocunque te verteris, exitum controuerfiarum non reperies nifi huc te receperis. Dices, Sed aduerte.

verum eft, nempe in vnitatem ecclefiæ. Erat in tabernaculo Arca, et in Arca Teftimonium vel tabulæ legis. Quid mihi narras corticem Tabernaculi, fine nucleo teftimonij? Tabernaculum ad cuftodiendum et tradendum teftimonium erat ordinatum. Eodem modo et ecclefiæ cuftodia, et traditio per manus fcripturarum demandata eft, fed anima Tabernaculi est teftimonium.