crosses NOtwithstanding the premisses the spirit of Detraction is readie to read a cruell lecture to pratling Momes and tatling Niobes that doubtlesse the punished partie vvas eyther very vicious himselfe or else his vvife or parents had offended God in the highest degree O my Friends be not so curious in your censures In that yee iudge others yee condemne your selues for yee that iudge doe the same things Iudge not least yee be iudged And as for the scornefull doth not the Lord laugh them to sâ—â—rne Why then doe yee scorne and scoffe at your neighbours harmes whereof God is the Author who is hee that blesseth that curseth that rewardeth that punisheth Is it not he the Lord vvhy then detract yee from his vnsearchable secrets Why endeauour yee to vsurpe his peculiar prerogatiue We are persecuted but not forsaken we are cast downe but we perish not Our mortall bodies for a time returne to dust but our soules rest in Abrahams bosome It pleased the Lord to smite his righteous seruant with infirmitie to forsake him and to be angrie with him for a little season but at last he pardoned him as the Prophet forespake of Christ. For all this my defence the spitefull spirit of Detraction relents not at all By reason of anothers extraordinarie iudgement he chargeth me strictly with impietie Is not quoth hee thy wickednesse great and thine iniquities innumerable Therefore snares are round about thee feare sodainely troubles thee Doth not God reuenge the Fathers sinnes vpon the children to the third and fourth discent O menstruous or rather monstrous absurditie Though my talke be this day in bitternesse and my plagues greater then my groaning yet will I vndertake to controule thine errour and confute thine heresie All soules are mine saith the Lord both the soule of the Father and the soule of the Sonne The same soule that sinneth shall dye The Sonne shall not beare the iniquities of the Father neither shall the Father beare the iniquitie of the Sonne For mine owne part I confesse my selfe to be chiefe among sinners but yet much wronged to become subiect vnto your detracting iudgements Yee are none of my Iudges I appeale to Caesars iudgement seate I appeale to the King of Kings the King of Mercie who will reuerse by a vvrit of errour your false vsurped iudgements If thou Lord wilt be extreame to marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Woe be vnto vs woe Wâ—e be to the most laudable life that we leade if thou O Lord setting thy mercie aside shouldst examine it Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from manie sinnes Doth the blinde accuse the blinde Doth an olde senex fornicatour accuse another fornicatour Num Luscus accusat Luscum Clodâ—us Mâ—â—chum And doth the spirit of Detraction the most sinfull spirit of all spirits detect me for sinning Well my confession is not auricular but openly reiterated If I wash my selfe in snow water and purge my hands most cleane yet shalt thou plaegue me in the pit and mine owne cloathes will make mee silihie Mine owne fleshly vveedes being tainted vvith longing thoughts must sing a sorrowfull peccaui to the tune of stoope gallant And vnfainedly to vse Saint Pauls words I allow not that which I doe for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that doe I. Albeit that oftentimes I haue a will to doe well yet the nature of my flesh not any wise able to be expelled with the forke of mine owne naked reason confounds this readie will of mine and causeth me to commit moe sinnes in number then the sands of the sea All which with a contrite minde I submit to the mercy of God crauing most humbly on the knees of my heart in the lowest degree of reuerence my Redeemers merits as the vaile of grace to stand betwixt his diuine Iustice and their gore-bloud guiltinesse But certainly in my poore iudgement God took away mine innocent vvife after the aboue-said manner for though I say it all her acquaintance wil say as much as I that she liued as godly as honestly as any whatsoeuer in all her Countrie not so much for my sins though the same might be grieuous as for that all others might prepare themselues against their nuptials with Christ Iesus remembring that prophesie concerning Babilon who said in her heart I shall be a Lady for euer I am and none else I shall not sit as a widdow neither shall I know the losse of Children But thus said the Lord These two things shall come vnto thee sodainely in one day the losse of children and widdowhood O Lord of infinite iudgement widdowhood is sodainely come vnto mee thou hast iustly visited me and bercaued me of my chiefest comfort Thou knewest shee vvas too good for mee Thy vvill be done O mightie Lord. Let the infusion of thy grace into mine vntoward soule recompence my griefe and losse Thy grace is sufficient for mee thy power is made perfect through weakenesse When wee are most perplexed with worldly crosses then is thy spirit strongest in vs. And euen as the soules vertue is strengthened with infirmitie so certainely it is necessarie for our licentious natures now and then to be curbed vvith infirmities It is necessarie for vs that sinne the messenger of Sathan doe other whiles buffet vs and bruise our earthly heeles It is necessarie that malice bridle or rather prick as vvith sharpe pointed Needles our detracting wanton thoughts whereby we might remember our owne weake condition and turne to God who alone is without infirmitie Let me doe what good I can let me endeauour as much as is possible for flesh and bloud to endeauour yet I shall proue but an vnprofitable seruant I am blacke like an Aethiopian nay I am more blacke my very teeth are blacke My soule is all spotted all guiltie of vncleanenesse Onely my beliefe is that thy Grace is more aboundant then tongue can speake or heart can thinke or pen can paint LINEAMENT XV. The Authours gratulatorie Prayer vnto the Lord for the aboue-said wonderous effects O Louely Light O Lord of Maiestie how ouer-late doe I beginne to know thee My welbeloued put in his hand by the hole of my doore offring to breath faith into my soule But such was my dulnes such my drowsinesse that I could not once sigh sobbe nor say Abba Father O my Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee Yea thou wert in the superiour part of my heart and I neglected thee Thou didst call mee both within and without and I reiected thee I reiected the Well-spring of liuing vvater and resorted to noysome cisternes of puddle worte full of wormewood comforts full of tickling hopes vvhich were speedily spent for all vvordly comforts and vaine hopes doe vanish away like winde And yet it pleased thy lightsome Spirit O Lord of life after many a scorching
termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an ouer-curious work for our weake capacities I will relate the differences of such good Spirits as wee finde registred in the word of God to the entent that the spirit of Detraction may tremble the more when he hears their energie and efficacy expressed their energie and efficacie which they possesse by the sight and light of the heauenly Sunne Michael the Archangell is the great Prince which stands for the Lords people And as St. Iohn recordeth in his Diuine mysteries there was a battell in Heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and his Angels whom they ouercame by the blood of the Lambe that is by Christs innocency This Michael as many suppose is no other then our Sauiour Christ. For euen as by the Dragon the Arch-spirit of sinne is parable-wise included so by this Michael the Archangel of saluation might very well be figured By Michaels Angels I vnderstand his glorious spirit his Oracles comprehended in the Scripture the intercessions of Saints for our conuersions zealous bookes published by many good men for our edification in Christ besides our faithfull hearts prepared to heauen by deuout prayers and necessary mortifications of our lustfull bodies By the Dragon the Serpent or Deuill I expound the contempt of the Holy Ghost the deprauing of his precious gifts the spirit of Detraction the spirit of enuie the spirit of vncleanenesse and other sinfull spirits repugnant to the pure spirit of God For as S. Paul confirmes the selfe same because they regarded not God therefore God deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being full of all vnrighteousnesse fornication coueteousnesse malitiousnesse full of enuie c. In some places Angels are termed the starres of God for euen as starres doe shew the light of Heauen vnto vs shining onely to our outward sight so Angels signifie to the inward man the heauenly light of the sun-shine of grace Where mention is made of the Seraphins we may coniecture that for our weakenesse in nature and easie instruction they appeared with wings to the Prophet crying one to another Holy Holy Holy the Lord of Hostes The whole world is full of his glory as a prefiguratiue reuelatition that the word of God the Gospell of Christ should flie ouer all the world and fill the same with his glorious power In like manner their description with wings portends their celeâ—ity and swift readinesse to succour vs in extremity Another Prophet layeth downe the forme of the Cherubins in this manner Euery one of them had foure faces and euery one foure wings and the likenesse of a mans hand was vnder their wings Vnder which vision we may containe the similitude of the foure Euangelists with Christs hand or with his holy Spirit transported into the foure quarters of the world into the East West North and South according vnto the foure ages of the world vnder Adam Noah Moses and Christ which is the last and renueth vs to euerlasting life Among others of Gods spirituall ministers which his Maiesty sent to mankinde one is named Gabriel an Angel that appeared first to Daniel when he prayed to haue that performed of God which he had promised touching the returne of the people from their captiuity in Babilon While he was speaking and praying euen the man Gabriel whom he had seene before in a vision came flying and touched him The said Gabriel came afterwards to Zacharias the Priest to shew him the Natiuity of S. Iohn Baptist and was also sent to Mary the mother of Christ. An Angel called Vriel reproued Esdras because he seemed to enter into the profound iudgements of God And there Ieremiel an Archangell confirmes the wordes of Vriel Raphael one of the seuen holy Angels which goe forth before the Lord tooke the shape of a man and fellowlike conuersed with yong Tobias vntill he brought him home safely from his great iourney bound Asmodeus the lustfull spirit and restored to olde Tobith his sight Now it remaines that I shew what Angels be Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation The Holy Ghost in the Scripture expresseth their outward formes particular names and numbers in plaine termes to make their Embassages and messages of greater reckoning to our terrestriall senses and simple vnderstanding Their mansions be diuers as our Sauiour testified My Fathers house hath many Mansions Their multitudes infinite Thinkest thou said Christ to his Disciple which smote the High Priests seruant that I cannot now pray to my Father and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels These be they whose loude voyces that profound Diuine heard saying Praise honour glory and power be vnto him that sâ—teth vppon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore These be they whom our Sauiour Christ prophesied to send against the day of Iudgement to gather together his Elect from the foure windes and from the one end of the Heauen to the other These likewise be those diuine Ministers which at the end of the world shall goe forth and seuer the bad from among the iust and shall cast them into a Fornace of fire where there shall be wayling and gnashing of teeth In the holy Scriptures we reade that holy men such as Aaron the Prophets and Priests were called Gods or Angels because they resembled them in proprieties and perfections for euen as it is the office of Angels to praise God in purity of minde and sanctification so likewise it is the duty of Ministers to preach and teach the word of God without hypocrisie negligence or worldly craft THE SECOND CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CO NIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1. The true application of the abouesaâ—d Coniurations 2 That the names of other good spirits be manifold and diuerfly taken in the holy Scripture 3 After what manner Sinne the messenger of Sathan stings vs. 4 By what meanes we may repell the stings of Sathan 5 That it is hard to iudge of our spirituall stings and from whence they come THe meditation of these mysteries I hope will shake the power of our spiritual Tempters and shape our humane wils after the refined mould of the Inward man so that we prostrate our selues before our Heauenly Lord humbly prying into our owne vnworthines and putting off our vncleane sâ—oes before wee touch his holy Mount so that we employ our knowledge in testimonium veri non in adiutorium falsi for the glory of God and not for the support of sinne so that also we apply our contemplation of his Saints for admiration and not for adoration applauding their happy estates with the acknowledgement of our owne vnhappinesse For who can thrust Peter into Gods Throne were he ne're so glorious a Saint without apparant Treason Downe then yee Detracting soules into your earthly caues
drinking The like laudable custome did our present King impose by consent of his Parliament vpon our lourdanes or disguised trauellers which resorted to tauernes namely that they should not drinke aboue a quart at a meale nor stay aboue an houre in these infamous houses But as those lawes which concerne many are commonly neglected of many so notwithstanding his Maiesties wholesome lawes people now adaies through licentiousnesse hauing almost gotten a habite of disobedience few or none aduenture to execute the same Or if perhaps any one more forward then the rest fearing the shipwracke of his conscience for waxing slouthfull in his charge against these Centaurs or for winking at such enormities of these his Countries Cyclops should chance to extend the rod of his authoritie in suppressing them presently Sathan suggesteth some of his darlings detracting Barretours to countenance these lewde liuers and rather then faile he subornes them to molest those zealous magistrates by hooke or by crooke to the Starre Chamber or to some other principall Court two or three hundred miles off for trifling matters not worth the speaking and all to the entent to terrifie and tire them with tedious trauelling too and fro so that few officers dare put in execution what the law requireth them being loth to hazard their goods and persons in so wearisome a iourney in so cumbersome a suite These these bulbeggars I say be the onely obstacles that Iustice is not executed against the malefactors of our countrey Herehence it comes to passe that Iustices of milde and moderate spirits do swallow downe many a bit of bitter iniuries rather then they will aduenture their fortunes in law vpon such vile vermine Yet notwithstanding these crosses which ouerthwart your honest purposes it behoues you my Masters whom his Maiestic or his Chauncellor hath commissioned by Iethroes counsell as Rulers ouer hundreds ouer fifties to lay aside your panicke feares to looke vnto your places and not to preferre your priuate weale before the publike in intending so neerely the temporall goods of blind fortune whereof the Eye of iustice in reuenge of your remissenesse and periuries will sodainly bereaue you with a heauier scourge For this cause I could wish that this golden saying were firmely ingrauen in your thoughts Qui non impedit facinus cum possit facinori consentit He that hinders not a sinne when he may hinder it consents vnto the sinne For no doubt but this saying is alreadie verified in many of vs whom God forgiue specially when we spare Gods enemies of what nature soeuer they be eyther for indulgence importunate friendship or for feare of the Diuell or of his detracting followers Therefore be ye stout as Lyons fighting the Lords battailes The cause is the Lords the iudgement is the Lords and the Lord will be with you in the cause and iudgement Now shew your selues whose champions ye are and with your vnpartiall hands subscribe to pull and put downe these licentious Brothelries downe with these Tauernes downe with these Seminaries of corruption downe with the cause and downe with the effects if ye haue any sparke of Gods Spirit shining in you The prodigious effects hatched and fostered in these drunken Cottages as I said before is licentiousnesse the diabolicall dame of detractions periuries blasphemies and of a number of other base brats LINEAMENT III. That the Spirit of Detraction is sooner conuicted through the bright light and testimonie of the Scripture then through mens reall sorce or worldly deuices EVen as Aarons rod in Pharaoh his presence consumed all the Magicians rods that were put before it so words grounded vpon the touchstone of Truth do at the last consume to nothing all the bubling dregs of babling Detraction For by how much that Michael the Archangel is more mightie then the detracting Dragon by so much doth the speech of Truth beare a greater sway ouer the mishapen monsters of falshood which like foolish Apes by their vaine and vncharitable chattering would faine obtaine the Christian sirname of Truth But the word of life the light of vnderstanding will not abide such derogations and detractions And therefore he hath of his speciall and superabundant grace sent forth the spirit of his mouth the brightnesse of his comming to consute these hidious heresies and peremptory paradoxes which with the Antichrist were conceiued and begotten among vs. Out of this light or lightsome word out of the right resembling Image of the Fathers eternall vertues as his pledge to the Catholike Church issued his written image the sacred Scripture whose efficacy is so excellent that the testimonies thereof suffice to coniure downe all the spirits of hell into their owne bottomlesse home Being an armie of armed men against the spirit of Detraction and he will intreate them woâ—se then that possessed person did the seuen sonnes of Scaeua the Iew against whom he ranne and preuailed that they were forced to flie out of the house naked and wounded Besprinkle him with whole buckets full of holy water chant millions of masses vnto him his spirituall substance cares not for wetting and for your masses Surdo canis he will not heare them for your good but gladly heares them for your hurt and hindrance Onely a few materiall sentences extracted out of the heauenly booke and giuen in euidence by an humble-minded Christian with prayer and contrition doe certainly coniure conuince and confound all his dartes stings and forces To this end I will repeate some prouerbiall lessons selected by me out of that Booke of Life with hope that their energy and viuacitie will conuert my countrymen that are any thing towardly enclined to follow truth and integritie to become vertuously forward and not viciously froward And first I will briefly rebuke and refute the vse of idle speeches before I descend to the reprehension of deeper Detractions Wherein I will follow the example of expert Physicians who are wont at first to prescribe gentle preparatiues to attenuate and mollifie the stubborne and inueterate humours of their patients bodie before they attempt to purge the same substantially LINEAMENT IIII. The Spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by the Prophet Dauids Testimony THey talke of vanity euery one with his neighbour they doe but flatter with their lippes and dissemble with their heart But the Lord shall roote out all deceitfull lips the tongue that speaketh proude things which haue said with our tongue we will preuaile we are they that ought to speake who is Lord ouer vs Their throate is an open Scpulchre with their tongues haue they deceiued the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lips Their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle Or who shall rest vpon thy holy hill Euen he that leadeth an incorrupt life and doth the thing that is right and speaketh the truth from his heart He that hath vsed no deceit in his tongue nor done euill to his neighbour and hath not
mocketh at iudgement and the mouth of the vngodly deuoureth wickednesse ibid. Cast out the scornfull man and so shall strife goe out with him yea variance and slaunder shall cease ca. 22. Be not a false witnesse against thy neighbour and speake no falshood with thy lips cap. 24. The North winde drtueth away the raine euen so doth an angry countenance a backbiters tongue cap. 25 Giue not the foole an answere after his foolishnesse lest thou become like vnto him cap. 6. As he that counterfeits himselfe mad casteth firebrands deadly arrowes and dartes so doth the dissembler with his neighbour and saith Am not I in sport Where no wood is there the fire goeth out euen so where the tale-bearer is taken away there the strife ceaseth As coales kindle heat and wood the fire euen so doth a brawling fellow stirre vp variance A tale-bearers words are like men that strike with hammers and they pierce the inward parts of the bodie Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a pot shard couered with siluer drosse A lying tongue hateth the afflicted and a flattering mouth worketh mischiefe Ibid. in cap. 26. A brawling woman and the roofe of a house dropping in a rainy day may well be compared together for he that stilleth her stilleth the winde and stoppeth the smell of oinments in his hand cap. 27. If a Prince delight in lies all his seruants are vngodly cap. 29. Seest thou a man that is hasty to speake vnaduisedly There is more hope in a soole then in him ibid. Be not hasty with thy mouth and let not thine heart speake any thing rashly before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy wordes be few Eccles. cap. 5. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne ibid. The spirit of wisdome is louing and will not absolue him that blasphemeth with his lips for God is witnes of his reynes a true beholder of his heart and an hearer of his tongue for the spirit of the Lord that filleth the round compasse of the world and the same that vpholdeth all things hath knowledge also of the voyce Therfore he that speaketh vnrighteous things cannot be hid neyther shall the iudgement of reproofe let him escape And why In quisition shall be made for the thoughts of the vngodly and the sound of his wordes shall come vnto God so that his wickednesse shall be punished The eare of iealousie heareth all things and the noise of gâ—udging shall not be hid therefore beware of murmuring which is nothing worth and refraine your tongue from slaunder for there is no word so secret that it shall goe for nought and the mouth that speaketh lies slayeth the soule Wisd. cap. 1. LINEAMENT VI. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by Iesus the sonne of Siraches testimonie IN the tongue is wisedome knowne so is vnderstanding knowledge and learning in the talking of the wise and stedfastnesse in the workes of righteousnesse In no wise speake against the words of truth but be ashamed of the lies of thine owne ignorance Be not hasty in thy tongue neyther slacke and negligent in thy workes cap 4. Be sâ—ift to heare but slow and patient in giuing answere If thou hast vnderstanding shape thy neighbour an answer if no lay thy hand vpon thy mouth lest thou be trapped in an vndiscreete word and so confounded Honour and shame is in the talke but the tongue of the vndiscreet is his owne destruction Be not a priuy accuser as long as thou liuest and vse no slaunder with thy tongue for shame and sorrow goeth ouer the thiefe and an euill name ouer him that is double tongued but he that is a priuie accuser of other men shall be hated enuied and confounded cap. 5. A man full of words is perillous in his City and he that is rash in his talking shall be abhorred cap. 9. Reherse not a wicked and churlish word twise and thou shalt not be hindered If thou hast heard a word against thy neighbour let it be dead within thee and be sure thou shalt haue no harme thereby A foole trauelleth with a word like as a woman that is pained with bearing of a childe Like as an arrow shot in a thigh of flesh so is a word in a fooles heart Reproue thy neighbour that he keepe his tongue and if he haue spoken that he say it no more A man falleth with his tongue sometime but not with his will for what is hee that hath not offended with his tongue cap. 19. A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportunity but a wanton and vndiscreet body shall regard no time He that vseth many words shall hurt his owne soule and he that taketh authority vpon him vnrighteously shall be hated In the mouth of him that is vntaught are many vnconuenient and vnmeete words A lie is a wicked shame in a man yet shall it be neuer in the mouth of the wise A thiefe is better then a man that is accustomed to lie The conditions of liers are vnhonest their shame is euer with them cap. 20. A foole lifteth vp his voyce with laughter but a wise man shall scarse laugh secretly The lips of the wise will be talking foolish things but the words of such as haue vnderstanding shall be waighed in the ballance The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in his heart A priuy accuser of other men shall defile his owne soule and be hated of euery man but he that keepeth his tongue and is discreet shall come to honor cap. 21. If thou be among the discreet keepe thy words to a conuenient time but among such as be wise speake on hardly The talking of fooles is abomination and their sport is voluptuousnesse and mis-nurture The proude doe blaspheme and are scornefull but vengeance lurketh for them as a Lion cap. 27. An hasty browling kindleth fire and an hasty strife sheddeth bloud a tongue also that beareth false witnesse bringeth death If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spit vpon it it shall go forth and both these come out of the mouth The slaunderer and double tongued is cursed for many one that be friends setteth he at variance The stroke of the rodde maketh prints in the skin but the stroke of the tongue smiteth the bones in sunder There be many that haue perished with the sword but many moe through the tongue Well is hee that is kept from an euill tongue and commeth not in the anger thereof which draweth not the yoake of such and is not bound in the bonds of it For the yoake thereof is of iron and the band of it of steele The death of it is a very euill death hell were better for one then such a tongue But the fire of it may not oppresse them that feare God and the flame thereof may not burne them Thou hedgest thy goods with thornes why dost thou not rather make doores and
the Kings writ of Prohibition lies against such actions commenced in that Court 3 That mixt actions belong to the Common law NOw let me draw neere to a more resplendant light to your rich magazin of laws Right learned Cooke Englands admired Bartole in whose profound intelligence concur the spirits of many famous wights not after the Pythagorean transmigration but after the transmutation of Elisha which receiued the spirit of Elias For who knowes not that the obscurest and doubtfull Reports of Dier Brooke Plowden and of many other sage Writers are most plainely reconciled in your Reports with mellifluous iudgements of your owne conceits I will therefore aduenture like Noahs Doue to crop some of your choysest O liues Touching Defamations determinable in the Ecclesiasticall Court it was resolued in the Kings Bench betwixt Palmer and Thorpe according to the right learned collections of Sir Edward Cooke Knight Lord chiefe Iustice of the common pleas en le quart part de ses reports that such defamations ought to haue three things incident First that they concerne matters meerely spirituall and determinable in the Ecclesiasticall Court as to call a man Hereticke Schismaticke Aduowtrer Fornicator c. Secondly they must concerne matters meerely and onely spirituall for if such defamations touch any or some thing determinable at the common Law the Ecclesiastical Iudge shall not take knowledge thereof Thirdly although that such defamations be meerly and onely spirituall yet notwithstanding he that is defamed cannot sue him there for amends and damages but the suit ought to be onely for the punishment of sinne pro salute animae for the soules health And for the first and second which is incident the case en 2 2. Edward 4. 20. was recited to this effect The Abbot of S. Albons sent his seruant for a woman couert to come and speake with him The seruant performed his Masters commaundement And thereupon the woman came with him to the Abbot And when the Abbot and the woman were together the seruant which knew his Masters will retyred from them and left them together in the chamber alone Then the Abbot said vnto the woman that her apparel was grosse and course to which the woman answered that her apparell was according to her ability and according to her husbands ability The Abbot knowing in what things women repose their delight replied vnto her If she would be ruled by him that she should haue as good apparell as any woman in that Parish and sollicited her chastity When the woman would not consent vnto him the Abbot assaulted her and would haue made her a lewd woman against her will the which the woman would not suffer Whereupon the Abbot detained her in his chamber against her will to the entent c. The husband hauing notice of this abuse done to his wife spoke of all this matter and said that he would haue an action of false imprisonment against the Abbot for that he had imprisoned his wife vpon which the Abbot adding one sinne to another sued the innocent poore husband for defamation in Court Christian because the husband had published that my Lord Abbot had sollicited her chastity and would haue made her a naughty woman But vpon all this matter disclosed to the Kings Court the husband had a Prohibition by reason that the husband might haue had an action at the common law for this affault and imprisonment of his wife although then at the first he had not any action nor peraduenture at any time would haue had Yet because the scandall determinable in the Ecclesiasticall Court was vpon all the matter being disclosed mixt with a matter determinable at the common law for this cause vpon motion made by the Abbots Councell to haue a consultation in this case that was denied him by the Court. For the third point which is incident viz. That the Defamed cannot sue for amendes and damage in Court Christian though it be meerely and onely spirituall It was enacted Articul cleri cap. 1. 2. 3. that the Kings Prohibition should hold place if a Prelate enioyned a penance pecuniary to any man for his offence and it were demaunded Notwithstanding if Prelates enioyne a penance corporall and the party will redeeme such penance by money if the money be demaunded before a Iudge spirituall Prohibition shall hold no place But leauing the Statutes at large to be considered by the Reader that desires to know them I will returne to the Reports of that rare Treasurer of the common law Sir Edward Cooke for words of detraction actionable and forth explanation of the Ecclesiasticall power in such cases Anno 35. Eliz. Anne Dauies plaintiffe declared that she was a Virgin of good fame c. Whereas one Anthony Elcocke Citizen and Mercer of London of the substance and value of three thousand pounds desired her for his wife and for that cause had communication with Iohn Dauies Father of the said Anne and was ready to conclude it Iohn Gardiner defendant premissorum non ignarus to defame the said Anne and to distaste the said Anthony from proceeding forward vttered and published of the said Anne these wordes I know Dauies daughter well mentioning the said Anne she dwelt in Cheapside and there was a Grocer that did get her with childe And being admonished by some that were present and heard him that he should be aduised what he spoke of the said Anne he said further of her I know very well what I say I know her father mother and sister and she is the youngest sister and had the childe by the Grocer By reason of which wordes the plaintife was greatly defamed so that the said Anthony vtterly refused to take her to his wife To this the defendant pleaded not guilty and by a Nisiprius in the County of Buckingham the Iurors found for the plaintiffe and assessed damages to two hundred markes Then it was moued in arrest of iudgment by the Counsel of the defendant that the said defamation of incontinencie concerned the spirituall and not the temporall iurisdiction And therefore as the offence should be punished in Court Christian so the remedy for such defamation ought also to be there For cognitio causae non spectat ad forum Regium Euen so if a man be called a Bastard an Heretique a Miscreant or an Aduowterer because they appertaine to the Ecclesiastical iurisdiction no action lies at the common law But it was answered by the plaintiffes counsell and resolued by the whole Court that the action was main teynable for two causes first because that she was punishable by the Statute de 18. Eliz cap. 3. if she had a bastard And although that fornication or aduowtry be not examinable by the common law for that they are done in secret and peraduenture are vncomely to be openly examined yet neuerthelesse the hauing of a bastard is a thing apparant examinable and punishable by the said acte Secondly it was resolued that the action was
and Elias in their soules and bodies vp into heauen Many good men haue died sodainly Abell Iosias Onias and others had no long warning to prepare themselues God knowes best what besits our humane natures It may be he causeth some to die suddenly because of their crazed braines lest in their lingring disease they fall according to the constitution of their bodies into despaire or to railing and reuiling whereby they might leaue behinde them in this world an infamous memoriall Therefore to case them of their torments and for auoyding of so soule a scandall he suddenly sends for his selected seruants Some others he send for suddenly and terribly to terrifie them which remaine behinde for if Gods seruants die such a fearefull death what hope hath the sinner In a word good men neuer pray against suddaine death but to the entent they might order their worldly businesse before their deathes as the said to Hezechias Set thy house in order for thou must die LINEAMENT XII 1 That we must not iudge by mens misfortunes or sudden death that they be forsaken of God 2 Charitable censures which a good Christian may yeeld touching those that die suddenly 3 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring ouer cruelly of the Authors wife who was striken dead with lightning the 〈◊〉 of Ianuary 160 0 where â—er commâ—ndation and assumption are moralized WHen the Lord is disposed extraordinarily to extend his glorious power why dost thou ô foolish man presume to enter into his hidden power Why dost thou labour like Lucifer to climbe vp into his chaire of secrets Shal the thing formed checke him that formed it Can the Pottervse his vessels as he thinkes good and shall not the Lord dispose of his owne creatures Who arâ— thou which iudgest another mans seruant What canst thou tel whether God hath predestinated them to saluation and accepted of their submission as of the thiefe which was crucified with him at the last gaspe and as they say betwixt the bridge and the brooke Betwixt the stirrop and the ground Mercy I thought mercy I found As one â—pitaphed vpon the tombe of him that fell dead sodainly from his horse Sometimes it pleaseth his Maiestie out of our errour to raise his owne honour and to make vertue perfect and complete by infirmity And therfore it is verie vncharitable for one sinner to iudge of another sinner Let him who is without sinne throw the first stone at him as Christ said â—â—et the sinner draw out the beame out of his owne eye before â—e remoue the mote out of his brothers eye It is Gods office onely to iudge the euent and end of things Therefore iudge nothing before the trâ—e vntill the Lord comes who will lighten the hidden things of darknesse and open the counsels of the hearts Saint Paul was made a gazing stoâ—ke vnto this world he was defamed yea he was made as the filihinesse of the world as the off-scouring of all things yet a chosen vessel and Apostle of Christ. When it was told our Sauiour that Pilate had massacred the Galilaeans euen as they sacrificed he willed vs not to iudge of their liues and sins but by their example to amend our liues For neither those poore Galilaeans nor yet these eighteene vpon whom the tower in Siloc fell were greater sinners then all ohers which dwelt at Ierusalem Iosias was one of the godliest kings that euer reigned in Iuda yet was he killed with dartes in the battell against the king of Aegypt Zachariah the Prophet Stephen the martyr with other seruants of God were tyrannously put to death Yea and Christ himselfe being without sinne endured worldly sorrowes without number and also died a most terrible death yet did they iudge him as though he were plagued and cast downe of God according to that which was prophesied of him The Lord is righteous in all his waies the Lord is holy in all his workes as the Prophet Dauid confessed and as Maurice the Emperour protested when he saw his wife and children murthered before his face by his seruant Phocas How then darest thou which art vnrighteous and vnholy sit and reade on the secret deeds of the righteous God and on the wondrous proceedings of the holy one of Israel Sometimes it pleaseth him to fulfill in our daies that Prophesie of his concerning the taking of the godly from among the wicked The righteous perisheth and no man regardeth it in his heart Good godly men are taken away and no man considereth it namely that the righteous is conueyed away from the wicked who heape vp treasures and pleasures for this world as the godly do for the world to come It may be also that his mercy is so great that respecting not our sinnes his aboundant grace will vouchsafe to pronounce that answere concerning Lazarus in our behalfe This sicknesse is not vnto death but for the glory of God Correspondent to which is likewise the satisfaction which our Sauiour Christ yeelded to his disciples demaund when they asked him about the blind man Master who did sinne this man or his parents that he was borne blind Iesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be shewed in him Perhaps the Lord sends extraordinary accidents vpon his seruants to the intent that they should serue for a Parable or warning peece to the rest of his people in this countrey from whom he meanes shortly to take away their power the ioy of their honour the pleasure of their eyes and the desire of their hearts except out of hand they become watchfull and repentant with the Niniuites For if iudgement begin at the iust what shall be the end of them which obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare If there be no difference betweene the innocent and reprrobate in the manner of their deathes and worldly crosses why doe we ioyne field to field land to land and make account to see long lasting daies in this transitory world or to die in our soft downe beds The word of the Lord came to Ezechiel Behold I take away from thee the pleasure of thine eyes with a plague yet shall thou neither mourne nor weepe So Ezechiel spake vnto the people in the morning and in the euening his wife died The Parable was this thus saith the Lord God behold I will pollute my sanctuary euen the pride of your power the pleasure of your eyes and your hearts desire And you shall doe as I haue done ye shall neither mourne nor weepe but ye shall pine away for your iniquities and mourne one towards another Thus Ezechiel is vnto you a signe And thus perhaps am I a signe vnto you O worldly wizards whose tongues are hired by the detracting spirit to blaspheme the powerful Lord of lightnings to curse God and die with Iobs wife and
Summers attendance after many a frozen Winters watching expecting my conuersion to knocke againe most patiently at the doore of my soule and thus to call vnto her while shee slept so carelesly Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue for my head is full of dâ—â—r and my lockes with the drops of the night Againe and againe it pleased thee to inuite mee after this manner Returne O thou rebellious childe and I will heale thy rebellions for euen as a woman hath rebelled against her husband so hast thou rebelled against mee How dease is he that heares not such a voyce A voyce more vehement then the sound of many waters How deepely sleepes he that is not wakened vvith such a morning vvatch vvith such a melodie A melodie more musicall then euer Tuball Amphion or Arion could possibly conceiue When all thy creatures combined against me in reuenge of my disloyaltie towards thy sacred soueraigntie thou didst temper their fiery fury thou didst moderate their biting bitternesse The foure Elements which thou madest for my conseruation conspired all to roote my being out of the Land of the liuing The Ayre threatned to taint my breathing with contagious smels with Stigian stinckes The Fire assayed to burne my bruitish body The Water stroue vvith might and maine to ouerwhelme me vtterly The Earth endeuoured before her time to abridge my luxurious life And all because I had offended their great Creator But thou more mercifull then thy creatures for the loue of thy Name and for the loue of thy Sonne didst controule all their practises and confound the deuises of the Diuel himselfe How happy am I that thou prolongst my dayes how kinde art thou that sparest to spill the bloud of thy very foes O kindenesse without desert O courtesie without comparison Behold behold yee mortals all how the Lord hath deliuered me from the danger nay from the dungeon of death from sodaine death The God of glory hath defended mee from Thunder and Lightning from vvater and fire O what oblation can the poore Samaritanâ— sacrifice vnto his sacred Maiestie for these his wonderous workes Ille magis gratae laetatur mentis odore Quam consecrato sanguine mille boum Nam prece non alio gaudet honore Deus God better loues a thankfull minde then many Oxens bloud For poore mens prayers he preferres before the rich and proud Seeing thankfulnesse is such a sweet smelling odour in his sacred no strils let me proclaime his glorious Name Alleluiah Osanna in the Highest Blessed be the name of his heauenly Highnesse blessed in heauen blessed on earth and blessed throughout all ages The Lord be blessed for euermore vvhich hath enlightned mee in the darksome shadow of errours vvhich hath enlarged mee from a vvorld of perils vvhich hath recalled me failing vvhich hath raised me falling vvhich hath recouered mee running almost out of breath from falling and fainting Let all Nations performe their duties let them praise the Lord for it is hee that commandeth the waters It is the glorious God that maketh the Thunder It is the Lord that ruleth the sea The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedar trees yea the voyce of his thunder was heard round about the lightning shone upon the ground The Earth was moued and shooke withall his way is in the sea and his paths in the great waters Applaud him O my soule applaud his magnificent Maiesty Let his laud be euer in thy thoughts Let all thy faculties all thy attributes and operations spread themselues as blooming Vines round about my heart my braine my tongue that the same may become as the pen of a ready writer to sound out and resound his most puissant power Others according to the altitude of his iudgements he cutteth off by vntimely death but me he spares aliue as a monument of his liuing mercy O what had become of me if thou haddest cited mee likewise at that horrible houre before thy tribunall throne of Iustice O my Sauiour I thanke thee for thy peerlesse patience I praise thee though basely and barely in respect of thy benefits I adore thee I honour thee I humble my selfe before thee all the dayes of my life I returne I repaire vnto thee not haltingly not hollowly but holily I vvould I could say vvholy all the dayes of my life O giue me grace help my weaknesse heale mine vnbeliefe LINEAMENT XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memory 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the beâ—aâ—se of this present Circle where his Wiues memory is saluted with a Christian Farewell INgenuous Reader hitherto after the example of Antimachus who composed a Booke in the commendations of his wife Lydia haue I labored to eternize my deere wiues memory to the end entent that when the Spirit of ' Detraction as the Sorcerers rod was swallowed vp by Aarons rod is consumed to nothing and vvhen his lying mates doe dye and lie ingloriously in rotten earth the vvorld shall finde that shee liues for euer among the liuing inuita inuidia in despite of enuie that shee flourisheth like a Palme tree which the more it is suppressed the more returneth vpwards consonant to that of the Wise-man The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Her memorable end anatomized and embalmed in this my bookish coffin shall yeeld odoriferous perfumes of her milde meeke and modest life to the sence-pleasing comfort of the elected innocent And that I may record the memory of her end Allegorically with the Poet Etumulo viâ—lae fortunat à que fauillâ Nascentur cippusque leuis sua contâ—get ossa Out of her graue fine Violets shall bloome And a light stone shall her sweet bones entombe Thus out of my miseries as out of the ashes of a burnt Phoenix is built a beacon of liuing miracles vvhich I humbly pray his heauenly Highnesse among other suppliants of his that they may effect in me what a more radiant light effected in Saint Paul namely the illumination of a darke conscience For vvhen my body like a bowle was carryed about vvith the bias of concupiscence my soule rockt a sleep in the cradle of worldly securitie by Sathans inchanting lullabies then my Lord that saw me so misse-led like vnto Salomons foole laughing when indeed I had more cause to weepe then my louing Lord I say tooke compassion on my foolish fals and gaue me a sound pinch or prick in the flesh that started and stirred vp all my reasonable faculties to consider more iudiciously in what a case I stood both body and soule What better vse of this temptation can I produce then that thy death deere wife like Elishaes bones which reuiued a dead corse hath vvrought a double miracle the one in thy translation the other in my
conuersion then that this lightning Accident hath enlightned both our soules Thine it preferred into Paradise mine it prepareth for Paradise thy soule as a type of zeales flame it purified actually secundum passionem mine it purifieth potentially secundum propassionem Thus both of vs do stand as monuments to the Church here on earth the one as a relicke richer then Mausolus his Tombe the other as a publicke notarie reserued to sound out the wonders of the great God and to transcribe vnto after-ages thy extraordinarie end If the Spirit of Detraction reply that I intend a needlesse labour to embalme a dead carkasse with such costly oyntment saying what needed this waste Loe I returne his enuious demand this vnparalel'd answere of our Sauiour I did it to bury her It is to performe the last obsequies of her funerall that wheresoeuer the Gospell is sincerely preached throughout this Land there also these Circles of mine vvhereof her memory next vnder God was the motiue may be read as a mirrour of Gods miracles as a memoriall of her liuing vertues and as a monument towards her of my kinde affection It is the last solemnitie the last precious oyntment which I can poure vpon her head the last Adieu the last office of good will which I can accomplish for her sake This kind of Epitaphes in honour of the dead an holy Father highly commendeth It is pietie saith he to publish the deceaseds vertues yea it is a meanes to encrease grace in our owne selues Therefore let no man blame me because I erect these paper-statues to the glory of my deceased wife seeing that many others of nobler endowments haue endeuoured to illustrate their dead friends It is not long since that famous Gentleman Phillip Mornay Lord of Plessis mourned in the like manner for the death of his onely sonne who of late was slaine with a musket-shot at the siege of the Citie Geldre vnder Graue Maurice which dolefull Catastrophe hee set out in a little booke called Du Plessis teares written to his wife Charlotte Baliste why then should I feare thy shadowie prickles O spitefull Spirit In praysing her from whom haue I detracted Downe therefore downe vvith thy malicious stings and interrupt me not in my zealous offices while I betake my selfe to the mournfull accents of a voice almost stopt vvith throbs of griefe while also I sacrifice my last gratuities vnto her sacred spirit interrupt me not Adieu thou seruant of Christ thou patterne of piety Adieu thou map of Gods miracles Adieu my loue my ioy my comfort Adieu and rest thee henceforth among the heauenly roses rest in peace for euer free from the thornes of malice Adieu againe and againe Adieu Elizabeth my wife for a while and welcome sweet Iesus my Sauiour for euer THE SEAVENTH CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 That the spirit of Detraction can neuer annoy vs while the Maiestie of Iustice shines vpon vs. 2 The Authours supplication to the Lord Chancellour of England the Lord President of Wales and to all other his Maiestics Iudges of Record within this Monarchy of Great Brittaine for the extirping out of notorious Blasphemics 3 The Spirit of Detractions craft in molesting his Maiesties inferiour Officers 4 His diabolicall craft in wronging of priuate persons 5 The Authours Conclusion to the aboue-sayd Lords for reformation of the said abuses HOW amiable shewes thy face O Queene of Uertues when the light of Maiestie shines vpon thee Euen as amiable shewes thy face as the face of an Angell as the face of Moses which he was faine to vaile by reason of his bright-shining beautie after hee had seene a glimpse of Gods glory When thou sittest equally in thy throne of state with the ballance in one hand and the sword in the other hand how worthy then to beadored being so adorned so transfigured in glory with the three Apostles on Mount Tabor While this ballance lasteth euen the Lambe may dwell with the Wolfe without dread or doubt While this sword of Iustice hangs ouer Caines head as it sometimes hung ouer Damocles his head by a slender threed his yonger brother Abell may walke innocent in his vocation and cheerefully sacrifice his oblation of thanksgiuing sounding out this dittie of the princely Psalmist I will sing of Mercy and Iudgement vnto thee O Lord will I sing The carefull Magistrate need not feare the sword of Ismael which is a reuiling tongue Iacob after his three apprentiships vnder Laban may trauell vpon the Kings high-way towards his natiue home secured from his eldest brother Esaus sword Moses may exercise his office with alacritie and courage notwithstanding the rebellious muttering of Corah Dathan and Abiram In this golden age of Iustice ' Dauid may manifest his zeale and ioyfully dance before the Lords Arke for all the scornefull flouts of Michol or the scolding speeches of Semci Now hee cares not for his emulous and enuious aduersaries who to some out the dregs of their mindes subborned false witnesses laying to his charge those things which he neuer knew In this flourishing time Mephibosheth triumphes ouer his seruant Zibaes scandalous accusation While this thy ballance O sacred Iustice or this thy sword the one as a cause indented to leade the vse of thy fine the other as a finall concomitance or statute staple to establish thy euer-stable Iudgements or vvhile both of them together as Causa Causatum two friendly Correlatiues doe follow the strict contents of their Commission of Oier and Terminer the iniurious imputations of Potiphars wife can neuer impeach chast Ioseph nor can the snarling and doggish letter R redoubled out of Doegs nostrils impaire the credite of Abimelech Neither can Iezabels letter produce seduced testimonie against Naboth nor can the Rulers of Babilon worke the ruine of Daniel Reioyce thou daughter of Israel renowned Susanna for the Elders which accused thee are ouertaken in their owne snares they are found in contrarie tales While this seate of Iustice stands sincere without staine without sicklenesse Stephen may boldly reproue the sinnes of our lawlesse Libertines without feare of forged witnesses or clamorous suggestions that hee blasphemed God and Moses So full of efficacie is the influence of Iustice vvhen her bright beauteous body is countenanced with the glorious aspects of Prudence and Magnanimitie the attributes of the Eternall Maiestie that presently the Spirit of Detraction with all his blacke Guard of sinne will disperse themselues to nothing as a companie of bragging Waspes at the violence of Northren winde There flocked sometimes out of this fluttering swarme innumerable to beare downe the reputation of Ionathas with his Prince but what became of them and of their runnagate slanders as soone as they heard the sound of King Alexanders Trumpet proclaiming Ionathas to be the Kings friend and him for this cause to be cloathed in purple and to weare a collar of gold they vanished away like Waspes or
Wizards now with your witlesse wonders while yee auerre some of your Constellations and Meteours to be kinde vnto vs and some vnkinde yee open your mouthes against heauen it selfe according to that of Origen Dum alij stellas beneficas faciunt alij maleficas os suum in coelum aperiunt For all this our spitefull Spirit houers in the Aire ouer the heads of our malecontents and as yet will not descend into his darke home pretending himselfe priuiledged by the Diuels sanctuarie vntill the great Day to tempt the flexible soules of flesh and bloud True Sathan true thou art licensed I grant to peruert our faith for a vvhile but not to subuert the same for euer Thy peruerting is but momentanie as a corrosiue to conuert and to cure the dead rankled flesh But if this seducing Serpent persist to eate into the bone resist his biting bitternesse yee seruants of the Highest resist his power though his words seeme coloured and couered with the purest gold of Ophir though he come disguised vnto you like Ieroboams wife to entrap you by reason of your blindnesse If he insinuates into you slanderous suggestions concerning your Prince his soueraigntie aduising you to vent them out at your mouthes least wanting vent they burst your straight-laced hearts like vnto the embotteled Aire coniure him in your Sauiours name and boldly say vnto him Auoid Sathan We must not raile at our Superiours for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordayned of God Cursed be he which curseth the Lords annoynted Cursed be hee which detracteth from Gods Lientenant But Mariana and his detracting Iesuites doe laugh at these positions It is lawfull say they to curse and curbe our Princes if priuate mens acts be warranted by publicke iudgement that is if Ipse dixit my Lord the Pope that cannot erre doe locke them out of the doores of heauen O heathenish infidelitie Laugh on yee Kingkillars laugh on for a little while in this earthly world and yee shall surely weepe in the world to come Dauids heart smote within him because hee cut but the lap of King Sauls garment And yet our mortified Schoolemen our Ghostly Romish Fathers make no conscience to cut off the heads of our annointed Kings to compare these Regicides with renowmed Iudith If reucrent Bede were liuing in these dayes how deadly would hee defie their profane deedes separating himselfe from their Communion This action of Dauid quoth this honest Clerke doth morally instruct vs that wee must not smite our Princes though they wrong vs with the sword of our lips that wee must not in detracting-wise aduenture to teare the hemme of their superfluous deedes If we approue not the holinesse of their liues let vs applaud the holinesse of their vnctions But in my iudgement such questions of Princes Scepters ought not to be disputed nor called into controuersie no more then the Eternall purpose of God which is inscrutable incomprehensible by mortall men Chiefly we of the Reformed Church to whom God hath sent an vnparalel'd Prince ought not once to conceiue amisse of his Royall purpose Or if it otherwise chance must not we brooke his spots with the like patience as we brooke an vnseasonable showre of raine a storme or an abortiue birth The dishonourable things which a Prince doth must be esteemed honourable or else obserued but with halfe an eye If we had any iust cause of such complaints we ought rather to haue recourse to lacobs ladder to the Spirit of Prayer and so by repentance to rectifie our depraued wills that God may take away his scourge according to that Schoole-mans counsell Tollenda est culpa vt cesset Tyrannorum plaga In a peaceable Common-wealth to set out problemes of this muddie nature argues no profound policie specially it becomes not meane Ministers or vtopian Chymerizing Schollers to busie their braines with Princes matters whose eares and hands are stretcht out at the longest size Auriculas Asini Mida Rex habet An nescis longas Regibus esse manus In this case as in many other Theodore Beza ought to be highly magnified for that being seriously consulted by some seditious Sectaries whether inferiour Officers might not lawfully raise Armes against their Prince that violates his Oath made vnto his Subiects that infringeth their liberties immunities that turnes Tyrant vnto them hee teturned this circumspect demur vnto them We must demur vpon this point not onely because it is dangerous specially in this age to lay open such a window but also because that we may not determine the state of this question simply as you propose it but herein we must consider many waighty circumstances And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we deferre our full answere vnto your demand at this instant But this graue answere suffiseth not the spirit of ' Detraction He broacheth it further what if such things come to passe vvhat if the Prince becomes an Apostate Which is as much to say what if Atlas his shoulders should waxe weary of supporting the Skye Capiâ—mis alaudas Then wee shall haue our labour for our paines O vanitie of vanities Doth our Heauenly Father for his Sonnes Righteousnesse deliuer priuate persons from Sathans slauery and shall wee distrust his diuine prouidence that hee will not defend his Church both from Sathan and all his Instruments visible and inuisible Or if our sinnes be so grieuous in his sight that his wisedome iudgeth it expedient to chastice our wanton wils to season our luxurious natures with sowre sauce and by tribulations to prepare roome for the Holy Ghost in the Temple of our Soules shall wee grudge or grieue at his discreet corrections Is it not his owne saying that through the bryars of troubles vvee must passe into his heauenly world Let vs therfore content our selues with sober knowledge and not cauell and trauell about such mutinous arguments which were they in actuall presence we may sooner wish to auoid then salue it any other way but by teares and prayers Man proposeth but God disposeth He euen he it is that treades and tramples downe all tyrannies that ordereth them for his own glory he that abridged Queene Maries life for the propagation of his Gospell that sithence confounded so many attempts of Iesuites Traitors and that now of late sodainely and miraculously discouered the transcendent Pouder-plor no doubt but hee will still continue his care ouer vs in the midst of our worldly waues in the heate of our worldly warfare Amen LINEAMENT VI. 1 The Authours scope in this subsequent discourse 2 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted in Protestants for exasperating of Puritanes in their peruerse humours 3 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted in Puritanes for their obstinacie against our Ecclesiasticall Canons IN the former Circles I haue coniured and conuicted the Spirit of Detraction for the breach of the third commandement thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine
whereto the neerer that they be the nobler is their birth as men newly borne and pertakers of loue charitie faith and of other spirituall ornaments that goe beyond all the symbolized ensignes of temporall Heralds Out of vvhich circumstances collect O Christian soule this one Embleme diuinely embellished The neerer to true Charitie The neerer to Nobilitie Howsoeuer these fly-blowes of the spirit of Detraction be allowed or disallowed to blazon armes it is the part of a Magistrate to beare a Lyons heart that he shrinke not in iust causes nor respect the magnificall thunders of the spirit of Detraction more then the prostrate petitions of the spirit of humilitie Be he Midas or be hee Codrus be hee noble or be hee base Iustice must take place Therefore the Poets record that Iustice hath neither father nor mother likewise they report that Iuno through her wealth Venus through her beautie Mars through his threats and Mercurie through his eloquence hauing all of them conspired against Iupiter and yet not able to thrust him out of heauen implied no other sence or morall thereby then that a man of vertue could by no meanes either for wealth beautie threates or eloquence be diuerted or turned aside from Iustice. It is the part of a Magistrate to vse that Royall vertue Magnanimitie for his chiefest support against detracting Hamans and deprauing Semeies and as a learned Bishop of Portugall describes a magnanimous man though he see all the world eagerly bent against him and though he see euery thing round about set on fire yet hee through an assured confidence will continue constant It is the part of a Magistrate to imitate that resolute Iudge in Henry the fourths time which feared not to commit into the Kings Bench victorious Henry Prince of Wales rather then those Officers of iniustice vvhom another King of England vpon his returne from outlandish Countries displaced from their high commands after their examinations by vertuous Earles or then these corrupt Iudges whom Cambyses caused to be flayed and their skinnes as monuments of terrour to be hanged vp in the fore-front of his Palace It is the part of a Magistrate to esteeme the vvindie detractions of licentious Libertines who with presumptuous language dare brute abroad that they can by their supposed familiaritie with noble personages vncommission or to vse their owne words vnsaddle any Iustice of his Iustice ship I say it is his part to esteeme such derogatorie speaches no otherwise then for brauadoes of a brided braine or bragging vaunts of vpstart groomes onely to daunt pusillanimous Meacocks vvhich neuer saw the Lyons in the Tower nor vnderstand the truescope at which the state of England aimes Euen as I neuer knew any man in all my life despised for his silence and sparing speach so likewise I neuer knew any man degraded of his authoritie for his zealous endeauours on the Kings behalfe Wherefore let this stand for a watch-word to our Countrey Iustices that they be not terrified from well-doing with the swaggering on-sets of craking Crocodiles Let them put on the armour of patience and the spirit of Detraction will in time burst asunder like the Babilonians God Let them but for a while stand still and these Thrasonicall Rhodomontes will voluntarily surrender vp the cudgels Their nature is to begin as men and to end as women to come in as thunder and to goe out as smoke to boast of loftie things at first and to faint at last vnder their owne burthen For truth is great and will preuaile Then feare not yee proud Hamans wrath for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of God as King Iehosaphat encouraged his Iudges Ye need not doubt of your Priace his countenance as long as ye walk vprightly and as long as Fame the worlds great Trumpetour sounds out that noble distick in your commendations Nec prece nec pretio nec pondere diuitis aurâ— Nec quicquam tumidis flectitur ille minis Nor with faire words nor with rich bribing gold They moued are nor yet with threatnings bold Wherein then can they harme you In vncharitable lectures in rayling in reuiling in reuealing their owne dregs and as the Apostle writes In foming out their owne shame like the raging waues of the sea Let this be the vpshot of all your thoughts as I said before that no man vvhatsoeuer can escape the tempests of detracting tongues It is an antient adage that a barking dogge seldome bites and that the deepest riuers runne with least noise vvhy will yee therefore doubt these clattering clappers Aboue all things I could wish that those whom the Kings Matestie by the recommendation of his graue Counsell golden mâ—uthed Nestors and sage Chrysostomes hath nominated to sit in the tribunall throne of Iustice that they behaue themselues with more ciuilitie in their ordinarie speaches towards the inferiour family of Christs Church not nick-naming the vilest wretch seeing that such deserue rather to be pitied or else punished after some other way Michaell the Archangell reuiled not the Diuell albeit that he was worthy of millions of curses and of a world of taunts If wee be Tyrants towards our inferiours what sauours ought wee to expect at the hands of our chiefe Superiour which regardeth an humble contrite minde more then all the sacrifices in the vvorld and vvhich confounds all haughty hot-spurres in their owne imaginations and vaine deuises To be short imprint yee this lesson firmely in your hearts Cum sueris Iudex miti sis corde memâ—nto Dicito quae possint dicta decereseneim Be milde and meeke in Iudgement seat And speake no words in Passions heat But as a graue and auntient Iudge Speake without wrath speake without grudge LINEAMENT X. 1 That a true Christian ought not to detract from the Iudges of his Countrey though they wrong him 2 That no mortall man liues exempted from man fold crosses 3 What vexations besall to Iudges themselues DEtract not from the Iudges of thy Countrey though they behaue themselues not so cleanly in their offices as they ought But perswade thy quiet conscience that the highest Iudge beholdeth their corruptions from his heauenly Pharos or Watch-towre of knowledge and that sometime or other vvhen it shall seeme best vnto his prouident Maiestie hee vvill eyther plague them by immediate iudgements from heauen or else hee will raise vp some sinister fortune here on earth in reuenge of their enormious liues for this is a principall maxime in Diuinitie that euery Creature is offended with vs when our Creator is offended vvith vs. Offenso Creatore offenditur omnis Creatura As long as thou sweepest and keepest thine owne closet neat and cleane and carriest thy conscience vvithout guilt or guile what matters it to thee how other men demeane themselues Cannot rich men weare what new-fangled apparrell best likes their franticke fancie thou must onely accompt for thine owne Bailiwick The number of the vniust haue euer exceeded the
time of Luthers death 3 A note deliuered by the Authour touching the Diuels reall power Lineament VIII 1 That true miracles were but lent by the Lord to the Primitiue Church for confirmation of the Gospell which accompanied the said miracles 2 How in their stead false miracles crept into the Church with the Antichrist in the time of the great Apostasie 3 The Diuels Synode for employments of his hellish spirits 4 The Authours digression shewing that the Diuels shape was not reall but delusiue to deceiue the eye-sight 5 How men by his spirituall insinuations becâ—me his agents here on earth 6 The Diuels craft to continue men in their Detractions Lineament IX 1 What is the craft of our common Wizards 2 That Souldiours and men of courage haue beene daunted with disguâ—sed Angels 3 Examples of ordinary Witchcraft Sorceries and Coniurations Lineament X. An example translated out of Monsieur du Chesne his pourtait de la sante declaring how one Monsieur Poena a Phisition of Paris coniared two spirits out of a possessed mans body Lineament XI An excellent example of Conâ—uration translated out of Erasmus his Exorcisines fit to be obserued of our superstitious Detractors Lineament XII 1 That the Diuels common drâ—ft is spiritually to vndermine the will of man 2 That his scope and force is cousenage and deceit Lineament XIII Apborismes collected out of the first Fathers of the Primitiue Church concerning the Diuels power Lineament XIIII 1 The Authours Dehortation from such vaine detracting studies 2 The knowledge of Astrologie stinted and censured Lineament XV. 1 That the Authours meaning is not to denie the Diuels reall subsistence 2 His charitable application of the statute against Witchcraft made Anno primo Iacobi 3 That he onely denieth his reall power and his palpable force ouer any of Gods creatures 4 The vanity and fondnesse of Wizards 5 That the hand of God plagued Iob and other creatures of his 6 That good men neuer detract from Gods glory Lineament XVI The Spirit of Detraction punished by the immediate power of God proued by examples out of the Scripture The sixt Circle Lineament I. 1 THe spirit of Detractions pleas and allegations on the behalfe of his humouring and soothing men in their vanities 2 The said spirit sharply rebuked for his Equiuocation and dissimulation 3 The Authours purpose in this subsequent Circle Lineament II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction goeth about to ouerthrow Predestination in attributing our misfortunes immediately to the Planets thunders lightnings or other naturall creatures where the Author excuseth himselfe for writing of such deepe mysteries 2 How God made the second causes and all other things in this world for mans sake Lineament III. The Spirit of Detraction conuâ—cted for measuring Gods prouidence by their owne humane prouidence Lineament IIII. 1 The Authors censure of Predestination 2 That all second causes doe worke their effects according to the first causes direction which is God 3 How God endowed some with free-will through grace to enable them vnto faith 4 The Spirit of Detraction conâ—â—cted for imputing the cause of mens damnation to Gods decree Lineament V. That God is not the Authour of Temptation but an Actor therein Lineament VI. 1 How God predestinated some to be saued 2 Why all men were not elected 3 That mens owne wils by Gods sufferance occasion their reprobation and harme 4 The Authors sentence concerning himselfe whether he be one of the elect 5 That Good and Euill cannot come without Gods consent Lineament VII 1 The causes why God ordained thunder and lightning 2 The naturall nutriments of lightning 3 Why thunder and lightning be most dangerous in Winter 4 Where they worke their operations more vehemently 5 An admonâ—tion to build low Lineament VIII 1 How God sends thunder and lightning eyther for his glory for mens triall or for their punishment 2 Examples as well moderne as auncient offorcible thunders and lightning Lineament IX 1 That they detract from the glorious Maiestie of God which attribute his thunders lightnings and other meteorly signes to the Diuell or his adherents 2 Proofes out of the word of God that God alone sendeth forth such terrible signe Lineament X. 1 Probable proofes out of Ciuill pollicy that God is iealoâ—s of his glory and glorious signes and therefore not probable that he would lend his reall power to the Diuell 2 Examples of worldly states which could not endure vsurpers of their transitory titles and prerogatiues 3 That God hates Coniurers Witches Antichristians and other Detractors and vsurpers worse then Atheists or ignorant Iâ—fidels Lineament XI 1 Wherefore God diuerteth his naturall creatures against mankinde 2 That all crosses misfortunes proceed only from God 3 That in any wise we must not delay repentance 4 An obiection against sodaine death by the spirit of Detraction out of the Letany with a confutation thereof Lineament XII 1 That we must not iudge by mens misfortunes or sodaine death that they be forsaken of God 2 Charitable censures which a good Christian may yeeld touching those that die sodainly 3 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring ouer-cruelly of the Authors wife who was sticken dead with lightning the third of Ianuary 1603. where her commendation and assumption are moralized Lineament XIII 1 The Authours gratulation for his late fortunate deliuerance 2 His description of the lightning tragedy the third day of Ianuary 1608. at what time God â—ooke away his wife 3 His description of other crosses at the very same time 4 How God fore-shewed by mysteries the said crosses before they hapned vnto the Authour wherein his censure of Dreames is interlaced 5 His description of his miraculous escape out of the Sea wherein he fell by force of a cruell tempest on a Christmasse day 1602. Lineament XIIII 1 The spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring the Lords secret iudgements 2 The Authours imperfections acknowledged 3 His meditation on his late crosses Lineament XV. The Authours gratulatorie Prayer vnto the Lord for the aboue-said wonderous effects Lineament XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memorie 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the behalfe of this present Circle where his Wiues memorie is saluted with a Christian farewell The seauenth Circle Lincament I. 1 THat the spirit of Detraction can neuer annoy vs while the Maiestie of Iustice shines vpon vs. 2 The Authours supplication to the Lord Chancellour of England the Lord President of Wales and to all other his Maiesties Iudges of Record within this Monarchy of Great Britaine for the exâ—â—rping out of notorious blasphemies 3 The Spirit of Detractions craft in molesting his Maiesties inferiour Officers 4 His diabolicall craft in wronging of priuate persons 5 The Authours Conclusion to the aboue-said Lords for reformation of the said abuses Lineament II. 1 That after Controulement Instruction is necessarie for them that be possessed with