A note containing the opinion of one Christopher
Marly concerning his damnable judgment of
religion, and scorn of God's word:
"That the Indians, and many authors
of antiquity, have assuredly written of above
16 thousand years agone, whereas Adam
>> note 1 is
proved to have lived within six thousand
years.
He affirmeth that Moses was but a juggler,
>> note 2 and
that one Hariot
>> note 3 being
Sir Walter Raleigh's man can do more
than he.
That Moses made the Jews to travel 40 years
in the wilderness (which journey might have
been done in less than one year) ere they
came to the promised land, to the intent
that those who were privy to many of his
subtleties might perish, and so an everlasting
superstition reign in the hearts of the people.
That the beginning of religion was only
to keep men in awe.
That it was an easy matter for Moses being
brought up in all the arts of the Egyptians
to abuse the Jews, being a rude and gross
people.
That Christ was a bastard and his mother
dishonest.
>> note 4
That he was the son of a carpenter, and
that if the Jews among whom he was born did
crucify him, they best knew him and whence
he came.
That Christ deserved better to die than
Barabas,
>> note 5 and
that the Jews made a good choice, though
Barabas were both a thief and a murderer.
That if there be any God or any good religion,
then it is in the Papists,
>> note 6 because
the service of God is performed with more
ceremonies, as elevation of the mass, organs,
singing men, shaven crowns, etc. That all
Protestants are hypocritical asses.
That if he were put to write a new religion,
he would undertake both a more excellent
and admirable method, and that all the New
Testament is filthily written.
That the woman of Samaria
>> note 7 and
her sister were whores and that Christ
knew them dishonestly.
That Saint John the Evangelist was bedfellow
to Christ and leaned always in his bosom;
that he used him as the sinners of Sodoma.
>> note 8
That all they that love not tobacco and
boys are fools.
That all the apostles were fishermen and
base fellows, neither of wit nor worth; that
Paul
>> note 9 only
had wit, but he was a timorous fellow in
bidding men to be subject to magistrates
against his conscience.
That he had as good a right to coin
>> note 10 as
the Queen of England, and that he was acquainted
with one Poole, a prisoner in Newgate,
who hath great skill in mixture of metals,
and having learned some things of him,
he meant through help of a cunning stamp-maker
to coin French crowns, pistolets, and English
shillings.
That if Christ would have instituted the
sacrament with more ceremonial reverence,
it would have been in more admiration; that
it would have been better much better being
administered in a tobacco pipe.
That the angel Gabriel was bawd
>> note 11 to
the Holy Ghost, because he brought the
salutation to Mary.
That one Richard Cholmley hath confessed
that he was persuaded by Marlowe's reasons
to become an atheist."