343 That t1J holy Scriptures*ere ináitedby q ds thirtt. ofthe Scriptures in diners nations, by reafon that the Iew.és were fcattered abroad through their captiuitie,where they as conflantlyprofeffed their rcligiô as in their own countrie. Befides,ifthefc writings had been faired, inwhat age could they come to light but men diligently inquiring into the, as beingmatters importing no 1e8ì than their eternall faluatiô orcondemnation, wouldhaue found them counterfeit ? For ifthey hadbeen penned in the fame age wherein the things were done, who would hauebelecued them, if they didnot afsfuredlyknowÿ theycontained nothingbut certaine truth? Ifin an afterage, who wouldhaue flraight fubfcribedvnto thë,vnleffe theyhad by tradition from their anceflors bin af- fured y filch thingswere done in former times?Furtherinore, it is not probable but that the Iewes wouldhauemade men- tiôoffuchanauthor ifthey hadknown him;or iftheyhad by fome accident found thëwritten in this forme,it is not likely that theywouldhauebin foPimpleas tohaue built their faith fo firmely vpon them, that they would rather chufe toPuffer all torments than bebrought todenie any onepart&them. (;Seé1.7. Lailly,it is obie&led that in Si timeof.4,rti5chu,thebooks That the Gooks OftheScriptures were by his tyrannie and extrcame crueltie ofholy Scrip- wholly abolifhed,& thefe whichwe haue,afterwards inuen- tureperifbed tedby the Iewes to grace theirreligion.Towhich Ianfwere, not in the time OffI illll)GTäS. that thisobie&lio is fo fottiihly foolifh;that it fauourethnot ofcommon fenfe,much leffe ofanyforceofreafon;for feeing now therewere extant almofl innumerable copies of fcrip- tures,what meanes couldbe inuented by wit and rageytterly to fuppreffe them, of ecially feeing the Iewes made far more precious account of themthan oftheir liues, fo that for the profeflion ofthis truth they were Content to fufter euen in this tyrants time cruell deaths?Befides,iftheyhad bin all de- ftroiedand abolifhed in his time, howcame it to paffe fr pre- fently after his death theywere againe(as itwere)pulled out of the afhes and reuiued?Or howcould othersbe put in their place,feeing innumerable men liued beforeand after his per- fecution,whohad the fight &perufingofthefame booksbè fcre theywere fsppreffed; and afrerwaids agair:e when they light ?Lag y,:though it.fhould bze4nrarzted that all
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