fauours and preuents the hope of future For euery man can say Quod facis ingrato perit what you doe to a mad-man is lost But if hee bee vnthankefull to God hee turneth his former blessings into curses and shuts vp heauen against his owne soule Cessat cursus gratiarum vbi non fuerit recursus The course of grace where it hath no recourse is soone stopp'd All waters come secretly from the sea but returne openly thither though fauours haue a secret and inuisible deriuation from God they must returne openly to him in prayses and in a thankfull acknowledgement Thou art madde O elate and puffed spirite that vsest abusest takest swallowest the blessings of heauen without gratitude Nones dignus pane quo vescer is For noÌ„ est dignus dandis qui non agit gratias de datis Hee is vnworthy of more benefites that is vnthankefull for those hee hath The Ingratefull man must needes bee one of this number and salute Bedlam 15. The Angryman None will deny to be a mad-man but they that are eyther madde or angry The Scripture hath so condemned him Nature so censured him therefore hee cannot shift this Bedlam Anger resteth in the bosom of fooles It is all one of mad-men Ira furor though but breuis the longer it lasts the madder it is Bee angry ther 's the reynes but sinne not ther 's the bridle Let not the sunne goe downe on your wrath if you must needs be angry neyther giue place to the Deuill If he suffer the Sunne to set on his wrath the Sunne of mercy may set on his soule and when hee hath giuen the Deuill place the Deuill at last will giue him place euen his owne place which his mad fury hath voluntarily accepted He is starke mad for he â—â—â—pares not to wound himselfe and with a violent fire which himselfe kindles he burnes vp his own bloud 16 The Enuious man Is more closely but more dangerously madde Enuie is the consumption of the bones sayth Solomon he doth make much of that which will make nothing of him he whets a knife to cut his owne throat The Glutton feeds beasts to feed on and like a Witch nourisheth a deuil with his own bloud He keeps a disease fat which will euer keepe him leane and is indulgent to a Serpent that gnawes his entralles Hee punisheth and reuengeth the wrongs on himselfe which his aduersary doth him Is not this a mad-man Others strike him and like a strangely-penitentiall Monke as if their blowes were not sufficient hee strikes himselfe That Physitians may not begge him when hee 's dead hee makes himselfe an Anatomie liuing Sure hee giues cause to thinke that all the olde fables of walking ghosts were meant of him and but for a little starued flesh he demonstratiuely expounds them If it were not for his soule the Deuil could scarce tell what to doe with his body Hee would doe much mischiefe if he liue's to 't but there is great hope that he wil kil himselfe before-hand If you misse him in a Stationers shoppe geering at books or at a Sermon cauilling at doctrines or amongst his neighbours cattell grudging at their full vdders or in the Shambles plotting massacres yet thou shalt bee sure to finde him in Bedlam 17 The contentious man Is as franticke as any Heare him speake his words are incendiary obserue his feete they runne nimbly to broyles not knowing the way of peace Looke vpon his eyes they sparkle fire marke his hands they are euer sowing debate he will strike a neighbour in the darke and lay it on his enemy all to make worke Search his pockets and they are stuff'd with libels inuectiues detractions He hates all men and the Lord him being that seuenth abomination that his soule abhorreth one that soweth discord among brethren There is a witnesse against him beyond exception The debatefull man is madder c. The words of a talebearer are as wounds and they goe downe into the innermost parts of the belly c. When hee speakes faire beleeue him not for there are seuen abominations in his heart Hee comes to a Marte or Market to breede quarrels as if he were hired by some Surgeon He neyther sees nor heares of a discord but hee must make one but euer couertly cowardly out of the reach of weapons Hee that passeth by and medleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that taketh a dogge by the eares hee will bee soone weary of holding him and if hee let him goe hee is sure to bee bitten Hee is vtterly madde for hauing incensed incouraged party against party as one clappes on vnwilling Mastiues when perceyuing his villany they become friends both shall fall vpon him So hee makes worke for Lawyers worke for Cutlers worke for Surgeons worke for the Deuill worke for his owne destruction To Bedlam with him 18 The Impatient Is a madde-man for when the ties of softer afflictions will not hold him he must be manacled with the chaines of iudgements Patienter ferenduÌ„ quod non festinanter auferenduÌ„ He makes his yoke more troublesome then it would be and by his strugling forceth his gyues to make prints in his flesh He is mad for hee longs for ease and denyes it himselfe It hath been sayde among men Beare one wrong and prouoke greater but I say Beare one affliction from God well and preuent greater He is madde that is angry with God that cares not for his anger that will plague his anger How ill had it gone with God before this if such a man could haue wrought his teene vpon him Meane time God is at peace out of his reach and hee is plagued for his madnesse Teach him patience in Bedlam 19 The Vaine-glorious Is a meere mad-man whether hee boast of his good deedes or his ill If of his vertues they are generally more suspicable if of his vices hee is the more despicable If of his wealth his hearers the lesse trust him this noyse preuents him from being a debter If of his valour he is the more infallibly held a coward In what straine soeuer his Mountebanke ostentation insults hee loseth that he would finde by seeking the wrong way Hee is madde for when hee would be accounted vertuous honourable tich valiant in fauour with greatnesse and the world takes not ample notice of it hee sounds it with his owne Trumpet then at once they heare it and deride it By seeking fame he loseth it and runs mad vpon 't Put him into Bedlam 20. Lastly To omit our Schismatickes and Separatists who are truly called Protestants out of their wittes lyable to the imputation of Phrenzy the Papists are certainely mad-men dangerous mad-men madde in themselues dangerous to vs and would happily be confined to some locall Bedlam lest their spirituall lunacy doe vs some hurt Madde in themselues for who but mad-men would forsake the fountaine of liuing waters the word of truth and pinne their faith and
MYSTICAL BEDLAM OR THE WORLD OF Mad-Men BY THO ADAMS 2. TIMOTH 3. 9. Their Madnesse shall be manifest to all men AVGVSTIN de Trinit Lib. 4. cap. 6. Contrarationem nemo sobrius LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1615. TO THE RIGHT Honourable Sir THOMAS EGERTON Knight Baron of Ellesmere Lord high Chancellor of England one of his Maiesties right Hon. Priuy Counsell the true Patterne of vertue and Patron of good Learning RIght Honourable it is a labor that hath neyther recompence nor thanks to tell them their madnesse that faine would thinke themselues sober Hauing therefore presumed not to trouble the peace but to disquiet the security of our Israel I durst not but aspire to some noble Patronage that might shield both my selfe and labours from the blowes of all maleuolent Censurers In which thoughts I was bolde to center my selfe in your Honour as the indiuiduall point of my refuge wherein I haue beene taught the way by more worthy precedents your Honourable Name hauing long stoode as a communis terminus or Sanctuary of protection to the labours and persons of many Students The vn-erring hand of God hath placed your Lordship in the Seate of Iustice and Chaire of Honour especially if it be true what S. Hieron sayes that Sūma apud Deū nobilitas clarū essevirtutibus wherby you haue power oportunity to whet the edge of vertue with encouragements to giue vice the iust retribution of deserued punishments Happy influences haue beene deriued from you sitting as a Star in the Star-Chamber conscionable mitigations of the Lawes rigour in the Court of Chancery To punish whē you see cause is not more Iustice then Mercy Iustice against the offender Mercy to the Common-wealth Those punishments are no other then actual Physick ministred to the Inheritance Liberty Body to the bettring of the Conscience and sauing of the soule in the day of the Lord Iesus Behold my pen hath but writtē after the originall Copy of your Honors actions desiring rather to learne by your doings how to say then to teach you by my sayings how to do I haue spoken God knowes with what successe to these mad times and he that would bind the franticke though hee loues him angers him The detector of mens much-loued sins needs a Protector that is both good great I am sure my eleciō is happy if it shal please your Honor to cast the eye of acceptance on my weake labors A yong plant may thriue if the Sunne shall warme it with his beames That Sunne of righteousnes that hath sauing health vnder his wings shine for euer on your Lordship who hath been so liberal a fauorer to his Church among the rest to his vnworthiest seruant and Your Honours in all duety and thankefull obseruance bounden THO ADAMS Mysticall Bedlam OR THE WORLD OF MAD-MEN The first Sermon ECCLESIASTES CAP. 9. VER 3. The heart of the Sonnes of men is full of euill and madnesse is in their heart while they liue and after that they goe to the dead THe Subiect of the discourse is Man and the speech of him hath three Poynts defined and confined in the Text. 1. His Comma 2. his Colon 3. his Period 1. Mens harts are full of euill there 's the Comma 2. Madnesse is in their hearts whiles they liue there 's the Colon. 3. whereat not staying after that they goe downe to the dead And there 's their Period The first beginnes the second continues the third concludes their Sentence Here is Mans setting forth his peregrination and his iourneyes end 1. At first putting out His heart is full of euill 2. Madnesse is in his heart all his peregrination whiles they liue 3. His iourneyes end is the Graue He goes to the dead First Man is borne from the wombe as an arrow shotte from the Bow 2. His flight through this ayre is wilde and full of madnesse of indirect courses 3. The Center where he lights is the Graue First his Comma beginnes so harshly that it promiseth no good consequence in the Colon. 2. The Colon is so madde and inordinate that there is smal hope of the Period 3. When both the premises are so faulty the Conclusion can neuer be handsome Wickednes in the first proposition Madnes in the second the Ergo is feareful the conclusion of all is Death So then 1. the beginning of Mans race is full of euill as if hee stumbled at the thresshold 2. The further hee goes the worse Madnes is ioyn'd Tenant in his heart with life 3. At last in his franticke flight not looking to his feet hee drops into the pitte goes downe to the dead To beginne at the vppermost stayre of this graduall descent the Comma of this tripartite sentence giues mans heart for a vessell Wherein obserue 1. The Owners of this vessell men and deriuatiuely the sonnes of men 2. The vessell it selfe is earthen a Potte of Gods making and mans marring the Heart 3. The Liquor it holds is Euill a defectiue priuatiue abortiue thing not instituted but destituted by the absence of originall Goodnes 4 The measure of this vessels pollution with euill liquour It is not said sprinckled not seasoned with a moderate and sparing quantity It hath not an aspersion nor imbution but impletion it is filled to the brimme full of euill Thus at first putting forth we haue Man in his best member corrupted 1. The Owners or Possessors Sonnes of men Adam was called the sonne of God Luk. 3. Enos was the sonne of Seth Seth the sonne of Adam Adam the son of God But all his posterity the sonnes of men wee receyuing from him both flesh and the corruption of flesh yea and of soule too though the substance thereof be inspired of God not traduced from man for the purest soule becomes stain'd and corrupt when it once toucheth the body The sonnes of men This is a deriuatiue and diminutiue speech whereby mans conceit of himselfe is lessened and himselfe lessoned to humility Man as Gods creation left him was a goodly creature an abridgement of heauen and earth an Epitome of God and the world resembling God who is a Spirit in his Soule and the World which is a Body in the composition of his Deus maximus inuisibilium mundus maximus visibilium God the greatest of inuisible natures the World the greatest of visible creatures both brought into the little compasse of Man Now Man is growne lesse and as his body in size his soule in vigour so himselfe in all vertue is abated so that the sonne of man is a phrase of diminution a barre in the Armes of his ancient glory an exception of his derogate and degenerate worth Two instructions may the sonnes of men learne in being called so 1. Their spirituall corruption 2. Their naturall corruptiblenes 1. That corruption and originall prauity which wee haue deriued
According to these three internal senses or faculties there be three kinds of Phrensies or Madnesses 1. There are some mad that can rightly iudge of the things they see as touching imagination phantasie but for cogitation and reason they swarue from naturall iudgement 2. Some being madde are not deceiu'd so much in common cogitation and reason but they erre in Phantasie and Imagination 3 There are some that be hurt in both imagination and reason and they necessarily therewithall doe lose their memories That whereas in perfect sober and well composed men Imagination first conceiues the formes of things and presents them to the reason to iudge and reason discerning them commits them to Memorie to retaine in mad-men nothing is conceiu'd aright therefore nothing deriu'd nothing retayn'd For spirituall relation we may conceiue in the soule vnderstanding reason will 1. The vnderstanding apprehendeth things according to their right natures 2. The Reason discusseth them arguing their fitnesse or inconuenience validity or vanity and examines their desert of probation or disallowance their worthinesse eyther to be receyued or reiected 3. The Will hath her particular working and embraceth or refuseth the obiects which the vnderstanding hath propounded the reason discoursed Spirituall madnesse is a deprauation or almost depriuation of all these faculties quoad coelestia so farre as they extend to heauenly things 1. For vnderstanding the Apostle sayth The naturall man perceyues not spirituall things because they are spiritually discerned And the very minds of vnbeleeuers are blinded by the god of this world 2. For Reason it iudgeth vanities more worthy of prosecution when they are absent of embracing when they salute vs. It is in vaine to serue the Lord and what profite is it that wee haue kept his ordinance or walked mournefully before him This is the voyce of distracted cogitation and of reason out of the wits Wee call the proud happy and the workers of wickednesse are set vp yea they that tempt God are deliuered 3. For Will it hath lost the propensenesse to good and freedome of disposing it selfe to well doing neyther hath it any power of it owne to stoppe and retarde the precipitation to euill Now whereas they distinguish Soule 1. in vegetabilem that giueth life 2. in sensibilem that giueth feeling 3. in rationalem that giueth reason the first desiring esse to be the second benè to bee well the third optimè esse to be best so not resting till it be with God behold this spiritual madnesse eneruates this last action of the soule as corporall endeuors to extinguish the two former They attribute to the Soule 5. powers 1. Feeling whereby the Soule is moued to desire conuenient things and to eschue hurtfull 2. Witte whereby shee knoweth sensible and present things 3. Imagination whereby she beholdeth the likenesse of bodily things though absent And these three vertues say Philosophers be common to men with beasts 4. is Ratio wherby shee iudgeth betweene good and euill truth and falshood 5. Intellectus whereby shee comprehends things not onely visible but intelligible as God Angels c. And these two last are peculiar to man abiding with the soule liuing in the flesh and after death It beholdeth still the higher things per intellectum and the lower per rationem As corporall madnesse drawes a thicke obfuscation ouer these lights so spirituall corrupts and peruerts them that as they are strangers to heauen quoad intellectum so at last they become fooles in natural things quoad rationem As the Apostle plainely Euen as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge so God gaue them ouer to a reprobate mind to doe those things that are not conuenient They that forget God shall forget nature Hence ensue both these frenzies and with them a dissimilitude to men to Christian men It is reckoned vp among the curses that wayte on the heeles of disobedience Deut. 28. The Lord shall smite thee with madnesse blindnesse and astonishment of heart But it is a fearefull accumulation of Gods iudgements and our miseries when spirituall Phrensie shall possesse the soule and scatter the powers of the inner man euacuating not onely imagination but knowledge not reason but faith not sense but conscience When the opinion of the world shall repute men sober and wise and the scrutinie of God shall finde them mad-men To draw yet neerer to the point of our compasse to discouer this spirituall madnesse let vs conceiue in mans heart for therein this frenzy consists in answerable reference to those three faculties in the brayne and powers of the soule before manifested these three vertues Knowledge Faith Affections The defect of grace and destitution of integrity to the corrupting of these three cause madnesse We will not inquire further into the causes of corporall frenzy the madnes which I would minister to is thus caused a defectiue knowledge a faith not well informed affections not well reformed Ignorance vnfaithfulnesse and refractary desires make a man mad 1. Ignorance Is a cause of this madnes nay it is madnes it selfe Supplicij causa est suppliciumque sui How mad are they then that settling their corrupted soules on the lees of an affected ignorance imagine it an excusatory mitigation of their sinnefulnesse But so it befals them as it doth the frantike Hi dementiam illi ignorantiam suam ignorant These are ignorant of their owne ignorance as those of their madnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are inseparable companions Wickednesse is folly and ignorance of celestiall things is eyther madnesse or the efficient cause or rather deficient whereupon madnesse ensueth All the workers of iniquity haue no knowledge The wicked in the day of their confusion shall confesse that the madnesse of their exorbitant courses and their wildnes erring from the way of truth arose from their ignorance of the way of the Lord. Therefore haue wee erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnese hath not shined vpon vs c. Will you heare their acknowledged reason For the way of the Lord wee haue not knowne So Wisd. 13. from the absent knowledge of the true God for want of vnderstanding and confessing by the workes the workemaster the madnesse of Idolarry is hatched For health hee calleth vpon that which is weake for life hee prayeth to that which is dead and for a good iourney hee asketh of that which cannot set a foot forward Through this errour they were so mad as to ascribe first to stockes and stones insensible creatures secondly to men dust and ashes thirdly to wicked men the worst of those that had a reasonable soule fourthly to Deuils the malicious enemies of God and men that incomparable name of God Beyond exception without question the authority patronage and originall fatherhood of spirituall madnesse is the nescience of God No maruell if the people doe erre in their very
else to refuse the offer of that Lambe which takes away the sinnes of the world and to cut off our selues from that vniuersall promise Moritur Christus pro indigenis pro indignis and spreaders out his armes on the Crosse to embrace both Iew and Gentile Why doth not God giue faith I answere with that Father Non ideo non habet fidem quia Deus non dat sed quiatu non accipis Thou doest not therefore lacke faith because God doth not offer it but because thou wilt not accept it The name of Iesus Christ is sayeth Saint August Nomen sub quo nemini desperandum est A name able to defend vs from desperation But there are many implacable threatnings against out guiltinesse There are none implacable to faith none without reseruation of mercy to repentance Euery conditionall proposition hath two parts the former suspendeth the sentence and is called the antecedent the latter concludeth the sentence and is called the consequent The first Nil ponit in esse As a conditionall promise inferreth nothing but deriueth all force and vertue from the connexion whereof it dependeth So in menaces there is eyther some presupposed cause or after-concession wherein it inferreth a consequence If thou hast sinned if thou doest not repent There is place for remission with God if there be place for repentance in thy owne heart If then distrust of Gods mercy bee not madnesse what is when it causeth a man to breake that league of kindnesse which he oweth to his owne flesh and offers to his hand engines of his owne destruction euermore presenting his mind with halters swords poisons pistolls ponds disquieting the heart with such turbulent and distracting cogitations till it hath adiured the hands to imbrue themselues in their owne bloud to the incurring of a sorer execution from the iustice of God Is he not mad that will giue credite to the Father of lies rather then to the God of Truth when God promiseth to Penitence the wiping away her teares the binding vp her wounds and healing her sores and the deuill denyeth it giuing it for impossible to haue the iustice of God satisfied and thy sinnes pardoned behold darkenes is beleeued rather then light and falshood is preferred to truth Be not thus Lyon-like in your houses and franticke in your hearts mad in your desperate follies to shut vp heauen when the Lord hath opened it to renew that score which he hath wiped and when hee hath pulled you out of the fire to runne into it againe like Tygers to teare and deuoure your owne soules which that bloud of eternall merite hath freed from the Dragon of hell It is not a light and inferior degree of madnes but a diffident and desperate when the Physitian euen He of heauen shall promise helpe to a â—ore and apply playsters of his owne bloud to it the Patient shall thrust his nayles into it and answere nay It shall not be healed This sinne is like that fourth Beast in the 7. of Daniel without distinction of name or kind Dreadfull terrible exceedingly strong and it had great yron teeth c. The Lyon Beare Leopard are tame and gentle in regard of this Beast it is desperate madnes That grinds the poore with his yron teeth and stampes his own heart vnder his malignant feet and dasheth against God himselfe with his hornes of Blasphemie It is then clearer then the day that the darkenes of Infidelity is Phrenzie whether as it hath beene in stanced it be presumptuous against Gods Iustice or desperate against his Mercy For who but a mad-man would hope for impunity to his wilfully-continued sins where he visibly perceiues that peccatum peccanteÌ„ necessitat morti that iniquity giues soule and body lyable to condemnation and obiects them to the vnappeaseable wrath of God And yet who but a mad-man hauing sinned will despayre of forgiuenes when the mercy of God hath allowed a place to repentance Turn and liue sayth the Lord for I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth 3. Refractary and peruerse Affections Make the possessed franticke This is a speeding cause and failes not to distemper the soule whereof it hath gotten mastery There may bee first a sober knowledge that the Patient may say Video meliora I see better things and secondly a faith but such as is incident to deuils proboque I allow of them but thirdly where the whole man is tyrannized ouer by the Regent-house of irrefragable affects deterior a sequor hee concludes his course with I follow the worse Obserue the Philistines crying 1. Sam. 47. God is come into the Campe woe vnto vs c. Yet they settle hearten harden themselues to fight against him Ver. 8. Woe vnto vs who shall deliuer vs out of the hand of these mightie Gods yet verse 9. Bee strong and quit your selues like men O yee Philistines quit your selues like men and fight Twice they behold their Dagon falne down before the Arke yet Dagon must bee their God still and the Arke is only reuerenc'd for a ne noceat How many runne madde of this cause inordinate furious lusts If men could send their vnderstandings like Spyes downe into the Well of their hearts to see what obstructions of sinne haue stopp'd their veines those springs that erst deriued health and comfort to them they should finde that male afficiuntur quia malè afficiunt their madde affects haue bad effects and the euill disposednesse of their soules ariseth from the want of composednesse in their affections The Prophet Ieremy chap. 2. compareth Israel to a swift Dromedary trauersing her wayes and to a wilde Asse vsed to the wildernesse that snuffeth vp the winde at her pleasure Be yee not sayth the Psalmographer as the horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding whose mouth must bee helde in with bit and bridle Men haue vnderstanding not beasts yet when the frenzy of lust ouerwhelmeth their senses wee may take vp the word of the Prophet and powre it on them Euery man is a beast by his own knowledge And therefore man that is in honour and vnderstandeth not is like vnto beasts that perish Did not the bridle of Gods ouer-ruling prouidence giue cohibition to their madnes they would cast off the saddle of reason and kicke nature it selfe in the face This is that which Solomon calles the wickednesse of follie foolishnes and madnesse an actuall deuiation deuitation of the way of righteousnesse a practicall frenzy a rouing wandring vagrant extrauagant course which knowes not which way to flie nor where to light except like a Dorre in a dung-hill an opinion without ground a going without a path a purpose to doe it knowes not what a getting and losing bending and breaking building vp and pulling downe conceyuing a multitude of thoughts with much anxiety and with a sudden neglect scattering them As that woman who being long barren by studying and practising physicke