said The Lord our God's one Lord In which word One the Vnitie is meant Of the three Persons solely Omnipotent In which by One 't is well observ'd That he The second Person in the Trinitie Meant in the second word who hath the name To be Our God 'T is because we may claime Iust int'rest in him And though all the Three May be call'd ours more in particular He. One reason is Because he Heav'n forsooke And on himselfe our humane nature tooke In all things like so did his Grace abound Saue only that in him no sinne was found Next That he bore our sinnes freed our transgression And last For vs in Heaven makes intercession Two natures in one person so ally'd Some hold in Mans creation tipify'd From Earth his body Adam had 't is said His Soule from Heauen both these but one Man made Christs humane nature had with man affinitie Being very Man and from God his Diuinitie Being very God In both so to subsist Godhood and Manhood make vp but one Christ. In Iacob's Ladder figur'd this we see Which Ladder Christ himselfe profest to be Of which the foot being fixt vpon the ground The top to heauen thus much to vs doth sonnd That in this Scale at such large distance set The Heauen and Earth at once together met So Christs Humanitie from Earth was giuen But his Diuinitie he tooke from Heauen As from Earth Earthy as from Heauen Diuine Two Natures in one Person thus combine The choicest things about the Arke were fram'd Of Gold and Wood Wood worthlesse to be nam'd If with Gold valu'd for the Cedar's base Compar'd with th' Ophir Mine yet had it grace With it's rich tincture to be ouerspred In this respect the Godhood may be sed To be the Gold the Manhood baser wood And yet both these as truly vnderstood Made but one Arke So the two Natures raise Betwixt them but one Christ. He forty daies Fasted i' th Desart and did after grow Hungry by which the Text would haue vs know Hee 's God because of his miraculous fast Hee 's Man because he hungry grew at last He slept at sea when the great tempest rose This shew'd him Man as needfull of repose When he rebuk'd the Windes and Surges tam'd He his great Godhood to the World proclaim'd He wept o're Lazarus as he was man But foure dayes buried when he rais'd him than He appear'd God He dy'de vpon the Crosse As he was Man to redeeme Mankindes losse But at his death when th' Earth with terror shooke And that the Sun affrighted durst not looke On that sad obiect but his light withdrew By strange Eclipse this shew'd him to be true And perfect God since to confirme this wonder The Temples Vaile was seene to rend asunder The Earth sent forth her Dead who had abode Long in the earth All these proclaim'd him God The tenth of the seuenth moneth the Hebrew Nation Did solemnise their Feast of Expiation So call'd because the High-Priest then confest How He with all the People had transgrest His and Their sinnes Obserue how thence ensu'th A faire agreement 'twixt the Type and Truth Aaron the High-Priest went into the place Call'd Holiest of Holies Christ by ' his grace Made our High-Priest into the Holiest went Namely the Heauen aboue the Firmament Aaron but once a yeare He once for all To make way for Mankinde in generall He by the bloud of Goats and Calues but Christ By his owne bloud the blessed Eucharist Aaron went single in and Christ alone Hath trod the Wine-presse and besides him none He with his Priestly robes pontifically Christ to his Office seal'd eternally From God the Father Aaron tooke two Goats Which ceremoniall Type to vs denotes That Christ assum'd two Natures that which fled The Scape-Goat call'd to vs deciphered His Godhoods imp'assibilitie And compris'd In th' other on the Altar sacrifis'd His Manhoods suffering since that Goat did beare The Peoples sinnes Which in the Text is cleare Saint Paul in his Epistle we reade thus That Christ without sinne was made Sinne for vs. Hence growes that most inscrutable Diuinitie Of the three sacred Persons the blest Trinitie Which holy Mysterie hath an extension Aboue Mans braine or shallow apprehension Nor can it further in our brests take place Than we' are inlightned by the Spirit of Grace How should we then Finite and Mortall grow By meditation or deepe search to know Or dare ambitiously to speake or write Of what Immortall is and Infinite And yet 'mongst many other deuout men Heare something from the learned Nazianzen The Monady or number One we see In this great Godhood doth arise to three And then this mysticall Trine sacred alone Retyres it selfe into the number One Nor can this Diuine Nature be dissect Or separated in the least respect Three Persons in this Trias we do name But yet the Godhood still One and the same Each of the Three by right a God we call Yet is there but one God amongst them all When Cicero with graue and learned Phrase Had labour'd long the Godhood to emblaze He doth conclude it of that absolute kinde No way to be decipher'd or defin'd Because ' boue all things Hee 's superior knowne And so immense to be contain'd in none A prime and simple Essence vncompounded And though that many labouring to haue sounded This Diuine Essence and to'haue giuen it name They were not able yet to expresse the same As 't were afar off Epithites deuis'd And words in such strange circumstance disguis'd Nothing but quarrels and contentions breeding As Natures strength and Reasons much exceeding The Martyr Attalus when he was brought Before a Tyrant who esteemed nought Of God or goodnesse being askt in scorne What name God had A space from him did turne And after some small pause made this reply As th' Author doth of him historifie Your many gods haue names by which th' are knowne But our God being but One hath need of none Wise Socrates forbad men to enquire Of what shape God was Let no man aspire Saith Plato what God is to apprehend Whose Maiesties immensenesse doth extend So far and is so'vnimitably Great Beyond all vtterance or the hearts conceit Why then is it so difficult and rare Him to define It is because we are Of such streight Intellect narrow and rude Vncapable of his great Magnitude Our infirme sight is so obtuse and dull And His bright fulgence is so beautifull Hence comes it by no other names we may Call this great God than such as best display His Excellence Infinitie and all Wherein He'appeares solely Majesticall According to his Essence Him to know Belongs vnto Himselfe the Angels go By meere Similitude Man by a Glasse And Shape of things and can no further passe For he by contemplation
time this Being not to be at all Nay thus he will not leaue it but proceeds For Ignorance an Insolence still breeds If to this God saith he no body's lent He then can haue no soule by consequent Hauing no soule all action hee 's depriv'd Or if he haue a body that 's deriv'd From substance therefore subiect vnto change Appeares not this as friuolous as strange To any Vnderstander Who but knowes That euery action of the body growes From the Intelligent Soule whose facultie Allowes it motion and dexteritie Therefore ô miserable Worme I can In this afford thee scarce the name of Man Ope but the eyes of Nature and looke out Meerely with them none else and thou no doubt Wilt find thy selfe's obfuscate and obscur'd So void of sens'ble light and so immur'd With palped darknesse to be blind at least And nothing diffring from th' irrational Beast And therefore that of Zenophantes may Be well confer'd on thee Heare him thus say Had Brutes the art of Painting they of force Must draw themselues a Horse figure a Horse An Asse or Mule their Like the reason why They 're capable of no sublimitie Beyond themselues nor haue further extension Than meerely their owne brutish apprehension Such childish and vnmomentary grounds These Atheists build vpon which whoso sounds But with the line of Reason shall descry Their irreligious fond impiety He that shall with himselfe exactly way Those grosse and absurd lies may soone display That they are arrogant full of vain-glory Irregular from truth and refractorie Vnlearn'd replenisht with all lust and vice Seducers Mockers full of Riotise Time-soothers Flat'rers perfidious all In word deed thought meere diabolicall Now these because themselues haue left the best And against Nature heinously transgrest Of the Creator hauing no respect And casting on their owne soules a neglect By ill example others would persuade That Diuine Lawes for policie were made That Hell 's a Bug-beare to keepe men in feare That Scriptures to that end deuised were Persuading others to eat drinke and play Since after death there is no further day To be Accountant in Their lusts to cherish Since that the Soule must with the body perish That Man was made vnto no other end Than please his appetite be his owne friend And That all euills euen with good things runne If politiquely and in priuat done Such are their actions and their liues but when They 're brought vnto the Test behold them then At the last gaspe most ready to catch hold Vpon the least hope durst they make so bold Looke on your father Aristotle the best And Ipse that Philosophy profest When vnto him who all strange Nouels sought 'Mongst others Moses his first booke was brought Cal'd Genesis Those few words hauing read God in the first beginning created The Heav'ns and Earth c. Away with this saith he 'T is full of fables and new fantasy That speakes of many things but nothing proues And that a true Philosopher not loues But drawing neere his end when he began More truly to consider What was man He into strange anxieties doth grow Whether the Soule immortall were or no His body trembles euery ioynt doth shake And these 't is said were the last words he spake Pollutedly into the world I came Sad and perplext I liv'd and from the same Much troubled I depart O pitty me Thou of all Beings onely knowne to Be. If from the wisest of you all this came Learne to know Him who onely writes I am He is Heav'ns King and Lord of Earth alone In Person three but yet in Godhead one Truly Omnipotent All-knowing and In Heav'n and Earth of soueraigne sole command His Nature simple bodilesse vnseene Vncirconscribed t' whom nothing hath beene Is or shall be superior vnderstood Great without quantitie without quality good Most perfect without blemish without Time Eternall in his potencie sublime Strength without Weaknesse Life without Decay Present each where and yet doth no where stay All things at once without aduice directing All things at once without least paine protecting He is without beginning and yet giues A First to each thing that subsists and liues Who hath made all things changeable yet He Stable and free from mutabilitie Himselfe without place all things else instating Without materials all his works creating In greatnesse infinite goodnesse incomparable In vertue strong wisedome inestimable So secret no man can deceiue his trust In Counsels terrible in Iudgements iust Copious in Mercy glorious in his Name Holy in all his Works alwaies The same Eternall Sempiternall Liuing-God Inchangeable in Essence or Aboad Whom Space cannot enlarge nor Place confine Constant in Purpose and in Act Diuine Him Need compells not nor can Chances sad Disturbe neither can Ioyfull things make glad Obliuion takes not nor can Memory add To him Vnborne to whom old Time can lend No ' ncrease at all nor casuall Chance giue end He before Worlds Those are and These must be Was Is and shall liue to Eternity Aboue all Apprehension Thought Opinion Therefore to Him be all Praise Power Dominion All singular Honour Glory with Congruity Of Saints Angels and Men to perpetuity Be ascrib'd with all the Attributes extending Through all vnwearied Worlds and without ending QVod Deus est scimus sed quid si scire velimus Vltra nos imus sed quod sit sumus imus Vltimus primus scimus plus scire nequimus ¶ The English That there 's a God we know But what he is to show Beyond our selues we go His Height and Depth below Him First and Last we know But more we cannot show THEOLOGICALL PHILOsophicall Morall Poeticall Historicall Emblematicall Obseruations to the further illustration of the former Tractate THat nothing in these short Tractates may appeare difficult to the Ignorant I hold it necessarie vnto my present purpose as willing to be vnderstood by all to illustrate whatsoeuer may seem obscure as well by Precept as Historie Which though the Learned may passe ouer as things to them familiar and well knowne yet vnto others neither frequent in reading nor well trauelled in language no doubt but some of our marginal Annotations with other particular Obseruations may in their carefull perusall benefit such as reade not onely for fashion but vse and make it not their pastime but their profit For that was the end to which industrious Authors first aimed their Indeauors and spent so much Inke and Oile in their daies labours and nights watchings Nor do I this without president and therefore am the more willing to pattern my selfe by example Atheisme and Impietie saith Cardanus Paschal is a meere contempt of Religion and therefore by consequence the Fountaine of Impietie and Breeder of all Calamitie The contempt of Diuine Worship is injustice against God our Parents and Countrey as aduerse to Reason as Goodnesse and all that are thereunto obnoxious either beleeue not
Platonists call gods All those sublunary they Daemons styl'd As Apuleius in his booke compyl'd De deo Socratis makes ample mention According to his humane apprehension We know their Places and their Offices But of their Natures and their Substances Onely so far no farther we dare skan Than that they are more excellent than man Thus by the Psalmist warranted who sayes When our Nobilitie he semees to praise And what Man was before he did transgresse Thou mad'st him than the Angels little lesse Some would allow them Bodies and of them Tertullian one another Origen From Genesis The Sonnes of God 't is there Seeing Mens Daughters and how faire they were Tooke them to be their Wiues Now both agree That these no other could than Angels be Who if they married must haue Bodies those Compos'd of Forme and Matter to dispose Else how should they haue Issue And againe How are bad Sprites sensible of paine In Hells eternall torments if there faile That Substance on the which Fire may preuaile So diuers of the Fathers were of minde For in Saint Austines Comment you may finde The subtile essence of the Angels pure At first that they more fully might endure The sence of Fire was grossed in their Fall Of courser temper than th' Originall Moreouer Damascenus is thus heard Each thing created if with God compar'd Who onely incorruptible is shall finde Them Grosse and all materiall in their kinde For He alone 't is we may truly call Vnbodied and Immateriall Ambrose Lactantius and Basilius Rupertus Atlas Athanasius With Firmianus did beleeue no lesse As more at large their publique Workes expresse To these oppos'd in censure others are Who in their best of judgements not once dare Allow them Bodies but meere Spirits to bee Void of all matter and in this agree Nazianzen Gregorie Thomas Aquine Saint Chrisostome and Thomas Argentine Alexander Alexandri and Marselius Bonaventura Augustinus Niphus Hugo de S. Victore Scotus men Gen'erally approv'd and with these Damascen Who saith That in respect of God on hye His Pewer and most inserutable Qualitie They may be said to haue Bodies yet he wou'd Not haue it be so simply vnderstood But that they are not all so exquisite As mutable confin'd to place finite When as his Nature more Diuine by farre Is subiect to no Change as Angels ar ' An Infinite a Majestie so Immence No place can circumscribe his Eminence To leaue Authorities yet make this plaine Let 's see what grounds from Reason we can gaine If they haue bodies they must needs be linkt Of members as Mans is Organs distinct And like composure else they must be fram'd Confus'd and without those which we haue nam'd If Limbs and Organs consequently then They must haue Sence if Sence Passions as men And therefore capable of Perturbation So of Corruption and of Alteration As bee'ng compos'd of Contraries If we say Th' are from Corruption free t' infer that they Their bodies neuer can put off and so Into a grosse absurditie they grow To make them in worse state than Man for he Puts off all Cares with his Mortalitie But on their perpetuitie doth depend Trouble and Toiles sence which can neuer end Againe if Bodies they must either be Hard to be felt and of soliditie Or else Liquid and soft If stand vpon The last th' are signes of imperfection Subiect to be diuided and to take Strange shapes vpon them and the first forsake As to be chang'd to Water or to Aire Which doth not stand with sence for if we dare Allow them hard and sollid we' are deluded Since such from other Bodies are excluded As in dimention limited and space Because two Bodies cannot haue one place Nor can they with that quicke celeritie Moue in one Sphere then in another be 'T must likewise follow That such as are sent Downe to the Earth cannot incontinent But with much difficultie or'ecome the way First in one Heav'n then in another stay Haue time to penetrate as needs it is Now that Coelestiall Body and then this When as if Alphraganius we may trust Or Thebit Arabs both of force it must Be a great distance For these Authors write If that an Angell in his swiftest flight Should from the eighth Heauen to the Earth descend A thousand miles in threescore minutes to spend So far remote they are if truly told Six yeares six moneths his journey would him hold But now what difficult to some may'appeare To reconcile and all those doubts to cleare Ev'n as Mans wisdome being lustly way'd With Gods to be meere Foolishnesse is said Not that it is in its owne nature so And that than Brutes he doth no further know But in respect of God's so pure and holy It in that sence may be reputed Folly So th'vncorporeall Spirits Bodies claime Which if we with th' Almighties Essence name In that regard 't is palpable and grosse No better to be styl'd than Dung and Drosse Now by the Sonnes of God who beheld then The Daughters which were said to be of Men Is meant the Sonnes of Seth to make it plaine Seeing those Daughters which were come of Cain Of them tooke wiues each where he liked best Heare in a Lateran Councell what 's exprest Touching Spirituall and Corporeall Creatures Distinguisht thus The great God of all Features The sole Creator Visible and Vnseene Spirituall and those which Bodied beene Who from Times first beginning hath both fram'd Spirituall and those Corporeall nam'd By which we vnderstand Angelicall And Mundane here below He after all Did then create Man in his blest estate Both Soule and Body to participate The Phrase of Scripture doth confirme as much As oft as it doth on the Spirit touch A Substance without Body it approoues The Spirit is God saith Iohn and it behooues All such as will in worship fall before him Meerely in Spirit and in Truth t'addore him Besides Saint Luke doth witnesse One mans brest At once of a whole Legion was possest Of vncleane Spirits Which had they Bodies How Could it sufficient place to them allow To'inhabit when each Legion doth by List Of six thousand six hundred sixty six consist If there be any of Saint Gregories mind To thinke that Angels are to Place design'd All such must vnderstand it is not meant According to the limited extent Of their Angel-like Substances but rather Which from their great employments we may gather Of their owne vertues the determination In the determin'd place of operation Nor is 't of force That Angels by their Fall Should gaine a Substance more materiall On which th' infernall Fire it selfe might feed Of such a spissed Substance there 's no need Since of their lasting torments without pause The Fire is not the sole and principall cause But as an Instrument a power it hath From Gods owne hand and iust incensed wrath To the three Ternions I returne againe Linkt fast
doth deuise Touching the Angels First saith he the Deuill Was made of Fire pestiferous and euill The glorious Spirits Attendants on the Throne And faithfull Ministers to God alone For euer seated in that blessed Bowre Haue Wings some two some three and others foure Making of this as confident relation As had he present been at the Creation And of these Two attending on the Throne Of the great God Almighty Maroth one Haroth another were from Heav'n downe sent With full Commission to haue gouernment Or'e all Mankinde not onely to conduct them In their affaires but tutor and instruct them With these prouiso's neuer to incline Either to Kill Iudge rashly or Drinke Wine All which of long time hauing strictly kept In the plainerode and to no by-path stept It chanc'd in processe an offending Wife Did with her peruerse husband fall at strife A day of hearing bee'ng appointed she Inuites vnto a banquet cunningly These two impartiall Iudges ' sore them plac'd Right costly Cates made both for shew and taste But sauc'd with wine which was vnknowne to them And by this close and crafty stratagem Spurring them on with courteous welcome still Their pallats being pleas'd they bad her fill In plenteous cups to them till both in fine Were much distemper'd and or'come with Wine And in this heate lust breaking into fire They then to'adulterate her bed desire To which she yeelds vpon condition they Will teach her Characters by which she may Be lifted to those heav'ns aboue the Sun And without let behold what 's therein done And after that she may haue free transmission Downe to the earth and that with expedition They grant to her and she to them applies The words no sooner spoke but vp she flies Where seene and question'd how she thither came She opens the whole matter just the same As was before related but for feare She should disclose on earth the Glories there Shee soone was chang'd into a fulgent Star In light excelling others ev'n as far As when in life below she did remaine Her lustre did inferior Beauties staine Now after this the Angels were conuented Who waking from their drowsinesse repented Of their vaine folly and with terror great Were brought to answer at the Iudgement Seat The fault confest the processe and the ground With euery circumstance this grace they found To haue after discussion in the close What punishment they would themselues impose Betwixt this World and th' other to endure Who made choice in iron chaines to be bound sure And haue both heads and bodies drown'd in mudâ— In a most putrid Lake call'd Bebel floud One grosse thing more to these I 'le adde and than To his perdition leaue this brain-sicke Man Further he saithâ— In the last dreadfull day Th'Angell of Death that 's Adriel call'd shall slay All Soules then liuing And that slaughter past Fall on his owne sword and so die the last And when all liuing creatures are destroy'd The world shall forty yearesâ— stand after void Infinite are his most blasphemous Fictions And eachwhere interlac't with contradictions As in feign'd Miracles the generall Doome The dissolution that is yet to come Concerning these a question may arise Whether these sottish and most fabulous Lies More fondly by this Iugler were conceated Or by Mad-folke beleev'd and thereby cheated Now something touching the arch-Heresies Of the Priscillians and the Manechies Of whom thus briefely They nor blush nor feare To write and teach That two Beginnings were Of vniuersall Nature Good and Bad The one of cherefull Light the other sad Darkenesse the Author Of which they retaine Th' essence within themselues and from these faâ—gne A God and Diuell And that all things made From these Materials their condition had Of Good and Euill Both the Sects agreeing That from the better Good the World had Being Yet they say further That the mixture knit Of Good and Bad insep'rable in it From these two opposit Natures doth arise And therefore in their fancies they deuise Fiue Elements to either There 's assign'd Smoke Darkenesse Fire the Water and the Winde To the Bad Nature out of Smoke they bring All two leg'd Creatures and thence Man to spring They further fable and from Darkenesse breed Dragons and Serpents with all Reptile seed Foure-footed Beasts from Fire they procreate From Water Fish Fowles from Winde generate The number of the Elements are fiue Which from the Better Nature they deriue Oppos'd to these Aire from the Smoke they draw Light out of Darknesse by the selfe same law Fire needfull from Fire hurtfull Water thus Vsefull from what 's Disaduantagious From Windes contagious Windes of healthfull vse And betwixt these there can be made no Truce They likewise trifle That all difficultie To'attaine vnto the true Felicitie Consists in separating th' Ills contagion From the Goods purer nature Which persuasion Yet leads them further That since these two first Pow'rfull Beginnings term'd the Best and Worst Are at perpetuall discord hence should breed Of War that natiue and intestine seed Betwixt the Flesh and Spirit in which Strife None 's capable of euerlasting life But such as the Good Nature can diuide From that contagion which the Bad doth guide They say That to the Light pur'd and refin'd Two shapes from Gods pure nature are assign'd Namely the Sun and Moone and these conuey That perfect splendor which enlights for aye The heav'nly Kingdome and most glorious Seat Of High Iehovah who 's the onely Great And Pow'rfull hauing the sole domination His Mansion being their blest habitation They feigne Our Grandfire and great-Grandame Eve Which none of common Reading can beleeue Of Sacla Prince of Smoke were form'd and made That by the Serpent he who first betrayd Those our first Parents Christ himselfe was meant Who bad them taste the Apple to th' intent That they the Good from what was Ill might know And that his body meerely was in show Phantasticall not Reall That the Trine Sent him to saue the Soule that was Diuine But not the Flesh and Body because they Were made of impure stuffe Dust Earth and Clay Of which Absurds I 'le make no more narration Vnworthy mention much more confutation ¶ Tribus modis in veritate peccatur 1. Veritatem prae timore tacendo 2. Veritatem in mendatium comutando 3. Veritatem non defendendo Chrisost. Explicit Metrum Tractatus quinti. Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogliphicall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. TThe Consimilitudes and Concordances betweene the seuerall degrees of Angels and the Heauens and Planets I doubt not but is sufficiently manifested Whosoeuer desireth to be further more fully instructed in the Motions and courses of the Spheres I refer him to peruse Iun. Higinus Libertus his Poëticon Astronomicon where hee discourseth learnedly of the World the Spheres the Centre the Axis the Zodiacke Circle Earth Sea c. of Arâ—tos Maior
and Eusebius in his Chronicle to the thirty third yeare of Christ cite this Author Of the same witnesseth Lucianus Martyr saying Seeke in your Annals and you shall finde that in the time of Pilat the Sunne being banished the day gaue place to darkenesse These words Ruffinus vseth in his translation of his Ecclesiastical History into the Latine tongue So likewise Tertullian in Apollogeticon and Paulus Orosius in his historie But all these doubts may be decided and these difficulties be easily made plaine for where it was said That the defect of the Sunne still happeneth in the new Moone and not when it is at the full most true it is in all naturall Eclipses but that which happened at the death of our Sauior was singular and prodigious which could onely be done by him who created the Sunne the Moone the Heauens and the Earth For Dionysius Areopagita in the place before cited affirmeth That himselfe with one Apollophanes saw the Moon about mid-day with a most swift and vnusuall course haste vnto the Sunne and subiect it selfe vnto it and as it were cleaue thereunto vntill the ninth houre and then by the same way returne to it 's owne place in the East Concerning that which was added That no defect in the Sun could possibly continue for the space of three houres together so thaâ— darkenesse might ouershadow the whole earth it is thus answered Most true it is that in an vsuall and naturall Eclipse it remains infallibly so but this was not gouerned by the Lawes of Nature but by the will of the omnipotent Creator who as he could carry the Moone with a swift course from the Orient to meet with the Sunne in the meridian and after three houres returne it backe into it's owne place in the East so by his power he could bring to passe that these three houres hee could stay the Moone with the Sunne and command her to moue neither more slowly nor swiftly than the Sun Lastly where it was said That it was not possible this Eclipse should be seene ouer the face of the whole earth considering that the Moone is lesser than the earth and therefore much lesse than the Sunne there is no question but true it is if we reflect but vpon the interposition of the Moone alone but what the Moone of it selfe could not do the Creator of the Sunne and Moone had power to do For things created can doe nothing of themselues without the aid and co-operation of the Creator And whereas some may obiect and say That through the darkenesse made by the thicke and dusky clouds the light might be obscured from the vniuersall face of the earth Neither can that hold currant for then those foggie and tenebrous clouds had not only couered the Sunne and the Moone but those very Stars also which by reason of that darkenesse were visible and manifestly discouered to shine in the Firmament Now there are diuers reasons giuen why it pleased God Almightie that at the passion of our Sauior the Lord of life such darkenesse should be and two especially The first was To signifie the apparant blindenesse of the Iews which was then and doth still continue According to the Prophecie of Esay For behold Darkenesse shall couer the earth and thicke darknesse the people c. The second cause was To shew the great and apparant sinnes of the Iewes which Saint Hierome in his Comment vpon Saint Mathew doth thus illustrate Before saith he euill and wicked men did vex and persecute good and just men but now impious men haue dared to persecute and crucifie God himselfe cloathed in human flesh Before Citisens with Citisens had contention strife begot euill language ill words and sometimes slaughter but now seruants and slaues haue made insurrection against the King of Men and Angels and with incredible audacitie nailed him vnto the Crosse. At which the whole World quaked and trembled and the Sunne it selfe as ashamed to looke vpon so horrible and execrable an act withdrew his glorious lustre and couered all the aire with most terrible darknesse Thus you haue heard the Incarnation Life Doctrine Miracles and Death of the blessed Redeemer of the World God and Man from whom we ground our Christian Religion Now because I had occasion to speake of the Turkish Alcaron and the apparant absurdities contained therein it shall not be amisse to insert somthing concerning the Authour thereof that comparing his life with his doctrine the basenesse of the one may make the blasphemies of the other appeare the more odious and abhominable Platina writeth That he was descended nobly but his authoritie is not approued Therefore I rather follow Pomponius Lata in his Abridgement of the Romane Historie who agreeing with other authentik Authors deriues him from an ignoble vile obscure Linage Some say he was an Arab others a Persian nor are either of their opinions to be reiected because at that time the Persians had the predominance ouer Arabia His Father was a Gentile and an Idolater his Mother a Iew and lineally descended from Ismael the son of Abraham by his bond-woman Hagar He was of a quicke and actiue spirit left an Orphant and being yong was surprised by the Scenites who were of the Arabs in Africa and liued as Theeues and Robbers Being by them sold vnto a rich Merchant named Adimonepli because the Lad was wel featured and quicke witted hee vsed him not as his slaue but rather as his sonne Who accordingly mannaged all his masters affaires with great successe trading dayly both with Iewes and Christians by reason of which hee came to be acquainted with both their Lawes and Religions His master died without issue leauing his Widow who was about fifty yeares of age named Ladigna wonderous rich shee after tooke Mahomet to husband by which mariage hee suddenly became of a poore slaue a wealthy master of a family About that time one Sergius a Monke a debosht fellow of a spotted life and base condition who for maintaining of sundrie dangerous heresies was fled out of Constantinople and for the safegard of his threatned life thought to shelter himselfe in Arabia in processe of time grew into great acquaintance and familiaritie with Mahomet who consulted together and began to proiect great matters Now Mahomet hauing before been entred into the study of Magicke or Necromancie resolued to persuade the Gentiles that he was a Prophet To prepare which hee had practised diuers iugling trickes by which his wife and his owne houshold were first abused To further which credulitie hee was troubled with the Falling Sickenesse at which his wife and the rest of her Neighbours being amased he made of that this diuellish vse to persuade them That at such time as the fall took him the Angell of God came to confer with him and hee being but mortall and not able to endure his diuine presence was forced into those sudden agonies and alterations of spirit This being generally reported and
a sufficient answer namely That the Substances of things were created together but not formed and fashioned together in their seuerall distinct kindes They were disgested together by substance of matter but appeared not together in substantiall forme for that was the worke of six dayes Moreouer when Moses in his first Chapter of Genesis saith That things were created in euery one of the six dayes seuerally in the second chapter of the same Booke he speaketh but of one day only by way of Catastrophe or Epilogue All which hee had before distinctly described saying These are the generations of the Heauen and the Earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the Earth and the Heauens Neither is this any contradiction for we must not take the dayes according to the distinction of Times for God had no need of Time as being first made by him but by reason of the works of Perfection which is signified and compleated by the number of Six which is a most perfect number Moreouer as the Psalmist saith A thousand yeares are vnto him but as one day Avenzor the Babylonian saith That he which knoweth to number well knoweth directly all things Neither was it spoken in vaine but to the great praise of Almighty God Omnia in mensura Numero Pondere disposuisti i. Thou hast disposed all things in Number in Measure and in Weight It is moreouer said in Eccles. 1 2. Who can number the sands of the Sea and the drops of the raine and the dayes of the world Who can measure the height of the Heauen the bredth of the Earth and the depth Who can finde the Wisedome of God which hath beene before all things c. It is worthy remarke which one ingeniously obserues Two wayes saith he we come to the apprehension and knowledge of God by his Workes and by his Word by his Works we know that there is a God and by his Word we come to know what that God is his Workes teach vs to spell his Word to reade The first are his backe-parts by which we behold him afarre off the later represent him vnto vs more visibly and as it were face to face For the Word is as a booke consisting of three leaues and euery leafe printed with many letters and euery letter containeth in it selfe a Lecture The Leaues are Heauen the Aire and the Earth with the Water the Letters ingrauen are euery Angell Starre and Planet the Letters in the Aire euery Meteor and Fowle those in the Earth and Waters euery Man Beast Plant Floure Minerall and Fish c. All these set together spell vnto vs That there is a God Moses in the very first verse of Genesis refuteth three Ethnycke opinions first Those that were of opinion the World was from eternitie and should continue for euer in these words when hee saith In the Beginning Secondly he stoppeth the mouth of stupid and prophane Atheists in this phrase Elohim created Thirdly and lastly hee opposeth all Idolaters such as held with many gods for the saith in the conclusion of the same Verse Elohim He created Heauen and Earth vsing the singular number It is the opinion of some antient Diuines That the Creation of the Angels was concealed by Moses lest any man should apprehend like those Heretiques spoken of by Epiphanius that they aided and assisted God in the Creation For if the day of their Creation which as the best approued Theologists confesse was the first day had beene named by Moses wicked and vngodly men might haue taken them to haue been Agents in that great and inscrutable Worke which indeed were no other than Spectators Therefore as God hid and concealed the Body of Moses after his death lest the Israelites so much addicted to Idolatry should adore and worship it so Moses hid and concealed the Creation of the Angels in the beginning lest by them they should be deified and the honour due to the Creator be by that meanes attributed and conferred on the Creature Rabbi Salom affirmeth them to be created the first day and some of our later Diuines the fourth day but their opinions are not held altogether authenticall It is likewise obserued That God in the creation of the world beginneth aboue and worketh downwards For in the first three dayes he layd the foundation of the world and in the other three dayes he furnished and adorned those parts The first day he made all the Heauens the matter of the earth and commeth downe so low as the Light The second day he descendeth lower and maketh the Firmament or Aire The third lowest of all making a distinction betwixt the Earth and Water Thus in three dayes the three parts or body of the World is laid and in three dayes more and in the same order they were furnished For on the fourth day the Heauens which were made the first day were decked and stucke with starres and lights The fift day the Firmament which was made the second day was filled with Birds and Fowles The sixt day the Earth which was before made fit and ready the third day was replenished with Beasts and lastly with Man And thus God Almighty in his great Power and Wisedome accomplished and finished the miraculous worke of the Creation Rabbi Iarchi vpon the second of Genesis obserueth That God made superior things one day and inferiour another His words being to this purpose In the first day God created Heauen aboue and Earth beneath on the second day the Firmament aboue on the third Let the dry land appeare beneath on the fourth Lights aboue and the fift Let the waters bring forth beneath c. On the sixt day he made things both superior and inferior lest there should be confusion without order in his Work Therefore he made Man consisting of both a Soule from aboue and a Body from beneath c. An Allegorie drawne from these is That God hath taught vs by the course he took in the framing and fashioning of the world how we must proceed to become a new Creation or a new Heauen and Earth renewed both in soule and body In the first day he made the Light therefore the first thing of the new man ought to be light of Knowledge for Saint Paul saith He that commeth to God must know that He Is. On the second day he made the Firmament so called because of it's stedfastnesse so the second step in Mans new Creation must be Firmamentum Fidei i. the sure foundation of Faith On the third day the Seas and Trees bearing Fruit so the third step in the New man is That he become Waters of relenting teares and that he bring forth fruit worthy of Repentance On the fourth day God created the Sunne that whereas on the first day there was light without heate now on the fourth day there is Light and Heate ioyned together So the fourth step in the new creation of the New man is That
and serue him Not that hee should proudly ouerweene That the shape and figure of God is answerable in a true and iust conformity with his owne for the word Image is not so to be vnderstood to accord correspond with the exterior shape or similitude but rather with the spirituall Intelligence which consists of the more pretious part namely the Soule For as God by his vncreated Power is wholly God gouerning and giuing life to all things for as the Apostle saith In Him we liue moue and haue our Being euen so the Soule by his prouidence giueth life to the bodie and vnto euery part thereof and is said to be the Image of God like as in the Trinitie for though in name it is but one Soule yet hath it in it selfe three excellent dignities The Vnderstanding the Will and the Memorie And as the Son is begotten of the Father and the Holy-Ghost and proceedeth both from the one and the other in like manner is the Will ingendred of the Vnderstanding and Memorie And as the three persons of the Trinitie are but one God so these three powers and faculties of the Soule make but one Soule Man then was created according to the Image of God that euerie Like delighting in his Like hee should euermore wish to bee vnited vnto his Similitude which is God first to acknowledge him next in knowing him to honor him and in honoring him to loue him and in louing him to serue and obey him For this cause he made him with an vpright and erected body noâ— so much for his dissimilitude vnto beasts who be stooping and crooked hauing their eyes directed to the earth as to eleuate his lookes and to mount his vnderstanding toward heauen his original leauing all the obiects of terrestriall vanities and exercising his faculties in the contemplation and speculation of things sublime and permanent God when he created Man bestowed vpon him three especiall good gifts the first His owne Image the next That hee made him after his owne similitude the third That hee gaue him the Immortalitie of the Soule Which three great blessings saith Hugo S. Victor were conferred by God vpon Man both naturally and by originall justice Two other gifts hee hath inriched Man with the one vnder him the other aboue him vnder him the World aboue him God The World as a visible good but Transitorie God as an invisible Good and Eternall There be three principall Hurts or Euils which abuse and corrupt the three before-named Blessings the first Ignorance of Goodnesse and Truth the second an appetite and desire of Euil and Wickednesse the last Sicknesse and infirmity of the body Through Ignorance the Image of God hath beene defaced in vs by Carnall desires his Similitude blemished and by Infirmities the body for the present made incapable of Immortality For these three Diseases there be three principall Remedies Wisedome Vertue and Necessitie to ouercome Ignorance we are to make vse of Wisedome that is to vnderstand things as they are without idle curiositie To suppresse the appetite to do euill we are to embrace Vertue which is the habitude of the Soule after nature conformable with Reason To make Necessitie tread down Infirmitie is meant of absolute Necessitie without which things cannot be done as without eyes wee cannot see without eares heare without feet walke c. There is another kinde of Necessitie which is called Conditionall as when a man is to trauell a journey he vseth an horse for his better expedition And so the like For these three Remedies all Arts and disciplines in generall haue been deuised and inuented as first to attain vnto Wisdome and Knowledge the Theoricke or Contemplatiue for the atchieuing vnto Vertue the Practiuqe and Actiue and to supply Necessitie Mechanicke which is that which we call Handicraft or Trading which as Iohannes Ludovicus in his Booke called The Introduction to Wisedome saith Vtile indumentum excogitavit necessitas c. i. Necessitie found out Garments profitable pretious light neat and vaine Man consisteth of the Body and the Soule The true exact measure of Mans body wel proportioned is thus defined His height is foure cubits or six feet a cubit being iust one foot and an halfe the foot is the measure of foure palmes or hand-bredths a palme is the bredth of foure fingers ioyned The armes being spread abroad the space betweene the end of the one longest finger vnto the other is the iust measure from the plant of the foot to the crowne of the head according to Pliny lib. 7. cap. 17. The parts of the Body are thus proportioned the face from the bottom of the chinne to the top of the forehead or skirt of the haire is the tenth part of the height or length thereof the same is the bredth of the forehead from one side to the other The face is diuided into three equall parts one from the bottom of the chinne to the lowest tip of the nose the second from thence vpward to the eye brow the third from thence to the top of the forehead The length of the eye from one angle opposed to the other is the fiue and fortieth part the like proportion beareth the distance and space betwixt the one eye and the other The length of the nose is the thirtieth part and the hollow of the nosthrill the hundred and eightieth The whole headâ— from the bottome of the chinne to the crowne of the head the eighth part the compasse of the necke the fifteenth the length of the breast and stomack and so the bredth almost the sixt part The Nauil holdeth the mid seat in the body and diuideth it selfe into two equall distances The whole length of the thighes and legs to the plant or sole of the foot is little lesse than the â—alfe part the length of the foot the sixt part so also are the armes to the cubit and the cubit to the hand the hand is the tenth part Vitruv. lib. 13. Cardan lib. 11. de Subtilitate c. Plotinus the Platonicke Philosopher being earnestly solicited by the cunning Painter Emutius that he would giue him leaue to draw his picture would by no meanes suffer him but made him this answer Is it not enough that wee beare this image about vs whilest we liue but we must by way of ostentation leaue it for posteritie to gaze on For he was of the opinion of Pythagoras who called the Body nothing else but the Case or casket of the Mind and that hee saw the least of Man who looked onely vpon his bodie And Diogenes the Cynicke was wont to deride those who would keepe their Cellars shut barred and bolted and yet would haue their Bodies continually open by diuers windowes dores as the mouth the eyes the nosthrils and other secret parts thereof Stoboeus Serm. 6. The Body is described by Lucretius in this one Verse Tangere enim aut tangi nisi corpus nulla
Thy Maiestie and Might With Thy great Glory shining bright Are still to be adored solely V. The Heart that 's obstinate shall be With sorrowes laden heauily He that is wicked in his wayes What doth he but heape sinne on sin Which where it endeth doth begin Whom nothing being downe can raise VI. To the persuasion of the Prowd No remedie there is allow'd His steps shall faile that steddy seem'd Sinnes Root in him is planted deepe And there doth strong possession keepe He therefore shall not be esteem'd VII We know the Sinne from whence it grew We know the Torment thereto due And the sad place for it assign'd And yet the more we seeme to know The more we dull and stupid grow As if we sencelesse were and blind VIII Ope then our hearts our eyes vnmaske And grant vs what we humbly aske So much of Thy Diuinest Grace That we may neither erre nor stray But finding out the perfect way We may evade both Paine and Place IX Though Atheists seeme to jest at Hell There is a Tophet we know well O Atheismes pestilent infection There 's a Gehinnon a sad Graue Prepar'd at first for such as haue No hope in the blest resurrection X. Three times our Sauior wept we read When he heard Lazarus was dead Bewailing Humane frailty then When to Ierusalem he rid And a poore Asses Colt bestrid At the grosse folly blinding men XI He wept vpon the Crosse againe 'Gainst Humane Malice to complaine Seeing their insolence and pride When in such bitter grosse despight They crucify'd the Lord of Light Him who for Mans redemption dy'de XII How necessarie then are Teares To free vs from all future feares Of Death of Torment of Damnation Teares that can wash our Soules so white To bring vs to Eternall light Instating vs in our saluation XIII A contrite Spirit a broken Heart Moist eyes whence many dew drops start O grant vs then thou heav'nly King So we with Hearts and Tongues vnited May with the Psalmist be accited And Praise and Glory to Thee sing XIV Ye Sonnes of Men with one accord All Strength and Glory giue the Lord You that are Sonnes to men of Fame Giue them the Lord they are his due For know that it belongs to you To magnifie his holy Name XV. Within his glorious Temple Hee Deserueth Worship on the knee O kneele then at His sacred Shrine His Voice is on the Waters great His Glory thunders from his Seat His Pow'r doth on the Waters shine XVI His Voice is mighty glorious too For all things the Lords Voice can doo The strongest Cedars He doth breake When the Lords Voice from him is gon The Cedars ev'n of Lebanon Torne as they stand his Pow'r can speake XVII His Voice them of their leaues can strip He makes them like yong Calues to skip Nor doth the stedfast Mountaine scorne Or Hermon for his Dew so prais'd But when his voice aloft is rais'd To skip like a yong Vnicorne XVIII When the Lords Voice is lifted higher It doth diuide the flames of fire It makes the Wildernesse to quake Ev'n the great Wildernesse of all The Desart which we Kadesh call It doth compell to moue and shake XIX His Voice doth make the Hinde to beare And all those Forrests that cloath'd were Stand at his pleasure nak'd and bare And therefore in his Temple now All meet and to his Glory bow With Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer XX. The Lord the raging Seas doth sway The mighty Flouds to Him obay And neuer shall his Kingdome cease The Lord shall giue his People strength And will deliuer them at length And blesse them with his ioyfull Peace Non Delinquenti sed peccata relinquenti condonat Deus Ambros. THE PRINCIPAT Ex muner g glouer sculpt THE ARGVMENT of the seuenth Tractat. OF Gods great Works a serious view For which all praise to him is due The seuerall Classes that are held Amongst the Angels that rebel'd Of Lucifer the principall And his strange figure since his Fall Of Such as most in Power excell And of their Gouernment in Hell Their Orders Offices and Names And what Prioritie each claimes The List of Those that fell from Blisse The Knowledge that in Daemons is And how far stretcht Next of their Wrath Tow'rds Mankinde and what Bounds it hath Discouery of those Ginnes and Snares They lay t' entrap Men vnawares Of Compacts common in these Ages And of the Astrologomages The second Argument IN Heav'n in Earth in Hell some sway Others againe are taught t' obay The Principats GOds wondrous Works that haue before me beene I will record and speake what I haue seene Saith Wisedome No Worke present or decay'd But by his pow'rfull Word at first was made The Sun that shines and doth on all things looke What is it else but an illustrious booke In which th' Almighties Glory may be read Hath not the Lord who hath accomplished All things in season made each thing so rare That all his Saints his Glory shall declare These wondrous Workes surpassing humane sence T' expresse his Maiestie and Excellence The Heart he searcheth and the depth of man In his pre-Science knowing all he can Or thinke or act the wonders of the Skies And each obscure thing 's plaine before his eies Things past nor future can escape his brest All secret paths to Him are manifest No thought can Him escape of that be'assur'd Nor can the least word be from him obscur'd His Wisedomes exc'lent Works He doth extend From Euerlasting Neuer to haue end He needs no Counsellor his Will to act To Him can none adde no man can detract O how delectable Thou Lord of All Are thy stupendious Workes in generall By vs to be consider'd from things higher Ev'n to the very common sparks of Fire They liue by Thee created firme and sure And they to euerlasting shall endure And when he calls them to a reck'ning still As His they are obseruant to his Will Doubled they are one set against another And there is nothing his rare Works can smother The one the others workmanship commends How far then ô thou Mighty God extends Thy wondrous Pow'r or Who to Earth ally'd With thy great Glory can be satisfy'd Behold this high and sublime Ornament The beauty of the Heav'ns the Firmament So glorious to the eye in it the Sunne A maruellous Worke by the Creator done Which in it's dayly progresse through the Skie Points vnto vs the hand of the Most-Hye He burnes the Soile from his meridian seat And who is he that can abide his heat Three times more hot the mountaine tops he makes Than he that with his great care vndertakes To keepe a furnace in continuall â—lame His fiery vapors He casts out the same In their owne kinde so luminous and bright As that they dazle the beholders sight Great is the Lord that made the Sunne indeed And by his Word commands it run with speed The
astray as ev'ly minded For they in their owne wickednesse are blinded For nothing they Gods mysteries regard Nor of a good man hope for the reward Neither discerne That honour doth belong Vnto the faultlesse Soules that thinke no wrong For God created Man pure and vnblam'd Yea after his owne Image was he fram'd But by the Diuels enuy Death came in Who holds with him shall proue the Scourge of sin But in great boldnesse shall the Righteous stand Against the face of such as did command Them to the torture and by might and sway The fruits of all their labors tooke away When they shall see him in his strength appeare They shall be vexed with an horrid feare When they with an amased countenance Behold their wonderfull deliuerance And change their mindes and sigh with griefe and say Behold these men we labour'd to betray On whom with all contempt we did incroch And held them a meere by-word of reproch We thought their liues to madnesse did extend And there codld be no honour in their end How come they now amongst Gods Children told And in the list of Saints to be inrol'd Therefore from Truth 's way we haue deuious bin Nor trod the path the Righteous haue walkt in From the true Light we haue our selues confin'd Nor hath the Sun of Knowledge on vs shin'd The way of Wickednesse which leadeth on To ruine and destruction we haue gon By treading dangerous paths our selues w' haue tyr'd But the Lords way we neuer yet desir'd What profit hath our Pride or Riches brought Or what our Pompe since these are come to nought All these vaine things like shadowes are past by Or like a Post that seems with speed to fly Or as a Bird the earth and heav'n betweene Who makes her way and yet the path not seene The beating of her wings yeelds a soft sound But of her course there 's no apparance found As when an Arrow at a marke is shot Finds out a way but we perceiue it not For suddenly the parted aire vnites And the fore-passage is debat'd our â—ights So we no sooner borne and take our breath But instantly we hasten on to death In our liues course we in no vertue ioy'd And therefore now are in our sinnes destroy'd Th'Vngodlie's hopes to what may we compare But like the dust that 's scattered in the aire Or as the thin some gathered on the waue Which when the tempest comes no place can haue Or as the smoke dispersed by the wind Which blowne abroad no rest at all can find Or else As his remembrance steales away Who maketh speed and tarieth but a day But of the Iust for euer is th' aboad For their reward is with the Lord their God They are the charge and care of the most High Who tenders them as th' Apple of his eye And therefore they shall challenge as their owne From the Lords hand a Kingdome and a Crowne With his right hand hee 'l couer them from harme And mightily defend them with his arme He shall his Ielousie for Armor take And put in armes his Creatures for their sake His and their Foes to be reueng'd vpon He for a glorious breast-plate shall put on His Righteousnesse and for an Helmet beare True Iudgement to astonish them with feare For an invinc'd shield Holinesse he hath And for a sword he sharpens his fierce Wrath. Nay the whole World hee 'l muster to surprise His Enemies and fight against th' Vnwise The thunderbolts by th' hand of the most High Darted shall from the flashing lightnings fly Yea fly ev'n to the marke as from the Bow Bent in the clouds and in His anger go That hurleth stones the thicke Haile shall be cast Against them shall the Flouds and Ocean vast Be wondrous wroth and mightily or'eflow Besides the fierce Winds shall vpon them blow Yea and stand vp against them with their God And like a storme shall scatter them abroad Thus Wickednesse th' earth to a Desart brings And Sinne shall ouerthrow the Thrones of Kings You heare their doome It were not much amisse If we search further what this Atheisme is Obserue That sundry sorts of men there be Who spurne against the sacred Deitie As first Those whom Idolaters we call Pagans and Infidels in generall These though they be religious in their kinde Are in the manner of their worship blinde And by the Diuel's instigation won To worship Creatures as the Moon and Sun Others there be who the true God-head know Content to worship him in outward show Yet thinke his Mercy will so far dispence That of his Iustice they haue no true sence His Pitty they acknowledge not his Feare Because they hold him milde but not austere Some like brute beasts will not of sence discusse With such Saint Paul did fight at Ephesus Others are in their insolence so extreme That they deride Gods name scoffe and blaspheme As Holophernes who to Achior said Albeit thou such a vaine boast hast made That Israels God his people can defend Against my Lord who doth in power transcend Where th' Earth no greater pow'r knowes neere or far Than him whom I serue Nabuchadnezzar Diuers will seeme religious to comply With time and place but aske their reason Why They so conforme themselues They know no cause More than To saue their purse and keepe the Lawes There be to Noble houses make resort And sometimes Elbow Great men at the Court Who though they seeme to beare things faire and well Yet would turne Moses into Machiuel And but for their aduantage and promotion Would neuer make least tender of deuotion For their Diuinitie is that which we Call Policie their Zeale Hipocrisie Their God the Diuell whose Imagination Conceits That of the world was no Creation These haue into Gods Works no true inspection Dreame of no Iudgement Hell or Resurrection Reckon vp Genealogies who were Long before Adam and without all feare As those doom'd to the bottomlesse Abisme Hold There was no Noës Arke no Cataclisme Besides How busie hath the Diuell bin Ev'n from the first t' encrease this stupid Sin Not ceasing in his malice to proceed How to supplant the Tenents of our Creed Beginning with the first two hundred yeares After our Sauiours Passion he appeares In a full seeming strength and would maintaine By sundry obstinate Sectists but in vaine There was not one Almighty to begin The great stupendious Worke but that therein Many had hand Such were the Maniches Marcionists Gnostyes and the like to these The second Article he aim'd at then And to that purpose pickt out sundry Men Proud Hereticks and of his owne affinitie Who did oppose the blessed Sonne 's Diuinitie But knowing his great malice to his mind Did not preuaile he then began to find A cauill 'gainst the Third and pickt out those Who stiffely did the Holy-Ghost oppose Him from the
her sonne Itis begot by her husband Tereus The Daiedes or Danaes daughters of Danaus for cutting the throats of their husbands and kinsmen the sonnes of AEgiptus The Lemniades or women of Lemnos who in the same Island most cruelly slew their sonnes and fathers Harpalice the daughter of Climenus who killed the childe which her incestuous father begot on her owne body Tullia the daughter of Servius King of the Romans who caused her chariot to be drawne ouer the body of her dead father for the horridnesse of which fact the street in the citie Rome where this was done was called Vicus sceleratus Of those abhorred for Incestuous congresse the most remarkable were Iocasta who had issue by her sonne Oëdipus and Pelopaea by her father Thiestes Harpalice with her Sire Climenus c. Some are to this day made infamous for killing their husbands As Clitemnestra the daughter of Thestius for conspiring with Egistus in the murder of her Lord Agamemnon the son of Atreus Iliona the daughter of Priam for killing her husband Polymnestor K. of Thrace Semyramis Queen of Babylon for the death of Ninus King of Assyria Helena after the death of Paris Deiphebus the sonne of Priam. Agave her husband Lycothersis in Illyria and Deianeira for sending the poysonous Shirt to her Lord Hercules of Lybia c. Others for killing their wiues As the same Hercules his wife Megara the daughter of Creon King of Thebes Theseus Antiopa the Amazon and daughter of Mars Cephalus the son of Deionis or of Mercury Procris the daughter of Pandion by his vaine jelousie c. Fathers for killing their daughters As Agamemnon the great General of the Grecian Army in their famous expedition against Troy who sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the goddesse Diana Climenus the sonne of Oeneus slew his daughter Harpalice because she killed her child and serued it in vnto him at a banquet Hyacinthus his daughter Spariantides vpon an answer returned from the Athenians Erichthaeus the sonne of Pandion his daughter Colophonia vpon the like occasion Cercyon the sonne of Vulcan his daughter Alopes for committing incest with Neptune AEolus his daughter Canace for the like done with her brother Mallaraeus c. Of mothers that most cruelly and vnnaturally haue murthered their owne children we reade That Medea the daughter of Oâ—tes King of Colchos slew her two sonnes Machareus Pherelus begot by Iason Progne the daughter of Pandion killed her son It is which she had by Tereus Ino the daughter of Cadmus yong Melicertes begat by Athamas the sonne of AEolus Althaea the daughter of Thestius Meleager by Oeneus the sonne of Parthaâ—n Themisto the daughter of Hypseus Plinthius and Orchomenes her two sonnes by Athamas Tyros the daughter of Salmoneus two sonnes begot by Sisiphus the sonne of Eolus Agave the daughter of Cadmus Penthaus the sonne of Echion at the imposition of Liber Pater c. So likewise of Selfe-murtherers Egeus the sonne of Neptune and father of Theseus cast himselfe headlong into the sea from whose death it still retaines the name of Mare Egeum i. the Egean sea Euhemus the sonne of Hercules precipitated himselfe into the riuer Lycorma which is now called Chrysorroas Aiax the sonne of Telamon slew himselfe for the losse of Achilles his armor Lycurgus the sonne of Briantus being strooke with madnesse by Liber Pater laid violent hands vpon himselfe Agrius the son of Parthaon being expulsed from his kingdome by Diomedes King of AEtolia slew himselfe So Ceneus the sonne of Elatus Menicus the father of Iocasta or as some call him Menaetis precipitated himselfe from the walls of Athens Nisus the son of Mars hauing lost his purple locke cast himselfe vpon his sword and so died As likewise Climenus the sonne of Coeneus King of Arcadia after he had committed incest with his daughter Cyniras the sonne of Paphus King of Assyria after hee had committed the like with his owne naturall childe Hercules cast himselfe into the fire and so perished Adrastus with his sonne Hipponous did the like Pyramus the Babylonian slew himselfe for the loue of Thisbe And Oedipus the sonne of Laius destroyed his owne life for hauing incestuous Issue by his mother whose name was Iocasta c. Of Women that so dispairingly died these Hecuba the wife of Priam cast her selfe into the sea as Ino the daughter of Cadmus did the like with her sonne Melicertus Anticlia the mother of Vlysses and daughter of Antolychus strangled her selfe because she heard a false rumour of her sonnes death The like did Stoenobaea the daughter of Iobates and wife of King Praetus for the loue of Bellerephon Evadne the daughter of Philacus because her husband Capaneus was slaine at Thebes cast her selfe into the same funeral fire in which his body was burned AEthra the daughter of Pythaus for the death of her children Iliona for the death of her parents Themisto for her children Erigone for her father Phedra for the incestuous loue borne to her step-sonne Hyppolitus Phyllis for Demophoon Calypso daughter to Atlas for the loue of Vlysses Dido the daughter of Belus for AEneas c. Time would sooner faile me than Historie yet these I haue introduced to this purpose to shew That Atheisme and want of the true knowledge of God hath bin the cause of so many Murthers and Incests hath made so many Parracides and Fratricides and indeed hath beene the ground of all prodigious acts and inhumanities whatsoeuer Something is requisit to be spoken of Idolatry The word is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Cultus and Colo The definition thereof is Cultus Deo debitus Creaturae exhibitus i. The worship that is due onely to God conferre vpon the Creature An Idol is when any Statue or Image in which either some Deitie or any other thing shall stand for a Power a Patron Protector or Sauiour is represented and worshipped Of which kind was the golden Calfe Basil saith vpon the third of Esay What thing can appeare more vain and ridiculous than for a man to professe himselfe to be the workeman of his God and Maker To shew how abhominable Idolatry was in the eyes of the Almighty I will only quote you one place out of many in the holy Text Take therefore good heed vnto your selues for you saw no Image in the day that the Lord spake to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire that you corrupt not your selues nor make you a grauen Image or representation of any figure whether it be likenesse of male or female the likenesse of any beast that is on the earth or of any feathered fowle that flieth in the aire or of any thing that creepeth on the earth or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth And lest thou lift vp thine eyes to heauen and when thou seest the Sunne the
delude man and draw him from the worship of the true God The Image of AEsculapius honored among the Epidaurians and after brought to Rome as one of the twelue tables testifieth was with a Greeke Inscription long kept in the Family of the Maffaeans and wrought diuers strange wonders I will for breuities sake expresse but one or two of them and those verbatim by transcription from Hieronimus Mercurialis a learned Physitian In those daies saith he one Cato a Roman brought this word to a blind man from the Oracle That he should present himselfe before the altar of that Image and there kneeling should remooue himselfe from the left side to the right and putting his fiue fingers first vpon the eyes of the Idoll and then vpon his owne hee should receiue his sight which was accordingly done amidst a great confluence of people who highly applauded the miracle Again one Iulian vomiting bloud continually and despairing of all humane helpe had answer from the Oracle That he should present himself before the altar of AEsculapius and to take thence the nuts of a Pine apple and eat them with honey for three daies together which doing he recouered his pristine health Diodorus Siculus makes mention of an oblation made to Gerion and Iolaus by the children of the Leontinians which whoso neglected was either strook with blindnesse deafnes numnesse lamenesse or the like but hauing performed all the ceremonies required at the Altar they instantly recouered their health againe In Castabula if we will beleeue Strabo there was a temple dedicated to Diana Persica to which all such virgins as vowed perpetuall chastity might familiarly walke vpon hot irons or tread vpon burning coles and neuer feele heate or fire The like he reporteth to be in the city of Feronia scituat at the foot of the mountaine Saractes where all the Votaresses belonging to that Shrine may do the like which shewes the malice and ambition of these malevolent Spirits which would vsurpe the power of the Almighty Besides their Oracles haue a great apparance of truth and for most part such as put any confidence in them they would take vnto their protection but the contemners of their superstitious rites they would seuerely punish Aristides a potent gouernor in Smyrna when a mighty and prodigious earthquake was neere at hand was fore-warned by the Image of Esculapius to go vp vnto the mountain Atis and there to offer sacrifice Which he accordingly did and was no sooner got vp to the middle part of the ascent but in the region below hapned such a terrible shake of the earth that villages and cities were demolished only the mountain Atis in which by that prediction he was secured felt at that time no such calamitie Plutarch and Liuy both write That Camillus hauing distrest the Veians made a solemne sacrifice to Iuno Veientana and besought her to be still propitious vnto the Romans saying further that if she so pleased they would transport her statue to Rome At which request the image opened her armes and embracing Camillus told him That with much willingnesse she accepted his deuotion The Athenians gaue diuine honour to Pan the god of sheepheards because meeting their Embassador Philippides in the Parthenian groues hee promised them his assistance in the great battell of Marathon fought against the Persians Cleomenes King of Sparta sacrificing to Iuno demanded what successe he should haue against the Argiues with whom he was at that time in opposition Whereupon a flame of fire suddenly issued from betwixt the breasts of the goddesse which omen was by the Haruspices or Soothsayers thus interpreted That hee should not wholly conquer the city he should surprise and consume with fire but the prime citadel he should not enter And so it hapned Annibal and Amilcar great Captains of the Carthaginian army besieging Agrigentum the souldiers ruined and demolished all the antient sepulchres that stood without the city to make their rampiers fortifications the better to secure themselues against the enemy within the city But comming neere vnto that famous monument in which Theron was interred and to leuel that as they had done the other the antient structure seemed to be touched with fire from heauen and many Daemons and spirits were seene not only to stand as champions in defence of the place but with vnresistable fury to set vpon and assault the whole army till the one halfe at least perished in the conflict among the rest Annibal himselfe expired To appease whose implacable fury Amilcar sacrificed an Infant to Saturne and cast certain priests from an high rocke precipitating them into the sea to qualifie the wrath of Neptune Natalis Comes tels vs That one Pegasus transporting the image of Dionysius otherwise called Bacchus from Eleutheria a city in Boetia into the Prouince of Attica the Athaenians suffered it to passe by them negligently without doing vnto it any reuerence or ceremony For which contempt they were plagued with a disease in their secret parts to be released of which Pegasus consulted with the Oracle which inioyned them to erect a sumptuous temple to that Idoll in the city of Athens which was held in great adoration for many yeares after Athenaeus remembers vnto vs That when the Iapitae took down the Images from the Temples of their gods with this scoffe and taunt added That their places should be preserued for some other that were more potent and powerfull in the execution of this a sudden fire fell from aboue which so terrified astonished them that they not onely instated them in their former places but from that time forward held them in much more feare and reuerence Herodotus speakes of one Artabanus a great Persian General who because he had the statue of Neptune in contempt was by the reason of a sudden inundation himselfe with the greatest part of his Army drowned The same Author witnesseth what a seuere Reuenger Apollo was of any affront or iniurie offered vnto him who when Carthage was oppressed by the Romanes and his image there erected being despoyled of that golden garment which was then vpon it the very hand which snatched it from his shoulders was after found amongst the spoiles of the citie In Hallicarnassus at all such Solemnities when any Sacrifice was to be offered vnto Iupiter Ascraeus an whole heard of Goats made a voluntary presentment of themselues before the Altar and when the rest of the superstitious ceremonies were finisht they all departed of themselues saue onely one which voluntarily staied behinde to be offered by the Priest Caelius reporteth that in Daulia there was a Temple dedicate to Minerua to which there belong certaine Dogs or rather Diuels who when any of the Argiue nation came to present their Deuotions would fawne vpon them in signe of a free and louing welcome But if any Barbarian or stranger entred the place they would fly in their faces as ready to plucke them
cannot see and their hearts that they cannot vnderstand and none considereth in his heart neither is their knowledge nor vnderstanding to say I haue burnt halfe in the fire haue baked bread with the coles thereof haue rosted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue thereof an abhomination shall I bow to the stocke of a tree He feedeth on ashes a seduced heart hath deceiued him that hee cannot deliuer his soule and say Is there not a lie in my right hand c. An Emblem LEt vs enquire no further into things retruse and hid than wee haue authoritie from the sacred Scriptures The Emblem is A yong Maid who by her carefull nurse had a couered box deliuered vnto her charily to be kept with an extraordinarie charge vpon no occasion to open it for thereby shee might incur some danger But the girle in vaine curiosity for Ruimus in vetitum the more desirous to know what was within vncouered the lid and out flew a Bird which she lost neither had she kept it had she been much better by the retaining thereof The Diuine application of which suteth with that of Basil who writeth thus Animi morbus est male superflue de Deo querere i. It is the disease of the mind to enquire euilly and superfluously of that which concerneth God Which agreeth with that of Saint Augustine Deus melius scitur nesciendo i. God is the better knowne by seeming least to know And Hillary vseth these words Deus religione intelligendus est pietate profitendus sensu vera persequendus non est sed adorandus i. God by Religion is to be vnderstood by Sanctitie to be professed but by the outward sence not to be searched into but only adored For we reade Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong vnto vs and to our children for euer that wee may doe all the words of the Law And Ecclesiasticus 3.22 Seeke not the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things rashly that are too mighty for thee Vpon the like occasion the Prophet Dauid Psal. 131. saith thus Lord mine heart is not haughty nor my minde lofty neither haue I walked in great matters and hid from thee Wee also reade Rom. 12.3 For I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me to euerie one that is amongst you That no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meet to vnderstand but that he vnderstand according to sobrietie as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of Faith Further wee reade Prov. 25.27 It is not good to eat too much hony for to search their owne glory is no glory Vpon which Emblem Iacob Catsius Emblem 3. thus writes Fida tibi Nutrix hac pixide sacra latere Dixerat satis hoc debuit esse tibi Quid tractare manu quid cernere virgo requiris Quaeque tenere manu quaeque videre nefas Sacra Dei reuerentur habe quid faderis Arcam Tangis io◠Cohibe stulta manus In multis nescire iuvat scivisse nocebit Saepe perire fuit quod reperire vocant Thus paraphrased The faithfull Nurse said In this box lie hid Things sacred 't was enough that she so did Why Virgin busiest thou thine hand and eye What couet'st thou to handle What to ' spy From things which are too mysticall and darke Restraine thine hand forbeare to touch the Arke In some way hee 's best learned that least knowes Many there be in seeking themselues lose A morall interpretation hereof is thus made Silendo stolidus sapienti par est i. A foole silent may be taken for a wise man According with the French Prouerbe Sans language le fol est sage Erasmus also in Apotheg saith Est aliqua sapientiae pars Silentio Stultitiam tegere i. It is some part of wisedome to couer our folly in silence And suting with this is that of the Poet Martial Cum te non novi Dominum regemque vocaui Cum bene te novi iam mihi Priscus eris Being vnknowne I call'd thee Lord and King But know thee Priscus thou art no such thing The Emblematists conceit vpon this as followeth Hac dum clausa fuit sub pixide mira latere Regalésque tegi quisque putauit opes Mox vt aperta fuit spectacula ludicra vulgo Probat è capsa parua volauit auis Dum siluit tua lingua virum te Basse putaui Testatur puerum te sine mente sonus Qui loquitur populo se praebuit ille videndum Vel fatuus pressò dum silet ore sapit ¶ Thus paraphrased This Casket being shut was thought to hold Some wondrous wealth as Iewels Pearle and Gold But being open'd to the vulgar eyes Nothing of value's seene a Bird out flies A man I held thee Bassus whilest thou smil'd And nothing said but hauing spoke a child Man when he speakes vpon the stage is brought The Foole whilst mute a wise man may be thought A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. I Sought thee round about ô thou my God To finde thy aboad I said vnto the Earth Speake art thou He She answered me I am not I enquir'd of Creatures all In generall Contain'd therein they with one voice proclaime That none amongst them challeng'd such a Name II. I askt the Seas and all the Deepes below My God to know I askt the Reptiles and what euer is In the Abisse Euen from the Shrimpe to the Leviathan My enquiry ran But in those Desarts which no line can sound The God I sought for was not to be found III. I askt the Aire if that were hee but know It told me No. I from the towring Eagle to the Wren Demanded then If any feather'd Fowle 'mongst them were such But they all much Offended with my question in full quire Answer'd To finde my God I must looke higher IV. I askt the Heauens Sun Moone and Stars but they said We obey The God thou seekst I askt what Eye or Eare could see or heare What in the world I might descry or know Aboue below With an vnanimous voice all these things said We are not God but we by him were made V. I askt the Worlds great vniuersall Masse if That God was Which with a mighty and strong voice reply'd As stupify'd I am not he ô Man for know that I By Him on high Was fashion'd first of nothing thus instated And sway'd by Him by whom I was created VI. I did enquire for him in flourishing Peace But soone 'gan cease For when I saw what vices what impurity bred by Security As Pride Selfe-loue Lust Surfet and Excesse I could no lesse Than stay my search knowing where these abound God may be sought but is not to be found VII I thought then I might finde him out in War but was as far As at the first for in Reuenge and Rage In spoile and strage Where vniust
elsewhere further striues t' extend Thus speaking The first Mouer's One and He Euer Eternall we conclude to be Of Diuine Plato 't is recorded thus Who writing to King Dionysius Onely saith he by this note shall you know Whether my purpose serious be or no You shall obserue how I my Letter frame If one sole God I inuocate and name What 's weighty I intend but if the rest I nominate thinke then I sport and jest Orpheus of Poets the most antient And in that noble Title eminent He that is said to giue each god his name And to deriue the off-spring whence he came Yet in his best and deepest Theory Left to the world as his last Legacie That there was one sole God Omnipotent Immortall and for euer Permanent Invisible common Parent vnto all Mankinde and other Creatures great and small Author of War or Peace whose Prouidence Gouerns the World and whose high Eminence Hath in th' Emperiall Heauens a golden Throne Whose Foot-stoole is the Earth to tread vpon Who stretcheth his right hand beyond the vast Vnlimited Oceans bounds The First and Last Before whom each high Mountaine and low Vale Mov'd at his presence tremble and looke pale The Worlds sixt Columes at his anger shake And the Seas bottomlesse Abysses quake And elsewhere thus We may from Reason gather Ioue is sole King the vniuersall Father And Parent of all things alwaies the same One Power one God o're all that we can name And ouer them great Lord hauing besides One Regall Bulke or Body which abides To all Eternitie In which what 's being Hath revolution no way disagreeing Yet maintaines Contraries In Him you may Finde Fire and Water Earth Aire Night and Day As much as this Phocilides confest There is one potent God sole Wise sole Blest Th' AEgyptians in their curious inquisition A Nation the most giuen to superstition And to Idolatrous worship and yet they In all their Hierogliphycks did pourtray But one sole Iupiter whose picture was Plac't o're their ports and gates in stone or brasse So likewise in their Temples in his hand A trisulâ— thunderbolt or fulminous brand And as the Writer of their story tels Him they as God acknowledge and none els Saith one The God of Nature I will sing Infus'd in Heauen Sea Earth and euery thing Who this great Masse by'impartial cov'nant swayes Whom in alternate peace the World obeyes By which it liues and moues since but one Spirit Dwells in each part and doth the whole inherit O'reflying all things with inuisible speed And giuing shape to all that therein breed Vnlesse this Frame of Members neere ally'de And well context were made and had one Guide And Lord thereof the Vast to mannage still But were to be dispos'd by humane skill The Stars could haue no motion th' Earth no ease Time would stand still and a cold stiffenesse seise On agitation Planets would retaine No influence but slothfully remaine In their tyr'd Spheres Night would not fly the Day Nor Light giue place to Darknesse at a stay All things should stand the soft shoures should not dare To cheare the Earth nor the coole Windes the Aire Racke should not chase the clouds flouds should not feed The Sea nor the Sea Riuers at their need Nor should the soueraigne Part o're all parts stand Order'd and sway'd by ' an equall Parents hand For now neither the Waters nor the Stars Be vnto vs deficient nothing bar's The Heav'ns in their dispose whereby to ghesse They alter in their Gyring more or lesse Motion doth cherish but not change for all We see the world containes in generall Are mannag'd and dispos'd by faire accord And still obedient to their Prince and Lord. He therefore is the God that all things guides Who in his Diuine wisedome so prouides That Creatures here below meerely terrestriall Haue pour'd into them by the Signes Coelestiall A strength infus'd to honour or disgrace Not hindred by the distance of the place Stars haue a power in Nature ministring Fate To Nations priuat persons and each State Which operation we do hold as sure As the Heav'ns giue the Fieldes a temperature By which they in their seasons spring and grow Or are the cause that the Seas ebbe and flow Hee 's only God that is vnchang'd by Time Nor yong nor old but euer in his prime Who suffers not the Sun backward t' inuade The transuerse Arctos or runne retrograde And steere a new course neither from the West Returne the same way to his last nights rest Nor shewes the same Aurora to stronds new Nor lets the Moone an erring course pursue Beyond her certaine Orbe but to retaine A constant change in her encrease and waine Nor lets the Stars aboue impending fall To circumvolve the Earth the Sea and all Thinke now you heare this God long silence breakâ— And to a meerly Ethnicke man thus speake Thou slighting me hast to thy selfe deuis'd A thousand gods and equally vs pris'd Thinking to minch me into parts and fleece Me of my right But know no part or peece Can be from me extracted no forme ta'ne That am a simple Substance Then in vaine Thou think'st to parcell me by thy decision Of compound things 't is eath to make diuision But I was made by none nor therefore can I piece-meal'd or dissected be by Man All things from nothing were first made by me Then part of mine owne worke how can I be Therefore to me alone thy Temples reare And worship me in honour and in feare As those of Marble so the Minde I praise Where stedfast Faith a rich Foundation layes On golden piles and when the Buildings rise In snowy Pietie to daze mens eyes With vnsway'd Iustice rooft to keepe o utraine And where the walls within chast Blushes staine In stead of Vermil and the whitenesse cleare Proceeds from palenesse bred by holy Feare The Oracles that from the Sybels came Who in the former world were of great fame Though 'mongst the Learn'd it be a question still Whence they inspir'd were with Prophetique skill The good or the bad Sprite er'd not to say There is but one sole God Him we obey These be their words In this we all agree There 's one true God aboue all Maiestie Omnipotent Inuisible alone Vnborne All-seeing and yet seene of none Apollo askt by one Theophilus How many gods there were made answer thus His Vnitie not daring to deny There 's only one true God Potent and High Begotten by Himselfe Sufficient Able Vntaught and without Mother solely Stable To speake whose Name no Language can aspire Or reach into whose dwelling is in Fire And such is God of whom I and the Rest Am a small portion as being profest His Ministers and Angels By which Name The Diuell exprest himselfe to haue an aime To Diuine worship which ' He that did create All things so
tooke Hermes on her knee Danc't him sung to him and vpon him smil'd And vow'd she neuer saw so sweet a child To take him as her owne she then decreed And call'd for milke the pretty Babe to feed But when him to be Maia's Son she knew By Iupiter the Lad from her she threw And call'd him Bastard and began to frowne And in her rising cast the Pitcher downe Spilt was the Milke and wheresoe're it lyte The place appeares than all the rest more white The golden Ramme styl'd Prince of all the Signes Rising his Crest he tow'ards the East inclines In th' AEquinoctiall Circle with his head Reacheth Deltoton with his feet doth tread Vpon the Pistrix Thus his story was Phrixus and Helles bred from Athamas And Nebula were at domesticke strife With their proud Step-dame and pursu'd her life But thence cast out into the Woods they came Where wandring long their Mother brought a Ramme Who mounting on his backe she bids them fly They take the sea but soone the winde growes high And the waues troubled Helles is afraid Le ts go her hold and then downe slides the Maid The angry billowes her of life bereaue She forc't her name vnto that Sea to leaue But Phrixus to the Isle of Colchos steeres And when arriv'd before the King appeares Who for he had so past and scap'd the Brine There offered vp the Beast at Mars his Shrine But the rich Fleece whose euery haire was gold Which did amase King Octa to behold He left to him which with such care he kept That to a monstrous Dragon that ne're slept He gaue the charge thereof till Iafon landed Who the swift Argo at that time commanded But by Medea's aid as most auer He bore from Colchos both the Fleece and her Some thinke the Ramme therefore immortalis'd By reason that when Bacchus enterpris'd An expedition into Africa And was distrest for water by the way A Ram was seene out of the Sands to make Whom they pursu'd but could not ouertake Till he had brought them vnto Fountaines cleare Which hauing done he did no more appeare Bacchus who thought him as Diuinely sent Because his Army was nigh tyr'd and spent With heate and thirst and by that means preserv'd Who else in that wilde Desart had been starv'd To Iupiter call'd Ammon there erected A stately Temple and withall directed His Statue rear'd that for the Beasts more grace They on his forehead two Rams hornes should place For so we finde him figur'd Why the Bull Hath place aboue Some thinke because Ioves Trull Europa he from Sidon into Creet Transwafted whilest the waue ne're toucht her feet Some hold him rather for that Beast of note On whom Pasiphae did so madly dote Others for Iö in an Heifers shape By Iove transform'd Queene Iuno's rage to scape The reason is because the head 's sole seene The hinder parts as hid behinde a Skreene He lookes vpon the East and in his face The Hyades fiue Sisters haue their place They Nurses vnto Bacchus haue been thought Call'd the Dodonean Nymphs and thither brought By his great Power Nor are they seen in vain Who neuer rise but they portend some raine They were call'd Atlas Daughters and tooke name From their sole brother Hyas who to tame A Lion striuing was depriv'd of breath For whom the Sisters wept themselues to death The Pleiades they be in number seuen Deare Sisters and together shine in heauen Six only seen at once The reason why Six with the gods congrest but one did ly With Sisiphus a Mortall for which reason She hides her face as had she done some treason The Gemini who louingly embrace Take on the right hand of Auriga place Aboue Orion who his rise begins In the mid place betwixt the Bull and Twinnes Such as deepe knowledge in the Stars professe Castor and Pollux call them Others ghesse Them to be Zeâ—us and Amphion who Were most kinde Brothers To which some say no But that Triptolimus and Iasion claime Scite in that Orbe and in the Heauens the name But of the first th' opinion best doth please And that they are the two Tindarides Brothers to Hellen two the most entire That e're could yet boast of Coelestiall Fire They in their life the Seas from Pyrats freed And after death it was by Iove decreed To set them so that from their glorious Sphere They may behold what euer is done there To curle or calme the Ocean they haue power To cleare the Aire or dampe it with a shower To tosse the Robbers ships on shelues and sands And steere the Merchants safe to forrein lands In Wracks they can preserue in stormes appease No stars haue more dominion on the Seas O're which th' are knowne to beare such watchfull eies That when one sets the other 's seene to rise The AEstiue Circle Cancer doth diuide Iust in the middle but a little wide From Hydra yet aboue his eyes reflect Directly on the Lions sterne aspect But why the Crab should be allow'd his Sphere It may be askt I 'le tell you what I heare When mighty Hercules did vndertake To combat Hydra neere the Lernian Lake As with his club he made the Monster reele This crept behinde and pincht him by the heele At which the Prince more angry for bee'ng stayd In his hot sight lookt backe to see what aid Hydra had got and when the Câ—ab he spy'd A Worme so base his fury was supply'd Then with a looke of anger mixt with scorne He stamp'd vpon 't vntill he saw it torne And shatter'd all to pieces with one spurne Halfe burying it in th' earth Then did he turne Againe vpon the Monster nor withdrew Till Hydra with her numerous heads he slew This seene by Iuno who the Crab had sent To vex the Heroë she incontinent The limbes disperst did suddenly combine And plac'd it one amongst the Twelue to shine Who beares vpon him Stars that shine but dull Call'd Asini yet make his number full The cause of their translation thus we read When all the gods assembled and made head Against the Gyants in that glorious war Where hills and rockes were tost and throwne from far It is remembred how amongst the rest To take the gods part Liber Pater prest Satyres and Sylvâ—nes Shepheards he from Pan And Neatheards tooke not sparing god nor man That neere to him were knowne to haue abode Not his owne Priests and they on Asses rode Now when the battell was to ioyne the cry On both sides 'gan to mount vp to the Sky At which the poore beasts much affrighted they Aboue the rest were loudly heard to bray The Gyants hearing it not knowing whence That noise should come began to hatch suspence How Iove had made of such strange Monsters choice Whose strengths perhaps might match that horrid voice Which made
of the Swanne aboue whose wings the Horse extenderh his hoofe and aboue the Horse Aquarius is listed and neere vnto him Capricornus Vnder the feet of Aquarius lieth the great Austriue Fish Before Cephaeus Cassiopeia and Perseus extendeth his foot vnto the backe of the Charioter Ouer the head of Perseus Cassiopeia is seene to walke Betwixt the Swanne and him that resteth vpon his knee the Harpe is placed in middest of whom aboue from the East the Dolphine is seene vnder whose taile is discouered the AEgle and the next vnto her is the Serpentarie Hauing spoke of the Boreal Circle wee come now vnto the Austral Vnder the sting of the Scorpion is the Altar placed and vnder his body the fore-parts of the Sagittarie are seene so farre as he is Beast his hinder foot is eminent in another part of the Australl Circle Neere to the Centaures priuy parts the taile of Hydra and the Crow At the knees of the Virgin is placed the Vrne vpon the left hand of Orion which is also called Incola Fluvius which some stile Padus others Eridamus lieth vnder the feet of Orion The Hare is next seene to shine with great refulgence and iust at his heeles Laelaps or the Dog with extraordinarie brightnesse behinde whose taile Argoë or the Ship hath station Orion stretcheth his hand towards the foot of the Bull and with his feet comes very neere to the Gemini The backe part of the Dog is aboue the head of the Ramme and the Deltoton or Triangle not far from the feet of Andromeda The Whale is beneath Aries and Pisces and the connexion of the two Fishes haue one common star c. Of the twelue Coelestiall Signes I haue spoken sufficiently already but of the other Stars in which I haue been very briefe it shall not be amisse to giue some of them a more large expression Of Draco or the Dragon we reade Caesar Germanicus thus Immanis Serpens sinuosa volumina torquet Hinc atque hinc superatque illas mirabile monstrum c. This Dragon of immense magnitude was appointed by Iuno to be the sleeplesse keeper of the Orchard wherin the Hesperian Apples grew whom Hercules in his aduenture to fetch thence the golden Apples as Pannaces Heracleus relateth slew and bore them thence To the perpetuall memorie of which facinerous act Iupiter translated both him and the Dragon into the Stars both in the same postures according to the successe of the fight the Dragon with his head cut off and he leaning vpon one knee his arms extended vpwards and his right foot stretched towards the Monster And therefore he is said to hold the skinne of the Nemaean Lion in his left hand for a perpetuall memory that naked and vnarmed he slew him singly in the forrest Inde Helicen sequitur senior baculoque minatur Se velle Artophilax c. Boâ—tes called also Auriga and Artophilax is said to be the Keeper or driuer of the Chariot which is the Septentriones Some report him to be Archas the sonne of Iupiter from whom the Prouince of Arcadia had after it's denomination Him Lycaon the sonne of Pelasgus entertaining Iupiter at a banquet caused to be cut in pieces and his limbs being cook'd after sundry fashions to be serued in to the table of purpose to proue whether he were a god or no. At which barbarous inhumanitie Iupiter iustly incensed burnt vp his pallace with lightning from heauen and after built there a city which was called Trapezos Lycaon he transhaped into a Wolfe and caused the dismembred limbes of Archas to be gathered together which hauing re-vnited he breathed in them new life and after committed him to a certain Goat-heard to be educated and brought vp Who after meeting his mother in the Forrest not knowing her would haue rauished for which the inhabitants of the Lycaean mount would haue slain him But Iupiter to free them both transfer'd them to the Stars where they are knowne by the name of the great and lesser Beare Him Homer calls Bootes Clara Ariadneae propius stant signa Coronae Hunc illi Bacchus thalami memor addit honorem It is said to be Ariadnes Crowne which Liber Pater or Bacchus caused to haue place amongst the stars which he presented vnto her at their espousals in the Isle of Creet But he who writes the Cretan historie saith That when Bacchus came to King Minor to demand his daughter in marriage hee presented vnto her that Crowne made by Vulcan in Lemnos the materials whereof were onely gold and pretious fulgent gems of such maruellous splendor that it lighted and guided Theseus through the intricate and darke Labyrinth Which was not translated into the Heauens til after their being in Naxos Isle It is still seene to shine with many splendant stars vnder the taile of the Lion Tempora laeva premit parti subiecta Draconis Summa genu subversa tenet qua se Lyra volvit The Harpe is said to haue place amongst the Stars for the honour of Mercury who made the first after the figure of a Tortois with seuen strings according to the number of the Pleiades daughters to Atlas which after he presented to Apollo Some attribute the inuention thereof to Orpheus by reason that hee was son to Calliope one of the Muses and composed it of nine strings suting with their number The musicke thereof was said to be of such sweetnesse that it attracted the eares of beasts and birds nay of trees and stones Moreouer it so preuailed ouer the Infernall Powers that by it he recouered his wife Euridice from hell Hee adoring Apollo more than any other of the gods and neglecting Liber Pater who honoured him the god being grieuously incenst against him whilest he was one day sitting on the mountain Pangoeus waiting for the Sun-rising Bacchus stirred vp the Bacchanalian women against him who with barbarous violence falling vpon him plucked him asunder limbe from limbe for so Eschilus writes the pieces of his body being after collected were buried in the Lesbian mountains and his Harpe after his death bestowed vpon Musaeus at whose entreatie Iupiter placed it amongst the Stars Cygnus de thalamis candeus qui lapsus adulter Furta Iovis falsa volucer sub imagine texit The Swanne was therefore said to haue place in the Firmament because Iupiter transfiguring himselfe into that shape flew into a part of the Atticke region and there comprest Nemesis who was also called Laeda for so saith Crates the Tragicke Poet. She was deliuered of an egge which being hatched brought forth Helena but because Iupiter after the act was done flew backe againe into heauen in the same shape he left the figure thereof amongst the Stars c. Cepheus extremam tangit Cynosurida Caudam Cepheus according to Euripides and others was King of AEthiopia who exposed his
the Centre or middle part thereof part to the North part to the South it portendeth weather moist and windy Besides if it blush or looke red in the set or fall it presageth a faire day But if it looke pale a tempest Nigidius writeth That if the Sun shine pale and fall into blacke clouds in his set it signifieth the winde is shifting into the North quarter The Greekes call him Apollo and make him the god of Diuination or Prophesie either because all darke and obscure things he discouereth by his light and splendor or else for that in his diurnall course and set hee ministreth so many occasions of sooth-saying or coniectures Sol dicitur aut ex eo quod solus sit aut quod solus sit aut quod solito per dies surg at aut occidat he is called Sol either because he is still alone or that hee vsually day by day riseth and setteth He is figured without a beard either for that in his rise or fall he seemeth to be still as youthfull as at the first or els because hee neuer faileth in his strength speed or power as the Moone who is sometimes in the full sometimes in the waine alwayes encreasing or decreasing They also allot him a Chariot drawne with foure horses either because hee finisheth the course of the yeare within the foure seasons Spring Sommer Autumne and Winter or else by measuring the day and distinguishing it into foure parts agreeable to which they to his horses haue appropriated proper and fit names they are called Erythraeus Actaeon Lampros and Philogaeus Erithraeus in the Greeke tongue is Ruber Red because the Sunne in his mornings vprise looketh red and blushing Actaeon i. Lucidus by reason that after the third houre he appeares more cleare and fulgent Lampros i. Lucens vel Ardens as shining in his greatest heate and splendor iust in the Meridian climing against the Articke Circle Philogaeus i. Terram amans Louing the Earth because towards the ninth houre he declineth or seemeth to precipitate himselfe toward the earth Of the Moone THe Moone is lower than the Sun or any other of the errant Planets and therefore in a much shorter time finisheth her course for that iourney which the Sun is trauelling three hundred sixty fiue dayes and six houres the Moone runneth in seuen and twenty dayes and eight houres the Sunne passing all the Signes in thirty dayes ten houres and an halfe Hence it comes that so much way as the Moone maketh in the Zodiacke the Sun fulfilleth in the space of thirty dayes Some of the Philosophers are of opinion That the Moone vseth not her owne proper light and that one part of her Globe or circumference retaineth some splendor but that the other is altogether obscure and darke who by little and little turning her selfe is expressed vnto vs in diuers figures Others on the contrary affirme That shee hath her owne perfect globe but receiueth her light from the Sun and as far as she is stricken by the Sunne so far she is inflamed and by how much she is distant from the Sun by so much her splendor is encreased and then she is in her defect or eclipse when the shadow of the earth is interposed betwixt her and the Sunne For in her encrease all breeding things sprout and shoot out but in her decrease or waine are extenuated and weakened Moreouer in her growing euery Humor and Spirit is augmented the Ocean riseth and swelleth and the earth is as it were animated with a generatiue heate c. The Poets call Luna Diana and terme her to be the Sister of the Sunne whose appellation is Apollo also Of whom they affirm and would maintaine That as he hath his spirit from the Sunne so hee hath his bodie from the Moone whom they hold to be a Virgin They are both said to weare arrowes because they shoot their beames and rayes from the heauens downe vpon the earth and therefore to beare torches because the Moone lighteth the Sunne both lighteth and scorcheth Shee is said to ride or be drawne in a Chariot with two horses either for her velocitie and swiftnesse or else by reason that shee is visible both by night and day and therefore one of her horses is said to be white and the other blacke shining to vs more apparantly in the Winter and Sommer seasons than in the Spring and Autumne She is called Diana of Diane in regard she appeareth as wel by day as by night and Luna of Luceo because she shineth as also Trivia for that shee is pourtrayed in three seuerall figures Of whom Virgil saith Tria virginis ora Dianae for one and the same Planet is called Luna Diana and Proserpina That is Coelestiall Terrestriall and Infernal when she is sub lustris or bearing light she is called Luna when she is with her garments tuckt vp and with bow and arrowes Diana or the Latonian Virgin They will also haue the Moone amongst the Inferi to be Proserpina either for that she shineth by night or else for that shee is of all the other Planets the neerest to the earth Some say that her Car is drawne by two Oxen or Heifers because the earth and stones mettals and creatures are sensible of her Ful and Wain for euen dung which manureth the earth if it be throwne vpon the fields in her encrease breedeth and casteth ouâ— wormes She is said to frequent the groues and forrests as Diana by reason of the great delight she taketh in hunting and the chace She is also said to be enamoured of Endimion for two causes the one In regard he was the first that was euer knowne to obserue and finde out the course of the Moone And therefore he is said to haue slept thirty yeares because he spent so much time in the acquiring out so rare a secret For so Monasaeus lib. de Europa hath deliuered vnto vs. The second cause is That the humour of the nightly dew which droppeth also from the stars and planets is sucked in and commixed with the juice and moisture of Herbs and Plants to their better animating and cherishing as also being profitable to the flocks of shepheards in the number of whom Endimion was ranked Antient Writers haue recorded That in her aspect may bee found infallible rules concerning either serenitie or tempest Nigidius saith That if in the vpper part of the Moones Circle there be discouered any blacke spots or staines it signifieth much wet and many showers to fall in the first part of that moneth But if they be visible in the middest of her orbe at such time as she is in her plenitude they then betoken faire and cleare weather but if she looke yellow or of the colour of gold it prognosticateth winde for the windes grow by the densitie or grossenesse of the aire by which the Sunne or Moone being shadowed it begets in either of them a rednesse Moreouer if her
much happier were that man On whom the prouidence of Heav'n would daine A gracious looke These words were spoke so plaine The Prince o're-heard them and commanded both To come to Court The silly men were loth Fearing they 'had spoke some treason Brought they were Into a stately roome and placed there In two rich chaires and iust before them spread A table with two bak'd meats furnished Both without difference seeming alike faire One cram'd with Gold other nought saue Aire For these they two cast lots To him that said He that trusts Heav'n that man is only made Hapned the Gold To the other that said Well Shall he thriue that trusts man th' empty fell The Emperor made this vse on 't Lords you see What a great Traine hourely depends on me I looke on all but cannot all preferre That in my seruice merit Nor do I erre 'T is their fate not my fault such onely rise By me on whom Heav'n bids me cast mine eyes How comes it that a Poet shall contriue A most elaborate Worke to make suruiue Forgotten Dust when no King shall expire But he brings fuell to his funerall fire No Optimate falls from the Noble throng But he records his Elegeicke Song In mourning papers and when all decayes Herse Shewes and Pompe yet That resounds his praise Of euery Match and Royall Combination His Pen is ready to make publication When all proue ag'd forgotten and blowne o're His Verse is still as youthfull as before And sounds as sweetly though it now seeme dead To after-Times it shall be euer read What 's Gentry then Or Noblesse Greatnesse what The Ciuill Purple or the Clergy Hat The Coronet or Mitre Nay the Crowne Imperiall What 's Potencie Renowne Ovations Triumphs with victorious Bayes Wisedome or Wealth Can these adde to thy dayes Inquire of Roman Brutus syrnam'd Iust Or Salomon the Wise they both are Dust. Learn'd Aristotle Plato the Diuine From Earth they came and Earth they now are thine Where are the Worthies where the Rich or Faire All in one common bed involved are Mans Life 's a Goale and Death end of the race And thousand sundry wayes point to the place From East the West the North the South all come Some slow some swift-pac'd to this generall Doome Some by the Wars fall some the Seas deuoure Certaine is Death vncertaine though the Houre Some die of Loue others through Griefe expire Beneath cold Arctos these they by the Fire The Torrid Zone casts forth forc'd to endure The scorching and contagious Calenture Some the Spring takes away and some the Fall Winter and Sommer others and Death All. Consider well the miserie of Man And weigh it truly since there 's none but can Take from his owne and others thousand wayes But yet not adde one minute to their dayes For now the Conqueror with the Captiue's spread On one bare Earth as on the common Bed The all-commanding Generall hath no span Of ground allow'd more than the Priuat man Folly with Wisedome hath an equall share The Foule and Faire to like Dust changed are This is of all Mortalitie the end Thersites now with Nereus dares contend And with Achilles He hath equall place Who liuing durst not looke him in the face The Seruant with the Master and the Maid Stretcht by her Mistresse both their heads are laid Vpon an equall pillow Subiects keepe Courts with Kings equall and as soft they sleepe Lodging their heads vpon a turfe of grasse As they on Marble or on figur'd Brasse Blinde Homer in the graue lies doubly darke Against him now base Zoylus dares not barke To him what attributes may we then giue And other Poets by whom all these liue Who as their putrid flesh is long since rotten So in their Sepulchres had lay'n forgotten Like common men had not their Muse high-flying Kept both these Worthies and themselues from dying How in these dayes is such a man regarded No not so much as Oile or Inke rewarded Yet shall a Sycophant or ballading Knaue If he but impudence and gay cloathes haue Can harpe vpon some scurrilous Iest or Tale Though fifteene times told and i th' City stale Command a Great mans eare perhaps be able To prefer Sutes and elbow at his table Weare speaking pockets boast Whom he doth serue When meriting men may either beg or starue Past Ages did the antient Poets grace And to their swelling stiles the very place Where they were borne denomination leant Publius Ovidius Naso had th' ostent Of Sulmonensis added and did giue The Dorpe a name by which it still doth liue Publius Virgilius likewise had th' addition Of Maro to expresse his full condition Marcus Annaeus Lucanus Seneca Bore title from his city Corduba Caius Pedo was styl'd Albinovanus Aurelius Olympius Nemesianus Some from the nature of their Poëms Thus Caius Lucilius was call'd Satyrus So Livius Andronicus Epicus And Lucius Accius syrnamed Tragicus c. Some from their seuerall Countries because they Were forrein borne Terens from Africa Is Publius Terentius Afer read Titus Calphurnius Siculus as bred In Sicily So many others had And that for sundry causes meanes to add Vnto their first for with their worth encreast Their stiles the most grac'd with three names at least◠Our moderne Poets to that passe are driuen Those names are curtal'd which they first had giuen And as we wisht to haue their memories drown'd We scarcely can afford them halfe their sound Greene who had in both Academies ta'ne Degree of Master yet could neuer gaine To be call'd more than Robin who had he Profest ought saue the Muse Serv'd and been Free After a seuen yeares Prentiseship might haue With credit too gone Robert to his graue Marlo renown'd for his rare art and wit Could ne're attaine beyond the name of Kit Although his Hero and Leander did Merit addition rather Famous Kid Was call'd but Tom. Tom. Watson though he wrote Able to make Apollo's selfe to dote Vpon his Muse for all that he could striue Yet neuer could to his full name arriue Tom. Nash in his time of no small esteeme Could not a second syllable redeeme Excellent Bewmont in the formost ranke Of the rar'st Wits was neuer more than Franck. Mellifluous Shake-speare whose inchanting Quill Commanded Mirth or Passion was but Will. And famous Iohnson though his learned Pen Be dipt in Castaly is still but Ben. Fletcher and Webster of that learned packe None of the mean'st yet neither was but Iacke Deckers but Tom nor May nor Middleton And hee 's now but Iacke Foord that once were Iohn Nor speake I this that any here exprest Should thinke themselues lesse worthy than the rest Whose names haue their full syllable and sound Or that Franck Kit or Iacke are the least wound Vnto their fame and merit I for my part Thinke others what they please accept that heart Which courts my loue
together in a nine-fold Chaine 'Mongst whom there 's difference in Intelligence As there is in degrees of Excellence For the more Noble to the Lesser still Infuseth Knowledge by th' Almighties will The Second to the Third is like industrous And as degreed 't is more and more illustrous This Knowledge more perspicuous is and cleare In the first Chorus than it doth appeare i th' Second Third or Fourth so to the Last Of those that are o're things Terrestriall plac't This in the Prophet Zacharie's made plaine When God his People would redeeme againe From their Captiuitie in Babylon He in his Vision saw the Holy-One Reueale it vnto one of the Superiors Which he communicates to his Inferiors They to the Prophet Vnto this coheres What in Saint Austines Booke as plaine appeares As we perceiue the Moone the Stars t'out-shine And the Sunnes light more splendrous and Diuine Than the Moone 's shewes so'tis in the degrees Of those forenam'd Coelestiall Hierarchees Foure Angels as foure Vice-royes are exprest To sway the foure Windes plac'd aboue the rest All Princes and with mighty power endu'd Remarkable for that their Celsitude The East whence Eurus blowes swayes Michael The West whence Zephyre breathes guides Raphael The North whence Boreas blusters Gabriel The South whence Auster comes rules Vriel Which from th' Evangelist some Doctors ground Because 't is in th' Apocalips thus found On the foure Angles of the Earth I saw Standing foure Angels those that kept in awe The foure great Windes restraining them from blowing On Earth on Sea or any Tree then growing Some write That ouer euery Heauen or Sphere A seuerall Angell's plac'd and gouernes there The Sophists those Intelligences call The Hebrewes Cherubims whose lots thus fall Metraon doth the Primam Mobile guide Ophaniel in the Starry Heav'n reside The Sunnes Sphere Varcan the Moones lower rayes Arcan disposeth Mars his Lamach swayes Mercuries Madan Ioves Guth Venus Star Iurabatres and Saturne's seene from far Maion And all these in the height they'enioy Haue power Inferior Spirits to employ Seuen Angels as the Scriptures witnesse stand Before th' Almighty prest at his command And these by his Diuine infusion know How to dispose of all things here below As those Coelestiall who doth institute Those Seuen his Diuine Will to execute Yeares Dayes and Houres amongst them they diuide The Planets and the Stars they likewise guide The President of Sol is Raphael The Guardian of the Moone call'd Gabriel Chamuel the third Mars his bright Star protects Michael the Sphere of Mercury directs Adahiel o're Iove hath domination And Haniel of Venus gubernation Zaphiel is Saturnes Prince And of Spirits seuen Saint Iohn makes mention with their place in Heauen I saw seuen Angels stand before the Throne Of the Almighty and to euery one A seuerall Trumpet giuen c. The Rabbins they And Cabalists further proceed and say How warranted I know not That there be Twelue Potents of this Diuine Facultie Three Orientall and three Occidentall Three Septentrionall and three Meridionall Chaoz the first great Easterne Power they call Whose Prince Malthidielis and he swayes all That doth belong to Aries the next place Corona hath and Varchiel hath the grace Of that to be chiefe Regent Leo hee Hath subiect in his second Empyree Hermaus the third Adnachiel doth carry That potencie and rules the Sagittary The first Power Austral they Panthaeon stile Asmodes Prince in that doth reconcile The Signe call'd Taurus and the second Tim Hamabiel is the Prince that gouernes him In the Signe Virgo Haim is the third borne Hannuel the Prince and gouerns Capricorne The first Septentrionall Bethzan Manuel Prince And he the Signe of Cancer doth conuince The next Zonocharel by name they know Barchiel the chiefe and rules o're Scorpio Ouer the third Elisan Varchiel reignes He Pisces in his Principate containes The first of th' Occidentall Gelphor and Ambriel the Prince the Gemini they stand Beneath his sway Bleor the next his Lord Zaniel who guides the Scepter and the Sword Caphet the last Cabriel the President And o're Aquarius hath the gouernment Others there be that do not doubt to say That the foure Elements are forc'd t' obey Foure seuerall Angels Seraph reignes o're Fire Cherub the Aire and Tharsis doth aspire Ouer the Water and the Earths great Lord Ariel The Hebrew Rabbins thus accord But since of these the Scriptures make no mention Far be it that the least of mine intention Should be ro create Angels Hence it came That at a Roman Councell in the name Of Zachary then Pope one Aldebert Another Clement seeking to subuert The Church by Schismes were to the Consistorie Summon'd and there conuict of Heresie For thus they pray'd O Angell Vriel Angell Adimus Angell Raguel Angell Sabaothe Angell Michael Angell Tubuas Angell Semibel c. This in the Synod was no sooner read But they thus instantly were censured The very words of that Decree these are Of all those names most of them new and rare Of whom they invocate Michael alone An Angell we acknowledge the rest none By that and elsewhere it is manifest That other names than are to vs exprest In sacred Scriptures none ought to deuise Since from such Curiosities arise Schismes Heresies Opinions execrable Erring from Truth diuellish and damnable Nor are these darke words by these Rabbins vs'd Other than Phancies not to be excus'd Wherein some things signifi'cant are exprest Borrow'd from Naturall causes at the best For instance Seraph if we but retyre To the words force importeth nought saue Fire Cherub Aire Tharsus Water Ariel Earth And these at first had from those Doctors birth Ev'n by their owne confession If you please Thinke of the rest as hath been said of these Creaturae quaedam aeterna sunt à posteriore à priore solus Deus est aeternus Explicit Metrum Tractatus quarti Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogriphicall and Emblematicall Obseruationsâ— touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. AS Fire cannot be long smothered but it will finde vent nor the Sunne be so eclipsed and cloudedâ— but it will soone worke it selfe into it's owne natiue glory and splendor so the Omnipotencie of the great Creator cannot be so darkened either by the stupidity of the Ignorant or the malicious obstinacie of the seeming-Wise but euen out of their voluntarie Blindnesse it will extract it 's owne Brightnesse Prophane Lucian who so generally taxed all the gods as that he was held scarcely to beleeue that there were any and therefore purchased to himselfe the Character of Blasphemus Maledicus c. yet he in one of his Coelestial Dialogues so stiled because they meerely consist of conference held amongst the vpper Deities in a discourse betwixt Maâ—s and Mercury introduceth Mars speaking of Iupiter to this purpose I will saith he If my inherent Power I'assume to me Ev'n when
confidently beleeued his wife soon after died leauing him her vniuersall heire of great possessions and mighty summes of money which both emboldened and strengthened him in his diabolicall proceedings so that by the assistance of Sergius the Monke hee now openly proclaimed himselfe a Prophet and sent of God to prescribe new lawes vnto the Nations And hauing before made himselfe skilfull in all their Lawes the better to countenance and corroborate this his Innouation he thought to accord with the Iewes in some points to continue them his friends and in some things with the Christians lest he should make them his enemies He likewise complied with diuers Heretiques with the Macedonians he denied the Holy-Ghost to be God with the Nicolaitans he approued the multiplicitie of Wiues c. On the other side he confessed our Sauiour Christ to be an holy man and a Prophet and that the Virgin Mary was an holy and blessed woman whom in his Alcaron he much extolled With the Iews he held circumcision with many other of their ceremonies Besides his Religion gaue all the abhominable vices of the flesh free scope and libertie which drew vnto his new Sect much confluence of people from many Nations and Languages to be his abettors and followers His booke he called the Alchoran and lest his diuellish impieties and absurd impostures should be examined and by that meanes discouered hee made it a penaltie of death for any man To argue or make difficultie of any Tenent contained therein making protestation That they ought to be supported maintained by Armes and not by Arguments His first attempt was To set vpon the confines of Arabia Heraclius being then Emperor who held his seat at Constantinople at the same time Boniface the first was Pope and Honorius his successor The newes of this great insurrection comming to the Emperors eare he prepared to suppresse it with all speed possible and to that end he entertained into his Pay the Scenites a warre-like people of Arabia who before had in their hearts much fauoured Mahomet by whose aid in the first bloudy Conflict he was victorious and dispersed this new Sect and had hee followed his present fortune he had quite abandoned it from the face of the earth But supposing them by this first defeat sufficiently disabled and himselfe secured hee failed to keepe promise with the Scenites and detained their pay who in meere despight that they had bin deluded and so injuriously dealt with ioyned themselues with Mahomets dis-banded Forces and by reason of his former râ—putation elected him their Captaine and Generall growing in time to that strength and boldnesse that they attempted diuers places in the Roman Empire entring Syria and surprising the great city Damas inuading Egypt Iudaea with the bordering prouinces persuading the Saracins and people of Arabia That the Land of Promise solely appertained vnto them as the legitimate successors vnto their father Abraham and Sarah from whom they deriued their Name Thus animated by the successe in these wars he was suddenly puft vp with a vain glorious ambition to conquer and subdue the whole world His next expedition therefore he aimed against the Persians a Nation at that time very potent and held to be inuincible His first aduenture succeeded ill for his army was defeated but after hauing re-allyed his forces in his second attempt fortune so fauoured him that hee compelled them to embrace his Religion Briefly and to auoid circumstance after he had run through many hazards and prosperously ouercome them he was poysoned and dyed according to Sabellicus in the fourtieth yere of his age And because he had told his complices and adherents That his body after his death should ascend into heauen they kept it for some dayes vnburied expecting the wonderment so long till by reason of the infectious stench thereof none was able to come neere it At length they put it into a chest of iron and carried it to Mecha a City of Persia where it is stil adored not onely of the people of the East but the greatest part of the world euen to this day And so much concerning the Impostor Mahomet With which relation the most approued Authors agree as Platina in the liues of the Popes Blondâ—â— in his booke of the declining of the Roman Empire Baptista Ignatius in the Abridgement of the Emperours the Annals of Constantinople Nauclerus Antoninus and others And now when I truly consider the stubborne Atheist the misbeleeuing Mahumetan and stiffe-necked Iew it putteth mee in minde of that of the Psalmist Is it true ô Congregation Speake ye iustly ô sonnes of men iudge ye vprightly yea rather ye imagin mischiefe in your hearts your hands execute crueltie vpon the earth The Wicked are strangers from the wombe euen from the belly haue they erred and speak lies Their poyson is euen like the poyson of a Serpent like the deafe Adder that stoppeth his eares which heareth not the voice of the Inchanter though he be most expert in charming Breake their teeth ô God in their mouthes breake the jawes of the yong Lions ô Lord let them melt like the waters let them passe away when he shooteth his arrows let them be broken let them consume like a Snaile that melteth and like the vntimelâ— fruit of a woman that hath not seene the Sunne c. Amongst Theodore Beza's Epigrams those which by a more peculiar name he inscribeth Icona's I reade one of Religion in the manner of a Dialogue Quae nam age tam lacero vestita incedis amictu Religio summiver a patris sorholes c. What art thou in that poore and base attyre Religion The chiefe Father is my Sire Why in a robe so thread-bare course and thin Fraile Riches I despise which tempt to sin Vpon what Booke do'st thou so fix thine eyes My Fathers reue'rend Law which I much prise Why do'st thou go thus with thy breasts all bare It fits those best that Truths professors are Why leaning on a Crosse Because indeed It is my welcome rest none else I need But wherefore wing'd Because I looke on high And would teach men aboue the starres to fly And wherefore shining It becomes me well Who all grosse darknesse from the minde expell What doth that Bridle teach vs To restraine All the wilde fancies of the brest and braine But wherefore Death do'st thou beneath thee tread Because by me ev'n Death it selfe lies dead This shewes the qualitie and estate of true Religion and the Professors thereof which is builded on the Messiâ—â— whom the peruerse and obstinate Iewes will not euen to this day acknowledge Concerning which I obserue an excellent saying from Gregorie Pap. The Iewes saith hee would neither acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the Sonne of God by the words and testimonie of his Heralds and fore-runners the Prophets not by his infinite Miracles and yet the Heauens knew him who leant him a bright star to light him into the world The Sea knew him who against
Emerald the Carbuncle with Gold The Timbrel and the Pipe were celebrated For thee in the first day thou wert created Thou art th' anointed Cherub made to couer Thee I haue set in honour aboue other Vpon Gods holy Mountaine placed higher Thou walked hast amidst the stones of fire At first of thy wayes perfect was the ground Vntill iniquitie in thee was found Thy heart was lifted vp by thy great beauty Therein tow'rds God forgetfull of thy duty By reason of thy Brightnesse being plac't ' Boue them thy Wisedome thou corrupted hast But to the ground I 'le cast thee flat and cold Lay thee where Kings thy ruin may behold In thy selfe-wisedome thou hast been beguild And by thy multitude of sinnes defil'd Thy Holinesse A Spirit still peruerse Stain'd by th' iniquitie of thy commerse Therefore from midst of thee a fire I 'le bring Which shall deuour thee into ashes fling Thee from thy height that all the earth may see thee This I haue spoke and who is he can free thee Their terror who did know thee heretofore Most Wretched thou shalt be yet be no more In this the Prophet as these would allude Striues in this first-borne Angell to include All Wisedome Pow'r Gifts Ornaments and Graces Which all the rest had in their seuerall Places God this precelling Creature hauing made With all the Host of Angels some haue said He then began the Vniuersall Frame The Heav'ns Sun Moon and Stars and gaue them name Then Earth and Sea his Diuine Will ordain'd With all the Creatures in them both contain'd His last great Workemanship in high respect Of Reason capable and Intellect But to the Angels natures much inferior Who with th' Almighty dwell in th' Heav'ns superior To all Eternity sounding his praise Man whom from Dust he did so lately raise Subsists of Soule and Body That which still Doth comprehend the Vnderstanding Will And Memorie namely the Soule Partaker Of those great Gifts is th' Image of the Maker The nature of the Body though it be Common with Beasts yet doth it disagree In shape and figure for with Eyes erected It beholds Heav'n whilest Brutes haue Looks deiected This compos'd Man is as a ligament And folding vp in a small continent Some part of all things which before were made For in this Microcosme are stor'd and layd Connexiuely as things made vp and bound Corporeall things with incorporeall Found There likewise are in his admired quality Things fraile and mortall mixt with Immortality Betweene those Creatures that haue Reason and Th' Irrationall who cannot vnderstand There is a Nature intermediate That 'twixt them doth of both participate For with the blessed Angels in a kinde Man doth partake of an intelligent Minde A Body with the Beasts with Appetite It to preserue feed cherish and delight And procreate it 's like in shapes and features Besides Man hath aboue all other Creatures That whereas they their Appetites pursue As solely sencible of what 's in view And gouern'd by instinct Mans eminence Hath pow'r to sway his Will from common Sence And besides Earthly things himselfe apply To contemplate things mysticall and hye And though his Excellence doth not extend To those miraculous Gifts which did commend Great Lucifer at first in his Majoritie Yet in one honour he hath iust prioritie Before all Angels to aduance his Seed Since God from all eternitie decreed That his owne Sonne the euerlasting Word Who to all Creatures Being doth afford By which they first were made should Heav'n forsake And in his Mercy humane Nature take Not that he by so doing should depresse The Diuine Majestie and make it lesse But Humane frailtie to exalt and raise From corrupt earth his glorious Name to praise Therefore he did insep'rably vnite His Goodhood to our Nature vs t' excite To magnifie his Goodnesse This Grace showne Vnto Mankinde was to the Angels knowne That such a thing should be they all expected Not knowing how or when 't would be effected Thus Paul th' Apostle testates 'Mongst the rest Without all opposition be 't confest Of Godlinesse the mysterie is high Namely That God himselfe apparantly Is manifest in Flesh is iustify'd In Spirit by the Angels clearely ' espy'd Preacht to the Gentiles by the World beleev'd Into eternall Glory last receiv'd With Pride and Enuy Lucifer now swelling Against Mankinde whom from his heav'nly Dwelling He seemes in supernaturall Gifts t' out-shine Man being but Terrene and himselfe Diuine Ambitiously his Hate encreasing still Dares to oppose the great Creators Will As holding it against his Iustice done That th' Almighties sole begotten Sonne Mans nature to assume purpos'd and meant And not the Angels much more excellent Therefore he to that height of madnesse came A stratagem within himselfe to frame To hinder this irrevocable Deed Which God from all eternitie decreed And that which most seem'd to inflame his spleene And arrogance was That he had foreseene That many Men by God should be created And in an higher eminence instated Of place and Glory than himselfe or those His Angels that this great Worke ' gant t' oppose Disdaining and repining that of Men One should be God Omnipotent and then That others his Inferiors in degree Should out-shine him in his sublimitie In this puft Insolence and timp'anous Pride He many Angels drew vnto his side Swell'd with the like thoughts Ioyntly these prepare To raise in Heav'n a most seditious Warre He will be the Trines Equall and maintaine Ouer the Hierarchies at least to raigne 'T is thus in Esay read I will ascend Into the Heav'ns and there my Pow'r extend Exalt my Throne aboue and my aboad Shall be made equall with the Stars of God Aboue the Clouds I will my selfe apply Because I will be like to the Most-Hye To this great Pride doth the Arch-Angell rise In boldest opposition and replies Whose name is Michael Why what is he That like the Lord our God aspires to be In vaine ô Lucifer thou striv'st t' assay That we thine innovations should obey Who know As God doth purpose be it must He cannot will but what is good and iust Therefore with vs That God and Man adore Or in this place thou shalt be found no more This strooke the Prince of Pride into an heate In which a Conflict terrible and great Began in Heav'n the Rebell Spirits giue way And the victorious Michael winnes the day Thus Iohn writes of the Battell Michael Fought and his Angels with the Dragon fel The Dragon and his Angels likewise fought But in the Conflict they preuailed nought Nor was their Place in Heav'n thence-forward found But the great Dragon that old Serpent bound They Diuell call'd and Sathan was cast out He that deceiueth the whole World about Ev'n to the lowest earth being tumbled downe And with him all his Angels headlong throwne This victorie thus got and he subverted Th' Arch-Angell with his holy Troupes directed
seriously then looking in their faces Partly by that part by their tongues at length His timerous doubts begin to gather strength Assur'd at last e'r either Sister greet He casts himselfe low at his fathers feet A Blessing is no sooner crav'd but had The Queene commands her Father to be clad In a rich habit suting his estate Which whilst her seruants haste t' accommodate The Brother now hath leisure to impart Cordiall salutes from an vnfeigned heart With his faire Sisters now no longer strange Which they with him as freely interchange By this the Queene is giv'n to vnderstand The King her Lord and Husband is at hand With those two Princes 'twixt whom he had made Such peace not one the other should inuade Whom by his wisdome after long hostilitie He had reduc'd vnto a faire ciuilitie Contracting league betwixt them and as Guests To Triumphs to Ovations and high feasts Inuited them his sole and maine intent To make that league more firme and permanent The King before he can approch the Court Of all the former newes hath full report Of Father Brother Sister and so met As that the Island shall remaine in debt To all posteritie where hee 's instated To haue the bruit from Age to Age related For where the place he liv'd in was obscure The memory of this shall make 't endure Whilst there 's a Summer to succeed the Spring Or Winter Autumne whilst vpon his wing Time hath a feather and shall credit win Till Lachesis haue no more thred to spin The patient Reader I am loth to cloy T' expresse their meeting jubilee and joy Who doubtlesse will conceiue it to be such Though more than need yet was not thought too much Besides in Feasts and Banquets knew I when I 'de rather blunt my knife than tyre my Pen. These and the like occasions were the cause Men to their good successe gaue such applause That one vnto the Oracle indeer'd A stately Temple to Apollo rear'd And Thestor who through Neptune had the fate To finde his best lov'd childe did consecrate To him an Altar thinking so to please The Pow'r that wrackt then sav'd him from the Seas And so the Queene since Fortune was so kinde To haue her in all troubles still in minde She in a new-built Temple yearely prais'd her Who to that height from her dejection rais'd her Such as in woods and forrests haue by chance Escap'd wilde beasts through their blinde ignorance Haue had a strong conception there might bee A Genius or some Sp'rit in ev'ry Tree To whom their safety they ascrib'd If passe A brooke or riuer where least danger was This or that water-Nymph they durst protest Had leant them aid when they were most distrest And thus the Diuell did the Ethnycks foole That would o're ev'ry Groue Lawne Streame or Poole Instate goddesse or god on whom to call That Pow'r neglecting who created All. At Diuine worship hath been still his aime For all Idolatry from him first came Of the Rebellious there be Orders nine As corresponding with the Spirits Diuine In the first eminent place are those install'd As would on earth be worshipt and gods call'd As he that did his Oracles proclaime In Delphos Shadow'd by Apollo's name He that the Pythian Prophetesse inspir'd As likewise those th' AEgyptians so admir'd Ascribing to themselues Honour and Feare And those in sundry Idols worshipt were And of these Belzebub is Lord and Master Prince of the second is that great Distaster Of Sanctitie and Truth Author of Lies Who alwayes speakes in doubts and fallacies Hee 's Python styl'd The third Classe comprehends Vessels of Wrath who haue no other ends Than to to deuise all Mischiefes Belial hee Is call'd for his approv'd Iniquitie I' th fourth Forme are such Spirits as conuince Man in his sinne then punish him their Prince Is Asmodeus The fift Scale comprises Deceiuers full of fraudulent disguises And 't is their function office and condition T' attend the deform'd Witch and damn'd Magition And of these Sathan's chiefe The sixt containes The airy Potestates who Hailes and Raines Thunders and Lightnings haue great dom'nance in And of these the prime Lord is Merasin In the sev'nth are the Furies they giue life To Discord War Strage and contentious Strife Then cast them vpon Man in their fierce wrath Abaddon ouer these dominion hath The eighth includes Explorers that accuse Those Astaroth doth as his Vassals vse The ninth and last Tempters who ambush Soules Those Maimon in his Principat controules Now of these Cacadaemons we haue ground For many names in sacred Scripture found The word Diabolus doth signifie A false Accuser full of calumnie Belial is likewise read there and the word Imports an Out-Law without Yoke or Lord. Knowledge acute Daemonium implies And Beelzebub is the King of Flies Sathan an Aduersarie Bohemoth a Beast Leviathan where grosse sinnes are increast And builded vp Such from Abaddons race Be styl'd as are extermined from grace We finde in Dante 's these by obseruation Alchino i. Vnto Vice an inclination Then Calchabrina i. One who doth despise All Diuine Grace Neither did he deuise Vainly these names An euill-biting Dog Cagnazzum Coriato a fat Hog Barbariccia i. Fraudu'lent and Vniust And Libicocco One inflam'd with Lust. Faraffel doth a Trifler intimate And Rubicante Fir'd with Spleene and Hate Briefely to passe their names o're it would well Become this place to speake how many fell In that great Conflict and 't is my desire As far as leaue permits me to enquire Most probable it is and best agreeing With common Sence since all things that haue Beeing By naturall instinct their Pow'rs extend And faculties all aiming at the end For which they first were made and Nature still Her ordinarie course striues to fulfill So that all Births which out of order come Are monstrous and prodigious of which some Although not many in each Age we see As likewise that Sinne still doth disagree With Diuine nature and therefore their Fall And proud Rebellion most vnnaturall As meere Extrauagants these reasons may Induce vs to beleeue and thinke that they Are more in number that remaine in Blisse Than those cast headlong to the deepe Abisse Some learned Rabbins haue opinion held The number of the Angels that rebell'd And in one Conjuration then compacted Out of each sev'rall Ternion extracted Equall one Chorus Saint Iohn doth auer That he beheld the Dragon Lucifer The third part of the Stars with his Taile draw From the high Heav'ns which he in Vision saw But of the Angels th'exact number who Shall vndertake to tell he shall but grow From Ignorance to Error yet we may Coniecture That as in perfection they Excell all other Creatures so conclude That likewise they exceed in multitude Those that haue had still haue or shall haue Beeing
thither and entertained into his wonted lodging Philemium his Beloued came into the chamber spake with him supt with him and after much amorous discourse she receiued of him as a gift a Ring of iron and a Cup guilt and she in interchange gaue him a Ring of gold and an hand-kerchiefe which done they went to bed together The Nurse being very diligent to see that her new ghest wanted nothing came vp with a candle and saw them both in bed together She ouer-joyed runneth in hast to bring the Parents newes that their daughter was aliue They amased rise from their bed and finde them both fast-sleeping when in great rapture of ioy they called and pulled them to awake At which shee rising vpon her pillow with a seuere looke cast vpon them thus said O you most cruell and obdurat Parents and are you so enuious of your daughters pleasure that you will not suffer her for the space of one three dayes to enioy her deere Machates but this curiositie shall be little for your ease for you shall againe renew your former sorrowes which hauing spoke she changed countenance sunke downe into the bed and died at which sight the father and mother were both intranced The rumor of this came into the city the Magistrats caused the graue to be opened but found not the body there only the iron Ring and the Cup giuen her by Machates For the same Coarse was then in the chamber and bed which by the counsell of one Hillus a Soothsayer was cast into the fields and the yong man finding himself to be deluded by a Specter to auoid the ignominie hee with his owne hands slew himselfe Possible it is that the inferiour Diuels at the command of the superiour should possesse the bodies of the Dead for a time and moue in them as by examples may appeare Eunapius reports That an AEgyptian Necromancer presented the person of Apollineus before the people But Iamblicus a greater Magition standing by told them It was not he but the body of a Fencer who had before been slaine When whispering a stronger charme to himselfe the Spirit forsooke the body which falling down dead appeared to them all to be the stinking carkasse of the Fencer before spoken of and well knowne to them all The like is reported of one Donica who after she was dead the Diuell had walked in her body for the space of two yeares so that none suspected but that she was still aliue for she did both speak and eat though very sparingly onely shee had a deepe palenesse in her countenance which was the only signe of death At length a Magition comming by where she was then in the companie of many other Virgins as soone as hee beheld her hee said Faire Maids why keep you company with this dead Virgin whom you suppose to be aliue When taking away the Magicke charme which was tied vnder her arme the body fell downe liuelesse and without motion Cornelius Agrippa liuing in Louvaine had a yong man who tabled with him One day hauing occasion to be abroad hee left the keyes of his study with his wife but gaue her great charge to keepe them safe and trust them to no man The Youth ouer-curious of noueltie neuer ceased to importune the woman till shee had lent him the key to take view of his Librarie Which entring he hapned vpon a booke of Conjuration hee reads when straight hee heares a great bouncing at the doore which hee not minding readeth on the knocking groweth greater the noise louder But hee making no answer the Diuell breakes open the doore and enters and askes what he commands him to haue done or why he was called The Youth amased and through feare not able to answer the Diuell seiseth vpon him and wrythes his neck asunder Agrippa returneth findeth the yong man dead and the Diuels insulting ouer him Hee retyres to his Art and calls the Diuels to account for what they had done they tell all that had passed Then he commanded the homicide to enter into the body and walke with him into the market place where the Students were frequent and after two or three turnes to forsake the bodie Hee did so the body falls downe dead before the Schollers all iudge it to be of some sudden Apoplexy but the markes about his necke and jawes make it somewhat suspitious And what the Archi-Mage concealed in Louvaine being banished thence hee afterward feared not to publish in Lotharinge Don Sebastian de Cobarruvias Orozco in his treasurie of the Castilian Tongue speaking how highly the Spaniards prise their beards and that there is no greater disgrace can be done vnto him than to be plucked by it and baffled reporteth That a noble Gentleman of that Nation being dead a Iew who much hated him in his life stole priuatly into the roome where his body was newly layd out and thinking to do that in death which hee neuer durst doe liuing stooped downe to plucke him by the beard at which the body started vp and drawing his sword that then lay by him halfe way out put the Iew into such a fright that he ran out of the Roome as if a thousand Diuels had been behind him This done the body lay downe as before vnto rest and the Iew after that turned Christian. Let these suffice out of infinites Hauing discoursed in the former Tractat of the Astrologomagi it shall not be impertinent to speake something concerning Astrologie which is defined to be Scientia Astris a knowledge in the Starres of which as Pliny witnesseth in the 57 booke of his Naturall Historie Atlanta King of the Mauritanians was the first Inuentor Of this Art the sacred Scriptures in diuers places make mention As in Deutron 4.19 And lest thou shouldst lift vp thine eyes to heauen and when thou seest the Sun and the Moone and the Stars with all the Host of Heauen shouldst be driuen to worship them and serue them which the Lord thy God hath distributed to all people vnder the whole heauen Againe Esay 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels let now the Astrologers the Star-gasers and Prognosticators stand vp and saue thee from those things that shall come vpon thee c. Now wherefore God created those blessed Lights of heauen is manifest Gen. 1.14 And God said Let there be Lights in the Firmament of the heauen to separate the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and yeares Againe Cap. 8. vers 22. Hereafter seed time and haruest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease so long as the earth endure Esay 44.24 Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer and hee that formed thee from the wombe I am the Lord that made all things that spread out the heauens aboue and stretcheth out the earth by my selfe I destroy the tokens of Sooth-sayers and make them that
in such great adoration Okumanteia call'd seemes to haue sprung As likewise those by th' antient Magi sung Onichomanteia Libonomantia Capnomantia Piromantia And Thurifumia But I cannot dwell On circumstance their sev'rall Rites to tell Spirits of th' Aire are bold proud and ambitious Envious tow'rd Mankinde Spleenfull and malicious And these by Gods permission not alone Haue the cleare subtill aire to worke vpon By causing thunders and tempestuous showr's With harmefull windes 't is also in their pow'rs T' affright the earth with strange prodigious things And what 's our hurt to them great pleasure brings Of their so rare effects Stories are full Amongst the Attribates it rained wooll In good Saint Ambrose time two armies â—ought In the aires Region and great terror brought Vnto all France Hugh Capet making claime Vnto the Crowne if we may credit Fame And Histories which are not writ in vaine There fell from heav'n great store of Fish and Graine Philostratus in whom was found no flaw Writes Apollonius 'mongst the Brachmans saw Two Tombes which opened windes disturb'd the aire But shut the sky was calme the season faire Eunapius and Suidas both record How Sepater could with one Magicke word Command the Windes and was adiudg'd to dye Because he kept them fast when as supplye Of corne vnto Byzantium should be brought But to spare these had we no further sought Than sacred Historie In Iob we finde How Sathan did stir vp a mighty winde Which where his sonnes and daughters feasting were Did the whole house demolish rend and teare The Finnes and Laplands are acquainted well With such like Sp'rits and Windes to Merchants fell Making their cov'nant When and how they please They may with prosp'rous weather crosse the feas As thus They in an hand-kerchiefe fast ty Three knots vnloose the first and by and by You finde a gentle gale blow from the shore Open the second it encreaseth more Fo fill your sailes When you the third vntye Th' intemperat gusts grow vehement and hye Of Ericus the King of Goths 't is said That as he turn'd his hat the winde he stayd Nor did there euer any neere him know The piercing aire vpon his face to blow It is reported of learn'd Zoroaster Who of art Magicke was the first Art-master That by such Spirits in a stormy day And mighte whirle-winde he was borne away And from this kinde that diuination springs Call'd AEromantia by which thousand things Haue been conjectur'd from the conjur'd Aire When mustring Armies in the clouds repaire Chariots and such to iudge what shall befall From them they Terotoscopeia call A third there is I almost had forgot Ornithomanteia when by Birds they wot Spirits that haue o're Water gouernment Are to Mankinde alike maleuolent They trouble Seas Flouds Riuers Brookes and Wels Meeres Lakes and loue t' enhabit watry Cels Thence noisome and pestiferous vapors raise Besides they Man encounter diuers wayes At wrackes some present are another sort Ready to crampe their joints that swim for sport One kinde of these th' Italians Fatae name Feé the French We Sibils and the same Others White Nymphs and those that haue them seen Night-Ladies some of which Habundia Queene And of this sort are those of which discusse Plutarch and out of him Sabellicus Numa Pompilius who did oft inuite The best of Rome to feast with him by night Neuer made vse of market to afford Rich choice of dainties to his sumptuous bord Each tastefull Delicat that could be thought Without all cat'ring or prouiding ought Did of their owne accord themselues present To giue th' invited ghests their full content To all their admiration Which is said Was onely by the Nymph Egeria's aid With whom he had conuerse and she we finde Of force must be a Spirit of this kinde Scotus Parmensis but few yeares ago As some report his Magicke Art to show Practis'd the like inuited mighty States And feasted them with princely Delicates And yet these seeming viands were of all That tasted them merely phantasticall Though they rose sated yet no sooner thence Departed but they had no feeling sence Of feeding Hunger or of quenching thirst But found themselues more empty than at first And with such banquets as Philostratus Writes was Apollonius Tyanaeus Receiued by the Brachmans With like cheare Petrus Albanus and Pasaetis were Custom'd to feast their Ghests And of this sort Namely White Nymphs Boëthius makes report In his Scotch Historie Two Noblemen Mackbeth and Banco-Stuart passing then Vnto the Pallace where King Duncan lay Riding alone encountred on the way In a darke Groue three Virgins wondrous faire As well in habit as in feature rare The first of them did curtsie low her vaile Vnpinn'd and with obeisance said All haile Mackbeth Thane Glâ—vius The next said All haile Caldarius Thane The third Maid Not the least honor vnto thee I bring Mackbeth all haile that shortly must be King These spake no more When Banco thus reply'de Ill haue ye done faire Ladies to diuide Me from all honors How comes he thus growne In your great grace to promise him a Crowne And I his sole companion as you see Yet you in nothing daigne to guerdon mee To whom the first made answer Yes we bring To thee much happier Fate for though a King Mackbeth shall be yet shall he reigne alone And leaue no issue to succeed his Throne But thou ô Banco though thou dost not sway Thy selfe a Scepter yet thine Issue may And so it shall thine Issue do not feare Shall gouerne Scotland many an happy yeare This spoke all vanisht They at first amas'd At the strange Nouell each on other gas'd Then on they road accounting all meere fictions And they vaine Spectars false in their predictions And sporting by the way one jeasted thus Haile King of Scotland that must gouerne vs. To whom the other Like salutes to thee Who must of many Kings the Grandsire bee Yet thus it happen'd after Duncan slaine By Mackbeth he vsurpt and 'gan to raigne Though the dead King had left two sonnes behinde More seriously then pondring in his minde The former apparition casts about How Banco of the Scotch Peeres the most stout Might be cut off doth solemnely inuite Him and his sonne Fleanchus one sad night Vnto a banquet where the Father dies But shadow'd by the darknesse the Sonne flies Now the small sand of Mackbeths glasse bee'ng run For he was slaine by Malcolme Duncans son In processe the Crowne lineally descended To Banco's Issue and is yet extended In ample genealogie remaining In most renowned CHARLES amongst vs reigning My promis'd brevitie be mine excuse Else many stories I could here produce Of the like nature purport and condition For we may reade Ollarus the Magition Commanded like Familiars who 't is sed With his inchanted
Partner with the Starres and Brother to the Sun and Moone for so Herodotus writeth Lib. 2. Historiar Let vs now heare the Poets concerning Pride Claud. 4. De Honors Consol. saith Inquinat egregios adjuncta superbia mores The best Indowments knowne and tryde Are spotted if commixt with Pride And Seneca in Herc. Furent Sequitur superbos victor à tergo Deus God as a Victor doth not slacke But still is at the proud mans backe Menander in Gubernat O miserum terque quaterque Omnes qui de se magnifice sentiunt inflat Ignorant enim illi hominis conditionem c. O miserable thrice and foure times told Are all who in their insolence are bold To vant themselues too high whilst their ambition Doth make them to forget mans fraile condition For none but such whose sence hath them forsaken By Arrogance and vaine Applause are taken Eurip. in Glauco Cum videris in sublime quenquam elatum Splendidius gloriantem opibus genere c. When thou behold'st a proud man others scorne Because hee 's rich himselfe or nobly borne And therefore casts on them a scornfull eye Imagin that from heav'n his judgement 's nye Sophocles in Aiace Flagif Video nos nihil aliud esse praeter Simulacra quaedam quotquot viuimus Aut vmbram levem c. I see that we whose mindes so lofty soare Are Images light Shadowes and no more Consider this ô Man thou shalt not breake Into vaine fury nor a proud word speake Against thy God though others thou exceed In Pow'r in wealth or any noble deed We read Socrat. Com. Athen. thus Quamvis Rex naâ—us fueris audi tamen vt mortalis c. Though thou art borne a King in thy degree Yet know thou canst no more than mortall bee Thy time 's vncertaine and thy life a dreame What thou in scorne spitst from thee is but flegme And bred from corrupt nature Dost thou weare A costly robe that first the Sheepe did beare Before it deckt thy shoulders Is thy chest Cram'd full of gold 't is Fortunes spoile at best Or art thou rich of potencie and pow'r Yet are not these assur'd thee for an how'r Or art thou proud That 's folly aboue all Possessing nothing thou thine owne canst call Seeke Temperance for that 's a diuine treasure Which thou shalt finde if thou thy selfe canst measure Mortales cum sitis saith Demosthenes ne supra Deum vos erexeritis i. Knowing your selues to be but mortall seeke not to be aduanced aboue God And we finde it thus in the excellent Poet Simon Nauquerius Quod juvat homines tanto turgescere fastiâ— Non certe heroës semi-dijque sumus c. What helps it you ô men to be so proud For Heroës or halfe-gods y' are not allow'd Came not our substance from the earth below And from aboue nought saue the breath we blow Is not our flesh nay bones from dust create And we the subiects of inconstant Fate What 's in growne man What 's all his strength within More than th' earths bowels wrapt vp in soft skin Ev'n from our parents dregs conceiv'd at first Naked and weeping borne then swath'd and nurst Thinke onely of thy ruin wretched Man And that than thy corrupt flesh nothing can Be thought more vile The Trees and Plants we see Beare pleasant fruits Beasts bring that which feeds thee When from thy body nothing can proceed But what is foule and nasty and doth breed Loathsomnesse to thy selfe diseases sores And excrements by all thy vents and pores Behold how faint how weake how poore thou grow'st That not one safe houre in thy life time know'st Of which thou canst presume and art indeed Nought but a putrid Coarse the Wormes to feed To this Pride which was the sin of the Angels and therefore the cause that they were precipitated from heauen into hell wee may adde their Ingratitude who notwithstanding the dignity of their Diuine nature durst oppose themselues against Him who had created them of such excellence How heinous may we imagin that offence was in Angels towards their God when it is held so odious and abhominable for any benefit receiued in one man towards another Saint Augustine in lib. de Poenitentia In hoc quisque peccato fit culpabilior quo est Deo acceptior c. In this euery Sinner is made more culpable in that to God hee is more acceptable and therefore Adams sinne was the greater in regard that in his creation he was the purer And Bernard Serm. 1. in Epiphan Domin Acknowledge how much God hath esteemed thee by those benefits he hath bestowed vpon thee and what hee hath done for thee that vnto thee his benignitie may the better appeare in taking vpon him humanitie For the lesse he made himselfe in his Incarnation the greater appeared his goodnesse for thy saluation By how much for me he was the viler by so much to me he shall be the dearer And therefore obserue ô Man because thou art but dust and earth be not proud and being ioyned vnto God be not Ingratefull Of the generall Ingratitude of men Lactantius Firmianus thus iustly complaineth If any necessitie oppresseth vs then God is remembred if the terror of war threatneth vs if any sickenesse afflicteth vs dearth and scarcitie punisheth vs if stormes or tempests trouble vs then wee fly vnto God then wee desire his helpe then we offer our feruent prayers vnto him If any be in a storme or distressed at sea then hee invoketh him If any violence or oppression be offered he imploreth him If he be driuen to pouerty then he seeketh vnto him Or if forced to beg he craueth the peoples charitie onely for his sake and in his name But saue in their aduersitie they neuer remember him after the feare is past and that the danger is blowne ouer him whose assistance they implored in their want they forget in their fulnesse and whom they sought after in their penury they now fly in their plenty O fearefull ingratitude for then men most forget God when enioying his blessings and benefits they haue cause to be thankefull vnto him For then He that returneth euill for good euill shall not depart from his house saith Salomon And therefore Blesse God ô my Soule saith the Psalmist and forget not his great benefits The ingratefull man or rather Monster is by the Ethnycke Authors diuersly branded One writeth thus Ingratus qui beneficium accepisse negat quid accepit ingratus qui id dissimulat c. He is called an ingratefull man who hauing receiued a benefit yet denieth to haue receiued it he is so called that dissemblerh it he likewise incurreth the same aspersion that requiteth it not but aboue all that character is most iustly conferred vpon him that forgets it It is a sinne that walketh hand in hand with Insolence and brasen-fronted Impudence saith Stobaeus And according to Theophrastus it ariseth either from couetousnesse or suspect Archimides saith Benefits