their fury can procure unto their subjects In the case betweene Kings and Subjects properly so called or betweene superiour and inferiour subjects there is a kinde of allowance to bee made according to Geometricall proportion without swerving from the exact rule of Retaliation It is a memorable comparison which Cominaeus according to this allowance hath made betweene the evills which Lewis the eleventh French King had done to others and the like evils which God in the end of his raigne did bring upon him 2 To be disrespected by them whom hee had advanced far above their deserts and graced with dignities whereof their education and profession was uncapable could not but be a great griefe unto this great King as the like ungratefulnesse would be unto any other yet a just usuall award of Divine Iustice upon such Princes as thus neglect the rule of humane distributive justice in the dispensing of honorable favours But for a Prince which had alwayes required exact obedience alwayes accustomed to expect an observance from his Subjects more than ordinarily is given unto other Princes to be in his old age inforced to observe and flatter the churlish humour of his Physitian whose untoward service hee had recompenced with a standing fee of a thousand Crownes a month besides other gratuities extraordinary this was a perpetuall torment whereof Lewis in his perplexity could not but often complaine unto others yet could not remedy For this was a disease which he durst not make knowne unto his Physitian whose displeasure he feared more than any thing else besides death which was the only cause why he so much feared his displeasure And is it not as the wise King speakes a vanity of vanities or more than so a misery of miseries that the feare of this last point or close of life should make great men slaves for the most part of their lives and bring a necessity upon them of fearing every one with more than a slavish feare that may in probability be conceived as an instrument or messenger of its approach Now this King was so excessively afraid of death that he had given it in strict charge unto his friends and followers not to give him warning of this his last enemy by name whensoever it should to their seeming approach but to exhort him onely to a confession or expiation of his sinnes Yet was it his ill hap or fate after he had set his house in order and after his dejected spirits had beene somewhat raysed with new hopes of recovery to have death rung into his eares by his servants after such an indiscreet and unmannerly fashion as if they had sought to put him into purgatory whilest he was alive His Barber with others whom he had rewarded farre above their deserts without any preamble or circumlocution of respective language as if they had come unto him rather as Iudges to pronounce the sentence of death upon him than as gentle remembrancers of his mortality told him bluntly and peremptorily that his houre was come that hee was not to expect any further comfort from his Physitian or from the Hermit who as he thought had prolonged his life 3 If we could unpartially weigh the quality and condition of the parties who were thus uncivilly and unseasonably bold with him in the one scale of just estimation and the greatnesse of his person his natively timorous disposition and accustomance in the other the disparity would move us to bee of Cominaeus his minde in this point That this untoward remembrance or denunciation of death was more bitter and grievous unto Lewis than the sharp message of death which he had sent by Commissioners unto those two great Peeres of France the Duke of Nemours and the Earle of Saint Paul giving them but a short respite to marshall their thoughts and order their consciences before their finall encounter with this last enemie of mortality which they could not feare so much as Lewis did As this great King had done unto these great subjects so have his servants done to him 4 Lewis again had caused certain places of Little ease to be made or at least did well accept the invention of iron cages or grates little more in compass than the square of a tall mans length wherein he detained such as offended him some for divers months others for many yeares together And through consciousnesse of this his rigorous dealing with others he confined himselfe for a long time to a custody or durance as strait for his greatnesse as the iron cages were for their mediocrity They were not more desirous to see these close prisons opened or to heare of the day of their deliverance from them than he was carefull to cause the iron Fences wherewith he had incompassed the Castle wherein he had imprisoned himselfe to bee close shut save onely at such times as hee appointed them upon speciall occasions to be opened His miserable Captives were not afraid of passengers or of such as came to visit them they needed no guard to secure them Lewis caused certaine Archers to keep Centinell as well by day as by night to shoot at all that came neere his Castle gates otherwise than by his special command or appointment In fine he was more afraid to be delivered out of his Prison by the Nobility of France than his Captives were to be put in such cages That which he feared from his Nobility was not death or violence but his deposition or removall from the present government from which many wise Princes in their declining age have with honour and security sequestred themselves 5 Whether Lewis in entertaining the invention of iron cages and the use which he made of them or the Cardinall which to please his severe humor first invented them were more faultie I cannot tell nor will I dispute the rule of retaliation was more conspicuously remarkable in the Cardinall For as â—ominaeus tells us who himselfe had lodged eight months in one of them the Cardinall was by Lewis command detained prisoner fourteene yeeres together in the first that was made It was well observed whether by a Christian or Heathen I now remember not Neque lex hâc justior ulla est Quam necis artisices arte perire sua A law â—â—â—re just than this cannot beset Which cruell skill doth catch in ijs owne net One Perillus was the body or subject of the Embleme whereof this Motto was the soule He died a miserable death in that brazen Bull which he had made at the Tyrants request for the deadly torture of others And albeit this Cardinall did not dye for ought I reade in the cage of his owne invention yet had he a greater share of vexation in it than was intended for others What good effect this long and hard durance wrought in the Cardinalls soule is not specified by my Author But it is an observation of excellent use which an Heathen Philosopher hath
how little soever a surd number exceeds the next square yet the overplus is in division infinite And so are the events which the Politician seeks to rectifie or determine of and therefore not certainly rectifiable or determinable save onely by him whose wisdome is actually infinite It is an errour incident to little children to think they might easily shake hands with the man in the Moone or with Endymion kisse the Moone it selfe if they were upon the next hill where it seemes to them to set and if you bring them thither they think they came but a little too late if they could bee now at the next hill where they see it goe downe they imagine they might doe so yet Such for all the world is the practicall Politicians errour the cause of both in proportion the same Children are thus deceived because they imagine no distance betweene heaven and earth or betweene heaven and that part of earth which terminates their sight And so the secular Politicians minde reacheth no farther than the hemisphere of his owne facultie Either he knowes not or considers not how farre the height and depth of his wisedome and counsell that sits in the heavens and rules the earth exceeds the utmost bounds or horizon of his foresight and limited skill in this only different from the childe that his wit is more swift and nimble than the others body so that he is not so soone weary of his pursuit But if hee misse of his purpose at the first he hopes at his next flight to speed and thus in seeking after true felicity which was hard by him when hee beganne his course he runnes round all the dayes of his life even as he is led by him that daily compasseth the earth Better might Painters hope by looking on the multitude of men now living to draw accurate pictures of such as shal be in the Age to come than any Politician can expect either by observation of former times or experience of his owne to prescribe exact rules for managing of future projects For if we consider the whole frame or composition of circumstances or all the ingredients if I may so speake of every event there is as great a varietie in humane actions as there is in mens faces Never were there two events of moment upon earth altogether alike each differs from other either in the substance number or quality of occurrences or in the proportion of their consonancie or dissonancy unto the counsell of the Lord as there is no visage but differs from another if not in colour or complexion yet in shape or figure I have beene perhaps rather too long then too bold in decyphering the vanity of this proud Criticke which accuseth Christianity of cowardize in actions and devotion of stupiditie and dulnesse in consultation of State But so might Bats and Owles condemne the Eagle of blindnesse were tryall of sight to be made in that part of twilight wherein darknesse hath gotten the victory of light Some men not able to discern a friend from a foe at three paces distance in the open Sunne will reade their Pater noster written in the compasse of a shilling by moone shine much better than others clearer sighted can reade a Proclamation print The purblinde see best by night yet not therefore better sighted than others are because the absolute triall of â—ight is best made by day So is the meere Politician more quick fighted than Gods children in matters permitted by divine providence to the managing of the Prince of darknesse For albeit the righteous Lord do in no case permit or dispense with perjury fraud or violence yet he suffers many events to be compassed by all or some of these or worse meanes Now when matters usually managed by speciall providence come by divine permission once to catching hee that makes least conscience of his wayes will shew most wit and resolution For whatsoever falls to Satans disposalls shall assuredly bee collated on him that will adventure most It is his trade and profession to lend wit might and cunning for satisfying present desires upon the mortgage of soules and consciences And his Scholar or Client the politique Atheist perceiving fraud and violence to prosper well in some particulars imagines these or like meanes throughly multiplied to be able to conquer all things which he most desires But when Satans commission is recalled or his power by Gods providence contracted the cunningest intentions or violent practises of Politicians prove much like to a peremptory warrant out of date which being directed to one County is served in another Both indanger the party prosecuting and turne to the advantage of the prosecuted I conclude this Chapter and Section with the observation of a namelesse Author but set downe in verses related by Camerarius Si vitam spectes hominum si denique mores Artem vim fraudem cuncta putes agere Si propius spectes Fortuna est arbitra rerum Nescis quam dicas tamen esse vides At penitus si introspicias atque ultima primis Connectas tantum est Rector in orbe Deus Who looks on men and on their manners vile Weenes nought is wrought nought got sans force or guile Who nearer looks spyes who knows what her wheele Who coozneth fraud and oft makes force to reele But Eagle sights which pierce both far and neare Eye One who onely ruleth all this Spheare SECTION IV. Of Gods speciall Providence in suiting punishments unto the nature and qualitie of offences committed by men CHAP. 31. Of the rule of retaliation or counterpassion And how forcible punishments inflicted by this rule without any purpose of man are to quicken the ingraffed notion of the Deitie and to bring forth an acknowledgement of Divine Providence and Iustice 1 ARISTOTLE did rightly denie retaliation or counterpassion to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exact justice and yet it may be Pythagoras his thoughts did soare much higher than his when he pitched upon the affirmative In ordinary offences committed by unequall or extraordinary persons Pythagoras his tenent is not universally true As if a great person should beat his farre inferiour without just cause it stands neither with the Law of God or rule of equity to beat him in the same fashion or according to the same measure againe But when Kings and Monarks doe extraordinary wrongs unto their subjects or practise prodigious cruelties upon their inferiours they usually suffer the like harmes or plagues themselves But who saith Cominaeus shall call Potentates in question who shall accuse who shall condemne who shall punish them All as he resolves that can be required to a formall processe shall be supplyed by the complaints and teares of such as are agrieved by them by the sighes and grones of the fatherlesse and widowes These are more authentique than any witnesses of fact more powerfull then any Atturney or Advocate before the supreme tribunall of God So good and gratious a Iudge is He and so
import terminum a quo the terme onely of the Action not any matter or subject and yet the tearme thus imported can bee no positive Entitie but a meere negation of any positive Entitie precedent To make the heauens and earth of nothing is in reall value no more then to make them not of any matter or Entitie praeexistent whether visible or invisible on which their Maker did exercise his efficient power or efficacie but to give them such beeing as they then first began to have that is a corporeall beeing or existence by the meere efficacie or vertue of his word As suppose the Sunne should in a moment be suffered to transmit his light into a close vault of stone we might truely say this heavenly bodie did make light of darknesse tanquam ex termino in that it made light to be there where was no light at all before but meere darkenesse And thus to make light out of darknesse doth no way argue that it turned darknesse into light or that darknesse did remaine as an ingredient in the light made After this manner did the Amightie make the heaven and earth of nothing that is he made the corporeall masse or substance out of which all things visible were made where no limited substance whether visible or invisible was before and by the same efficiencie by which this masse was made he made place or spatiousnesse quantitative which had no beeing at all before he did not turne indivisibilitie into spatiousnes or meere vacuitie into fulnes fulnes and spatiousnesse were the resultance of that masse which was first made without any Entitie or ingredient praeexistent To make something of nothing in this sense implies no contradiction there is no impossibilitie that the heaven and earth should be thus made but this will not suffice to refute the Atheist or infidell For many things are possible which are not probable and many things probable which are not necessary The next question then is what necessitie there is in the infallible rules of nature and reason that the Heavens the earth should be made of nothing Against the probabilitie onely of Moses his historie of the first creation the Atheist will yet oppose this generall induction That all bodily substances that begin to be what before they were not that all things which we see made are alwayes made by some efficient cause not out of meere nothing but of some imperfect being praexistent To examine then the general rule pretended to amount from this generall induction s or what truth there is in that philosophicall maxime ex nihilo nihil fit is the next point CHAP. 5. By what manner of induction or enumeration of particulars universall rules or Maximes must bee framed and supported That no induction can bee brought to proove the Naturalists Maxime Of nothing nothing can be made 1 TO frame a generall rule or principle in any facultie Art or science there is no other meanes possible besides induction or a sufficient enumeration of particular experiments to support it The particulars from which this sufficiencie must amount may be in some subjects fewer in others more How many soeuer the particular instances or alleaged experiments be the number of thē will not suffice to support an universall rule unlesse they erect our understandings to a cleare view of the same reason not onely in all the particulars instanced in but in all that can be brought of the same kind Vnlesse there bee a cleare resultance of the same reason in all the induction failes and the rule which is grounded on it must needes fall For this cause universall rules are easily framed in the Mathematiques or in other Arts whose subjects are more abstract or not charged with multiplicitie of considerations or ingredients from whose least variation whether by addition or subtraction whether by further commixture or dissolution the cause or reason of truth so varies that the rule which constantly holds in a great many like particulars will not hold in all because they are not absolutely or every way alike Hee which seriously observes the manner how right angles are framed will without difficultie yeeld his assent unto this universall rule That all right angles are equall because hee sees there is one and the same reason of absolute equalitie in al that can be imagined And this negative rule will by the same inspection win our assent without more adoe that if any two angles be unequall the one of them at least can be no right angle The consideration likewise of a few particulars will suffice to make up these universall never-failing rules 1. First that the greater any circle is the greater alwayes will the angle of the semicircle be 2. The second that the angle of the least semicircle which can be imagined is greater then the most capacious acute-angle that can be made by the concurrence of two right lines And yet it will as clearly appeare from the inspection of the same particulars from which the former rules do amount that the angle of the greatest semicircle imaginable cannot possibly be so capacious as every right angle is The consideration of the former rules specially of the first and third will clearly manifest that the quantitie contained in these angles how little soever they be is divisible into infinite indeterminate parts or divisible into such parts without possible end or limitation of division But albeit the difference of quantitie between a right angle and the angle of a semicircle bee potentially infinite or infinitely divisible according to parts or portions in determinate yet will it not hence follow that the one angle is as great againe as the other according to the scale of any distinct or determinate quantitie or expressible portions And this observation in Mathematicall quantitie would quickly checke or discover the weaknesse of many calculatory Arguments or inductions oft-times used by great Divines in matters morall or civill As for example that every sinne deserveth punishment infinite because every sinne is an offence committed against an infinite Being or Majestie And the greater or more soveraigne the Majestie is which wee offend the greater alwayes will the offence be and meritorious of greater punishment Yet all this onely proves an infinitie of indeterminate degrees in every offence against the divine Majestie by which it exceedes all offences of the same kinde committed onely against man it no way inferres an infinite excesse or ods of actuall determinate punishment or ill deserts For this reason wee have derived the just award of everlasting supernaturall paines unto temporarie and transeunt bodily or naturall pleasures from the contempt of Gods infinite goodnesse which destinates no creatures unto everlasting death but such as he had made capable of everlasting joyes nor were any of them infallibly destinated unto everlasting death untill they had by voluntary transgression or continuance in despising of the riches of his goodnesse made themselves uncapable of the blisse to which hee had
built unlesse the Lord doe afford not onely his concurrence but his blessing to the labours of the one and to the watchfulnesse of the other But in this argument wee may expatiate without impeachment of digression from the matter or of diversion from our ayme in the following Treatise of divine providence 6. This present Treatise requires an induction sufficient to prove that every visible or sublunarie substance aswell the common matter whereof all such things are made as the severall formes which are produced out of it have an efficient cause precedent to their making or production For the seuerall formes or bodies generable which are constituted by them the induction is as cleare to every mans sense or understanding as any mathematicall induction can bee The naturalist is neither able nor disposed to except against the universalitie of it or to instance in any sublunarie bodie which hath not a true efficient cause or an agent precedent from whose efficacie its physicall or essentiall forme was either made or did result The question onely remaines about the efficiencie or production of the prime or common matter Seeing it is the mother of generation wee will not vexe the Naturalist by demanding a generative cause efficient of its beeing but that it must have some cause efficient wee shall enforce him to grant from a generall Maxime most in request with men of his profession The Maxime is That the philosophicall progresse from effects to their causes or from inferiour to superiour causes is not like Arithmeticall or geometricall progressions it cannot bee infinite Wee must at length come to one supreme cause efficient which in that it is supreame is a cause of causes but no effect and being no effect nor cause subordinate to any other Agent it can have no limit of Beeing it can admit no restraint in working Whatsoever we can conceive as possible to have limited Beeing or beginning of such Beeing must haue both frō it by it Now if the perfect workes of nature bodies sublunarie of what kind soever suppose a possibilitie physicall included in the prime and common matter before they have actuall Being if it imply no contradiction for them to have beginning of Beeing it will imply no contradiction that the prime mater it selfe or imperfect masse whereof they are made should have a beginning of its imperfect beeing That Physicall beeing which it hath doth presuppose a logicall possibilitie of beeing as it is that is no contradiction for it sometimes to be and sometimes not to haue beene This supreame cause or agent which as we suppose did reduce the logicall possibilitie of the prime matter of sublunary bodies into Act cannot be the heavens or any part of the hoast of heavē neither the sun moon nor stars For albeit the Sun be the efficient cause by which most workes of nature in this sublunarie part of the world are brought to perfection yet is it no cause at all of that imperfect masse or part of nature on which it workes Vnlesse it had some matter to worke upon it could produce no reall or solid effect by its influence light or motion how ever assisted with the influence of other stars or planets Yet must this prime matter have some cause otherwise it should be more perfect than the bodily substances which are made of it For they all stand in neede both of this prime matter as a cause in it kinde concurrent to their production and of the efficiencie of the Sunne or other coelestiall Agents to worke or fashion the materialls or Ingredients of which they are made If either this common matter of sublunary substances or the Sunne which workes upon it had no superiour cause to limit their beeing or distinguish their offices both of them should bee infinite in Beeing both infinite in operation Now if the matter were infinite in beeing the Sunne or other coelestiall Agents could have no beeing but in it or from it For if the Sunne were infinite in operation the matter it selfe could bee nothing at all no part of nature unlesse it were a worke or effect of the Sunne Infinitie in beeing excludes all possibilitie of other Beeing save in it and from it And infinitie in operation supposeth all things that are limited whether in beeing or operation to bee its workes or resultances of its illimited efficacie CHAP. 7. Shewing by reasons philosophicall that aswell the physicall matter of bodies sublunary as the celestiall bodies which worke upon it were of necessitie to have a beginning of their Beeing and Duration 1 FOr further demonstration that as well the Sunne which is the efficient generall as the prime matter which is the common mother of bodies sublunary had a beginning of beeing there can be no meane eyther more forcible or more plausible then another Maxime much imbraced and insisted upon by the great Philosopher to wit that as well the efficient as the materiall cause derive the necessitie of their causalitie from the end or finall cause unto which they are destinated The Sunne doth not runne its daily course from East to West or make its annuall progresse from North to South to get it selfe heate or for the increase of its native force or vigour by change of Climates but for the propagation of vegetables for the continuance of life and health in more perfect sublunary substances If then wee can demonstrate that those vegetables or more perfect sublunarie bodies for whose continuall propagation for the continuance of whose life and well-fare the Sunne becomes so indefatigable in its course had a true beginning of beeing that the propagation is not infinitely circular the cause will be concluded that as well the common matter whereof they are made as the Sunne it selfe which produceth them had a beginning of beeing and operation from the same supreame cause which appointed the Sunne thus to dispense its heate and influence for the reliefe and comfort of this inferiour world To prove that these sublunarie more perfect bodies as vegetables c had a beginning of beeing or propagation no Argument can be more effectuall to the Naturalist or others that will take it into serious consideration than the discussion of that probleme which Plutarch hath propounded Whether the Egg were before the Hen or the Hen before the Egg. The state of the question will be the same in all more perfect vegetables or living Creatures which usually grow from an imperfect or weake estate to a more perfect and stronger Whether the Acorne were before the Oake or the Oake before the Acorne Whether the Lyon had precedencie of nature to the Lyons whelp or the Lyons whelp unto the Lyon The induction may be for eyther part most compleate in respect of all times and of all places if with the Naturalist wee imagine the world to have beene without beginning or without ending No Naturalist can ever instance in any more perfect feathered fowle which was not first covered with a shell or contained in
some more imperfect filme in any Bull which was not first a Calfe in any Lyon which was not first a whelp in any Oake which did not first spring from an Acorne unlesse he instance in painted Trees in brazen Bulls or artificiall Lyons Of live naturall substances it is universally true Omnia ortus habent suaque certa incrementa All have their beginning all their certaine increase or augmentation The induction again is for the other partie as compleate and perfect There never was a true Acorne which did not presuppose an Oake nor a Lyons whelp which did not presuppose a Lyon to beget it and a Lyonesse to bring it forth Now every productive cause every live-substance which produceth another by proper causalitie or efficiencie hath alwayes precedencie of nature and of time in respect of that which is produced by it The Lyon is in order of nature and of time before his whelp and yet is every Lyon wherein the Naturalist can instance a whelp before it be a Lyon so is the Oake in order of nature and of time before the Acorne and yet cannot the Naturalist instance in any Oake which was not an Acorne or plant before it grew to be an Oake If then eyther the race of Lyons or the propagation of Oakes had no beginning it would inevitably follow that Oakes had beene perpetually before Acornes and Acornes perpetually before Oakes That Lyons whelpes from eternitie had precedency or prioritie of time of Lyons and Lyons the like precedencie or prioritie of time of their whelps And if they had bin mutually each before other from eternitie according to prioritie of time and nature they must have beene mutually each after other How the Naturalist will be able to digest this circular revolution of prioritie and posterioritie in respect of the same individuall natures or what hee will say to these following inconveniences I cannot tell but desire to know Every whole or perfect Fish which the Naturalist hath heard or read of had beginning of its individuall Beeing from Spawne This induction is most compleate and perfect in the Schoole of Nature most irrefragable by the supposition of the Naturalist with whom wee dispute Every Fish hath a beginning from Spawne and that which hath a beginning from Spawne hath a beginning of its beeing No Fish or Spawne is or hath beene immortall or without beginning Now if it bee universally true that every particular Fish hath its beginning it implies an evident contradiction to say that the race of Fishes which consist onely of particular Fishes was without beginning There must in every race of Fishes be some first Fishes or first Spawnes before which there was none of the same kind frō which this mutual propagation did take its beginning And though this propagation be without end yet could it not be without beginning unlesse wee would grant that fishes are not onely of an incorruptible nature but of a nature infinite or eternall If there were no beginning of this mutuall propagation it would bee demanded whether the number of fishes or Lyons that shall bee granting what the Naturalists suppose that this propagation shall be endlesse can ever be as great as the number of those Fishes and Lyons that have beene Or whether the number of those that have beene may not be conceived to be more infinite or in another sort infinite than the number of those that shall be That the number of Fishes or Lyons which from this time forward may be suppose the world were never to end can be no otherwise infinite then potentially or successively onely or by addition because there shall never be any last Lyon or fish c. after which there shall bee no more the Naturalist will not denie For those Lyons or fishes which from this point of time shall be have as yet no actuall beeing nor have they before this time had any such beeing Whence it is cleare that their number can never be actually infinite but infinite onely by addition as continuate quantitie is by division But if fishes have beene produced from Spawne and Spawne from fishes without any beginning of time wee must of necessitie grant that there have beene Fishes Lyons Oakes c. propagated each from other for number actually infinite for every Fish which could produce Spawn had actuall beeing before it could yeeld Spawne every Spawne wherof any fish is made hath actuall beeing before any Fish can be made of it Whence if this propagation had beene without beginning their number must needes be actually infinite so infinite that there could have beene no more than have beene that there can be no more than now are That onely is actually infinite unto which nothing of the same kinde can be added If this mutuall propagation had beene from eternity the number of things propagated should have been actually infinite in every point of time imaginable It is impossible that any thing should be actually infinite from eternitie and not bee alike actually infinite throughout every part of time as infinite yesterday as to day or as it shall be to morrow It is againe impossible that any thing should be actually infinite in any part of time or by any succession of time which was not infinite from eternitie and before all times If wee shall suffer our imaginations of mutuall propagations to rove backward without an imagination or acknowledgement of some first beginning to stay or limit them our soules shall finde as little rest with lesse securitie as Noahs Dove did whilest the earth was overflowed with water if she had not returned to the Arke Vnlesse wee thus pitch upon a first beginning of time and all things temporall we shall not only make shipwracke of faith but drench our immortall soules in a bottomlesse lake or poole of absurdities even in nature 2 The conclusion arising from these premises is that albeit naturall reason or discourse could never have found out that which Moses hath written concerning the particular manner of the worlds creation as that it and all things in it all the severall originals of propagation were created in sixe dayes yet Moses his narrations can onely give satisfaction to such Problemes as men by light of nature may propose or cast but can never without the light of Gods word be able to assoyle By so much of this light as Moses in the first Chapter of Genesis holds out unto us wee may easily free our selves from perpetuall wandring in that inextricable maze of mutuall or circular precedencie betweene things generable and their generative efficients which the Naturalist can never avoid untill with us hee grant that which the Philosopher by the light of Nature did indefinitely teach Actus prior est potentia That which hath perfect beeing is simply and absolutely before that which proceedeth from it or is brought to perfection by it Thus Moses tells us Gen. 1. vers 11. That there was an earth before there was any grasse
to come shall bee to all that are ordained for the day of wrath But bee the torments for their qualitie more exquisite than the Heathens could conceive any was it absolutely necessary for the Almightie from aeternitie to appoint them If so it were there was a fatall necessitie praecedent to the Almightie decree But if his decree hath brought this absolute necessitie upon men the execution of this decree by instrumentall or second causes differs nothing save onely in excesse of rigour and severitie from the most rigid stoicall Fate CHAP. 20. Of the affinitie or allyance which Fates had to necessitie to Fortune or chance in the opinion of Heathen writers BVT that we may finde out which wee most desire some mittigation or tolerable reconciliation of the most harsh opinions whether maintained by heathens or Christians in this argument it is a common notion received by all that every fatall event is necessarie but very few of the heathen were of opinion that all necessarie events were fatall Albeit by way of such a Poeticall licence in substituting the speciall for the generall as he used that said Hunc ego si potui tantum sperare dolorem Fate is sometimes taken for necessity without restriction It was not usuall with ancient Heathens nor is it with such as to this day use to ascribe many events to Fates to terme the rising or setting of the Sunne the ebbing and flowing of the Sea or other like effects of hourely observation necessary by the common course of nature fatall In the literall construction of many good Writers Fate and Fortune are if not Synonimall in their formall prime or direct significations yet coincident in their importances or connotations Their titles to the selfe same events or effects were ofttimes undistinguishable by such as ascribe too much to the one or to the other Ausonius but for verse sake might as well have said Dum vult fortuna as Dum fata volunt bina venena juvant When such successe the fates shall will One poyson shall another kill Or Iuvenal as well Si fata velint as Si fortuna volet fies de Rhetore consul Si volet haec eadem fies de consule Rhetor. Of Rhetorician whom she will Dame Fortune Consull makes And when she will to meaner state her Favorite downe she takes Others held Fortune to be a branch of Fate or an instrument for executing what was by Fates designed Quid referam Cannas admotaque moenibus arma Varronemque pigrum magnum quod vivere posset Postque tuos Thrasimnene lacus Fabiumque morantem Accepisse jugum victas Carthaginis arces Spectatum Hannibalem nostris cecidisse catenis Exiliumque Rogi furtiva morte duisse Adde etiam Italicas vires Romamque suismet Pugnantem membris adjice civilia bella Et Cimbrum in Mario Mariumque in carcere victum Quod consul totiens exulque ex exule consul Et jacuit Libicis compar jactura ruinis Atque crepidinibus cepit Carthaginis orbem Hoc nisi fata darent nunquam fortuna tulisset The resultance of this long Oration is no more than this Fortune was but the messenger to bring all those welcome or unwelcome presents to the Romane State which Fate did bestow upon it Of this argument see more in the 27. Chapter of this Booke parag 2 7 8 10 11 12 13 14. 2 In Tacitus his language Fate and Fortune have sometimes the same reference or importance Occulta lege fati ostentis ac responsis destinatum Vespasiano liberisque ejus imperium post fortunam credidimus After his good fortune we surely beleeved that the Empire was by the secret course of fate by signes and Oracles destinated to Vespasian and his sonne Tacit. 1. histor cap. 10. Yet is not this difference betwixt Fate and Fortune constantly observed by these two Writers themselves much less observed at all by others with Cominaeus Machiavel and other later Historians or Politicians Fortune and Fate are used promiscuously The properties or attributes of Fate are in ordinary construction the same or equivalent to those of Fortune The titles of Fate were anciently these or the like unavoydable insuperable inflexible ineluctable And it is a conceit or prenotion that to this day runnes in many Christians mindes that nothing can be against a chance Where Fortune failes nothing prevailes This difference notwithstanding betwixt them might bee observed in many Writers or in their language which have cause in their owne apprehensions to like well or complaine of them That the ordinary successe of others labours or consultations are for the most part ascribed by envy or aemulation unto Fortune whereas Fates are usually charged with the calamities or disasters which befall themselves or such as rely upon their counsells Most men are by nature prone to excuse themselves in their worst actions si non à toto yet à tanto by accusing Fortune and can be well content to exonerate their galled consciences of inward griefe by venting bitter complaints or receiving plausible informations from others against Fates Attonitis etiam victoribus qui vocem precesque adhibere non ausi lacrymis ac silentio veniam poscebant donec Cerealis mulceret animos fato acta dictitans quae militum ducumque discordia vel fraude hostium evenissent Tacitus lib. 4. Histor num 72. Even the Conquerors were astonished at the sight who not daring to speake begged their pardon with silence and teares till such time as Cerealis with comfortable words revived their spirits affirming that those things which indeed came to passe through the mutinousnesse of the souldiers or the dissention of the Leaders or the malice of the Enemies were but fatall mischances which could not bee escaped 3 Some againe derive Fate and Fortune from one and the same fountaine and distinguish them onely by excesse of strength as the same streame in Winter differs from it selfe in drouth of Summer Advertendum vero illud quandocunque illa coelestium causarum ratio ita digeritur ut artem exculcatam exsuperet dici à platonicis fatum ubi vero sic ut vincere inertem desidiosumque evaleat rursum à solerti strenuoque vinci Fortunam Vtrobique vero divinam statuunt providentiam quae ad finem agat sibi soli notum quae universa modis contemperet occultioribus Lection Antiquar lib. 10. cap. 20 The Platonicks which derive most humane events or successe from the order or disposition of celestiall causes call this disposition Fate when it is so strong that no endeavours or skill of man can prevaile against it but when the strength of it is of such a middle size as may prevaile against sloathfull and carelesse men but may bee vanquished by the vigilant and industrious they call the same disposition Fortune In both cases they admit a Divine Providence which worketh to ends knowne onely to it selfe 4 For this affinity betweene Fortune Chance and Fate in best Writers it will bee expedient to touch at
the present service and of his seeking to expresse himselfe in outward performances albeit young Samuel-like he could not distinguish the callers voice wanting an Ely to instruct him yet can no Atheist bee so impudent as to surmis◠that Esay leremy and Xenophon should conspire like partners to make a faire game by seeing one anothers hands For what common stake could they hope to gaine by this practice but to omit generalities for justifying Xenophon and Herodotus in relating such rare documents of Cyrus his infancy albeit these being compared with the former prophecie and sacred relations concerning Salomon or others whom God hath called by name are in themselves capable enough of credit we will descend to such particulars in Heathen Writers as are consonant to the sacred passages concerning the Babylonian warre and may serve to set forth the wisedome and providence of God in effecting his good purpose towards the captive seed of Abraham for according to the intent and purport of the former Prophecy the Reader is alwayes to beare in minde that the true and finall cause of Gods extraordinarie blessings upon Cyrus and of his conquest of the Babylonians was the appointed deliverance of his chosen people and the manifestation of his power and wisdome to the ends of the world 4 A man of moderne experience in treatise of Leagues and but of speculative acquaintance with the difficulties which interpose to hinder the association of lesser Segniories against mighty neighbour Monarcks would happely deeme that Xenophon had framed his relations of Cyrus his successe in linking bordering Nations to the Medes and Persians by the modell of some Academicall canvas or suit for some annuall office amongst fellow Citizens The Armenians the Hyrcanians the Cedrosians with many other naturall subjects to the Babylonian all unacquainted with the project at the beginning come over unto Cyrus with as great facility and speed as if there had beene no greater danger in undertaking this doubtfull and in common experience most desperate war than in giving a free voice to one competitor before another in a free and popular State But Xenophon was not so meane a contemplative Scholar as to commit so foule a solaecisme as this had beene albeit his pupose had beene to poetize in these narrations Poeticall fictions must beare a true resemblance of probability Truths themselves must bee set forth in their native colours although they appeare to ordinary experience most incredible Such was the successe of Cyrus in the former businesse if it were to bee deriued onely from his owne witt or contriuance But Xenophon might have good historicall reasons not to suspect the Persian annalls or Persians reports of Cyrus as we haue sacred authoritie to beleeue the matters reported by them He that called Cyrus by his name before hee was borne and had now set him vp as Competitor with the Babylonian for the Asiaticke Monarchie had layd the plot and made the canvas for him before hee set forth and which is principally to bee obserued had giuen publick warning to those Nations which Xenophon mentions more then threescore yeares before to bee ready with others in armes against Babell Set up a standard saith Ieremie in the land blow the Trumpet among the nations prepare the nations against her call together against her the kingdomes of Ararat Minni and Ashchenash appoint a Captaine against her cause her horses to come up as the rough Caterpillers Prepare against her the nations with the Kings of the Medes the Captaines thereof and all the Rulers thereof and all the land of his Dominion And the land shall tremble and sorrow for every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon to make the Land of Babylon a desolation without an Inhabitant It is intimated by another Prophet that the Lord would have these prophesies concerning Babylon so remarkeably fulfilled that all the world might take notice of them The Lord answered mee and said Write the vision and make it plaine upon tables that he may runne that readeth it For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Behold his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith Yea also because he transgresseth by wine hee is a proud man neither keepeth at home who inlargeth his desire as Hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth unto him all nations and unto him all people Shall not these take up a parable against him and a tanting proverbe against him and say woe to him that increaseth that which is not his how long and to him that ladeth himselfe with thick clay Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vex thee and thou shalt be for booties unto thē Because thou hast spoyled many nations all the remnāt of the people shall spoyle thee because of mens blood and for the violence of the land of the Citie and of all that dwell therein Cyrus in the beginning of this expedition was but Cyaxarez his agent to regaine the revolted Armeneans The warre was managed in the King of Media his name albeit God according to Esaias Prophesie did prosper Cyrus under him as hee did David under Saul The same did goe of Cyrus amongst the Medes and Persians as it had of Dauid through the host of Israell Cyaxarez hath slaine his thousand and Cyrus his tenne thousand The Monarchy was to be setled on the Persian Cyaxarez was feoffee in trust for Cyrus as Saul was by Gods appointment for Dauid 5 Their taking of armes was just and in their owne defense Their first resolutions did reach no further then to the safeguard of their borders much trespassed upon by the Caldeans untill unexpected successe hopefull opportunities of better daily presenting themselves without seeking did invite them to come neerer After they had gotten secret intelligence of the enemies estate many new associates and qui◠possession of so much of his dominions as would suffice to maintaine their doubled armie they had no hope to conquer no purpose to besiege the Metropolies of the kingdome That which after a doubtfull consultation did chiefly sway them in the height of all their strength to continue their war was the complaint of their trusty confederates justly fearing lest they should become a prey to the insolent Tyrant much exasperated by their revolt as ready as able to take revenge upon them if once their armie should be dissolued The overthrow of Craesus following upon their resolution to continue the warre brought great accesse of new associates and fresh supplies unto their armie Had Cyrus or his confederates understood the tenour of the Commission which the Lord of hoasts had sealed them before they undertooke this warre they had no question giuen the onset upon Babylon before the overthrow
effects are all directed to the accomplishing of Gods revealed purpose or consequent will upon Babylon as it were so many arrowes to their marke The Lord of hoasts was the Archer and Cyrus his bow whose intentions against Babylon must therefore prosper because The Lord of hoasts hath sworne by himselfe saying Surely I will fill thee with men as with caterpillers and they shall lift up a shout against â—hee Ier. 51. vers 14. There is not one clause of Cyrus his advise or exhortation to his followers after they had found the river to bee passable or of his proclamation after their entrance through the water-gate which Xenophon relates but is parallell to some part or other of Ieremies Prophesies Wee may boldly say all that Cyrus commanded was faithfully executed that the scripture might bee fulfilled 8 That which in reason might most daunt or deterre his souldiers from raunging the streets of Babylon was opportunitie of annoyance from the tops of their flat-roofed houses But this inconvenience Cyrus by his good foresight turnes to his advantage If any sath hee clime up to the tops of their houses as it is likely many of them would we have God Vulcan our confederate for their porches are very apt to take fire their gates being made of palmetrees asphaltites inunctae which will serve as oyle to cause them to take fire and wee have store enough of torches pitch and straw to inlarge the flame after the fire be once kindled By this meanes either we may enforce them to forsake their houses or burne both together The execution of this stratagem would quickly amate men already affrighted with the sudden surprisall of the Citie To this purpose the Lord had spoken long before The mightie men of Babylon have forborne to fight they have remained in their holds their might hath failed they became as women they have burnt their dwelling places her barres are broken Ier. 51. vers 30. One post shall runne to meete another and one messenger to meet another and shew the King of Babylon that his citie is taken at one end And that the passages are stopped and the reedes they have burnt with fire and the men of warre are affrighted verse 31 32. Xenophon tels us that after Cyrus had given Gobrias and Gadatas in charge to conduct the Armie with all speede to the Kings Palace Si qui occurrebant of such as came in their way some were slaine others retired againe into the citie others cryed out That which made the noyse more confused and the danger lesse apprehended was that Gobrias and his souldiers being Babylonians by birth did counterfaite the roaring of that unruly night Whatsoever occasion of distast or implacable discontent the proud King had given to these two captaines whether those which Xenophon reports or others the finall cause of that successe which their bloody intentions against their native King did finde was the accomplishment of Gods will reuealed against him for his Grandfathers crueltie against Ierusalem whereof being gently warned by Gods Prophet he no way repented but added gall to wormwood and thirst to drunkennes O thou King the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdome and majestie and glorie and honor And for the Majestie that he gave him all people nations and languages trembled and feared before him whom he would he slew and whom hee would he kept alive and whom hee would hee set up and whom hee would hee put downe But when his heart was lifted and his minde hardened in pride he was deposed from his Kingly throne and they took his glorie from him And hee was driven from the sonnes of men and his heart was made like the Beasts and his dwelling was with the wild Asses they fed him with grasse like Oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till hee knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdome of men and that hee appointeth over it whomsoeuer he will And thou his sonne O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this but hast lifted up thy selfe against the Lord of heaven and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee and thou and thy Lords thy wives and thy Concubines have drunke wine in them and thou hast praysed the gods of silver and gold of brasse yron wood and stone which see not nor heare nor know and the GOD in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy wayes hast thou not glorified Then was the part of the hand sent from him and this writing was written And this is the writing that was written MENE MENE TEKEL VPHARSIN This is the interpretation of the thing MENE God hath numbred thy kingdome and finished it TEKEL thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting PERES thy kingdome is divided and given to the Medes and Persians Dan. 5. vers 18. to 29. 9 Thus wold Daniel have cured Babel but she was not cured by him howbeit Belshazzar was more kinde to Daniel then to himselfe then most great Princes are to Gods best Prophets that reprove them For he commanded and they cloathed Daniel with scarlet and put a chain of gold about his neck made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third Ruler in the kingdome In that night was Belshazzar the King of the Caldeans sâ—aine And Darius the Median tooke the kingdome being about threescore and two yeere old Dan. 5. vers 29 30 31. For it is not the bestowing of a Scarlet robe of Court holy water or of reall honour in greatest measure upon Gods servants that can couer a scarlet sinne in Princes The staine of blood can never be washed off nor the crie of the oppressed blowne away though the whole element of water winde ayre were at their commands without the teares and sighs of the oppressors whose hearts cannot be cleansed without repentant prayers Ierusalems sighs and teares in her sorrow had sunke too deepe into the Almighties eares to be expiated without the sacrifice of many sorrowfull hearts and contrite spirits throughout Babel Israel is a scattered sheepe the Lyons have driuen him away first the king of Assyria hath devoured him and last this Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon hath broken his bones Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel behold I will punish the King of Babylon and his Land as I have punished the king of Assyria And I will bring Israel againe to his habitation c. Ier. 50. vers 17 18 19. Thus Israel is revolved from Gods consequent wil to his antecedent Babylon from his antecedent to his consequent will And for the speedy execution of both parts of this his will for Israels good and Babylons hurt the Persian Monarchy is with such speed erected 10 But some happily will here demand wherein the similitude mentioned by Ieremie betweene the King of Assyria and the King of Babylons punishments did consist Senacharib
And by this meanes destruction found a more easie entrance into that great City 12 Some modern Politicians have discoursed in folio against the vastnesse of Cities as most incommodious for defence taking occasion from Aristotles exceptions against Babylon which in his censure was a Region no more a Citie then Peloponesus should be if it were walled about But it was not Babylons vastnesse which bred this insensibility when the day of destruction was come that some members of her should not so much as feele any paine when others were utterly cut off Should any Prince now living in confidence of this experiment attempt the like upon Quinzie Moscho or if any other greater Cities there be in the world he might finde their Citizens better prepared uppon few houres warning then Babylon was in three dayes unlesse perhaps he made his assault upon Moscho upon some great Festivall wherein her citizens enjoy the liberty of Lacedemonian slaves to be beastly drunke without censure Cities farre lesse then Babylon onely her matches in impiety have beene surprised with Babylonish stupidity when the ful measure of their iniquity had brought forth the day of visitation Carthage was farre greater and fuller stuft with all sorts of people when Scipio razed it then when the Vandals tooke it And yet no member of it in the former calamity was so senselesse of their fellow-members or of their common mothers griefe as the whole body was when most of its naturall members were cut off by the Vandall Fragor ut ita dixerim extra muros intra muros praeliorum ludicrorum confundebatur vox morientium voxque Bacchantium ac vix discerni forsitan poterat plebis ejulatio quae cadebat in bello sonus populi qui clamabat in circo Et cum haec omnia fierent quid aliud talis populus agebat nisi ut cum eum Deus perdere adhuc fortasse nollet tamen ipse exigeret ut periret Salvianus Lib. 6. The noise of battaile without the wals and the noise of sporting within the walls the voice of dying men and the voice of riotous or drunken men were so mingled and confounded that a man could hardly have distinguished the outcries of such as fell in battaile from the noise or cry of the multitude in the game-court And by such doings what did this people else but solicite their owne destruction at Gods hands who otherwise would not haply have destroyed them or not at this time With the like stupidity was Treers taken none of the greatest Cities then in Europe though one of wealthiest amongst the Gaules after she had beene thrice lanced The very Babylonish madnesse did possesse another Citie not farre from Treers such a lethargie had over-spred the whole Corporation Vt Principes illius urbis ne tunc quidem de convivijs surgerent cum urbem hostis intraret Ideo enim Deus ipsis evidenter uti credo manifestare voluit cur perirent cum per quam rem ad perditionem ultimam venerant eam ipsam agerent cum perirent Salviâ—nus ibidem Her Governours did not breake off their feasting and banqueting when the enemie did enter the City God as I conjecture did purposely manifest the reason why they perished in that they were doing that very thing when they perished which had brought them to utter destruction 13 But of the causes symptomes or signes of divine infatuation elsewhere Thus much I thought expedient in this place for the young Readers information that albeit Babylon had beene much greater in compasse then she was so that the measure of her iniquity had beene lesse the date of her prosperity might have beene much longer Chaldea might have sate as Queene of Nations in despight of all politicke prognostications which have beene framed since her overthrow The best service which this kinde of Critick usually performes to States or Kingdomes is to fixe their bolâ—s upon the gates of great Cities after they have beene ransacked by the enemy But Babylons iniquity being grown unto that setled height at which it stood in Ieremies and Daniels times although her strength her wealth provision and policie had beene farre greater then they were and contracted into a narrower roome than the compasse of her walls the date of her soueraignty would have beene as short the device of the Lord would have beene performed against her by other meanes as sure and speedy as Cyrus used if his stratagem had beene defeated For strength of body or strength of wit skill in armes or skill in policie all of them are but the gifts of God hee can either deny them when he pleaseth or inhibit the use of them where they most abound He that commanded the fire not to touch his Saints in the furnace can as easily prohibite the strong to use his strength the swift his flight and intoxicate the politicians braine that shall displease him This is the word of the Lord which came to Ieremiah the Prophet against the Gentiles against Aegypt against the armie of Pharaoh Necho King of Aegypt which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish which Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon smote in the fourth yeare of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah Order yee the buckler and shield and draw neere to battaile Harnesse the horses and get up yee horsemen and stand forth with your helmets furbish the speares and put on the brigandines Wherefore have I seene them dismaid and turned away backe and their mighty ones are beaten down and fled apace and looke not back for feare was round about saith the Lord. Let not the swift flee away nor the mighty man escape they shall stumble and fall towards the North by the River Euphrates Ier. 46. vers 1 2 3 4 5 6. Goe up into Gilead and take balme O Virgin the daughter of Egypt in vaine shalt thou use many medicines for thou shalt not be cured The Nations have heard of thy shame and thy cry hath filled the Land for the mightie man hath stumbled against the mightie and they are fallen both together vers 11 12. If a few shall chase a multitude we know the reason the one was either lesse valiant or lesse skilfull then the other But why the valiant should turne their backs in the day of battell it is Gods Prophet not the Politician must resolve us They could not stand because the Lord did drive them vers 15. 14 The Lord had given Moab wit and strength and wealth abundance Hee had beene at ease from his youth and he had setled on his lees and had not beene emptied from vessell to vessell neither had hee gone into captivity therefore his tast remained in him his sent is not changed Ier. 48. 11. But when he begun to ascribe his prosperitie to his strength or policie to trust in wealth and deride his poore neighbour Israel now going into captivitie the Lord who is debtor to none bereft him of all Therefore behold the dayes come
to forewarne great Subjects or inferiour Princes not to interpose as Arbitrators or Vmpires upon advantage when their betters fall at variance The advice I confesse is very good and ignorance hereof or want of like conâ—ideration it may be was some part of this great Earles folly not his principall fault some occasion no tue or prime cause of these two great Princes combination against him For besides Lewes and Charles Cominaeus a man no way inferiour to Machiavel in politique wit had espied a third principall actor in this Tragedy whose first appearance was to his apprehension in the likenesse of Lady Fortune but was discovered upon better review to be Divine Providence This good Authors Comment upon this accident is so full and lively as it will not admit any paraphrase of mine without wrong not onely to him but to the Reader Onely of one clause pertinent as well to the Discourse following as to that or the like passage of sacred Writ As every man sowes so shall he reape I must give the Reader speciall notice This Earle was alwayes delighted to sow the seeds of warre war being as he and the World thought the chiefe field or surest ground of his glory and he ends his thus honoured life with a bloody and unglorious death This was by Gods appointment the most naturall crop and proper harvest of such a seed-time as he had made Yet was not the finger of God more remarkable in knitting these two Princes which al their life times had stood as we say at the staffes end than in loosing the strict link of mutuall amity between other ancient Friends and sworne Confederates albeit the Politician seeke in this case as in the former altogether to cover or obliterate all impression of it For it is his manner or humour as was observed before to bring as much grist as he can and more then he ought to his owne Mill to entitle such partiall and subordinate meanes as fall within the compasse of his profession sole or prime causes of those effects which are immediately produced by Divine Providence 4 He spake merrily that said A man could not bestow his almes worse than on blinde men seeing they could finde in their hearts to see their best benefactors hanged But it hath beene delivered in good earnest as a cautelous rule by some politique Discoursers that the most thanklesse office any great Personage can doe to his dearest friend were to make him King It is a lesson of every dayes teaching The greater men grow the more they scorne to bee thought to be beholden unto others The very sight of such as they have beene more beholding unto than they can handsomely requite seemes to upbraid ambitious minds Hee is a meane Historian that cannot instance in divers upstart Princes which could not long suffer the heads of those men whose hands had put Crownes on theirs unto which they had no lawful title to stand where nature had given them lawfull possession â—i upon their owners shoulders Politique rules or Aphorismes grounded upon historicall observations of this kinde are not altogether without use But the doctrine inveiled in Poeticall fictions is in this and many other cases more Catholique than the Historians or Politicians observation Vsuall it is with the Poets when they represent the originall and progresse of tragicall dissentions betweene quondam friends in the first place to dispatch the Furies abroad with fire-brands in their hands to kindle or blow the coales of cruell and without the mutuall blood of the Actors unquenchable hatred And to speake the truth without fiction it seemes scarce possible that such light sparkles of humane anger as are usually the first seeds of quarrels betweene neighbour Princes or confederate States should grow unto such raging and devouring flames as they often doe unlesse some spirit more potent than the spirit or breath of man did blow them Now if by Furies the Poets meane infernall Fiends or evill Spirits their language doth not varie much from the ancient dialect of Canaan God saith the Author of the Booke of Iudges cap. 9. ver 23 24. sent an evill spirit betweene Abimelech and the men of Schechem and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sonnes of Ierubbaal might come and their blood be layd upon Abimelech their brother which flew them and upon the men of Shechem which ayded him in the killing of his brethren The mutuall disasters of both parties related in the verses following is but the just award of lothams imprecation vers 19 20. If yee then have dealt truly and sincerely with Ierubbaal and with his house this day then rejoyce ye in Abimelech and let him also rejoyce in you But if not let fire come out from Abimelech and devoure the men of Shechem and the house of Millo and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devoure Abimelech 5 It would be more easie than safe out of the Histories of times ancient and moderne domestique and forraine to parallell this last instance so exactly as well for successe as practise as might be sufficient if not to perswade the irreligious Politician yet to leave him without excuse for not being perswaded that there is an immortall King of Kings and Lord of Lords from whose jurisdiction no corner of the Earth can be exempted an everlastingly wise and righteous Iudge which oversees the inventions of mans heart with a stedfast eye and measures their actions with a constant hand one that visiteth the same irregularities by the same rule or canon and fitteth like sinnes with like punishments after thousand of yeares distance in time in places distant some thousand of miles But leaving the collection of parallell examples or experiments sutable to the rule proposed unto the Readers private observation the proofe of the last mentioned conclusion will bee more apparent and concludent from the examples or instances in the last Section concerning the rule of retaliation CHAP. 30. Of Gods speciall providence in defeating cunning plots and conspiracies and in accomplishing extraordinary matters by meanes ordinary 1 WHen it is said that In God we live wee move and have our beeing this is not to be understood only of being or life naturall or of motion properly so called but is to be extended unto life and operations purely intellectuall So that the incomprehensible Nature in respect of our apprehensions is as properly an agent superartificiall as supernaturall All the skill wherewith any intelligent Creature is or can be endowed all the devises and projects of mens hearts are as essentially subordinate to his incomprehensible wisedome or counsell of his will as the life being and motions of things naturall are to his creative conservative or cooperative power Howbeit this subordination of the rationall creatures cogitations to his infinite wisedome doth no way deprive it of all liberty or freedome in projecting devising
that they would adventure both body and soule at any time for his sake yet thus farre infatuated he was as not to consider that some of them which were so willing to worke a publique mischiefe for his pleasure might also have a desire to secure their private friends from danger by giving them some generall or ambiguous admonition albeit against their oaths of secrecie That one of them should seeke to admonish his Honourable friend of the instant danger was a thing not extraordinary except in this that so much good nature could be left in his brest that could consent unto his Countries ruine That a man of the Iesuites instruction should finde an evasion in an oath which he held lawfull is a matter usuall And who knowes whether hee that permits evill because he knowes to turne it unto good did not at this time make use of the Iesuites doctrine of playing fast and loose with his sacred and dreadfull name to animate this Discoverer to dispense with that solemne oath of secrecy which he had taken and afterward to forsweare the fact so deeply I do not think he durst have adventured upon either without some secret mentall reservation But without all question it was his counsell which moderateth the maine devises of mans heart that moved him to expresse his minde in such termes as might represent or call the fathers disaster unto the remembrance of his royall sonne whom nature had taught to make jealous constructions of every speech word or circumstance that might revive the memory of the intendments against his father and to forecast all possible interpretations of all occurrences which might portend or intimate the like designes against himselfe As the sincerity of his royall heart and consciousnesse of clemency towards all especially towards that faction which deserved none had brought our Soveraigne asleepe in security so the collections which he made out of the disclosers aenigmatical admonitions were such as a man would make that had heard the Letter read in a dreame or slumber not such as so wise and learned a Prince would in other cases have made in his vigilant and waking thoughts But from what cause soever the dreame came the interpretation was from the Lord and Let it be unto the Kings enemies for ever The event hath proved the discloser to have beene a false Prophet and to have spoken presumptuously when he said that God and man had concurred to punish the iniquity of those times by such a blow as he meant We must with the true Prophet make confession Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the glorie It was not God and man but God alone that did sute and order the severall occurrences by which the intended blow was prevented It was not God but the devill that did intend it 5 That the Iewes in the dayes of Mordecai that the Genoezes within this age that this Land and people within our memory have not become a prey unto their malicious enemies was meerely from the counsell of the Lord which must stand for our good if we decline not unto evill It is not the breath or vapour of Hell that can undermine our State or shake our Princes Throne whilest God is with us But if he be against us what can be for us If he doe but speake the word even the least word of mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils shall be sufficient to blow up or overturne a Kingdome If subjects should rebell as often as Princes breake jests upon them they might worke their owne greater real disgrace and wrong both themselves and their posterities farre more in deed than the other had done in words But opportunitie makes a theefe and want of opportunitie oftimes keepes great mindes much discontent from rebellion But when it shall please him that hath reserved the perfect knowledge of times and seasons to himselfe not to dispose their opportunities to any Land or peoples good a womans unseasonable word may breed mightiest Empires greater reall mischiefe than Emperours Swords for many generations can redresse So it fell out when Iustin the Emperour had removed Narses the Eunuch from his regency of State upon importunate accusations which for the present he could not put off but only by putting him from his place Sophia his Empresse not so wise herein as after-experience might have taught her to have beene whether willing as the old proverb is to adde scathe to scorn or whether desirous to sooth Narses his calumniators in their humour said she would have Narses come unto Constantinople there to spin amongst her maids The jest being brought unto his eares provoked him to give her proofe of his masculine spleene and indignation For he thus resolved Seeing it hath pleased her Excellency to appoint mee this taske I shall shortly spinne her such a threed as shee and her Husband shall hardly bee able all the dayes of their life to untwist Not he but the Lord by his mouth had spoken the word and it was done For Alboinus King of the Lombards comes instantly out of Hungary at Narses his call who could not disswade him from entring into Italy after it repented him of his former spleene against Sophia and of his encouraging of this King to revenge his wrong The Easterne Empire had received many wounds before this time but lately cured of the most dangerous by Narses his good service This was the first perpetuall and irrecoverable maime the second more grievous did follow upon as light occasions but where in the concourse of many circumstances were more notable 6 When Mahomet first begun to counterfeit extaticall visions and practise Sorcery he aymed perhaps at no greater matters than Simon Magne did onely to be accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great one among his fellow Badgers and Camel-drivers He did not so much as dreame of Nestorius or his heresie And Sergius the Monke when he began to maintaine that heresie at Constantinople did think as little of Arabian Sorcery After these two by Satans instigation and Gods permission had made a medley of Iewish infidelity and Grecian heresie as if it had beene a garment of English wool and out landishâ—â—int they least thought of any mutinie towards in Heraclius his camp for want of pay The Romane Quaestor was altogether ignorant of Mahomets visions or his new coined Lawes when he thus disgracefully intreated the Arabians or Sarazens There is scarce sufficient provision for the Romane and Grecian Souldiers and must this rascality of Dogs be so importunately impudent in demanding their pay Sed habet Musca splenem These poore Barbarians were such hungry Dogs as looked to be cherished where they fawned and could be content to change many masters rather then be continually raited thus Now albeit the Romane Quaestor did thus uncourteously dismisse them without a pasport or direction whither to goe yet the Lord by his harsh language did hisse for these Hornets unto Mahomets Campe
who had beene lately foiled by the Persian untill these fugitives raised him up and made him Lord of Aegypt Thus of the heresie of Sergius by birth an Italian by profession a Monke and of Mahomets sorcery and of these Sarazens mutiny hath the Divine Providence made up a triple cord which cannot to this day be broken having continued almost these thousand years as a fatall scourge to Christendome 7 A meere Politican that considers the causes of Iustinus his losse by the discontent of Narses or of Heraclius his prejudice by these Sarazens revolt would from both draw that Aphorisme which divers have done from a trusty Gascoignes answer unto Charles the 7. French King The Aphorisme is that Princes must beware what speeches they use unto great Souldiers or men of valour seeing that Gascoigne ingenuously told his Lord and Master that for a foule disgrace he could turne Traytor though all the riches of France though the French Kingdome it selfe would not suffice for a bribe to make him prove false or to corrupt his loyall minde The Rule or Aphorisme is in many cases good Yet if this and all other like caveats were strictly observed and other matters not amended he that at his appointed time turnes disgracefull speeches unto the speakers overthrow can make the mildest words which Generalls or other Confederates in Armes can utter for accomplishing their joynt purposes to effect their owne ruine and delivery of their enemies 8 It is a knowne story of a Family or faction in Perusium who having gathered a competent armie of their Allies to surprise the citie from which they had beene lately banished made their forcible entrance into it by night but sting all the chains that otherwise would have hindred the passage of the horsemen untill they came unto the Market stead or chiefe place to bee surprized But here their Hercules wanting roome by reason of the presse to fetch a full blow with his club for bursting that chaine much stronger in all likelihood than the rest cries Back back unto those that were next unto him and they the like unto such as were behinde them untill the same words had run like an eccho to the hindmost ranks or reere who imagining that those in the front had descried some danger resolved to be the first in retiring as they had beene the last in entring and hence they in the front perceiving themselves suddenly destituted of their company give their enterprize for lost which one blow more or one word lesse had presently effected But perpetuall exile was by Divine justice the enterprisers due and though iron chaines may be burst by the strength of man yet the Counsell of the Lord that shall stand more firme than walls of brasse or rocks of Adamant that his enemies at the appointed time may fall before it The onely use which the Politician hath made of this and like experiments is this First that Generalls should bee very wary what words should passe throughout their army and for this purpose to keepe servants women or other talkative or clamorous creatures farre from the army when any service is toward Secondly to accustome their Souldiers onely to respect their Commanders speeches and to account of others as winde that blowes afarre off These caveats were given above 70 yeares agoe and yet have greater forces than these Italians had beene upon as light occasions defeated in their intended surprisalls of Cities by night after they had blowne open their Gates with Petars However the admonition hath its use and seasons though oftentimes observed without successe because it is too much relyed upon Mordecai spake with confidence unto Ester If thou holdest thy peace at this time comfort and deliverance shall appeare unto the Iew out of another place because as he supposed the counsell of God was for their good But though Souldiers should hold their peace and Generalls speake nothing but what the Politician should prompt yet shall destruction come upon them upon other occasions if the counsell of the Lord bee once against them Yea though the parties disagreeing should lay all enmity aside and consult for the establishing of peace yet shall they conclude in blood if the Lord of Hosts be displeased with them 9 A fit instance to this purpose is registred as Camerarius tels us in foraigne Annalls though not intimated by our English Historians who had as much reason as any other to have recorded it if the story had beene true But seeing they have omitted it I will not expect the Readers historicall assent unto it but only commend it unto him as an example for illustrating the probability of the last observation The English and French Army being ready to joyn battell in Normandy the French Captaines perswade their King to intreat a parley with the King of England that so all matters might be compromised without further harme or danger to either partie The place agreed upon for the parley was a ruinated Chappell a little distant from both armies A friendly compromise was by both Kings resolved upon to be further ratified upon deliberation of their severall Counsells But before their parting a huge Snake whether stirred up by the noise of their attendants which waited without or upon other occasions seemed by her hissing and swelling necke to make towards them Both of them alike afraid draw their swords and yet neither willing to trust other within the walls run out with their naked Swords in their hands their attendants upon this sight misdeeming some outfall in the Chappell betweene them doe the like and the Armies upon this view joyne battaile and could not bee recalled untill much blood on both parties was and more had beene spilt unlesse the night had come vpon them 10 Be this as it may be a true story or a fiction the possibility of such unexpected occurrences all which are at the Almighties disposition are infinite and cannot be comprehended much lesse prevented by the wit of man which is but finite So that although the plots and devises of mans heart be many yet hath the Lord more counterplots perpetually in store and therefore of all counsells the counsell of the Lord it shall stand Whilest I reade some speculative Politicians that seeke by observing the errors of former times in managing civill affaires or projects to rectifie or correct their oversights and take upon them to make an Ephimerides of future events their Discourses in my slender observation argue a greater ignorance in them of divine Providence than their practises would in the Mathematicks that would labour out of a surd number to extract a perfect square He that knowes the rules of Arithmeticall division might in every working or attempt of resolving a full number into its proper square come nearer and nearer to the square number and yet be sure not to finde it though he spent Nestors yeares in dividing and subdividing the same number or resolving fractions into fractions The reason is this