the Lord that I will heare the heavens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oile and they shall heare Israell From that we may descend to the foure Elements which as a musicall instrument of foure strings is both tuned and touched by the hand of heaven And in the next place those bodies which are mixed and tempered of these Elements offer themselues to our consideration whether they bee without life as stones and mettalls or haue the life of vegetation only as Plants or both of vegetation and sense as beasts and birds and fishes and in the last place man presents himselfe vpon this Theater as being created last though first intended the master of the whole family chiefe Commaunder in this great house nay the master-peece the abridgment the mappe and modell of the Vniuerse And in him wee will examine this pretended decay first in regard of age and length of yeares secondly in regard of strength and stature thirdly in regard of wits and Arts and fourthly and lastly in regard of manners and conditions to which all that is in man is or should bee finally referred as all that is in the world is vnder God finally referred to man And because it is not sufficient to possesse our owne fort without the dismantling and demolishing of our enimies a principall care shall bee had throughout the whole worke to answere if not all at least the principall of those obiections which I haue found to weigh most with the adverse part And in the last place least I should any way bee suspected to shake or vndermine the ground of our Christian religion or to weaken the article of our beliefe touching the consummation of the world by teaching that it decayes not to wipe off that aspertion I will endeavour to prooue the certainety thereof not so much by Scripture which no Christian can be ignorant of as by force of Reason and the testimony of Heathen writers and finally I will conclude with an exhortation grounded therevpon for the stirring of men vp to a preparation of themselues against that day which shall not only end the world but iudge their actions and dispose of the everlasting estate of their persons CAP. 4. Touching the worlds decay in generall SECT 1. The three first generall reasons that it decayes not THe same Almighty hand which created the worlds massie frame and gaue it a being out of nothing doth still support and maintaine it in that being which at first it gaue and should it with draw himselfe but for a moment the whole frame would instantly returne into that nothing which before the Creation it was as Gregorie hath righly observed Deus suo presentiali esse dat omnibus rebus esse ita quod si se rebus subtraheret sicut de nihilo facta sunt omnia sic in nihilum diffluerent vniversa God by his presentiall Essence giues vnto all things an Essence so that if hee should withdraw himselfe from them as out of nothing they were first made so into nothing they would be againe resolved In the preservation then of the Creature wee are not so much to consider the impotencie and weakenesse thereof as the goodnesse wisedome and power of the Creator in whom and by whom and for whom they liue and moue and haue their being The spirit of the Lord filleth the world saith the Authour of the wisedome of Solomon and the secret working of the spirit which thus pierceth through all things hath the Poet excellently exprest Principio caelum ac terr as camposque liquentes Lucentemque globum Lunae Titaniaque astra Spiritus intus alit totamque infusa per artus Mens agitat molem magno se corpore miscet The heauen the earth and all the liquide maine The Moones bright globe and starres Titanian A spirit within maintaines and their whole masse A minde which through each part infus'd doth passe Fashions and workes and wholly doth transpierce All this great Body of the Vniverse This Spirit the Platonists call the Soule of the World by it it is in some sort quickned and formaliz'd as the body of man is by its reasonable Soule There is no question then but this Soule of the World if wee may so speake being in truth none other then the immortall Spirit of the Creator is able to make the body of the World immortall and to preserue it from disolution as he doth the Angels and the spirits of men and were it not that he had determined to dissolue it by the same supernaturall and extraordinary power which at first gaue it existence I see not but by the ordinary concurrence of this spirit it might euerlastingly endure and that consequently to driue it home to our present purpose there is no such vniversall and perpetuall decay in the course of Nature as is imagined and this I take to be the meaning of Philo in that booke which he hath composed De Mundi incorruptibilitate of the Worlds incorruptibility there being some who haue made the World eternall without any beginning or ending as Aristotle and the Peripateticks others giue it a beginning but without ending as Plato and the Academicks whom Philo seemes to follow and lastly others both beginning ending as Christians and other Sects of Philosophers whom Aristotle therefore flouts at saying that he formerly feared his house might fall downe about his eares but that now he had a greater matter to feare which was the dissolution of the world But had this pretended vniversall perpetuall decay of the World beene so apparant as some would make it his flout had easily beene returned vpon himselfe his opinion by dayly sensible experience as easily confuted which wee may well wonder none of those Philosophers who disputed against him if they acknowledged and beleeued the trueth thereof should any where presse in defence of their owne opinions it being indeed the most vnanswerable and binding argument that possibly could be enforced against him were there that evident certaintie in it as is commonly imagined whereas he in the sharpnesse of his wit seeing the weakenesse thereof would not so much as vouchsafe it a serious answere but puts it off with a jeast For mine owne part I constantly beleeue that it had a beginning and shall haue an ending and hold him not worthy the name of a Christian who holds not as much yet so as I beleeue both to bee matter of faith through faith we vnderstand that the Worlds were framed by the word of God and through the same faith we likewise vnderstand that they shall be againe vnframed by the same word Reason may grope at this truth in the darke howbeit it can neuer cleerely apprehend it but inlightned by the beame of faith I deny not but probable though not demonstratiue and convincing arguments may be drawn from discourse of reason to proue either the one or the other
and operatiue bodies and seated in the most eminent roome LIB II. Of the pretended decay of the Heauens and Elements and Elementary Bodies Man onely excepted CAP. 1. Touching the pretended decay of the Heauenly Bodies SECT 1. First of their working vpon this inferiour World SUch and so great is the wisdome the bounty and the power which Almighty God hath expressed in the frame of the Heauens that the Psalmist might justly say The Heauens declare the glory of God the Sun the Moone the Stars serving as so many silver golden Characters embroidered vpon azure for the daylie preaching and publishing thereof to the World And surely if he haue made the floore of this great House of the World so beautifull and garnished it with such wonderfull variety of beasts of trees of hearbes of flowres we neede wonder the lesse at the magnificence of the roofe which is the highest part of the World and the neerest to the Mansion House of Saints and Angels Now as the excellencie of these Bodies appeares in their situation their matter their magnitudes and their Sphericall or Circular figure so specially in their great vse and efficacy not onely that they are for signes and seasons and for dayes yeares but in that by their motion their light their warmth influence they guide and gouerne nay cherish and maintaine nay breed beget these inferiour bodies euen of man himselfe for whose sake the Heauens were made It is truly said by the Prince of Philosophers Sol homo generant hominem the Sunne and man beget man man concurring in the generation of man as an immediate and the Sunne as a remote cause And in another place he doubts not to affirme of this inferiour World in generall Necesse est mundum inferiorem superioribus lationibus continuari ut omnis inde virtus derivetur it is requisite that these inferiour parts of the World should bee conjoyned to the motions of the higher Bodies that so all their vertue and vigour from thence might be derived There is no question but that the Heauens haue a marvailous great stroake vpon the aire the water the earth the plants the mettalls the beasts nay vpon Man himselfe at leastwise in regard of his body and naturall faculties so that if there can be found any decay in the Heauens it will in the course of Nature and discourse of reason consequently follow that there must of necessity ensue a decay in all those which depend vpon the Heauens as likewise on the other side if there be found no decay in the Heauens the presumption will be strong that there is no such decay as is supposed in these Subcaelestiall Bodies because of the great sympathy and correspondence which is knowne to be betweene them by many and notable experiments For to let passe the quailing and withering of all things by the recesse and their reviving and resurrection as it were by the reaccesse of the Sunne I am of opinion that the sap in trees so precisely followes the motion of the Sunne that it neuer rests but is in continuall agitation as the Sun it selfe which no sooner arriues at the Tropick but he instantly returnes and euen at that very instant as I conceiue and I thinke it may be demonstrated by experimentall conclusions the sappe which by degrees descended with the declination of the Sun begins to remount at the approach thereof by the same steps that it descended and as the approach of the Sunne is scarce sensible at his first returne but afterward the day increases more in one weeke then before in two in like manner also fares it with the sap in plants which at first ascends insensibly and slowly but within a while much more swiftly and apparantly It is certaine that the Tulypp Marigold and Sun-flowre open with the rising and shut with the setting of the Sunne So that though the Sunne appeare not a man may more infallibly know when it is high noone by their full spreading then by the Index of a Clock or Watch. The hop in its growing winding it selfe about the pole alwayes followes the course of the Sunne from East to West and can by no meanes bee drawne to the contrary choosing rather to breake then yeeld It is obserued by those that sayle betweene the Tropicks that there is a constant set winde blowing from the East to the West saylers call it the Breeze which rises and falls with the Sunne and is alwayes highest at noone and is commonly so strong partly by its owne blowing and partly by ouer-ruling the Currant that they who saile to Peru cannot well returne home the same way they came forth And generally Marriners obserue that caeter is paribus they sayle with more speed from the East to the West then backe againe from the West to the East in the same compasse of time All which should argue a wheeling about of the aire and waters by the diurnall motion of the Heauens and specially by the motion of the Sunne Whereunto may be added that the high Seasprings of the yeare are alwayes neere about the two Aequinoctials and Solstices and the Cock as a trusty Watchman both at midnight and breake of day giues notice of the Sunnes approach These be the strange and secret effects of the Sunne vpon the inferiour Bodies whence by the Gentiles hee was held the visible God of the World and tearmed the Eye thereof which alone saw all things in the World and by which the World saw all things in it selfe Omma qui videt per quem videt omnia mundus And most notablely is he described by the Psalmist in them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun which is as a bridegroome comming out of his chamber rejoyceth as a strong man to run a race His going forth is from the end of the Heauen and his circuite vnto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof Now as the effects of the Sun the head-spring of light and warmth are vpon these inferiour Bodies more actiue so those of the Moone as being Vltima coelo Citima terris neerer the Earth and holding a greater resemblance therewith are no lesse manifest And therefore the husbandman in sowing setting graffing and planting lopping of trees felling of timber and the like vpon good reason obserues the waxing waning of the Moone which the learned Zanchius well allows of commending Hesiod for his rules therein Quod Hesiodus ex Lune decrementis incrementis totius agricolationis signa notet quis improbet who can mislike it that Hesiod sets downe the signes in the whole course of husbandry from the waxing and waning of the Moone The tydes and ebbes of the Sea follow the course of it so exactly as the Sea-man will tell you the age of the Moone onely vpon the sight of the tide as certainly as if he saw it in the water It is the observation of Aristotle
Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth whereby the ordinances of heaven it may well bee thought is meant the course and order of these hidden qualities which without divine and supernaturall revelation can neuer perfectly bee knowne to any mortall creature Besides as a wise man of late memory hath well and truly observed it cannot bee doubted but the starres are instruments of farre greater vse then to giue an obscure light and for men to gaze on after sunne set it being manifest that the diuersity of seasons the Winters Summers more hot or cold more dry or wet are not so vncertained by the Sunne and Moone alone who alway keepe one the same course but that the stars haue also their working therein as also in producing severall kindes of mettalls and mineralls in the bowels of the earth where neither light nor heat can pierce For as heat peirces where light cannot so the influence pierces where the heat cannot Moreouer if wee cannot deny but that God hath given vertues to springs and fountaines to cold earth to plants and stones and mineralls nay to the very excrementall parts of the basest liuing creatures why should wee robbe the beautifull starres of their working powers For seeing they are many in number and of eminent beauty and magnitude wee may not thinke that in the treasury of his wisedome who is infinite there can be wanting euen for euery starre a peculiar vertue and operation As euery hearbe plant fruite and flower adorning the face of the earth hath the like As then these were not created to beautifie the earth alone or to couer and shadow her dusty face but otherwise for the vse of man and beast to feede them and cure them so were not those incomparablely glorious bodies set in the sirmament to none other end then to adorne it but for instruments and organs of his divine prouidence so farre as it hath pleased his just will to determine I 'le ne'r beleeue that the Arch-Architect With all these fires the Heav'nly Arches deckt Onely for shew and with these glistring shields T' amaze poore sheepheards watching in the fields I 'le ne'r beleeue that the least flower that pranks Our garden borders or the common banks And the least stone that in her warming lap Our kind nurse Earth doth covetously wrap Hath some peculiar vertue of it owne And that the glorious Starres of Heau'n haue none But shine in vaine and haue no charge precise But to be walking in Heau'ns Galleries And through that Palace vp and downe to clamber As golden Guls about a Princes Chamber But how farre it hath pleased the Divine Providence to determine of these influences it is hard I confesse to be determined by any humane wisedome SECT 3. That the particular and vttermost efficacie of these influences cannot be fully comprehended by vs. IF in the true and vttermost vertues of hearbs and plants which ourselues sow and set and which grow vnder our feet and wee dayly apply to our severall vses we are notwithstanding in effect ignorant much more in the powers and working of coelestiall bodies For as was sayd before hardly do wee guesse aright at things that are vpon the earth and with labour do wee find the things that are before vs but the things which are in heauen who hath searched out It cannot well be denyed but that they are not signes only but at leastwise concurrent causes of immoderate cold or heat drought or moysture lightning thunder raging winds inundations earthquakes and consequently of famine and pestilence yet such crosse accidents may and often do fall out in the matter vpon which they worke that the prognostication of these casuall events euen by the most skilfull Astronomers is very vncertaine And for the common Almanackes a man by observation shall easily find that the contrary to their prediction is commonly truest Now for the things which rest in the liberty of mans will the Starres haue doubtlesse no power over them except it be lead by the sensitiue appetite and that againe stirred vp by the constitution and complexion of the body as too often it is specially where the humours of the body are strong to assault and the vertues of the minde weake to resist If they haue dominion over Beastes what should we judge of Men who differ litle from Beasts I cannot tell but sure I am that though the Starres incline a man to this or that course of life they do but incline inforce they cannot Education and reason and most of all Religion may alter and over-master that inclination as they shall produce a cleane contrary effect It was to this purpose a good and memorable speech of Cardinall Poole who being certified by one of his acquaintance who professed knowledge of these secret favours of the starres that he should be raysed and advanced to great calling in the world made answer that whatsoever was portended by the figure of his birth â—…or naturall generation was cancelled and altered by the grace of his second birth or regeneration in the bloud of his Redemer Againe we may not forget that Almighty God created the starres as he did the rest of the Vniversall whose secret influences may be called his reserved and vnwritten Lawes which by his Prerogatiue Royall he may either put in execution or dispence with at his owne pleasure For were the strength of the Sarres such as God had quitted vnto them all dominion over his Creatures that petition of the Lords Prayer Lead vs not into temptation but deliver vs from evill had been none other but a vaine expence of words and time Nay be he Pagane or Christian that so beleeueth the only true God of the one and the imaginary Gods of the other would thereby be dispoyled of all worship and reuerence and respect As therefore I do not consent with them who would make those glorious Creatures of God vertulesse so I think that we derogate from his eternall and absolute power and providence to ascribe to them the same dominion over our immortall soules which they haue over our bodily substances and perishable natures For the soules of men louing and fearing God receiue influence from that divine light it selfe whereof the Suns clarity and that of the Sarres is by Plato called but a shadow Lumen est vmbra Dei Deus est lumen luminis Light is the shadow of Gods brightnesse who is the light of light SECT 4 That neither of these kindes of influences is decayed in ther benigne and favorable effects but that curious inquisition into them is to be forborne NOw then since the Immoveable Heaven by the confession of all that acknowledg it is altogether inalterable since the aspect of the fixed constellations the conjunction and opposition of the Plannets in the course of their revolutions is still the same and constant to it selfe since for their number their quantity their distance their substance thâ—…is motion their
that some old houses heretofore fairely built be now almost buried vnder ground and their windowes heretofore set at a reasonable height now growen euen with the pauement So some write of the triumphall Arch of Septimius at the foote of the Capitol mountaine in Rome now almost couered with earth in somuch as they are inforced to descend downe into it by as many staires as formerly they were vsed to ascend whereas contrariwise the Romane Capitoll it selfe seated on the mountaine which hanges ouer it as witnesseth George Agricola discouers its foundation plainely aboue ground which without question were at the first laying thereof deepe rooted in the earth whereby it apppeares that what the mountaine looseth the valley gaines and consequently that in the whole globe of the earth nothing is lost but onely remoued from one place to another so that in processe of time the highest mountaines may be humbled into valleyes and againe the lowest valleyes exalted into mountaines If ought to nought did fall All that is felt or seene within this all Still loosing somewhat of it selfe at length Would come to nothing if death's fatall strength Could altogether substances destroy Things then should vanish euen as soone as die In time the mighty mountaines tops be bated But with their fall the neighbour vales are fatted And what when Trent or Avon overflow They reaue one field they on the next bestow And whereas another Poet tels vs that Eluviemons est diductus in aequor The mountaine by washings oft into the sea is brought It is most certaine and by experience found to be true that as the rivers daily carrie much earth with them into the sea so the sea sends backe againe much slime and sand to the earth which in some places and namely in the North part of Deuonshire is found to bee a marveilous great commoditie for the inriching of the soyle Now as the Earth is nothing diminished in regard of the dimensions the measure thereof from the Surface to the Center being the same as it was at the first Creation So neither is the fatnes fruitfulnes thereof at least-wise since the flood or in regard of duration alone any whit impaired though it haue yeelded such store of increase by the space of so many reuolutions of ages yet hee that made it continually reneweth the face thereof as the Psalmist speakes by turning all things which spring from it into it againe Saith one Cuncta suos ortus repetunt matremque requirunt And another E terris orta terra rursus accipit And a third joynes both together Quapropter merito maternum nomen adepta est Cedit enim retro de terra quod fuit ante In terras And altogether they may thus not vnfitly be rendred All things returne to their originall And seeke their mother what from earth doth spring The same againe into the earth doth fall Neither doe they heerein dissent from Syracides with all manner of liuing things hath hee couered the face of the earth and they shall returne into it againe And that doome which passed vpon the first man after the fall is as it were ingraven on the foreheads not onely of his posterity but of all earthly Creatures made for their sakes Dust thou art and vnto dust shalt thou returne As the Ocean is mainetained by the returne of the rivers which are drayned deriued from it So is the earth by the dissolution and reuersion of those bodies which from it receiue their growth and nourishment The grasse to feede the beasts the corne to strengthen and the wine to cheere the heart of man either are or might bee both in regard of the Earth Heauens as good and plentifull as euer That decree of the Almighty is like the Law of the Medes Persians irreuocable They shall bee for signes and for seasons and for dayes and for yeares And againe Heereafter seed time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease so long as the Earth remaineth And were there not a certainety in these reuolutions so that In se sua per vestigia voluitur annus The yeare in its owne steps into in selfe returnes It could not well be that the Storke and the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow and other fowles should obserue so precisely as they doe the appointed times of their comming and going And whereas it is commonly thought and beleeued that the times of the yeare are now more vnseasonable then heeretofore and thereby the fruites of the Earth neither so faire nor kindely as they haue beene To the first I answere that the same complaint hath beene euer since Salomons time Hee that observeth the winde shall not sow and he that regardeth the clowdes shall not reape By which it seemes the weather was euen then as vncertaine as now and so was likewise the vncertaine and vnkindely riping of fruites as may appeare by the words following in the same place In the morning sow thy seede and in the euening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that or whether both shall bee alike good And if sometimes wee haue vnseasonable yeares by reason of excessiue wet and cold they are againe paid home by immoderate drought and heate if not with vs yet in our neighbour countries and with vs. I thinke no man will bee so vnwise or partiall as to affirme that there is a constant and perpetuall declination but that the vnseasonablenes of some yeares is recompensed by the seasonablenes of others It is true that the erroneous computation of the yeare wee now vse may cause some seeming alteration in the seasons thereof in processe of time must needes cause a greater if it bee not rectified but let that errour be reformed and I am perswaded that communibus annis we shall finde no difference from the seasons of former ages at leastwise in regard of the ordinary course of nature For of Gods extraordinary judgements we now dispute not who sometimes for our sinnes emptieth the botles of heaven incessantly vpon vs and againe at other times makes the heavens as brasse ouer our heads and the earth as yron vnder our feete SECT 2. Another obiectiòn to uching the decay of the fruitfulnes of the holy land fully answered WHen I consider the narrow bounds of the land of Canaan it being by S. Hieromes account who liued long there but 160 miles in length from Dan to Bersheba and in bredth but 40 from Ioppa to Bethleem and withall the multitude incredible were it not recorded in holy Scripture both of men cattell which it fedde there meeting in one battle betweene Iudah Israel twelue hundred thousand chosen men Nay the very sword-men beside the Levites and Benjamites were vpon strict inquirie found to be fifteene hundred and seuentie thousand whereof the youngest was twenty yeares old there being none
Paulus was brought forth by the Generall into open audience before the whole host to foretell the Eclipe that should happen the next morrow whereby he delivered the army from all pensiuenesse and feare which might haue troubled them in the time of battaile and within a while after he compiled also a booke thereof Thus far Plyny touching the harmlesse and innocent nature of Eclipses himselfe in the next chapter reducing their certaine revolutions and returnes to the space of two hundred twenty two moneths I will shut vp all with a memorable story to this purpose taken out of Iohn de Royas in his Epistle to Charles the fifth prefixed to his Commentaries vpō the plaine Sphere Colonus the leader of King Ferdinands army at the Iland of Iamaica being in great distresse for want of victuals which he could by no meanes attaine of the Inhabitants by his skill foreseeing an Eclips of the Moone shortly to ensue tooke order that it should be declared to the Governours of the Iland that vnlesse they supplyed him and his with necessaries imminent danger hanged over their heads in witnesse wherof they should shortly see the Moone Eclypsed The Barbarians at first refused his demaunds and contemned his threatning but when at the set time they indeed beheld the Moone by degrees to faile in her light and vnderstood not the cause thereof they first gaue credit to his words and then supply of victuals to his army casting themselues to his feete and craving pardon for their offence Finally to the present objection if any harmefull malignant effect be for the present or afterward produced by the Eclips in those parts where it is seene yet no man I thinke will deny it but to be repairable by by the tract and revolution of time or if irrepairable yet this decay in the Creatures ariseth not from any deficiencie in themselues from any waxing old or removall from their first originals which is the very poynt in question but from an adventitious and externall cause And so I passe from the other Creatures to the Consideration of Man the Commaunder and Compendium of all the rest for whose sake both they were first made and this discourse was first vndertaken LIB III. Of the pretended decay of mankind in regard of age and duration of strength and stature of arts and witts CAP. I. Touching the pretended decay of men in regard of their age and first by way of comparison betweene the ages of the Ancients and those of latter times SECT 1. Of the short life of man in regard of the duration of many other Creatures and that he was Created Mortall but had he not falne should haue beene preserued to immortality SInce vpon exammination wee haue found that there is no such perpetuall and vniversall decay as is pretended in the Hea◅ens in the Earth in the Ayre in the Water the fishes the plants the Beastes the Mineralls I see no reason but that from thence wee might safely and sufficiently conclude that neither is there any such decay in man But because this discourse was principally vndertaken and intended for the sake of mankind I will consider and compare them of former ages with those of latter first in regard of age secondly in regard of Strength and stature thirdly in regard of wits and inventions fourthly and lastly in regard of manners and conditions And if vpon due consideration and comparison it shall appeare that there is no such decay in any of these as is supposed the Question I trust touch-the worlds decay in generall will soone be at at end The ordinary age of man being compared with that of the heavens the stones the mettalls some beasts trees is very short but the longest being cōpared with God and Eternity is but as a span a shadow a dreame of a shadow nay meere nothing which the Romane Oratour hath both truly observed and eligantly expressed Apud Hypanim fluuium qui ab Europae parte in pontum influit Aristoteles ait bestiolas quasdam nasci quae vnum diem viuant ex ijs igitur hora octaua quae mortua est provecta aetate mortua est quae vero occidente sole decrepita eo magis si etiam Solstitiali die Confer nostram longissimam aetatem cum aeternitate in eadem propemodum brevitate qua istae bestiolae reperiemur Aristole writes that by the river Hypanis which on the side of Europe fals into Pontus certaine little animals are bred which liue but a day at most Amongst them then such as dye the eight houre dy old such as dye at sun set dye in their decrepit age specially if it be vpon the day of the Sūmer Solstice Now cōpare our age with eternity and we shall be found in regard of duration almost in the same state of shortnesse that those Creatures are The body of man even before the fall was doubtlesse in it selfe by reaof contrary Elements contrary humours and members of contrary temper whereof it was composed dissoluble and morrall As also by reason of outward accidents the dayly wasting of his natiue heate and the disproportionable supply of his radicall moisture But these defects his Creator supplyed arming him against outward accidents by divine providence the guard of Angels and his owne excellent wisedome against the contrarieties fighting in his body by the harmony of his soule against the wasting of his natiue heat and radicall moysture by that supernaturall vertue efficacy which he gaue to the fruit of the tree of life He was then Naturally Mortall for otherwise even after his fall should he haue continued immortall as the Apostate Angells did but by speciall priviledge and dispensation immortall mortalis erat saith S. Augustine conditione corporis animalis immortalis autem beneficio-conditoris He was mortall in respect of his naturall body but immortall by the favour of his Creator Yet doubtles had he not sinned he had not still liued here vpon earth though in likelihood his age might be extended to some thousands of yeares but should haue beene at length translated from hence to heaven where he could neither haue sinned nor dyed◅ Sic est immortalis conditus Sayth Gregory vt tamen si peccaret mori possit sic mortalis est conditus vt si non peccaret etiam non mori possit atque ex merito liberi arbitrij beatitudinem illius regionis attingeret in qua vel peccare vel mori non possit He was so created immortall that if he sinned he might dye and againe so was he created mortall that he could not dye But by the merit of his freewill should haue beene translated to that place of blisse where he could neither sinne nor dye SECT 2. Of the long liues of the Patriarchs and of the manner of Computing there yeares and that Almighty God drew out the lines of their liues to that length for reasons proper to those first times THough vpon the fall of man the
of him that devised it or the bold heart of him that vndertooke it To commaund such a thing to be done or to obey and yeeld and goe in hand with it But when wee haue sayd all that we can the folly of the blind and bold people of Rome went beyond all who trusted such a ticklish frame durst sit there in a seate so moueable loe where a man might haue seene the body of that people which is Commaunder and ruler of the whole earth the Conqueror of the world the disposer of kingdomes Realmes at their pleasure the divider of countryes and Nations at their wils the giver of lawes to forraine states the vicegerent of the immortall Gods vnder heaven and representing their image vnto all mankind hanging in the aire within a frame at the mercy of one onely hooke rejoycing ready to clap hands at their owne daunger What a cheape market of mens liues was heere toward what was the losse at Cannae to this hazard how neere vnto a mischiefe were they which might haue hapned heereby in the turning of a hand Certes when there is newes come of a city swallowed vp by a wide chink and opening of the earth all men generally in a publique commiseration doe greeue thereat and there is not one but his heart doth yearne and yet behold the Vniversall state and people of Rome as if they were put into a couple of barkes supported betweene heaven and earth and sitting at the deuotion only of two pinnes or hookes And what spectacle doe they behold a number of Fencers trying it out with vnrebated swords Nay ywis but even themselues rather entred into a most desperate fight and at the point to breake their neckes every mothers sonne if the scaffold failed never so little and the frame went out of joynt SECT 5. The third objection touching the pretended fortitude of the Romans answered in asmuch as their Empire is by their owne writers in a great part ascribed to Fortune by Christians may be referred to Gods speciall providence for the effecting of his owne purposes rather then to any extraordinary worth in them NOw that which is most of all stood vpon aswell by the Romanes themselues as by their Proctours Patrons is their great fortitude courage as appeares in their subduing the greatest part of the knowne world and in truth placing their chiefe happinesse in the honour and glory of their names withall supposing that there was for the purchasing thereof no readier meanes then the sacryficing of their liues for the inlarging advancement of their Empire they were in this regard for the most part even prodigall of their blood But shall we call that fortitude which neither aimed at justice nor was guided by true wisedome or rather obstinacie adventurous boldnes It is very true that they were often in their warres very successefull but Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putat May that mans actions never well succeed Who by th' event doth censure of the deed By the confession of their owne writers they owed as much to Fortunâ—… as their valour whom therefore they made a Goddesse and placed in heaven Te facimus Fortuna Deam coeloque locamus Thee Fortune we a Goddesse make And grant thee place in heaven to take These two Fortune Fortitude Ammianus so chayneth linketh together as neither of them could well be wanting in the raysing of their Empire Roma vt augeretur sublimibus incrementis foedere pacis aeternae virtus convenit atque fortuna quarum si altera defuisset ad perfectam non venerat summitatem That Rome should rise to that height greatnes Fortitude Fortune made a league of eternall peace so as had either of them beene wanting it could never haue risen to that perfection Both of them performed their parts heerein seeming to striue which should precede the other which Plutarch disputes at large in his booke de fortuna Romanorum and Florus hath briefely but roundly cleerely expressed Ad constituendum Romanum imperium virtutem ac Fortunam contendisse videri that to the stablishing of the Romane Empire Fortitude Fortune seemed to contend which should be most forward Now if themselues attributed as much to fortune as to their fortitude wee may well conceiue that the latter was short of the former rather then otherwise And surely if by Fortune we should vnderstand Gods Providence we may safely say that for the effecting of his owne purposes though happily vnknowne to theÌ„r ather then for any extraordinary worth or merit in them he conferred vpon them the Empire of the world As Augustus Caesar was by Gods speciall providence directed in taxing the world that so euery man repairing to his owne Citty Christ by that meanes might be borne in Bethleem as was fore-told by the Prophet Micah so likewise was he by the same hand and power settled in the Empire that he might thorow the world settle an vniversall peace when the Prince of Peace was to be borne into it as was foretold by another Prophet They shall beate their swords into plow-shares and their speares into pruning hookes And may we not well conceiue that the world was therefore by the divine Providence brought vnder the yoake of the Roman government made subject to their Lawes and acquainted with their language that so when the Emperours themselues should become Christians as afterwards they did the propagation of the Gospell of Iesus Christ might finde an easier passage The Romans then perchaunce might challenge that as due to their owne worth in the conquering of the world which is rather to be ascribed to the hand of Heauen disposing these earthly Monarchies for the good of his Church or for the chastising of his enemies To which purpose he gaue to Nebuchadnezzar such great victories and large Dominions Thou O King art a King of Kings for the God of heaven hath giuen thee a kingdome power and strength and glory which was not for any extraordinary worth or vertue that we read of in Nebuchadnezzar but only to make him as a staffe or a rod in his hands for the scourging of other rebellious nations an instrument for the accomplishment of his own designes Answerable whereunto is that memorable speech of S. Augustin Non tribuamus dandi regni atque imperij potestateÌ„ nisi Deo vero qui dat faelicitateÌ„ in regno coeloruÌ„ solis piis regnum verò terraruÌ„ piis impiis sicut ei placet cui nihil injustè placet Let vs not referre the power of conferring Kingdomes but only to the true God who giues happines in the kingdome of heauen only to the godly but these earthly kingdoms both to the godly vngodly as pleases him whoÌ„ nothing pleases that is vnjust I conclude this point with that of Salomon The race is not alwayes to the swift nor the battle to the
also the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp saith S. Peter And I saw a great white throne him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the heauen fled away and there was found no place for them saith S. Iohn Now I would demaund whether being no more as Iob perishing as David vanishing away like smoake dissolving rolling together falling downe as a withered leafe or a dry fig from the tree as Esay passing away as our Saviour passing away with a great noise melting with feruent heate burning vp as S. Peter or lastly flying away so as their place be found no more as S. Iohn doe not include an vtter abolition or at leastwise exclude a restitution to a perfecter estate once Beza I am sure is so evidently convinced by the alleadged words of S. Peter that he plainly confesses the dissolution the Apostle there speakes of to be a kinde of annihilation And both Tilenus Meisnerus are confident that those who hold a restitution will neuer be able to reconcile their opinion with the alleadged Scriptures If we looke back to higher times before S. Hierome we shall not easily finde any who maintained it And certaine it is that Clement in his Recognitions or whosoeuer were the Author of that worke brings in S. Peter reasoning with Simon Magus teaching that there were two Heauens the one Superius invisibile aeternum quod Spiritus beati incolunt the highest invisible and eternall which bl◅ssed spirits inhabite the other inferius visibile varijs distinctum syderibus corruptibile in consummatione saeculi dissolvendum prorsus abolendum lower visible distinguished with diverse starres corruptible and at the worlds end to be dissolued and vtterly abolished Now though that worke were not Clements yet was it doubtlesse very ancient being quoted by Clemens Alexandrinus and Origen and remembred by S. Hierome in his Commentaries vpon Esay and is of sufficient authority against those who receiue it for my selfe I stand not vpon his authority but the rock of Scripture and reason drawne from thence and the force of naturall discourse SECT 5. The same farther prooved by reason THE first then and as I conceiue the most weighty argument is taken from the End of the Worlds creation which was partly and chiefely the glory of the Creator and partly the vse of man the Lord Deputy as it were or Viceroy thereof Now for the glory of the Creator it being by the admirable frame of the World manifested vnto man man being remoued out of the world and no Creature being capable of such a manifestation besides him wee cannot imagine to what purpose the frame it selfe should bee left and restored to a more perfect estate The other end being for mans vse either to supply his necessity in matter of diet of Physick of building of apparell or for his instruction direction recreation comfort and delight or lastly that therein as in a looking-glasse he might contemplate the wisdome the power and the goodnesse of God when he shall attaine that blessed estate as he shall haue no farther use of any of these enjoying perfect happinesse and seeing God as he is face to face the second or subordinate end of the Worlds being must needs be likewise frustrate And what other end can bee giuen or conceiued for the remaining or restoring thereof for mine owne part I must professe I cannot conceiue And to affirme that it shal be restored withal to assigne no end wherefore is ridiculous and vnreasonable An house being built for an inhabitant as the World was for man If it bee decreed that it shall no more be inhabited it were but vanity to repaire much more to adorne and beautifie it farther And therefore when mankinde shall bee dislodged and remoue from hence therevpon shall instantly ensue the Consummation or End not the reparation or restitution but the End of the world So the Scriptures call it in plaine tearmes and so I beleeue it And in truth some Divines considering that of necessity some end must bee assigned haue falne vpon ends so absurd and vnwarrantable that the very naming of them were sufficient to make a man beleeue there was no such matter indeed Some then and that of our owne Church and that in published bookes for the clearing of this objection haue fancied to themselues an intercourse of the Saints after the resurrection betwixt heauen and earth and that full Dominion ouer the Creatures which by the fall of Adam was lost Others are of opinion that the Earth after the day of judgement being renewed with fire and more pleasantly apparelled shall be the mansion of such as neither by their merits haue deserued heauen nor hell by their demerits And lastly others that such as haue died in their infancy without circumcision or Baptisme might possesse it Now what meere dreames these are of idle braines if I should but endeavour to demonstrate I feare I should shew my selfe more vaine in vouchsafing them a confutation then they in publishing them to the World And yet they are the best wee see that Learned men by the strength of their wits can finde out My second reason shall be drawne from the nature of the world and the quality of the parts thereof which are supposed shall bee restored to their originall integrity and so in that state euerlastingly remaine I will begin with the vegetables and Creatures endued with sense concerning them would willingly learne whether they shall bee all restored or some onely namely such as shall be found in being at the day of Iudgment if all where shall we finde stowage for them Surely we may in this case properly apply that which the Evangelist in another case vses figuratiuely if they should all be restored euē the world it self could not cōtain the things which should be restored if some only thē would I gladly know why those some should be vouchsafed this great honour not all or how these creatures without a miracle shal be restrained frō propagating multiplying that infinitly their kinds by a perpetuall generatiō Or lastly how the several individuals of these kinds shall cōtrary to their primitiue natures liue dure immortally But to make a good sound answere to these demaunds is a point of that difficulty that the greatest part of Divines rather choose to leaue out the mixt bodies preferre only the heavens the elements to this pretended dignity of restitution though about the number of the Elements to be restored they all agree not But heere againe I would demaund whether the world without the mixt bodies can truly be sayd to be more perfect and beautifull then before whether the inbred and inseparable qualities of the Elements as thickenesse and thinnesse weight lightnesse heate cold moisture drynesse shall remaine if they shall not how shall they remaine Elements if they shall how without
a miracle shall they be suspended from a mutuall intercourse of working one vpon another and a production of Meteors mixt bodies And how shall the Earth disvested of the vegetables which apparelled her and appearing with her naked and dustie face be sayd to be more amiable then before Finally if the heavens according to their Essence shall remaine how shall they naturally without a miracle stand still being now naturally inclined to a circular motion Or how without a miracle shall the light be increased and yet the warmth springing from thence be abated nay wholy abolished Or if the warmth shall remaine how can it choose but burne vp those parts of the Earth vpon which it never ceases to dart perpendicular beames Or how can the Sunne stand still and yet inlighten both the Hemespheres or the starres of that Hemesphere which it inlightens at all appeare To these demaunds Pererius makes a short answere and in my judgement a very strange one and vnworthy the penne of so great a Clarke that some of these things God hath already done that we might be induced the more readily to beleeue that they both may and shall be done againe And for instance he alleageth the standing still of the Sunne Moone at the prayer of Iosuah the restrayning of the burning force of the fire in the Babylonian furnace but withall foreseing that those were miracles for satisfaction therevnto he concludes Non agere autem inter se qualitates elementorum nec lu em Syderum calefacere quamvis nunc ingens esset miraculum tunc tamen posita semel mundi renovatione non erunt miracula It were now a great miracle that the qualities of the Elements should not mutually worke each vpon other or that the light of the starres should not produce warmth but then the world being renewed they shall be no miracles Indeed if the world were so to be renewed as the former essence of it were to be destroyed or the former qualities to be entinguished then should I happily allow of his reason as probable passable but now granting that the same Identicall forme and matter shal still continue that the former qualities shall not be abandoned but perfected not altered in kinde but only in degree I cannot see how it should be held tearmed a great miracle heeretofore which shall not be so heereafter And whereas it is said that the bodies of the Saints shall then naturally liue without meate which now without a miracle they cannot doe we must consider that though the substance of their bodies shall remaine yet the qualities of them shall be intirely changed so farre as the Apostle is bold to call it a spirituall bodie And besides we may be bold to challenge a speciall priviledge vnto the bodies of the Saints the temples of the holy Ghost which without speciall warrant cannot be yeelded to any other Corporeall substance And withall we must remember that for the resurrection of the bodie wee haue an Article in our Creede most cleere proofes from Scripture but for the restitution of the Creatures no one such sufficient proofe as the mind of a Christian desirous to be truly informed can rest fully satisfied therein Such as they are I will not conceale them These places then are to that purpose commonly alleaged SECT 6. The arguments commonly alleadged from the Scriptures for the renovation of the world answered WHom the heavens must containe till the times of the Restitution of all things He layed the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever sayth David And Solomon one generation passeth and another commeth but the earth abideth for ever Behold I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind To which words of the Prophet S. Iohn seemes to allude And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth passed away and there was no more Sea And for the increase of the light of the Planets and other starres that passage of the same Prophet is vsually alleadged The light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne seaven fold But the pretended proofes most stood vpon are drawne from S. Paules Epistles The fashion of this world passeth away the fashion not the substance And againe The Creature it selfe also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God And lastly heerevnto they adde the words of the Psalmist Thou shalt change them and they shall be changed not abolished but chaunged Which words are againe by the Apostle taken vp and repeated Heb. 1. 12. These are I am sure the strongest if not all the pretented proofes that are commonly drawne from the holy Scripture and pressed for the maintenance of the adverse opinion the strength of which I thinke I shall so put backe as it shall appeare to any indifferent Iudge that it is in truth but forced and wrested The passages I will consider in order as they are alleaged severally examine their validitie to the purpose they are vrged First then whereas wee out of the Greeke reade the Restitution of all things the Syriake Interpreter hath it vsque ad Complementum temporum omnium to the end of all times whereby none other thing can be vnderstood then the finall consummation of the world but to take the words as we finde them The times of restitution are vndoubtedly the same which Saint Peter in the next verse saue one going before had tearmed times of refreshing and by them is meant the actuall fulnesse and perfection of our redemption quoniam restitutio illa adhuc in cursu est adeoque redemptio quando adhuc sub onere servitutis gemimus sayth Calvin because our restitution and consequently our redemption as yet is but imperfect whiles we groane vnder the burden of servitude To the second it may be sayd that in the course of nature the earth should remaine for ever without decay or diminution had not the Creator of it decreed by his almighty power to abolish it But I rather chuse to answere with Iunius who vpon the first place taken out of the Psalme giues this note tantisper dum saeculum duraturum est as long as time shall endure and vpon the second this hominis vani comparatione in comparison of the vanishing estate of man The earth then is sayd to remaine for ever as Circumcision and the Leviticall Law are sayed to be perpetuall not absolutely but comparatiuely Now for the new heavens and the new earth it should seeme by the places alleaged that if it be litterally to be vnderstood of the materiall heavens they shall not be renewed as the common opinion is but new Created creation being a production of some new thing out of nothing So as it shall not be a restitution of the
rejected though commonly received Sect. 1 In Divinitie pag. 1. Sect 2 In Philosophie p. 4. Sect. 3 In Historie Ecclesiasticall p. 5. Sect. 4 In Historie Civill or Nationall p. 7. Sect. 5 In Naturall Historie p. 8. Sect. 6 With an application thereof to the present purpose p. 11. CAP. 2. Of the Reasons inducing the Authour to the writing and publishing of this discourse Sect. 1 Whereof the first is the redeeming of a captivated truth pag. 12. Sect. 2 The second is the vindicating of the Creators honour p. 14. Sect. 3 The third is for that the contrary opinion quailes the hopes and blunts the edge of vertuous endeavours p. 15. Sect. 4 The fourth is for that it makes men more carelesse both in regard of their present fortunes and in providing for posterity p. 19. Sect. 5 The fifth and last is the weake grounds which the contrary opinion is founded vpon as the fictions of Poets the morosity of old men the over-valuing of Antiquity and disesteeming of the present times p. 22. CAP. 3. The Controversie touching the worlds decay stated and the Methode held thorow this ensuing treatise proposed Sect. 1 Touching the pretended decay of the mixt bodies pag. 27. Sect. 2 Of the Elements in regard of their quantity and dimensions p. 28. Sect. 3 In regard of their qualities p. 31. Sect. 4 Of mankind in regard of Manners and the Arts. p. 32. Sect. 5 In regard of the duration of their liues their strength and stature p. 35. Sect. 6. The precedents of the Chapter summarily recollected and the Methode observed in the ensuing Treatise proposed p. 37. CAP. 4. Touching the worlds decay in generall Sect. 1 The first generall Reason that it decayes not is drawne from the power of that Spirit that quickens and supports it the second and third from the consideration of the severall parts whereof it consists pag. 38. Sect. 2 The fourth for that such a decay as is suppposed would in time point out the very date of the worlds expiration and consequently of the second comming of Christ. p. 42. Sect. 3 The fifth for that vpon the supposition of such a decay as is pretended the vigor and strength of the parts thereof must of necessity long since haue bin vtterly exhausted and worne out p. 44. Sect. 4 The sixth argument is drawne from the Authority of Salomon and his reason taken from the Circulation and running about of all things as it were in a ring p. 45. CAP. 5. Generall arguments made for the worlds decay refuted Sect. 1 The first generall objection drawne from reason answered which is that the Creature the neerer it approaches to the first mould the more perfect it is and according to the degrees of its remoueall and distance from thence it incurres the more imperfection and weakenesse p. 47. Sect. 2 The second answered which is that the severall parts of the world decay which should argue a lingering consumption in the whole p. 50 Sect. 3 The third answered which is taken from the authority of Saint Cyprian p. 50. Sec. 4 The same authority of Saint Cyprian farther answered by opposing against it the authority of Arnobius supported with ponderous pressing reasons p. 55. Sec. 5. The fourth answered which is borrowed from the authority of Esdras p. 60. Sec. 6 The rest answered pretended to be taken froÌ„ authority of holy Scriptures p. 62. LIB 2. Of the pretended decay in the Heavens and Elements together with that of the Elementary bodies man only excepted CAP. 1. Touching the pretended decay of the heavenly bodies in regard of their substance Sect. 1 Of their working vpon this inferiour world and the dependance of it vpon them pag. 64. Sec. 2 Their pretended decay in their substance refuted by reason p. 67. Sec. 3 An objection drawne from Iob answered p. 69. Sec. 4 Another taken from Psal. 102. answered p. 71. Sec. 5 A third taken from the apparition of New starres answered p. 74. Sec. 6 The last drawen from the Eclypses of the Sunne and Moone answered p. 75. CAP. 2 Touching the pretended decay of the heavenly bodies in regard of their motions Sec. 1 The first reason drawne from the causes of that Motion p. 78. Sec. 2 The second from the certainety of demonstrations vpon the Celestiall Globe The third from a particular view of the proper motions of the Planets which are observed to be the same at this day as in former ages without any variation The fourth from the infallible and exact prediction of their Oppositions Conjunctions and Eclypses for many ages to come The fifth from the testimony of sundry graue Authors averring the perpetuall constancy immutability of their motions p. 80. Sec. 3 The same truth farther proved from the testimony of Lactantius Plutarch p. 84. Sec. 4 An objection of du Moulins touching the motion of the polar star answered p. 85. CAP. 3. Touching the pretended decay in the light of the heavenly bodies Sect. 1 The first reason taken from the nature of the heavenly light those things wherevnto it is resembled p. 86. Sec. 2 The second for that it haâ—…h nothing contrary vnto it and heere Pareus and Mollerus are censured for holding that the light of heaven 〈◊〉 impaired p. 87. Sec. 3 Herevnto other Reasons are added and the testimony of Eugubinus vouched p. 88. CAP. 4. Touching the pretended decay in the warmth of the heavenlie bodies Sect. 1 That the starres are not of a fierie nature or hot in themselues p. 90. Sec. 2 That the heate they breed springs from their light and consequently their light being not decayed neither is the warmth arising therefroÌ„ p. 91. Sec. 3 Two objections answered the one drawne from the present habitablenes of the torride Zone the other from a supposed approach of the Sun neerer the earth â—…hen in former ages p. 93. Sec. 4 A third objection answered taken from a supposed remoueall of the Sunne more Southerly from vs then in former ages p. 94. CAP. 5. Touching the pretended decay of the heavenly bodies in regard of their influences Sect. 1. Of the first kind of influence from the highest immoueable heaven called by Divines Coelum Empyreum p. 97. Sec. 2 Of th' second kind derived from the Planets and fixed starres p. 98. Sec. 3 That the efficacy of these influences cannot be fully comprehended by vs. p. 99. Sec. 4 That neither of them is decayed in their benigne and favourable effects but that curious inquisition into them is to be forborne p. 100. CAP. 6. Touching the pretended decay of the Elements in generall Sect. 1 That the Elements are still in number foure p. 102. Sec. 2 That the Elements still retaine the same properties that anciently they did and by mutuall interchange and compensation the same bounds dimentions p. 106. Sec. 3 An objection drawne from the continuall mixture of the Elements each with other answered p. 109. CAP. 7. Touching the pretended decay of tâ—… Aire in regard of
the times are more Civill and men more given to luxury and ease which passe and returne by turnes Succession it selfe effects nothing therein alone in case it did the first man in reason should haue lived longest and the son should still come short of his fathers age so that whereas Moses tells vs that the dayes of mans age in his time were threescore yeares and tenne by this reckoning they might well enough by this time be brought to tenne or twenty or thirty at most It cannot be denied but that in the first ages of the world both before and after the floud men vsually lived longer then wee finde they haue done in latter ages But that I should rather choose to ascribe to some extraordinary priviledge then to the ordinary course of nature The world was then to be replenished with inhabitants which could not so speedily be done but by an extraordinary multiplication of mankinde neither could that be done but by the long liues of men And againe Arts and sciences were then to be planted for the better effecting whereof it was requisite that the same men should haue the experience and observation of many ages For as many Sensations breed an experiment so doe many experiments a Science Per varios vsus artem experimentia fecit Exemplo monstrante viam Through much experience Arts invented were Example shewing way Specially it was requisite men should liue long for the perfecting of Astronomy and the finding out of the severall motions of the heavenly bodies whereof some are so slow that they aske a long time precisely to obserue their periods and reuolutions It was the complaint of Hippocrates Ars longa vita brevis And therefore Almighty God in his wisedome then proportioned mens liues to the length of Arts and as God gaue them this speciall priviledge to liue long so in likelihood hee gaue them withall a temper constitution of body answereable therevnto As also the foode wherewith they were nourished specially before the floud may well bee thought to haue beene more wholesome and nutritiue and the plants more medicinall And happily the influence of the heavens was at that time in that clymate where the Patriarches liued more favourable and gratious Now such a revolution as there is in the manners wits and ages of men the like may well bee presumed in their strength and stature Videtur similis esse ratio in magnitudine corporum siue statura quae nec ipsa per successionem propaginis defluit There seemeth to be the like reason in the groweth bignesse of mens bodies which decreaseth not by succession of ofspring but men are sometimes in the same nation taller sometimes of a shorter stature sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker as the times wherein they liue are more temperate or luxurious more given to labour or exercise or to ease and idlenesse And for those narrations which are made of the Gyantlike statures of men in former ages many of them were doubtles merely poeticall and fabulous I deny not but such men haue beene who for their strength and stature haue beene the miracles of nature the worlds wonders whom God would therefore haue to bee saith S. Austine that hee might shew that as well the bignesse as the beautie of the body are not to be ranged in the number of things good in themselues as being common both to good and badde Yet may wee justly suspect that which Suetonius hath not spared to write that the bones of huge beasts or sea-monsters both haue and still doe passe currant for the bones of Gyants A very notable story to this purpose haue wee recorded by Camerarius who reports that Francis the first king of France who reigned about an hundred yeares since being desirous to know the truth of those things which were commonly spread touching the strength and stature of Rou'land nephew to Charlelamaine caused his sepulchre to be opened wherein his bones and bow were found rotten but his armour sound though couered with rust which the king commaunding to bee scoured off and putting it vpon his owne body found it so fit for him as thereby it appeared that Rouland exceeded him little in bignesse and stature of bodie though himselfe were not excessiue tall or bigge SECT 6. The precedents of this chapt summarily recollected and the methode observed in the ensuing treatise proposed NOw briefely and summarily to recollect and as it were to winde vp into one clue or bottome what hath more largely beene discoursed thorow this chapter I hold first that the heavenly bodies are not at all either in regard of their substance motion light warmth or influence in the course of nature at all impaired or subject to any impairing or decay Secondly that all individuals vnder the Cope of heaven mixed of the elements are subject to a naturall declination and dissolution Thirdly that the quantity of the Elements themselues is subject to impairing in regard of their parts though not of their intire bodies Fourthly that the ayre and earth and water and diverse seasons diversely affected sometime for the better sometime for the worse and that either by some speciall favour or judgement of God or by some cause in nature secret or apparent Fiftly that the severall kindes of beasts of plantes of fishes of birds of stones of mettalls are as many in number as at the Creation every way in Nature as vigorous as at any time since the floud Sixtly and lastly that the manners the wits the health the age the strength and stature of men daily vary but so as by a vicissitude and reuolution they returne againe to their former points from which they declined againe decline and againe returne by alternatiue and interchangeable courses Erit hic rerum in se remeantium orbis quamdiù erit ipse orbis This circle and ring of things returning alwayes to their principles will neuer cease as long as the world lasts Repetunt proprios cuncta recursus Redituque suo singula gaudent Nec manet vlli traditus ordo Nisi quod fini iunxerit ortum Stabilemque sui fecerit orbem To their first spring all things are backeward bound And every thing in its returne delighteth Th' order once setled can in nought be found But what the end vnto the birth vniteth And of its selfe doth make a constant round And consequently there is no such vniversall and perpetuall decay in the frame of the Creatures as is commonly imagined and by some strongly maintained The methode which I propose is first to treate heereof in generall that so a cleerer way and easier passage may be opened to the particulars then of the Heavens as being the highest in situation and the noblest in outward glory and duration as also in their efficacie and vniversality of operation and therefore doth the Prophet rightly place them next God himselfe in the order of Causes it shall come to passe in that day saith
and among the rest that taken from the Worlds decay to proue the finall consummation thereof I take to be most vnsound in as much as it beggs a principle which is not to be graunted and supposeth such a decay which in my judgment to the worlds end and the day of Judgment will neuer be soundly and sufficiently proued I remember the Philosophers propose a question Vtrum Mundus solo generali concursu Dei perpetuo durare possit Whether the World by the ordinary and generall cooperation of Gods power and prouidence could still last or no and for the most part they conclude it affirmatiuely euen such as professed the Christian Religion and for proofe of their assertion they bring in effect this reason The Heauens say they are of a nature which is not capable in it selfe of corruption the losse of Elements is recouered by compensation of mixt Bodies without life by accretion of liuing Bodies by succession the fall of one being the rising of the other as Rome triumphed in the ruines of Alba and the depression of one Scale is the elevation of another according to that of Solomon One generation passeth away and another generation commeth but the earth abideth for euer Mutantur in aevum Singula incoeptum alternat natura tenorem Quodque dies antiqua tulit post auferet ipsa Each thing in euery age doth vary And Nature changeth still the course she hath begun And will eftsoones vndoe what she erewhile had done Againe all subcoelestiall bodies as is evident consist of matter and forme Now the first matter hauing nothing contrary vnto it cannot by the force of nature be destroyed and being created immediatly by God it cannot be abolished by any inferiour agent And as for the formes of natural bodies no sooner doth any one abandon the matter it informed but another instantly steps into the place thereof no sooner hath one acted his part is retired but another presently comes forth vpon the stage though it may bee in a different shape and to act a different part so that no portion of the matter is or at any time can be altogether voide empty but like Vertumnus or Proteus it turnes it selfe into a thousand shapes and is alwayes supplied and furnished with one forme or other Nec sic interimit mors res ut materiaï Corpora consiciat sed coetum dissipat ollis Inde alijs aliud coniungit efficit omnes Res vt convertant formas mutentque colores Et capiant sensus puncto tempore reddant Vt nosâ—…as referre eadem primordia rerum Death doth not so destroy things As it the matter to nought brings It onely doth dissolue the frame And so it leaues to be the same And joyning other things it changeth Their shape forme colour and so rangeth Their being at times that you may know They all from like principles doe flow Neither in trueth in the course of Nature can it possibly be otherwise since it intends not the abolition of any thing as being a defect and contrary to it 's owne good but for the succession and generation of some other thing in the roome thereof As Nature then cannot create by making something out of nothing so neither can it annihilate by turning something into nothing Whence it consequently followes as there is no accesse so there is no diminution in the vniversall no more then there is in the Alphabet by the infinite coÌ„bination transposition of letters or in the waxe by the alteration of the seale stamped vpon it If a man should take but one drop of water in the whole yeare from the Ocean or but one sand from the sea shore or but one grasse from the earth without any new supply nay without a supply proportionable that the additioÌ„ may fully countervaile repaire the subtractioÌ„ their store must in continuance of time of necessity bee emptied and vtterly exhausted and in like manner the World being finite and there being no accesse to the whole if there should bee any such perpetuall and vniversall decay and decrease in all the parts thereof as is pretended it must needes at last by degrees be annihilated and brought to nothing which is both in reason and by the consent of all Divines as incommunicably the effect of a power divine and aboue nature as is the worke of the Creation it selfe so as whatsoeuer is taken from one must of necessity be giuen to another Ne res ad nihilum redigantur protinus omnes Lest things ere long to nothing should be brought Put the case then that some principall part of the World should still decrease surely some others must thereupon continually increase or there would follow some diminution and consequently some annihilation in respect of the whole if vpon the continuall decrease of some others should still increase there would likewise thereupon follow such a disproportion and jarring as they could neuer well accord and in the end the whole would be turned into those which gained by the losse and grew great by the fall of others consequently they would proue the ruine both of others and themselues as the splene growing and swelling to an immoderate bignes vpon the pining of the other parts in the end ruines both it selfe and them as then a due proportion is held betwixt the parts as well in the naturall body of man as the body politique of the state for the vpholding of the whole so is there likewise by the divine providence in this vast body of the World not that any of the limbs or members thereof the heauens onely excepted remaine without their alteration or diminution but because they mutually by turâ—…es and exchanges both take one from another and again repay one to another what they formerly tooke by which meanes neither is any thing lost in the whole nor any one part so either infeebled by decrease or by increase ouer strengthned as they loose that proportion which makes the musicke of the whole or that vse and seruice which to the whole they all stand obliged to performe and to this purpose it is surely as a diuine oracle for the wisdome trueth thereof which the Poet hath put into the mouth of Pythagoras Nec species sua cuique manet rerumque novatrix Ex alijs alias reparat natura figuras Nec perit in tanto quidquam mihi credite mundo Sed variat faciemque novat nascique vocatur Incipere esse aliud quà m quod fuit ante morique Desinere illud idem cùm sint huc forsitan illa Haec translata illuc summâ tamen omnia constant They hold not long their shapes but soone Dame Nature Of one shape lost brings forth another feature Beleeue it in so great and huge a masse Nothing doth perish but change and vary face We say a thing new borne is when as It doth become another then it was And so wee say a thing doth
of Pliny out of him that oysters and mussels and cockles and lobsters crabbs and generally all shell-fish grow fuller in the waxing of the Moon but emptier in the waning thereof Such a strong predominancie it hath euen vpon the braine of Man that Lunatikes borrow their very name from it as also doth the stone Selenites whose property as S. Augustine and Georgius Agricola record it is to increase and decrease in light with the Moone carrying alwayes the resemblance thereof in it selfe Neither can it reasonably be imagined that the other Planets and starrs and parts of Heauen are without their forcible operations vpon these lower Bodies specially considering that the very plants and hearbes of the Earth which we tread vpon haue their seueral vertues as well single by themselues as in composition with other ingredients The Physitian in opening a veine hath euer an eye to the signe then raigning The Canicular star specially in those hotter Climates was by the Ancients alwayes held a dangerous enemy to the practise of Physick and all kind of Evacuations Nay Galen himselfe the Oracle of that profession adviseth practitioners in that Art in all their Cures to haue a speciall regard to the reigning Constellations Coniunctions of the Planets But the most admirable mystery of Nature in my mind is the turning of yron touched with the loadstone toward the North-pole of which I shall haue farther occasion to intreate more largely in the Chapter touching the Comparison of the wits inventions of these times with those of former ages Neither were it hard to add much more to that which hath beene said to shew the dependance of these Elementary Bodies vpon the heauenly Almighty God hauing ordained that the higher should serue as intermediate Agents or secondary Causes betweene himselfe and the lower And as they are linked together in a chaine of order so are they likewise chained together in the order of Causes but so as in the wheeles of a Clocke though the failing in the superior cannot but cause a failing in the inferiour yet the failing of the inferiour may well argue though it cannot cause a failing in the superiour We haue great reason then as I conceiue to begin with the Examination of the state of Coelestiall bodies in as much as vpon it the conditionof the subcoelestiall wholly de-pends Wherein fiue things offer themselues to our consideration Their substance their motion their light their warmth and their influence SECT 2. Touching the pretended decay in the substance of the Heavens TO finde out whether the substance of the heavenly bodies bee decayed or no it will not be amisse a little to inquire into the nature of the matter and forme of which that substance consists that so it may appeare whether or no in a naturall course they be capable of such a supposed decay That the Heavens are endued with some kinde of matter though some Philosophers in their jangling humour haue made a doubt of it yet I thinke no sober and wise Christian will deny it But whether the matter of it bee the same with that of these inferiour bodies adhuc sub Iudice lis est it hath beene and still is a great question among Diuines The ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Primitiue Church for the most part following Plato hold that it agrees with the matter of the Elementary bodies yet so as it is compounded of the finest flower and choisest delicacy of the Elements But the Schoolemen on the other side following Aristotle adhere to his Quintessence and by no meanes will bee beaten from it since say they if the Elements and the heauens should agree in the same matter it should consequently follow that there should bee a mutuall traffique and commerce a reciprocall action and passion betweene them which would soone draw on a change and by degrees a ruine vpon those glorious bodies Now though this point will neuer I thinke bee fully and finally determined till wee come to be Inhabitants of that place whereof wee dispute for hardly doe wee guesse aright at things that are vpon earth and with labour doe wee find the things that are at hand but the things which are in heaven who hath searched out Yet for the present I should state it thus that they agree in the same originall mater and surely Moses mee thinkes seemes to favour this opinion making but one matter as farre as I can gather from the text out of which all bodily substances were created Vnus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe So as the heavens though they bee not compounded of the Elements yet are they made of the same matter that the Elements are compounded of They are not subject to the qualities of heat or cold or drought or moisture nor yet to weight or lightnes which arise from those qualities but haue a forme giuen them which differeth from the formes of all corruptible bodies so as it suffereth not nor can it suffer from any of them being so excellent and perfect in it selfe as it wholy satiateth the appetite of the matter it informeth The Coelestiall bodies then meeting with so noble a forme to actuate them are not nor cannot in the course of nature bee lyable to any generation or corruption in regard of their substance to any augmentation or diminution in regard of their quantity no nor to any destructiue alteration in respect of their qualities I am not ignorant that the controversies touching this forme what it should bee is no lesse then that touching the matter Some holding it to bee a liuing and quickning spirit nay a sensitiue and reasonable soule which opinion is stiffely maintained by many great learned Clarks both Iewes and Gentiles Christians supposing it vnreasonable that the heavens which impart life to other bodies should themselues bee destitute of life But this errour is notablely discovered and confuted by Claudius Espencaeus a famous Doctor of the Sorbone in a Treatise which hee purposely composed on this point In as much as what is denied those bodies in life in sense in reason is abundantly supplied in their constant vnchangeable duration arising from that inviolable knot indissoluble marriage betwixt the matter the forme which can never suffer any divorce but from that hand which first joyned them And howbeit it cannot be denied that not only the reasonable soule of man but the sensitiue of the least gnat that flies in the aire and the Vegetatiue of the basest plant that springs out of the earth are in that they are indued with life more divine and neerer approaching to the fountaine of life then the formes of the heavenly bodies yet as the Apostle speaking of Faith Hope and Charity concludes Charity to bee the greatest though by faith wee apprehend and apply the merits of Christ because it is more vniversall in operation and lasting in duration so though the formes of the Creatures endued
with life doe in that regard come a step neerer to the Deity then the formes of the heavenly bodies which are without life yet if wee regard their purity their beauty their efficacy their indeficiencie in moving their Vniversallity and independencie in working there is no question but the heavens may in that respect bee preferred euen before man himselfe for whose sake they were made Man being indeed immortall in regard of his soule but the heavens in regard of their bodies as being made of an incorruptible stuffe Which cannot well stand with their opinion who held them to bee composed of fire or that the waters which in the first of Genesis are said to bee aboue the firmament and in the hundred fortie eight Psalme aboue the heavens are aboue the heavens wee now treate of for the tempering and qualifying of their heat as did S. Ambrose and S. Augustine and many others venerable for their antiquity learning and piety Touching the former of which opinions wee shall haue fitter oportunity to discusse it at large when we come to treate of the warmth caused by the heavens But touching the second it seemes to haue beene grounded vpon a mistake of the word Firmament which by the Ancients was commonly appropriated to the eight sphere in which are seated the fixed starres whereas the originall Hebrew which properly signifies Extention or Expansion is in the first of Genesis not onely applied to the spheres in which the Sunne and Moone are planted but to the lowest region of the aire in which the birds flie and so doe I with Pareus Pererius take it to bee vnderstood in this controversie This region of the aire being as S. Augustine somewhere speakes Terminus intransgressibilis a firme and immoveable wall of separation betwixt the waters that are bred in the bowels of the earth and those of the Cloudes and for the word heaven which is vsed in the hundred forty and eight Psalme it is likewise applyed to the middle region of the aire by the Prophet Ieremy which may serue for a Glosse vpon that text alleaged out of the Psalme When hee vttereth his voice there is a noise of waters in the heavens and hee causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth Now the Schoolemen finding that the placing of waters aboue the starry heavens was both vnnaturall and vnvsefull and yet being not well acquainted with the propriety of the Hebrew word to salue the matter tell vs of a Christalline or glassie heaven aboue the eight sphere which say they is vndoubtedly the waters aboue the firmament mentioned by Moses which exposition of theirs though it doe not inferre a decay in the heavenly bodies yet doth it crosse the course of Moses his historicall narration his purpose being as it seemes only to write the history of things which were visible and sensible as appeares in part by his omitting the Creation of Angells whereas the Christalline heaven they speake of is not only invisible and insensible but was not at all discouered to be till the dayes of Hipparchus or Ptolomy Since then the heavens in regard of their substance are altogether free for any thing yet appeares from any mixture or tincture of the Elements being made of an incorruptible and inalterable quintessence which neither hath any conflict in it selfe nor with any other thing without it from thence may wee safely collect that it neither is nor can be subiect to any such decay as is imagined SECT 3. An objection drawne from Iob answered HOwbeit the deserved curse of God deprived the earth of her fertility in bringing forth without the sweat of Adam and his ofspring yet I finde not that it stretched to the Starres or that any thing aboue the Moone was altered or changed in respect of Adams fault from their first perfection True indeed it is which Eliphaz teacheth that the heavens Bildad that the starres are not cleane in Gods sight it may bee because of the fall of Angels the inhabitants of heaven whom therefore he charged with folly Which exposition Iunius so farre favours as insteed of Coelum hee puts Coelites into the very body of the text But in my judgement it would better haue sorted with the Margin in as much as by Coelites wee may vnderstand either Saints or Angells both Citizens of heaven either in actuall possession or in certaine hope and expectation in possession as Angels and Saints departed in expectation as the Saints heere in warfaire on the earth And of these doth Gregory in his Moralls on Iob expound the place hoc coelorum nomine repetijt quod Sanctorum prius appellatione signavit saith hee Iob repeates that by the name of heaven which before hee expressed vnder the name of Saints And thus both hee and S. Augustine expound that of the nineteene Psalme The heavens declare the glory of God And with them most of the Ancients that petition of the Lords Prayer Thy will bee done on earth as it is in heaven But what neede wee flie to allegories figuratiue senses when the letter of the text will well enough stand with the analogie of faith the texts of other Scriptures and the rule of sound reason The very materiall heavens then may not vntruly or vnproperly bee said to bee vncleane in Gods sight First Quia habent aliquid potentialitatis admixtum as Lyra speakes they haue some kinde of potentiality I know not how otherwise to render his word mixed with them hee meanes in regard of their motion and the illumination of the moone and starres from the Sunne But chiefely as I take it they are said to be vncleane not considered in themselues but in comparison of the Creator who is Actus purissimus simplicissimus all Act and that most pure not only from staine and pollution but all kinde of impotency imperfection or Composition whatsoever And in this sense the very blessed glorious Angels themselues which are of a substance farre purer then the Sunne it selfe may bee said to be vncleane in his sight in which regard the very Seraphins are said to couer their faces and feete with their winges But to grant that the heavens are become vncleane either by the fall of man or Angells yet doth it not follow as I conceiue that this vncleannes doth daily increase vpon them or which is in trueth the point in controversie that they feele any impairing by reason of this vncleannes it being rather imputatiue as I may earne it then reall and inherent Nonne vides coelum hoc saith Chrysostome vt pulchrum vt ingens vt astrorum choreis varium quantum temporis viguit quinque aut plus annorum millia processerunt haec annorum multitudo ei non adduxit senium Sed vt corpus novum ac vegetum floridae virentisque juventae viget aetate Sic coelum quam habuit à principio pulchritâ—…dinem semper eadem permansit nec quicquam
tempus eam debilitavit Dost not thou see the heavens how faire how spacious they are how bee-spangled with diverse constellations how long now haue they lasted fiue thousand yeares or more are past and yet this long duration of time hath brought no old age vpon them But as a body new and fresh flourisheth in youth So the heavens still retaine their beauty which at first they had neither hath time any thing abated it Some errour or mistake doubtlesse there is in Chrisostomes computation in as much as he lived aboue 1200 yeares since yet tels vs that the world had then lasted aboue 5000 yeares but for the trueth of the matter he is therein seconded by all the schoole divines and among those of the reformed churches none hath written in this point more clearely and fully then Alstedius in his preface to his naturall divinity Tanta est hujus palatij diuturnitas atque firmitas vt ad hodiernum vsque diem supra annos quinquies mille sexcentos ita perstet vt in eo nihil immutatum diminâ—…tum aut vetustate diuturnitate temporis vitiatum conspiciamus Such saith hee and so lasting is the duration and immoveable stability of this palace that being created aboue 5600 yeares agoe yet it so continues to this day that wee can espie nothing in it changed or wasted or disordered by age and tract of time SECT 4. Another obiection taken from Psalme the 102 answered ANother text is commmonly and hotly vrged by the Adverse part to like purpose as the former and is in truth the onely argument of weight drawne from Scripture in this present question touching the heavens decay in regard of their Substance In which consideration wee shall bee inforced to examine it somewhat the more fully Taken it is from the hundred and second Psalme and the wordes of the Prophet are these Of old thou hast laid the foundation of the earth the heavens are the worke of thine handes They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall waxe old as doth a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy yeares shall haue no end To which very place vndoubtedly the Apostle alludes in the first to the Hebrewes where he thus renders it Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the workes of thine hands They shall perish but thou remainest and they shall wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them vp and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile In which passages the words which are most stood vpon and pressed are those of the growing old of the heavens like a garment which by degrees growes bare till it bee torne in peeces and brought to ragges S. Augustine in his Enarration vpon this Psame according to his wont betakes him to an Allegoricall Exposition interpreting the heavens to bee the Saints and their bodies to bee their garments wherewith the soule is cloathed And these garments of theirs saith hee waxe old and perish but shall be changed in the resurrection and made comformable to the glorious body of Iesus Christ. Which exposition of his is pious I confesse but surely not proper since the Prophet speakes of the heavens which had their beginning together with the earth and were both principall peeces in the great worke of the Creation Neither can the regions of the aire be here well vnderstood though in some other places they bee stiled by the name of the heavens since they are subiect to continuall variation and change and our Prophets meaning was as it should seeme to compare the Almighties vnchangeable eternity with that which of all the visible Creatures was most stable and stedfast And besides though the aire bee indeed the worke of Gods hands as are all the other Creatures yet that phrase is in a speciall manner applied to the starry heavens as being indeed the most exquisite and excellent peece of workemanship that ever his hands fram'd It remaines then that by heavens heere wee vnderstand the lights of heaven thought by Philosophers to bee the thicker parts of the spheres together with the spheres themselues in which those lights are fixed and wheeled about For that such spheres and orbes there are I take it as granted neither will I dispute it though I am not ignorant that some latter writers thinke otherwise and those neither few in number nor for their knowledge vnlearned But for the true sense of the place alleadged wee are to know that the word there vsed to wax old both in Hebrew Greeke Latin doth not necessarily imply a decay or impairing in the subject so waxing old but somtimes doth only signifie a farther step accesse to a finall period in regard of duration Wee haue read of some who being well striken in yeares haue renewed their teeth and changed the white colour of their haire and so growne yong againe Of such it might truly be sayd that they grew elder in regard of their neerer approch to the determinate end of their race though they were yonger in regard of their constitution and state of their bodies And thus do I take the Apostle to be vnderstood that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away where hee speakes of the Ceremoniall law which did not grow old by degrees at least before the incarnation of Christ but stood in its full force and vigour vntill it was by him abrogated and disanulled To which purpose Aquinas hath not vnfitly observed vpon the place Quod dicitur vetus significat quod sit prope cessationem the tearming of a thing old implies that it hastens to an end This then as I take it may truly be affirmed of the signification of the word in generall and at large and may justly seeme to haue been the Prophets meaning in as much as he addeth But thou art the same and thine yeares shall haue no end From whence may be collected that as God cannot grow old because his yeares shall haue no end so the heavens because they shall haue an end may be therefore sayd to grow old But whereas it is added not only by the Psalmist but by the Apostle in precise tearmes They shall wax old as doth a garment and againe as a Vesture shalt thou change them the doubt still remaines whether by that addition the sense of the word bee not restrained to a graduall and sensible decay I know it may be sayd that a garment waxing old not only looses his freshnesse but part of his quantitie and weight it is not only soyled but wasted either in lying or wearing so in continuance of time becomes vtterly vnserviceable which no man I think will ascribe to the heavens I meane that their quantity is any way diminished All agree then that the Similitude may be strained too
onely discernable by one sense as colours by seeing and sounds by hearing motion is discernable by both nay and by feeling too which is a third sense really distinguished from them both That there is in the heavenly bodies no motion of Generation or Corruption of augmentation or diminution or of alteration I haue already shewed There are also who by reason of the incredible swiftnes of the first Mouer and some other such reasons dare deny that there is in them any Lation or Locall motion heerein flatly opposing in my judgement both Scripture and Reason Sense But to take it as graunted without any dispute that a Locall motion there is which is the measure of time as time againe is the measure of motion the line of motion and the threed of time beeing both spun out together Some doubt there is touching the moouer of these heavenly bodies what or who it should bee some ascribing it to their matter some to their forme some to their figure and many to the Angells or Intelligences as they call them which they suppose to bee set over them For mine owne part I should thinke that all these and euery of them might not vnjustly challenge a part in that motion The matter as beeing neither light nor heavy the forme aswell agreeing with such a matter the figure as being Sphericall or Circular the Intelligence as an assistant In the matter is a disposition For whereas light bodies naturally moue vpward and heavy downeward that which is neither light nor heavy is rather disposed to a Circular motion which is neither vpward nor downeward In the figure is an inclination to that motion as in a wheele to bee carried round from the forme an inchoation or onsett and lastly from the Intelligence a continuance or perpetuation thereof as a great Divine of our owne both age and Nation hath well expressed it Gods owne aeternity saith hee is the hand which leadeth Angells in the course of their perpetuity their perpetuity the hand that draweth out Celestiall motion that as the Elementary substances are governed by the heavenly so might the heauenly by the Angellicall As the corruptible by the incorruptible so the materiall by the immateriall and all finits by one infinite It is the joynt consent of the Platoniks Peripatetiks and Stoikes and of all the noted sects of Philosophers who acknowledged the Divine Providence with whom agree the greatest part of our most learned Christian Doctors that the Heavens are moued by Angells neither is there in truth any sufficient meanes beside it to discover the beeing of such Creatures by discourse of Reason Which to mee is a strong argument that the Heauens can by no meanes erre or faile in their motions beeing managed by the subordinate ministery of such indefatigable and vnerring guides whose power is euery way proportionable to their knowledge and their constancy to both SECT 2. The Second reason taken from the Certainty of demonstrations vpon the Coelestiall globe The Third from a particular view of the proper motions of the Planets which are observed to bee the same at this day as in former ages without any variation The Fourth from the infallible and exact praediction of their Oppositions Conjunctions and Eclypses for many ages to come The Fifth from the testimony of sundry graue Authours auerring perpetuall Constancy and immutability of their motions THe most signall motions of the heavens beside their retrogradations trepidations librations and I know not what which Astronomers haue devised to reconcile the diversitie of their observations are the diurnall motion of all the fixed starres and Planets and all the Coelestiall spheres from East to West in the compasse of every foure and twenty houres and the proper motion of them all from the West to the East againe These motions whether they performe by themselues without the helpe of orbes as fishes in the water or birds in the aire or fastned to their spheres as a gemme in a ring or a nayle or knot in a Cart-wheele I cannot easily determine howbeit I confesse wee cannot well imagine how one and the same body should bee carried with opposite motions but by the helpe of somewhat in which it is carried As the Marriner may be carried by the motion of his shippe from the East to the West and yet himselfe may walke from the West to the East in the same ship Or a flie may be carried from the North to the South vpon a Cart-wheele and yet may goe from the South to the North vpon the same wheele But howsoever it bee it is evident that their motions are most even and regular without the least jarre or discord variation or vncertainety languishing or defect that may bee Which were it not so there could bee no certaine demonstrations made vpon the Globe or materiall Sphere Which notwithstanding by the testimony of Claudian are most infallible as appeares by those his elegant verses vpon Archymedes admirable invention thereof Iuppiter in parvo cum cerneret aether a vitro Risit ad superos talia dicta dedit Huccine mortalis progressa potentia curae Iam meus infragili luditur orbe labor Iura poli rerumque fidem legesque Deorum Ecce Syracusius transtulit arte senex Inclusus varijs famulatur Spiritus astris Et vivum certis motibus vrget opus Percurrit proprium mentirus signifer annum Et simulata nouo Cynthia mense redit Iamque suum volvens audax industria Mundum Gaudet humana sydera mense regit When Ioue within a little glasse survaid The Heavens hee smil'd and to the Gods thus sayd Can strength of Mortall wit proceed thus farre Loe in a fraile orbe my workes mated are Hither the Syracusians art translates Heavens forme the course of things and humane fates Th' included spirit serving the star-deck signes The liuing worke in constant motions windes Th' adulterate Zodiaque runnes a naturall yeare And Cynthiaes forg'd hornes monthly new light beare Viewing her owne world now bold industry Triumphes and rules with humane power the skye The Gentiles sayth Iulian as S. Cyrill in his third booke against him reports it videntes nihil eorū quae circa Coelū minui vel augeri neque vlla sustinere deordinatam affectionē sed congruam illius motionem ac bene op◅atū ordinem definitas quoque leges Lunae definitos ortus occasus Solis statutis semper temporibus merito Deum Dei solium suspicabantur seeing no part of heaven to deminished or decreased to suffer no irregular affection but the motion thereof to be as duly and orderly performed as could be desired the waxing and waning of the moone the rising and setting of thee sunne to bee setled and constant at fixed and certaine times they deseruedly admired it as God or as the throne of God The order and regularitie of which motions wee shall easily perceiue by taking a particular view of them I will touch only those of the
absumitur sed manet quale à Deo initio fuit firmatum Nay a little before that last passage diuiding the whole firmament or Expansum containing all the Coelestiall Spheres and regions of the aire into two parts The higher saith hee thereby intending the heavenly bodies is purissima incorruptibilis inalterabilis most pure incorruptible and inalterable Now if it should bee demaunded how the Heaveus may bee said to languish and to haue lost of their natiue brightnes and yet still to remaine incorruptible inalterable for mine owne part I must professe I cannot vnderstand it nor know which way to reconcile it A number of the like passages may bee observed in the writings of our latter Diuines but I sparetheir names for the reverence I beare their gifts and places and persons and so proceed SECT 3. Heerevnto some other reasons are added and the testimonie of Eugubinus vouched I Remember Mr. Camden reports that at the demolition of our Monasteries there was found in the supposed monument of Constantius Chlorus father to the Great Constantine a burning Lampe which was thought to haue burnt there euer since his buriall about three hundredth yeares after Christ and withall hee addes out of Lazius that the ancient Romans vsed in that manner to preserue lights in their Sepulchres a long time by the oylelinesse of Gold resolved by Art into a liquid substance Which if it bee so how much more easie is it for the Father of lights to preserue those naturall lights of Heaven which himselfe hath made without any diminution In artificiall lights wee see that if a thousand Candles bee all lighted from one yet the light of the first is not thereby any whit abated and why should wee then conceiue that the Sun by imparting his light so many thousand yeares should loose any part thereof They who mainetaine that the soule of man is derived ex traduce hold withall that the Father in begetting the sonnes soule looses none of his owne it being tanquam lumen de lumine as one light from another nay more then so it is the very resemblance that the Nicene Fathers thought not vnmeete to expresse the vnexpressable generation of the second person in Trinity from the first who is therefore tearmed by the Apostle the brighnes of his glory As then the Father by communicating his substance to his sonne looses none of his owne so the Sunne by communicating his light to the world looses no part nor degree thereof Some things there are of that nature as they may bee both given and kept as knowledge and vertue and happinesse and light which in holy Scripture is figuratiuely taken for them all whether the same individuall light bee still resident in the body of the sunne which was planted in it at the first Creation or whether it continually empty and spend it selfe and so like a riuer bee continually repaired with fresh supplies for mine owne part I cannot certainely affirme though I must confesse I rather incline to the former But this I verily beleeue that as the body of the Sunne is no whit lessened in extention So neither is the light thereof in intention Men being now no more able to fixe their eyes vpon it when it shines forth in its full strength then they were at the first Creation thereof I will conclude this chapter with that of Eugubinus in his tenth booke de Perenni Philosophia Futuri interitus ac senescentiae aliqua jam indicia praecessissent non constaret idem Sol non eadem fulgoris esset plenitudo idem radiorum vigor haec igitur Senectus nusquam est Had there beene in the heavens any such decay or waxing old as is supposed wee should haue seene some fore-running tokens thereof The Sunne would not haue beene like himselfe hee would not haue retained the same fullnesse of brightnes nor the same vigour in his beames This old age then is no where to bee found Where hee takes it as graunted that none would bee so vnreasonable as to affirme that the strength and cleerenes of the light of heaven is any way abated Now what hath beene spoken of the light may no lesse truely bee verified of the warmth and influence thereof which spring therefrom and now succeed in their order to bee examined CAP. 4. Touching the pretended decay in the warmth of the heavenly bodies SECT 1. That the starres are not of a fiery nature or hot in themselues THe light of Heaven whereof wee haue spoken is not more comfortable vsefull then is the warmth therof with a masculine vertue it quickens all kind of seeds it makes them vegetate blossome and fructifie and brings their fruite to perfection for the vse of man beast and the perpetuating of their owne kinds nay it wonderfully refresheth and cheares vp the spirits of men and beasts and birds and creeping things not only impartsthe life of vegetation but of sense motion to many thousand creatures and like a tender parent forsters and cherisheth it being imparted Some there are that liue without the light of heauen searching into and working vpon those bodies which the light cannot pierce but none without the warmth it being in a manner the vniversall instrument of Nature which made the Psalmist say that there is nothing hid from the heate of the sunne Few things are hid from the light but from the heate thereof nothing Our life withthe ligh of heaven would be tedious and vncomfortable but without the warmth impossible Since then such is the continuall and necessary vse of the Coelstiall warmth aswell in regard of the generation as the preseruation of these inferiour bodies accomodating it selfe to their severall tempers and vses in severall manners and degrees it may easily be conceiued to be a matter of marveilous greate importance in deciding the maine question touching Natures decay to inquire thorowly into the state and condition of it vpon which so many and great workes of Nature wholy depend whether it be decayed or no or whether it still abide in the fullnesse of that strength and activitie in which it was created For the better cleering of which doubt it will be very requisite first to inquire into the efficient cause thereof which being once discovered it will soone appeare whether in the course of nature it be capable of any such diminution or no. I am not ignorant that S. Augustine S. Basill S. Ambrose and generally as many Divines as held that there were waters properly so tearmed aboue the starry firmament held with all that the Sunne and Starres caused heate as being of a fiery Nature those waters being set there in their opinion for cooling of that heate which opinion of theirs seemes to be favoured by Syracides in the forty third of Ecclesiasticus where he thus seakes of the Sunne At noone it parcheth the countrey and who can abide the burning heate there of A man blowing a furnace is
about the yeare 3369 after Christ. This opinion of Copernicus is received by most of this time some following him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others somewhat varying in the difference of the greatest declination making it when it is least as in our time not lesse then 23 30 and in the Periodicall restitution thereof But to speake freely I cannot so easily bee drawne into this opinion but rather thinke the greatest declination of the Sunne to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immutable and for ever the same For the little difference of a few minutes betwixt vs and Ptolomy may very well arise as I formerly said from the errour of observations by the Ancients The greatest declination of the Sunne from the Aequinoctiall towards either Pole being alwaies the same the Sunne cannot goe more Southernely from vs nor come more Northernly towards vs in this then in former ages But supposing a mutability in the Sunnes greatest declination according to the former Periods it followeth that as the Sunne about 65 yeares before the Epoche of Christ went from our verticall point more Southernly then now it doth So many Ages before Christ it went no more Southernly then now it doth and that many ages after our time it shall goe as farre Southernly as at the Epoche of Christ. Secondly when the greatest declination was most As then in Winter the Sun went more Southernly from vs then now so in Summer it came more Northernly and neerer vs then now Againe when the greatest declination is least as in our Age it goeth not so farre Southernly from vs in Winter as formerly neither in Summer comes so farre Northernly From which answere it may as I conceiue bee fitly and safely inferred first that either there is no such remoueall at all of the Sunne as is supposed or if there bee as wee who are situate more Northernly feele perchance the effects of the defects of the warmth thereof in the vnkindly ripening of our fruites and the like so likewise by the rule of proportion must it needs follow that they who lie in the same distance from the South-Pole as wee from the North should enjoy the benefite of the neerer approach thereof And they who dwell in the hottest Climates interiacent of the abating of the immoderate fervency of their heate and consequently that to the Vniversall nothing is lost by this exchange And as in this case it may happily fall out so vndoubtedly doth it in many other from whence the worlds supposed decay is concluded Wee vnderstand not or at least-wise wee consider not how that which hurts vs helpes another nation wee complaine as was before truely observed out of Arnobius as if the world were made and the government thereof administred for vs alone heereby it comes to passe that as hee who lookes onely vpon some libbat or end of a peece of Arras conceiues perhaps an hand or head which he sees to bee very vnartificially made but vnfolding the whole soone findes that it carries a due and iust proportion to the body So qui ad pauca respicit de facili pronuntiat saith Aristotle hee that is so narrow eyed as hee lookes onely to his own person or family to his owne corporation or nation will paradventure quickely conceiue and as soone pronounce that all things decay and goe backewarde whereas hee that as a Citizen of the world and a part of mankinde in generall takes a view of the Vniversall and compares person with person familie with familie nation with nation suspends his judgement or vpon examination cleerely findes that though some members suffer yet the whole is thereby no way indammaged at any time and at other times those same members are againe relieued And from hence my second inference is that supposing a mutability in the Sunnes greatest declination looke what dammage wee suffer by his farther remoueall from vs in Summer is at least-wise in part recompensed by his neerer approach in Winter and by his Periodicall Revolutions fully restored And so I passe from the consideration of the warmth to those hidden and secret qualities of the heavens which to Astronomers and Philosophers are knowne by the name of Influences CAP. 5. Touching the pretended decay of the heavenly bodies in regard of their Iufluences SECT 1. Of the first kinde of influence from the highest immoueable Heaven called by Divines Coelum Empyraeum HOwbeit Aristotle thorow those workes of his which are come to our hands to my remembrance hath not once vouchafed so much as to take notice of such qualities which wee call Influenences and though among the Ancients Auerroes and Auicenne and among those of fresher date Picus Mirandula and Georgius Agricola seeke to disproue them Yet both Scripture and Reason and the weighty authority of many great schollers aswell Christians as Ethnickes haue fully resolved mee that such there are They are by Philosophers distinguished into two rankes the first is that influence which is derived from the Empyreall immoueable heaven the pallace and Mansion house of Glorified Saints and Angells which is gathered from the diversity of Effects aswell in regard of Plants as beasts and other commodities vnder the same Climate within the same Tract and latitude equally distant from both the Poles which wee cannot well referre originally to the inbred nature of the soile since the Authour of Nature hath so ordained that the temper of the inferiour bodies should ordinarily depēd vpon the superiour nor yet to the Aspect of the moueable spheres and stars since every part of the same Climate successiuely but equally injoyes the same aspect It remaines then that these effects bee finally reduced to some superiour immoueable cause which can be none other then that Empyreall heaven neither can it produce these effects by meanes of the light alone which is vniformely dispersed thorow the whole But by some secret quality which is diversified according to the diverse parts thereof and without this wee should not onely finde wanting that connexion and vnity of order in the parts of the world which make it so comely but withall should bee forced to make one of the worthiest peeces thereof voyde of action the chiefe end of euery created being Neither can this action misbeseeme the worthinesse of so glorious a peece since both the Creator thereof is still busied in the workes of Providence and the Inhabitants in the workes of ministration SECT 2. Of the second kind derived from the Planets and fixed starres THe other kind is that which is derived from the starres the aspect of severall constellations the opposition and conjunction of the Planets the like These wee haue warranted by the mouth of God himselfe in the thirty eight of Iob according to our last and most exact Translation Canst thou binde the sweete influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Canst thou bring forth Mazzoreth in his season Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sonnes Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven
to be seene serue as commodiously for the stature of the men of this presentage as they did of those in whose times they were built whereas were there such a decay as is supposed we now liuing should hardly reach their tops much lesse bee able to serue at them with any tolerable conveniencie SEC 5. The same farther proued first for that the sonne often proues taller then the father Secondly for that age and stature holding for the most part correspondence it being already proued that the age of mankind is not decreased from thence it followes that neither is their stature Thirdly for that if mankinde decreased in stature by the course of nature so must of necessity all other creatures they being all alike subiect to the same law of nature Fourthly for that if men had still declined since the Creation by this time they would haue beene no bigger then rats or mice if they had at all beene BEsides were there such a generall and continuall decay of men in stature as is supposed either the Child would alwayes com short of the Parents in stature or very seldome would it fall out otherwise whereas now wee finde it by dayly experience that the sonne very often not only equalls but exceedes the father and the daughter the mother Nicephorus Calistus in the twelfth booke of his Ecclesiasticall history tells vs of one whom himselfe saw of such an excessiue heigth that he was held for a monster Quem tamen brevis admodum staturae mulier in lucem protulit saith he whom notwithstanding a woman of a very short stature brought forth In the like manner S. Augustine reports of a woman who in his time a little before the sacking of Rome by the Gothes came thither with her Father and Mother she was saith he of a Gyant-like stature far beyond all that saw her though infinite troopes came to behold that spectacle Et hoc erat maximae admirationi this was matter of greatest amazement that both her Parents were but of ordinary stature I haue seene saith Marcellus Donatus a learned Physitian a young maiden of a Gyant-like stature whom they carried from towne to towne to shew her as a prodigious thing for the sight of whom euery man gaue some thing wherewith her mother that conducted her and her selfe were maintained She was in an hired Chamber by her selfe and there suffered her selfe to be seene with admiration going as others did I enquired carefully of euery point and did learne both from her selfe and her mother who was a woman of a meane stature that the maidens father was not tall that in all their stocke there was not any one that exceeded the height of other persons It is likewise reported in the History of the Netherlands that in the yeare 1323 was to be seene in Holland a woman Gyantesse to whom the tallest men seemed children yet her parents of meane stature So then if Gyants be sometime borne or begotten of such parents no marvell that the sonne as often proues taller then the father as he comes short of him But it commonly fals out in this kinde though not in that extremity as with the Samogitheans a people lying betwixt Prussia and Livonia of whom Scaliger writes that per vices tum proceros tum penè nanos generant by turnes they bring forth Gyants and Dwarfes like some trees saith he which beare very plentifully one yeare and are the next altogether barren Nature so disposing that what was deficient in the Dwarfc is abundantly repayed in the Gyant Againe there is for the most part a mutuall connexion betweene age and stature whence it may be in the Greeke the same word signifieth both so as that race of men which is tallest and strongest commonly hold out longest vpon which ground as it seemes they who invented the fable of the Pigmies withall affirmed that their women vsually brought forth at fiue yeares and died at eight But certaine it is that in those barbarous countreyes which are not weakened by luxury as they much exceed vs in duration so doe they likewise in dimensions both which haue beene fully shewed by sundry examples already alleadged and generally we see that in the severall kinds of beasts of birds of fishes of trees of plants the bigger they are in quantity the longer they last the lesser they are the shorter space they continue Since then it hath beene as I take it sufficiently proued in the precedent chapters that the age of men is not so sensibly impaired in regard of former times as is commonly conceiued it will from thence consequently follow that neither is the stature of man at least wise by any defect in the course of Nature so manifestly abated as is imagined I say by any defect in the Course of Nature for then doubtlesse all other naturall bodies should suffer the like defect euen the Elements and the Heauens themselues all which if I flatter not my selfe too much I haue in my former discourse cleerely freed from any such vniversall perpetuall declination And in truth reason it selfe will easily teach vs that if men were generally in former ages taller and larger then now they are so must the horses too vpon which they rode and if horses other kindes of beasts too and if beasts birds too and if birds fishes too and if all these trees too there being no warrantable reason as I conceiue to be yeelded why among those kindes of Creatures which wanting reason are guided meerely by instinct of Nature some should stand at a stay continuing their ancient perfection and others in tract of time decay by degrees Indeed Man among them all by meanes of the abuse of his Reason and free choice which was giuen him to helpe him and not to hurt him had he the grace to make vse of it is most subject to variation and so to declination yet as all men doe not alwayes abuse their reason at leastwise in a greater degree then their Predecessors as shall God assisting be hereafter made good so doe they not alwayes decline in strength and stature for then should they by this time scarcely haue exceeded the quantity of Rats or Mice or at most haue but equalled that Dwarfe of whom Nicephorus reports how truly I cannot say that he had the shape the voice and reason of a man yet was in body no bigger then a Partridge or that other mentined by Sabinus in his Commentaries vpon the Metamorphosis Vidit Italia nuper virum iusta aetate non maiorem cubito circumferri in cavea psyttaci cujus viri meminit in suis scriptis Hieronymus Cardanus There was lately to be seene in Italy a man of a ripe age not aboue a cubit high carried about in a Parrets cage of whom Hierome Cardan in his writings makes mention But me thinkes it being the forme which giues bounds to the matter of it selfe vnlimited and boundlesse and the forme of man being still for
as they did And for the strength of their Physicke let vs heere Goropius a famous Physitian and doubtles a very learned man as his workes testifie and his greatest adversaries cannot but confesse Dicunt olim medicamenta multò vehementiora data fuissâ—… quà m nunc hominum natura ferre possit They say that the Physicke which the Ancients administred was much stronger then the nature of man is now capable of to which he replies eos qui sic arbitrantur insigniter falli contendo ferunt enim corpora aequè nunc helleborum atque olim eodem vel majori pondere vt ipse in alijs meipso sum expertus Verùm inscitia eorum qui nihil Medici habent praeter titulum vestem longam impudentem arrogantiam in causa est vt sic opinentur I am confident that those who thus thinke are notablely deceiued in asmuch as our bodies can now aswell endure the like or greater quantity of Elleborum as I haue made triall in my selfe others But the ignorance of such as haue indeed nothing in them of the Physitian but the bare title a long gowne and impudent arrogancie is the cause that men so thinke And with him heerein plainely accords Leonardus Giachinus of the same profession who hauing composed a Treatise purposely to shew what damage arises to learning by preferring Authority before reason makes this the title of his first Chapter Corpora nostra eadem ferre posse auxilia quibus Veteres vsi sunt idque cum ratione tum experientia comprobari That our bodies now a dayes may well enough suffer the same helpes of Physicke which the Ancients vsed that this may be made euident aswell by reason as experience And I suppose skilfull Physitians will not deny but that the Physicke of former times agrees with ours as in the receites so for the dosis and quantity and for them who hold a generall decay in the course of Nature they are likewise forced to hold this For if plants and drugges and minerals decay in their vertue proportionablely to the body of man as is the common opinion then must it consequently follow that the same quantity hauing a lesse vertue may without daunger and with good successe be administred to our bodies though inferiour in strength Roger Bacon in his booke de erroribus medicorum tells vs that the disposition of the heavens is changed euery Centenary or thereabout and consequently that all things growing from the earth change their complexions as also doth the body of man and therevpon infers that eaedem proportiones medicinarum non sunt semper continuandae sed exigitur observantia certa secundum temporis discensum The same proportions of medicines are not still to be continued but there is required a certain quantity according to the variation of time Where by the change of the disposition of the heavens I cannot conceiue that he intends it alwayes for the worst for so should he crosse himselfe in the same booke neither for any thing I know haue we any certainty of any such change as he speakes of but this am I sure of that if together with the heauens the plants change their tempers and with the plants the body of man then needs there no alteration in the proportion of medicines in asmuch as what art should therein supply nature her selfe preuents performes But for mine own part holding a naturall decay in neither vpon that ground as I conceiue may more safely be warranted the continuance of the ancient proportions Now touching the drawing of blood I know it is said that Galen vsually drew six pounds at the opening of a veine whereas we for the most part stoppe at six ounces which is in truth a great difference if true specially in so short a time he liuing three hundred yeares or thereabout since Christ. For decision then of this point we must haue recourse to Galen himselfe who in that booke which he purposely composed of cures by letting of blood thus writes Memini quibusdam ad sex vsque libras sanguinem detractum fuisse ita vt febris extingueretur I remember that from some I haue drawne six pounds of blood which hath ridde them of their feuer yet from others he tooke but a pound and a halfe or one pound and sometimes lesse as he saw occasion neither in old time nor in these present times was the quantity euer definite or certaine but both then and now variable more or lesse according to strength the disease age or other indications and in pestilent fevers his advise is vbi valida virtus subest aetas permittit vsque ad animae defectum sanguinem mittere expedit where the strength and age of the patient will beare it it will doe well to take blood euen to a fainting or sounding and such was the case as by his owne words it appeares in which he drew so great a quantity Neither is this without example in our age Ambrose Par a French Surgeon a man expert in his profession as his bookes shew reports that he drew from a patient of his in foure dayes twenty seven pallets euery pallet of Paris containing three ounces more so that he drew from him about seven pounds allowing twelue ounces to the pound which was the account that Galen followed as appeares in his owne Treatise of weights and measures and so continues it in vse among Physitians and Apothecaries vnto this day The whole quantity of blood in a mans body of a sound constitution and middle stature was anciently estimated and so is it still at about three gallons and I haue beene informed by a Doctour of Physicke of good credit and eminent place in this Vniversity that a patient of his hath bled a gallon at nose in one day and hath done well after it which as I conceiue could not be so little as seuen or eight pounds allowing somewhat lesse then a pound to a pint in asmuch as I haue found a pint of water to weigh sixteene ounces Now what Nature hath done with tollerance of life Art may come neere vnto vpon just cause without danger And if any desire to be farther informed in this point he need goe no further then the Medicinall observations of Iohannes Shenkius de capite Humano where to his 333 observation hee prefixes this title Prodigiosae narium haemorragiae quae interdum 18 interdum 20 nonnunquam etiam 40 sanguinis librae profluxere Prodigious bleedings at the nose in which sometimes 18 sometimes 20 sometimes 40 pouÌ„ds of blood haue issued The Authors from whom he borroweth his observations are Matheus de Gradi in his commentaries vpon the 35 chapter of Rasis ad Almans Brasauolus comment ad Aphor. 23. lib. 5. Donatus lib. de variolis morbillis cap. 23. Lusitanus Curat 100. Cent. 2. And againe Curat 60 Cent. 7 his instances are of a Nunne who voided by diverse passages 18 pounds of bloud of Diana a
few Before I conclude this discourse touching the comparison of the strength of the Ancients with ours it shall not be amisse to remember a moderne example or two of Parents famously fertile in the linage issued from their bodies such as I doe not remember any where to be parallelled by antiquity In the memory of our Fathers saith Vives in his commentary vpon the eight chapter of the fifteenth booke of the Citty of God there was seene a village in Spaine of about an hundred houses whereof all the inhabitants were issued from one certaine old man who then liued when as that village was so peopled so as the name of propinquity how the youngest of the children should call him could not be giuen Lingua enim nostra supra Abavâ—…m non ascenâ—…t For our language saith hee meaning the Spanish affords not a name aboue the great Grandfathers father Likewise in S. Innocents Church-yard in the citty of Paris is to be seene the Epitaph of Yelland â—…aeily widow to Mr Dennis Capell a Proctour at the Chastellet which doth shew that she had liued eighty foure yeares and might haue seene 288 of her children and childrens children shee dyed the 17 of Aprill 1514. Now imagine saith Pasquier how much she had beene troubled to call them by a proper denomination that were distant from heâ—… the fourth and fifth degree Wherevnto wee may adde that which Theodore Zwinger a Physitian of Basill in the third volume of the Theatre of mans life recites of a noble Lady of the family of the Dalburgs who saw of her race euen to the sixth degree whereof the Germanes haue made this distich 1 Mater 2 ait natae 3 dic natae filia 4 natam 5 Vt moneat natae 6 plangere filiolam That is to say The mother said to her daughter daughter bid thy daughter tell her daughter that her daughters daughter cries The more I wonder at Pliny that he should report it as a wonder worthy the Chronicle that Crispinus Hilarus praelata pompa with open ostentation sacrificed in the Capitoll 74 of his children childrens children attending on him And so I passe from the consideration comparison of the stature strength of mens bodies to that of their mindes consisting in the more noble faculties of the reasonable soule and the beautifull effects thereof CAP. 6. Containing a discourse in generall that there is no such vniversall and perpetuall decay in the powers of the minde or in the Arts Sciences as is pretended SECT 1. The excellencie of the Ancients in the powers of the mind compared with those of the present as also their helpes and hinderances in matter of learning ballanced SInce it is a received conclusion of the choisest both Divines Philosophers that the reasonable soule of man is not conveied vnto him from his Parents but infused immediatly by the hand of the Creator withall that the soules of all men at their first Creation infusion are equall perfect alike endued with the same essence abilities it must needes bee that the inequality disparity of actions which they produce arise from the diverse temper of the matter which they informe and by which as by an instrument they worke Now the matter being tempered by the disposition of the bodies of our parents the influence of the heavens the quality of the elements diet exercise the like it remaines that as there is a variety vicissitude of these in regard of goodnes so is there likewise in the temper of the matter whereof wee consist the actions which by it our soules produce Yea where both the agents the instruments are alike yet by the diversity of education or industry their workes are many times infinitely diversified The principall faculties of the soule are imagination iudgement and memory One of the most famous for memory among the Ancients to my remembrance was Seneca the Father who reports of himselfe that hee could repeate two thousand names or two hundred verses brought to his Master by his Schoole-fellowes backeward or forward But that which Muretus reports of a young man of Corsica a student in the Civill Law whom himselfe saw at Padua farre exceedes it he could saith heâ—… recite thirty six thousand names in the same order as they were deliuered without any stay or staggering as readily as if he had read them out of a booke His conclusion is Huic ego ne ex antiquitate quidam quem opponam habeo nisâ—… forte Cyrum quem Plinius Quintilianus alij Latini Scriptores tradiderunt tenuisse omnium militum nomina I find none among the Ancients whom I may set against him vnlesse Cyrus perchaunce whom Pliniâ—… Quintilian and other Latine writers report to haue remembred the names of all his souldiers which yet Muretus himselfe doubts was mistaken of them Zenophon of whom onely or principally they could learne it affirming onely that hee remembred the names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Captaines or cheife commanders And Aeneas Sylvius in his history of the Councill of Basill at which himselfe was present tels vs of one Ludovicus Pontanus of Spoleto a Lawyer likewise by profession who dyed of the Pestilence at that Councill at thirty yeares of age that he could recite not the titles onely but the intire bodies of the Lawes being for vastnes and fastnes of memory nemini Antiquorum inferior as he speakes nothing inferiour to any of the Ancients It is to this purpose very memorable which Famianus Srada in the first booke of his Academicall Pâ—…olusions relates of Francis Suarez who hath sayeth he so strong a memory that he hath S. Augustine the most copious various of the Fathers readie by heart alleadging euery where as occasion presents it selfe fully faithfully his sentences which is very strange his very wordes nay if he be demaunded any thing touching any passage in any of his volumes which of themselues are almost enough to fill a Librarie Statim quo loco quaque pagina disseruerit ea super re expedite docentem ac digito commonstrantem saepe vidimus I my selfe haue often seene him instantly shewing and pointing with his finger to the place page in which he disputed of that matter This is I confesse the testimonie of one Iesuite touching another But of Dr Rainolds it is most certaine that he excelled this way to the astonishment of all that were inwardly acquainted with him not only for S. Augustines workes but almost all Classike Authours so as in this respect it might truely be said of him which hath beene applyed to some others that he was a liuing librarie or third vniuersitie I haue heard it very crediblely reported that vpon occasion of some writings which passed to fro betwixt him Doctour Gentilis then our Professour in the Civill Lawes he publiquely professed that he thought Dr Rainolds had read and did remember more of those Lawes then himselfe though
a Lecture for the Art of Navigation which to this day is read in the Contractation house at Sivill The Readers of which Lecture haue not only carefully taught and instructed the Spanish Marriners by word of mouth but haue also published sundry exact worthy Treatises concerning Marine Causes for the direction incouragement of posterity and namely these three Alonzo de Chauez Hieronymo de Chauez Rodorigo Zamerano to this purpose it is a commendable work of Master Hues who for the instruction of Navigators in the principles of Geometry Astronomy thereby for the improuement advancement of the Art of Navigation hath written twice published in two seuerall editions a learned Treatise of the Celestiall terrestriall Globes and their vse which for the better vse of such as are ignorant of the Latin tongue and desirous to learne I could wish were translated into our owne Language CAP. 10. Touching diverse artificiall workes and vsefull inventions at leastwise matchable with those of the ancients namely chiefly the invention of Printing Gunnes and the Sea-Card or Mariners Compasse SECT 1. Of some rare inventions and artificiall workes of this latter age comparable both for vse and skill to the best of the Ancients AS the Arts Sciences haue all of them in these latter ages either beene reviued from decay or reduced to vse or brought forward to perfection so many secrets of Nature rare conclusions haue beene found out imparted to the World by Albertus Magnus Levinus Lemnius Fernelius Fracastorius Baptista Porta Cornelius Agrippa Cardanus Trithemius Delrio and others and many singular artificiall inventions for the vse ease delight or ornament of mankinde as a number of Mechanicall Mathematicall Musicall Instruments Chimneyes stirrups paper spectacles Porcellan perspectiue glasses fining of sugars hand-mils gloues hats bands watches besides diverse excellent workes in stuffs in silkes in linnens in hangings in carpets and the like particularly set downe by Polidore Virgill de Inventoribus Rerum and Pancirollus in his Nova-reperta Cardanus in his 17 booke de artibus artificiosisque rebus to whom notwithstanding much more might easily be added For as truth is the daughter of time so are vsefull Inventions too as rightly Manilius lib. 1. Sed cùm long a dies acuit mortalia corda Et labor ingenium miseris dedit sua quenque Advigilare sibi jussit fortuna premendo Seducta in varias certârunt pectora curas Et quodcunque sagâ—…x tentando repperit â—…sus In commune bonum commentum laeta dedere But when that tract of time had whet mens wits And industry had moulded them by fits Fortune pressing each man to endeavour To free himselfe from miserie together They bend their minds to search out sundry things And what is found by observation sage They cheerefully impart from age to age I will onely specifie some of the rarest artificiall workes of this latter age comparable for the workemanship with the best of the ancient Peter Ramus tels vs of a wooden Eagle an iron flie made by Regiomontanus a famous Mathematician of Norinberg whereof the first in imitation and emulation of Architas his doue flew forth of the citty aloft in the aire met the Emperour a good way off comming towards it hauing saluted him returned againe waiting on him to the citty gates The second at a feast whereto he had invited his familiar friends flew forth of his hands taking a round returned thither again to the great astonishment of the beholders Both which the divine pen of the noble Du Bartas hath excellently expressed Why should I not that wooden Eagle mention A learned Germans late admir'd invention Which mounting from his fist that framed her Flew farre to meet an Almaine Emperour And hauing met him with her nimble traine And weary wings turning about againe Followed him close vnto the Castle gate Of Norinberg whom all their shewes of state Streetes hang'd with Arras arches curious built Gray-headed Senate and youths gallantise Grac't not so much as only this devise He goes on and thus describes the flye Once as this Artist more with mirth then meat Feasted some friends whom he esteemed great From vnder 's hand an iron flye flew out Which hauing flowne a perfit round about With weary wings return'd vnto her Master And as judicious on his arme he plac't her O divine wit that in the narrow wombe Of a small flye could finde sufficient roome For all those springs wheeles counterpoise and chaines Which stood insteed of life and spurre and raines Desinamus itaque Archytae columbam mirari cum muscam cum aquilam geometricis alis alatam Noriberga exhibeat saith Ramus let vs giue ouer to wonder at Archytas his doue sithence Norinberg hath exhibited both a Fly and an Eagle winged with Geometricall wings Bartas likewise remembers the curious Diall clock at Strausburgh which my selfe haue beheld not without admiration But who would thinke that mortall hands could mould New heauens new starres whose whirling courses should With constant windings though contrary wayes Marke the true monds of yeares months dayes Yet 't is a story that hath oft beene heard And by an hundred witnesses auer'd Neither doth he forget that most exquisite silver spheare matchable with Archimedes or that of Zapores King of Persia which was sent as a present from the Emperour Ferdinand to Solyman the great Turke is mentioned by Paulus Iouius Sabellicus It was carried as they write by twelue men vnframed reframed in the Grand Signiours presence by the maker who likewise deliuered him a booke contayning the mystery of vsing it Nor may we smoother nor forget ingratelie The Heauen of siluer that was sent but lately From Ferdinando as a famous worke Vnto Bizantium to the greatest Turke Wherein a spirit still mouing too fro Made all the Engine orderlie to goe And though the one spheare did alwayes slowly slide And contrary the other swiftly glide Yet still their stars kept all their courses euen With the true courses of the stars of heaven The Sun there shifting in the Zodiaque His shining houses neuer did forsake His pointed path there in a moneth his sister Fulfil'd her course changing oft her lustre And forme of face now larger lesser soone Followed the changes of the other moone SECT 2. Of the benefits and Inventour of the most vsefull Art of Printing BVt leauing these Magna nec ingenijs investigata priorum Quaeque diu latuere canam I 'le speake of greater things which long lay hid Neither were found by search of former wits These spoken of are in truth but toyes tryfles in regard of those three most vsefull inventions which these latter ages challenge as due proper to themselues Printing Gunnes and the Marriners compasse of which Cardane comparatiuely speakes in high tearmes His tribus tota Antiquitas nihil par habet All Antiquity can boast of nothing equall to these
whom they derided and vilified or what greater comfort and content to the other then to be justified and rewarded in the view of them who were their professed enemies Lastly as our blessed Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ who shall then appeare as Iudge at his first comming into this world was contemptible in the eye of wordlings and dishonoured publiquely both in his life and death So was it convenient that once in this world hee should shew his power and Majesty and that in the sight of all his Creatures but specially of his wicked enimies who after that day are never to see or behold him more To these reasons may be added the testimonie of the very Gentiles of Hydaspes Hermes Sybilla whereof the first having described the iniquity of the last age sayes that the godly and righteous men being severed from the vntighteous shall with teares and groanes lift vp their hands to heaven imploring the helpe of Iupiter and that therevpon Iupiter shall regard the earth heare their prayers and destroy the wicked Quae omnia vera sunt praeter vnum quod Iovem dixit illa facturum quae Deus faciet saith Lactantius all which things are true saue one which is that he ascribes that to Iupiter which God shall doe And besides sayth he it was not without the cunning suggestion of Sathan left out that then the Sonne of God shall be sent from the father who destroying the wicked shall set the righteous at liberty Which Hermes notwithstan ding dissembled not Part of Sybilla's verses alleadged by Lactantius in Greeke may thus be rendred in Latine English Huic luci finem imponent cum fata supremum Iudicium aethereus Pater exercebit in omnes Iudicium humano generi imperiumque verendum When God shall to this world its fatall period send Th' immortall mortall men in judgment shall arraigne Great shall his judgment be his Kingdome without end And againe Tartareumque chaos tellure hiscente patebit Regesque aetherij sistentur judicis omnes Ante thronum Tartarean Chaos then Earth opening wide shall show And then all kings before Gods judgment seat shall bow And in another place Coelum ego convolvens penetralia caeca recludam Telluris functique fati lege soluti Et mortis stimulo exurgent cunctosque tribunal Ante meum Iudex statuam reprobosque probosque Rolling vp Heauen I will Earths secret vaults disclose Deaths sting also and bonds of fate will I vnloose Then shall the dead arise and all both small and great Both good and bad shall stand before my judgment seat Ouer and aboue these Prophets and men of learning Peru the South part of America doth yeeld to vs an ignorant people who by the light of Nature and a generall apprehension for God knoweth they haue nothing else doe beleeue that the World shall end and that there shall be then a reward for the good and for the euill according to their desert SECT 2. The consideration of this day may first serue for terrour to the wicked whether they regard the dreadfulnesse of the day it selfe or the quality of the Iudge by whom they are to be tryed THe certainty then of this vniversall Iudgment at the last day being thus cleerely prooued not only by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament but by the light of Reason and the testimonies of the Gentiles the consideratiō thereof may justly serue for terrour to the wicked it being to them a day of wrath and vengeance for Comfort to the Godly it being to them a day of refreshing and full redemption and lastly for admonition instruction to both First then it may justly serue for matter of extreame terrour to the wicked whether they regard the dreadfulnes of the day in which they shall be tryed or the quality of the Iudge by whom they are to be tryed or the nature number of their accusers that shall bring in evidence against them or the presence of such an assembly of men and Angels before whom they shall be arraigned or their owne guiltinesse and astonishment or lastly the sharpnesse and severity of the sentence that shall passe vpon them The very face and countenance of that day shall be hideous and dismall to looke to it shal be apparelled with horrour and affrightment on euery side That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and heavinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of gloominesse and darknesse a day of clouds stormes and blacknesse a day of the trumpet and alarme against the strong cities and against the high towres Then shall the Sun be darkned and the Moone shall be turned into bloud and the starres shall fall from heauen as it were withered leaues from their trees and the powers of heauen shall be shaken and the graues shall vomit vp their dead bodies the heauens shall passe away with a noise and shriuel together like scorched parchment the elements shall melt dissolue with heat the sea flouds shall roare the Earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp there shall be horrible clapps of thunder flashes of lightning voyces earthquakes such as neuer were since men dwelt vpon the earth such howling such lamentations such skriches shall be heard in euery corner that the hearts of men shall tremble wither for very feare and expectation of those things which at that day shall befall them And now tell me what mortall heart can choose but ake and quake at the remembrance of these vnspeakable incomprehensible terrours The Law was giuen with thunder lightnings and a thick cloud vpon the mount with an exceeding lowde and shrill sound of the trumpet so that all the people were afrayde yea so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and quake Now if Moses the servant of the Lord quaked to heare the first trumpet at the giuing of the Law how shall the wicked condemned in their owne Conscience tremble and quake to heare the second at the execution thereof Specially being arraigned at the barre of such a Iudge apparelled with Robes of Majesty attended with millions of Angels A Iudge so soueraigne as there lyes no appeale from him so wise as nothing can escape his knowledge so mighty as nothing can resist his power so vpright as nothing can pervert his justice who neither can bee deceiued with sophistry nor blinded with gifts nor terrified with threats They shall looke vpon him whom they haue wounded and gored with the speare of their blasphemies with the nailes of their cursings and cursed oathes whō they haue buffeted spit vpon with their impiety prophanesse whō they haue again crucified to themselues by their divelish damnable actions trampling his pretious Bloud vnder foot by their impenitencie putting him to open shame by their infidelity making a mock of him by their obstinacy and turning his grace into wantonnes by their presumption Holy Augustine
but finding the boate charged with Flemings yeelded themselues and the place Lastly for Sea-fight this age vndoubtedly surpasseth the Ancient theirs being but boyes play in comparison of ours What poore things were their Gallies to our ships their pikes and stone-bowes slings to our Canon musket-shot how vntowardly the managing of their vessels in regard of that skill which latter ages haue found out practised And heerein I dare match our owne Nation if perchaunce the Hollander haue not gotten the start of vs with any in the world only it were to be wished that some worthy pen would vndertake the reducing of these kindes of fights into an Art as many haue done the land-seruice by setting downe rules and precepts for it gathered out of obseruation Sir Richard Hawkins hath done somewhat in this kinde but brokenly and glancingly intending chiefely a discourse of his owne voyages Sir Walter Rawleigh tels vs in his history of the world that himselfe had entred vpon such a worke at the commaund of Prince Henry but vpon his death put it by The intendment was noble and the writer doubtles very able so as it were to be wished that those peeces fragments which he left behind him touching that subiect were sought vp brought to light that they might serue if not for sufficient directions in matter of practise yet for patterns delineations to such as would farther advance perfect so worthy a businesse there being no one thing as I conceiue which can be more important for the state or more concerne the safety and wellfare of this Iland CAP. 9. Touching Grammar Rhetorique Logicke the Mathematiques Philosop by Architecture the Arts of Painting and Navigation SEC 1. Touching Grammar Rhetorique and Logicke BVt leauing these considerations to Souldiers let vs returne to our owne Element taking a view of the liberall sciences among which Grammar deseruedly challenges the first ranke as being indeede the key that opens the doore to the rest This latter age hath heerein excelled so farre that all the great learned Schollers who haue of late risen specially if they adhered to the reformed Churches haue beene by the Fryers such like people in a kind of scorne tearmed Grammarians But these Grammarians are they who by the helpe of Phylologie the languages haue discouered so many forgeries supposititious writings now by all acknowledged so to be which before passed as currant aswell in the workes of the Fathers of the Church as prophane Authours These are they who haue presented vs with so many exact Translations out of Greeke Hebrew into Latine and againe out of Latine into other languages And howsoeuer Albericus Gentilis some others haue written in defence of the Latinity of that translation of the Bible which goes vnder the name of the Vulgar yet can it not be denyed but it is justly accused of much incongruity barbarisme which by latter Translations haue beene reformed These are they who haue vindicated infinite Authours from a number of foule corruptions which by tract of time had crept vpon them thorow the ignorance or negligence of Transcribers or Printers or both So that they haue herein in a manner restored the Authours to themselues making them speake in their owne words sence and besides by annotations animadversions commentaries expositions by the search helpe of coynes old Epitaphs inscriptions such like remainders of Antiquity haue further added a marveilous great light vnto them In the next place Rhetorique presents it selfe which in trueth was brought to the height amongst the Graecians Romans specially whiles their states remained popular But in the generall declination decay of Arts which followed after this likewise was well neere extinguished that little life of it which remained being reserued onely in the predicancie of Postillers or the patheticall sermons of Fryers till Sadoletus Bembus Muretus others reuiued reduced it to its auncient lustre Logicke indeed is it wherein we are thought to be most defectiue in regard of former ages and it is true that the Schoole-men had set their stocke the vtmost of their endeavours vpon this part of learning their whole life being in a manner little else but a perpetuall wrangling and altercation that many times rather for victory ostentation of wit then a sober serious search of truth so as their entrance being vaine their end was likewise fruitlesse What huge volumes haue they compiled of the Predicables Predicaments as if in them consisted the very spirit soule of Logicke whereas in truth they are rather an Appendix or preparatiue vnto it then part of it By which meanes they kept men so long in the porch that they entred not into the house till it was more then time to goe out of it Latter ages finding this intollerable inconvenience haue well compacted the body of this Art into a lesser compasse yet so as Aristotles Text is not to be neglected and to this body haue they not improperly added the doctrine of Methods as a necessary limbe thereof whereas we doe not find that anciently it was so held either by the Founders or principall Masters of this science or at leastwise they haue left vs no sufficient Rules and precepts touching this most vsefull part Euen Hooker himselfe though otherwise no friend to Ramystry acknowledgeth that it is of marvellous quicke dispatch shewing them that haue it as much almost in three dayes as if it dwelt three score yeares with them and againe that the mind of man is thereby restrained which through curiositie doth many times with perill wade farther in the search of truth then were convenient And for Raymundus Lullius a man it seemes of a strong braine some great wits are of opinion that by his ars breuis greater matters may in the sciences be more speedily effected then by any helpes of the ancients that went before him SECT 2. Touching Astronomie and Geometrie as also the Physicks and Metaphysicks FOr the Mathematiques Regio-Montanus might in Ramus his iudgement safely enough compare with the best of the Ancients Noriberga tum Regiomontano fruebatur Mathematici inde studij operis gloriam tantam adepta vt Tarentum Archyta Syracusae Archimedi Bizantium Proclo Alexandria Ctesybio non justius quam Noriberga Regio-Montano gloriari possit Then did Norinberg injoy Regio-Montanus and from thence purchased so great honour both of the study practice of the Mathematiques that Tarentum could not more justly glory in Archytas nor Syracuse in Archimedes nor Bizantium in Proclus nor Alexandria in Ctesybius then might Norinberg in Regio-Montanus I will onely touch the two most noble parts thereof Astronomy Geometry It was the opinion of the greatest part of the Ancients not only Grecians Egyptians Arabians Hebrewes but many Doctours of the Christian Church as appeares by Espencaeus in his Treatise de Coelorum animatione that the Heavens or at least the stars were liuing bodies informed with
quickening soules It was likewise the opinion of Origen Chrysostome his Master Eusebius Emissenus that the stars were not fixed in the Heauens as nailes in a Cart wheele or knots in a peece of timber but moued in it as fishes in the Sea or birdes in the Aire Nay Philastrius goes so farre as to condemne the opinion of their fixednesse for an heresie Multi scriptores Ecclesiastici coeli rotunditatem non modo negârunt sed etiam sacris literis adversari existimârunt saith Pererius in his second booke and third question vpon Genesis many of the Ecclesiasticall Writers not onely denyed the sphaericall or circular figure of the Heauens but were of opinion that it crossed the holy Scriptures S. Augustine himselfe in diverse places seemes to make a doubt of it but Chrysostome in his Homilies vpon the epistle to the Hebrewes dare challenge any that should defend it herein is hee followed by Theodoret and Theophilact But these fancies are now so generally cryed downe that to reviue them would be counted no lesse then folly and to defend them absurdity In how many things are Aratus Eudoxus corrected by Ptolomy Ptolomy himself by Regiomontanus Alphonsus Purbachius Copernicus they again by Clavius Tycho-Braye Galilaeus Kepler and others It was the errour of Aristotle that via lactea was a meteor not only of Aristotle but almost all before him that there were but eight Celestiall Spheares after this Timocaris about 330 yeares before Christ found out nine but about the yeare of Christ 1250 Alphonsus discovered ten and the receiued opinion now is that there are eleuen the highest of all being held immoveable the seat of Angels blessed spirits And thus we see how Truth is the daughter of Time how one day teacheth another and one night certifieth another which is likewise verified in the admirable invention of composing the Ephemerides vnknowne to Ptolomy the Ancients who for want of the vse of it were forced by Tables to make their supputations in a most toylesome manner who was the first inventor thereof I am not certaine saith Cardan de rerum varietate lib. 11. cap. 59 but Purbachius was the first who seemes to haue brought it to light after whom Regiomontanus inlarged it but Zelandinus and others to haue perfected it ita vt jam nihil desiderari posse videatur nothing seemes to bee wanting to it The like may be said of Geometry I will instance onely in one demonstration which is the Quadrature of a Circle This Aristotle in diverse places calls scibile but not scitum a thing that might be knowne but as then not knowne in asmuch as the meanes of finding it out though much laboured yet was it in his time vnknowne among the Ancients Antiphon Bryse Hippocrates Euclide Archimede Apollonius Porus travelled long earnestly in the discovery hereof but Buteo in a book written of purpose hath accurately discovered their errours herein And Pancirollus in his nova reperta tels vs that annis abhinc plus minus triginta Ars ista fuit inventa quae mirabile quoddam secretum in se continet about thirty yeares since was that Art found out which containes in it wonderfull secrets to shew that it is indeed found out he there makes demonstration of it approoued farther explicated by Salmuth who hath both translated him written learned commentaries vpon him Notwithstanding Ioseph Scaliger in an Epistle of his to the States of the Vnited Provinces challenge this Invention to himselfe Nos tandem in conspectum post tot secula sistimus wee at last after so many ages haue brought it to light exposed it to publique view I will close vp this consideration of the Arts and Sciences with a view of Philosophie which braunches it selfe into the Metaphysickes Physicks Ethickes Politickes the two latter of which I will reserue to the next Booke contenting my self at this time with the 2 former First then for the Metaphysicks that part of it which consists in the knowledge of immateriall substances was vndoubtedly neither so well studied nor vnderstood of the ancient Philosophers as now it is of Christian Divines They knew little what belonged to the attributes of God which of them were communicable to the Creature which incommunicable so as they might truly graue that inscription vpon their Altars Ignoto Deo to the vnknown God Their ignorance was likewise no lesse touching the nature office of Angels the mansion or function of separated soules nay not a few of the most ancient Christian Divines held the Angels corporeal though invisible substances and that the reasonable soule of man was deriued from his Parents whereas the contrary opinions are now commonly held both more divine and more reasonable The Physicks or Naturall Philosophy is it which the ancients specially the Graecians and among them Aristotle hath with singular commendation much inriched yet can it not be denyed but he is by the experience of latter ages found very defectiue in the historicall part thereof And for the speculatiue both himselfe his followers seeme to referre it rather to profession disputation matter of wit and credit then vse practice It is therefore a noble and worthy endeavour of my Lord of S. Albanes so to mixe and temper practice speculation together that they may march hand in hand and mutually embrace and assist each other Speculation by precepts and infallible conclusions preparing a way to Practice and Practice againe perfecting Speculation Now among those practicall or actiue parts of Naturall Philosophie which latter ages haue produced Pancirollus names Alchymie for a chiefe one And it is true that we finde little mention thereof in Antiquity not suspected of forgery But for mine own part I much doubt whether any such experiment be yet really found or no And if it be whether the operation of it be not more dangerous difficult then the effect arising from it is or can be advantagious But of this am I well assured that as he who digged in his Vineyard for gold missed it but by opening the rootes of the Vines thereby found their fruite the next yeare more worth vnto him then gold so whiles men haue laboured by transmutation of mettals from one species to another to make gold they haue fallen vpon the distillations of waters extractions of oyles and such like rare experiments vnknowne to the Ancients which are vndoubtedly more pretious for the vse of man then all the gold of both the Indies SECT 3. Of the Arts of Painting and Architecture revived in this latter age HErevnto may be added the Arts of Horsmanship and Herauldry Agriculture Architecture Painting and Navigation all which haue beene not a little both inlarged and perfected in these latter ages yet with this difference that some of them together with the other Arts decayed and againe revived with greater perfection Others were neuer in their perfection till now I