loth is to communicate He by the mouthes of our forefathers and The holy Prophets who did vnderstand His sacred will The Scriptures hath so fram'd To haue his Singularitie oft nam'd As thus Because the Lord is God alone Peculiar and besides him there is none Againe O Israel attend and heare The Lord thy God is One him thou shalt feare The God of gods I heare the Psalmist say Doth only worke great wonders Him obey For 'mongst the gods none 's like him Go and tell Saith he vnto my people Israel I am the Lord thy God and none but I Who brought thee from th' AEgyptian slauerie And from the house of Bondage set thee free Therefore thou shalt adore no God saue me Lycurgus in the Proëm of his Lawes To the Locrenses not without great cause These following words prefixt Needfull it were That all the people which inhabit here Should be persuaded There 's one God aboue By whom all liuing Creatures breathe and moue Who as in all his Works he is exprest So is he not the least made manifest In our inspection to the Worlds great frame The Heauen and goodly order of the same Be no man of that stupid ignorance To thinke that such things are dispos'd by chance The gluttons Belly is his god the cause In that his Appetite prescribes him Lawes The griping Auaritious man hath sold His Soule so dearely bought to purchase Gold Voluptuous men solely deuote to Lust Their Idol's Venus for in her they trust Th' Ambitious his All-Honour'd makes his Fame As before Gods preferring his owne Name And is not he vaine Studies doth prefer Before his Christ a meere Idolater And do not all those that ought higher prise Than Him to Idols offer sacrifise But he that shall beleeue in him aright Shall haue accesse to his Eternall Light When those that haue Religion in disdaine And Pietie in contempt and so remaine They striue to haue no being to their shame And to returne to nothing whence they came All such as are not numbred 'mongst the Saints Whom euill thoughts possesse and Sinne supplants Haue lost themselues as hid behinde a Skreene How then can the least part of them be seene But those that through their Sauiour proue victorious They in Heauens kingdome shall be great and glorious Two Principles as some Philosophers write There are Eternall both and Infinite Makers of things yet in their Natures vary As being in themselues meere contrary Their error note If two such in their prime Of power should haue existence at one time Since two so great must greater be than one Euen in that clause the Infinite is gone Being distinct in number and diuided Needs must they be by seuerall motions guided One borrowes not of the other for majoritie Being equall two there can be no prioritie And contrary as I before haue said In opposition they must needs inuade Th' agreeing Fabricke and so without cease Disturbe old Natures long-continued peace Neither from these two Equalls can arise A third this their great strife to compromise Againe If two one needlesse is and vaine Or as we call it Empty Now 't is plaine That Nothing cannot haue in Nature place For she hath Vacuum in continuall chase And is at war with 't Therefore I hope none But will confesse a Godhood and that one One Monarch of the world the great Effector Of all therein sole Parent and Protector All such as of their multiplicitie speake Disable them as wanting power and weake As if nought gouer'nd were that hath been made Which One can do without anothers aid Him only a true Monarch we may call That hath no parted kingdome but swayes all But where a Principalitie misguided Is amongst seuerall Optimates diuided It needs must follow In no One can be An absolute and exact soueraignty For none of these but by vsurping dare Challenge the whole where each haue but a share There is a certaine Bound which circumscribes His Iurisdiction Each hath seuerall Tribes To gouerne and dispose Should we agree In many gods it then perforce must be concluded There can be no Soueraigne Minde Since euery one hath but his Lot assign'd When as of Power it is the true condition Not to be ty'de to stint or exhibition But as the sole Supreme and Principall Guiding disposing comprehending all If God be perfect he can be but one As hauing all things in himselfe alone The more you make the more you shall depraue Their Might and Potencie as those that haue Their vertue scanted so allow not any Since all things cannot be contain'd in Many By which 't is manifest Those that maintaine More gods than one be people vile and vaine In the like blasphemy ready to fall With the dam'nd Atheist who knowes none at all The Manichees they hold a strange opinion That two betwixt them share the high Dominion Who as they did create so guide it still One Good disposeth and the other Ill. The first is Lord of Light and gouernes Day The last of Night and Darknesse beares chiefe sway One Heate in charge hath and the other Cold Yet who by daily proofe doth not behold That by the sole and Diuine Prouidence Man with all Creatures of them both hath sence And from them comfort That the Night for rest Was made to cheare Man wearied and opprest As well as Day whose cheerefull light prepares Vs to our needfull and best knowne affaires Do we not see from what we counted bad Much good to vs great solace hath been had Againe That seeming Good forg'd by the Deuill Hath been to vs th' occasion of much euill Heauens blessings let vs taste in their communitie Ascribing all praise to the God of Vnitie This sempiternall Minde this Consummate And absolute Vertue that did all create This Power who in himselfe hath his Stabilitie Maiestie Wisedome Strength and true Soliditie From whose Sublimitie no man 's so mad To thinke he can detract To whom none adde This of himselfe all Fulnesse all Satietie Is then the sole Incomprehensible Deitie Sometimes what 's proper vnto Man alone Is giuen to this Trias three in One As when we attribute vnto him Wings It straight vnto our aphrehension brings How he protects and shadowes vs. If Eares With what facilitie and grace he heares Our deuout Prayers And when his Arme stretcht out That of his Power and Strength we should not doubt His Finger nam'd doth to the world auer His Vertue and that no Artificer Can worke like him His Skill The glorious frame Of this great Machine doth to all proclaime His Face sometimes his presence doth imply Sometimes his fauour and benignitie If we reade Wrath we must consider then Those Iudgements that impend o're sinfull men And with what terror when they come they fall His Hand doth vnto our remembrance call His
that in all other things they shall keepe and obserue our Lawes and Ordinances Moreouer That in gratefull acknowledgement of this their free permssion they shall stand obliged to pray vnto their God Iesus for our life and safetie as likewise for the prosperity of the Roman Commonwealth and our Cities continuance in peace and flourishing estate To these I adde what I finde recorded in the Tartarian Historie of the great Emperour Cublay who was a meere Infidel honoring and acknowledging no other God than the Sun the Moone and the Starres This King was of incomparable greatnesse and wisedome not to be paralelled by any Prince of that Age in the which he liued Who hauing dispatched his puissant Captaine Baâ—aim to conquer the almost inuincible Prouince of Maugy which included the rich and inestimable Countrey and City of Cinquemay it hapned that in the absence of this mighty Captaine who had taken with him in that seruice the prime soldiers in all his Dominions two of his Nephews the one called Naim the other Cadue Princes of great power and command vnder him reuolted and grew into open rebellion and affronted him in battell But this magnanimous Emperour as politique in warre as prudent in peace commanding from the great Armenia vnto the borders of Calicut a kingdome in the East-India gaue them battell surprised the Rebells and put their Army to flight But that which I especially obserue in this historie is That the people reuolting after this manner were for the greater part Christians his Tributaries and seruants howsoeuer tainted with diuers heresies for some were Nestorians some Armenians some Abessines c. Hereupon the Iewes and Mahumetans being victorious vnder the pay of Cublay surprised of them to the number of fifteene thousand and hauing first disarmed and then with many bitter scoffes and taunts â—erided them they presenred them before the Emperour expecting when he would command them to be cut in pieces and they attending ready to play the Executioners But hee quite contrarie to their expectation being at that time mounted on a strong Elephant vpon whom he sate in his seat Royall their insolencies and mockeries being appeased and silence commanded he caused the Christian Prisoners to troupe about him to whom he deliuered an Oration to this purpose Though I confesse my great Victorie this day gotten was by the power and fauour of my gods the Sunne the Moone and the Starres abiding in the glorious Firmament of Heauen yet because the Prisoners being all or most of them Christians appeare before me not onely despoyled of their Armes but mocked and taunted of the Iewes Mahumetans and others vpbraiding them with their god Iesus who was sometimes fastned vnto a Crosse by the fore-fathers of these Iewes notwithstanding they haue opposed me in battell that so many of their Ensignes lye here prostrate at my feet yet that all the Nations and Languages that liue vnder our Principalitie and Dominion may know that Wee and our Grace can finde as soone Will to pardon as Power to punish from this day forward we forbid and strictly charge all Nations vnder vs of what Qualitie or Religion soeuer That they neither deride iniure or oppresse any of these captiue Christians vpon penaltie to be depriued of their Armes and disgracefully scourged with rods The maine reason inducing vs to see this exactly performed being no other but that their God Iesus is highly esteemed and honoured by Vs as being one of the greatest among the Coelestiall Deities full of all equitie and justice for he knowing those Christians injuriously to raise themselues against Vs as being our sworne Subiects and wee their Protector and Soueraigne hee therefore in his great justice hath permitted me to win the honour of this day which otherwise I had not power to do because I haue heard him stiled the God of Battels c. I giue you further to vnderstand That if any in this my victorious Army hath kept backe any Christian Prisoner not here presented before me he shall not dare to offer him the least affront or violence whatsoeuer but immediately set him at libertie deliuering him vp into their Quarter armed and with all equipages to him belonging and this to be performed vpon paine to passe through the danger of the Armies Now our Imperiall Charge imposed on these Christians for their delinquencie is That they pray vnto their God for our prosperitie and preseruation and doe vs nine moneths seruice in our intended war against the King of Nixiamora who denieth to pay vs Tribute and striueth to equall himselfe with our Greatnesse receiuing for the same equall wages with the rest of the Soldiers in our Army This great honor done vnto the name of Christ and vnto Christians for his sake by the Heathen and Infidels puâ—â—eth mee in minde of that which the Psalmist saith Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine Enemies that thou migtest confound the Enemie and the Auenger c. We shall enquire further of the Messias in whom we build our Faith and in whom the hope of our saluation consisteth and find him out by his Miracles The word Miraculum importeth a thing mouing stupor and admiration for those which behold a Miracle stand amased as confounded at the effects when they cannot apprehend the causes Or else it is a thing which from whence it comes or by what meanes passeth apprehension for whatsoeuer happeneth beyond the course of Nature begetteth admiration Saint Augustine saith As it was possible for God to appoint a certaine course for all Natures according to his Diuine will and pleasure so it is not impossible vnto him to alter that course and change those Natures as him best liketh And elsewhere We know that God is able to doe all things though we cannot conceiue the meanes by which he worketh them And in Miracles all the reason that can be giuen of the thing done is onely the power of the Doer And in his booke De Confess We wonder at the bredth and height of the Mountaines the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean the windings and turnings of Riuers the motions of the Spheres and Planets yet neuer wonder at our selfe when Man in himselfe is a greater miracle than all the miracles that can be wrought by Man Greg. in Homil. saith That all Diuine Miracles ought to be meditated on by Study not examined by Reason for to enquire into the secret purpose of the Almighty is to be too arrogant and saucy in his Counsels Lipsius ex Greg. M. vseth these words Diuine Miracles are to be considered not disputed And againe True Miracles witnesse one true God but false Impostures acknowledge many and those euill Chrisostome vpon Math. saith As the Morning precedeth the Sun and Darkenesse goeth before the Night so at the comming of Christ the Prophets before him and the Apostles with him and after him by the help of the Holy-Ghost
to this purpose and by me thus paraphrased Now of the Forrest trees all which are thine Thou Lord hast chosen to thy selfe one Vine And out of all the spacious kingdomes knowne One Piece of earth which thou dost call thine owne Of all the Sommer floures th' earth doth yeeld Pickt out one Lilly ' midst of all thy Field From all the Seas that compasse in the vast And far-spread earth one Riuer tooke thou hast Of all built Cities in thy choise affection Thou of one Sion hast made free election Of all created Fowles swift or slow flighted Thou in one onely Doue hast been delighted Of all the Cattell that the pastures keepe Thou hast appointed to thy selfe one Sheepe Out of all Nations vnder this vast Frame Cull'd one alone to call vpon thy Name And to that People thou a Law hast giv'n Which from grosse earth transcendeth them to heav'n Notwithstanding these and the many glorious Miracles visible to the eyes of their fore-fathers which were not onely deliuered vnto their posteritie by tradition but by the mouth and pen of the Holy-Ghost in the person of Moses and many other Prophets yet of their refractorie condition stiffe-necked rebellion their idolatries and vtter falling off from their powerfull and mighty Preseruer numerous nay almost infinite are the testimonies in Holy-Writ Opposit vnto Pride is that most commendable Vertue of Humilitie which Pontanus calleth the Sister of true Nobility Blessed are the Poore in Spirit saith our Sauior for theirs is the kingdom of God And Prov. 16. It is better to be humble with the Meek than to diuide the spoile with the Proud Againe saith our blessed Sauiour Suffer these little Ones to haue accesse vnto me and forbid them not for to such belong the Kingdome of Heauen For whosoeuer shall humble himself as one of these little ones he shall be great in the kingdom of heauen Againe Iudg. The prayers of the Humble and Gentle haue beene euer pleasing vnto thee And Psal. 112. Who is like the Lord our God who dwelleth in the most high place and from thence regardeth the Humble both in heaven and earth lifting the Weake from the earth and raising the Poore from the Dung-hill that he may place him with Princes And 1. Pet. 5. Be ye humbled vnder the mighty hand of God that yee may be exalted in the time of Visitation Saint Augustine de Verb. Dom. saith Discite à me non Mundum fabricare c. Learne of me not how to build the world nor create things visible or inuisible not to work miracles and raise the Dead vnto life but seeke to imitate me in my humility and lowlinesse of heart If thou thinkst in thine heart to erect a building in great sublimitie consider first the foundation which is layd in humilitie And of the same Vertue he thus proceedeth O medicine vnto vs most profitable all tumors repressing all defects supplying all superfluities rejecting all depraued things correcting What Pride can be cured but by the Humility of the Son of God What Couetousnesse healed but by the Pouerty of the Sonne of God What Wrath be appeased but by the Wisdome of the Sonne of God Againe High is the countrey but low is the way and therefore let not him that desireth to trauell thither refuse the path which leadeth vnto it In Sermon de Superbia hee vseth these words O holy and venerable Humilitie Thou causedst the Sonne of God to descend into the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary thou didst wrap him in vile and contemptible garments that he might adorne vs with the Ornaments of Vertue Thou didst circumcise him in the flesh that hee might circumcise vs in the Spirit Thou madest him to be corporeally scourged that he might deliuer vs from those scourges due vnto vs for our sinnes Thou didst crowne him with Thornes that he might crowne vs with his eternall Roses Thou madest him to be feeble and weake who was the Physition of vs all c. Greg. in Explic. 3. Psal. Poeniten saith That he which gathereth Vertues without Humilitie is like one that carrieth dust in the winde And Saint Bernard Lib. de Consider Stable and permanent is the foundation of Vertue if layd vpon Humilitie otherwise the whole building is nothing but ruin Leo in Serm. de Nativ Christ. saith In vaine are we called Christians if wee be not Imitators of Christ who therefore named himselfe the Way That the conuersation of the Master might be a president vnto the Disciple that the Seruant might chuse that humility which the Master followed who is Christ. Hugo de Claus. Animae telleth vs That in the spirituall Building the foundation below is placed in Humilitie the bredth thereof is disposed in Charitie the height thereof is erected in Good-workes it is tiled and couered by Diuine protection and perfected in the length of Patience Bernard in Vita Laurent Iustiniani compareth Humilitie to a Torrent which as in the Summer it is temperat and shallow but in the Spring and Winter inundant and raging so Humilitie in prosperitie is milde and gentle but in aduersitie bold and magnanimious Chronatus Episcop de octo Beatitud saith That as it is not possible in any ascent to attaine vnto the second step or staire before thou hast passed the first so no man can attain vnto Humilitie and gentlenesse till he be first poore in spirit Thriverus in Apothegm 200. vseth these words As the deeper a Vessell is the more it receiueth so euery man is capable of so much grace as he is before possessed of Humilitie The Hierogliphycke of this Cardinall Vertue according to Pierius Valerius Lib. 35. is a Bended Knee borrowed it seemeth from that of Horrace Ius imperiaque Phraates Caesaris accepit genibus minor A Fable to this purpose I haue read and not altogether improper to be here inserted Amongst a many tall straight faire and well growne trees there was one low crooked and not a little deformed which was hourely derided by the rest insomuch that it grew wearie both of it's place and life But not long after the Lord of the soile hauing occasion to build he caused all those goodly Timbers to be felld and laid prostrat on the earth which being soone after remoued this despised and dejected shrub as a thing held meerely vnseruiceable was left standing alone neither obscured from the comfortable beams of the Sunne nor couered from the chearefull and tempestiue showres of the Heauens At which she began to acknowledge the happinesse of her humility since that which she apprehended to be her griefe and miserie returned in the end to be the sole meanes of her preseruation and safetie Not much forrein vnto this is that counsell which Ovid gaue his Friend Trist. lib. 3. Eleg. 4. Vsibus edocto si quicquid credis Amico Vive tibi longe nomina magna vita Vive tibi quantumque potes perlustria vita Saevum praelustri fulmen ab
her sonne Itis begot by her husband Tereus The Daiedes or Danaes daughters of Danaus for cutting the throats of their husbands and kinsmen the sonnes of AEgiptus The Lemniades or women of Lemnos who in the same Island most cruelly slew their sonnes and fathers Harpalice the daughter of Climenus who killed the childe which her incestuous father begot on her owne body Tullia the daughter of Servius King of the Romans who caused her chariot to be drawne ouer the body of her dead father for the horridnesse of which fact the street in the citie Rome where this was done was called Vicus sceleratus Of those abhorred for Incestuous congresse the most remarkable were Iocasta who had issue by her sonne Oëdipus and Pelopaea by her father Thiestes Harpalice with her Sire Climenus c. Some are to this day made infamous for killing their husbands As Clitemnestra the daughter of Thestius for conspiring with Egistus in the murder of her Lord Agamemnon the son of Atreus Iliona the daughter of Priam for killing her husband Polymnestor K. of Thrace Semyramis Queen of Babylon for the death of Ninus King of Assyria Helena after the death of Paris Deiphebus the sonne of Priam. Agave her husband Lycothersis in Illyria and Deianeira for sending the poysonous Shirt to her Lord Hercules of Lybia c. Others for killing their wiues As the same Hercules his wife Megara the daughter of Creon King of Thebes Theseus Antiopa the Amazon and daughter of Mars Cephalus the son of Deionis or of Mercury Procris the daughter of Pandion by his vaine jelousie c. Fathers for killing their daughters As Agamemnon the great General of the Grecian Army in their famous expedition against Troy who sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the goddesse Diana Climenus the sonne of Oeneus slew his daughter Harpalice because she killed her child and serued it in vnto him at a banquet Hyacinthus his daughter Spariantides vpon an answer returned from the Athenians Erichthaeus the sonne of Pandion his daughter Colophonia vpon the like occasion Cercyon the sonne of Vulcan his daughter Alopes for committing incest with Neptune AEolus his daughter Canace for the like done with her brother Mallaraeus c. Of mothers that most cruelly and vnnaturally haue murthered their owne children we reade That Medea the daughter of Oâ—tes King of Colchos slew her two sonnes Machareus Pherelus begot by Iason Progne the daughter of Pandion killed her son It is which she had by Tereus Ino the daughter of Cadmus yong Melicertes begat by Athamas the sonne of AEolus Althaea the daughter of Thestius Meleager by Oeneus the sonne of Parthaâ—n Themisto the daughter of Hypseus Plinthius and Orchomenes her two sonnes by Athamas Tyros the daughter of Salmoneus two sonnes begot by Sisiphus the sonne of Eolus Agave the daughter of Cadmus Penthaus the sonne of Echion at the imposition of Liber Pater c. So likewise of Selfe-murtherers Egeus the sonne of Neptune and father of Theseus cast himselfe headlong into the sea from whose death it still retaines the name of Mare Egeum i. the Egean sea Euhemus the sonne of Hercules precipitated himselfe into the riuer Lycorma which is now called Chrysorroas Aiax the sonne of Telamon slew himselfe for the losse of Achilles his armor Lycurgus the sonne of Briantus being strooke with madnesse by Liber Pater laid violent hands vpon himselfe Agrius the son of Parthaon being expulsed from his kingdome by Diomedes King of AEtolia slew himselfe So Ceneus the sonne of Elatus Menicus the father of Iocasta or as some call him Menaetis precipitated himselfe from the walls of Athens Nisus the son of Mars hauing lost his purple locke cast himselfe vpon his sword and so died As likewise Climenus the sonne of Coeneus King of Arcadia after he had committed incest with his daughter Cyniras the sonne of Paphus King of Assyria after hee had committed the like with his owne naturall childe Hercules cast himselfe into the fire and so perished Adrastus with his sonne Hipponous did the like Pyramus the Babylonian slew himselfe for the loue of Thisbe And Oedipus the sonne of Laius destroyed his owne life for hauing incestuous Issue by his mother whose name was Iocasta c. Of Women that so dispairingly died these Hecuba the wife of Priam cast her selfe into the sea as Ino the daughter of Cadmus did the like with her sonne Melicertus Anticlia the mother of Vlysses and daughter of Antolychus strangled her selfe because she heard a false rumour of her sonnes death The like did Stoenobaea the daughter of Iobates and wife of King Praetus for the loue of Bellerephon Evadne the daughter of Philacus because her husband Capaneus was slaine at Thebes cast her selfe into the same funeral fire in which his body was burned AEthra the daughter of Pythaus for the death of her children Iliona for the death of her parents Themisto for her children Erigone for her father Phedra for the incestuous loue borne to her step-sonne Hyppolitus Phyllis for Demophoon Calypso daughter to Atlas for the loue of Vlysses Dido the daughter of Belus for AEneas c. Time would sooner faile me than Historie yet these I haue introduced to this purpose to shew That Atheisme and want of the true knowledge of God hath bin the cause of so many Murthers and Incests hath made so many Parracides and Fratricides and indeed hath beene the ground of all prodigious acts and inhumanities whatsoeuer Something is requisit to be spoken of Idolatry The word is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Cultus and Colo The definition thereof is Cultus Deo debitus Creaturae exhibitus i. The worship that is due onely to God conferre vpon the Creature An Idol is when any Statue or Image in which either some Deitie or any other thing shall stand for a Power a Patron Protector or Sauiour is represented and worshipped Of which kind was the golden Calfe Basil saith vpon the third of Esay What thing can appeare more vain and ridiculous than for a man to professe himselfe to be the workeman of his God and Maker To shew how abhominable Idolatry was in the eyes of the Almighty I will only quote you one place out of many in the holy Text Take therefore good heed vnto your selues for you saw no Image in the day that the Lord spake to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire that you corrupt not your selues nor make you a grauen Image or representation of any figure whether it be likenesse of male or female the likenesse of any beast that is on the earth or of any feathered fowle that flieth in the aire or of any thing that creepeth on the earth or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth And lest thou lift vp thine eyes to heauen and when thou seest the Sunne the
beginning Plato and Socrates sorted the prime procreation from Three God Idaea and Matter Zeno admitted but Two God and the Elements The Hebrewes held Matter Forme and Spirit Some of the Greeks and amongst them especially Hesiod and of the Latines Ovid they stood with a Chaos To reckon vp all their opinions and quarrelling arguments to confirme them would grow to as great an infinite as Democritus his Atomes which were an vpossible thing to number for as in the maine they differ one from another so they are at great distance and contrarietie among themselues S. Augustâ— contra Manich. vseth these words Compescat sâ— humanatemeritas id quod non est non quaerat â—e illud quod est non inveniat i. Let mans rashnesse bridle it selfe That which is noâ— let him by no means seeke lest that which is he can no way find And in another place Multo facilius inveniaâ— syderum conditorem Humilis pietâ—s quam siderum ordinem superba curiositas i. The Maker of the Stars is more easily found by humble pietie than the order of the Stars by proud curiositie Euclides the Philosopher being demanded by one What kinde of things the gods were and what manner of workes they most delighted themselues in made him this answere That he was not very familiar with their persons nor much acquainted with their purposes onely so much he vnderstood from them That aboue all things they hated such polupragmaticall Inquisitors Demonax when one solicited him to know Whether the World were animated And had Spirit and Life And againe Whether it were fashioned round after the maner of a Sphere or Globe cut him off with this short answere Why dost thou friend thus trouble thy selfe to enquire so much after the World who oughtst rather to apply thy diligence to liue vprightly in the World Seneca in his Epistles speakes to this purpose Why dost thou trouble thy selfe about questions which were better for thee to be ignorant of than to be resolued in What tends it to Vertue or good Life to studie perfectnesse in the enarration of Syllables to labour Words trauell in the strict lawes of a Verse or to keepe fabulous Histories in memory Which of all these can take away from thy feares or bridle thy irregular desires Musicke can shew vs which are the lacrymable notes but can it demonstrate vnto vs in our misery how not to vtter a lamenting voice Geometry teacheth how to measure spatious grounds and fields when it should rather instruct vs how to take measure of our graues and how much quantitie of earth would serue for our bodies how we ought not to spend or wast any part of our Inheritance and not how to measure much and purchase little No Artificer but can tell which things are triangle which round which square with the quantitie and dimention thereof but can he search into the depth or secrets of the heart or into the minde of a man to know how streight or capatious it is Thou knowest a line if it be right and direct but what doth that profit thee if in what should guide the perfect and vpright line of thy life thou beest ignorant In another place he saith Sophismata nec ignorantem nocent nec scientem iuvant i. These sophismes and impertinent riddles neither hurt the Ignorant nor benefit the Knowing c. Many of these vnnecessarie curiosities being deliuered to Spiridion and diuers other Bishops in the Nicene Councell to be resolued and amongst others That it was absurd to conceiue that God in his infinite eternitie before foure or fiue thousand yeares past should now at length make this world and to endure so short a season what did he then before it or what could he finde himselfe to doe after it To whom Spiridion as the mouth of the rest gaue this answer That lest hee should be said to doe nothing in that Vacuum he was then making a place of eternall torments for all such ouer-curious Inquisitors c. And therefore all Orthodoxall Doctors and Diuines with the whole Catholike Church against these former exploded opinions conclude out of Genesis That there is one world made by God in the beginning of Time and that all the generations of Mankind were propagated proceeded from the Protoplasti Adam and Eue our first great Grandfather and Grandmother and whoso shall presume to search further are not onely guilty of vnprofitable curiositie but worthily branded with irreligious impietie Moreouer Temporum quorundam cognitionem Deus sibi ipsi reservavit i. The knowledge of some times and seasons God reserues to himselfe for we know that the time in which the Messias was to come into the World was concealed from the Patriarchs and Prophets though with many prayers and teares they besought it Besides our Lord and Sauiour would not shew his Disciples of the last day when he was to come to iudge the world though they vehemently entreated it in these words Tell vs when these things shall be and what signe of thy comming and consummation of the world Moreouer to shew what a great secret it was Of that day saith he and that houre no man knowes no not the Angels of heauen but the Father onely So likewise after he was risen from the Dead being asked by his Apostles When the kingdome of Israel should be restored he told them That the eternall Father had reserued the knowledge of that time vnto himselfe For saith he It is not for you to know the times and the moments which the Father hath put in his owne power c. Pius pulsator plerumque invenit quod temerarius scrutator invenire non potest saith a learned Father The godly knocker doth oftentimes light vpon that which the curious inquisitor by much search can neuer finde Therefore as Socrates aduised all men most especially to beware of those viands and delicacies which persuade and prouoke them to eat when they haue no appetite or stomacke and to abstaine from all such wines as tempt them to drink when they are no whit athirst so ought we in all our discourse labour to auoid all such vaine and vnprofitable questions which resolued help not and vndecided hinder not But as the AEgles when they rest and the Lions when they walke the one pluckes in his tallons the other his clawes to keepe them sharpe as loath to dull them til they meet with their prey so it is not fit that we should trouble our heads or exercise our wits vpon things impertinent but rather reserue them for things onely behoofull and necessarie Plautus in Sticho saith Curiosus nemo est qui non sit malevolus There is none that is curious but is euilly disposed And againe in Haecyra Tua quid nihil refert percontari desinesâ— i. That which concerneth thee not enquire not after I conclude with that of S. Bernard in one of his Sermons Curiosus foras engreditur exterius omnia
necessaries wanting or if he intended that voyage he could not go in better company At which words the bold Centurion leapt into the empty saddle and was presently hurried away from the sight of his seruants in a moment and the next euening at the same houre and in the same place he was found by his seruants and friends who were there seeking and enquiring after him To whom he related his journey and what he had seene in the Holy City describing punctually euery Monument and place of remarke which agreed with the relations of such Trauellers and Pilgrims as had beene there and brought Certificate and assured testimonie from thence He shewed vnto them likewise an hand-kerchiefe which that Cooke his seruant or rather Diuell in his likenesse had giuen him stained with bloud but told him if at any time it were foule or durtie he should cast it into the fire for that was the onely way to make it cleane He shewed them likewise a knife and sheath which he bestowed vpon him which hee said was the guift of a gratefull remembrance but gaue him a great charge thereof for said he the mettal is poysoned and euery blow giuen therewith is present and immediate death Alexander Alexandri relateth a story of a poore Captiue shut vp in a darke dungeon but by a Spirit taken from thence and transported into diuers Infernal places where hauing spent three entyre dayes and nights being mist all that time by the Gaoler he was after brought backe into the same and lodged in his irons though the place was double barred locked and bolted Who made relation of many strange sights seen in Hell and with what seuerall insufferable torments the Soules of the Damned were inflicted persuading all them that came to visit him to haue more care how they lead liues dissolute and wicked least after death they should be made partakers of such infatigable Torments Boccatius writeth the historie of a Nobleman of Insubria who vndertaking a journey or rather Pilgrimage to Ierusalem to accomplish a Vow before made at the parting with his wife left her a Ring with a constant condition and couenanted vowes betwixt them That if he returned not to claim it before the expiration of three yeares she should haue free leaue and liberty to bestow her selfe in marriage to her owne liking but vntill the last prefixed day to keepe her first nuptiall Faith inviolate After his departure it so happened that in the way he was set vpon by Outlawes and Robbers rifled taken prisoner and after carried into AEgypt where in processe of time being brought before the Emperour and examined he told him and truly too that he was son to a Nobleman of such a Country who when he himselfe in person disguised trauelled to discouer some parts of Christendom at his owne house gaue him courteous and honorable entertainement Which the Sultan remembring gratefully acknowledged his fathers great generositie and bounty and not onely restored him to present libertie but soone after created him Visier Bassa and made him the second person in the kingdome In which honour and greatnesse he continued till the date of three yeres were almost fully expired when remembring the last contract made betwixt his wife and him he grew into a sudden and deep melancholy which the Sultan perceiuing earnestly importuned him to know the reason of his so strange distemperature Who to shorten circumstance disclosed vnto him all the former passage betwixt himselfe and his best affected wife Which passionately apprehended by the Sultan he presently caused a skilfull Magitian to be called and sollicited him with the vtmost of his skill to further the desires of his Friendâ— The Necromancer caused instantly a rich bed to be prouided and layd him thereon which the Emperor caused to be furnished with an inestimable treasure both of coine and jewels The Insubrian was no sooner at rest but by the helpe of Spirits he was immediatly transported vnto Fycina his owne city and there left in the Cathedrall Church neere to the high Altar This was in the night Now early in the morning when the Sexton entred to prepare the Church for Diuine seruice he cast his eye vpon the glorious bed which shined with stones and gems and withall espied him layd thereon and as yet not fully awake At which vnexpected sight being extremely terrified he ran out of the Church and to all that he met proclaimed the prodigie By this time the Nobleman began to awake and recollect himselfe and then rising vp and walking forth of the Temple for the Sexton had left the doore open hee met with those who made toward the place to partake the wonderment Some of which notwithstanding his long absence and strange habit knew him and saluted him with a friendly welcome From thence hee went home longing to know how the affaires stood with his wife and Family but the time of their former vowes being now expired he found her newly contracted and the next day to haue been married to another husband which his seasonable arriuall most fortunately preuented Now touching the transportation of Witches by the assistance of the Diuell though I might select and cull out many histories both from Bodinus and Wyerius yet because they haue passed thorow the hands of many I will rather make choice of some few gathered out of Authors lesse read and not altogether so vulgarly knowne Bartholomaeus Spinaeus Master of the holy Pallace recordeth this Historie There was saith he a yongâ—Maid who liued with her mother in Bergamus and was found in one and the same night in bed with a cousin german of hers in Venice who being found there in the morning naked without linen or so much as a rag to couer her yet being neerely allyed to them they gently demanded of her how she came thither where her cloathes were and the cause of her comming The poore Guirle being much ashamed and mixing her blushes with many teares made answere to this purpose This very night said she when I lay betwixt sleep and awake in bed I perceiued my mother to steale softly from my side thinking I had not seene her and stripping her selfe from all her linnen she tooke from her closet a box of ointment which opening she anointed her selfe therewith vnder the arm-pits and some other parts of her body which done she tooke a staf which stood ready in a corner which shee had no sooner bestrid but in the instant she rid or rather flew out of the window and I saw her no more At which being much amased and the candle still burning by me I thought in my selfe to try a childish conclusion and rising from my bed tooke downe the said box and anointing my selfe as I had before obserued her and making vse of a bed-staffe in the like manner I was suddenly brought hither in a moment where I was no sooner entred but I espied my mother in the chamber with a knife in her hand and
Sponges Being banished the City in his way he looking backe lifted vp his hands toward heauen saying O Pallas thou Lady of this City why takest thou such delight in three the most vnluckie Monsters of the world the Owle the Dragon and the People Being reuiled by an injurious prating Companion and being forced to make reply in his owne behalfe by which scolding and loud language must needs arise I am now compelled said hee to vndertake such a combat in which he that hath the vpper hand getteth the worst and whoso ouercommeth shall be most sure to lose the Victorie c. It was a saying of the Emperour Sigismund That those Courts were onely happy where proud men were depressed and meeke men aduanced The same Prince being asked What man he held worthy of a Diadem Onely such an one saith hee whom prosperitie puffeth not vp neither can aduersitie dismay To one who praised him aboue measure so farre hyperbolising that hee would needs make him more than mortall the Emperour much displeased with such palpable flatterie strooke him two or three blowes vpon the cheeke Who saying to the Emperor Why do you strike me Mary quoth the Emperour because thou didst bite me c. Fredericke the Emperor being demanded Which of his Subiects and Seruants he loued best and that were dearest vnto him made answer Those that feare not me more than they feare God The same Emperor when one asked himâ— What hee thought to be the best thing that could happen to a man in this world Replied To haue a good going out of the World Rodulphus Caesar the first that traduced the Empire into the Austrian Familyâ— when one asked of him Why generally all men despised the exercise of such Arts as they had been taught but to rule and gouerne which was the Art of Arts no man refused That is no wonder said hee because they thinke all such to be Fooles that cannot rule and there is no man that thinks himself a Foole. But what are all these where the wisedome to seeke after God shall be in the least kinde neglected God saith Salomon loueth no man if he dwelleth not with Wisedome for shee is more beautifull than the Sunne and is aboue all the order of the Starres and the Light is not to be compared vnto her for Night commeth vpon that but Wickednesse cannot ouercome Wisedome I end this Argument with these few lines extracted Ex Antholog Sacr. Iacob Billij Pythagoras olim quid sensuerit c. Not what Pythagoras in times past thought Not sharpe Chrisippus by his study sought What Plato's or what Zeno's censure was Or what th' opinion of Protagoras What Anaxagoras brought forth to light Or Aristotle the learn'd Stagerite How many heathen gods there were to show Or goddesses shall we call this To Know He that for such cause shall himselfe aduance Can brag of nothing but blinde Ignorance He onely can of Wisedome truly bost Who knowes the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost Many things are found to be monstrous prodigious in Nature the effects whereof diuers attribute to sundry causes some either to defect or super-aboundance in Nature others to the power and operations of Daemons good or bad We read That when Lucius Martius and Iulius Sextius were Consuls in Rome two mountaines remoued from their proper places and so impetuously met together that hauing vented a great quantitie of fire and smoke into the aire by the violence of their encounter they returned backe againe into their owne scituation first hauing destroyed many Villages which lay betwixt them killing much cattell where many Roman Knights too aduenturous perished by the same prodegie The same Author relateth That in the time that Nero Caesar wore the Imperiall Purple Vessus Marcellus whom the Emperour had sent into the Kingdome of Naples had two fields distant the one from the other certaine furlongs the one was a faire greene medow the other planted with Oliue trees which miraculously changed places for the Oliue field was transported where the medow was and the medow to the place where the Oliues grew And this was supposed to be done by an Earthquake This is approued for a truth by the Annals of sundry Learned men bur especially remembred in the booke of the Mountaines It hath been likewise obserued that in the sacrifice of Beasts no hearts haue beene found in the bodies For so it happened when Caesar the Dictator first sate in the golden Chaire Cicero and Pliny both report That Caius Marius offering sacrifice at Vtica no heart was found in the beast which the Priest coniectured proceeded from no naturall cause And therefore it may be thought to be the imposture of euill Spirits who to delude and abuse the people stole the heart away from the Altar inspiring the Priest to say something thereupon as partly foreseeing what was likely to succeed after It is recorded also That in the sacrifice which Marcus Marcellus made before he was slain in the battell fought against Hannibal That the first day the Priest could finde no heart in the beast and the second day opening another he found two Aulus Gellius telleth vs That vpon the same day when Pyrrhus died after the heads of the sacrificed beasts were cut off they licked vp their owne bloud which was spilt vpon the ground As also That the same yeare when Hannibal was vanquished by Scipio Publ. AElius and Cneius Cornelius being Consuls wheat was seene to grow vpon trees Many more I could alledge to the like purpose c. Ficin Epist. lib. 11. vseth these words Prodegies hapning before or at the death of Princes come not by fortune because they obserue order nor by Nature by reason they are diuers amongst themselues If therefore neither accidentally nor naturally it must needs inferre they arise by a more sublime Intelligence exuperant aboue the power or strength of Nature And they are referred vnto three chiefe causes For there is Person which is the Daemon Familiar which the Theologists call Angelus Custos Then there is a Power called the Keeper or Gardian of the Place the House the City or the Kingdome and this is tituled by the name of Principate Aboue these is the sublime Order or Chorus of Powers Daemons or Angels into which number or lot by the similitude of Office the excellent Minde or Soule is to shift as it were into it's owne Star there to remaine as a Collegue in the same office And as there are three Authors of prodegies so there are three kindes The sublime Classe kindleth the crested or bearded Comets prouoketh Thunder casteth out Lightning causeth Incendiaries and falling Starres The Power of the Prouince shaketh the Prefect ouerturneth buildings declareth Oracles and designeth violent Heats and Vapours The Familiar Custos or Daemon begetteth Dreames causeth or disturbeth sleepes and taketh charge of man as well in his priuat chamber as in the streets or fields The first
finde The excellent Greeke Poet Hesiod giues Venus the Epithit Aurea Some questioning With what proprietie he could call her Golden Venus she being in her natiue disposition solely deuoted to pleasure and sporting dalliance but no way tainted with the least as persion of gripple vngenerous Auarice one among the rest vnwilling he should be taxed with the least ignorance or mistake thus answered in his behalfe Hesiodus pulchre quid sit Venus Aurea Iusit Et peream si quid rectius esse potest c. Hesiod said well And let me die But when He call'd her Golden Venus he did then With rich conceit because we now behold There is no Match that is not made with gold And Venus chang'd to Vsus Venerie Is now conuerted to plaine Vsurie This Saturnes sonne well knew when bee'ng surpris'd With Danaës loue he came to her disguis'd In a rich golden Raine and through the tiles Sent liquid drops which she with gracefull smiles Spred her lap wide to take not bee'ng content To fold it vp till the whole showre was spent He made the president since when we finde That whilest we giue out Sweet-hearts thinke vs kinde But if we nothing bring Away be gon Full pockets now are only lookt vpon He that trusteth in his Riches saith Solomon shall perish He troubleth his owne house that followeth Auarice but he that hateth Couetousnesse shall liue He that hateth Couetousnesse his dayes shall be long and he that hastneth to be rich shall not be innocent The Couetous man shall not be fill'd with money and he that loueth Riches shall not receiue the fruits thereof He that heapeth to himselfe vniustly gathereth for others and another shall ryot in his riches He that is wicked vnto himselfe to whom can he be good in his goods he shall take no pleasure We reade Ierem. cap. 6. From the lesse to the greater all doat on Avarice from the Prophet to the Priest all study deceit Therefore I wil deliuer vp their Women to strangers and make others heires of their fields because from the least to the greatest all follow Auarice and from the Prophet to the Priest all study Lies Couetousnesse is called the Seruice of Idols Ephes. 5.5 The Root of euils 1. Tim. 6.10 And such as bee therewith infected are called Despisers of Gods Word Mat. 6.24 c. Cruel Prov. 12.10 Idolaters Coloss. 3.5 Miserable and vaine Iob 5.5 They are to be auoided 1 Cor. 5.11 They shall not inherit the kingdom of Heauen Ibid. 6.10 Infinit are the Texts in Scripture not only bitterly reprouing but vtterly condemning this base sinne of Auarice for breuities sake I will shut them vp with that godly admonition of the holy Euangelist Saint Mathew cap. 6. ver 19. Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the Moth and Canker do corrupt and where Theeues breake through and steale but lay vp treasures for your selfe in Heauen where neither the Moth nor Canker corrupteth and where Theeues neither digge through nor steale for where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Saint Augustine De Verb. Domini saith What is this aviditie of Concupiscence in man when euen the beasts themselues retaine a mediocritie They are rauenous when they be hungry but when their appetites are sated they spare to prey The auarice of Rich men is onely insatiate who alwaies raueth and is neuer satisfied He neither feareth God nor reuerenceth man◠hee neither spareth father nor acknowledgeth mother his brother hee forgetteh falsifieth faith vnto his friend he oppresseth the widow inuadeth the Orphan those that are free hee bringeth into bonds nor maketh he conscience to beare false witnesse c. O what a madnesse is this in men to despise life and desire death to couet Gold and to lose Heauen Obserue what Saint Ambrose saith in one of his Sermons It is no lesse fault in thee to take away from him that hath than when thou thy selfe art able to deny thy charitie to such as want It is the bread of the Hungry which thou detainest and the garment of the Naked which thou keepest backe the money which thou hoordest and hidest in the earth is the price and redemption of the Captiue and Miserable Know that thou takest away the goods of so many as thou deniest to do good vnto when thou canst and wilt not Those are not a mans riches which he cannot carry with him to the graue Mercy onely and Charitie are the inseparable companions of the Dead Hierome saith That when all other sinnes grow old in man Auarice onely continueth as youthfull to the end as at the beginning And in another of his Sermons he saith A Couetous man is the Purse of Princes a store house of Theeues the discord of Parents and the hisse of men Gregorie Moral lib. 14. saith That the sinne of Auarice so burdeneth and weigheth downe the mind which it hath once possessed that it can neuer be raised to haue a desire to behold things sublime and high Hugo lib. de Clav. writeth In the goods and riches which wee possesse there are foure things to be obserued namely That things lawfull to be sought we seek not vnjustly and things vniustly sought we inioy not vnlawfully that wee possesse not too much though lawfully nor things lawfully possessed we vnlawfully defend for either euilly to acquire or things euilly obtained what was lawfull maketh to be vnlawfull For a man to possesse much to himselfe hee commeth neere to couetousnesse and oftentimes it so falleth out that what is too much loued is euilly defended S. Bernard Serm. 39. saith Auarice is drawne in a Chariot with foure wheeles these are called Pusillanimitie Inhumanitie Contempt of God and Forgetfulnesse of Death The beasts that draw it be two Tenacitie and Rapacitie and these are guided and gouerned by one Chariotier called a Greedy Desire of Hauing For Couetousnesse alone because it will not be at the charges of hiring more is content with one seruant The Emperor Nero was neuer knowne to giue gift or to bestow office vpon any man but hee said vnto him Thou knowest what I haue need of This we do left any man what he hath should cal his owne Words saith Suetonius and Bion who report this of him better becomming the mouth of a Theefe and Robber than of an Emperour The Emperor Vespasian when by certaine Embassies he vnderstood that a rich Statue was to be erected vnto his honour by the publique Senat which would cost an infinit masse of money he desired them to forbeare and shewing the palme of his hand open he said vnto the Embassadors Behold here is a Base ready to receiue it Thereby intimating he had a hand to receiue that money liuing with which they purposed to honour him being dead Suet. in Vespas Marcus Crassus being on his journey to vndertake the Parthian war when in his way he found Deiotarus King of the Galathians