Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	earth_n	life_n	8,616	5	4.6117	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05102	The third volume of the French academie contayning a notable description of the whole world, and of all the principall parts and contents thereof: as namely, of angels both good and euill: of the celestiall spheres, their order and number: of the fixed stars and planets; their light, motion, and influence: of the fower elements, and all things in them, or of them consisting: and first of firie, airie, and watrie meteors or impressions of comets, thunders, lightnings, raines, snow, haile, rainebowes, windes, dewes, frosts, earthquakes, &c. ingendered aboue, in, and vnder the middle or cloudie region of the aire. And likewise of fowles, fishes, beasts, serpents, trees with their fruits and gum; shrubs, herbes, spices, drugs, minerals, precious stones, and other particulars most worthie of all men to be knowen and considered. Written in French by that famous and learned gentleman Peter de la Primaudaye Esquier, Lord of the same place, and of Barree: and Englished by R. Dolman.; Academie françoise. Part 3. English	La Primaudaye, Pierre de, b. ca. 1545.; Dolman, R. (Richard)	1601 (1601)	STC 15240; ESTC S108305	398,876	456

equall cannot haue equall ascensions euen in the right sphere it is necessarie that the said twelue howers both of day and night should be vnequall one to another and by so much the more vnequall by how much more the Pole is eleuated aboue the Horizon according to the diuersitie of the artificiall daies and nights whereof they likewise are called artificiall howers They are also named Planetarie and temporall for that they are taken in the way of the planets which is the zodiacke and also because the ancients haue assigned the time of the seuen naturall daies of the weeke to the domination of the seuen planets attributed to the said vnequall howers and haue appointed to the said naturall daies the names of those planets which raigne the first vnequall hower of the artificiall day But leauing this discourse we must now entreat of the altitudes of the sunne and of his shadowes according as hath beene declared in our antecedent speech That we may better then vnderstand the reason of shadowes we must first haue knowledge of the altitudes of the sunne aboue the Horizon bicause that the diuersitie of shadowes proceedeth from the varietie of those heights Of the heights of the sunne Now by the height of the sunne is vnderstood the arck of the verticall circle which passeth by the center of the bodie of the same sunne being comprised betweene the same center and the Horizon and distinguished by the parallell of the same Horizon which passeth togither with the same center as heretofore hath been related So that the height of the sunne increaseth from sunne rising till noone and proportionally decreaseth from noone till sunne set So that the greatest altitude that the sunne may haue in an artificiall day is at the noone hower wherefore it is called the Meridian altitude Which surmounteth the height of the Equinoctiall in the oblique sphere by the quantitie of the declination of the sunne so long time as he is in that part of the zodiacke inclining towards the pole which is eleuated aboue the Horizon and is lesse then the height of the Equinoctiall by the same quantitie when the sunne is in the other moitie of the zodiacke which inclineth towards the opposite pole So that the least altitude that the sunne may haue is vnder the winter solstice and the greatest is when he is in the summer solstice But the sunne being in the Equinoctiall points his Meridian altitude differeth not in the oblique sphere from the height of the Equinoctiall Whereupon ensueth that in all the degrees of the zodiacke which are alike distant from the one or other solstice the sunne hath one selfesame Meridian altitude And thereupon ensueth that in all howers whereof the one is before noone and the other after and equally distant from noone as are ten a clocke in the morning and two a clocke after noone the sunne hath one selfesame altitude which is the cause that in all sunne dials being composed by helpe of the said howers as the old quadrants are the hower-spaces serue indifferently as well for before as after noone And bicause that the altitudes of the sunne varie according to the obliquenes of the sphere the said sunne dials cannot serue generally but onely to that polarie eleuation whereunto the altitudes of the sunne haue been calculated Concerning shadowes they are made by meane of solid-darke bodies exposed against the sunne Of right reuerse shadowe And of those some are called right shadowes and some reuerse shadowes The right shadow is that which is caused by interposition of the shadowing bodie rightly erected vpon the Horizon and the reuerse shadow is that which proceedeth from euery shadowing bodie equally distant from the said Horizon So that the right shadow reacheth out at length vpon the Horizontall superficies and the reuerse shadow is turned ouer perpendicularly aboue the said Horizon Whereby it is manifest that right shadowes are infinite and reuerse none at all either at sunne rising or sunne set Againe right shadowes decrease by little and little from sunne rising till noone and doe proportionally increase from noone till sunne set to which the reuerse shadowes are contrarie So that the least right shadow and the greatest reuerse shadow that can be in any day whatsoeuer is at noonetide And you must note that the sunne being eleuated aboue the Horizon more thē 45. degrees euery shadowing body being directly erected vpon the said Horizon surmounteth his right shadow but euery reuerse shadow surpasseth his shadowing bodie which causeth it And when the sunne is raised lesse then 45. degrees the contrarie commeth for the right shadow exceedeth his shadowing bodie and the shadowing bodie surpasseth the reuerse shadow But if the sunne be precisely 45. degrees high then all shadowing bodies are equall to their shadowes both right and reuerse From which equalitie is extracted the Geometricall square which is set in quadrants or vpon the backe of the astrolobe by which are measured by meanes of the shadowes or visuall lines representing the saide shadowes all lengths heights and depths by reason that the two sides of the said square which meete at right angles in the center of the instrument represent two shadowes one equall to another Yet Geographers doe commonly vse but right Meridian shadowes to know in what part of the world the regions of the earth consist and how farre they decline from the Equinoctiall which shadowes doe varie lesse about the Solstists then about the Equinoctiall points like to the altitudes of the sunne But wee haue said enough concerning this matter and to morrow we will prosecute our first discourse concerning the celestiall world now intreating of the substance and nature of heauen and of the particular effects of the sphericall bodies in things here below whereof you ASER shall begin to discourse The end of the third daies worke THE FOVRTH DAIES WORKE Of the substance and nature of heauen and of the celestiall bodies and of their continuance and change Chap. 25. ASER. BEing this day to intreate of the substance and nature of heauen and of the particular effects of the sphericall bodies in things here below we shall make more easie entrance thereto if we first begin with some briefe consideration concerning all essences First then will we propound this principle that among all creatures in heauen and earth some are spirituall and the rest corporall By the spirituall we meane those that haue no bodie and cannot be perceiued by corporall senses as are angels or diuels and the soules or spirites of men And by the corporall wee meane all other creatures that are visible and sensible to the senses of our bodies Now of these some are without life Diuision of all essences or natures and the rest liue And amongst those which are without life there is a difference in two points One is in that some haue naturall motion and the rest haue not And amongst those which haue this motion some are mutable and corruptible and

growe and increase in the earth wherefore it seemeth that they are nourished in the earth like to plants Yet we must note that to speake properly there is neither soule nor life attributed vnto them Foure kinds of soule and life For according to the common rule of the learned there are but fower kindes of soules of life except by abuse of the language this name life be taken generally for the estate of all creatures But when it is taken in his proper signification the soule and life is onely attributed to fower kindes of creatures A kinde of creature of a middle nature betweene plants and beasts that is to herbes trees and plants a nourishing or vegetatiue soule and life to * sensitiue plants as sea-sponges oisters cockles c. a sensitiue to perfect beasts a soule and life cogitatiue or knowing and to men an intellectuall or reasonable soule and life Though therefore that stones and mettals doe increase and grow in the earth yet this is done by addition of matter which is conuerted into their nature rather then by any nouriture which they draw from the earth as plants doe And therefore when we speake properly of life we must vnderstand something more then that which we simply call being And yet one may sometimes signifie the estate or being of any thing by the name of life taking the word generally and not in his most proper signification for the being of euery creature is like the life thereof insomuch as thereby it is conserued in his proper estate Iohn 1. And so it may seeme that Saint Iohn meaneth saying That all things were made by the eternall word of God and that without it nothing was made that was made and that in it was life for here the word Life might be taken for the being of all creatures In this respect it may be permitted vs to say that all creatures haue life but not like any of those which are properly called liuing creatures and each one according to the distinctions by vs before alledged Vnderstanding proper to men and angels onely Now let vs speake of the naturall vnderstanding which seemeth to be in all creatures I know that to speake properly vnderstanding and reason cannot bee attributed but onely to angels and men For though all creatures obserue their order and course in their naturall motions yet doe wee not conclude that they do this by vnderstanding and reason whereof they shoulde participate with men but rather by a naturall inclination which God hath bestowed vpon them to guide and direct them so Yet it seemeth that there is great difference betweene the celestiall bodies concerning which we now discourse and the other creatures which are without life and vnderstanding considering their well ordred motions and incorruptible nature as we haue heeretofore shewed For this is the cause why many Philosophers haue taught Opinions of diuers touching the life and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies that the heauens retained some kinde of life and vnderstanding briefly that the world was an animall or liuing creature for the reasons heeretofore alleaged And therefore some haue supposed that the celestiall and luminary bodies did nourish and preserue themselues by the moistnes and vapors which they attracted and drew vp by their heate out of the water and other elements And for faculties of sense and reason they also considered the same to be in them because that they haue their course and motions so well ordred and comprehended one by another that therein can be found no fault disorder or confusion Which so excellent order could not bee kept nor maintained it seemed amongst them without great reason vnderstanding and wisedome yea more great then is seene in all the men of the world togither For although they were created partakers of these graces and gifts yet so farre are they from maintaining such an order amongst them as do the celestiall bodies that contrariwise there is nothing but disorder and confusion in them and in all their actions For these reasons therefore sundry Philosophers haue concluded that as there are animals or liuing creatures in the earth in the waters and in the aire so likewise are there in heauen and that the sunne and moone the other planets and stars are celestiall animals not onely liuing but also participating of reason and vnderstanding Of the excellent politicall and military order in the heauens yea some haue named them celestiall intelligences And in truth they which haue good skill in Astronomie do consider how the Sunne the goodliest and most excellent of the lights of heauen possesseth the middle place among the seuen planets like the king and prince of them and which hath about him the lords of his court For on one side is Mars the warrior which hath charge of armies and on the other side Mercurie his Orator and ambassador Then is there betwixt him and Mercurie the planet Venus which is the day starre messenger of the morning which alwaies attendeth on the sunne at his rising and setting for she riseth euery day before him and setteth euery day after him and vnder those is the Moone These two planets seeme to be allowed him like mistresses of his house and huswiues of the most moist natures Then aboue Mars is the milde and benigne planet Iupiter to the end to moderate the vehemencie and furie of him And higher yet is Saturne who is cold slowe and sadde wherefore he may the better temperate the heate of Mars and serue the sunne like a sound and well staied counsellor neere about his prince Then may be seene the high heauen commonly called the firmament which containeth all the rest of the stars vnder which the sunne marcheth in his royall magnificence accompanied like a king with his court and armie all in gallant order Is not this then a goodly policie like a royall court a celestiall common wealth and a braue armie wherein euery star and planet keepeth his ranke and order And not onely for these considerations but euen by testimonies of Scripture there are some will vndertake to prooue that the celestiall bodies haue reason and vnderstanding Deut. 32. Isay 1. For the prophets namely Moses and Isay sometimes addressing their speech to the heauens call them for auditors as when they say Oh heauens heauens heare that which I shall speake and giue eare to my words So that they woonder why these holy men should call to the heauens if they had neither soule nor life Psal 148. nor reason nor vnderstanding And the Psalmist in his canticles doth exhort the heauenly bodies to praise God no lesse then the angels themselues But now let vs tell them that if by these authorities we must conclude that the spheres haue in them a soule life sense and reason we might say the like of the aire of the clouds waters fire haile snowe vapors windes yea and of all earthly creatures to the very plants For the

Would they not grant me this that by a certaine order the matter was before the forme and yet preceded it not in time So is it that God was before the world by a certaine order of eternitie What they farther inferre That the instant is the end of time past and the beginning of time to come Of the point as instant We answere them that as the point is to things continued so is the instant to things succeeding Now the point is sometime the extreme of one part of a line and the beginning of another part and sometimes also it is the beginning of the whole line and not the end of any part precedent So the instant and moment wherein the world had being was the beginning of the time to ensue and not the end of any past They adde another argument against this doctrine That say they which passeth on hath something both before and after it But I le proceede farther and grant them more to wit that all that which passeth on returneth to the same point from whence it began to passe For the water returneth to the sea from whence it had an originall The bodie returneth to the earth from whence it was borrowed The soule Al things returne to God and other intellectuall things created of God I except that which the Scripture teacheth vs of the reprobate returne to himselfe of whom they were engendred And all essences produced from the diuine thought make a full circle beginning in God and finishing in God himselfe So must time returne into the same eternitie whereout it proceeded and which shall remaine this same ceasing in such sort as it consisted before it And therefore we answere those who demaund how the creator coulde precede the fabrication of the world that hee proceeded it by an eternall enduring Wherefore they conclude iust nothing against the Creation of that which then was and is after the generation of things Others which reason vpon the point which we haue deliuered concerning the opinion of Auerrois that the world is not corruptible therefore not engendred argue thus That which is dissolued into another thing is diuided but considering that beside the world there is nothing into which it can be dissolued it must therefore endure euerlastingly To which we may answere them How the world is dissolued that the world is dissolued according to his parts to the ende that it may remaine in a better estate But now we dispute not of the dissolution but onely of the originall thereof And it may seeme nothing contrarie to Christian religion that the worke of God may alwaies haue a being but farre otherwise then as we see it and which shall be then when we most blessed shall inhabite the new heauens and new earth in life euerlasting And herein doe we concurre with sundrie great Philosophers who esteeme that it is ill done to suppose that those things which immediately proceed from the blessed God can perish And therefore we affirme that the soule is immortall because it was produced and inspired by God and that the bodie it selfe shall obtaine eternitie when afterwards in the resurrection it shall be reuested with the nature of the soule which subiect we haue amply discoursed vpon in the second part of our Academie But it is ill-concluded to take away all beginning from things by reason of the perpetuall enduring of the same The opinion of diuers is that the celestiall spirits moo●e the spheres For as we haue declared it were to argue by naturall generations of the diuine masterpeece of worke which surpasseth all sensible consideration And sith we are in this talke of the enduring of the world we may further note that those who haue thereupon imagined to take away the originall thereof haue taught that the spirits moouing the spheres should obtaine felicitie in the eternall recourse of the heauens which point Aristotle enforceth himselfe to demonstrate in his most loftie part of Philosophie where repeating diuers considerations more loftie then in any other place he sharply contendeth for this eternitie of the world And Iohn Lescot seemeth to graunt him more then he requireth when he saith that the spirits are blessed not only moouing the spheres but for so much as by such reuolution seruing God they communicate perfection to things here beneath To which agreeth that which Plotin entreating of heauen and of the soule of the world saith It is an absurd thing and discordant to suppose that that soule which did for a time containe the heauen should not alwaies do the same as if by violence it had contained it And thereupon he cōcludeth that the world should endure for euer because the principall part of the soule thereof cannot be dissolued nor the nature thereof empaire Aristotle also amongst his other considerations inserteth this That the prince of this worldly palace being eternall not receiuing any vicissitude or chaunging it is most likely that his palace should also be eternall and that his ministers or celestiall spirits being altogither addicted to perpetuall motion should neuer take rest But that we may vntie this knot we will say that it is an error of comparison to argue of that which hath his beginning immediately from God in respect of the creator and of that which is here below in regard of things aboue and of the immediate ende of euerie thing in comparison of his last ende For the immediate end of vnreasonable creatures is to liue Of the sundrie ends of all thing● and feede themselues but their finall ende is to serue mans vse which according to the minde of sundrie wisemen is the ende of all things here below And the immediate ende of man is to gouerne his house and family or the common-wealth to contemplate trafficke and such like businesses but his latest ende is to attaine to God or to felicitie be it as one would say through a Stoicall vertue or by a Peripateticke contemplation or by Academicke purifying or which is most certaine true through faith and grace according as our religion doth import And also wee affirme that the immediate ende of the spirits separated from God and of the corruptible matter is to gouerne the heauens and men and such other things as haue beene committed to their charge But their last ende is their onely contemplation of that first essence from which they deriue their felicitie as Aristotle himselfe testifieth in his Ethickes Suppose then that they cease to mooue from their immediate end yet shall they neuer cease to be blessed no more then man shall be lesse happie when he shall cease to gouerne the common-wealth or to performe his other temporall businesses And certainely it is maruellous that any can thinke that the Angels and celestiall spirits should obtaine their happines by moouing the heauens continually about seeing that all moouings as the Philosophers teach do tend to a resting But none can say that the spirits shall not cease

roiall prophet inuiteth them all to praise the Lord as well as the heauens Yea he proceedeth farther when he saith that all of them performe the word of the Lord. And when Moses and Isay call the heauens to record they do as much to the earth as if it had eares to heare vnderstanding for to vnderstand Why the word of God is sometimes directed to insensible creatures We must then know that the prophets vsing this manner of speech doe speake to insensible creatures and which are without vnderstanding the better to mooue men to their dutie and the more to induce them to acknowledge their ingratitude and rebellion against God by rendring to him that honour and reuerence which they should beare to his Maiestie which is of such waight and vertue that the very sense and feeling thereof reacheth to all nature and to euerie kind of creature Whereby me must learne how great reproch shall redound to men and the number of witnesses that shal appeere against thē if they will be more deafe at the voice of God then the deafest creatures and if they will be lesse mooued with his presence and hardlier acknowledge it then those his works which are farthest remote from reason vnderstanding And in truth what shame may this goodly order which we whilome spake of to be amongst the celestiall bodies euery day breed in vs For if they had a soule life sense and vnderstanding wee might lesse woonder to see them euer continue and maintaine such a constituted order Because we might ascribe the good gouernment of them to the reason and wisedome which might be resident in them But if they haue neither sense nor vnderstanding by meanes whereof they might attaine to that intelligence wisedome for to know how to guide gouerne themselues so much more iust occasion hath beene giuen to the prophets to appeale to them as witnesses and iudges against men and leaue to looke to other creatures seeing that they shew in effect that they do better vnderstand the voice and word of God whereby they haue beene created and disposed and which hath appointed and ordained the estate wherein they serue then men do whom he hath made partakers of reason and vnderstanding Wherefore wee will heere note that when the prophets do exhort the insensible creatures to praise God it is chiefly for two reasons The first is in keeping euerie one their order they glorifie God after their fashion and according to their nature because they are like preachers of his puissance wisedome and bountie and as witnesses of them and of his glory towards men and the other reason is so much the better to induce men to praise their creator as it behooueth them But for the Philosophers yea the Pythagorians Academicks which proceed farther concerning the life reason and vnderstanding which they contemplate in the spheres saying that they are replenished with soules lodged in them and by which many of our Diuines also wil haue to be ment the angels and celestiall spirits who say they mooue the heauens but what and how many there are of these intellectuall formes in the sphericall bodies he onely knoweth Psal 147. who as Dauid saith counteth the number of the starres and calleth them all by their names I will onely say thus much that sith euery planet hath his proper force and influence vpon things heere below it seemeth verie fit that it should haue his gouerning intelligence which giueth it the vertue to worke considering that the operation cannot proceed simply from a body But now I enter into a new matter the discourse whereof ACHITOB I impose on you Of the influence and effects of the planets and starres in things here below either to good or euill Chapter 28. ACHITOB. SOme might maruel why christian philosophers do alwaies when they intreate of the sphere retaine the names of the gods and goddesses of the ancient idolaters which the Pagan philosophers both Greekes and Latines haue long agoe giuen to the starres and planets In French the names of the daies are so but in our toong not But this should seeme no more strange then that we yet obserue in the daies of the weeke the names which were attributed to them by the saide authors and which they haue likewise taken from the names of the planets except sunday For bicause that these celestiall bodies haue beene so called at the first by those who haue most curiously and diligently searched them out and left precepts of the Astronomicall doctrine therefore doe these fond names yet remaine amongst vs like many other things taken from the ancients But the discourse is very great and of deepe study concerning the diuers properties vertues and powers which Astronomers assigne to the planets aboue all nature yea and ouer all men of whome making their predictions they name one man a Saturnist another a Martialist or Iouialist or else a Mercurialist or a Venerian or a Phebaean Properties attributed by Astrologers to planets or a Lunatist In such sort that the diuers affections inclinations and manners of men are by many holden not to proceede onely of the matter diuersly disposed as there be some that esteeme but also by the diuers influence and sundry forme not in specificall diuersity but particular and proper And thence it commeth that Ptolomie and other professors of Astrology do teach that the stars and planets do giue influence of good and of euill for say they by Saturne is infused a firme and stable prudence by Iupiter a righteous iustice by Mars a constant force and puissance by the Sunne an ardent charity by Venus a milde hope by Mercury a penetrating faith and by the Moone a moderate temperance Moreouer that by Saturne as by a most graue and sublime fautor men are induced to the most profound mysteries of all diuine and naturall Philosophie That by Iupiter they are gouerned in a good due temper so that they make obserue lawes and dispose all things with equitie pursuing alwaies that which is righteous That from Mars they receiue the abilitie and power to performe any exploit to the end to be fortunate in their enterprises That the sunne bestoweth vpon all generation operation and life as charitie which is appropriated to him adorneth all the vertues like life and forme That Venus giueth grace cheerefulnes and loue by which men being mooued do performe all high matters with delectation because we could not sustaine the labour which is in the studie of naturall and diuine matters no not in temporall things if loue did not thereto inuite vs wherewith being afterward recreated we easilie suppresse the affliction which continuall thought in profound matters and of difficult vnderstanding doth bring vnto vs. That Mercurie maketh vs prompt sharpe and subtile in euery busines but chiefly in searching out of the truth and in obtaining eloquence musicke and glory That the Moone in the foresaid effects of the other planets giueth a more neere

they neither spinne nor haue weauers nor clothiers nor drapers nor other worke-folks and tradesmen to deale for them Yea how maruellous is the conseruation and multiplication of all plants by meanes of their owne seeds syons and fruits according as the Creator did at first constitute For that I may first speake of the smaller sort who could beleeue if experience did not assure vs that of one little graine of mustard seede should grow a great and high plant like a little shrub Matth. 12. in such sort that the birds of heauen might make their nests therein Then let vs consider how corne pulse and all other sorts of seeds do bud grow and multiply But who of himselfe would iudge that out of one little kernell of a nut or filberd there could grow so great trees and so much wood as should beare innumerable leaues and buds and so much fruit each yeere euerie one according to his owne kinde and that for long time Would not all this seeme incredible if we were not ascertained by continuall experience and a sure course in Nature And if God doth shew himselfe most wonderfull in all these things in regard of the herbes trees and plants what shall we say if we proceed to the consideration of their natures properties and vertues and of the commodities remedies and profits Woonders concerning the properties and virtues of the fruites of the earth which men receiue thereby This surely is the most principall point For how admirable is it that by the meanes of herbes trees and other plants which haue no soule that may minister life vnto them with motion and sense and which may much lesse participate with any reason God doth not onely preserue the life of men and of other creatures a thing to bee woondred at but doth also thereby giue them strength vigour and force For what are these herbs and plants which produce all sorts of corne pulse and other graine of which men make foode and are thereby nourished What is the vine and other fruit-trees Who could thinke if he saw it not with his eies that there is neither man nor beast that could be nourished and preserue his life but by such meanes For how can that thing either giue or preserue and maintaine life which hath no life in it selfe And yet if we will consider of the medicines and remedies which men finde in herbes and plants onely besides those which they may take from other creatures who can in truth either declare or write I wil not say all of them but onely the thousandth part For although the most excellent phisitions haue alwaies trauelled in this part of their art which is commonly called the Knowledge of Symples yet how farre off are they from the full and perfect theoricke of them For what a number of herbes and rootes be there which are vnknowen and haue yet no name And how many are there which are taken one for another and wherein the most skilful Phisitions and Herbarists are oftentimes deceiued And yet this little which we know should mooue vs to thinke vpon the great and ineffable bountie of God towards men and vpon the fatherly care which he hath of vs all For though that by our sinnes we haue merited death both of bodie and soule which death our sinne hath not onely gained but also many diuers and strange sorts of diseases and corporall infirmities most grieuous and terrible yea sometimes hideous and horrible which are like butchers and slaughterers to put them to death yet the charitie and loue of our God is alwaies so great towards mankinde that he giueth vs as many and more yea sundrie medicines for one onely maladie But we will be instructed more amply by you AMANA in this matter that wee may acknowledge therein verie cleere testimonies of the prouidence of God Of the vertue that herbes and other fruits of the earth haue in phisicke and in food and of the true vse of them Chap. 66. AMANA IT is daily seene that by the meanes of some small herbes which grow in a garden or in a mountaine or in some other desert place and which also are oftentimes troden vnder foote without any account made of them many are commonly deliuered not onely from great paines and grieuous maladies but euen from death it selfe which otherwise it seemeth would most certainely approch Wherin certes we haue a goodly subiect to consider that if God giueth this vertue to creatures of small estimation in comparison of many others and that by the meanes of them hee ministreth so great helpe and doth so much good to man what must be the power and bounty of that great and soueraigne phisition which maketh them preuaile and giues them power to heale For wee must vnderstand that it is not the herbes nor other drugs and preparatiues nor yet the apothecaries and phisitions who make and compound them that are the true cause of restored-health to the sicke but God alone who doth not onely giue the remedies but also knowledge to men how for to vse them and to be skilfull how to apply them to their owne necessities for which he hath created them Herein then we must acknowledge two great benefits that the most good and most puissant God hath conferred vpon vs. The first is Two great good things that God hath done for man that he hath giuen vs medicines fit and necessarie for healing The other is the knowledge of them and the theoricke how to apply them to their conuenient purpose and vsage And one of these benefits without the other would indeede but little auaile vs. For as the workman cannot worke without such stuffe as is requisite for him to make his worke of as also it would be vnprofitable if no man should employ it and put it to vse for the same cause God which taketh care of the least of his creatures hath imprinted in the nature of brute beasts that want vnderstanding and reason a certaine knowledge of things that are fit for them not onely for their nourishment but also for remedies in their diseases so that they neede no other phisitions but themselues onely What iudgement must bee made of the virtue that the fruits of the earth do retaine for the good of men But in this discourse we are to note what iudgement we must make of so great vertue as we finde in all herbes and drugs and by like reason that we must consider thereof in the propertie of corne bread wine and of all meates and drinks which are as ordinarie and continuall medicines for the preseruation of life For if that which is diminished and consumed daily in vs were not also repaired and restored daily by our meate and drinke wee should fall suddenly into greeuous maladies and finally into death Forasmuch then as it pleaseth God to preserue the life which he hath giuen vs and to maintaine vs in health and good disposition he giueth power to that which we

because they still labour but when they haue accomplished and performed their worke and deliuered such fauour to terrestriall things as they were charged with And for the soule whereof Plotin makes mention one may likewise affirme that it shall not cease to giue life to the Vniuers when it shall cease to mooue For as we haue alreadie heard we maintaine not the annihilating of the elements of the world or the parts thereof but rather the resting after the motion in such sort as all nature must be in the ende after sundrie reuolutions reduced to the rest of the Sabbaoth vnknowne to many learned men Let all those then who trouble themselues without meane or measure to search out the end of the worldly frame or contend about the originall thereof here fixe their foote least running without ceasing in their fantasies after this perpetuall moouing they neuer rest and least by no light they can behold their repose being alwaies troubled with a continuall course Now then ASER I leaue to you to prosecute the confutation of diuers other arguments vpon this matter of the Creation Machinations Of many other deuises which they inuent who pretend to ouerthrow the doctrine of the Creation of the world performed by the Creator thereof Chapter 5. ASER. BEsides that which we haue hitherto heard concerning the reasons and arguments whereupon many depend who denie that the world had a beginning I finde that such are willingly induced to thinke Reasons against the doctrine of the creation of the world that by reason of this new creation or generation of the Vniuers there might seeme to arise some new deuise in the Creator because of the newnes of the worke by consequence an alteration of his mind or will which cannot happen to the most perfect and immutable neither within himselfe for nothing can mooue it selfe nor outwardly without himselfe for then that should consist and encrease which was without him by the empairing and wearing away of the most infinite These are the termes which Aristotle Auerrois Moses of Egypt and their disciples vse alleaging many other considerations which Cicero in the person of the Epicure enueighing against Plato in his fluent and eloquent speech hath collected in the discourse of an oration Cic. 1. of the nature of the Gods With what eies saith he coulde your Plato behold the arte and composition of so great a worke by the which he saith the world was builded and composed by God What inuentions of buildings What iron workes what lifting leauers what engins what ministers had he in so great a businesse How is it that the aire fire earth and water coulde obey to the worke-master whence issued the fiue formes whereof all the rest are formed falling out fitly to compose the soule and produce the sense And a little after he proceedeth I woulde faine aske these fellowes why vpon a sodaine these builders of the world started vp who had beene a sleepe by the space of innumerable ages For though there was then no world yet were there certaine ages although they were not such as are made of a number of daies and nights by course of yeeres for I confesse that those could not come to passe without the turning of the world but there was of infinite time a kinde of eternitie which no terme nor circuit of time did measure Neuerthelesse none can diuine of what space it hath beene because it falleth not into humane sense that there could be any time then when time was not Then in such an vnlimited space why should the prouidence be idle why should he flie labour and what cause was there why God like the Sheriffe of a citie should desire to adorne the world with signes and lights If it were to them that God might the better dwell at his ease he had then an infinite time before dwelt in darknesse as if in an hole or by-corner But if we thinke that he hath thus beautified heauen and earth because he delighted in the diuersitie thereof what may this pleasure of God be whereof he was so long time before depriued May it be for loue towards man as you might inferre that God made all these things But hath this loue beene for wisemen or for fooles if for the wise then to small purpose God wot hath this so exceeding great compiling of things beene made If for the foolish first there was no occasion why God shoulde seeke to deserue any thing of the euill then what hath he gotten when euery one being a flatte foole is most miserable in that he is not wise For what can we name that 's woorse then follie hitherto Cicero Alcinois speaking like him doth farther adde That sith there is nothing beside the world which may do it violence it can suffer neither maladie nor consumption nor any dissolution at all Forasmuch then as it must perpetually endure it followeth also that it hath beene without beginning Auicen according with him saith He which negotiateth by the power of another may instantly produce that which before he coulde not for hee must attend the pleasure of such as worke with him but the first that worketh by his proper power needes not attend but worke continually Behold then how the seruants of the world contend for the dignitie of their prince endeuouring to make him eternall as if volūtarily subiecting themselues to a continuall reuolution they woulde defeat themselues for euer attaining to any rest wherein consisteth true felicitie But we must fight for the soueraigne Creator which is our peace and true Sabbaoth defending like good and valiant warriors his eternall rest whereto all reuolution of the world doth referre it selfe and presently it will appeere hee himselfe aiding vs how weake those engins are which our aduersaries haue planted against his worke and against the wall of truth Answere to the arguments of the Philosophers First we will consent to Aristotle and to the defenders of his doctrine that there came to God by the framing of the vniuers a new imagination but full of reason and without any alteration in his nature or will and moreouer the same new-minde was properly reall and all one with his eternall will towards the generation of the world to performance whereof he also proceeded according to his good pleasure But I woonder at so many instances as they intend to found vpon this new-thought seeing we behold how assidually many new things are produced wherof returneth a new-thought either towards God framing or gouerning or at least as they say so as may be towards their wished and desired end I demand then why should the new-thought of creating the world make more against the maiestie of God and not the inuention of the new partes thereof euery moment arising Algazel Sarasyn holds it not vnmeete that the most perfect agent hauing all conditions thereto cōcording deferred neuerthelesse to produce his worke in effect so long as he pleased and that then he performed

mans teaching a meane thing between man and beast as the Zoophyta partaketh of the plant and animal But it may be we haue said more concerning these things then is requisite for our purpose I will onely therefore adde that the mutual vicinity and communication of the worlds which we haue here described is also declared in holy writ For it is written in the Psalmes In wisedome he made the heauens Psal 136. 2. Cor. 12. And Saint Paul saith of himselfe that he was rauished into the third heauen which afterwards he calleth Paradise Psal 103. 104. We read also that the Angels of God are spirits and his ministers a flame of burning fire And thence without doubt it commeth that oftentimes to diuine natures are attributed both celestiall and terrestriall surnames when as sometimes they are figured by starres Apocal. 2. Ezech. 1.3 Apocal. 2. Apocal. 21. sometimes by wheeles and beasts and sometimes by elements as we sometimes also appropriate diuine and celestiall names to terrestriall natures For euen as the three worlds being girt and buckled with the bands of concord doe by reciprocall liberalitie interchange their natures the like doe they also by their appellations And this is the principle from whence springeth and groweth the discipline of allegoricall sense The originall of allegoricall sense For it is certaine that the ancient fathers could not conueniently haue represented one thing by other figures but that they had first learned the secret amitie and affinitie of all nature Otherwise there could be no reason why they should represent this thing by this forme and that by that rather then otherwise But hauing the knowledge of the vniuersall world and of euery part thereof and being inspired with the same spirit that not onely knoweth all things but did also make all things they haue oftentimes and very fitly figured the natures of the one world by that which they knew to be correspondent thereto in the others Wherefore the same knowledge and the grace of the same spirit is requisite for those who would vnderstand and directly interpret such significations and allegoricall meanings Moreouer besides these worlds which we haue also distinguished there is also another a fourth Of a fourth world wherein may likewise be found all that which subsisteth in the others And this is man who for this cause as our doctors shew is vnderstood in the gospell by the name of euery creature then when Iesus Christ commandeth to preach to men the good newes Mark 16. not to beasts nor angels being neuerthelesse enioyned to publish it to euery creature Likewise it is a common vse in schooles to teach that man is a little world and that within him the bodie is composed of the elements the reasonable soule is celestiall the vegetable power common to men and plants the sense common to brute beasts the reason participated to Angels and finally the image of God is therein seene considered But of him we haue sufficiētly intreated in the second part of our Academicall discourses wherefore of this great vniuersall world must our ensuing talke be And as we haue diuided it into three generall parts so must we particularly discourse of them First therefore let vs say something concerning the Angelicall and intellectuall world and of the celestiall intelligences or Angels which ARAM shall be the subiect of your discourse Of the Angelicall and intellectuall world Chapter 15. ARAM. NOw shal I haue great need to say with the kingly prophet Oh that I had wings like a doue Psal 55. wings I say of siluer and shining golde that I might flie vp into the supercelestiall region where resteth true rest true peace and certaine tranquillitie which this wretched worldly corps cannot yeeld Open mine eies you supermundaine spirits but rather thou oh father of them and I shall contemplate the woonder of your citie wherein God attendeth for those that feare him that which eie hath neuer seene eare neuer heard nor any hart woorthily thought vpon Well I wot that many call disputations and searching out of the nature and multitude of angels and their orders vaine questions and fit for idle imaginations but surely they are secrets which Saint Paule himselfe who had beene rapt vp aboue the third heauen hath not onely taught but hath also protested that he had there heard many things ● Cor. 12. which were not lawfull for him to reueale And I am likewise of beleefe that the full reuelation of the angelicall and intellectuall world is deferred till the last day yet will wee heere speake soberly thereof and as briefly as we can according to that which diuines haue written without any waies offending pietie or christian religion When the holy Scripture speaketh of the creation of the world it is not euidently expressed in what order and how the angels were created Genes 2. That the angels are God his creatures But forasmuch as it is said that God created heauen and all things therein contained it is most certaine that therein are comprised the spirits celestiall as well those that through obedience haue stood in their integritie as those who rebelling against God haue beene cast out vnto destruction Neither is it heereto repugnant that Moses reciting the Genesis or creation of the world maketh no expresse mention thereof For we see how that in silence passing ouer all things which surmount our capacitie or else couering them vnder the mysticall sense of his words for those whom God would fully illuminate with the brightnes of his holy spirite he onely entreateth of those which we behold with our eies yea and that too in familiar and vulgar sort conforming himselfe to the rudenes of the people with whom he had to deale And for this cause hath the opinion of sundry great personages and namely of Saint Augustine beene Lib 2. de ciuit Dei cha 9. 1● that the angels haue beene signified either by the name of heauen there where it is said In the beginning God made heauen and earth or else by the name of the light which he saith was created the first day But howsoeuer this is doubtlesse that the angels are the worke of God For the holy Scripture doth testifie it in infinite places with a most cleere voice namely in the song of the three children which were in the furnace Dan. 3. who hauing saide Blesse the Lord all his works in pursuite of the narration of them the angels are also named And the prophet saith You creatures of the heauens praise the Lord you which are in the hie places praise him All his angels Psal 148. and all his armies praise him Sith also they are the ministers of God appointed to doe that which he commandeth them as the apostle to the Hebrewes saith there is no doubt but they are his creatures Moreouer the holy Scriptures teach vs that they are alwaies watching for our safetie that they are alwaies readie to

That heauen is of round forme is a sure testimonie vnto vs. So likewise there are many naturall reasons which declare it to be such For all the partes of the frame thereof doe consist of themselues doe sustaine themselues and doe comprehend themselues not hauing neede of any stay or ioint hauing neither a beginning nor ending place Moreouer this roundnes of heauen may be knowne by the sight of the eie For on which side soeuer you behold it you may see the halfe in our hemisphere as it doth shew it selfe which could not come to passe in any other figure but in a round which also is the most perfect and most capable of all other figures to bee comprised in one selfesame circuit and is therewithall the easiest to mooue euery way And therefore it is not onely conuenient but also necessarie for all the heauens and celestiall orbes of which we before intreated as well bicause of the perfection of their essence as by reason of their proper motions which are circular and correspondent to a round forme besides all this bicause these spheres are placed one within another making their reuolutions vpon diuers poles and in diuers spaces of time Which could not be obserued nor the integritie of the whole heauen maintained if the celestiall forme were any other saue round and circular Of the proper and naturall motion of the spheres For the proper and naturall motion of the spheres is circular that is framed equally distant round about their center which is the point in the midst of the world so that neither the whole heauen nor any of the particular spheres doth wholy abandon or passe out of his owne place and situation but onely the partes of them doe incessantly change place in that they turne about their said common center And therefore is this circular motion much more noble and perfect then that which is made by a right line either mounting from the center of the world towards the circumference Of the motion proper to the fowre elements or else descending from it towards the center which motion is proper to the fower elements For fire and aire do mount vpwards but water and earth descend naturally downwards Also fire mounteth higher then aire and earth descendeth lower then water and each of these enuiron the center of the world which is the lowest place of all and farthest from the circumference which is the highest of all So then the circular motion is naturally due and conuenient to the most noble and most simple bodie which is the heauen and most necessarie for it as it appeereth more cleerely to vs by the continuall motion of the starres both fixed and wandring which proceedeth of the onely moouing of their spheres What stars are For we must note that the starres are nothing else but certaine firme cleere and solide partes of their heauens made in round forme like the heauen whose motion they follow which likewise receiue their light from the sunne who is the very source and fountaine whereinto the soueraigne creator hath put the brightnes of the whole vniuersall world Now this circular motion of heauen is found by obseruation to haue two principall differences that is to be made vpon sundry poles and axes and in sundry partes and positions of the world as also in diuers spaces and quantities of times Of the axis of the spheres and of the poles We call that the axis of the sphere which is the diameter that passeth through the same vpon which it is turned and the vttermost points of the same axis are the poles For the whole vniuersall world hath his proper and naturall motion like a liuing creature and euery of the orbes and particular heauens haue also a peculiar motion like to the partes and members of the whole great bodie For which cause as also for diuers other considerations many learned personages haue affirmed that the world is an animal or liuing creature And amongst others Origen is wholy of that minde who enforceth himselfe to prooue it as well by reasons as by authoritie of holy scripture And therefore he saith thus in his booke of principles Though the world be ordained to diuers offices yet the estate thereof must not be thought to be dissonant or any whit disagreeing But euen as our bodie alone is composed of many members Reasons of such as haue said that the world is an animal and is contained by one soule so I thinke we must suppose that the vniuersall world is a great and vnmeasurable animal which as by a soule is sustained by the power and wisedome of God The Platonists doe all with one mouth teach the same thing And among many reasons by which they would confirme this point we will take onely that of Plato in his Timaeus which me thinkes is most excellent There are saith he two motions the one proper the other strange or exterior now that is more diuine which of it selfe is mooued then that which is stirred by the power of another And this motion proper and diuine is in our soules onely from which the beginning of the other strange motion is taken Seeing therefore that all motion proceedeth of the ardor of the world and that this ardor is not mooued by exterior agitation but of it owne accord it is therefore necessarie that there must be a soule Whereupon we gather that the world is an animal and that not without vnderstanding Now if thereupon any aske why heauen changeth not nor becommeth diseased nor dieth nor faileth as other liuing creatures doe The answere of Chalcidius in this point pleaseth me very much Notable difference in the workes of God when he saith commenting vpon Timaeus That which is instituted by God without meanes is free and exempt from change from age from sicknes from oldnes and from death And in this point agree all Academicks as also might bee well proued by circumstance if that be well considered which the sage philosopher Moses declareth to haue beene produced by the creator without helpe or matter and that which hath beene also performed by meanes of the second causes For though man was created and formed by the handes of God yet was hee not made without dust or earth which was a meane subiect But the Eternall hath made the heauens and the whole frame of the world of nothing For which reason it might seeme perpetuall and not perishing For as we haue heretofore declared though the heauens and earth must passe away yet doth not this plainly conclude an annihilating of them but rather a changing and renewing Psal 102. For so speaketh the kingly prophet saying The heauens shall waxe old as doth a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed And of this consideration we may frame an excellent reason concerning the immortalitie of the soule bicause it was made without any meanes by God himselfe But leauing this argument let vs pursue that

sith it is so much hidden from man Now in that the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures haue their proper motion wherein they continue according to the first ordinance established in nature by the soueraigne creator thereof we are much to admire both the cause and effects of such a constancie I intend heere to speake of a neere cause which is a secret amitie ingraffed into euery creature toward his owne nature For there is a loue Euery creature foloweth his owne nature an appetite or vniuersall inclination in all creatures which vrgeth and inciteth them to desire and search that which agreeth with their nature so that there is none so insensible which hath not in it selfe this amitie innate which euer pusheth it to follow the nature thereof and for this cause may we say that all motions proceed from loue And passing further we may contemplate the loue of God as the eternall source of amitie and inclination of all nature and as the first cause of causes and we shall say that in the same loue God louing himselfe proceeded to his worke which hitherto we haue celebrated and do now meane to prosecute For sith that God is the soueraigne good that all goodnes is by nature louing it cannot be but he must likewise loue himselfe exceedingly and consequently loue all that which he iudgeth to be good insomuch as it proceedeth from him who is the supreme good and the limit of all goodnes This loue then not being able to be idle The loue of God is the first of all motions nor yet the good which it loued would manifest both the one and the other first in the creation of the world namely in that of man and then againe in the restauration and reparation of his fall So we learne that the first motion whereupon all the rest depend is the loue of God which proceedeth from his bountie which he would not keepe shut vp nor inclosed in himselfe but would manifest and communicate it with his creatures whom he hath created to the end that he might be glorified in them and by them And as he loueth them for his owne loues sake and for that they were his worke so hath he set in them the seeds of loue both towards him and towardes themselues according to the diuers nature which he hath conferred vpon them It is then this naturall loue which constraineth them by a secret feeling of nature imprinted euen in those essences which haue neither reason nor vnderstanding to take delight in that which is agreeable to their creator and to follow his ordinance tending all to him and to that which he loueth bicause it is good and therefore good being done according to his will and bicause it pleaseth him to iudge it and approoue it for such Whereupon we may conclude that loue and amitie is the good by which all creatures haue an accord and agreement first with God their creator and then one with another and that vpon the same cause their conseruation and perfection doth depend Of the vnion and accord betweene all creatures Wherefore loue must be the bond and vnion of all the world which is an vniuersall peace and concorde betweene God and all his creatures For the diuine prouidence hath so disposed all the order of them that they be all conioined one with another by such loue and amitie that euen they which seeme to be cleane contrarie are allied reconciled and vnited togither by those which haue more correspondencie betweene them In such sort that we may therein behold a very pleasant and perfect harmonie like as in musicke wherein although it seemeth that the notes tunes and sounds be different one to another yet notwithstanding there is such a moderation in them that they yeeld togither a goodly concord and sweete melodie keeping their proportions times and measures As then by such peace and concord the celestiall spheres follow the generall and common course of the first highest and greatest of all within which they are contained and inclosed performing likewise each of them his particular course without endommaging themselues as we haue heretofore made mention so doe all the elements follow the heauen and obserue their order after it euery one in their degree from the highest to the lowest hauing their motions agreeable to their nature And euen as liuing creatures haue their agreements and coniunctions one with another euery one in his degree according to the couenant and participation of nature which they haue togither and as they are either neere to or farre off one from another euen so is it in the agreement and consent of nature which is betweene the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures composed of them For this cause as the angels retaine the first degree among liuing creatures and then man the second next them by reason that in his nature he neerest agreeth with the angels and doth neerest approch them so doth the heauen and celestiall fires retaine the first degree among creatures which are without soule and without life in their proper and conuenient motions according as we haue already declared And as man doth in some sort hold the middle place betweene the angels and the most perfect beasts so doth fire betwixt the heauen and the aire and as the aire doth keepe the middle place betwixt the fire and water so the water is a meane betwixt the aire and the earth But these things will claime a fitter place when we come to intreate of the elementarie world Wherefore we will returne to that which onely concerneth the heauenly bodies which forsomuch as we haue saide to be of the number of those creatures which are without life being contrarie to the opinion of the most famous philosophers my minde is that we should consider neerer of this matter bicause that by the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them it seemeth that they are not altogither depriued of life reason and vnderstanding as ARAM we may learne of you Of the life reason and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies and of the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them Chap. 27. ARAM. THis being true that all creatures haue a certaine motion agreeable to their nature and a naturall loue which euer vrgeth them to seeke and pursue that which is most naturall for them as hath been already related in our antecedent speech it seemeth that this can hardly come to passe but that there must be in them some kinde of soule and life yea euen in those creatures that are most insensible And more I will say that it is not onely to be presumed that they haue some kinde of life but also a naturall vnderstanding which we may properly name inclination sith there is no essence but can follow his proper course and order in his owne nature and peculiar motions For the stones themselues and mettals by a kinde of soule and vegetatiue life doe

heauens is far from all chaunge and error it is neither inebriated nor subuerted Wherewith then wil they blame the heauens If any say that by nature they are euill Reason and originall of euill in nature how is it that this euill should come into their nature For the Sages collect these reasons and originall of euill in nature either for that the efficient cause cannot gouerne the superfluitie of the matter or else cannot supply where it faileth or else cannot dulie dispose it and such other reasons as presuppose a feeble power of the cause But for as much as the smith and carpenter of the heauens is of infinite power how should he faile in his workmanship For there was no other cause which might encounter him since that without any aide he framed the heauens neither could any thing resist the infinite worker who reduced all things into a due and proper estate as we haue heretofore amply declared Yet notwithstanding so many reasons how many are there which obstinately leaning to the vaine and curious obseruations of the starres as an infallible rule of the life and estate of man do aboue all things feare least in the ascendant of the natiuitie any euill planet should haue domination And indeed do we not behold that Astrologers and aboue all Magitians are so much sought after amongst vs that many do as one may say hold him to be miserable who knoweth not his Horoscope To the ende then that we may better expell out of the braine of euerie one such foolish opinions let vs I pray you stretch out this discourse in particular against such as accuse Saturne and Mars for most euill planets the charge whereof AMANA I commit to you Of the Planet Saturne and how it is not euill nor any other starre Chapter 30. AMANA VVE shall doe verie well if keeping our selues from the superstition curiosity which misguideth many in the studie of iudicial Astrologie and Diuination we stay our selues in the most simple and most certaine Astronomie which the spirit of God teacheth vs by the creation of the world that is to contemplate the creator by his works For so should we become good Astronomers and Christian Astrologers if I say contemplating the heauens and all the ornament of them we propose them vnto vs as vniuersall preachers of the glorie of the Soueraigne and consider them as the high works of his hands as the Psalmist doth exhort vs. Psal 8. 19. And so by creation of the Sunne Moone Stars and other celestiall bodies we shall learne to meditate what light there is in him who dwelleth in the inaccessible brightnes and which is the father and fountaine of all lights as also what good we are to hope for of him For by that good which the corporall light bringeth vnto vs for our bodies and the Sunne A good and true vse of astronomie Moone and Starres for the life of men wee may somewhat iudge what felicitie is prepared by the Diuine and spirituall light for our soules and by God our Creator in whom it abideth beeing a sure meanes not to feare the signes of heauen nor the constellations and aspects of the starres wherewith many do so menace men as if in heauen as in a court of tyrants it were ordained that so many mischiefes as should happen to the world should be contriued But let those who so charge the starres of crimes and therefore turne ouer the bookes of Pagan Astrologers and Atheists rather then diuine writings lend a while an care to some good witnesses whom they themselues cannot reprooue and who do euen praise the planet of Saturne the malice of whom we haue heard to be so great Behold then first of all how the prince of the Astronomical doctrine deposeth and testifieth concerning this planet in these termes Ptol. in 3. apotel How the planet Saturne is good If Saturne be only signifier in the estate of the minde and Lord of the place of Mercurie and of the moone and blaseth towards the corners of the world good aspects and beames the childe shall be a louer of good things of great and firme counsell and a searcher out of secret things and diuine Likewise Iulius Firmicus adorning this planet with many great praises saith that from his vertue proceedeth a quicke and subtile spirite in the deliberation of affaires a certaine worde a stable amitie a long foresight and a roiall counsell There be also many moderne Astronomers who say of the same Saturne That euen as the common and ciuill life is designed by Iupiter so likewise the solitary and diuine life is appropriated to Saturne Yea the ancient Philosophers and Poets haue sung that he is most good and that the golden world did passe vnder him fayning that Iupiter did afterward vsurpe the kingdome hauing chased out Saturne and that then began the siluer age Praise of ancient poets And let vs note in regard of the most famous Poets amongst the ancients that they haue by their writings penetrated into the most profound cabinets of nature and approched the secrets of the diuine thought For they sung not iestes as some hold which the old fathers would not mention to their little children but they haue beene acknowledged of the Sages for great diuines who hid the mysteries both of the one and other nature vnder the vaile of fables and for this cause are they celebrated of such as vnderstand well their doctrine That it is so Aristole doth plainly manifest in that the confirmeth great points of Philosophie by the testimonie of Simonides and of Homer And Archesilaus the inuentor of the new Academie ascribed so much honour to Homer that he neuer went to bedde but he read some of his verses first and saide likewise in the day time that he might haue more leasure to read that he went to his beloued Anaxagoras also yea and our Basil with laud admire the excellent vertue in the writings of this Greeke Poet. And how many be there likewise who esteeme Virgil the imitator of Homer for a doctor in all naturall and morall Philosophie For many referre all that which he hath fained to an allegoricall sense Lucretius also entreateth of all the precepts of Philosophie in verse And Orpheus singeth more loftily then humane knowledge can extend to the mysteries of Theologie and of the sacred ceremonies which he had learned out of holy letters as himselfe confesseth Ouid likewise hath couered many of the secrets of Pythagoras of the creation disposition of the vniuers in his Metamorphosis but because he depraueth thē with too lasciuious a discourse he looseth very much of their dignitie Wherein he hath been imitated of many other Poets Against the poets of this age as in this our age wherein there are verie many who doe the office rather of bauds then of the true children of the chaste Muses because they delight to weaue poisoning sense in the web of their faire words Such

principally in the sunne who alone is in the world sufficient for the totall vniuers euen as there is but one God who is the sufficiencie of all creatures Moreouer as this visible sunne is a fountaine of light which is neuer exhausted nor yet diminisheth in communicating himselfe with all creatures Eccles 42. but is perpetuall so is it of God concerning whome it is written that he hath garnished the excellent workes of his wisedome being from euerlasting and to euerlasting for euer and that vnto him nothing can be added neither can he be diminished 1. Tim. 6. Moreouer when it is said of God that he dwelleth in vnaccessible light by reason that it is incomprehensible to all creatures Iames. 1. Mal. 4. Iohn 13.8.9.12 Matth. 5. Ephes 6. and when he is called the father of light and his sonne Iesus Christ the sonne of Iustice and the light of the world and his word and likewise they who heare it and who receiue it are called lights candles lampes and burning torches we must by so many testimonies propound vnto vs in our vnderstanding another inuisible and spirituall world of which this same visible and corporall one is nothing but a verie rude pourtraiture an image much differing from that which it representeth so conclude that if this image and picture that which yet we behold not but as in a dim glasse be a thing so goodly and so excellent that indeed it may be couered with the vaile of this All which we so much admire Eccles 43. For we may say with Ecclesiasticus That there are hid yet many greater things then these be and we haue seene but few of his works For as he addeth who hath seene him that hee may tell vs And who can magnifie him as he is Consequently let vs set before our eies all this inuisible and spirituall world replenished with soules and spirits as we behold this visible world replenished with bodies and let vs contemplate twise as many spirituall eies in this intelligible sphere as there be corporall in all men and in other liuing creatures and then let vs mount vp to God and to Iesus Christ our Lord which is the Sonne that illuminateth and lightneth all and so let vs consider how bright this sonne must be and what is the light and splendor of him considering that he is the great Sonne eternall infinite and incomprehensible who hath created that Sunne which we behold the light whereof is not so much in proportion comparable with the least beame of the diuine light as is the brightnes of the least star yea of a candle compared with all this visible sunne or as one drop of water balanced with the huge sea Now let vs consider that if the sight of this heauenly planet be pleasant to vs and bring vnto vs ioy and comfort through his light and heat being cause of so many profits and benefits to all creatures how much more should the contemplation of the great euerlasting Sonne be delightfull vnto vs and what inexplicable benefits doth it bring to men namely to their soules and spirits For this is the true Sunne of iustice which according to the prophet hath health in his wings that is in his beames Mal. 4. by which he maketh men enioy life eternall And therefore verie fitly doth the Scripture compare not onely the knowledge of God but also his fauour and grace and the times of prosperitie and of his aide and succour to the light as also it compareth mens ignorance of God and the times of aduersitie and of his furie and vengeance to the night and to darknes Isay 60. For this cause Isay willing to declare a great grace of God to the people of Israell saith amongst other things Thou shalt haue no more sun to shine by day neither shall the brightnes of the Moone shine vnto thee for the Lord shall be thine euerlasting light and thy God thy glorie thy sunne shall neuer goe downe neither shall thy Moone be hid for the Lord shall be thine euerlasting light and the daies of thy sorrow shall be ended And when the prophets denounce vnto men any great and horrible and fearfull iudgement of God they commonly say that the sunne Isay 13. 24. Ioel. 2. Acts 2. Matth. 24. Isay 34. the moone and the stars shall loose their brightnes that the sunne shall waxe darke and the moone shall be turned into blood and the starres shall fall from heauen and the heauen it selfe shall rowle like a scrowle so that the whole face of the world shall be chaunged as if it should be turned vpside downe and perish cleane And though these things come not to passe iust so in respect of the creatures yet doe the prophets by such manner of speech signifie the greatnes of the iudgements of God and of his wrath when he punisheth man For though the nature which he hath created doth still remaine in one estate yet it happeneth commonly to men according to the feeling which they haue of the wrath of God except they be altogither obdurate against his iudgements as if the whole frame of the world were ouerturned and as if all creatures should set themselues against them to warre vpon them and confound them by rushing on them and running at them Isay 9. On the other side Isay declaring the grace which God would shew to his people speaketh thus The people that walked in darkenes haue seene light they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death vpon them hath the light shined Isay 60. Againe in another place Arise oh Ierusalem be bright for thy light is come and the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon thee For behold darkenes shall couer the earth and grosse darkenes the people but the Lord shall arise vpon thee and his glorie shall be seene vpon thee And the Gentiles shall walke in thy light and kings at the brightnes of thy rising vp But the prophet speaketh in another kinde of language to the people when he talketh to the wicked Isay 59. and telleth them amongst other things Therefore is iudgement far from vs and iustice doth not come neere vs We waite for light but loe it is darkenes for brightnes but we walke in darkenes We grope for the wall like the blind and we feele with our hands as one that were without eies We stumble at noone daies as in darkenes we are in solitarie places as dead men Luke 22. Ephes 6. And therefore also the kingdome of the diuel is called in holy-writ the kingdome of darknes and he which is the king is named the Prince of darkenes But the people of God requesting that the knowledge of him might bee spread abroad throughout the whole earth with all prosperitie and blessednes saith in the Psalmes Psal 67. God be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and cause his face to shine amongst vs. So likewise the author of these diuine