not the Opinions of Men not Custom nor the invented Fictions of the Wise not the Magnificent Decrees of Sects not Syllogisms Enthymems not Inductions not soluble Consequences but Divine Oracles consonant to one another received by the Universal Church with an unanimous and solid consent approved by Miracles Prodigies Wonders Holiness of life and testimony of Martyrdom The Doctors of this Prophetick Theologie were Moses Job David Solomon and many other Canonical Writers and Prophets The Teachers of the New Testament were the Apostles and Evangelists but all these notwithstanding they were fill'd with the Holy Ghost yet all at one time or other stray'd from the Truth and in some measure spake untruly not that they did so wittingly or craftily for to say so would be a greater Errour than that of Arius or Sabellicus subverting the whole Authority of the Scripture in which Errour notwithstanding the great and holy S. Jerome persisted disputing against S. Augustine about the reprehension of Peter for S. Paul said that S. Jerome told a lye craftily Which should it be granted and that such an untruth should be admitted in the Bible immediately as S. Austin saith the whole certainty of the Bible would fall to ruine But S. Jerome being thus admonisht after many Contradictions and defences at length acknowledged his Errour and confess'd the Truth But what I say that the holy Writers did secundum quid speak things not altogether true I would have to be understood so as that they did not willingly erre but onely stray through humane frailty Thus Moses failed in telling the people he would bring them out of Aegypt and carry them into the Land of Canaan for though he brought them out of Aegypt he did not carry them into the Land of promise Jonas failed in foretelling the destruction of Nineveh within forty days intended but delay'd Elijah failed in foretelling many things to come to pass in the days of Ahab which yet were not fulfill'd till after his death Isaiah failed foretelling the death of Hezekiah the next day when his life was prolonged fifteen years afterwards Many other Prophets also fail'd and their predictions are found either not to have come to pass at all or else to have been suspended The Apostles also and Evangelists fail'd Peter also fail'd when he was reprehended by S. Paul Matthew also fail'd when he wrote that Christ was not dead till the Launce had pierced his side But this defect was no defect of the Holy Ghost but either of the Prophet not rightly delivering what was suggested by the Holy Ghost or the Vision did declare or else proceeding from some alteration of the event of the Command the sentence of the Oracle being either alter'd or defer'd Hence it follows that all Prophets and Writers in some things seem to fail and erre according to the Scripture which saith All men are lyers Onely Christ both God and man never was nor shall be found to fail nor shall his words be altered or be defective who void of Errour divulged his Oracles most immutable as he said himself The heaven and the earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Now because all Truth is through the Holy Ghost therefore onely Christ possesses this Truth firmly nor shall it ever depart from him but remains in him But it is not so with others for the Spirit was with Moses but when he strake the Rock it was departed It was with Aaron but departed when he made the Calf It was with Anna their sister but not when she murmured against Moses It was with Saul David Solomon Isaiah c. but rested not constantly with them Neither are Prophets always Prophets or Seers or foretellers of things to come nor is Prophecie a continual habit but a gift passion or transient spirit And whereas there is no man who doth not sin so there is no man from whom the Spirit doth not sometimes depart and leave him unless it be Christ the onely Son of God of whom it was therefore said to John He upon whom thou sawest the Spirit descending and remaining with him he is the Son of God who Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost being also able to impart the same to others Therefore as saith Simonides onely God hath this honour that he is onely Metaphysical so may we say of Christ that onely Christ hath this honour to be a Divine However let no man think that the Writings of the Old Testament since the Gospel of Christ had its divine birth from them are therefore obsolete and dead for they will ever live in high authority for by them have the Apostles proved their Tenets and without their testimony they have spoken nothing and Christ refers us to the search of them whose Gospel doth not at all abolish those Writings but fulfill'd the Law to the least tittle This is also to be noted that many Volumes of the Holy Scripture are lost which we may easily gather from the Scripture it self For Moses cites Books of The Wars of the Lord and Joshuah The Book of the Just Esther The Book of memorable things and Macchabees cites the holy Books of the Spartiatae and the Books of the Kings cite Books of Lamentations Books of Samuel the Seer Books and Writings of Nathan God Semeiah Haddo Ahia the Shilonite of Jehu the son of Ammon Jude also in his Canonical Epistle cites the Book of Enoch And some Authors of credit have cited a Book of Abraham the Patriarch All which are lost and never to be found Nor are these which we have received of equal Authority for Dionysius makes mention of A Gospel of S. Bartholomew and S. Jerome takes notice of A Gospel according to the Nazarenes and S. Luke in his Preface to his Gospel saith that many did undertake to write Gospels which are all lost And many others there are which are either corrupted with Heresie or set forth without Authority and so neither received by the holy Fathers nor approved by the Church I omit false Prophets who have come in by the by prophesying through vain-glory things which the holy Spirit never suggested but unheard-of lyes neither according to the Scripture nor tending either to unity of Spirit or the peace of the Church but for the introducing of Schism who rashly making themselves of Gods Privie Council dare presume to take the Word of God into their own mouthes and to write Scriptures and Prophecies altogether Heretical or Apocryphal Nor were the Canticles of Solomon inserted among the Canonical Books till they were corrected and approv'd by Isaiah From hence it appears how that Theologie it self that is to say the holy Scripture wants many of its Volumes and may in a manner seem defective and few of many that remain are true and certain really Books of life and Canonical CHAP. C. Of the Word of God YE have now heard how doubtful how uncertain how ambiguous all the Sciences are and how for any thing in them contained we
Principal Part of the substance of the Soul Aristotle believes the Intellect to be present only Potentially in the Soul and that Actually it works from without neither that it conduces to the Essence or Nature of Man but only to the Perfection of Knowledge and Contemplation Therefore he affirms That few Men and those only Philosophers are endu'd with Actual Understanding And indeed there is a great Dispute among Divines whether according to the Opinion of Plato the Souls of Men after they are Departed from the Body do retain any Memory of things done while the Body was alive or whether they altogether want the Knowledge thereof which the Tomists together with their mighty Aristotle firmly assert And the Carthusians confirm it from the Testimony of a certain Parisian Divine returning from Hell who being ask'd what Knowledge he had left him return'd Answer That he understood nothing but Pain and then citing the words of Solomon There is no understanding no knowledge no wealth in Hell he seem'd to them to make it out that after Death there was no Knowledge of any thing which notwithstanding is not only manifestly against the Opinion of the Platonicks but repugnant to the Authority and Truth of the Scripture it self also which teaches That the wicked shall see and know that he is God and that they shall give an account not only of aâ—l their Deeds but of all their idle Words and Thoughts Moreover there are some that have adventur'd to write and report many things concerning the Apparition of separated Souls and those oft-times repugnant both to the Doctrine of the Gospel and the sacred Text. For whereas the Apostle teaches us That we ought not to believe the Angels from heaven if they should preach otherwise than what is delivered yet the Gospel is so much out of date with them that they will rather believe one come from the Dead than the Prophets Moses Apostles or Evangelists Of this Opinion was the Rich Man in the Gospel who believed that his Brothers and Kindred living would give credit to any one that were sent from the Dead To whom so vainly Conjecturing Abraham made answer If they will not believe Moses and the Prophets neither will they believe any one that should be sent from the dead However I do not absolutely deny some Holy Apparitions Admonitions and Revelations of the Dead but yet I admonish ye to be very wary knowing how easie it is for Satan to Transform himself into an Angel of Light Therefore they are not absolutely to be believ'd but to be entertain'd as things which are Apocryphal and without the Rule of the Scripture There are many Fabulous stories to this purpose written by one Tundal in his Consolation of Souls and also by some others of which your Cunning Priests and Friars make use to terrifie the Vulgar sort and get Mony A certain French Notary hath also lately put forth a Relation of a Spirit walking at Lyons a Person of no Credit and less Learning But the most approved Authors that write of these things is Cassianus and James of Paradise a Carthusian But there is nothing in them of solid Truth or secret Wisdome tending to the encrease of Charity or edifying of the Soul only they thereby perswade people to Alms Pilgrimages Prayers Fastings and such other Practical Works of Piety which the Scripture nevertheless with far greater Reason and Authority enjoyns But of these Apparitions we have discours'd at large in a Dialogue which we have Written of Man as also in our Occult Philosophy But now let us return to the Philosophers All the Heathen who affirm the Soul to be Immortal by common consent also uphold the Transmigration of the Soul and farther That rational Souls do sometimes Transmigrate into Plants and Creatures void of Reason Of this Opinion of Transmigration Pythagoras is said to be the first Author of which thus Ovid Souls never die but in Immortal state From dead to living bodies transmigrate I now my self can call to minde how I When long since Troy the strength of Greece did try Was then Euphorbus that my life sold dear To crown the Conquest of Atrides Spear Which then my left hand bâ—re I knew the Shield Which late in Juno's Temple I beheld Much more has been written concerning this Pythagorical Transmigration by Timon Xenophanes Cratinus Aristophon Hermippus Lucianus and Diogenes Laertius But Iamblicus who has many other Abettors asserts That the Soul does not Transmigrate out of Man into Brutes nor return from Creatures Irrational into Men but that there are Transmigrations of Souls that is of the Souls of Beasts into Beasts and of the Souls of Men into Men he does not deny There are also Philosophers of which number Eâ—â—ripides is one a greatfollower of Anaxagoras together with Archelaus the Naturalist and after them Avicen who report the first Men to have sprung out of the Earth like Herbs in that not less ridiculous than the Poets who feign certain Men to have sprung from the Teeth of a Serpent sown in the Earth Some there are who deny that the Soul is Generated and others who deny that it has any Motion CHAP. LIII Of Metaphysicks BUT let us go a little farther and make it appear that these Philosophers are not only at a loss about those things that seem to have a Being in Nature but that they are also at great variance among themselves concerning such as have no Principle or Foundation at all it being altogether uncertain whether they be or no and which they believe to subsist without Body or Matter and which they call Separated forms which because they are not in Nature but thought to be above Nature therefore they are call'd Metaphysicks and said to be beyond Nature from thence sprang those Infinite every way contradictory and not less impious and unlearned Opinions concerning the Gods For Diagoras Milesius and Theodorus Cyrenaicus altogether deny that there was any God Epicurus held that there was a God but that he took no care of things below Protagoras said that whether they were or no they had little or no Power Anaximander thought that there were Gods Native of Countries some in the East and some in the West at great distances one from another Xenocrates held that there were Eight Gods Antisthenes that there were many popular Gods but one Supream the Creator of the rest Others have precipitated themselves into such a profundity of Madness as to make with their own hands the Gods which they intended to Worship such was the Image of Bell among the Assyrians which made and carved Gods Hermes Trismegistus does notwithstanding very much applaud in his Aesculapius But Thales Milesius discoursing of the Divine Essence asserted the Understanding to be God who Form'd all things out of Water Cleanthes and Anaximenes held the Air to be God Chrysippus Deified the Natural Ability endu'd with Reason or Divine Necessâ—â—y Zeno ascribes Divinity to the Divine Law of Nature Anaxagoras to
than good Neither is the determination of Affairs led by Judgment but guided and turn'd to and fro according to the favour number and affection of the Multitude Which Pliny the younger affirms for the decrees and choices of the people are number'd not consider'd For in popular Consultation that always carries the day which not the wisest but the greatest number think most convenient among whom while they all accompt themselves equal there is nothing more unequal than that Equality it self Nothing therefore can be rightly order'd by the promiscuous heat and headlong fury of the Multitude nor can any thing be rightly amended that shall be found amiss and disadvantageous to the Commonwealth rather those Statutes and Decrees which are made and confirm'd and found to be most wholesome for the publick good by the rage of the inconsiderate Multitude are overturn'd and abrogated Now among all these so various forms of Rule and administrations of Government most Authors have another compounded of two particular kinds Such an one did Solon compose partly of the Nobles partly of the People so making his publick Honours communicable to all Others thought fit to frame their Political Rules by making a mixture of all three together Such was the government of the Lacedaemonians for they had a King who was perpetual but he had little or no Command only in time of War then had they a Senate chosen out of the richest and wisest part of the Nobility moreover out of the Common People they Created Ten perpetual Ephori who had power of Life and Death and were Controulers both of the King and Senate being Elected out of the Vulgar people Among the Romans the Authority of the Senate plainly shew'd that there was an Aristocracy mix'd with their Democracy and we find that many things were commanded by the Senate many things by the People And at this day though in many places Kings and Princes do rule at their own pleasures yet do they make use of the chief Nobility and Gentry in the several Counties and Provinces of their Kingdoms to transact many Affairs and of great consequence from whence hath arose a question which it is most sate to live under a good Prince and bad Counsellours or bad Counsellours and a wicked Prince Marius Maximus Julius Capitolinus and others choose the latter notwithstanding that many grave Authors are no way willing to consent to them finding by experience that evil Counsellors may be corrected sooner by a good Prince than an evil Prince be amended by good Counsellers However for the good government of a Commonwealth or Kingdom it is not Philosophy nor Kingcraft nor any other Science that can avail but the integrity fidelity and ability of the Ruler for a single person may govern best so may a few so may the people provided that in each there be the same intention of Unity and Justice but if the designes of each be evil then can neither rule as they should But that which convinces the strange rashness of Men addicted to Rule is this that when Men in their several stations some plainly confess themselves ignorant how to Plough and Sow how to keep Sheep some how to guide a Ship or govern a Family yet there is no Man who does not think himself sufficiently gifted to bear Office in a City to act a King or Prince or to command great Nations and People which is the most difficult thing CHAP. LVI Of Religion in General TO the perfect Weal of a State or Kingdome Religion is of main concernment which is a certain Discipline and Canon of outward Rites and Ceremonies by means whereof as by certain signes we are admonished of our Internal and Spiritual Duties Cicero defines it to be a Discipline teaching us to exercise the Ceremonies of Divine Worship with a reverent Famulatu which that it is most useful and necessary for all Cities and Governments the same Cicero together with Aristotle firmly holds For thus saith he in his Politicks It behoves a Prince above all others to seem Religious For the People are of Opinion that such Rulers will do 'um no harm and they will be the more afraid to Plot against them by how much the more they think themselves defended by the Gods Now Religion is so deeply Rooted in Men by Nature that it makes the difference more plain betwixt them and Beasts than Reason Now that Religion is thus Naturally grafted in us Aristotle confesses besides that it is apparent from â—his very experiment That as often as we are oppressed with any suddain Dangers or put to any suddain Affright presently before we search into the Cause or seek for any other help we flye to Coelestial Invocation Nature it self teaching us without any other Instructor to Implore Divine Assistance From the Beginning of the World we find that Cain and Abel did Religiously Sacrifice to God though Enoch were the first that taught the Forms and Ceremonies of Divine Worship for which reason the Scripture saith That then the name of the Lord first began to be call'd upon After the Flood how many several Laws and Ordinances of Religion were Instituted by several persons in several Nations For Mercury and King Menna taught the Aegyptians their Forms of Worship Melissus the Foster-Father of Jove instructed the Cretans in their Ceremonies Faunus and Janus Instituted the Rites of the Latines Numa Pompilius those of the Romansâ—Moses those of the Hebrews Cadmus also the Son of Agenor is said to have brought out of Phoenicia all those Solemn Mysteries Consecrations of Images Hymns Festivals and other Sacred Rites and Customs performed in honour of the Gods which were afterwards in use among the Graecians Neither did they only give names to the Gods but also Ordaina what Rites and Ceremonies should be due to each They held that there were certain Numens the Protectors of Criminal Offences and ascrib'd a Deity to Diseases and evil Accidents Therefore did the Romans Worship Jove the Adulterer and Dedicated a publick Temple to the Goddess Feaver and in their Esquiliae plac'd an Altar to Misfortune In Hell they also found out Deities to adore and the Prince of Darkness Satan the most miserable and the lowest of all they made a shift to Worship under the Names of Pluto Dis and Neptune assigning to him for a Keeper the Three-headed Cerberus that greedy Monster that Compasses the Earth seeking whom he may Devour sparing none hurtful to all the Accuser of all Men. From Captive Souls the Lord of Stygian Lands For past Offences Punishment demands 'Gainst all the shades remorseless Rage he breaths With Furies compass'd and a thousand Deaths Here sundry sounds of sundry wayling Pains There Thousand Torments shake their dismal Chains Th' Aegyptians together with their Deities adore Brute Beasts and Monsters and there are at this day that Worship Idols and Images At this day likewise a great part of the World as the Turkes Saracens Arabians and Moors give Divine Honours to Mahomets