376 / 772
343
Th
at
t1J
holy
Scriptures
*ere
ináited
by
q
ds thirtt.
of
the Scriptures
in
diners
nations, by
reafon
that
the
Iew.és
were fcattered abroad
through
their captiuitie,where
they
as
conflantly
profeffed
their rcligiô
as
in
their own countrie.
Befides,ifthefc writings
had
been
faired,
in
what
age could
they
come
to
light but
men
diligently inquiring into the,
as
being
matters
importing
no
1e8ì
than their
eternall faluatiô
or
condemnation, would
haue found them counterfeit
?
For
ifthey
had
been
penned
in
the
fame
age
wherein the
things
were done, who would
haue
belecued
them,
if
they did
not
afsfuredly
know
ÿ they
contained nothing
but
certaine truth?
Ifin
an after
age, who would
haue
flraight
fubfcribed
vnto
thë,vnleffe
they
had by
tradition
from
their
anceflors
bin
af-
fured
y
filch
things
were done in former times?Furtherinore,
it
is
not
probable
but
that
the Iewes
would
haue
made
men
-
tiô
offuch
an
author ifthey had
known him;or
if
they
had by
fome accident found
thë
written
in this
forme,it
is
not
likely
that
they
would
haue
bin
fo
Pimple
as
to
haue
built
their faith
fo
firmely vpon
them,
that
they
would rather
chufe
to
Puffer
all
torments than be
brought to
denie any
one
part
&them.
(
;Seé1.7.
Lailly,it
is
obie
&led
that
in
Si
time
of.4,rti5chu
,the
books
That
the
Gooks
Of
the
Scriptures were by his
tyrannie and
extrcame crueltie
of
holy
Scrip-
wholly abolifhed,&
thefe
which
we
haue,afterwards inuen-
ture
perifbed
ted
by
the
Iewes
to
grace
their
religion.To
which
I
anfwere,
not
in
the
time
Of
fI
illll)GTäS.
that
this
obie&lio
is
fo
fottiihly foolifh;
that
it fauoureth
not
of
common
fenfe,much
leffe
of
any
force
of
reafon;for feeing
now there
were extant almofl innumerable
copies
of
fcrip-
tures,what
meanes
couldbe inuented by wit
and
rage
ytterly
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,ifthey
had bin
all
de-
ftroied
and abolifhed
in his
time,
how
came
it
to
paffe
fr
pre-
fently after
his death they
were againe(as
it
were)pulled out
of
the
afhes and
reuiued
?Or
how
could
othersbe
put in their
place,feeing innumerable men liued before
and
after
his per
-
fecution,who
had
the fight
&
perufing
ofthe
fame
books
bè
fcre
theywere fsppreffed; and afrerwaids agair:e
when they
light ?Lag
y,:though it.fhould
bze4nrarzted
that
all