it without any motion in him of noueltie And there is no Philosopher which prooueth the contrarie by any demonstration concerning this newnesse which they presuppose in God but do ful oftentimes contradict themselues And so it is that Aristotle in his booke of the world after hauing in the beginning declared God Prince Gouernour and Creator of this Vniuers doth afterwards denie it proceeding by reasons deriued from sense For thereby hee endeuoureth to demonstrate the eternitie of the worlde and amongst other arguments he vseth this same It is most certaine that the agent either of deliberate purpose or by nature if he be good putteth the good in practise as much as in him possiblie lieth if there be nothing to hinder him Certainly we cōfesse that the good is naturally addicted to communitie But we hold that although the agent by his labour industrie endeuoureth with all his power to get the good and obtaine it yet neuerthelesse in the distribution thereof he bestoweth it in such manner and sort as he pleaseth Why should we not then affirme that the supreme Creator through his immutable and omnipotent will hauing from euerlasting the good for his obiect to the end to put it in practise doth according to his good pleasure proceed to the performance thereof But if any passing farther will argue that the good doth naturally become common heereto mounting much higher then Philosophie doth require we answere That for euer God who is the soueraigne good doth encrease himselfe in his sonne and spirit coeternall by which sonne and through which holy spirite one sole essence and substance he produced of eternitie and continually the exemplaries and Ideas of all thinges by an eternal measure alwaies present being the worke and possession altogither We tell thee then O Epicure that God remained not in sloth idlenes before the Creation of the world Iohn 1. he that by the testimonie of Iesus Christ doth alwaies worke whereof none knoweth but the Creator saue onely the sonne and he to whom the sonne shal haue reuealed him And he which is most blessed in himselfe slept not O Cicero no more then hauing no neede of any thing beside himselfe he framed not this worldly tabernacle for his owne vse with so great beautifulnes but rather for man not foolish or wicked but iust and wise or at least Prouerb 8. that in this terrestriall habitation he might learne wisedome and goodnes to be made at length a woorthy citizen of the celestiall palace This is the delight and pleasure which his sapience receiued in the compasse of the earth and in the sonnes of men as the wiseman saith But neither Aristotle nor Auerrois nor Cicero nor the Epicures and Atheists of our time haue attained to such supreme Philosophie as to vnderstand this language of the holie Ghost Excellent well did that thrise woorthie Mercury the prince and most ancient of all Philosophers acknowledge as the whole worke of his Pymander doth testifie and himselfe also when he saith that God whom some call Nature mixing himselfe with man performed a wonder surpassing the reason of all woonder wherein beholding his owne image he smiled vpon him through great loue and gratifying him as his owne sonne gaue him all his workes to serue him to the ende to reduce to himselfe all things by him with whom he was mixed but himselfe before any thing else because that being purified and acknowledging his diuine race hee might bee made most woorthie of God The eternall omnipotent then had no neede of tooles to frame the worlde with hee I saie that by his onelie commandement performeth all things Neither had he need of helpe to produce formes who is himselfe the Architype and giuer of all formes and replenished with all fecunditie Neither is it a strange thing that the elements should obey him which by his worde onely haue beene setled in their places Neither dwelt he in an hole or a corner nor in darknes whom heauen earth cannot containe nor comprehend and who is all light but within the ample temple of this immēse intellectuall sphere whose cēter is al that which euery where subsisteth There hee inhabiteth those euerlasting ages which no thought except himselfe can comprise It is no maruel therefore if humaine reason be so often deceiued in the search of that which is enclosed in the closets and cabinets of the soueraigne worke-master and reuealed but to very fewe And for the saying of Alcinois that there is nothing beside the world whereinto the world can be dissolued I answere him that we teach not that it must be consumed and brought to nothing though it hath had a beginning of enduring But say it is so God shall haue no need of any thing for this businesse no more then he had neede of a subiect to make and compose his worke of by reason that his creation or dissolution is free and deliuered from the lawes of naturall generation and corruption as we haue heeretofore already declared Neither had he neede of helpe O Auicen who through his proper power and according to his owne good pleasure performeth of his owne liberalitie all things not by nature and necessitie as those imagine to whom the eternall power of God and his loue for which he created the world are hidden as in the processe of our discourse we may more amplie declare But first let vs heare of AMANA concerning those things which haue caused the Philosophers to erre from the truth Concerning those causes which haue made the Philophers to erre from the knowledge of truth and of their ignorance concerning God and his workes Chapter 6. AMANA WE may by our precedent discourse easilie vnderstand what be the strongest engins which the Philosophers haue planted but in vaine against the wals of supernall veritie in this point concerning the creation and we need not thinke it strange that they be deceiued for it is a doctrine not vsurped by humane arrogancie but infused into the harts of the small ones and humble through illumination by the holy spirite which mocketh such as thinke themselues wise scorne all others leauing them in the darknes of their blinded presumption as contrariwise the same spirit directeth conducteth those whom he replenisheth with his owne vertue to contemplate in most cleere brightnes the excellent mysteries of God and nature But to the end that we may partly proceed to the discouery of their ignorance who do arrogantly assume vnto themselues the name of wisedome abusing euen to this day many vnskilfull in the knowledge of pietie by their graue ornate writings being in shew and apparance like somewhat that sauoreth as it were solide entire true profitable though being profoundly examined one may finde therein all cleane contrarie a maruellous repugnancie not only generally betweene them all but euen in the particular writings of each of them I would willingly aske to be resolued of them in this point how is it
sith it is so much hidden from man Now in that the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures haue their proper motion wherein they continue according to the first ordinance established in nature by the soueraigne creator thereof we are much to admire both the cause and effects of such a constancie I intend heere to speake of a neere cause which is a secret amitie ingraffed into euery creature toward his owne nature For there is a loue Euery creature foloweth his owne nature an appetite or vniuersall inclination in all creatures which vrgeth and inciteth them to desire and search that which agreeth with their nature so that there is none so insensible which hath not in it selfe this amitie innate which euer pusheth it to follow the nature thereof and for this cause may we say that all motions proceed from loue And passing further we may contemplate the loue of God as the eternall source of amitie and inclination of all nature and as the first cause of causes and we shall say that in the same loue God louing himselfe proceeded to his worke which hitherto we haue celebrated and do now meane to prosecute For sith that God is the soueraigne good that all goodnes is by nature louing it cannot be but he must likewise loue himselfe exceedingly and consequently loue all that which he iudgeth to be good insomuch as it proceedeth from him who is the supreme good and the limit of all goodnes This loue then not being able to be idle The loue of God is the first of all motions nor yet the good which it loued would manifest both the one and the other first in the creation of the world namely in that of man and then againe in the restauration and reparation of his fall So we learne that the first motion whereupon all the rest depend is the loue of God which proceedeth from his bountie which he would not keepe shut vp nor inclosed in himselfe but would manifest and communicate it with his creatures whom he hath created to the end that he might be glorified in them and by them And as he loueth them for his owne loues sake and for that they were his worke so hath he set in them the seeds of loue both towards him and towardes themselues according to the diuers nature which he hath conferred vpon them It is then this naturall loue which constraineth them by a secret feeling of nature imprinted euen in those essences which haue neither reason nor vnderstanding to take delight in that which is agreeable to their creator and to follow his ordinance tending all to him and to that which he loueth bicause it is good and therefore good being done according to his will and bicause it pleaseth him to iudge it and approoue it for such Whereupon we may conclude that loue and amitie is the good by which all creatures haue an accord and agreement first with God their creator and then one with another and that vpon the same cause their conseruation and perfection doth depend Of the vnion and accord betweene all creatures Wherefore loue must be the bond and vnion of all the world which is an vniuersall peace and concorde betweene God and all his creatures For the diuine prouidence hath so disposed all the order of them that they be all conioined one with another by such loue and amitie that euen they which seeme to be cleane contrarie are allied reconciled and vnited togither by those which haue more correspondencie betweene them In such sort that we may therein behold a very pleasant and perfect harmonie like as in musicke wherein although it seemeth that the notes tunes and sounds be different one to another yet notwithstanding there is such a moderation in them that they yeeld togither a goodly concord and sweete melodie keeping their proportions times and measures As then by such peace and concord the celestiall spheres follow the generall and common course of the first highest and greatest of all within which they are contained and inclosed performing likewise each of them his particular course without endommaging themselues as we haue heretofore made mention so doe all the elements follow the heauen and obserue their order after it euery one in their degree from the highest to the lowest hauing their motions agreeable to their nature And euen as liuing creatures haue their agreements and coniunctions one with another euery one in his degree according to the couenant and participation of nature which they haue togither and as they are either neere to or farre off one from another euen so is it in the agreement and consent of nature which is betweene the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures composed of them For this cause as the angels retaine the first degree among liuing creatures and then man the second next them by reason that in his nature he neerest agreeth with the angels and doth neerest approch them so doth the heauen and celestiall fires retaine the first degree among creatures which are without soule and without life in their proper and conuenient motions according as we haue already declared And as man doth in some sort hold the middle place betweene the angels and the most perfect beasts so doth fire betwixt the heauen and the aire and as the aire doth keepe the middle place betwixt the fire and water so the water is a meane betwixt the aire and the earth But these things will claime a fitter place when we come to intreate of the elementarie world Wherefore we will returne to that which onely concerneth the heauenly bodies which forsomuch as we haue saide to be of the number of those creatures which are without life being contrarie to the opinion of the most famous philosophers my minde is that we should consider neerer of this matter bicause that by the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them it seemeth that they are not altogither depriued of life reason and vnderstanding as ARAM we may learne of you Of the life reason and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies and of the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them Chap. 27. ARAM. THis being true that all creatures haue a certaine motion agreeable to their nature and a naturall loue which euer vrgeth them to seeke and pursue that which is most naturall for them as hath been already related in our antecedent speech it seemeth that this can hardly come to passe but that there must be in them some kinde of soule and life yea euen in those creatures that are most insensible And more I will say that it is not onely to be presumed that they haue some kinde of life but also a naturall vnderstanding which we may properly name inclination sith there is no essence but can follow his proper course and order in his owne nature and peculiar motions For the stones themselues and mettals by a kinde of soule and vegetatiue life doe
we sodainly tost and carried away as with violent waues and horrible whire-winds into the lowest gulfes and deepes of the earth Moreouer as the huge monsters of the sea and the greatest and strongest fishes do eate vp and deuoure the smallest and weakest and as the craftiest entrap the simplest and pray vpon them euen so is it with the men of this world For the mightiest tyrants and the richest strongest and greatest rouers theeues and robbers do pill and take away the substance of the least and feeblest and do consume and deuoure them And they which cannot doe so by force haue recourse to sleights deceits and treasons by which they surprise the simple and meeke And therefore also as the holy Ghost compareth in the Scripture tyrants Soph. 3. Dan. 7. Ezech. 22. Psal 74. Luk. 13. rouers theeues and murderers to woolues beares lyons and such like beasts and the craftie and deceitful to foxes dragons and serpents who do by subtiltie and guile that which they cannot performe by power and force so doth he compare them to huge whales and to the great fishes of the sea So because Nilus a renowned riuer whereof we haue alreadie spoken passeth through the land of Egypt and runneth into the sea by seuen mouthes or armes Isay calleth Pharaoh the king and tyrant of that countrey Isay 27. Leuiathan or Whale which God did strike with his strong hand and his mightie arme ouerwhelming him in the red sea It is also saide for the like consideration in the Psalmes Thou brakest the heads of dragons in the waters Psal 74. Thou brakest the head of Leuiathan in peeces and gauest him for meate to the people in the wildernes Abac. 1. And the prophet Abacuc doth likewise compare the king and tyrant of Babylon to a great fisher who casteth his nets into the sea and causeth the fishes to come into them and so he taketh them But heere we are to note that although there be some kinds of beasts who eate one another yet are they not all of this nature For there are but certaine of them that liue so vpon praie and rapine And amongst them that so liue there are but verie fewe that eate beastes of their owne kinde except great famine constraine them thereto Yea hunger doth inuite them that liue by pray to chase and deuour others rather then their owne kinde For it is necessitie and want of sustenance that driueth them thereto And though especially fishes do least spare their owne kinde yet doe they not eate one another except when hunger constraineth them thereto to preserue their life How men are more cruell then beasts But men most wretched surely haue not all these causes to mooue them against their own kind against their owne flesh and bloud as it is ordinarily seene that they are more cruelly and more fiercely bent one against another then any bruite beasts but contrariwise they shoulde be much better furnished in all their necessities and should liue much more at their ease if they could maintaine good peace and vnitie one with another Wherefore in that they do otherwise it is easie to iudge how much their nature is corrupted peruerse except they be regenerated by the spirite of God For there is no bond of nature whatsoeuer no not that which is kept amongst the brutest beasts as of the female towards her yoong ones or of the male towards the female and such like which men do not shamefully breake and violate But we must herein acknowledge a terrible iudgment furie of God against them bicause of their sin which hath so peruerted and infected the first original nature of the stock of mankinde For when he giueth strength and power to the one for to torment and destroy the other yea to most cruell tyrants and bloudie murtherers who make lesse account of men then of beasts we must learne this doctrine that herein the iust ordināce of the Almightie is very euident by which he punisheth the wicked by the wicked Good doctrine touching the tyrannie of the wicked taketh reuenge vpon his enimies euen by his enimies thēselues as he hath threatned them in his law And therefore there is lesse maruel herein then that God suffreth the small fishes to be eaten by great ones the weakest by the strongest and the simplest by the craftiest as also the gentlest birds by the cruellest and lambes sheepe and other priuate domesticall and harmelesse beasts by woolues beares lyons and other wilde beasts For it is very certaine that the beasts haue not offended their creator nor deserued his wrath through any sinne against him as men haue done who being created in his owne image are fallen from innocencie and holines through their own fault through the corruption of nature which the transgression of Gods ordinance hath brought vpon them And if we cannot make answere for the cause of this nature of vnreasonable creatures but onely that it hath so pleased God who is the master and lord of all these works and who hath prouided for them according to his good pleasure surely also when we can conceiue no other reason for the tyrannie and crueltie of men exercised one vpon another this same reason should then suffice vs. For the onely will of the eternall the which cannot be but iust and reasonable alwaies must euer serue for a reason when wee cannot vnderstand the causes as we would But as I saide euen now this reason manifesteth it selfe sufficiently in his iust iudgements vpon men bicause of their sinnes Now albeit wee holde this sufficiently good in regard of the wicked and of those who oppose themselues and rebell fiercely against the Almightie yet the consideration might seeme to vs to be otherwise in respect of the meeke and of those whome he holdeth not onely for his seruants but also for his beloued children who neuerthelesse are commonly a pray to the wicked as sheepe are to woolues I must indeed confesse that these iudgements of God seeme more strange to humane reason then the other do yet they are not so secret and mysticall but that he manifesteth causes enough not onely by his worde Notable things to be considered in the aduersities of the good but also by common experience For first how much goodnes holines and perfection soeuer can consist in any man yet neuertheles as concerning his flesh he walloweth altogither in sinne and very much naturall corruption in pride arrogancie rebellion and disobedience against God which haue great neede to bee better mortified humbled tamed and brought downe Againe how easie a matter is it for vs to forget our Creator and our owne selues and to abuse all the graces and benefits which we receiue continually at his hand Also seeing that he will be glorified and that his power shall be knowne in the faith constancie charitie and patience of his we should not thinke it strange that he puts them to triall exercising them by diuers
concerning the reasons making for the creation the historie whereof will put vs altogither out of doubt in that which toucheth the principall arguments of the Philosophers against it if wee doe amplie entreate of their errors when they maintaine that God worketh of necessitie and not of free and franke will which will serue vs to morrow for a subiect to begin the daies discourse The end of the first daies worke THE SECOND DAIES WORKE Concerning the errors of these Philosophers which say that God doth his outward worke of necessitie Chapter 9. ASER. I Thinke companions we were yesterday sufficiently entangled in the discourse of the creation of the world about that which concerneth the doubt that remaineth in many But ere we doe farther enter into the cabinets of God and nature it would not be vnfruitefull if wee yet haue an other pull with the Philosophers about this question Whether of necessity or of free choise and franke will God was prouoked to worke For they supposed that the condition of necessitie was fitter and more conuenient then was the matter of contingence and therefore they appropriate it to God Wherein they thinke verily to want no reasons for their purpose and that these make specially for them That God worketh by his proper substance If the worke of God be of necessitie or voluntarie and not by any borrowed vertue That the effectes of the world are of necessity because they seeme in no wise to proceed of a contingent cause that by the same reason is to be considered the inuariable and necessarie order of thinges to the end that the vniuers be not confounded or troubled Moreouer the Philosophers supposed that it was a very vnfit thing for the diuine vnderstanding to worke of necessity and the diuine will to worke freely considering that it is no lesse perfect then the diuine thought Now though that we concerning these considerations night take out of the quiuer of reasonable discourse arrowes enow against these Sages of the world yet for that this point doth particularly touch the diuinity it may suffice to say with Plato that one cannot picke out so great a mysterie by reasons but seeke to learne the same by oracles For it is sufficient to know that the great lawgiuer recordeth that God spake Genes 1. Psalm 33. and it was done and that with him agreeth the kingly prophet saying he commaunded and it was established to conclude that all the scriptures teache vs the same doctrine But here let vs declare that that which seemeth thus to disturbe the Philosophers is nothing at all For they presuppose a necessarie disposition to bee more perfect then the contingent cause which they haue left to prooue to those that should come afterwards Now I beseech you do we not more esteeme a Prince who directeth euerie thing according to his owne good pleasure then if vrged by nature or any other prouocation constrayning him he should set his hand to any busines Who will blame libertie which as the Prouerbe saith is hardly bought for gold That I say which they themselues thinke to haue beene graunted man for a most singular good What perfection what praise should be attributed to most loftie thoughts if they were euer forced to performe that which is good Liberty profitable for all things What dignitie might appertaine to a great king if he did all things necessitie constrayning him and nothing of a generous heart And seeing by common consent we acknowledge God to be the Prince of the world what glorie and honor should be giuen him for his gouernment for his wisedome for his iustice for his clemencie if of necessity and constraint he were drawne on to maintaine that which is in his tuition What grace what seruice and adoration should we owe him Why is it entred into nature to sacrifice as Aristotle saith Why are we obliged as Auerrois himselfe teacheth to magnifie God the creator in prayers and sacrifices If God doth all things of necessitie what profiteth all this For what cause is it conuenient for vs to pray Prayers are fit for men if God be not appeased by prayer To what ende hath all mankinde in euerie age in all places of euery nation beene addicted to adore a diuinity Surely we may thereof gather that prayers are fit for men and that it is naturally grafted in our minds that God is mooued by them So manie reasons then may well conclude that the author of Nature doth neuer negotiate of necessitie And for that that he worketh by a proper substance that is not of eternitie except in the spiritual worke from himselfe wherof we haue spoken in the 5. of our discourse But for the outward worke he proceeded thereto according to his owne will when it pleased him not constrayned by any causes for hee is the onely and principall cause of all things nor for hope to get any good for that he of himselfe is blessed not hauing neede of any other good God is not subiect to any order of nature Furthermore also the necessarie effects conclude not any necessitie in the prince or in the first cause considering that the second causes which Plato and the other Sages call his seruants doe worke by his commaundement in determined order so that the necessitie that therein is dependeth vpon his commaundement or vpon the order from which he absolueth them according to his owne good pleasure Dan. 3. And thereof came it that the fire burned not the children in the Chaldean furnace that the sunne stayed his course by the space of a day at Iosuahs commandement that it went backe ten lines or ten howres Ios 10. 2. Kings 20. in the time of Ezechias That it was eclipsed at full moone during the passion of Iesus Christ The Peripatetickes Atheists and Epicures will laugh at this and will say scoffingly which of the Philosophers recounteth these things These sellers of lyes which teach the lawes are madde saith Auerrois But herein sith question is made concerning diuine mysteries what haue wee to doe with such contemners of all pietie The sentence wherein we make stay hath beene celebrated by those which could iudge And men doe rather beleeue one that affirmeth then a thousand that denie for negation concludeth nothing And why should we care then though they denie altogither in words that which many witnesses yea and most wise do assure to haue prooued in effect The holy letters testifie it whereto we rather giue credit then to Aristotle and all his schollers And amongst a thousand most famous Philosophers and Christian Martyrs which consent to this doctrine of truth Areopagus of the Athenians is Saint Denis Areopagita so called of the Areopagus or streete of Mars which was a court and assembly among the Athenians first of nine persons elected by the chiefe Magistrates and afterward encreased to the number of fiftie of the most principall as well for learning holines of life and wisedome as also
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
made perfect then any whit marred But yet before we take any other subiect we must first heare of AMANA the reasons which declare that God proceeded of free-will to his worke Of the reasons which conclude that God proceeded of free and franke deliberation to the worke of the world Chap. 10. AMANA ALthough that by our precedent discourse we may easily iudge such as maintaine that God of eternitie did by necessitie his outward work woorthie rather to be despised then refuted being against the doctrine of diuine oracles yet we will run ouer a few points by which they themselues shall be pearsed with their owne dartes I would therefore first desire them to tell me from whence come the monsters in nature They may say that this proceedeth either by defect or super-abundance of matter or else bicause that the qualities answere not in due proportion or through corruption of the containing part and such other considerations which are subdiuided by phisitions into their species But let me aske them if that the naturall causes worke necessarily why doe they not performe euery thing duly seeing nature as they say wanteth nothing in necessarie things How then doe naturall causes worke of necessitie when they faile They may answere that I would thereupon conclude that they worke by contingence which if I saide what might follow thereon But to leaue all superfluous debate let them remember that it is an olde sentence vsed in schooles that a thing is said to be necessarie in two sorts the one absolutely necessarie and the other conditionally necessarie Wherefore we attribute the first to God alone A thing is said to be necessary two waies and the other to his creatures so as we call them necessary according to the order appointed by the supreme creator Which if the Philosophers denie we will vrge them with the worke it selfe of these causes For it is certaine that if they be faultie and produce monsters it commeth to passe because that order which is deliuered them by nature as they say or rather of the soueraigne creator as truth is doth faile them Now if they faile of the order it then followeth that it was not simply necessarie for them but giuen by the first cause through vertue whereof the rest subordained vnder it do worke from which if the first withdraw it selfe they do not onely faile but become nothing at all And if they may seeme to performe any thing of necessitie this commeth vnto them by reason of the law which hath beene giuen them by the Prince of Nature who giuing lawes to others is no whit for that therto himselfe obliged They may reply that if our doctrine might stand there should be no certaintie of science considering that it should consist of things which otherwise might be whereto Aristotle doth make deniall But we answere that if he intendeth that those things which are knowne should be necessarie according to the order of the vniuers the like may ensue in those things which may happen contrarie to the order according to the disposition of the eternall will Now if they finde too great difficultie herein for their capacitie what neede wee care Let themselues if they thinke good vnloose the knot For fire may well be without burning Dan. 3. The effect may be separated from the cause as indeed it hath beene as we haue heard in the former speech And likewise euerie effect may be separated from the cause which hath produced it yet neuerthelesse the bond remayning by a certaine correspondencie betweene the worker and the subiect that we may vse schoole termes But proceeding farther I would faine learne of these Peripatetickes whence it is that things haue a necessarie couenant They will say that it is by nature as they prooue by experience What truely nature is But what is this their nature Nothing truely but the author of the Vniuers which is the true spirit not erring seeing that as they teach the worke of nature is the worke of the intelligence not erring and by the ordinance whereof all things haue a due course For there is nothing but serueth this supreme worker He stretcheth out saith the prophet the heauens like a curtaine Psalm 104. He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the mountaines and they smoke But these naturalists may say what haue we to doe with prophets seeing we hold that none can haue perfect knowledge but in those things which are prooued by demonstration And from whence fetcheth demonstration his originall Is it not from those principles whose termes being knowne we accord to them or prooue them by experience Now if we beleeue demonstrations by principles and experiences it then followeth that there be some things more certaine then demonstrations Oh execrable vice growne olde amongst our people that hauing had this happines to be enrolled in the number of Christians â—anitie of the â—emonstrations â—f Philosophers yet receiue nothing for truth and certaintie if it be not prooued by such demonstrations as Aristotle hath declared and wherewith for all that he is but little aided in his discourse concerning nature For herein he proceedeth alwaies by those maximes that he taketh to be confessed so that the demonstration whereto his disciples giue beleefe is nothing else but a consequence drawne from the place of authoritie or from the foundations by him supposed Wherefore let vs rather beleeue the holy scripture which instructeth vs that many things and especially diuine are knowne through the beames of supernaturall illumination and by the couenant of the holy word with our vnderstaÌ„ding touched by the truth Let Epicures Atheists then maintaine how they list from Aristotle That to knowe What it is to know is to vnderstand by demonstration For vs it is sufficient to hold our instructions from the prophets taught by the diuine oracle who by miracles and prodigies and great sacraments approoue as we haue already heard that which they teach And if we say that knowledge is an vnderstanding by any thing we may take our selues to be wise in beleeuing the doctrine of the holy Ghost not any whit accounting of the Peripateticks who haue only kindled the light of their contemplation by the moouing formes of the vniuers and haue not been able with a pure cogitation to contemplate him who possesseth the highest degree of dignitie amongst all essences as their soueraigne prince and gouernour hauing in the rest rather giuen an artificiall finenesse and base manner of proceeding then any science And this is that which priuily their Master confesseth when he entreateth of the last Analyticks or Resolutions saying that Science is of demonstration and demonstration of the quiddities as he nameth it and by the proper differences of things to vs vnknowne For thereupon it followeth that the principles of demonstration are vnknowne and that from them one may bring no whit or very little demonstration But resuming our principall point of the free That
vs wee will willingly assigne to them according to our fantasie such vertue that if the world were depriued of them we might hope of nothing but darkenes Wherefore the Lord in this order of the creation causeth vs to see the contrarie and how it is in him and by him that the light subsisteth Now of you ASER we may heare of some excellent mysteries concealed vnder the number of the daies of this mundaine fabrication Of the mysteries hidden vnder the number of sixe in the creation of the vniuers and of the seuenth day of rest Chapter 13. ASER. THat all things consisted in numbers and that there was need of the knowledge of them to conceiue the sacred mysteries of God and nature Pythagoras Plato and all other Academicks haue laboriously taught But they haue spoken so superstitiously and so obscurely concerning the mysteries in these numbers that it seemed they woulde euen coÌ„ceale them from those who were deuoted to the study of their doctrine Plato speaketh thus in his Epinomide If we take away number from the nature of men wee leaue them no whit prudent nor capable of science Of the profit and vse of numbers for the minde can comprehend nothing without reason and none can render a reason for anie thing that is ignorant of number The artes likewise this set apart would altogither perish He assureth vs also that number to wit the vnitie which is God is cause of all good but of none ill And he calleth mans soule a number and reasonable measure by which we measure all things which may be vnderstood and put in practise by vs to the end that in our workes we may eschue all error folly and deformitie Now not onely the Philosophers but also many great personages Christians both Greekes and Latins doe testifie vnto vs by their writings that there be many mysteries in numbers Amongst whom Saint Augustine speaketh thus Lib. 11. de ciuâ—â— Dei cha 30. The reason of numbers is not to be despised of vs which how much it is to be esteemed in many texts of Scripture is apparant to those which marke it diligently And it hath not beene spoken in vaine to the praise of God Thou hast ordred al things in number Wisedome 11. waight and measure Now hereupon we must note that the number waight measure wherby all things haue beene numbred poised and measured subsist not properly in the things created no more then the measure by which the cloth is parted into elles or the weights wherewith euerie thing is weighed or the number by which all things are counted doe consist within the things measured poised or numbred but are doubtles without them So then we contemplate the number waight and measure by which God hath disposed all things In God is the member waight and measure out of the creatures And forasmuch as there is nothing besides all things produced but God it is necessary that in him should consist their number waight and measure In him then is the waight without waight for by it the great worker is not poised but remaineth stable giuing all things the power to be mooued and at last to repose themselues And in truth this frame of the whole world duely proportioned and balanced by waight could not sustaine it selfe if it were not poised by the creator and gouernour thereof who likewise hath the measure by which he moderateth and disposeth all that is contayned therein in well ordered iustice according to the state and proper end of euerie of his workes And in him also are the numbers without number because that all things which are in him are the same onely God And as he is the true vnitie he contayneth in himselfe all number giuing all things the power to be numbred For all multitude ariseth from one and nothing can be one making with any others a multitude if by the participation of the highest one it doth not obtaine the state of vnitie And to it also all things created imitating the course of numbers as the true patterne doth the originall and the end of Gods works endeuoure to returne in such sort as they first proceeded We neede not doubt then but that the consideration of numbers doth therewith import much doctrine Wherefore particularly respecting the distinction of the workes of the Vniuers in sixe daies which is the subiect of our discourse wee will note how many haue acknowledged the number of sixe to be full of deepe mysteries The number of sixe full of deepe mysteries First therfore MathematiciaÌ„s teach that six is the first perfect nuÌ„ber because it is coÌ„pounded of certaine parts perfectly added togither as of one two and three for which cause it is called of the PythagoriaÌ„s Gamon or the Marrying number because all the parts thereof set aside doe make it vp Moreouer some parts of it multiplied together to produce it as sixe times one three times two two times three In this consisteth the perfection of the number which is accomplished by all his parts and but few such haue beene found out by Arithmeticians For within the number of an hundred they haue obserued but that of twentie eight to which they haue attributed such proprietie because it consisteth of fourteene seuen fower two and one as within the number of tenne there is but that of sixe which is accomplished by all his parts Saint Hierom entreating of this number where he writeth vpon Ezechiel saith that it contayneth the sacrament of creatures And in truth there could not be inuented any number more proper for the making of the world then this of sixe which consisteth of a double proportion that it doth next containe in it selfe to wit of fower with two which numbers added togither make sixe which can hardly be found in other numbers but such as are of the nature of sixe as the double triple quadruple or square thereof and such like So then sixe resulteth of that double proportion which makes the diapason in Musicke which is the perfectest and most entire harmonie of all the concords For which it seemeth that Pythagoras would applie it to Natiuities and to Mariages and then it doth consequently verie properly fitte the Creation of the world wherein were celebrated the true nuptials and coniunctions of all things Likewise sixe the first perfect number cannot but aptly agree to God the soueraigne and most perfect creator or to his worke wherein there is no defect Genes 2. And therefore when he had finished and accomplished his workes in sixe daies Moses saith Thus the heauens and the earth were finished and all the host of them But if we will farther proceed in the consideration of this number of sixe we shall see how by the triangled or three-square figure thereof it doth properly accord with the creation of the world For the base or foundation is the number of three the point a vnitie and the number of two is the meane betweene both as appeereth in
by winde and such like Whereto we will adde also this opinion of those who attribute the cause of such motions and tremblings either to the drinesse of the earth which is the occasion that it cleaueth and chappeth and by this meanes giues open way to the aire and to the windes which penetrate thereinto or else bicause of the older age thereof to which they esteeme all creatures subiect whereupon it happeneth to it as to old buildings which being ruinous and almost rotten doe fall downe in some places of themselues These are the diuers opinions of men vpon this matter wherin if we desire to take a very short and sure way to attaine to the true cause wee must referre it to the wrath and iudgements of God bicause that what causes soeuer the learned can inuent the Eternall sheweth himselfe very powerful The true cause of earthquakes and the profit that wee may reape thereby and to be feared therein considering that he hath disposed all of them and that they all depend vpon him alone And surely this is a worke of the omnipotent woorthie to be woondred at and which may well cause men to mooue and tremble before his maiestie For if he shewe himselfe terrible and fearefull by deluges of water by haile thunder lightning stormes and tempests he doth no lesse by the motions and shakings of the earth which are in regarde thereof as thunders are in the aire For seeing that the earth is as the foot of the world and that it is assigned to men for their habitation whither is it that they may haue recourse if it quake vnder them and faile to sustaine them Whither shall they retire if she will allow them no more dwelling in hir but will spue them out as the scripture saith For if it be hard for them to flie before fire Leuit. 19. and before water and to finde harbour against windes thunders and tempests whither shall they flie if the earth will not receiue nor beare them And what dread may inuade them when sometimes it quaketh in such sort that it openeth and is swallowed vp as into a bottomlesse pitte as it came to passe when it swallowed Corah Dathan and Abiram and their families Nom. 16. Who will not bee astonished when it riseth vp ouerturning all euen the highest mountaines and hardest rockes and mooueth it selfe in such sort that it maketh houses and buildings dance like rammes and sheepe that would one butte at another wherewith many are vtterly destroied Examples of meruailous earth quakes as it happened in the yeere 1531. in the realme of Portugall which was so shaken by an earth-quake that at Lisbone the chiefe citie thereof there were ouerthrown almost twelue hundred houses besides a great number of others which were greatly spoiled This horrible earthquake continued the space of eight daies and gaue verie furious assaults fiue or sixe times a day And in the time of the Emperour Tiberius twelue cities in Asia were quite ruinated in one night by an earth-quake And Iosephus recordeth that by another Lib. 1 de bello Iud. thirtie thousand Iewes died So Iustine recounteth that by another earth-quake many cities were destroyed an hundred and seuentie thousand persons perished in the raigne of Tigranes in Armenia What causes then soeuer there may be in nature of so many terrible euents yet we must alwaies haue recourse to the Author and Gouernour thereof without whom it can performe nothing and he it is Psal 135. that bringeth earth-quakes out of his treasures as he doth the winds either by his commaundement without a meanes or by his ministers ordayned thereto or else by some power infused into things the which may according to his good pleasure display it selfe in effect to denounce his iudgments on men For he it is of whom the prophet speaketh The earth trembled and shaked and the foundations of the mountaines were mooued and quaked 2. Sam. 22. Psal 18. and the foundations of heauen were bowed and trembled because he was angrie Wherefore wee may verie well conclude Isay 66. Matth. 5. Acts. 7. that as God declareth his magnificence and woonderfull glorie in heauen which is assigned to bee his seat as his word teacheth vs and as we haue heretofore amply discoursed so likewise he doth manifest it no lesse in the earth which is his footstoole when he causeth it to shake and remooue as if being supprised with some great strong feuer it shooke trembled before him Iob. 9. And therefore Iob also saith The Eternall is wise in heart and mightie in strength who hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered He remooueth mountaines and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath He remooueth the earth out of her place that the pillers thereof do shake Iob. 26. the pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe But now let vs note that all that which we haue here deliuered disprooueth not the earth to remaine alwaies firme immooueable in it selfe in so much as it mooueth not out of the place which was appointed to it by God neither doth it swerue neuer so little considering that the moouings and tremblings are not vniuersall but particular onely in some places in such sort that the foundations thereof are not any whit altered And if we consider well of these things the Earth will serue no lesse for a preacher vnto vs then the aire and the fire yea then all heauen to denounce vnto vs the soueraigne maiestie of the Almightie ruling aboue all his workes as I hope to morrow we may haue goodly testimonies entreating of the water which is dispersed throughout the earth and afterwards speaking of the excellent commodities and pretious riches that these two elements doe yeeld to men into which matter you ASER shall enter with your dicourse The end of the seuenth day THE EIGHT DAIES WORKE Of the sea and of the waters and of the diuision and distribution of them throughout the earth Chap. 57. ASER. THE holy Scripture doth certifie vs how that in the beginning the earth was couered ouer with water and that it appeered not in any sort but onely vnder the forme of a great deepe till such time as God commaunded the waters to retire into the channels and places which hee had prepared for their aboade So that then the earth was discouered euen so much therof as was needfull for the habitation and nourishment of men and beasts But this soueraigne creator of the Vniuers would not haue the waters to be gathered all into one place and not to haue their course through the earth but prouiding for euerie commoditie for his creatures he ordained that out of the great Ocean sea which is as the great bodie of the waters there should issue diuers armes and members by meanes whereof we haue the Mediterran seas out of which againe proceed many other waters as lakes flouds riuers and brookes For although that all
Eternall and those great works and woonders which he declareth in the sea and to haue recourse for their deliuerance out of all dangers to the creator and true Lord of the waters and of the windes and of all nature But yet wee must heere consider the obedience that the sea sheweth euen in the greatest furies therof to the commandement which God hath deliuered to it from the first creation thereof For although it be often mooued as we said yet doth it containe it selfe shut vp within the boundes which were appointed vnto it by the ordinance of God as if it were afraide to run out and durst not passe farther as hauing heard and vnderstood that which the creator thereof had commanded and had engrauen it in memorie for euer And therefore we may see that after it hath swollen risen aloft in waues and that it hath menaced the earth as if it would ouerflowe it and couer it againe with the deepe as at the beginning it is neuerthles arrested and beaten backe to returne into the proper gulfes thereof which are assigned for it to lodge in euen by a very little sand onely For what is the sea shore but sand onely which is a kinde of loose earth like the dust and is easily driuen with the winde And yet the word of God which hath giuen commandement to the sea which is so horrible and fearefull a creature being mooued is of such power that this small sand is sufficient to make it keepe within the confines and limits thereof and to breake the furious waues thereof as if he who hath established this ordinance in nature stood in presence vpon the shore side to command it to doe so and that for feare and reuerence of him it returned to hide it selfe in the deepe How much more then should his word and voice mooue the harts of men breaking cleauing and pearsing them thorough if they were not harder then stones and rocks and more senselesse then the waters For this cause the Lord saith by Esaie Isay 66. And to whome shall I haue respect but to him that is afflicted and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words And Ieremie shewing to the people of Israel the malice and rebellion which was in them Ierem. 5. against the Lord their God doth giue them the sea for a patterne and referreth them to learne to obey their creator after the example thereof Let vs learne then that the sea and other waters do not ouer-passe their bounds and limits but when it pleaseth God that they should ouerflow to chastice men by deluges and flouds as it oftentimes commeth to passe through his iust iudgement But it shal bee your office ACHITOB to speake of this point discoursing vpon the ebbing and flowing of the sea whereupon me thinkes the order of our speech doth require that wee should entreat Of the flowing and ebbing of the sea and of the power that the moone hath ouer it and ouer all other inferior bodies Chap. 58. AMANA IF wee do not refer all things to the heauenly disposition of him who hath framed and compassed all with his hand and doth gouerne all by his prudence and sustaineth all with his power it will be very difficult yea impossible for vs to declare the causes and reasons of his works in an humane discourse which are of such authority that they may put a good spirit out of all scruple and doubt Yea euen in the subiect which wee intend now to entreat of to wit the flowing and ebbing of the sea The searching out of which secret did so trouble a certaine great Philosopher some say Aristotle that beeing vpon the shore of Euboea now called Negropont onely to search out and to behold the naturall cause thereof and not beeing able to enforme himselfe sufficiently therein it did so vex him that chafing at nature himselfe and against the water he cast himselfe into the sea saying to it sith I cannot comprehend thee yet shalt thou haue the honor to comprehend mee and keepe mee within thy gulfs and indeed he was heere swallowed by the deepe And certes this ordinary ebbing and flowing of the ocean according to which it goeth commeth spreadeth it selfe abroade and then doth euery day retire without euer fayling in the order thereof must needes be a most wonderfull thing And that which is most admirable therein is that the flowing and ebbing thereof doe follow the course of the moone Of the ebbing and flowing of the sea To which planet likewise is attributed with most apparant reason the cause of this flowing and ebbing she beeing as the regent of the seas and waters by the appointment of the soueraigne creator as is seene by experience and by the agreeablenes of nature which they haue togither For wee must note that as the moone encreaseth or waineth so is it with the state of the flowing of the sea And therefore although that it happen diuersly yet the principall cause of the motion thereof resideth in his planet For betweene the two times that she riseth which is in fower and twenty howers wherein she compasseth the whole earth the sea doth twise flow doth as oftētimes ebbe And when the moone beginneth to mount in the east then doth the floud rise and the sea swell till such time as this planet doth attaine to our right meridian which is in the mid-heauen and that it begin to decline towardes the west at which time the water ebbeth Yet neuertheles all those six howers wherein the moone maketh hir course towards the line of mid-night opposite to our noone-line the floud returneth and increaseth till after it hath passed that line and then it doth ebbe againe till such time as the said regent thereof the moone returne againe aboue our horizon It is most certaine that the floud doth neuer returne iust at that very hower and instant wherein it flowed the day before But this doth proceede likewise from the course of the moone which seruing for these base and inferiour things and not rising euery day at one selfesame instant she doth draw the course of the sea with hir in such sort that the tide is more late and of shorter continuance at one time then at another and yet doth not the distance of time betweene the tides change one whit for it endureth six howers in ebbe and so long time in flowing But here we meane not all manner of howers as our common howers are according to the different situation of places but we meane equall and equinoctial howers by consideration whereof the ebbing and flowing of the sea will be found alwaies of like time as is abouesaide Moreouer from seuen daies to seuen daies the flowing is found different by the same power of the moone for it is but very small the first quarter thereof and till it be halfe round In the second quarter it alwaies encreaseth till full-moone at which time the sea is at hir greatest height From thence
THE THIRD VOLVME OF THE FRENCH ACADEMIE Contayning a notable description of the whole world and of all the principall parts and contents thereof As namely of Angels both good and euill of the Celestiall spheres their order and number of the fixed stars and planets their light motion and influence Of the fower elements and all things in them or of them consisting and first of firie airie and watrie meteors or impressions of comets thunders lightnings raines snow haile rainebowes windes dewes frosts earthquakes c. ingendred aboue in and vnder the middle or cloudie region of the aire And likewise of fowles fishes beasts serpents trees with their fruits and gum shrubs herbes spices drugs minerals precious stones and other particulars most worthie of all men to be knowen and considered Written in French by that famous and learned Gentleman Peter de la Primaudaye Esquier Lord of the same place and of Barree and Englished by R. Dolman LONDINI Jmpensis Geor. Bishop 1601. TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull Sir WILLIAM MOVNSON Knight YOur emploiments Right Worshipfull in sundry hir Maiesties forraine seruices both by sea and land and also for your farther experience and satisfaction in diuers other noble enterprises beeing accompanied with a sharpe and iudicious obseruation of things memorable and the perusing of many excellent and rare writers must of necessitie haue made you not onely expert in matters of war and estate but also most singularlie well read in God his great booke of nature I meane the admirable frame of this Vniuers or whole world Wherein the infinite varieties and sorts of creatures like so many visible wordes doe proclaime and publish vnto man the eternitie infinitie omnipotency wisedome iustice bountie and other essentiall attributes of his dread and soueraigne creatour Wherefore I doe here present vnto your Wor. the discourse ensuing not as a teacher to instruct you in things vnknowne but as a faithfull remembrancer to recall matters to your minde which are there already both by speculation and experience most soundly imprinted It may please you then to accept of this mine homelie translation not so much for mine owne sake who am able to deserue lesse then nothing as for the Authors worthines being a Gentleman as appeareth out of this other parts his learned ACADEMIE most rarely qualified and likewise for the excellencie of this present worke of his both in regard of the method the matter and the scope For the methode is most exact and agreeable to rules of art proceeding from generalles to particulars and from the whole to the parts The matter or subiect is most noble so that if according to Aristotle all arts and sciences doe receiue their perfection from the dignity of the obiect then certes of all others Theologie excepted this science is the most excellent hauing so spacious so beautifull and so fruitfull a fielde to manure as the whole world and all things therein contained Neither is the scope any whit lesse charitable and christian tending partly to the information of mens vnderstandings and the reformation of their errors but most especially ayming at the glorie of the creator vnto whom onely is due all submission and honor Finally considering the authors manner of handling this discourse and the varietie of choise-writers both ancient and of our times which hee alledgeth for confirmation of sundry truthes and for other purposes purging by the fire of his exquisite iudgment the drosse of their opinions from the pure mettall and in all places adorning their gold and siluer with the most orient and inualuable pearles of holy scripture I deemed it in all respects most worthy to shroude it selfe vnder your Wor. patronage London this 28. of March 1601. Your Wor. most readie to be disposed of RICHARD DOLMAN To the Reader MOunt on this worlds maiestike theater Suruey the spheres and euer-burning lamps Pierce through the aire fire earth and water Admire Jehouahs hosts and royall camps Rang'd in batallions and seemely troupes At sight whereof the proudest Atheist droupes Surmount the spheres view those ghostly wights Jnhabiting a world supercelestiall Then stoupe trembling see those ghastly sprights Plung'd aie in deepest firie gulfes infernall And frighted thence looke al the world aroūd What other natures-wonders may be found R. D. Sonnet CE que Dieu fit et fait d'admirable en son monde Ce qu'on en peut auoir de plaisirs et de biens Et d'enseignemens beaux diuins et terriens BARREE icy l'instruit par celeste faconde Mais quel saint trucheman ô Nimphe-Angloise blonde T'apprent ces hauts discours qui rauissent les tiens C'est mon gentil DOLMAN ieune laurier des miens Le qui de des neuf seurs qui en langues abonde O toy heureuse donc d'auoir ce traducteur Comme ta soeur Françoise heureuse est de l' Autheur Mais plus heureuse encor quand par estudes saintes Des grands oeuures de Dieu en ce liure depeintes Si bien cognoistres Dieu qu'au mieux d'ame et de coeur En crainte amour et foy le seruires sans feintes I' attens le temps PIERRE CASTEL The speciall and principall matters handled in this third Tome of the French Academie as it is diuided into seuerall daies works and distinguished by Chapters The first daies worke Page 1 OF the Creation of Heauen and Earth Chap. 1 Page 7 Of time which tooke beginning with the world Chapter 2 Page 12 Of the insufficiencie or nullitie of reasons framed concerning the nature of the world against the creation thereof chap. 3 Page 15 Of the reasons taken from motion and the moouing intelligences against the creation of the world and of the insufficiencie of them chapter 4 Page 20 Of many other deuises which they inuent who pretend to ouerthrow the doctrine of the creation of the world performed by the creator thereof chap. 5 Page 24 Concerning those causes which haue made the Philosophers to erre from the knowledge of truth and of their ignorance concerning God and his works chap. 6 Page 29 Of the authoritie of such witnesses as make the creation and newnes of the world vndoubted chap. 7 Page 34 Of the reasons making for the creation and newnes of the world chapter 8 The second daies worke Page 39 COncerning the errors of those Philosophers which say that God doth his outward worke of necessitie chap. 9 Page 45 Of the reasons which conclude that God proceeded of franke and free deliberation to the worke of the world chap. 10 Page 49 Of one onely principall and first cause of the Vniuers chap. 11 Page 54 Of the space of the sixe daies mentioned in the historie of the creation of the world chap. 12 Page 59 Of the mysteries hidden vnder the number of sixe in the creation of the Vniuers and of the seuenth day of rest chap. 13 Page 64 Of the diuisions of the vniuersall world chap. 14 Page 68 Of the Angelicall and intellectuall world
chap. 15 Page 74 Of diuels and euill spirits chap. 16 The third daies worke Page 80 OF the celestiall or sphericall world chap. 17 Page 86 Of the forme and figure of heauen and of the motion thereof as well generall as particular chap. 18 Page 91 Of the circles ingenerall and particularly of the Equinoctiall and Zodiake and of their signes chap. 19 Page 95 Of the two great circles named Colures and of the fower lesse circles and parallels and of the fiue Zones of the world and immooueable circles chap. 20 Page 101 Of the hower-circles and what is done by them in sunne-dials and of the circles which diuide the 12. houses of heauen chap. 21 Page 106 Of the ascensions and descensions of the stars and of the signes and other arkes of the Zodiake and of the orientall and occidentall latitude of the sun or degrees of the zodiacke chap. 22 Page 109 Of the naturall and artificiall daies and of the nights of their diuersitie and cause chap. 23 Page 112 Of equall and vnequall temporall and artificiall howers of the heights of the sunne aboue the Horizon and of his right and reuerse shadowes chap. 24 The fourth daies worke Page 117 OF the substance and nature of heauen and of the celestiall bodies of their continuance change cha 25 Page 121 Of motions ingenerall of their first cause and of their vnion in all nature chap. 26 Page 125 Of the life reason and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies and of the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them chap. 27 Page 130 Of the influence and effects of the planets and starres in things here below either to good or euill chap. 28 Page 135 Of the truth which is found in prognostications of Astrologers and how the starres are appointed by God for signes and that from their influences no euill proceedeth chap. 29 Page 140 Of the planet Saturne and how it is not euill nor anie other starre chap. 30 Page 144 Of the planets ingenerall and how they worke in man not in constraining but disposing chap. 31 Page 148 Of the true Astronomie which the heauens doe teach vs and especially the sunne in his admirable effects chap. 32 The fift daies worke Page 152 OF the rising and setting of the sunne and of the prouidence of God which shineth in the commodities of daie and night chap. 33 Page 157 Of the second course and motion of the sunne and moone for the distinction of yeeres moneths and seasons and of the prouidence of God in these things chap. 34 Page 161 Of the image of God and of his light which is proposed vnto vs in the sunne with the felicitie of mans life in changing of light and darkenes chap. 35 Page 166 Of the eclipses of the sunne and moone and of the image which we haue therein of the constancie which is in God and of the inconstancie of men and of humane things chap. 36 Page 171 Of the beginning of naturall and corruptible things chap. 37 Page 176 Of the elements and of things to be considered in them in that they are distinguished by the number of fower chap. 38 Page 180 Of the opinion of those who admit but three elements not acknowledging the elementarie fire chap. 39 Page 185 Of the perfect compositions which are in the nature of all things by which the fower elements may be considered chap 40 The sixt daies worke Page 189 OF the agreement betwixt the elements and planets chapter 41 Page 195 Of the fire and of the aire and of the things engendred in them and of their motions and of the windes cha 42 Page 199 Of thunder and lightning chap. 43 Page 203 Of the true Meteors of Christians and of the supernaturall causes of thunder and lightning chap. 44 Page 208 Of snowes mists frosts frosts yce and haile chap. 45 Page 212 Of comets chap. 46 Page 216 Of cloudes and vapours chap. 47 Page 221 Of the waters sustayned and hanged in the aire and of the rainebow chap. 48 The seuenth daies worke Page 226 OF dewes and raine chap. 49 Page 230 Of the fertilitie caused by dewes and raine and of the prouidence of God therein chap. 50 Page 234 Of the windes and of their kindes and names and of the testimonies which we haue in them of the power and maiestie of God chapter 51 Page 239 Of the fowles of the aire and namely of the Manucodiata of the Eagle of the Phenix and of other wilde fowle chap. 52 Page 243 Of singing birdes and chiefly of the Nightingale and of sundrie others and of their wit and industrie chap. 53 Page 247 Of the Estridge of the Peacocke of the Cocke and of other fowles chap. 54 Page 251 Of the earth and of the situation immobilitie figure and qualitie thereof chap. 55 Page 255 Of earth-quakes chap. 56 The eight daies worke Page 261 OF the sea and of the waters and of the diuision and distribution of them throughout the earth chap. 57 Page 265 Of the flowing and ebbing of the sea and of the power that the moone hath ouer it and ouer all other inferior bodies chap. 58 Page 269 Of salt fresh and warme waters and of other diuersities in them chapter 59 Page 274 Of the commodities which men reape of the waters by Nauigation and of the directions which sea-men doe receiue from heauen and from the starres vpon the sea chap. 60 Page 278 Of the diuision of lands and countries amongst men by the waters and of the limits which are appointed them for the bounds of their habitation chap. 61 Page 283 Of the commodities which are incident to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters thorough the earth chap. 62 Page 287 Of diuers kindes of fishes namely of the whale of the dolphin of the sea-calfe and others chap. 63 Page 291 Of the image that we haue of the state of this world and of men in the sea and in the fishes thereof chap. 64 The ninth daies worke Page 295 OF fruits and of the fertilitie of the earth and the causes thereof and of herbes trees and plants chap. 65 Page 299 Of the vertue that herbes and other fruits of the earth haue in phisick and in food and of the true vse of them chap. 66 Page 304 Of the diuersitie of plants and of their difference and naturall growth and of their parts of the most excellent amongst them chapter 67 Page 308 Of trees and especiallie of the pine the fir-tree the cypress tree and the cedar chap. 68 Page 313 Of trees bearing cinnamom cassia franckincense mirrh and cloues chap. 69 Page 318 Of trees and plants that beare nutmegs ginger and pepper chapter 70 Page 321 Of the date-tree of the Baratha or tree of India of the Gehuph and of brasill chap. 71 Page 326 Of the citron-tree limon-tree orange-tree oliue-tree and pomegranate-tree chap. 72 The tenth daies worke Page 331 OF mallowes wilde-mallowes purple-violets betonie ceterach and Saint Iohns-wort
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
builded and the very Idea thereof was contained in it by which this great architect when it pleased him performed his outward worke as saint Augustine verie learnedly discourseth in a long treatise vpon this text of Scripture All things were made by the word Iohn 1. and in it was life c. And thereby we learne that God almightie the vnit from which all number proceedeth and whereto all multitude referreth it selfe did increase himselfe in himselfe before he communicated his vnitie with creatures engendring one eternitie and by an alone vnique action neuer disturbed his linage full of vnderstanding the very image of the father his worde the perfect patterne of the worlde and his loue and power the holie Ghost which allieth the vnderstanding with the thought three persons in one essence and substance Afterward this Godhead though in it selfe it was soueraigne good not hauing neede of any strange thing yet woulde he according to his owne bountie in him consisting produce the outward worke of the worlde whereinto spreading himselfe by a kinde of processe of well ordered degrees and disposing through admirable workmanship the harmonicall formes of the heauens the angels and men by him created to be made partakers of felicitie contemplating these maruailes were rauished and carried away with meditation of spirituall things and by the beautie of his workes and ornament of his creatures haue learned to acknowledge the father of this Vniuers Who moreouer performed not so great a worke in such manner as mortall men accustome to labour who cannot do any businesse themselues if they haue not stuffe and tooles fit for it nay and then cannot do it according to their desire But God created all of nothing without helpe without counsell That God made all of nothing by himselfe by his worde by the power of his holie spirit in such time and manner as he hath pleased of his owne franke and free will Therefore it is written He spake and it was done Psalm 33. Psal 135. Ierem. 31. he commanded and the worlde was created Also The Lorde hath done whatsoeuer he pleased in heauen and in earth and in all the depths And againe Oh eternall Lord behold thou hast made heauen and earth by thy great power and by thy stretched out arme nothing is impossible to thee Briefly holy writings are filled with texts to this purpose which giue vs certaine testimonie that the works of God are not subiect to any other cause then to his only omnipotent will and that thereby the worde being spoken those things which were not haue beene created as well the substance as the fashion of them and also the worde Creation doth properly import so much according to the stile of holie-writ Beholde then summarily that which we learne of the originall of the worlde we will consequently consider as neere as may be of this notable and excellent doctrine and of certaine arguments which some vse to the contrarie Wherefore AMANA if you thinke good you shall frame the subiect of your discourse vpon the time wherein this Vniuers began to be builded Of Time which tooke beginning with the World Chapter 2. AMANA THe matter which we entreate of Hierom. in prolog Galâ—â— Auâ—ust 〈…〉 vpon Genesâ—â— hath alwaies beene accounted of the Sages to be of such depth and profunditie that it was ordered amongst the ancient Hebrewes that any who had not attained to ripe age good yeeres might not meddle with the creation Of this prohibition doth S. Hierome make mention And therefore Saint Augustine vpon Genesis searching out the deepe secrets hidden vnder the vaile of simple words therein contained speaketh to the Reader in this manner Comprehend this if thou canst if not not leaue it to them which are more learned But make profite of the Scripture which abandoneth not thy weaknesse but like a mother steppeth foote by foote an easie pace with thee For it speaketh in such sort that in height it scorneth the proude in depth it astonisheth those which are attentiue to it It feedeth the great with truth and nourisheth the small ones with milde and familiar discourse And in truth in each part of Moses writings the treasures of all Philosophie are by him discouered like as if they were closely hidden in some field chiefly in this place which we haue intended to entreat of touching the creation For of deliberate purpose he argueth in Philosophie of the originall of all things of God of the degree number and order of the parts of this great world We neuerthelesse hauing confidence in this saying of the Psalmist Psal 119. That the word of God doth illuminate and giue vnderstanding to the simple and that it serueth for a light to our pathes we may be bolde to touch so loftie a point But before we proceed to consider of the precious treasures and learned doctrine wherewith the sacred sayings of the prophet touching the creation are replenished it will be good that we discourse a little of the principall arguments whereupon manie better Philosophers then good Christians haue obiected against this doctrine of framing of the world And I will willingly begin with this old question of the Epicure Why God made the world in the time that Moses declareth which the atheists of our time haue renewed to wit Why in the time that Moses recordeth it pleased the eternal God to create heauen and earth which he had not made before If they which say thus woulde thereby inferre that the worlde hath beene eternall without any beginning and for that cause it seemeth to them that God made it not they are too farre wide of the truth and sicke of the mortall disease of impietie For besides the manifold tellings and propheticall testimonies which make the creation of heauen and earth vndoubtable euen the world it selfe by his motion and well ordered changing the gorgeous shew of all things visible therein contained not speaking one word do after a sort cry out that it was made that it could be no otherwise formed then by God who is ineffablie inuisibly glorious For it is not to be supposed that a thing of most exquisite order reason should haue bin made by chance that a deed most soueraigne could haue any other father then soueraigne nor so goodly a worke anie other architect then one essentially goodly And therefore all the schooles of those Philosophers which haue had any whit of diuine sense affirme with one consent that there is nothing which more prooueth that God hath made the world and that it is gouerned by his care prouidence then the only beholding of the whole world and consideration of the beautie and order thereof But see heere what imagination not grounded on sense putteth into the mouthes of many What did God say they before he created the world why staide he till then or why staide he not a little longer In these and such like doubts they inwrap themselues making
no difference betweene the condition of God and our owne betweene his eternall essence and that of those things which haue once had a beginning But with a discreete and pleasant answere Saint Augustine resolueth those which demaunde what God did before the fabrication of the world He was busie saith he cutting downe wood in the forrest to burne the rash and curious who remember not what they themselues did yesterday and yet dare inquire what God hath done of eternitie But that I may speake to the most subtile let the best learned among them tell me what they intend by this worde before whereof they inquire Time began with the world If they meane the passing away oftime they deceiue themselues because time tooke beginning with the world And if by the worde they imagine something concerning eternitie they abuse themselues also for therein is neither before nor after For eternitie is an entire being at once altogither without any proceeding Whereby it is euident that their question is nothing Time therefore cannot accord with eternitie nor be eternall seeing eternall hath no processe It is therefore a foolish question why before time was God created not the temporall world as if there had beene some succeeding seasons before any succession did consist for one cannot with any reason imagine any time before the stablishing of the vniuers Yet Aristotle whom the atheists will rather beleeue then the word of truth prooueth no other thing when he enforceth himselfe to declare the eternitie of the world then that time was neuer without the world nor the world without time which the Sages say march in equall pace with the place Wherefore as there is nothing beside place appertaining to place so there is nothing beside time belonging to time And for those which aske why the creator made not his world later I againe request them that setting apart the worke of the vniuers they would assigne me their before after then I will render them a reason why God created not the world sooner or later It is most certaine that they shall be constrained to confesse that before the order entercourse of the Spheres there was neuer any before or after which are the conditions of time And therefore their rash demaund deserueth no other answere except we recount vnto them the pleasant saying of Democritus which is not vnfit for our purpose in this place No man regards that which is before his feete and yet we see many sound the secrets of heauen and curiously seeke after the mysteries of God Of those which take from the world the beginning of time There are others also who disputing more subtilly of these matters agree verie well that the world was made but they will not allow that it had a beginning of time but of his owne creation so that it hath alwaies had a being in some sort which they cannot vnderstand Those found their opinion vpon this pretext to defend that God should not do any action new or of chaunce for feare least men should beleeue that that came suddenly into his minde which before he had not determined to make the world and that he who is immutable in all things should create it through a new-sprong thought Now as they make doubt concerning the time which they would not haue begun with the vniuers let me aske them also why the world was set in that place where it resteth rather then any other where For if they suppose infinite spaces of time before the generation of the vniuers in which it seemeth not that God could rest from worke they may aswell beleeue many spaces of place out of the world wherein if any could affirme that the Omnipotent hath not been idle they should be forced to dreame with the Epicure of innumerable worlds But if they answere me that the thoughts of men are vaine by which they suppose of infinite places sith there is no place out of the world I may tell thē also that they are ill-grounded in the consideration of time sith there was neuer any before the world And therefore as it is no consequence that God framed the vniuers rather by aduenture then by diuine reason not in any other place but in that wherein it is though mans capacitie cannot comprise the same diuine reason by which it was so made So is it no consequence that we should denie that it happened to God by chaunce or by a new imagination when he created the world rather in one certaine time then before seeing that the times precedent how long-soeuer we may imagine them should be equally past away comparing them with eternitie by an infinite space at once and there should be no difference why an auncient time should be preferred before a latter Wherefore we must all beleeue that the world was made with the time and that time tooke beginning with the world Of the will of God in the worke of the Creation and that notwithstanding in making it God chaunged not his eternall counsell nor his immutable will but according to his inscrutable prouidence and bountie innate he would when he pleased compose the large frame of the vniuers full of his image And here the definition which Aristotle maketh of Time serueth to our purpose to wit that it is the measure of motion For if immutable eternitie is easily discerned from Time who perceiueth not that time had neuer beene if some creature had not beene made who might chaunge the created species by moouing For that which giueth time his course is the chaunging of things when they giue place one to another and one succeed another because they cannot consist all at once together Let vs conclude therefore seeing that the holy and most true writings expresse that In the beginning God created heauen and earth we may assure our selues there was nothing before then and that doubtlesse the world was not made in time but with it For that which is done in time is done both before and after some time after I say that which is past and before that which is to come Now before the world there was no creature by the chaungeable motion of which time might haue proceeding Wherefore the world and time haue the same beginning by the will of almightie God and according as is declared vnto vs in his word against which there is no other reason of Sophists which can conclude any reasonable apparance as you ARAM may amply declare in the processe of our discourse Of the nullitie of reasons framed concerning the nature of the world against the creation thereof Chap. 3. ARAM. THis sentence of Simonides the ancient poet is wel woorthie to be celebrated by the mouth of euery Christian man God alone hath the glorie to be supernaturall For what other cause can we inuent of his workes but his onely free-will But what rashnes rendreth man so audacious as to enquire the cause of Gods will seeing it is The will
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
eternall incorruptible which mooue them in an infinitenes and through an infinitenes that is emptines which bodies are in number infinite with these two qualities forme and greatnes and that by a chance of aduenture without constraint of any nature heauen and earth of them were composed Hipparchus Metapontine and Heraclitus the Ephesian said that fire was the vnick beginning bicause it is the subtile maintainer and sustainer of all bodies and whereof at first the heauens were made And bicause it is a brightnes that mooueth all things by his light they teach that in abasing it selfe it was mixed with all things in such sort that all things were thereof engendred by the meanes of discord and loue Empedocles for feare of failing said that all the fower elements had beene the onely beginning but that the earth was the matter and first subiect of all containing the formes and figures of things which neither the water aire nor fire could doe The Poets following his opinion attributed the originall of things to etherian Iupiter terrene Pluto aërian Iuno and to Mestis the beginning of the water who they said nourished with her teares the riuers of the earth Pythagoras mounting higher then many deeme esteemed that numbers and their subiect that is the measures and apt proportions called harmonies and consonancies were the originall of things not those numbers which marchants vse but the formall and naturall the knowledge of which lies onely hidden in such as haue learned Philosophie and Theologie by numbers Almeon followeth Pythagoras saying that the vnity was the effectiue beginning but the two or binarie not finite was the subiect and materiall beginning of all multitude Epicurus in his Philosophie pursuing the steps of Democritus teacheth the beginnings of things to be corporal solide not created perceiued by vnderstanding onely eternall that coulde not be corrupted nor destroied nor changed in any sort To which prime causes beside the forme and greatnes which his master assigned them he also attributeth waight Socrates and Plato set three principals God the matter and the Idea Aristotle affirmed for the first Entelechie or the kinde the matter and priuation although he had otherwhere taught the equiuocations as is priuation not to be numbred among the principles Zenon appointeth for the first God and the matter so that he is the actiue and it the passiue the fower elements meanes betweene But on this point wee may note that amongst all those which haue taught that the matter was the principall subiect we haue one alone who telleth vs whether it hath beene created by the blessed God or whether this nature pliable and depriued of all beawty togither with God hath made the world or else if voide of all fashion it hath beene coeternall wife and companion of Demogorgon father of the Gods as Poets faine or if like a Pallas it hath beene borne of Iupiters braine Certainly our minde can finde no repose when we finde a nature depriued of all power and all forme without the maker and creator thereof Now who or what he hath beene we haue none of these Philosophers that can relate vnto vs. Very well see we that they agree very ill togither in the doctrine of the principles and foundations of the world which doubtlesse hapned vnto them bicause they did straie very farre off from the vnity master of all veritie in whom they shoulde all haue met and yet euery one went a seuerall way following the inuentions of their naturall speculations temerariously presuming by their owne proper powers to manifest that which God would rather haue kept close and hidden to wit the nature of celestiall things And thence commeth it that their teachings founded on the confused multitude were dissolued and vanished after I say that they were so seuered from the vnitie which giueth to all essences the power to be and harmoniously to accord How all those that haue had the true knowledge of God do agree in the doctrine of one onely originall of the vniuers But they who confesse one God creator of all things and acknowledge him for the true source and fountaine from which all the waters of eternall sapience do flowe all vnited in profession of pietie religion and doctrine Hebrewes Chaldees Greekes and Latins doe all togither giue praise to this God alone father of the vniuers planting the foundations of this mundaine habitation with an harmonious concord For Moses Iob Dauid Salomon Esay and all the other prophets Euangelists Apostles and disciples of Iesus Christ and all those whom he hath made woorthie to entreat of diuine mysteries all with one voice do teach vs one onely and prime cause of all formes and that alone to be the maker of the matter and moderatresse of all nature To which doctrine agree all the ancient and moderne doctors of the Christian church hauing the rule of holie letters so fixed and bounded that they doe not crosse themselues in any point bicause they haue setled the foundations of all things in the onely and true author of all wisedome And vpon the same principles innumerable persons of great erudition and laudable life diuersly dispersed into contrary climates according to the course of times and different languages haue enterprised diuers works of a diuine consonancie and all to one end to cause acknowledgement of God creator of heauen and earth Which coulde in no wise haue beene done if all these excellent men had not beene illuminated with one selfesame diuine vnderstanding as the Platonists call it or with one selfesame holie spirite as our doctors teach which maketh all such as dwell in the house of God to be of one minde and indueth all of them with one hart and one soule and therefore also all the ancient Prophets blessed ambassadors of Iesus Christ being replenished with this spirit despising the vaine babble of Philosophers schooles and all contentious disputations haue proposed their teachings with such and so great constancie though they had to deale with princes and people learned and vnlearned that they haue confirmed them for truth by sanctitie and splendor of life and by many myracles yea with their owne bloud And our doctors imitating this doctrine lightned and illustrated with the same spirite haue acknowledged God the onely and very beginning of all things the free Creator and supreme fountaine from whom all veritie and vertue floweth Amongst which doctors fowre Greekes and fowre Latins shall sing in the little quire of God like the bases and fundaments of our Theologie according with the fowre disciples of our Lord who deliuered the Euangelicall elements in Canticles sweetely distinguished and yet in agreeable consonancie Of the most celebrated doctors of the church Greekes and Latins For Saint Hierome and Saint Chrysostome shall vnloose the knottie heads of the holie letters the one and the other Gregory to wit the Romaine and Nazianzene shall pursue the diuine sense closed and couered vnder the barke of the letter Damascenus with Saint
this figure Now euery worke proceedeth from the three persons in the Godhead to the vnitie from which the outward works performed in time are vnseparable they tend also to an end to which all things addresse themselues and the passage to proceed thither is the number of two which we may properly attribute to the matter first created by God to forme thereof all his workes For the first beginning of the production and order of creatures was the matter which in respect of number representeth the nature of the binarie and seemeth to be reduced to the vnity by the forme which beareth the shape of the ternary so that on euery side of the premised figure of the number of sixe the ternarie tendeth to the vnitie by the binarie And by this consideration we may make way to the most high contemplation of the number of seauen Of the number of seuen and his excellencie attributed to the rest of the Lord. For we make no doubt that when we shall be all reduced to the vnitie as we tooke our originall from it then shall the rest of the sabbaoth ensue that is figured by the seuenth day wherein it is said that God ceased from his workes and which shutteth vp and closeth the course and circle of all daies Now that this number of seauen hath beene much reuerenced by men of ancient times we haue many witnesses For the Iewes because of the sabbaoth as Saint Hierome writeth vpon Esaie did honour it much And Aulus Gellius and Macrobius vpon the dreame of Scipio do shew great mysteries out of this number of seauen which they call full and perfect and attribute great power to it in the sea and amongst men And the Pythagorians as saith Chalcidius commended it for the best most naturall and most sufficient number Moreouer it is composed of three which is the first vneeuen number that cannot be diuided by any numbers for vnitie is no number though it giueth all numbers the power to be numbred and of fowre which is a full euen number the first double number of all others For this cause the number of seuen is oftentimes vsed for vniuersall generall and to signifie perfection Prouer. 24. As it is written The iust shall fall seuen times a day and shall rise againe that is how often or how many times soeuer he falleth Psalm 119. he shall not perish Againe I will praise thee seuen times a day which in an other place is thus spoken His praise is euer in my mouth Psalm 34. And we may finde manie places in holy Scriptures wherein the number of seuen hath customably beene vsed for the vniuersalnes of any thing whatsoeuer and to demonstrate a perfection And so doth saint Iohn in the Apocalyps â—poc 1. writing to the seuen churches and speaking of the seuen spirits which are before the throne of God For it is certaine that he compriseth there all the vniuersall church and proposeth God in his Maiestie accompanied with innumerable blessed angels But among all the great mysteries which the ancients haue acknowledged to be concealed in the seuenth day by which the rest of the Lord is recommended after his worke perfected and finished this is the most notable by which they teach vs â—he true signiâ—â—tion of the â—â—â—baoth day that this Sabbaoth day signifieth the repose of those which rest in the Lord euen as the ioy of the house betokeneth the ioy of those which reioice therein although that not the house it selfe but something else do make them ioyfull and like as the effect being signified by the efficient cause an epistle is called ioyfull to declare the pleasure of those whom it delighteth by reading thereof Likewise when the Scripture recounteth that God rested we must not take it childishly as if he who by an intelligible and eternall worde spake and it was made had trauailed in his worke but vnderstanding by this manner of speech that God ceased from all worke because he no more created any new kindes of creatures we may conueniently referre his rest to the rest of those whom hee himselfe causeth to remaine in eternall rest after that he hath first drawne them to himselfe by faith in this life Whereas also the prophet hauing made mention in each of the sixe precedent daies of the creation of euening and morning doth mention no such matter of the seuenth day it seemeth hee woulde signifie that this Sabbaoth day was ordained to represent the great and last day of euerlasting rest wherein there should be no more anie such distinction of euening and morning nor of day and night as now is but altogither light by which we shall contemplate God face to face in true and perfect felicitie such as eie hath neuer seene eare neuer heard nor euer hath entred into the hart of man Which wee must doubtlesse beleeue was figured to the Iewes by the rest of the Sabbaoth commanded in the law for these names Rest and Sabbaoth in the Hebrew toong full of mysteries signifie both one thing In which matter we may farther note how the sacred historie declareth that man was created the sixt day which was the â—euen of the Lords rest for this agreeth well to the principall thing which the Lord intendeth in his law to wit to admonish man that he was not placed in the world but to returne at length to him who set him there and to seeke his rest in him Thus haue we sufficiently spoken of the subiect which we first entreated of for else if we shoulde fully prosecute the mysteries included in the historie of the creation of the worlde we should haue matter enough to make vp a verie great volume We will therefore proceed to the particular consideration of the famous workes contained in the glorious frame of the world And first we will speake of the diuision thereof that we may afterward discourse with more ease concerning the parts thereof Then AMANA let vs heare you concerning this point Of the diuision of the vniuersall world Chap. 14. AMANA THe learned and venerable antiquitie figureth and maketh the vniuersall world to be one and threefold as signifying and representing though very farre off and much behinde the omnipotent triple-one most wise and most good worker by whom it hath been created Euseb lib. 11. de prepar Euangel Plat in Phedro Of the three worlds formed and ordained For there is the vppermost world of all which Diuines name the Angelicall and philosophers call the intellectuall world which as Plato saith was neuer yet sufficiently praised Then is there the celestiall world or that of the spheres which succeedeth and is next the first and the third and last is the elementarie world which we inhabite vnder the concauitie of the moone Now as this is the world of darknes so is the Angelicall world the world of light and the world betwixt both is tempered with light and darknes The elementarie world is designed to
we see euen at this day Against those that seeke after diuels who make boasts to haue at their commaund such ministers of iniquitie whom they thinke to disguise when they call them by the name of familiar spirits I will not stande heere to disptue whether there be diuers kindes of diuels or not as many haue written but I beleeue the worde of God that all of them tend to this purpose to be hurtfull to men And though some coniure them by the names of God and so keepe them bound and chained as many bragge that they do yet are they euer watchfull till at length they deceiue their masters I will also beleeue that they are not ignorant in ought which either the reasonable or intellectuall nature can comprehend concerning corporall and temporall things Lib. 2. de ciuit Dei cap. 22. yea as Saint Augustine saith by experience of certaine signes vnknowne to vs they foresee very many things to ensue more then men do and doe sometimes beforehand tell the dispositions of them Matth. 8. Marke 1. Luke 4. They are so skilfull that they said to Iesus Christ clothed with the infirmitie of our flesh What haue we to do with thee Iesus of Nazareth art thou come hither to torment vs before our time But as the same doctor of the church proceedeth because they do not contemplate the eternall causes of times in the wisedome of God but onely coniecture of temporall things by the temporall and of mutable by the mutable they are oftentimes deceiued For they cannot behold the euents of the eternall and immutable decrees of God which flourish in his diuine wisedome by such a direct insight as it hath beene giuen to the holy angels and they see not the thing if we may terme it so to which are fastened all causes and whereupon they turne neither do they know the fountaine out of which they spring wherefore it commeth to passe that as all things which are not collected and concluded by their certaine principles but by erring and estranged coniectures may deceiue so the diuels are oftentimes beguiled in those signes whereupon they relie and tell lies euen then when they thinke themselues most assured to speake truth But they alwaies tend to this point bicause of their malignant enuious nature to bring all hurt to men which in the end they cannot auoide when they forget themselues so farre as that they will against the word of God take counsell of the diuell an offence surely woorthie of all punishment Moreouer I doubt not but as the pure and superiour powers whom according to the stile of holy writ we call the good Angels which is a word among the Greeks signifying Messenger doe not commonly suffer themselues to be intreated by euery one but doe require and attend the cleannes of hart the holines of life and the commandement of God so on the contrarie the diuels or euill angels to whom these two names doe properly agree this last according to doctrine of the scriptures and the other Daemon of a Greeke word signifying to knowe they doe make themselues easie and shew men a kinde of lying fauour to the end that drawing to themselues by their craft and subtiltie those who require and seeke their aide in their occasions they may put God in obliuion and abandon themselues to be possessed and gouerned by the diuell who is their prince For so in fine it commeth to all those which serue themselues with these ministers of iniquitie To all magicians soothsayers necromancers sorcerers witches and enchanters Leuit. 2â— Deut. 18. with whom the word of God doth expressely charge vs in many places to haue no communication commanding also that they should be rooted out of the earth And what woonders doe they by the aide and helpe of euil spirits often performing that which neither art nor humane vnderstanding can permit to be done Yet can we no otherwise name all their workes then very coosenage and illusion bicause they doe it either in apparance onely or to the hurt and dammage of those which allow and suffer them Such were those miracles as we read in many authors to haue beene done amongst the idols of the gentiles by the arte of the diuels Of whom Saint Augustine after a long discourse addeth these words What shall we speake of these woonders Lib. 18. de ciuit Dei ch 1â— Ier. 51. saue that we must flee out of the middest of Babylon For this propheticall commandement must thus be spiritually vnderstood of vs to wit that with the wings of faith which worketh by charitie we flee out of the citie of this world which doubtlesse is the dale of diuels and of most wicked and impious men For by how much greater we see the power of euill spirits in these inferiour things by so much the more must we most firmely cleaue to our mediator Iesus Christ by whom we mount vp from belowe And indeede it is by his grace that we may discerne the spirits whether they be of God 1 Iohn 4. 2. Cor. 11. or not yea that sathan cannot deceiue vs though he were transformed into an angell of light Otherwise let vs not doubt that if we will harken to him or to his ministers and spirits whom the fooles of this age flatter with the name of familiar spirits that he will easily glide into our soules to lead vs at last in triumph to his kingdome of perdition where we shall deerely buie the familiaritie of so pernitious an enemie Wherefore let vs rather haue alwaies in our hart and in our mouth that praier which our Sauiour himselfe hath taught vs Matth. 6. Luke 11. That he leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill And let vs leaue the magicians and sorcerers which run to their owne destruction seeking after the spirits who lead them to the eternall Gehenna which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Matth. 25. But now sith it is time to put an ende to our talke for this day hauing surueied the angelicall or intellectuall world according to the capacitie of our feeble spirit we will to morrow intreate of the celestiall world or of the spheres Whereupon you ASER shall begin to discourse The end of the second daies worke THE THIRD DAIES WORKE Of the celestiall or sphericall world Chapter 17. ASER. IF wee begin our speech concerning the sphericall and of the elementarie world and intreate of them both according to the proper definition we shall doe very well to the ende that that which wee intende to discourse of may more easily be vnderstood The world then What the world is which yesterday we called the threefold-one being contemplated with one view is the perfect and entire composition of all things and the true image and admirable workmanship of the Godhead The greatnes whereof is incomprehensible and yet limited being also adorned with all bodies and kindes of creatures which are in nature And the
double error and phophaning the contemplatiue doctrine of the heauen which is otherwise of it selfe good and profitable But beside all this I might likewise say that if all things heere belowe were disposed and directed by the gouernance of heauen and the influence of the planets as our naturalists better Philosophers then Christians do maintaine wee should behold nothing saue what were good as being gouerned by good causes And in this case I demand what sould become of those euill influences of the starres vpon which Astrologians do found their predictions Genes 1. I will not heere alleage that which Moses teacheth vs saying that God saw that all things which he had made were good for perhaps they would not beleeue it but let them giue eare to Mercury whom the ancients called the thrice great and supreme in Philosophie Metaphysicks and Theologie For he left written vpon pillars in Egypt as Iamblicus in a long discourse declareth how that all influences of the starres are good Against such as assigne euill to the influences of the stars and if there chance any euill it must be imputed to the indisposed subiect and not to the planets demonstrating this by the brightnes of the sunne which of it selfe is good and yet hurteth the bleare eie because of the badde state thereof Plato also saith Plato in Epimenide God hath made the Moone encreasing and decreasing and hath established the moneths in the yeere and hath taught by a kinde of happie fortune to bring in count the number of them Whereupon ensueth that the earth being most fruitefull conceiueth and engendreth her fruite for the nouriture of man at such times as the windes gently blowe and the raine prosperously droppeth into her lappe But if any euill befall heerein wee must not blame the diuine and celestiall nature but the humane which leadeth an vniust life And the Stoicke Hieracles crieth out in the verses of Pythagoras in these termes Each one through his owne euill ill will be For from the heauenly source no vice doth slow To soile our soules the cause are onely we The blame of mischiefe then on mortals throw And Plato in the sixt booke of lawes and Aristotle in his Politicks do testifie that man hauing attained to the true doctrine becommeth a very diuine and perfect debonaire creature but not hauing beene wel brought vp he be commeth the most cruell of all creatures borne vpon the earth What then remaineth for vs to attribute to the starres I demand of them also who affirme some influences to be euill from whence will they saie that this malice proceedeth Whether from God which commandeth or from the intelligence which mooueth the heauens or from the heauen it selfe Reasons to shew that the influences of the starrs be not euill Surely it cannot come from God who is the soueraigne good the first cause ordaining all things For that is euill or sinne which is done against the will of the creator or which declineth from his iustnes and in nature euill cannot proceed from the spring of goodnes Wherefore it should be too foolish and absurd a thing to thinke that euill should take original from God all-good and that from the soueraigne gouernour shoulde proceed the violation of the lawe seeing that his will is his owne lawe it selfe For the intelligence or angel which some saie continueth in the motion of the spheres and to whom some assigne the cause of euill influences I would faine aske them whether this intelligence doth so worke by the commaundement of his Prince which is the eternall and soueraigne gouernour of the world or else against his will and ordinance If it accomplish any thing according to his precept certainely that cannot be bad for nothing is bad but that which is done contrarie to the order established by the prince of Nature But if it operate against his will it might seeme to turne to the scandall of the Omnipotent creator to suffer his seruants so arrogant in rebellion vnpunished For at the beginning he spared not those amongst the angels who exalted themselues in pride And for the rest who persisted in obedience hee in such sort confirmed them that they cannot sinne any more Whereupon also ensueth that the Intelligences being loyall seruants of the Eternall do not cause euill influences neither yet do dispose any thing to euill since they alwaies accomplish the ordinance of the Soueraigne-good Against such as accuse the heauens to be euill And for those who not being able to blame God nor the moouing intelligence doe accuse the heauens as cause of euill influences I desire them to tell me if the heauens be malitious whence commeth their malice Whether haue they beene created euill or else beene depraued by euill manners Or else their nature failing them did they become euill Certainely they were not created euill by the most good woorker Neither haue they beene depraued by manners or a failing nature because they haue no choise in their workes and for that their motions and influences are naturall and inuariable not of freewill as all Philosophers affirme Againe I aske them whether the heauens giue influence as second causes or as instruments If as instruments then sith they neither mooue nor operate but according to the will of the Prince who created them he should remaine in fault which is alreadie confuted But if it be as second causes seeing the worke is performed by that which liueth the error should be referred to the intelligences who mooue them and are ordayned for soules to the spheres to which we haue also satisfied I will farther adde this point That the heauens do worke either by nature or by will If by nature sith the order thereof is established by God the sentence of Aristotle is woorthie the remembrance where saith What we possesse by nature we are therein neither praised nor blamed for the praise belongeth to the worker and the blame cannot be assigned to the order of the soueraigne Good But if the heauens worke freely being guided by an intelligence it must needs follow that being the causes of so many mischiefes which abundantly light on man they are guided by a furious or else by a couetous soule If by a furious seeing there is a certaine planet which as these Astronomers say doth alwaies designe violent influences wherefore is it not consumed with such a sempiternall furie Moreouer why say men that a planet is inflamed sooner in one house then in another What meeteth it in his owne house or in another that disposeth it to signifie euill Againe how is that inflamed with furie which they affirme to bee immutable But if the heauens be led by couetousnes what profit or gaine do they attract from things here below For this couetous desire remayneth onely in themselues And whosoeuer coueteth euill doth it as the Philosophers say because that he is as it were intoxicated and ouercome by inebriating matter But sith the matter of the
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
glorie of the Lorde At noone when it burneth the countrie who may abide for the heat thereof The sunne burneth the mountaines three times more then he which keepeth a furnace with continuall heate it casteth out firie vapors and with the shining beames blindeth the eies Hast thou commanded the morning since thy daies saith the Lord to Iob and hast thou caused the morning to know his place Iob. 38. That it might take hold of the corners of the earth and that the wicked might be shaken out of it For as it is said in another place They are among those which abhorre the light Iob. 24. and knowe not the waies thereof nor continue in the paths thereof The murtherer riseth early and killeth the poore and needie and in the night he is as a thiefe The eie also of the adulterer waiteth for the twylight and saith None eie shall see me and disguiseth his face They dig through houses in the darke which they marked for themselues in the day they know not the light But the morning is euen to them as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death By which testimonies aptly agreeing with that which is written euerie man that doth euill hateth the light we may know Iohn 3. besides the greatnes of the workes of God which principally shineth in the creation of the Sunne how euen they who would not behold the light thereof but fly from it as much as they may bicause they hate it and feare it as the death cannot for all that auoide it To the ende then that we may reape some profit by this discourse and so finish this daies talke let vs thinke that if the most ignorant and most doltish are inexcusable for their ignorance and ingratitude towards God for the sermons of the heauens which they continually make to all creatures how much more are the learned and chiefly Astronomers and Astrologians if they know not verie well how to vse their science to the glorie of God Of the names of Astronomers and Astrologers and of their true intent For they are called Astronomers because they haue the knowledge of the lawes and rules which the soueraigne creator hath established and ordayned among the starres and their courses and motions according as their name deriued from the Greeke toong importeth as also the name of Astrologie will infer as much seeing that thereby is signified that they vnderstand and can render a reason of the nature and of the effects of the celestiall bodies Wherefore then sith they haue greater knowledge then the ignorant and common people as well by the knowledge as by the obseruations and continuall experience of the effects of the planets they shall be therfore found the more culpable before God if they vnderstand not the language of the heauens thereby to learne how to glorifie him And yet so far are the greater part of them from doing that which we say that contrariwise we see verie many which impute that to the spheres that they should attribute to the spheres-creator and so draw men from God their father by the vanitie of their humaine dreames vnder colour of their Astronomie and Astrologie causing them to stay in regard of the creatures with them and so make them Atheists as they are when they acknowledge none other God but an idoll of Nature And therefore I desire that we may to morrow againe proceed to behold the admirable effects of the Sun being most apparant to all and most easie for to know by which the rudest and most simple may learne to come to God as among other effects is that of the rising and setting of this goodly light For the prouidence of God shineth maruellously in this point as ASER we may learne of you The end of the fourth day THE FIFT DAIES WORKE Of the rising and setting of the sunne and of the prouidence of God which shineth in the commodities of day and night Chapter 33. ASER. IF with vnderstanding we read the bookes of the heauens wee shall verily esteeme the celestiall bodies to bee the chiefe naturall Philosophers Doctors and Astronomers by whom God dayly teacheth vs that principall Astronomie and Astrologie which he will haue vs learne and whereof we must not be ignorant without being conuicted as well the vnlearned as the learned of verie great vnthankefulnes towards him and of more beastly brutishnes then is amongst the bruite beasts For he hath assigned vs teachers and masters which keepe common schoole with vs day and night as by our precedent discourse we haue alreadie vnderstood And yet the greatest part of men yea almost all do no more profit in this schoole then the verie beasts though indeed it standeth continually wide open to all yea and they which should chiefly learne out of this great booke of nature touching the knowledge of the creator of all things are those which oftentimes are farthest to seeke For in liew of committing themselues to be guided by this booke so to approch to God as he pointeth out the path and way to those who haue eies to see and a spirit to vnderstand they rather take occasion therein by the vaine dreames of their own apprehensions to wander from the truth And for this cause Moses Dauid and the other Prophets and seruants of God speaking of the workes of the creation and of the diuine prouidence in them do propound vnto vs but simply those which are the most apparant to al the most easie to be vnderstood because they wil not only teach the most learned who are they which willingly make least profit in their writings but will also instruct the simple and ignorant whō God doth oftentimes make capable of his secrets For which cause likewise these holy fathers speake not of the spheres and heauenly bodies subtilly as Philosophers in their schooles do but rather vulgarly to the ende that the most rude and playnest may vnderstand their philosophy replenished with the doctrine of saluation For it is verie necessarie that euerie one should be instructed therein according to his owne capacitie To pursue then our yesterdaies speech Vtility of the light and heat of the sunne begun concerning the Sunne which the holy Scripture setteth so often before our eies as an vniuersal preacher of the soueraigne Maiesty I pray you let vs first consider what ioy and what good it is that men receiue by it so long as it distributeth his light as wee haue alreadie heard being like the chariot of God to bring it to them Likewise how much pleasure and profit receiue they by his heat Againe do we not see how he hath his determined time to make vs day And how that after he hath lightned one part of the world during such time as was assigned to him by God the creator hee then transporteth his light to the other part And when he hath performed his taske on one side of the world
generations it is necessarie that something remaine from which they are drawne in their first originall When then any creature is engendred by another if the forme perish and any thing do remaine it must of necessitie be the matter Nothing can cleane perish which the corruption it selfe doth manifest because that nothing can wholy perish so long as it is corrupted For the apple perisheth and is conuerted into wormes so is the wood into cinders when it is burned so water changeth it selfe into vapors and smoke by the heate of the fire or of the sunne Now all vapor and smoke is something for it can stifle a man and if it be receiued and gathered into a vessell it turneth to drops of water Behold then how manifest it is that in all this vniuers there is a certaine thing hidden vnder euerie forme which is not made by common generation nor yet doth perish by corruption and which like some prime subiect being diuided vnder many and sundry formes wee call as we haue alreadie said the first matter not engendred permanent because it perisheth not but remaineth and consisteth according to the effect thereof And when we compare it to the formes we saie that it is by power the same which they are because that it can receiue all formes so that the matter of a childe being formed is said to be a childe by power and by effect it is the subiect whereof the childe may consist for it is a mixture so fashioned and such as one may see it But when it is compared to the forme of the childe it is simplie called a matter by power for if it were such by effect then were it a childe of it selfe not a subiect of him So then by the consent of all Philosophers there is a certaine grosse matter disfurnished of formes but capable of all though by nature it be depriued of all For which cause also they establish with this matter priuation Of priuation of the changing cause for a beginning of naturall things And mounting higher they consider of a changing or working cause by force whereof the matter being wrought and mollified which is onely in power is at length actually performed euen as waxe being plied and softned by handling and working in the hand is fashioned into diuers formes according to the will of him that doth it Of the finall cause And because that nature doth nothing at aduenture but al for some good purpose thence it is that the finall cause is by some considered as a principle Of the forme And likewise because that the neerest end of the working cause is the forme which it taketh out of the bosome of the matter and that for this intent it worketh and mouldeth it to the end to reduce it to a perfect estate to receiue a forme for these causes Aristotle constituteth the forme for the third principle The which cannot be drawne out of the wombe of the matter except it be first disposed and prepared by conuenient qualities and therefore the Philosophers say that about them the maker bestoweth and emploieth all his labour and all the time of the action to the end that the species may presently appeere in a point moment vnseparable as it were for the wages of his paines But the Peripateticks call the worker the cause rather then a principle And the followers of Plato being more cleere-sighted in sacred mysteries doe teach that although the naturall causes do appeere to vs of themselues forming fashioning Thâ—â— naturalâ— causes 〈◊〉 principles and moulding euerie bodie yet neuerthelesse are they not the prime and first causes of euerie thing that is made but rather instruments of the diuine art to whom they serue and obey euen as the hands of a cunning workeman though they compose place and change the whole matter of an house as wood stone and morter and that nothing besides them may bee seene whereto the fashion of the edifice might bee attributed yet are they knowne of vs to be an instrument obeying and seruiceable to the Idea which being seated in the minde of the Architect he performeth and acteth with his hands in sensible matter the worke which he hath conceiued And for this occasion the Academicks speake of these two causes the instrumental and the exemplarie cause when they intreat of the framing of all things Which me thinketh is often confirmed by the Peripatetickes when this axiom is read in their writings Euerie worke of nature is the worke of Intelligence And both the one and the other do confesse that God hath drawne all things out of the matter But because that for to drawe them out the matter must necessarily be presupposed and the forme which thereof is fashioned must be conceiued as also the power or application and disposition of the said matter Three principles according to Aristotle Thereupon are sprung the three principles of naturall things which Aristotle ordayneth to wit matter forme and priuation Which opinion Pythagoras seemed to leane vnto teaching that in the first production of things there were present the Euen and the Odde for the Euen according to the doctrine of those which doe philosophically discourse by numbers and principally the binarie or number of two signifieth the matter and the vneuen or odde betokeneth the forme Moreouer the degrees of formes and things composed are excellently and harmoniously distributed by the Euen and Odde numbers as by their writings we may easily learne But let vs note that that which the Pythagorians signifie by numbers Plato doth abundantly describe by greatnes and smalnes because all that which is doth retaine a greater or lesse degree of essence and perfection which neuerthelesse is distinguished by euen and odde numbers And if one speake of bodies euery one of them hath a great little or meane quantitie which likewise is by the same numbers limited and distinguished But to leaue the curious disputation concerning these things to the Philosophers and so to grow to the conclusion of our speech concerning the principles of naturall and corruptible things we must call that into our memorie which we haue alreadie declared how that the matter stood in need of a worker and ordayner Now this same is none other Of one alone and onely principle but the alone and onely principle of principles and the cause of causes God omnipotent author of the Vniuers who being a soueraigne worker hath produced out of the subiect by him created all compound bodies From whom likewise it is necessarie that all formes doe flow whether they be drawne out of the bosome of the matter as some Philosophers affirme or proceed without any meanes of the forme-giuer as many learned dispute for he must alwaies be said to be engendring and producing which draweth the matter into an effect by any manner whatsoeuer Moreouer Motion and place set by some for principles some subtile spirits do account among the principles of naturall things
his voice he worketh great things which we know not And who I pray you would not woonder to see the fire and water which are of contrarie natures mingled one with another and lodged both in one lodging and proceeding out of one place together For where remayneth this fire which sheweth it selfe in lightning commeth it not out of the cloudes wherein it is enclosed before they be opened and burst by the thunder And of what substance is the cloude Is it not of water massed vp together which couereth and keepeth in the fire as in an harth For doe not we oftentimes behold while it raineth and great flouds and streames of water do fall so that it seemeth that all the cloudes and the whole aire should melt and resolue into water that great lightnings of fire flash appeere and runne euerie where about like burning darts and arrowes For while the hot exhalations are inclosed in the cloude Causes of the noise and of the lightning of thunder and retayned therein peforce with the violence and contention which is betwixt these contraries the noise of thunder is made And when the matter is so abundant in the cloude that it maketh it to breake and open and that it may reach to the earth then is there not onely thunder and great lightning but also thunderbolts and which are of diuers verie maruellous and fearfull kinds For some bring with them that fire which is not easie to be quenched as we haue alreadie declared others are without fire and pierce through the most solide and firme bodies so that there is no force which can resist them And sometimes also it happeneth that those which are stroken therewith be they men or beasts remaine all consumed within as if their flesh sinewes and bones were altogither molten within their skin it remayning sound whole as if they had no harme so that it is verie hard to finde in what part the bodie was striken We are not then to hold in small accompt that the holy scripture proposeth God vnto vs so often thundring and lightning when it would declare vnto vs his maiesty and how terrible he is and to bee feared For it is certaine that he hath many weapons and of diuers sorts very strong and ineuitable when he will punish men and that his onely will is sufficient to serue him when and how he pleaseth Supernaturall causes to bee considered in thunder And therefore also wee must acknowledge besides these naturall causes which make and engender thunder the prime eternall and supernaturall cause of all things from which proceede so many signes of the meruailous iudgements of God through the ministerie of his creatures oftentimes contrary to that which seemeth to bee ordained by the lawes of nature For when he will thunder vpon his enemies he breaketh and suddainely consumeth them in strange manner And therefore it is written 1. Sam. 2. 7 that the Lord shall destroy those who rise vp against him and that he shall thunder vpon them from heauen And in the battaile which the children of Israel had against the Philistims it is said that after the praier of Samuell the Lord in that day thundred a great thunder vpon his enemies and scattered them and slew them before the host of Israel When Moses also stretched out his rod towards heauen it is said Exod. 9. that the Lord caused thunder and haile and that the fire walked vpon the ground and that haile and tempests stroke many men and beasts in Egypt Moreouer we doubt not but that euill spirits do sometimes raise vp tempests thunder and lightning because that the principall power of them is in the aire And therefore when it pleaseth God to slack their bridle they raise vp terrible and woondrous stormes Which is apparently demonstrated vnto vs in Iob Iob. 1. whose seruants and cattell Sathan burned with the fire which he caused to fall from heauen and by a great winde that he raised he ouerturned the house vpon his children And therefore also the scripture calleth the diuell Prince of this world Ephes 2. 6. and of darknes and of the power of the aire teaching vs also that wee must fight against the euill spirits which are in the celestiall places It is no meruaile then if euill spirits ioyne themselues with tempests to hurt men to their vttermost abilitie For which cause Dauid calleth the inflaming of the wrath of God choler Psal â—8 indignation and anguish the exploit of euill angels Wherefore it is certaine that when God hath a meaning not onely to punish the wicked but also to chastice his owne or to try their faith constancie patience he giueth power to diuels to this effect yet such as that he alwaies limiteth theÌ„ so that they can do nothing but so far as is permitted them Now he permitteth them so far as he knoweth to bee expedient for his glory and for the health of his or so much as the sins and infidelity of men deserue that he may chastice and punish them and bring vengeance vpon them for their iniquities And therefore mee seemeth that to such meteors the Epicures and Atheists should bee sent who mocke at the prouidence of God as likewise the tyrants of this world Against Atheists and Tyrants who treade all iustice vnderfoot to make them thinke a little whether there be a God in heauen and whether he bee without power and without medling in the gouernment of the world For I cannot beleeue that there is any one of them but would be waked out of his sleep how profound soeuer it were when he should heare God shoote out of the highest heauens and should vnderstand the noise of his cannons and should behold the blowes that he striketh For he is in a place so high that all the wicked together cannot make batterie against him nor yet auoid his ineuitable strokes who can slay them with the feare onely which they shall haue of his noise without touching them But though they cannot assure themselues in their harts against this soueraigne maiestie and power of the eternall yet are they so peruerse and wicked that rather then they will render to him the honor and glorie which is due they forge vnto themselues a nature to which they attribute his workes or else beleeue that they happen by chance as things comming by haphazard without any diuine prouidence But leauing such manner of people we will pursue our discourse concerning things engendred in the higher elements entreating of snowes mists frosts and haile the discourse whereof ASER I referre to you Of snowes mists frosts ice and haile Chap. 45. ASER. SIth that God is not subiect to the nature which hee hath created but doth euer rest the Lord and master thereof who can performe both without it and with it all that he pleaseth it therefore followeth that we must refer not to the creatures or to nature the workes which he hath done
equall power there is engendred so delicate and perfect a mixture of indissoluble vnion composing an accord so faithfully that there is made thereby an incorruptible paste which is permanent to all eternity in the excellencie and goodnes thereof Wherefore gold cannot bee vanquished by iniurie of time and of antiquitie neither can containe in it selfe nor support any excrescence and superfluitie of rust For though it bee put into the water or fire and there remaine for any long space of time yet is it neuer stained neither doth accept any other quality but that which is naturall nor yet doth faile any whit which is the particular priuiledge that it hath aboue other mettalles For they are all subiect to alteration and therefore change and corrupt for a small matter and accept a good or bad qualitie in their originall or end But gold is incorruptible and therefore not subiect to such mutations yea though it bee drawne out in so small wire that it be as fine as threeds in a spiders web and though it be buried in most piercing medicaments as are sublimatum and verdegrease salt and vineger that it remaine two thousand yeeres therein it will not for all that bee corrupted but contrarywise the more refined but all gold hath not one selfe same perfection for their mines and sources are different in goodnes Sometimes also gold is counterfait sophisticate and falsified through the infidelitie or auarice of those who mingle it and multiplie it with other mixtures of mettals of lesse value and lesse pure then it is But pure and refined gold is alwaies perfect by nature in all those qualities which wee haue already touched How gold is found And it is found in diuers manners to wit mixed with sand as in Bohemia on the shore-side amongst the waters neere to Goldebourgh and Risegronde and amongst the stones in mountaines as in Calecut and in the Indies But the first generation thereof is at the top of mountaines in the highest places because that the sun doth there more easily purifie that which retaineth too much earthines in it And when the raine and torrents do flowe downe the mountaines they carry the gold downe with them to the foote thereof where it is gathered amongst the sand or else in waters neere thereunto whither it is driuen by violence of the flouds except perhaps the ground open with those raines and the gold doe there stick as it oftentimes chaunceth And that which is alwaies found in the entrance of the mine is not the finest but the farther you goe the finer and purer it is of better waight and greater value That then which is found in waters and riuers is fished for and is in forme of little graines and in rocks and mountaines it is taken out by deluing and digging Three sorts of gold-mines And therefore there are holden to bee three sorts of gold mines For some are called pendent some iacent and others oblique and running The pendent are those which are found in the superficies of mountaines and haue the earth vnder them They which are iacent or lie are belowe in the fielde and plaine ground carried thither by torrents and stormes of raine And the other that are oblique haue a crosse course whether it bee in that which hangeth or lieth all whereof is driuen by flouds into the next riuers for which cause there are riuers throughout all the world the sand whereof seemeth to bee of azure and gold hauing indeede pure and fine graines of good gold How gold is taken out of mines Now according as the mines are so are there diuers meanes vsed to take out the mettall For in those places which are dry without water they which are expert in the veine of mines hauing true knowledge what may be in that place do cause it to be digged eight or ten foote deepe and as many foote long and broad and as they proceede in their worke they still wash the earth that is digged vp continuing so till such time as they finde the gold which is sometimes so deepe that they are driuen to set vp arches of wood ouer them that the earth may not ouerwhelm them And when the mines are pendent along the mountaines the difficultie is then more great wherefore they also set vp engines to defend them from dangers which are there verie imminent For some to wit those that dig into the rocke are quite hidden therein euen as those that cut stone are within a quarrie others creepe scrambling vp the sharpe rockes with a basket at their backes seeking out the earth of the mine to carrie it to the water others wash the same earth in a sieue by meanes whereof the gold is separated remayning in the sieue after that the earth is runne out by little and little Moreouer out of these mines there issueth a stinking breath or damp which doth oftentimes choake and kill them that worke therein being not able to indure so bad an aire some also are drowned by waters which suddenly gush out of those places where they haue digged when they thinke not of any such thing quickly ouerwhelming them before they can make signe to those that are aboue to helpe them Againe these miserable poore soules are oftentimes affrighted by euill spirits who inhabite in great numbers in those hollow and solitarie places as many haue experimented to their great hurt For sometimes it happeneth that these diuels tumble great stones and whole rockes vpon them throw downe their engines ouerturne their ladders breake their cordage and doe a thousand other mischiefes whereby men are oftentimes slaine Concerning riuers wherein the graines and sands of gold are found the dangers are not so great therein but the paine is no lesse For if the riuer be little the Indians vse to emptie and let it out till it be dry and then take off the bottome thereof and wash it as beforesaid and if the water be verie great they turne it out of the channell which done they goe to gather the gold in the midst of the riuer betwixt the stones and great pibbles so that sometimes there commeth greater profit by this fishing then by washing the digged earth to separate the gold But howsoeuer yet is there great paines alwaies vsed to obtaine the riches of this mettall so much coueted by men and whereof the abuse is verie great as we may in some sort touch after that we haue spoken of other mettals which shall serue AMANA for the subiect of your discourse Of Siluer Amber Iron Lead Brasse and Copper Chap. 94. AMANA THE most noble amongst mettals next to gold is siluer for although that copper in colour and lead in waight do neerest approch vnto gold yet in tenuitie of substance in purenes and fastnes Of siluer siluer is so like vnto it that good siluer may be rightly said to be imperfect gold in substance failing in colour and that by succession of time it is sometimes changed
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