known Whence she all single things beholds or them divided knows Whence 't is that she all things enfolds What from the highest Heaven flows And what on the Earth's surface grows With this same knowledge she repleat with Truth does Falshood gall No Knowledge sure can be so great Which does from outward Objects fall As that which comprehends this all Yet living creatures Passions have which do the Mind excite Each Object does attention crave Both of the Hearing and the Sight And this their forms does bring to light And thus the Mind to outward things her knowledge does apply Not that the outward Object brings Vnto it any novelty For it knâ—w all intrinsicly And if in Bodies it be so Their outward forms by Sense to know The outward Object must reflect Upon the Sense and it affect And that we do the Passions find Precede the Actions of the Mind And do provoke the Soul to stirre Those inward forms ly hid in her If that these bodies right to know The Mind to Passions this does ow Although she Passions do at length Subdue by her own force and strength How much more do those things that be From Corporal Affections free The outward Objects not attend But to the Mind their powers bend Wherefore there is of Knowledges Like diff'rence as of Substances Some creatures motionless have Sense But they want all other science As Shel-fish which to rocks stick fast And thence do nourishment exhaust The Beasts and Birds that use motion Have Sense and Imagination By which they fit things covet do And seek all dangers to eschew Reason does only Man define And Vnderstanding is divine So that same Knowledge excels sure Which excells of its own nature And does not only its own show But does all others Objects know If Sense and Imagination Then should rise up against Reason And this same their contest should be There 's no Vniversality As Reason thinks she does behold And thus their argument should hold Whatever thing is Sensible Or that is Imaginable That Vniversal cannot be If Reason's judgment true then be Then nothing can be Sensible No nor yet Imaginable For many things to her are known Subject to Imagination And Sense then vain is the conceit Of Reason which does Objects treat That in their natures Single be With her Vniversality Thus Reason's answer would be free That in Universality She does behold what 's Sensible And what is Imaginable But their weak Knowledge cannot fly Up to Vniversality ' Cause they no Knowledge have at all 'Bove Figures and Forms Corporeal Then certainly we must affirm That Knowledge for to be most firm As also to be most perfect Which knows both Form and the Effect In this contention surely we Indu'd with Reason's faculty That have Imagination And Sense also to work upon Cannot in reason but attest That Reason's cause is much the best Just so it is when Reason does Think that God's Vnderstanding knows Things yet to come no otherwise Then she does think she them descries For thus thou say'st If th' event be Not certain and necessary Then a Foreknowledge of the same Also can no way be certain Hence of these things thou dost alledge That there can be no Foreknowledge And if there be nought certainly Can hap but of necessity If as we have of Reason part God Judgment would divine impart As we already did conclude All Sense and Thought for to be rude ' Cause they to Reason would not yield So Reason must submit the field To th' Vnderstanding Divine Mind Then granting that our Reason's blind Let us unto that height aspire Where Reason when she has got higher Will see those things and plainly too Which in her self she could not do Which is that those things which have no Certain event God does Foreknow And that Opinion this is none But rather highest notion bound up in that Simplicity That by nothing can bounded be On earth what sev'ral kinds of creatures are Poison the Serpent lines yet he is fair His skin no soil will take though he does creep Yet he does furrows make and dust does sweep Birds use their wings to fly upon the wind And in the air full high a passage find Beasts going on the ground their steps appear By which in Woods oft found they hunted are All sev'ral form'd you see in Nature's book Yet all in this agree on Earth they look Man only does erect his stately crown To th' Earth gives no respect nor eye throws down If Earth don't thee inchant thy Form does teach For all things thou canst want to Heav'n to reach But if thou Earth do love and to it trust Thy Body will above thy Soul be thrust Then as to thee before was shown Whate're is known it is not known By its own nature but by his By whom it comprehended is Let 's now the Divine substance see With care and with sobriety That seeing it we may also Know what it is that he does know First then God is confest by all That Reason have to b' eternal The thing that must consider'd be Is what is this Eternity For this will unto us declare What 's knowledge and what 's nature are Eternitie's full possession Of life without conclusion This unto us will plain appear If temp'ral things we do compare All things that live do proceed from Times past go on to time to come And there 's no one that can embrace At one instant all the whole space Of his whole Life knows not next day Nor is what he was yesterday Nor in this very present day Does he of 's Life more time enjoy Then one moment transitory In which to Move or Speak or Die Then none of time can be more free Then Time can make himself to be Though that as Aristotle said O' th' World it no Beginning had No End shall have if Life I say With Time enduer should for aye It could not rightly be a thing That might be call'd Everlasting For though that Life were infinite It could not at one time unite All its whole course being barr'd from All the whole time that is to come Then that same which does comprehend All that whole Life which has no end All that is past knows certainly All that 's to come does plainly see That same must the Eternal be And this is of necessity For that he in himself alone Has all perfect possession Makes all things present him assist And also carries in his fist The all and whole infinity Of Time that has mobility But very largely they mistake Who from Plato's opinion take This frame to be coeternal With him that framed this same All Because that Plato this has penn'd It nor Beginning had nor End And they do think to prove by this The World as God Eternal is For it is one thing for to have Life without end which Plato gave To th' World and it is another As 't is easie for to gather At one instant
did repeat My Children are my torments great There 's no Condition this can free Thou long hast try'd it true to be That saying of Euripides I do acknowledge me does please Who did proclaim Sterility A happy Infelicity All Pleasure has this great malignity To wound and to torment who have it had like to the Bee Who having lost her Hony does grow mad And stings and swells the robbers though she dy Then suerly there is no doubt But who goes this way does goe out Of 's way to Blessedness nor can These Goods him render Happy man Nay these are Ills I 'le briefly show Dost thou endeavour Rich to grow Thou from another it must gain Wouldst thou to Dignities attain Thou must beseech the giver's grace And to excell thy self debase Dost thou desire Power to have Thou mak'st thy self to plots a slave If thou great Glory do procure Envy thee renders unsecure Wouldst thou a life of Pleasure lead Who would not Luxury down tread And think it base to have his Mind To so base service be confin'd And who the bodie 's Beauty prize How build they on uncertainties Can they the bulk o' th' Elephant Bull 's strength or Tiger's swiftness vaunt See Heaven's firmness space and fire Then leave these low things to admire Nor yet are these worth thy least thought With him compared that them wrought Then Beauty is but a frail thing More fading then the Floweri'th ' Spring Of which learn'd Aristotle cries If one could see with Lynceus eyes And with those eyes could penetrate The intrails nasty sordid state The fair-fram'd Alcibiades Would the beholder nothing please Thou canst not then thy Nature prize But the infirm beholders eyes 〈◊〉 of thy Body be as proud 〈◊〉 thou canst wish so 't be allow'd That three daies Fever can destroy The thing in which you so much joy From which we briefly may collect These Goods which promise such respect Nor can their promise keep nor show That they do any goodness ow So that they men nor bring to rest Nor are at all men by them blest O how does Ignorance Erroneous waies advance You seek not Trees for Gold Nor Vines for Crystalls cold You do not climb a Hill Fishes with nets to kill Nor go to th' Ocean clear To hunt the Fallow-deer You careful are to know The times of ebbe and slow And in what coasts are bred White Pearls where Corrall red What part o' th' Sea the Fin What Shel-fish does ly in But what you most should mind Chief Good in that y' are blind And seek for that below Which 'bove the Starrs does grow They 're curst not to be wise Who Wealth and Honour prize Which when with pain they 've got Then Goods they know they 're not The forms of false Felicity As yet I 've only shew'd to thee Which if that thou do clearly know I will true Bliss now to thee show I see said I that no Wealth can Sufficient be for any man No Kingdoms howsoever great Can give a Power that 's compleat No Dignities full Reverence Nor Glory wish'd for Eminence No Pleasures can give Perfect Bliss Know'st thou the causes of all this Methinks I see a glimmering But you a clearer light may bring The reason 's plain for that 't is try'd That humane Error does divide What 's simple perfect and what 's true And it to Falshood gives as due Dost thou think what 's in nothing scant That the same thing can power want Why no said I. Thou think'st then right For if in ought it want full might In that 't is of necessity It must by others succour'd be That 's true Then the condition Of Power and Enough 's all one So 't seems What think'st thou then is' t sit To slight this or to honour it Why it to honour there 's no doubt Since best of things it brings about Why then unto Sufficiency And Power let 's adde Dignity And then these three but one appear We must it adde if truth we 'le hear And now said she think'st thou that this Obscure and base or famous is Consider too since you do grant That is most glorious nought does want Whether this Glory do want Fame Which to it self it cannot frame And so does seem to come below I must needs grant it Famous too Why then in this we must agree Fame differs not from th' other three We must Then that which nought does want That which in Power is not scant That which has Fame and Glory high That is most pleasant certainly But see said I I no way can How Grief should seise on such a man No by what 's said we must confess That man does perfect joy possess And this too 's of necessity Power Fame Respect Sufficiency And Pleasure have a sev'ral name But all in substance are the same 'T is true 't is of necessity Then this you 'l grant man's pravity Divideth what is simple pure Which while he strives for to procure By part the which no parts contains Nor whole nor part to him remains How 's this said I. Who Wealth would have Flies Want but Power does not crave Had rather live obscure and vile From all delights himself exile Then part with what he cannot hold His dear-beloved darling Gold But by these means most certainly No man can have Sufficiency Whom Power leaves or Cares molest Or Baseness hides can have no rest Again who would to Power rise Wasts Wealth and Glory does despise And without Power Honour too Nor Pleasures can at all him woe And yet when he has all his will There 's many things he wanteth still Sometimes he Necessaries wants Sometimes is vext with Cares and Plaints Of which since he can't rid his mind He wants that Power he design'd With the same reason we may measure All Honour Claritude and Pleasure For since that ev'ry one 's the same With all the rest he is to blame Does unto any one aspire Losing thereby his own desire What then said I. If one address Himself to all can they him bless No we have shew'd they cannot doe 't Since they their promise can't make good Nor can they Bliss bring to effect Since each has singly his respect I do confess that nothing can Then this be truer taught to man The causes then and form said she Thou see'st of false Felicity Now bend thy mind but contrary And thou true Bliss shalt soon espy When thou the causes of false Bliss Didst open thou didst then clear this For if I rightly construe thee That 's perfect true Felicity Which does sufficient render and Gives Pleasure Fame Respect Command Further to make it plain to sight That I do understand thee right I do acknowledge that which shall Doe truely one performs them all And then no doubt but this must be True perfect full Felicity O happy thou that dost think so If one thing more thou'lt adde thereto What 's that said I. Dost think there
to be As it is plain and manifest Thereby most happy and most blest As men by Justice Just are said By Wisdome men are Wise men made So likewise of necessity Men Gods are by Divinity Then who does gain this Blessedness He then a God can be no less I but there can but one God be That 's true in nature verily But yet there may be more then one By God's participation Call you this a Corollary A precious one it is said I. But there is one more precious yet Which Reason does perswade to knit What 's that said I. Since it seems plain That Bliss does many things contain Whether all these do conjugate In Parts to make this Blessed state Or one Part of them does compleat For all the rest this Bliss so great I would said I that thou wouldst clear These things more in particular Why we averre that Blessedness Said she is the chiefest Goodness 'T is true said I. The same thou may'st Said she adde unto all the rest For it is chief Sufficiency Chief Power and chief Dignity Chief Honour and chief Pleasure too And what have all these Goods to doe This Power and Sufficiency And all the rest of that degree Are they but parts of Blessedness Or do they Good intire comprise I see what 't is you go about But how said I will you make 't out Why thus If all these members be Of ever-bless'd Felicity Then each from other far escarts For this the nature is of Parts Of many one entire to frame But these are all one and the same For these indeed no members be For if then this Felicity Would of one member be conjoyn'd Which cannot be That 's true I find But what remains I do desire 'T is plain that all things do aspire To Good therefore Sufficiency Is sought ' cause Good therein does ly And Power deem'd Good to procure The same of Honour Fame Pleasure The summe and cause of all desire Is this then Good for to acquire For what nor Good nor Good is like That has a general dislike And contrary what are not so By nature if they make a show They as true Goods desired are So that the Summe the Scope the Care Of whatsoe're desired is Must be believ'd to be Goodness For for what cause a thing is sought That end to compass must be thought As if a man for Health do ride Though pleas'd his prauncing Horse to guide Yet more th' effect his health does take So all things sought for Goodness sake Are not themselves so much desir'd As Goodness self to be acquir'd But we already did profess That same for to be Blessedness For which all other things are sought That therefore they are sought we taught By which it plainly does appear Goodness and Bliss the same things are I see no reason but 't is so But we did also plainly show That God and Bliss is the same thing You did said I. Thence then does spring That God's whole substance placed is In Goodness self that 's perfect Bliss Come hither all you that are ta'ne In Lust's deceitfull wicked chain Whose minds mind nought but for to gain things terrestriall Here from your labours you may rest Here is a port with quiet blest Here is the refuge that is best for wretches all The Gold that Tagus does afford Nor what rich Hermus banks has stor'd Nor Gemms of which the Indian's lord the Mind can clear But rather it obnubilate For that which here gives best estate And does mens minds most elevate from earth they tear In mines cannot be found that light Which does adorn the Heavens bright And which does pierce with so much might the souls impure Which Light to whom it shall appear Will his dark soul so fully clear That thenceforth he may justly swear the Sun 's obscure With strongest Reason I agree All things said I composed be But how much more wouldst it esteem If Goodness self said she were seen Why infinitely said I then Because by it I God should ken Who Goodness is Why this said she By reasons true I 'le shew to thee Let but those things remain which I Already prov'd have certainly They shall said I. I 've shew'd said she Those things which by most sought for be Nor true Goods nor yet perfect are Because amongst themselves they jarre For if one from another swerve They cannot perfect Good preserve Which only then is true and right When in one form they do unite For that which is Sufficiency The same is Power Dignity Fame and Pleasure If then that these Ben't all the same they 've nought that please Then this a truth all must confess What 's discrepant is not Goodness And if by being one they do Goodness become then it is so That therefore they come good to be By the obtaining Vnity So 't seems said I. Then all that 's good To be good by thee 's understood By Good 's participation So 't is said I. Then to be one And to be good you do declare To be the same for those things are Of the same substance whose effects By nature have the same respects I can't deny 't Know'st thou said she That all that is so long will be As it is one but perishes When Vnity in it does cease As how said I. Why thus said she In Living creatures we it see It does a living thing remain While Soul and Body are the same But if that these asunder fall No longer we do so them call The Body too while we it find With all the parts in one conjoyn'd The humane species seems to be But if divided Vnity Being distraught it is no more The thing that it appear'd before And so all other things we see Are lost by losing Vnity In all things I can think upon This is no supposition Why is there any thing said she That does desire naturally To leave to be and for to come To nothing or destruction In Living creatures then said I Who have nature's activity To will and nill I do not find Unless some outward force them bind For to obey any ' ntention Of free and willing destruction All living things their health defend Shunning to come unto their end But what of things call'd vegetal To think I do not skill at all But this too thou may'st also know When Herbs and Trees thou find'st to grow In Places for their nature fit Wherein if they be firmly set Their nature will not let them dry Nor but by course of Nature dy In Plains on Hills in Fens some spring Others hard Rocks some Sands forth bring Transplant but these and presently They wither do away and dy For Nature every thing does give What 's fit and willingness to live And do not all these things get birth By thrusting down their heads i' th' Earth The which does nourishment infuse To th' Root and that does strength diffuse To th' Stock what part most tender is Within like marrow