under the name of superstition subject to derision I think the advice is not amiss ANCIENT Heathens had an opinion not unworthy the consideration that no prodigie or bad Omen could hurt them by the event who did profess not to regard them or could elude them by a contrary interpretation Pliny's words to this purpose are Exemplis apparere ostentorum vires in nostra potestate esse ac prout quaequâ— accepta sint ita valere He doth add In Augurum certè disciplina c. that is That by the discipline of the Augures a sort of Diviners or Soothsayers among the Romans it is very certain that neither imprecations or auspicies or presages did belong unto them to hurt them who when they had any work in hand did profess and declare they did take no notice of either Quo munere divinae indulgentiae maius nullum est saith he that is Than which the Divine mercy hath not vouchsafed unto men a greater gift or boon So Pliny lib. 28. cap. 2. And in the next Chapter he doth mention some particular rites and ceremonies which they used to elude or avert mischiefs when threatned by some ill presage or inauspicious accident Of which St. Augustin doth treat and reckon many in his second de Doct. Christiana Chap. 20. I make no great wonder if many of those superstitious rites and ceremonies by both Pliny and St. Augustin mentioned were thought efficacious to elude or avert when the observation of prodigies was so transcendent that every thing almost that did not happen every day was looked upon as a prodigie It was not hard to avert or elude as they interpreted it what probably as founded upon such groundless fears and imaginations would never have hapned though probable too that meer fear and imagination though no better grounded might be the cause sometimes that some things hapned really which otherwise had never been But however because Pliny no very superstitious man who elsewhere hath not faith enough to believe that God cares for the world or takes any notice of mens actions whether good or bad because he doth here we see so magnifie the power of faith and therein the goodness of God that would so provide it and appoint it and that besides Pliny there be others that attest the same or much to the same purpose as afterwards in due place may be shewed we may consider besides Christian faith whether there be not some kind of natural faith such as natural meer natural men are and always have been capable of which with God by his own order and appointment is and always hath been more or less meritorious or efficacious for the averting of some temporal evils and a good pledge or forerunner of that true faith in Christ by which we hope not only to be rescued from that misery which as the wretched posterity of a sinful protoplast we are born unto but also I expect no otherwise but that the wits will laugh at our simplicity purchase Heaven it self and Immortality But of this more elsewhere which I will not here transcribe WITH this of Pliny the elder doth well agree the resolution of Pliny the latter and as well with Christianity and therefore not unworthy our observation A friend of his who was to plead a cause within one or two days after had a dream which much troubled him and threatned as he did interpret it some kind of miscarrying Whereupon he doth address himself to Pliny that he would procure him a further day Pliny first doth propose unto him what in such a case himself had done preferring that excellent rule or maxim of Homer's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is in effect That a good cause ought to be regarded more than any signs or prodigies whatsoever before terrifying dreams and visions when he was to defend the cause of an innocent friend against potent enemies Wherein notwithstanding his terrifying presages or prodigies he prospered He did so and hoped his friend might also But if that would not satisfie him his next advice is Quod dubâ—t as ne feceris which he calls Consultissimi cujusque praeceptum the precept or advice of all that are wise and prudent Not to do that whereof you doubt which I think doth very well agree with that of the Apostle And he that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith For whatsoever is not of faith is sin But lastly I make great difference of prodigies that concern private men only and those which concern Princes and whole common Weals I do not think these so easie to be avoided as those I HAVE done with prodigies I now proceed to that I have to observe upon the instances or the chiefest of them that have been produced which may be useful as I conceive in all or most other cases of Credulity or Incredulity And here first of all I propose this rule of Credulity or Incredulity in general in St. Augustin's words Multa St. Augustin hath it Nonnulla only but I think it will bear multa very well credibilia sunt falsa sicut incredibilia multa sunt vera Or in Minutius Foelix his words more pithily In incredibili verum in credibili mendacium that is in English That many things which seem incredible are true and many things false which are very credible or likely-true Which is no more if so much than what Aristotle long before in that known Axiom of his taught that falsa quaedam c. that some things that are false have more appearance of truth than some things that are true It is no argument to me that a thing is true because it is possible no nor because probable nay it is certain that many lyes and falshoods are founded upon this very thing probability Though civility may oblige not to contradict where we see no impossibility yet discretion will to doubt and to suspend assent till we see good ground of belief I know the wisest man may mistake sometimes many are credulous and many love to tell what themselves have forged or what they have from others though themselves perchance do not believe it I am no Sceptick or Pyrrhonick and whether ever any such were really is a question which to be in my apprehension is little less than of a rational creature born to turn into a senseless brute And it doth much derogate from Gods goodness to think that he should give us reason the best of gifts for no other use than always to doubt which is worse than to have no reason at all Yet this I must say which I think most true their profession was if ever any such to doubt of all things the best way never to be a Sceptick is not to be too quick of belief and to doubt of many things Take it from St. Augustin that it may have more authority best in his own words but because very worthy to be known unto all that would be wise I will put them
of an inchanted Hare I have read by an excellent pen who doth acknowledge never to have seen it himself his hunting was after books he saith of himself not Hares it was mine too when I was able but doth set it out upon the credit of divers Huntsmen as a thing not at all to be doubted of I wish it were not true but I doubt not but there be too many in the world who would make no scruple to go to the Devil not for their profit only but also for their sport and meer divertisement and that others there be who to satisfie them who have more conscience will devise somewhat to make them believe it is lawful enough though done by the Devil being done but for sport or if that will not do it that such a thing may be contrived without the Devil Let a man but once begin to indulge against his conscience by degrees he will stick at nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a just judgment of God whereof this age doth afford many sad examples My Author doth stile himself Praedicateur du Roy. Essay des merveilles de nature c. par Revé Francois Praedicateur du Roy à Rouan 1626. If so me thinks it would have become well a man of that profession to have said somewhat whereby it might have appeared unto the world that he did not allow of such practices as lawful Truly one great reason that hath moved me to take notice is to shew my detestation of what my Author doth leave without censure This that follows is more harmless I hope because I have read of strange things that dumb creatures even wild beasts are capable of by the industry of man I have read a relation whereof Julius Scaliger is the Author of a tame wild-Boar or if that sound too much of a contradiction of a wild Boar by art and industry so tamed and disciplin'd that he would hunt with the Dogs as skilful and obedient as the best of them and do his Master very good service This to some may seem incredible but to them that have not read what fiercest beasts by art and industry who therefore have been by many supposed not altogether destitute of reason have been brought unto Yet I would not warrant but that this fierce Boar by nature might return to his nature some time or other or at least do some acts of a fierce beast But for Agrippa's black Dog though denied by some who would have us to think well of him Agrippa I mean because they do as Wierius and some others yet upon the attestation of so many others of better credit I cannot but think of it as a creature of another nature NOTHING now remains and that too before promised but to consider of Galen's opinion and what may rationally be objected from his authority For that such a man as Galen a right ingenuous man a lover of truth as I always accounted him who lived to be a very old man and consequently not less experienced than he was learned that he should in all those books of his now extant as often as occasion offered it self declare himself as one who gave no credit at all to such things and made no better account of them than arrant jugling I look upon it I must confess as a weighty objection To this we might answer that though Galen was a man of great authority yet he was but one to whom the authority of many famous Physicians in his time or soon after not to speak of those before might be opposed It is the priviledge if not affected humor of some great men of real worth who also know themselves to be so in the opinion of the world to hold some Paradoxes and perchance being unadvisedly fallen upon them in their younger years they think it a great error against their credit to acknowledge it when they are old Besides what if Galen thought those things not altogether false perchance yet dishonourable to his profession and of evil consequence to mankind by reason of the increase of impostors and impostures if credit were given to the validity of inchantments in point of cures especially And that this may not appear a suspition without all ground doth he not in his books de Compos Medicum lib. 3. cap. 2. where he treats of the Cures of the Parotides reject Archiâ—enes his advice of anointing the place infected with the bloud of a mustela upon this very ground because such prescriptions if received would be prejudicial to the art as though so defective in those cases that without such helps it could not work a cure professing that for this very reason he had forborn to make trial and therefore could not tell whether it would or not The Reader may remember what was said of Valesius before But all this will not need if we stick to Trallianus who is conceived to have lived in Theodosius his time not many ages after Galen his answer which is that whatever his opinion hath been formerly yet in his latter years convinced by manifest and frequent experience he did recant and acknowledge his error Galen his words as he doth exhibit them out of his book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is There be I know who think of Charms no better than of old womens tales And so did I for a long time but at last by the evidence of those things that did clearly appear unto me I am perswaded that they are efficacious For in their case that are bitten by a Scorpion I have found them useful And and in their case who had bones that stuck in their throats which they did presently cast out by the help of Incantation And many noble atchievements in every kind of disease are wrought by it when it doth not misse of its end Or if you will with the Latine interpreter At multa praeclara singulae habent incantationes cum institutum consequuntur Either way Galen doth acknowledge that they are not always effectual which to believe or to maintain were very absurd and contrary to providence and to the course of nature in general But of that enough hath been said before Hereupon Trallianus doth conclude If then divine Galen and most of the ancients with him c. But where shall we find this in Galen or where this book of Galens In the Latine Edition indeed of his works there is a book of that subject to be found but not worthy Galen's name most are of opinion However though not extant at this time nor mentioned by Galen in the Catalogue of his books after which he might write many books as we know St. Austin did some which are not mentioned in his Retractations yet it is not likely that Trallianus whose love to the truth made him not to spare his so much admired Galen when he saw just cause as himself in his fifth book not to mention other places doth abundantly
of his God and his pretended worship I shall acknowledge my self very much deceived who not only think so of the place but am also very confident that Gassendus thought no otherwise of it himself whatever he was willing his well-affected Reader to the cause should think of it But absurdity be it so or no I make nothing of that in comparison of the impiety For besides many pregnant testimonies of the Old Testament where among other things we shall find that that which doth not profit is the periphrasis of an Idol and so Epicurus his God not a God but an Idol upon that account how shall we excuse St. Paul who every where almost layeth it for a ground of his exhortations to Godliness and Piety that Religion is profitable For therefore we both labour and suffer c. For as much as you know that your labour is not in vain and for the hope that is layed up for you in Heaven c. and looking for the blessed hope c. and the end of your faith the salvation of your souls and for he had a respect unto the recompence of the reward And yet more positively He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder c. and how Christ himself What doth it profit c. for your reward is great in Heaven and the like And what is it that the Deists as they call themselves such Deists as Epicurus was who pretend that they believe a God and that they worship him not for any fear or hope of reward which they exclaim against as servile worship witness their wicked Catechism in Verse set out and refuted by Mersenius but for his goodness in that he suffers men to live as they will and do what they will and takes no notice and for the excellency of his nature what is it I say that they more uphold themselves with or intice others more effectually by than this wicked and abominable but to weak carnal men very plausible plea and pretence THAT Gassendus himself was an Atheist really I would be loath to say I hope not He hath written against some of Epicurus his opinions But in discharge of my duty to God and religion I shall say and my conscience doth oblige me that had he had the advice of all the Atheists that ever were had he advised with Hell it self he could not have lighted upon a more destructive way to all religion and piety to all goodness and vertue than this of Epicurus his filial fear or love of God For what inference will carnal men in such an age as this especially will or can make of it but this that they may believe as Epicurus believed no God I will not say though it be true enough but no providence no conscience no difference of good or evil in nature of what is just or what is not I might add and live as Epicurus lived but I will only say believe as Epicurus believed and yet flatter and comfort themselves that they are religious nay more religious than many nay most Christians accounted religious are Was there ever a more wicked and pernicious device The Reader will excuse me if in all this discourse I have dealt with Gassendus somewhat roundly more than I would have done with a man of his learning and whom I believe to have been a civil man besides a particular respect I have to him for laying open the vanity and falsity of Des Cartes and his Philosophy some part of it at least which I think was a very good work and may prove very useful when once that malignant humor of innovating which doth now so greatly prevail will wax more cold and remiss I wish he had not had so much of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him as Galen calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I believe was the chief thing that did put him upon this Vnchristian project of magnifying Epicurus Wherein how much he went against his conscience we need not appeal to God who is the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any man may quickly find it by his book who shall but look into it any man I say that hath not according to the current of the times more affection for Epicurus than the truth But what if any man shall reply for Gassendus that all this may be and yet Gassendus not so much in fault who doth in the same book openly profess that whatsoever he had said or should say for Epicurus was but Exercitationis gratia Absit alia mente id praestem quam exercitationis gratia his own words that is God forbid I should do it to any other intention but by way of exercise or exercitation only And why not as fâ—ee for him to praise Epicurus as others have done â—he quartan Ague the Gouâ— an Asse a Louse and thâ—â— Monster of men as described by Homer 〈◊〉 Had he rested there it had been better and more justiâ—â—able Upon the same grounds for ought I know a man â—hough I should not commend it might write the prâ—isâ—â— of the Devil For many things might be spoken oâ— the excellâ—ncy of his nature as he is a Spirit a good Spirit by his first creation then his improvement by his experience since that time his wonderfâ—◠〈◊〉 and projects from time to time to bring himself into credit among men and if a man would say thâ—â—oâ—â— of his love to men he tempted our first Parents 〈…〉 mâ—ght be the occasion of a further good unto them in 〈◊〉 and by Christ and therefore to be honoured and worshipped by men were it but for the conceit and in very deed somewhat I think to that purpose hath been said by some ancient Hereticks and novelty of the opinion there would be some I make no question but would embrace it But Gassendus goes on and when he comes to that as indeed he was bound or he had had no thanks that he did it bona fide though ready to recant when better informed yet this bona fide doth spoil all But whatever himself thought or knew what amends can he make to such who some good Christians I make no question and learned enough perchance to have found out his jugling had they but suspected him upon his credit without any farther disquisition have espoused his cause and think it no disparagement to Christianity if Christians indeed to speak with honour and respect of that monster of men and spiteful enemy of God and all Godliness I HAVE been somewhat long upon this subject of Epicurus somewhat longer perchance than some would have wished But I shall not apologize I have not forgotten that Credulity and Incredulity in Civil affairs which doth include the judgments as well as actions of men is my subject And truly of all things of that nature this age hath produced this of Epicurus seems to me and I believe to many others the most prodigious and incredible Not that any one man for
different perchance but of one kind by some notable difference some have horns some not and the like why may not we believe as possible at least that there may be a kind of Dolphins more rare and seldom seen who have such prickles Possible also that those that kind I mean are the Dolphins most subject to this kind of love Not that I would have any body to ground any truth upon bare conjectures but because I think such objections against certain experience to be of little validity Neither is Apion the man that we trust too I know what the judgment of many Ancients was of him Yet though Apion might make bold in his relations concerning Aegypt and other remoter places it is hard to believe that Apion who was well known to Tiberius Augustus his immediate successor durst write a story of Augustus his time for a truth whereof if a truth indeed many thousands must have been witnesses which was fabulous and either invented by himself or lightly believed by him upon the report of some idle people Add that Augustus his time was not a time of ignorance such as have been seen before and since him but a time Câ—m humana ingenia ad summam solertiam perduâ—ta essent as Seneca I think doth some where speak of those times When humane wit and ratiocination was come to its height such a height both for Poâ—ts and Orators and Artists I am sure as hath not been known since Which is the credit of Christianism that it prevailed at such a time not as Mahometism in times and places of greatest darkness and ignorance and is still maintained with the same and the power of arms What the ignorance and want of good learning that these times do threaten may bring God knows However though Apion had never written concerning that Dolphin in Augustus his time divers others did men of credit whose books were extant in Pliny's time and had that Dolphin never been yet that other in Pliny's time so attested by him and by his Nephew that other Pliny a man of such learning such authority and dignity as he was yea and integrity abundantly approved to Christians by that relation he made of the Christians of his time had been enough with me with the consideration of all circumstances which he doth relate at large had been enough with me I say to make me believe it as certainly as if I had seen it with mine eyes No reason therefore that any question should be made of the truth of a story so well attested because of that one circumstance of the prickles on Dolphins backs in case it be a mistake Which yet perhaps if a mistake may prove the mistake of Rondeletius and not of Apion For Solinus where he writes of Dolphins doth attest that those prickles do not appear but when they do through anger or some other extraordinary occasion inhorrescere and that at other times they are hid BUT after all this Lipsius his caveat who was no very superstitious man it is well known though being set upon it by others he did write in defence of some superstitious miracles an argument rather but I will say no more for the respect I bear to his memory his caveat I say will not do amiss who having told somewhat very strange of a Mountebanks Dog I could say much more of Mountebanks Dogs and Horses which I partly know to be true he adds Desino vereor ad genium eum qui profecto potuit hic misceri that is But here I stop or end as fearing that from Dogs I shall be forced to go or fly for a reason that is to the Devil he did not mean an Angel I suppose who in this might have a hand or mix himself It is sure enough that as there be magical Hares whereof we have spoken in the First Part so magical Dogs also and other creatures actuated by another Soul or Spirit than their own irrational and sensitive only whereof none are able to judge rightly but they that are well versed no light study in the contemplation or experience of use and custom as in our First Part hath been declared However this caveat though not unseasonable upon such an occasion yet no man I think will have or can have any just ground of suspition that it doth concern us in this case of Dolphins and their love to Boys which as I conceive must be referred to their nature or natural disposition Natalis Comes his reasonings against it notwithstanding But if we take genius in a more general sense for another kind of Spirits that are neither Devils nor Angels I cannot tell what to say to it The same Pliny but now commended hath a strange example which we have mentioned in another place our Preface to Dr. Dees's Revelations or Illusions rather as I remember As for their love to Musick I think it very probable by those relations that are extant but of that we have no like certainty as of their love to Boys and mankind in general The same their love to Musick is reported of divers other creatures besides but I have no certainty BEFORE we end this point somewhat might be added of that famous American Fish or Monster called Monati one whereof a young one was bred and brought up by one of their petty Kings in his Court and grew to a vast bigness very kind and serviceable he was to all that craved his help but to Christians or Europaeans whom probably he might distinguish by their voice and habit not by their faith of whom he had received an affront This Fish they write hath carried at once upon his back no less than ten men who in the mean time sung and made merry with all possible security This perchance in some mens judgment may add somewhat of probability to Arions case and to those other relations that have been mentioned upon it which in my judgment needs no further confirmation The History of this American Fish mention at least is in all that have written of the discoveries of those Countries Peter Martyr I am sure a very sufficient witness were there no other I THOUGHT I had done but I have not I shall make some use of their relations concerning this Fish as not doubting at all of the truth to confirm somewhat in the relations of the Ancients concerning Dolphins which hath occasioned some wonder but more mistakes They write that some Dolphins did seem to rejoyce at the name Simon I believe it because ordinarily then so called and when once used to the name what wonder when tame and frolick if they seemed to know their name and to rejoyce at it And the same thing we find attested of that American Fish we now speak of which was brought up in the King's Court. The common name of the Fish we said before is Manati but they had given to this a proper name Matum that is in their language noble or generâ—us and the Fish knew