in these wordes She is as she prophesied of her selfe that is she is blessed among women and all generations shall call her blessed To steale more fire with Prometheus from Gods Licutenant I confesse that I dare not mocke her and blaspheme against God in calling her not only Diua but Dea and praying her to command and controule her Sonne who is her God and her Sauiour In he auen she is in eternall glory and ioy neuer to be interrupted with any worldly businesse But to returne vnto mine owne opinion whereto I will not binde others the same being no matter essential of faith I am of the minde that the Angels and Saints of Heauen in the beholding of the Godhead do know many things here on earth especially the estate of their elected fellowes For proofe whereof we reade in the Reuelation of St. Iohn that they glorified God for iudging the great Whore and as Christ himselfe said There is ioy in Heauen among them at the conuersion of sinners So I daily see some mortall men from these Westerne parts of the world extending their knowledge to the proprieties of sundry minerals enwombed within the center of the earth to both the Poles to the Equinoctiall line to the Tropique of Capricorne to the East to the Indies to the superiour bodies to their constellations to prophesie of Eclipses and to ayme at mens silent imaginations and at their secret inclinations Yea and the Saints doe pray for our repentance though we cannot pray to them without detraction and blasphemy against Iesus Christ who is the sole and onely Master of Gods Court of Requests Therefore let it suffice that I honour their memory as the chiefe Elders and pillars of our Christian Corporation as men inspired of the holy Ghost for our edification in our Redeemer but in no wise will I pray vnto them for feare of that Iealous eare which heareth euery word They neuer died for the heauy burthen of my cole-blacke sins themselues being Adams sonnes as well as I but thou O Christ thou and none but thou alone didst die for me No man can come to the Father but by the Sonne for none but thou alone O Sonne of God could conquere death Besides thy selfe O mighty Conquerer I trust to find none other helper To other helpers I may hopelesse say with that Holy man Silly comforters are yee all Thy Godhead is neuer asleepe neuer so cumbred with businesse but thy Grace will bee ready at all times day or night to receiue a Chauncery bill from thy reformed Creature This liuely faith thy seruant Chrysostome commended in the woman of Canaan See saith he the wisdome of this woman She requesteth not Iames she goeth not to Iohn she beseecheth not Peter she respecteth not the whole company of the Apostles she seeketh no Mediatour but in stead of all these she takes patience for her companion whom she chuseth to be her Aduocate and so she commeth directly to the first fountaine To conclude this Chapter or line of my Circle hereafter in the fulnesse of time I know that thou wilt surely descend in the cloudes O humane God with terrible Maiesty accompanied with multitudes of Angels to seuer the tares from the good seede the reprobate from the Elect the dead in faith from the quicke in faith and from those which thou shalt find liuing at thy comming at which time the Triumphes Trumpet shall sound and in the twinckling of an eye all men shall rise vp with eternall bodies bodies without maime without deformity without difficulty which before were resolued from dust into the first elements now new like verdant trees reuiued Bees or like the Phoenix that flourisheth out of his owne ashes and euery one shall receiue doome according to his own merites in the mercy of Christ without partiality and that out of his mouth who is a perfect man himselfe I say according to his owne merites not as merites the Authours of his happinesse Non vt regnandi aut mercedis causam sed vt viam regni retributionis regulam Not as the proper causes of saluation but analogically as the way to Heauen as Iacobs ladder as the Ensigne or euidence of faith This vncorrupt Iudge will pronounce sentence of damnation against stubborne sinners and their punishment shall bee in Hell which hath varieties of torments euen as Heauen hath many Mansions of delights all of them aboue mans strength aboue mans patience to endure There is the stinging worme that neuer goeth out vnquenchable fire fearefull sights and the absence of Gods glory where the rich glutton sought but a droppe of colde water and could not obtaine it for the cooling of his scorched tongue And yet poore caytife nolens volens he must eternally endure more grieuous paines more griping paines then Phalaris his brasen bull O eternall time without terme or space of time O eternal time shal I terme thee which caust neuer be mesured neuer circumscribed neuer comprehended by the vnderstanding of mortal man O eternall Time which after many millions of yeares after an hundred thousand thousand years will be to the damned soule but the beginning of his damnation O what a terrible torment it is for a man to imagine that he shall burne in the bottomles pit of fire and brimstone so huge a time without end without defect without hope of redemption O eternall time without end whose finall terme we can assoone conceiue as the time before the worlds creation as the beginning of Gods being O Lord graunt vs the grace to thinke on hel-torments lest we fall into hel torments On the contrary if we conforme our liues according to our Masters life endeauouring not onely by fight but also by flight to auoyde the contagion of sinfull nature in steade of our ragged coate of corruptions we shall be clothed in the robes of Angels in long white robes standing before the Lambes Throne in the heauenly paradise where we shal shine in the same crown of dignities where we shall sing sweet tuned songs and salute one another in the same priuiledge of immortalitie Thus will this triumphant Iudge reward the righteous with the presence of Gods glory with glorious happinesse with happy ioyes and with a ioyfull perpetuity thereof for euer and euer world without end All these vnspeakeable hopes will he fulfill at his comming which as yet the Father in his prouidence prolongs vntill the iust number of them which were sealed and predestinated to euerlasting life be complete vntill his foes be made his foot-stoole and vntill he hath subdued quite and trodden vnder foote the Diuell and his rebellious Angels whose poysonous power euer since the first mans fall possessed the soule of man by mans owne willing election When all things shall be subdued vnto him then shall the Sonne himselfe be subiect to his Father who did put all things vnder him that God may be all in al Neither doe I confound
the vndiuisible substance of the Deity or the subsistence of the person though it seems diuided to the outward man for I confesse the vnity and identity in our Messias Euen as the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ by the vnity and vertue of the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All honour laud and glory be ascribed vnto thee O Father of prouidence which hast made vs meete to be partakers of this heauenly vision by whose power our sinfull soules in the blood of his Crosse are regenerate and reconciled vnto thee LINEAMENT V. 1 The description of the Holy Ghost 2 How the Catholike Church was preserued from vtter ruine in time of Poperie 3 That the misprision and contempt of the Holy Ghost wrought the ruine first of the Easterne Church and then of the Westerne 4 Why this third person in Trinity is peculiarly termed Holy 5 The manner to discerne them that be possessed with the Holy Ghost and why S. Paul in his Epistles salutes men in the name of the Father and the Sonne omitting the Holy Ghost 6 What it is to sinne against the holy Ghost 7 The Authours supplication to the Trinity for his presumptuous discourse OVt of the incomprehensible Deity likewise issued the Spirit of spirits the third person in Trinity our holy Iehouah as the meane of the other two Diuine persons namely of Iehouah vnbegotten and of Iehouah begotten I say the meane of the vnbegotten and begotten in respect of the Elect produced propagated or rather proceeding from both their wils the oyle of gladnesse the fiery Comforter the Messenger of zeale the Schoole-master of true loue the miraculous power of God the finger of God which wrought miracles and plagued the Egyptians the Treasurer of sundry pretions iewels as of Prophesie Faith Charity diuersities of tongues and other diuine gifts the water of life the wel of water springing vp vnto euerlasting life The mysticall seale of loue betwixt the Father and the Sonne or to speake more naturally the Sacramentall influence of both their actions immanent and transient Euen as it pleased God at Whitsuntide about seuen weekes after Easter and after the redemption of the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt to giue them the law of the tenne Commandements at Mount Sinai and that not priuately but publiquely before all the Congregation so it pleased his Diuine Maiesty at Whitsuntide about seuen weekes after Easter being the time of our Redemption from the bondage of Hel to inspire his Elect with his holy spirit openly before many witnesses of Parthians Medes Elamites and men of diuers Nations as it is written Suddenly there came a sound from heauen as of a rushing and a mighty winde and it filled all the house where they sate There appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fire and it sate vpon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtterance But here is the difference worthy of obseruation that euen as there on Mount Sinay Iehouah the Sonne descended downe to the Israelites with fearefull thunder and lightning to signifie thereby the wrath of God the Father for the breach of his lawes so here Iehouah the Holy Ghost descends as the Angell of Christ not in fire of fury but in fire of loue and zeale not with the loud voyce of a Trumpet but with the sound of winde making a peaceable and still noise because the Gospell comforts the deiected man This is that spirituall Angell which inspires the Angels of heauen to honour their Creator which breathes into them the knowledge of all goodnesse which sanctified the Virgins wombe which reuealed to the Prophets mysteries and things to come This holy Spirit regenerates the inward man quickeneth our dull mindes like as the Sunne with his vegetatiue heat nourisheth the barrennest earth and insinuates himselfe into the zealous professours of the Gospell effectually mystically and miraculously This is that Spirit of God which moued at the creation of the world vpon the face of the waters This is that Spirit of sanctification which descended down from heauen in the likenesse of a Done and sate vpon our Sauiour Christ. This is that spirituall Light whose vniuersall presence is neuer absent from the Lordes Spouse the Catholicke Church euen as hitherunto euer since the Ascension of our Sauiour his pure power hath vouchsafed to preserue her from vtter damnation in some Countrey or other When Idolatry ouer-swayed these Westerne parts of the world doubtlesse the Lord had his Spouse eyther in Moscouia Greece Armenia Aethiopia or some other Region and perhaps in one or two housholds as heretofore fell out in Adams Noahs and Abrahams time This the Apostle in the Apocalyps manifesteth when as he prophesied that she should flie into a Wildernesse and soiourne therefor feare of the Dragon or Antichristian deceite while faith was departed and Gods two testimonies lay dead and despised O yee that go vnder the naked name of Catholikes marke how well the concordance of these three places Propheticall answeres your stentorean vociferation on Priestly succession It is dangerous to measure Illumination or any other mentall gift of the holy Ghost according to mistaking times or mens traditions for the Gold-smith that softneth hardneth and tempeteth the mettall at his owne free and secret pleasure may cause his old iewels to be newly in request and distributed againe as it were by degrees or nurses milke by little and little for Our reconciliation to the Lord of life the Lambe that leades to the liuing fountaines of waters or to these Royall Magazins and shops of the Spirit Euen as this Spirit speakes in the hearts of true Gospellers without any noyse of wordes and moueth them oestro miraculoso so the misprision of this Al-quickning Spirit made our forefathers subiect to schismes heresies and superstition and wrought the ruine of the Easterne Church their chiefe Imperiall Citie of Constantinople as it is said being taken on a Whitsunday our festiuall time of the holy Ghost And at this day if we strictly examine our consciences we shall finde the originall fountaine of all our errours Detractions defamations and other infinite pollutions to arise from our hardnesse of hearts in not glorifying our most glorious God and seeking after this Spirit of consolation who is the third person in Trinity As our Sauior Christ said to his disciples Go and teach alnations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and of the holy Ghost And as the Apostles taught There are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one But why is the third person in Trinity peculiarly termed the Holy Spirit Is not the Father Holy and the Son Holy God forbid that I should hold the contrary The Father is a
Summers attendance after many a frozen Winters watching expecting my conuersion to knocke againe most patiently at the doore of my soule and thus to call vnto her while shee slept so carelesly Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue for my head is full of dâ—â—r and my lockes with the drops of the night Againe and againe it pleased thee to inuite mee after this manner Returne O thou rebellious childe and I will heale thy rebellions for euen as a woman hath rebelled against her husband so hast thou rebelled against mee How dease is he that heares not such a voyce A voyce more vehement then the sound of many waters How deepely sleepes he that is not wakened vvith such a morning vvatch vvith such a melodie A melodie more musicall then euer Tuball Amphion or Arion could possibly conceiue When all thy creatures combined against me in reuenge of my disloyaltie towards thy sacred soueraigntie thou didst temper their fiery fury thou didst moderate their biting bitternesse The foure Elements which thou madest for my conseruation conspired all to roote my being out of the Land of the liuing The Ayre threatned to taint my breathing with contagious smels with Stigian stinckes The Fire assayed to burne my bruitish body The Water stroue vvith might and maine to ouerwhelme me vtterly The Earth endeuoured before her time to abridge my luxurious life And all because I had offended their great Creator But thou more mercifull then thy creatures for the loue of thy Name and for the loue of thy Sonne didst controule all their practises and confound the deuises of the Diuel himselfe How happy am I that thou prolongst my dayes how kinde art thou that sparest to spill the bloud of thy very foes O kindenesse without desert O courtesie without comparison Behold behold yee mortals all how the Lord hath deliuered me from the danger nay from the dungeon of death from sodaine death The God of glory hath defended mee from Thunder and Lightning from vvater and fire O what oblation can the poore Samaritanâ— sacrifice vnto his sacred Maiestie for these his wonderous workes Ille magis gratae laetatur mentis odore Quam consecrato sanguine mille boum Nam prece non alio gaudet honore Deus God better loues a thankfull minde then many Oxens bloud For poore mens prayers he preferres before the rich and proud Seeing thankfulnesse is such a sweet smelling odour in his sacred no strils let me proclaime his glorious Name Alleluiah Osanna in the Highest Blessed be the name of his heauenly Highnesse blessed in heauen blessed on earth and blessed throughout all ages The Lord be blessed for euermore vvhich hath enlightned mee in the darksome shadow of errours vvhich hath enlarged mee from a vvorld of perils vvhich hath recalled me failing vvhich hath raised me falling vvhich hath recouered mee running almost out of breath from falling and fainting Let all Nations performe their duties let them praise the Lord for it is hee that commandeth the waters It is the glorious God that maketh the Thunder It is the Lord that ruleth the sea The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedar trees yea the voyce of his thunder was heard round about the lightning shone upon the ground The Earth was moued and shooke withall his way is in the sea and his paths in the great waters Applaud him O my soule applaud his magnificent Maiesty Let his laud be euer in thy thoughts Let all thy faculties all thy attributes and operations spread themselues as blooming Vines round about my heart my braine my tongue that the same may become as the pen of a ready writer to sound out and resound his most puissant power Others according to the altitude of his iudgements he cutteth off by vntimely death but me he spares aliue as a monument of his liuing mercy O what had become of me if thou haddest cited mee likewise at that horrible houre before thy tribunall throne of Iustice O my Sauiour I thanke thee for thy peerlesse patience I praise thee though basely and barely in respect of thy benefits I adore thee I honour thee I humble my selfe before thee all the dayes of my life I returne I repaire vnto thee not haltingly not hollowly but holily I vvould I could say vvholy all the dayes of my life O giue me grace help my weaknesse heale mine vnbeliefe LINEAMENT XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memory 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the beâ—aâ—se of this present Circle where his Wiues memory is saluted with a Christian Farewell INgenuous Reader hitherto after the example of Antimachus who composed a Booke in the commendations of his wife Lydia haue I labored to eternize my deere wiues memory to the end entent that when the Spirit of ' Detraction as the Sorcerers rod was swallowed vp by Aarons rod is consumed to nothing and vvhen his lying mates doe dye and lie ingloriously in rotten earth the vvorld shall finde that shee liues for euer among the liuing inuita inuidia in despite of enuie that shee flourisheth like a Palme tree which the more it is suppressed the more returneth vpwards consonant to that of the Wise-man The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Her memorable end anatomized and embalmed in this my bookish coffin shall yeeld odoriferous perfumes of her milde meeke and modest life to the sence-pleasing comfort of the elected innocent And that I may record the memory of her end Allegorically with the Poet Etumulo viâ—lae fortunat à que fauillâ Nascentur cippusque leuis sua contâ—get ossa Out of her graue fine Violets shall bloome And a light stone shall her sweet bones entombe Thus out of my miseries as out of the ashes of a burnt Phoenix is built a beacon of liuing miracles vvhich I humbly pray his heauenly Highnesse among other suppliants of his that they may effect in me what a more radiant light effected in Saint Paul namely the illumination of a darke conscience For vvhen my body like a bowle was carryed about vvith the bias of concupiscence my soule rockt a sleep in the cradle of worldly securitie by Sathans inchanting lullabies then my Lord that saw me so misse-led like vnto Salomons foole laughing when indeed I had more cause to weepe then my louing Lord I say tooke compassion on my foolish fals and gaue me a sound pinch or prick in the flesh that started and stirred vp all my reasonable faculties to consider more iudiciously in what a case I stood both body and soule What better vse of this temptation can I produce then that thy death deere wife like Elishaes bones which reuiued a dead corse hath vvrought a double miracle the one in thy translation the other in my
three records on earth or sacramentall types and mysteries of water the word and the Spirit there are said to be three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which beare record in heauen three persons distinguished really in respect of their personall properties but indistinct essentially in respect of their perpetuall power I say in respect of originall order of Christs mysticall marriage with the freckled or spotted Spouse the militant Church on earth in respect of his office in mediating for sinfull men an office too meane for the sacred maiesty of God and in respect of his humanity that was crucified for the Elect by Gods promise euer since Adams fall or perhaps before his fall lest the whole generation of mankind had beene vnder a iust Anathema or excommunication the Sonne was and is inferiour to the Father and submitteth his will to the Fathers will as himselfe protested Not as I will but as thou wilt O Father And so the holy Ghost is inferiour to them both in regard of his humble function of vice-gerencie or deputation in comforting and instructing the sinfull sonnes of Adam These seuerall assignements of offices they appointed to themselues in their owne praedestinated wisedomes wherein though they all conspire yet as I said before one of them hath the name of Primate in regard of order but in regard of their eternity and omnipotence none is greater or lesse then another For this cause it is written that the Father created the world the Sonne redeemed it and the holy Ghost sanctifieth it and yet they are but one in effect in their ends one God one omnipotent power communicating to three persons to three properties as one center to three lincs all in all and three in all As no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so no man can come to the Son but by the holy Ghost for we are sanctified because we are redeemed and we are redeemed because we are elected Pater eligit Filius diligit Spiritus sanctus coniungit vnit The Father electeth the Sonne loueth and the holy Ghost conioynes cements and vnites together The Father eternall in the consubstantiall word the word in him both in the coessentiall Spirit and the Spirit in them both doe all three co-operate co-adiute and worke according to their own counsell for the good of their creatures for the honour of their heauenly Hierarchy The Father begetteth in loue and iustice the Sonne begotten in loue and righteousnes and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both in loue and grace doe mystically teach the inward man that sees with the spirituall eyes of faith what care the Godhead takes for the restoring and repayring of that breach and lapse which the imbecility of mans brittle condition together with Sathans subtilty caused vnto all posterities And thus God manifesteth this three-fold distinction vnto vs that his elect might apprehend the mysticall operation of their soules saluation in the effects of his Iustice Grace and Loue. Againe lest for all this I seeme obscure I will exemplifie the vnited substance of the Trinity more familiarly yet with this prouiso that the words of Zophar to Iob may be read as a preamble Canst thou by searching finde out God or canst thou finde out the Almighty to his perfection That surely were to scale the heauens or build another Babel In a Spirit there is neither part diuersity nor multiplication but wheresoeuer the spirit is there is the whole spirit as the soule of man is not part in the head and part in the foote but the same whole spirit which is in the head is vndiuided entire all and the same in the foote neuerthelesse it appeares more eminent in the head by reason of the soules more notable operation there mans head being the noblest obiect the noblest Organ of the body which the soule doth like So in this spirituall substance of God there is no part diuersity nor multiplication but euery thing in God is God and the whole and the same substance of his Spirit for where one of Gods vertues are there also himselfe and all his vertues are as the influence of the Sunne But we commonly say Our Father which art in heauen not that he is altogether locally circumscribed there secluded from all other places but because it pleaseth his glorious Maiesty for the honour of his power to impart his Diuinity there most cleerely among his vndefiled and vnspotted creatures which as like to like pure to pure doe answere and satisfie the pleasure of their mercifull Creator So that God is in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the rarenesse and excellency of his operations in that purest place And surely God dealt like himselfe like a gracious Lord thus to communicate his soucraigne perfections to that choise place amidst his choysest creatures restrayning the same from vs poorepilgrims who for the brittlenesse of our eâ—rthly mould being clothed but with dust and ashes full of corruptions could no more then Phaeton or Icarus stand iustified before his sunny presence For when his heauenly Highnesse vouchsafed to guide and goe before the Israelites out of Egypt his magnanimous Spirit that could not brooke impurity was moued to such impatience against their sinnes that he was faine to withdraw his strong and powerfull presence from their weake complexions lest as himselfe said he should consume them in the way To returne and retire backe towards the entire essence of the Trinity I beleeue that Gods properties as I wrote before cannot be diuided into parts portions or parcels but that euery quality in God is God and the whole substance of his spirit and so the Speaker in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance The Word in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance But herein is their difference that the Father is the Speaker onely as begetting the Word the Sonne is the Word onely as the Word begotten And the holy Ghost is holy only as proceeding from the mutuall loue and from the mutuall wils of the Father or the Speaker begetting and of the Sonne or Word begotten So as the Speaker in God is God the Word in God is God and the holy Loue in God is God But yet the Speaker is not the Word nor the Word the Speaker if we regard the order and mysterie of their operatiue offices though both be God for the one is the Father begetting and the other I meane the Word is the Sonne begotten The propagatour or producer of Sanctification or holy Loue in God is loue which loue is God And loue produced in God is Loue and is God but the producer of loue is not loue produced I say the will of the Father and the Sonne being the producer of loue is not the loue proceeding or produced that is the holy Ghost though all be God in substance and power but differing in the manner of their operation for the Father is loue onely
a Giant refresht with wine He that but a little before as an abiect among men was crowned with a crowne of thornes in a ridiculous manner rose vp in triumph the third day crowned with a glorious garland to raigne for euer aboue all the Angels in heauen And after that hee had conuersed with his Disciples forty dayes here on earth and shewed himselfe to more then fiue hundred brethren at once making his resurrection manifest by many signes and tokens and palpably opening himselfe vnto them and particularly vnto Thomas Didymus whom in the rest of the Apostles presence he caused to put his hands into his sides that thereby he might confute his incredulity hee then ascended vp to heauen in their sight where he sits in his humanity preferred at the right hand of God hauing all power giuen him of the Father ouer all things farre aboue all rule power might and dominion and aboue euery name that is named not onely in this world but also in the world to come as thousand thousands of Angels and Saints proclaymed with a loud voyce in heauen Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receiue power riches wisdome strength honour glory and praise Without the intercession of this reuiued and rightly respected Lambe the iust God-head will not accept the prayers of flesh and bloud be they neuer so humble neuer so vrgent On this mysticall Lambe on this sacred flaming Serpent fixe wee our internall eyes fixe wee our thoughts that are so stung by the sinfull Serpent and our God is pleased As contrariwise he is displeased if we craue the assistance of any other Saint or Angell Power or Principality There is no health to man saue onely by thy meanes and mediation Lord Iesus that boughtest the same ful dearely with thy blood innocently shed There is but one God and one Mediatour as thy chosen vessell shewes It is farre better to trust Gods word then the bonds of Saints who indeed are but creatures and no Creatours They are Gods members the spirituall Citie and Temple wherein his workes of mercy shine but they are not the Builders of this Citie or Temple to whom Diuine honour is onely due Who can preuaile more with the Father then the Sonne Who with the Sonne then a penitent soule whose conuersion the whole Quire of Heauens Inhabitants doe likewise most ioyfully applaude O man how deepely art thou indebted vnto thy Creator which for thy deliuerance out of the dark dungeon of death and errours hath appointed this great Angell to be thy Redeemer Mediatour and soueraigne Iudge We should blaspemously detract from thine omniscience O Lord omnipotent if we retained any other Attourney any other Aduocate besides thy soueraigne Maiesty Or if we were so credulous as to vse any such mediation farre be it from their submissiue thoughts to vsurpe thy puissant place which alone hast the Fathers key of fauourable Grace the same to open or to shut at thy soueraigne pleasure Diuine honour belongeth only vnto thee which thy seruant Peter well acknowledged when as he would not suffer Cornelius the Captaine to worship him but tooke him vp saying Stand vp my selfe am also a man The like disswasion vsed thine Angell to Iohn See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant but worship God Thou art iealous of thine honor and limitest thy creatures to their conuenient functions for the glory of thy Name Cultus adoratio nulli creaturae concedi possunt sine Diuinitatis iniuria Worship and adoration cannot be graunted to any creature without wrong to the Godhead as an auncient Father testified And as another learned Doctor taught Maledictus omnis homo qui spem habet in homine quamuis Sanctus sit quamuis Propheta Cursed is that man which putteth his trust in men though they be Saints though they be Prophets Is it not then a wrong a blasphemous wrong to the whole Maiesty of the sacred Trinity for a man to distrust Christs absolute Soueraignty ouer all Principalities and his Diuine knowledge ouer all the world And doe we not distrust these prerogatiues of his when with a blinde zeale we deuoutly suc vnto inferiour persons as though our Sauiour were otherwise occupied or that he loued state and pompe Doe not we distrust when we repeate ouer as Persius his Parrots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often greetings to our Lady yea millions of Aue Mariaes when we reade our Ladies Offices our Ladies Psalter or when we trauell in pilgrimage for her sake for satisfaction of our sinnes to Lorette to Guardalupe or to Montserrate No doubt but that herein we distrust his Diuinity and detract first from the Father who sent his Sonne in person among his vnthankefull tenants raised him from death and set him on his right hand inspiring him with his omniscience whereby he might know the very secrets of all hearts and refresh them that were laden with the burthen of their crying sinnes Then we detract from Iesus Christ when we foolishly and phantastically despise his word not onely refusing to beleeue in his Crosse to be saued through his merites alone through his sauing Name alone for what else betokeneth the name of Iesus but an al-sufficient Sauior O Iesu esto mihi Iesu but also hoping by the Moone-shine in the water by other mens deserts to obtaine remission And lastly we detract and wrong the holy Ghost when we compell him with his spirituall gifts to depart away sorrowfull from the mansion of our soules being willing to performe and execute his office in testifying and wittnessing to our consciences our saluation through Christs onely merites Let me doe good workes let me like Zaccheus giue halfe that I haue to the poore let me fast let me represse the perturbations of my minde by taming my body with discipline or with whipping as some Papists doe or by launcing and wounding of my flesh after the example of Baals Priests yet if I want faith and loue faith to beleeue onely in Christ and loue to liue as a member of his mysticall body reiecting all other helpes whatsoeuer I am an Anathema an accursed Excommunicate out of his faithfull family Neuerthelesse God forbid that I should proue so ingratefull vnto the Mother of my Sauiour that I should forbid honest-minded Christians to yeelde her memory that reuerence and reuerend regard which is not repugnant to the Diuine Maiesty or offensiue to his iealous Spirit For I holde it a very laudable custome that the monuments of her name vertues and conception be preserued from obliuion and extinction by an anniuersary or yearly renewing of them vpon those festiuall daies as our Church hath destinated for the celebration thereof As I defie those which Deifie her memory and person in saying vnto her O Sauuoresse sauue moy O my Sauiouresse sane me so I defie those which defie her memory and person This the Scripture warrants This my earthly Soueraigne witnesseth and confirmeth
silly soule what wilt thou doe if this glorious Spirit comes not neere thee Where then wilt thou expect forgiuenesse of thy blaspemies Nay how caust thou expect or aske forgiuenesse seeing that without his operation the fruites of repentance can no more spring in thy faithlesse heart then the Apples of Paradise could fall into the hands of Tantalus in hell All other sinnes are pardonable and therefore termed debts or trespasses Onely this sinne against the Holy Ghost is Treason in the highest degree against the whole Godhead his crowne and dignity by reason that his personall subsistence was produced both from the Father and the Sonne and propagated vnto vs euen from our Baptisme so that to sinne against his authoritie is to sinne against the whole Maiesty of the sacred Trinity and against our owne soules being created by the Father redeemed by the Sonne and sanctified by the Holy Ghost Chiefly those reprobates are guilty of this vnpardonable sinne which sometimes hauing had great feeling great vnderstanding of the word of God and perhaps especiall inspiration of the Holy Ghost as Ananias and Saphira had if such persons afterwards without neede do fall into malitious Apostasies causelesse Hypocrisies and contumacious blasphemies against the sanctified Church of Christ in their words works thoughts ending also their liues without repentance doubtlesse they incurre the penalty of this irremissible sinne for this their spirituall fornication But to discerne who they be particularly that offend in this height of sinne in my iudgement very few or none can vndertake that charge in these dayes because we haue not that gift of the Holy Ghost namely of discerning Spirits as apparantly as the Apostles had To conclude these excellent exorcismes against the spitefull spirit of Detraction O â—riumphant Trinity distinguished really and indistinct essentially not into three Gods as that holy Martyr protested nor into three incarnated but into three of the same degree of the same honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose powerfull Maiesty vnited and identified in one eternall Deity the celestial spirits loue to contemplate and we earthly Pilgrims long to see Here I your vnworthy seruant prostrating my soule in all humility doe craue remission in the dust and ashes for my simple speaking of your intellectuall substance O God of endlesse bounty direct my vnskilfull pen that it stray not too much from the rule of verity nor lay down any thing but with reuerend shame of my blinde and bluntish ignorance concerning thy Heauenly vertues thy blessed Guarde and holy Hoste let them which reade this Treatise beare nothing in their hearts away saue that which is conformable to the square of wholsome doctrine Inflame my spirit with true zeale the true seale of thy sacred Spirit that it may soare vp like an Eagle to the sunne of thy Grace with feruencie founded on Diuine discretion for feruency is but foolish fury without Diuine discretion LINEAMENT VI. 1 Their Heresies conuicted which detract from the seruice of God because they see him not with their corporall eyes 2 The knowledge of God proued by an instance of our carthly King who is knowne throughout great Britaine of all his subiects though not of all wito corporall sight 3 The excellency of his spirit aboue the rest of his subiects 4 Meanes to know God 5 Why mortall men cannot see God MAny of vs detract from the seruice of God because his Maiesty is not so familiar as to speake vnto vs visibly at conuenient seasons as though so high a Maiesty should debase himselfe with euery sinfull creature It is reported that the King of China will not be seene abroad among his ordinary subiects aboue once a yeare And yet we wanton worldlings would limit our great Creator to sight and daily conference God is a Spirit not bound to any bodily Organ but to compare his Greatnesse after flesh and bloud euen as mans soule when it is separated from his body his power is infinite immensiue incomprehensible and no more to be seene or sensibly vnderstood of flesh and blood then if a man should measure the waters in his fist or the heauens with his span or if he should weigh the mountaines in a ballance All people are in comparison of him but as a drop of a bucket-full or as Grashoppers or as nothing or as nothing lesse then nothing No earthly man can erect a statue or a carued Image according to his likenesse No Gold-smith can couer him with golde or cast him into a forme of siluer plates O Lord who is like vnto thee No man can enter into thy Counsell no man can finde out thy secrets or attaine vnto this perfection Thou art higher then heauen deeper then hell the measure of thee is longer then the earth and broader then the sea Though thou turne all things vp side downe closest them in and gatherest them together who will turne thee from thy purpose Worldly sight is one thing and Diuine knowledge another thing The one is subiect to insumities and errours the other is insallible certaine and can neuer saile cyther with olde age wounds or false specta cles The one is the instrumentall light of the body to guide a man in his worldly busines the other I meane mentall knowledge is the euerlasting Lampe of the soule This latter I pray God instill into vs. As for the other it cannot absolutely be termed perfect before it be first sowne in winters corruption and before like ripe corne growne with full and glorious eares it rise vp glorified in the summer of immortality At which time both lights and sights externall and internall being by the Diuine bounty become eternal we shall both see and know aright in all perfection almost euen as God himselfe seeeth and knoweth vs at this present Quid est quod non videant qui videntâ—m omnia vident What thing shall they not see and know which alwayes see and know the Authour of all sight and knowledge In the time of their visitation they shall shine they shall shine as amiable as the Sunne more admirably glorious then Moyses who was faine to put a vaile before his face by reason of his ouerbrightsome beauty though he saw God but for a moment and that imperfectly for all light proceedes from him In his light we shall see light But quoth the spirit of Detraction how can we know him whom we neuer saw O vaine Spirit if thou knowest his lawes and fulfillest them thou knowest God As for example let me instant in our earthly King for mine owne part I neuer spake with King IAMES nor euer saw his face yet notwithstanding I verily belecue that I doe know him I know him to be our King by publique Proclamation by his decrees by the vnifomâ—e consent of all his subiects My conscience perswades me that he is the Diuinest and deuoutest Prince that euer swayed the Diademe of this Monarchy and aboue all the rest
threats from S. Michacls Mount to the furthest bounds of Calydone against all licentious and lying libellers against detractors of their neighbours names or at least wise against such prophane persons which presume to wound the Maiestie of their great Creatour by their malicious or wanton wordes To this end like vnto that Clowne of Danubius who spared not to speake the truth from his very heart before the Emperour Aurelius and the whole Senate of Rome an obedient and obsequious seruant of yours borne vnder Cambriaes climate doth here enforme your patient Highnesse that the Sunne can no longer shine in your Christian Kingdome vpon truth and blasphemy without a most terrible eclipse of discontentment Arise therefore O King and cause these noysome Foxes to be both slaine and slaine Let their habitation be desolate and no man dwelling therein For they that be Traytors to their Heauenly King can neuer be true to their earthly King They that wittingly and wilfully teare in pieces the Titles of the great Iehouah will also proue rayling Semeies and reuiling Sathans against your royall Highnesse Their tongues like sharpe pointed arrowes will passe and pierce through your hard steely armour your armour of proofe my Lords both spirituall and temporall Their throats like open Sepulchres doe threaten to bury your wounded bodies O yee Knights Burgesses and Commons Yea these Knights of the Post these common swearers and detractors will conspire some time or other to blow vs all vp one after another with the gun-powder of their blasphemies O then let not such Atheisticall Agags be spared but let them perish by the hands of Samuell let them perish in the pit of perdition as persons faire worse then murtherers for these kill but the body whereas the periured kill themselues totally both body and soule And as an auncient Father writes They that blaspheme Christ now reigning in heauen do sinne no lesse then they that crucified him here on earth When they forsweare themselues whether it be by compulsion or of custome or of some worldly respect all is one eyther by Gods body by his bloud or by his woundes they spiritually pierce his sides with their bloudy weapons for a wicked tongue is worse then any weapon and like pitilesse Pilate they scourge his sanctified body againe When they sweare by his head as our swaggering swil-bowles will sweare by any part they plaite another Crowne of thornes vppon his hallowed head When they sweare by his foote they naile his innocent feete to the Crosse anew When they sweare by Gods death by Gods heart they put him to death and being worse then Iudas Iscariot they plot to supplant the heart of life When they sweare by senseles blocks stocks by the Masse by Gog or magog they detract from Gods honour in attributing his due to dumbe and deafe Idols But when they wilfully sweare betwixt party and partie in iudiciall proceedings by Gods Sacraments or forsweare themselues vpon his louely Legates the Testament eyther olde or new they blasphemously detract from the Father the Word and the holy Ghost by reason that Gods word comprehended in those holy Oracles is the right record on earth resembling the word incarnate now in heauen who redeemed the penitent from Sathans thrall euen as the other two mysticall records of water the spirit or of Baptisme and the Lords Supper represent the Father the holy Ghost the one signifying our Election by Baptisme and repentance from the Father before all worlds and the other witnessing and sealing the same into our consciences and also breathing faith loue charity and other Diuine gifts into our barren wils as is most euidently testified in those Testaments so that wilfull periury and blasphemous Detraction either to the derogation of Gods honour or to the detriment of his creatures if without commission I may discerne of spirits may be termed a sinne against the holy Ghost or against the whole Maiestie of the sacred Trinity No lesse also sinne the suborners of periurie then Periurers themselues nay they encurre a farre greater punishment because they occasion the losse of other mens soules namely of the suborned persons besides the losse of their owne soules And to detaine them more surely and safely in hell the iniured parties against whom such periury was committed will continually craue and crie for vengeance In respect of which abhominable abuses and for that the Diuell is now-a-dayes most spiritually busie at the shutting vp of this last tragicall seene of the world may it please your Soueraignties to ioyne together as mystical members of one vndiuided and vnblemished corporation for the extirping out of such prophane sinnes which being begunne in youth continued in manhood and confirmed in olde age doe continually raigne among vs as it were by destiny so that likewise other blasphemies in manner of branches beginne to ouer-spread their leaues of lies and libels aboue the plants of truth onely by the slight and too too light stocking vp of that sinfull and saplesse tree of periury Or if your wisedomes iudge it not expedient to promulge and put out any new Acte against this manifolded spirit of malignant Detraction yet notwithstanding for the preuenting of periurie and for the protection of innocencie that Naboth may not sustaine damage by Iezabels false witnesses and that all other sincere subiects may walke dreadlesse in their vocations it were a worke of charity and very likely to hinder the future budding vp of innumerable inconueniences if you would but adde one materiall clause more to the Statue of periury viz. That none be admitted to beare witnes against honest men but honest men men of some sufficiency and substance vntouched vncorrupted and vnsuspected I meane not that they should be voyde of sinne for then we must goe out of this world to fetch in the Angels of heauen but I meane sober men vnattainted of notorious crimes those whom the common law termes probos legales so that common drunkards haunters of Alehouses hunters of whores Barretours beggars rogues and light persons whom the Londoners call Knights of the Post may be excluded from deposing against substantiall subiects For to what end requires the law to haue witnesses produced Is it not to trie the truth And what truth can there be found in such notorious lewd liuers whose thoughts are altogether dulled with sensuall pleasures What true proofe can there be expected from them who differ but very little from bruit beastes Therefore it were sit that Iudges and Iurours regard circumstances as well as witnesses Doth a common drunkard or a common whore-hunter depose such must haue meanes to maintaine their vices Doth a beggar or a prisoner sweare beleeue him not for pinching penuâ—ie will perswade persons to testifie that the crow is white Neede will make the olde wise trot Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames Is a common Barretour produced to testifie his knowledge A Barretour is euer
malicious litigious and full of mischiefe Is a a Rogue brought in to giue euidence His wit runnes a wool-gathering and with the aboue named persons he ought rather to be sent into Bridewell then to staine the iudiciall proceedings of an honourable Court But how is it possible for auoyding of confusion and delayes in suites to sound out the certainty and abilitie of the proofes and persons Euery man cannot equally discerne of spirits euery man is not a Solomon a Nathan a Peter a Paul Therefore our Iurie men had neede of further instruction that they accept not witnesses of all sorts tag and rag without exception It were good for the Common-wealth that Commissions were awarded to examine their carriage and behauiours In the Ecclesiasticall Court men may in some sort except against false and infamous witnesses and so out of the Courts of Starre-chamber Chancery and Councell of the Marches vpon vrgent motions there are graunted extraordinarie Commissions with crosse and wittie articles like Daniels Interrogatories to intrappe suborned witnesses But this course is costly painefull and very seldome followed or allowed Whether this latter motion doe not deserue your furtherance I appeale to euery subiect in particular euen from the Bench of iustice to the poore shepheards Cottage The Papists vaunt that the reason of this falshood of witnesses proceedes through the contempt of their Romish Religion For say they this speciall benefite fell out by their policie of auricular confession that by means of it mens consciences were humbled and held in such seuere subiection that they durst not forsweare themselues vpon premeditation But whosoeuer doth more deeply weigh their licentious dispensations and our licentious education shall finde both Religions sicke of the same disease For indeede we had neede in this declining and drooping age of the world to obserue circumstances as well as proofes and to imitate the discreete Phisician who giuing no credite to the rules of raw and rude Empirickes for the sicke mans health betakes himselfe to a higher contemplation to iudiciary Astrologie obseruing the signes constellations and other remarkeable accidents LINEAMENT II. 1 That Licentiousnes is the cause of Detractions defamations periuries and blasphemies 2 That Tauernes are the causes of licentiousnes wherby the Authour tâ—keth an occasion to admonâ—sh Magistrates of their duety in this importent case WHen I sit silently musing with my selfe what might be the reason that Detractions defamations periuries and idle speeches become now-a-dayes more rife then in former times I protest vnto thee O ingenuous Reader that my soule is sore disquieted within me The zeale of Gods glory which these Titans Encelades and their monstrous factions goe about to batter by their beastly behauiours doth sollicite this soule of mine to soldiourize in this exigent vnder the Archangels banner coniuring and conuicting the Detractours of our time the deprauers of pretious time whose tongues and voyces declining from their soules reasonable faculties from the spirituall similitude of the Deitie and peruerted by the iudgement of the iust Iehouah into bruitish sounds they are metamorphozed with Gryllus and the rest of Vlisses his companions into grinning dogs grunting Hogges grumbling Foxes into squeaking apish Squaules and into bellowing Bulles of Basan Because that when they knew their God they gaue him not that honour that thankefull honour that obedience that dutifull obedience with trembling reuerence as was conuenient for so great a Maiesty so great a Sauiour so great a Law-giuer And because that when they were enlightned with the fire of his spirit according to the quality of their bodies that could not receiue a greater quantitie of his grace by reason of their gluttonous affections and earthly affectations because I say they did not watch fast and pray in meekenesse and mildenesse of minde for their crying and cruell sinnes therefore hath that Righteous One deliuered them ouer to their owne naturall dispose to Sathan to sinne to beastiall behauiours to diuersities of Detractions and to al the contraries or aduersaries of the knowledge of Goodnesse In regard of all these Detractions contempts inconueniences and abuses I wil not spare to display out in colours the prime cause of such abhominations which in very deed is none other then Licentiousnesse This is that vnbridled vice which beginning in youth growes vp to an habite in olde age which being once rooted in cannot with all Hercules his labours bee remoued out A Captaine may sooner conquer the strongest Fort in Hungaria then conquer this wanton affection What then Experience the graund and graue mother of worldly wisedome art thou put to thy nonplus with all thy trauels with all thy trials Hast thou no stratageme in store no witty engine to expell this giddy headed gallant Alas the worldes Oracle is sodainly dumbe But though heauen and earth doe passe away Truth is great and must preuaile Truth is great and will not quaile Me thinkes I heere a voyce descending downe from the heauenly places Nec vox hominem sonat ô Dea certè Nor is this voice humane a goddesse sure thou art Take away cries the truth the cause and take away the effect Get thee quoth she an exquisite map of all this Iland and view whether there be not ten Tauernes for one Church ten diuels for one Saint ten tospots for one temperate These paâ—try Cottages be they which minister matter and fewell to the fire of licentiousnesse Here breede conspiracies combinations common coniurations detractions defamations Heere a man shall meete at all times day or night yea in the dawning twilight and midnight with drunken dissolutes who for maintenance of their trade will be content to sell oathes at a prodigall rate If you want meanes to vent and blaze out false newes blasphemous newes runnagate reports slaunderous reports tending to their Gods dishonour or to their neighbours disgrace heere you shall find many mercenaries ready to be prest at your commaund Thus doe these alehouse knights knights of the post or posting knaues attend on the Spirit of Detraction intending to set their tongues and soules to sale to sweare and forsweare whatsoeuer the Diuell or his adherentes will enioyne them not onely against their neighbours name and fame against their rights and liuelyhoode but also against their deerest liues which as Tenants at will they hold of God himselfe Thus like drunken men doe these blasphemous wretches reele too and fro as the Psalmist speakes thus doe they stagger and are at their wits end not knowing the waies of the Lord but inclining themselues that way where the staffe falles where haplesse hazard leads them so vncertaine are our detractours in their thoughts words and workes euen in their decrepite age being then through their dissolutenesse become crazed without eyther head or foote without hope of remorce without hope of mercie Heretosore as we reade in Chronicles a King of this land was same to stoppe and stint his Danes that they might not exceed a prescribed measure in their
mocketh at iudgement and the mouth of the vngodly deuoureth wickednesse ibid. Cast out the scornfull man and so shall strife goe out with him yea variance and slaunder shall cease ca. 22. Be not a false witnesse against thy neighbour and speake no falshood with thy lips cap. 24. The North winde drtueth away the raine euen so doth an angry countenance a backbiters tongue cap. 25 Giue not the foole an answere after his foolishnesse lest thou become like vnto him cap. 6. As he that counterfeits himselfe mad casteth firebrands deadly arrowes and dartes so doth the dissembler with his neighbour and saith Am not I in sport Where no wood is there the fire goeth out euen so where the tale-bearer is taken away there the strife ceaseth As coales kindle heat and wood the fire euen so doth a brawling fellow stirre vp variance A tale-bearers words are like men that strike with hammers and they pierce the inward parts of the bodie Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a pot shard couered with siluer drosse A lying tongue hateth the afflicted and a flattering mouth worketh mischiefe Ibid. in cap. 26. A brawling woman and the roofe of a house dropping in a rainy day may well be compared together for he that stilleth her stilleth the winde and stoppeth the smell of oinments in his hand cap. 27. If a Prince delight in lies all his seruants are vngodly cap. 29. Seest thou a man that is hasty to speake vnaduisedly There is more hope in a soole then in him ibid. Be not hasty with thy mouth and let not thine heart speake any thing rashly before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy wordes be few Eccles. cap. 5. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne ibid. The spirit of wisdome is louing and will not absolue him that blasphemeth with his lips for God is witnes of his reynes a true beholder of his heart and an hearer of his tongue for the spirit of the Lord that filleth the round compasse of the world and the same that vpholdeth all things hath knowledge also of the voyce Therfore he that speaketh vnrighteous things cannot be hid neyther shall the iudgement of reproofe let him escape And why In quisition shall be made for the thoughts of the vngodly and the sound of his wordes shall come vnto God so that his wickednesse shall be punished The eare of iealousie heareth all things and the noise of gâ—udging shall not be hid therefore beware of murmuring which is nothing worth and refraine your tongue from slaunder for there is no word so secret that it shall goe for nought and the mouth that speaketh lies slayeth the soule Wisd. cap. 1. LINEAMENT VI. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by Iesus the sonne of Siraches testimonie IN the tongue is wisedome knowne so is vnderstanding knowledge and learning in the talking of the wise and stedfastnesse in the workes of righteousnesse In no wise speake against the words of truth but be ashamed of the lies of thine owne ignorance Be not hasty in thy tongue neyther slacke and negligent in thy workes cap 4. Be sâ—ift to heare but slow and patient in giuing answere If thou hast vnderstanding shape thy neighbour an answer if no lay thy hand vpon thy mouth lest thou be trapped in an vndiscreete word and so confounded Honour and shame is in the talke but the tongue of the vndiscreet is his owne destruction Be not a priuy accuser as long as thou liuest and vse no slaunder with thy tongue for shame and sorrow goeth ouer the thiefe and an euill name ouer him that is double tongued but he that is a priuie accuser of other men shall be hated enuied and confounded cap. 5. A man full of words is perillous in his City and he that is rash in his talking shall be abhorred cap. 9. Reherse not a wicked and churlish word twise and thou shalt not be hindered If thou hast heard a word against thy neighbour let it be dead within thee and be sure thou shalt haue no harme thereby A foole trauelleth with a word like as a woman that is pained with bearing of a childe Like as an arrow shot in a thigh of flesh so is a word in a fooles heart Reproue thy neighbour that he keepe his tongue and if he haue spoken that he say it no more A man falleth with his tongue sometime but not with his will for what is hee that hath not offended with his tongue cap. 19. A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportunity but a wanton and vndiscreet body shall regard no time He that vseth many words shall hurt his owne soule and he that taketh authority vpon him vnrighteously shall be hated In the mouth of him that is vntaught are many vnconuenient and vnmeete words A lie is a wicked shame in a man yet shall it be neuer in the mouth of the wise A thiefe is better then a man that is accustomed to lie The conditions of liers are vnhonest their shame is euer with them cap. 20. A foole lifteth vp his voyce with laughter but a wise man shall scarse laugh secretly The lips of the wise will be talking foolish things but the words of such as haue vnderstanding shall be waighed in the ballance The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in his heart A priuy accuser of other men shall defile his owne soule and be hated of euery man but he that keepeth his tongue and is discreet shall come to honor cap. 21. If thou be among the discreet keepe thy words to a conuenient time but among such as be wise speake on hardly The talking of fooles is abomination and their sport is voluptuousnesse and mis-nurture The proude doe blaspheme and are scornefull but vengeance lurketh for them as a Lion cap. 27. An hasty browling kindleth fire and an hasty strife sheddeth bloud a tongue also that beareth false witnesse bringeth death If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spit vpon it it shall go forth and both these come out of the mouth The slaunderer and double tongued is cursed for many one that be friends setteth he at variance The stroke of the rodde maketh prints in the skin but the stroke of the tongue smiteth the bones in sunder There be many that haue perished with the sword but many moe through the tongue Well is hee that is kept from an euill tongue and commeth not in the anger thereof which draweth not the yoake of such and is not bound in the bonds of it For the yoake thereof is of iron and the band of it of steele The death of it is a very euill death hell were better for one then such a tongue But the fire of it may not oppresse them that feare God and the flame thereof may not burne them Thou hedgest thy goods with thornes why dost thou not rather make doores and
barres for thy mouth Thou waighest thy siluer why dost thou not waigh thy words also vpon the ballance and make a doore and abarre and a sure bridle for thy mouth Beware that thou slide not in thy tongue and so fall before thine enemies that lay waite for thee and thy fall be incurable euen vnto death cap. 28. Thou young man speake that becommeth thee and that is profitable and yet scarse when thou art twise asked Comprehend much with few words in many things be as one that is ignorant giue care and holde thy tongue withall If thou be among men of high authority desire not to compare thy selfe vnto them and when an elder speaketh make not thou many wordes therein cap. 32. Like as a wilde horse that neigheth vnder euery one that sitteth vpon him so is it with a scornfull friend cap. 33. LINEAMENT VII The spirit of Detraction and Periury coniured and conuicted by other testimonies of the Scripture THou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his name in vaine Thou shalt not haue to doe with any false report neyther shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to be an vnrighteous witnesse Thou shalt not sweare by my name falsely neither shalt thou defile the name of thy God I am the Lord. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and how the foolish people haue blasphemed thy Name Thy Name is wonderfull O Lord and onely to had in reuerence I see a flying booke of twenty cubites long and tenne cubites broad which containeth the curse that goeth ouer the whole earth for all theeues shall be iudged after this booke and all periured persons shall be iudged according to the same And I will bring it forth saith the Lord of Hostes so that it shall enter into the house of a theefe and into the house of him that falsly sweareth by my name and shall remaine in the midst of his house and consume it with the tymber and stones thereof Let none of you imagine euill in his heart against his neighbour or loue false oathes for these are the things which I hate saith the Lord. Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing for n it there are many fals let not the naming of God be icontinually in thy mouth and meddle not with the names of Saints for thou shalt not be excused of them For like a seruant which is oft punished can not be without some sore euen so what soeuer he be that sweareth and nameth God shall not be cleane purged from sinne A man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse and the plague shall neuer goe from his house if he beguile his brother his fault shall be vppon him if he aknowledge not his sinne hee maketh a double offence and if he sweare in vaine he shall not be found righteous for his house shall be full of plagues The words of the swearer bring death God graunt that it be not found in the house of Iacob but they that feare God eschue all such and lie not waltering in sinne Vse not thy mouth to vnhonest and filthy talking for in it is the word of sinne Ye haue heard that it hath beene said to them of olde time Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shall performe vnto the Lord thine oathes But I say vnto you Sweare not at all neyther by heauen for it is Gods seate nor by the earth for it is his foote stoole neyther by Hierusalem for it is the citie of the great King Neither shalt thou sweare by thy head because thou canst not make one haire white or blacke But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill Woe be vnto you ye blinde guides for ye say Whosoeuer shall sweare by the Temple it is nothing but whosoeuer shall sweare by the golde of the Temple he is a debter Ye fooles and blinde for whether is greater the gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold And whosoeuer sweareth by the Altar it is nothing but whosoeuer sweareth by the gift that is vpon the Altar he is a debter Ye fooles and blinde for whether is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift Who so therefore shall sweare by the altar sweareth by it and by all things thereon And who so shall sweare by the Temple sweareth by it and him that dwelleth therein And he that shall sweare by heauen sweareth by the seate of God and him that sitteth thereon Aboue all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen neither by earth nor by any other oath Let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest you fall into condemnation These being deceiued by dreames defile the flesh despise Rulers and speake euill of them which are in authority Yet Michael the Archangell when he stroue against the Diuell and disputed about the body of Moses durst not giue rayling sentence but said The Lord rebuke thee But these speake euill of those things which they know not If a man sinne not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle all the body Behold we put Bittes in the horses mouthes that they may obey vs and we turne about their whole bodie Behold also the Shippes which though they be so great and are driuen of fierce windes yet are they turned about with a very small helme whither soeuer the lust of the Gouernour will euen so the tongue is a little member also and bâ—asteth great things Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth And the tongue is fire â—uâ—n a world of wickednesse so is the tongue set among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell All the nature of beastes and of birds and of Serpents and things of the Sea is meeked and tamed by the nature of man but the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruely euill full of deadly porson therewith blesse we our GOD and Father and therewith curse wee men which are made after the similitude of GOD Out of one mouth proceede blessing and cursing My brethren these things ought not so to be Doth a Fountaine send forth at one hole sweete water and bitter also Can the Figge tree my brethren beare Oliue berries Or a Vine beare Figges So can no Fountaine giue both salt water and also fresh LINEAMENT VIII The Authors aduise to Iury-men wishing them to proceede vprightly according to their oathes and also to meditate on the future discourse THE elder that the world growes the more grow the corruptions thereof by reason that Sathan now towards the dissolution of the worlds Chronicle spitteth his spirituall spite and venemous vengeance in most abundant measure And also because our stiffe steely hearts will not relent nor receiue remorce
of God from the sonnes of Bâ—lial to the glory of his heauenly Maâ—â—stie to the comfort of his Deputy heere on earth to the discharge of your owne consciences which yee pawne and pledge for the security of your duety and diligence Discite Iustitiam moniti non temnite Diuoâ— THE FIFT CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The Authors scope in this Circle 2 His inuocation to the Godhead against his Ghostly Enimies IN the precedent Circles I haue affoorded the Reader a taste of my present purpose in it I haue coniured the spirit of Detraction forearming my selfe with the spirits of Goodnes or to speake Poetically Aegide Palladia with Mineruâ—es shield and so by descent discried the tree of Good and Euil wherin I haue exercised my declining will with excellent exorcismes of Michaels mysteries and also I haue therehence deseended as it were by steps and degrees to the pedegree of those degenerate spirits which gape after mans damnation euer since our deiection from that Paradise of free-will being but the mysticall meanes of olde Adams probation and particularly I haue canuased the said spirit of Detraction that domineeres it in all places at Ordinaries at Feastes at Tobacchonizing without curbe or checke one while breathing forth blasphemies against his God that will not holde him guiltlesse another while possessing the soules of our reprobates like vnto those of Ahabs false Prophets so that they broach out whole pipes of poisonous periuries paradoxes slaunders and ridiculous girdes in the derogation nay in despite of the meeke and milde spirit of God whom they forâ—e to depart away out of their quondam baptized consciences being very sorrowfull to see their hardened hearts and to see his holy gifts bestowed in vaine But our Fathers determinate will be done in earth as it is in heauen that hath sealed vp the certainty and number of the Elect before this world was made by his word and wisedome And now that the spirit of Detraction stands forth to be arraigned at the barre of vnderstanding let no man blame me if I lay out Truth it selfe in euidence against him as well to conuince him present as also to confound his absent adherents acceslaries and abertours which together with the abouesaid diuellish euils make no conscience in this licentious age with the Gyants of olde time to raise and roule vp mounts against the Heauens with Promethâ—us to rob God of his â—ight to father his workes of highest honour vpon the Father of lies and according to the nature of base spirits which cannot eleuate themselues to the Spheare of speculation to stand in greater feare of the Diuels supposed realty then to become rauished with the louely Maiestie of the euerliuing God who with one blast can tumble downe such detracting Clinickes into the abisme of eternall night where their Chymist God inhabites without hope of redemption In execution of which important charge I doubt not but Sathan whose miracles I annull wil coniure vp many sulphure ous wits of both sexs nicking Momes and nipping Niobes to scolde and scoffe to raile and reuile at this worke of charity Cadmus with his Serpents teeth grinnes many menaces Medusa with her prodigious art threatens to bang me and to stone me and all because I write the truth O that I had Perseus his vertue to conquere this terrible Gorgon But why interpose I the fictions of Paynime Poets among the sentences of holy Writ O heauenly Spirit be thou my Perseus lend me thy Dauids sling to encounter this Ghostly Golias and this grisly Giantesse Behold how my spirituall Foe mounted on his iade of Detraction dares me to the fielde daunt thou him with thy potent Word and his omnipotence will be impotent cast forth thy Aarons rodde and his arrowes will be swallowed vp While thy Grace shines on me I feare no Magiâ—ke spels no Serpents teeth no Witches curse Let them draw my picture by Pygmalions skill in the purest Virgin waxe reuenge their wrath with sharpe pointed needles my heart shall neuer quaile let them burne the same for an Hereticke as those of Tholouza burnt their Kings I wil not feare what man or Diuell can do to me not although they disgorge vpon mee their bane of Basiliskes nor though they discharge their Iambicke volumes or rather vollees of their Basiliscoes for the God of heauen is he that reigneth ouer all things that ruleth all things in all places at all times He euen he it is that is All in al the Glorious God that maketh the thunder the onely worker of powerfull miracles to whom all Principalities all Dominions all powers and all creatures as well incorporall as corporeall inuisible as visible must kneele for mercy with honour dread and reuerence LINEAMENT II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction attributes the glorious workes of God vnto the Diuâ—ll 2 That mens guiltie consciences driue them to extoll the Diuell and his supposed power IF men be guiltie for blaspheming the name of God If they be precisely forbidden to haue any dealings with false reports If they must account for euery idle word all which I haue proued hithereunto in what a grieuous case are those wretches which commit not onely all these vanities together but likewise diminish derogate and detract in peremptory proud and presumptuous manner from their great Creator his glorious appurtenances his types of maiesty and his titles of heauenly honour In what a forlorne estate are they which liue in the darksome dungeon of spirituall Aegypt and in the whorish brothelry of spirituall Sodome How vnhappy are they which leaue so superstitiously vnto the leauen of our Pharisaicall Papists walking a whore-hunting after strange Gods both in bodie and soule with both these the most part of the world obserue the Spirit of Detraction with the principall members of the body with their tongues they detract with their eares they lustfully listen with their hearts they consent sucking like spungeous or hydropicke bodies all corruptions whatsoeuer with the principall faculties of the soule with their reasons willes memories they hatch foster and reiterate such blasphemous paradoxes No crosse nor losse can chance but the Diuell sent it No signe nor sigh can happen but the Diuell sent it The Diuell say they is the onely Emperour of hell king of the Planets Starres and Meteors and also absolute Prince of this earthly world These are the ordinary speeches diuulged at our Ordinaries No Tauerne bur is full of this hellish stuffe No conference but the Diuell by stealth gets in his cursed name What eares could not glow at these runnagate reports What heart would not burne at these vncharitable conceits What scholer of worth would not set out his talent to aduantage his learning in print in hearing the Archangels honour extenuated and the Dragons horne exalted Truly for my part though inferiour to many Phinehees in zeale and deuotion I cannot silently suffer these ignominious iniuries against the
the earth seemed to moue The next night after they heard a louder noise then before about his Tombe For which cause in the morning they opened his Tombe where in stead of his corps they found but a foule fauour of brimstone The copie of which Pamphlet when Luther read he subscribed these wordes I am sory that God is iniuried by this fiction Otherwise I can but smile at the Diuels malice wherewith he and his complices the Papists pursue me It is strange to see with what impudence these iugling Priestes dare diuulge such a notorious lie of him whom his owne neighbors and Countreymen know better then they or any other forrainers This I can testifie that throughout all Germany where I trauelled his memory is blessed his birth-day solemnized and himselfe reputed for a second Elias But as I said before our Idolatrous Euchanters in policy inuented this fable for the glory of their Hierarchy which God peruert like Achitophels deuises Hereby we gather that most of our Countrations lying miracles and foolish fables were deriued from the Papists for the corrupting of the simpler sort and that of right Coni-catchers are termed Conturers and wizards witches Onely they differ in this that the Cont-catcher and Wizard receiue their knowledge by an infolded or implicite suggestion in their braines from the Diuell and that the Coniurer and Wtich reape with the Diuels sickle more openly yet both of them ioyne in the effect to deceiue and to make a prey of our vnderstanding But here I must tell you one thing worthy the obseruation that euen as the Papists will not see their mystical Antichrist though that which with-held his publique reuiling till this time be in a manner taken out of the way to wit the glory of the Romane Empire no more then the Iewes would see their Messias though likewise that which withheld his reuealing til his destinated time was taken out of the way to wit that the Scepter should not depart from Iuda nor a Law-giuer from betweene his loines vntill Shiloh came which was Christ so we oâ— the reformed Church besotted with childish credulity will not beleeue the truth though it be felt with handes as they say and shewed vs by demonstrations infallible that Coniurers and Wiches can act no miraculous matter of moment at all their chiefe Master himselfe being but a lier and impostor howsoeuer Frier Bacon with his brazen head which he purposed to set vp in Salisbury-plaine for the eighth wonder of the world and the Popish Idolaters with their Masse-monging and Holy water went currant for graund Coniurers in olde time Because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God sends them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies Wherefore let the faithfull accept this for a caueat that when the Diuell takes vpon him to become terrified with the besprinckling of Holy water with steele or with the thundring Bulles of a Masse-Priest he doth it onely of a politicke stratageme to confirme his adherents in such vaine fooleries after the example of Tomyris who fained her selfe with all her troupes to flie that thereby she might entangle Cirus and giue him the greater foile Whereto alludes that notable saying of our sage Solomon He walked among the Papists by childish and affraying terrours to mocke and accuse their childish errours Yea he walked among them the more familiarly vnder the bastard names of Larum Lemuâ—um Deorum Penatum Laruarum Dryadum c. outwardly seeming to care for their temporall profit when as in truth his purpose was inwardly to worke them harme in their soules and consciences that their wils and spirituall natures might be peruerted like vnto his LINEAMENT VIII 1 That true miracles were but lent by the Lord to the Primitiue Church for confirmation of the Gospell which accompanied the said miracles 2 How in their steed false miracles crept into the Church with the Antichrist in the time of the great Apostasie 3 The Diueli synode for employments of his hellâ—sh spirits 4 The Authours digression shewing that the Diuels shape was not reall but delusiâ—e to deceiue the eye sight 5 How men by his spirituall insinuations became his agents here on earth 6 The Diuels craft to continue men in their Dettactions MIracles were rife in the Apostles time at the first preaching of the Gospell yea and many yeares after euen as Reuelations were also common at the first promulging and publishing of Moses law But afterwards through mens curiosity arrogancy and negligence they ceased like as the vrime ceased for a long time after Iosuahs age The chiefe end of Miracles was lent by the Redeemer of the world to reconcile mens mindes vnto the puritie of the doctrine which at the same time he sent to beare them company Their end I say was that their energy and efficacy might moue mens steely hearts to relent and repent them of their abhominations which preuailed in all those whom his prouident Father had sealed vp to be saued from the beginning Whereby we may obserue that the vertue of true miracles sprang from the goodnesse of the doctrine which then the Lords great Ambassadour graâ—fed towards the posterities of the elect So that this godly doctrine separated such miracles from the Diuels deceits from natures operations and from mens inuentions Their mutuall concurrence confirmed the spectators in their resolution namely that their preaching and teaching proceeded from the glorious light Sithence which golden age of the Gospell it pleased the Lord according to his vnsearchable will and according to Saint Iohns and Saint Pauls prophesies to leaue his Church soiourning in the solitary wildernesse persecuted by the detracting Dragon to suffer his two witnesses the true records on earth of the lightsome word that was incarnate for our saluation to be mangled martyred and massacred in the Citie of the spirituall whore and so to permit a generall defection and departure from the faith at the entrie of the Antichrist into the World which continued well nigh eight hundred yeares and theÌ„ true doctrine failing true miracles failed Which when the Diuell noted he laid hold on that vile oportunity of Apostasie and generall defection of faith and in steed of those true miracles he hatched false miracles according to his owne naturall dispose lying wonders and brought in canonization of Saints whereof my selfe was an eye witnesse in Millaine in the yeare 1603. adoration of sinfull men masses for the dead marchandizes of humane soules Gods of golden beads of holy water of crucifixes and also old wiues tales whereof the Popish Legends are as full as euer Diomedes his stable was of prodigious dung Many miracles were fathered vpon giddy headed people in their death beds when good men through extremitie of torments haue spoken they knew not what They record that the Virgine Mary descended dow from heauen to giue S. Fulbecke her breasts to suck while he lay sicke Such another
of Images are quite ceased Note this for the Diuels departure and defection from among the Protestants in these dayes The Diuels slatteries hath done more hurt to the Church then his threats and menaces The Diuels practize hath beene to conueigh the poyson of his drift within a cloude of ambiguity The Diuell diuers wayes infesteth mortall men while they eate he enticeth them to gurmandize while they drinke to drunkennesse while they a wake he tempteth them to idle thoughts while they sleepe to vncleane and filthy dreames while they be merry he incites them to wantonnesse while they be sad to melancholy LINEAMENT XIIII 1 The Authors Debortation from such vaine detracting studies 2 The knowledge of Astrologie stinted and censured NOw that I haue proued Diabolicall dealings to be but dennes of deceit and that his apparitions are extinguished by the brightnesse and miraculous resurrection of the Lords two witnesses being the olde Testament and the new which for many yeares lay dead vnburied and ill sauouring through the barbarisme of our Popish Sodomites and well nigh moth-eaten amidst their darke Libraries Let vs fixe the eyes of our vnderstanding vpon this bright Meridian let vs acknowledge mens traditions for Apocrypha or indifferent In this decrepit age of the world since all prophesies are winded to the bottome we must expect no other signe then the signe of Ionas the Prophet that is our blessed Messias who sits at the right hand of the power of God and will shortly come in the cloudes of heauen to seuer truth from falshood All other miracles for the most part specially those which are supposed to be done among the vnbeleeued let vs account for olde wiues fablesâ— and write them vp in the Wood-cockes roule namely all such lying wonders which the children of Belial haue stamped concerning the Diuels reall greatnesse and the palpable validity of his prophane creatures Time is pretious and passeth away like a streame of water spend not therefore your golden times in such vnprofitable studies but redeeme the same before the latter day steale vpon you Know this that the Diuell is the Father of lies and will be sure to leaue you in the bogge of perdition at your greatest neede If once he setle himselfe in the seat of your soules all your artilleries of exorcismes will neuer coniure him therehence For is it likely that he which shewed himselfe so peremptory against the Archangell in heauen will become â—ame vnto a mortall man on earth Can you trust him whom God could not trust Take heed brethren of this Sophistry beware of this Alchymistry It renders nothing but lies vanity mistes smoake or false spectacles to dazzle and deceiue your sight Esteeme our Coniurer no otherwise then Bul-beggers as Diuels incarnate coni-catching Mountebankes crafty Iuglers cousening priuadoes insinuating Serpents Aegiptian picke-purses Who can be clensed of the vncleane Or what truth can be spoken of a lyer Southsaying Witchcraft Sorcery and Dreaming is but vaine like as when a woman trauelleth with childe and hath many phantasies in her heart Therfore beware of spirituall lies Againe and againe I aduise thee Christian Reader to looke vnto thy soule that it bee not surprised by the subtle Tempter the Archsorcerer of the world the grand worker of false miracles Banish away from thee with Caligula star-gazers and Astronomers With Cato contemne phantasticall dreames with Horace Laugh thou at dreames at Magicke feares At Hob-goblins night-Bugges and Beares Laugh also at false Witches sights And at the shapes of Thessales sprights Somnia terrores magicos miracula sagas Nocturnos lemures portentaque Thessala ride I write not against honest Astrologers while they containe themselues in compasse of natures reach and within the Circle of their auncient rules But I exhort them so to esteeme nature that they neglect not their Christian vocation and distrust the Authour of nature by attributing his workes of glory to naturall creatures I am the Lord saith God this is my name and my glory will I not giue to another Our Sauiour Christ himselfe disputed that there is some reasonable coniecture to be gathered of the Meteores course when he said to the people When ye see a cloud rise out of the West straight way ye say a showre comes and so it is and when ye see the Southwinde blow ye say it will be hote and it comes to passe Like as the prouerbe in French and English presageth vnto vs Le rouge soir brun matin Sont le desir du pellerin An euening red a morning gray As Pilgrims say foretell faire day In like manner I approue the profound doctrine of the Spheares with the constellations of starres and signes a breuiary whereof my selfe haue published in Latin verse in my stripling yeares I approue the obseruation of the moist Empresse the Moone which therehence out of her Orbe transports the operatiue vertue of the twelue constellations of starres and signes to all Elementary creatures working innouations and alterations of humours and seasons as we see by mans body by the weather by the ebbing and flowing of the Sea All which now of late God hath diuerted for our repentance The Sea breakes ouer the ordinary bounds and hath ouerflowed many parishes Our bodies begin to change their temper The weather beyond natures knowledge varies with inconstant windes and stormes The Lords prophesie by Amos is fulfilled in our dayes I caused it to raine vpon one Citie and I haue not caused it to raine vpon another City yet haue you not turned vnto me saith the Lord Pestilence haue I sent among you yet haue you not turned vnto me I haue ouerthrowne you as Sodome and Gomorre and you were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning yet haue ye not turned vnto me LINEAMENT XV. 1 That the Authours meaning is not to denie the Diuels reall subsistence 2 His charitable application of the statute against Witchcraft made Anno primo Iacobi 3 That he onely denieth his reall power and his palpable force ouer any of Gods creatures 4 The vanity and fondnesse of Wizards 5 That the hand of God plagued Iob and other creatures of his 6 That good men neuer detract from Gods glory IT is no part of my meaning heretically with the Sadduces to denie the eslentiall subsistence of Diuels for in all my writings I affirme their being I auerre their fall from Angels sâ—ates I auouch their captiuity in hell As on the other side I thinke that Sinne is meant by the Diuell in most part of the Scripture yet so that I know the originall to proceede from that Serpent the great seducing spirit in whom God found folly as Iob said By the Diuell then which commonly peruerts mankinde in these dayes I vnderstand a sinfull Will arising from melancholy and corruption of flesh and bloud which the spiritual Tempter the sneaking Snake like a virulent infectious smoake breatheth vpon vs when we be destitute of grace I
vpon him and he shall curse thee to thy face Whereto though God answered Lo he is in thine hand yet we must not take that saying literally but parable-wise or according to the Hebrew maner of speech He is in thine hand that is he is in the case as thou wouldest haue him my hand shall plague him according to thy demaund Likewise we must vnderstand that the holy Ghost here as in other places of the Scripture inserteth such familiar conserence as is fitting for mans capacity and for the vsage of that language When his Maiestie is disposed really to plague offendors coÌ„monly he employeth his owne Angels which S. Iohn in the Reuelation plainly manifesteth in these words I saw another signe in heauen great and maruellous seuen Angels hauing the last seuen plagues for by them is fulfilled the wrath of God And againe I heard a great voyce going out of the Temple saying to the seuen Angels Go your waies powre out the seuen golden vials of the wrath of God vpon the earth His owne Angell God sent to destroy Sodome and Gomorra to plague the Israclites when Dauid caused the people to be numbred and to ouerthrow Senacheribs army His owne Angell he sent to smite ambitious Herode so that he was eaten vp of wormes To conclude this is a golden rule and worthy to be engrauen in Cedar that Good men neuer detract from the Lord or from their neighbours To the Lord they ascribe al glory all causes all effects To Caesar they ascribe what is Caesars and honour to whom honour belongeth Notwithstanding any naturall notions or idle imaginations imprinted in their braines by the Spirit of Detraction good men will quickly breake through such brittle cobwebs and will pierce quite through such imaginations with their intellectuall iudgements as the beames of the Sunne pierce and passe through the thickest clouds inwardly building on this fort of faith that the Diuels force himselfe being spirituall and oftentimes a prisoner is not really reuelling but spiritually roguing or restrained euen according to the pleasure of the Great Iehouah in whose power alone it consisteth to bruise his head and to bring vs safely out of his tempting snares LINEAMENT XVI The Spirit of Detraction punished by the immediate power of God proued by examples out of the Scripture EVen as the Spirit of Detraction with all other sinful spirits as the spirit of pride the spirit of gluttony the spirit of hatred and such others by the contagious craft of the diuellish serpent like an infectious leprosie possessed all soules since the first transgression of our foreparents our Sauiour only excepted for in Adam we all liued so likewise did this serpent first detract and depraue the Lords glory in heauen when he arrogated to himselfe his immensiue power And afterwards when he seduced Eue to disobey her Creator touching the forbidden fruit saying vnto her ye shall not die the death And also when he made her beleeue that she should be as wise as God At the building of Babell they desperately detracted in distrusting Gods prouidence in fearing another Deluge and in saying Let vs build vs a tower whose top may reach vnto heauen least peâ—aduenture we be scatterd abroad vpon the face of the earht Corah Dathan and Abiram were swallowed vp of the earth because they murmured against God and spake against his seruant Moses Miriam the sister of Moses was stricken by the Lord with leprosie because she spake against her brother and against his authority which he had from God The men which Moses sent to search the land of Canaan and which when they came againe made all the people to murmur against him and brought vp a slander vpon the land euen those men that did bring that slaunder vpon it as though it had bene euill died in a great plague before the Lord None of the Israelites which came out of Aegypt except Caleb liued to enioy the land of promise because they murmured against their Redeemer who brought them out of seruitude and tempted his patient spirit therefore they perished in the wildernesse Saul despayring of Gods mercy and for that the Lord vouchsafed not to answere him by dreams nor vrim nor yet by Prophets sought to the cousening witch of Endor who against her will like to Baalam and Caiphas prophesied the truth by a supposed Samuel that the spirit of God had quite abandoned him that the next day after he should be slaine by the Philistines The Israelites discomfited the Sâ—rians and killed one hundred thousand of them in one day according to the speech of the Prophet that was sent to the King of Israel with this message Thus saith the Lord because the Sirians haue said The Lord is God of the mountains and not God of the valleyes therefore will I deliuer this great multitude into thy hands and you shall know that I am the Lord. Ahaziah King of Iuda being sicke sent messengers to Baalzebub the God of Ekron concerning his discase and his recouery But Elias out of the Angels mouth resolued him saying Is it because there is no God in Israel that you goe to enquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron Wherefore thus saith the Lord Thou shalt not come downe from the bed on which thou art gone vp but thou shalt die the death Amaziah Priest of Bethel bad the Prophet Amos prophesie no more at Bethel because it was the kings Chappel and the kings Court Wherefore and for that he controlled the Lords messenger thus said the Lord Thy wife shall be an harlot in the Citie and thy sonnes and daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be diuided by line and thou shalt die in a polluted land Beares came out of the forrest and tare in peeces two and fortie children which mocked Elisha the Prophet and reuiled him with his bald head Senacherib king of Assyria warring with Hezekias king of Iuda sent a blasphemous embassage vnto him signifying that the Lord could no more saue Ierusalem from his victorious hand then the counterfeit Gods or Idols of other nations which he destroyed But the word of the Lord came to Esay the Prophet against Senacherib in this manner Whom hast thou railed on and blasphemed against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted vp thine eyes on high Euen against the Holy one of Israel Because thou ragest against me and thy tumult is come vp into mine eares therefore will I put my hooke into thy nosthrils and my bridle in thy lips and will bring thee backe againe the same way thou camest So the Angell of the Lord went out and smote in the campe one hundred threescore and fiue thousand men in one night And Senacherib himselfe at his returne home was slaine by two of his sonnes One Hananiab in the time of Zedekiah king of Iuda prophesied falsely among the Iewes at Ierusalem eyther of vaine glory for
lucre sake or of set purpose to please the kings humour And the word of the Lord came to Ieremy the Prophet who thus said vnto him Heare now Hananiah the Lord hath not sent thee but thou makest this people to trust in a lie Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will cast thee from off the earth This yeare thou shalt die because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the Lord. So Hananiah died the same yeare in the seuenth moneth Holophernes offended with Achior because he said that the Lord of heauen had no more power then his king Nabuchodonozor blasphemously detracted his eternall Maiesty Who is God quoth he but Nabuchodonozor he will send his power and will destroy them from the face of the earth and their God shall not deliuer them Within a while after he was slaine by a woman and his army discomfited Elymas the Sorcerer withstood Barnabas and Paul and sought to turne away the deputy from the Christian faith Then Paul being full of the holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said O man full of all subtiltie and all mischiefe the child of the Diuell and enemie to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight waies of the Lord Now therfore behold the hand of the Lord is vpon thee and thou shalt be blind and not see the Sunne for a season Our Sauiour Christ through the Spirit of God through profound arguments confounded the Pharisees that detracted his glorious miracles alledging that he did cast out spirits no otherwise then through Baalzebub Prince of Diuels His arguments were these Euerie kingdome saith he diuided against it selfe shall be brought to nought and euery Citie or house diuided against it selfe shall not stand So if Sathan cast out Sathan he is diuided against himselfe How then shall his kingdome endure Whereby we may gather that the chiefest fight against the Spirit of Detraction is the irrefragable word of God seeing that our Master Christ himselfe vsed this kinde of armour Herod made an eloquent Oration to them of Tyre and Sidon so that the people shouted saying It is the voyce of God and not of man But because he arrogated the same to his owne worth and gaue not glory vnto God the Angell of the Lord smote him that he was caten of wormes Saint Paul the Apostle imputes mens mentall punishments infectious sicknesses with these pestilent sinnes to our ingratitude and negligence in glorifying and seruing God When they knew God saith he they glorified him not as God neithet were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darknesse When they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles for they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man of birds of foure footed beasts and of creeping things Wherefore God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse They turned the truth into a lie they serued worshipped the creature forsaking the Creator for which cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections The same Apostle in shewing the cause of the ruine of the Iewes and the calling of the Gentiles ascribes the same vnto their Detractions for they going about to establish their owne righteousnesse submitted not themselues to the righteousnesse of God THE SIXT CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The spirit of Detractions pleas and allegations on the behalfe of his humouring and soothing men in their vanities 2 The said spirit sharpely rebuked for his Equiuocation and dissimulation 3 The Authours purpose in this subsequent Circle HEe is no Politician quoth Peter please-man that will not pledge the world in the cup of Detraction chiefly in these vntoward times when men shall sit by themselues as forsaken and forlorne vnlesse they iumpe one with another in the selfe same veine of discourse whether it be in derogating from Gods omnipotence or in diminishing of their neighbours fame How shall men otherwise consume away their times Reading occasioneth bloudshot eyes and moyst migrims silence ingendreth melancholy and sleepe obstupefieth the lodge of imagination But speeches be they merry or malicious iesting or gibing doe extend the windpipes enlarge the heartstrings exhilarate the soules faculties and enduce all companies to admire a mans fluent tongue and to extoll his filed voice Wilt thou be enrolled in Gentlemens bookes for one of their principall fauorites straine thy selfe to humour them scoffe when they scoffe bite when they bite and like Hippocrates twinnes laugh and weepe together If thou hearest them blaspheme or blazing outnouelties indeuor thou to verifie the same or to requite their familiar conference with some additions of thine owne inuention By this meanes thou shalt make thy company precious vnto them also prie like an insinuating intelligencer into the inward state of all thy countrey By this means thou shalt learne their seuerall and secret inclinations who be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupt Magistrates who be carousers fornicators or who haue encurred the danger of any penall statute An Romule coeâ—es Art thou a Brittaine a Christian and dost thou faune and wag thy taile like a spaniell Dost thou preach the doctrine of Diuels Doest thou teach men to equiuocate to dissemble to detract and to lash out lies O sonne of Belial thou art in the gall of hell and hast no portion with vs in our Christian busines How canst thou loue God whom thou neuer sawest seeing thou canst not loue thy brother in Christ whom thouseâ—st daily And how canst thou loue thy Sauiour Christ when thou shamefully sharest his seamclefie coate with Sathans soldiours or when thou tearest his members name fame with thy taunting tongue Words wound a man worse then swords No deadly drugs of Arsenicke or aconite are comparable to lying lips no spirit more dangerous then the spirit of Detraction Let a man obserue silence and he shal neuer obtaine harme let him when he speaks speake soberly and all men will loue him or if that Ismaels seede doe taunt him Isaacs seede will tender him If the vngodly contemne him the godly will comfort him And will not the comfortable loue of one godly man counterpoise the contempt of many vngodly Let him seldome speake or not before a question be asked him and he shall neuer be indemnified Let him follow the French mans counsell Parler beaucoup on ne peut sans mensonge Ou pour le moins sans quelque vanite Le parler briefe convient à verite Et l' autre est propre à la fable et au songe To prattle much one cannot without lies Or at the least without some vanitie It well agrees with dreames and fooleries But pithie words belong to veritie For this purpose that the talkatiue may be ashamed of their tatling tongues for the publike good and for my modest memoriall towards her that rests with the Lord of rest haue I
composed and complotted this Circle Whereby the world may conceiue charitably of those runnagate rumors which lately by Satans long reeds not vnlike to those of Midas his barber haue passed pierced into their Asses eares which being remote from the Meridian of the climate wherein I liue doe beleeue nothing more certainly then that the Diuell in his reall person hath reuelled among vs. These newes exposed abroad with a smokie gloze haue bene so vented by the Inuentor of false newes that our Aleknights Alchymists Tobacconists and such like taunting spirits with generall applause doe magnifie the Diuels maiesty in their daily detractions and want but little of canonizing and consecrating him for their God his adherents for their Saints Which blasting blasphemie because I haue almost extinguished in the former Circle with diuine deaw I will proceede in this present Circle to the conuiction of other partiall paralogismes wherein his earthly Agents our doating doltes with both hands do extoll dumbe creatures to the very skies not much vnlike to those idolatrous Indians who adore the Orient Sunne the Moone and other visible Starres So when our ignorant countreimen heare but the clap of a thunder or see but a flash of lightning they arme theÌ„selues forthwith with outward showes with crossing their profane bodies Others againe more wise in their owne conceits beleeue that God predestinates no man to perish by such heauenly meanes sauing wicked wretches wherein they limit his prouidence wisedome and glory which otherwiles he manifesteth by such glorious accidents for our trials or for some other notable effect Some wade yet further in attributing a powerfull prerogatiue to such meteorie signes namely that they can harme a man of themselues without Gods extraordinarie ordinance For say they he made an end of all his workes in sixe daies and left order that euerie Starre should moue in his place and bring forth sutable qualities according to mens complexions and constellations All which prodigies of opinions together with other contagious conceits of mens busie braines I will confound with the Sunne-shine of truth interfusing discipline mutually with doctrine and both of them with Gods miracles so that the right hand reciprocally supporting the left hand they may contune and continue together as it were in a Diapazon and afterwards serue for bridling presidents to loose and lauish tongues As for the substance of the subiect I dare submit the same to the learnedst Lydian touch whose criticke carping I countermine with that Epigramme Cum tua non aedas carpis mea opuscula Mome Carpere vel noli nostra vel aede tua Thou put'st not out thy workes yet carp'st at mine Leaue off to carpe at mine or put out thine LINEAMENT II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction goeth about to ouerthrow Predestination in attributing our misfortunes immediately to the Planets thâ—nders lightnings or other naturall creatures where the Author excuseth himselfe for writing of such deepe mysteries 2 How God made the second causes and all other things in this world for mans sake OVr taunting Troianes finding no waighty shifts to restore and repaire vp the Diuels ruinated reputation reall strength doe in their steede entertaine other Hydraes of opinions that the Planets thunders lightnings or some other naturall creatures immediatly occasioned our ill fortunes our sodaine losses or deaths violence Whereby these detracting busibodies go about to ouerthrow predestination to abolish from nature the light of nature and to subiect the first cause vnto his second causes the Creator to his creature after the example of vnnaturall Iupiter which droue out his owne Father Saturne from his kingdome of Creet Oh vnhappy men that ascribe such prerogatiues to weake and wounded nature Is there not in the Lords hand a cup and the wine red Are not our haires numbred But to confute this absurditie I will briefely runne ouer the springs of Predostination And first I will search with submissiue thoughts vnder the accustomed patience of my most patient Lord the onely Creator of the world what were the patternes of his workes before the creation and how he conferred his power vpon the second meanes Which ouer curious search I do willingly vndertake for the better satisfaction of busie brains In this Labyrinth I humbly desire his heauenly highnesse to dispence with my haughty purpose for certainly if it were possible men should not question of such profound matters but rather they should be drawne backe to the humility of not thinking once thereon lest that chance vnto them which chanced to the presumptuous Angels or lest the answere of that ancient Father iumpe iust vpon their phantasticall pates who being asked by a curious-headed fellow what God did before this worlds creation gaue him this choaking answer he made quoth he Hell for such curious persons as you are An humble ignorance I confesse in such waighty mysteries is no way preiudiciall but the peremptory deniall of any one of them is blame worthy This world is a miraculous map or a table booke wherein the mysteries of Gods nature are deciphered so that it is impossible for any man to know the particularities thereof Therefore we must content our selues with admiration which is a thing most acceptable to the Spirit To verifie this looke O mortall man vpon the azured skie and tell me what thou seest Admiration Descend into the earth and take thy iourney from the East vnto the West from the North vnto the South and after all thy trauels after all thy trials tell me what thou sayest nay what thou sawest Admiration Well seeing that the vastnesse of this worlds circuite doth so confound thy weake and wearied senses that the more thou musest the more thou maruellest then enter into thy little world into thy self and comprehend thy thoughts within a certaine circle O quà m durus est hic sermo This is a heauier taske At the least and last looke downe vpon the little Ants and learne what moues them to toyle and take more care to liue by their own labours then many a man Surely thou canst not but admire And why because this world and all the workes therein are the Idea the modell the mappe the booke wherein the nature of the incomprehensible Godhead is written with capitall letters of Admiration In euery thing both great and little how little and light soeuer it be his Diuine Maiesty hath imprinted his wisedome goodnesse and power And euen as in his substance he is all so in his workes he doth all And now to declare what God did before the creation of the world it is certaine that his purpose was to haue a society of men as well as of Angels and those good and euill Angels that the one might serue as monuments of his mercy the other as monuments of his iustice and that both together might serue as instruments of his glory for his power is no lesse glorified in the one then in the other After the determination of his purpose for
mens sake that they might haue a place correspondent to their natures he drew the platforme of this world Wherein these principall things concurred first his purpose next his wisedome thirdly his goodnesse fourthly his power fiftly his generall prouidence sixtly his particular predestination To returne backe towards the first which is his purpose or intent There is the map of all the world and of euery thing to be done there throughly contriued in his minde before the beginning of his worke Then his wisedome goodnesse and power animated him to go forwards and to prouide for the building of his new place of plantation or world for as then there wanted a mediate or second instrument to worke vpon Wherefore he was driuen to create all of nothing that is without any second meanes without the assistance or aduise of any other In this creation he vsed the helpe of his word onely that was his omnipoteÌ„t selfe whom the naturall Philosophers otherwise termed the first mouer or supreme cause of all things There was no power in his Angels for they were but creatures themselues hauing their motions by his very motion In the power of his onely will and motion it consisted to create the essence of the materiall substance of the world And so he made heauen and earth and by vertue of his Spirit he breathed life forme or motion into them and into all the creatures thereof so that all things were in the compasse of sixe daies enlightened replenished supported and sustained by the motion of his powerful spirit yea all things the firmament the planets starres meteours elements and all other creatures whatsoeuer were vnited with such a perfect vnion that they make vp a perfect globe map or booke of his neuerenough-admired nature And which is most miraculous to mans capacity euer since that he moued them they continually moue one another by different motions do effect all things in this world eyther for generation preseruation or destruction according to his supreme direction Some moue one another by necessary or fatall motions Some by voluntarie motions some by casuall motions some by naturall motions eyther slow or swift What good things come to passe we are to attribute to himselfe who is the first mouer of all these motions But what euill things come to passe we must ascribe to the second motions which are voluntary and vncompelled by him I say we are to ascribe euill things to second causes that we detract not from his omnipotence in making him the immediate cause or in affirming that they proceeded without his consent For as goodnesse comes from his wil so euill cannot come against his will but by his sufferance and permission it comes from secondarie motions LINEAMENT III. The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for measuring Gods prouidence by their owne humane prouidence THose naturallists doe greatly erre which measure the diuine prouideÌ„ce by their own humane prouidence or rather by their wanton affections Little doe they thinke that their naturall computation of time causeth this vnnatural imputation for with God all times be one and a thousand yeares in his sight are but as yesterday With him who is the beginning and end of all things there is no time past nor time to come in respect of his foresight by reason that his foresight is his present sight so as he beholdeth at once at one instant which instant with him is alwaies and eternall not onely all things which euer happened or euer shall happen but also euery particular thing as then presently done and looketh so earnestly so cleerely vpon it as though his eye were fixed intentiuely on that thing and on nothing else The reason is because there is no distinct differences of time in the eternitie seeing that at one looke he seeth all the world ouer And his intent to doe a thing and his doing of a thing is all one and the selfesame in respect of his eternall knowledge though it be otherwise in respect of mans naturall knowledge Let this suffice for Gods generall foresight or purpose of all things which we call his Prouidence that extends vniuersally to all the world and to all the creatures thereof Now it remaines that I discourse somewhat of Predestination which is not a thing seuered from his Prouidence but onely that noble part thereof which belongs to his noblest creature vnder the coâ—e of heauen for whose sake he created all the world making him his Deputie or Bayliffe to vse the same for his glory and not to abuse the same for his owne luxuriousnesse LINEAMENT IIII. 1 The Authors censure of Predestination 2 That all second causes doe worke their effects according to the first causes direction which is God 3 How God endowed some with free will through grace to enable them vnto faith 4 The Spirit of Detraction conuâ—cted for imputing the cause of mens damnation to Gods decree GOod and euill were certainly predestinated vnto vs in our seuerall estates euer since the beginning of the world by our Creatour not according to any euill deserts or vertuous motiues of ours but onely according to his owne free pleasure according to the absolute counsell of his owne soueraigne will and according to the vniuersall power which his omnipotence hath ouer the workmanship of his hands Neither yet constraines he any of his second causes to commit good or euill by any forcible operation or necessitie of nature but by disposing vnto effects sutable to their seuerall conditions Whereby both good and euill actions shall flow out of the said second causes according to their owne dispositions euen as a voluntary quality proceeds from a voluntary cause and a casuall quality from a casuall cause His omnipotent Maiesty I say as the first mouer the first cause is the immediate mouer and cause of all effects whatsoeuer the second cause brings forth and also the cause of all their inclinations Euen as Deliberation which is the chiefest act of our vnderstanding in the knowledge of good and euill and the Gospell of Christ are the mediate and secondary causes in the first act of the conuersion of our humane willes now passiue towards the will of God being the first and supreme cause of our deliberation of this Gospell and of our willes and euen as these two causes the second depending on the first must ioyne together before that we can resolue on any good or euill word thought or deed so the Planets Meteors or other natural creatures of God in respect of him being second causes caÌ„not produce any effect whatsoeuer good or euill for our benefit or harme without his supreme direction Both causes worke naturally in this world when both conioyne in a naturall effect against a naturall creature And yet sometimes it pleaseth his soueraign Maiestie to wound nature without any such second or natural causes which gulfe because it is perillous to saile through I will modestly content my selfe by the shore or on this side of that great
inconueniences a wise Emperour of Rome forbad by an expresse decree any Citizen in Rome to build a house aboue fortie or fiftie foot high And thou deare Christian which readest this humble booke I admonish thee to build low to carry a low saile to lay aside thy Peacocks plumes to behold thy feete I meane the earth from whence thou camest and lastly I warne thee to prostrate thy thoughts before thy heauenly Father the worlds great Thunderer following the Poets counsell Viâ—e tibi quantumque potes praelustria vita Saeuum praelustri fulmen ab arce venit Liue to thy selfe and shunne the stateliest roome For thunder doth from highest Castle come LINEAMENT VIII 1 How God sendes thunder and lightening eyther for his glory for mens triall 〈◊〉 for their punishment 2 Examples aswâ—ll moderne as auncient of forcible thunders and lightening IN all ages it pleased God to manifest his â—aiesticall power of thunder and lightenings among mortall men eyther for his glory or for monition sake or for their punishment At Mount Sinaâ— to shew the Israeâ—â—â—â— is glorious strength and Maiestie he appeared with exceeding loud Trumpets with terrible thunders and lightnings which the Prophet Dauid thus expressed The Lord thundred out of heauen and the most High gaue out his voyce hailestones and coales of fiâ—e Another time to trie Iobs faith and to make the Diuell a lyar in impeaching his innocence and integritie God caused his heauenly fire to descend and to consume his seruants and flockes of sheepe Likewise for the conuersion of the Israelites at the prayers of Elias he sent fire from heauen to consume the sacrifice The like did he againe at the praier of the said Elias send downe to destroy Ahazâ—as men And this very weapon of lightning and sulphureous fire vsed he against Sodome and Gomorrhe Alladius an ancient King of the Latines who reigned before Romulus had his Palace set on fire with lightning from heauen and perished himselfe therein A king of Clide was strickeÌ„ with a thunderbolt froÌ„ heaueÌ„ A maide of Rome trauelling to Apulis was killed with lightning no harme outwardly appearing in her bodie and at the same instant her garments were also shaken off without any rent her horse also killed his bridle and girthes shaken off without any breach It is reported of King Mithridates when he was a very infant lying in his cradle that the lightning caught the swadling cloathes and set them on fire but neuer touched or hurt his body saue only there remained a litle marke of the fire vpon his forehead againe when he was growne it chanced that the lightning pierced into the bedchamber where he was asleepe and for his owne person it was not so much as singed therewith but it blasted a quiuer of arrowes that hung at his bed side went through it and burnt the arrowes within There was at Rome a souldier who keeping the Centinell vpon one of the temples of the Citie chanced to haue a flash of lightning to fall very neere vnto him which did him no hurt at all in his bodie but only burnt the â—atchet of his shoes and about the same time whereas there were certaine small boxes and cruets of siluer within wooden cases the siluer within was found all melted vnto a masse in the bottome and the wood not iniured at all but continued entire and found Many haue died by reason of thunder or lightning without any marke or stroke wound scorch or burning seene vpon them whose life soule for very feare hath flowed out of their bodies like a bird out of a cage Olimpius an Arrian Bishop had his bodie sodainly burnt with lightning at Carthage which iudgement of God fel vpon him as many thought for blaspheming the blessed Trinitie One Prester the sonne of Hyppomenes for blaspheming God was striken with a thunder and perished Anastasius the Emperour in the yeare of Christ 499. being addicted to Magicke and the Manichean heresie did perse cute such Christians as reproued his finnes and wickednesse But at the last lightning came fearefully about his house called Tholotum he crept from chamber to chamber to seeke where he might be safest but nothing would preuaile The flashes in the end ouertooke him and he perished miserably Hatto the Bishop of Mentz when in the yeare of Christ 918 by the instigation of Conrade the Emperour he endeuoured to murder Henry Duke of Saxony was sodainly slaine with a stroke of lightning In the yere of our Lord 653. at Frisazium a towne of Saxony a great nuÌ„ber both of houses and people were destroyed by lightnings It is writteÌ„ that the mother of Hierom Fracastorius who afterwards became one of the most learned and famous Phisitians of Christendome hauing the said Hierome in her armes then an infant was her selfe killed with lightning But her child was not hurt at all In the yeare of our Lord 15â—4 the Citie of Claraualla in France being stricken with lightning about noone daies did so fiercely burne that in three houres space their towne castles Churches were vtterly consumed In the yeare of our Lord 1551. an honest Citizen of Crentzburge standing by his table and a dog lying by his feete were both of them sodainly slaine by a lightning yet a young child which stood hard by his Father was preserued safe It is not long since Paules proudsteeple ouercrowing all the spires in England felt the blowes of diuine iustice with her sister Babell the one by lightning the other by confusion One Wyman a Citizen of Glocester as many there yet liuing can testifie about fortie yeares past hauing a son called Arthur Wyman at the Vniuersitie in Oxford very earnestly required another sonne of his one William Wyman to carry some prouision of victuals vpoÌ„ a Whitsonday to his said sonne in Oxford This younger sonne after many excuses was at the last forced vpon that high day nolens volens to go forwards on his iourny to Oxford But by the way in a thicket of wood he was found strickeÌ„ dead with lightning yet his body in outward appearance was without any marke The mare whereon he rode was also smitted dead and sauored very strong of brimstone And the meat which he caried as Kid Lamb c. were so corrupted with blackish sent and stunke so ill fauouredly that no man could abide the smell thereof Mistresse Lowbell a Gentlewoman of Colchester yet liuing about two and twentie yeares ago or there abouts was sodainly stricken downe with lightning and so scorched and singed in her bodie with the sulphureous slame that she could hardly be cured within a quarter of a yeare after About the said time at a place called Croes-Askurne in the Countie of Carmarthen vpon the day of a Gentlemans marriage as they were making merry there a very strange accident hapned There came a thunderbolt and pierced quite through the said house and also a certaine
Moses the Prophets and the Gospell as bright shining lanternes to guide their sensuall vnderstanding They haue auncient Fathers to expound them Thy seruant Augustine might satisfie their curious positions who about twelue hundred yeares sithence wrote Non est putandum istis transgressoribus Angelis seruire hanc rerum visibilium materiem sed soli Deo That is we must not thinke that the substance of these visible things in this world doe obey the Angels which fell but that they obey God alone Thou art a jealous God and can'st not abide that thy enemy should vaunt himselfe on thy Maiesty Thou art slow to anger but great in power thou hast thy way in the whirlewinde and in the storm the clouds are the dust of thy feete the mountaines tremble before thee the hils melt and the earth is burnt vp at thy sight O peerlesse Paragon of vnsearchable worth what nobler instance neede I produce then thine incomprehensible selfe for thine owne immensiue and inexhausted power When thou communest with Iob most profoundly thou bewrayest mans infirmity and infallibly concludest that no creature whatsoeuer can diue into the deepe consideration of thy secrete workes Out of the whirlewinde thou spakest and demaundest of him Hast thou entred into the treasures of the Snow Or hast thou seene the treasures of the haile Who hath diuided the spouts for the rame or a way for the lightnings of the thunders These questions surpasse our capacities Holy and wonderfull is God in all his workemanship The earth trembles at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Iacob Let it snow let it haile let it thunder let it lighten let the earth moue I acknowledge no other supernaturall cause then the first cause the first mouer one God world without end I doe faithfully beleeue that through his commandement the Lord makes the Snow to hasten and sendeth forth swiftly the thunder of his lightning also that he turneth the heauens about that they may doe whatsoeuer he commaundeth them vpon the whole world and that he causeth raine to come whether it be for punishment or for his land or to doe good to them that seeke him The heauens the elements and whatsoeuer is vnder the moone attend the commaund of their great Creator some for his glory some for their tryall some others for their sinnes he scourgeth and smiteth Against these he armes his naturall creatures as piercing arrowes Then shall the thunderbolts goe straight out of the lightnings and shall flie to the marke as to the bent bow of the cloudes Sometimes he smites vs gently expecting our conuersions as he spake by the Prophet I smote you with blasting with mil deaw and with haile in all the labours of your hands and yet you turned not vnto me Vnto his Maiestie alone will I complaine when any hurt befals me O Lord vnto thee will I crie for the fire hath deuoured the Pasture of the Wildernesse and the flame hath burnt vp all the trees of the field Vbi nunc facundus Ulisses Where now is the wizard with the Diuels reall force Stand at your cause and bring forth your strongest ground saith the Lord of Hostes shew vs things to come and tell vs what shal be done hereafter so shall we know that ye are Gods But indeede your knowledge is vaine your power poore not worth the speaking Behold ye are Gods of nought and your making is of nought yea abhominable is the man that hath chosen you and abhominable is he that ascribes the workes of the glorious God vnto his enemy the Diuell LINEAMENT X. 1 Probable proâ—ses out of Ciuill policy that God is iealous of his glory and glorious signes and therefore not prebable that he would lend his real power to the Diuell 2 Examples of worldly states which could not endure vsurpers of their transitory titles and pâ—â—rogatiuâ—s 3 That God hates Coniurers Witches Antichristians and other Detractors and 〈◊〉 worse then Atheâ—sts or ignorant Infidels THough I proued out of holy writ that the Lord is iealous of his inexplicable power and cannot tolerate with euerlasting patience that any creature specially a wicked creature visible or inuisible Diuell or man Phâ—â—ton or Medea Coniâ—rer or Witch should prie into his secrete treasury or soare vp into the Eclipticke line and commaund the Sunne and Moone to stand still with Iosuah or cause fire to descend downe from heauen with Elias or drie the Sea with Moyses or rebuke the stormy windes with Christ yet notwithstanding for the hardnesse of worldly hearts I will illustrate the selfe same argument with familiar and domestical examples of mortall states who likewise cannot brooke that any other make vse of their transitory incidents Do not we see that earthly Potentates be more agreeued with their owne subiects rebellions with their iniuries and vsurpings then with the dishonest attempts of their open foes At whose handes they expect nothing but extremity of warre and bloudy massacres Doe not we finde that the Pope and other Princes of his faction beare deeper hatred rancour and emulation towards the Protestants then towards the Turkes Mahumetans or Iewes whose vicinity might worke them farre greater scath and damage Their malignant reason they ground vpon the comparison of two corriuals in loue whose wrath can neuer be appeased but with the vtter subuersion of the opposite party O what a disconsorted policy is this that Christians agreeing together in the foundation of religion prosecute one another with such capitall enmity worse then euer the Pharises the Saduces or both of them like Pilate and Herod combined together to put to death our Sauiour Christ The Pope at Rome at Bologna and at other Cities the Emperour at Vienna and at diuers imperiall Cities in Germany the Venetians at Venice at Verona and other places doe tolerate Iewish Synagogues bankes of vsury and noysome Iakes of pocky baudry in respect of priuate interest And yet they cannot suffer one Church of Protestants among them no nor one single man of the same profession or if they doe but suspect a man addicted that way they exclaime with the stiffe-necked Iewes Dimitte nobis Barabam loose vnto vs Barabas loose vnto vs theeues vsurers Iewes and stewes Crucifie these Lutherans Lutherano al fuego ad ignem fire and fagot for these hereticke dogges Thus do they rage together and imagine vanity against the Lord and his An ointed They like wise send away their posts vsurpers of the name of Iesis as the flies which issued out of the Dragons mouth to enuenome our Springs to infect our mindes to kill our Kings and to blow vp at once our whole estates This is their vsuall complot while the common enemy of Christendome lies close by their noses ready to dispossesse them of their liues liuing and liberty as was likely of late dayes to fall out when the Pope after the winning of Otranto by the Turkes doubting his safegard
to lay an ambush for your neighbours good name fame and reputation Learne by these exemplary crosses to be vigilant for in the houre which you thinke not as a theese in the night will death steale vpon you It is high time for you to prepare your selues to preuent the Tempter Alreadie it begins to smoake and as the Poet forewarnes Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet When the next wall vnto thy house doth burne Looke to thy selfe betimes next is thy turne These reasons considered I dare boldly auouâ—h for no earthly creature can iudge her conscience more freely then my selfe that my welbeloued wife whom God of late hath taken to his mercy by an vnexpected accident by the lightning power of his fearefull thunder resteth in the Lord as concerning her soule and resteth on earth as concerning her memory both which I trust by the diuine bountie scorne all the brauadoes scaladoes and engines which eyther enuy or Sathan can inuent for their assaults This is the chiefest solace I embrace after so great a crosse This Christian hope richer then any temporall or golden haruest I reape to my selfe after my fatall losse For my light affliction which is but momentary causeth vnto me a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory while I looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene I looke not so sâ—rupulously on the manner of her death as I looke on the manner of her life which God receiued as a burnt offering Packe hence therefore ye Enthusians and be not like vnto Curdogs that bark at a dead Lyon Though she fell she shall rise againe though she sate in darknesse the Lord will be a light vnto her MY tongue is no hireling Herald to coine her a new pedegre nor yet a mercâ—nariâ— Aduocate to extoll her shadow in steed of substance onely in steed of Popish posâ—humes or Purgatorie trentals I will sacrifice this cacomtasticall oblation as seralem coeâ—am a funerall banquet to her well deseruing memory Holy Augustine neuer conceiued more diuinely of his mother Monica then I doe of thy felicity O happie soule partaker of celestiall ioyes thou needest no praise of mine seeing that thy God hath transported thee in the yeare of lubily to this port of tranquility and conuerted thy pilgrimage to the hauen or rather heauen of euerlasting health Where though thou abound with vnspeakable pleasures yet pardon me if I striue to canonize thy peerelesse fame The pleasant sounds of thy verdant vertues like so many resounding Ecchoes shall neuer vanish from mine insatiable eares Thy extraardinary loue the liuely Jdaea of a spotlesse life shall alwaies dwell within the mansion of my restlesse minde At all times whether it be morning or euening noone-tide or midnight while I soiourne in this house of clay I will congratulate thy high fortunes All haile immortall spirit thou spouse of Christ wrapt vp in his holy armes full of transcendent grace full of transeendent glory All haile full of health full of happinesse which art translated from mortall men to immortall Saints from sorrow to solace Yesterday thou wentest entaÌ„gled with the thorny cares of this world now thou triumphest among the Angels of heauen Yesterday thou wert here where Iob himselfe complained that he was placed as a But to be shot at where Gods enuenomed arrowes stucke in him where the Prophet Dauids bones were consumed that he roared all day long Now thou florishest in the harmony of Gods Spirit minding on nothing but on diuine vertues on spirituall melody Yesterday thou wentest drooping in an earthen cote shaken with the frownes of Enuy with the frumps of Detraction to day thou walkest and this day shines alwaie neuer sets in a temple not built with hands in the line of the liuing God without Enuy without Deraction Here is thy habitation assigned thee thy lot is fallen in a faire ground Liue for euer And this as a looking glasse shall glister vnto thy friends on earth Dorcadis hic dotes miti cum mente Rebecchae Priscillaeque fides mens tamâ—n vna tribus Corpus humas mundus laudes tenet igneus Eliae Elisias tua mens Elizabetha rotas Here Dorcas deeds as starres doe shine Priscillaes faith heere doth combine With mild and kind Rebeccaâ—s mind Yet but one soule to three assign'd Thy bodie earth the world thy name Thy soule by faith Elisian fame Elizabeth eterniz'd gaines Elias-like in lightning waines LINEAMENT XIII 1 The Authours gratulation for his late fortunate deliuerance 2 His description of the Lightning tragedy the third day of Ianuarie 1608. at what time God tooke away his wife 3 His description of other Crosses at the very same time 4 How God fore-shewed by mysteryes the said crosses before they hapned vnto the Authour wherein his censure of Dreames is interlaced 5 His description of his miraculous escape out of the Sea wherein he fell by force of a cruell tempest on a Christmas day 1602. GOD forbid that I should charge all my Countreymen with the branded marke of blasphemie for there be many good men which neuer kneeled vnto Baal which neuer worshipped the spirit of Detraction all ready viua voce as the Prouerbe saith with both hands to hold vp the roofe of my opinion They alledge simply and charitably that this great Accident vpon my wife and house came from God as a faire warning for mee and them to prepare our selues for his heauenly kingdome which charitable conceit I cannot cancell with obliuion or ingratitude but rather confirme the same with an applauding Alleluiah The Lord gaue the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. No man aliue this day stands more indebted then my selfe for matters of life vnto the Author of life Daniel was wonderfully deliuered from the Lions clawes Ananias Azarias and Misael from the fierie fornace Ionas in the Whales belly from the stormy sea and Paul with his Pilots Marriners and Companions from perishing in the Mediterranean seas but what am I vile wretched sinner whom thou hast saued as strangely from fire and water O glorious God is it because thy prouident maiestie hath predestinated me to some worthy seruice tending to thy glory O bountifull Lord of vnsearchable wisedome graunt that my faith may be signed with the seale of thy mercy Let my spirit become regenerated and renued as the Potters vessell markt to an honest purpose Whatsoeuer I am whether tolerably toward or vntoward tolerably cleane or vncleane I wholy submit my selfe at the feet of thy mercy altogether depending on thy Sonnes merits from whence I will not depart though I were sure with Asahel to be slaine by Abner and as Iob protested if thou wouldest kill me yet will I trust in thee On the third of Ianuarie 1608. about the third houre of the night or thereabouts as I lay solitarie vpon my bed what with torment of a sodaine tooth-ache and what with an
hath a summe of money due vnto him by Obligation the Partie indebted not able to spare it by reason of his ouer-lauâ—sh expenses in apparrell wenches and such inordinate vanities and seeing no shift at the Common law to auoid the payment confederates with two or three of the Diuels consort bare legged vagrants those whom Homer termed houselesse and Tribelesse and vseth the forfeit of their soules for his temporall aduantage and for the hindrance of his Creditours in his Maiesties Court of Chauncerie Doth a Landlord demand the occupation of his owne and natiue free-hold requiring the Tenant either to compound for a longer terme or to leaue it vnto his dispose Presently these wrangling wretches with bread and cheese in their scrips runne headlong to the Counsell of the Marches where vpon affidauit of their three yeares possession and afterwards vpon proofe by some of these damned crew that they contracted with their Landlord for a lease paroll though such an Act was neuer done or perhaps done for some other consideration of import they procure either orders to continue their possessions for the said supposed deposed terme or vntill they be expulsed by vertue of verdict at the Common law where also by reason of these vilipendious varlets testimonies they win the garland of their forged suits O the perfidiousnesse of false faithlesse hearts that thus rashly runne into the lake of fire and brimstone These inconueniences happen daily to the impairing and impeaching of our temporall fortunes Yea and which is most detestable among Christians these treacherous Iudasses and impious Impes of Sathan combine together against our credites which some of vs value beyond Craessus his treasurie and some other times against our liues which as Tenants in capite we hold from the King of Kings These abhominations of my natiue Country here I submit before your eyes of Iustice that the same may serue as additions of examples vnto your manifold experience whereby your Honours may conceiue or rather recall to memorie what terrible tempests doe daily encounter your inferiour Ministers and others his Maiesties vvell disposed subiects notwithstanding that you know alreadie better then a thousand such as I am that there is no signe more certaine that men are vertuous then to see them hated of the vicious for imminent enuie euer persecutes eminent vertue Good my Lords employ your vttermost endeauours for the extirping of these accursed actions The more paines yee take in this waightie businesse the more conspicuous crowne of Honour shall you weare in the Heauenly Citie euen by His appointment who though inuisible to the eyes of flesh and bloud stands in the assembly of the Gods and iudgeth among the Gods that is in the midst of you O earthly Iudges which likewise that Holy man protested saying that his eyes are with Kings and Princes in the throne And another confirmeth the same vvith a reason for yee execute not the iudgements of man but of God To this end that the lawes of this land may not further be iniured by the Spirit of Detraction let his counterfaite Castor and Pollux be crushed in the egge his rancour repelled and his rage repressed in the beginning of his raigne for if Sathans surmised suites vvere blasted in the blossome the rest of his snakie Spirits would presently sneake away into their bottomlesse home If the lippes of our Satyrciall Semeies vvere seared as a subiects lips in France vvere seared vvith a hot Iron for his petulant speaches vvhen they transgresse and transcend the bounds of obedience then surely vvould they yeeld their hearts vvith greater awe and ciuilitie to the Ballance and Sword of Iustice. If their tongues vvere tempered towards your subordinate Ministers they vvould vvith greater reuerence respect your higher authorities as the resemblance of his Maiesties person yea of God himselfe But some will say that these sons of Detraction cannot so soon cashiere ther blasphemies periuries slanderous suggestions by reason of a continuall cankred custome which they deriue into their wils euer from their cradle in their education conuersation For confirmation of this fallacie they insist on the Locrensian law on the state of our bodies which may not brook innouation nor breach of custome the same being as Physicians hold another nature With the sophistrie of this vntempered morter Right prudent Lords our Momists vse to daube ouer their grosse errors as though the conuersion of a corrupted custome were the peruersion of an authenticke Law The alteration of our customarie diet I confesse seemes raw and rough at first vnto our crabbed natures but within a while after it turnes to the benefit of the Patient where the custome is refined or reduced into a better for what is Custome without Truth none other then as meate without salt an old wiues fable and an old doating sinne Whatsoeuer sauours not of Faith is sinne The word of God admits not of wrangling policie neyther may vve wrest it according to our vvorldly deuises It is primitiue and contemnes mixture it is pure and hates hypocrisie The Lord hath spoken and his speaches shall stand for euer Heauen and Earth shall passe away but the vvord of God shall neuer passe Yea one day tels another one night certifieth another that his spotlesse Spirit abhorres those refractaryes which blaspheme his hallowed Name which beare false testimonies against their neighbours But vvhat am I that thus audaciously goe about to confront your experience vvhose bookes of Iudgements I am not worthy to open What am I that seeme as sus Mineruam to instruct Nathans in Iustice Nestors in Counsels Pardon my trespasse vertuous Iudges as the Highest Iudge hath pardoned yours As many peeces of flesh I speake it vnder your accustomed patience do better the pottage so these aduisoes of mine though ambitiously elated I know cannot hinder your graue proceedings Let them go then as little looking glasses for Abcedarie nouices vvhose abilitie perhaps in wit or purse will not serue to get them mirroirs of a firmer substance LINEAMENT II. 1 That after Controulement Instruction is necessary for them that be possessed with the Spirit of Detraction 2 That Taciturnitie and Patience doe coniure him downe into hell FOrasmuch as the Detracting Spirit and his false feathered Eagles are vnmasked and discouered through the vvinde of Gods Word which before in this age of ours was like an infortunate Planet predominant ouer the Horoscope of our natiuities it is high time that I minister an Antidote or preseruatiue against the precedent mischiefes and after controulement that I adioyne instruction seeing both together are as necessarie for the variable will of man as Phlebotomy for a Pleurisie or Calenture Euery euill at the first budding is quickly extirped but being suffered for a while to runne a lawlesse race vncurbed or vncorrected it becommeth past cure Euen as wilde-fire or lightning hauing receiued nourishment or matter to worke vpon by candle-light tallow or oylie substances
closest counsels and secretly conferre vvith his friend about those matters vvhich to report openly vvere flat against the rules of Christian Charitie or Ciuill modestie Yea such is the sugred torture the sweet tormenting force the naturall influence of true Loue that the Husband cannot conceale from his vertuous Wife nor the wife from the vertuous Husband vvhat nouelties or rumors runne reuell and range abroad in their neighbourhood According to vvhich agrees that Italian saying Ilcaldo del letto dilegua souuente il ghiaccio della taciturnita the heate of the bed thawes oftentimes the ice of secrecie or Taciturnitie To conclude vvith this indented couenant I approue the secret scanning of other mens actions among vvise friends prouided that the same may redound to their mutuall example that it may serue them for a president or booke-case for the soules edifying and afterwards that such speaches lye priuily entombed within the coffin of their hearts LINEAMENT IIII. 1 That Patience is policie in Detractions 2 An exhortation to patience 3 An obiection of the Detracted 4 A confutation HE that is detracted can neuer anger his Detractour more then when he holds his peace with patience and answeres not againe his slanderous speeches Time weares out the greatest scandall Therefore wise politickes haue patiently dissembled backbitings making as though they heard them not For euen as fire vnder the ashes consumes away but being stirred it kindles and may doe harme as well as good so let the man vvhich is deepely and without cause back-bited by the spirit of Detraction and his lying crew take open notice and noyse abroad the vndeserued slander it may turne to his discredit as well as to his credit by reason that mens natures are so corrupt suspitious and guiltie in themselues that they will easily iudge the worst and imagine all others to be like vnto themselues but in processe of time they will be wearie of one mans obiect and therefore when other calumniations come in place the former are forgotten and as fire couered with ashes lie quite extinguished If an Asse or Colt kicke thee wilt thou recalcitrate and spurne him againe Or if another doth torment thee wilt thou torment thy selfe The remembrance of iniuries hurts a man more then the receiuing of iniuries Therefore let not the Sunne goe downe vpon thine impatience And though thou sufferest Sathan to looke in at the key-hole of thy heart yet keepe him out from lodging there Let vs then beare with mens infirmities if they be not too outragious let vs blesse them that curse vs and desire GOD to conuert their enmitie into amitie I say let vs endeauour to conuert them by conuerting their enmitie into a Chrisitan-like vse By this meanes we shal worke miracles and cause the vnbelieueds hardned heart to relent and receiue remorce in conscience A Spanish homilist relates out of another Authour whom he termes el gran Cassiano a notable example tending to this purpose An honest Hermite on a time being iniuried by an Infidell with this exprobration and blasphemous detraction against his Christian profession Que milagros extraordinaâ—ios hize esse tu Christo en el mundo What extraordinarie miracles did this thy Christ so in the world he answered no es harto milagro que tus blasfemias è iniurias no me offendan ni me alboreten tus amâ—naeas Is not this a sufficient miracle of his that thy blasphemies and iniurics doe not offend mee nor thy threatnings moue mee The vtility vvhich we get by meditating on our Sauiour Christ is so admirable that the remembrance of his miraculous patience enduce vs to tolerate with humility the infirmities of our fleshly brethren Wherefore let vs stop our itching eares from these Detractions euen at the first bound before they be throughly ingraffed in our hearts For as there would be no theeues if there vvere no receiuers so there would not be halfe so many chattering mouthcs to detract if there were not so many charmed eares to soke and suck them in But notwithstanding these pareneticall caueats of mine thou stumblest againe on the plaine exclaiming that it is impossible for flesh and bloud to endure such scandalous detractions Thou canst not tarrie the Lords leasure The clouds hide him that he cannot see he walketh in the circle of heauen O crazed soule vvhy deprauest thou his eternall knowledge If thou be railed vpon for the name of Christ blessed art thou for the time is come that punishment must begin at the house of God If thou sufferest detractions by reason of worldly crosses ' thou art worse then mad if thou settest those things by thy heart vvhich thou oughtest rather to set by thy heeles Thou art not thine owne man nor at liberty if thou makest such reckoning of transitorie accidents here on earth It is no meruaile that the dogges of this vvorld doe barke at thee for what are we in it but strangers and Pilgrimes expecting daily to be sent for Seges altera in herba est Here we haue no continuing â—itie but we looke for one to come We looke for an euerlasting Haruest for an heauenly Ierusalem the foundations of whose walls are garnished with precious stones whose gates are pearles whose street is pure gold as shining glasse which hath no neede of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the greater light extinguisheth the lesser the glory of God for euer lightens it farre brighter then a thousand Sunnes a thousand Moones Into which euerlasting Citie no malicious Detractour no lier no impatient spirit nor any other vncleane thing shall enter LINEAMENT V. 1 That the Spirit of Detraction begins to shrinke through the influence of Taciturnitie and Patience 2 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for broaching out questions of Princes Soueraignties 3 That priuate persons ought not to dispute of their Prince his dealings SEe how the Spirit of Detraction begins to shrinke and to sound a retraict like Socrates his scolding Wife now that the vertues of Taciturnitie and Patience doe barre thy graue mouth from answere letting his mallice to haue the last word See how hee stands mute shaking and quaking at the glimpse of these glorious Gifts His lightning is vanished into smoke his slanders on a sodaine slackned To detract from Iehouahs name vvith vaine swearing or from his workes with mens poysoned paradoxes he confesseth it Blasphemie worthy of his bottomlesse pit No misfortune can happen without our Creatours prouidence nor one haire from our heads without his predestination The Starres thou alone doest stint most mightie God euen by Sathans owne confession the meteours thou alone doest sway in ordering their effects as it pleaseth thy secret wisedome When thou sendest out thy thunder and lightning as harbingers of thy power who can controule thee When thou takest a prey who can enforce thee to restore it who shall say vnto thee why didst thou thus Where are yee
whereto the neerer that they be the nobler is their birth as men newly borne and pertakers of loue charitie faith and of other spirituall ornaments that goe beyond all the symbolized ensignes of temporall Heralds Out of vvhich circumstances collect O Christian soule this one Embleme diuinely embellished The neerer to true Charitie The neerer to Nobilitie Howsoeuer these fly-blowes of the spirit of Detraction be allowed or disallowed to blazon armes it is the part of a Magistrate to beare a Lyons heart that he shrinke not in iust causes nor respect the magnificall thunders of the spirit of Detraction more then the prostrate petitions of the spirit of humilitie Be he Midas or be hee Codrus be hee noble or be hee base Iustice must take place Therefore the Poets record that Iustice hath neither father nor mother likewise they report that Iuno through her wealth Venus through her beautie Mars through his threats and Mercurie through his eloquence hauing all of them conspired against Iupiter and yet not able to thrust him out of heauen implied no other sence or morall thereby then that a man of vertue could by no meanes either for wealth beautie threates or eloquence be diuerted or turned aside from Iustice. It is the part of a Magistrate to vse that Royall vertue Magnanimitie for his chiefest support against detracting Hamans and deprauing Semeies and as a learned Bishop of Portugall describes a magnanimous man though he see all the world eagerly bent against him and though he see euery thing round about set on fire yet hee through an assured confidence will continue constant It is the part of a Magistrate to imitate that resolute Iudge in Henry the fourths time which feared not to commit into the Kings Bench victorious Henry Prince of Wales rather then those Officers of iniustice vvhom another King of England vpon his returne from outlandish Countries displaced from their high commands after their examinations by vertuous Earles or then these corrupt Iudges whom Cambyses caused to be flayed and their skinnes as monuments of terrour to be hanged vp in the fore-front of his Palace It is the part of a Magistrate to esteeme the vvindie detractions of licentious Libertines who with presumptuous language dare brute abroad that they can by their supposed familiaritie with noble personages vncommission or to vse their owne words vnsaddle any Iustice of his Iustice ship I say it is his part to esteeme such derogatorie speaches no otherwise then for brauadoes of a brided braine or bragging vaunts of vpstart groomes onely to daunt pusillanimous Meacocks vvhich neuer saw the Lyons in the Tower nor vnderstand the truescope at which the state of England aimes Euen as I neuer knew any man in all my life despised for his silence and sparing speach so likewise I neuer knew any man degraded of his authoritie for his zealous endeauours on the Kings behalfe Wherefore let this stand for a watch-word to our Countrey Iustices that they be not terrified from well-doing with the swaggering on-sets of craking Crocodiles Let them put on the armour of patience and the spirit of Detraction will in time burst asunder like the Babilonians God Let them but for a while stand still and these Thrasonicall Rhodomontes will voluntarily surrender vp the cudgels Their nature is to begin as men and to end as women to come in as thunder and to goe out as smoke to boast of loftie things at first and to faint at last vnder their owne burthen For truth is great and will preuaile Then feare not yee proud Hamans wrath for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of God as King Iehosaphat encouraged his Iudges Ye need not doubt of your Priace his countenance as long as ye walk vprightly and as long as Fame the worlds great Trumpetour sounds out that noble distick in your commendations Nec prece nec pretio nec pondere diuitis aurâ— Nec quicquam tumidis flectitur ille minis Nor with faire words nor with rich bribing gold They moued are nor yet with threatnings bold Wherein then can they harme you In vncharitable lectures in rayling in reuiling in reuealing their owne dregs and as the Apostle writes In foming out their owne shame like the raging waues of the sea Let this be the vpshot of all your thoughts as I said before that no man vvhatsoeuer can escape the tempests of detracting tongues It is an antient adage that a barking dogge seldome bites and that the deepest riuers runne with least noise vvhy will yee therefore doubt these clattering clappers Aboue all things I could wish that those whom the Kings Matestie by the recommendation of his graue Counsell golden mâ—uthed Nestors and sage Chrysostomes hath nominated to sit in the tribunall throne of Iustice that they behaue themselues with more ciuilitie in their ordinarie speaches towards the inferiour family of Christs Church not nick-naming the vilest wretch seeing that such deserue rather to be pitied or else punished after some other way Michaell the Archangell reuiled not the Diuell albeit that he was worthy of millions of curses and of a world of taunts If wee be Tyrants towards our inferiours what sauours ought wee to expect at the hands of our chiefe Superiour which regardeth an humble contrite minde more then all the sacrifices in the vvorld and vvhich confounds all haughty hot-spurres in their owne imaginations and vaine deuises To be short imprint yee this lesson firmely in your hearts Cum sueris Iudex miti sis corde memâ—nto Dicito quae possint dicta decereseneim Be milde and meeke in Iudgement seat And speake no words in Passions heat But as a graue and auntient Iudge Speake without wrath speake without grudge LINEAMENT X. 1 That a true Christian ought not to detract from the Iudges of his Countrey though they wrong him 2 That no mortall man liues exempted from man fold crosses 3 What vexations besall to Iudges themselues DEtract not from the Iudges of thy Countrey though they behaue themselues not so cleanly in their offices as they ought But perswade thy quiet conscience that the highest Iudge beholdeth their corruptions from his heauenly Pharos or Watch-towre of knowledge and that sometime or other vvhen it shall seeme best vnto his prouident Maiestie hee vvill eyther plague them by immediate iudgements from heauen or else hee will raise vp some sinister fortune here on earth in reuenge of their enormious liues for this is a principall maxime in Diuinitie that euery Creature is offended with vs when our Creator is offended vvith vs. Offenso Creatore offenditur omnis Creatura As long as thou sweepest and keepest thine owne closet neat and cleane and carriest thy conscience vvithout guilt or guile what matters it to thee how other men demeane themselues Cannot rich men weare what new-fangled apparrell best likes their franticke fancie thou must onely accompt for thine owne Bailiwick The number of the vniust haue euer exceeded the