potest res i. Nothing is sensible either to touch or to be touched but that which may be called a Body God created three liuing Spirits saith Gregor lib. Dialog The first such as are not couered with flesh the second that are couered with flesh but doth not die with the flesh the third both with flesh couered and with the flesh perisheth The first Angels the second Men the third Brutes The wise Socrates was accustomed to say That the whole Man was the Minde or Soule and the Body nothing else but the couer or rather the prison thereof from whence being once freed it attained to it 's proper jurisdiction and then onely began to liue blessedly Erasm. in Declamat de Morte and learned Seneca saith That as he which liueth in another mans house is troubled with many discommodities and still complaining of the inconuenience of this room or that euen so the Diuine part of Man which is the Soule is grieued now in the head now in the foot now in the stomacke or in one place or other Signifying thereby That he liueth not in a Mansion of his owne but rather as a Tenant who expecteth euerie houre to be remoued from thence The Soule of Man saith Saint Augustine aut regitur à Deo aut Diabolo It is either gouerned by God or by the Diuell The Eye of the Soule is the Minde it is a Substance created inuisible incorporeall immortall like vnto God and being the Image of the Creator Lib. de Definition Anim. Et sup Genes addit Omnis Anima est Christis Sponsa aut Diaboli Adultera Euery Soule is either the Spouse of Christ or the Strumpet of the Diuell Saint Bernard Serm. 107 vseth these words Haue you not obserued That of holy Soules there are three seuerall states the first in the corruptible Body the second without the Body the third in the Body glorified The first in War the second in Rest the third in Blessednesse And againe in his Meditat. O thou Soule stamped in the Image of God beautified with his Similitude contracted to him in Faith endowed in Spirit redeemed in Bloud deputed with the Angels made capable of his Blessednesse heire of Goodnesse participating Reason What hast thou to do with Flesh than which no dung-hill is more vile and contemptible Saint Chrisostome likewise De Reparat Laps If wee neglect the Soule neither can we saue the Body for the Soule was not made for the Body but the Body for the Soule He therefore that neglecteth the Superior and respecteth the Inferior destroyes both but hee that doth obserue order and giueth that preheminence which is in the first place though he neglect the second yet by the health of the first he shall saue the second also Isiod Etymol 11. The Soule whilest it abideth in the Body to giue it life and motion is called the Soule when it purposeth any thing it is the Will when it knoweth it is the Minde when it recollecteth it is the Memorie when it judgeth truly it is the Reason when it breatheth the Spirit when passionate it is the Sence And againe Lib. 1. de Summo Bono O thou Man Why dost thou admire the height of the Planets and wonder at the depth of the Seas and canst not search into the depth of thine owne Soule We haue heard the Fathers let vs now enquire what the Philosophers haue thought concerning the Soule There is nothing great in Humane actions saith Seneca in Prouerb but a Minde o◠Soule that disposeth great things Thus saith Plato in Timaeo To this purpose was the Soule ioyned to the Body that it should furnish it with Vertues and Sciences which if it doe it shall be gently welcommed of the Creator but if otherwise it shall bee confined to the inferior parts of the earth Aristotle lib. 2. de Animal saith The Soule is more noble than the Body the Animal than that which is Inanimate the Liuing than the Dead the Being than the Not being Three things saith Macrob. lib. 7. Saturnal there be which the Body receiueth from the prouidence of the Soule That it liueth That it liueth decently and That it is capable of Immortalitie Of Soules saith Cicero 1. Tuscul. Quast there can be found no originall vpon the earth for in them there is nothing mixt or concrete or that is bred from the earth or framed of it for there is nothing in them of substance humor or sollid or fiery For in such natures there is nothing that can comprehend the strength of Memorie the Minde or Thought which can record what is past or foresee things future which do altogether participate of a Diuine nature Neither can it euer be proued that these Gifts euer descended vnto Man but from God himselfe And in another place There is nothing admixt nothing concrete nothing co-augmented nothing doubled in these Minds or Soules Which being granted they can neither be discerned or diuided nor discerpted nor distracted And therefore they cannot perish for perishing is a departure or surcease or diuorce of those parts which before their consumption were ioyned together in a mutuall connexion Phocillides in his Precepts writeth thus Anima est immortalis vivitque perpetuò nec senescit vnquam i. The Soule is immortall liueth euer neither doth it grow old by Time And Philistrio The Soule of a wise man is ioyned with God neither is it death but an euill life that destroyeth it And Egiptius Minacus when one brought him word that his father was dead made the Messenger this answer Forbeare ô Man to blaspheme and speake so impiously for how can my father be dead who is immortall Nicephorus ex Evagrio Panorm lib. de Alphons Reg. gestis relates That the King Alphonsus was wont to say That he found no greater argument to confirme the immortalitie of the Soule than when he obserued the bodies of men hauing attained to their full strength begin to decrease and wax weake through infirmities For all the Members haue the limits and bounds of their perfection which they cannot exceed but arriuing to their height decline and decay But the Mindes and Intellects as they grow in time so they encrease in the abilitie of vnderstanding Vertue and Wisedome Elian. lib. 11. de Varia Historia reporteth of Cercitas Megala Politanus who falling into a most dangerous disease and being asked by such friends as were then about him whether hee were willing to dye O yes said he by any meanes for I desire to depart this world and trauell to the other where I shall be sure to meet with men famous in all kindes of Learning of the Philosophers with Pythagoras of the Historiographers with Hecataeus of the Poets Homerus of Musitions Olympius who by the Monuments of their judgments learning haue purchased to themselues perpetuitie AEneas Sylvius reporteth of the Emperour Fredericke That sojourning in Austria it hapned that one of his principall Noblemen expired who had liued ninety yeares in all
said The Lord our God's one Lord In which word One the Vnitie is meant Of the three Persons solely Omnipotent In which by One 't is well observ'd That he The second Person in the Trinitie Meant in the second word who hath the name To be Our God 'T is because we may claime Iust int'rest in him And though all the Three May be call'd ours more in particular He. One reason is Because he Heav'n forsooke And on himselfe our humane nature tooke In all things like so did his Grace abound Saue only that in him no sinne was found Next That he bore our sinnes freed our transgression And last For vs in Heaven makes intercession Two natures in one person so ally'd Some hold in Mans creation tipify'd From Earth his body Adam had 't is said His Soule from Heauen both these but one Man made Christs humane nature had with man affinitie Being very Man and from God his Diuinitie Being very God In both so to subsist Godhood and Manhood make vp but one Christ. In Iacob's Ladder figur'd this we see Which Ladder Christ himselfe profest to be Of which the foot being fixt vpon the ground The top to heauen thus much to vs doth sonnd That in this Scale at such large distance set The Heauen and Earth at once together met So Christs Humanitie from Earth was giuen But his Diuinitie he tooke from Heauen As from Earth Earthy as from Heauen Diuine Two Natures in one Person thus combine The choicest things about the Arke were fram'd Of Gold and Wood Wood worthlesse to be nam'd If with Gold valu'd for the Cedar's base Compar'd with th' Ophir Mine yet had it grace With it's rich tincture to be ouerspred In this respect the Godhood may be sed To be the Gold the Manhood baser wood And yet both these as truly vnderstood Made but one Arke So the two Natures raise Betwixt them but one Christ. He forty daies Fasted i' th Desart and did after grow Hungry by which the Text would haue vs know Hee 's God because of his miraculous fast Hee 's Man because he hungry grew at last He slept at sea when the great tempest rose This shew'd him Man as needfull of repose When he rebuk'd the Windes and Surges tam'd He his great Godhood to the World proclaim'd He wept o're Lazarus as he was man But foure dayes buried when he rais'd him than He appear'd God He dy'de vpon the Crosse As he was Man to redeeme Mankindes losse But at his death when th' Earth with terror shooke And that the Sun affrighted durst not looke On that sad obiect but his light withdrew By strange Eclipse this shew'd him to be true And perfect God since to confirme this wonder The Temples Vaile was seene to rend asunder The Earth sent forth her Dead who had abode Long in the earth All these proclaim'd him God The tenth of the seuenth moneth the Hebrew Nation Did solemnise their Feast of Expiation So call'd because the High-Priest then confest How He with all the People had transgrest His and Their sinnes Obserue how thence ensu'th A faire agreement 'twixt the Type and Truth Aaron the High-Priest went into the place Call'd Holiest of Holies Christ by ' his grace Made our High-Priest into the Holiest went Namely the Heauen aboue the Firmament Aaron but once a yeare He once for all To make way for Mankinde in generall He by the bloud of Goats and Calues but Christ By his owne bloud the blessed Eucharist Aaron went single in and Christ alone Hath trod the Wine-presse and besides him none He with his Priestly robes pontifically Christ to his Office seal'd eternally From God the Father Aaron tooke two Goats Which ceremoniall Type to vs denotes That Christ assum'd two Natures that which fled The Scape-Goat call'd to vs deciphered His Godhoods imp'assibilitie And compris'd In th' other on the Altar sacrifis'd His Manhoods suffering since that Goat did beare The Peoples sinnes Which in the Text is cleare Saint Paul in his Epistle we reade thus That Christ without sinne was made Sinne for vs. Hence growes that most inscrutable Diuinitie Of the three sacred Persons the blest Trinitie Which holy Mysterie hath an extension Aboue Mans braine or shallow apprehension Nor can it further in our brests take place Than we' are inlightned by the Spirit of Grace How should we then Finite and Mortall grow By meditation or deepe search to know Or dare ambitiously to speake or write Of what Immortall is and Infinite And yet 'mongst many other deuout men Heare something from the learned Nazianzen The Monady or number One we see In this great Godhood doth arise to three And then this mysticall Trine sacred alone Retyres it selfe into the number One Nor can this Diuine Nature be dissect Or separated in the least respect Three Persons in this Trias we do name But yet the Godhood still One and the same Each of the Three by right a God we call Yet is there but one God amongst them all When Cicero with graue and learned Phrase Had labour'd long the Godhood to emblaze He doth conclude it of that absolute kinde No way to be decipher'd or defin'd Because ' boue all things Hee 's superior knowne And so immense to be contain'd in none A prime and simple Essence vncompounded And though that many labouring to haue sounded This Diuine Essence and to'haue giuen it name They were not able yet to expresse the same As 't were afar off Epithites deuis'd And words in such strange circumstance disguis'd Nothing but quarrels and contentions breeding As Natures strength and Reasons much exceeding The Martyr Attalus when he was brought Before a Tyrant who esteemed nought Of God or goodnesse being askt in scorne What name God had A space from him did turne And after some small pause made this reply As th' Author doth of him historifie Your many gods haue names by which th' are knowne But our God being but One hath need of none Wise Socrates forbad men to enquire Of what shape God was Let no man aspire Saith Plato what God is to apprehend Whose Maiesties immensenesse doth extend So far and is so'vnimitably Great Beyond all vtterance or the hearts conceit Why then is it so difficult and rare Him to define It is because we are Of such streight Intellect narrow and rude Vncapable of his great Magnitude Our infirme sight is so obtuse and dull And His bright fulgence is so beautifull Hence comes it by no other names we may Call this great God than such as best display His Excellence Infinitie and all Wherein He'appeares solely Majesticall According to his Essence Him to know Belongs vnto Himselfe the Angels go By meere Similitude Man by a Glasse And Shape of things and can no further passe For he by contemplation
a sufficient answer namely That the Substances of things were created together but not formed and fashioned together in their seuerall distinct kindes They were disgested together by substance of matter but appeared not together in substantiall forme for that was the worke of six dayes Moreouer when Moses in his first Chapter of Genesis saith That things were created in euery one of the six dayes seuerally in the second chapter of the same Booke he speaketh but of one day only by way of Catastrophe or Epilogue All which hee had before distinctly described saying These are the generations of the Heauen and the Earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the Earth and the Heauens Neither is this any contradiction for we must not take the dayes according to the distinction of Times for God had no need of Time as being first made by him but by reason of the works of Perfection which is signified and compleated by the number of Six which is a most perfect number Moreouer as the Psalmist saith A thousand yeares are vnto him but as one day Avenzor the Babylonian saith That he which knoweth to number well knoweth directly all things Neither was it spoken in vaine but to the great praise of Almighty God Omnia in mensura Numero Pondere disposuisti i. Thou hast disposed all things in Number in Measure and in Weight It is moreouer said in Eccles. 1 2. Who can number the sands of the Sea and the drops of the raine and the dayes of the world Who can measure the height of the Heauen the bredth of the Earth and the depth Who can finde the Wisedome of God which hath beene before all things c. It is worthy remarke which one ingeniously obserues Two wayes saith he we come to the apprehension and knowledge of God by his Workes and by his Word by his Works we know that there is a God and by his Word we come to know what that God is his Workes teach vs to spell his Word to reade The first are his backe-parts by which we behold him afarre off the later represent him vnto vs more visibly and as it were face to face For the Word is as a booke consisting of three leaues and euery leafe printed with many letters and euery letter containeth in it selfe a Lecture The Leaues are Heauen the Aire and the Earth with the Water the Letters ingrauen are euery Angell Starre and Planet the Letters in the Aire euery Meteor and Fowle those in the Earth and Waters euery Man Beast Plant Floure Minerall and Fish c. All these set together spell vnto vs That there is a God Moses in the very first verse of Genesis refuteth three Ethnycke opinions first Those that were of opinion the World was from eternitie and should continue for euer in these words when hee saith In the Beginning Secondly he stoppeth the mouth of stupid and prophane Atheists in this phrase Elohim created Thirdly and lastly hee opposeth all Idolaters such as held with many gods for the saith in the conclusion of the same Verse Elohim He created Heauen and Earth vsing the singular number It is the opinion of some antient Diuines That the Creation of the Angels was concealed by Moses lest any man should apprehend like those Heretiques spoken of by Epiphanius that they aided and assisted God in the Creation For if the day of their Creation which as the best approued Theologists confesse was the first day had beene named by Moses wicked and vngodly men might haue taken them to haue been Agents in that great and inscrutable Worke which indeed were no other than Spectators Therefore as God hid and concealed the Body of Moses after his death lest the Israelites so much addicted to Idolatry should adore and worship it so Moses hid and concealed the Creation of the Angels in the beginning lest by them they should be deified and the honour due to the Creator be by that meanes attributed and conferred on the Creature Rabbi Salom affirmeth them to be created the first day and some of our later Diuines the fourth day but their opinions are not held altogether authenticall It is likewise obserued That God in the creation of the world beginneth aboue and worketh downwards For in the first three dayes he layd the foundation of the world and in the other three dayes he furnished and adorned those parts The first day he made all the Heauens the matter of the earth and commeth downe so low as the Light The second day he descendeth lower and maketh the Firmament or Aire The third lowest of all making a distinction betwixt the Earth and Water Thus in three dayes the three parts or body of the World is laid and in three dayes more and in the same order they were furnished For on the fourth day the Heauens which were made the first day were decked and stucke with starres and lights The fift day the Firmament which was made the second day was filled with Birds and Fowles The sixt day the Earth which was before made fit and ready the third day was replenished with Beasts and lastly with Man And thus God Almighty in his great Power and Wisedome accomplished and finished the miraculous worke of the Creation Rabbi Iarchi vpon the second of Genesis obserueth That God made superior things one day and inferiour another His words being to this purpose In the first day God created Heauen aboue and Earth beneath on the second day the Firmament aboue on the third Let the dry land appeare beneath on the fourth Lights aboue and the fift Let the waters bring forth beneath c. On the sixt day he made things both superior and inferior lest there should be confusion without order in his Work Therefore he made Man consisting of both a Soule from aboue and a Body from beneath c. An Allegorie drawne from these is That God hath taught vs by the course he took in the framing and fashioning of the world how we must proceed to become a new Creation or a new Heauen and Earth renewed both in soule and body In the first day he made the Light therefore the first thing of the new man ought to be light of Knowledge for Saint Paul saith He that commeth to God must know that He Is. On the second day he made the Firmament so called because of it's stedfastnesse so the second step in Mans new Creation must be Firmamentum Fidei i. the sure foundation of Faith On the third day the Seas and Trees bearing Fruit so the third step in the New man is That he become Waters of relenting teares and that he bring forth fruit worthy of Repentance On the fourth day God created the Sunne that whereas on the first day there was light without heate now on the fourth day there is Light and Heate ioyned together So the fourth step in the new creation of the New man is That
and serue him Not that hee should proudly ouerweene That the shape and figure of God is answerable in a true and iust conformity with his owne for the word Image is not so to be vnderstood to accord correspond with the exterior shape or similitude but rather with the spirituall Intelligence which consists of the more pretious part namely the Soule For as God by his vncreated Power is wholly God gouerning and giuing life to all things for as the Apostle saith In Him we liue moue and haue our Being euen so the Soule by his prouidence giueth life to the bodie and vnto euery part thereof and is said to be the Image of God like as in the Trinitie for though in name it is but one Soule yet hath it in it selfe three excellent dignities The Vnderstanding the Will and the Memorie And as the Son is begotten of the Father and the Holy-Ghost and proceedeth both from the one and the other in like manner is the Will ingendred of the Vnderstanding and Memorie And as the three persons of the Trinitie are but one God so these three powers and faculties of the Soule make but one Soule Man then was created according to the Image of God that euerie Like delighting in his Like hee should euermore wish to bee vnited vnto his Similitude which is God first to acknowledge him next in knowing him to honor him and in honoring him to loue him and in louing him to serue and obey him For this cause he made him with an vpright and erected body noâ— so much for his dissimilitude vnto beasts who be stooping and crooked hauing their eyes directed to the earth as to eleuate his lookes and to mount his vnderstanding toward heauen his original leauing all the obiects of terrestriall vanities and exercising his faculties in the contemplation and speculation of things sublime and permanent God when he created Man bestowed vpon him three especiall good gifts the first His owne Image the next That hee made him after his owne similitude the third That hee gaue him the Immortalitie of the Soule Which three great blessings saith Hugo S. Victor were conferred by God vpon Man both naturally and by originall justice Two other gifts hee hath inriched Man with the one vnder him the other aboue him vnder him the World aboue him God The World as a visible good but Transitorie God as an invisible Good and Eternall There be three principall Hurts or Euils which abuse and corrupt the three before-named Blessings the first Ignorance of Goodnesse and Truth the second an appetite and desire of Euil and Wickednesse the last Sicknesse and infirmity of the body Through Ignorance the Image of God hath beene defaced in vs by Carnall desires his Similitude blemished and by Infirmities the body for the present made incapable of Immortality For these three Diseases there be three principall Remedies Wisedome Vertue and Necessitie to ouercome Ignorance we are to make vse of Wisedome that is to vnderstand things as they are without idle curiositie To suppresse the appetite to do euill we are to embrace Vertue which is the habitude of the Soule after nature conformable with Reason To make Necessitie tread down Infirmitie is meant of absolute Necessitie without which things cannot be done as without eyes wee cannot see without eares heare without feet walke c. There is another kinde of Necessitie which is called Conditionall as when a man is to trauell a journey he vseth an horse for his better expedition And so the like For these three Remedies all Arts and disciplines in generall haue been deuised and inuented as first to attain vnto Wisdome and Knowledge the Theoricke or Contemplatiue for the atchieuing vnto Vertue the Practiuqe and Actiue and to supply Necessitie Mechanicke which is that which we call Handicraft or Trading which as Iohannes Ludovicus in his Booke called The Introduction to Wisedome saith Vtile indumentum excogitavit necessitas c. i. Necessitie found out Garments profitable pretious light neat and vaine Man consisteth of the Body and the Soule The true exact measure of Mans body wel proportioned is thus defined His height is foure cubits or six feet a cubit being iust one foot and an halfe the foot is the measure of foure palmes or hand-bredths a palme is the bredth of foure fingers ioyned The armes being spread abroad the space betweene the end of the one longest finger vnto the other is the iust measure from the plant of the foot to the crowne of the head according to Pliny lib. 7. cap. 17. The parts of the Body are thus proportioned the face from the bottom of the chinne to the top of the forehead or skirt of the haire is the tenth part of the height or length thereof the same is the bredth of the forehead from one side to the other The face is diuided into three equall parts one from the bottom of the chinne to the lowest tip of the nose the second from thence vpward to the eye brow the third from thence to the top of the forehead The length of the eye from one angle opposed to the other is the fiue and fortieth part the like proportion beareth the distance and space betwixt the one eye and the other The length of the nose is the thirtieth part and the hollow of the nosthrill the hundred and eightieth The whole headâ— from the bottome of the chinne to the crowne of the head the eighth part the compasse of the necke the fifteenth the length of the breast and stomack and so the bredth almost the sixt part The Nauil holdeth the mid seat in the body and diuideth it selfe into two equall distances The whole length of the thighes and legs to the plant or sole of the foot is little lesse than the â—alfe part the length of the foot the sixt part so also are the armes to the cubit and the cubit to the hand the hand is the tenth part Vitruv. lib. 13. Cardan lib. 11. de Subtilitate c. Plotinus the Platonicke Philosopher being earnestly solicited by the cunning Painter Emutius that he would giue him leaue to draw his picture would by no meanes suffer him but made him this answer Is it not enough that wee beare this image about vs whilest we liue but we must by way of ostentation leaue it for posteritie to gaze on For he was of the opinion of Pythagoras who called the Body nothing else but the Case or casket of the Mind and that hee saw the least of Man who looked onely vpon his bodie And Diogenes the Cynicke was wont to deride those who would keepe their Cellars shut barred and bolted and yet would haue their Bodies continually open by diuers windowes dores as the mouth the eyes the nosthrils and other secret parts thereof Stoboeus Serm. 6. The Body is described by Lucretius in this one Verse Tangere enim aut tangi nisi corpus nulla
mayst resolue mee how thou shalt be re-created againe Obserue how the Light this day failing shineth againe tomorrow and how the Darknesse by giuing place succeedeth againe in it's vicissitude The Woods are made leauelesse and barren and after grow greene and flourish The Seasons end and then begin the Fruits are first consumed and then repaired most assuredly the Seeds prosper not and bring forth before they are corrupted and dissolued All things by perishing are preserued all things from destruction are regenerated And thou ô Man thinkest thou that the Lord of the Death and the Resurrection will suffer thee therefore to dye that thou shalt altogether perish Rather know That wheresoeuer thou shalt be resolued or what matter soeuer shall destroy exhaust abolish or reduce thee to nothing the same shall yeeld thee vp againe and restore thee For to that God the same nothing belongs who hath all things in his power and prouidence The whole frame of heauen saith Saint Ambrose in Psal. 119 God made and established with one hand but in the creation of Man he vsed both He made not the Heauens to his Similitude but Man He made the Angels to his Ministerie but Man to his Image Saint Augustine super Ioan. Serm. 18. saith One is the life of Beasts another of Men a third of Angels The life of irrational Brutes desireth nothing but what is terrene the life of Angels onely things coelestiall the life of Man hath appetites intermediate betwixt Beasts and Angels If he liueth according to the flesh he leadeth the life of Beasts if according to the Spirit hee associateth himselfe with Angels Hugo in Didasc lib. 1. speaking of the birth of Man saith That all Creatures whatsoeuer Man excepted are bred and born with naturall defences against injuries and discommodities as the Tree is preserued by the Barke the Bird is couered with her Feathers the Fish defended with his Skales the Sheepe clad with his Wooll the Herds and Cattell with their Hides and Haire the Tortoise defended with his Shell and the skin of the Elephant makes him fearelesse of the Dart. Neither is it without cause that when all other Creatures haue their muniments and defences borne with them Man onely is brought into the World naked and altogether vnarmed For behoofull it was that Nature should take care of them who were not able to prouide for themselues But Man borne with Vnderstanding had by his natiue defects the greater occasion offered to seeke out for himselfe that those things which Nature had giuen to other Animals freely he might acquire by his Industry Mans reason appearing more eminent in finding out things of himselfe than if they had freely bin bestowed vpon him by another From which ariseth that Adage Ingeniosa fames omnes excuderit Artes. To the like purpose you may thus read in Chrisostome vpon Mathew God hath created euerie sensible Creature armed and defended some with the swiftnesse of the feet some with clawes some with feathers some with hornes some with shells c. but he hath so disposed of Man by making him weake that he should acknowledge God to be his onely Strength that being compelled by the necessitie of his infirmitie he might still seek vnto his Creator for supply and succour To come to the Ethnycks Solon being asked What Man was made answer Corruption in his birth a Beast in his life and Wormes meat at his death And Silenus being surprised by Mydas and demanded of him What was the best thing which could happen to Man after a long pause and being vrged by the King for an answer burst out into these words The best thing in my opinion that Man could wish for is not to be borne at all And the next thing vnto that is Being borne to be soone dissolued For which answer he was instantly released and set at libertie Phavorinus was wont to say That Men were partly ridiculous partly odious partly miserable The Ridiculous were such as by their boldnesse and audacitie aspired to great things beyond their strength The Odious were such as attained vnto them the Miserable were they who failed in the atchieuing of them Stoeb Serm. 4. King Alphonsus hearing diuers learned men disputing of the miserie of Mans life compared it to a meere Comedie whose last Act concluded with death And saith he no such is held to be a good Poet who doth not wittily and worthily support his Scoenes with applause euen to the last catastrophe Aristotle the Philosopher being demanded What Man was made answer The example of Weakenesse the spoile of Time the sport of Fortune the image of Inconstancie the ballance or scale of Enuy and Instabilitie Stobae Serm. 96. Man saith an other hath not power ouer miseries but miseries ouer him and to the greatest man the greatest mischiefes are incident Cicero saith That to euery man belong two powers a Desire and an Opinion the first bred in the body acciting to pleasure the second bred in the Soule inuiting to goodnesse And that man saith Plato who passeth the first part of his life without something done therein commemorable and praise-worthy ought to haue the remainder of his life taken from him as one vnworthy to liue From the Philosophers we come next to the Poets We reade Homer in his Iliads to this purpose interpreted Quale foliorum genus tale hominum c. As of Leaues is the Creation Such of Man 's the Generation Some are shak'd off by the winde Which strew'd vpon the earth we finde And when the Spring appeares in view Their places are supply'd with new The like of Mankinde we may say Their time fulfil'd they drop away Then they the Earth no sooner strow But others in their places grow Claudian writeth thus Etenim mortalibus ex quo Terra caepta coli nunquam sincera bonorum c. To mortall men by whom the earth began First to be cultur'd there is none that can Say hee 's sincerely happy or that Lot Hath design'd him a temper without spot Him to whom Nature giues an honest face The badnesse of his manners oft disgrace Him whom endowments of the Minde adorne Defects found in the body make a scorne Such as by War their noble fames encrease Haue prov'd a very pestilence in Peace Others whom peacefull bounds could not containe We oft haue knowne great fame by Armes to gaine He that can publique businesse well discharge Suffers his priuat house to rome at large And such as fault can with another finde To view their owne defects seeme dull and blinde He that created all and He alone Distributes all things but not all to one Iacobus Augustus Thuanus in his Title Homo Cinis you may reade thus Disce Homo de tenui Constructus pulvere qua te Edidit in lucem conditione Deus c. Learne ô thou Man from smallest dust translated On what condition God hath thee created Though thou this day in Gold
territorie in Italy betwixt Baiae and Cumae where a people called Cimerij inhabit which is so inuironed with hills and mountaines that the Sunne is neuer seene at any time of the yeare to shine amongst them From whence grew the Adage darker than the darkenesse of Cimeria Hell is called in the Scriptures by the name of Abyssus which implyeth a deepe and vast gulfe or a bottomlesse pit from which there is an ascent vp vnto the earth but no descent lower Nicolaus de Lyra vpon Esay holdeth it to be in the centre of the earth Rabbi Abraham in cap. 2. Iona saith Sheol a Graue is a deepe place and directly opposed to Heauen which is aboue Rabbi Levi in cap. 26. Ioan. affirmeth That Sheol is absolutely below and in the Centre Moses saith Fire is kindled in my wrath speaking of God and shall burne to the bottome of Hell The Psalmist calleth it the Pit of Perdition Psal. 55. And Psalm 140.10 Let him cast them into the fire and into the deepe pits that they rise not again Saint Iohn Revel 20. calleth it a burning Lake And Solomon speaking of the depth of this place saith that The Guests of an Harlot are in the depth of Hell And elsewhere The way of Life is on high to auoid Hell beneath Hell is likewise called Tophet which was a Valley neere vnto Ierusalem ioyning to the Fullers Poole and the field Acheldema scituate on the South side of Sion It is called likewise Gehinnon of the Valley of Hinnon because the place was the habitation of one Hinnon and for that it was once in his possession therefore euen to the dayes of our Sauior it bare his name Such is the opinion of Aretius and in this Valley did the Iewes following the abhomination of the children of Ammon sacrifice their children in the fire to the Idoll Moloch Montanus vpon Esay is of opinion That vnder the name of Moloch was signified Mercury Others as Scultetus writeth that it was Saturne whom the Poets feigne to haue eaten and deuoured his owne children It was a brasen Image hollow within and figured with his hands spread abroad ready to receiue all such infants as through their cursed Idolatry were tortured in the fire and sacrificed vnto him Snepfsius describeth this Idoll to be made of Copper and stretching forth his armes and hands in manner aforesaid The Iewes write of this Idoll Moloch That he was of a large and mighty stature fashioned like those vsed amongst the Serronides the antient Inhabitants of Gaule now France Hee had within his bulke or belly seuen seuerall roomes or chambers the first was to receiue all such meat as was offered vnto him the second Turtle Doues the third a Sheepe the fourth a Ramme the fist a Calfe the sixt an Oxe the seuenth a Childe This Idoll as the Talmudists write had a face of a Calfe in the imitation of the Idolatry which their fore-fathers had seene vsed in AEgypt His Priests Reg. 2.23 were called Chemarimes because they were smoked with the Incense offered vnto that Idoll This Tophet or Valley of Hinnon amongst many other abhominations was put downe by the good King Iosiah and in meere detestation thereof dead Carrion and the filth and garbage of the City cast therein The Iewes likewise report That in this Valley of Tophet there was a deepe ditch or caue called Os Inferni the Mouth of Hell which could neuer be filled into which the Chaldaeans hauing ouercome the Israelites in battell cast their dead carkasses which were neuermore seene And to trace my Author a little further Some thinke this word Tophet to haue deriuation à Tophis lapidibus from the Topaz stone which like to the Punicke nourisheth fire But this he holdeth not to be altogether authentique but rather of the Hebrew word Toph which signifies a Tabret or loud Instrument because when they sacrificed their children they strooke vpon their Tabrets that their noise might drowne the shriekes and clamors of their Infants when they past through the fire For so saith Piscator vpon Esay To the Dialogue of Lucianus before recited intitled Nyceomantia or an Answer from the Dead the most learned and neuer to be forgotten Sr Thomas Moore hath left this Argument Lucian saith he would leaue that chiefely to be remembred vnto vs which towards the conclusion of the Fable is whispered in the eare of Menippus by the Prophet Tyresias namely That a priuat and retyred life is the most contented and secure of all other Which the Grecians seeme likewise to allude vnto into their old Adage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Riches Glory Power Potency with things of like nature and condition which the World seemeth most to acquire are most fraile and vncertaine But chiefly the liues and fortunes of Rich men as they are the most subject and obnoxious to casualtie and disaster so they haue the greatest correspondence with solemne Pomps and tragick Fables which in many of their miserable ends is frequent and apparant Which the World giueth vs cleerely to vnderstand by that Decree made in Hell against auaritious and rich men in their bodies are not onely designed to diuers pains and tortures but euen their minds and soules transmigrated and shifted into Asses and brute beasts By which he insinuateth vnto vs That these couetous men be for the most part barren of learning sloathfull and wanting iudgement It is inscribed An Answer commanded from the Ghosts or the Dead by which is manifest That hee obserueth the selfe same course in this Dialogue which ariseth from that which was before proposed to be learned from Tyresias For alwayes in these or the like titles some aime at the noblenesse of the person some at the dignitie of the Argument after the manner of Plato whom Lucian in this Dialogue seemeth most to imitate It consisteth of a long narration in which he commemorateth both the cause and the manner of his descent into the darke and lower Regions and the withall the occasion why so peremptory and strict an Edict was denounced against the Rich men of the world The maine and most illustrious things in this Fable contained are The frivolous and vncertaine doctrines and documents of the Philosophers the superstition and power presupposed to be in Magitions and Magicke The seuerall roomes and corners of Hell with the torments and punishments inflicted vpon the miserable and wretched Ghosts with the equalitie of the persons there And lastly a cgmparison of Humane life with the affinitie it hath to vaine Pompe and the Fables deuised by the Tragicke Poets The occasion and beginning being deriued from the habit and known absence of Menippus c. And now being so far entred into Lucian though not pertinent to the Argument in hand I will commend another of his Dialogues vnto your reading Incited thereunto by reason of the elegancie thereof and the rather because the Scoene lies in Hel. ¶ The Argument Three mighty Men amongst
dy'de How Italy he conquer'd I omit By malice falshood guile not Vertue it Was brought so low he bee'ng perfideous still And before others Worths vaunting his Will Now where he with effoeminacie brands My looser life none here but vnderstands How he in Capua liv'd where this chast man So temperat and abstemious nothing than But whor'd and surfetted wantonning and playing The very soule of Discipline betraying Yet if what I i' th West parts had atcheev'd Things aboue wonder scarce to be beleev'd Had not too little thought I had not bent My purpose to the Easterne Continent Who without bloud-shed and with small adoo Could haue tooke in Romania Lybia too Ev'n to the Isle of Gades vnconquer'd yet Where mighty Hercules Non vltra writ I held them scarce worthy my paines since they To my great name already seem'd t' obey Of many infinites let these suffice I now haue said judge Minos thou art wise Scipio Not before me ô Minos thou dost heare Min. Resolue me what thou art how born where That with these mighty Captaines dar'st compare Scip. I Roman Scipio who left Carthage bare Of riches and of souldiers I subdu'de Of Africans th'vnnumber'd multitude In many and great battels Minos And what now Hast thou to say Scip. To th' Macedon I bow As my superior but my selfe preferre Before this Hannibal judge if I erre Nor from him do I challenge more than right As hauing once put him to shamefull flight How comes he then so impudent and bold As to contend 'gainst him with whom I hold No competition Yet of all 't is knowne This Hannibal by me was ouerthrowne Minos By Iove the Roman Scipio hath spoke well And thus I judge You Alexander excell And haue prioritie The second place Scipio belongs to thee Nor is 't disgrace Or least affront ô Hannibal to thee That thou art numbred one amongst the three But from the Poets it behooues mee to looke backe vnto the Theologists for with the torments in Hell there is no jesting Bullinger in Esay with other approued Diuines hold the fire of hel to be true and substantiall fire God punished with fire in this world Sodom and Gomorrha and the Murmurers Numb ca. 11. and the name of the place was called Thabberah because the fire of the Lord burnt amongst them And Christ shall come to judgement with fire Esay 66. Which shall haue two properties to burne which shall punish the Wicked to shine which shall comfort the Saints for so saith Theoderet Psalm 96. And what shall hinder a fire to be in Hell when all the extremities of torment shall be put vpon the Damned Saint Augustine affirmeth this fire to be corporeall Now here a question may arise being corporeall whether it tormenteth the body onely or body and soule together and How a corporeall fire can worke vpon a spirituall Substance Saint Bernard De Interior Domo cap. 38. saith Ignis exterius carnem comburit vermis interius Conscientiam corrodit i. The fire without burneth the body the worme within tormenteth the Conscience And Isiod de Sum. Bon. lib. 1. Duplex est poena Damnatorum quorum mentem vrit tristitia corpus flamma i. Double is the punishment of the Reprobate whose Minde sorrow burneth whose Body the flame In which they seeme to proue That the fire fastneth on the body but make question Whether it haue power ouer the Soule But Zanchy De Operib Dei Part. 1. lib. 4. cap. 19. is of opinion That the Diuels with mens bodies and souls are tormented with fire euerlasting For as they were like Simeon and Levi brethren in the same euill so both of them shall be tormented in the same fire Iustine Martyr Apolog. 1. pro Christian. affirmeth That the Diuell shall suffer punishment and vengeance inclosed in euerlasting fire The truth of which is ratified by our Sauiour himselfe in these words Depart from me ye Cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels And is also apparant by the speech of Dives foâ— it is no parable but an historie as Saint Chrisost. saith Parabola sunt vbi exemplum ponitur tacenter nomina i. Those are Parables where the examples are propounded but the names are concealed but here the name is expressed On such Atheists as will not beleeue this may be conferred the words of Ruffinus Si quis neg at Diabolum aeternis ignibus mancipandum partem cum ipso oeterni ignis accipiet sentiat quod negavit i. Hee who denieth the Diuell to be doomed to euerlasting fire shall haue part with him in those eternall flames and so be sensible of that which hee would not beleeue But after what manner this corporeall fire shall torment the Diuels and the damned Ghosts it is not for vs to define And Melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigari de incertis compescat igitur se humana temeritas id quod non est non quaerat ne illud bonum quod non est inveniat i. Better it is to doubt of things hid than to contend of what is vncertaine And let no man rashly meddle about things that are not reuealed lest he findeth not the profit of those things that are reuealed It being probable That that fire is substantiall and corporeal vexing and tormenting the soules of the Damned let vs see how it differeth from this of ours which is elementarie First They are said to differ in respect of heat for this here compared with that there is but as fire painted For the Prophet Esay speaking of that terrible fire saint Who is able to dwell in this deuouring fire or Who shall be able to dwell in these euerlasting burnings Secondly In regard of the light for ours is luminous chearfull and comfortable but the fire of Hell giueth no lustre at all For as Gregory Mor. cap. 46. saith Cremationem habet lumen vero non habet i. It burneth but lighteth not Thirdly our elementall fire consumeth the body onely but that of Hell burneth both body and soule Fourthly Our elementary fire confirmieth only that which is cast into it but that of Hell doth alway burne but neither wasteth it selfe nor that which it burneth Fiftly The one may be quenched the other can neuer be extinguished and put out The Chaffe saith the Text shall be burned with vnquenchable fire Esay 66. Their worme shall neuer die their fire shall neuer be put out It is internall externall and eternall and as there is nothing that maintaineth it so there is nothing that can extinguish it We reade Revel 8. Vae Vae Vae three Woes Vae pro amaritudine Vae pro multitudine Vae pro aeternitate pâ—earum Woe for the bitternes Woe for the multitude Woe for the eternitie of the paines and torments Concerning which we may read Aquin. Minima poena inferni major est maxima poena hujus mundi i. The least torment in hel is greater
his next expedition gaine an assured and most remarkable victorie Satisfied with this their liberall promise hee tooke his leaue recollected his dispersed Troupes and tooke the field The night before the battell being vigilant to suruey his Enemies Tents and see what watch they kept he espied three Damosels carying vp three dishes of meaâ— into one of the Tents whom following apace for he might easily trace them by their steps in the dew and hauing a Citharon about him on which he played most curiously he receiued meat for his musick and returning the same way he came the next day he gaue them a strong battell in which the enemies were slaine almost to one manâ— Pertinax as Sabellicus witnesseth a little before his death saw one of these Spectars in a fish-poole threatning him with a naked sword Of the like nature was that Bore which Zonarus speaketh of who meeting with Isaaccius Comnenes who was hunting neere vnto Naples and being pursued from a promontorie cast himselfe headlong into the sea leauing the Emperor almost exanimate and without life In Finland which is vnder the dominion of the King of Sweden there is a castle which is called the New Rock moted about with a riuer of an vnsounded depth the water blacke and the fish therein very distastefull to the palat In this are Spectars often seene which fore-shew either the death of the Gouernor or some prime Officer belonging to the place and most commonly it appeareth in the shape of an Harper sweetly singing and dallying and playing vnder the water There is a Lake neere Cracovia in Poland which in the yeare 1378 was much troubled with these Spirits but at length by the prayers of some deuout Priests the place was freed from their impostures The Fishermen casting their nets there drew vp a Fish with a Goats head and hornes and the eyes flaming and sparkling like fire with whose aspect and filthy stench that it brought with it being terrified they fled and the Monster making a fearefull noise like the houling of a wolfe troubling the water vanished Alexander ab Alexandro maketh mention of one Thomas a Monke who in an euening seeking an horse and comming neere vnto the brinke of a Riueâ— he espied a countrey fellow who of his voluntarie free-will offered to traject him ouer on his shoulders The Monke is glad of the motion and mounts vpon his backe but when they were in the midst of the floud Thomas casting his eye downe hee perceiued his legs not to be humane but goatish and his feet clouen Therefore suspecting him to be one of these watry Diuels hee commended himselfe to God in his prayers The Spirit then forsakes him and leaues him well washed in the middle of the Riuer to get vnto the shore with no small difficultie Sabellicus hath left recorded That when Iulius Caesar with his army was to passe the riuer Rubicon to come into Italy and to meet with Pompey one of these Spirits in the shape of a man but greater than ordiâ—arie sate piping vpon the banke of the Riuer Which one of Caesars soldiers seeing snatched away his pipe and broke it when the Spirit presently swimming the Riuer beeing on the other side sounded a shrill and terrible blast from a trumpet which Caesar interpreted to be a good and happy omen of his succeeding victorie Of the Spirits of the earth there are diuers sorts and they haue diuers names as Genij Lares Dij domestici Spectra Alastores Daemonia meridiana as likewise Fauni Sylvani Satyri folletti Fatuelli Paredrij Spiritus Familiares c. Of some of these I haue spoken in the preceding Tractat. Servius Honoratus and Sabinus are of opinion That Man consisteth of three parts but most ignorantly and aduerse to truth of a Soule a Body and a Shadow and at his dissolution the Soule ascends to heanen the Bodie inclines to the earth and the Shadow descends ad Inferos to hell They hold the Shadow is not a true body but a corporeall Species which cannot be touched or taken hold of no more than the winde and that this aswell as the Soule doth oft times appeare vnto men liuing and the soule after it hath left the body is called Genius and the Shadow Larva or the Shadow infernall These Genij are malicious Spirits of the earth who when they most promise health and safety vnto mankinde do then most endeauour their vtter ruine and destruction Constantine the Emperor marching from Antiochia said That he often saw his own Genius and had conference with it and when he at any time saw it pale and troubled which he held to be the preseruer and protectour of health and liuelyhood hee himselfe would much grieue and sorrow By the Spirits called Lares or Houshold gods many men haue been driuen into strange melancholies Amongst others I will cite you one least common A young man had a strong imagination that he was dead and did not onely abstaine from meat and drinke but importuned his parents that he might be caried vnto his graue and buried before his flesh was quite putrified By the counsell of Physitions he was wrapped in a winding sheet laid vpon a Beere and so carried toward the Church vpon mens shoulders But by the way two or three pleasant fellowes suborned to that purpose meeting the Herse demanded aloud of them that followed it Whose body it was there coffined and carried to buriall They said it was such a yong mans and told them his name Surely replied one of them the world is very well rid of him for he was a man of a very bad and vitious life and his friends may reioyce he hath rather ended his dayes thus than at the gallowes Which the yong man hearing and vexed to be so injured rowsed himselfe vp vpon the Beere and told them That they were wicked men to do him that wrong which he had neuer deserued and told them That if hee were aliue as hee was not hee would teach them to speake better of the Dead But they proceeding to depraue him and giue him much more disgraceful and contemptible language he not able to endure it leapt from the Herse and fell about their eares with such rage and fury that hee ceased not buffetting with them till quite wearied and by his violent agitation the humors of his body altered hee awakened as out of a sleepe or trance and being brought home and comforted with wholesome dyet he within few dayes recouered both his pristine health strength and vnderstanding But to returne to our seuerall kindes of Terrestriall Spirits There are those that are called Spectra meridiana or Noon-diuels In the Easterne parts of Russia about haruest time a Spirit was seen to walke at mid-day like a sad mourning Widow and whosoeuer she met if they did not instantly fall on their knees to adore her they could not part from her without a leg or
all praise to him is due The sev'rall Classes that are held Amongst the Angels that rebel'd Of Lucifer the principall And his strange figure since his Fall Of such as most in pow'r excell And of their gouernment in hell Their Order Offices and Names With what prioritie each claimes The list of those that fell from blisse The knowledge that in Daemons is And how far stretcht Next of their wrath Tow'rds Mankinde and what bounds it hath Discov'ry of those ginnes and snares They lay t' entrap men vnawares Of Compacts common in all Ages And of the Astrologomages The Argument of the eighth Booke MICHAEL OF Sathans Wiles and Feats prestigious Appearing wondrous and prodigious Confirm'd by histories far sought Of Nouels by bad Daemons wrought And first of such is made expression That still with Mankinde seeke congression To whose fall they themselues apply Call'd Succubae and Incubi To finde those further we desire Of Water Earth the Aire and Fire And what their workings be to know As well aboue as here below How Authors 'mongst themselues agree What Genij and Spectars bee Faunes Sylvans and Alastores Satyrs and others like to these With stories mixt that grace may win From such as are not verst therein The Argument of the ninth Booke GABRIEL OF Spirits call'd Lucifugi From flying light I next apply My neere-tyr'd Pen of which be store In Mines where workmen dig for oare Of Robin Good-fellow and of Fairies With many other strange vagaries Done by Hob-goblins I next write Of a Noone-Diuell and a Buttry-Sp'rite Of graue Philosophers who treat Of the Soules essence and her seat The strange and horrid deaths related Of learn'd Magitions animated By Sathan the knowne Trutht ' abjure And study Arts blacke and impure Of Curious Science last the vanitie Grounded on nothing but incertaintie And that no Knowledge can abide the Test Like that in sacred Scripture is exprest The Seraphim Ex sumptib Tho Mainwaringe Armig THE ARGVMENT OF the first Booke A Ioue Principium the Creator Of all that liue sole Animator Atheisme and Sadducisme disputed Their Tenents argued and refuted A Deitie approv'd by all Gods Creatures in generall Into the world how false gods came And first began t' vsurpe that Name A Quaere made the world throughout To finde this God of whom some doubt 2 Argument The blessed Seraph doth imply The loue we owe to the most High INspire my Purpose fauour mine Intent O thou All-knowing and Omnipotent And giue me leaue that from the first of daies I Dust and Ashes may resound thy praise Able me in thy quarrell to oppose And lend me Armor-proofe t' encounter those Who striue t' eclipse thy glory all they can The Atheist Sadduce and Mahumetan That there 's a God who doubts who dares dispute Be'ng in it selfe a maxime absolute Which fundamentall Truth as it is seen In all things Light or Darke Wither'd or Green In Length Bredth Height Depth what is done or said Or hath existence in this Fabricke made By the word Fiat so amongst the rest In mans owne Conscience it is deep'st exprest Who 's he looks vp and sees a glorious Star Be 't fixt or wandering to appeare from far In bright refulgence can so stupid be Not to acknowledge this great Deity Who shall the Sun 's vnwearied progresse view As at the first creation fresh and new In lustre warmth and power still giuing chere To Plants to Beasts to Mankinde euery where Wh'obserues the Moon a lower course to range Inconstant and yet constant in her Change Ty'd to her monthly vicissitude And doth not thinke she also doth include A soueraigne power Looke downe the earth suruey The Floures Herbs Shrubs and Trees and see how they Yearely product The store of Herds and Flocks Grasing on pastures medowes hills and rocks Some wilde beasts others to mans vse made tame And then consider whence these creatures came Ponder the Wels Ponds Riuers Brooks Fountains The lofty Hils and super eminent Mountains The humble Valley with the spatious Plaine The faire cloath'd Medowes and full fields of graine The Gardens Desarts Forrests Shelues and Sands Fertilitie and Barrennesse of Lands Th' vnbounded Sea and vastitie of Shore All these expresse a Godhead to adore Be not in thy stupiditie deluded Thinke but how all these in one bulke included And rounded in a ball plac'd in the meane Or middle hauing nought whereon to leane So huge and pond'rous and yet with facilitie Remain immov'd in their first knowne stabilitie How can such weight that on no Base doth stand Be sway'd by lesse than an Almighty hand Obserue the Sea when it doth rage and rore As menacing to swallow vp the Shore For all the Ebbs and Tydes and Deeps profound Yet can it not encroch beyond his bound What brain conceiues this but the Power respects Which these things made moues gouerns and directs Do but ô man into thy selfe descend And thine owne building fully apprehend Comprise in one thy Body and thy Mind And thou thy selfe a little World shalt find Thou hast a nimble body to all motion Pliant and apt thou hast at thy deuotion A soule too in the which no motion 's seene But from all eyes hid as behind a skreene Th' effects we may behold from whose command The gestures come yet see we not the hand By which Th' are mov'd nor the chiefe Master He Who is prime Guide in our agilitie Is not so great of these things th'admiration So excellent a Worke of power to fashion Atheists anew and bring them to the way Let 's heare but what their owne Philosophers say One thus affirmes There 's no capacious place In Mans Intelligence able to embrace Th'incomprehensible Godhead and yet trace His steps we may his potencie still seeing In euery thing that hath on earth a being Saith Auicen He reason wants and sence That to a sole God doth not reuerence A third Who so to heav'n directs his eies And but beholds the splendor of the skies Almost incredible and doth not find There must of force be an Intelligent mind To guide and gouerne all things A fourth thus and the most learned of them doth discusse Seeming amongst the Heathen most to know There is a God from whom all good things flow To sing to the great God let 's neuer cease Who gouerns Cities People and gown'd Peace He the dull Earth doth quicken or make tame The Tempests and the windy Seas reclaime He hath the gouernment of States can quell Both gods and men his pow'r is seene in Hell Whose magnitude all visible things display He gouerns them with an impartial sway Where e're thou mov'st where so thou turnst thine eie Ev'n there is God there Ioue thou may'st espie His immense pow'r doth beyond limit run It hath no bound for what he wills is done What so thou seest throughout the world by day
time this Being not to be at all Nay thus he will not leaue it but proceeds For Ignorance an Insolence still breeds If to this God saith he no body's lent He then can haue no soule by consequent Hauing no soule all action hee 's depriv'd Or if he haue a body that 's deriv'd From substance therefore subiect vnto change Appeares not this as friuolous as strange To any Vnderstander Who but knowes That euery action of the body growes From the Intelligent Soule whose facultie Allowes it motion and dexteritie Therefore ô miserable Worme I can In this afford thee scarce the name of Man Ope but the eyes of Nature and looke out Meerely with them none else and thou no doubt Wilt find thy selfe's obfuscate and obscur'd So void of sens'ble light and so immur'd With palped darknesse to be blind at least And nothing diffring from th' irrational Beast And therefore that of Zenophantes may Be well confer'd on thee Heare him thus say Had Brutes the art of Painting they of force Must draw themselues a Horse figure a Horse An Asse or Mule their Like the reason why They 're capable of no sublimitie Beyond themselues nor haue further extension Than meerely their owne brutish apprehension Such childish and vnmomentary grounds These Atheists build vpon which whoso sounds But with the line of Reason shall descry Their irreligious fond impiety He that shall with himselfe exactly way Those grosse and absurd lies may soone display That they are arrogant full of vain-glory Irregular from truth and refractorie Vnlearn'd replenisht with all lust and vice Seducers Mockers full of Riotise Time-soothers Flat'rers perfidious all In word deed thought meere diabolicall Now these because themselues haue left the best And against Nature heinously transgrest Of the Creator hauing no respect And casting on their owne soules a neglect By ill example others would persuade That Diuine Lawes for policie were made That Hell 's a Bug-beare to keepe men in feare That Scriptures to that end deuised were Persuading others to eat drinke and play Since after death there is no further day To be Accountant in Their lusts to cherish Since that the Soule must with the body perish That Man was made vnto no other end Than please his appetite be his owne friend And That all euills euen with good things runne If politiquely and in priuat done Such are their actions and their liues but when They 're brought vnto the Test behold them then At the last gaspe most ready to catch hold Vpon the least hope durst they make so bold Looke on your father Aristotle the best And Ipse that Philosophy profest When vnto him who all strange Nouels sought 'Mongst others Moses his first booke was brought Cal'd Genesis Those few words hauing read God in the first beginning created The Heav'ns and Earth c. Away with this saith he 'T is full of fables and new fantasy That speakes of many things but nothing proues And that a true Philosopher not loues But drawing neere his end when he began More truly to consider What was man He into strange anxieties doth grow Whether the Soule immortall were or no His body trembles euery ioynt doth shake And these 't is said were the last words he spake Pollutedly into the world I came Sad and perplext I liv'd and from the same Much troubled I depart O pitty me Thou of all Beings onely knowne to Be. If from the wisest of you all this came Learne to know Him who onely writes I am He is Heav'ns King and Lord of Earth alone In Person three but yet in Godhead one Truly Omnipotent All-knowing and In Heav'n and Earth of soueraigne sole command His Nature simple bodilesse vnseene Vncirconscribed t' whom nothing hath beene Is or shall be superior vnderstood Great without quantitie without quality good Most perfect without blemish without Time Eternall in his potencie sublime Strength without Weaknesse Life without Decay Present each where and yet doth no where stay All things at once without aduice directing All things at once without least paine protecting He is without beginning and yet giues A First to each thing that subsists and liues Who hath made all things changeable yet He Stable and free from mutabilitie Himselfe without place all things else instating Without materials all his works creating In greatnesse infinite goodnesse incomparable In vertue strong wisedome inestimable So secret no man can deceiue his trust In Counsels terrible in Iudgements iust Copious in Mercy glorious in his Name Holy in all his Works alwaies The same Eternall Sempiternall Liuing-God Inchangeable in Essence or Aboad Whom Space cannot enlarge nor Place confine Constant in Purpose and in Act Diuine Him Need compells not nor can Chances sad Disturbe neither can Ioyfull things make glad Obliuion takes not nor can Memory add To him Vnborne to whom old Time can lend No ' ncrease at all nor casuall Chance giue end He before Worlds Those are and These must be Was Is and shall liue to Eternity Aboue all Apprehension Thought Opinion Therefore to Him be all Praise Power Dominion All singular Honour Glory with Congruity Of Saints Angels and Men to perpetuity Be ascrib'd with all the Attributes extending Through all vnwearied Worlds and without ending QVod Deus est scimus sed quid si scire velimus Vltra nos imus sed quod sit sumus imus Vltimus primus scimus plus scire nequimus ¶ The English That there 's a God we know But what he is to show Beyond our selues we go His Height and Depth below Him First and Last we know But more we cannot show THEOLOGICALL PHILOsophicall Morall Poeticall Historicall Emblematicall Obseruations to the further illustration of the former Tractate THat nothing in these short Tractates may appeare difficult to the Ignorant I hold it necessarie vnto my present purpose as willing to be vnderstood by all to illustrate whatsoeuer may seem obscure as well by Precept as Historie Which though the Learned may passe ouer as things to them familiar and well knowne yet vnto others neither frequent in reading nor well trauelled in language no doubt but some of our marginal Annotations with other particular Obseruations may in their carefull perusall benefit such as reade not onely for fashion but vse and make it not their pastime but their profit For that was the end to which industrious Authors first aimed their Indeauors and spent so much Inke and Oile in their daies labours and nights watchings Nor do I this without president and therefore am the more willing to pattern my selfe by example Atheisme and Impietie saith Cardanus Paschal is a meere contempt of Religion and therefore by consequence the Fountaine of Impietie and Breeder of all Calamitie The contempt of Diuine Worship is injustice against God our Parents and Countrey as aduerse to Reason as Goodnesse and all that are thereunto obnoxious either beleeue not
there is a God or beleeue him to be what he is not or knowing despise him by which they become as negligent in Humane actions as carelesse of Diuine From hence arise wicked cogitations blasphemous speeches and nefarious proiects al which are abhominable in the sight of God and man as in all their refractorie courses professing no reuerence or regard of the Creator by which they can haue no commerce with any thing that is essentially good or honest In Athens a strict Edict was made That all such as were proued to be Divum Contemptores i. Scorners or Despisers of the gods should be conuented before the Areopagitae and beeing conuicted their goods were sold at a publique out-cry and their irreligions grauen vpon pillars to make their persons odible Those also who aimed their iniuries and insolencies against their Parents Countries or any superiour Magistrates were not onely branded with infamie but their bodies punished with great seueritie Of the former Iuvenal thus speakes Sunt qui infortunae iam casibus omnia ponunt Et nullo credunt mundum rectore moveri Natura volvente vices lucis anni Atque ideo intrepid◠quaecunque altaria tangunt Some all the Power to Chance and Fortune giue And no Creator of the world beleeue Say Nature guide's the Sun's course and the yeare These touch the holy Altars without feare What may we thinke then of Cheopes King of Egypt remembred by Herodotus who caused all the Temples throughout his Prouinces to be fast shut and barred vp left any of his people should offer diuine sacrifice vnto the gods We reade likewise of Diagoras melius before spoken of who flourished in the eightie eighth Olympiad This Man because he persuaded the People from the worship of their gods was not onely banished Athens the city wherein he taught but after his confinement a Talent was proposed for a reward to him that would kill him These and the like were no doubt altogether ignorant That man was created for the seruice of God and That there can be no surer signe of the imminent ruine of a Kingdome and Commonweale than Contempt of Religion of which saith Basil no Creature is capable but Man onely Where no Religion resteth there can be no vertue abiding saith Saint Augustine Therefore the first Law that ought to be imposed on man is The practise of Religion and Pietie for if wee did truely apprehend the vertue thereof from thence the Voluptuous man would suppresse his pleasures the Couetous man acquire his wealth the Proud man deriue his felicitie and the Ambitious man his glory being the Bodies health and the Soules happinesse and indeed the onely mean to fill the empty corners of the heart and satisfie the vnlimited affects of the Desire Iosephus Langius reporteth That diuers learned and religious men supping together by appointment a profest Philosopher or rather a prophane Atheist had intruded himselfe among them who in all his arguing and discourse spake in the contempt of Religion and the Soules future felicitie often vttering these words Coelum Coeli Domino Terram autem dedit filijs hominum i. Leaue Heauen to the Lord of heauen but the Earth he gaue to the sons of men At length he was strooke with an extraordinarie iudgement being tormented at once in all the parts and members of his body so that he was forced to exclaime and cry ô Deus ô Deus ô God ô God Which the rest obseruing one of them vpbraided him in these words Thinkest thou ô Naturall man to contemne so great a Deitie and to vilifie his holy Ordinance and escape vnpunished Whom another thus seconded Do'st thou now begin to distrust thy philosphy and to call vpon and complain vnto him whom til now thou either wouldst not or didst not know Why do'st thou not suffer that Lord of heauen to rest quietly in that heauen which he hath made but that thou thus importunest him with thy clamours Where is now thy Coelum Coeli Domino c. Lucian of whom I before gaue a short Character was sirnamed Samosatensis because borne in Samosata a city scituate not far from Euphrates he was called Blasphemus Maledicus and Atheos He liued in the time of Traianus Caesar and was at first an Aduocate or Lawyer and practised at Antioch a city in Syria but it seemes not thriuing by his parsimonious and close-fisted Clients he forsooke that profession and retyred himselfe though to a lesse profitable yet a more pleasing study namely to be a follower of the Muses Volaterranus reports of him That hee was a Christian but after prooued a Renegade from that Faith and being demanded Why he turned Apostata his answer was That he had gained nothing by that profession more than one bare syllable added to his name being christened Lucianus where before his name was plaine Lucius His death as the best approued Authors relate of him was wretched and miserable for walking late in the euening hee was assaulted by band-dogs and by them worried and torne in pieces A most condigne punishment inflicted vpon him because in his life time he spared not to snarle against the Sauiour of the world And me-thinkes the Epitaph which hee composed vpon his owne Timon of Athens syrnamed Misanthropos i. Man-hater might not vnproperly be conferred vpon himselfe Hic iaceo vita miseraque Inopique solutus Nomen ne quaeras sed male tale peri. Here do I lie depriv'd of life Most miserable and poore Do not demand my name I dy'de Remember me no more Superfluous it were to make much forreine inquisition abroad seeing so many domesticke iudgements at home Far be it from me to iudge but rather to feare that many of them haue beene made remarkable among vs by reason of Irreligion and Atheism I forbeare to nominate any both for the dignitie of their places and greatnesse of their persons yet hath it beene no more than a nine dayes wonder to see the losse of heads the breaking of necks from horses some pistolled when they haue beene least prepared some stab'd with their own poniards others prouiding halters for their owne necks a sonne thrusts his sword through the womb of the mother which conceiued him one brother insidiates the life of another the husband hath killed his wife the wife slaine her husband and both of them their children the master his seruant the seruant his master the mistresse her maid the maid her mistresse And what can all these be but the fruits of the neglecting of the Lord God and the contempt of his Sabboth Much to be lamented it is that these things should be so frequent amongst Christians nay our owne kingdome when euen the Ethnicke Poets in their writings haue exprest not only an honour due to their gods but euen vnto the daies dedicated vnto their memories Plautus vseth these words Quod in diuinis rebus sumas sumptus sapienti lucro est c. i. That which a
in the Creature As in a Mirrhor sees the Diuine feature So Holy men by speculation view'd The nature of this toplesse Altitude 'Twixt Vs saith one and this great Mysterie There is such distance such remote degree As the Creator whom we must prefer Is 'fore the Creature and th' Artificer Is than the worke he makes more excellent As He that hath been before all Discent And alwaies is is of more noble fame Than that which was not and from Nothing came Then cease not till to this thou hast atcheev'd God is not to be question'd but beleev'd When Gregorie would shew th' Vbiquitie Of this vncomprehended Deitie Th' Almightie and Omnipotent God saith he Is Euery where At once and Totally In Part he is not as confin'd to space But He is All of Him in Euery place And then least found when with vnfaithfull heart He that is All Each-where is sought in Part. Therefore our Sauiour when he would declare To his Disciples That no Mortalls are Able to view the Father but the Sonne That by the glorious Fabricke by him done And by his other Creatures they might see As in a Glasse his Might and Maiestie Vseth these words By Heauen you shall not sweare It is the Throne of God Hee 's resiant there Nor by the lower Earth you shall protest It is the Basse on which his foot doth rest We for our parts all curious search lay by Only submit our selues to the Most-High In all obedience humbly to confesse Him for the Fountaine of all Happinesse Goodnesse and Grace to giue him thankes and praise First for this Life next our Encrease of daies But chiefely that we Reason haue and Sence With tongues to magnifie his Excellence And Lookes sublime to cast them vp and view Whence we receiue all Good and as His dew Giue Him the Glory that He did not frame Vs Beasts and Mute that cannot praise His Name Thales Milesius of the Argiue Nation Was in like sad and serious contemplation For three things wont to thanke the gods The first That he was borne in Greece bred vp and nurst Not 'mongst Barbarians And in the next place Because no Female but of Masculine race The third and last which most his ioyes encreast Because created Man and not Brute Beast Boethius saith It is not fit fraile Man Secrets Diuine too narrowly should scan Onely to haue them so far vnderstood That God disposeth all things to our good The knowledge to Saluation tending best He in his Scripture hath made manifest But not to enquire for that which should we finde Our limited and vncapacious minde Could not conceiue or say in some degree It did not make vs better than we be Th' office of a true Father God hath don This Body He hath made which we put on The Soule by which we breathe He hath infus'd All that we are is His if not abus'd How we were made or how these things were wrought If in His holy Wisedome he had thought Fit we should know no doubt they had been then Publisht vnto vs by the sacred Pen. Elsewhere He saith His will was we should know Besides the generall duty which we owe Onely such things as tend to our Saluation As for all other curious Intimation 'T is most prophane and therefore Heauen forbid We pry into those things He would haue hid Why should we seeke for what we cannot know Or knowing by it cannot better grow Sufficient 't is that we enioy the Fire Vnto our vse What need is to enquire From whence it hath it's heate We daily finde The benefit of Water in the kinde What more would it auaile being still the â—ame If we did know whence first the moisture came So of the rest Then let vs be content With the proportion of the knowledge leant Be gratefull for Heauens Blessings and surrender All praise and thanks vnto the Bounteous Sender The Tyrant Hiero in his height of pride Willing What God was to be satisfied Askt Simonides He after some stay Demanded first the respit of a day But that being past Hiero againe enquir'd He told him That to know what he desir'd Two dayes were requisit These likewise o're And being still demanded as before The Tyrant once againe requir'd the reason Of his delay by doubling still the season Who thus reply'de The more that I the same Contemplate still the further out of frame My senses are This Plato did pursue Saying of God he only thus much knew As That no man could know him Hence exists The opinion of the best Theologists That his great Attributes are by negation Better exprest to vs than Affirmation As much to say More easie 't is to show What He is not than what He is to know As That god is Not Made No Earth No Fire Water or Aire Ascend a little higher God is No Sphere No Star No Moone No Sun God is Not Chang'd suffers No Motion God No Beginning had therefore No End With infinite such that to the like intend All which infer That by no affirmation Can be exprest his full denomination Leaue thousand Authors at this time alone My purpose is but to insist on one Before our Mindes eyes let vs place saith he What this great Nature Naturant may be Which All things Holds Fills All doth All Embrace Super-exceedes Sustaines and in One place Not in one place Sustaines and in another Super-exceedes here Fills and in the tother Embraceth but by Embracing Fills and then By Filling likewise doth Embrace agen Sustaining Super-exceeds Super-exceeding Sustaines In all these no assistance needing The same saith in another place We know God's Within All Without Aboue Below Aboue by Power Below by Sustentation Without by Magnitude in the same fashion Within All by Subtilitie Aboue reigning Descend Below Hee 's there All things containing Without He compasseth Penetrates Within Not in one place Superior that were sin To imagin in another place inferior Or seuerall waies exterior and interior But He the One and Same totally t o'appeare Vncircumscrib'd at one time euery where By Gouerning Sustaining by Sustaining Gouerning by Embracing Penetrating Penetrating by Embracing Aboue Guiding Below Supporting what 's without abiding Still Compassing and what 's within Replenishing Without Vnrest All that 's aboue Protecting Without least Paine All that 's below Sustaining Without Extenuation Inly Piercing Without without Extension Compassing But Would'st thou haue me what God is discusse Thee with Cardanus I must answer thus To tell thee that I should be a God too A thing which none but God himselfe can do And now with pious reuerence to enquire Of that All-Potents Name which some desire No doubt to be instructed in as farre As leaue will giue a little let vs dare Some call Him God of Giuing as they wou'd Infer to vs He giues vs all that 's Good Others would by Antiphrasis
saith Pierius By the same reason hee was Hierogliphically prefigured in the Crocodile that frequents the riuer Nilus as the selfe-same Author testifies The AEgyptians did interpret him by a Circle which hath neither beginning nor end thereby figuring his Infinitie Pier. Valer. So likewise by the Eye for as in all other creatures so especially in Man the Eye is of his other members the most beautifull and excellent as the moderator and guide of our affections and actions So God is the bright Eye that directeth the world who by the Apostle Iames is called the Father of men vnto whose eyes all thoughts lie naked and open who looketh vpon the good and bad and searcheth into the reines of either c. Epiphanius writeth That the Vadiadni who were after called Antropomarphitae were of opinion That God had a body and was therefore visible Now the maine reason vpon which they grounded this error was because they trusted more to the outward senses than to the inward Intellect bringing their authoritie from Genesis wherein they had read That the first man Adam did subsist of soule and body according to Gods owne Image As also from many other Texts of Scripture in which the like members and attributes belonging to man are ascribed vnto God But this Heresie as Saint Augustine witnesseth was vtterly reiected and condemned for if God were circumscribed or included in a naturall body He must then necessarily be finite and therefore not present in all places at once which takes away his Vbiquitie Besides he should be compounded of matter and forme and therefore subiect vnto accidents all which being the Characters of Imperfection are no way liable to the Sempiternall Immortall Omnipotent Inuisible and the most consummate and absolute Deitie Therefore Saint Paul makes this acclamation Blessed is the sole-Potent King of Kings and Lord of Lords who hath Immortalitie and whose dwelling is in inaccessible Light whom no man euer saw or can see c. Now the reason why as well members belonging to mans bodie as the affections and passions of the minde are in diuers places of the holy Scripture conferred vpon God as to reioyce to be angry c. is not because he is composed of outward lineaments and framed or fashioned as man or that he is truly angred or pleased doth walke ascend descend or the like but that the Holy-Ghost doth accommodate himâ—elfe to the imbecilitie and weakenesse of our shallow capacities and vnderstandings that we may be more capable of the power wisedome and incomprehensible workes of the Almightie Therefore saith Saint Ambrose is God said to be angry to denote vnto vs the filthinesse and abhomination of our sinnes and offences in his booke entituled Of Noahs Arke His words be these God is not angry as mutable but he is said to be so that the bitternesse of our transgressions by which we iustly incur his Diuine incensement might thereby be made more familiar and terrible as if our sinnes which are so grieuous and heinous in his sight caused that He who in his own nature is neither moued to wrath or hate or passion might be prouoked to anger Of the same opinion is Eutherius In what place soeuer saith he the sacred Scriptures either ascribe the passions of the minde or any distinct part of the body to the Almighty as Head Hand Foot Eare Eye or the like or other motions of the soule as Anger Fauour Forgetfulnesse Remembrance Repentance c. they are not to be vnderstood carnally according to the bare letter of the Text but all things concerning him are spiritually to be receiued and therefore we are not to beleeue that God hath at any time been visible to our fore-fathers as he is to the blessed Saints and Angels though in many places of the sacred Scriptures hee is said to appeare vnto them as to our first father Adam in Paradise when he spake to him these words Encrease and multtply Or when he reproued him for eating of the forbidden Tree c. Nor when he spake vnto Noah and commanded him to build the Ark. Nor when he promised vnto Abraham the Patriarch That in his Seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Nor when he often spake to the great Prophet Moses in the Bush in mount Sinai and elsewhere but it is receiued for a truth that those forms by which God either appeared or was heard to speake was by the seruice and ministerie of his holy Angels as S. Augustine most learnedly disputeth in his third and fourth booke De Trinitate Therefore Hieronimus Cardanus a man of most excellent learning and judgement in his booke entituled De Deo Vniuerso i. Of God and the World after he hath by many probable reasons and approued testimonies proued That God by no humane vnderstanding was to be comprehended onely that he was a singular Cause one onely God the Originall Fountaine and Beginning of all things the sole Immensenesse and soueraigne Perfection contemplating nothing but Himselfe of such Light that hee is onely himselfe capable of such claritie and brightnesse that he beholdeth either Hemisphere at once as well the remote as the neerest regions of heauen and earth Immouable no way obnoxious to varietie or change of such splendor that mortalitie cannot abide or endure his sight or presence of a most subtile essence alwaies resting When this and much more he had delated of His Inscrutabilitie and incomprehensible Deitie he concludeth his disputation in these words Quaeris ergo quid Deus sit si scirem Deus essem nam Deum nemo novit nec quid sit quisquam scit nisi solus Deus i. Do'st thou therefore demand what God is If I did know or were able to resolue thee I should be a god too for no man knoweth God or what he is can any man tel but God onely c. The same Cardanus Lib. De Vniuerso touching the late Proposition handled in the precedent Tractate viz. What Name belongeth to this Incomprehensibilitie thus argues Since what God is cannot be knowne how much lesse can any proper or peculiar name be giuen vnto him because names are for the most part deriued either from the nature or propertie of that thing or party which is to be named If then by no possibilitie we can conceiue what the Diuine Essence is how can wee confine it to any proper or competent denomination One Scotus of a most fluent wit and an acute vnderstanding hath searcht endeauoured and excust euen almost all things to finde out some name or Character in which might be comprehended or contained what God was as Wisedome Goodnesse Iustice Mercy Truth and the like at length hee contrudes all those seuerall attributes within the narrow limit of two bare words namely Ens Infinitum as if it were the most absolute contraction that Imagination could beget And this he laboureth to flourish ouer with many witty and pregnant arguments too long in this
Man within moderate bounds and keepe in awe Th' Irregular that would transgresse the Law Else to our dull capacities conuey By naming such things that our weakenesse may The better vnderstand Therefore they blame Plato who Spirits doth so often name And Socrates with all the Stoicke Crew Who to foole men and make them thinke they knew Things hid from others in ambitious pride Deuis'd such â—oyes neuer exemplify'de Besides if there be Spirits it implies They must be either Friends or Enemies If Friends they would continue vs in health Bestow vpon vs Wisedome Empire Wealth But these we see are otherwise obtain'd Knowledge and Arts by Industry are gain'd Empire by Vertue Riches purchac'd are By Labour Health by keeping temperate Fâ—â—e If Enemies they hourely would extend Their Powers malevolent Mankinde to'offend Especially those that themselues assure There are none such and that 's the Epicure And Sadduce yet these they hate in vaine None are from Rocks precipitate few slaine But they with others in like safety stand As well secur'd by water as by land But in opinion contrary to these Plato Plotinus Proclus Socrates Iamblicus Porphirius Biton were The first of whom thinke you thus speaking heare The Nature that 's Intelligible growes To nine distinct degrees which he thus showes The first is God Idea's haue next place Soules of Coelestiall Bodies haue the grace To be third nam'd Intelligences they Are styl'd Arch-Angels in the fourth beare sway The fift the Angels the sixt Daemons claime Heroes the seuenth the Principates haue name In the eighth forme to Princes doth belong The ninth and lastâ— Mens Soules are not among This Catalogue for these as they incline To Vertue or to Vice he doth confine Either vnto those Angels that be good Or the bad Daemons so hee 's vnderstood Being accordingly in that regard Subiect to sence of torment or reward I'insist on these too long and now proceed To proofes more pregnant such as we shall need As God's eternall void of all dimension Not subiect vnto humane apprehension And as of all things th' Vniuersall Cause Them gouerning not gouern'd by the Lawes Of ought which is aboue him And we finde Men Beasts and Plants each Creature in his kinde Is gouern'd but it selfe doth beare no sway Reason to Truth thus points vs out the way That in so distant and remote a state Needs must be Creatures intermediate And as we see in Nature bodies be As Mettals Stones and of like qualitie Which haue no life others againe there are As Men and Brutes that haue in either share So betwixt these must be by consequence Vnbodied things that haue both life and sence And these the Spirits Dreames will teach vs plaine By their euents that such about vs raine To warne vs of the future Thus we read Simonides finding a body dead Gaue it due rights of buriall with intent Next day to take leaue of the Continent And to be shipt to sea But the same night This body without terror or affright Appear'd to him and warn'd him to refraine His purpos'd voyage for if he the Maine Prov'd the next day in that Barke he did hire He should by Shipwracke perish and expire Forewarn'd he left his passage and 't was found The Ship was that day sunke the people drown'd Now whence can any guesse this Vision came Vnlesse't were from a Spirit for what name Can they else giue it Sylla in a dreame Was told his death was neere in feare extreame He wakes he rises calls his friends his state In order sets yet all this while no Fate Did seeme to threat him neither sence of paine Had he that time either in breast or braine Which his Friends seeing did his dreame deride Yet he that day was apoplext and dy'de Brutus and Cassius in a battell set With great Augustus at Philippi met The night before the conflict Caesar cras'd Kept both his tent and bed which much amas'd The generall Host. Marcus Aâ—torius then His chiefe Physition of all other men Most chary of his person in his sleepe Was by Minerva warn'd The Prince should keepe His bed no longer but in any case Be in the battels front the Foe t' outface For of this done or not done was ensuing His future safety or his present ruin Augustus was persuaded left his tent And mounted on his steed Obserue th' euent The toile and labour that he tooke that day Did not alone his Feuer driue away Restoring him to health but as it hap'd Was cause that he a greater danger scap'd For Brutus souldiers thinking him still weake Did with maine force into the Battell breake Seising his Tent his Bed away they beare Presuming still they had Augustus there 'T is noted how Calphurnia did complaine The very night before her Lord was slaine Beseeching him with sighs and many a teare That he the next dayes Senat would forbeare Because of her sad dreame which told his fate But he in his ambition obstinate Holding such vaine predictions of no force With poniards stab'd was made a liuelesse Corse Nay he himselfe not many dayes before Dream'd He was snatcht away from earth and bore Aboue the Clouds where with Majesticke looke To welcome him Iove by the hand him tooke Amilcar who the Carthaginians led Besieging Syracusa in his bed Him thought That in his depth of sleepe he saw A souldier arm'd inuiting him to draw His Army neerer for his fame to crowne He the next night should sup within the Towne Encourag'd thus he early rose next day His Carthaginian Ensignes to display And gaue a braue assault and yet he found But a false Omen being tooke and bound Was to the City led Fate to fulfill Where he both supp'd and lodg'd against his will Wise Socrates the night which did precode The day that Plato came to heare him reade Dream'd That he saw into his bosome fly A milke-white Swan that sung sweet melody This at the instant though he did neglect Yet on the morrow pleas'd with his aspect He tooke him in his armes and with extreame Rapture of ioy he call'd to minde his dreame And though the childe was then of tender age Th' euent did aptly fiâ— with his presage Nor do I these from prophane Authors cull As if the sacred Scriptures were not full Of like examples Stories manifold Are in the Testaments both New and Old Ioseph from his owne Visions did diuine And so from Pharaoh's of the Eares and Kine The Baker and the Butler dreamd it fell To both of them as Ioseph did foretell Nabuchadnezzars Image and his Tree Were of such things predictions as should bee God call'd to Samuel in his sleepe and told What should betide to Ely being old Like Visions too haue been conferr'd vpon Good David and his sonne King Salomon And in the Gospell Ioseph in his rest Was bid to take to wife the euer-blest and holy Virgin
I please drop from the Heav'ns a Chaine To which lay all your hands and you in vaine Shall striue to pull me thence and yet with ease And ioyne to you the vast Earth and the Seas With all their pondrous weight one minutes space Shall draw you vp to my sublimer place c. In which Power ascribed vnto Iupiter as acknowledging one superior Deitie what doth hee lesse than sleight and vilifie the weakenesse and deficiencie of all such Idols on whom Diuine honors are superstitiously conferred I began the former Tractate with the Hierarchie of Angells their three Classes or Ternions their order and concatination in which I haue proceeded with that plainenesse that I hope they need no further demonstration As also of the opinion of the Sadduces and others who will allow no Spirits or Angells at all their weake and vnmomentary Tenents being with much facility remoued I now proceed to this vnresistable conclusion That the obiect and end of Gods diuine Will in the creation of all things was no other than his Grace and Goodnesse in which he continued from all eternitie and so he might haue done without the helpe seruice or ministerie of any Angell or Creature whatsoeuer which neither to the ornament conseruation or augmentation of his Diuine Nature can adde or detract And that his Almightinesse was pleased to vndergo this great Worke of the Creation it was his free-Will and no Necessitie that obliged him vnto it And he that in his Diuine Wisdom and Goodnesse had Will to make things hath the same Power to dispose them by which he created them and as much do we owe vnto him for the Dangers from which he deliuereth vs as for the Health Wealth and Dignities with which hee blesseth vs. For as Saint Hierome saith The treasures of Vices in vs are the aboundance of Goodnesse in God c. Angels were the first Creatures God made created pure as the Light ordained with the Light to serue God who is the Lord of Light They haue charge to conduct vs wisedome to instruct vs and grace to preserue vs They are the Saints Tutors Heauens Heraulds and the Bodies and Soules Guardians Furthermore as Origen saith Euery ones Angell that hath guided him in this life shall at the last day produce and bring his Charge forth whom he hath gouerned They at all times and in all places behold the majestie of the Heauenly Father And according to Saint Augustine they were created Immortall Beautifull Innocent Good Free and Subtile resembling a far off the Essence of God himselfe Saint Basil saith The Angels suffer no mutation or change for amongst them there is neither Childe Youth nor Old man but in the same state they were created in the beginning they stil persist and so vnchangeably shall to all eternitie And Saint Augustine in his Booke De vera Religione vseth these words Let not the worship of men that be dead be any Religion vnto vs who if they liued piously and died good men desire no such honor to be conferred vpon them but they desire that Hee onely should be adored by vs by whose illumination they reioyce that wee shall become partakers of their blessednesse Therefore they are to be honored for imitation but not worshipped for Religion And after speaking of the Augels he addeth this We honour them in our Charitie but not in any Seruilitie neither do wee build any Temples vnto them For they would not be so honoured of vs knowing that we our selues if we be good men are the Temples of the euer liuing God For our instruction therefore it was written That the Angell forbad man to bow to him but to giue all worship and reuerence to that Great God to whom he with him was a fellow seruant God vseth their ministerie and seruice not only to the celebrating of his owne glory as Psal. 103. vers 20 21. Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that do his commandement in obeying the voice of his Word Praise the Lord all yee his Hosts yee his Seruants that do his pleasure But also when he employeth them to deliuer any message vnto man as Numb 22. vers 32. And the Angel of the Lord said vnto him Why hast thou stricken thinâ— Asse now thrice c. As also Genes 19. 13. For wee will destroy this place because the Cry of them is great before the Lord and the Lord hath sent vs to destroy it He employeth them likewise in the gouernment of the world For by him were all things creâ—ted which are in heauen or which are in earth things visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him c. He vseth them in the deliuerance and protection of the Faithfull Acts 5.19 But the Angell of the Lord by night opened the prison doores and brought him forth c. By their care and employment some are instructed in the Law of the Lord and to haue the Gospell propagated Acts 16.9 Where a Vision appeared to Paul in the night There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and helpe vs c. They comfort the Saints in afflictions as well in things that belong to this bodily as spirituall life they strengthen them when they faint sometimes cherish and at other times chastice them Reg. 2.1.3 Then the Angell of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbyte Arise and goe vp to meet the Messengers of the King of Samaria and say vnto them Is it not because there is no God in Israel that you go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Eckron c. Acts 27.23 24. Paul saith For there stood by me this night the Angell of God whose I am and whom I serue saying Feare not Paul for thou must be brought before Caesar and Loe God hath giuen vnto thee freely all that saile with thee They are Gods Avengers of the reprobat and such as oppose his Church people Esay 37.36 Then the Angell of the Lord went out and smote in the Campe of Assur an hundred fourestore and fiue thousand So when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead Corps Of their seuerall apparitions and sundry employments much more might be said but these few may serue to illustrate the rest Yet notwithstanding that great is their power and excellence and that God vseth their ministerie in preseruing and protecting vs and bestowing many benefits and blessings vpon vs yet as wel by their owne saying as the sentence of the Apostles it is manifest no Diuine Worship is to be conferred vpon them but vpon God onely Before I come by seuerall histories to enlarge that argument handled in the premisses namely That euen by Dreames it may be concluded that there be Spirits I will speake something of Dreams in general Aristotle defines them thus Somnium est phantasmain somno factum i. A
Alexander the Great Who sending to the Oracle of Delphos to know what should futurely betide him Answer was returned that his life should continue for a long season if it were not endangered by a Chariot Whereupon the King gaue strict and expresse commandement That all the Chariots within his kingdome should be pluckt in pieces and no further vse to be made of them and that no new ones should be after made neither would hee come neere vnto places that had any reference or relation to such a name Notwithstanding all his preuention hee was soone after slaine by Pausonias who wore at that time a sword which had a Chariot grauen vpon the pommell Dioclesian a man of a base and obscure parentage in Dalmatia serued as a common soldier in France and elsewhere vnder diuers and sundry Emperors Vpon a time reckoning with his Hostesse of the house wherein he was billited who was one of the sooth-saying Druides she told him that he was too penurious and did not beare the noble minde of a Souldier To whom he made answer That hee then reckoned with her according to his poore meanes and allowance and merrily added That if euer hee came to be made Emperor of Rome he would then shew himself much more bountifull To whom first looking stedfastly in his face she replied Souldier thou hast spoken truer than thou art aware of for after thou hast killed one Aper which signifieth a Boare thou shalt be made Caesar semper Augustus and weare the Imperiall Purple Dioclesian smiled and receiued it from her as a deliâ—ement or scoffe because hee had before bated her of her reckoning Yet after that time hee tooke great delight in the hunting and killing of Boares But diuers Emperors succeeding one another and he finding little alteration in his fortune hee was frequently wont to say I still kill the Boares but there be others that eat the flesh Yet in processe of time it happened that a potent man called Aper hauing married the sister of the Emperour Numerianus layd violent hands vpon his brother in law and most traiterously slew him For which facinerous act being apprehended by the souldiers and brought into that part of the Army where Dioclesian was who by reason of his long seruice was had in reputation with the prime Commanders the souldiers now demanding what should be done with the Traitor it was concluded amongst them that he should be at Dioclesians dispose who presently demanding of him his name and he answering Aper without further pause he drew his sword vttering these words And this Aper or Boare shall be added to the rest presently ranne him through the body and slew him Which done the soldiers commending it for an act of justice without further deliberation saluted him by the name of Emperor I haue read in the Chronicle of France concerning one of the French Henries That Gonvarus an Italian Astrologer hauing calculated his Natiuitie wrote vnto him about fiue yeares before the strange disaster of his death happened That the Starres and Planets threatned him in the one and fortieth yeare of his age with a dangerous wound in the head by which he should be strooke either blinde or dead and therefore aduised him to beware of tilts tourneys or any the like violent exercises for the space of that yeare Notwithstanding which in the predicted yeare at the solemne and pompous celebration of his Sisters mariage with the young King of Spaine after hee had three dayes together with great successe and generall applause demeaned himselfe in those Chiualrous exercises of Tilt and Barriers though hee was much persuaded by the Queene and entreated by the Lords after the breaking of many staues to giue ouer yet nothing could preuaile with him insomuch that in the very later end of the day when most of the Spectators were risen and departed out of the Tilt-yard he called to the Count Montgomerie Captain of his Guard earnestly importuning that he would runne one course more with him Which when hee sought by all meanes possible to excuse pretending many vnwilling delayes he tooke a speare and thrust it into his hand compelling him to another encounter in which he was most vnfortunately slaine by a splinter of the staffe that entring at the sight of his beauer pierced his braine and so concluded the great solemnitie with his owne lamentable Tragedie Before this accident happened in the beginning of the triumph one Nostrodanus told vnto diuers of the Kings seruants in secret that the King would be in great danger of death before the Tournament was fully finished And which is most remarkable a Merchants sonne of Paris a childe of about six yeares old not fully seuen being brought thither that day by his father and mother to see the Tilting at euery course the King ranne hee was heard to cry out aloud They will kill the King ô they will kill the King Plato was of opinion That children are no sooner born but they haue one of those Spirits to attend them which doth first copulate and conioyne the soule vnto the body and after being grown vnto some maturitie teach instruct and gouerne them The Academiques held That Spirits behold all mens actions and assist them that they know all our apprehensions and cogitations and when the Soule is deliuered from the Body they bring it before the high Iudge That they are questioned about our good or bad actions their testimonie being much preualent either to excuse or aggrauate That also they are vigilant ouer vs either sicke or in health waking or sleeping and especially in the very article and point of death oftentimes inspiring the parting Soule with a diuination surpassing all humane knowledge For instance Pheceredes Cyrus being vpon his death bed predicted victorie against the Magnesians which fell out accordingly And Possidonius telleth vs That a Rhodian dying nominated six men and told who should die first who second who third and so in order till he came to the last Neither did he any way faile in his prediction Porphirius was of opinion That not one onely but many Spirits or Genij had the charge of one and euery man one hauing care ouer his health another indulgent ouer his beauty and feature another to infuse into him courage and constancie c. But Iamblicus was of a contrarie assertion affirming That many needed not when one being of so pure and refined a nature was sufficient Some haue affirmed Spirits to be of diuers qualities therefore to worke in men according to their owne dispositions diuers effects Affirming That those AEthereall or Fierie stirre vp men to contemplation the Airy to the businesse and common affaires of this life the Waterie to pleasure the Earthy to base and gripple auarice So likewise the Martiall Spirits incite vs to fortitude the Ioviall to prudence the Venereall to lust the Mercuriall to policie and wisedome the Lunarie to fertilitie and plenty
doth deuise Touching the Angels First saith he the Deuill Was made of Fire pestiferous and euill The glorious Spirits Attendants on the Throne And faithfull Ministers to God alone For euer seated in that blessed Bowre Haue Wings some two some three and others foure Making of this as confident relation As had he present been at the Creation And of these Two attending on the Throne Of the great God Almighty Maroth one Haroth another were from Heav'n downe sent With full Commission to haue gouernment Or'e all Mankinde not onely to conduct them In their affaires but tutor and instruct them With these prouiso's neuer to incline Either to Kill Iudge rashly or Drinke Wine All which of long time hauing strictly kept In the plainerode and to no by-path stept It chanc'd in processe an offending Wife Did with her peruerse husband fall at strife A day of hearing bee'ng appointed she Inuites vnto a banquet cunningly These two impartiall Iudges ' sore them plac'd Right costly Cates made both for shew and taste But sauc'd with wine which was vnknowne to them And by this close and crafty stratagem Spurring them on with courteous welcome still Their pallats being pleas'd they bad her fill In plenteous cups to them till both in fine Were much distemper'd and or'come with Wine And in this heate lust breaking into fire They then to'adulterate her bed desire To which she yeelds vpon condition they Will teach her Characters by which she may Be lifted to those heav'ns aboue the Sun And without let behold what 's therein done And after that she may haue free transmission Downe to the earth and that with expedition They grant to her and she to them applies The words no sooner spoke but vp she flies Where seene and question'd how she thither came She opens the whole matter just the same As was before related but for feare She should disclose on earth the Glories there Shee soone was chang'd into a fulgent Star In light excelling others ev'n as far As when in life below she did remaine Her lustre did inferior Beauties staine Now after this the Angels were conuented Who waking from their drowsinesse repented Of their vaine folly and with terror great Were brought to answer at the Iudgement Seat The fault confest the processe and the ground With euery circumstance this grace they found To haue after discussion in the close What punishment they would themselues impose Betwixt this World and th' other to endure Who made choice in iron chaines to be bound sure And haue both heads and bodies drown'd in mudâ— In a most putrid Lake call'd Bebel floud One grosse thing more to these I 'le adde and than To his perdition leaue this brain-sicke Man Further he saithâ— In the last dreadfull day Th'Angell of Death that 's Adriel call'd shall slay All Soules then liuing And that slaughter past Fall on his owne sword and so die the last And when all liuing creatures are destroy'd The world shall forty yearesâ— stand after void Infinite are his most blasphemous Fictions And eachwhere interlac't with contradictions As in feign'd Miracles the generall Doome The dissolution that is yet to come Concerning these a question may arise Whether these sottish and most fabulous Lies More fondly by this Iugler were conceated Or by Mad-folke beleev'd and thereby cheated Now something touching the arch-Heresies Of the Priscillians and the Manechies Of whom thus briefely They nor blush nor feare To write and teach That two Beginnings were Of vniuersall Nature Good and Bad The one of cherefull Light the other sad Darkenesse the Author Of which they retaine Th' essence within themselues and from these faâ—gne A God and Diuell And that all things made From these Materials their condition had Of Good and Euill Both the Sects agreeing That from the better Good the World had Being Yet they say further That the mixture knit Of Good and Bad insep'rable in it From these two opposit Natures doth arise And therefore in their fancies they deuise Fiue Elements to either There 's assign'd Smoke Darkenesse Fire the Water and the Winde To the Bad Nature out of Smoke they bring All two leg'd Creatures and thence Man to spring They further fable and from Darkenesse breed Dragons and Serpents with all Reptile seed Foure-footed Beasts from Fire they procreate From Water Fish Fowles from Winde generate The number of the Elements are fiue Which from the Better Nature they deriue Oppos'd to these Aire from the Smoke they draw Light out of Darknesse by the selfe same law Fire needfull from Fire hurtfull Water thus Vsefull from what 's Disaduantagious From Windes contagious Windes of healthfull vse And betwixt these there can be made no Truce They likewise trifle That all difficultie To'attaine vnto the true Felicitie Consists in separating th' Ills contagion From the Goods purer nature Which persuasion Yet leads them further That since these two first Pow'rfull Beginnings term'd the Best and Worst Are at perpetuall discord hence should breed Of War that natiue and intestine seed Betwixt the Flesh and Spirit in which Strife None 's capable of euerlasting life But such as the Good Nature can diuide From that contagion which the Bad doth guide They say That to the Light pur'd and refin'd Two shapes from Gods pure nature are assign'd Namely the Sun and Moone and these conuey That perfect splendor which enlights for aye The heav'nly Kingdome and most glorious Seat Of High Iehovah who 's the onely Great And Pow'rfull hauing the sole domination His Mansion being their blest habitation They feigne Our Grandfire and great-Grandame Eve Which none of common Reading can beleeue Of Sacla Prince of Smoke were form'd and made That by the Serpent he who first betrayd Those our first Parents Christ himselfe was meant Who bad them taste the Apple to th' intent That they the Good from what was Ill might know And that his body meerely was in show Phantasticall not Reall That the Trine Sent him to saue the Soule that was Diuine But not the Flesh and Body because they Were made of impure stuffe Dust Earth and Clay Of which Absurds I 'le make no more narration Vnworthy mention much more confutation ¶ Tribus modis in veritate peccatur 1. Veritatem prae timore tacendo 2. Veritatem in mendatium comutando 3. Veritatem non defendendo Chrisost. Explicit Metrum Tractatus quinti. Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogliphicall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. TThe Consimilitudes and Concordances betweene the seuerall degrees of Angels and the Heauens and Planets I doubt not but is sufficiently manifested Whosoeuer desireth to be further more fully instructed in the Motions and courses of the Spheres I refer him to peruse Iun. Higinus Libertus his Poëticon Astronomicon where hee discourseth learnedly of the World the Spheres the Centre the Axis the Zodiacke Circle Earth Sea c. of Arâ—tos Maior
Emerald the Carbuncle with Gold The Timbrel and the Pipe were celebrated For thee in the first day thou wert created Thou art th' anointed Cherub made to couer Thee I haue set in honour aboue other Vpon Gods holy Mountaine placed higher Thou walked hast amidst the stones of fire At first of thy wayes perfect was the ground Vntill iniquitie in thee was found Thy heart was lifted vp by thy great beauty Therein tow'rds God forgetfull of thy duty By reason of thy Brightnesse being plac't ' Boue them thy Wisedome thou corrupted hast But to the ground I 'le cast thee flat and cold Lay thee where Kings thy ruin may behold In thy selfe-wisedome thou hast been beguild And by thy multitude of sinnes defil'd Thy Holinesse A Spirit still peruerse Stain'd by th' iniquitie of thy commerse Therefore from midst of thee a fire I 'le bring Which shall deuour thee into ashes fling Thee from thy height that all the earth may see thee This I haue spoke and who is he can free thee Their terror who did know thee heretofore Most Wretched thou shalt be yet be no more In this the Prophet as these would allude Striues in this first-borne Angell to include All Wisedome Pow'r Gifts Ornaments and Graces Which all the rest had in their seuerall Places God this precelling Creature hauing made With all the Host of Angels some haue said He then began the Vniuersall Frame The Heav'ns Sun Moon and Stars and gaue them name Then Earth and Sea his Diuine Will ordain'd With all the Creatures in them both contain'd His last great Workemanship in high respect Of Reason capable and Intellect But to the Angels natures much inferior Who with th' Almighty dwell in th' Heav'ns superior To all Eternity sounding his praise Man whom from Dust he did so lately raise Subsists of Soule and Body That which still Doth comprehend the Vnderstanding Will And Memorie namely the Soule Partaker Of those great Gifts is th' Image of the Maker The nature of the Body though it be Common with Beasts yet doth it disagree In shape and figure for with Eyes erected It beholds Heav'n whilest Brutes haue Looks deiected This compos'd Man is as a ligament And folding vp in a small continent Some part of all things which before were made For in this Microcosme are stor'd and layd Connexiuely as things made vp and bound Corporeall things with incorporeall Found There likewise are in his admired quality Things fraile and mortall mixt with Immortality Betweene those Creatures that haue Reason and Th' Irrationall who cannot vnderstand There is a Nature intermediate That 'twixt them doth of both participate For with the blessed Angels in a kinde Man doth partake of an intelligent Minde A Body with the Beasts with Appetite It to preserue feed cherish and delight And procreate it 's like in shapes and features Besides Man hath aboue all other Creatures That whereas they their Appetites pursue As solely sencible of what 's in view And gouern'd by instinct Mans eminence Hath pow'r to sway his Will from common Sence And besides Earthly things himselfe apply To contemplate things mysticall and hye And though his Excellence doth not extend To those miraculous Gifts which did commend Great Lucifer at first in his Majoritie Yet in one honour he hath iust prioritie Before all Angels to aduance his Seed Since God from all eternitie decreed That his owne Sonne the euerlasting Word Who to all Creatures Being doth afford By which they first were made should Heav'n forsake And in his Mercy humane Nature take Not that he by so doing should depresse The Diuine Majestie and make it lesse But Humane frailtie to exalt and raise From corrupt earth his glorious Name to praise Therefore he did insep'rably vnite His Goodhood to our Nature vs t' excite To magnifie his Goodnesse This Grace showne Vnto Mankinde was to the Angels knowne That such a thing should be they all expected Not knowing how or when 't would be effected Thus Paul th' Apostle testates 'Mongst the rest Without all opposition be 't confest Of Godlinesse the mysterie is high Namely That God himselfe apparantly Is manifest in Flesh is iustify'd In Spirit by the Angels clearely ' espy'd Preacht to the Gentiles by the World beleev'd Into eternall Glory last receiv'd With Pride and Enuy Lucifer now swelling Against Mankinde whom from his heav'nly Dwelling He seemes in supernaturall Gifts t' out-shine Man being but Terrene and himselfe Diuine Ambitiously his Hate encreasing still Dares to oppose the great Creators Will As holding it against his Iustice done That th' Almighties sole begotten Sonne Mans nature to assume purpos'd and meant And not the Angels much more excellent Therefore he to that height of madnesse came A stratagem within himselfe to frame To hinder this irrevocable Deed Which God from all eternitie decreed And that which most seem'd to inflame his spleene And arrogance was That he had foreseene That many Men by God should be created And in an higher eminence instated Of place and Glory than himselfe or those His Angels that this great Worke ' gant t' oppose Disdaining and repining that of Men One should be God Omnipotent and then That others his Inferiors in degree Should out-shine him in his sublimitie In this puft Insolence and timp'anous Pride He many Angels drew vnto his side Swell'd with the like thoughts Ioyntly these prepare To raise in Heav'n a most seditious Warre He will be the Trines Equall and maintaine Ouer the Hierarchies at least to raigne 'T is thus in Esay read I will ascend Into the Heav'ns and there my Pow'r extend Exalt my Throne aboue and my aboad Shall be made equall with the Stars of God Aboue the Clouds I will my selfe apply Because I will be like to the Most-Hye To this great Pride doth the Arch-Angell rise In boldest opposition and replies Whose name is Michael Why what is he That like the Lord our God aspires to be In vaine ô Lucifer thou striv'st t' assay That we thine innovations should obey Who know As God doth purpose be it must He cannot will but what is good and iust Therefore with vs That God and Man adore Or in this place thou shalt be found no more This strooke the Prince of Pride into an heate In which a Conflict terrible and great Began in Heav'n the Rebell Spirits giue way And the victorious Michael winnes the day Thus Iohn writes of the Battell Michael Fought and his Angels with the Dragon fel The Dragon and his Angels likewise fought But in the Conflict they preuailed nought Nor was their Place in Heav'n thence-forward found But the great Dragon that old Serpent bound They Diuell call'd and Sathan was cast out He that deceiueth the whole World about Ev'n to the lowest earth being tumbled downe And with him all his Angels headlong throwne This victorie thus got and he subverted Th' Arch-Angell with his holy Troupes directed
Agamemnons looke From Pirrhia's the fat and greasie Cooke Now remaines nothing of them to be seene By which the eye may iudge what they haue beene All of one semblance Incorporeall But not to be distinguished at all These things beholding I consid'red than How fitly to compare the life of Man Vnto a lingring Pompe of which who knowes her Fortune is made the Guide and free disposer To prouide Robes and Habits and indeed All properties and toyes the Actors need On him whom she most fauors she bestowes A Kingly vesture To his head she throwes A stately Turban giues him Knights and Squires With all such ornaments his pompe requires According to her pleasure and with them Perhaps a rich and stately Diadem The habit of a seruant poore and bare She puts vpon another makes him faire The next deform'd and to the Stage a scorne A spectacle in which she doth suborne All kinde of People Sexes and Degrees Many of which their States and Garments leese In the mid-Scoene nor suffers them to run In the same passage that they first begun But changing still their garment Croesus graue She forceth to the habit of a Slaue Meandrides then sitting 'mongst his Groomes She brings into the rich and stately roomes Of Tyrant Polycrates seemes to smile And lets him there perchance abide a while Clad in those Regall ornaments but when The time of his great pompe is ouer then Each Actor must his borrow'd sute restore As by him after to be worne no more Now being as at first and in the end Nought differing from his Neighbour or his Friend Yet some through ignorance loth to lay by Those painted Robes in which they late lookt hy Are on the sudden ev'n as pensiue growne As had they put off nothing but their owne They being of anothers goods possest In which they had no claime or interest I know thou hast seene often in a Play Amongst the Tragicke Actors how still they In ev'ry passage as the project 's laid One in this Dramma is a Craeon made A Priam that an Agamemnon hee Perhaps the same too as the chance may be Cecrops or Ericthoeus before playd And of them both a true resemblance made Yet he if so the Poet but assent Next day a seruile Groome shall represent But when the Play is done and that each one Resignes the golden Vesture he put on With that the person likewise represented His pantofles and all he is contented Bee'ng from the Stage acquitted to walke forth A priuat man it may be nothing worth Nor doth he looke like Agamemnon now The great Atraea's sonne neither I vow Resembles Craeon Menicaeus heire Polus he may a fellow leane and spare Of Cariclaeus Samosensis bred Of Satyrus from Theogiton dead Descended Such as I beheld them then Appear'd to me th' affaires of mortall Men. One thing Menippus tell me I entreat Those that haue Tombes magnificent and great Here on the earth with Columnes Pictures and Inscriptions large haue these no more command Nor honors done them than to such as ar ' Priuat and with the rest familiar Thou sport'st with me Hadst thou Mansolus seene So much affected by the Carian Queene Him o're whose rotten bones erected is So famous and so rich a Pyramis Thou wouldst thy very bulke with laughter swell To see how in an obscure nooke of Hell He lies contruded and oppressed sore Skulking himselfe amongst a thousand more The greatest benefit that I conceiue His so great Monument to him can leaue Is That he there below takes lesser rest As with so huge a burden ouer-prest For Friend when AEacus to each one dead As Hells old custome is chalkes out his bed The quantitie of ground that he doth score Is but the measure of one foot no more Therefore perforce they must contracted ly When to that small space they themselues apply But much more thou wouldst long in mine opinion To see those that haue had such large dominion I meane the Kings and Great Men Salt-fish sell Opprest with want teach igno'rant Ghosts to spell And learne their ABC to all disgraces Subject their cares boxt beaten on the faces Like Slaues and Captiues As I lookt vpon Philip the mighty King of Macedon I could not chuse but smile in a small nooke To see how busie and what paines he tooke Cobling old Shooes for a poore hire compeld Others in high-wayes begging I beheld As Xerxes and Darius besides these Many and amongst them Polycrates Thou tell'st me ô Menippus of these Kings Newes vnbeleeuable miraculous things Of Socrates and of Diogenes what Is with the Wise become resolue me that For Socrates he still repeating is What in Mans life time hath bin done amisse With him are conuersant Nestor Vlysses And Naulâ—â— sonne the wise Palamides With all such as were voluble in tongue Yet in their Beeing spake to no mans wrong But by his poys'nous draught which life expel'd I might behold his legs tumor'd and swel'd But excellent Diogenes his seat He hath already tooke vp by the great Assyrian Monarch Phrygian Midas there Hath residence where infinites appeare Of like condition costly fellowes all Whom when he heares aloud to shrieke and yall Comparing with the present their first state Before so blest now so infortunate He laughs and grinnes and lying with his face Vpward chants thousand things to their disgrace They willing still some other place to chuse To lament in whom still the Dog pursues Of these enough But touching the Decree Of which thou spak'st at first what might that be Publisht against the Rich Thou call'st me well To my remembrance what 't was I shall tell But Friend I feare me I haue done thee wrong From what I purpos'd to haue stayd so long Whilst I converst there th' Officers of State Call'd an Assembly to deliberate Of things behoofull for the Common good A mighty Conflu'ence gather'd there I stood Thronging among the Dead to heare what newes They after many things debated chuse That of Rich Men all other things or'e-past They make it the most serious and the last For many Crimes against them bee'ng objected As those whose vilenesse was at length detected Their Violence Extortion Inso'lence Pride Rapine and Theft with other things beside One as it seemes a prime amongst the Dead Starts vp and by command this Edict read Because saith he these Rich Men when of late They breath'd on earth did great things perpetrate Ravening extorting hauing in derision The Poore of whose Estates they made division Therefore both to the Court and Comminalty Who haue concluded it vnanimously It seemes expedient That when such be dead Their Bodies be to the sad places lead To suffer with the Wicked equall paine But that their Soules shall be return'd againe Vnto the vpper world and each one passe And shift into the body of an Asse Subiect vnto his Dulnesse Toile and Feares Full fiue and twenty times ten thousand yeares From
voluptuousnesse and pleasure yet was neuer knowne to be either diseased in body or disquieted in minde by any temporall affliction whatsoeuer Which being related vnto the Emperour he made this answer Euen hence we may ground that the Soules of men be immortal for if there be a God who first created and since gouerneth the World as both the Philosophers and Theologists confesse and that there is none so stupid as to deny him to be iust in all his proceedings there must then of necessitie be other places prouided to which the Soules of men must remoue after death since in this life we neither see rewards conferred vpon those that be good and honest nor punishments condigne inflicted vpon the impious and wicked Cicero in Caton Maior reporteth That Cyrus lying vpon his death bed said vnto his sonnes I neuer persuaded my selfe ô my Children that the Soule did liue whilest it was comprehended within this mortall body neither that it shall die when it is deliuered from this fleshly prison Anaxarchus being surprised by Nicocreon the Tirant of Cyprus he commanded him to be contruded into a stone made hollow of purpose and there to be beaten to death with iron hammers In which torments he called vnto the Tyrant and said Beat batter and bruise the flesh and bones of Anaxarchus but Anaxarchus himselfe thou canst not harme or damnifie at all The excellent Philosopher intimating thereby That though the Tyrant had power to exercise his barbarous and inhumane crueltie vpon his body yet his Soule was immortal and that no tyrannie had power ouer either to suppresse or destroy it Brusonius Lib. 2. Cap. 3. ex Plutarc Of lesse constancie was Iohannes de Canis a Florentine Physition of great fame for his practise who when out of the Principles of Mataesophia he had grounded the Soule to be mortal with the Body and in his frequent discourses affirmed as much yet when his last houre drew on he began to doubt within himselfe and his last words were these So now I shall suddenly be resolued whether it be so or no. Iohan. Bapt. Gell. Dialog de Chimaerico As ill if not worse Bubracius lib. 28. reporteth of Barbara wife to the Emperour Sigismund who with Epicurus placed her Summum Bonum in voluptuousnesse and pleasure and with the Sadduces beleeued no resurrection or immortalitie of the Soule but God and the Diuell heauen and hell equally diuided From the Philosophers I come now to the Poets Ovid lib. Metam 15. saith Morte carent Animae semperque priore relicta Sede novis domibus vivunt c. The Soules can neuer dye when they forsake These houses then they other Mansions take Phocilides the Greeke Poet Anima autem immortalis insenesibilis vivit per omne tempus i. For the Soule is immortall not subject vnto age but surviveth beyond the date of Time And Menander Melius est corpus quam Animam aegrotare i. Better it is for thee to be sicke in body than in Soule and howsoeuer thy Body fare be sure to physicke thy Soule with all diligence Propert. 4.7 Sunt aliquid manes let hum non omnia fiunt Luridaque evictos effugit vmbra rogas Sp'rites something are Death doth not all expire And the thin Shadow scapes the conquer'd fire The ingenious Poet Tibullus either inclining to the opinion of Pythagoras or else playing with it who taught That the soule after death did transmigrate and shift into the bodies of other persons and creatures we reade thus Quin etiam meatunc tumulus cui texerit ossa Seu matura dies fato proper at mihi mortem Longa manet seu vita c. When these my bones a Sepulchre shall hide Whether ripe Fate a speedy day prouide Or that my time be lengthned when I change This figure and hereafter shall proue strange Vnto my selfe in some shape yet vnknowne Whether a Horse of seruice I be growne Taught how to tread the earth or Beast more dull Of speed the glory of the herd a Bull Whether a Fowle the liquid aire to cut Or into what Mans shape this Spirit be put These Papers that haue now begun thy praise I will continue in those after-dayes Manl. lib. 4. de Astronom is thus quoted An dubium est habitare Deum sub pectore nostr◠In coelumque redire Animas coeloque venire Who doubts but God dwells in this earthly Frame And Soules returne to Haev'n from whence they came And Lucretius we reade thus Cedit enim retro de terra quid fuit ante In terra sed quod missum est ex Etheris oris Id rursum Coeli fulgentia templa receptus c. That which before was made of earth the same Returnes backe vnto earth from whence it came But that which from th' aethereall parts was lent Is vp vnto those shining Temples sent I haue hitherto spoke of the two distinct parts of Man the Soule and the Body A word or two of Man in generall Homo Man is Anima Rationalis or Mortalis A Creature reasonable and mortall Not so denominated ab Humo as Varro would haue it for that is common with all other Creatures but rather of the Greeke word Omonoia that is Concordia or Consensus Concord or Con-societie because that Man is of all other the most sociable The Nobilitie of Man in regard of the sublimitie of his Soule is expressed in Genes 1. Let vs make Man after our owne Image and similitude c. The humility which ought to be in him concerning the substance whereof he was made Genes 2. The Lord made Man of the slime of the earth The shortnesse of his life Psal. 102. My dayes are declined like a shadow and I am as the Grasse of the field The multiplicitie of his miseries Gen. 3. In the sweat of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread c. Gregory Nazianzen in Oration 10. vseth these words What is Man that thou art so mindefull of him What new miserie is this I am little and great humble and high mortall and immortal earthly and heauenly the first from this world the later from God the one from the Flesh the other from the Spirit Tertullian Apollogetic advers Gentil cap. 48. hath this Meditation Dost thou aske me how this dissolued Matter shall be again supplied Consider with thy selfe ô Man and bethinke thy selfe what thou wast before thou hadst Being Certainely nothing at all for if any thing thou shouldst remember what thou hadst beene Thou therefore that wast nothing before thou wert shalt againe be made nothing when thou shalt cease to be And why canst thou not againe from Nothing haue Being by the wil of the same Workeman whose will was That at the first thou shouldst haue existence from nothing What new thing shall betide thee Thou which wast not wert made when thou againe art not thou shalt be made Giue me if thou canst a reason how thou wert created at first and then thou
giueth vs to know That excellent Spirits are not by Death extinguished or neglected but are rather transmigrated from the earth to reigne with the Powers aboue The second fore-shewes the calamitie of a People new left destitute of a Prince or Gouernor thereby fore-warning them to preuent and prepare themselues against all imminent perils The third giues vs warning that the time of the last expiration being come his friends and Allyes should take notice of the Diuine fauour that his body dying his Soule still suruiueth and that hee is not lost to his friends and familiars This was the opinion of some Philosophers Iamblic de Myster saith That as God oftentimes from the mouth of Fooles produceth wisedome declaring thereby that Man speaketh not but God himselfe so by euery sleight and vile thing hee portendeth what is to ensue keeping still his owne super-eminence and thereby instructing our weake vnderstanding And Guliel Pachimer Hist. lib. 6. saith Prodigium est Divinae irae signum c. A Prodegy is a signe of the wrath of God but whether it portendeth or looketh vpon things past or present is beyond our apprehension But this is an argument which I desire not too long to insist vpon c. In the discourse of Lucifer and his Adherents newly fallen from grace it will not be impertinent to speake something of his first and greatest master-piece in tempting our first Parents to sinne by which came death For Death was not made by God being nothing els as Saint Augustine against the Pelagians saith but a priuation of life hauing a name and no essence as Hunger is said to be a defect of food Thirst a want of moisture and Darknesse the priuation of light It therefore hauing a name and no Being God was neither the Creator nor Cause thereof Salomon saith God hath not made Death neither hath he any pleasure in the destruction of the Liuing for he created all things that they might haue their Being and the generations of the world are preserued And in an other place Through enuy of the Diuell came Death into the world He then being the author of Sin is likewise the author of Death And yet though he had power to tempt man to Sinne Man hauing Free-will he could not constraine him to giue consent This proud Angell by his owne insolence being cast from heauen began to enuy mans felicity vpon earth and to that purpose entred the Serpent which is said to be more subtill than any beast of the field And as Rupertus super Genesis saith Before the Serpent was made the Diuels Organ hee might haue beene termed most wise and prudent for it is said in Mathew Be ye therefore wise as Serpents Him as Saint Chrisostome writes the Diuell found best sitting for his hellish enterprise and in his spirituall malice by meanes of his Angelicall presence and excellent nature abusing both as instruments of his falsehood and treacherie hee wrought with to speake to the woman being the weaker Bodie and therefore the lesse able to resist temptation Neither did the Serpent speake vnto her but the Diuell in him as the good Angell did in Balaams Asse for the good Angels and euill work like operations but to diuers effects Petrus Commestor in his Scholasticall Historie writeth That at the time when the Serpent tempted the woman hee was straight and went upright like a man but after the Curse he was doomd to crawle vpon the face of the earth And Venerable Bede saith That the Diuell chose a Serpent which had the face of a woman Quod similia similibus applaudant That Like might be pleasing to Like The Holy Historie doth recite three distinct punishments of the Serpent the Woman and the Man the Serpent was cursed beyond any other beast or creature to crawle vpon his belly and eat dust all his life time enuy being put betweene the woman and her race on the one side and the Serpent and his race on the other so that Man should breake the head of the Serpent and the Serpent bruise the heele of Man The Woman was punished by pluralitie of paines in her conception and to bring forth her children with teares and lamentations c. In the next place comes Man who hauing heard and giuen consent to the words of his wife and eaten the fruit of the forbidden Tree hee must also be punished God said vnto him That the earth should be accursed for his sake in trauel and pain should he till it all his life time it should bring forth thornes and thistles vnto him he should feed on the herbs of the field and eat his bread in the sweat of his browes vntill he was returned vnto that earth from whence he had been taken Of this great Tempter the Diuell by whom sinne death and damnation first entred Saint Augustine in one of his Meditations vseth words to this purpose The Tempter was present neither wanted there time or place but thou keptst me ô Lord that I gaue not consent vnto him The Tempter came in Darknesse but thou didst comfort mee with thy Light The Tempter came armed and strong but thou didst strengthen mee and weaken him that he should not ouercome The Tempter came transfigured into an Angell of Light but thou didst illuminate mee to discouer him and curbe him that he could not preuaile against me He is the Great and Red Dragon the old Serpent called the Diuell and Sathan hauing seuen heads and ten hornes whom thou didst create a derider and mocker in the great and spacious sea in which creepe Creatures without number small and great These are the seuerall sorts of Diuels who night and day trauell from place to place seeking whom they may deuoure which doubtlesse they would do didst not thou preserue them This is the old Dragon who was borne in the Paradise of pleasure that with his taile sweepes away the third part of the Stars of heauen and casts them on the earth who with his poyson infects the waters of the earth that such men as drinke thereof may die who prostitutes gold before him as dust who thinkes hee can drinke Iordan dry at one draught and is made so that he doth not feare any And who shall defend vs from his bitings and plucke vs ou◠of his jawes but thou ô Lord who hast broken the head of the great Dragon Do thou helpe vs spread thy wings ouer vs that vnder them we may fly from this Dragon who pursueth vs and with thy shield and buckler defend vs from his hornes It is his sole desire and continuall study to destroy those Soules whom thou hast created And therefore ô God we call vnto thee to free vs from our deadly Aduersarie who whether we wake or sleepe whether we eat or drinke or whatsoeuer else wee doe is alwayes at hand night and day with his craft and fraud now openly then secretly directing his impoysoned
without feare His study is to compasse and inuade We ought to watch there be no entry made XVII As oft as we resist we do subdue The great Seducer Then the Angels sing And Saints reioyce those that are still in view Of the Creator Heav'ns almighty King That GOD who to this Battell doth persuade vs And looks vpon vs when we enter list Still as he spurres vs on doth likewise aid vs Against that old and crafty Pannurgist Supports the Weake the Willing doth defend And crownes such as continue to the end XVIII O giue me courage then make strong my hand Thou that dost teach my fingers how to fight And lend me pow'r their fury to withstand Who would depriue me of thy glorious Light That I who all my life time haue oppos'd My selfe 〈…〉 my selfe and against Thee May by thy tender mercies he inclos'd And so be 〈◊〉 they shall not ruin mee That 〈…〉 â—is Body is confin'd to Dust My 〈…〉 yet finde place among the Iust. Vt Pila concussus resurgeâ— S. MICHAEL ARCHANGEL Ex Sumptib Harbottel Grimstone Armig Ia droesheâ—t sculpt THE ARGVMENT of the eighth Tractat. OF Sathans Wiles and Feats praestigious Appearing wondrous and prodigious Confirm'd by Histories far sought Of Novels by bad Daemons wrought And first of such is made expression That still with Mankinde seeke congression To whose Fall they themselues apply Call'd Succubae and Incubi To finde those further we desire Of Water Earth the Aire and Fire And what their workings be to know As well aboue as here below How Authors 'mongst themselues agree What Genij and Spectars bee Faunes Syluanes and Alastores Satyres with others like to these With Stories mixt that grace may win From such as are not verst therein The second Argument MIchael whom Sathan durst oppose Can guard vs from inferior Foes The Arch-Angell THose Sp'rits call'd Daemons some haue apprehended Are with mens iniuries oft times offended And when againe they humbly shall submit They are soone pleas'd all quarrels to forget They after Diuine worship are ambitious And when fond Men grow vainly superstitious As thereto by their ignorance accited In their idolatrous Rites th' are much delighted To them belongs the Augurs Diuination And such coniectures as by th' immolation Of Beasts are made whateuer did proceed From Pythia's raptures or hath been agreed To issue from vaine Dreames all Calculation By such like signes came first by th' instigation Of Daemons Homer therefore gaue them stile Of gods nor doubted in the selfe same file To number Iupiter But we whose faith On Gods knowne workes more firme assurance hath By sacred Scriptures title Daemons those Who by him first created dar'd t' oppose His Diuine Will and being ill affected Were for their Pride headlong from heav'n dejected Some in their fall still hanging in the aire And there imprison'd till they make repaire To the last dreadfull doome and such await Mans frailties hourely to insidiate Prone to his hurt with tympanous pride inflam'd Burning with Enuy not to be reclaim'd Deceitfull from bad purpose neuer chang'd Impious and from all justice quite estrang'd And with th' inueterat malice in them bred Inuading Bodies both aliue and dead But whatsoeuer war they shall commence Against vs whether vnder faire pretence Or hostile menace do well and not feare He that the Soule created will appeare In it's defence and if we boldly fight Put their strong forces and themselues to flight Plato acknowledged one God alone The rest whom others in the heav'ns inthrone He Daemons calls and Angels Thermegist Doth likewise on one Deitie insist And him he names Great beyond all extension Ineffable not within comprehension The other Sp'rits lye vnder Statues hid And Images whose worship is forbid And these the breasts of liuing Priests inspire And from the Intrals e're they touch the fire Pronounce strange Omens These the Birds flights guide And mannage such things as by Lots are try'de The doubtfull Oracles they lend a tongue Prounouncing Truths with Lies Lies Truths among Confounding them all things obvolved leaue Deceiv'd themselues they others would deceiue They waking trouble vs molest our sleepe And if vpon our selues no watch we keepe Our bodies enter then distract our braine They crampe ouâ— members make vs to complaine Of sickenesse or disease and in strange fashion They cause vs to exceed in Ioy or Passion And making vs one vniuersall wound Pretend to loose what they before had bound When as the wonder-seeming remedie Is onely their surcease from injurie For all their study practise and delight Is but to moue vs to proue opposite To the Creator as themselues haue bin That guilty of the same rebellious sin By their accitements being made impure We with them might like punishment endure Let 's heare how Apulcius doth define them Saith he these proper adjuncts we assigne them Of a thin Airy body they exist And therefore can shift places as they list Of rational apprehensionâ— passiue minde Eternall and no end can therefore finde Another writes These Spirits are much joy'd At Bloud-shed when man is by man destroy'd At riotous Feasts they 'bout the tables stalke Prouoking to vaine words and obseene talke Persuading Man in his owne strength to trust Deuise Confections that stirre vp to lust And when their pow'r on any Wretch hath seis'd Persuade That with the sin God 's not displeas'd Th' assume the shape of such as are deceast And couet to be counted gods at least Surcharg'd with joy these are not to behold When troubles and afflictions manifold Pursue the Saints of God and his Elect As hauing in themselues a cleare inspect By persecution such and tribulation Are lab'ring in the path to their saluation But when they finde our hearts obdure and hard To Pietie and Goodnesse vnprepar'd Or when they see vs deviat and erre And before Vertue Vanitie preferre Then are they merry they clap hands and shout As hauing then their purpose brought about The Hunter hauing caught vs in the Toile Seiseth his prey and triumphs in the spoile We do not reade That Sathan did once boast When patient Iob had all his substance lost Nor seeing by th' aduantage he had ta'ne His Sonnes and Daughters by a Whirle-winde slaine When hauing lost all he could lose no more And now from head to heele was but one fore Not all this mov'd him Had he made reply To her that bad him to curse God and dye By vtt'ring any syllable prophane Then he and his would haue rejoc'd amaine Nor in Pauls thirst or hunger was he pleas'd Nor when he was by cruell Lictors seis'd And hurry'd to the Gaole there gyv'd and bound Or shipwrackt in great perill to be drown'd The Barke beneath him bee'ng in pieces torne Nor when the bloudy Iewes his death had sworne Scourg'd buffetted and bandied vp and downe They knew this was the way to gaine a Crowne To them 't was rather torment
make the meat disgest The good old man perceiuing by his looke And change of cheare he Gospell could not brooke Rose at the table and cry'd out amaine Auaunt thou Fiend with thy infernall traine Thou hast no pow'r howeuer thus disguis'd O're them who in Christs name haue beene baptis'd The roaring Lion shall not vs deuour That in his bloud are ransom'd from thy pow'r These words with such like were no sooner spoke But he with all his traine vanisht like smoke And of his people they no more could finde Sauing three ougly bodies left behinde With a foule stench and they were knowne to bee Felons before-time strangled on a tree Now of those Sp'rits whom Succubae we call I reade what in Sicilia did befall Rogero reigning there a yong man much Practis'd in swimming for his skill was such That few could equall him one night bee'ng late Sporting i' th sea and thinking then his Mate Had been before him catcht him by the haire To drag him to the shore when one most faire Appear'd to him of a most sweet aspect Such a censorious Cynicke might affect Though he had promis'd abstinence Her head Seem'd as in golden wires apparelled And lo quite naked shee 's before him found Saue that her modest haire doth cloath her round Astonisht first to see so rare a Creature Richly accomplisht both in face and feature He viewes her still and is surpris'd at last And ouer her his vpper garment cast So closely brought her home and then conueyd Her to his priuat chamber where she stayd So long with him that he with her had won Such grace she was deliuer'd of a Son Within some forty weekes But all this while Though she had lent him many a pleasant smile Not making anything betwixt them strange That wife might with her husband interchange She neuer spake nor one word could he heare Proceed from her which did â—o him appeare Something prodigious Besides it being knowne How this faire seaâ— borne Venus first was growne In his acquaintance Next how his strange sute Came first and that she still continu'd mute A friend of his that had a seeming care Both of his bodie and his soules welfare Told him in plaine termes he was much mis-led To entertaine a Spectar in his bed At which words both affrighted and inrag'd To thinke how desp'ratly he had ingag'd Both soule and body home he posts with speed And hauing something in himselfe decreed First mildely treats with her and after breakes Into loud termes yet still she nothing speakes At this more angry to haue no reply He takes his sword and sonne then standing by And vowes by all the oathes a man can sweare Vnlesse she instantly deliuer there Both what she is how bred and whence she came And vnto these particular answer frame His purpose is receiue it how she will The pretty Babe betwixt them got to kill After some pause the Succubus reply'd Thou onely seek'st to know what I would hide Neuer did Husband to himselfe more wrong Than thou in this to make me vse my tongue After which words she vanisht and no more Was thenceforth seene The childe threatned before Some few yeares after swimming in the place Where first the father saw the mothers face Was from his fellowes snatcht away and drown'd By the same Sp'rit his body no where found Besides these Marcus vpon Psellius findes To be of maligne Spirits sundry kindes That beare in the foure elements chiefe sway Some Fiery and AEtherial are and they Haue the first place Next Spectars of the Aire Water and Earth but none of them that dare Beyond their bounds Others that all light fly And call'd Subterren or Lucifugi Vnto the first those prodigies of Fire Falling from heav'n which men so much admire The Learn'd ascribe As when a burning stone Dropt from the Sky into swiâ—t AEgion A Floud in Persia in Darius dayes As when three Moones at once in splendant rayes With a huge bearded Comet did appeare To all mens wonder in the selfe same yeare Pope Iohn the two and twentieth by his pow'r Curst Lewis Bavarus then Emperour Because he cherishr in litigious hope Petrus Carbariensis Anti-Pope As when three Sunnes at once shoâ— in the Sky Of equall sise to all apparantly Neere to the Village cal'd Taurometane In Sicily a Merchant bred in Spaine Coasting that way sees where before him stand Ten Smiths and each a hammer in his hand About them leatherne aprons and before He can aduise well he espies ten more And one aboue them all like Vulcan lame So shapt that you would take him for the same Describ'd in Homer Him the Merchant asks To what place they were bound About out tasks Vulcan replies Is it to thee vnknowne How famous we are late in AEtna growne Which if it be lag but a while behinde And see what thou with thousands more shalt finde To whom the Merchant What worke can there bee For men of your profession where we see Nothing but drifts of snow the mountaines clad In Winters cold where no fire can be had That shall be try'd said Vulcan once againe And with that word he vanisht with his traine At which the Merchant with such feare was strooke That all his limbes and joints were Ague-shooke To the next house his faint steps he applies And had no sooner told this but he dies His life set with the Sun E're mid-night came The vast Sicilian Mount was all on flame Belching forth fire and cinders and withall Such horrid cracks as if the rocks would fall And tumble from their height into the Plaine Mixt with such tempests both of Haile and Raine Such bellowing shriekes and such a sulphur smell As had it been the locall place of Hell This dismall night so dreadfull did appeare Vnto all such as did inhabit neere They left their houses to seeke dens and caues Thinking no place so safe then as their graues And of this nature are those fires oft seene Neere Sepulchres by which many haue beene Deluded much in Church-yards and such places Where the faint-hearted scarce dare shew their faces Such are the Ignes Fatui that appeare To skip and dance before vs ev'ry where Some call them Ambulones for they walke Sometimes before vs and then after stalke Some call them leaping Goats and these we finde All to be most malicious in their kinde By leading Trauellers out of their way Else causing them mongst theeues or pit-falls stray And such are Sulphur-colour'd others white And these haunt ships and Sea-men in the night And that most frequent when a tempest 's past And then they cleaue and cling close to the mast They call it Helena if one appeare And then presage there 's some disaster neere If they spie two they iudge good shall befall them And these thus seene Castor and Pollux call them And from that kinde of Sp'rits the Diuination Held in fore-times
shooes could water tred And neuer hasard drowning The like fame Another that Othimius had to name Behinde him left Hadingus King of Danes Mounted vpon a good Steed by the raines Th' Inchanter tooke and crosse the main sea brought him Safe whilest in vaine the hot pursuer sought him Oddo the Danish Pyrat by the aid Of the like Sp'rits whole Nauies durst inuade And with his Magicke Charmes could when he please Raise mighty stormes and drowne thâ—m in the seas At length by one of greater practise found Aiming at others Wracke himselfe was drown'd Some Authors vnto this accursed Tribe Of watry Daemons Deluges ascribe And flux of waters Such we reade were knowne Whilest Damasus was Pope when ouerthrowne Were many cities in Sicilia And By Historiographers we vnderstand The like chanc'd in Pope Alexanders dayes In Italy afflicting diuers wayes Both losse of beasts and great depopulation In Charles the fifts time by an Inundation Happend in Holland Zeeland Friseland these Had their maritime shores drown'd by the seas In Poland neere Cracovia chanc'd the same And in one yeare if we may credit Fame In Europ besides Townes and Cities then Perisht aboue fiue hundred thousand men To these belong what we call Hydromantia Gastromantia Lacomantia Pagomantia Touching the Spirits of the Earth there bee Of diuers sorts each knowne in his degree As Genij the Domesticke gods and those They Lares call Spectars Alastores Larvae Noone-Diuels Syluanes Satyrs Fawnes And they frequâ—nt the Forrests Groues and Lawnes Others th' Italians F'oletti call Paredrij there are too yet these not all Now what these Genij are Philostratus Eunapius Athenaeus Maximus With all the other Platonicks profest Them to be Sp'rits of men before deceast Who had they liv'd a good life and vnstain'd By licence of th' Infernall Pow'rs obtain'd In their owne houses to inhabit still And their posteritie to guard from ill Such they call'd Lares But all those that lead Liues wicked and debosht they being dead Wandred about the earth as Ghosts exil'd Doing all mischiefe such they Larvae stil'd And of this kinde that Spirit we may guesse Remembred in the booke of Socrates Who in the shape oâ— Moses did appeare The space togetheâ— of one compleat yeare I' th Isle of Creet persuading with the Iewes There liuing That he such a meanes would vse That if they met at a fixt day with ease He would traject them dry-foot through the seas To which they trusting by appointment meet All who that time were resident in Creet And follow their false Captaine lesse and more Ev'n to the very margent of the shore Then turning tow'rds them in a short oration Bespeakes them thus O you the chosen nation Behold as great a wonder from my hand As your fore-fathers did from Moses Wand Then with his finger points vnto a place 'Twixt them and which a Creeke ran no great space And seeming shallow All of you now fling Your selues saith he and follow me your King Into this sea swim but to yonder strand And you shall then arriue vpon a land From whence I will conduct you ev'ry man Dry-foot into a second Canaan He plungeth first they follow with one minde In hope a second Palestine to finde But hauing past their depths the rough windes blew When this Seducer straight himselfe withdrew Leaues them to ruin most of them bee'ng drown'd Some few by fish-boats sav'd he no wherâ— found With these the Spectars in some points assent Bee'ng tow'rds Mankinde alike maleuolent Whose in-nate malice nothing can asswage Authors of death depopulation strage By Origen they are Alastares nam'd By Zoroaster bloudy and vntam'd Concerning which the learned mens opinion Is That Abaddon hath of them dominion What time Iustinian did the Empire sway Many of these did shew themselues by day To sundry men both of good braine and sence After which follow'd a great Pestilence For to all such those Spectars did appeare It was a certaine signe their death drew neare King Alexander of that name the third That reign'd in Scotland if Boethius word May be beleev'd by match himselfe ally'de With England tooke Ioanna to his Bride Sister to the third Henry She bee'ng dead And issuelesse he after married Marg'ret his daughter Did on her beget Prince Alexander David Margaret These dying in their nonage and she too With sorrow as most thinke the King doth woo Iolanta the faire daughter as some say Vnto the great Earle of Campania Being as 't seemes most ardently inclin'd After his death to leaue some heire behind In the mid Reuels the first ominous night Of their espousals when the roome shone bright With lighted tapers the King and the Queene leading The curious Measures Lords and Ladies treading The selfe same straines the King looks backe by chance And spies a strange intruder fill the dance Namely a meere Anatomy quite bare His naked limbes both without flesh and haire As we decipher Death who stalks about Keeping true measure till the dance was out The King with all the rest afrighted stand The Spectar vanisht and then strict command Was giv'n to breake vp reuels each 'gan feare This Omen and presage disaster neere If any aske What did of this succeed The King soone â—fter falling from his Steed Vnhappily dy'de After whose death ensuing Was to the land sedition wracke and ruin The Syluanes Fawnes and Satyrs are the same The Greekes Paredrij call the Latines name Familiar Spirits who though in outward shew They threat no harme but seeme all good to owe Poore ambusht mankinde though their crafty Mines And snares do not appeare by ev'dent signes Yet with malicious hate they are infected And all their deeds and counsels are directed To make a faire and flatt'ring preparation Vnto the bodies death and soules damnation And of these Spirits as Macrobius saith The mount Pernassus in aboundance hath Neere to mount Hecta And Olaus writes The like appeare most frequently by nights And verbally deliuer kinde commends To men from their deceast and shipwrackt friends Vsing their helpe one Iohn Teutonicus By Acromaticke Magicke sported thus This Iohn was knowne a bastard and yet had Great fame for learning who in Halberstad Had for his worth admittance to a place Where none but the Nobilitie had grace To be in Commons yet it seemes so great Was his repute with them he sate and eat But yet with small content the yong men proud Of their high noble births much disallow'd His company and tooke it in great scorne To sit with one though learn'd yet basely borne And whether they were serv'd with flesh or fish His bastardy was sauce still in his dish But skil'd in hidden Arts I will thought he Some sudden means deuice henceforth to free My selfe from all their scoffes and taunts Hee then Inuites vnto his chamber those yong men Who most seem'd to oppose him feasts
prodigalitie was such His exhibition he exceeded much And when his money was exhausted cleane His credit flaw'd and there remain'd no meane Either to score or pawne he walks alone And fetching many a deepe suspire and grone His melanch'ly grew almost to despaire Now as we finde the Diuels ready are And prest at such occasions ev'n so than One of these Sp'rits in semblance of a man Appeares and of his sadnesse doth demand The cause Which when he seem'd to vnderstand He makes free protestation That with ease He can supply him with what Coine he please Then from his bosome drawes a Booke and it Presents the Youth and saith If all that 's writ Within these leaues thou giv'st beleefe to I Will furnish all thy wants and instantly Vpon condition thou shalt neuer looke On any page or once vnclaspe the booke The yong man 's pleas'd the contract he allowes And punctually to keepe it sweates and vowes Now saith the Spectar note and vnderstand What thou seest done Then holds in his left hand The fast-shut booke his right he casts about Then with his thumbe and finger stretched out Meaning the middle of that hand holds fast The charmed Volume speaking thus at last Natat as saliat Aurum and instantly Six hundred Crownes into his pocket fly This shew'd and done he stands himselfe aloofe Giues him the Booke and bids the Youth make proofe As he before did The same order kept The selfe same summe into his bosome leapt They part the youthfull Schollar is surpris'd With ioyes incredible and well advis'd Within himselfe thinks he How should I curse To lose this more than Fortunatus Purse Which to preuent the surest way I 'le chuse Transcribiug it lest I perchance might loose Th'originalll copy Then downe close he sits Shuts fast his dore and summons all his wits From hand to hand the Booke he moues and heaues Weighing and poising the inchanted leaues Then layes it ope But in the stead of Histories Or Poëms he spies nought saue Magicke mysteries First page by page he turnes it ouer all Saue Characters most diabolicall He nothing sees then pausing a good space His eye by chance insists vpon a place At which he wonders namely'a circle that Is fill'd with confus'd lines he knowes not what Their meaning is and from the Center riseth A Crucifix which the Crosse much disguiseth Clov'n through th' midst and quite throughout dissect Aboue an head of horrible aspect Resembling the great Diuels ougly foule Which seemes on his rash enterprise to scoule On the right side two Crosses more appeare That after a strange guise conioyned were And these are interchangeably commixt And vpon each a Caca-Damon fixt Vpon the left that part exposed wide Which modest women most desire to hide Oppos'd as ev'n as iust proportion can Was plac'd th' erected virile part of man At these much wondring and asham'd withall He feeles a sudden feare vpon him fall Which Feuer shakes him his eye 's dull and dead And a strange megrim toxicates his head Imagining behinde him one to reach Ready t' arrest him for his promise-breach He calls aloud his Tutor is by chance At hand beats ope the dore and halfe in â—â—ance He findes his Pupill and before him spies This booke of most abhorrid blasphemies And questions how it came there He tells truth Then he in stead of chiding cheares the Youth And hauing caus'd a great fire to be made Now sacrifice this cursed Booke he said The Pupill yeelds the flame about it flashes Yet scarce in a full houre 't is burnt to ashes Though it were writ in paper Thus we see Though these Familiar Spirits seeming bee Mans profest friends their loue 's but an induction Both to the Bodies and the Soules destruction Explicit Metrum Tractatus octavi Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogliphicall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. PRide was the first sinne and therefore the greatest It was the Fall of Angels and is that folly in Man to bring him to perdition It striueth to haue a hand in euery noble Vertue as it hath an interest in euerie detestable Vice The Valiant it swells with vain-glory the Learned with selfe-conceit Nay further it hath beene knowne That men of most submissiue spirits haue gloried That they could so far humble themselues as being proud that they haue not been more proud It hath made zealous men presume of their merit wretched men to boast of their misery Come to the Deadly sins It is Pride in the Enuious man to maligne the prosperitie of his neighbor in the Wrathfull man to triumph in the slaughter of his enemy in the Luxurious man to trick himselfe vp and glory in the spoile of his Mistresse in the Sloathfull to scorne labour and delight in his ease in the Auaritious to despise the Poore and trust in his aboundance According to that of Ovid in the fift booke of his Metamorph. Sum foelix quis enim neg at hoc foelixque manebo Hoc quoque quis dubitat tutum me copia fecit Happy I am for who can that deny And happy will remaine perpetually For who shall doubt it Plenty makes me such Bee'ng made so great that Fortune dares not touch Pride saith Isiodor est amor propriae excellentiae It is a loue of our proper excellencie Saint Augustine telleth vs That all other vices are to be feared in euill deeds but Pride is not to be trusted euen in good actions lest those things which be laudibly done and praise-worthy bee smothered and lost in too much desire of Praise Humilitie maketh men like Angels but Pride hath made Angels Diuels It is the beginning the end and cause of all other euills for it is not onely a sinne in it selfe but so great an one that no other sinne can subsist without it All other iniquities are exercised in bad deeds that they may be done but Pride in good deeds that they may be left vndone Pride saith Hieron was borne in heauen still striuing to possesse and infect the sublimest mindes and as if it coueted still to soare vp to the place from whence it fell it striues to make irruption and breake into the glory and power of men which first broke out from the glory and power of Angels that whom it found Copartners in nature it might leaue Companions in ruin From heauen it fell saith Hugo but by the suddennesse of the fall hauing forgot the way by which it fell though thither it aime it can neuer attaine All other Vices seek only to hinder those Vertues by which they are restrained and brideled as Wantonnesse Chastitie Wrath Patience and Avarice Bounty c. Pride onely aduanceth it selfe against all the Vertues of the minde and as a generall and pestiferous disease laboureth vniuersally to corrupt them Now the signes by which Pride is discouered and knowne are Loquacâ—ty and clamor in speech bitternes in silence
GOD of Truth At this he stay'd Then all the people cry'd aloud and sayd With publique suffrage Truth is great'st and strongest Which as it was at first shall endure longest This is that Truth in quest of which we trade And which without invoking Diuine aid Is neuer to be found Now lest we erre Concerning Sp'rits 't is fit that we conferre With sacred Story Thus then we may read Where of the fall of Babell 't is decreed Saith Esay Thenceforth Zijm shall lodge there And O him in their desolate roofes appeare The Ostriches their houses shall possesse And Satyrs dance there Ijim shall no lesse Howle in their empty Pallaces and cry And Dragons in their forlorne places fly Againe The Zijm shall with Ijim meet And the wilde Satyr with his parted feet Call to his fellow There shall likewise rest The Scritch-Owle and in safety build her nest The Owle shall lodge there lay and hatch her brood And there the Valtures greedy after food All other desolate places shall forsake And each one there be gath'red to his Make. Some moderne Writers speaking of this Text Because that they would leaue it vnperplext Say That by these strange names be either meant Mis-shapen Fowles or else it hath extent Further to wicked Sp'rits such as we call Hob-goblins Fairies Satyrs and those all Sathan by strange illusions doth employ How Mankinde to insidiate and destroy Of which accursed ranke th' appeare to bee Which succeed next in this our Historie Subterren Spirits they are therefore flyl'd Because that bee'ng th' vpper earth exyl'd Their habitations and aboads they keepe In Con-caues Pits Vaults Dens and Cauernes deepe And these Trithemius doth hold argument To be of all the rest most pestilent And that such Daemons commonly inuade Those chiefely that in Mines and Mettals trade Either by sudden putting out their lamps Or else by raising suffocating damps Whose deadly vapors stifle lab'ring men And such were oft knowne in Trophonius den Likewise in Nicaragua a rich Myne In the West-Indies for which it hath ly'ne Long time forsaken Great Olaus writes The parts Septentrionall are with these Sp'ryts Much haunted where are seen an infinit store About the places where they dig for Oare The Greeks and Germans call them Cobali Others because not full three hand-fulls hye Nick-name them Mountaine-Dwarfes who often stand Officious by the Treasure-deluers hand Seeming most busie infinit paines to take And in the hard rocks deepe incision make To search the mettals veines the ropes to fit Turne round the wheeles and nothing pretermit To helpe their labour vp or downe to winde The full or empty basket when they finde The least Oare scatter'd then they skip and leape To gather't thriftily into one heape Yet of that worke though they haue seeming care They in effect bring all things out of square They breake the ladders and the cords vntwist Stealing the workmens tooles and where they list Hide them with mighty stones the pits mouth stop And as below the earth they vnderprop The Timber to remoue they force and striue With full intent to bury them aliue Raise stinking fogs and with pretence to further The poore mens taske aime at their wracke and murther Or if they faile in that they further aime By crossing them and bringing out of frame Their so much studied labor so extreme Their malice is to cause them to blaspheme Prophane and curse the sequell then insuing The body sav'd to bring the soule to ruin Of these that to mans hurt themselues apply Munsterus writes in his Cosmography Such was the Daemon Annebergius who Twelue lab'ring men at once did ouerthrow In that rich siluer Mine call'd to this day By Wtiters Corona Rosaica The like where choicest mettals they refine Snebergius did in the Georgian Mine These are the cause the earth doth often cleaue And by forc'd crannies and deepe rifts receiue Robustious windes her empty cavernes filling Which being there imprison'd and vnwilling To be so goald struggle and wanting vent Earthquakes thereby are caus'd incontinent Such as remoue huge mountaines from their scite And Turrets Tow'rs and Townes demolish quite In Arragon Alphoâ—sus bearing sway In Brixim Apulia and Campania Happen'd the like So great an earthquake chanc't When Bajazet was to the Throne advanc't In Constantines great City that of men Full thirty thousand in one moment then Perisht th' Imperiall pallace quite destroy'd In the same kinde Dyrrachium was annoy'd Vnder Pope Foelix and great Rome together Three dayes so shooke the people knew not whether The latest day was come Like terror strooke The World when most part of the East was shooke In Hadrians reigne Like terror did encroch Vpon the famous city Antioch When Valentinian and Valens bore Ioint scepter what was neâ—er knowne before Then hapned for by an earths mighty motion The waters were diuided in the Ocean And those concealed channels appear'd bare Which till then neuer saw the Sunne nor Aire Ships riding then in Alexandria's Bay Are tost on tops of houses and there stay With as much swiftnesse bandied from the seas As balls at Tennis playd and with like ease Illyria Pannonia and Dalmatia Morauia Bauaria and Dacia Were with the earths like-horrid feuers shaken And many townes and cities quite forsaken But in Bauaria as my Author sayes One of these Tremors lasted forty dayes When six and twenty tow'rs and castles fell Temples and Pallaces supported well Two great vnited hills parted in twaine And made betweene them a large leuel'd plaine It beasts and men in the mid fields or'ethrew But that which aboue all things seem'd most new Of bodies fifty not inhumated Were to mans sight miraculously translated To statues of white salt Then dwelling neere Of this strange prodegie eye-witnesse were Conrad of Medenberch a Philosopher And the great Austria's Arch-Dukes Chancellor These Spirits likewise haue the pow'r to show Treasures that haue been buried long below By Gods permission all the veins conceald Of gold or siluer are to them reueald Of Vnions Stones and Gems esteemed high These know the place and beds wherein they ly Nay ev'ry casket and rich cabinet Of that vnrifled rocke wherein th' are set But to dispose these some are of opinion It lies not in their absolute dominion For God will not permit it as fore-knowing Such auaritious thoughts in mansheart growing His corrupt nature would to Mammon bow And his Creator leaue he car'd not how Others yeeld other reasons Ev'ry selfe Spirit is so opinion'd of this pelfe I meane those seruants of God Plutus that The least they will not part with no not what They might with ease spare Some thinke they persist To keep 't to the behoofe of Antichrist Inprejudice and dammage of th' Elect. Nay to their owne sonnes whom they most affect Either their bounty is exceeding small Or else the substance meere phantasticall
you therefore to repent For know ill-gotten goods are lewdly spent Pray let me see your Buttry Turne your face Saith the Cooke that way you may view the place That casement shewes it Well done saith the Priest Now looke with me and tell me what thou seest When presently appeares to them a Ghost Swolne-cheekt gor-bellied plumper than myne Host His legs with dropsie swell'd gouty his thighes And able scarse to looke out with his eyes Feeding with greedinesse on ev'ry dish For nothing could escape him flesh or fish Then with the empty jugges he seemes to quarrell And sets his mouth to th' bung hole of a barrell Lesse compast than his belly at one draught He seemes to quaffe halfe off then smil'd and laught When jogging it he found it somewhat shallow So parted thence as full as he could wallow Mine Host amas'd desires him to vnfold What Monster 't was made with his house so bold To whom his Vncle Hast thou not heard tell Of Buttry-Sp'rits who in those places dwell Where cous'nage is profest Needs must you waine In your estate when such deuour your gaine All such as study fraud and practise euill Do only starue themselues to plumpe the Deuill The Cooke replies What course good Vncle than Had I best take that am you know a man Would prosper gladly and my fortunes raise Which I haue toil'd and labour'd diuers waies He mildely answers Be advis'd by mee Serue God thy neighbour loue vse charitie Frequent the Church be oft deuouâ— in pray'r Keepe a good conscience cast away all care Of this worlds pelfe cheat none be iust to all So shalt thou thriue although thy gaine be small For then no such bad Spirit shall haue pow'r Thy goods directly gotten to deuour This said he left him Who now better taught Begins to loue what 's good and hate what 's naught He onely now an honest course affects And all bad dealing in his trade corrects Some few yeares after the good man againe Forsakes his cloister and with no small paine Trauels to see his Kinsman in whom now He findes a change both in his shape and brow Hee 's growne a Bourger offices hath past And hopes by changing copy at the last To proue chiefe Alderman wealth vpon him flowes And day by day both gaine and credit growes Most grauely now he entertaines his Ghest And leads him in the former roome to feast Some conf'rence past betwixt them two at meat The Cooke spake much the Church-man little â—at But findes by many a thankfull protestation How he hath thriv'd since his last visitation The table drawne the Ghests retyr'd aside He bids him once more ope the casement wide That looks into the Larder where he spies The selfe-same Sp'rit with wan cheekes and sunke eies His aspect meagre his lips thin and pale As if his legs would at that instant faile Leaning vpon a staffe quite clung his belly And all his flesh as it were turn'd to gelly Full platters round about the dresser stood Vpon the shelues too and the meat all good At which he snatcht and catcht but nought preuail'd Still as he reacht his arme forth his strength fail'd And though his greedy appetite was much There was no dish that he had pow'r to touch He craules then to a barrell one would thinke That wanting meat he had a will to drinke The Vessels furnisht and full gag'd he saw But had not strength the spigot forth to draw He lifts at juggs and pots and cannes but they Had been so well fill'd that he vnneths may Aduance them though now empty halfe so hy As to his head to gaine one snuffe thereby Thus he that on ill gotten goods presum'd Parts hunger-starv'd and more than halfe consum'd In this discourse far be it we should meane Spirits by meat are fatted or made leane Yet certaine 't is by Gods permission they May ouer goods extorted beare like sway 'T were not amisse if we some counsell had How to discerne good Spirits from the bad Who since they can assume the shape of light In their discov'ry needfull is foresight In one respect th' agree for both can take Bodies on them and when they please forsake Their shapes and figures but if we compare By circumstance their change they diffrent are As in their true proportionâ— operation Language and purpose of their transmutation Good Angels though vndoubtedly they can Put on all formes still take the shape of Man But the bad Daemons not with that content When they on their curst embassies are sent In figures more contemptible appeare One like a Wolfe another like a Beare Others resembling Dogs Apes Monkies Cats And sometimes Birds as Crowes Pies Owles and Bats But neuer hath it yet been read or told That euer cursed Sp'rit should be so bold To shew his damned head amongst them all In th' innocent Lambes or Doues that haue no gall Some giue this reason God would not permit Since by the Lambe his deare Sonne thought it fit Himselfe to shadow and the Holy-Ghost As in that Bird whom he delighted most T'assume her figure in his apparition That Fiends should in these shapes shew any vision Whoso will sift their actions he shall finde By their successe if well or ill inclin'd The one from other for the blessed still Square all their actions to th' Almighties will And to mans profit neither more nor lesse The limit that 's prescrib'd them they transgresse The Cacadaemons labour all they can Against Gods honour and the good of man Therefore the end of all their apparitions Are meere idolatrous lies and superstitions They to our frailties all grosse sinnes impute That may the body staine or soule pollute And when they aime against vs their chiefe batteries They bait their deadly hookes in candy'd flatteries In golden bowles they poys'nous dregs present Make shew to cure but kill incontinent And therefore it behooues man to haue care Whom thousand wayes they labour to ensnare Take Saint Iohns counsell Be not you saith hee Deceiv'd by your too much credulitie Beleeue not ev'ry Spirit but first try Whether he doth proceed from God on hy Examine ev'ry good thing they pretend Whether they likewise doo 't to a good end To diuers maladies they can giue ease Comfort and helpe vprores sometimes appease Predict mischances teach men to eschew Mischiefes which they prepar'd as well as knew In all their speech Gods name they neuer vse Vnlesse it to dishhonour and abuse Another speciall signe they cannot scape Namely That when they put on humane shape To giue man iust occasion to misdoubt them Some strange prodigious marke they beare about them In one deficient member These be notes To finde them out either the feet of Goats Foreheads of Satyrs nailes deform'd and crooked Eyes broad and flaming noses long and hooked Hands growne with haire and nosthrils broad and wide Teeth gagg'd and larger than their lips can hide The Crosses signe saith Athanasius
opinion of mans wit No certaine principle at all th' haue lent Grounded on firme and sollid argument Which Principles no sooner are deny'de But all their doctrine 's ruin'd in it's pride Therefore these Academicks did inact A Maxim held amongst themselues exact Let none dispute or into termes arise With any that the Principles denies Obserue but the Philosophers inuentions And amongst them the Fencer-like contentions Concerning the Creator of vs allâ— The Angels and the Worlds originall Some impiously and foolishly deny That there 's to gouerne vs â— Deity Others that say there is a God there are But he of humane actions takes no care And some remaine in doubt and will not know At least confesse there is a God or no. Who in his best conceptions doth not storme At their Idaea's Atoms Matter Forme Full Empty Infinite first Essence Beeing With thousands more and all these disagreeing Touching the Soule hath been more strange opinions Than now beneath the great Turke are dominions One That man hath no Soule at all will proue And that the Body of it selfe doth moue Some grant a Soule but curiously desire To haue th' essence thereof deriv'd from Fire Of Water some others of Aire compound it And some as brain-sicke as the rest would bound it In Earthly humor other Sectists dare Affirme the substance to be Fire and Aire One Heat or an hot constitution he Saith in 's great wisedome it of force must be Of the foure Elements the pure complexion Others will haue it Light or Lights reflexion One calls it restlesse Motion he a Number Mouing it selfe c. Thus one another cumber Warring with contradictions infinite As vainly too of the Soules seat they write To the braines ventricle some one confines it Come to anothers censure he assignes it Vnto the Epicranion 'Mongst the rest Epicurus makes her mansion in the brest In the Hearts arteries some say it dwells Another in the Heart and nowhere els Empedocles would haue it vnderstood The sole place she resides in is the Bloud In the whole Body others seeke to place it And with no seeming arguments out-face it Like diffrence hath amongst them been to know Whether the Soule immortall be or no. Democritus and Epicurus they Beleev'd the Soule was mortall Others say And it seemes better warranted incline To make the world beleeue it is Diuine The Stoicks held opinion with the breath All bad Soules are extinguisht ev'n in death But that the better are exalted hye To place sublime and neuer more to dye Some so ambiguous in their censures were Nothing saue doubt in all their Works appeare Then to conclude Studies that haue foundation Like these vpon mans meere imagination Than the Chamaelions are more variable Lighter than winde than the sea more vnstable Than th' Elements th' are at more deadly hate And than the Labyrinth more intricate Than th' Moon more changing Darknesse more obscure Than Women more inconstant and vnsure He then that in his best thoughts doth desire After the Truth ingeniously t' inquire And to the perfect path to be conducted May it please that man to be thus instructed Seeke not from Man but God that can dispose Who all things not from him that nothing knowes Of Truth the Scriptures plenally report Of which our weake and dull conceit comes short Note what our Sauior saith to end all strife I am the Way I am the Truth and Life Againe he saith Into the world I came To declare truth and testifie the same No wonder then if ev'n the Wisest dote Who from the Scriptures were so far remote And that the more they labour'd Truth to finde The more they were made stupid dull and blinde By muddy streames it is an easie thing To know a troubled and vnhealthfull Spring By bright and Chrystall rivelets we are sure By consequence the fountaines head is pure And in this water so refin'd and cleare Our blessed Sauior makes himselfe appeare When he thus saith as Iohn doth plainly tell To the Samaritan at Iacobs Well Who so shall of the Water drinke that I Will giue him shall no more thirst till he dye The water that I giue in him shall be A Well of water euerlastingly Springing to life eternall Now if any Of the great Doctors differ as th' are many Retire we to the Scriptures the true test To know of their opinions which sounds best Nor let their works further authoris'd bee Than punctually they with the Text agree Neither let any of his knowledge proud Dare further search than is by them allow'd From the wise men heav'ns secrets are conceal'd And vnto Infants and to Babes reveal'd Therefore let Arrogance no man delude Whilest humbly with Saint Austin I conclude Whoso shall reade this Worke where he shall finde Truth certaine let him ioyne with me in minde Where he shall doubt with me I next desire That he with me will labour to enquire If he haue err'd in iudgement and finde here To be resolv'd from hence his error cleare If he my error finde with some respect Of my good meaning let him mine correct Explicit Metrum Tractatus Noni Eatenus rationandum est donec veritas invenitur Cum inventa est Veritas ibi figendum est Iuditium in victoria Veritatis soli Veritatis inimici pereans S. Chrisost. Theologicall Philosophicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogâ—pâ—icall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. THese Spirits of the earth or vnder the earth hauing charge of the Mines and Treasures below meethinkes should deterre men from the base sin of Auarice Aurelius calleth it the root of euill or a fountaine of euils whence as from an inundant streame flow injurie injustice Briberie Treason Murder depopulation strage ruine of Commonweales ouerthrowes of Armies Subuersion of estates wracke of Societies staine of conscience breach of amitie confusion of minde with a thousand other strange enormities The propertie of a couetous man saith Archimides is to liue all his life time like a Beggar that he may be said at his death to die rich who as he is good to no man so is hee the worst friend to himselfe and as hee passeth great trouble and trauell in gathering riches so hee purchaseth withall great danger in keeping them much law in defending but most torment in departing from them and in making his Will hee for the most part findeth more trouble to please all than hee tooke pleasure to possesse all In the purchasing of which as one ingeniously said he gets carefulnesse to himselfe enuy from his neighbour a prey for theeues perill for his person damnation to his soule curses for his children and Law for his heires Nay euen in his life time he wanteth as well what he hath as what hee hath not Moreouer all euil-gotten gaine bringeth with it contempt curses and infamy The Gluttons minde
to make his entrance But hee continuing his godly meditations was no further troubled but slept quietly the remainder of the night The next day comming againe to visit his Patient whom the Diuell had possessed after he had prayed with her a while he began to vpbraid the Diuell of promise-breach and told him that he had neither visited nor terrified him no not so much as entred his chamber which he bragged and boasted he would do To whom he replied That he was at the doore and knockt moreouer That hee had vntiled a grear part of the house but had no power to enter the place being so munified and defended by his holy supplications Nay more if all the legions of hell should haue attempted it it had been in vaine since there is no inuasion or irruption to bee made by them into a place sanctified and made holy by prayers and blessings of holy and deuout men He then profered the Diuell to remoue his bed into any other open place where was no roofe nor couering but he refused to meddle with him vpon any termes So that by his pious and Christian endeauour he was exterminate and cast out neuer troubling the good woman after Most true and vndoubted it is That the inuocation of the holy Name of God is a most preseruatiue Amulet or sweet-smelling Confection to expell all the noysome and pestilentiall sauours by which hee seekes to poyson and infect the soule of man Or like the heart and liuer of the fish layd vpon the coles by Tobit in his marriage chamber the perfume whereof being smelt by the euill Spirit confines him into the vttermost parts of AEgypt I come now to the miserable and most remarkable ends of the most notorious and infamous Magitions Amongst whom Simon syrnamed Magus from his prestigious and diabolicall act may claime a kinde of priority and precedence wherefore I rank him in the first place He by the Diuels assistance hauing long deluded the people with many stupendious and prodigious nouelties grew to that height of opinion not onely amongst the vulgar and vnletter'd sort of people who are ready to admire euery Mountebanke and â—ugler but had purchased himselfe that credit and reputation with the Emperour and Senat of Rome that they were not willing onely to celebrate his name and reuerence his person but they concluded and agreed to conferre vpon him Diuine honors causing an Altar to be erected with this inscription Simoni sancto Deo To Simon the holy god Notwithstanding hee had thus blinded the eyes and deluded the sences of such an vnderstanding Nation yet he himselfe knew That whatsoeuer he did was but Deceptio visus meere jugling trickes and legerdemaines Therefore when he beheld the holy Apostles to worke true Miracles meerely and immediately by the powerfull hand of God and in the name of our Redeemer hee offered them a great summe of money to purchase from them the gift of the holy-Ghost as knowing that to be reall and essentiall and his spells and riddles to be nugatorie and vaine Nicenus commemorateth diuers of his seeming wonders He hath saith he made statues and Images to moue and walke he flung himselfe into the fire and wrapt himselfe in flames and not been burned he hath flowne in the aire and of stones made bread that hath been eaten he hath changed himself into a Serpent and could take vpon him the shape of any beast whatsoeuer he would many times appeare to haue two faces and harh turned himselfe into an heape of gold at feasts and banquets he would shew strange apparitions all those dishes and chargers appointed for the seruice brought vp the meat of themselues without any seene to support them and the bowles and glasses offered themselues of their owne accord into the hands of them who had an appetite to drinke But after all his cheating jugling and prestigion if I may so call it flying in the aire at the prayers of Saint Peter his spells failed and his incantations deceiued him so that falling precipitate from on high he brake all his bones to shiuers And this of his execrable Art was the miserable end Now of those Iuglers that make a trade and profession thereof and do sell their trickes for money there are diuers examples Of one Zito a Bohomian an expert and cunning Inchanter Iohannes Dubravius thus writeth Vincestaus Emperor and King of Bohemia hauing entred into league and affinitie with Iohn Duke of Bauaria by taking to wife his daughter Sophia the father in law hearing his sonne to be much delighted in sports and especially in jugling and prestigious conueyances hee caused a waggon to be furnished with such like implements and properties Fencers weapons and the like to furnish seuerall pastimes and carried them with him to the city of Prague where the Emperour then kept Court Now when the most excellent amongst the Bauarian Magitions had presented himselfe on the stage to shew the Princes and the rest of the spectators some rare nouell and wonderment presently appeares vnknowne and vnexpected of the other one Zito belonging to Vinceslaus with his mouth gaping and drawn to either eare and comming neere to the Bauarian he seemed to eat and deuoure him cloathes and all saue his shooes which were somewhat durty and those as if his stomack would not disgest them he cast vp againe Then as if his belly had bin troubled with this vnaccustomed dyet he retyred to a great Vessell full of water which was placed by and making shew as if hee would ease himselfe and exonerate his body charged with such a burthen he presently deliuered vnto them the Bauarian conjured out of the tunne wet from head to foot to the great admiration and laughter of the multitude Which strooke such a terror into the rest that came to shew themselues and their cunning that not one of them after that durst appeare in the sight of Zito Olaus Magnus writeth That one Gilbertus contending with his Master and Tutor Which was the best experimented in arr Magicke which they both professed the Archi-Mage or Teacher whose name was Catillus produced a small staffe inscribed with Gothicke or Ruthnicke characters and cast it vpon the ground which the scholler Gilbert taking vp he presently grew stiffe and hard and was instantly conueyed into an Island called Latus Veter which lies within the dominion of the Astro-Gothes and in a cauerne there was finally confined It is likewise reported That before a publique assembly of the Nobilitie and others in the Court of a great King two famous Magitions contended which of them should haue the precedencie for skill and in the triall it was concluded betwixt them that by turnes neither should refuse what the other commanded him to do to which couenant they had both past their oathes in the presence of all the Spectators The first who was to begin commands the other to put his head out of a casement Which was
corpora sine vllo vitio sine vlla deformitate sine vlla corruptione in quibus quanta facilitas tanta foelicitas erit i. The bodies of the Saints shal rise againe without any defect without any deformitie without any corruption in which there shall be as much felicitie as there is facilitie And Schoonaeus ex D. Hieron Seu vigilo intentus studijs seu dormio semper Iudicis aeterni nostras tuba personat aures Whether I waking study or sleepe still The Iudges last trumpe in myne eares sounds shrill I conclude with Iacobus Catsius de Eternitate in these words Cum suprema dies rutilo grassabitur igni Perque solum sparget fulmina perque salum Protinus erumpet gelido pia turba sepulchro Et tolletur humo quod modo vermis erit Hic câ—i squallor iners cui pallor in ore sedebat Veste micans nivca conspiciendus erit Alma dies optanda bonis metuenda profanis Ades parvum suscipe Christe gregem ¶ Thus paraphrased When the last day with wasting fire shall shine Disperst through earth and sea beyond each line Straight from the cold graue shall arise the Iust And breathe againe who late were wormes and dust He in whom squallid palenesse latâ— hath beene Clad in white shining Vesture shall be seene O Day the good mans joy the bad mans feare That Christ his Small Flocke may receiue draw neare A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. BEtimes awake thee And vnto sad and serious contemplation Dull Soule betake thee Thy selfe retyre And after the great GOD of thy Saluation With care enquire Withdraw thy selfe within thy hearts close center Whither saue him alone let nothing enter II. Then let thine Heart Thus say My GOD let me behold thy face Shew in what part Or in what ground Of the vast world what corner or what place Thou mayst be found How shall I finde thee if thou bee'st not here Or why not present being ev'rywhere III. 'T is Thou excellest And in thy great incomprehensible Light For euer dwellest How can fraile Eyes A Glory that 's so luminous and bright By Sence comprise Yet of thy Grace so much to me impart That though it check my Sight 't may chere my heart IV. Who shall abide Thine anger if thou beest insenc't with vs Or if Thou hide From vs thy face Poore wretches then how darke and tenebrous Would be our place Without the lustre of thy louing kindenesse Grope should we euer in Egyptian blindenesse V. Great GOD imprint The Seraphs Loue into this Heart scarce mine Once Flesh now Flint Stirre vp an heate In this my frozen brest by Pow'r Diuine I thee entreat And neuer let thy Grace from me remoue Since Loue is God and thou my GOD art Loue. VI. It was th' ambition Of knowing Good and Euill that first brought Man to perdition The Cherub who Is Knowledge and can teach vs as we ought Our God to know Is He the first Transgressors did expell And chac't from the blest place in which they fell VII Iust is the Throne Iudgement is thine ô GOD and it pertaines To Thee alone In ballance ev'n Vnpartiall thou weigh'st all that doth remaine In Earth or Heav'n Yet though all Iustice be to Thee assign'd In thy good Grace let me thy Mercy find VIII As thou art Iust Beyond all apprehension all opinion Ev'n so we trust That since to Thee With Maiestie likewise belongs Dominion Of all that bee Thou which with mighty sway the World maintainst Wilt pitty haue of those o're whom thou raign'st IX The Vertues they In their high Classe vpon thy Will attend And it obey Ready they are In dangers those that feare thee to defend And still prepare In hostile opposition to withstand Sathan with all his proud infernall Band. X. The heav'nly Pow'rs As Ministers about thy Seruants wait And at all how'rs Assistant bee From such as would our Soules insidiate To set vs free And when these Champions in the List appeare The Tempter flies surpris'd with dastard feare XI Should the great Prince Of this vast World muster his hellish Legions Vs to convince From Water Aire The Earth or any of the other Regions To make repaire Where any of the Principats are nam'd They leaue the place confounded and asham'd XII Proud Lucifer The first of Angels bearing name of Light Who durst prefer Himselfe before His pow'rfull Maker the Great GOD of Might Whom we adore Was in an instant by Prince Michael Cast from high Heav'n into the lowest Hell XIII Gabriel imploy'd I' th' Virgin Mothers blest Annuntiation Mankinde o're-ioy'd He first proclaim'd Vnto the World the LORD of our Saluation EMANVEL nam'd Who though on earth revil'd and dis-esteem'd Yet by his Suffring Mankinde he redeem'd XIV O Holy Holy Holy Three Persons and but one almighty GOD Vnto Thee solely Our Pray'rs we tender And in thy Kingdome hoping for abode Freely surrender Our Soules and Bodies Whilest we liâ—e when die Protect vs with thy heav'nly Hierarchie Obsecro Domino ne desperem suspirando sed respirem sperando FINIS A generall Table THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST TRACTAT TO proue there is a God from the Conscience the Stars Earth Beasts Riuers Sea Globe Man Pag. 3 4. Poets and Philosophers concerning the Deity 5. The same illustrated by Historie 6. Sacriledge punished 7. Religion from the beginning with the multiplicity of gods among the Gentiles ibid. The historie of Syrophanes 8. Of Idolatry and Superstition 9. The originall of Idolatry 10. Of the Atheist with arguments against Atheisme 11. Of Chance and Fortune 12. Illustrations to confute Atheisme 13. The death of Lucian Atheos 14. A Paraphrase vpon Chap. 2. of the Booke of Wisedome against Atheisme 15. What Atheisme is 18. Seuerall sorts of Atheists 19. Gratitude toward God taught vs by Beasts Birds c. 21. Atheists confuted by their owne Oathes by Reason c. ibid. By Philosophie by Scripture 22. A Deity confessed by Idolaters 23. Proued by acquiring after Knowledge ibid. By the Ethnicks by the Oracle by the Sybils c. 24. Miracles at the birth of Christ. 25. Herods Temple and that at Delphos burnt in one day 26. The sect of the Sadduces with ridiculous tenets of the Atheists proposed and answered 27. Atheisme defined 31. Lawes amongst the Gentiles against Atheisme ibid. Atheists how punished 32. Iudgements vpon Atheisme and of Lucian 33. Of Timon his life death c. ibid. Prodigious effects of Atheisme 34 Holy-dayes obserued amongst the Gentiles ibid. Women famous for Chastitie and Pietie 35. Mortall men immortallised 36. Of the Semones ibid. Of diuers branded with impietie 37. Bad Wiues naughty Husbands wicked mothers vnnaturall Daughters 38 Of selfe-Murthers and Idolatry 39 Idols named in the Scriptures 40 Strange subtilties of the Diuell 42. Prodegies wrought by the Diuell in Idols 43 The malice of the Diuell 45 Augures amongst the Greeks and Romans 46. Aruspices Auspices
ibid. The Golden World 275. The concordance betwixt the Dominations and Iupiter ibid. Of the Vertues with Mars 276. The maleuolent aspect of Mars 277. Of the Potestates with the Sunne 278. Of Starres that receiue names from the Sun ibid. The Trinitie in Vnitie figured in the Sunne 279. Concord betwixt the Principats and Venus ibid. The Arch Angels and Mercury 280 Betwixt the Angels and the Moone 281. The Premisses illustrated 282. Three Religions most profest 283. What the Iewes say for themselues 284. Wherein the Mahumetan opposeth the Christian ibid. Mahomets imposterous Miracles Saints and Reliques 285. The Creation of things according to Mahomet and of his Paradise 286. The first Sow according to Mahomet and why Sowes flesh is not eaten in Paradise 287. The first Mouse the first Caâ— and the joyes of Heauen according to Mahomeâ— 288. His palpable and absurd ignorance with his opinion of Angels 289. Aridiculous tale in Mahomets Alcaron 290. Of the Priscillians and Manichees exploded Heretiques 291. Wherein blessednesse consisteth according to the Manichees 292. Of Truth 293. The Philosophers and Fathers of Truth 294. The Poets of Truth 295. An exceâ—lent discourse of Cardinall Pascalis of Truth 296. Truth constant and subiect to no change 297. Religion grounded vpon Truth 298. Religion defined against those that make it a cloake for hipocrisie 299. Three opinions concerning Christ 300. Iosephus Pontius Pilat c witnesses of Christ 301. An Epistle of Pliny to Trajan the Emperor concerning Christians 302. Diuers Ethnieke Princes who fauored the Christians 303. Caesar Maximinus his oration concerning Christians And of Cublay Emperour of Tartaria 304. What a Miracle is 306. Wonders in Nature 307. Of Christs Miracles 308. Origen Greg. Chrisost. c. of the Virgin Mary 309. Christ miraculous in his birth life doctrine and death 310 c. Twelue grieuous sufferings of Christ 315. Of the great Eclipse at his death 316. The life and death of Mahomet 319 c. Beza his Epigram of Religion 322. Pope Greg. of Christs death 323. An Emblem 324. A Meditation 327. THE CONTENTS OF THE SIXTH TRACTAT A Discourse of the Heart of man 331. The inconstancie of Mans Heart 332. How many wayes the Heart of man is insidiated ibid. How it may be reconciled to the Creator 333. Sundry opinions concerning the creation of Angels 334. Angels created with the Light 335. Lucifers glory in his Creation 336. He is figured in Tyrus 337. The creation of Man the Soule the Body and what Man is 338. The Incarnation of Christ reuealed to the Angels 339. Lucifers Rebellion the cause thereof The Battell betwixt Michael and the Diuell 340. The Fall of Angels and the weapons vsed in the Battell 341. How long Lucifer remained in Glory 342. The power he hath since his Fall ibid. The Fall of Adam his offence and punishment 343. Of Hell according to the Poets Tibullus 344. Virgil Seneca Valer. Flacchus Lucretius c. 345. Of Hell according to the Scriptures and Fathers 346. The torments of Hell 347. The seuerall denominations of Hell ibid. Lucians Dialogue called Nycio Manteia i. an Answer from the Dead 348. The cause of Menippus trauell to Hell 350. The Ciuill Lawes compared with the doctrines of the Poets ibid. The vanitie of Philosophers and their wranglings discouered 351. Lucians meeting with the Magition Mithrobarzanes 352. His superstâ—tionsâ— and Incantations discouered and derided 353. A description of his passage to Hell 355. Of Minos the Iudge with his proceeding against the Prisoners 355. Diuers great men arraigned and sentenced 357. A description of the torments 358. Of the Heroes and demy-gods 359. The equalitie that is in Hell 360. A comparison of the life of man ibid. Great men on earth how vilified in Hell 361. The estate of Socrates Diogenes and the like in hell 362. A Decree made in Hell against rich men ibid. Tyresius his counsell What life is safest to leade on earth 363. Menippus his passage from hell 364. Further discourse of the Heart of man 365. Manlius of the ambition of Mans heart 366. The instabilitie and corruption thereof 367. Further of the Creation of the Angels when and where 368. The Angelicall nature how vnderstood 369. Diuers questions and difficulties concerning Angels reconciled 370. The order that God vsed in the Creation 371. Angels immutable and that no Soule but hath an Angell to attend it 372. What best pleaseth the Angels They gouerne Nations Angell a name of office not of nature 373. Nazianzen of the Angels 374. Of the forming and fashioning of Man ibid. The three dignities of the Soule and the end why Man was created 375. Three great gifts bestowed on Man in the Creation ibid. Three opposit euils 376 A iust measure of mans body ibid. Three sorts of liuing Spirits created by God 377 Of the Soule of man 378. The Philosophers concerning the Soule 379. Iohannes de Canis a Florentine Physition 380. The Poets of the Soule 381. Of Man in generall 382. Against such as deny the Resurrection 383. Difference betwixt the liues of Beasts Men and Angels ibid. Of the birth of Man 384 The Ethnicks of Man ibid. Homer with other Poets of Man 385. Adages and Emblems of Man 386. Hierogliphycks of Man 387. Ethnicks of Hell 388. The Rabbins of the locall place of Hell 389. The figure of Moloch 390 Lucians Dialogue intituled Nyciomanteia with Sir Thom. Mores Argument thereupon 390 c. The acts of Alexander Hannibal and Scipio 392 c A discourse of hell fire 397. Reasons prouing the perpetuity of the torments 398. An Emblem 399. A Meditation 401. THE CONTENTS OF THE VII TRACTAT VVIsedome contemplateth the wonderfull works of God 407. The Sun 408. The Moone Stars Rainbow Snow Lightning Haile Mountains Winds Thunder Raine Frost Ice c 409 c. The quality and condition of malignant Spirits 410. Diuels retaine their first naturall faculties 411. The degrees among Diuels of which Lucifer is prime 412. Lucifers figure and description 413. Prioritie obserued among the Diuels with necessarie obseruations 415. The Diuels striue to imitate God 410. An excellent historie expressing the instabilitie of Fortune ibid. The originall of Idolatry illustrated from the former historie 435. Nine Classes of Diuels with their seueral Orders 436. The sundry names of Diuels and what they signifie 437. Of the number of Angels that fell more Angels than men more men than Angels 438. Of the motion of Angels ibid. The distance betwixt the eighth heauen and the earth 439. All intelligent Substances are incorporeall 440 Sathan and the euill Daemons bounded in their malice ibid. The admirable knowledge f Spirits 441. How and wherein their knowledge is limited 442. Their equinocating answers in the Oracles ibid. Good Angels cannot erre 443. Of Contracts made betwixt man and Sathan ibid. The manner of the diuels temptations set down the better to aâ—oid them 444. Pasetis a great Magition ibid. Seueral Magicke books fathered vpon good and godly men ibid. Seuerall mettals ascribed
Death The Heresies of the Priscillians and Manicheâ—â— Fiue Elements according to the Manichees Wherein Blessednes consists according to the Manichees Of Truth Li. 44 pag. 430. Titus Pomp. Idor-Abies Lib. 9. Cap. 19. Epaminondas Papias King Aglesiaus Thales AEschines Demosthenes Democratus Ambrose Bernard Lib. de Virtut vitijs ca. 8. Religion and the Truth thereof Three opinions concerning Christ. The first Holy beginners The second Wicked Contemners The third Fearful Time-seruers Iosephus de Antiq. lib 2. Which was 40 yeres after his Passion Pilat a witnes of Christ. Plin. lib. 1. De Antiq. li. 2. Of Cublay Emperour of Tartarie The Oratian of Cubley to the Christians Psal. 8. ver 8. Valer. Maxim Lib de Civit. Dei 21. Lib. 11. de Civ Dei Ca. 11. Hom. 29. Wonders in Nature Of Miracles Ser. 143. of the Blessed Virgin Mary Serm. 148. Cap. 1. Hom. 1. Lib. 18. Moral In Iob Cap. 35. Homil. de Ioan. Bapt. Aug. de incarnat Domin Serm. 3. in Vigil Natiuit Three Wonders The first The second The third Sup. Mat. 2. Sup. Ioane Ser. Sup. Epiph. Homil. Sup. Mat. 10. Ser. de Appar Sup. Cant. Serm. 15. Twelue grieuous sufferings of Christ. Cap. 27. ver 41. Of the great Eclipse at the death of our Sauiour The first Difficulty The second Difficulty The third Difficulty Dionysius Areopag Phlegon Lucianus Martyr Leo. serm 10. Isay. 60. ver 2. The life of Mahomet Psal. 58. Catsius lib. 3. Embl. 2. Psal. 33.2.3 Praise the Lord with Harpe sing vnto him with Viol and Instrument of ten strings Sing cheerfully with a loud voice c. Prope est Dominus omnibus inuocantibus cum in veritat Psal. 144. Seneca in Hippol Percontatorem fuge nam garrulus Idem est A discourse of the Heart of Man The Inconstancy of mans thoughts A Simile How many wayes the Heart is Insidiated How the heart may be reconciled to the Creator Sundry opinions concerning the Creation of Angels Gen. 2.2 Gen. 1. S. Aug. Sup. Gen. Daniel 3. ver 57.58.59 Psal. 48.2 Iob 58.7 Daniel 10. Tobit 12. Dr. Strozza lib. de Spirit Incant Ezechiel 28. vâ—r 12. Ver. 17. The Creation of Man The Soule of Man The Bodie of Man What Man is The Incarnation of Christ reuealed vnto the Angels Epist. 1. to Tim. Lucifers first Rebellion Isay. 14.13 The Battel betwixt Michael and the Diuel Reuel 12.7 The Fall of Angels Epinic a Song of praise and thanksgiuing Reuel 15.3 Reuel 12.10 The weapons vsed in this Battell of the Angels Aver Met. 12 7.4â— Arist. de Anim. 3.48 How long Lucifer remain'd in glory Note A necessary obseruation The Fall of Adam Mark 3.23 A necessary obseruation Iohn 1.2 15. Pannurg a deceiuer or subtil person Tibull lib. 2. Eleg. 3. At scelerata iacet sedes in nocte profunda c. Virg. AEneid 6 Ergo exercentur poeniâ— veterumque malorum supplicia expeâ—dunt c Senec. in Herc. Fur. Quod quisque facit patitur Authorem scalus repetit c. Val. Flaâ— Argoâ—ant 3. Quippe nec inulioâ— nec in vltima soluimur ossa Ira manet c. Lucret. li. 3. de nat deor Post mortem denique nostraÌ„ numquid ibi horribile apparet Senec. in Here. Turent verane est tam inferis c. Of Hell according to the Scriptures and Fathers S. Aug. How Hell is called Iob 10.21.22 Gehenna The torments of Hell The torments of the Sences Tartarus Of the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. not to see Avernus Infernus Abiss Tophet Poena sensus Poena Damni This dialogue is called Necyomantia viz. a answer from the Dead Menippus Philonides Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phâ—l Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. * The Historiographer Phil. Men. Phil. Men. Phil. Men. The Decree Of the Heart of Man The Ambition of the Heart Gen. 1.3 Psal. 33.6 Aug. sup Gen. lib. 7. cap. 21. Rupert de operib sacr spir cap. 2. Eccles. 18.1 Pet. Lumb li. 2. distinc 2. Aug. sup Gen. Eccles. 1.4 Dionys. Rihell lib. de Great Mundi ca. 2. Philo lib. de Operib Dei Wisdom 11.17 Eccles. 1.2 Heb. 12. Mat. 3. Angels immutable Euery Soule hath his Angell to attend it What best pleaseth the Angels Angâ—ls gouerneth Nations Angella name of Office not of Nature Of the forming fashioning of man The three dignities of the Soule The end why Man was created Why God made man vpright Three gifts bestowed vpon Man in his Creation Ecerp lib. â— cap. 2 3 4â— Three opposite Evils Necessity absolute conditionall Theoricke Practicke Mechanicke The iust measure of mans Body Three sorts of liuing Spirits created by God Of the Soule of Man The Philosophers concerning the soule Note The Poets concerning the Soule Of Man in generall An excellent Argument against such as deny the Resurrection The Liues of Beasts Men and Angels Of the Birth of Man The Ethnicks concerning Man Silenus Phavorinus Alphonsus Aristotle Hom. of Man with other Poets Adages Emblem Hierogliphick Of Hell The Ethnicks concerning Hell The Locall place of Hell The Rabbius of Hell Prov. 9. Prov. 15.24 The Figure of a Moloch The Argument of Sir Thomas Moore vpon this Dialogue The Battell of Cannas Greenwood vpon Tophet Quest. Mat. 25.41 Lukes 16.24 Hugo In fiue properties the Fire of Hell differeth from our Fire Elementary Mat. 3. Three reasons to proue the perpetuite of the Torments of the damned Dodonia quercus The Deuâ—lls two maine Enginâ— Comfort against Desperation Against the sinne of Presumption Presumption bred from Pride Eccles. cap. 3. vers 29.30 Eccles. 42.15 Iob 4.4 Isay. 29.15 Ecclesiast Cap. 43.1 The Sun Genes 1.16 The Moone Exod 12.2 The Stars Gen. 9 13 14. The Rainbow Esay 40.12 The Snow The Lightning The Haile The Mountaines The Wind. The Thunders The Rayne The Frost The Ice The Seas The Whales Psal. 96.4 Iohn 1.15 Psal. 106.2 The quality and condition of the malignant Spirits The Diuels still retaine their first Natural Faculties Dionys. Areopag de Coelest Hierar The degrees among Divels Lucifer prince of Diuels Lucifer quasi lucem ferens Lucif Figure Priority among the Diuels A necessary obseruation A second obseruation The Diuell striues to imitate God in his workes to the perdition of Mankind An excellent History wherin to the life is exprest the instability of Fortune LustruÌ„ according to Livy the space of fiue yeares She was call'd Dea Spannigena because orta salo i. borne of the Sea The youngest Sister stoln by Pyrats The Fatherâ— feare for the losse of his Daughter His trauell to finde her His answer from the Oracle A passage of the elder sister Her answer from the Oracle The younger sister offred to sale The Effects of her beauty Passions cannot truly be said to be in the Deities The entrance into her Fortune The King inamored So cal'd from King Aâ—talas tht first who was known to vse rich Arras hangings and brought them to