Heterogeneous parts which in a manner multiply the natures cannot subsist without the concourse of God and the society of that hand which doth uphold â—heir natures In briefe there can be nothing truely alone and by its self which is not truely one and such is onely God All others doe transcend an unity and so by consequence are many Now for my life it is a miracle of thirty yeares which to relate were not a History but a piece of Poetry and would sound to common eares like a fable for the world I count it not an Inn but an Hospital and a place not to live but to dye in The world that I regard is my selfe it is the Microcosme of mine owne frame that I cast mine eye on for the other I use it but like my Globe and turne it round sometimes for my recreation Men that looke upon my outside perusing onely my condition and fortunes doe erre in my altitude for I am above Atlas his shoulders Let me not injure the felicity of others if I say I am the happiest man alive I have that in me that can convert poverty into riches adversity into prosperity I am more invulnerable than Achilles fortune hath not one place to hit me Coelum ruat come what will Fiat voluntas tua salves all so that whatsoever happens it is but what our daily prayers desire In briefe I am content and what should providence adde more Surely this is it we call happinesse and this do I enjoy with this I am happy in a dream and as content to enjoy a happinesse in a fancy as others in a more apparent truth and reality There is surely a neerer apprehension of any thing that delights each of us in our dreames then in our waked â—enses with this I can be a King without a Crowne rich without Royalty in heaven tho on earth enjoy my friend and embrace him at a distance without which I cannot behold him without this I were unhappy for my awaked judgement discontents me ever whispering unto me that I am from my friend but my friendly dreames in the night requite me and make me think I am within his armes I thanke God for my happy dreames as I doe for my good rest for there is a reflection in them to reasonable desires and such as can be content with a fit of happinesse and surely it is not a melancholy conceit to thinke we are all asleepe in this world and that the conceits of this world are as meare dreames to those of the next as the Phantasmes of the night to the conceit of the day It is an equall delusion in both the one doth but seem to be the embleme or picture of the other we are somewhat more then our selves in our sleepes and the slumber of the body seemes to be but the waking of our soules It is the ligation of our â—ense but the liberty of reason our awaking conceptions doe not march the fancies of our sleeps At my Nativity my Ascendant was the earthly signe of Scorpio I was borne in the Planetary houre of Saturne and I thinke I have a piece of that Leaden Planet in me I am no way facetious nor disposed for the mirth and galliardize of company yet in one dreame I can compose a whole Comedy behold the action in one dreame apprehend the jests and laugh my selfe awake at the conceits thereof were my memory as faithfull as my reason is there fruitfull I would never study but in my dreames and this time also would I chuse for my devotions but our grosser memories have then so little hold of our abstracted understandings that they forget the story and can onely relate to our awaked soules a confused and broken tale of that that hath beene past Aristotle who hath written a singular tract of sleepe hath not throughly defined it noâ— yet Galen though he seeme to have corrected it for those Nocteaâ—nbulones though in their sleepe doe yet enjoy the action of their senses we must therefore say that there is something in us that is not in the jurisdiction of Morpheus and that those abstracted ecstarick soules doe walke about in their owne corps as spirits with the bodies they assume wherein they seeme to heare see and feele though indeed the organs are destitute of senses and their natures of those faculties that should inform them Thus I observe that men oftentimes upon the houre of their departure doe speake and reason above themselves For then the soule beginnes to be freed from the ligaments of the body begins to reason like her selfe and to discourse in a straine above mortality We tearme death a sleepe and yet it is waking that kils us and destroyes those spirits that are the house of life It is that death by which we may be literally said to dye daily a death which Adam dyed before his mortality a death whereby we live a middle and moderating point betweene life and death in fine so like death I dare not trust it without my prayers and an halfe adiew unto the world it is a fit time for devotion I cannot therefore lay me downe on my bed without an oration and without taking my farewell in a Colloquie with God The night is come like to the day Depart not thou great God away Let not my sinnes blacke as the night Eclipse the lustre of thy light Keepe still in my Horizon for to me The Sun makes not the day but thee Thou whose nature cannot sleepe On my temples centry keepe Guard meâ— 'gainst those watchfull foes Whose eyes are open while mine close Let not dreames my head infest But such as Jacobs temples blest While I doe rest my soule advance Make me sleepe a holy trance That I may take my rest being wrought Awake into some holy thought And with as active vigor run My course as doth the nimble Sun Sleepe is a death O make me try By sleeping what it is to dye And downe as gently lay my head On my Grave as now my Bed Howere refresh'd great God let me Awake againe at last with thee And thus assur'd behold I lie Securely or to wake or die These are my drowsie dayes in vaine I doe now wake to sleepe againe O come that houre when I shall never Sleepe thus againe but wake for ever This is the dormitory I take to bedward use no other Laudanum to sleepe after which I close mine eyes in security content to take my leave of the Sun and to sleepe unto the Resurrection The method I would use in distributive justice I also observe in commutative and keepe a Geometricall proportion in both whereby becomming equable to others I become unjust to my self and supererogate that common principle Doe as thou wouldst be done unto thy selfe I was not borne unto riches neither is it my Starre to be wealthy or if it were the freedome of my mind and franknesse of my disposition were able to contradict and crosse
out-lived the Apostles also and were revived at the conversion of Nations many yeares after we cannot deny if we shall not question those Writers whose testimonies we doe not controvert in points that make for our owne opinions therefore that may have some truth in it that is reported by the Jesuits of their Miracles in the Indies I could wish it were true or had any other testimony then their owne pens they may easily beleeve those Miracles abroad who daily conceive greater at home the transinutation of â—hose visible elements into the visible body and blood of our Saviour for the conversion of water into wine which he wrought in Canâ— or what the devil would â—ave had him done in the wildernesse of stones into Bread compared to this scarce deserves the name of Miracle Though â—ndeed to speake properly there is not one Miracle greater than another they being the extraordinary effect of the hand of God to which all things are of an equall facility and to create the world as easily as one single creature For this is also a miracle not only to produce effects against or above Nature but before Nature and to create Nature as great a miracle as to contradict or transcend her We doe too â—arrowly define the power of God restraining it to our capacities I hold that God cannot doe all things but sin how he could worke contradictions I doe not understand yet dare not therefore deny I cannot see why the Angels of God should question Esdras to recall the time past if it were beyond his owne power or that God should pose mortality in that which â—e was not able to performe himselfe I will not say God cannot but he will not performe many things which we plainly affirme he cannot this I am sure is the mannerliest proposition wherein notwithstanding I hold no Paradox For strictly his power is the same with his will and they both with all the rest doe make but one God But above all things I wonder how the curiosity of wiser heads could passe that great and indisputable miracle the cessation of Oracles and in what swoun their reasons lay to content themselves and sit down with such far-fetch't and ridiculous reasons as Plutarch alledgeth for it The Jewes that can believe the supernaturall solstice of the Sun in the dayes of Ioshuah have yet the impudence to deny the Eclipse wch every Pagan confessed at their death but for this it is evidentt beyond all contradiction the Devill himselfe confessed it Certainly it is not a warrantable curiosity to examine the verity of Scripture by the concordance of humane history or â—eeke to confirme the Chronicle of Hester or Daniel by the authority of Megasthenes or Herodotus I confesse I have had an unhappy curiosity this way till I laughed my selfe out of it with a piece of Iustine where he delivers that the children of Israel for being scabbed were banished out of Egypt And truly since I have understood the occurrences of the world and know in what counterfeit shapes and deceitfull vizzards the time represents on the stage things past I doe beleeve them little more then things to come Some have beene of opinion and endeavoured to write the History of their owne lives wherein Moses hath out-gone them all and left not onely the story of his life but of his death also It is a riddle to me how this story of Oracles hath not worm'd out of the world that doubtfull conceit of Spirits and Witches how so many learned heads should so far forget the Metaphysicks and destroy the Ladder and scale of creatures as to question the existence of Spirits for my part I have ever beleeved and doe now know that there are Witches they that doubt of these do not onely deny them but Spirits and are obliquely not consequently a sort not of Infidels but Atheists Those that to confute their incredulity desire to see apparition shall questionlesse never behold any nor have the power ever to be so much as Witches the Devill hath them already in a heresie as capitalâ— as Witchcraft and to appeare to them were but to convert them Of all the delusions wherewith he deceives mortalitie there is not any that puzleth me more theâ— the Legerdemaine of Changeilng I doe noâ— credit those transformations of reasonable creatures into beasts or that the Devilâ— hath the power to transplant a man into â— horse who tempted Christ as a triall of his Divinity to convert stones into bread I could beleeve that Spirits use with man the act of carnality and that in both sexesâ— I conceive they may assume steale or contrive a body wherein there may bee action enough to content dâ—crepit lust or passion to satisfie more active veneries yet in both without a possibility of generation and â—herefore that opinion that Antichrist should be borne of the Tribe of Dan by conjunction with the Devill is ridiculous and a conceit fitter for the Rabbins then Christians I hold that the Devill doth really possesse some men the spirit of melancholy others the Spirit of delusion others that as the Devill is concealed and deemed by some so God and good Angels are pretended by others whereof the late defection of the Maid of Germany hath left pregnant example Againe I beleeve that all that use sorceries incantations and spels are not Witches or as we terme them Magicians I conceive there is a traditionall Magicke not learned immediately from the Devill but at second hand from his Schollers 〈◊〉 having once his secret betrayed are able and doe empirically practice without his advice they both proceeding upâ—n the principles of nature their actives actively conjoyned to disposed passives will under any Master produce their effects Thus I thinke at first a great part of Philosophy was Witchcraft which bâ—ing afterward derived to another proved but Philosophy and was indeed nâ—â—â—ore but the honest effects of Nature Wâ—â—at invented by us is Philosophy learnâ—â— from him is Magicke We doe surely â—we the discovery of many secrets to the discovery of good and bad angels I could never passe that sentence of Paracelsus without an asteriske or annotation Acceâ—dens constellatum multa revelat quaerentibus animalia naturae i. e. opera Dei I do thinke that many mysteries ascribed to our owne inventions have beene the courteous revelation of Spirits for those noble essences in heaven beare a friendly regard unto their fellowâ—natures on earth and therefore beleeve that those many prodigies and ominous prognosticks which fore-run the ruines of States Princes and private persons are the charitable premonitions of good Angels which more carelesse enquiries terme but the effects of chance and nature Now besides these particular and divided Spirits there may be for ought I know an universall common Spirit to the whole world It was the opinion of Plato and it is yet the Hermeticall Philosophers if there be a common nature that â—â—nties and tyes the scattered and divided individuals into one species why
devotion nor be any way prejudiâ—all to each single edification Now to â—etermine the day and yeare of this invitable time is not onely convincible â—nd statute madnesse but also manifest â—npiety How shall we interpret Eliasâ—000 yeares or imagine the secret â—ommunicated to the Rabbi which God hath denyed to his Angels It had beene an excellent quaere to â—ave posed the devill of Delphos and â—ust needes have forced him to some â—range amphibology it hath not onely â—â—ocked the predictions of sundry Aâ—â—rologers in ages past but the Philosoâ—hy of many melancholy heads in the â—resent who neither understanding reasonable things past nor present pretend a knowledge of things to comâ— heads ordained onely to manifest the incredible effects of melancholy anâ— to fulfill old prophesies rather then bâ—â—uthour of new In those daies there shall come waâ— and rumours of wars to me seemes nâ— prophesie but a constant truth in aâ— times verifyed since it was first proâ—nounced There shall be signes in the Moone and Starres how comes he theâ— like a theefe in the night when he give an item of his comming That commoâ— signe drawn from the revelation of Anâ— tichrist the Philosophers stone in Diviâ—ity for the discovery and inventioâ— whereof though there be prescribeâ— rules and probable inductions yeâ— hath no man attained the perfect discovery thereof That generall opinion thaâ— the world growes neare at an end hatâ— possessed al ages past as nearely as oursâ— I am afraid that the soules that now deâ—part cannot escape the lingring expoâ— stulation of the Saints under the Altar 〈◊〉 Domine How long O Lord â—nd groane in the expectation of the â—reat Jubilee This is the day that must â—ake good the great attribute of Gods â—ustice that must reconcile those unanâ—â—erable doubts that torment the wisest â—nderstandings and reduce those seemâ—g inequalities and respective distribuâ—â—ons in this world to an equality and â—â—compensive Justice in the next This is that one day that shall include â—nd comprehend all that went before it â—herein as in the last scene all the 〈◊〉 must enter to compleat and make â—p the Catastrophe of this great piece â—his is the day whoâ—e onely memory â—ath power to make us honest in the â—arke and to be vertuous without a â—itnesse Ipsa sui pretium virtus sihi that â—ertue is her owne reward is but a cold â—rinciple and not able to maintaine our â—ariable resolutions in a constant and â—etled way of goodnesse I have practiâ—ed that honest artifice of Seneca and â—my retired and solitary imaginations â—o detaine me from the foulenesse of vice have fancyed to my selfe the presence of my deare and worthyest friend before whom I should lose my head rather then be vicious yet herein I founâ— that there was nought but morall honesty and this was not to be vertuous foâ— his sake who must reward us at the laâ—â— day I have tryed if I could have reached that great resolution of his to be honest without a thought of Heaven oâ— hell and indeed I found upon a natural inclination and inbred loyalty unto vertue that I could serve her without a liâ— very yet not in the resolved venerablâ— way but that the frailty of my nature upon an easie temptation might be induced to forget her The life thereforâ— and spirit of all our actions is the resuâ—â—rection and stable apprehension thaâ— our ashes shall enjoy the fruit of our pâ—ous endeavours without this all Religion is a fallacy and those impieties oâ—Lucian and Euripedes are no blaspheâ— mies but subtile verities and Atheist have beene the only Philosophers Hoâ— shall the dead arise is no question oâ— my faith to beleeve onely possibilities â—s not faith but meere Philosophy many things are true in Divinity which â—are neither inducible by reason nor confirmable by sense and many things in Philosophy confirmable by sense yet not inducible by reason Thus it is impossible by any solid or demonstrative reasons to perceive a man to beleeve the conversion of the Needle to the North though this be possible and true and easily credible upon a single experiment of the sense I beleeve that our estranged and divided ashes shall unite againe that our separated dust after so many pilgrimages and transformations into the parts of Minerals Plants Animals Elements shall at the voyce of God returne into their primitive shapes and joyn againe to make up their primary and predestinate formes As at the Creation there was a separation of the confused masse into its species so at the destruction thereof shall be a separation into its distinct individuals As at the Creation of the world all that distinct species that we behold lay involved in one masse till the fruitfull voyce of God separated this united multitude into its severall species so at the last day when those corrupted Reliques shall be scattered in the wildernesse of formes and seeme to have forgot their proper habits God by a powerful voyce shall command them bâ—cke into their proper shapes and cal them out by their single and individuals Then shall appeare the fertility of Adam and the magicke of that sperme that hath dilated into so many millions what is made to be immortall Nature cannot nor will the voyce of God destroy Those bodies that we behold to perish were in their created natures immortall and liable unto death but accidentally and upon forfeit and therefore they owe not that naturall homage unto death as other bodies doe but may be restored to immortality with a lesser miracle as by a bare and easie revocation of course returne immortall I have often beheld as a miracle that artificiall resurrection and vivification of Mercury how being mortified in a thousand shapes it assumes againe its owne and returnes into its numericall selfe Let us speake naturally and as Philosophers the formes of alterable bodies in those sensible corruptions perish not nor as we imagine wholly quit their mansions but retire and contract themselves into those secret and unaccessable parts where they may best protect themselves against the action of their Antagonists A plant or vegetable consumed to ashes to a contemplative and schoole Philosopher seemes utterly destroyed and the forme to have taken his leave for ever But to a subtile Artist the formes are not perished but withdrawn into their combustible part where they liâ— secure from the action of that devouring element This I make good by experience and can from the ashes of a plant revive the plant and from its cinders râ—cal it to its stalk and leaves again What the Art of man can doe in these inferiour pieces what blasphemy is it to imagine the finger of God cannot doe in those more perfect and sensible structures This is that mysticall Philosophy from whence no true Scholler becomes an Atheist but from the visible effects of nature grows up a real Divine and beholds not as in a dreame as Ezekiel but in an ocular and visible object the types of his resurrection