know them not certainly men doe them much iniurie to thinke that they are ignorant in their motions which many Astronomers know If they know them all being infinite how is it that by a finite vnderstanding which is in all creatures they may comprehend things that are infinite Reason taken from generation Againe sith that generation is bounded and limited by the vndiuidable and the last generation of any creature whatsoeuer by the last creature what generation shall we say to be limited to the first If they say there is no former how is it then that there can be a latter I woonder also at those ancient Sages of the world and the moderne likewise which follow them when they declare all things to be mooued and ordained in God as in the last wished and desired end and yet doubt to confesse that he is the ordainer considering also that they call him the first moouer But if he hath ordained all things Another of the moderation and gouernment of things it followeth likewise that he must know them For concerning that which some inferre that God hath onely disposed the vppermost and highest things and that the second causes engender the lowest I demaund of them how it is that those here belowe are correspondent to those which are most high considering there are diuers ordainers Doth not Aristotle say That there is but one onely prince for feare least things should be euilly disposed and gouerned Againe if all things depend of a desired and finishing cause so that in fauour thereof they become great how is it that they haue a being of themselues seeing they seeke to be perfect in another Why haue those any need of a preseruer which haue no need of a creator Indeed the son is preserued without the father but without him he is not engendred For what occasion then doe these philosophers giue a keeper to the members of the Vniuers and do take cleane away from it anie parents What lies doe they bring vnto vs that accuse others to be sellers of lies For in one place they misconster and denie that which in another place the truth constraineth them to confesse Auerrois in many places of his writings How the Philosophers contrarie themselues denieth that God created the world and yet interpreting the treatise of heauen he calleth him Creator So likewise Aristotle proceeding by sensible things mocketh at Plato that at euery word confesseth the world to be created and in the booke which he entituleth Of the World hee auoucheth God to bee Creator of the Vniuers And in his Metaphysicks he teacheth that hee is Prince of the world And how is it that the Prince is entred into an house which he neither hath builded nor obtained by right of inheritance nor bought with any summe of money This is as he affirmeth that the supreme thought vnderstandeth not the particular matters for feare least he should ouer-labour or else weare himselfe And yet in the treatise of good and bad fortune he often repeateth that he hath excellent good fortune that is guided by God But how doth he guide and direct that which he vnderstandeth not And how doth he render condigne recompense and reward for things well or ill done as it is saide in the same Treatise if hee doth not consider and examine the workes of euery one Againe we read in the Meteors that God hath placed the pure fire vnder the globe of the Moone and yet how hath he disposed and ordained that which he neither made nor hath knowledge of Surely it woulde be a tedious matter to bring out all the contrarieties and repugnances of the writings of Philosophers which do plainly confound themselues But out of much I haue selected this little to the end that those who boast rather of the name of Peripateticks or Auerroists then of good Theologians and Christians may behold that all their teachings are not solid nor firme Let vs insert among our reasons which confound their doctrine the iudgement of Saint Augustine of Macrobius and of many other learned men who hold that the eternitie of the world cannot subsist and haue place with so small memorie of things done as we haue in our histories as well holy as prophane neither yet with the inuention of arts and many other things celebrated by Eusebius Pamphilus Clemens Alexandrinus Berosus the Chaldee Aristotle Auerrois Theophrastus Epigenes Critodemus Philostophanes Egesius Archimachus Damasthenes Aulus Gellius and a great number of others of diuers languages and most plentifully by Pliny in his booke of the naturall historie where he confesseth to haue collected part of his writings out of the said authors The eternitie of the world cannot agree with histories inuention of things with whom also in that which they testifie of the inuention of things the holy letters are of great authoritie in that they do agree with them herein in many points For although there be some difference concerning the names of those which haue inuented them as the forenamed authors do not alwaies agree among themselues yet the inuention found in time is wholy confirmed by the same reason and all that which disagreeth is come either by reason of the languages not being alike or bicause that Historiographers cheefely the Greekes haue attributed that to their nation which properly appertained not to them Now if the world had beene from the beginning yea euen before the beginning as many would haue it why then in the successiue course of innumerable ages was not that policie and kinde of liuing inuented which we vse at this present Why not the vse of letters by which onely memorie is made eternall Why not the experience of many things For none of all this is found to be but within and since fiue thousand fiue hundred yeeres so long as the Scripture teacheth vs that the world hath beene created being from the creation thereof to the natiuitie of Iesus Christ according to the common computation three thousand nine hundred sixtie seuen yeeres what did the inhabitants of the world before this time so briefe and short being compared with eternitie to which the histories do refer the inuentors vse of all things Liued men then without policie and without lawes without bread without wine without tillage of the earth were they without the exercise of merchandise without the studie of good letters of discipline of warfare of nauigation of building of weauing of sowing of dressing wooll all which things haue their inuention famous but within a few yeeres and in diuers seasons wherewith liued they before where dwelt they how were they clothed what did they being altogither ignorant of artes Certainely it is meere mockerie that those who teach that the world is eternall do themselues assigne the inuentors of lawes of arts and of mens liuing considering that both the one and the other coulde not consist both at one instant Behold companions that which seemed good to me to note
the acts and power of this Empire But howsoeuer it be wee haue in the doctrine of the spheres most excellent principles and grounds which prepare men to the knowledge of nature and the author thereof yea which aduance them if they can apply this studie to his proper ende in the vnderstanding of the secrets wisdome and prouidence of God so far as the mind of man can pierce thereinto Let vs then companions direct our sight straight towards the place which wee must apprehend to be blessed to wit towards heauen and let vs especially regard God in his workes as the onely limit whereto we shall and must once attaine ACHITOB. The orderly motions of the heauens the goodly workemanship of so many starry pauilions disposed one aboue the other without any inter-annoiāce in their course the accord agreement power vertue and beautie of the elements the situation stabilitie and largenes of the earth in midst of the waters which continually threaten it and yet drowne it not and so many diuers natures and creatures which are which liue which haue sense and vnderstanding in this whole great Vniuers and serue each one in his place all these things I say are like so many interpreters to teach vs God as their onely efficient cause and to manifest him vnto vs in them and by them as their finall cause Therefore pursuing our first intent sufficiently declared in the beginning of our Academick discourse and according to the processe of the talke by vs obserued in our description of the naturall history of the Microcosme or little world let vs here make companions as it were another history of the Macrocosme or great world first entreating of the creation of the world then of the diuision of the same afterwards of the orders of the spheres of their substance natures and motions of the influences and effects of their planets consequently of the elements and lastly of euery essence and creature therein contained not by a particular description of their kindes which would amount to a work almost infinite but onely of the principall of each sort and so much as wee shall hold sufficient to induce euery one of vs and of those which will deigne to heare vs to consider and highly to praise the wisedome of the father and moderator of all these things in the creation conduction gouernance and end of them and by the vnion of their parts with the whole and among themselues we haue enough to refer the euent of our purpose to their beginning and principall scope which is to know God and his prouidence to the end to glorifie him Declare then vnto vs ASER that which you haue learned of the creation of heauen and earth THE FIRST DAIES WORKE OF THE THIRD TOME OF THE FRENCH Academie Of Heauen and Earth Of the creation of Heauen and Earth Chapter 1. ASER. IF all men guided by reason as Plato very wel said haue a custome to inuocate on God in the beginning of their worke In Tim. whether it be great or little how much more conuenient is it that desiring to dispute of the Vniuers if wee retaine any iudgement at all we should call God to our aide It is very difficult to speake as is requisite of the celestiall bodies and of so many diuers motions as they haue and yet not one hinder another but it is a much more high and intricate matter to finde out the workman and father of all this great world And when we shall haue found him it is altogether impossible vulgarly to expresse the cause reason of his works For though as it is the glorie and infinite wisedome of God shineth in this admirable construction of heauen and earth yet our capacitie is too too smal to comprise so great profound effects so much it wanteth that the toong may bee able to make a full and entire declaration thereof And we cannot hold disputation or argument vpon that which doth not offer it selfe vnto our sense and proper reason as is the creation of the world For therein haue we that woonderfull Architect whom Hermes called the great infinite sphere intellectual whose center is all that which is throughout the world created who performing his worke and giuing motion to all the celestiall bodies doth himselfe continue stable Now that which mouing is not it selfe moued surpasseth al discourses speculations humane and philosophicall and appertaineth to a diuine knowledge the which we ought to impetrate through praiers by reuelation of the holy Spirit euen in such sort as all things naturall are inuented and comprehended by reason demonstration and all morall are obtained by arte and vse Praier to God Then of the soueraigne and true God with his eternal Word and holy Spirit which three are one essence one God in Trinitie of persons Exod. 3. whose name is I will be that I will be or I am that I am Almightie Eternall Creator and gouernor of euery soule and bodie in contemplation of whom consisteth the onely good the true felicitie and blessednes of man whom he himselfe hath created to attaine thereunto a liuing creature reasonable by the gift of vnderstanding and free-will Who being iust permitteth not his creature made according to his owne image to remaine vnpunished hauing sinned and being merciful hath not left him without grace who hath giuen both to the good and euill an essence with the stones a life vegetatiue and full of seede with the plants a life sensuall with the beasts and a life intellectuall with the Angels from whom proceedeth all gouernance all goodlines and all order by whom all that is naturall euen from the highest of heauen to the center of the earth doth subsist of whom are the seedes of formes the formes of seedes the mouings of seedes and of formes who being good hath not left regardlesse not onely the sphericall and elementarie world or else the Angels and man but euen the entrailes of the most small and contemptible amongst creatures neither the lightest feather of the birds nor the least flower of the herbe nor leafe of the tree engrauing in each of all these things the workes of his omnipotencie certaine signes of his glorie and maiestie by the couenant and accord of euery of their parts and as it were by I wot not what manner of peace Of him I say father and moderator of all that which is which liueth which hath sense and vnderstandeth let vs request Companions that with the light of his wisedome he will illuminate our vnderstandings and by his holy spirit direct and gouerne our words meetely to discourse of according as mans power is able the works of his al-mighty hand in heauen and in earth according as our intent is The beginning of euerie thing whatsoeuer is of such waight and importance that on the knowledge of the same dependeth all the science thereof for it is impossible that a man can be skilfull in any thing if he be ignorant
in the principles and first causes of the subiect which he desireth to know contrariwise hauing well knowne them the vnderstanding of the effects which thereupon ensue of the vertues and qualities which thereby redound of the actions which therof proceed of the degrees which therein are established of the bounds and limits whereto these first causes tend to obtaine their perfection declareth it selfe as of it owne accord without great difficultie and much paine This was the cause why many sages in old time despising the care of temporall affaires addicted themselues altogether to search out the cause of all nature so that the most excellent of them would boldly discourse of the originall and making of the world But the saying of Plato remaining euer true that it is as hard to finde out the maker and father of this All as to speake properly of him being found out it so falleth out that the most part of them who haue entreated of so loftie a matter haue erred straying by diuers by-waies yea euen all those whom the Son of Iustice hath not fully illuminated with his supreme brightnes Thereupon it proceeded that the philosophers haue beene diuided into diuers and contrarie opinions about this question whether the world hath beene from euerlasting or whether it hath beene of late whether of necessitie or else by the free will and motion of God Aristotle with all the troupe of those Diuers opinions of the Philosophers in thâ—â— argument of the being of the world who beleeue nothing but that which they can inuent and comprise by naturall reasons and syllogismes taken from sensible things which guide them to a certaine demonstration not being able thereby to vnderstand how and wherefore heauen earth haue beene created affirme that they were neuer made but that they haue beene from eternitie But Plato followed of a great number of the most cleere-sighted wisemen hath confessed the generation of the world which he teacheth to be ordered and disposed by compleat and perfect numbers vnder the vaile of which the obscure notes of hidden sense it seemeth that he would hide the close mysteries of the creation of the vniuers to those which were not yet instructed in such secrets which onely may be comprehended by a pure and celestiall cogitation diuinely infused For let vs know that there is no certaintie at all of this doctrine except for those to whom the minde by a special and supernaturall grace is sharp being fashioned and formed by meditation of the immutable substance of God himselfe and by a secret operation of the holy Ghost to beleeue that it is the Eternall who by his word hath made all nature For so the Soueraigne Creator talketh with man and establisheth a certaine testimonie of his truth in the heart of him when he hath made him proper and meet to heare him with the best and most excellent part of his vnderstanding in regard whereof he is said to be made according to his owne image But although these things may be knowne being nor far remote from our interiour How the creation of the world may be belieued or exteriour senses yea so that they may be called present and whereof no doubt is to bee made especially being supported by authoritie of good witnesses yet those things which surpasse the ordinarie puissance of the minde because by our owne iudgement we cannot credit them must be considered and beleeued according to that couenant of verities which they announce vnto vs who haue known theÌ„ by our vnderstanding peaceful and duely purged so that we may adde faith to such holy personages as God hath made capable of his light and which instruct vs not in the things which they haue imagined but in such as they haue heard receiued from diuine oracles It is then of their authoritie that he must make a buckler whosoeuer will meetly debate of God and of his workes and of his prouidence in the gouernance of them And when the wings of Nature faile vs in so loftie a contemplation we must take to vs those of diuine grace and when the naturall light fadeth and is readie to die to require an infused and supernaturall illumination The world is greatest of all things visible and God of all things inuisible That the world is we perceiue but that God is we beleeue Now that he hath made the world we can better beleeue of no bodie then of God himselfe But where haue we heard that In his word whereto we must giue credit concerning those things whereof it is expedient that we should not be ignorant and which we of our selues are not able to vnderstand Now he hath spoken first by his prophets then by himselfe in the person of our Redeemer and lastly by the Apostles and disciples We heare him speaking aloude where Moses the father of diuines Genes 1. and master of Philosophers saith In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth The prophet was not there present but the wisedome of God by which al things were made and which by an incomprehensible vertue conueieth it selfe into holy minds and doth direct them and declare all his works without any noyse at all by his spirit which can doe all beholdeth all encourageth all and passeth through all purified spirits of vnderstanding and abideth in his elect And the blessed Angels who alwaies behold the face of their father speake to them also and announce the secrets of the eternal Maiestie to all them I say in such sort as it pleaseth the Omnipotent to make them worthie One of these was Moses who teacheth vs that God almightie made this great Vniuers A witnesse so excellent and worthy that by him we must belieue in God whom we perceiue as it were through the same wisedome and spirit which reuealed vnto him the creation of the world who prophecied almost two thousand yeeres before of the high-mysteries of Christian faith confirming also his whole doctrine by miracles prodigies oracles and prophecies wherewith all his writings abound And therefore hauing confidence in his testimonie we call God Creator of all things thereby inferring that he is author principall and first cause of all essences which cause by manner of speech ought to be full of all things if this Maxime of the Peripatetickes be true That none can giue away of that which he hath not And therefore the Poet the honor of our age very learnedly saith Ere time forme substance place to be themselues attained Du Bartas in the 1. of his weekes All God in all things was and God in all remained For there is nothing produced by nature or formed by arte but first it hath abiding in that which performeth it So euerie creature is engendred by vertue of that seede wherein it was at first by power included so each worke liueth in the minde of the workeman before he puts it in practise So had the worlde perfect being in the thought of God before it was
of God is cause of all things and by good right must be the cause of all things which subsist For if it had had any cause then must that cause haue preceded and the will of God attended thereupon which were vnlawfull to be imagined Wherefore when it is asked why did God so we must answere bicause it was his will If proceeding farther any enquire why it was his will they demaund after a thing greater and higher then the will of God which cannot be found Yet neuerthelesse haue we sufficient in his word wherewith to satisfie our mindes in meditation of his secrets with all reuerence For they which haue declared them vnto vs penetrating into most hidden mysteries by the light of the holy spirit haue sufficiently reuealed them vnto vs with most splendant cleerenesse But the way of truth is shut vp to the wise of the world and cannot be attained but by the directions of it selfe So that which is greatly to be deplored it often commeth to passe which this Iambicke relateth That the vnderstanding of things giuen by God in long tract of time is cōfounded by mens opinions retaining very little diuinitie truth by reason that it agreeth not with those things which fall within the compasse of our sense The philosophers therefore attributing too much faith to themselues haue blinded themselues through their vaine discourses and haue become guides to the blinde so that falling into the ditch they haue drawne many after them by false arguments and apparant reasons whereof our subiect shall here be to insert the most principall They then who esteeme that nothing is stable or can be stable in such sort reasoning and arguing by sensible things prooue it by the same demonstration that Aristotle hath deliuered Of the demonstration of Aristotle yea and as he hath obserued in his whole discourse natural progression considering that all his consequences proceede from certaine maximes which he supposed to be perfect true amongst the most powerfull inuentions by which they pretend to ouerthrow the creation and framing of the world these Peripatericall reasons of the nature of the world are produced First they beholde the heauens altogither differing from contrarietie Reasons of philosophers against the creation of the world whereupon they conclude that it is not corruptible and by consequēce not made They finde moreouer that those things which haue a beginning doe get vnto themselues a new place nowe heauen not being able to get it selfe a new place they conclude that it could not be created at any time They consider also that all things which are mooued passe into a new place or are mooued round about some thing which remaineth firme as all the spheres are about their center to the end that all disorder might be brought to some vniformitie Likewise they suppose euery new thing to be reduced into the old so that all generation and corruption is made according to the old substance and all motion is gouerned by the firme and stable earth or the vnmooueable center by which principles they coulde not perceiue how the newnes of the world could any way come to passe And forasmuch as the generation of one thing is the corruption of another and that nothing which should be corrupted might precede the world thereupon they ground that it is eternall without a beginning Proceeding farther they suppose that euerie thing which is produced had a fore-being in the matter thereof Therfore they holde that of necessitie the matter must be eternall But the most principall and substantiall argument which they bring and most generally receiued is That of nothing nothing is created whereupon they conclude that the world could not be made bicause nothing did proceede it Now we may easily answere these reasons and trie whether they conclude Three sorts of works and three kinds of workers or not but first let vs suppose as it is most certaine that there be three sorts of works and three kindes of workers For there is the Artificer who presupposeth the nature to wit the stuffe fashion and all the compound There is the naturall agent which requireth before-hand the effect of God to wit the subiect or the matter And there is God the soueraigne worker who hath no neede of any other thing because he is perfect retaining in himselfe all manner of vertue Which three kindes of workers doe fitly accord by a certaine analogie and proportion but doe much differ in comparison one with the other and at the bounds and limits of the one worker cannot be concluded the power of the other For it were an error to proceed from arte to nature as if one should say The arte doth first require the compound the Goldsmith gold the Founder mettall the Carpenter wood and the Mason stones and cement therefore the naturall agent doth also require the compound Answere to the arguments of philosophers And likewise the philosophers deceiue themselues when they imagine that the soueraigne Creator hath neede of a subiect or matter to worke on as is requisite for the naturall agent Also they abuse themselues to teach that forasmuch as herein there passeth a certaine proportion from one contrarie to another it therefore followeth that God and nature doe proceede by one and the selfe-same way But where I pray haue they learned to inuent such conclusions when themselues teach that arte is distinguished from nature and that naturall things appertaine to one kinde of doctrine and the eternall and free-from-motion belong to another For the artificer giueth the artificiall forme and requireth the naturall and the naturall agent fashioneth the substantiall and requireth the materiall which is the worke of the soueraigne But if God should require any thing before-hand to worke with he should also require a former God which must haue produced it and by that reason there should be I wot not what former thing before the first What are then these shewes of arguments They conclude and accord badly when bicause of the passion of a new place which demaundeth that which is newly performed they would thereby exclude the world from generation bicause it getteth not a place But what absurditie shall they finde it if granting them that it hath obtained a place I say it is the same wherein at this present it remaineth For it subsisteth about the center or aboue that of the earth or of the whole vniuers or of the sphere intellectuall whose center as Hermes saith is all that which is euerie where created In that which they farther inferre that euery new thing must be reduced to an olde we grant it them But that olde is the diuine cogitation wherein all things are contained before they be displaied in their proper formes which being created by it selfe it alone doth gouerne and preserue them afterwardes What they moreouer adioine that all naturall transmutation is made of one matter transposed into another we consent to them But this is not requisite
for riches to the ende that pouertie might not induce them to corruption as Androtion in the second and Philocorus in the third booke of the Athenian affaires do write This man then writing to Polycarpus reprehendeth Apollophanes the Sophister in these very words because he would not admit of the eclipse of the sun which came to passe at the death of the Messias I know not with what spirit thou wert led to diuine Of the eclipse of the sunne at the death of Iesus Christ O Apollophanes when with me conteÌ„plating the eclipse which was against the order of nature at the time that Christ suffered turning thy selfe towardes me thou saidst noble Denis these are the changes which come to passe somtime in diuine things If thou caÌ„st conuince this of vntruth For I was preseÌ„t with thee in coÌ„sideration of so great a prodigy with thee I beheld it iudged of it thought it worthie of perpetual admiration But if any will not yet beleeue this most entire philosopher let him harken to that which the astronomers say Esculus very skilfull and learned in this science taught by astronomicall numbers that the sunne went vnder * The â—amme Aries and the moone vnder * The balance Libra when the sunne failed at ful moone and at that time the Iewes according to their custome celebrated the feast of passeouer Moreouer Phlegron one most excelleÌ„t in reckoning the Olympiads in his thirteenth booke testifieth that in the fourth yeere of the two hundred and second Olympiad there was an eclipse of the Sunne much greater then all those that had euer before hapned at which time was the passion of Iesus Christ Recalling of the sunne in Ezechias daies And for the going backe of the sunne in Ezechias reigne as also that which we reade of the deluge of waters with many other miracles contained in holy writ the auncient memorials of the Persians and Chaldeans do make notable mention thereof And thence coÌ„meth it that the Persian priestes do celebrate the memorie of the triple Mithras that is of the sunne as Denis and Strabo witnes which at the foresaid time appeared to performe a triple course or to stay three times from his accustomed progresse into the west retyring againe into the east by a new kinde of returne for ten howers and then returning againe into the west I leaue for this point the other witnesses Philosophers Gentiles Chaldees Egyptians Phenicians Greekes the Sibilles and many Historians brought for proofe of the supernaturall effectes of omnipotent God by Iosephus Aristobulus Tertullian and Eusebius whereof each by their writings may sufficiently instruct And if authoritie doe ought auaile in disputation let then the deposition of so many Sages preuaile in this point in a matter that Aristotle his fautors denie in words onely Most prudently certaine doth Auicen thinke that motion is neither necessarie nor violent but in a meane betwixt both in such sort that it euer resteth at the pleasure of the Prince And therefore it must be graunted that the second causes are so alligated to the first cause that they doe nothing but as the other commaunds them And yet it so gouerneth those things which it hath created and ordayned that it permitteth them to performe their ordinarie proper motions Now because that it seldome hapneth to the contrary and that the order of their first institution perseuereth in many things and that most commonly therefore did Aristotle iudge that it was naturall and necessarie For as he saith in his treatise of naturall hearing That is naturall which commeth to manie and oftentimes And so could he make no farther search by sensible things But the operations of God By the necessitie of effects one must not conclude the necessitie of the cause and the alliance of things here below with the first cause may not be searched out by discourse of reasons but must rather as we haue declared be learnt of oracles Thus is conuinced of nullitie the progresse which is deduced from necessitie appearing in the effects to the necessitie of the cause because that necessitie of the effects dependeth vpon the order established by the first cause And the effects also are not needefull because they are all particular for the worke of nature is not bounded by the vniuersall All but by each particular which the Peripateticks themselues do rather nominate contingence then necessarie But because the most subtile Philosophers do yet debate that they be eternall and that most needefull is the coherence of the subiect with the worker in which the proper essentiall or the quidditie as they terme it is named of the subiect we may reÌ„der them an other reason for this pretended necessity to wit the correspondence of things with the exemplaries or eternall Ideas celebrated by Plato and defended by many sage and great personages God hath produced all things by himselfe as hath alreadie beene showen For this cannot consist considering that the vniuersall is a simple essence which produceth nothing by the second causes nor by the spirits nor by nature but only by himselfe and also the first cause of all things created before euer any soule or any heauen or any other particular thing whatsoeuer was produced To returne therefore from whence we strayed the effect ensueth the ordinance immutable order of the supreme cause if by the same it be not otherwise instituted And whereas the Philosophers adde farther that the will of God hath equall perfection with the thought which operateth of necessitie we confesse that it taketh place but it is in regard of the worke within himselfe wherby he engeÌ„dreth eternally the perfect image of himselfe his word the absolute Idea and true patterne of all things But we say that he displayeth according to his good pleasure the outward effects that from euerlasting the diuine thought hath described in the word Surely I woonder at the Sages of the world who acknowledge that God is most simple and of himselfe most perfect all other strange thing set apart and yet presently as if they had forgot their doctrine thinke that God hath a needfull bond with things heere below as if he could not subsist without them nor yet be blessed And how is he most simple if he hath a necessary bond with other things How is he prince of all things if he be obliged to the seruice of the most basest What dignitie or what condition hath he of a soueraigne gouernour Briefly to conclude this matter let vs take away all necessitie from the Lord in regard of this round frame and let vs not doubt that the order of this Vniuers shall decay or be destroyed if it be so that the creator doth dispose and varie it at his good pleasure for he doth know how euer to direct in order that which he hath once made and ordayned For none neede to feare the spoile of the worke when the work-master sets hand thereto by whose handling it is rather
mans teaching a meane thing between man and beast as the Zoophyta partaketh of the plant and animal But it may be we haue said more concerning these things then is requisite for our purpose I will onely therefore adde that the mutual vicinity and communication of the worlds which we haue here described is also declared in holy writ For it is written in the Psalmes In wisedome he made the heauens Psal 136. 2. Cor. 12. And Saint Paul saith of himselfe that he was rauished into the third heauen which afterwards he calleth Paradise Psal 103. 104. We read also that the Angels of God are spirits and his ministers a flame of burning fire And thence without doubt it commeth that oftentimes to diuine natures are attributed both celestiall and terrestriall surnames when as sometimes they are figured by starres Apocal. 2. Ezech. 1.3 Apocal. 2. Apocal. 21. sometimes by wheeles and beasts and sometimes by elements as we sometimes also appropriate diuine and celestiall names to terrestriall natures For euen as the three worlds being girt and buckled with the bands of concord doe by reciprocall liberalitie interchange their natures the like doe they also by their appellations And this is the principle from whence springeth and groweth the discipline of allegoricall sense The originall of allegoricall sense For it is certaine that the ancient fathers could not conueniently haue represented one thing by other figures but that they had first learned the secret amitie and affinitie of all nature Otherwise there could be no reason why they should represent this thing by this forme and that by that rather then otherwise But hauing the knowledge of the vniuersall world and of euery part thereof and being inspired with the same spirit that not onely knoweth all things but did also make all things they haue oftentimes and very fitly figured the natures of the one world by that which they knew to be correspondent thereto in the others Wherefore the same knowledge and the grace of the same spirit is requisite for those who would vnderstand and directly interpret such significations and allegoricall meanings Moreouer besides these worlds which we haue also distinguished there is also another a fourth Of a fourth world wherein may likewise be found all that which subsisteth in the others And this is man who for this cause as our doctors shew is vnderstood in the gospell by the name of euery creature then when Iesus Christ commandeth to preach to men the good newes Mark 16. not to beasts nor angels being neuerthelesse enioyned to publish it to euery creature Likewise it is a common vse in schooles to teach that man is a little world and that within him the bodie is composed of the elements the reasonable soule is celestiall the vegetable power common to men and plants the sense common to brute beasts the reason participated to Angels and finally the image of God is therein seene considered But of him we haue sufficiētly intreated in the second part of our Academicall discourses wherefore of this great vniuersall world must our ensuing talke be And as we haue diuided it into three generall parts so must we particularly discourse of them First therefore let vs say something concerning the Angelicall and intellectuall world and of the celestiall intelligences or Angels which ARAM shall be the subiect of your discourse Of the Angelicall and intellectuall world Chapter 15. ARAM. NOw shal I haue great need to say with the kingly prophet Oh that I had wings like a doue Psal 55. wings I say of siluer and shining golde that I might flie vp into the supercelestiall region where resteth true rest true peace and certaine tranquillitie which this wretched worldly corps cannot yeeld Open mine eies you supermundaine spirits but rather thou oh father of them and I shall contemplate the woonder of your citie wherein God attendeth for those that feare him that which eie hath neuer seene eare neuer heard nor any hart woorthily thought vpon Well I wot that many call disputations and searching out of the nature and multitude of angels and their orders vaine questions and fit for idle imaginations but surely they are secrets which Saint Paule himselfe who had beene rapt vp aboue the third heauen hath not onely taught but hath also protested that he had there heard many things ◠Cor. 12. which were not lawfull for him to reueale And I am likewise of beleefe that the full reuelation of the angelicall and intellectuall world is deferred till the last day yet will wee heere speake soberly thereof and as briefly as we can according to that which diuines haue written without any waies offending pietie or christian religion When the holy Scripture speaketh of the creation of the world it is not euidently expressed in what order and how the angels were created Genes 2. That the angels are God his creatures But forasmuch as it is said that God created heauen and all things therein contained it is most certaine that therein are comprised the spirits celestiall as well those that through obedience haue stood in their integritie as those who rebelling against God haue beene cast out vnto destruction Neither is it heereto repugnant that Moses reciting the Genesis or creation of the world maketh no expresse mention thereof For we see how that in silence passing ouer all things which surmount our capacitie or else couering them vnder the mysticall sense of his words for those whom God would fully illuminate with the brightnes of his holy spirite he onely entreateth of those which we behold with our eies yea and that too in familiar and vulgar sort conforming himselfe to the rudenes of the people with whom he had to deale And for this cause hath the opinion of sundry great personages and namely of Saint Augustine beene Lib 2. de ciuit Dei cha 9. 1◠that the angels haue beene signified either by the name of heauen there where it is said In the beginning God made heauen and earth or else by the name of the light which he saith was created the first day But howsoeuer this is doubtlesse that the angels are the worke of God For the holy Scripture doth testifie it in infinite places with a most cleere voice namely in the song of the three children which were in the furnace Dan. 3. who hauing saide Blesse the Lord all his works in pursuite of the narration of them the angels are also named And the prophet saith You creatures of the heauens praise the Lord you which are in the hie places praise him All his angels Psal 148. and all his armies praise him Sith also they are the ministers of God appointed to doe that which he commandeth them as the apostle to the Hebrewes saith there is no doubt but they are his creatures Moreouer the holy Scriptures teach vs that they are alwaies watching for our safetie that they are alwaies readie to
defend vs that they direct our waies and haue care of vs in all things Psal 34. Genes 24. And therefore Abraham promised his seruant that the angell of God should be his guide on the way And so often and so many times as God would deliuer the people of Israel out of the hands of their enimies Iudg. 2.6 13. he was serued by his angels to performe this deed 2. King 19. Isay 37. as wee read that the angell of the Lord slew in one night an hundred fowerscore and fiue thousand men in the campe of the Assyrians to deliuer Ierusalem from siege But to stande no longer in so cleere a matter Matth. 4. Luk. 22. Matth. 28. Luk. 24. Acts. 1. I will onely adde this that is said that the angels ministred to Iesus Christ after he was tempted in the desert and that they assisted him in his anguish at the time of his passion and that they published his resurrection and his glorious comming Of the number order names and offices of the angels Dan. 7. But to determine of the number and orders of Angels were me thinketh aboue all humane power For Daniel speaking of the Maiestie of the throne of God saith Thousand thousands of Angels ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him Psal 68. Apocal. 5. And Dauid singeth the chariots of God are twentie thousand thousand Angels Saint Iohn also maketh mention of ten thousand times ten thousand and a thousand thousand that giue glorie to God Matth. 26. and Iesus Christ himselfe witnesseth that there are many legions In briefe all the Scripture reporteth of an infinite number of Angels seruing God whom he employeth in the protection of his elect and by whom he bestoweth his benefits vpon men and doth his other works And for their orders although they be not noted in expresse text of Scripture yet the different names whereby they are described haue affoorded matter subiect to Saint Denis in his celestiall Hierarchie to Iamblicus in his booke of Mysteries to many other moderne diuines to set downe nine orders and degrees of Angels to wit The Seraphins Cherubins Thrones Dominations Vertues Powers Principalities Archangels and Angels all which are celestiall spirits to whom the Scripture attributeth such and the like names according to the ministrie wherein God commandeth them to serue so applying them to our infirmitie For they are called Angels Ephes 1. Col. 1. because God maketh them his messengers to man and vertues because that by them God declareth the power of his hand and Principalities Dominations Powers Signiories because that by them God exerciseth his empire throughout all the world and his armies Luk. 2. Apocal. 19. because as souldiers are about their Prince and captaine so are they present before God to honor his Maiestie and attend his good pleasure to employ themselues about all things that he gaueth them in charge yea sometimes they are named Gods because that by their ministerie they do as it were in a mirrour represent vnto vs the image of God And we see that S. Dan. 12. 1. Thes 4. Dan 10. 12. Michael is called in Daniel the great Prince or captaine and Archangel in S. Iude. And Saint Paule saith that it shall be an Archangell who shall summon the world with a trumpet vnto iudgement Daniel also declareth that the Angell of the Persians fought and also the Angell of the Greekes against their enimies as if he would shew that God hath sometimes appointed his Angels to be gouernours of countries and prouinces Matth. 18. And Iesus Christ telling how the Angels of little infants do alwaies behold the face of his father declareth thereby that there are certaine Angels who haue them in guard Saint Peter also being miraculously come forth of prison Acts. 12. and knocking at the house wherein the faithfull were assembled they that could not thinke that it was he said that it was his angel Yet for al these considerations I hold it a thing of too difficult enterprise for mortall man to constitute and appoint which are the degrees of honor among the Angels and particularly to distinguish one from another by any name or title and to assigne to euerie one his place his abode and office We will therefore leaue these things for curious heads to dispute vpon Yet will we hold our selues ascertained of that which the holy Scripture doth openly declare vnto vs and which may best serue vs to our comfort and for the confirmation of our faith that is That the Angels Gods creatures are disposers and ministers of his beneficence towards vs that such kind of beleefe is a certaine argumēt against Atheists concerning the prouidence of God Of the blessed estate of the angels And for the blessed estate of these celestiall spirits it is certaine that for as much as they haue no whit swarued frō the light wherein God created them they remaine in blessednes and felicitie from which they shall neuer more fall Now if we demaund what this felicitie is Without doubt it is the vision and contemplation of the glorie and Maiestie of God whose face as we said euen now they alwaies behold and to whom they giue praise without ceasing singing with a loude voice this song as Esay declareth Isay 6. Holy holy holy is the Lord of hostes all the earth is full of his glory For there is no good in the reasonable or intellectual creature through which it may become happy but God only Wherfore the cause of the felicitie and happines of the angels is for that they belong to God in such sort that their nature liueth in him is wise by him reioiceth euerlastingly in so great and ineffable a good without death without error without impediment Against those which deny that there are any angels I know well some men be so fantasticall that they make it a doubt whether there bee any angels or spirits The Sadduces in times past held this opinion that by the word Angel was signified nothing else but the motion that God inspireth into men or the power which he sheweth in his works But there are so many testimonies of Scripture which contradict this madnes and histories both ecclesiasticall and prophane are so replenished with woonderfull actes of inuisible spirits as we daily see come to passe that it is a wonder how such ignorance could be in former ages Error of some Philosophers and yet among many remaineth at this day There haue also beene men of great authoritie who discoursing according to the reasons of Philosophie haue dared to affirme that God the first father and author of all things did onely produce one intelligence or angell because say they being alwaies of one manner hee cannot by any naturall reason produce diuers thinges For this cause therefore they woulde limite the powerfull production of God to one onely intelligence which being created of God had recourse to the
first thought whereof it produced the second intelligence and knowing it selfe it ingendred the soule or moouer of the first sphere and this moouer knowing also his worke it proceeded to produce another so successiuely the cause being varied in substance and operation diuers effects were produced Which obscure opinioÌ„ might haue some colour if the first and almightie creator were restrained to produce but one effect onely too absurd a thing to be imagined in the father and author of the vniuers seeing that not a particular but an vniuersall effect is answerable vnto him to wit the world onely and the entire estate of all things as wee haue heeretofore sufficiently declared And so it followeth that this vniuers like a body entire in it selfe and diuers in the members thereof was engendred by one onely father and creator and liues by one onely vniuersall life But we will combate against these Philosophers with more strong weapons maintaining against them according to the truth How God came to his worke that the soueraigne maker came to his worke without being tied by any naturall law but free and franke in euery worke as he pleaseth being abundantly full of all vertue and of all manner of bountie and essentiall good will proceeded to his outward worke as these things haue beene declared vnto vs in our precedent discourse But this by the way albeit the maxime of the Peripateticks be though false that the first cause worketh of necessitie and that it is alwaies of one sort which is most true yet doth it not therefore follow that it should produce but one effect seeing that of the sunne which is euer the same and of the earth which being stable changeth not are produced diuers effects without any varietie comming to their nature yea and without any tilling of the ground For herbes flowers and rootes of diuers kindes do grow therein and many other essences are therein produced by power of the sunne But if these Philosophers tell me that diuers effects appeere in these things because that other particular causes doe worke therein togither they haue left the proofe of this point to their children to wit whether this varietie proceedeth from diuers causes or else from the same sunne fruitfull and full of vertue to engender diuers things Then with how much greater reason may the first true and eternall sonne do it being abundantly full of all fruitfulnes light and life How all things are in God For all things were and are in him not as if they were seated in any locall place but are lodged in his thought from whence producing them he is called their father and creator He onely free from the lawes of nature without any matter presupposed produceth all things yea and the matter it selfe altogither full of fertilitie But the second or naturall cause as Philosophers speake requireth the subiect and matter created by God wherewith it worketh And here doth that take place which the Prince of Peripatetickes saith That in common acceptation of the soule it is conuenient that it be made of nothing and therefore also our Diuines affirme that the angels can create no nature at all and that they are creators of things no more then Gardiners of fruits And therefore all those who haue receiued the light of the truth confesse God alone to be father and author of all things contayned in heauen and in earth whether spirituall or corporall visible or inuisible natures And let vs neuer thinke that in so great consonancie of the Vniuers there are many creators nor that there is any more then one onely king and prince nor many things that consist of themselues For so should there be confusion and discordancie in this great world and so consequently easie dissolution Thus much haue we thought conuenient to be knowne concerning the Intellectuall world wherein hauing spoken of the blessed estate of those angels which are not fallen from God my minde is that we say somewhat concerning those who are fallen from their first estate which we call commonly Diuels or euill spirits We will heare you then ACHITOB discourse of them Of diuels and euill spirits Chap. 16. ACHITOB IF we here discourse somewhat by numbers we shall make more easie way to that which we would vnderstand concerning the diuels yea concerning euery creature I say then euery number after the vnitie attaineth to be a perfect and accomplished number within it selfe Now the vnitie alone totally simple doth not passe from it selfe but therein remaineth in indiuisible and solitarie simplicitie bicause it is most fully content with it selfe not hauing neede of any thing being full of his owne riches But euery number being by nature a multitude doth by the benefit of the vnitie become simple bicause it is capable of simplicitie And although euery number the more it departeth from the vnitie the more it falleth into a great multitude hauing in it selfe more disagreeablenesse more parts and composition yet is there no number how neere soeuer to the vnitie being a multitude and made of vnities that is one by nature An excellent theologicall consideration by numbers but by composition Now if we referre this to diuine matters after the manner of Pythagoras and Plato we shall say thus God alone who proceedeth not from any thing and from whom all things proceede is an entire most simple and indiuisible essence and which deriueth all that he possesseth from himselfe and by what reason he subsisteth by the same reason he is wise he is willing he is good and he is iust And we cannot imagine any essence whereof he may consist but the same being which he is But all other things are not the same essence but are through him and therefore an angell is not this vnitie for so should he be God or else there should be sundry Gods which may not be imagined For what should be one but the vnitie alone It resteth then that the angell must be a number which being so on the other side it is one in multitude as euery number commeth of the vnitie by composition and euery number is imperfect bicause it is a multitude that which is perfect being entirely one So then the angell being a number that is a creature he is not the same being it selfe but he is onely an essence to whom the being arriueth by communication to the end that he may subsist Neither is he vnderstanding it selfe but so he vnderstandeth as being by a spirituall nature capable of vnderstanding Those things that betoken imperfection are incident to the angell as he is a multitude or creature But all that which is perfect and of accomplished forme in him is by reason of the vnitie whereof it is composed and which he receiueth bicause that he is conioined with God who is the simple vnitie from whom all being all life and all perfection is deriued to the creature And therefore the philosophers as also the wise Hebrues â—ll the angels separated
Intelligences bicause say they Of the separated intelligence being separated from the most simple vnderstanding they receiue a certaine composition in an essence and vertue which perfecteth them of a Metaphysicall and supernaturall matter and forme Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 10. For this point also Saint Augustine teacheth that there is one onely simple good and therefore immutable which is God and that by this good all things haue beene created good but not simple and therefore they are mutable Which is manifest not onely in man Cause of the fall of the angels and man but euen in some part of the angels as this doctor of the church excellently discourseth in the most part of his worke De ciuitate Dei And these are those of whom the scripture teacheth that they haue not remained in the truth but declining from their first state haue ouerthrowne themselues and haue beene made instruments of perdition to many But as we heard by our precedent speech Iohn 2. 2. Peter 2. Iude. some haue been in this error to beleeue that the good angels were nothing else but good inspirations motions which God gaue men so there haue been that thought that the euill diuels were no other but euill affections through the suggestion of our flesh Yea the impietie of our age hath passed farther For there are many Against those which denie that there be any diuels which will not beleeue that there is any God or diuell And it is not long since that certaine talke being mooued betweene a prelate of this kingdome and certaine others concerning the diuel he blushed not to aske them if they had euer seene any one who had sold him spectacles considering he must needes be very olde since they say that he came first into the world Now such contemners of all religion do euidently shew their ignorance and beastlinesse For there was neuer any I will not say Christian but Ethnicke nor Pagan endued with any naturall knowledge and facultie of teaching but hath spoken of diuels and euill spirits and haue by many writings left to posteritie infinite testimonies concerning their nature and maruellous effects Yea the doctrine of the Assyrians Arabians Egyptians and Grecians confirmeth that which our most diuine theologie teacheth vs concerning the euill angels chased from the seruice of God And amongst others Pherecides the Syrian describeth the fall of the diuels and saith that Ophis which signifieth the diuelish serpent was captaine of the rebellious armie Trismeghistus also the glorie of the Egyptians hath touched the same fall And Homer the most excellent Greeke Poet and setter foorth of mysteries singeth in his verses the fall of the first rebell vnder the name of Até goddesse of iniurie and wrong The Theologie also of the Arabians in imitation of the Hebrew confirmeth the same Yea the diuels themselues haue oftentimes confessed their owne fall as many writings testifie and they know who haue trauelled in the searching out of ancient monuments Wherefore this matter needeth not long disputing and it is not our intent to satisfie the curious and fantasticall of our age to whom nothing is pleasant saue new doctrine Creation and fall of the angels and the cause of them But pursuing the Christian truth we say that since the angels haue beene created of God and the diuels haue beene all created angels there is no doubt but they are his creatures but not of the first condition wherein they were at the beginning For they were created good like the other angels and like man but they haue made themselues euill by their rebellion pride and sinne like as our first father fell from his natiue integritie by imitation of them so that of angels they haue made themselues diuels Iohn 8. And therefore it is written of them that they haue not perseuered in the truth that is that they haue not for euer stucke to God who is the onely good of euery reasonable or intellectuall creature Lib. 12. de ciuit Dei cap. 1. as Saint Augustine doth learnedly teach adding moreouer the cause of their fall when hee saith that the creature which may attaine to the gift of blessednes can not do it of it selfe because it is created of nothing but it receiueth this benefite from him by whom it hath beene created Thereupon is concluded Sweete Christian doctrine to acknowledge all our good of God that immutable good is no other thing but the true blessed God and that yet all things which hee hath created are very excellent good bicause they proceed from him but yet they are mutable bicause they haue beene made not of him that is of his owne substance but of nothing Because then the diuels haue beene created by God we must vnderstand that they haue not that malice which now we say is their naturall estate from their first creation but forsomuch as they haue depraued themselues For that which is damnable in them they haue gotten it since they turned voluntarily from God Iohn 8. And therefore it is saide that Sathan speaketh of his owne when hee speaketh a lie because he abode not in the truth Whereby it appeereth that he was once in it And in that he is called the father of lying all excuse is taken from him so that he cannot impute to God that euill wherof himselfe is cause 2. Peter 2. Iude. Wherfore as the diuels haue declined from their first estate God hath not spared them but hath bound them in the deepe with chaines of darkenes to reserue them to the iudgement of the great day who likewise perseuering in their first malice and enuie haue alwaies endeuored shal continue to the end to be instruments of perdition vnto men And therefore all that which the holy scripture teacheth vs concerning them tendeth to this point that we should stande vpon our guards to resist their temptations and not to be surprised by their ambushments arming vs to this effect with all the armour of God as Saint Paule doth thereto exhort vs. Ephes 6. For he that hath a long time iudged them holds them so with the bridle that they cannot annoy those which are firme in faith to resist them nor do any thing without his will and leaue 1. Pet. 5. But hee maketh them serue for a time measured and prefixed for scourges as it pleaseth him in the execution of his iudgements giuing them much power of error in prodigies and miracles to abuse those which turne from the light of truth to follow darknes and embrace lying And thence spring the idolatries of the Pagans and inuocations on diuels which haue caused so many euils to lay holde on man For the purpose of the diuels hath alwaies beene to make themselues to be serued and honored of men to the ende that being associated with them they might likewise be a most prouoking and effectuall cause of the iudgement of God And yet how many doe
description thereof is properly called Cosmographie which doth comprise in it the first part of Astronomie and Geographie that is the order and reason as well of heauen as of the earth vnder which we vnderstand all natures and essences in them contained And for this cause it seemeth that God being father and author of all things is oftentimes called in the scriptures creator of heauen and earth And as the Greekes did first call the heauen Cosmos bicause of the surpassing beautie so afterward the name of Mundus hath been attributed thereto bicause of the perfect and most pure hiew and neatnes thereof Againe because the world is a solide bodie that is full of celestiall or elementarie substances and because it is of a round and orbicular forme performing a circular motiō without intermission vpon his owne poles round about the earth as about the center thereof it is called a Sphere What a sphere is For a sphere is a bodie contayned vnder one round superficies in the midst whereof is a point from which all lines that are drawne to the circumference are equall Diuision of the world But as we consider the world in this sphere so must we also contemplate it in two distinct parts which manifest themselues by continuall experience and naturall reason to wit the elementarie region continually occupied in generation and corruption in change and alteration of all things as well liuing as not liuing and the celestiall part being of inuariable substance and adorned with innumerable stars as well fixed as wandring which enuiron the saide elementarie region round about so that the elements being diuersly intermingled infused and proportioned are the materiall cause and nouriture of all things and the heauenly part by the light thereof by the motion and influence of the stars is the formall cause of their figure varietie and specificall difference and from it proceedeth their life Now that we may entreat of this first part of the world which we haue named in our first diuision of the Vniuers the world of the spheres we must note that this celestiall region which philosophers call the fift essence thereby meaning that it is of another and more simple nature then the fower elements is by them diuided into eight orbes and particular heauens one ioyning to the other and all concentricall that is hauing one common and selfe same center to wit that of all the world and of these heauens the greatest doth enuiron and by a sphericall order enclose within it that which is next and lesse then it selfe being each discerned by the proper and particular motion of those stars which they containe all which motions do varie one from another And these eight orbes or spheres are the heauen of fixed stars which keepe an vnchangeable distance betweene themselues and for this cause it is called the firmament then follow the seuen planets of which the sunne and moone are properly called Luminaria or great lights Reason of the name of Planets And for Saturne Iupiter Mars Venus and Mercurie they are especially named planets that is wandring in their motions Whereupon we may note in regard of their names that Astrologians to the ende to make their doctrine to be more easily retayned and for certaine good respect and secret reason making themselues like painters to instruct the ignorant haue also named and represented these stars by personages of diuers habits and countenances as likewise they haue disposed vnder diuers figures the twelue signes of the Zodiacke which are certaine stars appointing to one the fashion of a ramme to another of a bull to another of two twinnes and so of the rest So likewise they haue signified the images of heauen which are out of the Zodiacke one by a beare another by an eagle another by an harpe this by a dog and that by a dragon and so of the rest To the sunne it selfe they haue assigned a proper forme and figure as also to the moone And we see that painters haue alwaies made the picture of stars with fiue beames to denote their twinckling light though all of them do not glister so but are of round fashion without points or corporall beames But returne we to our matter concerning the heauens and celestiall spheres and let vs speake of their order and situation Of the order and scituation of the heauens The firmament which is the eight heauen as the highest and greatest of all the rest and as the vttermost ornament and beawtie of all the world doth enuiron round about the heauen of Saturne that of Saturne the heauen of Iupiter that of Iupiter the heauen of Mars and that of Mars the orbe of the Sunne which possesseth the middle place among the seuen planets then the heauen of the Sunne compasseth round about the heauen of Venus that of Venus the heauen of Mercurie and lastly that of Mercurie the heauen of the Moone which is the least lowest of all the rest and placed next about the elementarie region And this number and order of the heauens is commonly receiued of all Astronomers and Philosophers and sheweth it selfe to be such both by naturall reasons and by Mathematicall obseruations Moreouer for so much as by the Astronomers ring and other instruments fitting for the demonstration of this science one may perceiue that these eight spheres are distinguished and separated one from the other certaine reason doth thereupon conclude Of the first moouer which is the ninth heauen that beside these there is a ninth which is called the first moouer which is the guide of the heauens and which by his owne power and violence doth carrie away all the others with it being no whit gouerned by any lower circle but onely by that intelligence which mooueth it or else by the commandement of God to whom all motion is drawen as to the first moouer to the end that the whole harmonie of heauen be not confused as Aristotle in the ende of his Organon prooueth True it is also that some moderne Philosophers doe place betweene the firmament and the first moouer a ninth sphere Of the Chrystalin heauen which they cal the Chrystalline heauen for that some stars are not seene therein And this is because that they cannot perceiue how there might be made in the eight sphere the motion called Trepidation or tottering of the fixed stars if there were not a ninth heauen enclosed within the first moouer For it seemes not likely to them that the firmament which is turned with three motions should be ioyned to the first moouer which is carried with one onely course For this eight sphere hath one daily motion from the west to the east vpon the poles of the Zodiack which is the circle of the signes vpon which according to Ptolomie in each hundred yeeres it rūneth one degree or else in sixty yeers as others hold then hath it the foresaid motion of Trepidation Wherupon they conclude that there is a ninth heauen that
also consider in the sphere fower principall lesser and mooueable circles whereof the two first doe limit out the whole obliquenes of the Zodiacke and the declination thereof from the Equinoctiall as also the conuersions of the Sunne towards it And these circles are nominated Tropickes Of the two tropick◠that is turning or conuertiue because they passe by the two Solstists of the Zodiacke That then which passeth by the first point of Cancer which is the Sommer-Solstice is called the Tropicke of Cancer or sommer-Tropick and that which passeth by the first point of Capricorne or winter-solstice is named the winter-Tropicke or Tropicke of Capricorne being therefore one equall to another because they are equally distant from the Equinoctiall For the two other lesser circles Of the two polary circles they are those which be described about the poles of the world by the poles of the zodiack limiting the deuiation or distance of the said poles and for this cause they are called polarie-circles and do retaine the names of the Poles of the world For one is named the North or Arcticke-circle and the other the South or Antarcticke-circle being also equall one to another by the same reason as is vnderstood of the Tropicks And you must note that these said fower lesser circles do diuide the whole sphere into fiue parts or principall regions commonly called Zones whereto as many parts or diuers regions answere vpon the terrestriall globe Of the fiue zones of the world which Zones are different as well in figure and greatnes as also in nature or accidental disposition caused chiefly by the radiation of the sunne The first then of these fiue parts or regions of the sphere is comprehended betweene the two Tropicks diuided by the Equinoctial in the midst for which cause it is the most ample of all the rest The two extremest and smallest are comprised about the poles of the world within the Arcticke and Antarticke circles wherefore the one is called the North and the other the South Zone And the other two are meanes betweene the greatest which is middlemost and the two extremest or least which are about the poles of the world being larger towards the two Tropickes then towards the polary circles which togither are the boūds of them And among these fiue Zones which enuiron the earth some parts of them are become habitable Of the causes which make some parts of the earth habitable and others not and others not by meanes of the diuers effects caused by the sunne For the meane region about the equinoctial is for three causes temperate First because the sun being vnder or about the said Equinoctiall it maketh a greater circuit in the Vniuersall motion of the whole world and runs faster away for which cause his heat maketh not so great impression vpon the earth Secondly because it passeth suddenly from the South to the North part by reason of the transuers disposition of the Zodiacke about the Equinoctiall And thirdly because the daies are there equall with the nights whereby the heate of the one is tempered by the coldnes of the other But about the Tropicks the heat is excessiue in Sommer First because the sunne is then in those stations wherein his shining endureth longer vpon the earth and by reason also that he performeth lesse compasse and passeth slowly away whereby his heat taketh more deepe impression And besides all this the daies are longer then the nights in such sort that the heat of the one surmounteth the cold of the other For the two polarie regions and the circumiacent parts it is manifest that they are far out of the funs way whereof ensueth that by the too much oblique radiation thereof heat is there exceeding feeble and cold great and intollerable Finally in the midst or about the two other foresaide regions betweene the Equinoctiall and poles of the world the disposition of the aire is temperate as well by reason of the commixture of the heate which is about the Tropicks and the cold which is about the polarie circles as bicause of the meane radiation of the sunne that is to say neither too direct nor too oblique So then the middle Zone comprised betweene the two Tropicks is temperate about the midst intemperate through excessiue heate about the extremities thereof whereupon it is in this part called the Torrid-zone bicause the sun doth alwaies turne about it And the two polarie and extreme regions are perpetually intemperate through colde And the two meanes are temperate about the midst and in one extreme thereof intemperate with heate and in the other with cold But thereof followes not that all intemperate places should be inhabitable but onely very hard and difficult to dwell in Hitherto hath our talke been concerning the principall and mooueable circles of the sphere Of immooueable circles and first of the Horizon now let vs intreate of the immooueable Euen then as the Zodiack Equinoctiall are the two chiefest amongst the mooueable circles so are the Horizon and Meridian amongst the immooueable By the Horizon is meant a great circle imagined in heauen which diuideth that halfe of heauen which is seene from that halfe which is not seene that is which parteth the Hemisphere vnder vs from that which is aboue vs. And to this same circle one of the poles is alwaies the verticall point and the other pole is the point opposite Wherefore by how much each place hath his point higher by so much doth the Horizon of each place differ for there are so many Horizons as there be particular places And therfore the Horizon of those which haue the verticall point that is the point which is right ouer head vnder the Equinoctiall is named the right Horizon bicause it must needes passe by the poles of the world and diuideth the Equinoctiall at right angles one equall to another Whereupon it is also called a right sphere bicause it seemeth to bee rightly placed in respect of that Horizon and the starres to make their motion directly by the vniuersall motion of the sphere But the Horizon of those whose zenith is out of the Equinoctiall towards the one or other pole of the world is called oblique bicause that one of the poles to wit that which the verticall point is next to is eleuated aboue the said Horizon and the other pole is so much depressed vnder the same which for this occasion doth diuide the Equinoctiall at oblique angles vnequal one to another Wherefore also the sphere is said to be oblique bicause it is obliquely placed in respect of the said Horizon and the starres turne obliquely in the vniuersall motion And therefore it is euident that all direct Horizons are of one selfesame disposition but amongst the oblique there are as many differences of obliquitie as are distances betweene the verticall point and the Equinoctiall or as the eleuation of the pole is diuers aboue them For the Meridian it is a great circle
the said howerly circles which are all of them then called Verticall circles Cause of the diuersitie of dials or quadrants Those dials therefore or quadrants which are made to take the height of the sunne are composed by diuers considerations for some depend vpon sections made by the foresaid hower-circles as those which are grauen on the face of the Equinoctiall and are therefore called Equinoctiall-dials or else vpon the plaine of the Horizon which are named Horizontall or vpon the face of the Verticall-circle which diuideth the Meridian at right angles which are erected towards the south and are nominated Verticall In which three sorts of dials the hower-spaces are noted by straight lines proceeding out of one onely point which representeth the center of the world and the Index or gnomon to shewe those howers representeth the Axis vpon which the heauen maketh his first and vniuersall motion The other sunne-dials depend vpon the coextension or impression of the foresaid hower-circles as those which are described vpon the face of the Meridian circle and are erected towards the east or west being named Laterall and can serue but onely for the forenoone or afternoone or such as are made vpon the face of the sixe howers circle hanging and inclining towards the south by the axtree of the world for this cause named hanging-dials In which two sorts of dials the hower-spaces are designed by parallell lines and the Indexes by the axtrees of the circles or else they are described and erected perpendicularly vpon the face of the said circles And in all the fore-recited dials and such like the hower-spaces are vnequall and haue notable difference one from another except those onely which are drawne vpon the face of the Equinoctial bicause it alone is diuided into euen portions by the hower-circles whereof the proiection in Plano must obserue equall spaces And by consequence it is euident that only Equinoctiall and Horizontall dials serue for all howers of the day at all times of the yeere and the Verticall onelie sixe howers before and sixe howers after noone the hanging-dials ten howers fiue before and fiue after noone and the Laterall from sunne rising till noone or from noone till sunne set Moreouer it is manifest that all these dials except the Equinoctiall dials must be described particularly according to the proper eleuation of the pole aboue euery oblique Horizon bicause the hower-spaces and Indexes are diuers according to the varietie of the said polary-eleuations But the Equinoctiall dials may serue vniuersally in applying them according to the height of the Equinoctiall aboue euery oblique Horizon because those spaces are equall and of one sort But breaking off this talke of dials Of the twelue howses of heauen let vs now entreate of those circles which with the Horizon and Meridian diuide the whole heauen into twelue equall portions which are named the twelue houses of heauen First then is to be noted that as the sunne and the rest of the planets in performing their reuolution by their proper and peculiar motion in the Zodiack according to the radiation of the sunne being notably diuersified from signe to signe and according to the disposition of elementarie substances do imprint their influence and vertue diuersly causing sundry effects vpon the earth so likewise these faire celestiall lights being turned euery day about the earth by the first and vniuersall motion of the whole sphere do make the verie like mutation of their power and influence vpon the terrestriall globe by the variation of their shining as may be marked from signe to signe either mounting aboue or descending vnder the Horizon Circles that deuide the twelue houses of heauen For this cause you must diuide the entire sphere of the world in regard of the Horizon being right or oblique into twelue equall parts or signes which are called houses that is notable mansions of heauen Which is done by the proper Horizon and Meridian with fowre other great circles and particular Horizons passing by the two intersections of the said proper Horizon and Meridian circle and diuiding euery quarter of the principall Verticall circle which maketh right angles with the said Meridian comprehended betweene the said Meridian and the Horizon into three signes which amount togither to the number of twelue And these houses or notable mansions of heauen begin at the east side of the Horizon and the first sixe are distributed vnder it and the other sixe aboue it according to the order of the twelue signes of the Zodiack and the proper motion of the planets which is from the west eastward So that by the Horizon with the Meridian the fower principall angles of the saide houses are distinguished that is the east angle which is named the Horoscope being the beginning of the first house the west angle of the Horizon whereat beginneth the seuenth house and the midde heauen which is the third angle and there beginneth the tenth house and for the fourth the angle vnder earth where beginneth the fourth house by the Meridian Agreeablenes of the twelue houses with the diuers seasons of the yeere Euen so as we haue heard as the colures distinguish the two Equinoctiall points and the two Solstists or sunsteads of the zodiack which are the foure notable points therof agreeing with the fower angles aforesaid For the Horoscope agreeth with the vernal Equinoctial point mid-heauen with the sommer Solstice the west angle with the Autumne Equinoctiall point and the angle vnder the earth with the winter Solstice and so consequently the fowre quarters of the foresaid Vertical circle are correspondent to those of the Zodiack which make the fowre seasons of the yeere and each whereof is diuided into three signes as also euery quarter of the said circle into three houses equall to those signes so that the sixe houses which are aboue the Horizon do accord with the sixe septentrionall signes of the Zodiack and the sixe other houses with the south or Meridionall signes And these twelue houses of heauen are called by diuers names for those fowre which begin at the fowre foresaid angles are named Angularie houses the next fowre following are called Succedent and the rest Cadent Moreouer we must note that in the right sphere each of these houses comprehendeth one signe of the Equinoctiall because this circle is ioyned with the foresaid Verticall and all the circles which distinguish them passe by the poles of the world because they consist in the foresaid sections of the Horizon and Meridian which hath caused many to erre in this point who would make the distinction of the said houses in the Equinoctiall both in the oblique and in the right sphere lightly following the authoritie of Ptolomie not noting how that author had the sphere right to him so that in that respect hee spake well referring the manner how to distinguish the saide houses in the oblique sphere to the iudgement of all good Astronomers Finally it is to be vnderstood
receiue their essence and continuance not from themselues but from God alone Yet for all that do they not thinke that the heauens shall altogither faile nor that God will haue it so And others maintaine that though the heauens must passe and be dissolued according to the word of God that yet this defect shall not be an entire annihilating but onely a certaine chaunge which shall come to them by which they shall be renued in far more perfection Whereto it seemeth that Saint Paule agreeth Rom. 8. when he cleerly testifieth concerning all creatures ingenerall that they are subiect to corruption because of the sinne of man and for that cause they doe attend with great desire for the reuelation and redemption of the children of God because they shal not be relieued nor deliuered from the seruitude of corruption to be in the liberty of the glory of them and restored to their integritie till the day ordayned by the creator for the acceptation of his into eternall felicitie For thereupon ensueth that the heauens and celestiall bodies sigh and grone attending togither with the other creatures this blessed day to be chaunged renued restored which S. Peter likewise teacheth in the place before cited Yea some philosophers accord with him concerning the dissolution of the world by fire but not concerning the cause thereof For they refer it not to the sinne of man which hath infected the heauen the earth and all things contained therein and put the world into disorder and confusion but to the nature of fire which at last consumeth all and whereof they giue a reason by naturall causes There are also some Astronomers who affirme that some change may bee perceiued in the spheres and heauenly bodies concerning their courses and ordinarie motions and that they are somewhat different from those which they haue had from the beginning how they waxe weary are worne and become old in their function like to other creatures although this change doth much lesse appeere in them then in the other works of God but wee will leaue this argument to the professors of Astrologie And let it suffice vs for conclusion of this matter to consider what the stabilitie and continuance of men in this world may be seeing that all other creatures must receiue a change and haue an end yea the very heauens themselues For what are all people in respect of this great Vniuers And againe what is euery one of them particularly in comparison of the generalitie of mankinde and of all those which haue already gone before vs But let vs returne to that which concerneth the heauens and sphericall bodies considering that which doth touch their motions besides that which hath beene already declared which AMANA shall be the subiect for you to discourse vpon Of the motions ingenerall of their first cause and of their vnion in all nature Chapter 26. AMANA EAre we enter into the declaration of the subiect which is now propounded vnto vs to discourse vpon concerning heauen my desire is that wee may cal to our memorie that which we haue already heeretofore heard of the nature of the heauens concerning the matter whereof they are compounded and concerning their beautie stabilitie and continuance For so shall wee reduce the end of our discourse to that principall point whereunto we haue alreadie from the beginning destinated it that is so much the better to acknowledge our God and his prouidence to the end to glorifie him I say then that if we considerately meditate vpon the excellencie of the celestiall bodies we shall therein finde a more expresse image of the eternitie and maiestie of God and of his diuine and immutable nature then in any of all the other visible creatures Moreouer we may accept of them as a testimony and example not onely of the immortalitie which God hath ordained for mens soules which are spirituall natures but also of that which he hath promised our bodies after our resurrection For that hee can accomplish his promise we neither may nor must make doubt of if we beleeue that he is almightie No more must we make doubt of his will sith he hath declared it vnto vs in his word If then he hath beene able to create the heauens and the stars and planets which in them are like splendant precious stones enchased in rings of a matter so firme and durable that it remaineth incorruptible and as it were immortall whether it be taken from the fowre elements or be of an other quint-essence as we haue already heard It shal be no lesse easie for him to make our bodies incorruptible and immortall hauing deliuered them from corruption and death to which through sinne they were subiect Now let vs pursue that which particularly concerneth the heauen in his motion wherein wee haue notable signes of the glorie and bountie of our God Three sorts of motion To vnderstand then sufficiently that which concerneth the present matter we will first note that there be three sorts of motion in the whole world For there is one which tendeth to the midst and to the center of the Vniuers which is in the earth the lowest of elements which motion for that it descendeth is proper to the most heauie elements and to such creatures as do most participate with them Then is there another motion contrarie to the first which alwaies tendeth from the midst and from belowe vpwards and this is proper to the most light elements and to those natures which do neerest approch vnto them and which participate with their qualities more then the rest But the third kinde of motion is that which neither mounteth nor descendeth either one way or other but goeth round euer turning about the midst like a circle or a wheele And this is that which is proper to heauen and to the sphericall bodies being most certaine disposed and composed by a most constant and firme order For though that all the elements and all other creatures which haue motion obserue an order therein yet is it more subiect to change according as the inferior bodies are subiect to the superior But those haue a more certaine course because they depend not vpon other bodies which are aboue them but immediately vpon God without the meanes of any other corporall nature And therefore of all the motions which are in all creatures that of the heauen and heauenly bodies is chiefest and most excellent Of the motion of the spheres attributed to the angels For whereas some attribute the motions of the spheres to the angels as if God vsed their ministerie heerein as we haue already declared whether it be so or not yet this is most certaine that the heauens haue their motion immediately from God seeing there are no corporall natures aboue them whereby they may be mooued For the angels are certaine spirituall creatures on whom if the omnipotent hath imposed this charge we must be content to leaue the vnderstanding thereof to him alone
heauens is far from all chaunge and error it is neither inebriated nor subuerted Wherewith then wil they blame the heauens If any say that by nature they are euill Reason and originall of euill in nature how is it that this euill should come into their nature For the Sages collect these reasons and originall of euill in nature either for that the efficient cause cannot gouerne the superfluitie of the matter or else cannot supply where it faileth or else cannot dulie dispose it and such other reasons as presuppose a feeble power of the cause But for as much as the smith and carpenter of the heauens is of infinite power how should he faile in his workmanship For there was no other cause which might encounter him since that without any aide he framed the heauens neither could any thing resist the infinite worker who reduced all things into a due and proper estate as we haue heretofore amply declared Yet notwithstanding so many reasons how many are there which obstinately leaning to the vaine and curious obseruations of the starres as an infallible rule of the life and estate of man do aboue all things feare least in the ascendant of the natiuitie any euill planet should haue domination And indeed do we not behold that Astrologers and aboue all Magitians are so much sought after amongst vs that many do as one may say hold him to be miserable who knoweth not his Horoscope To the ende then that we may better expell out of the braine of euerie one such foolish opinions let vs I pray you stretch out this discourse in particular against such as accuse Saturne and Mars for most euill planets the charge whereof AMANA I commit to you Of the Planet Saturne and how it is not euill nor any other starre Chapter 30. AMANA VVE shall doe verie well if keeping our selues from the superstition curiosity which misguideth many in the studie of iudicial Astrologie and Diuination we stay our selues in the most simple and most certaine Astronomie which the spirit of God teacheth vs by the creation of the world that is to contemplate the creator by his works For so should we become good Astronomers and Christian Astrologers if I say contemplating the heauens and all the ornament of them we propose them vnto vs as vniuersall preachers of the glorie of the Soueraigne and consider them as the high works of his hands as the Psalmist doth exhort vs. Psal 8. 19. And so by creation of the Sunne Moone Stars and other celestiall bodies we shall learne to meditate what light there is in him who dwelleth in the inaccessible brightnes and which is the father and fountaine of all lights as also what good we are to hope for of him For by that good which the corporall light bringeth vnto vs for our bodies and the Sunne A good and true vse of astronomie Moone and Starres for the life of men wee may somewhat iudge what felicitie is prepared by the Diuine and spirituall light for our soules and by God our Creator in whom it abideth beeing a sure meanes not to feare the signes of heauen nor the constellations and aspects of the starres wherewith many do so menace men as if in heauen as in a court of tyrants it were ordained that so many mischiefes as should happen to the world should be contriued But let those who so charge the starres of crimes and therefore turne ouer the bookes of Pagan Astrologers and Atheists rather then diuine writings lend a while an care to some good witnesses whom they themselues cannot reprooue and who do euen praise the planet of Saturne the malice of whom we haue heard to be so great Behold then first of all how the prince of the Astronomical doctrine deposeth and testifieth concerning this planet in these termes Ptol. in 3. apotel How the planet Saturne is good If Saturne be only signifier in the estate of the minde and Lord of the place of Mercurie and of the moone and blaseth towards the corners of the world good aspects and beames the childe shall be a louer of good things of great and firme counsell and a searcher out of secret things and diuine Likewise Iulius Firmicus adorning this planet with many great praises saith that from his vertue proceedeth a quicke and subtile spirite in the deliberation of affaires a certaine worde a stable amitie a long foresight and a roiall counsell There be also many moderne Astronomers who say of the same Saturne That euen as the common and ciuill life is designed by Iupiter so likewise the solitary and diuine life is appropriated to Saturne Yea the ancient Philosophers and Poets haue sung that he is most good and that the golden world did passe vnder him fayning that Iupiter did afterward vsurpe the kingdome hauing chased out Saturne and that then began the siluer age Praise of ancient poets And let vs note in regard of the most famous Poets amongst the ancients that they haue by their writings penetrated into the most profound cabinets of nature and approched the secrets of the diuine thought For they sung not iestes as some hold which the old fathers would not mention to their little children but they haue beene acknowledged of the Sages for great diuines who hid the mysteries both of the one and other nature vnder the vaile of fables and for this cause are they celebrated of such as vnderstand well their doctrine That it is so Aristole doth plainly manifest in that the confirmeth great points of Philosophie by the testimonie of Simonides and of Homer And Archesilaus the inuentor of the new Academie ascribed so much honour to Homer that he neuer went to bedde but he read some of his verses first and saide likewise in the day time that he might haue more leasure to read that he went to his beloued Anaxagoras also yea and our Basil with laud admire the excellent vertue in the writings of this Greeke Poet. And how many be there likewise who esteeme Virgil the imitator of Homer for a doctor in all naturall and morall Philosophie For many referre all that which he hath fained to an allegoricall sense Lucretius also entreateth of all the precepts of Philosophie in verse And Orpheus singeth more loftily then humane knowledge can extend to the mysteries of Theologie and of the sacred ceremonies which he had learned out of holy letters as himselfe confesseth Ouid likewise hath couered many of the secrets of Pythagoras of the creation disposition of the vniuers in his Metamorphosis but because he depraueth thē with too lasciuious a discourse he looseth very much of their dignitie Wherein he hath been imitated of many other Poets Against the poets of this age as in this our age wherein there are verie many who doe the office rather of bauds then of the true children of the chaste Muses because they delight to weaue poisoning sense in the web of their faire words Such
by reason the minde may alwaies moderate and correct And taking occasion vpon this matter let vs come to the true Astronomie and Astrologie of Christians which is to contemplate the glorie and greatnes of God by the worke of the heauens as ACHITOB finishing this daies worke you may relate to vs. Of the true Astronomie which the heauens teach vs and especially the sunne in his admirable effects Chap. 32. ACHBTOB IT is not without cause that the prophet saith The heauens declare the glorie of God Psal 19. and the earth sheweth the worke of his hands For thereby he euidently teacheth that the worke of the spheres and their well ordred motion doe demonstrate as with the finger euen to our eies the great and admirable prouidence of God their creator euen as if the heauens should speake to euery one In an other place it is written Eccle. 43. This high ornament this cleere firmament the beautie of the heauen so glorious to behold is a thing full of hough then that the heauens haue neither voice nor speech like men yet when the workmanship of them and the goodly images pourtraied and placed in them do present themselues vnto vs it is as much as if God spake to vs. For sight belongeth to the eies as hearing doth to the eares and that which offereth it selfe to those The heauens are visible words which preach vnto vs God is as the sound is to these Wherefore in very deede we may call not onely the heauens sunne moone and starres but all other creatures also visible words which speake to the eies as those which are in sound and voice doe speake to the eares If likewise we can very well vnderstand dumbe folkes by the signes which they make vs say that they speake by signes why then should we not harken to the language of God speaking by the heauens and by the signes which he hath placed in them For may we not truly say that they speake vnto vs by signes And if we call bookes dumbe teachers bicause they teach by the meanes of writing which they lay before our eies what fairer booke may wee see written in a fairer letter and of more neate impression and printed with goodlier characters then this great booke of the whole vniuers and chiefly of the heauens Againe if it be needefull for vs to seeke out images to represent God that so he might become visible to vs where may we finde them fairer and more liuely and which speake vnto vs a language most easie to be vnderstood if we be not altogether deafe Wherefore it is not without good cause that when God willing to make his greatnes his magnificence and prouidence known to his people saith by Esay Lift vp your eies on high Isay 40. be hold who hath created these things which is he that bringeth out their armies by number and calleth them all by their names By the greatnes of his power and mighty strength nothing faileth This is it in all these considerations that Dauid in the place before alledged after he hath acknowledged that there is no language nor speech where the voice of the heauens is not heard doth further adde that their line is gone foorth through all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world meaning by this line the magnificent frame and excellent workmanship of them For all is so well made and composed therein by the workmaster that it seemeth to haue been all drawne out by line rule and compasse And when he speaketh of their words he vnderstandeth the marke and impression which is in them by which they preach vnto vs in stead of words And for this cause also he saith before that one day vttereth speech vnto another day and one night teacheth knowledge vnto another night which is as much as if he should say that one day teacheth and preacheth another and the night doth the same bicause that from day to day and from night to night God manifesteth his power and glorie And let vs note Of the excellency of the sunne and true testimonie of the prouidence of God that the prophet proposing vnto vs the heauens thus in generall as true preachers of his diuine prouidence maketh principall and expresse mention of the Sunne bicause it is the most goodly creature the most agreeable most profitable and necessarie for men and for all the rest of the works of God For this cause also euery one giueth more heed vnto it then to all the other celestiall bodies For it is by the course and meanes of the Sunne that we haue ordinarily daies and nights and that they be sometimes longer sometimes shorter and another time equall as hath been already told vs and also that we haue the distinction of yeeres and of the diuers seasons of them as of the spring time summer autumne and winter and of the time fit to sowe plant till the earth and to gather the fruites thereof and generally to performe all other workes necessarie for the life of man And then may very well bee considered the course and compasse of this goodly light which is from the one end of heauen to the other end and how there is nothing that is hid from the heate thereof Shall we let passe in silence the gallant course which euery day it maketh compassing the whole world in the space of fower and twenty howers without being any whit wearie For from the hower that God hath created it it hath neuer desisted from worke day nor night and hath neuer failed one iot neither shal cease so long as the world shal endure And therefore it is also said in Ecclesiasticus The sunne also a maruellous instrument Eccles 43. when it appeereth declareth at his going out the worke of the most high And presently after Great is the Lord that made it by whose commandement it doth runne hastily Then speaking in generall of all the planets and starres It is a campe saith he pitched on high shining in the firmament of heauen the beautie of the heauens are the glorious starres and the ornament that shineth in the high places of the Lord. By the commandement of the holy one they continue in their order and faile not in their watch And who is it except the blinde that beholdeth not this goodly sunne to passe out of his pauilion like a magnificent king that marcheth foorth of his palace Who seeth not the faire countenance that he sheweth to all being as the eie and mirrour of the whole world Who vieweth not his trim locks and the golden haires and yellow beard of his raies by which he spreadeth his light and heate vpon all creatures In such sort that as none can auoide his heate so none can flie from his light For as it is written By the word of the Lord are his works Eccles 42. Eccles 43. The sunne that shineth looketh vpon all things and all the works thereof are full of the
principally in the sunne who alone is in the world sufficient for the totall vniuers euen as there is but one God who is the sufficiencie of all creatures Moreouer as this visible sunne is a fountaine of light which is neuer exhausted nor yet diminisheth in communicating himselfe with all creatures Eccles 42. but is perpetuall so is it of God concerning whome it is written that he hath garnished the excellent workes of his wisedome being from euerlasting and to euerlasting for euer and that vnto him nothing can be added neither can he be diminished 1. Tim. 6. Moreouer when it is said of God that he dwelleth in vnaccessible light by reason that it is incomprehensible to all creatures Iames. 1. Mal. 4. Iohn 13.8.9.12 Matth. 5. Ephes 6. and when he is called the father of light and his sonne Iesus Christ the sonne of Iustice and the light of the world and his word and likewise they who heare it and who receiue it are called lights candles lampes and burning torches we must by so many testimonies propound vnto vs in our vnderstanding another inuisible and spirituall world of which this same visible and corporall one is nothing but a verie rude pourtraiture an image much differing from that which it representeth so conclude that if this image and picture that which yet we behold not but as in a dim glasse be a thing so goodly and so excellent that indeed it may be couered with the vaile of this All which we so much admire Eccles 43. For we may say with Ecclesiasticus That there are hid yet many greater things then these be and we haue seene but few of his works For as he addeth who hath seene him that hee may tell vs And who can magnifie him as he is Consequently let vs set before our eies all this inuisible and spirituall world replenished with soules and spirits as we behold this visible world replenished with bodies and let vs contemplate twise as many spirituall eies in this intelligible sphere as there be corporall in all men and in other liuing creatures and then let vs mount vp to God and to Iesus Christ our Lord which is the Sonne that illuminateth and lightneth all and so let vs consider how bright this sonne must be and what is the light and splendor of him considering that he is the great Sonne eternall infinite and incomprehensible who hath created that Sunne which we behold the light whereof is not so much in proportion comparable with the least beame of the diuine light as is the brightnes of the least star yea of a candle compared with all this visible sunne or as one drop of water balanced with the huge sea Now let vs consider that if the sight of this heauenly planet be pleasant to vs and bring vnto vs ioy and comfort through his light and heat being cause of so many profits and benefits to all creatures how much more should the contemplation of the great euerlasting Sonne be delightfull vnto vs and what inexplicable benefits doth it bring to men namely to their soules and spirits For this is the true Sunne of iustice which according to the prophet hath health in his wings that is in his beames Mal. 4. by which he maketh men enioy life eternall And therefore verie fitly doth the Scripture compare not onely the knowledge of God but also his fauour and grace and the times of prosperitie and of his aide and succour to the light as also it compareth mens ignorance of God and the times of aduersitie and of his furie and vengeance to the night and to darknes Isay 60. For this cause Isay willing to declare a great grace of God to the people of Israell saith amongst other things Thou shalt haue no more sun to shine by day neither shall the brightnes of the Moone shine vnto thee for the Lord shall be thine euerlasting light and thy God thy glorie thy sunne shall neuer goe downe neither shall thy Moone be hid for the Lord shall be thine euerlasting light and the daies of thy sorrow shall be ended And when the prophets denounce vnto men any great and horrible and fearfull iudgement of God they commonly say that the sunne Isay 13. 24. Ioel. 2. Acts 2. Matth. 24. Isay 34. the moone and the stars shall loose their brightnes that the sunne shall waxe darke and the moone shall be turned into blood and the starres shall fall from heauen and the heauen it selfe shall rowle like a scrowle so that the whole face of the world shall be chaunged as if it should be turned vpside downe and perish cleane And though these things come not to passe iust so in respect of the creatures yet doe the prophets by such manner of speech signifie the greatnes of the iudgements of God and of his wrath when he punisheth man For though the nature which he hath created doth still remaine in one estate yet it happeneth commonly to men according to the feeling which they haue of the wrath of God except they be altogither obdurate against his iudgements as if the whole frame of the world were ouerturned and as if all creatures should set themselues against them to warre vpon them and confound them by rushing on them and running at them Isay 9. On the other side Isay declaring the grace which God would shew to his people speaketh thus The people that walked in darkenes haue seene light they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death vpon them hath the light shined Isay 60. Againe in another place Arise oh Ierusalem be bright for thy light is come and the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon thee For behold darkenes shall couer the earth and grosse darkenes the people but the Lord shall arise vpon thee and his glorie shall be seene vpon thee And the Gentiles shall walke in thy light and kings at the brightnes of thy rising vp But the prophet speaketh in another kinde of language to the people when he talketh to the wicked Isay 59. and telleth them amongst other things Therefore is iudgement far from vs and iustice doth not come neere vs We waite for light but loe it is darkenes for brightnes but we walke in darkenes We grope for the wall like the blind and we feele with our hands as one that were without eies We stumble at noone daies as in darkenes we are in solitarie places as dead men Luke 22. Ephes 6. And therefore also the kingdome of the diuel is called in holy-writ the kingdome of darknes and he which is the king is named the Prince of darkenes But the people of God requesting that the knowledge of him might bee spread abroad throughout the whole earth with all prosperitie and blessednes saith in the Psalmes Psal 67. God be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and cause his face to shine amongst vs. So likewise the author of these diuine
the terrestriall celestiall and supercelestiall world by this number of ten as the diuinitie of the Hebrues doth teach and as we haue heretofore made mention The which number likewise doth containe all manner of numbers be they euen odde square long plaine perfect cubicall pyramidall prime or compound numbers And thereby that is by denarie proportions fower cubicall numbers are accomplished so fower is the roote of ten and ten of an hundred and an hundred of a thousand For as 1. 2. 3. and 4. make ten so by tens are hundreds made and by hundreds thousands Moreouer foure containeth all musicall harmonie bicause that therein is the proportion double triple quadruple of so much and an halfe and of so much a third wherof resulteth the diapason the bisdiapason diapente diatesseron and diapason togither with diapente For this cause Hierocles the interpreter of Pythagoras doth so extoll this number of fower that he affirmeth it to be the cause of all things and that nothing can be said or done which proceedeth not from it as from the roote and foundation of all nature And therfore did the Pythagorians sweare by this number as by some holy thing making as may be easily coniectured allusion to that great fower-lettered name of the Hebrues The name of God foure-lettered from whom they receiued their instructions Which name of the holy of holies God eternall and most good requireth no fewer letters among the Greekes and Latines no not amongst the most barbarous nations wherein one may directly beleeue that great mysteries are hidden That the foure elements do found all doctrine and art But not to wander farther from our elementarie region as therein we acknowledge fower elements so many likewise are there in the Metaphysicks to wit the essence the estate the vertue and the action The naturalist also teacheth fower nurses of nature to wit power growth the forme growne and the composition And the Mathematicians haue these fower elements the point the line the plaine and the solid And that which the point is in the Mathematicks the same is the seminarie power in the Phisickes the line is as the naturall growth the plaine or superficies as the forme perfect in greatnes and the solide or cube or deepe bodie as the composition There are amongst the morall philosophers also fower seedes of vertues prudence temperatenes or temperance fortitude and iustice And there are fower faculties found to iudge of things that is vnderstanding discipline opinion and the senses Artificers likewise accustome to settle their buildings vpon fower corners to the end they may be firme and durable wherein they imitate nature which worketh so in all this world And the soueraigne gouernor thereof hath willed that there should be fower foundations of the most perfect eternall and firme law of grace to wit the fower Euangelists Agreement of the elements It then plainly appeereth that not without great mysterie the creator setled fower foundations of all this mundane frame which in admirable proportion doe accord togither as al square numbers which are inclosed by a proper number referre themselues by a middle proportionall to both sides For as we haue said the elements are agreeable one to another with their coupled qualities whereof each retaineth one peculiar qualitie to it selfe and agreeth in the other as by a meane with the next element So that the fower elements are as if each one of them had two hands by which they held one another as in a round daunce or else as if they were conioined and linked togither as with chains and buckles And therefore the water is moist and cold retaining the moisture as peculiar to it selfe and in coldnes participating with the nature of the earth by the moisture thereof it is also allied vnto the aire which also in some measure participateth in heate with the nature of fire Wherefore as the earth accordeth in coldnes with the water so is the water answerable in moisture to the aire and the aire is correspondent in heate to the fire retaining yet neuertheles each of them one proper predominant qualitie But aboue all the Academicks haue inuented a goodly concord betweene these elements in their discourses of the quadruple proportion from which onely their musicall proportions doe proceede for if one passe farther mens eares seeme to bee offended They say then Of the harmonie of the elements that the fire is twise more subtile then the aire thrise more mooueable and fower times more pearsing Likewise that the aire is twise more sharpe then the water thrise more subtile and fower times more mooueable Againe that the water is twise more sharpe then the earth thrise more subtile and fower-times more mooueable And in this proportion haue they found out the harmonie of the elements and shewed that though the fire be sharpe subtile and mooueable the aire subtile mooueable and moist the water mooueable moist and corporall the earth corporall immooueable and dry yet is there a certaine accord and vnion betweene them bicause that betwixt the fire and the earth the aire and water haue been placed by such a couenant that there is the same respect betwixt the fire and the aire that is betweene the aire and the water and betweene the water and the earth and againe that such as the earth is towards the water such is the water towards the aire and the aire towards the fire in correspondencie of qualities and harmonious contrarietie Wherefore they conclude that the harmonie is on all sides so great among the elements that it is no maruell if in their proper places and in their compounds they maintaine and repose themselues with very great and friendly concord Whereby it appeereth that none can induce a goodlier reason why the water doth not ouerflow the earth being higher then it then to say that it will not swarue from this agreement But further concerning this matter what shall we say of those which accept but of three elements namely the aire the water and the earth and reiect the elementary fire I would faine heare you ARAM discourse thereof Of the opinion of those who admit but three elements not acknowledging the elementary fire Chapter 39. ARAM. BEtweene the lowest place and the highest it is necessarie that there shoulde be two places simplie meane to wit the places not exactly lowest nor highest And for that consideration some of the learned conclude that there be so many simple bodies made and consisting of the prime and first matter which are called by the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is beginnings or elements of those proceedeth the generation of all corruptible things And if probable arguments may ought preuaile each one must acknowledge fower elements in all compound bodies as the most part of those who haue diligently considered the workes of nature are of opinion Now there is none that can doubt of the earth of the water and of the aire because of their
greatnes and huge extension seene by euery eie But for the fire we onely see the increase the power and simple matter thereof and his force or fountaine is esteemed to be in the concauitie of the moone aboue the aire Of such as say that there is no fire vnder the sphere of the moone Yet some among the naturall Philosophers affirme and maintaine that there is no fire vnder the orbe of the moone neither will acknowledge any other elementary fire but the fires of the celestial bodies and the heate of them which they communicate to all the rest of the creatures And therefore they assigne to these fires all the space which is from the moone to the highest heauen Saying moreouer that sith the heauen is a thing most pure it is not conuenient to place a thing most burning vnder that which is exempt from all qualitie For nature doth alwaies ioine extremities with things of meane qualitie as is found betwixt the flesh and the bones where she hath placed a filme or thinne skinne and betweene the bones and the ligatures she hath put the gristles so betwixt the scull and the braine because it is softer then flesh nature hath placed two filmes the hardest whereof is neerest to the bone of the head Thereupon then they conclude that the aire is much fitter then the fire to bee next the heauens and serue as a meane to ioine them with the earth and water And against it they argue that swiftnes of motion is the cause or argument of the heate and that there is no other fire others againe auouch that this cannot be For say they although that solide substances may by motion be heated as stones lead and liuing creatures yet those which disperse or scatter themselues abroad become thereby so much the colder by how much they are more lightly mooued witnes the aire and the water For all strong and swift windes are cold and riuers that haue a quick course are very cold Againe those that denie the elementarie fire Reasons of such as deny the fire to enuiron the aire do bring this argument to wit that the comets and flames which oftentimes do appeere in the heauens do cause in the aire verie great and as it were intollerable heates Therefore they demand what might happen if the vniuersall world especially the elementarie were enuironed by fire who could hinder but that that fire would inflame the aire and after it all other things sith the heate of the celestiall bodies would thereto giue aide They adde how Auerrois doth esteeme that all brightnes is hot and that the aire is such and that euery moist qualitie doth least of all other resist heate How then say they shall the aire resist the fire which is the most vehement and most sharpe of all elements It is true that this Arabicke author hath said that sometimes the fire is not actually hot but what then shall be his possibilitie We say that some medicines are hot by possibilitie because that being taken they heat woondrously But by what creatures shall the fire be deuoured to the end to reduce it to the qualitie of medicines Moreouer if the fire be not hot then is not the water cold which should be to confound al reason and the very order of the world Againe they demand what it is that letteth the fire that it shineth not and that it is not seene in the elementarie region Againe if fire be in the aire why then the higher we mount doe we finde the aire more cold and why do snowes more abound on the mountaine tops then in the lowest places yea vnder the torrid zone Which neuerthelesse might not seeme strange if one should consider how snowe falleth in winter onely and very colde haile in midst of summer the cause whereof we shall heereafter discouer But say they if one should obiect that the highest places are farthest remote from the reuerberation of the sunne this may be an argument of lesse heate but not of coldnes In fine they adde that if heate were in the highest of the aire in an elementary body it should principally there rest for to cause the generation of things Now for this reason it cannot be there considering that the celestiall heat is it that doth engender as al Philosophers maintaine Thereupon they conclude that this imagination of fire aboue the aire is vaine It seemeth also that be a thing neuer so light as is the fire yet can it not mount so exceeding high and to say that it was caried aloft onely coniecturing so and that the place thereof must be there such Rhetoricall arguments are not woorth rehearsing in serious matters Answere to many reasons which are alledged to prooue foure elements There are some also which to the reasons by vs before touched in the beginning of this speech do replie that it seemeth they do not conclude that there be fower simple bodies but rather the contrarie For for the first betwixt two extremes one meane not two is cōmonly assigned which being considered in regard of the elements there shoulde onely be three in number And for this vulgar opinion that in all compound bodies there are esteemed to bee fower elements the heat which is in mixt and compound substances cannot consist of elementarie fire For if the fire shoulde remaine in them it should much more rest in the herbe called Euphorbium and in Pepper which are of an extreme hot and drie nature and therefore one might more commodiously get fire out of them then out of most colde stones which yet wee finde to bee cleane contrarie Moreouer the distillations wherein many straine themselues to search the fower elements doe demonstrate but three substances onely to wit water for water oile insteed of aire and the earth which is in the bottome Now if that any do say that the reddest part of the oyle doth represent the fire because it is verie sharpe and verie subtile we will answere that such piercing sharpnes of sauour proceedeth from the vehement vertue of the fire which operateth in the distillation Which likewise doth manifestly appeere in the oyle extracted from mettals euerie part whereof is of a verie sharpe sauour Wherefore if euerie thing of such a qualitie representeth the fire it must follow of necessity that in euerie such essence no portion of aire may subsist But all the world doth alleage that there may fower humours be perceiued to remaine in the bodies of all liuing creatures And yet what auaileth that to prooue so many elements Nay what if I should say with Thrusianus expounder of Galen vpon the art of Phisicke that there are but three humors only But leaue we this disputation and let vs speake of a more strong and forcible argument taken from the combinations and coniunctions of the elementarie qualities which are in number fower as we haue heard in our precedent discourse They alone then and apart doe not constitute an element for they cannot
let vs now returne to our elementarie world and particularly behold the nature of the fower elements and of things engendred in them and by them Then haue we enough to stand vpon for the common opinion of those who establish this number of fower in that which hath beene already declared and now also in this discourse Let vs first then AMANA heare you discourse of the fire and of the aire and of their maruailous effects Of the fire and of the aire and of the things engendred in them and of their motions and of the Windes Chap. 42. AMANA MAny Philosophers doe diuide all that which subsisteth vnder the concaue of the Moone into three parts one of which they call the highest the other the middle and the third the lowest part The highest they place aboue the middle region of the aire and make as it were the same element partaker with the most pure fire which the ancients nominated Aether because that there the elements are pure subtile thin rare and for that the aire there is very temperate and cleere agreeing with the nature of heauen as to the contrarie in the lower part which is that where we inhabite there is not any sincere element for a sensible element is not pure but all things are there compounded and mixed with the muddie and grosse part of this mundane bodie And concerning the middle region of the aire it is that verie place where the meteors and high impressions do appeere So then aboue the elements are pure beneath the perfect composed bodies do faile by reason of their mixture of the elementary simplicitie in the middle they compound themselues vnperfectly in such sort that one may say that they possesse the middle place betwixt the nature of the elements and of things compounded Now as we haue said before and as the common saying of people is the heauen is often taken for this supreme and middle region of the aire and for the things which are to them conioined and do depend vpon their effects Of the things conioyned and depending vpon the effectes of the fire and of the aire So that in this regard we may vnderstand first two of the fower elements to wit the aire and the fire then all things ingendred in them and by them as windes thunders lightnings haile whirle-windes cloudes Psal 8. Matth. 6. Luke 8. tempests raine dewes frosts snowes and all kinds of fire and such like which arise and appeere in the aire And therein we may also comprise all the creatures which conuerse in it as birds and all creatures that flie euen as the holy Scripture teacheth vs when it maketh mention of the birds of heauen Now the element of fire is knowne to haue his place neerest to the moone being by nature hot and dry and is for this cause lightest hauing his motion quicker then all the elements bicause that lightnes and quicknes is proper to these two qualities heat and drines and therefore also the propertie thereof is to mount alwaies vpwards Of the proper nature of the fire and of the aire vntill that it hath attained to the place destinated vnto it being most conuenient for the nature thereof and which ioineth next vnto the spheres Next the fire the aire possesseth the second place and agreeth in nature with the fire in that it is hot but is contrarie thereto in that it is also moist And therefore the motion thereof followeth that of the fire but it is not so light and quicke by reason of the humiditie which maketh it more heauie and slow That the aire is alwaies mooued And yet it appeereth that it is alwaies mooued bicause that in narrow places small winds doe blow without ceasing For considering that the aire hath the motion thereof tending alwaies vpwards and that it is continually mooued vp and downe it bloweth in a great space very gently but passing through a creuisse or streight place all the violence thereof being drawne togither by reason of the narrownes of the place driueth out flieth vehemently vpon vs after the maner of the waters of great flouds which when it seemeth that they can scarce flowe being vrged through a narrow place or through sluces are constrained to runne out by much force with noise and roring Moreouer according as the aire is mooued either by the heate of the sunne or by the vapors and exhalations which this heat causeth to rise out of the waters and out of the earth or by the waues of the sea or by the caues of the earth and such like causes What winde is we perceiue the aire diuersly agitated For we must note that the windes are nothing else but the aire which is mooued and driuen more violently then ordinarie and which hath his motion more sodaine more violent and strong being driuen and pressed forwards according as the causes are more great or small and according to the places from whence they proceed And this is the reason why the aire is sometimes so peaceable that one cannot feele so much as one onely small puffe of winde but it is as calme as the sea when it is not tossed with any winde or tempest As is euident by those vanes and weathercocks which are set in the tops of turrets and houses for when the winde bloweth not their plates are nothing mooued and yet the aire doth neuer faile to blowe by reason of the perpetuall motion thereof but insomuch as it is not hoised vp and downe it passeth and flieth lightly away without any noise or bruite towards that part whereto we see the point of the vane enclined Of the diuersity of the windes and of the order and boundes of them Sometimes also one may feele some small pleasant and gentle winde to blowe without any violence which is very delectable recreatiue and profitable not onely in regard of men and other liuing things but in respect also of all the fruits of the earth At another time likewise the violence of the windes is so great that it raiseth vp whirle-windes stormes and tempestes which driue the aire with such fury and roughnes that it seemeth they would ouerthrow and confound heauen and earth togither beating downe and carying away all that is before them like a great deluge and water-floud which beareth away with it all that it meets with But though one may suppose so during such tempests yet the course of the windes are not so confused but that all of them obserue their order and certaine places out of which they issue and proceed and their bounds likewise whereat they stay and wherein they are confined as the element of which they are engendred And therefore by experience we see that they follow the course of the Sunne and that they are distributed and disposed according to all the partes of the world as we vsually diuide it hauing respect to the moouing of the spheres For as we diuide the course of the sunne and
doe proceede But when the winde or vapour inclosed in the cloudes will needes get out by force then this causeth thunder And if there come out fire which breaketh the cloud then is it lightning But when these inflamed vapours doe shew foorth a long traine of their fire out of the cloud then this is that which we call a flash of lightning Whereupon ensueth that these lightning-flashes cleaue the cloudes but the fire of thunder teareth and renteth them and causeth them to cracke But referring these arguments to Philosophers we may fitly say that the true cause of thunder is the winde inclosed which seeketh to issue out Of the difference of heat But that which is most admirable therein is the great violence of the flashes thereof the strange accidents which happen by the fire thereof For it doth not onely pierce more then any other fire by reason of the passing swift motion thereof but it is much hotter then all other fire For it is to be noted that there is a difference in heate and that not onely by reason of the matter one fire is hotter then another as that which is in the iron is hotter then that which is in straw and that which is in oken wood is hotter then that which is in willow but euen as in ice we find some scarcely frozen othersome hard and other againe very hard so is there in fire that is scarce fire as when the iron beginneth to waxe somewhat red and another fire that is shining and other that shines very bright Wherefore we must note that fire exceeds in heate and in force sixe manner of waies 1. By nature as I haue said for the most ardent burneth quickest and soonest 2. By the soliditie of the matter as that which is in iron 3. By motion for therby it is made more piercing 4. By greatnes either proper to it selfe or caused by continuance of time which is common to euery fire 5. By hindrance of respiration and by constraint togither as is manifest in lyme which is kindled with water for the heate being gotten in and hid in the fornace being of the kinde of fire is enclosed and gathered within the lyme so that it returneth into fire by the motion and mixture of the water Now the constrained motion must not onely penetrate very much but also it enkindleth heat and as I haue declared it maketh one fire hotter then another And therefore it may be no great woonder Of the violence and force of thunder if the lightning of thunder be of very much force and violence and that the fire thereof being very different from the nature of other fires doth effect strange things For it is not onely more pearcing by reason of the quicke motion thereof but it is also much hotter then all other fire Whereupon it commeth that it can kill any kinde of creature by the onely touch thereof And sometimes the purse remaining whole and sound it melteth the money that is therein which is not fabulous as many thinke nor yet on the other side very much to be admired For that which hurteth doth corrupt either by meanes of the quantitie or for the long continuance thereof And therefore the thunder-fire which is most subtile breaketh not the purse for by reason that it hath very quicke motion it staieth not on it and therefore cannot it endommage it so Moreouer as the aire doth demonstrate vnto vs that by reason of the subtilitie thereof it passeth thorough the purse without any resting vpon it and entreth thereinto filling it when it is emptie though it be fast shut which coulde not be if it found not passage through insensible waies and holes sith the mouth of the purse is very close shut So likewise one little sparke of thunder-fire far more subtile then the aire may easily enter into the purse where finding mettall it fasteneth thereon and staieth therein causing it to melt by the extreme violence and sudden force thereof So then the solid bodies as iron siluer and gold are by so much the sooner spoiled and molten by the lightning by how much they doe more withstand and make resistance against it But in those bodies which be rare full of holes soft and weake the thunder passeth quicke ouer them without hurting them as is seene in the garments that men weare and in very drie wood For other wood burneth by reason that the moisture which remaineth therein doth resist and kindle Whereupon it followeth if we beleeue Plutarch that such as sleepe are neuer stroken with thunder bicause that the sleeping man is loose and becommeth soft and vnequall and in manner dissolued with his pores open as if his spirit failed and left him so that the lightning findeth no such resistance in him as it would doe if he were awake Whereunto this may be also added that he which sleepeth hauing no feare astonishment nor dread in him is by this meanes oftentimes defended from thunder For it is certaine that many haue died with feare onely and apprehension which they haue taken thereof without suffering any violence Wherefore considering that the sense of hearing is of all other senses the most subiect to suffer violent passions and that feares and dread which proceede of noise doe bring the greatest trouble to the soule thereupon he which waketh and apprehendeth very much becommeth bound and thicke in his bodie so that the lightning falling vpon him giueth a greater blowe and a ruder stroke in so much as it findeth greater resistance Meruailous effects of thunder It is woonderfull to consider the strange cases that many authors report to haue happened through thunder But amongst all that is very admirable which Iulius obsequius reciteth of the daughter of Pompeius Lionis a knight of Rome For she returning from certaine plaies and turnayments celebrated at Rome was suddenly stroken from hir palfrey with a thuÌ„derclap stark-dead without apparance of any wound or fracture of member But when hir father caused hir to be stript to burie and interre hir they perceiued hir toong to come foorth at the bottome of hir wombe whereby they knewe that the thunder and fire had stroken hir directly through the mouth and so had issued out at the lower passage a thing exceeding fearefull and woorthie of great maruell That which Du Bartas the honour of the Poets of our age hath written in his no lesse learned then Christian weeke to haue beene seene of the effects of thunder by a woman though it may rather minister cause of laughter then of sorrow yet is it very maruellous For he recounteth that the flame sindged away all the haire about this womans secrets at one instant without doing her any harme But omitting these discourses I will note certaine particularities which some philosophers affirme touching thunder They say then Colomnâ—â— and the keeles of ships exempt from the danger of thunder that it neuer or very seldome toucheth pillars nor the keeles of
ships by reason of the depth of the one and roundnes of the other So that the blowe thereof running along the pillars doth very seldome strike them as also not being able to descend aboue fiue cubits vnder ground and the bottoms of ships being very lowe it scarcely euer falleth there And therefore it is a sure remedie against lightning to hide ones selfe in deepe caues It is also to be noted that although the brightnes of the lightning be seene before the noise of thunder be heard yet proceede they not one before another but are both togither And the reason hereof is easie to vnderstand Why the lightning of thunder is perceiued before the sound be heard For bicause that sight is quicker and sharper then hearing the eie doth sooner behold the brightnes of the lightning then the eare doth heare the sound of the thunder as we see plainly when a man cuts downe a tree or beateth vpon any thing that resoundeth especially if we be farre off For we shall see him strike the stroke sooner then we can heare it as likewise we prooue in ordinance and in all guns and peeces whose fire wee shall see before wee heare the noise of their shoot notwithstaÌ„ding that they are both performed togither But wee haue dwelt long ynough on this matter concerning that which philosophers doe teach We must now consider what the true meteors of Christians are as we haue already discoursed of their Astronomie and Astrologie wherein we shall learne the supernaturall causes of those thunders and lightnings which God sendeth when and how he pleaseth as you ACHITOB can relate vnto vs. Of the true Meteors of Christians and of the supernaturall causes of thunder and lightning Chap. 44. ACHITOB. THE Philosophers call Meteors by a Greeke name that part of natural philosophie which entreateth of the aire and of the things engendred therein and appertayning thereto as namely the cloudes raine snow thunders tempests lightnings and such like because that they are ouer and aboue vs. For the signification of the Greeke word Meteoron importeth so much But the principall profit that like Christians we must desire purchase from this part of Philosophie is that we learne by the contemplation and consideration of the works of God of which we now intreat what is his power wisedome bountie and benignitie towards vs and how it manifesteth it selfe before our eies not onely in the highest heauens wherein the sunne moone and starres are contayned as we haue heretofore shewed but also in the aire and in all the elements placed vnder the spheres For by this knowledge we may reape verie great fruits Of the profit which the knowledge of the meteors bringeth to Christians First in that we are assured that all these things are in the power of our father who is the creator of them that they are all created for our good like the rest of his works and not for our ruine and perdition Then we learne by so many rare workes and maruellous effects to feare and loue the author of them onely and nothing else except in him and for the loue of him acknowledging and firmely beleeuing that he alone is the author and gouernour of all nature For we behold how terrible and fearfull hee sheweth himselfe by thunders and lightnings And againe how louing gratious and benigne he declareth himselfe to be by raine dewes and such like blessings by which he giueth nourishment to men and to all other creatures For these causes also the kingly prophet calleth thunders Psal 29. Psal 18. lightnings teÌ„pests great inundations of waters the voice of the Lord and in another place he speaketh of the Lord as of a magnificent and maiestical prince speaking great like the sound of thunder and casting fire out at his mouth with great flouds and deluges of water saying againe in another place That the almightie maketh great cloudes his chariot and that he walketh vpon the wings of the winde Psal 104. that he maketh the spirits his messengers and a flaming fire his ministers By which fire no doubt Luke 17. but the prophet meaneth the lightning which the Lord sendeth when and where it pleaseth him to cause men to leaue him 2. Pet. 3. and to punish them like their iust iudge as he declared in effect when he rained downe fire and brimstone vpon them of Sodome and Gomorrha and the other cities round about them which are proposed to vs in the Scriptures for examples of the iudgements of God as that of the floud For this cause also Dauid addressing his speech to the great and mightie to the proude and loftie which haue God in contempt saith Giue vnto the Lord yee sonnes of the mightie Psal 29. giue vnto the Lord glorie and strength giue vnto the Lord glorie due vnto his name worship the Lord in his glorious sanctuarie consequently deducing the wonders that God doth by the voice of his thunder how that it sparkleth with flames of fire by reason of the lightnings which proceed out of the clouds when they open and rent themselues with so great noise whereat the deserts and mountaines tremble the hinds calue and bring foorth before their time for feare and dread and the forests are discouered their trees being ouerturned and broken as they are very oftentimes with tempests and whirlewinds as if the Author of all nature did blow through them For it is he as is written in Ecclesiasticus that sendeth out the lightnings as he listeth Eccles 43. who hauing opened his treasures the cloudes flie out like birdes at sight of whom the mountaines leape and the southwinde bloweth according to his will and the voice of his thunder maketh the earth to suffer which is as much to say as that it is mooued and trembleth in regard of men Whereby we may learne what shall become of them all if they enterprise to stand vp against God For surely their force cannot but be much lesse then that of the high mountaines and great trees which might seeme to the ignorant able to oppose themselues against thunders whirlewinds and tempests For this cause also Elihu saith in the booke of Iob. Iob. â—7 At this also mine hart is astonied and is mooued out of his place Heare the sound of his voice and the noise that goeth out of his mouth He directeth it vnder the whole heauen and his light vnto the ends of the world Now he meaneth by this light the lightnings which our God causeth to appeere in one moment and instant from the east to the west from the one side of the world to the other as the Scripture declareth otherwhere and it is easie to note by reason that he proceedeth saying Matth. 24. After it a noise soundeth he thundreth with the voice of his maiestie and he will not stay them when his voice is heard Meâ—â—â—les to be câ—nsidered in the fire of thunder God thundreth maruellously with
but that the windowes of heauen were opened and that raine fell vpon the earth forty daies and fortie nights For which cause also the Psalmist singeth The voice of the Lord is vpon the waters Psal 29. the glory of God maketh it to thunder the Lord is vpon the great waters He was set vpon the floud and he shal remaine king for euer which is asmuch to say as the Lord hath executed his iudgement vpon the wicked by the waters of the floud and that as then he tooke vengeance so it is he that doth for euer remaine iudge of the world and that maketh all creatures to tremble before him Where wee haue great matter of feare and trembling if wee beleeue the word of God and the testimonies which it deliuereth of his iudgements when I say we diligently consider the effects of the nature of the higher elements Therefore whensoeuer wee see close weather and the aire filled with cloudes threatning vs with raine and tempests the sight thereof should alwaies refresh and renew in vs the memorie of this iudgement of God so terrible and vniuersall in the flud to teach vs to walke in more feare of his Maiestie But there are few which thinke thereupon and can make their profite thereof and many to the contrarie doe but iest and scoffe at it as if it were a fable and a fantasie I knowe very well that the scripture saith that God set the raine-bow in the cloudes for signe of an accord and attonement betweene him and men and euery liuing creature to the ende that the waters might neuer after increase to such a floud as should roote out all flesh But we must note that the Eternall doth not here promise neuer to send any deluge vpon the earth Genes 9. Many goodly thingâ— to bee câ—â—â—â—dered in the rainâ—â—â—â—w but onely not a generall and vniuersall floud as the first was in the time of Noah For how many times hath he punished particularly many people with great inundations and deluges of water signifying vnto all that he hath all his creatures at commandement for euer to make them serue either to his wrath or to his mercie according as he will intreat men and hereupon we shall learne that though it seemeth that in the place before alledged the raine-bowe is named as if it had been spred in the aire at that time onely when it was giuen by God as a signe and sacrament of his couenant renewed yet neuertheles we must not doubt but that when God created the causes of this bowe in nature ordained by him he did also create it in the establishing of the world with other creatures But it was not vsed by God for a testimonie of his attonement with mankinde till after the flood So likewise it is certaine that this heauenly bowe hath naturally had at all times the significations which at this present it retaineth to presage raine or faire weather according as it diuersly appeereth But since that the creator hath accepted it for a signe of his couenant it hath had this vantage to be ordained as a gage and witnes of the promises of God And therefore whensoeuer we behold it in heauen we must not onely consider of it as of a naturall thing and as a prognosticator sometimes of raine sometimes of faire weather but likewise as a witnes and memoriall as well of the iudgement of God as of his grace and mercie and of the assurance of the conseruation of all creatures by his prouidence But though it should teach vs nothing of al this but should onely retaine the beautie and naturall signification thereof yet might it serue vs for an excellent testimonie of the maiestie of God and incite vs to giue him praise Eccles 43. For which cause Ecclesiasticus saith Looke vpon the raine-bowe and praise him that made it very beautifull it is in the brightnes thereof It compasseth the heauen about with a glorious circle and the hands of the most high haue bended it For what man is so dull but doth admire the great varietie of so faire colours as appeere in it euen in a substance so fine and subtile that it cannot be perceiued by any corporall sense saue by the sight I know that the philosophers doe teach Of the cause of th◠〈…〉 rainâ—â—bow that as a drop of water which one seeth in the sunne representeth many goodly colours like those in the raine-bowe which is made of a thicke watrie cloud full of drops in the middle region of the aire For euery darke obscure thing is as it were almost blacke as the shadowes doe demonstrate which by reason of their obscuritie seeme to be blacke And when an obscure thing is illuminated if it be bright it passeth in colours according to the abundance of the brightnes Now the cloud is obscure the drops of water are bright for this cause they represent vnto vs colours according to the variety of that light which shineth vpoÌ„ them And forsomuch as the innermost circle of the bow is nerest to the obscure or dark cloud it seemeth coÌ„monly to be blew that in the middle which is more illuminate appeereth greene and the vpper circle which is greatest and most lighted with celestiall brightnes is yellow Forasmuch then as there is a cause of euery thing the Naturalists doe much endeuour themselues to render reasons concerning the diuersities of these colours as Astrologians doe also to argue vpon the diuers predictions of this bowe as presaging sometimes raine sometimes faire weather sometimes winde and sometimes calme and cleere weather Hist nat lib. 2. Yet Plinie saith that it is often seene when it doth not prognosticate any thing and that no heede is taken of it for the time to come But let euery one ascertaine himselfe that it is caused by the beames of the sunne which striking into an hollow cloud are constrained to reuerberate and returne vpwardes toward the sunne And that the diuersitie of colours which are therein represented is made by the mixture of the clouds of the aire and of the fire which are found there togither Moreouer that this bow neuer is but when the sunne is opposit to that cloud and that it exceedeth not the forme of a semicircle also that it appeereth not by night though Aristotle saith that it hath sometimes been then seene But we wil leaue the philosophers to dispute vpon these things and to search the depth of their naturall causes and will conclude this speech and make an end of this day with a point of doctrine concerning the meteors of Christians which is that we must take very good heed not to be of the number of those who boasting of the knowledge of humane sciences haue despised the spirituall and diuine and of whom Saint Peter hath prophecied saying 2. Pet. 3. That there shoulde come in the last daies mockers and contemners of God walking according to their owne lusts which should say Where is the promise
raine in sommer the raine is suddenly engendred for when the cloudes are too slowe they are consumed by the drinesse of the sunne And there where the aire is very cold and consequently thicke and grosse the vapor which is thither drawne being very light cannot be condensate bicause of the thicknes of the aire and the thinnesse of the vapor Which causeth that in stead of raine snow is engendred for snowe is a congelation of a vapor not condensate for the subtilitie of his proper substance and for bicause of the thicknes of the aire Wherefore when the cold is great in winter it raineth little And for the spring time bicause that the succeeding day doth consume more vapor then the precedent day had attracted for in the spring time the latter daies are still hotter and haue shorter nights for this cause it raineth then lesse then in autumne and oftner then in sommer or winter But in Autumne showres of raine are commonly great and of long continuance For the sunne being as then still powerfull vpon the earth many vapors are drawen vp But bicause the succeeding day hath still a longer night then the precedent and for that it was also warmer it is necessarie that the vapor should thicken and afterwardes descend And when the earth is moistned then that which did descend is againe attracted lying then vpon the superficies of the earth and being still somewhat deeper then before Whereof are made not onely raines but also rainie and windie cloudes Difference of raine water and earth water Thus haue we in summe then the forme of dewes and raine and the diuersitie of their course and how the earthly and heauenly waters differ from one another the raine water retaining more of the aire and being much purer and lighter then that which doth alwaies remaine in the earth For in comparison of terrestriall water it is like water distilled through a limbeck And yet how light soeuer it be it must neuertheles be heauier then the aire and especially when it is frozen within the cloudes and conuerted into snow or haile which is like stones of ice Wherein it seemeth that this rule of nature and naturall philosophie is not generally true which affirmeth That euery heauie thing doth alwaies drawe downwards considering there are waters hanged in the aire which is much lighter then the waters that it sustaineth Wherefore we must say Cloudes are in the aire as ships are vpon the waters that cloudes are in the aire in the region that is assigned vnto them in such sort as ships are in the water For none doubteth but that stones iron lead and all other mettals yea infinite other things of lesse waight are heauier then the water yet we neuertheles doe behold that there is no burthen so waightie but the water doth easily support it by meanes of a boat or a wooden ship or a galley which shall be euen of it selfe a great and heauie loade And yet the water which will sustaine such a charge cannot beare vp a pinne or a naile or a small peece of gold or siluer or a little stone but all shall sinke to the bottome Now the cause of all these effects is in the participation that the wood hath with the aire which maketh it much lighter then the other bodies which are more solide and massie For by reason that the wood is more open and more loose to giue way to the aire it receiueth lightnes thereof which causeth it to floate vpon the water whereas the other more terrestriall bodies doe sinke thereinto So then the aire sustaineth by meanes of the cloudes the waters which they containe inclosed within them euen as the sea and great riuers sustaine grosse and heauie burthens by meanes of ships For though the cloudes doe consist of water themselues and are engendred of it being drawne into the aire through blowing of the windes and afterwards massed vp in one bodie as we haue already vnderstood yet doe they subsist of a water lesse terrestriall and more airie then those waters which flowe here belowe for which cause they are also more light and more easily sustained by the aire vpon which they floate like ships vpon the sea and other waters And afterwardes when the cloudes returne into their first nature of water and when they be opened to let fall the waters which they containe the water which proceedeth from them doth resume also his proper course according to the naturall heauines thereof and returneth downwards descending to the earth And as ships sinke downe into the water when they are ouercharged as likewise the charges and burdens wherewith they are laden when they are split or broken by violence of windes or by some other force which maketh them dash one against another and against the rocks so is it with the cloudes and with the things which they beare and with the windes also wherewith they are driuen or else are inclosed within them which make a great noise when they striue to issue out so that the cloudes are rent and cracke as the thunders testifie vnto vs and the tempests lightnings and thunder claps which proceede from them as also the great deluges of water which showre downe with great violence and furie But we haue staied long ynough in this matter let vs now consider of the maruellous prouidence of God which shineth in the dispensation of the raine and heauenly waters As AMANA I leaue to you to discourse Of the fertilitie caused by dewes and raine and of the prouidence of God therein Chap. 50. AMANA IN vaine shall we consider in meteors the works of nature which are therein proposed very great and excellent as our precedent speech doth manifest if we doe not learne in the same to consider and acknowledge the prouidence of God gouerning all things as it reuealeth it selfe in sundry sorts For all these goodly visible works must serue vs as images of the inuisible and spirituall things so that all the creatures of God may be competent iudges to condemne vs if by them we doe not learne to acknowledge their and our creator and to obey and honor him as behooueth vs we neede no other iudges I say to make vs vnexcusable before the throne of Gods iustice Rom. 1. according to the testimonie of Saint Paul sith he hath as it were made visible to the eie his diuinitie his power his bountie and his wisdome through his works and that so neere vnto vs as almost to be touched with our owne hands For as this holy apostle in another place saith he is neere to euery one of vs Acts. 17. so that howsoeuer we be blind yet should we at least finde him by groping like those that want sight For he neuer wāteth very euident witnes amongst men in cōferring benefits vpon them namely in giuing them raine from heauen and fruitful seasons according to the subiect we are now to speake of Let vs know then that it is he who
diuersitie of waters Which ARAM I would haue you to discourse of Of salt fresh and warme waters and of other diuersities in them Chapter 59. ARAM. ACcording to the nature of the most woonderfull workes of God in all that which he hath created the maruels are innumerable which may be considered in the sea and in all the waters which proceede out of it and returne into it without any increasing or diminishing in it selfe as we haue already heard And if there were no other thing but that the waters of the sea are alwaies salt and other waters are for the most part fresh would not that be sufficient to teach vs to acknowledge the great power wisedome and bountie of the creator and how puissant he is in all his workes For though that all waters are of one nature as making vp one onely element yet doth he make them of diuers qualities according as he knoweth how to purifie distill and purge or else to mingle and mix them Of the diuers qualities of water and of the prouidence of God therein with his other creatures Whereupon it falleth out that wee haue not onely salt waters in the sea but that there are some found also in fountaines yea oftentimes very neere to other springs of fresh water Wherein the prouidence of God declareth it selfe to bee verie great For if all waters were salt men and beasts could not liue nor the earth fructifie and nourish the fruits thereof because that liuing creatures cannot want fresh water whether it be for their drinke or for their other necessary commodities neither is salt water fit to water the earth considering that salt makes it barren On the other side if all waters were fresh where might men finde salt enough to suffice them for the necessarie commodities of their life For although that there bee some salt-mines and some salt-ground as appeareth by the salt waters of fountaines which passe through such grounds yet the best meanes to haue good salt and in abundance is by the waters and chiefly by sea water What may we say also of so many sorts of water whereof some participate with Sulphure some with allom others with iron or brasse or with other mettals or minerals which do heat some of them in such sort as men make naturall bathes of them hauing diuers vertues and powers which serue for medicines in many kindes of diseases Why the sea-water is salt Now the Philosophers doe much straine themselues to declare the causes of so many maruellous effects For some say that the sunne which is the greatest of all planets drying vp by his heat the moisture of the water and burning and sucking vp all the humiditie of the earth doth by this decoction cause the sea to become salt because the force of the solarie fire doth attract vnto it the most fresh and subtile part of the water making the more heauie and thicke part that remaineth to be salter and of more substance whereof it commeth that the water towards the sea bottome is fresher then that which is aboue Others alleage three efficients which both cause and continue the saltnes to wit the heat of the sunne for the foresaid reasons and also because it maketh the water to putrifie then the continuall agitation thereof by flowing and ebbing which causeth that the sea neither resteth nor runneth a direct course and thirdly the ordinarie receiuing of raine For they say that when salt resteth in the water it descendeth downewards by reason of the waight thereof and when the water runneth it is purified by the earth and that all raine-water because it is heated by the sunne and doth putrifie through tardation and slownes is somewhat brackish But they are much more troubled when they entreat of fountaines For some say that the sea yeeldeth none but salt-waters as is seene by many waters neere it And that those which are fresh become so by a long and vehement course Others maintaine that they be engendred by the aire Now experience manifesteth that their saltnes is diminished by the length and continuance of the course of the water For the farther that wels are from the sea the more fresh they are because the water doth more purge it selfe by the earth ouer which it trauerseth leauing a part of the force thereof and sometimes all of it in the slime and in the sand And here we may note that waters Of fountaines and wels and why the water of them seemeth hotter in winter then in summer especially well waters which doe all come from some springs doe seeme to be hotter in winter then in sommer although they doe neuer chaunge their nature for this proceedeth of the aire which is cold in winter and hot in sommer Through the opposition then of these things one selfe same water seemeth to receiue diuers qualities euen as we see that according to the disposition of our bodie the qualitie of the aire which enuironeth vs is esteemed For when we are hot we do suppose that which we touch to be cold and when we be cold we esteeme that which we touch to be otherwise Wherefore we must iudge euen so of the inner parts of the earth esteeming them to be simply neither hotter nor colder in one season more then in another but onely in respect of the aire Indeed water doth waxe a little warme when through the coldnes of the aire the heat is constrained to retire it selfe downeward in such sort as it cannot issue nor spred it selfe vpon the earth and therefore the snow which doth not ly long vpon it doth commonly make it more fertile for it retayneth the heat in the bowels thereof Moreouer the vppermost part of the earth which the water may come to is of a clammie slime of the nature of brimstone or of salt or of mettall which also causeth that the exhalations enclosed in this part doe heat the water And therefore such waters are either odoriferous or of a bad smell or without any sauour of which qualities one may easily iudge by the smell and taste For some waters sauour not onely of lime or of salt but they doe also boile as in the bathes neere to Padua Why some waters do boile yea such waters are verie ordinarie so that there are few regions but haue some of them But they are most common in Germanie and in Italy And the cause that they so boyle is either fire or putrefaction or else naturall or celestiall heat But for the celestiall heat it seemeth that it cannot be so great especially in winter and in the night time that it should heat the water verie much And for naturall heat it is neuer actuall but in liuing creatures because they haue life and sense Neither is putrified heat so powerfull that it can make water to boile neither is it verie likely that the substance of any thing may be engendred and corrupted at one instant It resteth then that the cause should rather be in
the fire considering also that heat hath but little motion except it attaine to the height thereof whereas otherwise it doth quench it selfe And therefore it is that matter which burneth vnder the earth that ministreth this puissant heat which doth so warme the water And wee may moreouer note that all those waters which boyle so are naturally light and haue some medicinable facultie and propertie And yet they are not to be so much accounted of as that which is fit for common vsage in mens affaires to preserue health What water is best For good water hath neither colour smel nor sauour and is passing cleere and being drunke it abideth not long in the belly such they say is the water of the riuer Euleus which falleth from the mountaine Zager by Susiana whereof the kings of Persia did make prouision in their expeditions and warlike voyages For to the preseruation of health water is no lesse to bee carefully chosen Diuers causes of cold waters and their tasts colours and smelles then aire Now as warme waters are famous for the reasons heretofore deliuered so there are some waters also verie much admired for their great coldnes whereof snowe marble mettals cold aire sudden motion and the great fall from aloft euerie one in his degree may be the cause Againe the sauours or tastes of waters are verie diuers and the principal cause thereof is heat For sodden earth which is of sundry sorts giueth a tast to water according to the quality thereof And the like reason is concerning colours for fine thin clay doth cause the colour of waters but thick clay tarrieth not in water and therefore dieth it not The same cause is also in the difference of smels And alwaies waters that are of a good smel are profitable for creatures but stinking waters cause diseases for as Philosophers say contrarie causes appertaine to contrarie things Good water likewise is lightest as that which fleeteth aboue other water be it in riuers springs or wels From whence it commeth that fresh water floateth vpon sea water which likewise being more massiue and waightie beareth more heauie burdens And amongst fresh waters the water of Rhodanus or Rosne in France swimmeth vpon that of the lake of Geneua passing ouer the midst thereof Also many rare properties and great woonders are written concerning waters with the causes of them as that Of a floud which ran not on the sabboth day which is reported by Iosephus of a certaine floud in Iudea neere Syria which ranne euery day except vpon the Sabbaoth day which was reputed a matter religious and as a myracle although that this might happen and come to passe through a naturall cause if we will so argue to wit that no more water was gathered into this floud by orderly spaces then was sufficient to runne for sixe daies and not for the seuenth in such sort as Phisitions render a like cause concerning the renewings or fits and ceasings of feauers For the world is the great man as man is the little worlde But not stretching this discourse any farther we will onelie note for conclusion thereof that in the diuersitie of the kindes of waters that which is gathered togither in one place is salt Of the diuers appellations of waters is called the sea the fresh water so gathered togither is called a lake if it mooue not at all it is named a marish or fen but if it be somewhat deepe it is a standing poole and if it runne then is it a riuer if it gather through raines or by snowe then is it a torrent or raine-floud and if it spring it is a fountaine which is euer the best water and doth slowliest putrifie For it is least moist and is most concocted by the heauenly heate Also the lightest water doth hardliest corrupt for which cause it is most fit for the maintenance of mans life as approching neerest to the substance of the aire by which we breath We haue said enough then concerning this matter But me thinketh that our succeeding discourse requireth that we should entreate of those commodities which men receiue by waters through nauigation which ACHITOB shall be the subiect of your discourse Of the commodities which men reape of the waters by nauigation and of the directions which sea-men receiue from heauen and from the starres vpon the sea Chap. 60. ACHITOB AMongst such things as are woorthie of consideration in the sea and in other waters we must not passe ouer in silence those goodly commodities and great profits which they bring vnto men by the meanes of nauigations and of the dealings and trafficks which they exercise by them For it is to be noted that euery land and countrey cānot be furnished with al commodities bicause God hath so disposed therof that some abound in those things which othersome do greatly want stand in need of But by meanes of sayling by water all that which can be required may be transported from one countrey to another with very small trouble charges so that one nation may communicate those commodities with another which the creator hath particularly bestowed on them all each granting mutuall helpe to the other by this meanes Wherin surely we may acknowledge the prouidence of God to be verie great manifold Of the prouidence of God in distribution of his gifts For first the Lord hath disposed of his creatures and distributed his treasures according to the diuersity of landes and countries euen in such manner as he diuideth his gifts and graces amongst men For he bestoweth not all either vpon one or vpon two or vpon three or vpon any other certaine number of them And therefore there neuer hath beene nor shall be any one which either could or may surpasse all others so much that hee may haue no need of another or that hath sufficient for himselfe For if one man possessed all he would thinke himselfe to be no more a man but a God rather and would therefore contemne all others Moreouer it is most certaine that if euery one were so well furnished with all things that they might all surpasse one another there would be no humane societie For one would make no account of another but being all puffed vp with pride whereto they are naturally enclined there woulde arise a thousand quarrels and dissensions amongst them as wee ordinarily see to happen amongst the proud mightie puissant and rich For seeing that charitie which should dwell amongst men can take no place how could they be vnited and allied togither in amitie if they were not constrained therto through necessitie and if it be a difficult matter to conioine and maintaine them in peace and mutuall good will what neede soeuer they haue one of another one may easilie iudge what woulde ensue if they had not necessitie for their mistresse to this effect which causeth them to do in spight of al their abilities that which she cannot obtaine of them
but by force Againe how could men exercise the workes of charitie amongst themselues which workes are very much commended vnto them by God to be done towards their neighbors if euery one could at his pleasure excell his companion As then God hath placed and disposed sundry members in one bodie and yet hath not appointed them one selfesame office but to euery one his owne so hath it pleased him to diuide and distribute his goodnes gifts and graces amongst men to the end that they may one serue another as members of one and the same bodie which can not consist without the reciprocall helpe of all So likewise hath he established the sundrie regions of the earth enriching euerie one of them with certaine particular commodities which do often constraine men to helpe and succour one another and to liue in peace without which they woulde like madde beasts ouer-runne and destroy each other as we wretches doe finde true especially in time of warre But wee may well note vpon this point that although the most mightie do by their hate enimities dissensions reuengements and warres contend oftentimes with all their power to stop and hinder the trafficke dealings and transportations of merchandize from one countrey and out of one place to another especially of foode and victuals yet whatsoeuer they may or can doe bee they kings princes or Emperors they cannot for all that make such a stoppe That nothing can stop the intercourse of men but that they will alwaies passe and scape by some meanes maugre all their powers Wherein wee must acknowledge that seeing God hath ordained that those which beare his image shoulde haue communication one with another for the causes aforesaide and that chiefly by the aide of nauigation it is a great presumption in mighty men to oppose themselues against the order of the Omnipotent and against that communion of benefits which hee will haue to bee maintained amongst men Whom he can constraine to obserue his ordinances euen through their owne couetousnes when their charitie faileth making them to despise all dangers that they may supply where neede is though they be forbidden vpon paine of death For such restraint by commandement is so farre from hindring their couetousnes that it doth more inflame it bicause they expect greater gaine then if there were mutual libertie and therefore they cause more ware secretly to passe and by that meanes they put all to hazard yea they would rather open a way vnder ground like moles or else would flie in the aire like birds then leaue such trading so woonderfull is God in all his works and in the gouernment of all nature For when he pleaseth he serueth his owne turne with the affections and euill works of men yea drawing good out of their euill euen against their owne wils And therefore we may very well affirme that seeing God will haue men trafficke togither it cannot choose howsoeuer they enterprise to the contrarie but that this order must be continued For this cause likewise it was not the will of the creator that the waters should so gather themselues into one place that they might not run through the earth but hee ordained that out of the great Ocean which is like the great bodie of the waters and like the wombe out of which they doe all first spring and wherein they are engendred and whereby they are repaired for euer there should issue diuers armes and members by meanes whereof wee haue the Mediterranean seas lakes floods riuers and brookes So also in this distribution and by the meanes of nauigation God hath giuen vs many other meanes to the ende we might behold with our eies many testimonies of his prouidence engrauen in euery part of the vniuers by the disposition of the works of his almightie hand as they who saile vpon the waters are constrained to acknowledge Of the direction that marriners haue by the stars For as he hath appointed the watrie element to serue men to nauigate therin so hath he established the heauē ordained the stars enchased therin to direct them in the midst of the great gulfs deeps of the sea For when the ships are entred very farre into it they that be therein doe cleane lose the sight of lande so that they cannot iudge by the consideration thereof in what place they are nor vpon what side neither to what place they may bend their course to finde a conuenient port but they must take their directions from heauen And for this cause also though that the heauen be in perpetuall motion and that all the planets and starres doe follow it rising and setting in such sort as they doe not alwaies appeere to men yet there are some of another condition For neere to the place which Astronomers take for the pole there are certaine starres which haue their motion and course so disposed that they are alwaies seene at sea being neuer hidden like the rest and among these that is one which is called the Pole-starre which is neuer seene to remooue except a very little out of one place so that it seemeth the whole heauen turneth about this starre As we also maintaine that it hath the like place correspondent thereto directly ouer against it in the other part of heauen with a like appellation of name as we haue heretofore declared in our discourses concerning the celestiall bodies excepting the difference which is put betweene these two poles taken from their opposite situation in heauen and from the starres which are next vnto them which also haue their course and motion like the rest but doe onely differ in this that rising and setting are not attributed vnto them bicause they may be alwaies seen when the spheres are discerned For when the skie is couered with clouds marriners doe finde themselues very much hindred and troubled For then they prooue that which Iob saith concerning the workes of God to wit Iob. 9. that hee commandeth the sunne and it riseth not and he closeth vp the starres as vnder a signet And that he maketh the starre Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the Climates of the south doing great things and vnsearchable yea maruellous things without number Whereupon we may note that here is especiall mention made of the septentrionall starres as well bicause that they are more seene then the rest as also bicause it is their propertie to bring and to procure raine and tempests if we may credite Astrologers which cause that the heauen cannot be seene Of Charles hi◠waine And bicause that some of these starres are so disposed that they seeme to represent the figure of a chariot with fower wheeles and they are very much glistering aboue others they are commonly called by the name of Charles-waine bicause also they haue three other very bright starres neere to them placed in such order as if they were cart-horses or oxen Indeede some haue called them the Beare seeing them so cōioined togither taking the foure quarters
not attribute either to the prudence and wisedome of any one or yet to the force and power or to the weapons or armies of men the changes which we daily see in the state of the most mighty but to the onely ordinance and disposition of God by which such alterations come to passe according as the soueraigne iudge knoweth to bee expedient and iust for the chastisement and punishing of men by one another or else to shew himselfe benigne and fauorable towards them For which cause the scripture saith that the Lord vsing as his instrument Senacherib the tyrant of Assyria to chastise many people and nations Isay 10. he calleth him the rodde and scourge of his wrath and doth greatly reprehend him by Isay for that he attributed to himselfe the glory of those victories which he had giuen him not bicause of his vertues considering he was a fierce and cruell king but bicause God woulde vse him against those who deserued to be chastised by the hands of such a tyrant and murtherer If then we consider as behooueth vs vpon that which we haue here summarily touched we shall finde therein excellent doctrine for all kings princes and people and for all men as well in generall as in particular to the end to induce them That euery one must containe himselfe within the limits of his habitation that they may containe themselues within the inclosure of those confines wherein God hath placed them For as he is cursed in the lawe which passeth the bounds of his neighbors possession so must we not doubt but that they are subiect to the same curse who cannot containe themselues within the bounds of those countries Deut. 27. in which God hath confined them bestowing vpon them power signories and habitation therein For from whence proceede the greatest dissensions and cruellest wars but from the ambition and auarice of men which will one vsurpe aboue another that which appertaineth not vnto them and by such meanes doe out-passe their limits whereas if euery one would content himselfe with that part and portion of land which the creator thereof hath bestowed vpon him who doubteth but that men should liue in much more peace As then God through his prouidence would constraine them by necessitie and neede which they haue one of another to trafficke and communicate togither in libertie and mutuall securitie by that meanes to receiue out of one countrie into another those things which faile therein and abound elsewhere and for the causes by vs heretofore deliuered so it hath pleased him to set mightie and strong bounds and limits against their ambition and auarice especially of kings princes and great men For we see how he hath diuided and separated one countrie from another and the diuers regions and kingdomes of the earth not onely by meanes of seas lakes and great riuers but also by craggie high and vnpassable mountaines which as the kingly prophet witnesseth he hath established by his power Psal 65. that by this meanes men might be cōfined within the bounds of the habitation assigned by the Eternall to euery people in such sort as he hath inclosed the waters within their places to the course which he hath ordained them Against the ambition and auarice of men hauing bounded them with hils and rocks And yet there are no boundes so difficult to passe which may bridle and restraine the ambition and insatiable desire of men within any limits but that they will passe ouer the deepest the longest the amplest and broadest waters and the highest and steepest mountaines in the world so that there are no places so inaccessible through which they will not cut a passage one to ouer-run another by great outrage and violence Wherein surely they euidently declare that they are much more furious then the sea how outragious and rough soeuer it bee seeing they can in no wise containe themselues within their limits as the waters doe which also maketh them more vnreasonable then brute beasts For although there be many vnruly and furious horses in one stable yet each of them will commonly bee staied with an halter made but of a little coard or leather and will be kept by a little bar of wood from striking running ouer one another so that one onely stable will serue them all But men doe to the contrarie shew themselues to be such furious and contentious beastes that the whole world cannot suffice them For there is neither riuer sea lake nor mountaine which can be a barre sufficient to withhold them from forcing and rauaging one another destroying themselues by horrible massacres and cruell warres Which no doubt commeth vnto them especially through want of acknowledging and considering vpon the prouidence of God by which he hath appointed bounds to their habitation ambition and auarice as we haue said and for that they will not containe themselues within them obeying the ordinance of their creator But we haue said ynough concerning this subiect Let vs now discourse vpon those commodities which come to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters thorough the earth Which AMANA shall be the substance of your speech Of the commodities which are incident to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters through the earth Chap. 62. AMANA IF men doe but slenderly acknowledge the prouidence of God in the limits of their habitation which hee hath appointed as well by meanes of mountaines as by waters as we haue heard in the precedent speech they doe also make but small stay in the consideration of those great commodities which he giueth and sendeth continually to them by means of them of al the earth For as he watereth this fruitfull mother by dew raine from heauen as hath beene heretofore expressed so doth he moisten it by meanes of fountaines floods and riuers which doe run through it Whereupon we must note that the life of all corporall creatures doth principally consist in heate and that this heate cannot be preserued and maintained without moisture whereby it is nourished euen as the flame of the snuffe or match of a candle or lampe is nourished and maintained by the fat and humor which is therein Therefore as God hath placed the sunne in heauen like a great fountaine of heate and a great furnace of fire for to be distributed and disposed into all partes of the world so hath hee established the sea here belowe in the earth as a great and perpetuall fountaine conuenient for the nourishment and conseruation of this heate which is communicated to the earth and to all the creatures that are therein And therefore also this sea spreadeth it selfe into diuers places by the meanes which haue beene declared so that the courses of the waters in the earth are like the vaines in a mans bodie Goodly similitudes of the course of the waters and of the vaines which are in the body For euen as the soueraigne Creator hath placed
they neither spinne nor haue weauers nor clothiers nor drapers nor other worke-folks and tradesmen to deale for them Yea how maruellous is the conseruation and multiplication of all plants by meanes of their owne seeds syons and fruits according as the Creator did at first constitute For that I may first speake of the smaller sort who could beleeue if experience did not assure vs that of one little graine of mustard seede should grow a great and high plant like a little shrub Matth. 12. in such sort that the birds of heauen might make their nests therein Then let vs consider how corne pulse and all other sorts of seeds do bud grow and multiply But who of himselfe would iudge that out of one little kernell of a nut or filberd there could grow so great trees and so much wood as should beare innumerable leaues and buds and so much fruit each yeere euerie one according to his owne kinde and that for long time Would not all this seeme incredible if we were not ascertained by continuall experience and a sure course in Nature And if God doth shew himselfe most wonderfull in all these things in regard of the herbes trees and plants what shall we say if we proceed to the consideration of their natures properties and vertues and of the commodities remedies and profits Woonders concerning the properties and virtues of the fruites of the earth which men receiue thereby This surely is the most principall point For how admirable is it that by the meanes of herbes trees and other plants which haue no soule that may minister life vnto them with motion and sense and which may much lesse participate with any reason God doth not onely preserue the life of men and of other creatures a thing to bee woondred at but doth also thereby giue them strength vigour and force For what are these herbs and plants which produce all sorts of corne pulse and other graine of which men make foode and are thereby nourished What is the vine and other fruit-trees Who could thinke if he saw it not with his eies that there is neither man nor beast that could be nourished and preserue his life but by such meanes For how can that thing either giue or preserue and maintaine life which hath no life in it selfe And yet if we will consider of the medicines and remedies which men finde in herbes and plants onely besides those which they may take from other creatures who can in truth either declare or write I wil not say all of them but onely the thousandth part For although the most excellent phisitions haue alwaies trauelled in this part of their art which is commonly called the Knowledge of Symples yet how farre off are they from the full and perfect theoricke of them For what a number of herbes and rootes be there which are vnknowen and haue yet no name And how many are there which are taken one for another and wherein the most skilful Phisitions and Herbarists are oftentimes deceiued And yet this little which we know should mooue vs to thinke vpon the great and ineffable bountie of God towards men and vpon the fatherly care which he hath of vs all For though that by our sinnes we haue merited death both of bodie and soule which death our sinne hath not onely gained but also many diuers and strange sorts of diseases and corporall infirmities most grieuous and terrible yea sometimes hideous and horrible which are like butchers and slaughterers to put them to death yet the charitie and loue of our God is alwaies so great towards mankinde that he giueth vs as many and more yea sundrie medicines for one onely maladie But we will be instructed more amply by you AMANA in this matter that wee may acknowledge therein verie cleere testimonies of the prouidence of God Of the vertue that herbes and other fruits of the earth haue in phisicke and in food and of the true vse of them Chap. 66. AMANA IT is daily seene that by the meanes of some small herbes which grow in a garden or in a mountaine or in some other desert place and which also are oftentimes troden vnder foote without any account made of them many are commonly deliuered not onely from great paines and grieuous maladies but euen from death it selfe which otherwise it seemeth would most certainely approch Wherin certes we haue a goodly subiect to consider that if God giueth this vertue to creatures of small estimation in comparison of many others and that by the meanes of them hee ministreth so great helpe and doth so much good to man what must be the power and bounty of that great and soueraigne phisition which maketh them preuaile and giues them power to heale For wee must vnderstand that it is not the herbes nor other drugs and preparatiues nor yet the apothecaries and phisitions who make and compound them that are the true cause of restored-health to the sicke but God alone who doth not onely giue the remedies but also knowledge to men how for to vse them and to be skilfull how to apply them to their owne necessities for which he hath created them Herein then we must acknowledge two great benefits that the most good and most puissant God hath conferred vpon vs. The first is Two great good things that God hath done for man that he hath giuen vs medicines fit and necessarie for healing The other is the knowledge of them and the theoricke how to apply them to their conuenient purpose and vsage And one of these benefits without the other would indeede but little auaile vs. For as the workman cannot worke without such stuffe as is requisite for him to make his worke of as also it would be vnprofitable if no man should employ it and put it to vse for the same cause God which taketh care of the least of his creatures hath imprinted in the nature of brute beasts that want vnderstanding and reason a certaine knowledge of things that are fit for them not onely for their nourishment but also for remedies in their diseases so that they neede no other phisitions but themselues onely What iudgement must bee made of the virtue that the fruits of the earth do retaine for the good of men But in this discourse we are to note what iudgement we must make of so great vertue as we finde in all herbes and drugs and by like reason that we must consider thereof in the propertie of corne bread wine and of all meates and drinks which are as ordinarie and continuall medicines for the preseruation of life For if that which is diminished and consumed daily in vs were not also repaired and restored daily by our meate and drinke wee should fall suddenly into greeuous maladies and finally into death Forasmuch then as it pleaseth God to preserue the life which he hath giuen vs and to maintaine vs in health and good disposition he giueth power to that which we
Tamariske the Willow and the Reede doe sping at pleasure though many of them doe growe in mountaines vallies plaines and forrests but they prosper not there so well This difference also is marked in herbes and shrubs For some growe well in marishes others in lakes and pooles others on riuers sides other prosper in watrish and muddie places others againe not abiding them doe growe in drie and stonie ground Some spring indifferently both in moist and drie ground And some require the fields others vineyards and others meadowes Some also loue the valleies others hillocks others high mountaines Some likewise prosper in priuate places and growe neere to wals of townes and cities and some growe in old ruines But it is to be noted that though each kinde of plants growe and prosper best in his proper ground and doth loue very much his owne naturall situation yet sometimes herbs are found indifferently in mountaines hillocks valleies fields and meadowes Likewise the industrie and trauell of man doth bring to passe that that which is strange becommeth domesticall yet not without some manifest difference between the pure naturall production and that which is caused by arte Moreouer the parts of plants are the roote the stocke The parts of plants the branches the leaues the fruit the stalke the tufts called Vmbellae the graines the seedes the flowers the mossie-downe the wood the barke the sinewes the inner pil the vaines the sap the pith the gum called Lachryma the knot and many other small parcels which the curious obserue therein all which serue to distinguish trees and herbes one from another which parts are somewhat answerable to the parts of liuing creatures For the roots seeme to agree with the bellie as Theophrastus holdeth or else with the mouth as others maintaine who referre the lower part of the stocke to the bellie and the leaues haue some reference to the haire the barke to the hide and skin the wood to the bones the vaines to the vaines the matrice to some entrailes which cannot liue without the matrice the flowers to egges the seedes to seede the branches and boughes to the extreme parts of liuing creatures and the fruit to the menstruous blood wherein the seede is many times inclosed Moreouer the parts of parts are woorthie of consideration as those of the roote whose middle part is as it were of wood out of which the plant doth oftentimes bud and is therefore defended with greater strength And therefore if this middle part bee taken out of garlicke that which remaineth is not so sharpe and of so strong sauour as before and it seemeth likewise to bee lesse full of iuice Next the second part is the rinde or coate which is very small and the third is the peele or huske and the fourth is the inner-peele which enuironeth the huske which is not properly called so because it is ment for that which compasseth the seede of the fruit and the fruit it selfe and also because it contayneth that which enuironeth the wood in the root insteed of the seed Whereby it appeereth that they which cast away this part full of wood when they make their decoctions do verie ill considering that it is the most excellent of all the rest and of greatest force That the wood of roots must not bee cast away in decoctions for that which produceth the seede that onely contayneth the whole vertue thereof because it alone hath life That part then which is of wood seemeth to be the chiefe and principall substance of the medicine because that that thing onely which liueth produceth the seed in that part only wherein it hath life For although that in succorie and such like herbes some leaues grow out of the barke yet the herbe it selfe and the seed doe proceed out of the wood As the leaues then are in the stalke or slip so is the barke in the wood and both leaues and barke are therein for safegard thereof In the lower part the iuice falleth into the roote by the middle part the roote is nourished and in the vppermost part it is conuerted into seed Wherefore the vppermost part of the roote is best and most different from the nature of earth The flowers likewise haue their parts for there is a kinde of leafe in the flower which alwaies shineth and is in all flowers because it is made of a verie fine substance The buddes likewise wherein the flowers are contayned are parts of them and the seede of which the flower springeth as it is cause of the generation thereof so is it a part of the flower What plants and what parts of them haue the greatest virtue and so is the stalke or foote called Pediculus in which all these things are as it were planted and adioyned thereto Let vs also note that amongst trees the old are of more subtile qualitie then the other And euerie tree which beareth leaues all the yeere long is hot and drie as the palme tree the oliue tree the cedar the myrtle But this reason is not auaileable in herbes for houseleeke is of a grosse substance and yet beareth leaues all winter And indeed both in herbes and trees they which grow wilde abroad are better then the domesticall and so are they which are odoriferous much more then they which haue a badde sauour and haue no sent at all especially if they grow in mountaines and therefore they are preferred by phisitions before the other And we must note that most commonly the roots smell better and are sweeter then the other parts of the plant except the flowers which is so because the concoction is best done in the rootes For all things which haue the humour well boiled smell best for that humour is most subtile and close For which cause all flowers almost doe smell well For by reason that the humour which is in them is verie subtile and little it is the more easily concocted therein and therefore also it sooner perisheth But this humour remayneth and is preserued in the rootes and in the stocke for the subtile substance thereof being well concocted doth abide in the earthie substance Why young folkes breth is sweeter then that of the old whereby we may learne why yoong folks haue sweeter breath then olde and distempered people For children haue their humour verie subtile and the small humour may be verie well concocted in yoong folkes by the great heat which aboundeth in them But want of heat hindreth it in olde folkes and the qualitie of the humour is hurt in those that are distempered causeth that the decoction cannot be performed Now we haue staide long enough in this discourse But as we haue distinguished plants into fower principall kindes let vs now speake of the nature and propertie of the most especiall among them to the ende that according to our intention we may not passe ouer any of the workes of God without producing some testimonies which may cause vs more and more
it is singular good against hot and contagious feuers This same iuice is of so strong and pearsing vertue that if you powre it out twise or thrise fresh and wash whole pearles therewith steeping them in it and afterwards expose them to the sunne they will within fiue or six daies become as soft as honie in such sort that you may fashion them how you list Likewise if you steepe for certaine howers golde therein it wil diminish in waight In briefe limons doe not much differ from the vertue and nature of citrons but they are commonly somewhat lesse longer and not of so thicke a rinde fuller of iuice sharper in taste almost alike in seede of colour pale Oranges are more round and being ripe they haue a very orient golden colour Of Oranges and of their fruit their peele is thicker then that of limons and more bitter The iuice within whereof they be full is not in all of one taste for some are sweete some sower and some tart Orange-trees are alwaies greene like citron-trees They haue leaues like laurell broad thicke smooth sweete and pointed Their branches likewise are flexible pricklie and couered with a greene whitish coloured barke Their blossomes are white of a very excellent smell and are diligently gathered by perfumers where there is any quantitie for the composition of perfumes Some also distill water of them not onely for the excellencie of the smell thereof but also to serue in medicine especially against pestilent feuers which cause blisters Being taken in drinke it is very profitable when neede requireth to haue infected humors euacuated out of the inner part of the bodie to the outtermost part by sweatings for this water doth cause much sweating and doth greatly comfort the hart The peele of oranges is hotter sharper and bitterer in taste then that of citrons and limons And sweete oranges are hot in all parts but the iuice of all others is cold and resisteth corruption Wherefore they are good against feuers which the sweete are not Moreouer their iuice pressed out of the rinde doth easily inflame and doth also penetrate through great tenuitie within a glasse euen to the wine therein contained Of the Oliue-tree The oliue-tree also is excellent amongst trees and doth require a warme and temperate aire as is that of Prouence It is planted of twigs faire and fruitful yoong branches pulled from off the boughes of the tree being very thicke and of a foote and halfe long Oliue-trees haue long pointed leaues thicke smooth greene aboue and whitish vnderneath bitter in taste and somewhat sharpe They bud in Iulie and haue white flowers hanging in clusters out of which grow the fruit greene at first and as they ripen paler then waxe they purple and at last turne blacke They are gathered in the latter moneths of the yeere being no sooner ripe They are strowed vpon the floore till such time as they become wrinckled Afterwards they are ground and then put into the presse with hot water and so they yeeld their oile The wood of the oliue-tree is faire full of veines speckled massie and burneth as well greene as drie It is in no wise subiect to vermine especially so long as it is planted bicause of the odour thereof which is strong yea it defendeth all other plants therefrom which are neere vnto it as likewise through the bitternesse thereof it causeth Cabbages and Lettuse to die and all other moist herbes which are sowed in the plot with it Of the vse of Oliues Oliues are gathered for two occasions either that oile may be extracted out of them or that they may be reserued for bankets wherein they are serued to excite the appetite but all kindes of oliues doe not serue indifferently for these two vses for the greatest are best to eate and the least to drawe oile out of They which are kept for feasts are conserued in brine and salted vineger in such sort as they retaine their naturall verdure For the propertie of the oliue it hath in it a very restringent vertue for the decoction of the leaues in a clyster staieth the flux of the bellie and the iuice pressed out of the leaues with white wine and raine water restraineth all manner of bloodie flixe The licour which distilleth out of the greene wood as it burneth healeth the itch tetters and ringwormes New oliues being eaten prouoke the appetite and get a good stomacke although they harden the bellie Being very ripe they are moderately hot otherwise they are more binding and cooling The oile that is extracted out of oliues is of singular vertue being either applied outwardly or taken inwardly according to the indisposed parts of the bodie it looseneth and mollifieth the bellie dulleth the malice of poysons and doth subtilly driue them away yea if any venim or burning happen on the skin of the bodie and begin to make an vlcer or sore there nothing is better to heale this hurt then to annoint it with new fresh oile of oliues The Pomegranate tree also is to bee no lesse esteemed of Of the Pomegranate tree and of the fruit thereof then the forenamed trees because of the excellency of the fruit thereof The leaues of it resemble those of the Oliue-tree of a darck-greene colour very thick and full of many red strakes hanging by a red stalke The branches are pliable and full of prickles The blossomes red and open like bels the mouth of them cut in fashion of a star out of which proceede thinne red leaues with certaine small seedes hanged by the midst like them in a rose The fruit is couered with a rinde like vnto leather red without and yealow within full of infinite pointed graines red full of a wine-like iuyce with a stone in them And these graines are separated one from another with maruailous cunning of nature by fine thin yealow skinnes Moreouer there are three sorts of Pomegranates sweete sharpe and winie And the qualitie of them all is restringent but not alike For by their tast you may iudge of their difference And their graines are more binding drying then their iuice the rinde more then the graines and the blossomes haue the same virtue with the fruit And the powder of a Pomegranate dryed in an ouen in a new earthen pot close stopped beeing taken in drinck is maruailous singular to stay the flux of the bellie The leaues also of a Pomegranate tree well beaten or the iuice of them mixed with oile of roses doth verie much ease inueterated paines of the head beeing often laide to the forehead The boughes of this tree do chase away venemous beasts for which cause the ancients were wont to lay them ouer and vnder their beds The decoction of the root beeing drunck doth also kill great wormes in the belly and doth void them out Now haue wee said enough concerning trees for the subiect by vs vndertaken To morrow wee will discourse of the most singular hearbes and rootes to the
into gold as in many yeeres space lead turneth into siluer The mines thereof are more ordinarie then gold mines for Fraunce Italy Spaine England Germanie and many other regions of Europe do beare siluer in diuers places as well as the other parts of the world And it is there engendred in fower manners to wit either in the earth which being gathered together and then molten in the fire doth yeeld siluer or in lead wherwith it is often found mingled or in brasse or in stones out of which it is also extracted by fire For in the mountaine called Mons regius stones retaine verie much siluer which being also put into the fire there is found in euerie pound of siluer that runneth out of them halfe an ounce of gold at least Siluer is also many times found to be mixed with copper as in Alsaria neer to the Rhine in the mountaines of Saint Anne and in Meissen for there are stones full of copper in which is great abundance of siluer And when it is separated from lead it leaueth a scumme Of litharge which we call Lithargyrium which is a kinde of impure lead Of quicksiluer retayning some vertue of siluer For quicksiluer though it agree in name with siluer yet it approcheth neerer to gold for it is like vnto it in tenuitie and waight and to siluer in colour onely But for all this it is no mettall but a water condensate not by heat for it is not hardned nor by cold for then it would be a stone or mettall but by some other terrestriall rare and pure portion wherby it commeth to be verie waightie and cold splendent and liquide and is therefore rancked among those mettalline substances which differ but little from water and indeed the mountaines where quicksiluer groweth are verie greene and full of fountaines Of amber Let vs speake now of Amber which wee haue put into the number of mettals Many authors do disagree verie much in the discourse of Amber For some reckon that which is called Electrum amongst pliable and hard mettalline substances others will not acknowledge it to be any other then a gumme of a tree which is verie much like to that of the Pine and Fir-tree producing Rosin and is verie common in Arabia the happie Philemon writeth that in two places of Scythia Amber is digged out of the ground like a kinde of stone and in one place it is white in another yealow But omitting this argument we will follow those who make Amber a mettall whose nature and propertie is in meane betwixt gold and siluer and that such is the true and natural amber as that which we vse in our beads is artificial And it partaketh more of gold then of siluer because it is more pure and perfect and apt to be wrought For if it did consist more of siluer it could not endure the forge and hammer There are vessels made thereof for beautie and profit for good amber doth discouer poysons in these two manners by cracking and making the signe of an arch within For when the rare humiditie thereof commeth to be consumed by the force of venim it cracketh and the colour changing it seemeth that in steed of the great splendor thereof there doth a kinde of staine represent it selfe like vnto an arch Now that this kinde of amber is verie rare it is not because there is not enough to be had in mines but auarice and ignorance of the vertue thereof causeth that the gold is extracted whereby it ceaseth to be amber Concerning Iron it is taken out of the earth Of iron and to make it malleable the masse thereof is when it is taken vp laid to drie in the sunne and that which is earthy doth soften in the raine as that which is moist doth melt by the sun and the most sharp part thereof which is as the venim of it is consumed by the fire The mines of this mettall are common in Europe as in diuers parts of France which are enriched by the forges that are there set vp to bring this minerall substance to his perfection Which by how much the more it is concocted and purged by so much the more is it better in goodnes in such sort as that which is earthy doth at last turne to scales and drosse and the most subtile part thereof doth conuert into steele after it hath beene well purged and a little marble added thereto And this is artificiall steele Of steele For there is in many places naturall steele namely in Persia very good in the Chaldean Isle and neere Damascus whereof the best cemiters in the world are made which cut so well that there is no rasor bee it neuer so well steeled and tempered that hath a more fine and sharper edge For this cause some say that there are some kindes of steele and iron so excellent that waight for waight they are esteemed of greater price then gold Moreouer men may see what art can doe in iron when by much beating thereof and through the power of water iron bee it neuer so thin is made vnfrangible by blowes because that such water by meanes of fire doth consume the terrestriall and waterie excrement which is found in this mettall When then the iron is brought to be most pure most hard and most light then is it most subtile and therefore most strong and resisteth best Lead consisteth of foure kindes For there is black common Of lead low-pricked lead white which is ordinarily called tinne Bisemutum which is of meane quality betwixt black and white and is rare and knowne but to few people though it bee found in the mountaines of Bohemia and the fourth kind is compounded of Stibium The ore of lead is molten in furnaces prepared for that purpose and beeing molten it is let runne through pipes out of the furnace whither the workmen will And whilest it remaineth very hot they cast cleere water vpon it to make the foure arise which waxeth very massiue hard to breake yealow and bright as glasse and this is that which is called litharge of lead But this difference is betwixt white lead and true tinne Of tinne that this doth alwaies grow with siluer the other doth grow of it selfe in such sort that tinne is almost white lead blaunched by siluer Brasse as wee haue already said is made of a matter verie neere approching to that of iron Of brasse and copper and so also is copper But brasse hath this propertie that it neuer rusteth as iron and steele doth and therefore it will continue longer In times past also it was verie vsuall to make armor and bucklers thereof yea and launces likewise witnes Homer who recounteth that Menelaus pursued Paris with a brasen launce Flutes and pipes of organes and other musicall instruments are commonly made of brasse but it doth properly agree with trumpets because it maketh a great noise in dorick musicke and inflameth men to combat
will easily pierce any armor wherein this reason is apparant that the iron or steele is heated by the blowe whereupon it may be penetrated by the subtilitie and hardnes of the diamond Which is also commended for this vertue that being polished it doth greatly glister amongst precious stones for that it resisteth fire for the space of nine daies time without hauing any sense therof and afterwards it remaineth many other daies without being annoyed Which sufficiently declareth that this stone doth coÌ„sist of most subtile parts for otherwise it would haue pores smal holes by which the fire entring it should easily breake The diamond then retayneth a liuely and strong splendor in such sort that it doth not only shine but doth also sparkle and is besides that vnchangeable not being corrupted by iron by moisture by fire by age nor by vse It hath also this property that being tied to the flesh of the left arm it doth hinder withstand the feares of night It is not then without good cause that this stone is so much esteemed by vs and almost by all nations For euen in the Indies in Calicut in Persia in Tartaria and other places where rocks of Diamonds are commonly found they are verie deere and of great trafficke so that they are transported into all places how far remote soeuer they be witnes the isle of Carge which lyeth in the bosome of the Persian-sea where bargaines are vsually made for Diamond stone it remayning yet vncut from the rocke although it be scarce within sixe hundred and threescore miles of that place where it is had And therefore it is no great maruel if diamonds be at so high a price as they are considering that they are so much in request by euerie one wherefore there are some found which are sold for twentie and thirtie thousand crownes a piece and aboue for we our selues know that there is one in the treasurie of our kings which did cost seuentie thousand crownes Wee are to note that in the mountaine of Cugarquel which is neer to the riuer of Goa in the East Indies are the best and finest diamonds of all the world as to the contrarie in the isle of Canada which neighboureth vpon Florida there are found false ones but so faire and well cut by nature that the most subtile Lapidaries are verie much troubled to discerne the one from the other whereupon this Prouerbe did arise Loe there 's a Canada-diamond But I haue said enough hereof Now ACHITOB doe you speake of the nature and propertie of other precious stones Of the Emeraud of the Carbuncle or Rubie of the Saphir of the Iacinth and of the Amethyst Chapter 96. ACHITOB. THE Emeraud hath beene long time holden for the most precious stone of all other as well because of the beautie thereof as by reason of the manie great properties which are naturall thereunto in such sort as the price therof did exceed that of the diamond But as the rarenes of some things make them deere so doth the abundance of other things make them to be lesse esteemed as it came to passe Of the emeraud that the great quantitie of Emerauds which not long since were found in the new-found countries of America hath much abated their price but not their beautie nor vertue which euer remayneth and is most excellent in those which are brought out of the East-Indies for they of Peru are of much lesse woorth The greene Emeraud then is the fairest of all precious stones but yet the most brittle For it sometimes happeneth to breake euen in the act of coiture Being drunke it doth much resist poysons by the nature of the softnes thereof by reason that the abundance of the well concocted humour which is therein doth refresh the spirit by the perspicuitie thereof and so it is profitable to the nature of man and resisteth the force of venim and for so much as it is a stone it retayneth the vertue thereof stable For we may note that all things which are pleasant to the sight are profitable for man whether it be in precious stones or gold or siluer silke or purple but aboue all the Emeraud is faire if that the art therein deceiue not the sight for as well this stone as others are oftentimes counterfeited and falsified in diuers maâ—â—ers Moreouer as the Emeraud is verie soft so is it verie subiect to all casual chaunces for it is corrupted by fire and heat and by the touch of other precious stones which are harder chiefly of the Diamond yea by euerie thing that can giue a blow That which shineth most and almost like the sunne and which refresheth the sight as forrests and greene medowes doe is most to be esteemed But I beleeue there was neuer any mention made of a more rich basin then that of an Emeraud being one of the greatest treasures of Italie which is in the citie of Genoa for it is reported that it was pawned in the necessitie of the common-weale for fourteene hundred thousand ducats thinke then but how much this Emeraud must bee woorth But that which is also said that this is the same platter wherin our Sauiour Iesus Christ did eat the Paschal Lamb in his last supper maketh me to doubt much whether there be any people that vpon one onely stone would lend so great a summe of money The red Carbuncle called the ruby is another precious stone Of the carbuncle called the rubie which is verie beautifull and hath the propertie to quicken the spirite and make it ioyfull Some authors haue made mention of three kinds of carbuncles saying that there be some which shine in the darke others also that shine if water bee powred thereupon and the third kinde is of those whose cleerenes is onely seene in another light to wit by day time or by candle light Theophrastus saith that there are some of the colour of water some of the colour of the Amethyst others of the colour of the Iacinth and some of a red colour which are called Rubies In the Indies these stones are plentifully found and Lewes de Barthema reporteth that the king of Pegum which is a citie in India hath carbuncles called in Greeke Pyropi of such magnitude and splendor that if any one should see the king in a darke place with these stones vpon him he would seeme to shine like a cleere light euen as if he were fired by the beames of the sunne The saphir doth approch neere to the excellencie of the diamond in great hardnes in fairenes of colour Of the saphir beeing of a skie colour and in beawtie and is very good for the sight if it bee not sophisticated It refresheth a man and beeing drunke is profitable for melancholy people and for blowes bitings of scorpions and serpents Albertus Magnus affirmeth that he had twise found by experience that the saphir would heale an anthrax which is a kinde of bile Which may be beleeued considering
in them by them but to him alone must attribute to him the totall glorie thereof to depend wholy vpon him and vpon his prouidence Now if we shall consider all creatures in their originall and end ordained by God we shall finde that they are all good and ordained by the creator for the benefit of the good And yet it might seeme that he hath established some things principally to take vengeance on the wicked as by this text of scripture Iob. 32. where the Lord saith to Iob Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snowe or hast thou seene the treasures of the haile which I haue hid against the time of trouble against the day of warre and battell In which text is deliuered vnto vs a goodly doctrine of the forme and of the place where the snow and haile are engendred to wit in the chambers builded by God among the waters which he gardeth as treasures and congealeth them to serue him for scourges to chastise and punish the froward Psal 147. For it is he as the Psalmist chaunteth who giueth snowe like wooll and scattereth the hoare frost like ashes He casteth foorth his ice like morsels who can abide the cold thereof He sendeth his worde and melteth them he causeth his winde to blowe and the waters flowe This is he also as saith Ecclesiasticus which hasteneth the snowe by his commandement Eccles 43. and strengtheneth the cloudes with great force to make the hailestones cracke The south winde bloweth according to his wil the storme of the north and the whirlewinde flying out like birds scatter the snowe and the falling downe thereof is as an heape of grashoppers or locusts that light downe in any countrie The eie hath the whitenes thereof in admiration and the hart is astonished at the fall of it The Lord powreth out the frost vpon the earth like salt which when it is frozen sticketh on the tops of pales The cold north winde bloweth and the water is frozen it abideth vpon the gatherings togither of the water and clotheth the water as with a brestplate It deuoureth the mountaines and burneth the wildernes and destroieth that that is greene like fire The present remedie against all this is a cloude and the deaw comming before the heate appeaseth it It is also written in the booke of Iob The whirlewinde commeth out of the heape of cloudes and the cold from the northwinde Iob. 37. at the breath of God the frost is giuen and the bredth of the waters is made narrow And therefore the Lord saith to Iob Out of whose wombe came the ice who hath engendred the frost of the heauen The waters are hid as with a stone and the face of the deepe is couered Iob. 38. Which is as much to say as the waters take to them the forme of a stone when they are conuerted into haile and ice and that the sea is frozen ouer for when the water is frozen it seemeth to be hid and lost and to be no more water Surely in these discourses we haue much to consider concerning the woonders of God For is it not an admirable thing that the water which is so soft and runs so swiftly should become as hard as stones and that it can fall from heauen in such forme yea sometimes so great that it doth not onely spoile the fruits of the earth but doth also breake the branches of trees and kil men and beasts Hereof that is a certaine testimonie which we read concerning the haile which God sent vpon the Egyptians Exod. 9. by the ministerie of Moses Iosh 10. and vpon the Amorites in the time of Ioshuah in the warre of the Gibeonites Indeede this was done contrarie to the common course of nature in respect of the Egyptians especially For their land is not moistned nor watred with raine from heauen but onely by the riuer Nilus And therefore the power of God was euidently shewed Deut. 11. when he caused so great haile to fall downe vpon the enimies of his people that no man could iudge it to be naturall For haile is made of raine frozen in the aire and is different from snow and mists in that the haile is engendred of raine more hard frozen snowe of moisture more softly thickned and mists and fogs of cold deawes So that when the congealed water is frozen by a strong colde it becommeth haile if by a small cold it engendreth small drisling haile such as falles commonly in the spring time as in March and Aprill But this me thinketh is worthie of greatest wonder that the water in sommer time should be congealed into haile and that during the great heate of the sunne the greatest congelation should be made from whence commeth this word amongst the Latines Grando which is as much to say as a great drop of water which is not seene in winter when euery thing through the exceeding colde freezeth here on earth or if so be this happen in such a time it is spoken of as a new and strange thing that comes not ordinarily in this season like the snowe and mists which are proper to winter and cold weather For though the Naturalists trauell much to shew that all things are produced by inferior and naturall causes yet must we principally acknowledge a diuine puissance aboue all who hath causes hidden in his incomprehensible treasures from men by which the haile thunder lightning tempestes and stormes are disposed and dispersed according to his good pleasure Exod. 16. For as God made knowne to his people by the Manna which he sent them in the wildernes wherewith he nourished them for the space of fortie yeeres in a barren and vnhabitable place that he could euermore very easily finde meanes ynough both ordinarie and extraordinarie to nourish and maintaine them so hath he made manifest by the rods and scourges wherewith he hath beaten the Egyptians that he can euermore very easily inuent meanes ynow to punish his enimies so often and whensoeuer he pleaseth yea euen then when there shall be no appeerance thereof amongst men Now as God when he pleaseth conuerteth the water into stones Of the frozen water and how it is thawed and so hardneth it that by great cold he doth as it were paue not onely riuers ponds and lakes but also great seas which he maketh so firme that one may passe ouer them yea and draw ouer great and heauy chariots as it were ouer bridges and firme land so when it pleaseth him he causeth all this water so hardened to returne into the proper kinde thereof as if it had neuer beene frozen And as there be windes to congeale it so there are windes to dissolue and thaw it For wee must note that yee doth not dissolue and thaw by the heate of the sunne onely but also by the power of the windes ordained hereto yea and much sooner so then otherwise Concerning all which things and the causes of them
which God hath created and established in nature wee shall heere make a briefe and generall discourse For if we should speake as the Philosophers haue written and disputed we should haue matter enough to compose a great volume But we will content our selues simply to propound heere the admirable works of God by which euery one may learne to feare and honor him which is the onely Of the true profit that must be reaped concerning meteors and the greatest profit that wee must make of meteors whereof our speech hath hitherto beene and which do yet rest for vs to consider of For our intent is to manifest in them not onely the workes of the creation which are therein proposed but those also of the diuine prouidence which are in the same after diuers sorts declared and not to do as many who are esteemed very learned in naturall Philosophie and in all other letters and humane sciences who are so badly aduanced in the knowledge of God by them that in stead of acknowledging and gloryfying him as it behooueth them they rather become Atheists and Epicures contemners and mockers of his Maiestie and of all religion But the iudgements of God shall therefore light very greeuous vpon them because they shall be by so much the more inexcusable For they are of the number of those of whom Saint Paul saith that by their infidelity iniustice Rom. 1. they detaine the truth in iniustice because they vniustly and wilfully suppresse the knowledge of the Eternall for hauing knowne him in the works of the creation of the world Heb. 11. which are as a mirrour and shew of inuisible things they glorifie him not as God neither are thankfull but become vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hart is full of darknes and when they professe themselues wise they become fooles bicause it hath pleased God so to punish their proud presumption and the vanitie of their vnderstanding Wherefore likewise as the Apostle saith in another place Ephes 4. They haue their cogitations darkened and are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them bicause of the hardnes of their harts For by reason that they abuse the gift of knowledge which they haue in a more ample measure then others therefore doth the Omnipotent by his iust iudgement make them more blinde then the simple and ignorant so that they are rather woorthie to be accounted as beasts then as men And yet the science and knowledge which they haue of the works of God more abundant then others is not cause of their blindnes considering that it is an excellent gift from aboue profitable for all those which can and will well vse it but their malice ingratitude and peruersenes of hart and vnderstanding pulleth this euill vpon them through their owne fault and by the iust vengeance of God So that whereas their skill should open their eies to guide them by the knowledge of the creatures to that of the creator it is rather an hinderance vnto them and depriueth them of that great and soueraigne good But we shall haue woorthie arguments against their impietie in that which remaineth for vs to view concerning other things engendred in the highest elements amongst which many comprehende comets saying that they are of the number of sublime or high impressions which are made in the region of the fire and aire Wherefore pursuing our purpose we will heare you AMANA discourse vpon this subiect Of comets Chap. 46. AMANA ALthough we haue hitherto spoken of sundrie sorts of the creatures and workes of God by which he manifesteth and declareth his power glorie maiestie and eternall prouidence and chiefly in the region of the aire neuertheles there doe yet a great number remaine which we haue nothing at all touched either particularly or in generall no not so much as cursorily For there are so many sorts of fires of diuers formes that appeere in the skie aboue that it is impossible to distinguish them all particularly And amongst them there are some which somtimes seeme to fall from heauen or as if the stars did snuffe themselues as men snuffe a candle so that the most part of the rude and ignorant people suppose it is so Many others thinke that sometimes the starres sparkle Why it seemeâ—â— that the starâ— do sparkle But the cause of such appeerance is for that the substance of heauen being verie cleere their beames shining towards vs are euermore broken perpendicularly For the aire being mooued euen as we see the stones in the bottome of a riuer seeme to tremble because of the running motion of the water so do the stars seeme to sparkle and when the middle of the aire is vehemently stirred aboue then they seeme to sparkle both more and oftner But we will leaue this talke to speake of certaine heauenly fires which we call comets and which are worthie of great consideration and of much maruell Of comets and of the place where they are engendred For they appeere like bearded and hairie stars hauing their motion with the heauen as if they were verie stars and certes we might well suppose them such and placed in heauen like the rest if they should long time continue But the opinion of many is as Aristotle likewise writeth in his Meteors that they are naturally made of an hot exhalation which attayneth to the supreme region of the aire where it is enflamed by the element of fire so that of such an exhalation are fires kindled in heauen of diuers sorts and fashions Neuerthelesse some learned moderne writers which haue diligently obserued the height whither these vapours may mount do thinke cleane otherwise for they affirme that comets cannot be ingendred in the region of the elements and are not afraid to giue sentence against Aristotle who in truth being an Ethnike and Pagan hath failed in the resolution of many particular questions For he hath strained himselfe to affirme manie generall propositions which our experience sheweth to be vtterly false as these Some propositions of Aristotle false That no liuing thing apprehendeth by sense that which is good that a thing poized can incline neither to the one side nor to the other and that the earth is in no part higher then the waters and sundrie others Now if it hath beene permitted him to abandon the opinion of his master Plato who taught the truth yea and to reprehend him it shall be also lawfull for vs and verie laudable to separate our selues in opinion from him and to contradict his writings for the truth They then that do not acknowledge comets to bee conioyned vnto and depending vpon the effects of the elementarie fire and aire by meanes of exhalations and vapors arising from the earth do alledge among other reasons that the place which is seene by the inhabitants of Milan vnder the circle of winter or the Tropick of Capricorne is distant from the earth ten times more then the height