place to relate for they would require too large a circumstance Concerning the name of God it is generally obserued That none can properly be conferred vpon him because he is onely and alone And yet to distinguish the Creator from the Creature needfull it is that it should be done by some attribute or other which ineffable name in the Hebrew language consisteth of one word containing foure letters i. Iehovah which descendeth of the verbe Haiah fuit which is as much as to say He Was Is and Shall be Which declareth his true property for as he hath bin alwaies so hee shall be eternally for Eternitie is not Time nor any part of Time And almost all Nations and Languages write and pronounce the word by which the name of God is specified with foure letters onely foure being a number euen and perfect because hee hath no imperfection in him For besides the Hebrewes the Persians write the name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Wisards and Soothsayers of that countrey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Arabians Alla the Assyrians Adad the AEgyptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latines Deus the French Dieu the Spaniards Dios the Italians Idio the Dutch and Germanes Gott the English and Scots Godd with a double d as hath been obserued in all Antiquities He is likewise called Alpha and Omega which are the first and last letters of the Greeke Alphabet His Epithites or Appellations in Scripture are Almighty Strong Great Incomprehensible Vncircumscribed Vnchangeable Truth Holy of Holies King of Kings Lord of Lords Most Powerfull Most Wonderfull with diuers other Attributes Some define him to be a Spirit Holy and True of whom and from whom proceeds the action and agitation of all things that are to whom and to the glory of whom the end conclusion of all things is referred Iustine Martyr in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Iew defineth God in these words I call him God that hath essence in Himself and is continually permanent in one and the same kinde without receiuing any change and hath giuen beginning to all the things that are created Cicero calleth God a certain Intelligence or Spirit free and ready separate from all mortall mixture or concretion knowing and mouing all things and hauing in himselfe an eternall motion So much many Ethnyck Authors haue acknowledged as in their Workes is to be frequently read Dionysius in his booke de Divin Nominib is of opinion that all things which denote perfection and excellence are in God most eminent and on Him deseruedly to be conferred On the contrarie all such things as are subiect vnto imperfection or defect because they do not fall within His nature are to be remoued and banished from his description Therfore in these words Ens Infinitum i. Infinite Being he includes the prime chief and soueraign Truth Soueraigne Goodnesse Soueraigne Mercy Soueraigne Iustice Wisedome Power Benignitie Beneficence Clemency Intelligence Immortalitie Immobilitie Invariabilitie Amabilitie Desiderabilitie Intelligibilitie Stabilitie Soliditie Act Actiue Mouer Cause Essence Substance Nature Spirit Simplicitie Reward Delectation Pulchritude Iucunditie Refreshing Rest Securitie Beatitude or whatsoeuer good laudable or perfect thing can fall within the conception or capacitie of Man But when all haue said what they can let vs conclude with Saint Augustine Solus Deus est altissimus quo altius nihil est Onely God is most high than whom there is nothing higher And in another place Quid est Deus est id quod nulla attingit opinio id est What is God Hee is that thing which no Opinion can reach vnto There is no safetie to search further into the Infinitenesse of the Diuine Nature than becommeth the abilitie of finite Man lest we precipitate our selues into the imputation of insolence arrogance For God saith in Iob Comprehendaem sapientes in Astutia eorum Which is as much as had he said I will make it manifest that the wisedome of all those who seeme to touch Heauen with their fingers and with the line of their weake vnderstanding to take measure of my Nature is their meere ignorance let them beware lest their obstinacie without their repentance and my mercie hurry them into irreuocable destruction Augustus Caesar compared such as for light causes would expose themselues to threatning dangers to them that would angle for small Fish with a golden hooke who should receiue more dammage by the losse of the bait than there was hope of gain by the prey There is reported a fable of an Huntsman who with his Bow and Arrowes did vse to insidiate the Wilde-beasts of the Wildernesse and shoot them from the couerts and thickets insomuch that they were often wounded and knew not from whence The Tygre more bold than the rest bad them to secure themselues by flight for he onely would discouer the danger Whom the hunter espying from the place where he lay concealed with an arrow wounded him in the leg which made him to halt and lagge his flight But first looking about him and not knowing from whom or whence he receiued his hurt it was the more grieuous to him Him the Fox meeting saluted and said O thou the most valiant of the beasts of the Forrest who gaue thee this deepe and terrible wound To whom the Tygre sighing replied That I know not onely of this I am sensible to my dammage That it came from a strong and a daring hand All ouer-curious and too deepe Inquisitors into Diuine matters may make vse of this vnto themselues Sentences of the Fathers concerning the Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie AVgustine lib. de Trinitate we reade thus All those Authors which came within the compasse of my reading concerning the Trinitie who haue writ of that subiect What God is according to that which they haue collected out of the sacred Scriptures teach after this manner That the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost of one and the same substance in an inseparable equalitie insinuate one and the same Vnitie and therefore there are not three gods but one God though the Father begot the Sonne therefore he is not the Sonne being the Father The Sonne is begot of the Father and therefore he is not the Father because the Sonne The Holy-Ghost is neither the Father nor the Sonne but onely the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Sonne and to the Father and the Sonne coequall as concerning the Vnitie of the Trinitie Neither doth this infer that the same Trinitie was borne of the blessed Virgin Mary crucified vnder Pontius Pilat buried and rose againe the third day and after that ascended into heauen but it was onely the Sonne who died and suffered those things the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost as they are inseparable so they haue their vnanimous and vnite operations And againe Lib. 1. de Trinitate Neither more dangerously can a man erre neither more laboriously can
daughter to be tyed to a rocke and to be deuoured of an huge Sea Monster whom Perseus the sonne of Iupiter rescued At whose request to Minerva she obtained that his head might appeare in the Septentrional Circle and from his breast to his feet to be visible in Arcturus the AEstiue Tropicke Circle Qua latus afflexum siâ—â—osi respicit Anguis Cassiopeia virum residet sublimis ad ipsum Sophocles relateth That Cassiopeia the wife to King Cepheus and mother to Andromeda compared with the Nymphs Nereiedes the daughters to Nereus boasting that shee excelled them all in beauty At which Neptune enraged sent a mighty Whale which did much dammage to that part of the Countrey which lay next to the sea side neither would hee be appeased till her daughter Andromeda was exposed to be made a prey for the sea Monster Nec procul Andromeda totam quam cernere nondum Obscura sub nocte licet c. The figures and postures of the mother and daughter are much different for the mother is descried sitting in a chaire bound vnto it but the daughter standing vpright and chained vnto a rocke Which Andromeda was said to be beloued of Cupid notwithstanding she was fettered betwixt two hills and so left to be a prey to Neptunes Monster but she was deliuered thence by Perseus and from him tooke the denomination of Persea and by the fauour of Minerva was receiued amongst the Stars Who after she was freed by Perseus would neither stay with father or mother but voluntarily associated him in all his trauels Sublimis fulget pedibus properare videtur Et velle aligeris purum AEthera tangere palmis Perseus was the sonne of Iupiter and Danaë who descending in a golden shore as she spred her lap to receiue it hee not slipping the opportunitie comprest her and begot Perseus Her father Acrisius King of the Argiues finding that she was vitiated by Iupiter he caused her to be put into a Mastlesse-Boat exposing her to the fury of the mercilesse Seas But after arriuing in Italy shee was found by a Fisherman and presented vnto the King of that Countrey with her yong sonne Perseus of whom shee was deliuered at sea The King gratiously entertaining her after made her his Queene and accepted of Perseus as of his owne naturall son Of whose Embassy to Poledectas King of the Island Seriphus the receiuing of his wings from Mercury and his sword Harpee from Vulcan his killing of three Gorgons the daughters of Phorcas c. were too long hereto relate being frequently to be found in sun drie knowne Authors Est etiam Aurigae facies siue inclita forma Natus Erithinius qui circa sub juga duxit Quadrupedis The Charioter is said to be the son of Vulcan and Minerva who was the first that yoked the vntamed Steeds constrained them to draw in the Chariot taking his example from the wagon and horses of the Sunne He first deuised the Panathaemea and gaue order for the building of Towers and Temples and for that cause was listed among the Stars where he beareth vpon his shoulders Capra the Goat which nourished with her milk Iupiter in his infancie In his arms he caris the two Kids the issue of the said Amalthaea which are thought by the Astrologians to portend rain and showres for so Musaeus de Capra witnesseth Others take him to be Myrtilus the sonne of Mercury and Wagoner to Oenomaus the father of Hippodamia Hic Ophiuchus erit longe caput ante nitendo Et vastos humeros tum caetera membra sequuntur This is the Serpentarie who standeth aboue the Scorpion holding in either hand a Serpent Some of our Astrologians take him to be AEsculapius the sonne of Apollo who was so expert in the art of Physicke that he is reported By the vertue of Herbs and Simples to haue raised the dead to life for which Iupiter enraged slew him with a thunder-bolt but at the earnest suit of his father Apollo he not onely restored him to the Liuing but after his naturall expiration gaue him that place amongst the rest of the Stars He was therefore called AEsculapius because the inclination tending to death is by physicke repelled and kept backe And for that cause hee is figured with a Dragon or Serpent who by casting their skinnes are thought to recouer their youth as Physitians by their medicines curing diseases restore their weake Patients to their former vivacitie and strength Moreouer the Dragon is a Hierogliphycke of attention and hearing which is likewise requisite in such as professe that art He is also said to haue been instructed by Chiron the Centaure and to haue receiued the name of Hepeones not vainely conferred vpon him In regard that powerfull medicines are the qualifying and curing of such violent diseases as trouble and molest the health of the body Vnguibus innocuis Phrigium rapuit Ganimedem Et Coelo appositus lustos quo Iupiter arsit In puero luit excidio quem Troia furorem The AEgle is said to be numbered amongst the Starres because he stole from Ida Ganmied and carried him vp to heauen where he remaineth Iupiters Cup-bearer Hee is called also the Ensigne of Iove for when the rest of the gods diuided the Birds amongst them hee fell to the Thunderers lot either because hee soareth higher than any other Fowle and hath a kinde of dominion ouer them or else in regard that he onely is of such sharpe sight that his eyes are not dazled with the bright splendant beames of the Sunne for so hee is placed with his wings spread and his head looking towards the East Aglaosthenes relateth That Iupiter transfiguring himselfe into an AEgle flew into the Isle Naxos where hee was nursed and there possessed the Kingdome from whence he made an expedition against the Titanois And sacrificing before the battell an AEgle as a good and prosperous omen appeared vnto him and brought him thunderbolts which he vsed in that conflict The Arrow which the AEgle holdeth in her claws is said to be that which Apollo slew the Cyclops with who forged that thunderbolt with which Iupiter killed AEsculapius and for that cause was put amongst the rest of the Starres Hinc alius decliuis ducitur ordo Sentit insanos obscuris flatibus Austras The Dolphine as Artemidorus reporteth when Neptune was inamoured of Amphitrite and demanded her in marriage who to preserue her virginitie was fled to Atlas was by him sent amongst many others to solicit her about his former suit who after much enquiry found her where she had concealed her selfe in one of the Atlantick Islands Which making knowne to Neptune he by his great importunitie at length persuaded her vnto his owne wishes Which hauing obtained he not onely for his faith and industry did confer great honour vpon the Dolphine in the sea but caused him also to haue a place in the
mature in a true conformation And with a â—ollid industrie desire Things that are hidden and abstruse to enquire And as the Thrones each in his office knowes How of all sacred Wisedome to dispose As Dei formes call'd so Saturne he Ianus Bifrons from all antiquitie Is styl'd and Wisedomes Father held to be The Golden World beneath his Scepter was Before the Silver or the third of Brasse Or this Iron Age in which th'vnlabor'd ground Not forc'd by man with plenty did abound The Earth of her free-will gaue all encrease Springs flow'd with milke the Wolfe and Lambe had peace And therefore we by congruent reason finde That the seuenth day to Saturne was assign'd As the seuenth Planet and agreeing best With the Coelestiall Thrones which imply Rest. Besides in Saturne there is one thing rare As sole vnto him peculiar Which he may iustly aboue others claime For none of all the Planets we can name But are in mixture and conjunction Hee Ioyns nor is joyn'd with any but still free And as a Prince vnrival'd keepes his state In which none can with him participate So Moses Law since it was first recited Was with no other coupled or vnited But doth immediatly on God depend Yet many other Lawes from that descend As borrow'd thence And in like mysterie The Chorases of the whole Hierarchie Reflect with all the seruice on the Throne But He his Power communicates to none The Seraph's Loue to Iudgement doth adhere The Cherubs Wisedome placeth it selfe neere The Dominations which some haue defin'd To be Th'vnyoked libertie of minde Assist the Iudgement Seat They Vertues they Vpon the high Tribunall wait and stay And so the rest with all their seuerall Graces But them the Thrones assist not in their places The Dominations we must next confer And fashion to the Star of Iupiter And by comparing them together see How in their semblant Vertues they agree First at Coelestiall things they solely aime Them no tyrannicke seruitude can tame A free Lord they must serue and beare a minde Vncheckt to nothing base or vile enclin'd All difficulties ready to disclose That shall their faithfull seruice interpose On none saue their Creator they rely To his sole pleasure they themselues apply Others to their obedience they persuade Their contemplations being fixt and stayd On the Diuine Light which rare pulchritude To'enioy in a more ample plenitude They stil conforme themselues vnto the Throne If possibly to be with it all one All these if Astrologians we may trust Fall on Ioves Star in number ev'n and iust In Noble bloud this Planet takes delight To'illustrous thoughts it doth the minde accite Prudence to gouerne science how to know His libe'rall influence doth on man bestow Plac'd in his Horoscope he doth inspire Our eleuated soules with a desire To attaine to Fame to Empire and High things Th'vncurbed and irregular minde it brings Not onely to deuise but keepe good Lawes And Iupiter is for that onely cause In Hebrew Zedek call'd which imports Iust. In Goodnesse and in Iustice such as trust Them he spurres on to spend their houres and time To aime at things superior and sublime By the reflex of Iustice and true Piety It drawes to contemplation of a Diety It doth not onely Man himselfe impell To charitable acts and do things well But to stirre others to good workes And styl'd Iove for his Faith and Trust hauing exyl'd All Incredulitie Last by the hand He leadeth others with him till they stand In the like state of Goodnesse Knowledge Faith Pythagoras more of this Planet saith That he is the Mindes Vertue Temperament Health and Disposer of all Ornament That doth belong to Man Now let vs find How those call'd Vertues are to Mars inclin'd And that too may be done with much facilitie If we consider but what true Virilitie And Fortitude in this Star doth consist In one place we thus reade th' Evangelist The Vertues of the Heav'ns are mov'd or ar ' Arm'd on their side who in Gods cause shall war These their Coelestiall operations take Immediatly from Him and for His sake Disperse them to His Glory and great Praise Note what the Psalmist of the Planets sayes Praise Him you Sun and Moone praise Him the Light Praise him yee Stars c. The Vertues by foresight As Captaines ouer the Church Militant Know which amongst them is best Combattant Guide and direct him to the Place aboue To receiue there the Crowne for which he stroue Ev'n so this Mars by th' influence of his Star Styl'd by th' antient Poets God of War Makes men of generous Spirits elate and hye Ambitious after Palme and Victorie The Vertues in their Pow'r finde no defect Nor is this Planet any way deiect Weary'd or faint Those of authentique skill Write His Fires force is indeficient still The Diuine Vertues study to enlarge Their courage who are giv'n to them in charge To make them like spirituall Souldiers stand 'Gainst Lucifer and his reuolted Band Then bring them off to safety and securitie Making them like themselues in God-like puritie So this Stars Fire to shew their true proximitie Burnes vpward as still aiming at sublimitie And in his feruour catching at things neere To turne each Substance to a Nature cleere As it selfe is in lustre like to shine Yet to this Planet many learn'd assigne Malevolent aspects Wars prouocations Home-bred Seditions Discord amongst Nations Broiles Garboiles Tumults and combustious Rage Depopulation Murthers Slaughter Strage Call it The worst of Planets whose reflect Contaminates and poysons with th' aspect But Tresmegistus was not of that minde Saith he The seuerall Planets in their kinde Their vertues being truly vnderstood Are vnto men beneficent and good This great Philosopher would haue vs know Of bad Effects the Cause is here below Stars influences in themselues are pure No putrid stuffe their natures can endure And if from their aspects ought chance amisse They are not to be blam'd for the fault is In our fraile weakenesse for who but hath read That nothing bad aboue the Moon is bred Now as the Potestates to worke are said Both by the Vertues strength and the co-aid of the Dominions Iustice so the Sunne When he his beames transfusiuely shall run Through Mars his Sphere or Ioves benigner Star All his effects Power Strength and Honour ar ' Legions of Fiends the Potestates expell And with them all blinde errors driue to hell So when the Sunne doth his bright beames display The tenebrous Night flies and giues place to day And as those Mindes and Essences Diuine By nature with miraculous fulgor shine So the bright Sunne instated all alone Amidst the Planets in his Regall Throne Casts an incredible lustre and to all Doth honour in his seat Majesticall Distributing abroad in large extent Vnto the Stars both Light and Ornament By whom th' are gouern'd and their motions sway'd Their splendor at his will dark't or
It is said of Antigonus the first King of Macedonie That being asked Why in his youth being no better than a Tyrant in his age he gouerned with such clemencie gentlenesse his answer was That in his youth he stroue to get a kingdome and in his age hee desired to keepe it The Poet Hermodotus in one of his Poems had called the King the sonne of Iupiter Which when the King heard he said Surely he that attends me in my chamber when I am forced to do the necessities of Nature was neuer of that Fellowes counsell When the Souldiers and men at Armes that followed Scipio in Africa were fled and Cato being vanquished by Caesar at Vtica had slaine himselfe Caesar said I enuy thy death vnto thee ô Cato since thou hast enuied vnto me the sauing of thy life In a great battell when one of his Standard-bearers was turning his backe to haue fledâ— Caesar tooke him by the shoulders and turning him about said See Fellow yonder be they whom we fight against When many dangerous conspiracies were abroch and diuers of his friends wished him to be chary of his safety hee answered Much better it is to die at once than to liue in feare alwayes The Inhabitants of Tarracon as a glad presage of prosperous successe brought tydings to Augustus That in his Altar a young Palme tree was suddenly sprung vp To whom hee made answer By this it appeareth how oft you burne Incense in our honour When hee had heard that Alexander hauing at two and thirtie yeares of age ouercome the greater part of the knowne world and had made a doubt what he should finde himself to do the remainder of his life I maruell said Augustus that Alexander iudged it not a greater act to gouern well what he had gotten than to purchase so large a dominion It was hee who said I found Rome made of Brickes but I will leaue it of Marble Which saying putteth me in mind considering the vncertaintie and instability of things of an excellent Epigram composed by Ianus Vitalis de Roma antiqua Of antient Rome Quid Romam in media quaeris novus Advena Roma Et Romae in Roma nil reperis medio Aspice murorum molas praerupt aque saxa Obrutaque horrenti vasta Theatra situ Haec sunt Roma c. New Stranger to the City come Who midst of Rome enquir'st for Rome And midst of Rome canst nothing spye That lookes like Rome cast backe thine eye Behold of walls the ruin'd mole The broken stones not one left whole Vast Theatres and Structures high That leuell with the ground now lye These now are Rome and of that Towne Th' Imperious Reliques still do frowne And ev'n in their demolisht seat The Heav'ns aboue them seem to threat As she the World did once subdue Ev'n so her selfe she ouerthrew Her hand in her owne bloud she'embru'd Lest she should leaue ought vnsubdu'd Vanquisht in Rome Invict Rome now Intombed lies as forc'd to bow The same Rome of the World the head Is Vanquisher and Vanquished The riuer Albula's the same And still preserues the Roman name Which with a swift and speedy motion Is hourely hurry'd to the Ocean Learne hence what Fortune can what 's strong And seemeth fixt endures not long But more assurance may be layd On what is mouing and vnstayd Phocion a noble Counsellor of Athens of high wisedom singular prudence noble policie incorrupt manners and incomparable innocencie and integritie of life of such admirable constancy of minde that he was neuer known to laugh weepe or change countenance He knowing the ignorance and dissolute manners of the people vpon a time hauing made a very excellent Oration much commended and highly applauded by the multitude hee turned to his friends and said What is it that I haue spoke amisse or otherwise than well for which the people thus extoll mee To Demosthenes the Orator who said vnto him The Athenians will put thee to death one day Phociâ—n when they shall grow to bee mad he replied Me indeed when they are mad but thee most certainly when they come to be in their right wits againe Alexander sending vnto him an hundred talents hee demanded of the messengers that brought it For what cause the King was so bountifull to him aboue others They answered Because hee iudged him of all the Athenians to be a iust and honest man When refusing the gold he said Then let him suffer me not onely to be so reputed but to proue me to be such an one indeed c. Pompey being yong and hauing done many worthy and remarkable seruices for Sylla who was now growne in yeares demanded a Triumph which Sylla opposed But after Pompey in a great confluence of people had said aloud Sylla Art thou ignorant that more people adore the Sun at his rising than his going downe Sylla with a loud voice cried out Let him triumph To one Caius Pompilius an ignorant Lawyer in Rome who being brought to giue euidence in a Cause and saying That hee knew nothing nor could speake any thing in the matter Cicero replied You thinke perchance Pompilius that you are asked a question about some point in the Law Pompey and Caesar being at great debate and variance he said He knew not whose part to refuse or whose side to follow After the great battell fought in Pharsalia when Pompey was fled one Nonius a great Captain thinking to incourage the Souldiers bad them to be of good comfort for there were yet seuen Eagles left To him Cicero replied Thy chearing ô Nonius might proue very aduantageous vnto vs if we were now to fight against Iayes Of one Cuminius Revelus who was chosen Consull and within two houres displaced by reason hee was tainted of Perjury he said That he had one chance hapned him aboue all other in that place for the Records were searched in which Consuls time he was Consull To one Iulius Curtius belying his age because hee would be still esteemed young Cicero said Then it appeareth That at the same season when you and I were yong schollers first and exercised Orations together you were not borne And to one Fabia Dolabella affirming shee was but thirty yeares old hee replied Indeed Lady I haue heard as much as you speake twenty yeares ago Demosthenes being one of the tenne whom the Athenians sent Embassadors to Philip King of Macedon at their returne when Eschines and Philocrates whom Philip had entertained with extaordinary courtesie aboue the rest had spoken royally and amply in his commendations praising him especially for three things That he was of an extraordinarie beautifull aspect That hee had a fluent and eloquent tongue and That he was a liberall and free Drinker Demosthenes interrupted them and auouched publiquely That not one of all those was seemely in a King For the first he said belonged to Women the second appertained to Sophists and Rhetoricians and the third to
world in euery Nation Feare first made gods with Diuine adoration Saith Martial If thy Barber then should dare When thou before him sit'st with thy throat bare And he his Rasor in his hand to say Giue me this thing or that Wilt thou say nay Or grant it him Take 't into thy beleefe He 's at that time a Ruffin and a Theefe And not thy Barber Neither can 't appeare Bounty that 's granted through imperious Feare Of the word Superstition the first ground Was To preserue to th' future whole and sound The memorie of Fathers Sons and Friends Before deceast and to these seeming ends Were Images deuis'd Which some would bring As their first author from th' Assyrian King Ninus whose father Belus being dead That after death he might be honored Set vp his statue which as most agree Was in his new built city Niniuee Whither all malefactors make repaire And such offenders whose liues forfeit are By the Lawes doom but kneeling to that Shrine Were sanctuar'd as by a thing diuine Hence came it that as gods they now abhor'd The Sun and Moone which they before ador'd With Stars and Planets they are now at strife And since by it they had recouered life Late forfeit hold it as a sov'raigne Deitie And therefore as it were in gratefull pietie They offred sacrifice burnt Incense gaue Oblations as to that had power to saue This which in Theeues and Murd'rers first began In time so generall grew that not a man But was of that beleefe and so withdrew That diuine worship which was solely due To the Creator and to him alone And gaue 't to Idols made of wood and stone And yet the Poet Sophocles euen then When the true God was scarsly knowne to men In honour of the supreme Deitie Much taunted the vain Greeks Idolatrie One God there is saith he and only one Who made the Earth his Footstoole Heav'n his Throne The swelling Seas and the impetuous Winds The first he calmeth and the last he binds In prison at his pleasure and yet wee Subiects vnto this fraile mortalitie Of diffident hearts determin and deuise To the Soules dammage many fantasies The Images of gods we may behold Carv'd both in stone and wood some left in gold Others in Iv'ry wrought and we vnwise By offring to them solemne Sacrifice Thinke we do God good seruice But the Deity Sole and supreme holds it as meere impiety Saint Austin neuer could himselfe persuade That such who mongst the antient Gentiles made Their Idoll gods beleev'd in them for he Saith confidently Though in Rome there be Ceres and Bacchus with a many more Whom they in low obeisance fall before They do it not as vnto absolute things That haue in them the innate seeds and springs Of being and subsistence but much rather As to the seruants of th' Almighty Father Yet these did worship something 't doth appeare As a Supreme whom they did loue or feare This Age breeds men so bruitsh naturall As to beleeue there is no God at all Such is the Atheist with whom can be had No competition one obtuse or mad Who cannot scape Heav'ns most implacable rod. The Psalmists Foole who saith There is no God Would such but spend a little vacant time To looke from what 's below to things sublime From terrene to coelestiall and confer The Vniuersall with what 's singuler They shall find nothing so immense and hye Beyond their stubborn dull capacity But figures vnto them his magnitude Again nothing so slight as to exclude It name amongst his creatures nought so small But proues to them his power majesticall Tell me ô thou of Mankind most accurst Whether to be or not to be was first Whether to vnderstand or not to know To reason or not reason well bee 't so I make that proposition all agree That our Not being was before To be For we that are now were not in Times past Our parents too ev'n when our moulds were cast Had their progenitors their fathers theirs So to the first By which it plaine appeares And by this demonstration 't is most cleare That all of vs were not before we were For in the Plants we see their set and ruin In Creatures first their growth then death pursuing In Men as well as Beasts since Adam's sinning The end is certaine signe of the beginning As granted then we boldly may proclaime it There was a Time if we a Time may name it When there was neither Time nor World nor Creature Before this Fabrick had such goodly feature But seeing these before our eyes haue being It is a consequence with Truth agreeing Of which we only can make this construction From some Diuine power all things had production And since of Nothing nothing can befall And betwixt that which is bee 't ne're so small And what is not there is an infinite space Needs must some Infinite supply the place It followes then The prime Cause and Effector Must be some potent Maker and Protector A preualent great and eternall God Who before all beginning had aboad Come to the Elements A war we see Twixt Heate and Cold Drought and Humiditie Now where 's Antipathy must be Annoy One laboring still the other to destroy And yet in one composure where these meet There 's Sympathie Attone and cons'nance sweet The Water doth not fight against the Fire Nor doth the Aire against the Earth conspire All these though opposites in vs haue peace Vniting in one growth and daily increase To make inueterate Opposites agree Needs must there be a God of Vnitie What is an Instrument exactly strung Vnlesse being plaid vpon it yeelds no tongue Or pleasant sound that may delight the eares So likewise of the musicke of the Spheres Which some haue said chym'd first by accident O false opinion'd Foole What 's the intent Of thy peruersenesse or thine ignorance Shall I designe what Fortune is or Chance Nothing they are saue a meere perturbation Of common Nature an exorbitation And bringing out of square these to controule Therefore must needs be an intelligent Soule For know you not you Empty of all notion That nothing in it selfe hath power of motion And that which by anothers force doth moue The cause of that effect must be aboue Th' originall of Mouing must be Rest Which in our common Dialls is exprest The Sun-beame pâ—ints the houre the shadow still From our shifts to another ev'n vntill Thou tel'st vnto the last yet 't is confest That all this while th' Artificer may rest The Earth in sundry colours deckt we know With all the Herbage and the Fruits below The Seas and Flouds Fish in aboundance store Fowles numberlesse within the Aire do soare And all these in their seuerall natures clad So fairely that her selfe can nothing add From whence haue these their motion Shall we say From th' Elements How comes it then that
they Should so agree being 'mongst themselues at strife To giue to others what they haue not Life Haue they then from the Sun their generation Resolue me then what Countrey or what Nation Can shew his issue Haue they power innate As in themselues themselues to procreate If any of them tell me mongst them all Of what extension are they great or small In new discov'ries if after somewhile We touch vpon an vnfrequented Isle If there we sheds or cottages espy Though thatcht with Reed or Straw we by and by Say Sure men here inhabit 't doth appeare The props and rafters plac'd not themselues there Nor of their owne accord the reed or straw Themselues into that close integument draw Nor could the sauage beasts themselues inure Vnto a worke so formal and secure And you ô Fooles or rather Mad-men when You view these glorious Works which Beasts and Men So far from framing are that their dull sence Can neuer apprehend their eminence And do not with bent knees hearts strook with terror And eyes bedew'd with teares lament their error Submissiuely acknowledge their impiety And blasphemies 'gainst that inuisible Diety If but to what you see you would be loth To giue faith to In Plants a daily growth You all confesse but of you I would know When any of your eyes perceiv'd them grow In Animals we may obserue increase And euery member waxing without cease But when did euer your acutest eye Distinguish this augmenting qualitie Force vegetiue and sensatiue in Man There is with Intellect by which he can Discerne himselfe and others to this houre Tell me Who euer hath beheld that Power We with our outward sences cannot measure The depth of Truth nor rifle her rich treasure Let that Truths spirit then be our Director To bow vnto the worlds great Architector Or will you better with your selues aduise And beleeue those the antient Times held wise And not the least 'mongst these Th' AEgyptian Mages The Indian Brachmans and the Grecian Sages Ev'n these approv'd a God before Time liuing Maker Preseruer and all good things giuing The Poets and Philosophers no lesse In all their works ingeniously professe Theoginis Homer Hesiod Orpheus All Vpon this great Power inuocate and call To their Assistants In the selfe same line Rank't Plato and Pythagoras both Diuine Held for their reuerence done it Let these passe To speake of your great man Diagoras The Prince of Fooles of Atheisme the chiefe Master As was of Magicke the learn'd Zoroaster Peruse his Booke you in the Front shall reade These very words From a sole soueraigne Head All things receiue their Being and Dispose What more could he confesse Which the most knowes He on whose shrinking columes you erect The whole frame of your irreligious sect Holding the statue of Alcides then Numb'red amongst the deified men It being of wood To take away the glory From Idols in a frequent auditorie Of his owne Scholers cast it in the fire Thus speaking Now god Hercules expire In this thy thirteenth Labour 't is one more Than by thy stepdame was enioyn'd before To her being man thou all thy seruice gaue Thou now being god I make thee thus my slaue The Atheist Lucian held Gods Sonne in scorne And walking late by dogs was piece-meale torne Yet for the loue I to his learning owe This funerall Farewell I on him bestow Vnhappy Lucian what sad passionate Verse Shall I bestow vpon the marble stone That couers thee How shall I deck thy Herse With Bayes or Cypresse I do not bemone Thy death but that thou dy'dst thus Had thy Creed As firme been as thy wit fluent and high All that haue read thy Works would haue agreed To haue transfer'd thy Soule aboue the sky And Sainted thee But ô 't is to be doubted The God thou didst despise will thee expell From his blest place since thou Heav'n hast flouted Confine thy Soule into thine owne made Hell But if thou euer knew'st so great a Dietie A Sauiour who created Heauen and thee And against him durst barke thy rude impietie He iudge thy cause for it concernes not me But for thy Body 't is most iust say I If all that so dare barke by Dogs should dy Thus saith the Atheist Lo our time is short Therefore our few dayes let vs spend in sport From Death which threatneth vs no Power can saue And there is no returning from the graue Borne are we by meere chance a small time seen And we shall be as we had neuer been Our breath is short our words a sparke of fire Rais'd from the heart which quickly doth expire And then our bodies must to dust repaire Whilest life and spirit vanish into aire We shall be like the moving Cloud that 's past And we must come to nothing at the last Like Dew exhal'd our names to ruine runne And none shall call to mind what we haue done Our Time is as a shadow which doth fade And after death which no man can euade The graue is seal'd so fast that we in vaine Shall hope thence euer to returne againe Come then the present pleasures let vs tast And vse the Creatures as in time forepast Now let vs glut our selues with costly wine And let sweet ointments in our faces shine Let not the floure of life passe stealing by But crowne our selues with Roses e're they dy Our wantonnesse be counted as a treasure And in each place leaue tokens of our pleasure For that 's our portion we desire no more Let vs next study to oppresse the Poore If they be righteous nor the Widow spare Deride the Ag'd and mocke his reuerend haire Our strength make Law to do what is iniust For in things feeble't is in vaine to trust Therefore the good man let 's defraud for he We know can neuer for our profit be Our actions in his eies gets no applause He checks vs for offending 'gainst the Lawes Blames vs and saith We Discipline oppose Further he makes his boasts That God he knowes And calls himselfe his Sonne Hee 's one that 's made To contradict our thoughts quite retrograde From all our courses and withall so crosse We cannot looke vpon him without losse He reckons vs as Bastards and withdrawes Himselfe from vs nor will he like our Lawes But counts of them as filthinesse The ends Of the iust men he mightily commends And boasts God is his father Let 's then see If any truth in these his words can be And what end he shall haue For if th' Vpright Be Sonnes of God hee 'l aid them by his might With harsh rebukes and torments let vs then Sift and examine this strange kinde of Men To know what meeknesse we in them can spy And by this means their vtmost patience try Put them to shamefull death bee 't any way For they shall be preserv'd as themselues say Thus do they go
loth is to communicate He by the mouthes of our forefathers and The holy Prophets who did vnderstand His sacred will The Scriptures hath so fram'd To haue his Singularitie oft nam'd As thus Because the Lord is God alone Peculiar and besides him there is none Againe O Israel attend and heare The Lord thy God is One him thou shalt feare The God of gods I heare the Psalmist say Doth only worke great wonders Him obey For 'mongst the gods none 's like him Go and tell Saith he vnto my people Israel I am the Lord thy God and none but I Who brought thee from th' AEgyptian slauerie And from the house of Bondage set thee free Therefore thou shalt adore no God saue me Lycurgus in the Proëm of his Lawes To the Locrenses not without great cause These following words prefixt Needfull it were That all the people which inhabit here Should be persuaded There 's one God aboue By whom all liuing Creatures breathe and moue Who as in all his Works he is exprest So is he not the least made manifest In our inspection to the Worlds great frame The Heauen and goodly order of the same Be no man of that stupid ignorance To thinke that such things are dispos'd by chance The gluttons Belly is his god the cause In that his Appetite prescribes him Lawes The griping Auaritious man hath sold His Soule so dearely bought to purchase Gold Voluptuous men solely deuote to Lust Their Idol's Venus for in her they trust Th' Ambitious his All-Honour'd makes his Fame As before Gods preferring his owne Name And is not he vaine Studies doth prefer Before his Christ a meere Idolater And do not all those that ought higher prise Than Him to Idols offer sacrifise But he that shall beleeue in him aright Shall haue accesse to his Eternall Light When those that haue Religion in disdaine And Pietie in contempt and so remaine They striue to haue no being to their shame And to returne to nothing whence they came All such as are not numbred 'mongst the Saints Whom euill thoughts possesse and Sinne supplants Haue lost themselues as hid behinde a Skreene How then can the least part of them be seene But those that through their Sauiour proue victorious They in Heauens kingdome shall be great and glorious Two Principles as some Philosophers write There are Eternall both and Infinite Makers of things yet in their Natures vary As being in themselues meere contrary Their error note If two such in their prime Of power should haue existence at one time Since two so great must greater be than one Euen in that clause the Infinite is gone Being distinct in number and diuided Needs must they be by seuerall motions guided One borrowes not of the other for majoritie Being equall two there can be no prioritie And contrary as I before haue said In opposition they must needs inuade Th' agreeing Fabricke and so without cease Disturbe old Natures long-continued peace Neither from these two Equalls can arise A third this their great strife to compromise Againe If two one needlesse is and vaine Or as we call it Empty Now 't is plaine That Nothing cannot haue in Nature place For she hath Vacuum in continuall chase And is at war with 't Therefore I hope none But will confesse a Godhood and that one One Monarch of the world the great Effector Of all therein sole Parent and Protector All such as of their multiplicitie speake Disable them as wanting power and weake As if nought gouer'nd were that hath been made Which One can do without anothers aid Him only a true Monarch we may call That hath no parted kingdome but swayes all But where a Principalitie misguided Is amongst seuerall Optimates diuided It needs must follow In no One can be An absolute and exact soueraignty For none of these but by vsurping dare Challenge the whole where each haue but a share There is a certaine Bound which circumscribes His Iurisdiction Each hath seuerall Tribes To gouerne and dispose Should we agree In many gods it then perforce must be concluded There can be no Soueraigne Minde Since euery one hath but his Lot assign'd When as of Power it is the true condition Not to be ty'de to stint or exhibition But as the sole Supreme and Principall Guiding disposing comprehending all If God be perfect he can be but one As hauing all things in himselfe alone The more you make the more you shall depraue Their Might and Potencie as those that haue Their vertue scanted so allow not any Since all things cannot be contain'd in Many By which 't is manifest Those that maintaine More gods than one be people vile and vaine In the like blasphemy ready to fall With the dam'nd Atheist who knowes none at all The Manichees they hold a strange opinion That two betwixt them share the high Dominion Who as they did create so guide it still One Good disposeth and the other Ill. The first is Lord of Light and gouernes Day The last of Night and Darknesse beares chiefe sway One Heate in charge hath and the other Cold Yet who by daily proofe doth not behold That by the sole and Diuine Prouidence Man with all Creatures of them both hath sence And from them comfort That the Night for rest Was made to cheare Man wearied and opprest As well as Day whose cheerefull light prepares Vs to our needfull and best knowne affaires Do we not see from what we counted bad Much good to vs great solace hath been had Againe That seeming Good forg'd by the Deuill Hath been to vs th' occasion of much euill Heauens blessings let vs taste in their communitie Ascribing all praise to the God of Vnitie This sempiternall Minde this Consummate And absolute Vertue that did all create This Power who in himselfe hath his Stabilitie Maiestie Wisedome Strength and true Soliditie From whose Sublimitie no man 's so mad To thinke he can detract To whom none adde This of himselfe all Fulnesse all Satietie Is then the sole Incomprehensible Deitie Sometimes what 's proper vnto Man alone Is giuen to this Trias three in One As when we attribute vnto him Wings It straight vnto our aphrehension brings How he protects and shadowes vs. If Eares With what facilitie and grace he heares Our deuout Prayers And when his Arme stretcht out That of his Power and Strength we should not doubt His Finger nam'd doth to the world auer His Vertue and that no Artificer Can worke like him His Skill The glorious frame Of this great Machine doth to all proclaime His Face sometimes his presence doth imply Sometimes his fauour and benignitie If we reade Wrath we must consider then Those Iudgements that impend o're sinfull men And with what terror when they come they fall His Hand doth vnto our remembrance call His
Seas doth moue I am his Citisen in his place aboue He giueth to all Creatures a generatiue vertue in their kinde saith Seneca the Tragicke Poet. Providet ille maximus mundi pareus c. When He that did the World create Perceiv'd the rauenous threats of Fate The prouident Parent had a care That losse by Issue to repaire It is He who sees and heares all things saith Plautus Est profecto Deus qui quae nos gerimus Audit videt c. There is a God intentiue to All things we either speake or do It is He that both will and can do all things saith Ovid Immensa est finemque potentia Coeli Non habet quicquid superi voluere peractum est The Power of Heauen 's immense and hath no end Against their wills in vaine is to contend He onely knowes the true courses of the Signes and Planets ordering and disposing them According to the excellent Poet Virgil in his AEtna Scire vices etiam signorum tradita jura c. The Lawes and Courses of the Signes to finde And why the Clouds are to the earth inclin'd Or why the Sunnes fire lookes more pale and bright Than doth his blushing Sisters Queene of night Why the Yeares seasons vary whereupon The youthfull Spring the Summer vshers on And why the Summer growes soone old and spent Why Autumne her succeeds incontinent And Winter Autumne Or to haue true notion How these proceed in an orbicular motion To vnderstand the Poles and how th' are sway'd Or wherefore the sad Comets are display'd Why Hesperus the night-stars doth fore-run Or Lucifer to warne vs of the Sun Is last that shines and brings vp all the traine Or for what cause Boetes driues his Waine Or tell the reason wherefore Saturnes star Is stedfast That of Mars still threatning war c. These and the like to order and dispose It must be a Diuinitie that knowes If He should keepe backe his hand which is as much as to say to take away Loue and Vnitie from the Workes which hee hath made all things would be ready to run into disorder and to return into the former Chaos To which purpose reade Boethius Hic si frena remiserit Quicquid nunc amat invicem Bellum continuo geret c If He the bridle should let flacke Then euery thing would run to wracke And all his Works that now agree In mutuall Loue at war would be And in this new conceiued Wrath What now with sociable Faith In friendly motions they employ They then would labour to destroy c. The gods know better what is conuenient and profitable for vs than we our selues can apprehend or imagine therefore their wills and pleasures ought alwaies to be petitioned Witnesse Iuvenal Nil ergo optabunt homines si consilium vis Permittas ipsis c. Must therefore Man wish nothing Shall I shew My counsell Fit 't is that the gods should know Of what we stand in need let vs then tell Our wants to them who can supply vs well For they haue store of all things and know best How euery man to fit to his request And if we be deuout to them in prayer We soone shall finde they haue a greater care Of vs than we our selues haue we with'a blinde And inconsiderat motion of the minde As led by lust desire first to be sped Of a faire Bride Next being maried We long till we haue Issue ignorant still Whether to vs they may proue good or ill The gods alone in their fore-knowledge see What kinde of wife what children these will be Ouid by the way of a comparison hath made Him a gratefull and liberall Rewarder of all goodnesse that can be in man whatsoeuer Dij pia facta vident Astris Dolphina recepit Iupiter Stellas iussit habere novem The gods take note of pious acts The Dolphin's made Diuine And plac't in Heauen by Ioue himselfe With stars in number nine And Plautus alluding to the same purpose speakes thus Bene merenti bene profuerit Male merenti par erit To him that merits well hee 's good againe But vengeance he stores vp for the prophane Seneca speaking how fearefull a thing it is to incurre the wrath of God and withall how vaine and effectlesse the anger of Man is compared with it saith thus Coelestis ira quos premit miseros facit Humana nullos c. Mans anger is in vaine and no man thralls Heav'ns wrath is terrible on whom it falls That God is the most equall and Iust God of all men and all things the Auenger of the Wicked and Protector of the Innocent heare Plautus thus speaking Quotidiè Ille scit quid Hîc quaerat malum Qui Hîc litem adipisci postulet perjurio He knowes what euill daily man acquires And who that to accomplish his desires Would compound strife by periurie But when the Bad Of their false Causes from the Iudge haue had A sentence of their sides all is but vaine For He the matter judg'd will judge againe And then the Cause vprightly hauing try'de How shall the before perjur'd man abide His doome and mulct All such as shall abet Bad Suits to them his punishment is great But the Iust man that neither fawn'd nor brib'd His name he in his Tables hath inscrib'd Another holdeth that the actions or cogitations of men are so far inferior to the hidden wayes of the gods that they can no way either dammage or profit them in the least degree whatsoeuer as Lucan si Coelicolus furor arma dedisset Aut si terriginae tentarunt Astra gigantes c. If either rage should moue the gods to war Or if the earth-bred Gyants should now dare To menace Heauen Mans pietie and loue By armes or vowes could no way profit Ioue The reason is no Humane apprehension Can once conceiue th' immortall gods intention And that all praise and thanks are to be rendred vnto him euen for the least of his innumerable benefits daily and hourely conferred vpon vs reade Virgil of Tytirus and howsoeuer he intended his words I take them as they lie Oh Milibaee Deus nobis haec otia fecit Namque erit ille mihi semper Deus c. O Melibaeus God this leisure gaue And I but Him no other god will haue From this my fold a tender Lambe of mine Hath oftentimes been offered at his Shrine Thou seest by his leaue how my Oxen stray And on my rude Pipe what I please I play And so much for the Poets Diuers Nations but especially the AEgyptians made certaine Hierogliphyckes to expresse this sole and supreme Deitie First by the Storke who is a Bird that hath no tongue and God created all things in a temperate and quiet silence Inferring vpon this That Man ought not to speak of him too freely or rashly nor to search too narrowly into his hidden Attributes for so
Hee answered That hee had a naturall inclination to it and therefore no persuasion could diuert him from it The other replied vpon him I pray where died your Father he answered At Sea Again he asked him Where his Grandfather died Who told him At sea And are not you then said he sor that cause afraid to go to sea The Captaine made answer Before I resolue you fully of your demand let me also be satisfied in one thing from you I pray you where died your father He answered In his bed And where saith he died your Grandfather Hee likewise answered In his bed He then replied Why are you not then for that cause onely afraid to go to bed It is a true saying No man dieth more willingly than such as haue liued most honestly And wherefore should we be afraid to meet with that which wee know it is not possible for vs to shun Heraclitus calleth it the Law of Nature the Tribute of the Flesh the Remedie of Euils and the Path either to heauenly Felicitie or eternall Miserie Claudian lib. 2. de Raptu Proserp speaking of Death writeth after this manner Sub tua purpurei venient vestigiareges Deposito luxu turbaque cum paupere mixti Omniamors equat c. Purple-rob'd Kings their glory layd aside And pompous state beneath thy steps shall fall Mixt with the poorer throng that 's void of pride And vaine excesse 'T is Death which equalls all And Ovid speaking of the vnpartialitie of the fatall Sisters Metam lib. 10. saith Omnia debentur vobis paulumque morati Serius aut citius c. All things to you are due after small stay Sooner or later we must walke one way There 's but one common path to vs assign'd To that all tend as there to be confin'd It is a great and weighty thing saith the Philosopher and not soone learned When that inevitable houre shall come to entertaine it with patience Thou canst not fly the necessitie thereof ouercome it thou maist namely if thou dost not first yeeld vnto it if quietly thou expectest it if vnmoued thou receiuest it if thou dost persist certaine against incertaintie and fearelesse against that which most men feare then maist thou be said truly to conquer and ouercome it There is nothing so bitter but an equall and constant spirit can easily digest for many in their patient sufferings seeme to despise the most exquisite torments Mutius the Fire Regulus the Crosse Anaxarchus the contusion of all his members Theramenes and Socrates Poyson and when sentence of death was deliuered to Canius from the Tyrant hee then playing at Chesse seemed so little daunted at the message that without change of countenance he played out his game And so of others Now whence grew this magnanimitie but from a sound and cleare conscience assiduate practise of Vertue and a courage armed against all disasters Nothing is more calamitous than a minde doubtfull of what is to come To be alwayes troubled is to be miserable before miserie happen for there is nothing more foolishly wretched than to be still in feare especially of death which if nothing else the very necessitie thereof and the common equalitie with all Mankind ought to make tollerable First diligently thinke with thy selfe That before thou diest all thy vices die in thee And next That thou makest a consummation of thy life before thy death O! when thou shalt see that time in which thou shalt perceiue no time to belong vnto thee in which thou shalt be temperate and calme and in thy saâ—ietie carelesse of the morrow Then that day which now thou fearest as thy last shall appeare to thee thy birth day to eternitie Dost thou weepe and lament These things belong to those which are new borne Dost thou thinke those things to be lost which thou leauest Why shouldst thou dote vpon that which was not thine own but leant Who is it that would set a price vpon Time or at a deare rate estimate the Day who truly vnderstandeth that hee is euery houre dying In this we much deceiue our selues That we see not Death afarre off nor apprehend it neere That part of our age which is past is free that which is behinde is in the power of Death neither do we fall vpon Death suddenly but step by step we meet it by degrees we daily die for euery day a part of our life is taken from vs and euen at that time when we increase our life decreaseth we lose our Infancie first our Childehood next then our Youth and euery one of these when it arriueth to the full period perisheth for yesterdayes life is this day wanting and tomorrow this dayes being hath ceased to be nay euen this day which wee breath wee diuide with Death for it is the very moment and point of time in which we can be said to liue yea lesse if lesse can be imagined neither of that little or lesse space can we assure our selues Saint Chrisostome super Math. calleth Death The necessarie gift of corrupt Nature which ought not fearefully to be auoided but rather chearefully embraced for by making that voluntarie which is compulsiue that which is to God a due debt we offer vnto him as a free gift Moreouer a foolish and ridiculous thing it is for men to delight in sleepe and feare death when sleepe is nothing else but the imitation of Death Saint Augustine lib. de Natura Gracia vseth these words If thou boastest thy selfe of Nobilitie Riches or Honour of thy Countrey or the applause giuen vnto thee by the People looke into thy selfe and consider That thou camest from the earth and into it againe thou must returne Looke about and behold all those which in times past haue flourished in the like splendours Where be the insuperable Emperors Where be those that frequented Meetings Musicke and Feasts and delighted in the braue breed of Horses Where be their Robes of state their rich and gorgeous Vesture Where their troupes of Followers and large traine of Attendants Where their sportings and Reuellings Where be the Captains of Armies Champions Iudges Tyrants are not all Earth Dust and Ashes and their magnificence and memorie in a small Tombe and short Epitaph contained Looke into their gorgeous and glittering Sepulchres and see how much the Lord differs from the Seruant Tell me which is the Rich man and which the Poore Distinguish if thou canst the Captiue from the Conqueror the Valiant from the Timerous or the Faire from the Deformed Therefore remember thy selfe ô Man of thy fraile and weake nature least thou beest any way tumor'd with Pride Arrogance or Vain-glory. Bernard in one of his Sermons saith Novissima sunt quatuor c. The foure last things are Death Iudgement Hell and Glorie Than Death what more horrible Than Iudgement what more terrible Than Hell what more intollerable Than Glory what more delectable It will not I hope appeare much impertinent to introduce one of Lucians Dialogues because the
did great things and in the comming of Antichrist the Pseudo-Christiani i. false-Christians before him with him and after him by the aid of the wicked Spirit did maruellous things And in another place commenting vpon the same Euangelist As when a man telleth thee a Tale which thou art not willing to heare the more he speaketh the lesse thou bearest away Or trauelling in haste when thy minde is otherwise occupied though in thy speed thou meetest many yet thou takest not notice of any that passe thee so the Iewes dealt with our Sauiour for though they saw many signes and maruellous things done by him yet notwithstanding they demanded a signe from him because they heard such things as they marked not and saw such things as they tooke no pleasure to behold Hugo De Operib 3. Dierum speaketh thus Res multis modis apparant mirabiles c. Many wayes things appeare maruellous somtimes for their greatnesse sometimes for their smalnesse some for their rarietie others for their beauty First according to their greatnesse as where any creature doth exceed the proportion of it's own Kinde so we admire a Gyant amongst Men a Leviathan or Whale amongst Fishes a Gryphon amongst Birds an Elephant amongst foure-footed Beasts a Dragon amongst Serpents c. The second for their smalnesse as when certaine creatures are scanted of that dimension proper vnto their Kinde as in Dwarfes small Beagles and the like or in Moths small Worms in the hand or finger c. which how little soeuer yet they participate life and motion with those of larger dimension and size neither are they any way disproportionate in their Kinds but the one as well declareth the power and wisedome of the Creator as the other Consider therefore whether thou shouldst more wonder at the tuskes of the Boare than the teeth of a Worme at the legs of a Gryphon or a Gnat at the head of an Horse or a Locust at the thighes of an Estrich or a Fly If in the one thou admirest the greatnesse and strength in the other thou hast cause to wonder at the smalnesse and dexterity as in the one thou maist behold eyes so great that they are able to daunt thee in the other thou mayst see eyes so small than thine are searce able to discern them and euen in these little creatures thou shalt find such adiuments and helps of nature that there is nothing needfull or defectiue in the smallest which thou shalt finde superfluous in the greatest c. We wonder why the Crocodile when he feeds moueth not his lower chaw how the Salamander liueth vnscorched in the fire how the Hedgehog is taught with his sharpe quills to wallow and tumble beneath the Fruit trees and returne home laden with Apples to his resting place who instructed the Ant to be carefull in Summer to prouide her selfe of food for Winter or the Spider to draw small threds from it's owne bowels to insidiate and lay nets for the Flies All these are infallid testimonies of the wisedome and power of the Almighty These are only wonders in nature but no Miracles Chrisostom supr Math. saith thus Quatuor sunt mirabiles imitatores c. There be foure miraculous Imitators made by Christ A Fisherman to be the first Shepheard of his Flocke a Persecutor the first Master and Teacher of the Gentiles a Publican the first Euangelist a Theefe that first entred into Paradise And further That of three things the World hath great cause to wonder of Christs resurrection after death of his ascention to heauen in the Flesh and that by his Apostles being no better than Fishermen the whole world should be conuerted But if any thing strange or prodigious hath beene heretofore done by Mahomet or his associates they haue been rather imposterous than miraculous Or admit they were worthy to be so called yet do they not any way iustifie his blasphemous Religion For you may thus reade Iustine Martyr De Respons ad Quest. 5. fol. 162. As the Sun rising vpon the Good and Euill the Iust and Vniust is no argument to confirme the euil and injust man in his wickednesse and injustice so ought it not to confirme heretiques in their errors if at any time miraculous things be done by them For if the effect of a miracle be an absolute signe and demonstration of pietie God would not then reply vpon the Reprobate and Cursed at the last day when they shall say vnto him Lord haue we not in thy Name prophesied and cast out diuels and done many Miracles I neuer knew you depart from me ô ye Cursed c. Christ was miraculous in his Incarnation his Natiuitie his Life Doctrine Death and Resurrection as will easily appeare but first it shall not be amisse to speake a word or two of his blessed Mother Petrus Chrisologus writeth thus Vnexpressible is the sacrament of the Natiuitie of our Lord the God of Life which wee ought rather to beleeue than to examine A Virgin conceiued and brought forth which Nature affourded not Vse knew not Reason was ignorant of Vnderstanding conceiued not This at which Heauen wondred Earth admired the Creature was stupified what humane Language is able to deliuer Therefore the Euangelist as he opened the conception and birth in an human phrase so he shut it vp in a Diuine secret And this he did to shew That it is not lawfull for a man to dispute that which he is commanded to beleeue And againe How can there be the least dammage vnto modestie where there is interessed a Deitie Where an Angell is the Messenger Faith the Bride-maid Chastitie the Contract Vertue the Despouser Conscience the Priest God the Cause integritie the Conception Virginitie the Birth a Maid the Mother Let no man therefore iudge that thing after the manner of Man which is done by a diuine Sacrament let no man examine a coelestiall mysterie by earthly reason or a secret nouelty by that which is frequent and common Let no man measure that which is Singular by Example nor deriue contumely from Pietie nor run into danger by his rashnesse when God hath prouided saluation by his Goodnesse Origen vpon Mathew moues this Question What was the necessitie that Mary the blessed Virgin should be espoused vnto Ioseph but either because that mysterie should be concealed from the Diuell and so the false Accuser should finde no cauil against her chastitie being asfied vnto an husband or else that after the Infant was borne he should be the mothers Conduct into AEgypt and backe againe For Mary was the vntouched the vnblemished the immaculate Mother of the onely begotten Son of God Almighty Father and Creator of all things of that Sonne who in Heauen was without a Mother in Earth without a Father in Heauen according to his Deitie in the bosome of his Father in Earth according to his humanitie in the lap of his Mother Gregorie the Great saith Though Christ Iesus be one thing of the
than the greatest punishment that can be inflicted in this world Indicis in lite brevis est vox Ite Venite Dicetur Reprobis Ite Venite Probis Aspera vox Ite vox est benedicta Venite Quod sibi quisque sâ—rit praesentis tempore vitae Hoc sibi messio crit cum dicitur Ite Venite There were some comfort to the damned Souls if their torment might haue end but that shall neuer be and no torment greater than that of perpetuitie The reason of this perpetuity is threefold the first drawn from the state and condition of the Majesty offended The second from the state and condition of the Reprobates for as long as they remaine sinnefull so long shall they remaine tormented for sinne But in Hell they euer remaine sinnefull and sinne is like oile and the wrath of God like fire as long as the oile lasteth the fire burneth and so long as sinfull so long tormented and therefore damned for euer For most sure it is That in Hell there is neither grace nor deuotion The Wicked shall be cast in exteriores tenebras extra limitem Divinae misericordiae i. Into vtter darknesse without the limits of Gods mercie For though their weeping in Hell may seeme penitentiall yet they do but Lugere poenas non peccata lament their punishment but not their sinne The third reason is drawne from Gods justice for when life was offered them they refused it and therefore justly when in Hell they beg it they go without it I shut vp the premisses in the succeeding Emblem The Emblem IT is reported by the Poets and some antient Historiographers That in Dodonia a Forrest in Greece famous for the Okes there growing and therefore dedicate to Iupiter there is a Fountaine or Well into which whoso putteth a Torch lighted or flaming it is presently extinguished but take one vnlighted which neuer came neere the fire and it is instantly kindled The Motto which the Author of this Emblem groundeth hereon is Sie rerum inverâ—â—tur ordo Hauing some consimilitude with that of Gregory 14 Moral Hostis noster quanto magis nos sibi rebellare conspicit quanto amplius expugnare contendit Eos autem pulsare negligit quos quieto iure se possidere sentit i. Our spirituall Enemy the Diuell the more he perceiueth we rebell against him the greater his opposition is against vs but spareth to trouble or molest such as he knoweth to be already in his quiet possession The two maine Engins by which the Diuell seeketh to vndermine Mankinde are Desperation and Presumption Concerning the first S. Bernard saith Let no man despaire of grace though he begin to repent in his later age for God iudgeth of a mans end not of his past life for there is nothing so desperate which Time cannot cure nor any offence so great which Mercy cannot pardon Livy telleth vs That of all the perturbations of the minde Despaire is the most pernicious And Lactantius informes vs That if he be a wicked and wilfull homicide that killeth any man wittingly needs must he be the same or worse who layeth violent hands vpon himselfe dispairingly For what is Dispaire but the feare of punishment and distrust in Gods mercy by reason of which man making himselfe his owne judge becomes his owne Executioner For as Stobaeus saith The dread and terror of inevitable punishment is the sole cause of desperation Against which irremittable sin Seneca in Medaea thus counsels vs Qui nihil potest sperare nihil desperet He that hath nothing to hope for let him nothing feare And Ovid lib. 2. de Ponto Confugit interdum Templi violator ad Aram Nec petera offensi numinis horret opem Sometimes Church-robbers to the Altars fly And to the injur'd gods for mercy cry Concerning Presumption Saint Augustine saith Nulla praesumptio est perniciostor quam de propria justitia scientia superbire ô superba praesumptio ô praesumptuosa superbia i. No presumption is more dangerous than to be proud of our owne righteousnesse or knowledge ô proud presumption ô most presumptuous pride Philo telleth vs That one prime occasion why leuen was forbidden the Iewes at the solemne Feast of Easter was to teach them to haue a great care to keepe themselues from pride and presumption into which they were apt to fall who held any extraordinarie conceit or opinion of themselues their hearts being suddenly swelled therewith as the dough is puft vp with the leuen Claud. de 4 Honor. Cons. saith Inquinat Egregios adiuncta superbia mores i. Where Pride sets in it's foot it corrupteth the best manners It is said to deuour gold and to drink bloud and to climbe so high by other mens heads til at length it fall and breake it 's own neck Plutarch calls it a vapour which striuing to ascend high presently turneth into smoke and vanisheth Therefore commendable was that modestie in the sonne of King Agesilaus who hearing that Philip the father of Alexander the Great much gloried in a victorie not long before gained sent him word That if hee pleased to measure his shadow he should finde it no greater after his Conquest than it was before I conclude with Seneca in Hercul fuerent Sequitnr superbos victor à tergo Deus And now come to the Author vpon the former Emblem most pertinent to this purpose Fax limphis Dodona tuis immersa necatur Quae micat igne nitet quae sine luce fuit Fons sacer iste deo sic pristina credidit aetas At Deus hic stigij rex Acheontis erat Patrat idem cum fonte suo regnator Averni Ordinis inversi gaudet ille dolis Nempe pios rigidae percellit Acumine legis Blanditurque malis sanguine Christe tuo ¶ Thus paraphrased A Taper without fire in Dodon drencht Is kindled But if lighted as soone quencht Which Well the men of Old in their blinde piety Made sacred to a god but no true Diety The Diuell keepes this Fountaine nor doth leaue By inverst order Mankinde to deceiue Good men with the Lawes rigor still pursuing Flattring the Bad with Mercy to their ruin A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. THou Great God now and euer blessed Thy Seruants wretched and distressed Assist with thy Diuinest aid Lest We like Those that did rebell And head-long were throwne downe to Hell Be Reprobates and Out-casts made II. O Thou who Heav'n and Earth dost guide And aboue all sinnes hatest Pride Because soone after the Creation The first bright Angell led the way And then our two first Parents They Trod the same path to our Damnation III. There is no Sinne that can be nam'd But with a strange selfe-loue inflam'd Originall'tis and In-nate And since that time it is wee finde Dispersed into all Mankinde To ouerthrow our blest estate IV. He that is with this Sinne infected Hath both Thy Loue and Feare reiected Although Thou bee'st the onely Holy And that
miserable the first pernitious the last pestilent Bernard in one of his Epistles saith Men are ignorant of many things needful to be known either by the injurie of Knowledge the sloathfulnesse in learning or the backwardnesse in acquiring yet are none of these excusable And the same Father sup Cant. The knowledge of God and thy selfe are both necessarie to saluation for as from the knowledge of thy selfe the feare of God ariseth in thee and by that knowledge thou art taught how to loue him So on the contrarie From not knowing thy selfe groweth Pride and from not knowing God Desperation And in another place Ignorantia sui initium omnis peccati ignorantia Dei consummato omnis peccati c. The blockishnesse of the minde is the stupiditie of acute reason bred from the grosse sences of carnall Intemperance Not euerie one that is ignorant is free from punishment for such may bee excused who gladly would learne if they knew what to learn but such cannot be pardoned who knowing from whom to learne apply not their will and industrie vnto it Seneca in one of his Proverbs saith It is a more tollerable punishment not to liue at all than not to liue a Knowing man And in another of them It is no lighter thing to be altogether ignorant what is lawfull than to do that which is vnlawfull Socrates saith Where there is no Capacitie there Counsell is vainly bestowed And Solon Ignorance hath euer the boldest face nor is it easie to be truely discouered till it be matched by Knowledge The Inscious man may be knowne by three things He cannot gouern himselfe because he wanteth Reason nor resist his carnal affections because he lacketh Wisedome nor hath he freedome to do what himselfe desireth because he is in bondage to Ignorance Idlenesse begetteth Ignorance and Ignorance ingendreth Error The three-shap'd Monster Sphinx is the emblem of Ignorance which is thus expressed Quid Monstrum id Sphinx est cur candida Virginis ora Et Volucrum pennas crura Leonis habet Hanc faciem assumpsit rerum Ignorantia tanto Scilicet est triplex causa origo mali What Monster 's that 'T is Sphinx Shew me the cause Why a Maids face Birds wings and Lions pawes Such shape beares Ignorance or want of skill And is the triple ground of so much ill Hauing somewhat discouered the defects of Ignorance let vs a little looke into the excellencie of Knowledge He that wanteth Knowledg Science and Nurture is but the shadow of a man though neuer so much beautified with the gifts of Nature It is a saying of Socrates That in war Iron is better than Gold And in the course of a mans life Knowledge is to be preferred before Riches Excellent was that Apothegme of Pythagoras He that knoweth not that which hee ought to know is a Beast amongst men He that knoweth no more than he hath need of is a Man amongst Beasts But he that knoweth all that he ought to know is a god amongst Men. The first thing we ought to study is truly how to know God For we reade in Ieremy Let not the Wise man glory in his Wisedome Let not the Strong man glory in his Strength Let not the Rich man glorie in his Riches But he that glorieth let him glory in this that he knoweth Me because I am the Lord who makes Mercy and Iugement and Iustice on the Earth He is knowne by the consideration of his Creatures Saith Iob Aske the Beasts and they will teach thee demand of the Fowles of Heauen and they will declare vnto thee Speake to the Earth and it will answer vnto thee the very Fishes in the Sea will tell thee For who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these We may know him by the Scriptures Search the Scriptures saith Iohn because in them you thinke to haue life eternall and these are they that testifie of me Againe Cap. 17. For this is life eternall to know thee to be the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Christ Iesus In the face of the Prudent Wisedome shineth saith Salomon And Ecclesiastes Cap. 8. The Wisedome of man shineth in his countenance and the most Mighty shall change his face Touching the Knowledge of our selues Be mindefull of thine owne nature saith Basil and thou shalt neuer be tumor'd with Pride so oft as thou obseruest thy selfe so oft shalt thou know thy selfe and the accurat knowledge of that is sufficient to leade thee as by the hand to the knowledge of God For man to acknowledge himselfe ignorant saith Didimus is a great point of Wisedome and of justice to know himselfe to be vnjust And Chrisostome saith That hee best knoweth himselfe who thinketh worst of himselfe Wise Socrates being demanded Why hee writ no Worke to leaue to future memorie with great modestie answered That whatsoeuer hee could write was not worthy the paper which hee should write in Stob. And Demonax being demanded When he first began to be a Philosopher replied At the very first houre when I began truly to know my selfe Stob. Serm. 21. Heraclitus being a yong man was therefore iudged to be most wise because being asked What he knew he made answer That he knew only this that he was able to know nothing Ex Aristom scriptis Theocritus demanded Why being of such ability in learning and iudgment he would write no famous Work to leaue vnto succession replied The reason is because to write as I would I cannot and to write as I can I will not Stob. ex Aristom Bias to induce men to the true knowledge of themselues counselled euery man to looke vpon his owne actions in a myrrhor that such things as appeared good and commendable he might cherish and maintain but whatsoeuer sauored of suspition or deformitie he might correct and amend As the eye which discerneth all other obiects yet cannot see it selfe so the corrupt heart of man can more accurately looke into the vices of other men than their owne We reade of Placilla the religious wife of the Emperour Theodosius Still to admonish her husband after hee came to weare the Imperiall Purple That hee would not forget that hee had beene once no better than a priuat man and that the title of Caesar should not make him thinke himselfe a god as others before him had done but rather calling still to minde his owne frailtie by acknowledging himself to be Gods Seruant he should proue the better Soueraigne Nicephorus Calistius lib. 12. cap. 42. Saith Terence in Heuton It anâ— comparatam c. Is the nature of men grown to that passe that they can looke better into other mens actions than they can iudge of their owne Or is the reason thereof That in our proper affaires wee are hindered by too much joy or too much griefe Horace giueth vs this counsell Lib. 1. Sat. 3. Teipsum Concute num
tibi quid vitiorum Inseverit olim Natura aut etiam consuetudo mala c. Sift thy selfe throughly whether there be nurst Those wicked seeds of Vice which Nature first Did plant in thee Examining to know What other ills might from bad Custome grow Fearne in neglected fields we see aspire Though it be good for nothing but the fire Perseus in his first Satyr saith Nete quaesiveris extra And Iuv. Sat. 11. Illum ego iure Despicians qui scit quanto sublimior Atlas Omnibus in Libiae sit montibus Hic tamen idem Ignoret quantum ferrata distat ab Arca Sacculus è Coelo discendit Gnothi Seauton c. His iudgement I by good right may despise Who for no other cause thinks himselfe wise Than know the mountaine Atlas lifts his head Aboue all other hills in Lybia bred Yet I from him the difference cannot wrest Betwixt a small Bag and an iron-barr'd Chest. To Know thy Selfe did first from Heav'n descend Of all thine actions then make that the end Whether thou purpose Marriage to embrace Or in the sacred Senat seek'st a place Thersites aim'd not at Achilles Shield Which merit did to wise Vlysses yeeld If being Consull doubtfull causes come To be debated e're thou giue thy doome Or without good aduisement silence breake Examine first what 's in thee e're thou speake And what thou art Whether a Curtius or A Matho or some vehement Orator Nay thou must be so carefull as to know The measure of thy cheekes lest ought might grow Vnwares from thence and with like care entreat As well in euery small cause as the great Thomas Aquin. in his Epistle of the meanes to acquire Knowledge Let this saith he be my admonition and thy instruction Shun verbositie speake seldome and then to the purpose haue a pure conscience and pray often study much and be familiar with few shun superfluous discourse follow the steps of godly and deuout men Regard not from whom thou hearest what is good and hauing heard it forget it not What thou readest or hearest cease not till thou dost vnderstand Be resolued of doubts and search not too far into things which are not lawfull for thee to know Knowledge is one thing but Wisedome is a degree far aboue it for a man may know the World something vnderstand himselfe a little but be altogether forgetfull of God For Salomon saith Prov. 11. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of Wisedome Therefore it shall not be amisse to enquire What Wisedome is One calls it the knowledge of many and miraculous things Arist. lib. Rhetor. And in another place The knowledge of the first and most high causes Aristot. lib. 1. Metaph. Apharab lib. de Divis. Philosoph saith it is the knowledge of things euerlasting Wisedome differeth from Science in this respect because Wisdome is the knowledge of things Diuine and Science of things Human. Therefore we thus reade Saint Augustine Corinth 1. Cap. 11. Wisdome is the contemplation of things eternall Science is the occupation of things temporall And in his booke De Trinit wee reade him thus This is the true distinction betwixt Wisedome and Knowledge That the intellectuall knowledge of things eternall belongs to Wisedome the rationall knowledge of things temporall belongeth to Science The word Sapientia commeth of Sapio which is Truly to know and those which in antient times professed it were called Sophoi i. Wise men For so were those famous men of Greece called namely Thales Milesius Solon Salaminius Chilon Lacedaemonius Pittachus Mytilinaeus Bias Primaeas Cleobulus Lyndius Periander Corinthius After whom succeeded Pythagoras who in his modesty would not cal himselfe Sophus but Philosophus that is not a Wise man but a louer of Wisedome His reason was That no man can truly call himselfe wise because Wisedome solely appertaineth vnto the Creator of all things All true Wisedome is to be asked of God as we may reade Reg. 2. Cap. 3. And God said vnto Salomon Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thy selfe long life neither asked Riches for thy selfe nor hast asked the life of thine Enemies but hast asked for thy selfe Vnderstanding to heare iudgement Behold I haue done according to thy words Lo I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there hath beene none like thee before thee neither after thee shall the like arise vnto thee c. Wisedom saith Salomon in his Booke of Wisedome cannot enter into a wicked heart nor dwell in the body that is subiect vnto sinne Bar. 3. vers 10. What is the cause ô Israel that thou art in thine Enemies land and art waxen old in a strange Countrey and art defiled with the Dead and counted with them that go downe to the Graues Thou hast forsaken the Fountaine of Wisdome for if thou hadst walked in the way of God thou hadst remained for euer And againe Vers. 26. There were the Gyants famous from the beginning that were of great stature and so expert in war these did not the Lord chuse neither gaue he the way of Knowledge vnto them but they were destroyed because they had no Wisedome and perished through their owne foolishnesse Who hath gone vp to Heaven to take her and brought her downe from the Clouds Who hath gone ouer the sea to finde her and hath brought her rather than fine Gold No man knoweth her wayes neither considereth her paths c. We reade also Iob 38.36 Who hath put Wisedome into the Reines and Who hath giuen the Heart Vnderstanding c. And Cap. 28. vers 12. But where is Wisedome found and Where is the place of Vnderstanding Man knoweth not the price thereof for it is not found in the land of the Liuing The Depth saith It is not in me The Sea also saith It is not in me Gold shall not be giuen for it neither shall Siluer be weighed for the price thereof It shall not be valued with the wedge of the Gold of Ophyr nor with the pretious Onyx nor the Saphyr the Gold nor the Chrystall shall be equall vnto it nor the exchange shall be for plate of fine Gold no mention shall be made of Corall or of the Gabish For Wisedome is more pretious than Pearles the Topaz of AEthiopia shall not be equall vnto it neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure Gold c. The wisedome of the Iust saith one of the Fathers is to colour nothing by ostentation to hide no sence by equivocation to loue Truth because it is true to hate Falshood because it is false to distribute good things willingly to suffer bad things patiently to reuenge no injurie But this simplicitie of the Iust will be derided because that of the wise men of the world the puritie of Vertue is held to be foolishnes For what to the worlds eye can sauour of greater folly than to speake simply and truely
Sponges Being banished the City in his way he looking backe lifted vp his hands toward heauen saying O Pallas thou Lady of this City why takest thou such delight in three the most vnluckie Monsters of the world the Owle the Dragon and the People Being reuiled by an injurious prating Companion and being forced to make reply in his owne behalfe by which scolding and loud language must needs arise I am now compelled said hee to vndertake such a combat in which he that hath the vpper hand getteth the worst and whoso ouercommeth shall be most sure to lose the Victorie c. It was a saying of the Emperour Sigismund That those Courts were onely happy where proud men were depressed and meeke men aduanced The same Prince being asked What man he held worthy of a Diadem Onely such an one saith hee whom prosperitie puffeth not vp neither can aduersitie dismay To one who praised him aboue measure so farre hyperbolising that hee would needs make him more than mortall the Emperour much displeased with such palpable flatterie strooke him two or three blowes vpon the cheeke Who saying to the Emperor Why do you strike me Mary quoth the Emperour because thou didst bite me c. Fredericke the Emperor being demanded Which of his Subiects and Seruants he loued best and that were dearest vnto him made answer Those that feare not me more than they feare God The same Emperor when one asked himâ— What hee thought to be the best thing that could happen to a man in this world Replied To haue a good going out of the World Rodulphus Caesar the first that traduced the Empire into the Austrian Familyâ— when one asked of him Why generally all men despised the exercise of such Arts as they had been taught but to rule and gouerne which was the Art of Arts no man refused That is no wonder said hee because they thinke all such to be Fooles that cannot rule and there is no man that thinks himself a Foole. But what are all these where the wisedome to seeke after God shall be in the least kinde neglected God saith Salomon loueth no man if he dwelleth not with Wisedome for shee is more beautifull than the Sunne and is aboue all the order of the Starres and the Light is not to be compared vnto her for Night commeth vpon that but Wickednesse cannot ouercome Wisedome I end this Argument with these few lines extracted Ex Antholog Sacr. Iacob Billij Pythagoras olim quid sensuerit c. Not what Pythagoras in times past thought Not sharpe Chrisippus by his study sought What Plato's or what Zeno's censure was Or what th' opinion of Protagoras What Anaxagoras brought forth to light Or Aristotle the learn'd Stagerite How many heathen gods there were to show Or goddesses shall we call this To Know He that for such cause shall himselfe aduance Can brag of nothing but blinde Ignorance He onely can of Wisedome truly bost Who knowes the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost Many things are found to be monstrous prodigious in Nature the effects whereof diuers attribute to sundry causes some either to defect or super-aboundance in Nature others to the power and operations of Daemons good or bad We read That when Lucius Martius and Iulius Sextius were Consuls in Rome two mountaines remoued from their proper places and so impetuously met together that hauing vented a great quantitie of fire and smoke into the aire by the violence of their encounter they returned backe againe into their owne scituation first hauing destroyed many Villages which lay betwixt them killing much cattell where many Roman Knights too aduenturous perished by the same prodegie The same Author relateth That in the time that Nero Caesar wore the Imperiall Purple Vessus Marcellus whom the Emperour had sent into the Kingdome of Naples had two fields distant the one from the other certaine furlongs the one was a faire greene medow the other planted with Oliue trees which miraculously changed places for the Oliue field was transported where the medow was and the medow to the place where the Oliues grew And this was supposed to be done by an Earthquake This is approued for a truth by the Annals of sundry Learned men bur especially remembred in the booke of the Mountaines It hath been likewise obserued that in the sacrifice of Beasts no hearts haue beene found in the bodies For so it happened when Caesar the Dictator first sate in the golden Chaire Cicero and Pliny both report That Caius Marius offering sacrifice at Vtica no heart was found in the beast which the Priest coniectured proceeded from no naturall cause And therefore it may be thought to be the imposture of euill Spirits who to delude and abuse the people stole the heart away from the Altar inspiring the Priest to say something thereupon as partly foreseeing what was likely to succeed after It is recorded also That in the sacrifice which Marcus Marcellus made before he was slain in the battell fought against Hannibal That the first day the Priest could finde no heart in the beast and the second day opening another he found two Aulus Gellius telleth vs That vpon the same day when Pyrrhus died after the heads of the sacrificed beasts were cut off they licked vp their owne bloud which was spilt vpon the ground As also That the same yeare when Hannibal was vanquished by Scipio Publ. AElius and Cneius Cornelius being Consuls wheat was seene to grow vpon trees Many more I could alledge to the like purpose c. Ficin Epist. lib. 11. vseth these words Prodegies hapning before or at the death of Princes come not by fortune because they obserue order nor by Nature by reason they are diuers amongst themselues If therefore neither accidentally nor naturally it must needs inferre they arise by a more sublime Intelligence exuperant aboue the power or strength of Nature And they are referred vnto three chiefe causes For there is Person which is the Daemon Familiar which the Theologists call Angelus Custos Then there is a Power called the Keeper or Gardian of the Place the House the City or the Kingdome and this is tituled by the name of Principate Aboue these is the sublime Order or Chorus of Powers Daemons or Angels into which number or lot by the similitude of Office the excellent Minde or Soule is to shift as it were into it's owne Star there to remaine as a Collegue in the same office And as there are three Authors of prodegies so there are three kindes The sublime Classe kindleth the crested or bearded Comets prouoketh Thunder casteth out Lightning causeth Incendiaries and falling Starres The Power of the Prouince shaketh the Prefect ouerturneth buildings declareth Oracles and designeth violent Heats and Vapours The Familiar Custos or Daemon begetteth Dreames causeth or disturbeth sleepes and taketh charge of man as well in his priuat chamber as in the streets or fields The first
well and carefully conferred strengthen and establish a Kingdome but seruice vnrewarded and gifts vnworthily bestowed weaken and dishonour it Old kindnesses saith Pindarus the excellent Greek Poet are apoplexed and cast asleepe as void of all sence and all men as stupified are turned ingratefull For according to the Cynicke Diogenes Nothing so soone waxeth old and out of date as a courtesie receiued Quintilian is of opinion That all such as receiue gifts courtesies or good turnes from others should not onely frequently remember them but liberally requite them thereby imitating our Mother Earth which still returneth more fruit than it receiueth seed Socrates affirmed all such as were vnthankfull to haue in them neither nobilitie nor justice According to that saying of Stobaeus Gratitude consisteth in Truth and Iustice Truth in acknowledging what was receiued and Iustice in repaying it The Lawes of Persia Macedonia Athens c. punished Ingratitude with death And Plato can teach vs That all humane things quickely grow old and hasten to their period onely that sin excepted and he giueth this reason Because that the greater increase there is of men the more Ingratitude abounds The Ingratefull is held to be of worse condition than the Serpent who reserueth venom and poyson to hurt others but keepeth none to harme himselfe I conclude with Seneca the Philosopher If we be naturally inclined to obserue and to offer all our seruice to such from whom we but expect a benefit how much more then are we obliged to such from whom wee haue already receiued it I come now vnto the Poets Seneca in Aiace Flagell we reade thus Qui autem obliviscitur beneficijs affectus Nunquam vtique esset hic generosus vir Amongst the Generous he can claime no place That good turnes done out of his thoughts doth rase Plautus in Persa speaketh thus Nam improbus est homo Qui beneficium scit sumere reddere nescit Nil amas si ingratum amas Bad is that man and worthy blame That can good turnes from others claime But nought returneth backe He than Nought loues that loues a thank lesse Man Cornarius writeth thus Pertusum vas est ingratus Homnucio semper Omne quod infundis perfluis in nihilum In vaine th' Ingratefull man with gifts thou fill'st In broken Tuns what thou pour'st in thou spill'st And much to the same purpose almost the same sence the Poet Luscinius expresseth himself in this Distich following speaking of the vnthankfull man Rimarum plenus perdit tua dona scoelestus Si sapis integro vina reconde cado A leaking Vessell and consumes what 's thine But thou for a sound Tunne reserue thy Wine Ausonius in one of his Epigrams saith Ingrato homine terra pejus nil creat There 's nothing worse that the earth can Breed than an Ingratefull man And Iuvenal Satyr 11. Ingratus ante omnia pone sodales Aboue all others see thou hate Thy fellowes such as proue ingrate One Michael Traulus slew his master the Emperor Leo who had raised him to many eminent honours and dignities Phraates slew his father Orodes King of the Parthians Romanus junior reiected his naturall mother at which shee conceiued such hearts griefe that she soone after expired Alphonsus Primus King of Lusitania cast his mother into Prison The like Henry the Emperor fift of that name to his father Henry Darius tooke counsell to kill his father Artaxerxes by whom he was before made King And Lucius Ostius in the time of the Ciuill wars when his father Armalius was proscribed and the Triumvirat prosecuted his life he his son betrayed him to the Lictors brought them to the place where he then lay concealed for no other cause but that hee might enioy his possessions Marcus Cicero at the command of M. Anthonius one of the Triumvirat was slain by Pompilius Lemates whose life he had before defended and acquitted from the strict penalty of the Law Alexander the Great forgetfull of his Nurse Hellonice from whom he had receiued his first milk caused her brother Clitus afterward to be slaine Anthonius Caracalla being aduanced to the Roman Empire amongst many others whom he caused innocently to be butchered he spared not Cilones his tutor by whom he was first instructed notwithstanding he had been a Counsellor to his father and a man notable for his wisdome and temperance No lesse was the ingratitude of the Senat of Rome vnto Scipio Africanus who notwithstanding that he had subdued Carthage the onely City that durst affront or contest with Rome through the whole world yet being accused by Petilius they arraigned him in open Court and proscribed him because that all the treasure which he had woon in Asia he had not brought into the Treasurie of Rome But of all the rest that to me is most remarkable recorded by Zonarus Cedrenus of the emperor Basil. Macedo who being hunting as he much delighted in that exercise a great stag incountring him fastned one of the brouches of his hornes into the Emperors girdle and lifting him from his horse bare him a distance off to the great indangering of his life Which a Gentleman in the traine espying drew out his sword and cut the Emperors girdle by which meanes he was preserued and had no hurt at all But note his reward The Gentleman for this act was questioned and adiudged to haue his head strooke off because he dared to expose his sword so neere the Emperours person and suffered according to his sentence Infinite are the histories to this purpose which for breuities fake I omit shutting vp this argument with that out of Petrus Crinitus Lib. 2. Poemat de Fugiendis ingratis Ingratus est vitandus vt dirum scoelus Nil cogitari pestilentius potest Nec esse portentiosius quicquam puto c. Ingratitude I wish thee shunne As the worst deed that can be done Nothing more pestilentiall can Enter into the thoughts of man Th' Ingratefull man 's prodigious who If his bad acts he cannot show Yet studies ill himselfe he spares But against others all things dares He hateth all but those men most Who iustly may their good deeds boast The reason may be vnderstood As bee'ng sequestred from the Good Hee 's bold and wicked drawne with ease To what is bad which best doth please What of it selfe is good he still Doth labor how to turne to ill As hee 's couetous so hee 's prowd And with no honest gift endow'd There 's only one good thing he can Well pleasing both to God and Man And which though he be sure to pay Yet whilest he can he will delay And 't is against his will too then That 's when he leaues the world and men No Monster from the earth created That is of God or Man more hated But amongst all the ingratefull people of the world the stiffe-necked nation of the Iewes appeareth vnto me to be most remarkable concerning whom you may reade Esdras lib. 1. c. 5.23
out of that Desart they fixed their eyes vpon three strange humane shapes of a fearefull and vnmeasurable stature in long loose gownes and habited after the manner of Mourners with blacke and grisly haire hanging ouer their shoulders but of countenance most terrible to behold Who calling and beckoning to them both with voice and gesture and they not daring to approch them they vsed such vndecent skipping and leaping with such brutish and immodest gestures that halfe dead with feare they were inforced to take them to their heeles and runne till at length they light vpon a poore countrey-mans cottage in which they were relieued and comforted Sabellicus deliuereth this discourse The father of Ludovicus Adolisius Lord of Immola not long after his decease appeared to a Secretarie of his in his journey whom he had sent vpon earnest businesse to Ferrara The Spectar or Sylvan Spirit being on horse-backe attyred like an huntsman with an Hawke vpon his fist who saluted him by his name and desired him to entreat his sonne Lodowicke to meet him in that very place the next day at the same houre to whom hee would discouer certaine things of no meane consequence which much concerned him and his estate The Secretarie returning and reuealing this to his Lord at first he would scarse giue credit to his report and jealous withall that it might be some traine laid to intrap his life he sent another in his stead to whom the same Spirit appeared in the shape aforesaid and seemed much to lament his sonnes diffidence to whom if hee had appeared in person hee would haue related strange things which threatned his estate and the means how to preuent them Yet desired him to commend him to his sonne and tel him That after two and twenty yeares one moneth and one day prefixed he should lose the gouernment of that City which he then possessed And so he vanished It happened iust at the same time which the Spectar had predicted notwithstanding his great care and prouidence That Philip Duke of Mediolanum the same night besieged the City and by the helpe of Ice it being then a great frost past the Moat and with ladders scaled the wall surprised the city and tooke Lodowicke prisoner Fincelius remembreth vnto vs That in the yeare 1532 a Nobleman of his country had commanded a countreyman a Tenant of his with whom he was much offended either to bring home to his Mannor house a mighty huge Oke which was newly felld betwixt that and Sun-set or he should forfeit his time and the next day be turned out of his cottage The poore husbandman bringeth his cart to the place but looking vpon the massie timber and finding it a thing vnpossible to be done he sits down wrings his hands and falls into great lamentation When presently appeared before him one of these Spirits in the shape of a laboring man and demanding him the cause of his sorrow he was no sooner resolued but If that be all saith the Diuell follow me and I will saue thee the forfeiture of thy Leafe Which he no sooner said but he tooke the huge Oke boughes branches and all and threw it vpon his shoulder as lightly as if it had beene a burthen of Firres or Broome and bearing it to the house cast it crosse the gate which was the common entrance into the house and there left it The Gentleman returning towards night with his friends from hawking spying the doore barricadoed commanded his seruants to remoue the tree But forcing themselues first to stir it then to hew it with axes and lastly to set it on fire and finding all to be in vaine the master of the Mannor was inforced to haue another doore cut out in the side of his house to let his Ghests in for at the backe gate hee had vowed not to enter hauing before made a rash Oath to the contrarie By the aid of these Spirits as Caspinianus giueth testimonie the Bulgarians gaue the Romans a great ouerthrow in the time of the Emperour Anastasius The like the Huns did to the French King Sigebert defeating him notwithstanding the oddes of his great and puissant Armie Of this kinde those were said to be who when the Poet Simonides was set at a great feast came like two yong men and desired to speake with him at the gate Who rising in haste from the table to know their businesse was no sooner out of the roome but the roofe of the hall fell suddenly and crushed all the rest to pieces he onely by this meanes escaping the ruin Those Spirits which the Greekes cal Paredrij are such as haunt yong men maids and pretend to be greatly in loue with them yet many times to their hurts and dammage Mengius speaketh of a Youth about sixteene yeares of age who was admitted into the Order of Saint Francis whom one of these Spirits did so assiduately haunt that hee scarce could forbeare his company one instant but visibly he appeared to him sometimes like one of the Friers belonging to the house sometimes one of the seruants and sometimes againe he would personate the Gouernour Neither was he onely seene of the Youth himselfe whom he pretended so much to loue but of diuers of the Domesticks also One time the Youth sent this Spirit with a Present of two Fishes vnto a certaine Monke who deliuered them to his own hands and brought him backe a commendatorie answer The same Mengius in the selfe same booke speaketh likewise of a faire yong Virgin that dwelt in a Noblemans house of Bonnonia and this saith he happened in the yere 1579. haunted with the like Spirit who whithersoeuer she went or came stirred not from her but attended on her as her Page or Lackey And if at any time vpon any occasion her Lord or Lady had either chid or strooke her he would reuenge that iniury done to her vpon them with some knauish tricke or other Vpon a time hee pretending to be extremely angry with her catched her by the gowne and tore it from head to heele which shee seeming to take ill at his hands hee in an instant sowed it vp so workeman-like that it was not possible to discerne in what place hee had torne it Againe she being sent downe into the cellar to draw wine he snatcht the candle out of her hand and cast it a great distance from her by which occasion much of the wine was spilt this he confest he did only to be reuenged on them who the same day before threatened her Neither could he by any exorcismes be forced to leaue her company till at length shee was persuaded to eat so often as she was forced to do the necessities of nature and thereby she was deliuered from him Another of these Paredrij haunted a Virgin of the same City who was about the age of fifteene yeares who would doe many trickes in the house sometimes merrily and as often vnhappily