Paralitick members in the Church who by study and labour will not endeauour to be able to performe the operations and facultyes belonging to their profession And as touching such of you as shall arriue to that perfection as to wryte Bookes in defence of your owne Religion what consolation may it be to your Soules and increase of accidentall glory when your Bodyes being corrupted and turned intâ— ashes you neuerlesse shall dayly speake by meanes or your wrytings to posterity instructing them in the way of Saluation The liuing acknowledge themselues much behoulden to those though long since departed this world who haue recorded in wryting the temporall and humane Lawes of their owne Country and haue cleared them with the true meaning of the fiâ—st Lawgiuers what obligation then is due by the liuing to such dead men who haue faythfully by their pens deliuered and explicated the Law not of man but of Goâ— I meane the Gospell and vndoubted fayth of Christ by the fruition of which Law and fayth the soule arriueth to its eternall felicity as through the want of it precipitately falleth into euerlasting damnation And can any kynd of study more then this be prized But some of you who are of lesse spirituall courage may perhaps say The Lawes of the Realme prohibit vnder great penalty all persuading to a Religion contrary to the present state and profession of the Realme It is so indeed But withall the same Lawes do prohibit your entring into the Realme after your taking of the Holy Order of Priesthood will you be so ready then to expose your Bodyes to death for the one and yet will forbeare for feare of death the other Againe that Statute was made by a Woman Prince and the Laity the incompetent Iudges in matters meerely spirituall But there is an other Statute so to terme it enacted by a Potentate infinitly supreme I meane by God himself who thus commandeth vs by his Apostle Obedire (9) Act. 5. oportet Deo magis quam hominibus a Statute indeed which ought far to preponderate all human Statutes or decrees And admit you should endure death for such your spirituall Labours of which there is small feare or rather small hope in regard of his Maiestyes most clement and mercifull disposition were it not a happines for you to redeeme your Sinnes by so glorious a death Furthermore how can that be accounted death which is suffered for him who is Lyfe Since by so doing by ceasing to breath you instantly begin to breath the Ioyes of Heauen and thus by sheeding of bloud you make your owne Bloud to become a Key for the opening of the Gates of Heauen Sanguis (10) Cyprian Martyrum Clauis Paradisi Therefore deare Brethren take courage and by your studyes and paynes labour to furnish your selfe with all Scholerlike preparation for the ouerthrowing of Heresyes in the soule of men and in place thereof for the planting of true fayth and remember that it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A false fayth is euen worse then Infidelity Let those words of the Apostle often come into your myndes and heate your owne â—epedity therewith Praedica (11) 2. Timoth. 4. verbum â—usta oportunè importunè argue obsecra inâ—repa c. I speake not this as if you should proâ—eed either by Pen or Dispute in any tuâ—ultuous or vndutifull manner O noe Let things in their owne nature Religious â—e caried withall religious manner beare â—ll reuerence to the State and Loyalty to â—is Maiesty praying dayly to the Allmighty â—o preserue our King Charles who is full of â—ommiseration pitty and fraught with â—ll good morall endowments and his most â—ertuous Queene an honour to her Sex that â—hey both may Enioy two Ierusalems I meane true temporall felicity heere vpon Earth and eternall in Heauen and do you often call to mynd those words of S. Paule We 12 â—3 Ro. 1â— are to be subâ—ect to higher powers seeing there is no power but of God But to returne back Take to your Consideration the great vse you shall haue of your skill and knowledg in English Controuersies For first there are maâ—y morall ProtestaÌ„ts both Gentilmen of worth others who scorne all base cariage towards you with whom by the interueniency of friends you may haue as daily experience sheweth oportunity to discourse touching matters of Religion Many of which as before little hearing and lesse belieuing what the Catholiks can speake in defence of their Religion against theirs will afford a greedy and listening Eare to your speach How large a fyeld then haue you here wherein to plant and disseminate your owne fayth Diuers Ministers do spit their Venome out of their pulpits in their weekely Sermons and Inuectiues against the Church oâ— Rome as also many Bookes written by Protestants do yearely come out impoysoning their Readers with their imposture and fraud against the Catholike Religionâ— And is it not then a thing worthy of all labour to be able to detect and lay open thâ— said calumnies with your pens Further more Admit any of you should be apprehended and sent to prison what gooâ— if your knowledg in Controuersies be suâ—ficient may you do in that place to those of a different Religion who either out of curiosity will repayre to you to see what can be said by you in defence of your Religion or out of a Puritanicall vaunting Malice of Ministers shall seeke by dispute hoping you are little experienced in those studyes to disgrace and dishonour your Religion In proofe of which point I can affirme out of my owne knowledge that a certaine (*) M. W. B. Priest a Vertuous man and much practized in Controuersies once taken and sent to the Common prison was in the beginning much assaulted by diuers Ministers openly in the presence of the Iudges of the Affises as also after in the Priests priuate Chamber but he so bare himselfe in his answeres and disputes with them did so gaule them like a strong beare casting of at his pleasure the weake and cowardly dogs which seeke to take hold of him as that the Iudges rested much abashed thereat commanding that no further open Disputation should after be had with him He also was assaulted by some Puritans in prison but he gaue them such entertaynment as that they grew quickly weary of him so as staying a good whyle after in durance he could not haue a sight of any of them This Accident gaue in that Shyre where it happened great credit to the Catholike Cause and wrought much spirituall Good Now thinke you not that this Priests labour was most happily and fruitfully spent in the study of Controuersyes And why may not then any of you vpon returne into your owne Country and imprisonment haue the like oportunity presented vnto you At what tyme if your talent in dispute be great and preuailing you get ground vpon Heresy if but small and elementary you become a disgrace
Austin did teach in England all the supreme poynts which the Roman Church at this day teacheth Now from all this I inferre that the Church of Rome in Austins tyme teaching papistry as our Aduersaryes stile it was holy agreable the two former points of â—â—eping Easter day and Baptizing with the â—â—tes of Rome only excepted with the fayth and religion which was planted among the Britans by Joseph of Arimathia in the Apostles dayes For it is certaine that if the Britans had not yealded their full consent to those supreme points of our Catholike religion mentioned aboue by D. Humfrey S. Bede would haue beene most ready to record their stifnes and reluctation therein seing he doth not omit to relate their coldnes only in the two former points of ceremonyes So certaine it is that S. Bede had iust reason to conclude this passage with these words (q) Bed l. 2. c. 2. Brieones quidem confitentur intellexisse se veram esse viam Justitiae quam praedicaret Augustinus and therefore not without euident cause D. Fulke affirmeth that (r) In his confutaâ—tion of Purgatory pa. 335. Austin did obtaine the ayde of the Britan Bishops to the Conuersion of the Saxons Thus farre of this argument in vnfoulding whereof I haue beene more long in that it is an vnswerable and most conuincing Demonstation in proofe of the truth of our Catholike Religion Animaduersion XXXVII IT is a dissolute kind of arguing thus to conclude In such or such text of Scripture it is certaine that one parcell of the said text is to be taken figuratiuely Ergo all that text or sentence is to be taken figuratiuely For example we Catholiks do vrge those words in our warrant to bow at the name of Iesus vt s) Phil. 2. in nomine Iesu omne genu flectatur Caelestium Terrestrium Jnfernorum That in the name of Iesus euery knee bow of things in Heauen things in earth and things vnder the earth Now to this our Aduersaryes reply that seing the Spirits infernall or vnder the earth meaning the damned Spirits in Hell haue no knees wherewith they can bow and that the word knee is ascribed to them figuratiuely therefore this whole sentence is to be taken figuratiuely only and not literally and consequently that this text proues noâ— that we ought to bow at the name of Iesus To this we reply that so farforth as any text will beare a literall sense it not beiâ—â— impugned by any other text more literall or by any article of faith so farre it ought to be taken literally and what follows in the same text which necessarily is to be expounded figuratiuely the same we are to expound figuratiuely The weaknes of our Aduersaries former answere is otherwise discouered seeing acording to our Aduersaries former answere we could not alledg that Text in the Apocalyps These (t) Apoc. c. 7. are they who haue washed their robes in the bloud of the Lambe to proue that Martyrs and other Saints of God are saued by the bloud of Christ because seeing in this Sentence there are two Metaphores to wit the word Robes whereby are signified the bodies of the Saints and the word Lambe meaning thereby Christ that therefore it should follow vpon the former ground of answere that the word Bloud should also be here Metaphorically taken not signifying bloud indeed and so excluding the bloud of Christ from our Saluation but some other thing shadowed thereby Yea which is more if this kind of answere were solide we could scarse produce any one Sentence of the Psalmes literally to be expounded of Christ or the Church since that part of Scripture is most luxuriant of Tropes Schemes and other figuratiue speeches And yet we see it is most incongruous to maintayne that any whole Psalme is to be taken allegorically because we find some figures in certaine passages therof Now to conclude this point I add this annotation that it is the iudgment of all chiefe Deuines that the Scripture touching matter of fayth is euer to be vnderstood literally except the literall construction do impugne some other receaued article of fayth or may be explicated figuratiuely by some other more expresse and euident passage of Scripture or lastly that words be so euident for a figuratiue Sense as that in no sort they can be capable of a literall construction Animaduersion XXXVIII OFtentymes the Decrees of the Pope or a Councell are fraudulently vrged by the ProtestaÌ„ts for the first Institution of a thing when indeed the Decree or Councell only teacheth the better execution of some Catholike point afore partly neglected as for example touching confession the vnmaried life 〈◊〉 the Clergy or keeping set tymes of fasting thâ—â— our Aduersaryes heâ—eby suggesting a more reformed execution of the practise of the Doctrine for the first institution of it According hereto we fynd D. Whitaker (u) Whi tak cont Duraeum l. 7. pag. 490. to alledge Innocentius the third Pope of thaâ— name saying Innocentius was the first thaâ— instituted auricular Confession wheras Innocentius only decreed that Confession shoulâ— be more strictly obserued Now that Coâ—fession was generally taught belieued before Innocentius his tyme is euident sinâ— the Centurists do charge Tertullian Cypâ—â— both which liued eleuen or twelue huâ—dreds of yeares before this Innocentius tâ—â— third with teaching the doctrine of Aâ—â—cular Confession Animaduersion XXXIX WHeÌ„ our Aduersaryes do produce eithâ—â— Popes Decrees or generall Councels for thâ— impugning of some Catholike point be â—â—refull to obserue First that particuâ—â—â— Councells or Councells Schismaticall thâ— is such as are not confirmed by the Popes authority be not obtruded vpon you for true generall Councells For thus they vrge the Councell of Constantinople against Images consisting indeed of many Prelats but neither celebrated or coâ—firmed by the Popes Authority Secondly note that the point vrged doth concerne Doctrine of fayth and not matter of fact touching which â—â—ter point it is granted that a Councell may alter its Decrees vpon better later Information Thirdly that the Canon produced out of the Councell doth immediatly concerne the Doctrine it selfe of some Artiâ—le of fayth then supposed to be broght in and not the name only to be imposed vpon the same doctrine afore belieued as it hapned in the Councell of Lateran touching the word Transubstantiation The doctrine thereof being confessedly belieued many ages afore for this Councell of Lateran was â—n the yeare 1060. whereas as is aboue said D. Humfrey chargeth S. Gregory S. Austin who liued seuerall ages before this Councell for bringing into England the doctrine of Transubstantiation Yea (*) In the Treatise attributed to Visinus intituled Commone factio 〈◊〉 asdam Theologi de S. Caena pag. 211. 228. Vrsinus the Protestant insimulates Theophilact Damascene more ancient then the former Fathers within the same doctrine of Transubstantiation Animaduersion XL. WHen we produce the ancient Fathers â—gainst the Protestants their accustomed thiffe is
will conclude this passage with refuting the chiefe Argument of our Aduersaries touching praying to Saincts which is taken in that the Saincts in their iudgment do not heare vs. Now the weakenes of this Reason is discouered in that damned Spirits and Deuils being far absent from their Witches and Coniurers do neuerthelesse heart their Jnuocations and Coniurations as is warranted by all experience Shall any man thinke then that the B. Saincts of Heauen are depriued of hearing the Prayers made vnto them Since otherwise it would follow that spirituall Substances by loosing of Heauen I meane the Deuills by their fall did obtayne greater prerogatiues and excellencyes then the Soules of the Saincts do by gayning and ascending vp to Heauen An absurdity incompatible with the Goodnes wisdome and Charity of God Animaduersion LXXXII WHen a Catholike signeth himself with the signe of the Crosse he but only implicitly desireth that by this signe which explicitly and by mediation of words he desireth by prayer For seeing the signe of the Crosse doth figure out to the eye our Sauiours Passion and seeing the secret desires of the hart are manifested made knowne as well by signes of the body as dumbe men and such as cannot speake are accustomed to make as by Prayers and words of the tongue Therefore if it be lawfull for me with the tongue to pray that God will forgiue my Sinnes through the merits of Christ his Death and Passion it must needes then be consequently lawfull forme to pray to him to the same end without words by making the signe of the Crosse seeing the making of this signe with an intention of inward Prayer the Crosse being the badg and remembrance of our Sauiours death and Passion is all one as to pray in words by vertue and force of the same death and Passion Since the hand in this case by making the signe of the Crosse doth supply the place and office of the tongue That many Miracles haue beene wrought by the signe of the Crosse forbearing the testimonies of the ancient (g) Vide Tertul. in init Scorpiaci Epiph. Haeres 30. Nazianz orat in Iulian. Nyssen in vita Gregorij Thauma turg Athan in vita Antonij Ierome in vita Pauli primi Heremitae Austin in l. 22. de Ciuit Dei Fathers I will here content my self with the acknowledgment of D. Couell thus writing No (*) D. Couell in his answere to M. Burg. maâ— can deny but that God after the Death of hiâ— Sonne manifested his power to the amazement of the World in this contemptible signe as being the instrument of many miracles Animaduersion LXXXIII ALl men know that praying vpon beaâ—â—â— is but the repetition of the same prayeâ—â— seuerall tymes the beades seruing only bâ—â— to number or count the tymes This câ—stome is warranted by the Example of our Sauiour who being in the Garden did â—â—peate one and the same prayer to wit I◠〈◊〉 be (h) Math. c. 2â— possible let this Cup passe from me three seuerall times Againe if it be lawfull to say the Lords prayer seauen times a weeke as I presume many Protestants will confeâ—se that they do why not then is it lawfull to repeate it seauen tymes or more euery day Lastly once granting the Prayer to be good the goodnes of it doth warrant the often repetition of it The precise number of repeating one and the same prayer among Catholikes hath a Mysticall reference either to the number of Dauids Psalmes or to the number of the yeares that our B. Lady liued here vpon earth or to the number of our Sauiours wounds or to the number of the persons of the most Blessed Trinity or to some other such Mystery The antiquity of praying vpon Beades is confessed by the Centurists (i) Cent. 4. col â—329 and Osiander (k) Epit. Cent. 4. p. 454. to haue beene twelue hundred yeares since In further antiquity of praying vpon beads Zozomene thus relateth of Paul the Monke Jn dies (l) Hist. l. 6. c. 20. singulos trecentas orationes Deo velut tributum quoddam reddidit c. Paul euery day did say three huÌ„dred prayers to God as a certaine tribute and lest through forgetfullnes he might erre in number he kept three hundred litle stones in his bosome and at ending of euery Prayer he cast away a stone when he had cast away all his stones then it was euident to him that he had performed his said number of three hundred Prayers Animaduersion LXXXIV THe benediction of Creatures to spirituall ends and particularly of Holy water is most ancient according here to we find that (m) L. 8. Apost Constit. c. 35. Clemens (n) De Ecâ—â—es Hierarc cap. de â—aptis Dionysius both which liued in the Apostles dayes as also Cyrill (o) Cate. ch 3. Cyprian (p) L. 1. Ep. 12. Ambrose (q) Lib. 4. de Sacram c. 5. Austin (r) L. 6. in Iulianum c. do make frequent mention of holy water Cyprians words in the place cited are these Oportet mundari sanctificari priùs aquas à Sacerdote The lawfulnes of Blessing of Creatures is warranted by the Example of Christ who intending to multiply the Bread did looke vp towards Heauen and (s) Luc. 9. Blessed the loaues Now that the Church hath authority to blesse Creatures to spirituall ends and this for the furthering of deuotion is proued from her greater authority practised in changing the Sabaoth day and now being changed is inalterable One chiefe end of blessing of Creatures is to signify spirituall Effects Thus sprinkling of Ashes signifieth Pennance Palmes signify Victory c. Animaduersion LXXXV THere is a great disparity betweene vrging Protestants against themselues and against the fayth by them then maintayned which in this small Treatise is in seuerall places shewed and by vrging such as were reputed sometimes Catholikes speaking and writing against any point of the Catholike Religion seeing it is euident that all such testimonies of this second kind are not the impartiall conuincing CoÌ„fession of the learned Aduersary against himself but the vnequall Assertions of the partyes themselues in behalfe of their later conceaued Innouations for the tyme by them held though in diuers of them after retracted by their finall submitting of themselues and their writings to the Catholike Church This Animaduersion I giue with reference to the writings of these men following LaureÌ„tius Valla Erasmus Cassander Cornelius Agrippa Polidore Virgill Nilus Aeneas Siluius and some others of which diuers of them finally retracted their former receaued Nouelismes and reincorporated themselues before their death into the Catholike Church This Animaduersion though aboue intimated I thought good to set downe in that it is obserued that Doctour Morton in his Apologia Catholica doth chiefly and maynely rely vpon vrging the impertinent and defectiue testimonies of the foresaid men and some others such like for breuity here omitted for the impugning of our Catholike fayth
be concluded that her Body is not to be found in Earth but only in Heauen this is S. Bernards demonstration in this point Animaduersion CLXXXIV BEza as aboue is shewed thus writeth of the Doctrine of reprobation God (a) Beza in his Display c. pag. 17. 31 76. c. decreeth to destruction createth to perdition and predestinateth to his hatred and Destruction with whom accordeth Caluin as elswhere is shewed in these words (b) Calu Instit l. 3. cap. 23. paragr 6. God by his Councell and appointment doth so ordaine that amongst men some be borne destined to certainâ— death from their Mothers Wombe who by their perdition may glorify his Name Now heere I wish the diligent Reader to obserue the dangerous resulâ—ancyes and Absurdity 〈◊〉 necessary following from this their doctrine of Reprobation First it is a mayne hinderance to Vertue and encouragement to Vice as aboue I haue declared Since iâ— teacheth that that man who is reprobated cannot preuent his reprobation by any piouâ— lyfe how vertuous soeuer why then should that man abstaine from exercise of wickednes seeing his wickednes doth not in any sort further his damnation it being by the Protestants Dâ—ctrine decreed from a Eternity without respect of any worke good or bad Secondly this Doctrine maketh God a Lyar and dissembler For to omit infiniâ—â— other texts of Scripture we find his Prophets thus to speake of God God (c) Ezech 33. willinâ— the death of the wicked And again He (d) 2. Peter 3. wâ— not haue any to perish And yet more God (e) 1. Timoth 2. would haue all men saued and come to the knowledg of the truth Now I say if God createth some men absolutely from their Mothers wombe without respect of his Sinnes to eternall damnation are not these his fayre speeches to be interpreted but Dissimulation and vntruths and followeth it not then consequently that this their blasphemous doctrine labours to transforme God into the Deuill by making him to vtter lyes and speake false for of the Deuill we thus read It is (f) 1. Ioan. 3. he who speakes Lyes of himself is a lyer the Father of Lyes Animaduersion CLXXXV YF we take into our consideration that other Doctrine of our Aduersaries which teacheth that God is the Authour of sinne which Doctrine we haue aboue shewed to be mantayned by the Protestants the inferences vnauoydably proceeding from that Doctrine are no lesse blasphemous then the former For first it maketh God to be the only sinner and that the Deuill and Man are innocent and no sinners at all For if the thiefe for example be compelled by God to steale who compells the Deuill to set on the thiefe as Swinglius (g) Swingl Serm. de prouident affirmes then is not God in this case the only Sinner This is proued since the goodnes badnes of the worke in euery Action is chiefly to be attributed to the Principall Authour willer and worker of it and not to the Instrument And this the rather since Austin sayth Sinne is so voluntary that except it be voluntary it is no sinne But sinne is only voluntary in God according to the doctrine of our Aduersaries and not in Man in whom it is necessary Therefore hence I conclude that according to this their blasphemy Sinne is only in God and not in Man Secondly this Doctrine of God being the Authour of Sinne ascribeth the proprieties of the Deuill to God For it is the office of the Deuill to tempt man and therefore in the Holy (h) Mat. 4. writ the Deuill is called a Tempter But this is more peculiar to God according to the foresaid Doctrine then to the Deuill Since God in the iudgment of the Protestants so forcibly tempteth man to sinne as that it is not in his power to resist or withstand the temptation which is more then the Deuill can performe Thirdly it is the property of the Deuill to sow Tares or ill weedes of sinne in the Fyeld of our Harts according to those words The Enemy (i) Mat. 13. comes and sowes tares But God doth this according to the former Doctrine more then the Deuill For God as Caluin affirmes doth excecate (k) Caluin 1. Instit 18. 24. 4. Instit 14. and obdurate the minds of men doth strike them with a spirit of errour giddines and madnes and this not by permission but by operation Thus Caluin Animaduersion CLXXXVI THe Protestants Doctrine of the infallibility of only fayth iustifying a Man and of some other of their positions takes away the force of all Prayer making it either needles or fruitlesse Needles as of things certaine which need not to be asked Fruitles as of things impossible which cannot be obtained The first point is thus proued That Prayer is needles which prayes for that which cannot fayle vs as either already past or assuredly possest or to come Therefore according to the Protestants grounds they ought not to pray for Remission of Sinnes for the fauour of God for perseuerance in fayth or for the glory of Heauen since euery Protestant by his speciall fayth belieueth in his iudgment most certainly that his Sinnes are forgiuen him and that he shall perseuer in fayth and come to Heauen The second point to wit of the Fruitlesnes of Prayer is in like wise thus euicted To pray for the keeping of the Ten Commandements is fruitles since our Aduersaries teach as I haue aboue shewed that the keeping of them is impossible In like manner it is Fruitles to pray for the Preuenting of any Euill whether it be Malum culpae as sinne or Malum paenae as punishment or whether it be any temporall affliction whatsoeuer And the reason is because as our Aduersaries do teach All Euill as well as Good shall infallibly fall out as Goâ— hath according to his owne irrespectiue immutable and ineuitable will pleasurâ— decreed and appointed it For sorting here to to omit the like authorities of many others in this point Luther thus writeth 〈◊〉 a Fatall Necessity of things Nullius (l) Luther in Assert damnat per Leonem Art 36. est 〈◊〉 manu c. Jt is in no mans power to thinke God or Euill but all things proceed from absoluâ— Necessity Thus we see that it ineuitably 〈◊〉 most consequently may be gathered froâ— the Protestants Theorems and principles thaâ— all Prayer is either Needles or Fruitles inauayleable Animaduersion CLXXXVII MAny of the learned Protestants weâ—ghing the emptines of their owne Religion as consisting only of Tenets whicâ— are but an Annihilation of all positiue and true fayth haue therefore vpon mature deliberation in diuers weighty points whoâ—y reiected the Negatiue Religion of our Aduersaries and in place therof haue fully imbraced the contrary Affirmatiue Catholike Articles of fayth euer and at this day maintayned by the Church of Rome So trâ—â— is that saying of S. Austin Truth (m) Contra Donat post coll c. 24. is
and practise of Nicromantickâ— Magi or Wisards and Witches which swarme in all Countryes For these through certaine Ceremonies and Verses are able to call vp the deuills and do cause that they do not â—ly shew strange effects which necessarily â—ply their preâ—ence but also make them to â—peare in a visible forme Yea heere in Enâ—and in Lancashire about some six or seaâ—n and twenty yeares since there were apâ—ehended about twenty witches all confesâ—â—g their witchcraft by help of the deuill 〈◊〉 haÌ„ged at Lancaster In like manner some â—â—ree yeares since or there abouts there â—ere certaine witches apprehended in the â—me shyre and condemned to death by the Iudges of that Circuite Thirdly the same â—erity of Spirits or Deuills is euicted from â—hose who are called Energumeni or possessed persons for two things appeare in them which are aboue humane power One that such as are possessed do speake strange Tongues which themselues do not vnderstand The other that they do discouer things secret or do relate things done in great distance of place as if they saw them openly But these two things afford an euident demonstration of a certaine Superiour Inuisible Nature by the power whereof they are performed To conclude this point of being of Spirits is further euicted from the many apparitions of Spirits which are affirmed to haue been from the testimony of many most probable Histories Now then if there be Jncorporeall Substances or Spirits and these many in number as certayne they are many in number then it ineuitably may be concluded thâ— there is one supreme Spirit to the which aâ— the rest are subiect and at whose command they all are gouerned since euerâ— multitude of things except there be a dependency and subordination to one moâ—â— High begetteth disorder and Confusion This point is further proued from the mosâ— dangerous inconueniences accompanying the contrary doctrine For if among Spiritâ— there were no Order that the rest should not be subiect vnto one at the command whereof the power of them were not to be restrayned then might euery one of them afflict and trouble the World at his owne pleasure might take away mens goods yea euen their Lyues burne and destroy all things finally might ouerthrow all mankind neither could any redresse be found to the contrary Now this supreme Spirit to which they are all subiect we call God who at his pleasure is able to restrayne and bridle the forces and power of all the rest Well then seeing there are many Spirits I here demand from whence this Multitude had its beginning or who brought them into the Word They proceed not from Bodies in that they are of a more excellent Nature then bodies are as also in that bodies do bring forth only bodyes Neither is one of them ingendred of another seeing this kind of generation is peculiar to things which are subiect to corruption to wit that by these meanes the Species and â—ynds of things may be perpetuated whiâ—â— the Nature being extinct in the Parent â—conserued in the Issue Neither lastly can 〈◊〉 be said that euery one of these Spirits â—d their being from themselues so as they â—epend of no other Cause Since granting â—at any thing receaueth its existence beâ—â—g from it selfe it is farre more probable â—at this so taking its existence should be â—ut One not Many Therefore I conclude â—hat this which taketh its being existeÌ„ce â—rom it selfe is but one to wit God alone â—ho is the supreme spirit of all who gaue 〈◊〉 creation existence and being to all other Spirits be they either good or wicked Spirits Animaduersion CLXXXXIX CArdinall Bellarmyne in his booke De ascensione Mentis ad Deum per scalas rerum creatarum taketh his second scala or Degree from the consideratioÌ„ of the fabrick of this whole world and the things created and contayned therein Now in this great world which coÌ„prehendeth all things within it these things following are most wonderfull to wit the Magnitude of the world Multitudâ— of things Created Variety of things Eâ—ficacy or vertue of things astly Beauty of things The which seuerall Heads being with earnest attention pondered haue great â—orce so to eleuate the soule of man as that it shal be â—uen absorpt in the admiration of a certain immense Magnitude Multitude Variety Eâ—ficacy and Pulchritude all which is God himselfe To beginne 1. The Magnitude of the Eartâ— only is so great as that in so many thousaÌ„d of yeares since the Creation of the world yet the whole superficies of the Earth remaynes vndiscouered from Man Now what iâ— the whole bignes of the Earth if it be compared to the comâ—asse and Magnitude of the Highest Heauen It is accounted by the Astronomers to be but as it were a Poynt and this with iust Reason For we obserue that the beames of the Sunne by the interposition of the Earth do so reach pierce the Stars opposite to the Sunne as if the Earth were Nothing Furthermore if euery Starre in the firmament according to the iudgement of the Learned be greater then the whole Orbe of the Earth yet through the almost infinite distance of the Starres they seeme in our Eyes most litle who theÌ„ can in thought arriue to the greatnes of the Heauens wherein so many thousands of Starrs do shyne Therefore if we reade in Ecclesiasticus (1) Ecclesiasticus ca. 1. Latitudinem terrae profuÌ„dum Abismi quis dimensus est what then shall we conceaue of the exteriour superfices of the Heauen of the depth or profundity of the whole world from the highest Heauen to the Center of the Earth Certainly the corporall greatnes of the whole â—orld is of that immensity as that no â—hought or cogitation of man can comprehand it 2. The Multitude of things created by â—ne God who can number For how many Metalls of gould siluer brasse lead precious stones are within the Earth and the Sea And how many Species kynds and Indiuidua of hearbs flowers and plants are vpon the Earth and how many parts are in them In lyke sort how many kinds Species and Indiuidua of perfect and imperfect Creatures as of fourefooted Beasts of creeping Wormes of flying Creatures And what may we say of the Multitude of Men since the first Creation To conclude how many starres are there in Heauen and how many Angells aboue the Heauens And of the starres thus we read (2) Genes 15. Numera stellas si potes Now here we are to obserue that God would haue himselfe knowne of Man in some sort and because not any one Creature could aptly represent the infinite perfection of the Creatour therefore God did multiply Creatures and gaue a certaine goodnes and perfection to euery Creature that thereby iudgment might be made of the goodnes and perfection of â—he Creatour who contayneth infinite perfâ—ctions vnder the perfection of one mosâ— simple Essence Euen as one peece of gold contayneth the valew and worth of many
peeces of siluer 3. Touching the Variety of Creatures we are to conceaue that though the Multitude of things created doth argue a multiplicious perfection of one God notwithstanding the Variety of things which appeareth in this multiplication is far more admirable and sooner leadeth man to the knowledge of God Seing to vary formes almost after an infinite manner which God hath done in the Creation of things is a most diuine worke and most worthy of admiration I do omit the kynds and species of things which are most various and diuers How great a disparity is there in the Jndiuidua of hearbs plants flowers fruites Are not the formes colours smels sapours or tasts of them diuersifyed almost after an infinite maner And is not the like to be obserued in liuing Creatures To speake only of Men In a huge Multitude of Men there cannot be two found altogether like The which poynt is in like manner obseruable in Starrs and Angels for we reade (3) 1. Cor. 15. Stella à stella differt in claritate And S. Thomas (4) 1. Part. quaest 50. act 4. affirmeth that the Angels though they exceed all corporall things in number do diffâ—r among themselues not only Indiuiaua Numero but also forma specifica Here next followeth to speake of the vertue and efficacy which God hath implanted in all things created that thereby we may better ascend to vnderstand the infinite vertue of the Creatour seing there is nothing created which hath not an admirable vertue or power or efficacy A peece of earth or stone falling downe from a great height with what a force doth it descend The water which gently and mildly slydeth vpon the superficies of the earth when it swelleth in flouds or torrents ouerthroweth all things in its way as houses wals of Cittyes and the like The Wynds which at other tymes most sweetly breathe do cast great ships vpon the Rockes and pull vp by the rootes Old huge Oakes In lyke sort the fyre doth instantly increase into so great a flame as that it euen deuoureth houses and woods in a moment of tyme. To descend to Hearbs How various are their vertues Touching stones and particularly the Loadstone what admirable vertue is discouered therein To conclude touching liuing Creatures we see some of them to be most strong as Lyons Beares Buls c. Others though most litle yet most witty as Aunts spiders Bees Apes and the like I here omit the power of the Angels the vertue of the Sunne and Stars and rest in the wit of Men by the which so many Arts are inuented as that we haue some Reason to doubt wheâ—her Nature doth surmount Art or Art Nature It remayneth that in this place we take into our consideration the pulchritude beauty of things created according to those words of the psalmist (5) Psal â—1 Delectasti me Domine in factura And truly as all things are good which God made so also are they all fayre For example the beauty of a springing Garden of an Orchard well cultiuated is great great also is the beauty of the calme Sea of Riuers of a cleare Element or Ayre of the Heauens shyning with innumerable stars as adorned with so many precious gems Great also is the beauty of the formes of seuerall kynds of beasts the flying of Byrds and sporting of fishes What shall a Man say of the pulchritude of the Stars and Moone but especially of the most cleare and most great light of the Sunne which exhilerateth cherisheth the whole world with its Rysing To conclude how great is the beauty forme of Men and Women Many Men otherwyse graue and wyse haue beene euen bewitched with the fayre faces of women according to those words Propter (6) Ecclesiâ—st cap. 9. speciem multerum multi perierunt In like sort many modest women haue descended vnto that madnes as that for the beauty good personage of men they haue endangered their states dignityes reputation children parents life it selfe yea their owne soules for the loue and enioying of such men as they did hould to be fayre of comlines of grace Thus farre of these fiue poynts to wit of the Magnitude Multiplicity variety vertue Beauty of things created the intense and serious consideration whereof may much further Man as aboue is said to the conteÌ„plation of God from whom onely all these do streame and flowe Animaduersion CC. THe Regall psalmist admonisheth vs in these words Quaerite (1) Psal 68. Deum viuet anima vestra True it is that during our peregrination here we are not able to fynd out and perfectly discerne what God is since we read that God (2) 1. Timoth 6. Lucem habitat inaccesâ—ibilem Neuerthelesse the nearest meanes for vs to discerne what God in his owne Essence is may be taken from the contemplation of Mans Soule In regard then hereof I will in this Animaduersion brieffly contract what the learned Cardinall Belarmine hath deliuered of this poynt making the consideration of the Soule of man his (3) Iuâ—â—â— booke â—e ascensione ad DeuÌ„ per sâ—alaâ— rerum Creatarum Eight Degree or scale to arriue in part to the knowledge of God in regard of the great similitude in many poynts which the soule of Man beareth to God And to beginne with these Resemblances First then the Soule of Man is a spirit that is an incorporeall Substance so God is a spirit for we reade (4) Ioan. 4. Spiritus est Deus Yet here is the difference that God is a spirit increated the Creatour The soule of man a spirit also but Created Secondly The soule of Man because it is a simple Spirit is therfore immortall since it hath nothing in it selfe from whence it may receaue its corruption coÌ„trary to the soules of beasts or irrationall Creatures yet the disparity herein also is that the Soule of Man sometymes was not and only through the will pleasure of God arriueth to its essence and being and by the will of the same God may be reduced to nothing though in it selfe it hath not as aboue is said any cause or principle of its Corruption But God himselfe is not only Jmmortall but also sempiternall and therefore with reference to sempiternall Immortality as I may tearme it it was truly said of the Apostle speaking of God Qui solus 5 habet immortalitatem Thirdly The soule of man is endued with the light of Vnderstanding and Reason For it knoweth not onely colours sapours smels sounds Heate Cold and the rest which lye open to the senses of the body But it doth also iudge of the substance of things and of things not onely singular but vniuersall and doth not know things only present but also coÌ„iectureth of things to come and by discourse ascendeth to the Heauens obseruing and demonstrating the particular phaynomena or Apparences of their Motions In like sort she searcheth the effects out of the Causes and from the
effects recurs to the Causes Thus we here see that the soule of man is lyke to God and vnlyke to Beasts Now here the soule of man differeth from God for the soule of man is as is said endued with the light of Jntelligence or vnderstanding but God is the Intelligence or light it selfe The soule runneth by discourse from the Causes to the effects and from the effects to the Causes and thus not without great labour getteth some knowledge God with one simple view or aspect behouldeth all things perfectly The soule of man vnderstandeth those things which do exist and already haue a Being and therefore his knowledge dependeth vpon the being of things God by vnderstanding maketh that things be and herein the existeÌ„ce of things dependeth vpon the knowledg of God The Soule doth with an vncertainty only coniecture of things future God doth no lesse euideÌ„tly discerne things future then things past and present The soule needeth many things to exercise the faculty of vnderstanding as the Obiect the Species the Phanthasma and the like God needeth nothing for euen his Essence it selfe is all things to him and which is more his Essence is to him his vnderstanding To conclude the Soule whiles it is in the Body doth not only see not God neither doth she see the Angells nor herselfe neither doth she properly and truly see any Substance though corporall and in many things she is ignorant and hath a true knowledge but of few things God is ignorant of nothing neither is he in any thing deceaued or erreth according to those words Omnia nuda sunt aperta oculis eius Hebr. c. 4 Fourthly there appeareth in Mans Soule another kind of knowledg which consists not in Speculation but in Action And from hence proceed so many Bookes of Philosophers touching vices and vertues so many Lawes of Princes Magistrats to teach a man to liue well in all which there is discouered an admirable light of Reason in man by the which he most far differeth from Beasts But all these are nothing to the Eternall Law which flourisheth in the mind of the Creatour from whom as from a most streaming fountaine do flow all Lawes and decrees according to those words Vnus (6) Iacob 1. est legislator Judex Deus Fiftly the Soule of Man doth possesse a third kind of knowledg resting in ingâ—niously fabricating and working of things For whereas Beasts do make their Nests Denns c by a certaine instinct euer after the same manner The soule of man as being indued with reason and iudgment hath inuented innumerable Arts by the which she so ouer-ruleth and commandeth ouer all other liuing Creatures as that neither Wings can be safty inough to Birds nor the depth of the water to fishes neither strength to Lyons or Beares but that they all are subiect to be taken by the wit of Mans Soule In like manner the light of the wit of Mans Soule wonderfully shineth in inuenting the Art of Nauigation where it hath taught ships loaden with most heauy burdens not only by the help of Oares to runne as it were but also by meanes of the sayles as with wings to flye Finally to omit diuers other points what dexterity of mans wit appeareth in the Art of picturing or drawing by the which things are so liuely expressed to the Eye as if themselues did truly enioy lyfe But here we may turne our Eye back to God in whom there is the true source of Wisdome the Causer of things what wit appeareth to be in Man all the same is deriued from the said fountayne for if we wonder at mans wit in that it can maister and rule ouer beasts much more we are to admire God to whom all things are obedient And if it seeme strange that man should inuent so many Arts of sayling building of Edifices c. much more strange should it seeme that God by his wisdome power did create Heauen and Earth and all things therein Finally if we rest astonished at the Art of paynting or drawing mens faces and fauours much more cause haue we to rest astonished at the Art of the Creatour who of Earth framed a true liuing Man and from the Rib of the man made the first Woman And this we are to admire with more reason in that what things Man doth make he cannot make without God cooperating with man whereas what things God maketh the same are made only by him without the cooperation or assistance of any other Sixtly The Soule of Man is indued with Freedome of Will which is common to him with God and the Angells and by which man differeth from all other things created This Freedome of Will is an admirable dignity in Mans â—oule yet the worth thereof is far more noble in God For first the freedom of Manswill is weake it also is easely enclined to choose things that are Euill wheras the Freedome of the Diuine Will is most stronge and cannot possibly encline it selfe to any Euill Furthermore our Freedome of wil is indeed so free as that it is able to will or not to will but it is not of power euer to effect that which it willeth or to preuent that which it selfe willeth not according to those words of the Apostle Rom. 7. Non quod volo bonum hoc facio sed quod nolo malum hoc ago But the Freedome of the Will of God is so conioyned with a full and absolute power as that of him it is said Psalm 113. Omnia quaecunque voluit fecit Seâ—uently and lastly The soule of man is after a wounderfull manner in mans body For since the Soule of man is an indiuisible Spirit it is therefore whole in the whole body and whole in euery part therof contrary to the being of the soules of Beasts which are Materiall and extended to the extension of their bodyes Thus the Soule of Man replenisheth the whole body yet it possesseth no place in the body and when the body doth increase the Soule doth not increase but beginneth to be there where afore it was not And if a member of the body be cut of or become withered dry the Soule is not lessened nor dryed but ceaseth to be in that member wherein afore it was without any detriment or maymednes thereof This is the true glasse of the existence of God in things created for God is an indiuisible Spirit and yet replenisheth the whole world and all the parts thereof yet possesseth he no place but is whole in the whole world and whole in euery part therof And when a new creature is produced God beginneth to be in it neither yet is God moued â—nd when any creature is destroied or dyeth God is not thereby destroyed or dyeth but ceaseth to be there this without any Motion of place Thus in these former pointe God and the Soule of Man do agree But in many other points God as there is iust Reason hath the prerogatiue and preheminence