determinatly in any thing nor in any particular place Vpon which reason Aristotle made this definition of the soule of man which commeth neerest to the nature of God Aniâ—a saith he est totum in toto totum in qualibit parte The neerest beholding of this is in our owne minds By the powers working of the minde we contemplate behold discerne vnderstand and iudge of things that are far remote from vs yet ouer selues neuer moue The mind in this case doth not entermingle truth nor participate with the nature substance nor condition of the the things it entereth into Iudge but of the reason thereof which is breifly thus These things are of lesse conditioÌ„ nature qualitie theÌ„ the reasonable soules that possesse these mindes God is said by the Philosophers to be vnmoueable vnchangeable beginninglesse endles bodilesse infinit incomprehensible c. Al which declare not what God is but the hee is not as his creatures are locall nor his creatures mixed or intermingled with him nor with his power or essence For by these negatiues all other things are discouered to have beginning to bee made to determine to be changeable weake materiall corruptible And to depend vpoÌ„ an other being then themselues And that God onely hath his being and place in and by himselfe And the the more deeply any man will enter into consideration of these things the more infinite and inscrutable shall he find theÌ„ For when he shal haue takeÌ„ all the paines he can possible he will confesse he hath learned no more theÌ„ to be ignoraÌ„t of the want of his owne knowledge in the behalf Thus holding it necessary to discouer that there is no place in respect of God as the most readiest way to explane what place is in respect of his creatures and the worthinesse thereof I proceede desiring to be vnderstood that my meaning is for opening the point of my maine argument by the way as I goe to discouer How supernaturall naturall and vnnaturall things haue their operations and workings and the monstrous products that some things against nature are enforced to bring forth There is nothing created but hath his speciall vse be it materiall or immaterial number serueth to make known to man his own weakenes that those things that are most certainly knowen by number to the Creator are notwithstanding innumerable to the capacitie reason and vnderstanding of men yea much more then the fantasie conceipt or imagination of men can by any meanes come neere vnto or conceiue All these thus made of nothing maketh the more wonderfull the power of the maker and the order and worthinesse of nomber within which coÌ„dition euery creature is contained To euery and to the very least of these innumerable creatures there is appointed a seuerall distinct particular and locall place diuided seuered and sundered from the rest which shewetâ— what congruence there is between number place that nomber being neuer so infinite yet nothing wanteth his place And place being neuer so spatious and large yet there is Nullum vacum no void place which declareth how the workes of God do depend one of an other in an admirable propotion order one in true vse seruing the turne of another For how could the creatures be if they wanted place Or to what purpose serued place if there were not creatures to supply them This sheweth that God made nothing in vaine therefore his workes ought not to be lightly esteemed much lesse abused The first Creation wee reade of is of Angels They were made in number They attended their Maker in Heauen There wâ—s their place although they were spirits and incorporall yea standing vnder the law obedience and command of their Maker they had such seuerall places as befitted creatures of such worthines vnder such conditions as they were enioyned vnto Their disobedience and fall thrusting remoouing out of that blessed place to another place of accursednesse shew that there were seueuerall places euen for the spirites themselues as likewise seuerall numbers appointed for these places So hitherto nuÌ„ber place go together as necessary attendants on the prouidence purpose and will of God But if any shall aske either nuÌ„ber or place of the blessed or damned spirits the time of their creation or fall or the reason why it is not discouered vnto men Let those men know that they neither be within the number creation nor place of any those angels or spirits but in another ranke of Gods creatures a little inferior to the Angels And therefore they must leaue them their creation number and place to their Maker as matters inscrutable and forbidden that men should haue to meddle with all The next creation is of the world which consisteth of things in number place The earth the water the Elements the Sun the Moon the stars the beasts birds fishes and lastly man as is said in holy Writ Male and female made he theÌ„ In all these there is number in respect of these diuers creatures that were made there is number in the reasonable creatures male female Place in worthines dignity and the seuerall diuers places their seuerall bodies were contained in or did supply Besides what the diuine spirit of God hath reuealed to holy men of the old ages concerning these places reason hath searched out diuers diuisions and subdiuisions of place done conceiued and vnderstood by number distance which alwayes go together in what action soeuer As relatiues that depend one vpon anothers being The Mathematitians in respect of the heigth of the Heauens from the earth haue diuided this great spacious place into ten Heauens which who so is skilled in their described Spheres may easily readily vnderstaÌ„d This is done in respect of the largâ— vaught and scope that is betweene heauen and earth and the creatures therein placed They conceiue aboue these ten Heauens to bee the place and seate of God the Creator and that all the creatures except the holy Angels are bound downe by this Primum mobile vnder their Maker not to approach his admirable presence Heere is still number place In their diuision they haue appointed seuen seueral Planets wherof we haue warrant to speak of the Sun and Moone by holy writ And of the other Starres there is great experience and very profitable learning hath bin collected and drawne from them Vnder the lowest of these being the Moone is affirmed to be a fierie Region keeping all other Creatures vnder that they may not mount aboue nor exceed their bounds The like fierie Region is conceiued to bee aboue the tenth Heauen to keepe down the creatures in that mighty scope and compasse So here goeth still together number place Vnder the moones Orbe they place the ayre to exist which may not mount aboue the fierie Region With this aire we haue more familiar acquaintance then with the rest because it partaketh with our nature And vnder the ayre the
vse or abuse the blessings and benefits of God least in gathering too much it turn to wormes as Manna did in the wildernesse or to Quayles and it become the destruction of the eaters thereof in stead of nourishment These benefites God hath bestowed on Man principally chiefely to serue his turne and to instruct and teach him in this first life which shall finish and ende Behold there are further matters and benefits bestowed and prouided for Man besides these the meanest farre exceeding the greatest of these They are such as I dare not define or treate of and therefore with reuerence leaue them to the Readers consideration with such descriptions as they are left to me They are such As the eye hath not seene the eare heard nor the heart of man can conceiue Oh inestimable riches peace plentie ioy fulnesses which God hath prouided for this immortall reasonable soule if it vary not from the direction of the Creator And are not these yet sufficient but man must needes be medling with himselfe patching and playing the tinker or botcher vpon some imagination of his owne and so marre all which the the auncient Philosophers hold to be the reason that man was cast out of the company of the Gods into this lower base and corruptible Sphere of the Elements This is not all I say that God hath done for man for beside his creation he doth still by his holy hand vphold and support him he hath receiued him to fauour being abiected for vsing the creatures of God contrary to his ordinance he hath set his holy Angels to preserue defend him his only Son to loose his life to redeeme him his most gratious holy spirit to be his comfort and consolation A fulnesse of all benefites in this life and eternall ioyes in heauen c. Prouided alwayes that wee doe not vse his creatures to vnnatural vnlawfull or forbidden vses or employments This is the happie estate of reasonable man ◠he containe himselfe within his bounds All the worlde will confesse no benefit◠or blessing can be added vnto it Let vs not therefore seeke to alter change charge or incomber the course and way the Almightie power hath appointed in these things least it turne to our vtter confusion Let vs not wrong our reasonable soules therefore but schoole and iustruct them in such rudiments as may preserue their worthinesse Reason is the Founder of Arts. BY the precedent Circumstances it appeareth that among all the creatures vnder Heauen man onely excepted nothing is seene to bee made for it selfe nor man onely for himselfe but for the seruice of God The Sunne shineth and heateth but not for it selfe The Earth beareth and yet hath no benefite thereby The Windes blowe and yet they sayle not The Fire burneth and yet feeleth not this owne force The Water beareth the shippes and yet knoweth not the waight thereof Al these serue onely to the glory of God and benefit of man Behold therfore how neere God hath placed man vnto himselfe nay what plentifull prouision hee hath made for sustentation of this sensitiue life and the necessarie vse thereof The Sunne warmeth the earth the earth nourisheth the Plants the Plants feede the beasts and the beasts serue man So that the noblest creatures haue neede of the basest and the basest are serued by the most noble And all these by the diuine prouidence of God wherein as there can bee nothing wanting so thereunto there may be nothing added Now for the better discouerie of what dignitie honour aduancement benefite and supply this sensitiue life hath by the vse and imployment of Reanon which is an inseperable qualitie of the immortall Soule let vs discend a litle into the Arts whereby Reason doth supply the defects miseries which otherwise this life must abide which in reason should moue the hearts of men to vse these temporall blessings in such a temporall measure as they might supply and serue the turnes and vses of all the race of Mankinde As I meane not to euery one a like so it is no equall sharing that some should haue all and others want If wee consider but this one thing that by the admirable reason of man in his first creation he did sodainely giue all the creatures of God seuerall names and still retained the memory of them when he had neuer seene them before here began the Arte Memoratiue and all other Artes which afterwards had almost perished and beene confounded Hermes taking consideration of these things faith The Sun beames of God are his actions the Sun beames of the worlde are the natures of things And the Sun-beames of man are his arts and sciences Whence should he learne teach or vnderstand this but out of that reason which then remained though imperfect and impayred By which reason he was led to acknowledge the diuinite and omnipotencie of God being more then many men wil at this day acknowledge But to proceede to the Arts albeit they are well knowne yet let me recite some particulars By Reason first the generall knowledge is attained Then Reasō hath proportioned things into diuers parts First in consideration of their natures worthinesse secondly in cōsideration of their numbers and places thirdly in regard of their vses and employments So hath Reasō left nothing vnproportioned which she hath set down and concluded by Arts Sciences By Grāmer ◠course of true speaking by Retoricke the māner of perswasion by Logicke the true proportion of reasoning by Musicke true consent of Harmony by Arithmaticke the proportion of numbering adding diminishing augmenting and diuiding By Geometry the manner of euen infalible proportioning all these come of Reason The petty nay rather the great helpes towards the effecting of these things The inuenting the making and fashioning of the tooles instruments and preparations that serue to these vses The making of pen inke paper letters sillables words edge-tooles notes of musick flat c. cards wheels loomes milles the mecanicall Arts of Weauers Tuckers Spinsters Tailors Smiths carpēters sawyers ioyners w e diuersother of the like quality All these and many others haue bene drawn takē out proportiōed by the noble◠famous arts of arithmatike geometrie which are neither so highly esteemed nor vnderstood as they deserue for the more neerer reason with reuerend careof that creator searcheth into these causes the more neerer doth it bring the soule of man to the principal Artifex and maker of them Let vs proceed a little further By the motion of the Sun which surroundeth the world in 24 hours they haue proportioned the circumference of the world to be 360 degrees they diuide euery degree into 60. miles with many other such diuisiōs which I omit By these Arts they haue found that the sun in the whole yeare maketh her furthest point both toward the North and South pole and thereupon they haue diuided that time into xii monethes To euery of these twelue monethes they proportion an appointed
man the life the death and the resurection There câ—sented to the destruction of man The Serpent the woman and the man There haue repaired that downfal The Father the giuer the Sonne the gift and the holy Ghost the comforter In the numof three is a perfect conclusion of all things Much may be said of the nomber and orders made by this trinitie As fire water ayre and earth to make the world the Spring Somer Autum Winter to make the yeare East West North South to quarter the world Creatures going creeping flying swiming w e infinit milioÌ„s of celestial terestial bodies which he keepeth preserueth boundeth in holdeth within this Trinity And briefly to wind vp this point concerning nomber I hold it the original most worthy part of the three I mean that number is of higher coÌ„sideratioÌ„ theÌ„ place or time for God himself the can by no means stoup to be known to the capacity of man neither can be coÌ„tained within any place nor limited to any time in respect of his onÌ„ipotent greatnesse and eternall essence before and without respect of time yet hath hee vouchsafed to bring himselfe within the compasse of number And therein by the power therof to create man in a blessed and happy estate Thus hauing in som measure discouered the nature worthines of original number desiring by al meanes to auoyd tediousnes I leaue to be considered that these and diuers other auncient writèrs that haue left behind them learned workes had no other meanes to vnderstand any thing of the deity eternity of the God-head or immortality of the soule but the vse and helpe of Reason only proper and peculiar to man And so I proceed to the rest Of place IN respect of God before the creation of the world beginning of time All was Place And yet in respect of his greatnessâ— there was no place for he cannot be coÌ„tained in any thing but in himselfe If any be curious to demaund how spacious large or ample this place was let him take his answere with Cato of Vtica who would needs know of God why Caesar ouercame Pompey It is as if the meanest vassal in a kingdome should require the king to giue a reasoÌ„ for all things he doth or coÌ„mandeth Porpherius being much encumbred with vnderstanding of supernaturall causes breaketh out into these words Seeing that God did by skill dispose and ouerrule all things and ordereth them by incomparable propriete of vertue And on the contrary part mans reason being very smal is ignorant of most things how skilfull soeuer it seeme to be of the truth Surely we may theÌ„ cal it meaning Reason wise wheÌ„ it is not curious in searching such doubtfull and hard matters as are matched with danger of blasphemie but rather graunteth that the things which are done are very well as they be for saith he what can our weak reasoÌ„ find fault with or reproue in that great ReasoÌ„n meaning of the deitie As if he shuld haue said The waies the works the place of God and Eternity are not to be searched nor enquired after by any creature whatsoever If we descend but to the diuersitie of the condtion and nature of Creatures confined vnto place and their vnderstanding of matters not designed nor prouided for their estates conditions we shal haue sufficient cause to say that Place was such so much as it pleased the purpose prouideÌ„ce power wisdoÌ„ of God Before there was a creation of things and a beginning of time Place was infinit indefinit indeuisible without space or distance without being repaired vnto or departed froÌ„ neither containing nor contained w e out Center CircoÌ„ferieÌ„ce rule or diameter consisting neither of matter substaÌ„ce nor whatsoeuer stuffe Euery thing hath his point his Center his place and beginning Only the diuine esceÌ„ce place nature of god hath none as euery maÌ„ that wil seriously looke into his own self shall be enforced to coÌ„fesse In nature the greater can neuer be coÌ„prehended by the lesser But God in his nature place and essence is greater then man Therefore cannot â—od his incomprehensible place and nature be comprehended by the reason or vnderstaÌ„ding of maÌ„ Nature is a thing wrought by God Now no worke how great soeuer can perfectly expresse the cause or worker thereof Therefore nature caÌ„not vnderstand the diuine essence place and nature of God The reasonable soule is the admirable nature of man Now whosoeuer shall come to know his owne soule and the place thereof meerly by the power worke of it selfe shall confesse himself to be absolutely ignoraÌ„t thereof Therfore if nature reason with the powers affects of the soule reason commeth short to know it self much more must it come short to discouer or vnderstand the incircumscriptible nature essence and place of the holy Trinitie We see in the cours of the creatures of God as well terestrial as celestial coÌ„tinual mouings froÌ„ plà ce to place all those moued by their Creator the first mouer which argueth subiectioÌ„ obedience in the creatures to the Creator and out of a cessarie consequent of the contrarie it discouereth that God the mouer is neither moued nor doth moue too or from any place For to say he is here or there it is all one for he is euery where as it is anthentically prooued If I clime vp to heauen thou art there If I goe downe to hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remaine in the vtmost part of the sea euen there also shall thy hand leade me and thy right hand shall hold me for the heauen is his seate and the earth is his footestole To conclude this point we fee and confesse that God made and knoweth all things and hath appointed their natures beings times and places Now if he had in him the nature of any of his creatures that is to be limited vnto one contained in place or consisting of any materiall substance the same would incomber his diâ—ine essence for hee doth not come within the compasse of their limited nature place nor number for by that meanes wee should derogate from his holy and diuine Deitie and essence of a Creator Seeing therefore that God is not compounded of material substance he can not be a bodie And seeing hee is not a bodie he can not bee contained in place neither wholly nor in part wherof it may properly be said that hee is no where namely that no part of him is limited within any place to be pointed at or described For like as hee made all things by the power of his beeing So doth the same power enter into al things fill all things containe all things And for so much as the same being power is indiuisible it is whole in all and whole in euery part So likewise is he himselfe whole throughout in whome all things haue their being how be it he is not definitely nor
shifts policies arts deuices that are vsed to crosse the ordinance and order of God to erect establish or set vp any other way or course of happinesse either terene or immortall more or other then God himselfe hath prouided ordained appoined are no lesse dangerous then the eating of the forbidden fruit These notes I thought fit to let drop by the way in regard that I shall after in an other place treate of a vse generally exercised which I take doth neither proceed from God nor nature Into this disease I feare many thousands are fallen so vnrecouerably sicke that with the sicke man at the point of death they fall to bite the sheetes and pull the threeds of the couerlet not knowing that they are sicke at all feeling no paine of their infection And so much the more daungerous is the sicknesse To come neerer to this point It is plaine by sundry places of the holy Bible that God alone numbreth weigheth diuideth he measureth times places and seasons Therefore let him stand for the numberer placer disposer and appointer of all creatures their places times seasons their beginings continuings finishings chaungings or ordainings And let all his creatures be then numbered placed and limited according to their creations nature qualities and estates not striuing against the purpose of his diuine prouidence or adding or diminishing too or from what hee hath appoindted or created To discouer this I must distinguish betweene man and the other creatures and the causes and markes they tend too and ayme at together with the admirable blessing of reason and to what measure the capacity of man thereby extendeth for the searching out the natures qualities times seasons places and vses of the other creatures which could not bee but out of a kind of immortall Nature aboue all other creatures It cannot be denied but that God hath created all things first for his owne glory and honour wherein he appointeth seuerall vses and seruices And within the compasse of this dutie are all creatures as well men and Angels as the other inferiour things And on this behalf God is satisfied with the seruice hee hath appointed to himselfe so his ordinance and will be obeyed From thence let vs come to things that are next vnto the seruice of God prouided to serue the vse of men And therin will appeare what an excellent creature man is in respect of his originall nature and reason And what wonderfull admirable and aboundant blessings and stores are prouided to serue his turne for both his liues The true consideration whereof may satisfie any tempered spirit to be contented with his Creators owne workes and not to soyst in or enâ—euor any other meanes of augmenting his happinesse And to this purpose let vs suruey in order the Creatures which serue for the vse and preseruatioÌ„ of the life of man and take them by degrees from the meanest to the greatest And it will make any man wonder at the admirable greatnesse plenty and waightinesse thereof Let vs consider them by degrees The lowest the meanest which is the earth therin behold the stuffe or matter wherewith this huge bale is filled to make her swelling sides stiffe strong and full stuffed that it shrinkeâ—ot Let vs consider the mettals mines and store of gold siluer and other mineralls inclosed in her wombe The miraculous hanging thereof in the ayre without support The vaines conducts fountaines springs and riuers of water that passe through her intralls The hearbs plants trees grasse and fruite of sundrie sorts that proceede and growe out of the richnesse and fatnesse therof The rayne and deawes that water and moisten the same The waters deepes feuered from the earth bounded and limitted within a compasse vpon the superficies of some parte of the same earth as it were in a great vessell by the side of this great garden ready at all times to be taken vp for the watering thereof as pleaseth the master Gardener small riuers brooks that issue from fountaines innumerably seruing the turnes of men beasts fishes and fowles of the ayre Then behold the sensitiue creatures their sundry kinds their vnknowne multitudes The beasts of the field and the varietie of their natures imployments vses together with multitudes of fishes their exceeding many sorts Consider all these well we shall find their creation was not to serue their own turnes but only alone for the vse of man whose they are to be disposed of by the direct bountie gift of the Creator But how To be vsed as he hath appointed and limitted for the preseruation benefit of all mankind not to the destructioÌ„ of any These things neither know themselues nor the ends wherefore they were made yet they vnknown to theÌ„selues serue the vse benefit of maÌ„ The leane and barren hastening their owne deaths by how much they take pleasure to make themselues more speedily fat If there were no more but this is not here a wonderful blessing and is not here sufficient plentiful prouision for al the race of mankind dispearsed vpon the whole face of the earth In which is not to be forgotten that these creatures cease not in any instant of time to yeelde increase for this prouision But let vs proeede a little further and beholde the other two Elements Fire and Ayre The one warming the sensitiue parts and the other maintaining the spirit that keepeth life neither of these know what they are nor the end they were made for The very Ayre it selfe sustaineth and in a sort preserueth the flying fowles in her concaue and hollow Region Let vs goe further these foure Elements though there bee contrarietie in their seuerall natures yet thâ—re is a Simpathy and a ioynt working together by the appointmeÌ„t of the chiefe work-master for the making growing cherishing and maintaining of the life of man as well by their incorparation in the body of man as by the vse and fruition of these other Creatures Will you not think these sufficient yea admirable blessings The earth to bring forth fruite and hearbs so vniuersally coÌ„tinually some for the foode of man and others for the foode of beastes to perpare them to be mans meate The sheepe to bring both lambe for meat fleece for clothing the beast to bring the calfe milke butter cheese to be eaten and to bee worne the fowle to bring first egs then chickens lastly feathers for easie lodging the fishes first spawn then frie. The trees to erect houses and make the fire The earth that produceth grasse serueth for tile to couer the houses The strawe that yeeldeth tâ—e corne serueth other purposes The timber that buildeth at land serueth for nauigation at sea Out of the line or flax that maketh the great Cable to bee drawne the threeds that make the fine curious linnen from the fauage wilde beasts their warm furs from the hearbs plants rich and estimable vertues from
the poore silke-worme the costly apparell of silkes and vellets It were a world to recite tâ—e seueral benefits that are drawn from these creatures And I am perswaded no creature can reduce theÌ„ to a Catologue Excellent wines oyles grapes spices perfumes gummes pearle Balmes elixors spirits vertues and quintessence Out of the earth are drawnmetals of gold siluer copper brasse tinne leade yron steele and such like Beholde how one benefit followeth and hasteneth in the necke of an other the seuerall course of trying these mettalls and the vse thereof which theÌ„selues know not Are not these infinit blessings sufficient for men to content themselues with all but they must needs goe further Ouer all these man and onely man hath a power and dominion the coÌ„mand vse but limited not to be abused or exercised to other purposes then the Creator ordained Beholde what an insearchable reasoÌ„ is this one thing in the nature of man by fire to trie out these mettals and to season and apply them to their seuerall necessarie and coÌ„modious vses But take heed of the abuse Among many other haÌ„d vses of mettals Of yron and steele they make kniues to cut meat but it is not intended to cut mens throats they make sickles and sithes to cut down corne and grasse without intent to cut mens legs The like may be concluded of the other mettals and the vse of them Wherefore to finish that point gold and siluer being the finest mettals of the rest are searched out refined propotioned to passe betweene men at a value and rate for the prouiding of victuall apparell and other necessaries to defend the bodie from heate colde and hunger not that of themselues simply by themselues they are either diet apparell or prouisiont to defende winters colde or sommers heate but rather an incomberment then comfort if men be enforced to weare or vse them next their naked bodies or to feede of their solide substances It shall be necessarie therefore that wee doe not dispose or employ the same to generall creatures bege or bring forth any new creature coÌ„trary against his own nature or to make it valuable with the least humaine and reasonable Creature that euer was or shall be borne Let vs looke further see whether we can find any other benefits if these be not sufficient to satisfie vs. And as we began at the lowest so let vs ascend vpwards Aboue the Ayrie Region The Moone which lighteneth the night gouerneth the sea tempereth the heate comfortteth the vital powers made by the prouidence coÌ„mand of the creator hath her seuerall world or Orbe wherin she moueth The like is holden of the other mouing star the fixed stars the very Cope of heaueÌ„ wherin they are placed The glorious Sunne it selfe placed in the middest of the heauens Behold and looke vpon them their innumerable company their admirable beauty their seuerall employments courses and vertues They all are ignorant of their owne natures vertues vigors places beauties statelinesse and disposes They are the admirable workes of God shewing forth his glorie vnto men Al these also serue only to the benefit and vse of men and none other The Sun to visit comfort all the corners of the earth in one yeare neuer ceasing nor standing still vnlesse it were to make the work admirable the workmaster and coÌ„mander more wonderfull it stood still in the time of Iâ—sua They mooue once in thirty daies making her reuolutioÌ„ al the rest of those celestial creatures in their times order nuÌ„bers places mouing with such harmony consent and agreemeÌ„t to deuide the yeare into Somer Winter Spring and fall as wel to chasten the earth to make it fruitfull as to comfort the hearbes and grasse to make them growe as well to ripen and gather the fruites of the earth as to sowe seeds and set plants to diuide the day and the night and to proportion the times and season They all keeping their own natures in their certaine number their motions within the limits of an appointed place And their courses and reuolutions iust at their appointed time So that in all this whole host of heauen there is no manner of stirring staggering mouing or disordering to the point of a pin in respect of place nor to the least instant in regard of Time after they were once placed set to take their spacious iournies By the comfort and vertue of these are all the inferiour bodyes comforted cherished relieued succoured and made able to performe their seuerall duties All these benefits hath God made to supply and serue the turne and vse of man Behold and looke vpon them with admiration consider whether they bee not aboue the conceite of all capacitie Will any maÌ„ affirme that these are not enough and sufficient to nourish seede succour and preserue al the race of mankinde yea euery one as well the meanest as the greatest Surely none neither can nor will deny this to be true And yet we see dayly many thousands want famish and pine to death for waÌ„t of these earthly necessaries There must needs bee a fault in distribution disposing of these benefits or els none shuld not waÌ„t for God in his diuine wisedome in the creation hath not appointed any such place of scarcitie nor any number so to perish nor any time when any such miserie should befall This Extremities must needs then proceed of some wrong course order or disposition amongst men in the distribution of his benefits for al the rest of his creatures haue not departed one iote froÌ„ the worthinesse of their first creatioÌ„ Well to proceed there is a greater benefite then all these and that is the reason vnderstanding and witte of man whereby hee knoweth all these things their vertues and effects and thereby of his owne proprietie and right hee commandeth disposeth ordereth and enioyeth these lower creatures as it serueth â—est for his turne and vse What is it to bee of neuer so great â—rower value vigor or worthinesse to such a subiect as neither vnderstandeth what it is of it selfe nor what vertue is in it selfe nor to what turne it serueth labouring still for others and taking no pleasure therein it selfe This is the condition of the Sunne the Moone the Firmament and all the whole garnished and rich decked skies with infinite numbers of Starres And of all the creatures in this Sphere of Elements they are and yet they know not neither what nor whereof nor to what purpose they are what then auaileth this glorious richnesse vnto themselues Surely nothing This doth wonderfully exalt the creation worthinesse and estimation of man and of his reasonable soule yea of the meanest of all the race of man aboue all these creatures either Coelestiall or terestriall in that he vnderstandeth them all and enioyeth the vse benefite and profite of them all May not this serue for for a conclusion and moue the hearts of men to be very carefull how they either
number of daies to euery day 24 hours to euery houre 60. minutes And so reducing these learnings to one point or head they proportioÌ„ as wel Latitude and Longitude of place as motion â—passage of time together with the influence and aspects of the planets and starres in such sort as if this mistery were vnknown in any mans vnderstanding it were impossible to be found out And because the sun passeth alwaies froÌ„ the East to the West and neuer fully reacheth to the point of the North or South they haue determined diuided the world into 5. seueral zones The 2. remote parts of North South they call the cold parts the middle they cal the hot or burning zone the other two are the temperate parts To this they haue likewise added a girdle that goeth ouerthwart the hot two temperat zones diuiding the same into 12. equal parts ascribing a seueral Lord or Gouernor of these houses limiting the sun 30. daies trauel to passe throgh euery of mese same with many other admirable necessary lernings And out of these Arts it is well knowne they haue truely set down the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone the reuolution of the Starres stabilitie of the North and South poles the motion of the others by which all nauigation is maintained the compasse carde needle proportioned nay the ship it selfe and all other buildings both of land and sea deuised framed fashioned Al couÌ„tries known and seuered and euery mans possession diuided one from an other Astronomy and Astrologie haue taken their foundation there And how much the Physitians knowledges are increased thereby or what defects they would finde by the want therof let themselues iudge But to be short These Arts are the onely and true directors of the whole course of mens liues as wel in gouernment as obedience in distribution as well as in receiuing for there being diuersitie of honours places dignities and worthinesse so ought there to be a measure and indifferency in proportioning their contributions Many thousands of admirable blessings would follow ReasoÌ„ if measure and proportion were truely kept For then should the King haue the supreme place The magistrates their due honour The subiects true and equall iustice and euery man his owne right without controuersie checke or controlment But Originall reason is so weakened and impaired that these things are not to be looked for mens natures are preuaricated and intemperate disires so bent to disorder that poore Queene Reason hath little place and her proportions little esteemed and lesse vsed Reason of it selfe discerneth and concludeth that the heauens are imbowed like a vault about the lower parts And the lower parts circumualated and incompassed within the heauens conuexitie The earth as the flower or planckes to goe vpon and retaine the massie bodies of men and the mighty inuolued numbers of Creatures there on residing And the heauens as the wide drawne and large extended Canopie to couer all these with many included essences and beings all seruing to exercise Reason withall the more fully to apprehend the incomprehensible greatnesse goodnesse bountie of the Creator and the worthinesse of mans originall Creation But as is before discouered this perfection of Reason innocencie is lost corruptioÌ„ is creptin and taken vp right and true Reasons roome and had so much impaired blemished darkened obscured Reasons faculties that euen the arts themselues were almost forgotteÌ„ put to obliuion great labour hath bene vsed to reuiue recontinue and vphold or make knowne these former Arts and Science Concerning this point Let vs take a short viewe of the beginnings of creatures All things had a kinde of perfectioÌ„ yet subiect to imperfectioÌ„s As creatures to a Creators command Then the first declination laps after the Creation which hath ouerthrowne the sincere purenesse of ReasoÌ„ The feare of punishment for that offence hath exercised mans reason with many incomberments and caused a kind of decisting to continue the rememberance of such parts of reason as then remained not vtterly ouerthrowne Vnto which I adde two other decaies the ouerthrow of the world by the floud accursedness of the earth at that time And the confusion of languages at the ouerthrowe of the Tower of Babel being in maÌ„ner Arts destruction For after this time in many parts of the world Arts Sciences were almost vtterly vnknown therâ—equired a new time first to learne vnderstaÌ„d languages before Arts could be taught few remained in life that had the Science of teaching or at the least for the dispercing of arts for that there was then no such common vse of letters as of later time for that reason had not then discouered the Art of printing besides the amazednes of that coÌ„fusioÌ„ of tongues caused the inhabitaÌ„ts of the earth to dispose theÌ„selues into couÌ„tries vnfurnished with other fruits then such as the earth of her owne accursed nature did produce none such as were in the original Creation so men had enough to doe to prouide theÌ„selues food apparell for many hundreth yeers so as besides the forgetting of the vse of Arts there scarce remained so much as the vse of tillage and manuring of the earth to succour and defend mens liues by which meanes Arts remained raked vp as fire vnder ashes not cleanâ— extinct yet seeming not to bee In so much as it is reported of those parts of the world wherein as well the Greekes and other nations liue that Philosophie was first discouered by Pithagoras long after whose time the Romanes are holden to be ignorant thereof Seneca faith Philosophie was not found out aboue one thousand yeares before his time Socrates is said to be the first that brought it from studie to practice which is not much aboue two thousand yeares since for which he is so holden in admiration as he is said to haue brought it from heauen to earth and thereby to haue taught men how to gouerne themselues and others yet these learnings had their Originalls before though they attributed theÌ„ to Pithagoras as the beginner thereof arguing their owne ignorance for Pithagoras learned his skil from Gonâ—hedie and of the Iewes Plato of Sechnuphis Endoxus of Conuphis and al these of the disciples of Trismegestus who out of his own bookes manifesteth that he learned it of Moses Thales is said to be the first that taught in Astronomy to the Greekes It appeareth as wel by his own as other mens workes that it was taught him by the Egyptians to the EgyptiaÌ„s by the Caldeans And if Belus as Plini reporteth were the finder out thereof yet hee hath the same from Abraham in whose time he liued wherin I obserue that many contentions haue bene about the beginning thereof to aduaunce the honour of their owne Countries But howsoeuer it is most true that the perfection of those Sciences and Arts were lost in manner put to absolute obscuritie and obliuion For it is said that