your deeply deuoted Suppliant in his greatest neede Lo how my poore Muse pants eclipsed with your heauenly interposition and bids me as a daily Orator to the Rayes of your Nobility betimes to betake my selfe vnto Epicharmus his ancient Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is To whom Dame nature doth deny To giue her gifts abundantly They out of hand to Auncestry And to their noble Kinne do fly In the beginning of the Christian Church the very name of Christ was sufficient to make Sathan packe and to quite the possâ—ssion of tormented men but he learned a more cunning trick of late vnder the banner of Christ to fight against the Lieuetenant of his Imperiall Maiesty In one point I find no change that is in labouring and working by all meanes to draw men from their trust in Gods directions to a tickle kind of confidence in themselves and in their owne weake knowledge of Good and Euill which our first parents so greedily preferred non ex necessitate fato sed ex libero eligentium proposito not by necessity not by destiny but by their owne freedome of choise as an auncient Father writes LINEAMENT V. 1 Mans fall from the state of innocency is censured 2 Curiosity curbed for intermedling with Gods secrets 3 The first reason why man was not left altogether persect and incapable of sinne 4 The latter reason WHerehence it comes to passe that in wicked men there shines some goodnesse and in Good men is found some wickednesse In pessimis inuenitur aliquid boni in optimis aliquid pessimi In the beginning God made vs all good he made vs honest simple and pure but through our ouer-scrupulous search after his secrets through an ouer-curious oftentation of our owne worth and of our owne righteousnesse through our ingratefull negligence towards our heauenly Father and also through our sliding and slippery carnall condition which could not be like the Creatour in glory we followed our enemies counsell who likewise was created innocent and an Angell of glory though afterwards he became a Detracting Diuell so that God made him not a Diuell but an Angell No more made he vs sinfull but simple His al-secing Maiesty foreknew these tragicke euents and yet for his honour for the behoofe of elected soules and for the replenishing of his Kingdome hee formed both Angels and men by Grace and nature and endowed them with free will and election for his greater glory How should the good be knowne if there were no euill What needes a Monarch prescribe iawes and commandements to his subiects were it not for the auoyding of vice By the fall of the wicked the Good take exemplary feares The fall of the Diuell and his associates caused the rest that remained incorrupt to looke more narrowly to their wayes euen as the punish ments of some Traytors make others true who otherwise might haue erred in the like degree yea Good men are confirmed in goodnesse by obseruation of the contrary which is euill No maruell then that God in his omniscience created man whom he knew would afterwards rebell for as I said before euery creature is corroborated in vertue by noting the effects of the contrary which is vice Whereby we may gather that no wicked thing was immediatly created by God and that we hapned vpon wickednesse by the fragility and weakenesse of our natures which is also signified by that auncient Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For all this curious braines will not leaue off plodding and practizing of profound problemes Why say they did God fashion man of such a brittle State Wherefore made be not all men of the same manners and condition Why did he create man so imperfect of such a tender ticklish forme O foolish fondlings who are ye that presume to dispute with God Was it not enough for your soules to be shaped after his Diuinity both in vnity and in Trinity with absolute and electiue power to slie from the wrath to come I tell you there was no reason that petulant children should possesse all their Fathers goods Which of you I pray will disrobe himselfe of his temporall glory or diuide it with your inferiours Worldly Potentates can endure no corriuals nor by their good wils any equals And should God share with his creatures his most soueraigne perfection which they could aswell moderate as Phaet on the chariot of the Sunne But to yeeld some satisfaction to your curiosities I beleeue that God framed man after this manner for two respects First because that the creature might differ from his Creator who alone is perfect The soule therefore must content her selfe with that vocation which God hath limited vnto her Seeing that she knows her owne weakenesse she must not presume on her imperfect strength seeing that she hath experience of errours she must wholy with feare and trembling relie on the mercy of God who like a tender mother attendeth on his crazed creature and like a milde Phisician out of her relapse worketh an Antidote to preserue her from falling She may be shadowed because she is not God but she can neuer be extinguished because she came from God Potest obumbrari quia non est Deus extinguinon potest quia est à Deo Well may we stumble but through the Grace of God we rise vp quickly We may be as blacke as jet but as true as steele We may be blacke but yet comely as the Tents of Cedar and as the curtames of Solomon Though we be rebellious by nature yet we may be regenerate by faith Though we be excommunicated we may be absolued by the mediation of our Sauiour Christ and obtaine againe our former simplicitie and state of freewill which in that first golden age and time of famous memory we most wilfully lost Though we be but babes we may grow vp to be perfect men in strength and vnderstanding and so at last to a greater measure of sanctification Though we enioy not perfection we retoyce in our redemption And though our mindes in naturall faculties do follow the temperature of our bodies yet in supernaturall speculations we abandon abhor it Another reason why God created man so imperfect if I dare call him so was because that mans soule like mortall eyes which cannot behold the Summers Sunne at noone or like the Owle which is bedazeled with the day-light I say because the soule being â—ncarcerated and enchamed in the massie substance of the flesh was not capable of that excellent perfection Therefore we must not impute our imbecillity and imperfection to Gods want of power or impotency but to his vnsearchable will who after Adams creation left him to himselfe puris naturalibus to the capacity of his owne nature and to our owne earthly Tabernacles which could not participate by reason of our weakenesse and wantonnesse of flesh and bloud all the glorious attributes of the
we must not iudge both of them to be reall Serpents or Dragons but wee must thinke that this latter Dragon which Saint Iohn saw in a vision might well be the spirituall sinfull sting which the Diuellish Serpent left behinde him in our fore-parents memories but there allegorically or mystically applied to the Antichrist when wee incurred the curse of God in that earthly Paradise which as I take it was but the figuratiue touch-stone of old Adams faith And the former Serpent in Genesis was a reall Serpent the subtillest beast of the field which God had made abused by the Captaine of subtilty who not content himselfe to haue transgressed in Heauen against his Creator did also according to the corruption of his spirituall nature deuise to draw mankinde like vnto himselfe to be partaker of his knowledge in good and euill that is of his worldly craft and of his vâ—nemous subtilty for hee was double subtle subtle as the subtlest beast of the field and subtle in his Diuellish nature which in truth is the same which we call the maladies of the soule or perturbations of the mind by our Philosophers named Concupiscible and Irascible whereof the reward or rather reuenge was that threatning clause of God Thou shalt die the death To this dcuise of the Serpent the woman yeelded body and soule with her Will she longed the same being depraued by the creeping Tempter who by this time had likewise wonne her vnderstanding to encline the attributes of her soule thus seduced the senses of her body presently consented For the tree being pleasant to the eyes and the desire of wisedome another mouing obiect throughly perswaded poore Eue to follow the Serpents counsell O cursed Serpent how subtle were thy practises First thou chosest the subtlest beast which God created then thou creptst into his heart spakest through his mouth and seeing mankind too simple for this world altogether innocent holy deuour hauing his thoughts intentiue on his Maker and also seeing him like a childe newly borne bedazeled with varieties of obiects and prospects and admiring at the wonderfull workemanship of God which seemed the more strange vnto his senses in regard that he was then vnexperienced raw and newly come into the world thou settest vpon the weaker vessell knowing that the woman was as yet more simple then the man as a creature formed somewhat after the man and consequently of lesse experience and of lesse perfection But what gainest thou Thy spirit limited to thy former home of darkning errors and thy fatal instrument metamorphozed into a sneaking Snake to creepe vpon the earth as thou didst creepe into his wit and into the womans conscience This is the righ reward of disobedience which afterwards Lots wife receiued though in some different manner For her bodily forme was changed from a woman into a pillar of salt like as the Serpent was conuerted from the comliest shape among beasts into the most contemptible creature which this world affoords I say a creature a monstrous creature in generall wordes for a speciall or specificqe name can no Logician rightly attribute vnto a Serpent which is fully growne It is reported that in the Indies he flies in Noua Zembla he fisheth at Sea and is there many yardes in length Wherby we must note that the spirituall Serpent houereth fisheth creepeth compasseth the earth to and fro and suiteth his power manifoldly all to the intent that he may circumuent mans heedlesse Will LINEAMENT VII 1 That the Holy Ghost applies the Scripture vnto mans capacity 2 An admonition to the Readers of the Scripture THus from the breach of the commandement came in the Diuell from the Diuell came sinne and from sinne came Detraction and other infinite errours Thus it pleased the Holy Ghost to speake parables intermixt with palpable subiects to vse metaphores and figures to apply his key of knowledge towards the ward of mans crooked and crabbed locke Thus it pleased God to permit mankinde to fall that some may rise againe and that in reall and corporall formes after the maner of men according to our weake capacities which could not otherwise comprehend such mysticall reuelations then by sensible apparitions and worldly examples Let vs then modestly content our selues with such knowledge as the Holy Ghost hath inserted in the Scripture for our admonishment and not presume to enter into his spirituall secrets no more then we would that our neighbours enter into the knowledge of our silent thoughts or no more then we dare breake into the priuie chamber of our earthly King except we be called Howbeit for all this I would not counsel you that be Preachers and seachers of Christs flocke to misconster these speeches of mine or to vse them as yee vse your stirrops in shortnâ—ng or lengthning them according to your pleasures and phantasies by collecting that I disswade you or yours from searching out the depth of such mâ—steries and parabies as the Holy Ghost hath left in the Scriptureâ—or â—or our monition in these latter dayes In Gods name as he hath giuen vtterance vnto you and reuelations in your spirits labour to reape that spirituall benefite to the edification of your Churches But aboue all things before yee attempt such Diuine Prophesies humble your thoughts with seare and reuerence humble your bodies with abstinence and fasting at conuenient seasons seeing that bookish learning selfe-conceit and pampering cheere haue beene the chiefe obstacles that carnall Courtiers presumptuous Papists and pompuous people could neuer attaine to the right knowledge of the Scriptures nor arriue aright at the hauen of truth that that saying might be fulfilled The simple oâ— foolish things of the world he hath chosen to confound the wise Their hearts are indurate their vnderstanding darkened LINEAMENT VIII 1 The Election oâ— the Protestants after the imitation of S. Pauls graffing in of the Gentles 2 Means to discerne the Antichrist by Prophesies out of the Scripture 3 Meanes to discerne the Antichrist by his pompous manner of liuing and also by his Detractions BVt ye beloued of the Lord detract not from the word of God neither descant yee much vpon the bare letter For I would not that yee Ministers mistake this mysterie how blindnes is partly happened in the Church of Rome vntill the fulnesse of the Elect be come in And againe through their fall saluation is come vnto you to prouoke them withall Through their vnbeleefe yee haue obtained mercy Thus hath God reserued you and your flockes as a remnant according to his owne vnsearchable pleasure and election of grace without any deserts of yours at all Thus it hath pleased him because he would haue his power knowne to take compassion vpon some and to harden some And all this happily because the man of sinne the sonne of Detraction might be reuealed in his time Conferre therefore one place of the Scripture with another as I haue done here for the calling and graffing in of
worship thee But blest art thou for all my blasphemie All honour be to thee O veritie Bright light of loue one God in vnitie And persons three in orders Trinity Which canst me free from all such vanity When it shall please thy gracious Maiesty My soule to veile with thy boundlesse bounty Though speech be winde and Schoolemens quantity Void of true sense void of true quality Yet when the same doth thy sweet lawes transcend Lord let my babling light on Babels end But for my soule let no fond Oracles Her substance spill nor stand as obstacles Eternally to blinde her spectacles Which thou hast clear'd by thy words miracles THE THIRD CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The nature of the spirit of Detraction 2 His obiections 3 The Authours answere 4 The description of Detraction 5 His Companions 6 His Paradoxes 7 Abriese consutation AMong such troupes of wicked spirits which beleaguer the sinfull sonnes of Adam none of them is so pernitious as this viperous spirit of Detraction for by this turbulent motioÌ„ Pluto himselfe being an Angell of glory lost his former state and likewise wee worldly weakelings deserue our Creators curse vpon your selues and posterities Behold yee brainsicke blabs licentious libertines behold your famous familiar your spirit of Detraction coniured and connâ—cted in a Circle without crosses without Masses without holy water without pots of good liquor or pipes of Tobacco the only moderne motiue of malicious Detraction and that by no meaner weapons then by the mysticall weapons of Michaell and Michea the powerfull Oracles of the great God O what an vnaccustomed coniuration is this New Lords new lawes masse-monging manacled Diuels discouered And dare you câ—nuict the auncient spirit of Detraction which by successiue tradition descended vnto vs well nigh a thousand yeares agoe euen about the very time when the Pope and Mahomet bought their puissant patents this for the East from the detracting Dragon the other for the West from his Eagles wing the Emperour Phocas Dare you vilifie the soueraignty of Bacchus and Tobacco and aduenture to coniure vp such an omnipotent Spirit as that of Detraction without these belching belly-Gods Which our swintsh swaggerers extoll now-a dayes on the behalfe of this spirit as chiefe purgers of superfâ—uous rheumes preparatiues of heauenly dreames visions oracles and supernaturall reuelations Then farewell kinde neighbour-hood farewell good fellowship farewell table-talke farewell descanning of destinies farewell all trencher-knights and readers of other mens actions As the body is nourished with good liquor the bones with marrow so is the soule of man with the perfume of Diuine Tobacco and with the perfusion of Detracting taunts Take away these two the cause and the effect the substance and the shadow what is mans life but a drie discourse a solitary Ghost mortified with melancholy Veritas non quaerit angulos The way of truth is plaine without turnings I feare not to lay downe the truth were my brother a Tobacconist a Wine-bibber or a false Prophet Amicus Socrates amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas Socrates is my friend Plato is my friend but Truth is my chiefest friend The excessiue taking of Tobacco together with drunken fellowship renew the forces of the Detracting spirit and likewise doe kindle the fire that was couertly raked afore vnder the ashes for his malicious humour Which to describe is an embezeling of anothers glory a wrongfull withdrawing of anothers power and a blasphemous censure inuented and blazed abroad touching the Creator or his creature which eyther may be termed a kinde of scurrility or knauish carping carpendi effusa licentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else a doubling of the Dogs letter Rout of their snarling nostrils To this I might adde that they offend against the third Commandement namely Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine and also against the ninth Commandement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour which subiect themselues vnto this kinde of Spirit In the company of this wicked spirit as I said before many other spirits consort such as our Countrey-men call boone companions yea more spirits then euer molested Mary Magdalen The spirit of blasphemy as the shadow vpon the body chiefely awaites vpon him and shares with him for the pretious soule of man So doe the spirit of enuy the spirit of hatred and sundry other poysonous messengers of the common enemy the Diuell all ready sophistically to proue the idle phantasics and imaginations of shallow braines Would you coelo deducere Lunam draw the Moone down from heauen or the starres from the skie The spirit of Detraction with his mates make for you The Moone is descended and hath kist Endimion while he lay asleepe The starres be fallen and a company of drunkards at their taking of Tobacco beheld them According to that of the Poet Cum bibitir conchis hinc iam vertigine coelum Ambulat geminis exurgit mensa lucernis When wines are drunk then heauen whirleth round And candles two on boord for one abound There are Incubi which haue lien with faire women and tempted them ere now to plant Actaeons badge on their husbands foreheads Merlin your Brittish Bardh sometimes possested with the spirit of prophesie was a bastard begotten betwixt a goodly young Diuell and a goodly young Gentlewoman At old Carmarthen Merlins famous towne Nay more the Arch-Diuel hath gotten the Popes power he hath gotten the keyes of Heauen he hath authority to binde to loose to diminish the paines of hell to grant Indulgences and Pardons for one and twenty yeares of all manner of mortall sinnes he powreth downe raine amaine at his pleasure he terrifies the world with thunders lightnings and earthquakes Cornelius Agrippa is a great man in his books vseth him for his familiar and by coniurations commands the clouds and makes the Planets executioners to plague his aduersaries O monstrous blasphemie O preposterous absurditie Will any man of vnderstanding giue credite to these Idolatrous Detractions God himselfe questioning with Iob out of the Whirle-winde vtterly denies that Diuine authority to any creature Canst thou said he send the lightnings that they may walke and say vnto thee Lo here we are If Baal be God then goe after him but if the Lord be God why tempt you his patient Spirit in ascribing his dreadfull power vnto his Enemy that darkesome deadly Fiend which cannot helpe himselfe or act the least matter of importance Elias in annulling of Baals power manifested him onely to be God which answered by heauenly fire The Diuell fighteth with none other weapons then with deceit With deceitfull malice he stung Christ while he was on earth and with the selfe same weapons he stinges Christians Christ in his members now that he is in Heauen With deceit he tempted Eue and with deceit he persecuteth the woman of God the Church of Christ
in other in-mates worse spirits then himselfe specially the spirit of Detraction first gets in his head like a cunning Foxe and then by little and little enters in with his whole body to the vtter ouer throw of mans little world So that Christians fall out to be Antichristians Apostles Apostates and manly souldiers scoldes and scoffers To come neerer vnto you what is the reason that this renowned people who claime themselues from Brutus are become so brutish as to be addicted to gossip-ales Bride-ales and to bacchanales and consequently to Detractions and descanning of other mens destinies yea and otherwhiles to discourse of Gods secret iudgments Omne vitium habet patrocinium No vice without a clâ—ake no sinne without some apish Apologie These iolly fellowes being driuen to this exigent doe confesse that corrupted custome brought them to such vitious habites O cruell custome O hatefull habites which worke the fatall and finall ruine of soules and bodies Neuerthelesse as there is no custome but may be altered so for mine owne part I cannot beleeue that custome alone causeth man a creature enriched with Diuine reason and enfâ—offed with free-will and election in many things specially in naturall and humane things to carouse and then to reade stammering Lectures both on the sacred power of God and on their simple neighbours soules For some carouse of custome some of wantonnesse and company Some againe delight therein being sophistically perswaded that the excessiue vse thereof auailes much for their healths sake as a purger of superfluous rheumes Others fauour Tobacconisme because they would not seeme ouer-nice melancholicke or men by themselues in the singular number and also because Tobacco might serue them in stead of salt or drie leaders to drinking and consequently vnto Detracting but for the most part our Caualâ—ers and Gentles of the first head sucke in the smoakie vapour of Tobacco because they might counterfeit themselues gidâ—y or drunken for it is no shame to be drunke with Tobacco when they want copie of matter or store of discourse Then they fame themselues so long rauished as it were in an eâ—tasiâ— vntil after a thorough per ambulation of their barren wits and after long houghing halking and hacking they haue coined some strange accident worthy the rehersall among their boone companions Then as though they started out of an heauenly traunce and as the Satyrist writes Mobile colluerint liquido cùm plasmate guttur Hauing their throats wel washt with dreggish drugs They recount tales of Robin-hood of Rhodomonting rouers of Donzel del Phoebo of a new Anti-christ borne in Babylon of lying wonders blazing out most blasphemous newes how that the Diuell appeared at such a time with lightning and thundring Maiestie much about that horrible manner as the Glorious God appeared on mount Horeb raised tempests both on Sea and land not inferiour to those stormy Heteroclites of the West Indies called the Furicanoes shooke the foundation of the earth battered such Gentlemens houses and if they had not suddenly blessed themselues better he had carried away with him men women houses and all right into hell These or such like feeble fables doe they scatter abroad among their foolish Auditors while in the meane time the Diuell the Schoole-master of all lewdnesse appeares no where more forcibly then in the very midst of these vncharitable Readers yea and perhaps his spirituall pâ—yson or poysonous spirit is exhaled and exhausted with their Tobacco and draughts of drinke into their mustie mindes O Tongue how is thy perfection peruerted thy sense depraued thy sound degenerated How comes it to passe that the soules Embassadour is become a turne-coate Herald Expectaui legatum inueni Heraldum I expected an honourable Embassadour but haue found a huffe-cap Herald as our late Queene Elizabeth of famous memory sometime nickt a presumptuous Embassadour of Polonia I expected to heare nothing but truth out of the mouth of Gods similitude specially to his neighbour in Christ to Christ in his members But alas I finde nothing but lies and libels Omnis homo mendax I expected for reformation but haue met with ruinous relapses O Tongue tongue how miserable are the effects of thy motions Being made for a watchfull clapper to the Bell of Gods Temple to pray for Grace to comfort the sicke to confirme the penitent to confute the absurd to confound the Detractour why ringest thou out such paltry peales Why ragest thou against thy Masters will against thy selfe without iust cause or neede In thy youthfull time thou crakest and vauntest of thy vaine worth bursting thy lungs welnigh with windy bragges In thy more mellow or maturer age thou standest elated in thine owne conceit as though thy hoarie colour hath added vncontrouled trust and truth vnto thy stale assertions In all the progresse of thy wagging in all thy proceedings thou abusest thy proper function for which the Lord will not hold thee guiltlesse at that vniuersall Synod when the heauens shall be folded together like a booke when our consciences the true table-bookes of our soules shall lie open without lies against vs and we shall yeelde account for euery idle word These things expended and examined by me in the ballance of vnderstanding and fearing least I might participate with them in their derogatory crimes or encurre the penalty of trayterous Misprision towards our righteous Lord for my cowardly conccalements if according to that measure of spirit which he hath bestowed vpon me I reproued them not therefore haue I published this humble Treatise that therein as in a glasse or map they may behold the reflexion of their filthy faults extinguished and extirped What do I know whether the great God hath deliuered me from diuers dangers for these or such like purposes To this end was I bâ—râ—e that I should doe my best to glorifie God and edific my countrey To this end I wish with all the veynes of my heart that what ability of wel-saying and wel-doing is defectiue in mine owne person the same by the Diuine bounty may be liberally supplied to all others in this present booke And that the Readers hereof may learne in sparing speech to follow the examples of the holy Prophets and Apostles who for their honest admonitions and humble exhortations were ouercast with a cloude of scorne among the reprobates of this world or at least wise that they imitate some of the heathenish Philosophers namely Pythagoras who imposed Decennale silentium ten yeares silence on his schollers or Socrates who for many howers together would sit silently musing on the wonderfull workemanship of God or Arcesilas Solon and other enemies of Detraction To this end I heartily wish that all they which finde themselues subiect to this spirit of Detraction may be terrified from that idle vse with such magicall motiues of Michaels mysteries as I haue herein inserted like as if the Vtopian Syphograunts the Athenian Ostracisme the Romane Censors the Spanish Inquisition or as if the statute de scandalis
magnatum being as it were naturalis feritatis mastix the scourge of sauage nature had straightly bridled their lauish tongues within the precincts of their teeth and lips Vos O Patricius sanguis queis viuere fas est Occipiti coeco posticae occurrite sannae TO THE CVRIOVS PAINTERS OF CIRCLES IF these lines or leaues of my Circles drawne from the Center to the circumference be not all equall or if the points and prickes of euery line answere not the Mathematicall proportion of the Circle thou knowest that Veritas non quaerit angulos truth respects not angles triangles quadrangles nor artificiall curiosity I care not for the enticing words of worldlings wisedome but I couet the Spirit of euidence and power I couet matter more then method And yet I labour so to linke them that the line of nature may stand coupled with the points of Art that both from the Center of truth be caried to a Christian circumference for eueÌ„ as the gifts of the holy Ghost be distributed diuersly and in diuerse measures to Gods children some hauing but one grain of faith being conuerted in the euening of their liues and yet by grace adopted adiudged worthy to receiue the like equal crown of glory the like equall wages as those which laboured longer in the Lords haruest so to coÌ„pare little things with great let thy Grace Ingenuous Reader or gracious construction counteruail the vnequal lines of my Circles Where they exceed in their dimensiue quantity there oppose their distributiue quality for a counter-ballance Et sic omnes lineae ductae à centro ad circumferentiam sunt aequales THE FIRST CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED Diâ—ided into Lineaments LINEAMENT I. 1 To whose capacity the description of Spirits is difficult and to whose it is easie 2 The Authors inuocation to the Godhead through whose only operation the spirit of Detraction is to be coniured and conuicted THAT which is inuisible transcendent and not to be vnderstood in the land of mortall creatures such as is the description of Spirits cannot distinctly be disposed according to the prescription of curious Artists by reason that our knowledge here on earth is subiect to mutations vanity of vanities varnished only to the outward man and quickly vanished either through distemperature of the braine olde age or death and also by reason that a spirit in substance subsistence is supernaturally whole without Multiplication Diuersity or Part somewhat prodigious vnto Natures view Yet notwithstanding these infirmities we may conferre about the metaphysicall mysterie of Spirits contesting with the sword of the Spirit the word of God not for haughty ostentation but for humble edification comparing spirituall things with spirituall things The naturall man perceiues not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things He that submits his knowledge to the touch-stone of knowledge to the highest power scorning all Peacocke-plumes of Apocryâ—hall tradition and of old Adams impurities discerneth all things The Clerkes of China say that themselues do see with two eyes the Europeans with one eye and that all the rest of the world are starke blinde not hauing any eyes at all Euen so the soules of the supernall China the Church truely triumphant by looking on him which ouerlooketh all things doe spiritually discerne all things and do know as they are knowne The regenerated Christian discerneth though glimmering wise or winking through a darke glasse with one eye many things apperteyning to the lowly workes and louely fruits of the new man which is renewed into knowledge after the Image of him that made him But the naturall man confined within natures compasse can neuer discourse no nor dreame once of Diuine affaires While the flesh preuailes against the Spirit our knowledge is as it were stifled with a deadly earthly dampe and cannot appeare in that conspicuous maner as when our Epicurean natures become curb'd or crucified There is such iustling and bustling such strining strugling betwixt the flesh and the soule that Gods peace is oftentimes to both their miseries infringed The Mistresse therefore must straightly correct her seruant and that betimes before she attaine vnto her stubborn age left then she chuse rather to breake then to bow vnto her wholesome will The austere consideration of this our humane fragility caused the Apostle to write after this manner I tame my body and bring it into subiection lest while I preach to others I my selfe become a cast-away For the soule that walloweth in sensuality in fat blood and grosse humors can neuer enter into the speculation of spirituall comfort The smokie vapours which breathe from thence into the braine doe interpose a darksome mist of blockishnes before her eyes of vnderstanding whereof let a fat paunch beare me instance How cau'st thou saith the Satyrist meditate on any thing praise-worthy which hast such a large Ewer hanging forth a foote and a halfe from thy body Cum tibi Calue Pinguis aqualiculus propenso sesquipede extat Like as a Candle put in an earthen pot enlightneth onely the pot but being therhence remoued into a Lanthorne illuminates the whole roome with a farre greater splendor then before so the vnderstanding spirit of man eclipsed with the foggie interposition of sensuall pleasures lies infatuated and besotted like an Abbey-lubber not once able to crie out Abba Father but thence recalled by the holy Spirit of God and refined with competent fasting at due times with contrite humility and conuenient meditations it forgets the vanities of this cloudy world and frames it selfe wholly to spirituall contemplation And finally separated and singled out from the bodies prison it shines brighter then any starre Then Reason shines without eclipse of errour Wisdome without ignorance and Memory without obliuion Then shall we be able to contemplate with the eye of Faith the awefull Maiesty of the mighty Trinity the in effable and inestimable felicity of our fellows Saints Then shall we comprehend the mystical messages of the heauenly Spirits ascending and descending in Chariots of sacred fire to the behoofe of our Christian brethren and inuisibly instructing the Church on earth like as themselues are both instructed and inspired of their Prince of zeale But what am I that presume to weaue a worke of such wonderfull forms in such a base and broken loome How dare I with King Vzziah burn incense vnto the Lord that am not sanctified nor of the tribe of Leui how dare I that am in his presence more mean then the meanest moth or Atome more abiect then any Ant how dare I being so mean an abiect aspire to set forth the obiects of his wonderous workes Retire O my soule to the Soule of thy soule the Life of thy life the Lord of life as to the celestiall center of all perfections The Sun-shine of
three records on earth or sacramentall types and mysteries of water the word and the Spirit there are said to be three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which beare record in heauen three persons distinguished really in respect of their personall properties but indistinct essentially in respect of their perpetuall power I say in respect of originall order of Christs mysticall marriage with the freckled or spotted Spouse the militant Church on earth in respect of his office in mediating for sinfull men an office too meane for the sacred maiesty of God and in respect of his humanity that was crucified for the Elect by Gods promise euer since Adams fall or perhaps before his fall lest the whole generation of mankind had beene vnder a iust Anathema or excommunication the Sonne was and is inferiour to the Father and submitteth his will to the Fathers will as himselfe protested Not as I will but as thou wilt O Father And so the holy Ghost is inferiour to them both in regard of his humble function of vice-gerencie or deputation in comforting and instructing the sinfull sonnes of Adam These seuerall assignements of offices they appointed to themselues in their owne praedestinated wisedomes wherein though they all conspire yet as I said before one of them hath the name of Primate in regard of order but in regard of their eternity and omnipotence none is greater or lesse then another For this cause it is written that the Father created the world the Sonne redeemed it and the holy Ghost sanctifieth it and yet they are but one in effect in their ends one God one omnipotent power communicating to three persons to three properties as one center to three lincs all in all and three in all As no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so no man can come to the Son but by the holy Ghost for we are sanctified because we are redeemed and we are redeemed because we are elected Pater eligit Filius diligit Spiritus sanctus coniungit vnit The Father electeth the Sonne loueth and the holy Ghost conioynes cements and vnites together The Father eternall in the consubstantiall word the word in him both in the coessentiall Spirit and the Spirit in them both doe all three co-operate co-adiute and worke according to their own counsell for the good of their creatures for the honour of their heauenly Hierarchy The Father begetteth in loue and iustice the Sonne begotten in loue and righteousnes and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both in loue and grace doe mystically teach the inward man that sees with the spirituall eyes of faith what care the Godhead takes for the restoring and repayring of that breach and lapse which the imbecility of mans brittle condition together with Sathans subtilty caused vnto all posterities And thus God manifesteth this three-fold distinction vnto vs that his elect might apprehend the mysticall operation of their soules saluation in the effects of his Iustice Grace and Loue. Againe lest for all this I seeme obscure I will exemplifie the vnited substance of the Trinity more familiarly yet with this prouiso that the words of Zophar to Iob may be read as a preamble Canst thou by searching finde out God or canst thou finde out the Almighty to his perfection That surely were to scale the heauens or build another Babel In a Spirit there is neither part diuersity nor multiplication but wheresoeuer the spirit is there is the whole spirit as the soule of man is not part in the head and part in the foote but the same whole spirit which is in the head is vndiuided entire all and the same in the foote neuerthelesse it appeares more eminent in the head by reason of the soules more notable operation there mans head being the noblest obiect the noblest Organ of the body which the soule doth like So in this spirituall substance of God there is no part diuersity nor multiplication but euery thing in God is God and the whole and the same substance of his Spirit for where one of Gods vertues are there also himselfe and all his vertues are as the influence of the Sunne But we commonly say Our Father which art in heauen not that he is altogether locally circumscribed there secluded from all other places but because it pleaseth his glorious Maiesty for the honour of his power to impart his Diuinity there most cleerely among his vndefiled and vnspotted creatures which as like to like pure to pure doe answere and satisfie the pleasure of their mercifull Creator So that God is in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the rarenesse and excellency of his operations in that purest place And surely God dealt like himselfe like a gracious Lord thus to communicate his soucraigne perfections to that choise place amidst his choysest creatures restrayning the same from vs poorepilgrims who for the brittlenesse of our eâ—rthly mould being clothed but with dust and ashes full of corruptions could no more then Phaeton or Icarus stand iustified before his sunny presence For when his heauenly Highnesse vouchsafed to guide and goe before the Israelites out of Egypt his magnanimous Spirit that could not brooke impurity was moued to such impatience against their sinnes that he was faine to withdraw his strong and powerfull presence from their weake complexions lest as himselfe said he should consume them in the way To returne and retire backe towards the entire essence of the Trinity I beleeue that Gods properties as I wrote before cannot be diuided into parts portions or parcels but that euery quality in God is God and the whole substance of his spirit and so the Speaker in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance The Word in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance But herein is their difference that the Father is the Speaker onely as begetting the Word the Sonne is the Word onely as the Word begotten And the holy Ghost is holy only as proceeding from the mutuall loue and from the mutuall wils of the Father or the Speaker begetting and of the Sonne or Word begotten So as the Speaker in God is God the Word in God is God and the holy Loue in God is God But yet the Speaker is not the Word nor the Word the Speaker if we regard the order and mysterie of their operatiue offices though both be God for the one is the Father begetting and the other I meane the Word is the Sonne begotten The propagatour or producer of Sanctification or holy Loue in God is loue which loue is God And loue produced in God is Loue and is God but the producer of loue is not loue produced I say the will of the Father and the Sonne being the producer of loue is not the loue proceeding or produced that is the holy Ghost though all be God in substance and power but differing in the manner of their operation for the Father is loue onely
peace or peaceable Abel the onely wisedome of all Diuine creatures descended downe from his Fathers bosome and was made flesh by the al-quickning breath of Gods owne essence co-operating in the Virgin Maries wombe the second Eue but refined and regenerated at Bethlehem the Citie of Dauid a poore Citie of Iewry in a vile beggarly stable where he suck't the dugges that rul'd the starres suxit vbera qui rexit sidera about that very time when all the world was chalked or rather charmed in the Circle of peace by vertue of Augustus Caesars soueraignty in token whereof the Romanes did shut Ianus his double porch Iani tanuam from whence the Moneth Ianuary is denominated which lay open before in time of open or ciuill warre While he liued on earth which as some write was three and thirty yeares he laboured like a woman with childe with our infirmities but after a Diuine maner He was ambitious but how Ambitious onely to aspire vp into the Theater of the Crosse. He was affected with concupiscence but with what concupiscence Not with sinfull but with celestiall concupiscence He was affected but not infected for he onely longed and lusted after mans saluation O Ierusalem how willingly would hee haue gathered together thy strayed young ones euen like a carefull henne hadst thou repented Hee was angry but how Not to reuenge for he requites good for euill and prayes for his very foes Onely hee was angry without sinne for zeale sake ad detestationem peccati non ad vindictam He was enuious but in what sort Not ex vitiata natura of corrupt nature but for conscience sake that the Diuels kingdome became daily augmented He was ignorant of some things for he knew not of the day of Doome but his ignorance was simple and not sinfull harmelesse and not erronious in desiring curiously to know those secrets which did not befit the Sonne of man to know He was troubled with feare in his agony but with what kinde of feare Not with feare of death satisfactory to repaire that breach betwixt the Angels and vs but with naturall feare which impaires the animal faculties according to the nature of mans sensitiue appetite which trembles at the sense of terrible torments In this maner did he take vpon him our infirmities not by way of inherent spotting but by way of necessary influence like vnto that Prince of Starres which pierceth and passeth into impure obiects and yet himselfe is not subiect vnto impurities Besides these burthensome infirmities of ours which he tooke vpon him in his loue and charity towards the sonnes of Adam let vs reuiew his painfull Passion Amidst the bryers and brambles of sorrowes he shewed himselfe as the Rose of patience he shined as a lightning Cynosure among the thankelesse sayling Iewes He carried our sorrowes sorrowes without number which our humane natures could neuer beare He suffered intolerable flouts intolerable torments intolerable death beyond all the degrees of comparison dura verba duriora verbera durissima fata No torments were like his torments for hee suffered for all our sinnes Whereunto I might adde the tendernesse softnesse and delicatenesse of his body which being materially formed onely of a pure Virgins nature without coniunction of the male substance could not but feele such tortures more grieuously and gripingly then any other What shall I speake of other sensible motiues of his agonies the treachery of Iudas whose feete he disdained not to wash but a little before the Iewes ingratitude and aboue all his Fathers anger in iustice heaped vpon him for our misdeedes thoughts and vaine wordes And because it was requisite that God in his iustice should punish sinne in man which man committed therefore the Word of God our mercifull Messias tooke on him mans shape euen as man in Paradise was shapt after his spirituall nature to suffer for man what was due for mans transgression euen vile pouerty conflicts with the world temptations of the Deuill feruent wrastling with sinne bloudy sweates and agonies opprobrious vsages by the Deuils procurement a drench of bitter gall opposite to that fatall iuyce of Adams apple woundes in his side to the effusion of bloud and water the mysticall seales of his last will to the Church the one prefiguring Baptisme the other the Communion both to bathe our sinnes sorrows of death a second death hellish torments both in body and soule an Eclipse of the Deity from his sunny soule All these in humane paines wherein the whole wrath of God due to the sinne of man was for a while included did our Sauiour Christ in this world before he gaue vp the Ghost accomplish and consummate And thus God to saue the sonnes of God like a louing Sheepheard in the behalfe of his sheepe or like that zealous Law-giuer which drew out one of his owne eyes instead of one of his sonnes eyes who by the law was condemned to that kinde of punishment for his adultery I say thus God voluntarily to sustaine and support the man-hood which of it selfe was altogether impotent for the vanquishing of death and for our redemption became man and was put to shamefull death vnder Pontius Pilate President of Iury for Tiberius Caesar the Romane Emperour according to that prophesie After threescore and two weekes shall Messias be slaine yet not for himselfe And as another recorded Iesus shall be openly declared within 400. yeares and after the same yeares shall my Sonne Christ die and all men that haue life He died for a while that he in vs and we in him might liue for euer He died or rather as an ancient Father testifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He became a sacrifice for all sinners that were willing by repentance to reforme themselues And as the Prophet foretold of him He was wounded for our infirmities and his soule was made an offering for sinne for our sinnes whose burthen hee bare vpon his Diuine shoulders which neither Sampson Golias Atlas Hercules Milo Crâ—toniates nor all the strong-back't Porters of the world were all their forces conioyned together could euer beare So insupportable are the sinnes of our humane natures The third day as Ionas out of the Whales belly or to speake Poetically as Arion in the deepe Seas on the Dolphms backe hee rose vp inuested with his immaculate soule by his appeased Father who as Dauid prophesied would not leaue his soule in the graue nor suffer his holy One to see corruption And againe in another place He would like a louing shepheard feede him in a greene pasture and lead him forth besides to the waters of comfort yea though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death He died as a Lambe but rose as a Lyon Heauinesse endured for a night but ioy came in the morning In the morning he rose he rose as the morning sunne that like a Bridegroome marcheth out of his chamber He rose to runne a gallant race as
silly soule what wilt thou doe if this glorious Spirit comes not neere thee Where then wilt thou expect forgiuenesse of thy blaspemies Nay how caust thou expect or aske forgiuenesse seeing that without his operation the fruites of repentance can no more spring in thy faithlesse heart then the Apples of Paradise could fall into the hands of Tantalus in hell All other sinnes are pardonable and therefore termed debts or trespasses Onely this sinne against the Holy Ghost is Treason in the highest degree against the whole Godhead his crowne and dignity by reason that his personall subsistence was produced both from the Father and the Sonne and propagated vnto vs euen from our Baptisme so that to sinne against his authoritie is to sinne against the whole Maiesty of the sacred Trinity and against our owne soules being created by the Father redeemed by the Sonne and sanctified by the Holy Ghost Chiefly those reprobates are guilty of this vnpardonable sinne which sometimes hauing had great feeling great vnderstanding of the word of God and perhaps especiall inspiration of the Holy Ghost as Ananias and Saphira had if such persons afterwards without neede do fall into malitious Apostasies causelesse Hypocrisies and contumacious blasphemies against the sanctified Church of Christ in their words works thoughts ending also their liues without repentance doubtlesse they incurre the penalty of this irremissible sinne for this their spirituall fornication But to discerne who they be particularly that offend in this height of sinne in my iudgement very few or none can vndertake that charge in these dayes because we haue not that gift of the Holy Ghost namely of discerning Spirits as apparantly as the Apostles had To conclude these excellent exorcismes against the spitefull spirit of Detraction O â—riumphant Trinity distinguished really and indistinct essentially not into three Gods as that holy Martyr protested nor into three incarnated but into three of the same degree of the same honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose powerfull Maiesty vnited and identified in one eternall Deity the celestial spirits loue to contemplate and we earthly Pilgrims long to see Here I your vnworthy seruant prostrating my soule in all humility doe craue remission in the dust and ashes for my simple speaking of your intellectuall substance O God of endlesse bounty direct my vnskilfull pen that it stray not too much from the rule of verity nor lay down any thing but with reuerend shame of my blinde and bluntish ignorance concerning thy Heauenly vertues thy blessed Guarde and holy Hoste let them which reade this Treatise beare nothing in their hearts away saue that which is conformable to the square of wholsome doctrine Inflame my spirit with true zeale the true seale of thy sacred Spirit that it may soare vp like an Eagle to the sunne of thy Grace with feruencie founded on Diuine discretion for feruency is but foolish fury without Diuine discretion LINEAMENT VI. 1 Their Heresies conuicted which detract from the seruice of God because they see him not with their corporall eyes 2 The knowledge of God proued by an instance of our carthly King who is knowne throughout great Britaine of all his subiects though not of all wito corporall sight 3 The excellency of his spirit aboue the rest of his subiects 4 Meanes to know God 5 Why mortall men cannot see God MAny of vs detract from the seruice of God because his Maiesty is not so familiar as to speake vnto vs visibly at conuenient seasons as though so high a Maiesty should debase himselfe with euery sinfull creature It is reported that the King of China will not be seene abroad among his ordinary subiects aboue once a yeare And yet we wanton worldlings would limit our great Creator to sight and daily conference God is a Spirit not bound to any bodily Organ but to compare his Greatnesse after flesh and bloud euen as mans soule when it is separated from his body his power is infinite immensiue incomprehensible and no more to be seene or sensibly vnderstood of flesh and blood then if a man should measure the waters in his fist or the heauens with his span or if he should weigh the mountaines in a ballance All people are in comparison of him but as a drop of a bucket-full or as Grashoppers or as nothing or as nothing lesse then nothing No earthly man can erect a statue or a carued Image according to his likenesse No Gold-smith can couer him with golde or cast him into a forme of siluer plates O Lord who is like vnto thee No man can enter into thy Counsell no man can finde out thy secrets or attaine vnto this perfection Thou art higher then heauen deeper then hell the measure of thee is longer then the earth and broader then the sea Though thou turne all things vp side downe closest them in and gatherest them together who will turne thee from thy purpose Worldly sight is one thing and Diuine knowledge another thing The one is subiect to insumities and errours the other is insallible certaine and can neuer saile cyther with olde age wounds or false specta cles The one is the instrumentall light of the body to guide a man in his worldly busines the other I meane mentall knowledge is the euerlasting Lampe of the soule This latter I pray God instill into vs. As for the other it cannot absolutely be termed perfect before it be first sowne in winters corruption and before like ripe corne growne with full and glorious eares it rise vp glorified in the summer of immortality At which time both lights and sights externall and internall being by the Diuine bounty become eternal we shall both see and know aright in all perfection almost euen as God himselfe seeeth and knoweth vs at this present Quid est quod non videant qui videntâ—m omnia vident What thing shall they not see and know which alwayes see and know the Authour of all sight and knowledge In the time of their visitation they shall shine they shall shine as amiable as the Sunne more admirably glorious then Moyses who was faine to put a vaile before his face by reason of his ouerbrightsome beauty though he saw God but for a moment and that imperfectly for all light proceedes from him In his light we shall see light But quoth the spirit of Detraction how can we know him whom we neuer saw O vaine Spirit if thou knowest his lawes and fulfillest them thou knowest God As for example let me instant in our earthly King for mine owne part I neuer spake with King IAMES nor euer saw his face yet notwithstanding I verily belecue that I doe know him I know him to be our King by publique Proclamation by his decrees by the vnifomâ—e consent of all his subiects My conscience perswades me that he is the Diuinest and deuoutest Prince that euer swayed the Diademe of this Monarchy and aboue all the rest
Without the mediation of Christ God is a consuming flame wherefore approach not neere this Flame lest ye be consumed Diue rather into your owne weakenesse and thinke on nothing so often then on Christ lying in a vile manger or on Christ crowned with a crowne of thornes or on his guiltlesse body nayled to the crosse of infamy and no doubt but the effects of Grace will follow Where other good Spirits are mentioned in the word of God and how one rested vpon many and many vpon one I am not of the minde that they were reall corporal and palpable spirits but rather Diuine gifts or supernaturall vertues conferred vpon the soules of the Elect by the Lord for his glory God tooke off the spirit that was vpon Moyses and put it vpon the seuenty Elders and when the spirit rested vpon them they prophesied In sundry places of the Scripture we reade that the spirit of the Lord possessed many where they became notable eyther for prophesies valour or other rare properties which Spirits must not be ballanced by proportionable quantity but spiritually construed by operation and quality Which exposition I haue laid downe as I haue some of the premisses of set purpose that the Reader may not be mistaken in conceiuing the spirit of Detraction and other sinfull Spirits to possesse mankinde really The holy Ghost fell at one time vpon many of the Apostles and others which is as much to say that the pretious Gifts of the holy Ghost of prophesie of diuersities of tongues of faith patience and other vertues inspired these seruants of God whom his Wisedome selected and sealed to that degree of sanctification as the potters vessels for such honourable seruices Contrariorum cadem est ratio By the knowledge of Goodnesse let vs gather the knowledge of the opposite how the Diuell by his spirituall Nuncioes of Sinne as by Detraction malice and such others possesseth the negligent sonnes of Adam not with reall formes but with spirituall suggestions and spiritual operations God turnes away the influence of his countenance from his degenerate children then Sathan embraceth that aduantage of opportunity and with his pestilent breath bloweth into the principall parts of mans body and soule He impoysoneth the humours of melancholy choler and gail enuenometh the lodge of imagination then the possessed is sranticke or lunaticke The bloud and seede he tickleth and tainteth with honied lechery and hateful luxury then the patient becomes passionate in his body prodigall of his bloud and seede and proude of his supposed power For how can it otherwise be when the body is tempted to receiue into it superabundance of iuyce of immoderate meates and drinkes Must not consequently euery naturall body vent out what is supersluously gathered within it But O thou great Gouernour of the world whose will is vnsearchable no mortall man can mortifie his longing conceits his lustfull concupiscence without the mortification of his body by fasting neither can he mortifie his body by fasting without powring out many piteous petitions before the seate of thy mercy Nor yet can man O sinfull man powre out his petitions intentiuely before thee except it were giuen him from aboue and except he were in his conscience compelled by the operation of thy spirit to craue daily for perscuetance in his prayers and petitions To finish the abouesaid point of Sathans stinging whether these plaguy temptations be verily or figuratiuely the Diuels spirituall power or the wrath of God inclosed in vials as is allegorically specified in the Apocalyps it is hard for man to iudge for both might well be inflicted on vs seeing the vngodly is a sword of his and Nabuchadonozor is termed his seruant or executioner to reuenge his iust conceiued anger against the Israelites The winde blowes and with his furious force ouerturnes a Forrest of wood and ouerthrowes whatsoeuer it meetes yet no man knowes whence it comes or whither it goes Euen so it fares with these turbulent spirits well may we ayme at their mediate manner of infections but it is a very difficult matter to discourse iudicially of their immediate stinging Sure we are that none escape without them LINEAMENT II. 1 The originall roâ—te of Detractions and other pollutions and whether the spirit of Detroction and other sinfull spirits which possesse mankinde be reall spirits or stings of the Diuell 2 The fight betwixt the knowledge of Good and the knowledge of Euil 3 That the Good gets the victory ouer the Euill 4 That the Diuell cannot harme a man really IN the beginning God made all creatures good and perfect though afterwards through presumption arrogancy and Detraction they became sinfull His omnipotent Maiesty being righteous and dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule with their vnlawfull deedes and at length finding no stedfastnes in his seruants and laying folly in his Angels most iustly condemned them threw them down into hell where he hath reserued them in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Where in stead of eternall glory they liue tortured with eternall infamy in stead of happy light they see nothing but horrid night in stead of holy knowledge they feele nothing but hellish ignorance in stead of perpetuall ioyes perpetuall paines How greatly then are our superstitious worldlings bewitched that authorize Diuels in multitudes and with corporall shapes that is with bodies subiect to handling hauing of necessity longitude latitude profundity otherwise called thicknes presently to appear at the lure of mortall men and to command the heauenly powers for satisfaction of their phantasies Let it suffice that we belecue the Holy Ghost hath omitted nothing pertinent to our saluation let it suffice that we arme our soules with the spirituall Corcelets of faith and charity against the most terrible encounters of Diuellish sinnes propagated vnto the children of Adam from the Arch-spirit of sinne Vt mures in muris sic satellites Sathanae in cordibus nostris delite scunt as Mice in walles so lurke the messengers of Sathan in our hearts Let it suffise our curiosity that sinne is a roaring Lyon a spirituall Diuel and that a reprobate minde fraught with vile affections like canckred poyson killes both body and soule There is a seede of man which is an honourable seede the honourable seede are they that feare the Lord. There is a seede of man which is without honour the seede without honour are they that transgresse the commandements of the Lord. This latter seede is the Deuils sting spirituall temptation spirituall Detraction springing of melancholy and corruption of humours which can neuer possesse vs while we obserue that golden rule Watch and pray that is praying alwayes in all supplication and watching for the same purpose with all instance for all Saints The chiefest Diuell on earth Vice-roy to the chiefe Serpent of hel is the knowledge of Euil euen as the chiefest God on earth Vice-roy
to the Arch-spirit of heauen is the knowledge of goodnesse both which Good and Euill we know euer since the eating of the forbidden fruite which man had not lusted except God had commanded the contrary Deteriora sequor Sinne tookâ— occasion by the commandement and deceiued vs. So that we left the tree of life and tooke the worst The knowledge of euill is sinne or worldly craft The knowledge of the good is the seruice of God or innocency Assoone as Adam had eaten the Apple in the garden of triall his eyes were opened and he knew the differences both of the Good and Euill yea he was made partaker of Euils and miseries as well of equity happinesse and innocency O what a Diuine mysterie is this Mans body and soule stands almost in suspence in an equall ballance betwixt God and the Serpent betwixt innocency and sinne Or more mystically to compare our states we stand in this world like our Sauiour Christ cruelly crucified betwixt two theeues the one penitent the other desperate the one acknowledging his Deity the other blasphemously detracting from his innocent life Euen so doe we wade betwixt Good and Euill betwixt the spirit and the flesh betwixt peace and warre betwixt heauen and hell betwixt life and death betwixt vertue and vice Xenophons pathes for Hercules in his youth betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt truth and falshood betwixt loue and hatred betwixt ioy and sorrow betwixt eternity and time Gods spirit of Goodnesse seekes to winne vs by infusing into our intellectual senses faith loue truth and other vnderspirits of his Our Ghostly tempter wicked sinne the old Serpents sting inwardly prickes our soules to know euill as well as good for malum cognitum facilius euitatur euil being knowne is the more easily auoyded to permit wantonnâ—sse licentiousnesse Detraction and other petty petulant spirits of sinne vnto our children in their tender age that they may leaue them of the sooner in their riper yeares according to the prouerbe A wilde colt will proue a good horse a rude youth a good man and a young Diuell an old Saint God labours to mortifie the body that the soule may see his Godhead The Diuell by sinne his earthly substitute deceitfully aduiseth to pamper the body with daiaty delicaciâ—s that the soule being stupefied may behold nothing but perpetuall darkenesse God pronounceth rigorousnesse vnto them which fall but towards thee kindnesse if thou continue in kindnesse The Diuell whispereth into thy heedlesse heart Sisaluaberis saluaberis If thou shalt be saued thou shalt be saued If thou be reserued among the remnant of Baals seuen thousand according to the election of Grace what needest thou make this world thy hell thy body thy crosse thy contentment thy discontentment If thou be not predestinated vnto saluation wilt thou enioy a double holi Therefore while thou hast time cheerish vp thy body with all kindes of sports and pleasures Laugh and bâ—fat I am veniet tacito curua sexecta pede Anon olde age with stealing pace will come Ah poore soule how art thou entangled being created after the image of God composed for his Spouse endowred with his spirit redeemed with his blood accompanied with his Angels capable of happinesse and partaker of reason as a learned Spaniard in imitation of Father Bernard broke out into admiration O Alma hecha a laimagen de Dios compucsta como para esposa dotada consu espiritu redimida consu sangre accompanadae consus Angeles capaz de bienauenturanza participante derazon Why dost thou follow thine enemy and forsake thy Maker O heauenly soule Why dost thou offer vnto the Diuell the fairest and the sartest of thy flocke and leauest vnto God a leane and a lame sacrifice Wilt thou draw vnto the Diuell thy sweetest drinkes and vnto God thy sowrest dregges O carelesse creature Say not God hath caused thee to erre for he hath no need of the sinful man He made thee from the beginning and left thee in the hand of thy counsell and gaue thee his commaundements and precepts He hath set water and fire before thee stretch out thy â—and vnto which thou wilt Before thee was life and death good and euill What liked thee was giuen Which excellent doctrine another confirmed Thus saith the Lord Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death Say not thou I am besieged with Diuels with reall spirits out of hell For in thy center O intellectual soule is imprinted the very character of Gods owne essence and three persons in Trinity insomuch that thou resemblest the Diuine Hypostasis and indiuisible vnity and also possessest immortality from the Father vnderstanding from the Sonne and sanctification from the Holy Ghost All which concurring in one identified essentiall vnion make thee a perfect soule without blemish Let not thy fall from that blessed state discomfort thee The bloud of Christ if the fault be not thine owne doth like a lauer purifie thy sins though they become as red as scarlet These theeues of the Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a very ancient Father terms them can neuer harme thee really howsoeuer their spirit of Detraction as false spectacles to multiply thy feares layes downe that humourous tradition before thy simple sight Seest not thou how those spirits which dallied with the holy water dare not once come neere our reformed Church As there be degrees of sinnes so in my iudgement these deluding spirits neuer appeare but to the grossest sinner Where a man hath but one honest man in his house there that house prospereth better then if that one were absent for that hee terrifieth the rest from cousenages and conspiracies so where one Godly man dwelleth there the Diuell dares not draw neere LINEAMENT III. 1 That all wicked Spirits ordinary and extraordinary doe issue from the same head 2 That they cannot harme a man really without his owne naturall or wanton motion 3 Their varieties proued out of the Scripture where Saules lunacie is censured 4 That the Spirit of Detraction attendeth on all the said spirits EVen as good spirits or vertuous motions issue from the Godhead as from the cleere fountaine of goodnesse so wicked spirits and vnbridled affections fetch their pedegree from the deceitfull Serpent wâ—h allured Eue to insring the Lords commandement For his malicious spirit repining that man a new made creature found more fauour then himselfe belike long afore an out-cast from Gods presence turned about the weaker vessell the simple woman and makes her an instrument for all their ouerthrowes together They were all of them accursed mankind destinated to death the Serpent to darkenesse Since which time continuall calamities and phantasticall spirits the blacke guard of sinne pursue mankinde till death gets the vpper hand and looseth the soule out of her prison of flesh and bloud I say vntill death as Gods Sergeant doe attach our bodies vpon debt due vnto nature and our soules vpon sinnes committed
against the Authour of nature These sinfull spirits like baites of sweet poison or sugred gals possesse olde Adams progeny according to the variable and voluble dispositions of the patient These not vnlike to Mice Lice lawlesse Lawiers or noysome vermine by Sathans spirituall suggestion doe endeuour to infest molest and sift vs as wheate They had their beginning at the fall of the Diuell and his Angels who are throughly possessed with all the said qualities working diuersly by the meanes of the same spirit The spirit of Detraction the spirit of Enuy the spirit of Pride and such like vitious spirits proceed from one roote from one Serpent that olde Impostor I am setled in this opinion by the Apostle who proued the identity of the Holy Spirit by the like reason The body is one and hath many members And againe There are diuersities of gifts but the same spirit To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit To another the operations of great workes to another prophesie to another the discerning of spirits to another the diuersities of tongues All these things worketh the same spirit distributing to euery man as it pleaseth him From one Tree came many branches of euill by the inticement of one Serpent came all these spirits of â—rrours which like venemous stings incite vs to vngodly actes And yet for all this I denie not but there are malicious spirits as well as ministring spirits Diuels as well as Angels the one attending on Lucifer the Prince of Diuels the other on Michael the Lords chiefe Angell both inuisibly attempting to work vpon the Will of man vehemently or by leisure as God commands them either for the knowledg of Goodnesse or for the knowledge of Euill Neyther will I here omit to interpose another opinion of mine concerning the Diuels force which is that God the reuenger of iniquity commands the Diuell as his executioner to pursue the reprobate sometimes by immediate causes and somtimes by mediate and second causes by immediate when the faculties of the soule are by his spirituall spurres extraordinarily possessed with frenzie sury and such like by mediate causes when the instruments of the body are by his spiritual enticements tempted to receiue into them more then suffice nature so that the veines ouerflow with blood the gall with choler adust and the liuer with lust But in my iudgement with the former extraordinary or miraculous causes the Diuell cannot harme a Christian mans body really howsoeuer I thinke of the soules immediate obsession or harme the least part of his body Surely I belecue that God reserues that palpable reall power as a prerogatiue to himselfe to his owne Angels and to his second causes in this world to himselfe as when Pharaoh and his Aegyptians were miraculously plagued with Lice and other annoyances by the singer of God or when he caused his Angel for Dauids fault to smite the Israelites with pâ—stilence But thou wilt aske me how can a Christian bee frantick by the Diuels meanes and yet not really hurt by him By him by the Diuels immediate reall force Nay principally by themselues and by their owne filthy bodies which suffered themselues at first to be gluttonously carried by their owne appetites and by the Diuels spirituall suggestion If they had eaten lesse and drunke lesse such corruption of humours could neuer taint them neither could consequently frenzie possesse them And also if they had in time sought for grace by daily prayers fasting being a coadiutour vnto them God would haue hearkened vnto them and healed their indispositions But on the contrary it pleased his Maiesty to harden some to lead them into temptation because they might acknowledge his iustice and omnipotency and also serue for monuments to terrifie the wauering minded To returne vnto my former matter as all wicked spirits and vitious purtâ—rbations sprung in mortall men by meanes of the said Arch-spirit of sinne so likewise by him they worke many and sundry operations Moyses made mention of the spirit of Iealousie Esay of the spirit of Errour The Lord permitted alying spirit to goe out and be in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to enâ—ice him into the battell against the Sirians Another Prophet relateth of the spirit of fornication And as S. Paul records God gaue them the spirit of slumber The spirit of God departed from Saeul and an euill spirit was sent from God to vexe him Therefore his seruants aduised him to seeke a cunning player vpon the Harpe whereby he might be refreshed and eased What sense more naturall to our capacities can we gather by this euill spirit and the easie cure thereof then that it was eyther a kinde of Lunacy vsuall in that hote countrey a fit of melancholy or a falling sickenesse For the cure whereof his seruants by whom I vnderstand his Phisittans hauing experimented belike that none other medicine then musicke could auaile him or perhaps not hauing such insight in Phisicke as we haue wished him onely to comfort his heart with ioyes and as we vulgarly speake to keepe Doctor Merriman company To this opinion of mine I adioyne another reason whereof we must not descant ouer-curiously that God predestinated purposely this extraordinary accident vpon Saul for the aduancement of Dauid who vpon this occasion happily composed many of his Psalmes and confirmed the vertues of his spirit and also by this accesse into the Kings Palace he gained vnto him the mindes of his chiefe Captaines and Officers besides he got by this familiar frequency in the Court his education and experience in matters of ciuill policy which otherwise he could hardly in humane probability obtaine by reason that hee was brought vp but simply among Sheepheards This I write not of any blasphemous purpose to restraine the Lords miraculous power but that we may obserue his prouidence in vouchsafing to worke by ordinary and naturall meanes But admit that the literall sense be admitted what absurdity can ensue thereof For the Diuell in his fall hauing wholy lost the musicall consent and melodious concord which was ensused in his soule at his creation could hardly digest Dauids Hymmes and Harpe the same being quite disagreeable to his discording and disproportioned nature I say such Diuine musicke reduced the extrauagant thoughts of Saules soule to such an excellent harmony and quiet tune that the Diuell durst not abide that sweete tempered sound Ouer all the abouesaid wicked spirits the spirit of Detraction awaiteth Doth the Lord send his terrible thunder his glorious lightnings as warlike alarums to rouze vs vp from our sleepy sinnes Behold the spirit of Detraction at hand and attributes those strange signes to the Prince of this world his Lord and Master the Diuell God quoth he is the Author of goodnesse quiet and neuer intâ—rmedles with thunder-claps stormes or tempests Non illi imperium pelagi scâ—ptrumque tridentis Sed mihi sort datum
the Protestants and hardening of the Papists conferre I say the conformity of the present state with the state past of the Church olde age being another infancy and yee shall see as cleere as at noone-tide the true meaning of darke places which no man that stands vpon his owne high minde and his owne merites can possibly perceiue In like manner doe ye desire to discerne the Antichrist Compare those things which are prophesied of him one with another and yee shall firret him out yee shall finde him cunningly crept into our Christian Church Euen as Christ was a mysterie to the Pharisies so Antichrist is a mysterie to the Papists I say a mystery a mysterie the mysterie of iniquity which cannot distinctly be discerned without the spirituall eyes of faith in the inward man Looke on him with your bodily eyes and this Alcimus will deceiue the very Elect if it were possible In outward shew an Angell of light a sanctimonious Elder but inwardly a sacrilegious Serpent or a Foxe in a Lambes skinne O Antichrist thy Dragon is destroyed by Daniels arte by the bloud of the Lambe thy beast is conquered O false Prophet thy Babylonian whore is become wrinckled her beauty is faded her wich-craft discouered her force decayed her superstitions defaced What remaines Thou art driuen to a narrow straight to thy neerest shifts Post ouer thy title to another Perswade thy subiects that a new Antichrist but no mysticall is euen now borne in Babylon Let Iohn Doleta with all expedition publish this in Print It is a point of policie to temporize and to beare thy credulous Catholikes in hand least suddenly they flinch from thy yoake and of Romanists fall to be Apostolickes By the mysticall allusion of Michea that saw the Lord putting a false and a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that claymed themselues like the Pharisies and Papists to be within the Church yee shall gather with this and with the Reuelation of S. Iohn that these termes of Decemer salfe Prophet the worker of false miracles which set to sale the bodies and soules of men cannot bee applied more significantly to any other then to him who went out from vs but was not of vs. Would ye answere their obiection which alledge that the Pope cannot be that great Antichrist because his Holinesse denieth not the Father and the Sonne nor exalteth himselfe aboue that which is called God Turne them to the Etymology of these words Iesus Christ that is the Al-sufficient and annointed Saniour of the world and tell them that the entire and whole vertue of the Godhead is wounded it besides him they vse any Mediator to saluation Turne them to S. Paul and reade that the Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God The Pope sits not with Peters humility but with pompe and Maiesty in Peters chaire in the mother Church of the West being now become a cruell stepmother and a common harlot shewing that he hath authority to graunt Indulgences and Pardons to release the paines of Purgaâ—ory peremptorily to aduance his Standard aboue the Church which is to magnifie himselfe aboue the Holy Ghost by whom it is ruled vnder Christ to consecrate beades water crucifixes yea and the glorious body of Christ which is already consecrated in Heauen In which prerogatiues he extolleth himselfe aboue God doing those spirituall offices which are flat contrary to Gods word and law Likewise it is prodigious that such things be sanctified by sinfull man specially since the ceremoniall law and partition wall betwixt the Iewes and vs is broken downe after the resurrection of Christ. It is derogatory I say to his sacred Maiesty that a mortall man vsurpe that Promethean pre-eminence for hee that commits such sacriledge aboue mentioned doth vndoubtedly vsurpe the power of God in a high degree He that vsurpes after this manner detracts from faith only in Christ Iesus and from other gifts of the Holy Ghost He that detracts from these gifts of the Holy Ghost blasphemes and he that blasphemes so high a Maiesty sinnes irremissibly except the Lords mercy left out some other exception vnknowne vnto vs. Thus Christian Reader shalt thou ponder other points of the Bibles mysteries And now seeing I haue sore-armed my soule with sufficient exorcismes and methodically fished out the great Leuiathan let me anathomize the Monsters principall members LINEAMENT IX 1 The Conclusion of this second Circle shewing that the Spirit of Detraction can neuer confound vs while we meditate with saith on Christs passion 2 That we become guilty of his death when we detract from his name or workes 3 The Authors supplication against the spirit of Detractum SHut fast thy mouth from lies and vanity Shoot in thine eyes to loue and verity Thou soule of mine which euery day dost fall Through Sathans web into pollutions thrall Let faith inflame thy will to meditate Vpon that Flame in flesh incorporate To see those wounds which thou hast made so wide With dint of Speare in his bloud gored side Doues build in holes of rocks but thou my Doue In holes of bloudied Rocke must build thy loue For while thou look'st with faith and zealous feare How that his head a thorny crowne did weare How Pilates scourge his holy skinne did teare How his meeke soule both mockes and flouts did beare And how his hands and feete were nailed to the Crosse To ransome thee and to repaire the losse Which Lucifer with Adders sting did cause To thee when Eue first brake her Makers lawes While thou with faith dost view this mystery The fiery Serpent of Mount Caluary No wile no guile no blacke tongues archery Nor selfe-conceit of fancies flattery Can flesh and bloud the world or Sathan worke Against thy life Though Pope conspire with Turke Though Haman with his Counsellors combine Though Machiauell complot with Aretine To blow thee vp vet thy essentiall parts Shall stand vnshak't in spite of all their arts Wherefore yee winds of praise yee wings of pride Packe hence all sinnes which vertues sonnes deride Yee grinning dogs yee grunting hogs away The night is past and wel-come is the day The day is come to day without delay I must contemne such lust vile dust and clay The bell rings out the Drummer sounds Alarme I must rise vp for feare of future harme Teares and prayers are my armes I must pray And speake the truth without all faile to day All haile cleere day long may thy Sun-shine last Without eclipse or cloud or winters blast All haile cleere day through whose reflecting beames Broad waking I do see truths open glcames I see my Lord alas what doe I see My Lord and Sauiour hurt By whom By me By me he lies with thoughts misdecdes and words Wounded as with sharpe thornes or edged swords I crucified my Christ I rent his name I crowned thee with obloquie and shame O Lord of life when I should
be thou mayest be the motiue of his repentance and reformation These spitefull spurious seedes of the Spirit of Detraction a deuout Schoole â—aâ— points out in this maâ—er Si paupâ—res vilem abâ—ectum â—e reputat si Dâ—ues ambit â—osâ—m auarum cupidum si Affabilts dissolutum si Praedicator vel Docter â—â—moris vel humani fauoris quaesuorem si 〈…〉 inuâ—â—lâ—m sâ—â—cum us hypocritam si comedens vrcâ—rem Thaâ— is if thou be poore he reputes thee vile and obiect if rich ambâ—tions a â—â—ggard or couetous if affaâ—â—e 〈…〉 if thou be a Preacher or a Doctor then he accouâ—tâ— thee a hunter after honour or popularity if silent vnprofitable if fasting an hypocrite if eating a glâ—tton With these or such like mantles of subtleties the Diuell vseth to shrouâ— his inueterate malice towards mankind so that we presuming on selfe-wit and selfe-will care not what wickednesse we contriue nor what vanity we vtter with our lips Nor doe we thinke that our most patient Lord beholdeth vs heareth vs yea and knoweth the very cogitations of our hearts before we haue time to speake them But because when we knew God we glorifie him not as God neither are thankefull therefore God giues vs vp to reprobate minde That is he giues vs ouer to our owne lustes to siâ—ne tradimur Sathanae we are deliuered ouer to be tempted and seduced by Sathan we are excommunicated with Caine from Gods lightsome presence barred out of the doores of heauen and banished from blâ—sle And if it were lawfull for me to diue in the Lords secrets I would say that the Arch-diuell that old Serpent is let loose out of hell for a time to confirme vs in our reprobate natures LINEAMENT VI. 1 The naturall manner how the Spirit of Detraction enters into a man and possesseth him 2 Another reason to confirme the premisses HOw so vile a spirit as this of Detraction can possesse a man pertaker of diuine reason I cannot keepe close from my friends the naturall meanes First Will being Lady ouer the soule ouer reason ouer sense and imagination loth to minister causes of discontentment to any of her subiects lest her Dominion through ciuill discord might become enfeebled resolues to please all handes sometimes bearing with one sometimes with another at last she is glad her selfe to yeeld her suffrage vnto the strongest party in such wise that the spirit of Detraction gets footing with other spirits of errour Wherein she resembles the Machiauellian Princes of this world who complot by their peoples factions for their priuate gaine one while with the Gnelfes another while with the Gibellines one while with the white Rose another while with the red Rose one while with the Vrsini another while with the house of Columna vntill at length themselues by the iust iudgement of God feele equall smart their owne estates turned topsie-turuy and vntill the triple crowned Monarch be chased like the Foxe out of his hole from Rome to Auinion To adde another naturall reason for the enabling of the premisses the spirit of Detraction at the first by bribing of memory sense hath accesse to the braine which is the lodge of the Imaginatiue Lady and by his double diligence insinuates himselfe into her amity She a Princesse of estimation and fauor with the Heart commends this spirit of Detraction to her protection as a minion or play-fellow to deceiue the time or rather her selfe and to discouer vnto her the diuersities of Spirits which might harme her eyther in detracting her credite or in disposing her subiects to insurrection Here the spirituall Hermaphrodite is let in at first by secret conuayances as a thiefe for as yet he dares not openly enter into the hearts palace for feare of the enuious Nobles But in processe of time hauing throughly like Absolon or Seianus stolne away the good consent of the Heart and now strongly befriended by her extraordinary fauours in this microcosme of man he enduceth other humorous spirits to regard him and in fine enticeth vnto him in the hearts metropoly the greatest number of the purer vitall spirits where he besotteth them and bewitcheth them with melancholy rage choler malice and other disordinate passions insomuch that the Soule the hearts tutrix is likewise enforced nolens volens will she nill she to obey this vnworthy Spirit LINEAMENT VII 1 Corollaries for the explanation of the premisses 2 Where wicked Spirits reside in man WIcked Spirits inhabite both in the soule and body some as the spirit of malicious Detraction the spirit of hatred the spirit of enuie lodge in the highest and chiefest part of the soule called the reasonable will which is seated betweene reason and sensuality and apt to be applied to eyther and these are spirituall materiall not knit to any corporall Organ or instrument Other some there be that dwell in the inseriour part of the soule now Will being altogether become sensuall as the spirit of gâ—uttony the spirit of lechery and these are materiall bodily and apprendants to some corporall subiect as rightly belonging to the sensitiue appetite The former spirits are apprehended in the soule before they descend to the bodies appetite The latter two are conceiued with sensuall appetite before it be throughly scanned in the reasonable will or soule whether the acte committed be good or euill This the auncient Philosophers harpâ—d vpon when they acknowledged in euery man three seuerall parts proceeding from spirituall and corporall fountaines namely the Intellectuall which issueth from the soule in the braine the Irascible which issueth from the heart and the Concupiscible or longing part which flowes from the liuer Of these the Intellectuall while it remaines incorrupted may be termed celestiall being the little and liuely looking-glasle of Gods own attributes The other two being brutail may rightly be ascribed to the sensitiue constitution specially when eyther through custome complexion or through some accidentall course they become materiall members for the knowledge of Euill In like manner both these spirits Irascible and Concupiscible linckt in affinity with flesh and blood may also proportionably challenge one vniuersall lodge in the body as wel as the soule apart vnto themselues I meane when they vsurpe a predominance ouer the rest of the passions and this is the heart for who calumniates his neighbours good name and same and hath not the heart burning Who is possessed with the spirit of lust and seeles not his heart consenting Who hates his neighbour and perceiues not his heart panting for reuenge In the heart is the most concourse of humours and there abounds much fiery heat seeing that it digesteth the blood which is sent from the liuer for euen as the eyes of maydes looke vp to the hands of their Mistresse and as the lesser wheeles in the watch waite vpon the greatest wheele so all the members of the body depend vpon the heart their punctuall wheele and mistresse LINEAMENT VIII 1 That the spirit of Detraction
hath two principall instruments the Hand and the tongue 2 Their apish trickes 3 Their monstrous effects 4 A briefe dehortation from Detraction EVen as wise Philosophers by signes and effects doe finde out naturall causes by properties they found out essences and by leading sparres doe ayme at leaden mines so must we by some externall operations apprehend the instrumentall meanes by which the froathy spirit of Detraction manageth whole rablements of wrangling and â—angling actions And these are two the Hand the Tongue with the hand Sathan procures a man to wriâ—e infamous libels inuectiues Satyres and disgracefull letters and times not inferiour to the Popes thundring Bulles against his powerful Makers name or at least wise against his honest neighbours fame yea though he be an hundred miles distant from him with such violent and insupportable fury that one knowes not which is more dreadfull the pike oâ— the pen. Such a one might well be called a Calamoboas that is the lusty or lofty Crier with the pen as Antipater in Plutarch termed Carneades the libeller Some other times a dumbe spirit possesseth our outlawed out-casts so that with dumbe shewes winking eyes wry mouthes bended browes pointed fingers touch of feeâ—e and other apish trickes they tempt the patience of the godliest man Which beast-like vsage a moderne Poet thus painteth out Me digitis monstant subsannant dentibus omnes Hic aures Asini fingit ille canem With fingers point with grinning teeth they flout me One Asses eares he dogs tongue makes about me The other and common instrument of The spirit of Detraction is the Tongue which being ill ordered and Tutourlesse may bee termed a leprous sinne a contagious sinne spreading farre and neere the hyperbolical deuises of the Diuell by the mouth of the detracting spirit towards the credulous eares of mortall men Wherein it is a thing remarkeable and worthy of graphicall obseruation to see how this small member can worke such turbulent tumults throughout all the circuit of mans little world The repercussion of it stirres the gall enflameth the blood netries the heart and musters together all the mutinous powers of the body in reuenge of the other opposite spirit But when all comes to all Truth is great and must preuaile In cold bloud men of vnderstanding will grow to this conclusion that the tongue endamageth three soules the absent whom it backe-biteth the present person which is attentiue and the Detractor himselfe which bloweth the dust and it reuerteth backe vnto his owne eyes Euill words corrupt good manners and also bewray the motions of the heart for euen as the tree of the fielde is knowne by his fruit so is the thought of mans heart knowne by his words Where is Charity Where is Taciturnity While the tongue becomes the Diuels Trumpeter to sound out his malicious words of defiance O imprudent age O carelesse folke which suffer themselues to be allured by hellish Nighting-galles Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit auceps The Fowler lures melodiously While he takes birds deceitfully In regard of which circumstances Let thy words be few for as a dreame comes by the multitude of businesse so the voyce of a foole is in the multitude of wordes And lâ—t those golden sayings of the Apostle be firmely imprinted within the closet of thine heart Gâ—â—ue not quoth he the holy spirit of God by whom thou art sealed vnto the day of redemption Let all but ernesse anger and euill speaking be put away with all maliciousnesse LINEAMENT IX 1 The Authors censure of certaine English Pamphleters and Ballad writers with an inuocation to my L. of Canterbury for a reformation not onely of these abuses in writing but also of other enormuus committed against the Church-Canâ—ts 2 A Description of good and euill writers 3 That there is a mixt morall kind of writing seruing as the lesser â—ight for the conuersion of the naturall man HErein I cannot chuse but somwhat touch the apish spleene of certain English Pamphleters who to gaine themselues windy applauses and popular praises among Sathans posterity like vnto Erostratus who fired Dianaes famous Temple at Ephe sus to the intent he might be spoken of in after ages do publish daily the puffed leauen of their phantasies which the Poet otherwise calles Ingenij caprisicum The wilde Fig-tree of their greene wittes or as we vulgarly say their wilde seed Oates These bastard Bookes begotten in an euill houre vpon the effeminate aspect of Venus and Mars I could wish to be suddenly suppressed as Monsters opposite to the sacred spirit of Regeneration And for this purpose I humbly inuocate on you my iudicious Lord Great Britaines Metropolitane intreating your further vigilancy in rooting out those vaine Vines which according to the nature of ill weedes will in time ouer-grow your pruned plants But who am I that dare admonish the Ambrose of our age who with your heauenly food of Ambrosia Manna and Nectar doe nourish the soules of our Christian Church prouiding milke for their young ones medicine for their sicke and meate for their strong Right reuerend Lord I know it is presumption in me to discourse with so great and graue a Personage Yet notwithstanding because our English Adage taught me this vncontrouled rule spare to speake and spare to speede I will not spare to enforme your Grace what wicked weedes doe ouer-top the graine of my natiue soile Beside those rotten rootes of writing the neglect of your Constitutions and experimented Orders whereby our Commissaries must not call to question the sincerer sort of people vpon bare and naked fame for euery slight and slanderous imputation whereby they are forbidden to prouounce definitiue sentence without the aduice of discreet Aduocates whereby our Proctors are charged not to frame their libelles without the opinions and hands of Aduocates and whereby their wrangling noyse in Court is stinted I say the contempts of these and other your Canonicall commaundements by your meaner Officials which now in your first Visitation may more acutely be espied are the principall causes that they of the layer and lower sort become more carelesse in their carriage more addicted vnto Detraction For surely there is nothing in this spacious Round or Vniuerse of nature which more resisteth the execution of lawes then the ordinary heape of friuolous and froward suites then the disobedience and breach of ciuill customes in men of higher note These and many other enormious crimes enuring the popular ranke to peremptory and pecuish thoughts deedes and speeches your prouidence may expell for a time if not quite extinguish and extirpe Your fame eternized through your euer-shining bookes through your neuer-spotted actions may worke some miracles in the conuersion of our Detractors Yea your noble Name illustrious ABBOT a Name I confesse somewhat ominous among the aduerse side the admirers of auncient Abbeyes I say your very Name etymologized from that Abba of Adoption the sounding voyce
though I confesse this auncient saying makes for them nihil dictum quod non est dictum prius that nothing can be spoken but what is spoken of before yet notwichstanding I must needs tell them that there bee other circumstances also fit to be considered as the importunity of the times the multiplicity of nouell inuentions the extraordinary gifts of the spirit the nature of the Readers composed and disposed by measure number and waight for the glory of the Giuer cuen as the Holy Ghost hath giuen them vtterance and capacity Thus rageth Sathan raysing vp his instruments and causing them to scatter abroad such scandalous rumours vnder hand against good mens credites for feare lest his customes quaile and lest his Mill which hitherto neuer wanted moulture should suddenly stand still without cmolument or gaine of soules All men write not the same matter nor after the same manner after the same method after the same mould For if all men manured the spatious fielde of Rhâ—toricke what should become of the succinct and materiall substance of Logicke If all men were Auditours who should teach or preach If the body of man were all Eye what place were left for the rest of the senses If the faculties of the soule were all Memorie where were the other Intellectuall attributes For these reasons it hath pleased God to distribute diuersly his Diuine vertues as nuptiall dowries to euery particular man Some he inspires with one kind of knowledge some with another and all for his honour Some persons according to their knowledge of good and euill are fitter to write Prose rather then Verse some to interprete some artificially to inuent out of their owne braines some other to collect cursorily or analytically out of other mens hiues And that I may instant in my selfe as I deriued a booke of mine called Naturall and Artificiall Directions for health from Philosophers as well moderne as auncient Which also I manifested in these verses now of late omitted by the Printer in the third and last Edition of the said booke Furtiuis olim varijsque superbijt Oscen Plumis ex multis fit liber iste libris Redde cuique suum vilescit protinus oscen Hic sine Naturâ foetet Arteliber Ex herbis sit mel hominis ceâ— simia Tâ—xâ—n Aemula naturae est Maeonidisque Maro Sit licet exmultis opus hoc tamen vtile quouis Teste volummibus candidiusque tuis As for my other workes which I set out in Prose and Verse I confesse they were composed by me as pueriles pupae as the froathy fruites of mine adolescency and as one writes of Ramus his Logicke they were inuented ardore iâ—uenili vpon a youthfull spleene or sting As there is nothing comprehended in them worthy of immortality or of Homers buskiâ— as they say so I am sure there is no great harme in them wherby Apothecaries or Fishmongers should challenge them for waste leaues to wrap about their drugges and Macarelles pipero scombris digna Let them then be taken as St. Iohns hearbe which as our Cookes report being put into the pot will neyther doe good nor hurt to the pottage But for this present booke of mine wherein the Spirit of Detraction is Coniured and Conuicted I dare inuite the whole crew of Archilochian Cynickes with their Satyres Iambickes and Libels with their So and So with their vies and revies with their phiâ—fie vpon it sie vpon it to dash and blurre it ouer to taunt to teare it to fling their caps at it to make Tennis-balles and to bandy it away if they can For I cannot do withall if fooles will be fooles still and so liue and die in their foolish phantasies LINEAMENT XI 1 What kind of persons the spirit of Detraction doth soonest possesse with a description of the common people 2 That wise men and of resolution must not feare the Detractions of the common people 3 That it is necessary for Enuy to be the companion of vertue and for the spirit of Detraction to follow Magistrates as the shadow the body for the corroborating of their vertues THe spirit of Detraction very seldome approacheth nigh to learned men I meane to them whose liues differ not from the rules of learning For hardly will they be infected with erroneous vices whom learning hath purged Commonly he watcheth about the ignorant and common sort of people to inueigle their vnderstanding to so we vanity and malice in their hearts that afterwards they may continually varie and as rotten vapors disperse them for nouelties into the open eares of their neighbors These be they whose first salutation in al meetings is to aske What newes These be they which liue by newes as the Salamander by the fire These iolly fellowes as if our gouernement in Great Britaine were a confused Anarchy or a petulant Democracie do descant and deliberate on wise mens deedes yea and now and then on their liues Whatsoeuer a wise man doth considerately or moderately they argue it a kinde of slothfull cowardise What is circumspectly forewarned that they hold to be curiosity but what soeuer is rash hasty and precipitate that is thought by them to be couragiously determined These monstrous Hydraes of many heads Belluae multorum capitum do ground their opinions vpon sandy foundations they are stout when dangers are a farre off and very irresolute when they are imminent and at hand Vnhappy is he which reposeth any confidence in their assertions Admit a man is by them iustly extolled what thing more augmenteth it to the conscience of a wise man that measureth not his good by common rumours and reports but by the infallible truth of the conscience He that is praised vnworthily ought to bee ashamed of his praise On the contrary suppose that the vndiscreet multitude rageth against thee with booke bell and candle for thy vigilance seruice and paines taken in the behalfe of the Weale publique what harme I pray thee may redound thereof Let the security of thy conscience mitigate thy griefe If thou were badde and like vnto thy Detractors thy company would be much more pretious vnto them Euery like loues his like as a certaine Athenian answeswered one that asked him why hee subscribed to the banishing of Aristides the iust for none other reason quoth he then because he is iust But thou that carest more for the precepts of the Lord then for the prescriptions of man esteeme none otherwise of the spirit of Detraction then of an idle braine or a talkatiue tongue Tollat sua munera cerdo let the popular sort keepe their applauses and corruptions with themselues While thou walkest vprightly in the sight of God it is not their confused Detractions which can impaire thy credite Iustice shines on thy side with vndefiled honours she will patronize thy fame and shelter thy good name vnder her vertuous wings But for all this thou murmurest that the spirit of Detraction prouoke many priuy
vnder the spirit of Detraction Wherefore weane thy minde from Detractions while thou hast store of time Giue euery man his due or hold thy peace and let Gods prouidence alone If the world like thee not detract not from the vilest wretch but rather reioyce that others yet delight in charity in distributing almes Or doth thy neighbour disquiet thee because he is not as bountifull as thy selfe Looke thou onely to thine owne talent It may be that of himselfe without thy carping he will become a liberal conuert like that Terenan Demea Though thou be strong he may be more actiue though thou be strong and actiue he may be wiser or more pregnant in wit though thou be nobly borne he may haue a better face though thou hast an amiable face he may be better bodied yea and perhaps though thou and he be as charitable as Tobias as bountifull as Maecaenas as strong as Hercules as nimble as Asahel as wise as Solomon as well descended as Aiax as beautifull as Absolon there may come a gouty Crassus and a greedy Craesus onely with earthy excrements to bereaue you both of your hearts contentment your amourous Saints For this cause embrace patience and taciturnity and neuer detract from Tobias his charity from Maecaenas his bounty from Hercules his strength from Asahel his actiuity from Solomon his wisedome from Aâ—ax his birthright from Absolon his beauty nor from misers their golden trash though the want of them or of worldly pleasures discontent thy wordly thoughts If one Sparrow cannot light vpon the ground if one haire cannot fall from our heades without the appointment of God why dost thou O simple man sometimes swell with anger sometimes scoffe and scolde some other times pine away with enuy and at all times raise vp a tumultuous hurly-burly and a confused combustion within thine owne body against thine owne soule because this world sorts not altogether according to thy will and wish Remember the fable of the foolish Frogge that malitiously repined at the Oxe because he dranke more then himselfe and so striuing to match him burst his owne belly After the same sort Dum mendicantes plures videt ore dicaci Persequitur mendicus acri marcetque dolore One beggar frets with rayling and with woe Because he sees neere him more beggars goe LINEAMENT XIII The Conclusion showing that all persons from the Prince his Scepter to the Coblers naulc are subiect to Detracting tongues WHat Prince euer flourished without Calumniation What state euer stood without Enuies sting What Trade without interruptions of malicious Sycophants Figulus figulo One Mechanicall person repines at the other One neighbour speakes ill of the other Moyses had his Corah Dauid his Semei Achilles his Thersites Homer his Zoilus Philip his Demades Alexander his Clytus Mardocheus his Haman Socrates his Anitus Cicero his Salust Neyther liued our Sauiour Christ without thousands of slanders Did he cast out Diuels out of vncleane bodies No saith the Iew he could not cast out Diuels but by inuocation on Baalzebub Prince of Diuels Did he cure the blinde Let vs examine his Parents and trie the truth Did Father Abraham beleeue in Christ That could not hee when Christ was not yet borne Did Christ protest himselfe to be the Messias the King of the Iewes As false as the rest Elias must first come and he that names himselfe King sinnes against Caesar. Such was the malice of this monstrous Fiend that he caused his Ministers to raile at Christ to rend his Diuinity in his last distresse Some yelled If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse. Others mocked He saued others himselfe he cannot saue Others Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes saue thy selfe Thus was the Sonne of God reuiled as long as hee liued Yet opened hee not his mouth but sate still like a Lambe before the shearer After his glorious resurrection these ingratefull Iewes affirmed that his disciples stole away his body for al that their Centurion watched about his tombe In like manner the Corinthians back-bited S. Paul for his charitable care on the behalfe of the poore Saints at Ierusalem Though himselfe was not chargeable vnto them neuerthelesse being crafty he caught them with guile And againe his letters were sore and strong but his bodily presence weake and his speech nothing worth Thus rageth Sathan by his detracting deputy ouer persons of all conditions ouer Nobles and ignobles ouer the Clergy and the Laity from the Prince his Scepter to the Coblers naule from the crowne to the foote yea euen from the Kings crowne to the poore mans spade THE FOVRTH CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The felicity and infelicity of our Countrey of Great Britaine 2 The Authours supplication to the high and mighty Court of Parliament for suppressing of common Swearing Blasphemies Slannders Periuries and other Detractions offensiue to God and their Countreyes weale 3 That they crucifie Christ anew which sweare eyther wantonly or wilfully by his bloud c. 4 The Authors motion for more Additions to the Statute of Periurie 5 The necessitie if these Additions and of likely circumstances to lead our common Iurours O Noble Iland our natiue land how happy art thou that art so famous among thy neighbours among the nations for thy faith vnto thy spirituall Spouse for the good and pleasant sauour of thy most pretious balmes O noble Iland of great and gracious Britain whose name is a sweete smelling oyntment when it is shed forth How happy art thou that excellest all the Iles of the Ocean Indian and Mediterranean Seas as farre as the light of life exceedeth dulnesse death and darkenesse And how vnhappy art thou which notwithstanding this thy happinesse this exceeding excellency and famous faith that enlightens thy soule aboue the noone-tide Sun How vnhappy I say art thou which being humane as well as Diuine partaker of Good and Euill knowledge hast thy night as well as day thy winter as well as Summer thy darkesome eclipses as well as the Deities glorious glimpses How vnhappy art thou that holdest the Dragons detracting stinges and the Eagles horrible wings as well as the Doues simplicity and the Lambes integrity How vnhappy art thou that hidest within thee nests of nasty and noisome foule Cages of euery vncleane and hatefull birds and that harborest within thy bosome Hypocrites Blasphemers Periurers and Antichristians as vile venemous vermine as Foxes in Lambes skinnes Foxes that hurt thy Vines Vines which beare blossomes Thy Wolues are long sithence worne and weeded out by the policy of a prouident prudent Prince And why may not likewise thy Dragons thy foule birds and filthy Foxes be rooted out of this vnited Realme seeing that our present Prince surmounts all his Progenitors in policie prouidence and prudence It is high time my Soueraigne Liege that you bestirre your powerfull Scepter proclayming out strong thundring
threats from S. Michacls Mount to the furthest bounds of Calydone against all licentious and lying libellers against detractors of their neighbours names or at least wise against such prophane persons which presume to wound the Maiestie of their great Creatour by their malicious or wanton wordes To this end like vnto that Clowne of Danubius who spared not to speake the truth from his very heart before the Emperour Aurelius and the whole Senate of Rome an obedient and obsequious seruant of yours borne vnder Cambriaes climate doth here enforme your patient Highnesse that the Sunne can no longer shine in your Christian Kingdome vpon truth and blasphemy without a most terrible eclipse of discontentment Arise therefore O King and cause these noysome Foxes to be both slaine and slaine Let their habitation be desolate and no man dwelling therein For they that be Traytors to their Heauenly King can neuer be true to their earthly King They that wittingly and wilfully teare in pieces the Titles of the great Iehouah will also proue rayling Semeies and reuiling Sathans against your royall Highnesse Their tongues like sharpe pointed arrowes will passe and pierce through your hard steely armour your armour of proofe my Lords both spirituall and temporall Their throats like open Sepulchres doe threaten to bury your wounded bodies O yee Knights Burgesses and Commons Yea these Knights of the Post these common swearers and detractors will conspire some time or other to blow vs all vp one after another with the gun-powder of their blasphemies O then let not such Atheisticall Agags be spared but let them perish by the hands of Samuell let them perish in the pit of perdition as persons faire worse then murtherers for these kill but the body whereas the periured kill themselues totally both body and soule And as an auncient Father writes They that blaspheme Christ now reigning in heauen do sinne no lesse then they that crucified him here on earth When they forsweare themselues whether it be by compulsion or of custome or of some worldly respect all is one eyther by Gods body by his bloud or by his woundes they spiritually pierce his sides with their bloudy weapons for a wicked tongue is worse then any weapon and like pitilesse Pilate they scourge his sanctified body againe When they sweare by his head as our swaggering swil-bowles will sweare by any part they plaite another Crowne of thornes vppon his hallowed head When they sweare by his foote they naile his innocent feete to the Crosse anew When they sweare by Gods death by Gods heart they put him to death and being worse then Iudas Iscariot they plot to supplant the heart of life When they sweare by senseles blocks stocks by the Masse by Gog or magog they detract from Gods honour in attributing his due to dumbe and deafe Idols But when they wilfully sweare betwixt party and partie in iudiciall proceedings by Gods Sacraments or forsweare themselues vpon his louely Legates the Testament eyther olde or new they blasphemously detract from the Father the Word and the holy Ghost by reason that Gods word comprehended in those holy Oracles is the right record on earth resembling the word incarnate now in heauen who redeemed the penitent from Sathans thrall euen as the other two mysticall records of water the spirit or of Baptisme and the Lords Supper represent the Father the holy Ghost the one signifying our Election by Baptisme and repentance from the Father before all worlds and the other witnessing and sealing the same into our consciences and also breathing faith loue charity and other Diuine gifts into our barren wils as is most euidently testified in those Testaments so that wilfull periury and blasphemous Detraction either to the derogation of Gods honour or to the detriment of his creatures if without commission I may discerne of spirits may be termed a sinne against the holy Ghost or against the whole Maiestie of the sacred Trinity No lesse also sinne the suborners of periurie then Periurers themselues nay they encurre a farre greater punishment because they occasion the losse of other mens soules namely of the suborned persons besides the losse of their owne soules And to detaine them more surely and safely in hell the iniured parties against whom such periury was committed will continually craue and crie for vengeance In respect of which abhominable abuses and for that the Diuell is now-a-dayes most spiritually busie at the shutting vp of this last tragicall seene of the world may it please your Soueraignties to ioyne together as mystical members of one vndiuided and vnblemished corporation for the extirping out of such prophane sinnes which being begunne in youth continued in manhood and confirmed in olde age doe continually raigne among vs as it were by destiny so that likewise other blasphemies in manner of branches beginne to ouer-spread their leaues of lies and libels aboue the plants of truth onely by the slight and too too light stocking vp of that sinfull and saplesse tree of periury Or if your wisedomes iudge it not expedient to promulge and put out any new Acte against this manifolded spirit of malignant Detraction yet notwithstanding for the preuenting of periurie and for the protection of innocencie that Naboth may not sustaine damage by Iezabels false witnesses and that all other sincere subiects may walke dreadlesse in their vocations it were a worke of charity and very likely to hinder the future budding vp of innumerable inconueniences if you would but adde one materiall clause more to the Statue of periury viz. That none be admitted to beare witnes against honest men but honest men men of some sufficiency and substance vntouched vncorrupted and vnsuspected I meane not that they should be voyde of sinne for then we must goe out of this world to fetch in the Angels of heauen but I meane sober men vnattainted of notorious crimes those whom the common law termes probos legales so that common drunkards haunters of Alehouses hunters of whores Barretours beggars rogues and light persons whom the Londoners call Knights of the Post may be excluded from deposing against substantiall subiects For to what end requires the law to haue witnesses produced Is it not to trie the truth And what truth can there be found in such notorious lewd liuers whose thoughts are altogether dulled with sensuall pleasures What true proofe can there be expected from them who differ but very little from bruit beastes Therefore it were sit that Iudges and Iurours regard circumstances as well as witnesses Doth a common drunkard or a common whore-hunter depose such must haue meanes to maintaine their vices Doth a beggar or a prisoner sweare beleeue him not for pinching penuâ—ie will perswade persons to testifie that the crow is white Neede will make the olde wise trot Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames Is a common Barretour produced to testifie his knowledge A Barretour is euer
mocketh at iudgement and the mouth of the vngodly deuoureth wickednesse ibid. Cast out the scornfull man and so shall strife goe out with him yea variance and slaunder shall cease ca. 22. Be not a false witnesse against thy neighbour and speake no falshood with thy lips cap. 24. The North winde drtueth away the raine euen so doth an angry countenance a backbiters tongue cap. 25 Giue not the foole an answere after his foolishnesse lest thou become like vnto him cap. 6. As he that counterfeits himselfe mad casteth firebrands deadly arrowes and dartes so doth the dissembler with his neighbour and saith Am not I in sport Where no wood is there the fire goeth out euen so where the tale-bearer is taken away there the strife ceaseth As coales kindle heat and wood the fire euen so doth a brawling fellow stirre vp variance A tale-bearers words are like men that strike with hammers and they pierce the inward parts of the bodie Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a pot shard couered with siluer drosse A lying tongue hateth the afflicted and a flattering mouth worketh mischiefe Ibid. in cap. 26. A brawling woman and the roofe of a house dropping in a rainy day may well be compared together for he that stilleth her stilleth the winde and stoppeth the smell of oinments in his hand cap. 27. If a Prince delight in lies all his seruants are vngodly cap. 29. Seest thou a man that is hasty to speake vnaduisedly There is more hope in a soole then in him ibid. Be not hasty with thy mouth and let not thine heart speake any thing rashly before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy wordes be few Eccles. cap. 5. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne ibid. The spirit of wisdome is louing and will not absolue him that blasphemeth with his lips for God is witnes of his reynes a true beholder of his heart and an hearer of his tongue for the spirit of the Lord that filleth the round compasse of the world and the same that vpholdeth all things hath knowledge also of the voyce Therfore he that speaketh vnrighteous things cannot be hid neyther shall the iudgement of reproofe let him escape And why In quisition shall be made for the thoughts of the vngodly and the sound of his wordes shall come vnto God so that his wickednesse shall be punished The eare of iealousie heareth all things and the noise of gâ—udging shall not be hid therefore beware of murmuring which is nothing worth and refraine your tongue from slaunder for there is no word so secret that it shall goe for nought and the mouth that speaketh lies slayeth the soule Wisd. cap. 1. LINEAMENT VI. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by Iesus the sonne of Siraches testimonie IN the tongue is wisedome knowne so is vnderstanding knowledge and learning in the talking of the wise and stedfastnesse in the workes of righteousnesse In no wise speake against the words of truth but be ashamed of the lies of thine owne ignorance Be not hasty in thy tongue neyther slacke and negligent in thy workes cap 4. Be sâ—ift to heare but slow and patient in giuing answere If thou hast vnderstanding shape thy neighbour an answer if no lay thy hand vpon thy mouth lest thou be trapped in an vndiscreete word and so confounded Honour and shame is in the talke but the tongue of the vndiscreet is his owne destruction Be not a priuy accuser as long as thou liuest and vse no slaunder with thy tongue for shame and sorrow goeth ouer the thiefe and an euill name ouer him that is double tongued but he that is a priuie accuser of other men shall be hated enuied and confounded cap. 5. A man full of words is perillous in his City and he that is rash in his talking shall be abhorred cap. 9. Reherse not a wicked and churlish word twise and thou shalt not be hindered If thou hast heard a word against thy neighbour let it be dead within thee and be sure thou shalt haue no harme thereby A foole trauelleth with a word like as a woman that is pained with bearing of a childe Like as an arrow shot in a thigh of flesh so is a word in a fooles heart Reproue thy neighbour that he keepe his tongue and if he haue spoken that he say it no more A man falleth with his tongue sometime but not with his will for what is hee that hath not offended with his tongue cap. 19. A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportunity but a wanton and vndiscreet body shall regard no time He that vseth many words shall hurt his owne soule and he that taketh authority vpon him vnrighteously shall be hated In the mouth of him that is vntaught are many vnconuenient and vnmeete words A lie is a wicked shame in a man yet shall it be neuer in the mouth of the wise A thiefe is better then a man that is accustomed to lie The conditions of liers are vnhonest their shame is euer with them cap. 20. A foole lifteth vp his voyce with laughter but a wise man shall scarse laugh secretly The lips of the wise will be talking foolish things but the words of such as haue vnderstanding shall be waighed in the ballance The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in his heart A priuy accuser of other men shall defile his owne soule and be hated of euery man but he that keepeth his tongue and is discreet shall come to honor cap. 21. If thou be among the discreet keepe thy words to a conuenient time but among such as be wise speake on hardly The talking of fooles is abomination and their sport is voluptuousnesse and mis-nurture The proude doe blaspheme and are scornefull but vengeance lurketh for them as a Lion cap. 27. An hasty browling kindleth fire and an hasty strife sheddeth bloud a tongue also that beareth false witnesse bringeth death If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spit vpon it it shall go forth and both these come out of the mouth The slaunderer and double tongued is cursed for many one that be friends setteth he at variance The stroke of the rodde maketh prints in the skin but the stroke of the tongue smiteth the bones in sunder There be many that haue perished with the sword but many moe through the tongue Well is hee that is kept from an euill tongue and commeth not in the anger thereof which draweth not the yoake of such and is not bound in the bonds of it For the yoake thereof is of iron and the band of it of steele The death of it is a very euill death hell were better for one then such a tongue But the fire of it may not oppresse them that feare God and the flame thereof may not burne them Thou hedgest thy goods with thornes why dost thou not rather make doores and
of God from the sonnes of Bâ—lial to the glory of his heauenly Maâ—â—stie to the comfort of his Deputy heere on earth to the discharge of your owne consciences which yee pawne and pledge for the security of your duety and diligence Discite Iustitiam moniti non temnite Diuoâ— THE FIFT CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The Authors scope in this Circle 2 His inuocation to the Godhead against his Ghostly Enimies IN the precedent Circles I haue affoorded the Reader a taste of my present purpose in it I haue coniured the spirit of Detraction forearming my selfe with the spirits of Goodnes or to speake Poetically Aegide Palladia with Mineruâ—es shield and so by descent discried the tree of Good and Euil wherin I haue exercised my declining will with excellent exorcismes of Michaels mysteries and also I haue therehence deseended as it were by steps and degrees to the pedegree of those degenerate spirits which gape after mans damnation euer since our deiection from that Paradise of free-will being but the mysticall meanes of olde Adams probation and particularly I haue canuased the said spirit of Detraction that domineeres it in all places at Ordinaries at Feastes at Tobacchonizing without curbe or checke one while breathing forth blasphemies against his God that will not holde him guiltlesse another while possessing the soules of our reprobates like vnto those of Ahabs false Prophets so that they broach out whole pipes of poisonous periuries paradoxes slaunders and ridiculous girdes in the derogation nay in despite of the meeke and milde spirit of God whom they forâ—e to depart away out of their quondam baptized consciences being very sorrowfull to see their hardened hearts and to see his holy gifts bestowed in vaine But our Fathers determinate will be done in earth as it is in heauen that hath sealed vp the certainty and number of the Elect before this world was made by his word and wisedome And now that the spirit of Detraction stands forth to be arraigned at the barre of vnderstanding let no man blame me if I lay out Truth it selfe in euidence against him as well to conuince him present as also to confound his absent adherents acceslaries and abertours which together with the abouesaid diuellish euils make no conscience in this licentious age with the Gyants of olde time to raise and roule vp mounts against the Heauens with Promethâ—us to rob God of his â—ight to father his workes of highest honour vpon the Father of lies and according to the nature of base spirits which cannot eleuate themselues to the Spheare of speculation to stand in greater feare of the Diuels supposed realty then to become rauished with the louely Maiestie of the euerliuing God who with one blast can tumble downe such detracting Clinickes into the abisme of eternall night where their Chymist God inhabites without hope of redemption In execution of which important charge I doubt not but Sathan whose miracles I annull wil coniure vp many sulphure ous wits of both sexs nicking Momes and nipping Niobes to scolde and scoffe to raile and reuile at this worke of charity Cadmus with his Serpents teeth grinnes many menaces Medusa with her prodigious art threatens to bang me and to stone me and all because I write the truth O that I had Perseus his vertue to conquere this terrible Gorgon But why interpose I the fictions of Paynime Poets among the sentences of holy Writ O heauenly Spirit be thou my Perseus lend me thy Dauids sling to encounter this Ghostly Golias and this grisly Giantesse Behold how my spirituall Foe mounted on his iade of Detraction dares me to the fielde daunt thou him with thy potent Word and his omnipotence will be impotent cast forth thy Aarons rodde and his arrowes will be swallowed vp While thy Grace shines on me I feare no Magiâ—ke spels no Serpents teeth no Witches curse Let them draw my picture by Pygmalions skill in the purest Virgin waxe reuenge their wrath with sharpe pointed needles my heart shall neuer quaile let them burne the same for an Hereticke as those of Tholouza burnt their Kings I wil not feare what man or Diuell can do to me not although they disgorge vpon mee their bane of Basiliskes nor though they discharge their Iambicke volumes or rather vollees of their Basiliscoes for the God of heauen is he that reigneth ouer all things that ruleth all things in all places at all times He euen he it is that is All in al the Glorious God that maketh the thunder the onely worker of powerfull miracles to whom all Principalities all Dominions all powers and all creatures as well incorporall as corporeall inuisible as visible must kneele for mercy with honour dread and reuerence LINEAMENT II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction attributes the glorious workes of God vnto the Diuâ—ll 2 That mens guiltie consciences driue them to extoll the Diuell and his supposed power IF men be guiltie for blaspheming the name of God If they be precisely forbidden to haue any dealings with false reports If they must account for euery idle word all which I haue proued hithereunto in what a grieuous case are those wretches which commit not onely all these vanities together but likewise diminish derogate and detract in peremptory proud and presumptuous manner from their great Creator his glorious appurtenances his types of maiesty and his titles of heauenly honour In what a forlorne estate are they which liue in the darksome dungeon of spirituall Aegypt and in the whorish brothelry of spirituall Sodome How vnhappy are they which leaue so superstitiously vnto the leauen of our Pharisaicall Papists walking a whore-hunting after strange Gods both in bodie and soule with both these the most part of the world obserue the Spirit of Detraction with the principall members of the body with their tongues they detract with their eares they lustfully listen with their hearts they consent sucking like spungeous or hydropicke bodies all corruptions whatsoeuer with the principall faculties of the soule with their reasons willes memories they hatch foster and reiterate such blasphemous paradoxes No crosse nor losse can chance but the Diuell sent it No signe nor sigh can happen but the Diuell sent it The Diuell say they is the onely Emperour of hell king of the Planets Starres and Meteors and also absolute Prince of this earthly world These are the ordinary speeches diuulged at our Ordinaries No Tauerne bur is full of this hellish stuffe No conference but the Diuell by stealth gets in his cursed name What eares could not glow at these runnagate reports What heart would not burne at these vncharitable conceits What scholer of worth would not set out his talent to aduantage his learning in print in hearing the Archangels honour extenuated and the Dragons horne exalted Truly for my part though inferiour to many Phinehees in zeale and deuotion I cannot silently suffer these ignominious iniuries against the
graunt that in times past in times of blinde Papistry moe Ghosts and Spirits were seene then tongue can tell whereas now contrariwise a man shall scarcely all his life time heare once of such things And if it were lawfull for me to comment vpon our Act of Parliament in that case prouided Anno primo Iacobi where it is felony without benefit of Clergy in them which exercise any coniuration of a wicked spirit for any mans corporall hurt I would affirme that this most soueraigne Court enacted the said Statute partly in imitation of the law of God where Coniuration is termed sometimes the vsing of poyson to mens corporall hurts somtimes an vncharitable or inueterate malice of one neighbour to the other which the Apostle names man slaughter and sometimes a whoring after strange Gods which is called spirituall fornication such as the adoration of Dagon was among the Philistines Ieroboams golden Calfe which he in Machiauellian policy made to keepe the Israelites from going to worship in Ierusalem and such as Bel was in Babylon all as senselesse blockes and stones partly the said Act against Coniurers was set out to the end that the inward man might be reformed that malicious deuices being the causes of Treasons Murthers and poysonings might be suppressed and also that Idolatry superstition deceits and cousenages the impediments of loue vnity charity and concord might be quite banished out of our vnited Realme For is that man worthy to liue in a ciuill society which vniustly demeanes himselfe towards God and his neighbours Deserues he the title of a true subiect which inuocates on a forraigne Prince which serues his Princes enemy The lawes of Christianity condemnes him Let God haue what belongs to God and Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Better kill one rotten sheepe rather then the whole flocke miscary Better it is to chop off the hand then the whole body perish One leades astray this man this man another and at the last as more saâ—kes to the mill whole multitudes become preyes to the Diuell For further explanation of the said Statute it is inserted that supposed Coniurers shall be punished If they vndertake by charmes to finde hidden treasure to prouoke vnlawfull loue c. although the same be not effected and done And well worthy seeing by such indirect dealings and diabolicall deceits they become Apostataes loosing the priuiledge of Baptisme and consequently of Christianity where they were bound by their pledges to renounce the Diuell and all his workes They become guilty before God though the Diuell appeares not at all really vnto them after that they once determine in their minds to raise him vp Neuerthelesse for all this that I conceiue so charitably of my Countrey-mens freckled integrity like vnto that Law-giuer of Greece which decreed no Act against Parricides because he thought that kinde of sinne would neuer happen I wish my Readers not to make a strict Syntaxis or sophisticall construction on my simple meaning by their peecemeale collecting that I goe about to seclude the Authour of sinne by my construction of sinne For I acknowledge his false miracles his illusions his ambiguous riddles and his Apparitions of shadows both immediate and mediate ouert and couert explicite and implicite ordinary and extraordinary tending altogether to one maine point namely to tempt with deceit olde Adams carelesse progeny as contrariwise I impugne his ommpotent greatnesse supposed to be as well reall as royall I impugne his sacrilegious power of lightning and thundring Maiesty I impugne his reall sword of authority his paspable force of correction and his sensible dart of death ouer any of Christs members God forbid that his diuine Maiesty should tollerate this cruell Tyrant whose soueraigne felicity is malicious enuie in that imperious manner for then the life of man were in a most desperate plight Then were we assured to be suddenly dispatched euen in our extremity of sinne When wee were occupied about some wicked acte as the very best do sometimes fall his remorcelesse spirit would not lose that great aduantage he would surely like a rauening Lyon vtterly deuoure vs. Nay more if God did winke at his tyrannie our whole estate by the mediation of the Papists who take vpon them to be the Arch-coniurers of the world had beene long sithence blowne vp with the Gun-powder of his treacherous soule but God be thanked we haue a gracious Lord which hath limited this Leuiathan as Salomon limited Semei to his narrow home and as the Poet spake of Aeolus his kingdome Stricta dominatur in aulà hee Lordeth it in his straight hall And if it chance that he enter into a man we may well doubt whether his entrance be in the soule or body or rather whether his spirituall nature possesseth mans spirituall nature that is the soule or soules faculties Howsoeuer the bodie or soule become possessed by the permission of God I certainly beleeue that he may be quickly dislodged by praier and fasting and holy exercise for surely the holy Ghost and Gods ministring spirits loathe to guard our soules as long as we liue lewdly and licentiously These things considered I dare stand vpon my Christian guard and defie the Diuell with all his trumperies and reputed realty Let him do his worst let him cause his cogging Coniurers to vndertake false miracles works of wonders and tragicall tempests Our eares are stopt with Vlysses that we can neuer be surprised charme these Mearemaids neuer so melodiously Let them feed their hopes with golden dreames let them burie Sage till it be quite rotten let them fling flint stones ouer their left shoulders towards the West and when all comes to all they build vpon the sand and themselues are esteemed but for wizards dizards and dotards howsoeuer that the Spirit of detraction proclaime them for foolosophers or foolish flies which sitting on a waine wheele thought that themselues occasioned the great dust in the high way which the mouing of the wheele raised Wherefore I exhort thee that hast beene guiltie of such detractions to addict thy cogitations to the power of God which indeed is onely royall and reall infinite and immensiue and also to imitate holy Iob who imputed his calamities to the Lord and not to the Diuell The Lord gaue the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. And againe when his friends hit him in the teeth with his punishment deseruedly for his sinnes he protested in this manner Know now that God hath ouerthrowne me and compassed me with his net and a little after Haue pitie on me O my friends for the hand of God hath touched me By which words of Iob it appeares that the hand of God plagued him and that the Diuell exercised but the part of a Relator or Accuser such as he is termed in the Reuelation of S. Iohn wheÌ„ the Accuser of the brethren was cast downe from heauen To this sence agreeth that motion of the Diuel Lay thine hand
in the world to come euen as he lasheth some for their reformation and not for their ruine ad correctionem non ad ruinam as Queene Elizabeth of famous memory spake touching a subiect of hers then in durance This kinde of punishment called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord himselfe names the rod of men the plagues of the children of men such as the Father vseth to his childe he likewise vseth to his elected childe to the intent that man might not waxe ouer-wanton in affections or seem righteous in his owne conceit for no flesh stands instified in his sight and as that holy man alleadged that hee might deliuer him from pride that he might keepe his soule from the graue and his life from the sword Whereto agreeth that Prouerbe Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara Who tasted not the sowre deserues not sweet God foreseeing that some of his children might sinne in many things scourgeth them with infirinity of body lest they should sinne Vt ijs vtilius sit frangâ— languoribus ad salutem quam remanere incolumes ad damnationem That it might be more profitable for them to bee broken with diseases for saluation then to remaine whole and in health for damnation This another auncient Father confirmes Magis intus dolemus per hoc quod foris patimur We grieue in wardly the more for that which wee suffer outwardly And againe While wee are outwardly strucken we are secretly and wofully recalled to the remembrance of our sinnes Our fleshly fathers corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence and shall wee not patiently endure our heauenly Fathers scourge They for a few dayes chastned vs after their owne pleasure but hee for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse When any Plague Murren losse crosse or misfortune befals vs that proceedes not from the diuell but from our Father in heauen It is he that created light and darknesse that makes peace and trouble It is hee that ordereth this worlds globe and turnes the wheele of all our fortunes And againe as himselfe promiseth If we will walke in his Ordinances he will send peace in the land but if we despise his commandements he will send a sword vpon vs. His prouident Maiestie knows best what befits our fraile natures He will haue mercy on them who deserue mercy at his handes And he will punish those that deserue punishment Shall we receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euill Shall we reioyce when the Sunne shines and when it lowres shall we lowre and frowne likewise Know then O worldly men that no euill can chance vnto you without the appointment of God Out of his mouth goeth both euill and good as the Prophet lamented And as another Prophet testified Shall there be euill that is calamity in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Great reason it is that hee which sent vs into this world should take vs out of the world after what maner soeuer it pleaseth him Whether it be by ordinary or extraordinary meanes by death naturall or violent lingring or sudden welcome be death vnto vs that be borne to die For this cause while we haue time to repent let vs beginne instantly out of hand to amend our liues before his darts doe hit vs before the darke night of tribulation comes vpon vs. Repentance which is done vpon the laâ—â— houre is commonly done vpon feare of future torments Then it is hard by reason of our prrsumptuous delayes to finde grace and mercy as a Spanish Diuine very well obserues Malse hallan los remedios en el trabaio que enâ—e descansoy paz no se buscaron Ill doe they finde remedies in time of trouble when they sought for none in time of peace In this case the counsell of the wise man is very good Get thee righteousnes before thou come to iudgement and vse Phisicke before thou be sicke Examine thy selfe before thou be iudged and in the day of destruction thou shalt find mercy humble thy selfe before thou be sicke and while thou mayest yet sinne shew thy conuersion Most certaine it is that Sathan tyrannizeth most furiously at the shutting vp of our liues when we are least able to resist by reason of our extreme paines and panges both in body and minde Then the very best haue enough to doe A man hath not two soules that he may aduenture one of them Therefore O Christian stand to thy tacklings stand stout alwayes prepared to preuent all future euils O lim haec meminisse iuuabit The time will come when the remembrance of thy fore past crosses will auaile the repeating In the meane time Mors tua mors Christi-fraus mundi-gloria coeli Et dolor Inforâ—i sunt meditanda tibi Thinke on thine owne and Christ his death And on false worldly traines Thinke also on sweet heauens ioyes And on Infernall paines God helpe vs if we shall do nothing else in this world but liue in continuall care pensiuenesse and perplexity of minde as in truth we must if we liue in feare of deathes suddaines But the case is otherwise for the Church hath prouided in the Letany that we pray God to deliuer vs from lightning and tempest from plague pestilence and famine from battell and murther and from sudden death O man full of Detractions how long wilt thou tempt the Lord thy God This earthly world was not giuen thee for a Paradise but for a Purgatory It was not made thee to build in but rather to pull downe to crucifie and to mortifie thy couetâ—ous thoughts that in the other world thou mightst liue for euer with Christ and his Angels This world is indeede a place of triall a warfare a maze of troubles and a seate to soiourne in for a time for short time Wherefore and because this time later or sooner serius aut citius is not limited by Patent to any mortall creature whereby we might foreknow or preuent the brunts of nature fortune or destiny which three I hold to be the ineuitable will of God let vs stand watchfull against sudden death seeing it is for a great prize for a great purchase that none can be greater euen for the saluation of our deare soules I graunt that olde Adam prayeth against the suddennesse of death but alas poore man it is for doubt of the worst It is the nature of a sinfull soule to become so enamoured with this enchanting world that it loathes as the horror of hell all sudaine mischiefes and chiesly a mischieuous death We would faine die the death of the righteous but in no wise would we liue the lise of the righteous And yet how dare we iudge of them that die so suddenly May not the â—ord dislodge his tenants at will specially for their aduancement without warning at any time Did not hee after this sudden manner as it were in the twinckling of an eye translate Henoch
and Elias in their soules and bodies vp into heauen Many good men haue died sodainly Abell Iosias Onias and others had no long warning to prepare themselues God knowes best what besits our humane natures It may be he causeth some to die suddenly because of their crazed braines lest in their lingring disease they fall according to the constitution of their bodies into despaire or to railing and reuiling whereby they might leaue behinde them in this world an infamous memoriall Therefore to case them of their torments and for auoyding of so soule a scandall he suddenly sends for his selected seruants Some others he send for suddenly and terribly to terrifie them which remaine behinde for if Gods seruants die such a fearefull death what hope hath the sinner In a word good men neuer pray against suddaine death but to the entent they might order their worldly businesse before their deathes as the said to Hezechias Set thy house in order for thou must die LINEAMENT XII 1 That we must not iudge by mens misfortunes or sudden death that they be forsaken of God 2 Charitable censures which a good Christian may yeeld touching those that die suddenly 3 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring ouer cruelly of the Authors wife who was striken dead with lightning the 〈◊〉 of Ianuary 160 0 where â—er commâ—ndation and assumption are moralized WHen the Lord is disposed extraordinarily to extend his glorious power why dost thou ô foolish man presume to enter into his hidden power Why dost thou labour like Lucifer to climbe vp into his chaire of secrets Shal the thing formed checke him that formed it Can the Pottervse his vessels as he thinkes good and shall not the Lord dispose of his owne creatures Who arâ— thou which iudgest another mans seruant What canst thou tel whether God hath predestinated them to saluation and accepted of their submission as of the thiefe which was crucified with him at the last gaspe and as they say betwixt the bridge and the brooke Betwixt the stirrop and the ground Mercy I thought mercy I found As one â—pitaphed vpon the tombe of him that fell dead sodainly from his horse Sometimes it pleaseth his Maiestie out of our errour to raise his owne honour and to make vertue perfect and complete by infirmity And therfore it is verie vncharitable for one sinner to iudge of another sinner Let him who is without sinne throw the first stone at him as Christ said â—â—et the sinner draw out the beame out of his owne eye before â—e remoue the mote out of his brothers eye It is Gods office onely to iudge the euent and end of things Therefore iudge nothing before the trâ—e vntill the Lord comes who will lighten the hidden things of darknesse and open the counsels of the hearts Saint Paul was made a gazing stoâ—ke vnto this world he was defamed yea he was made as the filihinesse of the world as the off-scouring of all things yet a chosen vessel and Apostle of Christ. When it was told our Sauiour that Pilate had massacred the Galilaeans euen as they sacrificed he willed vs not to iudge of their liues and sins but by their example to amend our liues For neither those poore Galilaeans nor yet these eighteene vpon whom the tower in Siloc fell were greater sinners then all ohers which dwelt at Ierusalem Iosias was one of the godliest kings that euer reigned in Iuda yet was he killed with dartes in the battell against the king of Aegypt Zachariah the Prophet Stephen the martyr with other seruants of God were tyrannously put to death Yea and Christ himselfe being without sinne endured worldly sorrowes without number and also died a most terrible death yet did they iudge him as though he were plagued and cast downe of God according to that which was prophesied of him The Lord is righteous in all his waies the Lord is holy in all his workes as the Prophet Dauid confessed and as Maurice the Emperour protested when he saw his wife and children murthered before his face by his seruant Phocas How then darest thou which art vnrighteous and vnholy sit and reade on the secret deeds of the righteous God and on the wondrous proceedings of the holy one of Israel Sometimes it pleaseth him to fulfill in our daies that Prophesie of his concerning the taking of the godly from among the wicked The righteous perisheth and no man regardeth it in his heart Good godly men are taken away and no man considereth it namely that the righteous is conueyed away from the wicked who heape vp treasures and pleasures for this world as the godly do for the world to come It may be also that his mercy is so great that respecting not our sinnes his aboundant grace will vouchsafe to pronounce that answere concerning Lazarus in our behalfe This sicknesse is not vnto death but for the glory of God Correspondent to which is likewise the satisfaction which our Sauiour Christ yeelded to his disciples demaund when they asked him about the blind man Master who did sinne this man or his parents that he was borne blind Iesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be shewed in him Perhaps the Lord sends extraordinary accidents vpon his seruants to the intent that they should serue for a Parable or warning peece to the rest of his people in this countrey from whom he meanes shortly to take away their power the ioy of their honour the pleasure of their eyes and the desire of their hearts except out of hand they become watchfull and repentant with the Niniuites For if iudgement begin at the iust what shall be the end of them which obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare If there be no difference betweene the innocent and reprrobate in the manner of their deathes and worldly crosses why doe we ioyne field to field land to land and make account to see long lasting daies in this transitory world or to die in our soft downe beds The word of the Lord came to Ezechiel Behold I take away from thee the pleasure of thine eyes with a plague yet shall thou neither mourne nor weepe So Ezechiel spake vnto the people in the morning and in the euening his wife died The Parable was this thus saith the Lord God behold I will pollute my sanctuary euen the pride of your power the pleasure of your eyes and your hearts desire And you shall doe as I haue done ye shall neither mourne nor weepe but ye shall pine away for your iniquities and mourne one towards another Thus Ezechiel is vnto you a signe And thus perhaps am I a signe vnto you O worldly wizards whose tongues are hired by the detracting spirit to blaspheme the powerful Lord of lightnings to curse God and die with Iobs wife and
to lay an ambush for your neighbours good name fame and reputation Learne by these exemplary crosses to be vigilant for in the houre which you thinke not as a theese in the night will death steale vpon you It is high time for you to prepare your selues to preuent the Tempter Alreadie it begins to smoake and as the Poet forewarnes Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet When the next wall vnto thy house doth burne Looke to thy selfe betimes next is thy turne These reasons considered I dare boldly auouâ—h for no earthly creature can iudge her conscience more freely then my selfe that my welbeloued wife whom God of late hath taken to his mercy by an vnexpected accident by the lightning power of his fearefull thunder resteth in the Lord as concerning her soule and resteth on earth as concerning her memory both which I trust by the diuine bountie scorne all the brauadoes scaladoes and engines which eyther enuy or Sathan can inuent for their assaults This is the chiefest solace I embrace after so great a crosse This Christian hope richer then any temporall or golden haruest I reape to my selfe after my fatall losse For my light affliction which is but momentary causeth vnto me a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory while I looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene I looke not so sâ—rupulously on the manner of her death as I looke on the manner of her life which God receiued as a burnt offering Packe hence therefore ye Enthusians and be not like vnto Curdogs that bark at a dead Lyon Though she fell she shall rise againe though she sate in darknesse the Lord will be a light vnto her MY tongue is no hireling Herald to coine her a new pedegre nor yet a mercâ—nariâ— Aduocate to extoll her shadow in steed of substance onely in steed of Popish posâ—humes or Purgatorie trentals I will sacrifice this cacomtasticall oblation as seralem coeâ—am a funerall banquet to her well deseruing memory Holy Augustine neuer conceiued more diuinely of his mother Monica then I doe of thy felicity O happie soule partaker of celestiall ioyes thou needest no praise of mine seeing that thy God hath transported thee in the yeare of lubily to this port of tranquility and conuerted thy pilgrimage to the hauen or rather heauen of euerlasting health Where though thou abound with vnspeakable pleasures yet pardon me if I striue to canonize thy peerelesse fame The pleasant sounds of thy verdant vertues like so many resounding Ecchoes shall neuer vanish from mine insatiable eares Thy extraardinary loue the liuely Jdaea of a spotlesse life shall alwaies dwell within the mansion of my restlesse minde At all times whether it be morning or euening noone-tide or midnight while I soiourne in this house of clay I will congratulate thy high fortunes All haile immortall spirit thou spouse of Christ wrapt vp in his holy armes full of transcendent grace full of transeendent glory All haile full of health full of happinesse which art translated from mortall men to immortall Saints from sorrow to solace Yesterday thou wentest entaÌ„gled with the thorny cares of this world now thou triumphest among the Angels of heauen Yesterday thou wert here where Iob himselfe complained that he was placed as a But to be shot at where Gods enuenomed arrowes stucke in him where the Prophet Dauids bones were consumed that he roared all day long Now thou florishest in the harmony of Gods Spirit minding on nothing but on diuine vertues on spirituall melody Yesterday thou wentest drooping in an earthen cote shaken with the frownes of Enuy with the frumps of Detraction to day thou walkest and this day shines alwaie neuer sets in a temple not built with hands in the line of the liuing God without Enuy without Deraction Here is thy habitation assigned thee thy lot is fallen in a faire ground Liue for euer And this as a looking glasse shall glister vnto thy friends on earth Dorcadis hic dotes miti cum mente Rebecchae Priscillaeque fides mens tamâ—n vna tribus Corpus humas mundus laudes tenet igneus Eliae Elisias tua mens Elizabetha rotas Here Dorcas deeds as starres doe shine Priscillaes faith heere doth combine With mild and kind Rebeccaâ—s mind Yet but one soule to three assign'd Thy bodie earth the world thy name Thy soule by faith Elisian fame Elizabeth eterniz'd gaines Elias-like in lightning waines LINEAMENT XIII 1 The Authours gratulation for his late fortunate deliuerance 2 His description of the Lightning tragedy the third day of Ianuarie 1608. at what time God tooke away his wife 3 His description of other Crosses at the very same time 4 How God fore-shewed by mysteryes the said crosses before they hapned vnto the Authour wherein his censure of Dreames is interlaced 5 His description of his miraculous escape out of the Sea wherein he fell by force of a cruell tempest on a Christmas day 1602. GOD forbid that I should charge all my Countreymen with the branded marke of blasphemie for there be many good men which neuer kneeled vnto Baal which neuer worshipped the spirit of Detraction all ready viua voce as the Prouerbe saith with both hands to hold vp the roofe of my opinion They alledge simply and charitably that this great Accident vpon my wife and house came from God as a faire warning for mee and them to prepare our selues for his heauenly kingdome which charitable conceit I cannot cancell with obliuion or ingratitude but rather confirme the same with an applauding Alleluiah The Lord gaue the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. No man aliue this day stands more indebted then my selfe for matters of life vnto the Author of life Daniel was wonderfully deliuered from the Lions clawes Ananias Azarias and Misael from the fierie fornace Ionas in the Whales belly from the stormy sea and Paul with his Pilots Marriners and Companions from perishing in the Mediterranean seas but what am I vile wretched sinner whom thou hast saued as strangely from fire and water O glorious God is it because thy prouident maiestie hath predestinated me to some worthy seruice tending to thy glory O bountifull Lord of vnsearchable wisedome graunt that my faith may be signed with the seale of thy mercy Let my spirit become regenerated and renued as the Potters vessell markt to an honest purpose Whatsoeuer I am whether tolerably toward or vntoward tolerably cleane or vncleane I wholy submit my selfe at the feet of thy mercy altogether depending on thy Sonnes merits from whence I will not depart though I were sure with Asahel to be slaine by Abner and as Iob protested if thou wouldest kill me yet will I trust in thee On the third of Ianuarie 1608. about the third houre of the night or thereabouts as I lay solitarie vpon my bed what with torment of a sodaine tooth-ache and what with an
times within the same quarter of the yeare that she dyed I know very well quoth she I cannot liue till the first of March Another time being as I remember not aboue three weekes before her death descending downe from her chamber where then she had beene at prayers shee came smiling vnto me with these words Husband I bring you good tidings you shall be rid of me and you shall haue another wife for I am fully assured that I shall dye very shortly and that before the first of March And I thanke God I am prepared let him send when hee will Which words of hers being by me accepted in iest shee replyed as if shee had seene a vision or felt some extraordinary motion in her spirit you thinke I speake in iest but marke the end Neyther did the Lord I speake it to his glory send this glorious alarme vnto mee without an implicite or mysticall premonition for about two Moneths before or thereabouts as farre as I remember in a dreame I saw the very like accident Mee thought I was at a Knight my brothers house and there lying vpon my bed I imagined to haue seene and heard vpon the sodaine in the night time a most terrible lightning and thunder in such wise that I made full account the whole house had beene burnt or cast downe and therefore to saue my life with much adoe I hastned out of doores where I supposed to haue beheld the inner part of the house terribly flaming with fire and presently after I might see one conueying out of doores a Chest whereupon I bewailed that a blacke Truncke of mine stored with money was left behind consumed with the flame This dreame I related to my said Brother being at my house about three weekes before the accident wished him in my brotherly loue to looke somwhat more warily to his house least night fires might endanger him by reason of the height of his house the same not inferiour for height to any house which I haue seene and likewise by reason of the partitions being timber-worke Neuerthelesse for all this I aduise not the Reader to embrace this dreame of mine for an infallible president because that dreames sort our commonly according to the diet temperate or intemperate sparing or gluttonous which men vse And yet I beleeue God seldome vseth to inflict any notable accident vpon a charitable Christian that mortifies his body with competent fasting and moderates his soule with contemplation of heauenly mysteries vvithout some secret prodrome or fore-running glimpse of his powerfull purpose Nor doe I aduise my Reader to surmise that I conceiue ouer credulously or superstitiously of Morphâ—us or Phobetor the Poeticall Gods of dreames as necessarie causes of notorious effects For my sentence is none otherwise of dreames then of Comets and Eclipses vvhich likewise are not the causes of remarkable euents but onely such signes and tokens are as smoake at the top of a chimney or as an Iuie bush put forth at a vintrie the one prognosticating fire within the other the sale of wine Thus it pleased the glorious Lord of lightnings to extend his miraculous mercy towards me and perhaps to leaue me as a firebrand taken out of the burning or as Ezechiels signe for a testimonie of his lightning glory to hardned hearts This is the second miracle whereby as a virbius or Rediuiuâ—s I acknowledge my selfe twise restored from death to life within the compasse of seauen yeares euen about the selfe same season of the yeare when our Sauiour Christ became flesh for the saluation of flesh The first time of my deliuerance vvas vpon a Christmas day 1602. This latter time on the third of Ianuarie 1608. and both vpon a Tuesday In Fraunce betwixt Tremblado and Marena a passage of two leagues ouer it was my chance on a Christmas day to be stricken into the surging Sea vvith the boistrous force of a cruell tempest where I had no sooner falne and cried to the Lord for helpe but sodainely beyond all expectation I found an Oare betweene my hands to defend or rather deferre my life And to this houre I cannot deuise where-hence the said Oare should chance vnto me In this dolefull sort I floated almost a quarter of an houre very often tossed and ouerturned with the furious rowling of the stormie waues vntill it pleased God at length of his exceeding bounty in that rough tempestuous weather when the proudest ship became humbled as the weakest reed to direct the course of that small Barke from whence I fell towards mee and to guide the Marriners hands as a man would say against winde and weather against Oares and Sailes for the haling me vp in a manner dead and ready to forsake the Oare So that I may boldly say that I haue beene miraculously preserued both from fire and water Sic coniurati veniunt ad classica venti So windes coniur'd descended to our sailes And if it were lawfull for me to apply those Meeters in the Psalter destinated to our Sauiour Christs resurrection I would sound out with ioyfull cheere Thus from aboue the Lord sent downe to fetch me from belowe And pluckâ— me out of waters great which would me ouerflowe I would also with Ionas the Prophet exhibite my submissiue petition vnto the Lord my Sauiour Thou didst cast me downe into the deepe into the midst of the sea and the floods compassed me about all thy billowes and waues passed ouer mec And I said I am cast away out of thy sight yet will I looke againe towards thine holy Temple Here I could lay downe how his omnipotent Maiestie respected me in all my trauailes both by land and water Twise I passed the Pyrenaean Mountaines betwixt Fraunce and Spaine and that in the dead of Winter Twise I trauailed ouer the Alpes I escaped the Banditi in Italy robberies in Hungary and in other forraine Countries All which deliuerances Per varios casus per toâ— discrimina râ—rum Through diuers straights through dangers infinite Ordinarie and extraordinarie I ascribe to no other destenie or fortune then to the great Redeemer of the world the mighite Lord strong mercifull gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne From whom I confesse this last lightning Tragedie to be sent as a preparatiue for me and others In like manner I confesse it was profitable for my soules health that God after this dreadfull fashion rouzed me vp out of my Tent of securitie For indeed I liued almost as carelesse as Sardanapalus bewitched with worldly ease but now I thanke my gracious Lord mine eyes begin to open my soule begins to see her faults God giue mee grace to perseuer in this acknowledgement and to ascribe the glorie vnto him alone LINEAMENT XIIII 1 The spirit of Detraction connicted for censuring the Lords secret iudgements 2 The Authors imperfections acknowledged 3 His meditation on his late
crosses NOtwithstanding the premisses the spirit of Detraction is readie to read a cruell lecture to pratling Momes and tatling Niobes that doubtlesse the punished partie vvas eyther very vicious himselfe or else his vvife or parents had offended God in the highest degree O my Friends be not so curious in your censures In that yee iudge others yee condemne your selues for yee that iudge doe the same things Iudge not least yee be iudged And as for the scornefull doth not the Lord laugh them to sâ—â—rne Why then doe yee scorne and scoffe at your neighbours harmes whereof God is the Author who is hee that blesseth that curseth that rewardeth that punisheth Is it not he the Lord vvhy then detract yee from his vnsearchable secrets Why endeauour yee to vsurpe his peculiar prerogatiue We are persecuted but not forsaken we are cast downe but we perish not Our mortall bodies for a time returne to dust but our soules rest in Abrahams bosome It pleased the Lord to smite his righteous seruant with infirmitie to forsake him and to be angrie with him for a little season but at last he pardoned him as the Prophet forespake of Christ. For all this my defence the spitefull spirit of Detraction relents not at all By reason of anothers extraordinarie iudgement he chargeth me strictly with impietie Is not quoth hee thy wickednesse great and thine iniquities innumerable Therefore snares are round about thee feare sodainely troubles thee Doth not God reuenge the Fathers sinnes vpon the children to the third and fourth discent O menstruous or rather monstrous absurditie Though my talke be this day in bitternesse and my plagues greater then my groaning yet will I vndertake to controule thine errour and confute thine heresie All soules are mine saith the Lord both the soule of the Father and the soule of the Sonne The same soule that sinneth shall dye The Sonne shall not beare the iniquities of the Father neither shall the Father beare the iniquitie of the Sonne For mine owne part I confesse my selfe to be chiefe among sinners but yet much wronged to become subiect vnto your detracting iudgements Yee are none of my Iudges I appeale to Caesars iudgement seate I appeale to the King of Kings the King of Mercie who will reuerse by a vvrit of errour your false vsurped iudgements If thou Lord wilt be extreame to marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Woe be vnto vs woe Wâ—e be to the most laudable life that we leade if thou O Lord setting thy mercie aside shouldst examine it Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from manie sinnes Doth the blinde accuse the blinde Doth an olde senex fornicatour accuse another fornicatour Num Luscus accusat Luscum Clodâ—us Mâ—â—chum And doth the spirit of Detraction the most sinfull spirit of all spirits detect me for sinning Well my confession is not auricular but openly reiterated If I wash my selfe in snow water and purge my hands most cleane yet shalt thou plaegue me in the pit and mine owne cloathes will make mee silihie Mine owne fleshly vveedes being tainted vvith longing thoughts must sing a sorrowfull peccaui to the tune of stoope gallant And vnfainedly to vse Saint Pauls words I allow not that which I doe for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that doe I. Albeit that oftentimes I haue a will to doe well yet the nature of my flesh not any wise able to be expelled with the forke of mine owne naked reason confounds this readie will of mine and causeth me to commit moe sinnes in number then the sands of the sea All which with a contrite minde I submit to the mercy of God crauing most humbly on the knees of my heart in the lowest degree of reuerence my Redeemers merits as the vaile of grace to stand betwixt his diuine Iustice and their gore-bloud guiltinesse But certainly in my poore iudgement God took away mine innocent vvife after the aboue-said manner for though I say it all her acquaintance wil say as much as I that she liued as godly as honestly as any whatsoeuer in all her Countrie not so much for my sins though the same might be grieuous as for that all others might prepare themselues against their nuptials with Christ Iesus remembring that prophesie concerning Babilon who said in her heart I shall be a Lady for euer I am and none else I shall not sit as a widdow neither shall I know the losse of Children But thus said the Lord These two things shall come vnto thee sodainely in one day the losse of children and widdowhood O Lord of infinite iudgement widdowhood is sodainely come vnto mee thou hast iustly visited me and bercaued me of my chiefest comfort Thou knewest shee vvas too good for mee Thy vvill be done O mightie Lord. Let the infusion of thy grace into mine vntoward soule recompence my griefe and losse Thy grace is sufficient for mee thy power is made perfect through weakenesse When wee are most perplexed with worldly crosses then is thy spirit strongest in vs. And euen as the soules vertue is strengthened with infirmitie so certainely it is necessarie for our licentious natures now and then to be curbed vvith infirmities It is necessarie for vs that sinne the messenger of Sathan doe other whiles buffet vs and bruise our earthly heeles It is necessarie that malice bridle or rather prick as vvith sharpe pointed Needles our detracting wanton thoughts whereby we might remember our owne weake condition and turne to God who alone is without infirmitie Let me doe what good I can let me endeauour as much as is possible for flesh and bloud to endeauour yet I shall proue but an vnprofitable seruant I am blacke like an Aethiopian nay I am more blacke my very teeth are blacke My soule is all spotted all guiltie of vncleanenesse Onely my beliefe is that thy Grace is more aboundant then tongue can speake or heart can thinke or pen can paint LINEAMENT XV. The Authours gratulatorie Prayer vnto the Lord for the aboue-said wonderous effects O Louely Light O Lord of Maiestie how ouer-late doe I beginne to know thee My welbeloued put in his hand by the hole of my doore offring to breath faith into my soule But such was my dulnes such my drowsinesse that I could not once sigh sobbe nor say Abba Father O my Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee Yea thou wert in the superiour part of my heart and I neglected thee Thou didst call mee both within and without and I reiected thee I reiected the Well-spring of liuing vvater and resorted to noysome cisternes of puddle worte full of wormewood comforts full of tickling hopes vvhich were speedily spent for all vvordly comforts and vaine hopes doe vanish away like winde And yet it pleased thy lightsome Spirit O Lord of life after many a scorching
Summers attendance after many a frozen Winters watching expecting my conuersion to knocke againe most patiently at the doore of my soule and thus to call vnto her while shee slept so carelesly Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue for my head is full of dâ—â—r and my lockes with the drops of the night Againe and againe it pleased thee to inuite mee after this manner Returne O thou rebellious childe and I will heale thy rebellions for euen as a woman hath rebelled against her husband so hast thou rebelled against mee How dease is he that heares not such a voyce A voyce more vehement then the sound of many waters How deepely sleepes he that is not wakened vvith such a morning vvatch vvith such a melodie A melodie more musicall then euer Tuball Amphion or Arion could possibly conceiue When all thy creatures combined against me in reuenge of my disloyaltie towards thy sacred soueraigntie thou didst temper their fiery fury thou didst moderate their biting bitternesse The foure Elements which thou madest for my conseruation conspired all to roote my being out of the Land of the liuing The Ayre threatned to taint my breathing with contagious smels with Stigian stinckes The Fire assayed to burne my bruitish body The Water stroue vvith might and maine to ouerwhelme me vtterly The Earth endeuoured before her time to abridge my luxurious life And all because I had offended their great Creator But thou more mercifull then thy creatures for the loue of thy Name and for the loue of thy Sonne didst controule all their practises and confound the deuises of the Diuel himselfe How happy am I that thou prolongst my dayes how kinde art thou that sparest to spill the bloud of thy very foes O kindenesse without desert O courtesie without comparison Behold behold yee mortals all how the Lord hath deliuered me from the danger nay from the dungeon of death from sodaine death The God of glory hath defended mee from Thunder and Lightning from vvater and fire O what oblation can the poore Samaritanâ— sacrifice vnto his sacred Maiestie for these his wonderous workes Ille magis gratae laetatur mentis odore Quam consecrato sanguine mille boum Nam prece non alio gaudet honore Deus God better loues a thankfull minde then many Oxens bloud For poore mens prayers he preferres before the rich and proud Seeing thankfulnesse is such a sweet smelling odour in his sacred no strils let me proclaime his glorious Name Alleluiah Osanna in the Highest Blessed be the name of his heauenly Highnesse blessed in heauen blessed on earth and blessed throughout all ages The Lord be blessed for euermore vvhich hath enlightned mee in the darksome shadow of errours vvhich hath enlarged mee from a vvorld of perils vvhich hath recalled me failing vvhich hath raised me falling vvhich hath recouered mee running almost out of breath from falling and fainting Let all Nations performe their duties let them praise the Lord for it is hee that commandeth the waters It is the glorious God that maketh the Thunder It is the Lord that ruleth the sea The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedar trees yea the voyce of his thunder was heard round about the lightning shone upon the ground The Earth was moued and shooke withall his way is in the sea and his paths in the great waters Applaud him O my soule applaud his magnificent Maiesty Let his laud be euer in thy thoughts Let all thy faculties all thy attributes and operations spread themselues as blooming Vines round about my heart my braine my tongue that the same may become as the pen of a ready writer to sound out and resound his most puissant power Others according to the altitude of his iudgements he cutteth off by vntimely death but me he spares aliue as a monument of his liuing mercy O what had become of me if thou haddest cited mee likewise at that horrible houre before thy tribunall throne of Iustice O my Sauiour I thanke thee for thy peerlesse patience I praise thee though basely and barely in respect of thy benefits I adore thee I honour thee I humble my selfe before thee all the dayes of my life I returne I repaire vnto thee not haltingly not hollowly but holily I vvould I could say vvholy all the dayes of my life O giue me grace help my weaknesse heale mine vnbeliefe LINEAMENT XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memory 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the beâ—aâ—se of this present Circle where his Wiues memory is saluted with a Christian Farewell INgenuous Reader hitherto after the example of Antimachus who composed a Booke in the commendations of his wife Lydia haue I labored to eternize my deere wiues memory to the end entent that when the Spirit of ' Detraction as the Sorcerers rod was swallowed vp by Aarons rod is consumed to nothing and vvhen his lying mates doe dye and lie ingloriously in rotten earth the vvorld shall finde that shee liues for euer among the liuing inuita inuidia in despite of enuie that shee flourisheth like a Palme tree which the more it is suppressed the more returneth vpwards consonant to that of the Wise-man The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Her memorable end anatomized and embalmed in this my bookish coffin shall yeeld odoriferous perfumes of her milde meeke and modest life to the sence-pleasing comfort of the elected innocent And that I may record the memory of her end Allegorically with the Poet Etumulo viâ—lae fortunat à que fauillâ Nascentur cippusque leuis sua contâ—get ossa Out of her graue fine Violets shall bloome And a light stone shall her sweet bones entombe Thus out of my miseries as out of the ashes of a burnt Phoenix is built a beacon of liuing miracles vvhich I humbly pray his heauenly Highnesse among other suppliants of his that they may effect in me what a more radiant light effected in Saint Paul namely the illumination of a darke conscience For vvhen my body like a bowle was carryed about vvith the bias of concupiscence my soule rockt a sleep in the cradle of worldly securitie by Sathans inchanting lullabies then my Lord that saw me so misse-led like vnto Salomons foole laughing when indeed I had more cause to weepe then my louing Lord I say tooke compassion on my foolish fals and gaue me a sound pinch or prick in the flesh that started and stirred vp all my reasonable faculties to consider more iudiciously in what a case I stood both body and soule What better vse of this temptation can I produce then that thy death deere wife like Elishaes bones which reuiued a dead corse hath vvrought a double miracle the one in thy translation the other in my
Wherein I haue promiscuously touched the principall branches of this Blaphemous sinne I haue taxed outragious and vaine swearing together with such foule faults as seeme derogatory to Gods titles attributes and workes to the scandal of our Christian liberty which seem also to confirme the reprobate in their hardnesse of heart Now in this present Circle I will proceed to such common vices that concerne our neighbours namely their railing their runnagate reports rash suspicions misconstructions ostentations and false verdicts And specially I will reproue publicke calumnies Aboue all things I exhort the Reformed Catholike that protesteth to fight against the Spirit of Detraction not to giue the least occasion of scandall to Schismatickes whether they be Tapists or Puritanes eyther by frumping speeches or by froward writing Rather pitie their obstinacy and pray for their conuersions specially spare to speake spitefully against these sicke Brethren of ours whom we nick-name Puritanes or holy Separatists as the Ancients vsed to call the impostors of Logicke Sophisters and as we call Papists Catholikes for what knowest thou whether God hath not separated them in their Mothers wombe to be his adopted seruants in their latter dayes notwithstanding their crabbed zeale What knowest thou whether the calme dew which awaiteth on the age of maturitie may by Gods grace coole that ouer-feruent humour of theirs if they suruiue to see that siluer-age of maturitie Or if their peruersnesse be such that they will not then relent to what end serues thy railing passion but to exasperate their peeuish mindes and to confirme them in their errours It is noted that Michael the Archangell in striuing for the body of Moses with the Diuel durst not detract nor dare him by exprobration Gods Spirit is meeke louing patient voide of temeritie and by these holy markes his seruants are discerned which Doctor Whitegift late Archbishop of Canterbury very discreetly obserued against Cartwright vrging thereby the nature of his impatient spirit Which infallible markes Antichrist himselfe out of the heard of swine is forced to confesse as Cardinall Baronius of late yeares verified when hee inuaighed against the petulance and factions of our English Seminaries at Rome They bragge much saith hee of Martyrdome but for ought I see they beare not the signes of Martyrs of obedience mildnesse and humilitie It is the part of a Brother to endeuour his Brothers conuersion into the vnitie of peace by gentle meanes as Abraham did to Lot let there be no strife betwixt thee and mee for wee be brethren Euen so likewise seeing that wee agree together in the pure and indiuisible essence of our Faith let not temporall Accidents disseuer the same which the holy Ghost hath ioyned together let vs not grieue this holy Spirit of God with our litigious speeches or writings in comparing those whom wee name Puritanes with Iesuites Christs members with the members of Antichrist nor let vs broach this late surmised Detraction that these our crazed brethren doe conspire with those of the Dragons Angels like Pilate and Herod reconciled for the coercion and dethroning of Kings for surely such venome neuer issued out of Caluins Schoole except they peruert and depraue the same as Saint Peter speakes of Saint Pauls Epistles Well it may be that some seditious sectaries to flatter their owne ambition during the present time to temporize and to bleare old Iacobs eyes haue dipped Iosephs coate in beasts bloud but I neuer heard that they euer imbrued their hands in Iosephs owne bloud Well it may be that they being flesh and bloud as well as others haue repined fretted and vttered some slanderous speaches in their malecontented moodes against their superiours in authoritie onely about Church-policie not sticking to affirme that notwithstanding their Canonicall constitutions they would still perseuer in their peeuish positions but I neuer heard that they complotted to commit any crying sinne to strangle a mans being in nature But what shall the Puritane then detract at his pleasure without contradiction No God forbid hee must conforme himselfe to the identitie of the Spirit to the vniforme harmony of Heauens Musicke least otherwise in following the self-opinion of his owne vnexperienced braine not gathering with his Maister Christ he scatter and sincke in the midst of his muddy pond To this end I beseech thee deere Christian Brother in the presence of God that gaue his Sonnes body among vs not peremptorily to be slaine againe nor to be diuided into parcels but spiritually heauenly and entire to communicate the same to the poorest as well as to the greatest that thou O diseased soule doe hearken vnto thy Physicians voyce that thou humble thy thoughts and words towards thy Brother in Christ not vsurping to thy selfe alone as a selfe-seeming Saint his vndiuided body which was also crucified for other Penitents God help vs the very best of vs all from the Prince to the Beggar is full of vncleannesse Yea the Angels of heauen are vncleane in his sight and in respect of his perfection The Worme of Conscience tels me that my puritie consists rather in the forgiuenesse of my sinnes then in the puritie of my vertues Submit therefore thy sturdy man vnto thy inward man Subdue thy Golias Calonem illum carnosum thy massie and proud tower of flesh vnto thy little Lord thy spirituall Dauid and then submit both of them in things Apocryphal and indifferent not concerning thy soules saluation vnto the Scepter of mens authoritie Offer vp thy soule vnto God by Faith as an holy priest-hood and a spirituall sacrifice in Iesus Christ. Offer vp thy body in temporall matters in ciuill policie to the Gods of the earth LINEAMENT VII 1 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for repining at our Christian neighbours of Scotland 2 The said Spirit conuicted for detracting from our Countrey-men of Wales YEe noble Saxon spirites tell me what is the reason that yee beare some secret emulation in the closets of your hearts towardes your Christian brethren borne in the same Iland vnder the same Prince the same faith was it not inough for you to bereaue them of the fertile fieldes of Loegria and to banish them amidst the craggie mountes amidst the horride rockes of this Northren Zone but ye must deride and defame them with your ironicall items your ridiculous girdes Now all coniectures are winded to the bottome The Fatall Chaire of Scotland which your victorious Edward transported to the Abbey of Westminster is restored againe into the possession of a Scottish Prince nay of a Brittish Prince of a right Christian Prince and that with your consent with Gods assent Now there is no cause to reedifie that famous wall from sea to sea which the Romaine Emperour built vpon the frontiers of both kingdomes Applaud yee English this happie vnion Congratulate this luckie lot Henceforth ye need not keepe watch and ward at your posterne gate Detract not therefore from your Christian neighbours for his glorious sake whom the Father
number of the iust and if these be condemned by iniurye the other shall one day be condemned by Iustice. The case thus depending thou oughtest to pitâ—ie the essentiall and eternall losse of their soules rather then to detract from the accidentall and momentary qualities of their bribed minds Thou oughtest rather to consider their future calamities then to commaculate their present fame with carping calumnies I am flesh and bloud thou sayest and cannot endure that the blacke Oxe shall alwayes tread on my tender foot They haue shamed me with committing mee to Newgate to Bridewell to Bocardo and to those lodges of infamie vvhich are fitter for Rogues then for Righteous men for Villaines then for vertuous persons O vvorldly creature vvherefore camest thou into this vvorld Camest thou hither to liue for euer or to liue a life of tryall or probation for a vvhile vntill thine owne merits in the merits and mercy of Christ had purchased thee a perpetuall place in Heauen Art thou in an earthly prison Giue God thankes that hee respects thy soule thy noblest part For nothing drawes man to meditate on his dutie towards God more then pinching paines more then the imprisonment of his body when the minde may waike at libertie and contemplate the rarest magazins of Truths secrets In my iudgement thou oughtest to glorifie God the more to gratifie thy foes the more if foes they be which send thee towards heauen now that thou feelest with thy body and soule the true crosse vvhich before thou did protest promise and professe as a Christian but in bare wordes to follow nay to embrace during thy probationship Thy detractions as thou againe alleadgest are not causelesse for thou art condemned causelesse and vnworthily to tortures to tormenting paines The pittilesse Iudges haue adiudged thee to iron bolts to pillories to be vsed like a Rogue to be made a spectacle vnto all the vvorld O true crosse true Christian Crosse which our righteous Sauiour hath borne before vs. Hee vvas buffetted hee was scourged his head was bloudyed with a crowne of pricking thornes yea and his precious body was pierced with a speare and nayled to the crosse with cruell curses mockes and sloutes and dost thou repine to imitate thy glorious Maister No seruant is greater then his Maister Thinke vpon Iosephs state how his body vvas vniustly captiuated how his innocent feet vvere galled vvith stockes and fetters therefore content thy selfe and God vvill release thee of thy smarting griefes Doe but examine aright the true course and occurrence of this world and thou shalt finde that thy tormentours themselues are not free from some casuall crosse or other and that alwayes as long as they liue When they were yong they complained of their parents rule ouer their vnrulinesse they complained of aches in their heads and teeth of itches of kibes and other infirmities They complained of their Schoolemasters scourge of his Fearuler of his checks and chidings When Nature clothed their chinnes with beards or hairie fleeces their false ioyes vvere daily salted vvith choller with enuy with melancholicke fittes Their bodyes vvere perplexed with maladies of sundry sorts vvith burning feauers or such like sicknesses Their mindes vvere assayled vvith multitudes of cares with discontentments or discourtisies of friends of followers or of their owne meniall people When their hoary age crept in which of it selfe is an incurable sicknes nullis medicabilis herbis then likewise a world of troubles pursues them hourely at their very heeles nay I vvould say at their backes in their backes in all the parts of their bodyes Now they grone and mone vvith dolour of the Chollicke the stone and vvith continuall aches in their decayed ioynts and as the Poet wrote tunc cum lapidosa chiragra Fregerit articulos veteris ramalia Fagi The knottie cramping Gout Their ioynts doe gripe about Which like old Beechen boughes It breakes with often throwes Another vvhile the Ptisicke caused through a long Catarre consumes their corrupted wind-pipes or else their filthy mouthes which sometimes spued vp most filthy speâ—ches doe now spit out whole gobbets of flegme like stincking Oysters Others againe haue not that benefit but languishing with wearied breath they faint vnder their long continued oppilations which the former Poet painted out in this most liuely verse Gutture sulphure as lâ—ntè exhalaâ—te mephitet Their throates exhaling lazily Sulphureous smels full lothsomely What shall I speake of Promooters of pettifogging Lawyers or of cauelling neighbours which like Caterpillers Rats and vile vermine molest them with wrongfull suites forcing them to trauell Testaque Lâ—tâ—que through thicke and thinne in great ieopardie of their liues to consume all their money to the very bottome of their puâ—ses and to â—râ—t them to the very bottome of their hearts I will passe ouer how Iudges themselues are also vexed one while their vnnaturall Sonnes disquiet them and how another while their owne Wiues vphold factions in their owne houses against them One while their credit is iustly called in question by their emulous companions another while they are slandered with those things which they neuer once thought no nor drearned of Thus God rewards them with the Talion law with like for like after the example of Adonibezeck who somtimes hauing threescore ten Kings vvith their thombes and great toes cut off and gathering their crums meat vnder his table was at the last apprehended himselfe by the Tribe of Iâ—da and had his owne thombes and great toes cut off worthily perishing by tortures of his owne inuention like as the Inuenter of the brazen Bull was adiudged by the Tyrant Phalaris first to try the torments Which also moued Adonibezeck to brust out into these complaints As I haue done so God hath done to me againe To what end serue thy detrâ—ctions when as thou seest them already tossed toiled and turmoiled with infinit vexations LINEAMENT XI 1 The Reply of the Spirit of Detraction to the premisses 2 An Answere to the said Reply out of the Rules of Policie fit to be obserued of pecuish Preachers 3 The benefit that comes to a true Christian by detracting tongues where the Spirit of Detraction is conuicted with his owne sorce THese words of mine replies another punie or pupill of the Detracting Spirit sauour of a Sermon stile fitter for the Pulpet then for Geometrical Circles for a Preacher then for a pryer into Spirits for the inward man which must prepare himselfe for the other world rather then for the outward man which must suite and sort himselfe to the humorous spirits of this present world Tread vpon a worme and the worme will turne againe Musca habet splenem Formicae sua bilis inâ—st The little Flie hath her spleene and the humour of choller is incident to the Emmet How can a man of reason brooke to be continually crossed by his Colltages and Fellow-officers in his zealous endeuours How can a man chuse but vvhet his tongue to
malapertnesse of thy tongue of thy tempting tongue of thy tickling tongue of thy tatling tongue thy taunting tongue thy vaunting tongue thy iesting tongue thy gibing tongue thy iarring tongue thy warring tongue thy checking tongue thy chiding tongue thy clattering tongue thy clacking tongue thy carping tongue thy babling tongue thy boasting tongue thy blazing tongue thy blaspheming tongue thy raiâ—ing tongue thy reuiling tongue thy scoffing tongue thy scolding tongue thy nicking tongue thy nipping tongue thy quipping tongue thy tripping tongue thy defaming tongue thy detracting tongue temper the phreneticall furie of this little Tyrant of what other inclination so euer it be and whet it not against thy neighbour whom Baptisme hath regenerated and adopted to the selfe same heritage as well as thy selfe Say with that noble French man Du mesdisant la langue venimeuse Et du flateur les propos â—mmielez Et du mocqueur les brocardes enfielez Et du maling la pursuite animeuse From Sycopâ— anâ—s and their foule pois'ned quips From Flatterers and their smooth-honied lips From Democrites and their gall-stinging bookes From Hypocrites and their dissembling lookes Good Lord deliuer vs. LINEAMENT XII The spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring men for their 1 Poucrtie 2 Birth 3 Bodily imperfections DEride no man for his pouertie for a man of faith is onely rich Hee that is poore in worldly wealth hath no superfluous cares to with-hold his mind from spirituall exercises While thou gluttest with gurmandize stalkest with state walkest with wantons swaggerest with swash-bucklers swearest with swaggerers and detractest with Detractours the poore man fasteth and prayeth yeelds euery man his due he liues not in feare of theeues nor of oppression for his goods Cantabit vacuus coram Latrone viator The same God that made him poore may make thee poore for it is his Sunne that shines vpon poorâ— and rich He euen he it is that exalteth the humble and meeke and scattereth the proud in the imaginations of their hearts If thy neighbour be not as well descended as thy selfe but basely borne contemne him not with contumelious speaches in charging his birth with contagious sinne The very best of vs all as the Prophet Dauid testified was conceiued in sinne and borne in sinne But through our cleansing by Baptisme our soules become purified and so doth the basâ—st borne bastard Better it is for a man to be the head of his kinne as â—icero was then to be the last of his kinne as Catiline was Better it is to be the vertuous sonne of a vicious father then to be the vicious sonne of a vertuous father for a man is not accountable for his birth but for his behauiour and conuersation in hiâ—liuing Therefore that vncharitable detracting distick deserues the fagot Spurâ—s ille puer nullum suadebit honestum Naâ—us adulterio semper adulter erit When thou beholdest one that is crumpshouldred lame or otherwise distorted and deformed in his body laugh him not to scorne nor iest at his infirmities For he that is deformed in his body may conceale a generous spirit within like vnto a tottered ship which containes within it more goods then tenne such ships are worth Consilio pollet cui vim natura negauit Obserue the contrarie subiect and tell me how many proper bodies hast thou scene without defects in their mindes In my iudgement none but fooles euer gloried in their bodies constitutions strength or power wherein the horse the Asse and other beasts goe farre beyond mankind The regard whereof causeth vs to require bodily force in a labourer and wisedome of the minde in a Commander The body is earthly carnall fraile the house nay rather the prison of the soule which indeed is heauenly noble permanent and created after Gods owne likenesse both in the essentiall vnion and in the trinarie subsistence A body is not to be termed crooked or crazed as long as it lodgeth an vpright soule and harboureth an honest heart Aesope was crooke-backt and yet admirable for his wit Tyrtaeus the Poet was lame and yet chosen Generall of the Lacedemonians Innumerable persons there are whose bodily deformitie God doth recompence with large measure of spirituall gifts supplying that place one way which wanteth in another way so that this saying is true Deus nihil fecit frustra God created nothing in vaine no not the craggiest mountaine made hee without some profitable vse for mans good Perhaps there lurkes a goodly mine or at the worst milstones or quarries of tile lime or such like Others againe haue imperfections in their eye-sights whom the spirit of Detraction followes with girdes and floutes wherein who can but smile Spectatum admissâ— risum teneatis amici In hearing blinde-minded people mocking at blindebodied people A man in Diuinitie is not held to be blinde except he liue in darknesse of errours which altogether blindfold the vnderstanding and depriue the soule of the eternall light the knowledge of the liuing God Short-sighted folkes commonly shoote inward into contemplation the noblest operation of the soule and whiles the quick-sighted I meane quicke of their corporall sights doe gaze on euery idle obiect eyther in iudging of beauties or in marking at the skipping of Grashoppers or in seeing the goodly combate betwixt the Mouse and the Frogge The other by the benefit of his spirituall nature wanting such obstacles and impediments doe wholy addict themselues to reading or to musing From which no Spider sport no trifling toyes may with-draw their intentiue mindes And why because their Creatour hath conuerted the infirmitie of their bodily eyes into their eyes of memorie and vnderstanding whereby they become sagacissimi in coniecturis ingenious and very studious LINEAMENT XIII 1 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for blabbing out tales concerning womens credits 2 Wherefore it is not lawfull to speake abroad of womens causes LIkewise take heed how thou talk est like a tatling tell-tale about womens credits by suspition and suppositions crackt or if in deed and euidence thy neighbors wife playes false in violating herfaith in vitiating her chastitie towards her honest Husband or if his Daughter waxeth more lustily wanton then becommeth a Christian virgine let not thy tongue be traduced or produced as a reuiling runnagate in noysing abroad such ribauldries and baudries if true or else such surmised secret things which no earthly creature besides themselues can proue It is alwayes incident to Roysters and Ruffians to read suspicious lectures on the carriage and behauiour of the most beautifull Some iudge the worst fatally because themselues are guiltie of adultery and so according to the often wishes the shrewde and lewde nores of their owne peruerted fantasies they condemne the pure with the impure Some againe doe but gather by presumptions and circumstances that chast women prostitute their bodyes because they goe gallantly attyred in the fashion with strange Periwigs with false bodyes truncke sleeues verdingales and with costly Iewels belike
beyond their Husbands meanes because they paint their faces with artificiall drugs and also because they gadde to stage-playes to publike daunces and showes vpon Sundayes and Holy-dayes in stead of hallowing and sanctifying their soules with thankfull prayers And in truth their reasons fall out many times currant for that such things being deuised by Diuellish people as allurements to spirituall fornication after the pompous gods of the earth be likewise the fore-runners of fleshly fornication euen as Pride is the mother of all mischiefe Othe s againe blab out scandalous impeaâ—hments of honest womens fame because they would not seeme alone to weare Actaeâ—ns badge and therefore they se uerely censure of other mens wiues Many blaze out such detracting speaches because they want matters of discourse to humour other men But cursed mought they be that beginne these slanderous accusations whereby man and wise doe vary after that God hath ioyned them both together Cursed mought they be who being partiall towards themselues doe neuerthelesse pronounce sentence of damnation against other mens incontinencie as though themselues had neuer tript yea and cursed be those Sycophants who with their runnagâ—te rumours and reports doe hinder Gentlewomen from their promotion in honest marriage This arrogant imputation our Sautour Christ himselfe refuted when hee willed those presumptuous Iewes who inuaighed against the poore delinquent woman that the purest of them being voide of sin should fling the first stone at her Though this sexe I confesse be weake the weaker vessell and may become seduced with faire protestations of golden mountaines as well as men the impotence of whose disposition is thus described by a Spaniard La muger hermosa es cemo la mancana De dentro podrida y de sucra galana Like as thou findst an Apple foule within And faire without such shalt thou beauty finde Yet nothwithstanding be thou the last that bruits abroad such tales calling to minde these graue rules En bonne part ce qu'on dit tu dots prendre Et imperfait du prochain supporter Couurir sa faute ne la rapporter ' Prompt a louer et tardif a reprendre What men doe speake in earnest or in iest take in good part and if thy neighbour halt Excuse her slips report them not at least be swist to salue and slow to blame her fault For who can tell the end and vse of our temptations it may be that God suffers some to goe awry like Mary Magdalene for a little while because the lowly minded sinner may not despaire of his euer-during mercy and because their owne rod of experience may chastice their Iasciuiousnesse Of this nature is some womans fall that she might rise againe when her guiltie heart submits it selfe to Iustice for otherwise her conscience would not care for any thing if it were not once deeply wounded for some hainous thing and that with an euer feeling dint whereby her contrite spirit might daily poure out this true confession before his throne of mercy I doc know mine owne wickednesse and my sinnes are alwayes before me I could vnfold many other Detractions against mens bodyes mindes and fortunes deuâ—sed by Dâ—uellish persons in these latter dayes to ransacke the reputation of the best disposed were it not that I feare the censure of the wise in noting my discourse to be too prolixe and tedâ—ous Within this very place I will therefore fasten the Anchor of the said discourse with this memorable lesson Audâ— vide tacâ— â—ivis vâ—uere in pace Heare and see and say but the best If thou dost loue to liue in rest LINEAMENT IX 1 The reasons why men speake ill of learned bookes 2 That superstitious persons cannot rightly connict the Spirit of detraction 3 That the true conuiction of the Spirit of Detraction consists in the mysteries of Gods word TO draw now at last to the last Scene of this Comick-tragedie I will conuert my speach towards the Detractours of learned Bookes which worthy Wits by the Holy Spirits motion do daily transcribe as monuments of Gods glory to all posterities It is fatall vnto good men that their literate workes be vilified in their liues time chiefely among their owne acquaintance for a Prophet was neuer as yet esteemed in his owne Countrey Seeing that Christ himselfe came among his owne nation and was both despised and derided what maruell is it then that wise men are dispraised of the present age that the Spirit of Detraction pursues them vntill their dying day that hee defiles their workes with his stale and stinking vrine What meruell is it that Laudamus veteres nostros carpimus annos We praise the old and hate the present time What maruell what noueltie is it nowadayes that wicked men carpe at their wits whose Disciples or Apprentises they are not worthy to be much lesse to vsurpe the place of Aristarches or Censorian Catoes ouer such industrious wights Yee celestiall Spirits which expose abroad your sacred talents for your Maisters profit loath to lurke in the Laechaeen caue of obliuion feare not this manifolded Monster Though he assailes your younglings the fruits of your sanctified soules with the wilde Boares tuskes with the Beares clawes with the Serpents sting his beastly force can neuer enter through your enchanted armour His enuie will be abated through your modestie his hatred through your kindnesse his Detractions through your perfections his scornes through your vertuous influence Some kinde of Alâ—mists their ignorance inciteth to despise the workes of the Learned as confirmes that old Rule Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Learning hath no greater enemie then the ignorant Some detract from other mens Bookes disgorging their gall vpon the absent Authours for no other reason then because they would seeme wiser to the standers by then they are indeed Some spit out infectious spite and rage against them of very ranke and meere maleuolence for that it frets them to the heart that their coequals in the goods of Fortune should become their betters through the goods of Vertue that the radiant rayes of their Corriuals name and fame eternized to the highest orbe by a bookish monument or Colossos should eclipse their temporall transparence and quite confound the memoriall of their former factions Some for argument or cauillation sake seeke a hole where no hole is reprehending those mysteries which they cannot apprehend nor comprehend The greatest part do ieere at their neighbours bookes because they preferre worldly profit before their soules not able to spare one houre in the day for holy exercise though they can spare whole moneths for gaine ieasts pleasures fooleries or in debasing of noble spirits Others discommend mens writings because they cannot disproue them and yet neuerthelesse by reason that Ipse dixit the Pythagorean or rather Pythonicall I doll of their consciences hath prohibited them by an expresse Canon not to beleeue the positions of Protestants though they issue out of Truths owne mouth therefore because