Marinus Mercennus suspects Cardan for his subtleties, Campanella, and Charrons Book of Wisdome, with some other Tracts to savour of Atheism: but amongst the rest that pestilent Book de tribus mundi impostoribus, quem sine horrore (inquit) non legas, & mundi Cymbalum dialogis quatuor contentum, Anno 1538. auctore Peresio, Parisiis excusum , &c.

And as there have been in all Ages such blasphemous spirits, so there have not been wanting their Patrons, Protectors, Disciples and Adherents. Never so many Atheists in Italy and Germany, saith Colerus, as in this Age: the like complaint Mercennus makes in France, 50000 in that one City of Paris.

Frederick the Emperour, as Matthew Paris records, licet non sit recitabile (I use his own words) is reported to have said, Tres præstigiatores, Moses, Christus, & Mahomet, uti mundo dominarentur, totum populum sibi contemporaneum seduxisse.

(Henry the Lantgrave of Hessen heard him speak it,) Si principes imperii institutioni meæ adhærerent, ego multo meliorem modum credendi & vivendi ordinarem.

To these professed Atheists we may well add that impious and carnal crew of wordly-minded men, impenitent sinners, that go to Hel in a lethargy, or in a dream, who though they be professed Christians, yet they will Nulla pallescere culpa, make a conscience of nothing they do, they have cauterized consciences, and are indeed in a reprobate sense, past all feeling, have given themselves over to wantonness, to work all manner of uncleanness even with greediness, Ephes. 4.19.

They do know there is a God, a day of Judgement to come, and yet for all that, as Hugo saith, ita comedunt ac dormiunt, ac si diem judicii evasissent; ita ludunt ac rident, ac si in cœlis cum Deo regnarent: they are as merry for all the sorrow, as if they had escaped all dangers, and were in heaven already:

—— Metus omnes, & inexorabile fatum Subjecit pedibus, strepitumque Acherontis avari.

Those rude Idiots and ignorant persons, that neglect and contemn the means of their salvation, may march on with these, but above all others, those Herodian temporizing Statesmen, politick Machiavilians and Hypocrites, that make a shew of Religion, but in their hearts laugh at it. Simulata sanctitas duplex iniquitas; they are in a double fault,

that fashion themselves to this world, which Paul forbids, and like Mercury the Planet, are good with good, bad with bad. When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done, Puritans with Puritans, Papists with Papists; omnium horarum homines, Formalists, Ambodexters, luke-warm Laodiceans.

All their study is to please, and their god is their commodity, their labour to satisfie their lusts, and their endeavours to their own ends. Whatsoever they pretend, or in publick seem to do, With the fool in their hearts, they say there is no God.

Heus tu —— de Jove quid sentis?

Their words are as soft as oyl, but bitterness is in their hearts, like Alexander the Sixth so cunning dissemblers, that what they think they never speak. Many of them are so close, you can hardly discern it, or take any just exceptions at them;

they are not factious, oppressours as most are, no bribers, no simoniacal Contracters, no such ambitious, lascivious persons as some others are, no drunkards, sobrii solem vident orientem, sobrii vident occidentem, they rise sober, and go sober to bed,

plain dealing, upright honest men, they do wrong to no man, and are so reputed in the worlds esteem at least, very zealous in Religion, very charitable, meek, humble, peace-makers, keep all duties, very devout, honest, well spoken of, beloved of all men: but he that knows better how to judge, he that examines the heart, saith they are Hypocrites, Cor dolo plenum; sonant vitium percussa malignè, they are not sound within.

As it is with Writers oftentimes, Plus sanctimoniæ in libello, quàm libelli authore, more holiness is in the Book than in the Author of it: So it is with them; many come to Church with great Bibles, whom Cardan said he could not choose but laugh at, and will now and then dare operam Augustino, reade Austin, frequent Sermons,

and yet professed Usurers, meer Gripes, tota vitæ ratio Epicurea est; all their life is Epicurism and Atheism, come to Church all day, and lie with a Curtezan at night.

Qui Curios simulant & Bacchanalia vivunt,

They have Esaus hands, and Jacobs voyce; Yea, and many of those holy Fryers, sanctified men, Cappam, saith Hierom, & cilicium induunt, sed intus latronem tegunt. They are Wolves in sheeps clothing,

Introrsum turpes, speciosi pelle decorâ,

Fair without, and most foul within: Latet plerumque sub tristi amictu lascivia, & deformis horror vili veste tegitur; oft-times under a mourning weed lies lust it self, and horrible vices under a poor coat.

But who can examine all those kinds of Hypocrites, or dive into their hearts? If we may guess at the tree by the fruit, never so many as in these days; shew me a plain dealing true honest man? Et pudor, & probitas, & timor omnis abest.

He that shall but look into their lives, and see such enormous vices, men so immoderate in lust, unspeakable in malice, furious in their rage, flattering and dissembling (all for their own ends) will surely think they are not truly religious, but of an obdurate heart, most part in a reprobate sense, as in this Age. But let them carry it as they will for the present, dissemble as they can, a time will come when they shall be called to an account, their melancholy is at hand, they pull a plague and curse upon their own heads, thesaurisant iram Dei.

Besides all such as are in deos contumeliosi, blaspheme, contemn, neglect God, or scoff at him, as the Poets feign of Salmoneus, that would in derision imitate Jupiters Thunder, he was precipitated for his pains, Jupiter intonuit contra, &c. so shall they certainly rue it in the end, (in se spuit, qui in cœlum spuit) their doom’s at hand, and Hell is ready to receive them.

Some are of Opinion, that it is in vain to dispute with such Atheistical spirits in the mean time, ’tis not the best way to reclaim them. Atheism, Idolatry, Heresie, Hypocrisie, though they have one common root, that is indulgence to corrupt affection, yet their growth is different, they have divers symptoms, occasions, and must have several cures and remedies.

’Tis true some deny there is any God, some confess, yet believe it not; a third sort confess and believe, but will not live after his Laws, Worship and obey him: others allow God and Gods subordinate, but not one God, no such general God, non talem deum, but several Topick gods for several places, and those not to persecute one another for any differences, as Socinus will, but rather love and cherish.

To describe them in particular, to produce their Arguments and reasons, would require a just volumn, I refer them therefore that expect a more ample satisfaction, to those subtile and elaborate Treatises, devout and famous Tracts of our learned Divines (Schoolmen amongst the rest, and Casuists) that have abundance of reasons to prove there is a God, the immortality of the soul, &c. out of the strength of wit and Philosophy bring irrefragable Arguments to such as are ingenious and well disposed; at the least, answer all cavils and objections to confute their folly and madness, and to reduce them, si fieri posset, ad sanam mentem, to a better mind, though to small purpose many times.

Amongst others consult with Julius Cæsar Lagalla professour of Philosophy in Rome, who hath written a large Volumn of late to confute Atheists: of the Immortality of the Soul, Hierom. Montanus de immortalitate Animæ: Lelius Vincentius of the same subject: Thomas Giaminus, and Franciscus Collius de Paganorum animabus post mortem, a famous Doctor of the Ambrosian Colledge in Millain.

Bishop Fotherby in his Atheomastix, Doctor Dove, Doctor Jackson, Abernethy, Corderoy, have written well of this subject in our mother tongue: In Latine, Colerus, Zanchius, Palearius, Illyricus, Philippus, Faber Faventinus, &c.

But instar omnium, the most copious confuter of Atheists, is Marinus Mercennus in his Commentaries on Genesis: with Campanellas Atheismus Triumphatus. He sets down at large the causes of this brutish passion (seventeen in number I take it) answers all their Arguments and Sophisms, which he reduceth to twenty six heads, proving withall his own Assertion; There is a God, such a God, the true and sole God, by 35 reasons. His Colophon is how to resist and repress Atheism, and to that purpose he adds four especial means or wayes, which who so will may profitably peruse.