not the Opinions of Men not Custom nor the invented Fictions of the Wise not the Magnificent Decrees of Sects not Syllogisms Enthymems not Inductions not soluble Consequences but Divine Oracles consonant to one another received by the Universal Church with an unanimous and solid consent approved by Miracles Prodigies Wonders Holiness of life and testimony of Martyrdom The Doctors of this Prophetick Theologie were Moses Job David Solomon and many other Canonical Writers and Prophets The Teachers of the New Testament were the Apostles and Evangelists but all these notwithstanding they were fill'd with the Holy Ghost yet all at one time or other stray'd from the Truth and in some measure spake untruly not that they did so wittingly or craftily for to say so would be a greater Errour than that of Arius or Sabellicus subverting the whole Authority of the Scripture in which Errour notwithstanding the great and holy S. Jerome persisted disputing against S. Augustine about the reprehension of Peter for S. Paul said that S. Jerome told a lye craftily Which should it be granted and that such an untruth should be admitted in the Bible immediately as S. Austin saith the whole certainty of the Bible would fall to ruine But S. Jerome being thus admonisht after many Contradictions and defences at length acknowledged his Errour and confess'd the Truth But what I say that the holy Writers did secundum quid speak things not altogether true I would have to be understood so as that they did not willingly erre but onely stray through humane frailty Thus Moses failed in telling the people he would bring them out of Aegypt and carry them into the Land of Canaan for though he brought them out of Aegypt he did not carry them into the Land of promise Jonas failed in foretelling the destruction of Nineveh within forty days intended but delay'd Elijah failed in foretelling many things to come to pass in the days of Ahab which yet were not fulfill'd till after his death Isaiah failed foretelling the death of Hezekiah the next day when his life was prolonged fifteen years afterwards Many other Prophets also fail'd and their predictions are found either not to have come to pass at all or else to have been suspended The Apostles also and Evangelists fail'd Peter also fail'd when he was reprehended by S. Paul Matthew also fail'd when he wrote that Christ was not dead till the Launce had pierced his side But this defect was no defect of the Holy Ghost but either of the Prophet not rightly delivering what was suggested by the Holy Ghost or the Vision did declare or else proceeding from some alteration of the event of the Command the sentence of the Oracle being either alter'd or defer'd Hence it follows that all Prophets and Writers in some things seem to fail and erre according to the Scripture which saith All men are lyers Onely Christ both God and man never was nor shall be found to fail nor shall his words be altered or be defective who void of Errour divulged his Oracles most immutable as he said himself The heaven and the earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Now because all Truth is through the Holy Ghost therefore onely Christ possesses this Truth firmly nor shall it ever depart from him but remains in him But it is not so with others for the Spirit was with Moses but when he strake the Rock it was departed It was with Aaron but departed when he made the Calf It was with Anna their sister but not when she murmured against Moses It was with Saul David Solomon Isaiah c. but rested not constantly with them Neither are Prophets always Prophets or Seers or foretellers of things to come nor is Prophecie a continual habit but a gift passion or transient spirit And whereas there is no man who doth not sin so there is no man from whom the Spirit doth not sometimes depart and leave him unless it be Christ the onely Son of God of whom it was therefore said to John He upon whom thou sawest the Spirit descending and remaining with him he is the Son of God who Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost being also able to impart the same to others Therefore as saith Simonides onely God hath this honour that he is onely Metaphysical so may we say of Christ that onely Christ hath this honour to be a Divine However let no man think that the Writings of the Old Testament since the Gospel of Christ had its divine birth from them are therefore obsolete and dead for they will ever live in high authority for by them have the Apostles proved their Tenets and without their testimony they have spoken nothing and Christ refers us to the search of them whose Gospel doth not at all abolish those Writings but fulfill'd the Law to the least tittle This is also to be noted that many Volumes of the Holy Scripture are lost which we may easily gather from the Scripture it self For Moses cites Books of The Wars of the Lord and Joshuah The Book of the Just Esther The Book of memorable things and Macchabees cites the holy Books of the Spartiatae and the Books of the Kings cite Books of Lamentations Books of Samuel the Seer Books and Writings of Nathan God Semeiah Haddo Ahia the Shilonite of Jehu the son of Ammon Jude also in his Canonical Epistle cites the Book of Enoch And some Authors of credit have cited a Book of Abraham the Patriarch All which are lost and never to be found Nor are these which we have received of equal Authority for Dionysius makes mention of A Gospel of S. Bartholomew and S. Jerome takes notice of A Gospel according to the Nazarenes and S. Luke in his Preface to his Gospel saith that many did undertake to write Gospels which are all lost And many others there are which are either corrupted with Heresie or set forth without Authority and so neither received by the holy Fathers nor approved by the Church I omit false Prophets who have come in by the by prophesying through vain-glory things which the holy Spirit never suggested but unheard-of lyes neither according to the Scripture nor tending either to unity of Spirit or the peace of the Church but for the introducing of Schism who rashly making themselves of Gods Privie Council dare presume to take the Word of God into their own mouthes and to write Scriptures and Prophecies altogether Heretical or Apocryphal Nor were the Canticles of Solomon inserted among the Canonical Books till they were corrected and approv'd by Isaiah From hence it appears how that Theologie it self that is to say the holy Scripture wants many of its Volumes and may in a manner seem defective and few of many that remain are true and certain really Books of life and Canonical CHAP. C. Of the Word of God YE have now heard how doubtful how uncertain how ambiguous all the Sciences are and how for any thing in them contained we
if good and just men be the possessors of Knowledge then Arts and Sciences may probably become useful to the publick Weal though they render their possessors nothing more happy For it is not as Porphyrius and Iamblicus report That Happiness consists in the multitude of Arts or heaps of Words For should that be true they that were most loaden with Sciences would be most happy and those that wanted them would on the other side be altogether unhappy and hence it would come to pass That Philosophers would be more happy than Divines For true Beatitude consists not in the knowledge of good Things but in good Life not in Understanding but in living Understandingly Neither is it great Learning but Good Will that joyns Men to God Nor do outward Arts avail to Happiness only as Conditional means not the Causes of compleating our Happiness unless assisted with a Life answerable to the nature of those good things we profess Therefore saith Cicero in his Oration for Archias Experience tells us That Nature without Learning is more diligent in the pursuit of Praise and Vertue than Learning without natural Inclination It shall not then be needful as the followers of Averroes contend so violently to labour to season our minds with the so long so tedious so difficult so unattainable learning of all sorts of Sciences which Aristâ—tle confesses to be a common felicity and easie to be attain'd to by labour and diligence but only to give our selves to what is more easie and common to all the Contemplation of the most noble Object of all things God which common Act of Contemplation so easie to All men is not obtain'd by Syllogism and Contemplation but by Belief and Adoration Where is then the great felicity of enjoying the Sciences where is the praise and beatitude of the wise Philosophers that make so much noise in the School founding with the Encomiums of those Men whose souls perhaps in the mean time are at that instant suffering the Torments of Hell This St. Austin saw and fear'd while he exclaims with St. Paul The unlearned rise and take heaven by force while we with all our Knowledg are cast down into Hell So that if we may be bold to confess the Truth That the Tradition of all Sciences are so dangerous and inconstant that it is far safer to be Ignorant than to know Adam had never been Ejected out of Paradise had not the Serpent been his Master to teach him Good and Evil. And St. Paul would have them thrown out of the Church that would know more than they ought Socrates when he had div'd into the Secrets of all sorts of Science was then by the Oracle adjudged to be the wisest among many when he had publickly professed That he knew nothing The knowledge of all Sciences is so difficult if I may not say impossible that the age of Man will not suffice to learn the perfection of one Art as it ought to be Which Ecclesiastes seems to intimate where he saith Then I beheld the whole Work of God that man cannot find out the work that is wrought under the Sun for the which man laboureth to seek it and cannot find it yea and though the wise man think to know it he cannot find it Nothing can happen more Pestilential to Man than Knowledge this is that true Plague that invades all Mankind with so much confusion that subverts all Innocence subjecting us to so many Clouds of Sin and Error and at length to Death This is that that hath extinguish'd the Light of Faith casting our Souls into profound darkness which condemning the Truth has mounted Error to a Throne Therefore in my Opinion neither is Valentinian the Emperor to be disprais'd who is reported to be such an open Enemy of Learning nor is Licinius to be accompted blame-worthy who affirm'd Learning to be the Poyson and bane of the Commonwealth But such is the large freeness and free largeness of Truth as can be apprehended by no contemplations of Science by no judgment of Sence how quick soever by no evident proof no Syllogistical Demonstration no humane Discourse of Reason but only by Faith which he that is indued with Aristotle in his Book of First Resolves accompts to be in a better Condition than he that is indued with Knowledge which Words Philoponus Expounding saith is to be better disposed as more knowing by Faith than by Demonstration which is done by the cause Therefore saith Theophrastus in his Book of Supernaturals As to so far we may discern by the Cause taking our beginnings from the Sences but after we have passed the Extreams and first Principles we can go no farther either because we know not the Cause or through the defect of our weak understanding Plato in his Timaeus saith That our Abilities will not reach to the Explanation of those things but commands to believe those that deliver'd them before though they speak without any necessity of Demonstration For the Academick Philosophers were in high esteem for affirming That nothing could be Affirmed There were also the Pyronicks and many others who were of the same Opinion That nothing could be affirmed So that Knowledge hath nothing super-excellent above Belief especially where the Integrity of the Author directs the freewill of Believing Hence that Pythagorical Answer of He hath said it And that vulgar Proverb of the Peripateticks We are to believe every man expert in his Art Thus we believe the Grammarian as to the signification of Words The Logician believes the Parts of Speech delivered by the Grammarian The Rhetorician takes for granted his Forms of Argument from the Logician The Poet borrows his Measures from the Musician The Geometrician takes his Proportions from the Arithmetician And upon both these the Astrologer pins his sleeve Supernaturalists use the Conjectures of Naturalists and every Artist rightly trusts to the Method and Rules of another For every Science hath certain Principles that must be believed and can be by no means Demonstrated which if any one deny those Philosophers will streight cry out He is not â—o be Disputed withal as a denyer of Principles or else they will deliver him over to the rack of his own experience as if one should deny Fire to be hot let him be thrown into the Fire and then resolve the Question So that of Philosophers they are forc'd to become Executioners compelling men to believe that by force that they cannot teach by Reason To a Commonwealth there can be nothing more pernitious than Learning and Science wherein if some happen to excel the rest all things are carried by their Determination as taking upon them to be most Knowing who thereupon laying hold upon the simplicity and unskilfulness of the Multitude usurp all Authority to themselves which is oft the occasion of the changing Popular States into Oligarchie which dividing into Factions is at length easily oppress'd by single Tyranny which never any man in the World was ever known to
So Orpheus asswag'd the Tempest of the Argonauts with a Song and Homer relates how the course of Vlysses blood was stopt by the power of words Moreover in the Law of the Twelve Tables there is a Law against those that did inchant the standing Corn whereby it is apparent that Witches have a power by the force of words to produce strange Effects not onely upon themselves but also upon outward things All which things that is to say to separate the hidden force of things and either draw them to themselves and repel them from themselves they credibly believe themselves to effect no other way than as the Loadstone draws Iron or Amber or Jet draws Chaff and as Onions again destroys the Magnetick Power So that by this Gradual and Concatenated Sympathy not only Natural and Celestial Gifts but also Intellectual and Divine may be receiv'd into humane Souls as Iamblicus Proculus and Sinesius gather from the Opinions of Great Men and that by this Consent and Harmony of things Magicians do call up the very Spirits For some of them are arriv'd at such a height of Madness that they believe that upon the right Observation of such and such Constellations at such intervals of time and by such reason of Proportions an Image being made would receive Life and Motion which upon counsel desired should be able to give Answers and Reveal the hidden Secrets of Truth Hence it is manifest That this Natural Magick inclining toward Conjuring and Necromancy is often entangled in the Snares and Delusions of Evil Spirits CHAP. XLV Of Conjuring and Necromancy THE Ceremonial Parts of Magick Conjuring and Necromancy Geocie or Conjuring curs'd for being familiar with unclean Spirits ceremonies of wicked curiosity compos'd of Prayers and Inchantments is held Abominable and wholly Condemn'd by the Decrees of all Lawgivers Men hateful to the Gods that stain the Skie And blot the Stars though Natures Progenie The setled course of things they can confound Can fix the Poles send Lightnings on the ground Pull down the Heavens and Hills eradicate These are those that Invoke the Souls of dead Bodies who Inchant Children and cause them to give the Answer of the Oracle and as we read of Socrates carry about with them certain Pocket Daemons and who as they say nourish little Spirits in Glasses by which they pretend to Foretel and Prophesie All these proceed in a twofold manner For some of them make it their business to adjure and compel Evil Spirits to appearance by the Efficacy and Power of sacred Names because seeing that every Creature doth fear and reverence the Name of its Creator no wonder if Conjurors and other Infidels Pagans Jews Saracens or prophane Persons do think to force the Devils Obedience by the Terrour of his Creators Name Others more to be detested than they and worthy the utmost punishment of Fire submitting themselves to the Devils sacrifice to them and Worship them become guilty of the vilest subjection and Idolatry that may be to which Crimes though the former are not quite so obnoxious yet they expose themselves to manifest dangers For the Devils are always watchful to intrap Men in the Errors they heedlesly run into From this insipid crowd of Conjurors have flow'd all those Books of Darkness which Vlpian the Civilian calls by the name of forbidden Writings Of which one of the first Authors is said to be Zabulus a man wholly inclin'd to unlawful Arts. Then Barnabas 〈◊〉 Cyprian and now frequently other Books are Published up and down under the feigned Titles and Names of Adam Abel Enoch Abraham and Solomon others under the Names of Paulus Honorius Cyprian Albertus Thomas Hierome and one Eboracensis to whose silly trifles Alphonsus King of Castile Robert the Englishman Bacon Apponus and many other of deprav'd Fancies have adher'd But besides this they have not only made the holy Patriarchs and Angels Authors and Upholders of their detestable Studies but also shew several Books which they pretend were written and delivered by Razial and Raphael tutelar Angels of Adam and Tobias Which Books notwithstanding to any one that narrowly considers the Rules of the Masters the Customes and Ordinances of their Ceremonies the Nature and Choice of their Words and Characters their insipid and barbarous Pharases sufficiently betray themselves to contain nothing but meer Toys and Geugaws and that they were in far later Ages contriv'd by such as were utterly ignorant of that Magick Profess'd by the Ancients being â—ounded only upon certain prophane Observations mixt with the Ceremonies of our Religion with an addition of many unknown Names and Characters to terrifie ignorant and silly people and to amuse those that are void of sence and understanding Neither doth it therefore follow that these Delusions are Fables for unless there were something of reality in them and that many mischievous and wicked things were accomplish'd thereby both Divine and Humane Laws had not so strictly provided for the punishment thereof and Ordain'd them to be quite extirpated from the Earth Now why these Conjurers make use only of evil Spirits the reason is because the Good Angels seldome appear being only attendant on the Commands of God and not vouchsafing to be known but only to upright and holy Men. But evil Spirits submit themselves more willingly to their Invocations falsely assuming to themselves and counterfeiting Divinity always ready to deceive and delighting to be ador'd and worship'd and because Women are more covetous of the Knowledge of Secrets and not less cautious and prone to Superstition and more easily Deluded therefore to them the Devils show themselves more familiar and make them the performers of many Miracles as are related of Circe and Medaea of many others the Stories of the Poets are full and Cicero Pliny Seneca St. Austin and many others both Philosophers Doctors and Historians as also Sacred Writ bring many Testimonies For in the Book of Samuel we read of a certain Woman-Witch that liv'd in Endor that rais'd the Soul of Samuel though most Interpreters agree that it was not the soul of Samuel but an Evil spirit that took upon him the shape of the Prophet Yet some of the Hebrew Doctors aver neither doth St. Austin to Simplician deny the possibility thereof that it was the true Soul of Samuel which before a compleat Year after its departure from the Body might be easily call'd up according to the rule of Necromancy The Necromantick Magicians believe that the same may be performed by certain Natural tyes and Obligations which was the reason that the Ancient Fathers well-read in Spirituals not without good cause ordain'd that the Bodies of the Dead might be buried in Holy-ground should be assisted with Lights and sprinkled with Holy-water be perfumed with Incense and pray'd for by the Living so long as they were above Ground For say the Hebrew Doctors All our Carnal Body remains as Food for the Serpent which they call Arazel which is Lord of the Flesh and the Blood
Composition of Trifles and inventions of mad brains However they finde out men so covetous of so much happiness whom they easily perswade that they shall finde greater Riches in Hydargyrie than Nature affords in Gold Such whom although they have twice or thrice already been deluded yet they have still a new Device wherewith to deceive um again there being no greater Madness than to believe the fixed Volatile or that the fixed Volatile can be made So that the smells of Coles Sulphur Dung Poyson and Piss are to them a greater pleasure than the taste of Honey till their Farms Goods and Patrimonies being wasted and converted into Ashes and Smoak when they expect the rewards of their Labours births of Gold Youth and Immortality after all their Time and Expences at length old ragged famisht with the continual use of Quicksilver paralytick onely rich in misery and so miserable that they will sell their souls for three farthings so that the Metamorphosis which they would have made in the Metals they experiment upon themselves for in stead of Alchymists Cacochymists in stead of being Doctors Beggers in stead of Unguentaries Victuallers a laughing-stock to the people and they who in their youth hated to live meanly at length grown old in Chymical Impostures are compell'd to live in the lowest degree of poverty and in so much calamity that receiving nothing but Contempt and Laughter in stead of Commendation and Pity at length compell'd thereto by Penury they fall to Ill Courses as Counterfeiting of Money And therefore this Art was not onely expell'd out of the Romane Commonwealth but also also prohibited by the Decreed of the sacred Canons of the Church And if now there were a Law to forbid any of them to practise this Art without the special favour and license of the Prince upon the forfeiture of their goods and proscription of their persons we should have less false Money made wherewith many are now deceived to the great damage of the Commonwealth For which reason it is thought that Amasis King of Aegypt made a Law whereby every Magistrate was compell'd to give an account what Art or Science he most favour'd which he that did not underwent a very severe punishment Many things could I say of this Art of which I am no great enemy were I not sworn to silence a custom impos'd upon persons newly initiated therein which has been so solemnly and religiously observed by the ancient Writers and Philosophers that there is no Philosopher of approved authority or Writer of known fidelity who hath in any place made mention thereof which hath caus'd many to believe that all the Books treating of this Art were made of late days to which the names of the Authors Giber Morienus Gigildis and the rest of the whole Croud give no small confirmation the obscure words which they use and the unaptness of their language and their ill Method of Philosophizing Some have thought the Golden Fleece to be a certain Chymical Book written after the ancient manner in Parchment wherein was contained the way of making Gold Of which sort when Diocletian had got together a great many among the Aegyptians who were said to be very skilful in this Art he is said to have burnt them all left the Aegyptians confiding in their Riches and easie means of obtaining Treasure should at one time or other revolt from the Romans And therefore was this Art by a publike Edict of the same Emperour rendered infamous It would be too long to relate all the foolish Mysteries of this Art and empty Riddles of the Green Lion the Fugitive Hart the Volant Eagle the Dancing Fool the Dragon devouring his Tayl the Swell'd Toad the Crows Head of that which is Blacker than Black of Mercury's Seal of the Dirt of Foolishess of wisdom I ought to have said and a thousand other Trifles Lastly of that one thing besides which there is nothing else though as common as may be the blessed subject of the most holy Philosophers Storie not to be spoken of without incurring Perjury yet I will say somewhat of it obscurely and in such manner as none but the sons of Art shall understand me It is a thing which hath a substance neither too firy nor altogether earthy nor is it a watry nor sharp nor obtuse quality but indifferent light and soft or at least not hard not rough but sweet in taste sweet in smell grateful to the sight pleasant to the ear and delightful to think on More I must not say nor greater things can I. For I think this Art by reason of my familiarity with it worthy the same Honour as Thucydides gives to a good Woman when he says That she is the best woman of whom there is least discourse I will onely adde this That Chymists are of all men the most perverse for when God says In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread and the Prophet in another place Because thou eatest the labours of thy hands therefore art thou blessed and it shall be well with thee they contemning the divine Command and promise of happiness endeavour to raise Golden mountains by Womens labour and Childrens play I deny not but from this Art many excellent Inventions have deriv'd themselves hence Cinaber Minimum Purple that which they call Musical gold and the temperatures of other Colours had their beginning To this Art Aurichalcum the changing of Metals Soders and Tryals owe their first finding out Guns are the terrible Invention of this Art Hence sprung the Art of making all sorts of Glasses a most noble Invention of which Theophilus hath writ a most excellent Treatise But Pliny relates that the temperament of Glass was found out in the time of Tiberius but the Work-house was by Tiberius pull'd down and the Artificer if we may believe Isodorius was put to death left the Glass should detract from Gold and Silver and Brass lose their value CHAP. XCI Of the Law in general WE come now to the knowledge of the Law that onely pretends to judge and discern between True and False Equity and Iniquity Right and Wrong The chief Heads now-a-days are the Pope and the Emperour who boast that they have all Laws written in the Cabinets of their Brests whose Will is Reason and who by their own Arbitrary opinions rule and govern all Sciences Arts Writings Opinions and whatever other Works of men For which cause Pope Leo commanded that no person should dare to dispute or justifie any thing in the Church but by the Authority of the holy Councils the Canons and Decretals of which the Pope is the Head Neither is it lawful for us to make use of the Interpretations of any the most holy and learned Divines but onely so far as the Pope permits and authorizes by his Canons And the Canon further commands that no Book or Volume whatsoever shall be received by any Divine but what is first approved of by the Canons of the Pope The
are generally ignorant where the Truth rests even in Divinity it self unless we could finde out any person who had the Key of Knowledge and Wisdom for the Armory of Truth is lockt and concealed under divers Mysteries and the way shut up from wise and holy men by which we might enter into so great and incomprehensible a Treasury Now this Key is nothing else but the Word of God This onely discerneth the force and vertue of all sors of words and what Disputes proceed meerly from the Cunning of Sophistry which discovers not the Truth but onely a meer shadow thereof and then distinctly shews you what communication sets forth the Truth not in outward appearance and counterfeit Colour but in effect and reason By this every Art of deceit and untruth is easily surmounted Neither Arguments nor Syllogisms nor any subtilties of Sophistry can stand against it He that is not satisfied therewith or is of an opinion contrary thereto as S. Paul saith is proud and knows nothing And there we are to try by the words of God all Doctrines and Opinions as Gold is try'd by the Touch-stone and in all difficulties to flee thither as to a Rock of most safety and out of that onely to search for the truth of all things and from thence to judge of the Doctrines Opinions and Expositions of men For as Gregory saith Whatsoever derives not its authority from thence is with the same ease rejected as approved Now as to the knowledge of this Word there is no School of Philosophers nor the subtilest Wits of the most subtil Sophisters that have been able to teach it us but onely God and Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost by means of those Scriptures which are Canonical to which according to the command of God nothing may be added and from which nothing may be diminish'd for whoever shall do it though he were an Angel of heaven he is abandoned to the devil and curs'd by the Law of God So great the Majesty so great is the Power of this Scripture that it admits no strange Expositions no Glosses of Men nor Angels nor suffers it self to be wrested according to the inventions of mens Wits nor does it permit it self to be chang'd and transform'd into variety of Sences after the manner of humane Fables as it were some Poetical Proteus but is sufficient to expound and interpret it self and judging of all men is judg'd by none For the Authority thereof is greater as Austin saith than all the florid Subtilties of humane Wit for it hath one plain constant and holy meaning in the strength whereof it both combats and overcomes All other Moral meanings besides this as Mystical Typical Anagogical Tropological and Allegorical by the help whereof many men do besmear and Fucus over the Truth with sundry strange Colours may rightly and truely perswade us something for the edification of the people but they can never prove or disprove any thing to confirm the Authority of the Word of God For let any person bring into controversie the opinion of any one of these let him quote any substantial Author thereupon or let him alleadge the Exposition of any of the holy Fathers none of those things are so binding to us but that we may contradict um but out of the letter of the holy Scriptures from the draught and order thereof such indissoluble Bands are made which no man can break nor no man escape through but breaking and shattering all Engines of Argumentation enforces him to say and confess That it is the finger of God That Man never spake in that manner That he speaketh not as the Scribes and Pharisees but like one that has power But the Authors thereof inspir'd from Heaven have by their authority ordain'd us a Canon the magnificence whereof is such that we ought to believe all things therein contained and whatever that Word hath pronounced and taught that without any retraction is to be accounted holy and inviolable Of which thus S. Austin hath spoken That he gave this honour to those Books which be call'd Canonical that he most constantly believ'd that none of the Writers of them did or could erre but to the others be would give no credit how much learning and holiness soever they had in them except it be proved with evident reason out of Gods Word that there is a probability for the truth thereof Unto these Christ sends us teaching us that we should search the Scriptures From hence the Apostle commands us to try all things and to stick to the things which are good as also to prove the spirits whether they be of God and by the help of them to be able to give an account of all things and to reprove them that shall vainly go about to contradict that so becoming spiritual we may judge all things and be judged of none Now the truth and understanding of the Canonical Scripture depends upon the onely authority of God revealing the same which cannot be comprehended by any judgement of the Senses by most over-reaching Reason by any Syllogism of demonstration by any Science by any Speculation by any Contemplation or by any humane force but onely by Faith in Jesus Christ poured out into the soul from God the Father by the Holy Ghost which is so much the more predominant and stable than the Credulity of humane knowledge by how much God himself is superiour to and truer than Men. But why do I say truer Nay rather God alone is true and every man a lyer So that whatever proceeds not from this Truth is Errour as that which is not of faith is sin For God himself hath in himself the fountains of Truth out of which it is necessary for him to draw it whoever desires perfect knowledge seeing there is no knowledge can be had either of the secrets of Nature of separated substances nor of God the Author of all unless it be reveal'd from above For things divine are not to be reacht by humane force and natural things oft-times keep at too great a distance from the inward thought whence it comes to pass that what we believe to be the knowledge of these things appears to be Falshood and Errour Which presumption in the Caldeans and other Heathen Philosophers Isaiah reproves where he says Thy wisdom and thy knowledg have deceived thee thou hast fail'd in the multitude of thy inventious The Grammarian is very wary that he offend not in talk and that he utter not a rude and barbarous word but in the mean while he has no regard to the dishonest courses and sinfulness of his life So likewise the Poet chuses rather to halt in his Life than in his Verse The Historian leaves to Memory and commits to Writing the deeds of Kings and Princes and the transactions of successive times yet mindes not his own behaviour or if he do is yet ashamed to confess his failings The Orator more abhors the rudeness of his Language than the deformity
Mysteries It was a name common to the Christians among the Romans to be call'd Asinarii and they were wont to paint the Image of Christ with the ears of an Ass as Tertullian witnesses Wherefore let neither Popes repute it to their shame if among those Giant like Elephants of Sciences there may be some Asses Neither let Christians wonder if among those Prelates and expert Doctors the better learned one is the less he be esteemed for the songs of Nightingales are not proper for the ears of Asses and it is a Proverb That the untuneable braying of Asses is not agreeable to the Harp And yet the best Pipes are made of the bones of Asses the marrow being taken out which as they far exceed the harmony of the Harp so these Religious Asses far surpass the Brangling and Braying of idle Sophisters Thus several Philosophers coming to visit Antony and to discourse with him being by him answer'd in a few words return'd with shame We read also of a certain Idiot that convinc'd a most learned and subtil Heretick and forc'd him to turn to the Faith whom the best and most learned Bishops at the Council of Nice with a long and difficult Disputation could not convince Who being afterwards demanded by his friends how it came to pass that he yielded to the Fool who had resisted and withstood so many and so great Learned Bishops replied That he had easily given the Bishops words for words but that he could not resist this Idiot who spake not according to humane wisdom but according to the Spirit The Conclusion of the Work YOu therefore O ye Asses who are now with your children under the command of Christ by means of his Apostles and Messengers and Readers of true wisdom in his holy Gospel being freed from the foggs and mists of flesh and bloud if ye desire to attain to this divine and true wisdom not of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but of the tree of life set aside the Traditions of Men and every enquiry and discourse of flesh and bloud whether it concern Reason consideration of Causes or Effects conversing now not with the Schools of Philosophers and Sophisters but with your own selves For the Notions of all things are trusted within your own brests which as the Academicks confess the Scriptures themselves do testifie seeing that God created all things very good that is to say in the best degree they could consist He therefore as he created the trees full of fruit so he created our souls which are like rational trees full of Forms and Idea's though through the sin of our first parents all things were conceal'd and Oblivion took place the mother of Ignorance But you that can remove the Veil from your Understandings who are wrapt up in the darkness of Ignorance vomit up that Lethean Drench which has made ye drunk with Forgetfulness awake in the true light you that are drown'd in the sleep of Irrationality and then forthwith with an open countenance ye shall pass from light to light for ye are anointed as S. John saith by the holy Ghost and know all things And again There is no necessity that ye should be taught by any because his Anointing instructs ye in all things For he alone it is that giveth language and wisdome David Isaiah Ezekiel Jeremiah Daniel John Baptist and many other Prophets and Apostles were never bred up in Learning but of Shepherds Husbandmen and Fools became throughly learned in all things Solomon in a dream of one night was replenished with the knowledge of all things both sublunary and celestial and with so much prudence in the administration of Government that there was never any Prince equal to him Yet all these were mortal men as you are and sinners You will say perhaps that this has happen'd to a very few and those A few whom equal Jove Would signalize by his transcending love Or such whose ardent zeal divinely fir'd With constant motion to the Stars aspir'd However do not despair the hand of God is not shortned to them that call upon him that give a true obedience to his will Anthony and the Barbarian Christian servant gain'd the full knowledge of Divine things by the help of thrre days prayer as S. Austin testifies But you that cannot like the Prophets like the Apostles like those other holy men behold those things with a clear and unclouded Intellect may procure Understanding from them who have beheld these things with a clear sight There is also another way remaining as S. Jerome saith to Russinus that what the Spirit hath suggested to the Prophets and Apostles should be sought by you with diligent studie I mean the study of that Learning which is deliver'd in the Bible being the most sacred Oracles of the true God and received by the Church with an unanimous consent not of such things as have been invented by the Wit of men for they do not enlighten but darken the Understanding And therefore we must have recourse to Moses to Solomon to the Prophets to the Evangelists to the Apostles who shining with all sorts of Learning Wisdom Manners Languages Oracles Prophecies Miracles and Holiness of heavenly things have spoken from God himself of inferiour things above men delivering all the things of God and secrets of Nature distinctly and clearly to us For all the secrets of God and Nature all manner of Customs and Laws all understanding of things past present and to come are fairly taught in the Books of the holy Scripture Whither do ye therefore run headlong why seek ye knowledge of them who having spent all their days in searching have lost all their time labour being unable to attain to any thing of certain truth Fools and wicked men who not regarding the gifts of the holy Ghost strive to learn from lying Philosophers and Doctors of Errour those things which ye ought to receive from Christ and the holy Ghost Think ye to draw knowledge from the ignorance of Socrates or light out of the darkness of Anâ—xagoras or vertue out of the Wells of Democritus and wisdom out of the madness of Empedocles Think ye to lave piety out of Diogenes's Tub or sence out of the stupidity of Carneades or wisdom from impious Aristotle or perfidious Averroes or faith out of the superstition of the Platonicks Ye are in an Errour being deceived by them who were themselves deceiv'd But recal your selves you who are desirous of the Truth descend from the clouds of mens Traditions and adhere to the true light Behold a voice from heaven a voice speaking from above and shewing more apparent than the Sun that ye are enemies to your selves and delay the receiving of wisdom Hear the Oracle of Baruch God is saith he and no other shall be compared to him He hath found out all manner of learning and hath taught it to Jacob his son and to Israel his beloved giving laws and precepts and ordaining sacrifices After this he was seen upon the earth conversed with men was made flesh teaching us plainly with his own mouth what was mysteriously deliver'd in the Law and by the Prophets And that ye may nor think the Scriptures relate onely to Divine and not to natural things hear what the Wise-man witnesseth of himself He hath given the true knowledge of those things which are that I might know the situation of the earths compass the vertues of the Elements the beginning ending middle and revolutions of the Times the course of the Year the influences of the Stars the nature of Animals Sympathy and Antipathy of Creatures the force of the Winds Thoughts of Men difference of Plants and the vertues of Roots In brief I have learnt whatever things are hidden and conceal'd for the Artificer of all things hath taught me wisdom The Divine wisdom faileth in nothing nothing escapes it there is no addition to it for it comprehends all things Know therefore that there needs not long Studie but Humility of spirit and Pureness of heart not the sumptuous furniture of many Books but a pure Understanding made fit for the Truth as the Lock is for the Key For number of Books hinders the learner and he that follows many Authors erres with many All things are contain'd and taught in the onely Volume of the Bible but with this Proviso That they are not to be understood but by those who are enlightned for to others they are onely Parables and Riddles seal'd up with many Seals Pray then to the Lord God in saith doubtful of nothing that the Lamb of the Tribe of Judah may come and open his Sealed Book which Lamb is onely holy and true who onely has the key of wisdom and knowledge whâ— opens and no man shuts and shuts what no man opensâ— This is JESUS CHRIST the Word the Soâ— of God the Father the true Teacher made Man likâ— unto us that he might make us the children of Godâ— like Himself blessed to all Eternity But lest 〈◊〉 should declaim beyond my Hour-glass let this be thâ— End of our Discourse FINIS
Behold the figure of that man of Parts who dive'd into the Secrets of all Arts A Second Solomon the mighty Hee That try'de them all and found them Vanity THE VANITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES BY Henry Cornelius Agrippa Knight Doctor of both Laws Judge of the Prerogative-Court AND Counsellour to Charles the Fifth Emperour of Germany ECCLES Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity LONDON Printed by J. C. for Samuel Speed and sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1676. TO THE READER Studious Reader WIlt thou not look upon this Labour of mine to be a most bold and almost Herculean attempt to wage War against the Giant-like Opposition of all the Arts and Sciences And thus to challenge the stoutest Hunters of Nature Doctors will knit their enraged brows upon me the Authority of Masters the endeavours of the Batchelors of Art the heat of the Schoolmen the sedition of the Mechanicks will be all up in arms against me All which if I stab at one blow will it not be a greater work than Hercules in the accomplishment of all his Labours was ever guilty of Shall I not have performed a nobler Task if with no less danger and labour I overcome these Monsters of Schools Universities and Pulpits For I am not ignorant how bloody a Battle I must fight or how hazardous and difficult the War will be being to meet with such an Army of potent Enemies Wo is me with what Engins will they seek to destroy me With what weight will they not endeavour to crush me What reproaches will they not endeavour to throw upon me The Grammarians will rail at me the Etymologists will derive my name from the Gout the mad Poets will call me Goat and Momus the frivolous Historians will profane me beyond Pausanias or Herostratus the obstreperous Rhetoricians will plague me with their big Words and mimical Gestures the quarrelsome Logicians will confound me with their Syllogismes The nimble Sophisters will sawe my jawes with the snaffles of their subtle Questions The barbarous Lullist will make me mad with his absurd Soloecisms The Atome-numbring Arithmeticians will set an host of Vsurers upon me The Gamesters will curse me The Musicians will sing Ballads of me The proud Matrons will expel me their Meetings The Wenches will deny to kiss me The giggling Girls will laugh and cry I dance like a Camel The lewd Players will kill me in a Tragedy The intricate Geometrician will imprison me in his Triangles and Tetragonals The vain Painter will make me more ugly than an Ape or Thersites himself The Cosmographer will banish me amongst the Bears into Greenland The Astrologer will erect some wicked Scheme or other for me The Physiognomist will defame me for being impotent The Epicures will bespew me to death The Tyrant will crucifie me in Phalaris's Bull. Hypocrites will declaim against me in their Pulpits The Whores will pox me The Priests will excommunicate me The blasphemous Marriner will throw me over-board The yawling Hunter will set his Dogs upon me The Souldier will plunder me The Ordure-tasting Physicians will throw their Vrinal at my Head The Chyrurgeons will anatomize me The Lawyers will accuse me of Treason The Judges will condemn me Thus though I omit for brevities sake many others dost thou not see Reader what dangers I am like to run through But I am in hopes to avoid their fury provided that thou patient to hear the Truth and laying all Prepossession and Obstinacy aside wilt but give thy mind candidly and without passion to read what I have writ I have moreover the Word of God to defend me which with an undaunted Courage I intend to make use of for my Buckler I would have thee moreover to know that I have not writ these things either out of Hatred Envy Ambition or vain Errour nor did Arrogance prompt me to it but of all Causes the most just and truest because I see that so many men pufft up with Humane Knowledge and Learning not only contemn and despise the Oracles of the Sacred Scripture but also prosecute and deride it with the same contempt Others we see though to themselves they seem to be more holy who endeavour to confirm and approve the Lawes of Christ yet attribute more Authority to the Maximes of Philosophers than to the holy Prophets of God the Evangelists or Apostles though there be so vast a difference between them Moreover we finde that a most detestable Custome has invaded all or most Schools of Learning to swear their Disciples never to contradict Aristotle Boethius Thomas Albertus or some such like School-Deity From whom if there be any that differ so much as a nails breadth him they proclaim a scandalous Heretick a Criminal against the Holy Sciences fit only to be consumed in Fire and Flames Therefore these and â—cious Giants these Enemies of Scripture are to be set upon their Bulwarks and Castles are to be stormed And it behoves us to shew how intolerable the blindness of Men is to wander from the truth misguided by so many Sciences and Arts and by so many Authors and Doctors thereof For how great a boldness is it what an arrogant presumption to prefer the Schools of Philosophers before the Church of Christ and to extol or equal the Opinions of Men to the Word of God Lastly how impious a piece of Tyranny it is to captivate the Wits of Students to prefixed Authors and to deprive their Disciples of the liberty of searching after and following the Truth All which things being so manifest that they cannot be denied I may be the more easily pardoned if I seem to have more freely and bitterly inveighed against some sorts of Sciences and their Professors Farewel The LIFE of Henry Cornelius Agrippa Knight AND Judge of the Prerogative Court HEnry Cornelius Agrippa descended from a Noble Family of Nettesheim in Belgia was by his Parents so educated that he became Doctor of the Laws and Physick Master of the Rolls and Judge of the Spiritual Court He was naturally inclined to study making it his Recreation from his Youth to learn Nor was his Labour spent in vain for by his Ingenuity he obtained wonderful Skill and Knowledge in the several various Arts and Sciences Notwithstanding which his Fancy guided him to attend or accompany the Army of the Princes with whom he so prudently behaved himself that he gained the affections of all that knew him and for his singular Valour was created Knight in the Field It was about the year 1530 that his Merits grew great and he became the Subject of every 〈◊〉 Wonder and Discourse some admiring his Learning others his Valour and all with a reverend adoration applauding him In his Studies he grew expert in Occult Philosophy and composed four Books thereof whose incomparable Worth is beyond the reach of an Encomium Not long after that he published this his Satyrical Invective or Cynical Declamation against the Vanity of Arts and Sciences informing and affirming with
much Reason Learning and Piety that all things are incertain except onely the pure and solid Word of God He likewise composed aâ— History of the double Coronation of Charles the Emperour to whom his Parts advanced him to be his Counsellour Then he composed a Treatise of the Excellency of the Feminine Sex and another of the Apparition of Spirits Divers were of opinion that he held a Correspondency with Devils since he published Commentaries on the Ars Brevis of Raymund Lully and was extremely inclined to delight in the study of Occult Philosophy and Astrology To vindicate himself from those various Aspersions that arose concerning him he published an Apology wherein he shewed that what he did was purely done by Art nor did he exceed the bounds thereof In the year 1538 he wrote many learned Orations by which his Wit appeared to be excellent Amongst the large number these Ten were the chief The first on Plato's Banquet uttered in the Academy of Tricina containing the praise of Love The second on Hermes Trismegistus treating on the power and wisdom of Almighty God The third in behalf of one who was about to take his degree of Doctor The fourth for the Lords of Metz he being then chosen their Advocate and their Orator The fifth to the Senate of Luxemburgh in behalf of the Lords of Metz. The sixth for the said Lords by way of Salutation to the Prince and Bishop thereof The seventh likewise for the aforesaid Lords by way of Salutation to a Nobleman The eighth in behalf of a certain Kinsman of his a Carmelite made Batchelor of Divinity when he received his Regency at Paris The ninth for the Son of Christiern King of Denmark Norway and Sweden delivered at the coming of the Emperour The tenth at the Funeral of the Lady Margeret Princess of Austria and Burgundy He also writ a Dialogue concerning Man and a Declamation of a disputable Opinion concerning Original Sin to the Bishop of Cyrene an Epistle to Michael de Arando Bishop of St. Paul a Complaint upon a Calumny printed at Strasburgh 1539. These are the chief of those Pyramids that disperse the Glories of Agrippa who grew eminently famous not onely among the Germans but all other Nations too He was much beloved more admired and somewhat envied Momus will carp although among the Gods Hercules amongst the Heroes hunts after Monsters Pluto amongst the Devils as King of Hell is angry with the Ghosts Democritus amongst Philosophers derides and laughs at all things and on the other side Heraclitus as if his Eyes were a Fountain of Tears is always weeping Pirrhias is ignorant of all things and Aristotle believeth that he himself knows all things Diogenâ—s scorneth all things and Cornelius Agrippa spareth none he contemneth knows is ignorant weeps laughs is angry pursueth carps at all things being himself a most Satyrical Philosopher His Epitaph WHy weep'st thou Marble is thy Trust Too great for such a Sacred Dust Or dost thou make thy Pious moan That we might turn our Hearts from Stone As Converts then we 'll weep with you Our Hearts shall melt to Marble too For there 's penn'd up within thy Pit A world compos'd of Worth and Wit On the LEARNED AUTHOR Of the Vanity of ARTS and SCIENCES ILlustrious Pen-man whose immortal Name Speaks thee above the loudest blast of Fame Since thou for learning wast the choicest He Whose Head was Europe's University Oxford and Cambridge both do still admire How thou attained'st thy Celestical Fire Well might great Charles though Germans Emperor Confer with thee Dame Nature's Counsellor 'T was pity thou wast born great Soul for why Thousands have di'd for grief that thou didst die Yet thy rare Works that after thee survive Instruct the Learned that at present live The Destinies sure sent thee in their rage To teach the World and to correct the Age Like some prodigious Wit within the Sphere Of being Priest and a Philosopher A Prophet and a Poet to exclaim Against the Worthies and to laugh at Fame To unfold Mysteries and be i' th' List Of all the choice the chief Evangelist I 'm full of wonder when I contemplate Thee and thy Works ordain'd to conquer Fate An Extasie surprizes every part I seem a Man and yet I want my Heart From me 't is flown and yet methinks it meets Again when I peruse thy learned Sheets Then in a Grove I 'm lost and wish I may Get out yet Pleasure forces me to stay For there 's delight that doth the Senses fill As Accents written with an Angels Quill To fix thy Sepulchre we 'll shew our Arts Cementing that with Tears and broken Hearts Can broken Hearts an Habitation make If not for grief of that our Hearts shall break Thou needest no Supporter for thy Staff Shall be thy Works thy Fame thy Epitaph For when weak Poets have their Praises spent Thy Name shall be thine own rich Monument S S. Licensed September 18. 1675. Roger L'â—strange An ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Of ARithmetick Page 50-53 Architecture 77 Astronomy 82 Astrology 88 Aâ—gury 103 Agriculture 243-250 Apothecaries 299 Anatomy 304 Alchymy 31â— Advocates 324 Of Balls 60 Beginning of natural things 1â—â— Beggery 211 Of Cosmimetry 74 Chiromancy 10â— Conjuring 115 Cabalists 12â— Ceremonies 173 Court-Discipline 22â— Courtiers Noble 22â— Vulgar 230 Court-Ladies 234 Chirurgery 303 Cattle-curing 304 Cookery 307 Chyâ—â—stry 312 Canon-Law 320 Conclusion of the Work 364 Of Dicing 51 Dancing 60 Divination 99 Dreams 105 Dieting 305 Of Elements of Letters 9 Of Fishing 245 Fâ—â—ling 246 Of Grammar 12 Geomancy 50.103 Geometry 66 Of History 26 Holy-days 170 Husbandry 243 Hunting 246 Heraldry 276 Of Images 164 Inquisition 327 Interpretative Theology 336 Of Logick 40 Lullius Art 47 Looking-Glasses 73 Law in general 316 Study 326 Of Memory 48 Mathematicks in general 49 Musick 54 Miners and Metals 80 Metoposcopy 100 Madness 107 Magick in general 109 Mathematical Magick 112 Metaphysicks 142 Moral Phylosophy 146 Monks 183 Merchandizing 237 Military Art 253 Masters of Arts 357 Of Natural Magick 110 Necromancy 115 Natural Philosophy 128 Nobility 257 Of Opticks 67 Oeconomy in general 216 Private 218 Of Poesie 21 Pythagorean chance 52 Perspectives 67 Painting 69 Plastick 70 Prospective 73 Physiognomy 100 Plurality of the World 131 Politicks 154 Pandarism 193 Paymasters 241 Pasturage 243 Physick in general 281 Practical 285 Publick Notaries 325 Prophetick Theology 340 Praise of the Ass 360 Of Rhetorick 33 Rhetorism 65 Religion in general 161 Regal Oeconomy 224 Of Sciences in general 1 Sophistry 43 Stage-dancing 63 Statuary 70 Speculatory Divination 105 Soul 133 Superiours of the Church 177 Study of the Law 326 Scholastick Theology 331 Of Theurgy 119 Temples 168 Theology Scholastick 331 Interpretative 336 Prophetick 340 Of Witchcraft 113-126 Whoring 187 Word of God 348 OF THE INCERTAINTY VANITY OF Worldly ARTS SCIENCES CHAP. I. Of the Sciences in General IT is an old Opinion and the concurring and unanimous judgment almost of all Philosophers