Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	according_a	create_v	great_a	74	3	2.1091	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51447	Themis avrea the laws of the fraternity of the Rosie Crosse / written in Latin by Count Michael Maierus, and now in English for the information of those who seek after the knowledge of that honourable and mysterious society of wise and renowned philosophers ; whereto is annexed an epistle to the fraternity in Latine, from some here in England.; Themis aurea. English	Maier, Michael, 1568?-1622.	1656 (1656)	Wing M287; ESTC R21726	55,939	168

wise Heathens had taken notice of this they feigned Pleasure and Sorrow to be lincked together as if the excesse thereof were to it selfe a sufficient punishment They also said that a Disease was brother to Death that by sweat vertue was attained and to this purpose is that place in Scripture There is no evil in the City that is not from God where is meant the evil of punishment either brought upon any person miraculously and by the immediate hand of God or else naturally falling upon him Hence we learn the birth and original of Vice it proceeds from the corrupted Nature of fallen man his will enjoyes its liberty in respect of earthly things but as to heavenly things it s not free It s with a man as with a weak infirm person who cannot lift his hands to his head but with ease he can let them hang downwards So sinful man naturally inclining to sinfulness without any paines falls into wickedness he needs no particular instinct from God but the strength which must support his infirmities exalt him to Heaven so that he may obey God is not from man himself but from the free grace and mercy of his heavenly Father who hath mercy on whom he will but yet excludes none from his favour who forsaking earthly things do accept of the true means and receive the benefit thereof who pray and endeavour to their utmost ability to be what they should be committing themselves first and chiefly to God and then to Nature who faithfully obeys him in all things CHAP. XII That the Brethren of the Fraternity do use onely lawful and natural remedies THe holy Scripture makes mention of a King of Juda who being sick of the plague and death seemed to approach by divine providence was healed by having Figs applied to the sore and he lived many years after so that we see that God can miraculously direct to means which in themselves are natural as indeed this was a very lawful remedy and the reason is not unknown so here we will examine whether the means which the Brethren use be of themselves lawful and warrantable A certain Author thinking to insinuate himselfe into the favour of the Brethren speaks of rare blessings and Exorcismes by which a man may promote the happiness of his Patients and curse and endamage his Adversaries but who will esteem this lawful and good Such things may catch some ●illy old women and by them be accounted secrets they would be the greatest slander imaginable to the learned Fraternity for the Brethren use natural means withou● any mixture of superstition as we may see by the example of him at We●z●ar who with application of one Simple took away the raging pain of an Ulcerated Cancer whom Phanias applauds for his rare Art for by the same hearb he also did the Cure the same Brother carried a bag of roots and hearbs alwayes about with him he much commended the Bryony root but chose the bitter one he taught also the occult vertue and proper use of many Simples which are lost and forgotten We will not decide the controversy whether the Simples ought to be gathered according to particular constellations many very learned men do favour this opinion As first of all Barthol Carrichterus who divided the most approved and effectual Simples according to four Triplicities of the Signes in the Zodiack and in each of them made three degrees I have known many who addicting themselves to this study have thereby been able to cure very dangerous sicknesses especially old Ulcers and outward griefes That so many lights should be placed in the Heavens to no end and purpose it were profane to imagine because God created all things to act according to their nature and surely the Stars were made to yeild their influences and there is not any doubt but that Vegetables Mineralls and Animals do receive their occult Qualities from them he therefore is an happy man who can search out the effect by the cause and by the effect is able to judge of the cause Plants have relation as well to the heavens as to the earth and he who knows this community is a great Artist but the Brethren employ all their time in these Mysteries as they confesse as well in their Fama and confession as in other writings We dare not affirm that their Astrology is the same with that which is vulgarly professed or their Botanick common for theirs are founded upon certain and true Axioms subject to no change but alwayes continuing the same worth and vertue Other Axioms are so infirm that they oftentimes are proved false and admit of correction It is an Axiom that all Wine is hot which hitherto hath been received as true but if from some Country be brought Wines whose nature is cold the falsity will appeare He who never saw a Bat or doth not consider infects will immediately say that every thing that flies hath feathers when there are also flying fish which make use of their fins so that there are many exceptions belong to the general rule Who would not conclude this for a certain truth that four-footed creatures cannot passe thorow the Aire as well as they passe on the Earth but by flying but experience confutes this for the Indian Cat by spreading some membranes not wings from her hinder feet to her former goes in the Aire whether she pleaseth But the Axioms laid down and followed by the Brethren are such which faile not their principles alwayes attain their end so that there is nothing deficient in them which may exclude or diminish their perfection wherefore cures wrought by properties truly drawn from the Stars and the Planets must necessarily be true certain for the effects do surely result from their causes not anticipated or mistaken He who promiseth with fire to heat to dry to burn is not deceived neither doth he deceive because he hath that which can perform all these offices so if they undertake a Cure there is no doubt but that they can effect it because they know and can make use of the true and proper means which M●diums are purely natural the hidden treasure of Nature the extraordinary gifts of God They apply themselves onely to the study of Natural Magick which is a Science containing the deep Mysteries of Nature neither is this divine knowledge given to any by God but to those who are Religious good and learned Origen tractatu 5. super Matth saith that the Magical Art doth not contain any thing subsisting but although it should yet that must not be evil or subject to contempt and scorne The same 23. Homil. super Num. speaking of Natural Magick doth distinguish it from the Diabolical many hold that Tyaneus exercised the Natural Magick onely and we do not deny it Philo Hebreus lib. de Legibus speaks thus That true Magick by which we come to the knowledge of the secret works of Nature is so far from being contemptible that the greatest Monarchs and

severely punished the wicked for their iniquity with eternal punishment that he rewarded the good son their integrity with a life which shall neither end nor decay Others were of an opinion that this Themis was a Prophetesse amongst the Grecians and did foretel what should happen by which endowment she got great Authority so that they esteemed her an Enthusiastesse and thought that she had familiarity with Spirits nay even with the gods themselves from whom she sprung and had her Original to whom also after her decease she was supposed to have returned where they have enlarged her Commission in relation to mankind When she was accounted the Goddesse of Justice by her Kings held their Dominions she instructed them in their duties to their Subjects and made the rude multitude pay due homage and subjection to their lawful Princes She laid the foundation of Magistracy and built an orderly structure of Politicks for which cause she was in so high estimation amongst the Heathens that they supposed the World by her Divinity to be upheld and supported They erected Temples to her and Instituted divine Rites and Ceremonies in honour of her The first that was dedicated to her was in B●●t●a neer to the River Cephissus at which after the Flood Deucali●● and Pyrrha are ●●id to have arrived where they enquired of the Oracle how mankind which had perished in the Deluge might again be restored as Ovid Lib. primo O Themis shew what Art t is that repairs Lost mankind voutchafe t' help our sunk affairs This also was Allegorically spoken concerning our Themis that she being very prudent and more beautiful then all her Contemporaries was beloved of Jupiter but after much sollicitation he was repulsed and all intercourse broken off till at length she was surprized in Macedonia and forced to be espoused to him by whom she was with childe and brought forth three Daughters Equity Justice and Peace She is reported to have had by the same Jupiter a son named Medius Fidius or the righteous being Faiths Guardian wherefore an Oath sworne by his name was sacred and unalterable and this solemnity the Roman Patriarchs challenged to themselves as their due because it was held an execrable thing for an ingenious man to be forsworne Although we are confident that there was never upon the face of the earth any such Themis who after consultation returned that Oracle much lesse that she was translated into heaven as the Heathens ignorantly imagined yet we confesse that the true Idea of Justice or an universal notion of Vertue may herein though occultly be insinuated for out of her springs good Laws and not as some think out of Vice which is onely a thing accidental This Equity keeps Kingdomes in safety Common-wealths and Cities in order and lastly emproves small beginnings to a great height and degree of perfection This Equity is that rule by which men ought to frame their words and actions Polycletus a famous Statuarie made a Book in which was proportionably expressed to the life each member in mans body and he called this a patterne by which other Artificers might examine and prove their peices Such Rules indeed there are in all Arts and Sciences named Axioms which by deduction of things from their principles do rightly conclude This Equity doth so poise all our manners and actions that they are not swayed to injustice and wickednesse whereby very many inconveniences are eschewed which happily might lead us away For as Luxury and Riot are the causes of diseases so injustice hath annexed to it as an inseperable companion losse and punishment and on the contrary as Health renders men most happy not onely because of it selfe but as it is big with other Benefits so by this Equity wholesome Laws are enacted to the great comfort and advantage of mankind But because this is so cleare to every Rational man in vain are words spent to demonstrate it CHAP. II. Those Laws which the Founder of this Fraternity prescribed to the R. C. are all good and just AS no Rational man can deny the absolute necessity of good Laws so it is most fit that such Laws should have their due praise and commendations that the sluggard hereby might be pricked on to Vertue and the diligent might have his deserved reward Seing therefore that these Positions or Laws laid down by the Father of the honourable Fraternity are worthy of special view we shall truly according to their nature and the advantages men may receive from them Crown them with due commendations counting them not onely worthy of acceptance but an Encomium First it is most reasonable that every Society if it be good should be governed by good Laws if otherwise by bad but that this Society is good and lawful we do not onely suppose but may gather from particular circumstances to which their Positions are agreeable Something may be said concerning their number of six which hath very much of perfection in it so that the Society by an abundance of Laws is not in confusion nor yet by the paucity and fewnesse tied up from all liberty When there are multitudes and great diversity of Laws we may probably conjecture that there will happen many crimes and enormities for he that sleighteth the streight path of Nature and Reason will certainly be misled into many windings and labyrniths before he comes to his journeys end From these inconveniences our Laws are free as well in quality as number they are voluntary and such to whom all may easily assent as most Rational They follow in their order 1. That every one of them who shall travel must professe Medicine and cure Gratis 2. That none of them notwithstanding their being of the Fraternity shall be enjoyned one habit but may suit themselves to the Custome and Mode of those Countries in which they reside 3. That each Brother of the Fraternity shall every yeare upon the day C. make his appearance in the place of the holy Spirit or else signifie by Letters the true cause of his Absence 4. That every Brother shall chuse a fit person to be his Successour after his decease 5. That the word R. G. shall be their Seale Character or Cognisance 6. That this Fraternity shall be conceal'd an hundred years The Brethren are solemnly sworn and strictly engaged to each other to keep and observe these Conditions and Articles in all which we finde nothing either prejudicial to themselves or hurtful and injurious to others but that they have an excellent scope and intention which is the glory of God and the good of their Neighbour We shall further prosecute these things and by running thorow their several causes and circumstances give any one a greater light into them In the first place as touching the first Author of these Lawes it will be worthy our consideration to examine whether he had power and authority to make such Laws for himselfe and others and of requiring obedience thereto then who was the Author and