let vs now returne to our elementarie world and particularly behold the nature of the fower elements and of things engendred in them and by them Then haue we enough to stand vpon for the common opinion of those who establish this number of fower in that which hath beene already declared and now also in this discourse Let vs first then AMANA heare you discourse of the fire and of the aire and of their maruailous effects Of the fire and of the aire and of the things engendred in them and of their motions and of the Windes Chap. 42. AMANA MAny Philosophers doe diuide all that which subsisteth vnder the concaue of the Moone into three parts one of which they call the highest the other the middle and the third the lowest part The highest they place aboue the middle region of the aire and make as it were the same element partaker with the most pure fire which the ancients nominated Aether because that there the elements are pure subtile thin rare and for that the aire there is very temperate and cleere agreeing with the nature of heauen as to the contrarie in the lower part which is that where we inhabite there is not any sincere element for a sensible element is not pure but all things are there compounded and mixed with the muddie and grosse part of this mundane bodie And concerning the middle region of the aire it is that verie place where the meteors and high impressions do appeere So then aboue the elements are pure beneath the perfect composed bodies do faile by reason of their mixture of the elementary simplicitie in the middle they compound themselues vnperfectly in such sort that one may say that they possesse the middle place betwixt the nature of the elements and of things compounded Now as we haue said before and as the common saying of people is the heauen is often taken for this supreme and middle region of the aire and for the things which are to them conioined and do depend vpon their effects Of the things conioyned and depending vpon the effectes of the fire and of the aire So that in this regard we may vnderstand first two of the fower elements to wit the aire and the fire then all things ingendred in them and by them as windes thunders lightnings haile whirle-windes cloudes Psal 8. Matth. 6. Luke 8. tempests raine dewes frosts snowes and all kinds of fire and such like which arise and appeere in the aire And therein we may also comprise all the creatures which conuerse in it as birds and all creatures that flie euen as the holy Scripture teacheth vs when it maketh mention of the birds of heauen Now the element of fire is knowne to haue his place neerest to the moone being by nature hot and dry and is for this cause lightest hauing his motion quicker then all the elements bicause that lightnes and quicknes is proper to these two qualities heat and drines and therefore also the propertie thereof is to mount alwaies vpwards Of the proper nature of the fire and of the aire vntill that it hath attained to the place destinated vnto it being most conuenient for the nature thereof and which ioineth next vnto the spheres Next the fire the aire possesseth the second place and agreeth in nature with the fire in that it is hot but is contrarie thereto in that it is also moist And therefore the motion thereof followeth that of the fire but it is not so light and quicke by reason of the humiditie which maketh it more heauie and slow That the aire is alwaies mooued And yet it appeereth that it is alwaies mooued bicause that in narrow places small winds doe blow without ceasing For considering that the aire hath the motion thereof tending alwaies vpwards and that it is continually mooued vp and downe it bloweth in a great space very gently but passing through a creuisse or streight place all the violence thereof being drawne togither by reason of the narrownes of the place driueth out flieth vehemently vpon vs after the maner of the waters of great flouds which when it seemeth that they can scarce flowe being vrged through a narrow place or through sluces are constrained to runne out by much force with noise and roring Moreouer according as the aire is mooued either by the heate of the sunne or by the vapors and exhalations which this heat causeth to rise out of the waters and out of the earth or by the waues of the sea or by the caues of the earth and such like causes What winde is we perceiue the aire diuersly agitated For we must note that the windes are nothing else but the aire which is mooued and driuen more violently then ordinarie and which hath his motion more sodaine more violent and strong being driuen and pressed forwards according as the causes are more great or small and according to the places from whence they proceed And this is the reason why the aire is sometimes so peaceable that one cannot feele so much as one onely small puffe of winde but it is as calme as the sea when it is not tossed with any winde or tempest As is euident by those vanes and weathercocks which are set in the tops of turrets and houses for when the winde bloweth not their plates are nothing mooued and yet the aire doth neuer faile to blowe by reason of the perpetuall motion thereof but insomuch as it is not hoised vp and downe it passeth and flieth lightly away without any noise or bruite towards that part whereto we see the point of the vane enclined Of the diuersity of the windes and of the order and boundes of them Sometimes also one may feele some small pleasant and gentle winde to blowe without any violence which is very delectable recreatiue and profitable not onely in regard of men and other liuing things but in respect also of all the fruits of the earth At another time likewise the violence of the windes is so great that it raiseth vp whirle-windes stormes and tempestes which driue the aire with such fury and roughnes that it seemeth they would ouerthrow and confound heauen and earth togither beating downe and carying away all that is before them like a great deluge and water-floud which beareth away with it all that it meets with But though one may suppose so during such tempests yet the course of the windes are not so confused but that all of them obserue their order and certaine places out of which they issue and proceed and their bounds likewise whereat they stay and wherein they are confined as the element of which they are engendred And therefore by experience we see that they follow the course of the Sunne and that they are distributed and disposed according to all the partes of the world as we vsually diuide it hauing respect to the moouing of the spheres For as we diuide the course of the sunne and
all the regions of the earth into East West North and South so must we consider the fower principall winds which proceede out of these fower places one opposite to another Besides which there are certaine others which are called collaterall windes bicause that each of the first hath them vpon the one or other side of them so that those who haue ordinarily written concerning the windes doe appoint to the number of twelue common and ordinarie windes saying also that there are others which are proper to certaine regions and countries according to the nature of their situations and places as we may hereafter finde matter ynough thereof amply to intreat But here it will be good to touch one difficultie which may be alledged vpon our discourse Notable things in the diuersitie of the qualities of the windes and of the aire touching that which we haue said concerning the qualities of the aire For sith that it is hot and moist by nature and that the windes are nothing else but the same are mooued and puffed forwards what may be the cause that the windes doe not all of them retaine the nature of the aire For we knowe by experience that there are as many diuers qualities in the windes as in all the elements for some are hot and drie others hot and moist others moist and cold and some cold and drie Hereupon then we are to note that all creatures which subsist of a sensible and corporall nature are commonly diuided into two kindes which comprise them all The one are simple and the other compound of the first sort are the elements taken euery one alone in their proper and particular nature such as we haue already declared And all other creatures compounded of all the elements conioined togither are of the second kinde Wherefore if the elements were pure not any way mixed one with another then would each of them retaine their naturall qualities purely But bicause they are intermingled one with another they haue their qualities likewise mingled And therefore by how much the higher the aire mounteth by so much the more it is pure neat subtile and thin and by how much the lower it descendeth and approcheth the water and earth by so much the more it is grosse and thicke and partaketh more of the elements neere to which it remaineth And according as it is warmed by the heate of the sunne or by any other heate or else as it is cooled by the absence and default thereof euen so doth it become either more hot or more cold The like also may be said concerning the naturall moisture thereof For according as it is more or lesse mixed with water or neere vnto it so doth it receiue either a more moist or a more drie qualitie So therfore according to the places out of which the windes proceed issue and through which they passe they are hotter or colder drier or moisture pure or impure healthfull and holesome or pestilent and infectious yea euen stinking And for the same cause also it commeth to passe that as the diuersitie of lands and countries is disposed so winds which are felt in one place warme are in another place cold and so is it of their moisture and drines By the same reason also those that are healthfull for some are vnholesome for others and those which bring with them faire and cleere weather in one place doe in another place bring raine and tempests For the propertie of some of them is according to the countries wherein they blowe to chase away the cloudes and to make the aire cleere and the weather faire whereas others doe assemble and heape them togither Whereupon ensueth that some bring raine with them others snowe and others againe haile and tempests according as God hath ordained the causes in nature as the sequele of our discourse shall minister occasion againe to speake of Wherefore pursuing the order of our speech we will consider those things which are conioyned to the fire and aire and doe depend vpon their effects as are thunders and lightnings Whereof ARAM doe you discourse Of thunder and lightning Chapter 43. ARAM. THere is a certaine vniuersall loue and appetite in all creatures which inciteth them all to loue their owne kinde to desire it and to search after it But as their natures are diuers euen so is the loue and the appetite which is in them And therefore there are as many sortes of desires as there are diuersities of natures And thence it is that the fire and the aire doe naturally desire the highest places and doe thither tend euermore as the water and the earth doe require the lowest and doe thereto descend incessantly neither can these elements finde any stay or rest vntill they be arriued at those places which are appointed vnto them by nature And therefore what hinderance soeuer there may be yet euery thing doth alwaies seeke to returne to his naturall home and therein doth all possible endeuour Now here we are to consider the cause of thunders lightnings tempests earthquakes and such like motions and perturbations in the elements For all these things happen when the creatures which by their contraries are hindered from pursuing their owne kinde do fight with those which keepe them backe as if there were open warre betwixt them Which causeth that that which by force can make way doth at last vanquish But bicause of the resistance which there is this cannot be performed without great violence and maruellous noise from whence proceede many admirable effects and namely thunder which hath ministred occasion to many great spirits to search out the causes somewhat neerely But mens opinions as in a very deepe matter are diuers hereupon Of the causes of thunder For some maintaine that thunder is caused by the blowes and strokes that the fire maketh being inclosed within the cloudes which it cleaueth so making it selfe to appeere as is seene in lightnings Aristotle in his Meteors writeth that thunder groweth and proceedeth of hot and drie exhalations ascending out of the earth into the supreme region of the aire being there repulsed backe by the beames of the stars into the cloudes For these exhalations desiring to set themselues at libertie and to free themselues doe cause this noise which is often stopped by nature whilest they fight with the cloudes but when they can gaine issue then doe they make the cloude to cracke like a bladder full of winde that is broken by force Moreouer Plinie imitating the opinion of the Epicure teacheth Plin. hist natur lib. 2. that those fires which fall from the starres as we see often in calme weather may sometimes meete with the cloudes and fall vpon them and that by the vehemencie of this blowe the aire is mooued And that this fire plunging it selfe into the cloudes causeth a certaine thicke and hissing smoke which maketh a noise like an hot iron thrust into water From whence the whirlewindes which we see in the aire
of it It is true that Auerrois doth interpret this text of Aristotle concerning heauen But how should the heauen be this Eternall whom all things should enforce themselues to follow considering that it of it selfe is eternall in fauour of whom the elements heauen it selfe and euerie creature doth worke Doth not the doctrine of Aristotle resound in each point that God is the end of all things in desire of whom they are mooued as to the thing loued and desired But leauing this Arabian Auerrois who studieth in all his works to deface marre many other sentences of his master that he may defend that which he imagineth let vs conclude that according as the Philosophers confesse the elements in their being the plants in their life and fruitfulnes the liuing creatures in a better life and in their condition such as it is imitate in emulation the diuine power and perfection and that man endued with the singular gift of libertie and free will doth in the same imitate God and beareth in a better estate and condition then any other thing his image and semblance By such considerations say I is also prooued the freedome and libertie of God alwaies tending to good according to his good pleasure because he contayneth within himselfe that which hee conferreth vpon others And briefly to answere all their reasons heretofore alleaged let vs hold that that Soueraigne perfection which is in God wanteth not in the lowest degree nor for the cause thereof nor yet that his simple vnitie is distributed into a multitude because that in it selfe by infinite power it contayneth all things Neither doth the intellectuall soule degenerate although as they teach it exerciseth the power to feele Proper faculties to be considered in God to strengthen to cause encreasing and to mooue according to his estate For that we may mount to higher considerations God perceiueth with such his senses as the holy Scriptures attribute vnto him He mooueth all other things himselfe remaining stable he giueth them strength and feedeth them with the foode of his wisedome But hee performeth all these things by a meanes by a perfection power which is vnknowne to humane spirits except they be illustrated with his light And there is in him a fertilitie without trauel which is the fountaine of all other things through which he produceth alwaies within himselfe but outwardly he doth it at the pleasure of his will Which because it is the rule of contingence it is not possible nor fit for vs to search out the cause of the first beginning For when we are thereto arriued Aristotle himselfe doth charge to stay for God hath no need of any precedent disposition nor of helpe neither did feare resistance nor was hindered by space he who in commaunding created all things But the causes of things here below the instruments and subiect framed by his word require a precedent disposition haue need of an application attaine succession of time and seeke such helpes as are requisite for such a one as negotiateth by power limited And therefore as we haue alreadie said when they deduce their reasons from these conditionall and naturall workers to him which is free and deliuered from all these things they fall into diuers errors But if by the workes which they contemplate in this Vniuers they do enforce themselues to attaine to the knowledge of the Soueraigne Architect then let them attribute vnto him all these things after a conuenient perfect manner separating from him all that denoteth feeblenes and impotencie in the worker And then they shall see that the supreme things of the Architype accord by a sweete and melodious consonancie to those which are more base and meane all which are comprised in the creator as in a modell and patterne and contemplated by vs here below as in a shadow or trace But this shadow and much more the trace doth want much of him whom they represent And yet by them as by a token or priuie note we attaine to some obscure knowledge of the creator although his workes doe agree with him neither in different proportion or signification nor yet in al and through all in the same reason but onely by a certaine resemblance they represent vnto vs the perfect fashion of supernall things by their most grosse and base nature euerie one in their degree But this is sufficient concerning this subiect now speake we of the authoritie of such witnesses as make the creation of the world vndoubtable which we refer to you ARAM to declare vnto vs. Of the authoritie of such witnesses as make the creation and newnes of the world vndoubted Chapter 7. ARAN AS we haue seene how weake and feeble the arguments of Philosophers against the creation and newnesse of the world are so is it expedient also that being readie for the combat we march in battell against them armed with true and strong reasons and vnder the authoritie of very good and approoued witnesses to the end to make vndoubted to all Manie witnesses of the worlds creation that which wee haue already declared concerning the creation of the Vniuers And first we will recite those who being woorthie of credite haue taught it vs. We haue alreadie seene how that the opinion of Plato concerning this generation of the world accordeth with the doctrine of Moses Mercurius Trismegistus in his Pimandre deliuereth in few words the same sacred mysteries rendring the composition of this Vniuers and of the gouernors thereof and of all things created to be vndoubtable And by the baser elements he aduertiseth vs of the pure workemanship of nature vnited neuerthelesse with the thought of the Creator Which elements he affirmeth to be for this purpose established by the will of God onely and yet in farre woorse condition then before they were in the worker Empedocles of Agrigentum and Heraclitus of Ephesus affirme not once but oftentimes the world to be engendred and corruptible Democritus teacheth that it hath had beginning that it one day must perish and neuer againe be renued Hesiod and Orpheus the Poets sing that it hath beene created Thales one of the seuen Sages affirmeth Hieraclus that this round frame is the worke of God Pythagoras Hieraclus his expounder confesse God creator father of all things To which accord Auicen Arabian Algazel Sarrasin Philo no lesse excellent in doctrine then in Greeke eloquence and Alcinois the Platonist who saith It is necessarie for the vniuersall world to be the perfectly-beautious worke of God And many such other authors the most cōmended for learning whom it would be too lōg tedious to rehearse affirme the same But leauing the testimonies of strangers let vs come to such as haue receiued frō diuine oracles A certaine approbation of the doctrine of Moses by supernatural illumination that which they haue taught vnto vs. We haue heard that which Moses teacheth vs concerning the generation of the world now let vs consider how his
concerning the reasons making for the creation the historie whereof will put vs altogither out of doubt in that which toucheth the principall arguments of the Philosophers against it if wee doe amplie entreate of their errors when they maintaine that God worketh of necessitie and not of free and franke will which will serue vs to morrow for a subiect to begin the daies discourse The end of the first daies worke THE SECOND DAIES WORKE Concerning the errors of these Philosophers which say that God doth his outward worke of necessitie Chapter 9. ASER. I Thinke companions we were yesterday sufficiently entangled in the discourse of the creation of the world about that which concerneth the doubt that remaineth in many But ere we doe farther enter into the cabinets of God and nature it would not be vnfruitefull if wee yet haue an other pull with the Philosophers about this question Whether of necessity or of free choise and franke will God was prouoked to worke For they supposed that the condition of necessitie was fitter and more conuenient then was the matter of contingence and therefore they appropriate it to God Wherein they thinke verily to want no reasons for their purpose and that these make specially for them That God worketh by his proper substance If the worke of God be of necessitie or voluntarie and not by any borrowed vertue That the effectes of the world are of necessity because they seeme in no wise to proceed of a contingent cause that by the same reason is to be considered the inuariable and necessarie order of thinges to the end that the vniuers be not confounded or troubled Moreouer the Philosophers supposed that it was a very vnfit thing for the diuine vnderstanding to worke of necessity and the diuine will to worke freely considering that it is no lesse perfect then the diuine thought Now though that we concerning these considerations night take out of the quiuer of reasonable discourse arrowes enow against these Sages of the world yet for that this point doth particularly touch the diuinity it may suffice to say with Plato that one cannot picke out so great a mysterie by reasons but seeke to learne the same by oracles For it is sufficient to know that the great lawgiuer recordeth that God spake Genes 1. Psalm 33. and it was done and that with him agreeth the kingly prophet saying he commaunded and it was established to conclude that all the scriptures teache vs the same doctrine But here let vs declare that that which seemeth thus to disturbe the Philosophers is nothing at all For they presuppose a necessarie disposition to bee more perfect then the contingent cause which they haue left to prooue to those that should come afterwards Now I beseech you do we not more esteeme a Prince who directeth euerie thing according to his owne good pleasure then if vrged by nature or any other prouocation constrayning him he should set his hand to any busines Who will blame libertie which as the Prouerbe saith is hardly bought for gold That I say which they themselues thinke to haue beene graunted man for a most singular good What perfection what praise should be attributed to most loftie thoughts if they were euer forced to performe that which is good Liberty profitable for all things What dignitie might appertaine to a great king if he did all things necessitie constrayning him and nothing of a generous heart And seeing by common consent we acknowledge God to be the Prince of the world what glorie and honor should be giuen him for his gouernment for his wisedome for his iustice for his clemencie if of necessity and constraint he were drawne on to maintaine that which is in his tuition What grace what seruice and adoration should we owe him Why is it entred into nature to sacrifice as Aristotle saith Why are we obliged as Auerrois himselfe teacheth to magnifie God the creator in prayers and sacrifices If God doth all things of necessitie what profiteth all this For what cause is it conuenient for vs to pray Prayers are fit for men if God be not appeased by prayer To what ende hath all mankinde in euerie age in all places of euery nation beene addicted to adore a diuinity Surely we may thereof gather that prayers are fit for men and that it is naturally grafted in our minds that God is mooued by them So manie reasons then may well conclude that the author of Nature doth neuer negotiate of necessitie And for that that he worketh by a proper substance that is not of eternitie except in the spiritual worke from himselfe wherof we haue spoken in the 5. of our discourse But for the outward worke he proceeded thereto according to his owne will when it pleased him not constrayned by any causes for hee is the onely and principall cause of all things nor for hope to get any good for that he of himselfe is blessed not hauing neede of any other good God is not subiect to any order of nature Furthermore also the necessarie effects conclude not any necessitie in the prince or in the first cause considering that the second causes which Plato and the other Sages call his seruants doe worke by his commaundement in determined order so that the necessitie that therein is dependeth vpon his commaundement or vpon the order from which he absolueth them according to his owne good pleasure Dan. 3. And thereof came it that the fire burned not the children in the Chaldean furnace that the sunne stayed his course by the space of a day at Iosuahs commandement that it went backe ten lines or ten howres Ios 10. 2. Kings 20. in the time of Ezechias That it was eclipsed at full moone during the passion of Iesus Christ The Peripatetickes Atheists and Epicures will laugh at this and will say scoffingly which of the Philosophers recounteth these things These sellers of lyes which teach the lawes are madde saith Auerrois But herein sith question is made concerning diuine mysteries what haue wee to doe with such contemners of all pietie The sentence wherein we make stay hath beene celebrated by those which could iudge And men doe rather beleeue one that affirmeth then a thousand that denie for negation concludeth nothing And why should we care then though they denie altogither in words that which many witnesses yea and most wise do assure to haue prooued in effect The holy letters testifie it whereto we rather giue credit then to Aristotle and all his schollers And amongst a thousand most famous Philosophers and Christian Martyrs which consent to this doctrine of truth Areopagus of the Athenians is Saint Denis Areopagita so called of the Areopagus or streete of Mars which was a court and assembly among the Athenians first of nine persons elected by the chiefe Magistrates and afterward encreased to the number of fiftie of the most principall as well for learning holines of life and wisedome as also
made perfect then any whit marred But yet before we take any other subiect we must first heare of AMANA the reasons which declare that God proceeded of free-will to his worke Of the reasons which conclude that God proceeded of free and franke deliberation to the worke of the world Chap. 10. AMANA ALthough that by our precedent discourse we may easily iudge such as maintaine that God of eternitie did by necessitie his outward work woorthie rather to be despised then refuted being against the doctrine of diuine oracles yet we will run ouer a few points by which they themselues shall be pearsed with their owne dartes I would therefore first desire them to tell me from whence come the monsters in nature They may say that this proceedeth either by defect or super-abundance of matter or else bicause that the qualities answere not in due proportion or through corruption of the containing part and such other considerations which are subdiuided by phisitions into their species But let me aske them if that the naturall causes worke necessarily why doe they not performe euery thing duly seeing nature as they say wanteth nothing in necessarie things How then doe naturall causes worke of necessitie when they faile They may answere that I would thereupon conclude that they worke by contingence which if I saide what might follow thereon But to leaue all superfluous debate let them remember that it is an olde sentence vsed in schooles that a thing is said to be necessarie in two sorts the one absolutely necessarie and the other conditionally necessarie Wherefore we attribute the first to God alone A thing is said to be necessary two waies and the other to his creatures so as we call them necessary according to the order appointed by the supreme creator Which if the Philosophers denie we will vrge them with the worke it selfe of these causes For it is certaine that if they be faultie and produce monsters it commeth to passe because that order which is deliuered them by nature as they say or rather of the soueraigne creator as truth is doth faile them Now if they faile of the order it then followeth that it was not simply necessarie for them but giuen by the first cause through vertue whereof the rest subordained vnder it do worke from which if the first withdraw it selfe they do not onely faile but become nothing at all And if they may seeme to performe any thing of necessitie this commeth vnto them by reason of the law which hath beene giuen them by the Prince of Nature who giuing lawes to others is no whit for that therto himselfe obliged They may reply that if our doctrine might stand there should be no certaintie of science considering that it should consist of things which otherwise might be whereto Aristotle doth make deniall But we answere that if he intendeth that those things which are knowne should be necessarie according to the order of the vniuers the like may ensue in those things which may happen contrarie to the order according to the disposition of the eternall will Now if they finde too great difficultie herein for their capacitie what neede wee care Let themselues if they thinke good vnloose the knot For fire may well be without burning Dan. 3. The effect may be separated from the cause as indeed it hath beene as we haue heard in the former speech And likewise euerie effect may be separated from the cause which hath produced it yet neuerthelesse the bond remayning by a certaine correspondencie betweene the worker and the subiect that we may vse schoole termes But proceeding farther I would faine learne of these Peripatetickes whence it is that things haue a necessarie couenant They will say that it is by nature as they prooue by experience What truely nature is But what is this their nature Nothing truely but the author of the Vniuers which is the true spirit not erring seeing that as they teach the worke of nature is the worke of the intelligence not erring and by the ordinance whereof all things haue a due course For there is nothing but serueth this supreme worker He stretcheth out saith the prophet the heauens like a curtaine Psalm 104. He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the mountaines and they smoke But these naturalists may say what haue we to doe with prophets seeing we hold that none can haue perfect knowledge but in those things which are prooued by demonstration And from whence fetcheth demonstration his originall Is it not from those principles whose termes being knowne we accord to them or prooue them by experience Now if we beleeue demonstrations by principles and experiences it then followeth that there be some things more certaine then demonstrations Oh execrable vice growne olde amongst our people that hauing had this happines to be enrolled in the number of Christians â—anitie of the â—emonstrations â—f Philosophers yet receiue nothing for truth and certaintie if it be not prooued by such demonstrations as Aristotle hath declared and wherewith for all that he is but little aided in his discourse concerning nature For herein he proceedeth alwaies by those maximes that he taketh to be confessed so that the demonstration whereto his disciples giue beleefe is nothing else but a consequence drawne from the place of authoritie or from the foundations by him supposed Wherefore let vs rather beleeue the holy scripture which instructeth vs that many things and especially diuine are knowne through the beames of supernaturall illumination and by the couenant of the holy word with our vnderstaÌ„ding touched by the truth Let Epicures Atheists then maintaine how they list from Aristotle That to knowe What it is to know is to vnderstand by demonstration For vs it is sufficient to hold our instructions from the prophets taught by the diuine oracle who by miracles and prodigies and great sacraments approoue as we haue already heard that which they teach And if we say that knowledge is an vnderstanding by any thing we may take our selues to be wise in beleeuing the doctrine of the holy Ghost not any whit accounting of the Peripateticks who haue only kindled the light of their contemplation by the moouing formes of the vniuers and haue not been able with a pure cogitation to contemplate him who possesseth the highest degree of dignitie amongst all essences as their soueraigne prince and gouernour hauing in the rest rather giuen an artificiall finenesse and base manner of proceeding then any science And this is that which priuily their Master confesseth when he entreateth of the last Analyticks or Resolutions saying that Science is of demonstration and demonstration of the quiddities as he nameth it and by the proper differences of things to vs vnknowne For thereupon it followeth that the principles of demonstration are vnknowne and that from them one may bring no whit or very little demonstration But resuming our principall point of the free That
the worke of the Vniuers is freely and willingly and franke will of God in his worke begun in time we will argue more liuely thus Seeing that the partes of this vniuers are so disposed that without any contrarietie or contradiction they might haue been otherwise ordered it followeth that they are contingent and not ordained of necessitie but of free will Auerrois saith We confesse not that the partes of the world could be altered bicause the world is an animal But I answere in what place of Aristotle learnt he this manner of disputing He will that his authoritie should be for a principle of demonstration Moreouer from whence draweth he the consequence Let him tell me if the world be an animal whether is it sensible or insensible If it be void of sense then is it no animal If it be sensitiue doth it see then doth it heare doth it smell doth it taste doth it eate Whether the world be an animall But say we confesse the world to be an animal as it seemeth that Plato and many other Sages would affirme surely it is no animal contained vnder the kinde of animals For all things in this frame are diuided by all philosophers into a former diuision before you come to the animal But let vs confesse that it may be called an animal by some kinde of answerablenes and likenes Wherefore then could not the disposition of the partes thereof be otherwise ordained Why should it be disagreeable for man to haue onely one eie in his forehead as it is reported of some Why could it not be made to the other creatures the vpper iaw moouing and the vndermost firme as the crocodile alone hath Why haue not sundry beasts two knees like the camell Surely these and such like things haue been so disposed by the soueraigne creator that without any contradiction or contrarietie might haue been otherwise ordained if we presuppose not the condition of the nature specified such as the creator himselfe hath according to his will prefixed But let vs farther proceede concerning the animall the world Of the course and straight passage of the Ocean By what necessitie hath the sea bin in such sort disposed that the ocean should passe through the narrow straights of Abyla Calpe high mountaines which antiquitie called Hercules-pillers What neede is there that from thence it should spread it selfe in length and bredth That then it should stretch it selfe into the Tuscan or Tirrhene sea afterward gathering it selfe into the Adriaticke gulph then enlarging it selfe into the Siriacke sea so running about by the Egean which for the beautious number of isles therein contained is named the Archi-pelagus or princesse of seas and from thence shrinking betweene most narrow passages the Helespont is made And againe the Propontick where it dilateth it selfe and where againe it is straightened is called the Thracian Bosphorus Then this Ocean being once againe widened there is made the sea Euxine that is to say the host since the manners of the barbarous nations haue been polished and made ciuill for it was first called Axenes that is the inhumane host bicause of the cruell and fierce nature of the dwellers thereabout And againe mixing it selfe with the lake of Meotis it is named the Cimmerian Bosphorus What neede is there also why Nilus passing by the Ethiopians and Arabians into Egypt and Tanais passing through the one and other Scythia Of Nilus and Tanais and running almost into the midst of the lake of Meotis should distinguish and separate the three partes of the world And by what other needfull ordinance is one part of the earth laid lowe in vallies another stretched out into plaines this part raised vp in billocks that lifted vp in loftie mountaines and that the flouds and euer-running fountaines and streames doe flowe in their seasons Of what necessitie also are some beasts of the earth fruitfull others barren these drie and those moist Might not we easily without any contrarietie or repugnancie imagine all the circuit of the earth to be plaine soft and bearing fruit And if God can performe that which we cannot thinke as all the Sages who haue beleeued in him doe affirme why can he not doe that which we may imagine Which if he can easily performe these things then are not of necessitie no otherwise then of eternitie disposed in such sort as we see them but according and how and when it hath pleased the soueraigne creator of them Now ynough is saide of these things we must farther proceed in the consideration of Gods works wherein will greatly aide vs the vnderstanding of one onely principall and prime cause of the vniuers that we may afterwards comprehend the maruellous effects thereof And herein ARAM let be the subiect of thy discourse Of one onely principall and first cause of the Vniuers Chapter 11. ARAM. THose who haue bin commonly called the Sages of the world haue so much differed in their doctrine euen in the search which they haue made of nature following the course of their speculations that amōgst them who haue bin nourished in one family learned vnder one master there are great contrarieties either in doctrine in manners in religion or in the end to which all these things tende Which is chiefly hapned vnto them by hauing setled the building of the world vpon badde and discordant foundations affying in their owne powers and inuentions too feeble for so waighty a charge as by rehearsing some points of their principles we may easilie vnderstand Diuers opinions of Philosophers touching the beginning of the world Thales Milesius supposed that the water was the beginning of all things bicause all the members of euery liuing creature seemed to be nourished by water which as it is placed in the middle of the world so doth the watrie humour abide in the center of the bodies of animals from whence it ministreth nourishment to all the rest of the members But his auditor Anaximander was of aduise that I wot not what infinitenes called the boundlesse matter was the principall subiect and first of essences and bicause that by nature such matter hath neither forme nor quantitie hee thought that this was the substance of perpetuall generation in such sort that infinite worlds were already past and heereafter infinitely to arise Anaximenes his disciple attributed the causes of all things to the infinite aire And his hearers Anaxagoras and Diogenes disagreeing togither one of them woulde perswade that the infinite matter wouen with diuers parcels of all sorts and kinds according to the condition thereof had beene beginning to it selfe And the other that the aire indued also with diuine reason was the matter of things Leucippus Democritus and Diodorus affirme that before all things there were certaine Atomoes or little indiuidable bodies some smooth others sharpe some round others partly made of angles partly turned and pointed and some crooked to be perceiued by reason onely solide without any vacuitie not ingendred immortall
equall parts But such circles as haue their centers out of that of the sphere are called lesser circles of which those onely that haue their middle points alike distant from that of the whole heauen are equall one to another being by so much the smaller by how much their center is farther from the center of the whole And therefore they which haue their centers vnequally distant from that of the heauen are vnequall and that is greater then the rest whose middle point is neerest to that of the sphere and consequently the one is by so much the more vnequall to the other by how much the center of the one is farther distant from the center of the other And it is to be noted that all circular motion of any heauen and planet whatsoeuer must be considered and measured by meanes of a greater circle to wit that which is directly placed betweene the poles of the same motion and is equally distant from the same because it is a circle of the greatest circuite and swiftnesse that may be designed by the same motion Some circles are mooueable and some are immooueable But wee must vnderstand that among all the circles there is one part mooueable that is incessantly turning therewith and the other fixt and immooueable seruing for to discerne the better the accidents and effects of the sphericall motions and moouing circles First then to entreate of the mooueable circles as likewise to prosecute that which wee haue heard in our precedent discourse that there be two principall motions of heauen whereof one is of the vniuersall world making his reuolution from the east towards the west and the other contrarie from west to east as is proper to the planets we must imagine in the sphere of the world two principall circles to wit the Equinoctiall or Equator seruing for the first of those motions and the Zodiack or Ecliptick for the second The Equinoctiall then is a great circle Of the equinoctiall circle diuiding the totall sphere into two equall parts being placed directly betweene the two poles of the world and equally distant in all parts from them By the which circle is measured and considered the prime and vniuersall motion of the whole world and consequently the time which is nothing else but the measure of the succeeding of the same motion which is alwaies of one selfesame course and quicknes and whereof the said circle is called the Equator Vnder which the sunne directly comming which is twise euery yeere the daies are of equall length with the nights throughout the whole world for which cause likewise the same circle is called the Equinoctiall that is the circle of equall nights And the poles thereof are those of the whole world about which the vniuersall and regular motion is made whereof that which is in the north parts is called by the same name Of the poles of the world either the pole Artick north-pole or septentrionall which is alwaies seene where we inhabite and about which there is a certaine figure of seuen fixed stars turning circularly which is called the great Beare or most coÌ„monly the Waine And the other pole opposite to this is named the pole Antartick south-pole or Meridionall being towards the south is alwaies hid from vs. For the second great and principall circle among those which are mooueable Of the zodiack it is nominated the Zodiack or Eclipticke or else the oblique circle and it is that wherein the twelue signes are placed of diuers names and figures being indeed obliquely placed in respect of the Equinoctiall and poles of the world so that one halfe thereof extendeth towarde the north or pole artick and the other moitie declineth toward the south and pole antarticke And this circle is the very path way of the sunne and rest of the planets all which keepe their peculiar motion in the Zodiack to the end to distribute their influence and vertue vpon the earth for the life and production of all things Now the Zodiack both diuide in the midst the Equinoctiall and is thereby diuided also into two equall halfes Of the equinoctiall pâ—inâ— and solstists And the points of these intersections are called Equinoctiall points because the sunne being in them they daies are vniuersally equall to the nights as also the points of the foresaide Zodiack which are meanes betweene the said Equinoctiall points are named Sunsteads or Tropicks that is to say stations or reuersions of the sunne bicause that it arriuing about those points the meridian altitudes and artificiall daies do long remaine in one estate without any notable variation as also for that comming to the said Sunsteads it returneth towards the Equinoctiall And thus the two Equinoctiall points and the two Sunsteads diuide the Zodiack into fowre parts answerable to the fowre seasons of the yeere which are the Spring Sommer Autumne Of the foure seasons of the yeere and Winter Of which the Spring time beginneth at that Equinoctiall point from which the sunne by his proper motion commeth and enclineth towards the highest point called Verticall Sommer beginneth at the Sunstead next following Autumne at the other Equinoctiall and Winter at the second sunstead so that the said Equinoctiall points are called by the names of the foresaid seasons And because that euery naturall action hath beginning middle and end Diuision of the zodiack into twelue parts called signes therefore each of these said quarters of the Zodiack is diuided into three equall parts and so the whole Zodiack into twelue which parts are named signes because they signifie and designe the most notable and apparant mutations of things heere belowe being chiefly caused by the yeerely course of the Sunne along the Zodiack Euery of the said seasons of the yeere is likewise diuided into three parts and the whole yeere into twelue called moneths that is to say measures of the time wherein the sun passeth the said twelue signes And as the twelue moneths haue beene diuided some into thirty and others into thirtie one naturall daies euen so is euery signe parted into thirtie degrees and the whole Zodiack into 360. Then euery degree into 60. prime minuts and euery prime minute into 60. seconds and so consequently into other subdiuisions so farre as one will Wherein is to be noted that this number of 60. must alwaies be obserued because it may be diuided into more equall parts then any other number vnder 100. Now forasmuch as the sunne according as it is remooued or approcheth neere the highest points called Vertical doth cast foorth his beames more directly 〈◊〉 obliquely vpon the earth for this cause also the heate and proper action of the starres and planets is more forcible or feeble in things here belowe and according as it findeth them prepared causeth diuers effects Which diuersitie is notoriously apparant from signe to signe And therefore the twelue signes of the Zodiack are called by certaine proper names extracted from the nature and
propertie of things correspondent with their said effects Of the names of the twelue signes and the causes thereof The first signe is nominated Aries bicause that the Sunne then beginneth to approch to the highest point and the heate thereof doth increase which mixing with the humiditie that the precedent winter had brought in maketh the temperature of the aire hot and moist which agreeth with the nature of a ram The second signe is called Taurus bicause that when the sunne is therein the heate fortifieth it selfe and consumeth the moisture so that the temperature of the aire tendeth somewhat to drinesse which seemeth very answerable to the nature of the bull which is of greater power then that of sheepe The third signe is named Gemini bicause the Sunne being therein hath his heat redoubled and amongst all kindes of beastes the males and females haue naturall copulation two and two togither to ingender one like themselues and to continue their kinde The fourth signe is said to be Cancer for euen as the crab goeth backward so the sunne entring into this signe retireth backe towardes the Equinoctiall from whence he came making his declinations contrarie to those of Gemini The fift signe is called Leo bicause the sunne being therein by the redoubling of his beames the heate is strong and drinesse great euen as the lion is a puissant beast of hot and drie nature The sixt signe is named Virgo for as the virgine is a weake creature and of her selfe barren so the sunne being in this signe the heate diminisheth and drinesse ruleth whereby the production of things ceaseth and the earth becommeth barren The seuenth signe hath to name Libra bicause the disposition of the aire is then in ballance betweene the wasted heate and new-begun coldnes and bicause also the sunne being in this signe the daies and nights are in ballance betweene the decreasing of the one and increasing of the other The eight is called Scorpio bicause that then the colde ruling with drinesse are great enimies to nature and doe corrupt the aire which hath the proper qualitie of hot and moist whereupon ensue plagues and other dangerous diseases which surprise the creature like the venome of a scorpion which lies in his taile and is engendred of corruption The ninth signe is named Sagittarius for the sunne being in it the too much weakened heate is surmounted by cold whereupon there ensue fogs and frosts and other alterations of the aire as hurtfull to creatures as enuenomed arrowes The tenth signe is nominated Capricornus bicause that the sunne entring thereinto is the farthest that all the yeere it can be from the verticall point so that by rigour of the colde mixed with drinesse which hath then full domination as also by reason of the debilitie of heate the disposition of the aire is melancholie retaining the nature of a goate The eleuenth signe is signified by Aquarius bicause then the drinesse is surmounted by the moisture now beginning the cold neuerthelesse remaining wherefore the aire is cold and moist like water and disposed to snowes and raine The twelfth and last signe is Pisces bicause as fishes are colde and moist following naturally the water hauing yet some little naturall heate euen so is the temperature of the aire then cold and moist hauing yet some heate growing by the approch of the sunne to the vernall Equinoctiall point so that the cold diminisheth And thus much concerning the signes of the Zodiacke and the names to them ascribed for which cause the fixed starres which are in this circle and comprised within the said signes both of the one side and on the other haue been painted according to the fashion of the saide beasts and their influence iudged from the causes by vs here declared and not that the said signes haue taken their names of the nature and disposition of the said starres And by this consideration of the propertie of each signe in the Zodiacke we learne that by the introduction of one qualitie ensueth the expulsion of the contrarie and by the augmentation of the one the decrease of the other Which must onely be vnderstood concerning the qualities happening in the aire by the radiation of the sunne onely being strong meane and weake and the disposition of inferiour things without comprising therein the other constellations and aspects of the planets changing greatly altering the said disposition of the aire neither doe we touch the opinions of professors of iudiciall Astrologie who for other reasons and principles of the said arte attribute to the same signes other qualities then those that we haue expressed But from them wee may extract fower triplicities which make the twelue signes correspond with the fower elements to wit Gemini Cancer Leo with the fire Pisces Aries and Taurus with the aire Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius with water and Virgo Libra and Scorpio with earth Now must we pursue our purpose concerning the circles of the sphere as well great as small mooueable as immooueable the treatise whereof ACHITOB I referre to you Of the two great circles named Colures and of the fower lesse circles and parallels of the fiue Zones of the world and immooueable circles Chap. 20. ACHITOB. BEsides the two principall mooueable circles which haue beene declared vnto vs in the precedent speech there are also demonstrated in the sphere two other great circles whereof one passeth by the Equinoctiall points and the other by the Solstists or sunsteads and poles of the Zodiacke and both by the poles of the world where they are diuided into three angles And by this meanes they part as well the Equinoctiall as the Zodiacke into fower parts the parts whereof answere togither in iust and equall proportion Of two circles called Colures These two circles haue to name Colures that is to say vnperfect because they haue an vnperfect reuolution in turning with the sphere vpon the points of their circumference and not about their proper poles like other circles One of them then is called the Equinoctiall colure and the other the Solstitial colure And the one passeth by the circle of the Zodiacke at the beginning of the signes Aries Libra which are the Equinoctiall signes and the other at the beginning of the signes Cancer and Capricorne which are the Solstitiall signes And it is to be noted that the arck of the Solstitiall Colure comprised betweene the Equinoctiall and one of the Solstists is the measure of the greatest declination of the Sunne which must of necessitie be equall to the arck of that Colure which is betweene one of the poles of the world and the next pole of the Zodiacke For by how much one greater circle declineth from another by so much the poles of the one are distant from the poles of the other because all greater circles are equall and haue one common center and do equally part themselues and likewise their declination is iust in the midst of their cuttings or intersections We must
also consider in the sphere fower principall lesser and mooueable circles whereof the two first doe limit out the whole obliquenes of the Zodiacke and the declination thereof from the Equinoctiall as also the conuersions of the Sunne towards it And these circles are nominated Tropickes Of the two tropick◠that is turning or conuertiue because they passe by the two Solstists of the Zodiacke That then which passeth by the first point of Cancer which is the Sommer-Solstice is called the Tropicke of Cancer or sommer-Tropick and that which passeth by the first point of Capricorne or winter-solstice is named the winter-Tropicke or Tropicke of Capricorne being therefore one equall to another because they are equally distant from the Equinoctiall For the two other lesser circles Of the two polary circles they are those which be described about the poles of the world by the poles of the zodiack limiting the deuiation or distance of the said poles and for this cause they are called polarie-circles and do retaine the names of the Poles of the world For one is named the North or Arcticke-circle and the other the South or Antarcticke-circle being also equall one to another by the same reason as is vnderstood of the Tropicks And you must note that these said fower lesser circles do diuide the whole sphere into fiue parts or principall regions commonly called Zones whereto as many parts or diuers regions answere vpon the terrestriall globe Of the fiue zones of the world which Zones are different as well in figure and greatnes as also in nature or accidental disposition caused chiefly by the radiation of the sunne The first then of these fiue parts or regions of the sphere is comprehended betweene the two Tropicks diuided by the Equinoctial in the midst for which cause it is the most ample of all the rest The two extremest and smallest are comprised about the poles of the world within the Arcticke and Antarticke circles wherefore the one is called the North and the other the South Zone And the other two are meanes betweene the greatest which is middlemost and the two extremest or least which are about the poles of the world being larger towards the two Tropickes then towards the polary circles which togither are the boūds of them And among these fiue Zones which enuiron the earth some parts of them are become habitable Of the causes which make some parts of the earth habitable and others not and others not by meanes of the diuers effects caused by the sunne For the meane region about the equinoctial is for three causes temperate First because the sun being vnder or about the said Equinoctiall it maketh a greater circuit in the Vniuersall motion of the whole world and runs faster away for which cause his heat maketh not so great impression vpon the earth Secondly because it passeth suddenly from the South to the North part by reason of the transuers disposition of the Zodiacke about the Equinoctiall And thirdly because the daies are there equall with the nights whereby the heate of the one is tempered by the coldnes of the other But about the Tropicks the heat is excessiue in Sommer First because the sunne is then in those stations wherein his shining endureth longer vpon the earth and by reason also that he performeth lesse compasse and passeth slowly away whereby his heat taketh more deepe impression And besides all this the daies are longer then the nights in such sort that the heat of the one surmounteth the cold of the other For the two polarie regions and the circumiacent parts it is manifest that they are far out of the funs way whereof ensueth that by the too much oblique radiation thereof heat is there exceeding feeble and cold great and intollerable Finally in the midst or about the two other foresaide regions betweene the Equinoctiall and poles of the world the disposition of the aire is temperate as well by reason of the commixture of the heate which is about the Tropicks and the cold which is about the polarie circles as bicause of the meane radiation of the sunne that is to say neither too direct nor too oblique So then the middle Zone comprised betweene the two Tropicks is temperate about the midst intemperate through excessiue heate about the extremities thereof whereupon it is in this part called the Torrid-zone bicause the sun doth alwaies turne about it And the two polarie and extreme regions are perpetually intemperate through colde And the two meanes are temperate about the midst and in one extreme thereof intemperate with heate and in the other with cold But thereof followes not that all intemperate places should be inhabitable but onely very hard and difficult to dwell in Hitherto hath our talke been concerning the principall and mooueable circles of the sphere Of immooueable circles and first of the Horizon now let vs intreate of the immooueable Euen then as the Zodiack Equinoctiall are the two chiefest amongst the mooueable circles so are the Horizon and Meridian amongst the immooueable By the Horizon is meant a great circle imagined in heauen which diuideth that halfe of heauen which is seene from that halfe which is not seene that is which parteth the Hemisphere vnder vs from that which is aboue vs. And to this same circle one of the poles is alwaies the verticall point and the other pole is the point opposite Wherefore by how much each place hath his point higher by so much doth the Horizon of each place differ for there are so many Horizons as there be particular places And therfore the Horizon of those which haue the verticall point that is the point which is right ouer head vnder the Equinoctiall is named the right Horizon bicause it must needes passe by the poles of the world and diuideth the Equinoctiall at right angles one equall to another Whereupon it is also called a right sphere bicause it seemeth to bee rightly placed in respect of that Horizon and the starres to make their motion directly by the vniuersall motion of the sphere But the Horizon of those whose zenith is out of the Equinoctiall towards the one or other pole of the world is called oblique bicause that one of the poles to wit that which the verticall point is next to is eleuated aboue the said Horizon and the other pole is so much depressed vnder the same which for this occasion doth diuide the Equinoctiall at oblique angles vnequal one to another Wherefore also the sphere is said to be oblique bicause it is obliquely placed in respect of the said Horizon and the starres turne obliquely in the vniuersall motion And therefore it is euident that all direct Horizons are of one selfesame disposition but amongst the oblique there are as many differences of obliquitie as are distances betweene the verticall point and the Equinoctiall or as the eleuation of the pole is diuers aboue them For the Meridian it is a great circle
sith it is so much hidden from man Now in that the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures haue their proper motion wherein they continue according to the first ordinance established in nature by the soueraigne creator thereof we are much to admire both the cause and effects of such a constancie I intend heere to speake of a neere cause which is a secret amitie ingraffed into euery creature toward his owne nature For there is a loue Euery creature foloweth his owne nature an appetite or vniuersall inclination in all creatures which vrgeth and inciteth them to desire and search that which agreeth with their nature so that there is none so insensible which hath not in it selfe this amitie innate which euer pusheth it to follow the nature thereof and for this cause may we say that all motions proceed from loue And passing further we may contemplate the loue of God as the eternall source of amitie and inclination of all nature and as the first cause of causes and we shall say that in the same loue God louing himselfe proceeded to his worke which hitherto we haue celebrated and do now meane to prosecute For sith that God is the soueraigne good that all goodnes is by nature louing it cannot be but he must likewise loue himselfe exceedingly and consequently loue all that which he iudgeth to be good insomuch as it proceedeth from him who is the supreme good and the limit of all goodnes This loue then not being able to be idle The loue of God is the first of all motions nor yet the good which it loued would manifest both the one and the other first in the creation of the world namely in that of man and then againe in the restauration and reparation of his fall So we learne that the first motion whereupon all the rest depend is the loue of God which proceedeth from his bountie which he would not keepe shut vp nor inclosed in himselfe but would manifest and communicate it with his creatures whom he hath created to the end that he might be glorified in them and by them And as he loueth them for his owne loues sake and for that they were his worke so hath he set in them the seeds of loue both towards him and towardes themselues according to the diuers nature which he hath conferred vpon them It is then this naturall loue which constraineth them by a secret feeling of nature imprinted euen in those essences which haue neither reason nor vnderstanding to take delight in that which is agreeable to their creator and to follow his ordinance tending all to him and to that which he loueth bicause it is good and therefore good being done according to his will and bicause it pleaseth him to iudge it and approoue it for such Whereupon we may conclude that loue and amitie is the good by which all creatures haue an accord and agreement first with God their creator and then one with another and that vpon the same cause their conseruation and perfection doth depend Of the vnion and accord betweene all creatures Wherefore loue must be the bond and vnion of all the world which is an vniuersall peace and concorde betweene God and all his creatures For the diuine prouidence hath so disposed all the order of them that they be all conioined one with another by such loue and amitie that euen they which seeme to be cleane contrarie are allied reconciled and vnited togither by those which haue more correspondencie betweene them In such sort that we may therein behold a very pleasant and perfect harmonie like as in musicke wherein although it seemeth that the notes tunes and sounds be different one to another yet notwithstanding there is such a moderation in them that they yeeld togither a goodly concord and sweete melodie keeping their proportions times and measures As then by such peace and concord the celestiall spheres follow the generall and common course of the first highest and greatest of all within which they are contained and inclosed performing likewise each of them his particular course without endommaging themselues as we haue heretofore made mention so doe all the elements follow the heauen and obserue their order after it euery one in their degree from the highest to the lowest hauing their motions agreeable to their nature And euen as liuing creatures haue their agreements and coniunctions one with another euery one in his degree according to the couenant and participation of nature which they haue togither and as they are either neere to or farre off one from another euen so is it in the agreement and consent of nature which is betweene the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures composed of them For this cause as the angels retaine the first degree among liuing creatures and then man the second next them by reason that in his nature he neerest agreeth with the angels and doth neerest approch them so doth the heauen and celestiall fires retaine the first degree among creatures which are without soule and without life in their proper and conuenient motions according as we haue already declared And as man doth in some sort hold the middle place betweene the angels and the most perfect beasts so doth fire betwixt the heauen and the aire and as the aire doth keepe the middle place betwixt the fire and water so the water is a meane betwixt the aire and the earth But these things will claime a fitter place when we come to intreate of the elementarie world Wherefore we will returne to that which onely concerneth the heauenly bodies which forsomuch as we haue saide to be of the number of those creatures which are without life being contrarie to the opinion of the most famous philosophers my minde is that we should consider neerer of this matter bicause that by the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them it seemeth that they are not altogither depriued of life reason and vnderstanding as ARAM we may learne of you Of the life reason and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies and of the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them Chap. 27. ARAM. THis being true that all creatures haue a certaine motion agreeable to their nature and a naturall loue which euer vrgeth them to seeke and pursue that which is most naturall for them as hath been already related in our antecedent speech it seemeth that this can hardly come to passe but that there must be in them some kinde of soule and life yea euen in those creatures that are most insensible And more I will say that it is not onely to be presumed that they haue some kinde of life but also a naturall vnderstanding which we may properly name inclination sith there is no essence but can follow his proper course and order in his owne nature and peculiar motions For the stones themselues and mettals by a kinde of soule and vegetatiue life doe
and variable motion so that she causeth to be correspondent to man as to the end and image of the whole Vniuers all the loftie members of it All these properties I say are attributed by sundry Astronomers to the planets in regard of the good which they cause to men Againe others acknowledge some of them to be the cause of many euils and those they call ill planets not celestiall For they say that Saturne is foolish niggardly difficult Euilnes of Saturne inducing to dangers fraud mischiefe treasons violence captiuitie banishment losse periurie contumacie wrath hatred of all good feare anguish griefe burials sorrow and losse of children also that he causeth sorceries empoisonings theft maketh Magicians Of Mars they say that he prouoketh to treason warre Of Mars murder boldnes rashnes pride sedition contention rapine ambushments woundings flights disloialties villanies foolish loue easie offending many cogitations ill counsell and that he maketh princes violent cruell inhumane desirous of bloud and slaughter periured deceitfull inconstant cursing and full of all wickednes and that he foresheweth a mishapen and impudent man and that he is pernicious to birthes causing abortiue fruit Finally that in all parts of heauen he menaceth some mischiefe For the rest I passe them heere in silence that I may not bee too tedious in this matter which some Mathematicians and Poets ascribe to other planets making them cause of many other euils according to the diuers constellations where they doe contemplate them But to speake my minde we like Christians must beleeue and not thinke as many naturalists doe who in stead of acknowledging a God do forge to themselues an Idoll of Nature that it should be the planets or starres who like fountaines or Ladies of vertues properties and powers giue influence to men of the foresaide qualities but onely that in disposing their bodies being compounded of the elements vpon which the planets worke they serue to aide them to abound in vertues or vices according as their minde beeing moderatrix of all their actions doth dispose hir faculties to intend good or euill For this cause we say that to those which want the gifts and graces of Gods spirit all things cannot but succeed badly and the influences of the spheres hurt them rather then otherwise yea some more then other some as to the contrarie the minde of the faithful well instructed doth correct the naughtines of the stars deliuereth himselfe from all peruerse inclination This is it that the thrise great Philosopher Mercurius saith entreating of those whom the diuine power whatsoeuer it was had forsaken leauing and abandoning them to the euill as hee speaketh and all that which was sensible in them For thus saith he Of such the forces of anger appetite which being wel directed would cause euery good worke turne into a nature depriued of reason So then we learne that very vaine is the faith that is giuen to the planets to constellations and to foolish diuinations and superstitious prognostications of Astrologians For true Christians feare not the signes of heauen nor their aspects and regards but do wholly depend vpon the grace of God and of his prouidence which turneth all to the good of his elect Against iudiciall astrologie And therefore though wee condemne not true Astrologie namely Astronomie yet must we not approoue the superstition and curiositie which is in many concerning that part of this science called Iudiciall which they holde for a certaine and infallible doctrine by which may be foreseene and knowne the euents of men But let vs rather hold with that which Ieremie teacheth vs Ierem. 10. saying Feare not the signes of heauen according to the gentiles for the customes of the people are vaine Which is as much as if he had said that such curious obseruations full of superstitions are friuolous and false belonging to pagans and idolaters and not to the people of God For this cause also we haue in the bookes of the other prophets many things spoken against the predictions and prognostications of the Chaldees and Babylonians Esay 47. namely in Isay For God which is aboue all nature hath meanes which men cannot perfectly know either by reason of their ignorance or for that those meanes are supernaturall So that it happeneth that things oftentimes succeede cleane contrarie to that which the Astronomers haue forespoken prognosticated Against the casters of natiuities according to their contemplation But I woulde willingly aske them what foundation they can haue when like prophets they enterprise to foretell men good lucks and ill lucks and all euents which they must expect and chiefly to kings princes and other chiefe personages For where doe they finde when God created the stars and planets that he gaue them commission to reueale to Astrologers what should be the nature and complexion of euery one according to the planet vnder which they should be borne And againe how can such iudiciall science haue certaintie seeing there are a thousand men that are borne euery day in the world in one selfesame countrie at one selfesame time hower and instant one sometimes to be a king and another a poore shepherd being neither like in nature nor like in manners but sometimes more contrarie then fire and water For this is much prooued in many twinnes as the scripture giueth vs a notable example in Iacob and Esau For they were borne so close to one another Genes 25. that Iacob helde with his hand the sole of his brother Esaus foote and therefore the name of Iacob was giuen him And by how much the one was humble good and peaceable by so much the other was proud wicked and warlike And who can beleeue that God hath set marks in any of the signes of heauen to signifie to men that which he hath ordained concerning euery one in his eternall counsell which is hidden from the angels themselues Surely whatsoeuer we can learne is through his holy spirit which he communicateth to such as he pleaseth reuealing to them his secrets as heretofore he did to his most faithfull seruants And therefore he that would haue most certaine prognostications must not goe away to seeke and aske them of other more true Astrologians then the prophets and apostles with their writings For they haue surely foretold all that must come to passe in the world to the very consummation of time and chiefly touching the monarchies empires and kingdoms of the earth namely Daniel And I belieue that God hath not created the stars planets more for kings princes other great personages thē for the simple least Too sound true a prognosticatiō haue we against them all in Isay Isay 60. by which he prophesieth that euery kingdome euery nation which serueth not the Lord shall perish So likewise all the blessings and cursings of the lawe Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. are so many most certaine prophesies of all that which good and bad
double error and phophaning the contemplatiue doctrine of the heauen which is otherwise of it selfe good and profitable But beside all this I might likewise say that if all things heere belowe were disposed and directed by the gouernance of heauen and the influence of the planets as our naturalists better Philosophers then Christians do maintaine wee should behold nothing saue what were good as being gouerned by good causes And in this case I demand what sould become of those euill influences of the starres vpon which Astrologians do found their predictions Genes 1. I will not heere alleage that which Moses teacheth vs saying that God saw that all things which he had made were good for perhaps they would not beleeue it but let them giue eare to Mercury whom the ancients called the thrice great and supreme in Philosophie Metaphysicks and Theologie For he left written vpon pillars in Egypt as Iamblicus in a long discourse declareth how that all influences of the starres are good Against such as assigne euill to the influences of the stars and if there chance any euill it must be imputed to the indisposed subiect and not to the planets demonstrating this by the brightnes of the sunne which of it selfe is good and yet hurteth the bleare eie because of the badde state thereof Plato also saith Plato in Epimenide God hath made the Moone encreasing and decreasing and hath established the moneths in the yeere and hath taught by a kinde of happie fortune to bring in count the number of them Whereupon ensueth that the earth being most fruitefull conceiueth and engendreth her fruite for the nouriture of man at such times as the windes gently blowe and the raine prosperously droppeth into her lappe But if any euill befall heerein wee must not blame the diuine and celestiall nature but the humane which leadeth an vniust life And the Stoicke Hieracles crieth out in the verses of Pythagoras in these termes Each one through his owne euill ill will be For from the heauenly source no vice doth slow To soile our soules the cause are onely we The blame of mischiefe then on mortals throw And Plato in the sixt booke of lawes and Aristotle in his Politicks do testifie that man hauing attained to the true doctrine becommeth a very diuine and perfect debonaire creature but not hauing beene wel brought vp he be commeth the most cruell of all creatures borne vpon the earth What then remaineth for vs to attribute to the starres I demand of them also who affirme some influences to be euill from whence will they saie that this malice proceedeth Whether from God which commandeth or from the intelligence which mooueth the heauens or from the heauen it selfe Reasons to shew that the influences of the starrs be not euill Surely it cannot come from God who is the soueraigne good the first cause ordaining all things For that is euill or sinne which is done against the will of the creator or which declineth from his iustnes and in nature euill cannot proceed from the spring of goodnes Wherefore it should be too foolish and absurd a thing to thinke that euill should take original from God all-good and that from the soueraigne gouernour shoulde proceed the violation of the lawe seeing that his will is his owne lawe it selfe For the intelligence or angel which some saie continueth in the motion of the spheres and to whom some assigne the cause of euill influences I would faine aske them whether this intelligence doth so worke by the commaundement of his Prince which is the eternall and soueraigne gouernour of the world or else against his will and ordinance If it accomplish any thing according to his precept certainely that cannot be bad for nothing is bad but that which is done contrarie to the order established by the prince of Nature But if it operate against his will it might seeme to turne to the scandall of the Omnipotent creator to suffer his seruants so arrogant in rebellion vnpunished For at the beginning he spared not those amongst the angels who exalted themselues in pride And for the rest who persisted in obedience hee in such sort confirmed them that they cannot sinne any more Whereupon also ensueth that the Intelligences being loyall seruants of the Eternall do not cause euill influences neither yet do dispose any thing to euill since they alwaies accomplish the ordinance of the Soueraigne-good Against such as accuse the heauens to be euill And for those who not being able to blame God nor the moouing intelligence doe accuse the heauens as cause of euill influences I desire them to tell me if the heauens be malitious whence commeth their malice Whether haue they beene created euill or else beene depraued by euill manners Or else their nature failing them did they become euill Certainely they were not created euill by the most good woorker Neither haue they beene depraued by manners or a failing nature because they haue no choise in their workes and for that their motions and influences are naturall and inuariable not of freewill as all Philosophers affirme Againe I aske them whether the heauens giue influence as second causes or as instruments If as instruments then sith they neither mooue nor operate but according to the will of the Prince who created them he should remaine in fault which is alreadie confuted But if it be as second causes seeing the worke is performed by that which liueth the error should be referred to the intelligences who mooue them and are ordayned for soules to the spheres to which we haue also satisfied I will farther adde this point That the heauens do worke either by nature or by will If by nature sith the order thereof is established by God the sentence of Aristotle is woorthie the remembrance where saith What we possesse by nature we are therein neither praised nor blamed for the praise belongeth to the worker and the blame cannot be assigned to the order of the soueraigne Good But if the heauens worke freely being guided by an intelligence it must needs follow that being the causes of so many mischiefes which abundantly light on man they are guided by a furious or else by a couetous soule If by a furious seeing there is a certaine planet which as these Astronomers say doth alwaies designe violent influences wherefore is it not consumed with such a sempiternall furie Moreouer why say men that a planet is inflamed sooner in one house then in another What meeteth it in his owne house or in another that disposeth it to signifie euill Againe how is that inflamed with furie which they affirme to bee immutable But if the heauens be led by couetousnes what profit or gaine do they attract from things here below For this couetous desire remayneth onely in themselues And whosoeuer coueteth euill doth it as the Philosophers say because that he is as it were intoxicated and ouercome by inebriating matter But sith the matter of the
he returneth to the other without any ceasing rest or fainting Wherein we must especially acknowledge gods woonderfull prouidence who hath created him neither greater nor lesse then is necessary to performe the office which hath beene committed to him And for his greatnes we may truely iudge that it is immense and admirable because that in what place soeuer men may be whether in the east or in the west or in the north or in the south parts yet do they all behold it of one selfesame greatnes And therefore doth the prophet say They which dwell in the vttermost parts of the earth Psal 65. are afraid of thy signes and thou makest them ioyfull with the going foorth of the euening and the morning that is with the rising and setting of the sunne and other planets and starres Wherein we must note that though we commonly say of the sunne that he riseth and setteth as if we spake of a man that went to take his rest in the night after that he trauailed all day yet in truth he neither riseth nor setteth for that he is continually busie How the rising and setting of the sunne must be taken bringing day to some when others haue night But men say commonly so because that in regard of vs he seemeth when he retyreth as if he went to rest at euen-tide and that he riseth in the morning when he returneth vnto vs. Wherfore we say that he is hidden and downe when we see him not and that he is risen when he appeereth at point of day And so do the rude people and children which dwel neere the mountaines accustomablie say that he is gone to hide himselfe behind them And they which are neere the sea suppose that he goeth to plunge wash himselfe therein as the Poets also say accommodating their stile to the vulgar And yet al may behold that he riseth not on the same side where he setteth but on the other quite opposite Whereby is easie to be iudged that he hath not reposed all the while that men slept but hath passed much way And that he still carrieth his light with him for it is a most certaine thing that he hath not deliuered night and darknes to those people and nations by which he passed but light and day But if there be fewe amongst the rude and ignorant which meditate these things so farre there be fewer which consider of the prouidence of God that manifesteth it selfe in this perpetuall changing of day into night and of night into day For there is nothing more contrary then light and darknes and consequently then night and day And yet hath God so well disposed compacted and reconciled these contrarieties togither that if things were otherwise ordained there were neither man nor beast that could long liue vpon the face of the earth And therefore Ecclesiasticus saith Eccles 42. Oh how delectable are all his works and to be considered euen to the very sparks of fire they liue all and endure for euer and whensoeuer need is they are all obedient They are al double one contrarie to another hee hath made nothing that hath any fault The one commendeth the goodnes of the other and who can be satisfied with beholding Gods glory And indeed if the day should last perpetually and equally alike in all parts of the world the heat of the sunne would so scorch euery thing that it would drie vp and consume not onely men and beasts but euen all moisture and humiditie which is in the earth Meruailes of the prouidence of God in the commodities of day and night Whereby all liuing creatures should faile for they could not liue for two causes First because that life doth principally lie in heate and moisture and is conserued by them according to the order that God hath set in nature to guard and maintaine it Wherefore as men and beasts loose their life if their naturall heat be altogither extinguished so doth it likewise befall them when their moisture is entirely consumed For there must be a verie equall proportion in all those qualities which are in the bodies of liuing creatures to wit in heat and coldnes in drines and moisture according to the nature of the fowre elements whereof they are composed for the excesse of the one doth confound the other For which cause God hath so disposed the course of the Sunne that hee distributeth his heate in so good and iust measure that he hindreth the too much coldnes and moisture which might quench the naturall heate and yet doth not so consume them by the heat and drines which he causeth but that there alwaies remaineth so much as is needful for the life of all creatures And for the other reason that they would faile it is that neither man nor any other animall can liue without nourishment to repaire in them that which the naturall heate like a fire incessantly flaming hath consumed of radicall humor in their bodies yet this heat must be likewise maintained that it be not extinguished as wee haue amply discoursed concerning these things in the second part of our Academie For this cause then God hath ordained eating and drinking for the nouriture of all liuing creatures and hath appointed to the earth as to the mother of al the charge and office to produce fruits and other nourishments needfull for them Which she cannot do being by nature cold and drie if as she is warmed by the heat of the sunne she be not also moistned by the waters both of heauen earth And therefore when that the sunne hath heated and dried it vp all day long the night which is the shadow of the earth doth afterwards ensue and taking from vs the sight of the sunne and his light doth by this meanes bring vnto vs darknes which causeth night wherein the Moone who is colde and moist hath her rule as the sunne who is hot and drie hath his rule in the day time And so we must consider these two celestiall bodies very neerely according to their proper effects which we perceiue and experiment heere on earth below Genes 1 as also Moses testifieth vnto vs saying that God created two great lights amongst others to be as regents and rulers the one of day and the other of night So then as the earth and all that it beareth togither with all animals or liuing creatures that it nourisheth are heated and dried vp in the day time by the sunne euen so are they moistned and refreshed in the night time by the withdrawing thereof and by the humiditie and coldnes of the Moone Wherein there especially hapneth a mutuall accord betweene heauen and earth vnder which we comprise the aire waters and al creatures therein contained with their natures and qualities Moreouer in this maruel we are to consider that as men and animals cannot suruiue without nourishment which God hath prouided by the meanes aforesaid so likewise could they not liue without taking some rest
generations it is necessarie that something remaine from which they are drawne in their first originall When then any creature is engendred by another if the forme perish and any thing do remaine it must of necessitie be the matter Nothing can cleane perish which the corruption it selfe doth manifest because that nothing can wholy perish so long as it is corrupted For the apple perisheth and is conuerted into wormes so is the wood into cinders when it is burned so water changeth it selfe into vapors and smoke by the heate of the fire or of the sunne Now all vapor and smoke is something for it can stifle a man and if it be receiued and gathered into a vessell it turneth to drops of water Behold then how manifest it is that in all this vniuers there is a certaine thing hidden vnder euerie forme which is not made by common generation nor yet doth perish by corruption and which like some prime subiect being diuided vnder many and sundry formes wee call as we haue alreadie said the first matter not engendred permanent because it perisheth not but remaineth and consisteth according to the effect thereof And when we compare it to the formes we saie that it is by power the same which they are because that it can receiue all formes so that the matter of a childe being formed is said to be a childe by power and by effect it is the subiect whereof the childe may consist for it is a mixture so fashioned and such as one may see it But when it is compared to the forme of the childe it is simplie called a matter by power for if it were such by effect then were it a childe of it selfe not a subiect of him So then by the consent of all Philosophers there is a certaine grosse matter disfurnished of formes but capable of all though by nature it be depriued of all For which cause also they establish with this matter priuation Of priuation of the changing cause for a beginning of naturall things And mounting higher they consider of a changing or working cause by force whereof the matter being wrought and mollified which is onely in power is at length actually performed euen as waxe being plied and softned by handling and working in the hand is fashioned into diuers formes according to the will of him that doth it Of the finall cause And because that nature doth nothing at aduenture but al for some good purpose thence it is that the finall cause is by some considered as a principle Of the forme And likewise because that the neerest end of the working cause is the forme which it taketh out of the bosome of the matter and that for this intent it worketh and mouldeth it to the end to reduce it to a perfect estate to receiue a forme for these causes Aristotle constituteth the forme for the third principle The which cannot be drawne out of the wombe of the matter except it be first disposed and prepared by conuenient qualities and therefore the Philosophers say that about them the maker bestoweth and emploieth all his labour and all the time of the action to the end that the species may presently appeere in a point moment vnseparable as it were for the wages of his paines But the Peripateticks call the worker the cause rather then a principle And the followers of Plato being more cleere-sighted in sacred mysteries doe teach that although the naturall causes do appeere to vs of themselues forming fashioning Thâ—â— naturalâ— causes 〈◊〉 principles and moulding euerie bodie yet neuerthelesse are they not the prime and first causes of euerie thing that is made but rather instruments of the diuine art to whom they serue and obey euen as the hands of a cunning workeman though they compose place and change the whole matter of an house as wood stone and morter and that nothing besides them may bee seene whereto the fashion of the edifice might bee attributed yet are they knowne of vs to be an instrument obeying and seruiceable to the Idea which being seated in the minde of the Architect he performeth and acteth with his hands in sensible matter the worke which he hath conceiued And for this occasion the Academicks speake of these two causes the instrumental and the exemplarie cause when they intreat of the framing of all things Which me thinketh is often confirmed by the Peripatetickes when this axiom is read in their writings Euerie worke of nature is the worke of Intelligence And both the one and the other do confesse that God hath drawne all things out of the matter But because that for to drawe them out the matter must necessarily be presupposed and the forme which thereof is fashioned must be conceiued as also the power or application and disposition of the said matter Three principles according to Aristotle Thereupon are sprung the three principles of naturall things which Aristotle ordayneth to wit matter forme and priuation Which opinion Pythagoras seemed to leane vnto teaching that in the first production of things there were present the Euen and the Odde for the Euen according to the doctrine of those which doe philosophically discourse by numbers and principally the binarie or number of two signifieth the matter and the vneuen or odde betokeneth the forme Moreouer the degrees of formes and things composed are excellently and harmoniously distributed by the Euen and Odde numbers as by their writings we may easily learne But let vs note that that which the Pythagorians signifie by numbers Plato doth abundantly describe by greatnes and smalnes because all that which is doth retaine a greater or lesse degree of essence and perfection which neuerthelesse is distinguished by euen and odde numbers And if one speake of bodies euery one of them hath a great little or meane quantitie which likewise is by the same numbers limited and distinguished But to leaue the curious disputation concerning these things to the Philosophers and so to grow to the conclusion of our speech concerning the principles of naturall and corruptible things we must call that into our memorie which we haue alreadie declared how that the matter stood in need of a worker and ordayner Now this same is none other Of one alone and onely principle but the alone and onely principle of principles and the cause of causes God omnipotent author of the Vniuers who being a soueraigne worker hath produced out of the subiect by him created all compound bodies From whom likewise it is necessarie that all formes doe flow whether they be drawne out of the bosome of the matter as some Philosophers affirme or proceed without any meanes of the forme-giuer as many learned dispute for he must alwaies be said to be engendring and producing which draweth the matter into an effect by any manner whatsoeuer Moreouer Motion and place set by some for principles some subtile spirits do account among the principles of naturall things
is to them as an interpreter taking away the vaile from strange languages obscurenes from riddles and parables and difficultie from euerie profound and mysticall speech and opening that which is shut vp in the secret cabinets of God and nature presenteth the naked truth to be contemplated Neither must we thinke that the starre of Mercurie performeth this but so far as it may operate in bodies by disposing or else as an instrument of the diuine omnipotency as we haue heretofore declared Concordance of the aire with Venus Let vs now speake of the aire It seemeth to be answerable in nature to Venus which is hot and moist And by the foresaid order of the planets succession in course that it must be referred to Iupiter For this cause the Astronomers haue dedicated to Venus the airie liuing creatures For euen as the aire winde coupleth and conioyneth things seuered so doth the Venerian power whereupon we will note that the Academicks taught how that there were two Venuses the one Etherian and the other Aërian the highest cleanest chasteth and most temperate according with Iupiter and conioyning the superiour diuine and spirituall things the lowest most disordinate slipperie variable and lasciuious which conioyneth in lust the creatures here below Of this Venus so many ribauldries are sung by wanton Poets because she is cause of all euill euen as the other is cause of all good To which speech the saying of Saint Augustine hath relation namely that two loues haue made two cities For the well disposed and good loue of God and the loue of one neighbour to the despising of ones selfe hath edified the citie of God But the peruerse loue of ones selfe to the forgetting of God hath reared vp the citie of the diuell Moreouer the Grammarians deliuer this reason why the power of this starre is called Venus because it doth concur in all things be they good or euill And surely all is filled with loue and nothing is void thereof as all things are full of aire which filleth the naturall appetite that abhorreth emptines By loue saith Boëtius are the heauens conioyned and the elements agree with bodies compounde Through it creatures dwell together the citie is preserued and the common wealth increased Through loue God made the world and doth gouerne it and the summe of all that which he requireth of vs is loue Saint Denis in his Hierarchie speaketh thus The loue of God hath not permitted that the king of all things should remaine in himselfe without fruit And as through loue he is spread abroad in all things without himselfe so hee delighteth to attract all things to himselfe and principally man in whom all is enclosed And therefore when he shall be vnited with God euen so shall all other things be Whether then that we speake of diuine or angelicall or spirituall or quickning or naturall loue we meane a power engraffed and conioyning which mooueth the superiour things to prouidence and care for the good of the inferiour disposeth equall things in a sociable communion and in fine admonisheth inferiour things that they turne themselues to those that are better and superiour Thus speaketh this great Doctor and Philosopher But let vs pursue the subiect of our discourse We haue declared that the Academicks haue taught a double Venus The like may be said of the Aire for we consider it in two parts the one thicke and foggie which is next the earth and the other pure and aetherian next vnto the stars which being heated by force of the winde which mixeth it selfe in all things seemeth to be verie fit for the propagation and maintenance of nature for which reason also the winde and the aire are called by one name of the Hebrewes who call all things according to their properties Finally the elementarie fire is answerable to the Sunne That the fire agreeth with the sunne and to Mars who are both of the nature of fire For as the Sunne is the true and celestiall fire boyling all that which appertaineth to the viands of this great animall the world so this elementarie fire causing all things to boyle by his great heat doth perfect the nourishment of creatures liuing in the earth Both the one and other fire heateth but this driuing the humours inward and the other drawing them out This imparteth his commoditie to that onely which is neere it but the superiour bestoweth his vertue vpon the farthest remote bodies in such sort that the force of his beames pierceth euen to the bowels of the earth where it boyleth and maketh mettals which afterward the elementarie fire purgeth Moreouer as Apollo so named as of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a priuatiue letter in composition and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth multitude as being he who alone contayneth the power of the heauens and of the starres or else because that his vertue and power consisteth of many fires by which he giueth light to all the stars whose naturall vigour produceth not their effects till such time as they bee filled with the powerfull seed of this faire Phebus who is so called of his beauty amiablenes which shineth in him as he is also named Sol as soly-shining or else by a name amongst the Hebrewes which one may interpret That which properly doth subsist because that the light and benefit thereof is proper and peculiar vnto him As this faire planet I say was acknowledged by the ancient Poets and Philosophers for the inuentor of phisicke because of the quickning heat well disposing power thereof so the fire heere beneath doth aptly patterne him by reason that heating the cold frozen creatures it doth in a manner restore their life vnto them So it is heate that giueth life and fruitfulnes For egges are not conuerted into chickens nor the silkeworme into a butterflie neither do plants grow nor yet are liuing creatures nourished and warmed except either by the superior or by the quickning or by the elementarie heat which by a certaine sympathie do seeme to bee of one selfesame kinde as it were through a correspondencie Yea the fire is so fruitefull that it engendreth it selfe and giueth power to other naturall things to engender not by the heate thereof onely but by the force of the light which it receiueth from him who hath said Genes 1. I am the light of the world Wherefore Moses being desirous to make manifest that all things had beene produced by the benefite of the light after that the matter which he calleth earth turned out of darknes was made he saith that presently the light was created as that by meanes of which life and forme must be giuen to all things and aptnes to be seene Which vitall vigor did no doubt consist in the diuine fire which is called the spirit of life the which resting vpon the face of the waters infused into all things the life and the formes by which euery thing might be discerned from other But
but that the windowes of heauen were opened and that raine fell vpon the earth forty daies and fortie nights For which cause also the Psalmist singeth The voice of the Lord is vpon the waters Psal 29. the glory of God maketh it to thunder the Lord is vpon the great waters He was set vpon the floud and he shal remaine king for euer which is asmuch to say as the Lord hath executed his iudgement vpon the wicked by the waters of the floud and that as then he tooke vengeance so it is he that doth for euer remaine iudge of the world and that maketh all creatures to tremble before him Where wee haue great matter of feare and trembling if wee beleeue the word of God and the testimonies which it deliuereth of his iudgements when I say we diligently consider the effects of the nature of the higher elements Therefore whensoeuer wee see close weather and the aire filled with cloudes threatning vs with raine and tempests the sight thereof should alwaies refresh and renew in vs the memorie of this iudgement of God so terrible and vniuersall in the flud to teach vs to walke in more feare of his Maiestie But there are few which thinke thereupon and can make their profite thereof and many to the contrarie doe but iest and scoffe at it as if it were a fable and a fantasie I knowe very well that the scripture saith that God set the raine-bow in the cloudes for signe of an accord and attonement betweene him and men and euery liuing creature to the ende that the waters might neuer after increase to such a floud as should roote out all flesh But we must note that the Eternall doth not here promise neuer to send any deluge vpon the earth Genes 9. Many goodly thingâ— to bee câ—â—â—â—dered in the rainâ—â—â—â—w but onely not a generall and vniuersall floud as the first was in the time of Noah For how many times hath he punished particularly many people with great inundations and deluges of water signifying vnto all that he hath all his creatures at commandement for euer to make them serue either to his wrath or to his mercie according as he will intreat men and hereupon we shall learne that though it seemeth that in the place before alledged the raine-bowe is named as if it had been spred in the aire at that time onely when it was giuen by God as a signe and sacrament of his couenant renewed yet neuertheles we must not doubt but that when God created the causes of this bowe in nature ordained by him he did also create it in the establishing of the world with other creatures But it was not vsed by God for a testimonie of his attonement with mankinde till after the flood So likewise it is certaine that this heauenly bowe hath naturally had at all times the significations which at this present it retaineth to presage raine or faire weather according as it diuersly appeereth But since that the creator hath accepted it for a signe of his couenant it hath had this vantage to be ordained as a gage and witnes of the promises of God And therefore whensoeuer we behold it in heauen we must not onely consider of it as of a naturall thing and as a prognosticator sometimes of raine sometimes of faire weather but likewise as a witnes and memoriall as well of the iudgement of God as of his grace and mercie and of the assurance of the conseruation of all creatures by his prouidence But though it should teach vs nothing of al this but should onely retaine the beautie and naturall signification thereof yet might it serue vs for an excellent testimonie of the maiestie of God and incite vs to giue him praise Eccles 43. For which cause Ecclesiasticus saith Looke vpon the raine-bowe and praise him that made it very beautifull it is in the brightnes thereof It compasseth the heauen about with a glorious circle and the hands of the most high haue bended it For what man is so dull but doth admire the great varietie of so faire colours as appeere in it euen in a substance so fine and subtile that it cannot be perceiued by any corporall sense saue by the sight I know that the philosophers doe teach Of the cause of th◠〈…〉 rainâ—â—bow that as a drop of water which one seeth in the sunne representeth many goodly colours like those in the raine-bowe which is made of a thicke watrie cloud full of drops in the middle region of the aire For euery darke obscure thing is as it were almost blacke as the shadowes doe demonstrate which by reason of their obscuritie seeme to be blacke And when an obscure thing is illuminated if it be bright it passeth in colours according to the abundance of the brightnes Now the cloud is obscure the drops of water are bright for this cause they represent vnto vs colours according to the variety of that light which shineth vpoÌ„ them And forsomuch as the innermost circle of the bow is nerest to the obscure or dark cloud it seemeth coÌ„monly to be blew that in the middle which is more illuminate appeereth greene and the vpper circle which is greatest and most lighted with celestiall brightnes is yellow Forasmuch then as there is a cause of euery thing the Naturalists doe much endeuour themselues to render reasons concerning the diuersities of these colours as Astrologians doe also to argue vpon the diuers predictions of this bowe as presaging sometimes raine sometimes faire weather sometimes winde and sometimes calme and cleere weather Hist nat lib. 2. Yet Plinie saith that it is often seene when it doth not prognosticate any thing and that no heede is taken of it for the time to come But let euery one ascertaine himselfe that it is caused by the beames of the sunne which striking into an hollow cloud are constrained to reuerberate and returne vpwardes toward the sunne And that the diuersitie of colours which are therein represented is made by the mixture of the clouds of the aire and of the fire which are found there togither Moreouer that this bow neuer is but when the sunne is opposit to that cloud and that it exceedeth not the forme of a semicircle also that it appeereth not by night though Aristotle saith that it hath sometimes been then seene But we wil leaue the philosophers to dispute vpon these things and to search the depth of their naturall causes and will conclude this speech and make an end of this day with a point of doctrine concerning the meteors of Christians which is that we must take very good heed not to be of the number of those who boasting of the knowledge of humane sciences haue despised the spirituall and diuine and of whom Saint Peter hath prophecied saying 2. Pet. 3. That there shoulde come in the last daies mockers and contemners of God walking according to their owne lusts which should say Where is the promise
things tende and descende it cannot descende lower then it is by the nature thereof And therefore bicause it is solide and thicke and not liquide and fluent as the water and the aire it cannot glide as they doe nor remooue out of one place into another if it be not by some violence elsewhere mooued and made to stirre and tremble somewhere as it hath happened through diuers and maruellous earthquakes of which histories and the holy scripture it selfe doe giue euidence We must note then that there are diuers sortes of motions by which the earth is so shaken that it lifteth and casteth some parts sometimes vpwardes sometimes downewards Of diuers sorts of earthquakes And it is long of such motions and tremblings that there haue such masses and heapes beene cast out of it that great isles haue beene newly made as Geographers doe witnesse namely the isle of Rhodes and of Selos It sometimes also happeneth that the motions of the earth bee such that it openeth like a great gulph whereinto some parts thereof are cleane swallowed vp and deuoured togither with the countries and townes scituate therein so that there hath beene no marke left of them no more then as if they had neuer beene And it hath often hapned in such cases that some mountaines haue fallen one against another bicause the earth which was betwixt them hath sunck and beene swallowed cleane vp And then one might say that the prouerb is not euer true which saith that two mountaines neuer meet There is yet another kinde of motion wherein the earth mooueth and shaketh sometimes one way sometimes another way and tottereth like a ship that floateth on the water Which kinde of trembling is most dangerous as also when all the motion runneth one way Then is there yet another motion which philosophers properly call trembling to wit when two motions are opposite one to another as if two rammes should rush one against another And this is least daungerous of all although indeede they bee all very fearefull yet the feare is much greater when the tremblings continue with horrible and fearefull sounds like the bellowing of buls and as if the earth and all nature quaked and groaned beeing sore pressed and forced as is oftentimes seene â— the causes of earthquakes Now for the causes of all these kindes of earthquakes I may well say that there is no point in all naturall philosophie wherein the professors of this science finde themselues more intricately intangled nor wherein they more differ in opinions then in this For the Chaldeans and Astronomers referre the causes of motions and earthquakes to the heauen to the starres and to the planets and many philosophers assigne it to the water And yet those which are of this opinion differ amongst themselues For some suppose that the earth floateth vpon the water like a ship bicause it is enuironed with water according to the naturall order of the disposition of the elements whereby it is diuersly mooued Others doe attribute the cause of earthquakes to those waters onely which are inclosed within the vaines and caues of the earth Some also to the fire and some to the windes shut vp within it and some to the heate chased by the colde which striueth against it and causeth it to search an issue out For as the water vndermineth the earth and those places through which it doth passe euen so may the fire doe and if either of them be so inclosed that they cannot finde an easie issue they striue then to doe it by force and violence So doe the windes and the heate chased by the cold So then if the earth be vndermined it is no maruell if the vpper part sinke and fall downe being swallowed vp as into a gulfe considering that the earth bicause of the heauines thereof tendeth alwaies downward towardes the center thereof which is the midst of it and of all the worlde And if the waters or the fire or the windes inclosed and shut vp in the earth or the contrarie qualities which contend one with another cannot finde a passage or issue their power is so great that they constraine the earth which resisteth them and by forcing it make it to cleaue and open and to remooue and to shake in those places wherein it is forced Concerning all which things one may make a neere coniecture Of the force and violence in artillerie by the force and violence which is seene in ordinance and artillerie For euery one beholdeth what force there is by meanes of fire and of the matter inclosed within to wit powder and of the contrarie qualities wherof it is compounded and of the winde that therein is ingendred not onely to driue out with maruellous violence all the charge that therein is but also many times to burst the peece it selfe if there be any resistance to hinder it that it discharge not quickly or if it be not well made and very strong and well proportioned to the charge We behold also what a winde there issueth out and what noise it maketh and how the noise makes the earth to sound and tremble and oftentimes it happeneth that this onely winde killeth those that stand neere the cannons mouth such is the violence thereof although they be not touched at all with the bullet that it shooteth But wee beholde more cleerely in mines which are made vnder ground the violence of this powder when it is therein inclosed with the fire which is set thereto by traines For there is neither towne nor castle be they neuer so well founded nor any fortresse which is not onely shaken but ouerturned also like as by an horrible earth-quake Wherein we may note how that it hath not beene sufficient for men to counterfeit thunders and lightnings in artillerie but they haue also inuented the meanes to represent the motions and shakings of the earth in such manner as we haue signified There are some philosophers also Earthquakes compared to agues who haue taught that the same reason is in earthquakes as there is in the shaking of mens bodies and that they are like feuers and maladies of the earth which come vnto it through diuers causes saue that they hold not all the bodie thereof as they doe in men but onely some partes of it For they argue that the water is in the earth as the blood which hath his course through the vaines of mans bodie and the winde is as the vitall spirits which passe through the arteries thereof And as there happen diuers stoppings in the bodie which hinder the blood and vitall spirits that they cannot keepe their right course and ordinarie passage whereupon their order is troubled and the bodie pained in such sort that grones ensue and difficultie of breathing shakings and such like accidents So is it with the bodie of the earth when any thing happens to it contrarie to the naturall disposition thereof by the meanes which we haue already heard whether by water by fire
the fire considering also that heat hath but little motion except it attaine to the height thereof whereas otherwise it doth quench it selfe And therefore it is that matter which burneth vnder the earth that ministreth this puissant heat which doth so warme the water And wee may moreouer note that all those waters which boyle so are naturally light and haue some medicinable facultie and propertie And yet they are not to be so much accounted of as that which is fit for common vsage in mens affaires to preserue health What water is best For good water hath neither colour smel nor sauour and is passing cleere and being drunke it abideth not long in the belly such they say is the water of the riuer Euleus which falleth from the mountaine Zager by Susiana whereof the kings of Persia did make prouision in their expeditions and warlike voyages For to the preseruation of health water is no lesse to bee carefully chosen Diuers causes of cold waters and their tasts colours and smelles then aire Now as warme waters are famous for the reasons heretofore deliuered so there are some waters also verie much admired for their great coldnes whereof snowe marble mettals cold aire sudden motion and the great fall from aloft euerie one in his degree may be the cause Againe the sauours or tastes of waters are verie diuers and the principal cause thereof is heat For sodden earth which is of sundry sorts giueth a tast to water according to the quality thereof And the like reason is concerning colours for fine thin clay doth cause the colour of waters but thick clay tarrieth not in water and therefore dieth it not The same cause is also in the difference of smels And alwaies waters that are of a good smel are profitable for creatures but stinking waters cause diseases for as Philosophers say contrarie causes appertaine to contrarie things Good water likewise is lightest as that which fleeteth aboue other water be it in riuers springs or wels From whence it commeth that fresh water floateth vpon sea water which likewise being more massiue and waightie beareth more heauie burdens And amongst fresh waters the water of Rhodanus or Rosne in France swimmeth vpon that of the lake of Geneua passing ouer the midst thereof Also many rare properties and great woonders are written concerning waters with the causes of them as that Of a floud which ran not on the sabboth day which is reported by Iosephus of a certaine floud in Iudea neere Syria which ranne euery day except vpon the Sabbaoth day which was reputed a matter religious and as a myracle although that this might happen and come to passe through a naturall cause if we will so argue to wit that no more water was gathered into this floud by orderly spaces then was sufficient to runne for sixe daies and not for the seuenth in such sort as Phisitions render a like cause concerning the renewings or fits and ceasings of feauers For the world is the great man as man is the little worlde But not stretching this discourse any farther we will onelie note for conclusion thereof that in the diuersitie of the kindes of waters that which is gathered togither in one place is salt Of the diuers appellations of waters is called the sea the fresh water so gathered togither is called a lake if it mooue not at all it is named a marish or fen but if it be somewhat deepe it is a standing poole and if it runne then is it a riuer if it gather through raines or by snowe then is it a torrent or raine-floud and if it spring it is a fountaine which is euer the best water and doth slowliest putrifie For it is least moist and is most concocted by the heauenly heate Also the lightest water doth hardliest corrupt for which cause it is most fit for the maintenance of mans life as approching neerest to the substance of the aire by which we breath We haue said enough then concerning this matter But me thinketh that our succeeding discourse requireth that we should entreate of those commodities which men receiue by waters through nauigation which ACHITOB shall be the subiect of your discourse Of the commodities which men reape of the waters by nauigation and of the directions which sea-men receiue from heauen and from the starres vpon the sea Chap. 60. ACHITOB AMongst such things as are woorthie of consideration in the sea and in other waters we must not passe ouer in silence those goodly commodities and great profits which they bring vnto men by the meanes of nauigations and of the dealings and trafficks which they exercise by them For it is to be noted that euery land and countrey cānot be furnished with al commodities bicause God hath so disposed therof that some abound in those things which othersome do greatly want stand in need of But by meanes of sayling by water all that which can be required may be transported from one countrey to another with very small trouble charges so that one nation may communicate those commodities with another which the creator hath particularly bestowed on them all each granting mutuall helpe to the other by this meanes Wherin surely we may acknowledge the prouidence of God to be verie great manifold Of the prouidence of God in distribution of his gifts For first the Lord hath disposed of his creatures and distributed his treasures according to the diuersity of landes and countries euen in such manner as he diuideth his gifts and graces amongst men For he bestoweth not all either vpon one or vpon two or vpon three or vpon any other certaine number of them And therefore there neuer hath beene nor shall be any one which either could or may surpasse all others so much that hee may haue no need of another or that hath sufficient for himselfe For if one man possessed all he would thinke himselfe to be no more a man but a God rather and would therefore contemne all others Moreouer it is most certaine that if euery one were so well furnished with all things that they might all surpasse one another there would be no humane societie For one would make no account of another but being all puffed vp with pride whereto they are naturally enclined there woulde arise a thousand quarrels and dissensions amongst them as wee ordinarily see to happen amongst the proud mightie puissant and rich For seeing that charitie which should dwell amongst men can take no place how could they be vnited and allied togither in amitie if they were not constrained therto through necessitie and if it be a difficult matter to conioine and maintaine them in peace and mutuall good will what neede soeuer they haue one of another one may easilie iudge what woulde ensue if they had not necessitie for their mistresse to this effect which causeth them to do in spight of al their abilities that which she cannot obtaine of them
not attribute either to the prudence and wisedome of any one or yet to the force and power or to the weapons or armies of men the changes which we daily see in the state of the most mighty but to the onely ordinance and disposition of God by which such alterations come to passe according as the soueraigne iudge knoweth to bee expedient and iust for the chastisement and punishing of men by one another or else to shew himselfe benigne and fauorable towards them For which cause the scripture saith that the Lord vsing as his instrument Senacherib the tyrant of Assyria to chastise many people and nations Isay 10. he calleth him the rodde and scourge of his wrath and doth greatly reprehend him by Isay for that he attributed to himselfe the glory of those victories which he had giuen him not bicause of his vertues considering he was a fierce and cruell king but bicause God woulde vse him against those who deserued to be chastised by the hands of such a tyrant and murtherer If then we consider as behooueth vs vpon that which we haue here summarily touched we shall finde therein excellent doctrine for all kings princes and people and for all men as well in generall as in particular to the end to induce them That euery one must containe himselfe within the limits of his habitation that they may containe themselues within the inclosure of those confines wherein God hath placed them For as he is cursed in the lawe which passeth the bounds of his neighbors possession so must we not doubt but that they are subiect to the same curse who cannot containe themselues within the bounds of those countries Deut. 27. in which God hath confined them bestowing vpon them power signories and habitation therein For from whence proceede the greatest dissensions and cruellest wars but from the ambition and auarice of men which will one vsurpe aboue another that which appertaineth not vnto them and by such meanes doe out-passe their limits whereas if euery one would content himselfe with that part and portion of land which the creator thereof hath bestowed vpon him who doubteth but that men should liue in much more peace As then God through his prouidence would constraine them by necessitie and neede which they haue one of another to trafficke and communicate togither in libertie and mutuall securitie by that meanes to receiue out of one countrie into another those things which faile therein and abound elsewhere and for the causes by vs heretofore deliuered so it hath pleased him to set mightie and strong bounds and limits against their ambition and auarice especially of kings princes and great men For we see how he hath diuided and separated one countrie from another and the diuers regions and kingdomes of the earth not onely by meanes of seas lakes and great riuers but also by craggie high and vnpassable mountaines which as the kingly prophet witnesseth he hath established by his power Psal 65. that by this meanes men might be cōfined within the bounds of the habitation assigned by the Eternall to euery people in such sort as he hath inclosed the waters within their places to the course which he hath ordained them Against the ambition and auarice of men hauing bounded them with hils and rocks And yet there are no boundes so difficult to passe which may bridle and restraine the ambition and insatiable desire of men within any limits but that they will passe ouer the deepest the longest the amplest and broadest waters and the highest and steepest mountaines in the world so that there are no places so inaccessible through which they will not cut a passage one to ouer-run another by great outrage and violence Wherein surely they euidently declare that they are much more furious then the sea how outragious and rough soeuer it bee seeing they can in no wise containe themselues within their limits as the waters doe which also maketh them more vnreasonable then brute beasts For although there be many vnruly and furious horses in one stable yet each of them will commonly bee staied with an halter made but of a little coard or leather and will be kept by a little bar of wood from striking running ouer one another so that one onely stable will serue them all But men doe to the contrarie shew themselues to be such furious and contentious beastes that the whole world cannot suffice them For there is neither riuer sea lake nor mountaine which can be a barre sufficient to withhold them from forcing and rauaging one another destroying themselues by horrible massacres and cruell warres Which no doubt commeth vnto them especially through want of acknowledging and considering vpon the prouidence of God by which he hath appointed bounds to their habitation ambition and auarice as we haue said and for that they will not containe themselues within them obeying the ordinance of their creator But we haue said ynough concerning this subiect Let vs now discourse vpon those commodities which come to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters thorough the earth Which AMANA shall be the substance of your speech Of the commodities which are incident to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters through the earth Chap. 62. AMANA IF men doe but slenderly acknowledge the prouidence of God in the limits of their habitation which hee hath appointed as well by meanes of mountaines as by waters as we haue heard in the precedent speech they doe also make but small stay in the consideration of those great commodities which he giueth and sendeth continually to them by means of them of al the earth For as he watereth this fruitfull mother by dew raine from heauen as hath beene heretofore expressed so doth he moisten it by meanes of fountaines floods and riuers which doe run through it Whereupon we must note that the life of all corporall creatures doth principally consist in heate and that this heate cannot be preserued and maintained without moisture whereby it is nourished euen as the flame of the snuffe or match of a candle or lampe is nourished and maintained by the fat and humor which is therein Therefore as God hath placed the sunne in heauen like a great fountaine of heate and a great furnace of fire for to be distributed and disposed into all partes of the world so hath hee established the sea here belowe in the earth as a great and perpetuall fountaine conuenient for the nourishment and conseruation of this heate which is communicated to the earth and to all the creatures that are therein And therefore also this sea spreadeth it selfe into diuers places by the meanes which haue beene declared so that the courses of the waters in the earth are like the vaines in a mans bodie Goodly similitudes of the course of the waters and of the vaines which are in the body For euen as the soueraigne Creator hath placed
equall power there is engendred so delicate and perfect a mixture of indissoluble vnion composing an accord so faithfully that there is made thereby an incorruptible paste which is permanent to all eternity in the excellencie and goodnes thereof Wherefore gold cannot bee vanquished by iniurie of time and of antiquitie neither can containe in it selfe nor support any excrescence and superfluitie of rust For though it bee put into the water or fire and there remaine for any long space of time yet is it neuer stained neither doth accept any other quality but that which is naturall nor yet doth faile any whit which is the particular priuiledge that it hath aboue other mettalles For they are all subiect to alteration and therefore change and corrupt for a small matter and accept a good or bad qualitie in their originall or end But gold is incorruptible and therefore not subiect to such mutations yea though it bee drawne out in so small wire that it be as fine as threeds in a spiders web and though it be buried in most piercing medicaments as are sublimatum and verdegrease salt and vineger that it remaine two thousand yeeres therein it will not for all that bee corrupted but contrarywise the more refined but all gold hath not one selfe same perfection for their mines and sources are different in goodnes Sometimes also gold is counterfait sophisticate and falsified through the infidelitie or auarice of those who mingle it and multiplie it with other mixtures of mettals of lesse value and lesse pure then it is But pure and refined gold is alwaies perfect by nature in all those qualities which wee haue already touched How gold is found And it is found in diuers manners to wit mixed with sand as in Bohemia on the shore-side amongst the waters neere to Goldebourgh and Risegronde and amongst the stones in mountaines as in Calecut and in the Indies But the first generation thereof is at the top of mountaines in the highest places because that the sun doth there more easily purifie that which retaineth too much earthines in it And when the raine and torrents do flowe downe the mountaines they carry the gold downe with them to the foote thereof where it is gathered amongst the sand or else in waters neere thereunto whither it is driuen by violence of the flouds except perhaps the ground open with those raines and the gold doe there stick as it oftentimes chaunceth And that which is alwaies found in the entrance of the mine is not the finest but the farther you goe the finer and purer it is of better waight and greater value That then which is found in waters and riuers is fished for and is in forme of little graines and in rocks and mountaines it is taken out by deluing and digging Three sorts of gold-mines And therefore there are holden to bee three sorts of gold mines For some are called pendent some iacent and others oblique and running The pendent are those which are found in the superficies of mountaines and haue the earth vnder them They which are iacent or lie are belowe in the fielde and plaine ground carried thither by torrents and stormes of raine And the other that are oblique haue a crosse course whether it bee in that which hangeth or lieth all whereof is driuen by flouds into the next riuers for which cause there are riuers throughout all the world the sand whereof seemeth to bee of azure and gold hauing indeede pure and fine graines of good gold How gold is taken out of mines Now according as the mines are so are there diuers meanes vsed to take out the mettall For in those places which are dry without water they which are expert in the veine of mines hauing true knowledge what may be in that place do cause it to be digged eight or ten foote deepe and as many foote long and broad and as they proceede in their worke they still wash the earth that is digged vp continuing so till such time as they finde the gold which is sometimes so deepe that they are driuen to set vp arches of wood ouer them that the earth may not ouerwhelm them And when the mines are pendent along the mountaines the difficultie is then more great wherefore they also set vp engines to defend them from dangers which are there verie imminent For some to wit those that dig into the rocke are quite hidden therein euen as those that cut stone are within a quarrie others creepe scrambling vp the sharpe rockes with a basket at their backes seeking out the earth of the mine to carrie it to the water others wash the same earth in a sieue by meanes whereof the gold is separated remayning in the sieue after that the earth is runne out by little and little Moreouer out of these mines there issueth a stinking breath or damp which doth oftentimes choake and kill them that worke therein being not able to indure so bad an aire some also are drowned by waters which suddenly gush out of those places where they haue digged when they thinke not of any such thing quickly ouerwhelming them before they can make signe to those that are aboue to helpe them Againe these miserable poore soules are oftentimes affrighted by euill spirits who inhabite in great numbers in those hollow and solitarie places as many haue experimented to their great hurt For sometimes it happeneth that these diuels tumble great stones and whole rockes vpon them throw downe their engines ouerturne their ladders breake their cordage and doe a thousand other mischiefes whereby men are oftentimes slaine Concerning riuers wherein the graines and sands of gold are found the dangers are not so great therein but the paine is no lesse For if the riuer be little the Indians vse to emptie and let it out till it be dry and then take off the bottome thereof and wash it as beforesaid and if the water be verie great they turne it out of the channell which done they goe to gather the gold in the midst of the riuer betwixt the stones and great pibbles so that sometimes there commeth greater profit by this fishing then by washing the digged earth to separate the gold But howsoeuer yet is there great paines alwaies vsed to obtaine the riches of this mettall so much coueted by men and whereof the abuse is verie great as we may in some sort touch after that we haue spoken of other mettals which shall serue AMANA for the subiect of your discourse Of Siluer Amber Iron Lead Brasse and Copper Chap. 94. AMANA THE most noble amongst mettals next to gold is siluer for although that copper in colour and lead in waight do neerest approch vnto gold yet in tenuitie of substance in purenes and fastnes Of siluer siluer is so like vnto it that good siluer may be rightly said to be imperfect gold in substance failing in colour and that by succession of time it is sometimes changed
swimme aboue water but chrystall sinketh to the bottome That chrystall is best which is white and cleere as water It melteth with verie great fire and doth conuert into glasse whereof there are verie faire vessels made In vertue it is restringent and is therefore good for such as are sicke of Dysenterias to drinke in good sharp wine after it is wel and subtilly beaten to powder The Ancients made a bowle of chrystall wherewith phisitions cauterized those which feared the fire and common fearing iron to do which they laide the same bowle directly toward the beames of the sunne by the reuerberation whereof they did their surgerie worke vpon the grieued part Now in this little which we companions haue declared concerning mettals and precious stones we may imagine that if there be sufficient matter to admire the effects of nature ordayned by the diuine prouidence what might we thinke if we should enterprise to speake of fiue hundred kindes of mettals earths and precious stones which the earth hideth within her bowels But sith that we haue attayned to the ende of our discourse which is to glorifie God in the knowledge and contemplation of his most noble creatures let vs aduise our selues how to giue some good instructions vpon that which hath beene deliuered concerning minerals and stones hidden vnder ground as ARAM you can declare vnto vs. Of the instructions that men must take in that gold and siluer are hidden vnder the ground and of their vse and abuse as also of precious stones Chapter 99. ARAM. AS God declareth a great and maruellous prouidence in all his creatures as we haue discoursed intreating vpon them so also doth he manifest it vnto vs in the creation of mettals especially of gold siluer which are esteemed for the most precious For we see how he hath hidden them in the most deepe places of the earth hath couered them with great and high mountaines so that to dig and draw them out of their profound caues men must therein so trauell as if they had enterprised to ouerturne and to transport these loftie hils from one place to another and to search and pierce through the earth from one side to another For how is it searched by such as worke in mines It is a maruell that they are not alreadie come vnto the Antipodes considering the deep pits gulfes and holes whereinto they are descended Iob. 28. Iob hauing spoken of gold and siluer doth presently make mention of the bounds of darknes and shadow of death And in verie truth they are things which doe fitly agree with these two minerals For they are hidden in verie obscure and darke places and couered with a verie thicke shadow yet cannot this limit the couetousnes and auarice of men notwithstanding that God hath sufficiently admonished them to moderate themselues seeing that he hath so hidden the gold and siluer which prouoketh their auarice making them so furious and insatiable And therefore I might verie well compare them to bruite beasts yea to a flocke of sheepe For although that they daily behold by many experiences Men compared to a flock of sheepe the calamities which fall vpon the world through auarice and especially vpon those which are entangled with this vice yet cannot one take example by another but doe all followe one by one like poore brute beasts and sheepe following one another when they are leade to that slaughter house or when there is some one amongst them that hath lead the way to the rest and hath made the first leape For what daunger soeuer there bee yea though it were to tumble headlong downewards into some bottomelesse pit it is sufficient if one begin the daunce for hee shall presently haue good companie yea such as there is not one of the whole troupe but will lustily rush after without thinking vpon any danger Who doth not see that it is euen so in mans life For according as some haue wickedly begun others pursue them and the latter cannot discouer their owne follie by that of the former nor yet correct it by so many examples as they haue of euill ends and pernicious euents which haue willingly fallen vpon the couetous For this cause the prophet hauing described the follie and presumption of men which thinke to build an eternity vnto themselues with temporall riches he addeth Their way vttereth their foolishnes Psal 49. yet their posteritie delight in their talke like sheepe they lie in the graue death deuoureth them See there the shepheard and the flock of the couetous death and the sepulchre Now our meaning is not here to blame the vse of gold and siluer but onely the abuse Of the right vse of gold and siluer For wee behold the great commodities that men haue by communicating one with another and mutuallie aiding one another in all that which is rare and exquisite amongst them and that by meanes of those mettals and mony that is coined thereof For so may they furnish themselues of all things necessary for their vse for their life and according to their wish not onely from one country to another but as wee may well say from one end of the world to another And if by their auarice they abuse not this great commoditie it wil bee much more profitable to all But their vnsatiable couetousnes of gaine is cause that the amiable communication and the good desire of one neighbor to profite another which should bee by meanes of gold and siluer is conuerted oftentimes into plaine robberie For their harts are so set on fire with loue of riches that they propose no other determination vnto themselues saue to heape vp treasures by a deceitfull meanes which neuerthelesse they doe neuer enioy in peace and content beeing no more able to settle their couetousnes and asswage their appetite then to quench a great fire with laying dry wood vpon it but that it wil alwaies encrease and enflame the more And to speake truth what is this gold and siluer but a little yealow and white earth And if there bee any difference it is onely in that the substance is more hardned and what doe they differ therein from the basest hard stones It is onely in colour Why then doe men trauaile and take great care to heap vp gold and siluer rather then to heap vp dust earth and stones But indeede this is much worse for they heap vp an vnhappy treasure when for earth and clay they gaine vnto themselues the treasure of the curse of God Abat 2. For it is written Cursed be hee that heapeth vp that which is not his how long will he lade himselfe with thick clay But what This clay so yealow and white firme and exquisite doth dazzle their eies more then any thing else and yet for all that it is but earth And therefore it is but opinion that causeth one thing to be esteemed more then an other For if men had giuen that value to other mettals
the acts and power of this Empire But howsoeuer it be wee haue in the doctrine of the spheres most excellent principles and grounds which prepare men to the knowledge of nature and the author thereof yea which aduance them if they can apply this studie to his proper ende in the vnderstanding of the secrets wisdome and prouidence of God so far as the mind of man can pierce thereinto Let vs then companions direct our sight straight towards the place which wee must apprehend to be blessed to wit towards heauen and let vs especially regard God in his workes as the onely limit whereto we shall and must once attaine ACHITOB. The orderly motions of the heauens the goodly workemanship of so many starry pauilions disposed one aboue the other without any inter-annoiāce in their course the accord agreement power vertue and beautie of the elements the situation stabilitie and largenes of the earth in midst of the waters which continually threaten it and yet drowne it not and so many diuers natures and creatures which are which liue which haue sense and vnderstanding in this whole great Vniuers and serue each one in his place all these things I say are like so many interpreters to teach vs God as their onely efficient cause and to manifest him vnto vs in them and by them as their finall cause Therefore pursuing our first intent sufficiently declared in the beginning of our Academick discourse and according to the processe of the talke by vs obserued in our description of the naturall history of the Microcosme or little world let vs here make companions as it were another history of the Macrocosme or great world first entreating of the creation of the world then of the diuision of the same afterwards of the orders of the spheres of their substance natures and motions of the influences and effects of their planets consequently of the elements and lastly of euery essence and creature therein contained not by a particular description of their kindes which would amount to a work almost infinite but onely of the principall of each sort and so much as wee shall hold sufficient to induce euery one of vs and of those which will deigne to heare vs to consider and highly to praise the wisedome of the father and moderator of all these things in the creation conduction gouernance and end of them and by the vnion of their parts with the whole and among themselues we haue enough to refer the euent of our purpose to their beginning and principall scope which is to know God and his prouidence to the end to glorifie him Declare then vnto vs ASER that which you haue learned of the creation of heauen and earth THE FIRST DAIES WORKE OF THE THIRD TOME OF THE FRENCH Academie Of Heauen and Earth Of the creation of Heauen and Earth Chapter 1. ASER. IF all men guided by reason as Plato very wel said haue a custome to inuocate on God in the beginning of their worke In Tim. whether it be great or little how much more conuenient is it that desiring to dispute of the Vniuers if wee retaine any iudgement at all we should call God to our aide It is very difficult to speake as is requisite of the celestiall bodies and of so many diuers motions as they haue and yet not one hinder another but it is a much more high and intricate matter to finde out the workman and father of all this great world And when we shall haue found him it is altogether impossible vulgarly to expresse the cause reason of his works For though as it is the glorie and infinite wisedome of God shineth in this admirable construction of heauen and earth yet our capacitie is too too smal to comprise so great profound effects so much it wanteth that the toong may bee able to make a full and entire declaration thereof And we cannot hold disputation or argument vpon that which doth not offer it selfe vnto our sense and proper reason as is the creation of the world For therein haue we that woonderfull Architect whom Hermes called the great infinite sphere intellectual whose center is all that which is throughout the world created who performing his worke and giuing motion to all the celestiall bodies doth himselfe continue stable Now that which mouing is not it selfe moued surpasseth al discourses speculations humane and philosophicall and appertaineth to a diuine knowledge the which we ought to impetrate through praiers by reuelation of the holy Spirit euen in such sort as all things naturall are inuented and comprehended by reason demonstration and all morall are obtained by arte and vse Praier to God Then of the soueraigne and true God with his eternal Word and holy Spirit which three are one essence one God in Trinitie of persons Exod. 3. whose name is I will be that I will be or I am that I am Almightie Eternall Creator and gouernor of euery soule and bodie in contemplation of whom consisteth the onely good the true felicitie and blessednes of man whom he himselfe hath created to attaine thereunto a liuing creature reasonable by the gift of vnderstanding and free-will Who being iust permitteth not his creature made according to his owne image to remaine vnpunished hauing sinned and being merciful hath not left him without grace who hath giuen both to the good and euill an essence with the stones a life vegetatiue and full of seede with the plants a life sensuall with the beasts and a life intellectuall with the Angels from whom proceedeth all gouernance all goodlines and all order by whom all that is naturall euen from the highest of heauen to the center of the earth doth subsist of whom are the seedes of formes the formes of seedes the mouings of seedes and of formes who being good hath not left regardlesse not onely the sphericall and elementarie world or else the Angels and man but euen the entrailes of the most small and contemptible amongst creatures neither the lightest feather of the birds nor the least flower of the herbe nor leafe of the tree engrauing in each of all these things the workes of his omnipotencie certaine signes of his glorie and maiestie by the couenant and accord of euery of their parts and as it were by I wot not what manner of peace Of him I say father and moderator of all that which is which liueth which hath sense and vnderstandeth let vs request Companions that with the light of his wisedome he will illuminate our vnderstandings and by his holy spirit direct and gouerne our words meetely to discourse of according as mans power is able the works of his al-mighty hand in heauen and in earth according as our intent is The beginning of euerie thing whatsoeuer is of such waight and importance that on the knowledge of the same dependeth all the science thereof for it is impossible that a man can be skilfull in any thing if he be ignorant
in the principles and first causes of the subiect which he desireth to know contrariwise hauing well knowne them the vnderstanding of the effects which thereupon ensue of the vertues and qualities which thereby redound of the actions which therof proceed of the degrees which therein are established of the bounds and limits whereto these first causes tend to obtaine their perfection declareth it selfe as of it owne accord without great difficultie and much paine This was the cause why many sages in old time despising the care of temporall affaires addicted themselues altogether to search out the cause of all nature so that the most excellent of them would boldly discourse of the originall and making of the world But the saying of Plato remaining euer true that it is as hard to finde out the maker and father of this All as to speake properly of him being found out it so falleth out that the most part of them who haue entreated of so loftie a matter haue erred straying by diuers by-waies yea euen all those whom the Son of Iustice hath not fully illuminated with his supreme brightnes Thereupon it proceeded that the philosophers haue beene diuided into diuers and contrarie opinions about this question whether the world hath beene from euerlasting or whether it hath beene of late whether of necessitie or else by the free will and motion of God Aristotle with all the troupe of those Diuers opinions of the Philosophers in thâ—â— argument of the being of the world who beleeue nothing but that which they can inuent and comprise by naturall reasons and syllogismes taken from sensible things which guide them to a certaine demonstration not being able thereby to vnderstand how and wherefore heauen earth haue beene created affirme that they were neuer made but that they haue beene from eternitie But Plato followed of a great number of the most cleere-sighted wisemen hath confessed the generation of the world which he teacheth to be ordered and disposed by compleat and perfect numbers vnder the vaile of which the obscure notes of hidden sense it seemeth that he would hide the close mysteries of the creation of the vniuers to those which were not yet instructed in such secrets which onely may be comprehended by a pure and celestiall cogitation diuinely infused For let vs know that there is no certaintie at all of this doctrine except for those to whom the minde by a special and supernaturall grace is sharp being fashioned and formed by meditation of the immutable substance of God himselfe and by a secret operation of the holy Ghost to beleeue that it is the Eternall who by his word hath made all nature For so the Soueraigne Creator talketh with man and establisheth a certaine testimonie of his truth in the heart of him when he hath made him proper and meet to heare him with the best and most excellent part of his vnderstanding in regard whereof he is said to be made according to his owne image But although these things may be knowne being nor far remote from our interiour How the creation of the world may be belieued or exteriour senses yea so that they may be called present and whereof no doubt is to bee made especially being supported by authoritie of good witnesses yet those things which surpasse the ordinarie puissance of the minde because by our owne iudgement we cannot credit them must be considered and beleeued according to that couenant of verities which they announce vnto vs who haue known theÌ„ by our vnderstanding peaceful and duely purged so that we may adde faith to such holy personages as God hath made capable of his light and which instruct vs not in the things which they haue imagined but in such as they haue heard receiued from diuine oracles It is then of their authoritie that he must make a buckler whosoeuer will meetly debate of God and of his workes and of his prouidence in the gouernance of them And when the wings of Nature faile vs in so loftie a contemplation we must take to vs those of diuine grace and when the naturall light fadeth and is readie to die to require an infused and supernaturall illumination The world is greatest of all things visible and God of all things inuisible That the world is we perceiue but that God is we beleeue Now that he hath made the world we can better beleeue of no bodie then of God himselfe But where haue we heard that In his word whereto we must giue credit concerning those things whereof it is expedient that we should not be ignorant and which we of our selues are not able to vnderstand Now he hath spoken first by his prophets then by himselfe in the person of our Redeemer and lastly by the Apostles and disciples We heare him speaking aloude where Moses the father of diuines Genes 1. and master of Philosophers saith In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth The prophet was not there present but the wisedome of God by which al things were made and which by an incomprehensible vertue conueieth it selfe into holy minds and doth direct them and declare all his works without any noyse at all by his spirit which can doe all beholdeth all encourageth all and passeth through all purified spirits of vnderstanding and abideth in his elect And the blessed Angels who alwaies behold the face of their father speake to them also and announce the secrets of the eternal Maiestie to all them I say in such sort as it pleaseth the Omnipotent to make them worthie One of these was Moses who teacheth vs that God almightie made this great Vniuers A witnesse so excellent and worthy that by him we must belieue in God whom we perceiue as it were through the same wisedome and spirit which reuealed vnto him the creation of the world who prophecied almost two thousand yeeres before of the high-mysteries of Christian faith confirming also his whole doctrine by miracles prodigies oracles and prophecies wherewith all his writings abound And therefore hauing confidence in his testimonie we call God Creator of all things thereby inferring that he is author principall and first cause of all essences which cause by manner of speech ought to be full of all things if this Maxime of the Peripatetickes be true That none can giue away of that which he hath not And therefore the Poet the honor of our age very learnedly saith Ere time forme substance place to be themselues attained Du Bartas in the 1. of his weekes All God in all things was and God in all remained For there is nothing produced by nature or formed by arte but first it hath abiding in that which performeth it So euerie creature is engendred by vertue of that seede wherein it was at first by power included so each worke liueth in the minde of the workeman before he puts it in practise So had the worlde perfect being in the thought of God before it was