which Collected the grounds of Egyptian Philosophy make him more Ancient than Moses being Author of the Egyptian Wisdom wherein Moses was Learned True it is that Hermes Divinity is contrary to Moses in many things especially in approving Linages But the advised rather may perceive those Books have been corrupted by the Egyptian Priests and were they in all things like themselves it were not unsafe with Eupolemus to say Hermes was Moses And that the Egyptian Theology was devised by the more Ancient Hermes which others judge to be Ioseph But these are over-curious Opinions Whoever he was God knoweth and Lactantius testifieth this of him He Writ many Books of Divine things touching the Majesty of the most High and one God calling him by the Name of one God and Father as we do c. And his acknowledgments of God are so contrary to Egyptian and Grecian Fictions that what is found in his Book inclining thereto was by corruption inserted For thus he speaketh God is the Lord and Father of all things the Fountain Life Power Light Mind and Spirit and all things are in and under him For his Word which out of himself proceedeth being most Perfect Generative and Operative made Nature Fruitful and producing And saith Suidas he was called Ter-Maximus for affirming there was one God in Trinity He fore-saw saith Ficinus the Ruin of the Old or superstitious Religion the Birth of the New Faith the coming of Christ future Judgment Resurrection Glory of the Blessed and the Punishment of sinners Lastly Calcidius the Platonist and Suidas cited by Volaterius Report this his Speech Hitherto O my Son being driven out of my Country I have lived a Stranger and Banished Man but now I am repairing homeward again in safety And when after a while being loosed from the Bonds of the Body I shall depart from you see you do not bewail me as Dead For I I do return to that best and Blessed City whereto all her Citizens by the Condition of Death are come For there is the only God the most High and Chief Prince who replenishing his Citizens with wonderful Sweetness in regard whereof this which many call Life is rather to be called Death I therefore adjure thee O Heaven Thou Wise work of the great God and thee O Voice of the Father which he first uttered when he framed the whole World I adjure by his only begotten Word and Spirit comprehending all things have Mercy upon me § 7. Aesculapius also flourished in this Age and became the God of Physitians he was Brother of Hermes as Vives on Augustin Judged Iamnes and Iambres those notorious Sorcerers that opposed Moses now lived and made such a Figure as if Moses and they had used the same Art as the beholders of common Capacity judged Though Moses charge them not with familiarity with the Devil and the Greeks call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Workers by Drugs yet did they excel in the impious Art as in dazling Eyes whom we call Prestigiators in natural Magicks which is a knowledge to use the Creatures qualities beyond common Judgment which discern not the best Virtues that God hath indued them with This the Cabalist calls the Wisdom of Nature used by Iacob in the Pied Lambs as Moses did that which they call the Wisdom of Divinity in his Miracles Hereby God made him excell all that ever were when he shewed himself so often to him and imployed him in such Services Moses is remembred by Profane Authors Clearchus Magastenes and Numenius The Patriarchs long lives are remembred by Estius Hyeronimus Egyptius Heasteus Elanicus Acusilaus Ephorus and Alexander the Historian The deluge by Berosus Nicen Damascenus The Confusion at Babel by Abidemus Estieus Sybil. Abraham was Honoured by Berosus written of by Hecolaeus and his Journey into Canaan by Damascen Eupolemon writ of him beginning from Babel's Building to his calling out of Canaan or Ur in Chaldea Eusebius collects many which confirm the Books of Moses Lastly Worthy is the Testimony of Strabo saying Moses taught the Egyptians were mistaken in Attributing to God the Image of Beasts and the Africans and Greeks Erred greatly giving their Gods the shape of Men whereas that only is God indeed which contains both us Earth Sea the Heaven the World and the Nature of all things whose Image doubtless no Man will dare to Form to the likeness of any thing Their rejecting all Images that worthy Temple and Place of Prayer was to be Erected to him for his Worship without Images § 8. Of Josua and so to Othoniel and his Contemporary § Iosua entred upon the Government in the First Month Nisan or March the 14 th Year of their Egression in the Reign of Aminias the Eighteenth King of Assyria Corax the Sixteenth Siciona Danus of Argives and Ericthonius of Athens saith Augustin de civ Iosua appointeth Reuben Gad and the half Tribe of Manasses unto the Vanguard to lead the Host till the Land was Conquered as Iuda had in the Wilderness So upon the Tenth Day he led them over Iordan which gave way to them and Incamped in Gilgal and Circumcised them and on the Fourteenth they Celebrated the Passover the Third time when the Manna ceased The Wars and Victories of Iosua the Miraculous assistance of God and the Division of the Land are particularly at large set down in God's Book In the whole Story I observed in those Petty Kings First want of Wisdom as it is with Governours forsaken of God to Unite themselves against a strong and common Enemy before he had broken divers of them Secondly Iosua though sure of Divine assistance yet used the uttermost skill of a Wise Leader As sometime by Ambuscades Stratagems and shew of flying So by Surprize and Night-Marches and by pursuing his Victory Thirdly In the Passage between Iosua and the Gibeonites the Doctrine of keeping Faith is excellently taught taking away all perfidious cunning of Equivocating or crafty distinctions It is not possible to have a Case affording better Pretence to go off they were Hivites of whose Destruction God had given Express Commandment they Counterfeited in Word and Deed deliberately to deceive and lye in the very Point touching the Persons to be Covenanted with they were detestable Idolaters and as long as they lived were the Memory of Israels Errour and Iosua's oversight to be so overtaken and to be a scandal to Israel Iosua might say he Covenanted not with the Gibeonites but with Strangers and had no Commission but a former Express Law to the contrary yea and the People Mutined about it c. All notwithstanding Iosua durst use no Evasion to start from the Oath of the Lord wherein he was bound not to Man so much as to God It were a great sin to call God to Witness a Lye and so make him a Deceiver but we call him to be our Surety Yea we call him to Judge and so make him false in Witnessing in undertaking our Faith and
Peace between the Two Lions of Gold and Gules doth by many Degrees exceed both by sparing our Blood and assuring the Land As it pleased God to punish the Usurpation and unnatural Cruelties of our own Kings so do we find he dealt with the Sons of Lewis Debonair Son of Charlemain For after Debonair had put out his Nephew Bernard's Eyes the Son of Pipin the Eldest of Charlemain King of Italy and Heir of the Empire and after that caused him to die in Prison there followed such Murder and Bloodshed Poisonings and Civil Wars till the whole Race of that famous Emperor was extinguished Debonair further to secure himself put his Bastard Brothers into a Monastery But God rais'd up his own Sons to vex invade imprison and depose him alledging the former Violences to his Nephew and Brothers Yet he did that which few Kings do he publickly acknowledg'd and recanted his Cruelty against Bernard in the Assembly of the States But Blood unjustly spilt is not easily expiated by Repentance And such Medicines to the Dead have but dead Rewards He having also given Aquitain to Pipin his Second Son sought after that to cast him out as indeed he did his Son after him of the same Name at the Persuasion of Judith to raise her Son Charles Lothair his eldest Son he left King of Italy and Emperor against whom his Nephew Pipin of Aquitain Lewis of Bavier and Charles the Bald made War between whom was fought the most Bloody Battel that ever was known in France in which the Loss of the Nobility and Men of War encouraged the Sarazens to invade Italy the to fall upon Almain and the Danes upon Normandy After being invaded by Lewis and by his own Conscience for rebelling against his Father and other Cruelties he quits the Empire and dyes in a Monastery Charles the Bald seizeth on Pipin his Nephew and kills him in a Cloyster oppresses the Nephews the Sons of Lothair and usurps the Empire His Son Caroloman rebells and hath his Eyes burnt out by his Father Lewis of Bavier and his Son Caroloman are overthrown by Charles and Lewis dies of Grief as Charles doth of Poison by Zedekias his Phisician a Jew Whose Son also Lewis le Begne dy'd of the same Potion and Charles the Simple succeeded whose Natural Brothers Lewis and Charlemain rebell'd The Younger is slain by a wild Boar the Elder brake his Neck as did also the Son of Bavier Charles the Gross became Lord of what Debonair's Sons had held in Germany who invading Charles the Simple is forsaken of Nobles Wife and Wit dying a distracted Beggar Charles the Simple held in Wardship by Eudes Mayor of the Palace and after by Robert his Brother lastly is surprised by the E. of Vermandois and dyed in Prison Lewis his Son succeeded and brake his Neck one of his Sons dyes of Poyson the other in Prison Francis I. was one of the worthiest Kings that ever France had except his exposing the Protestants of Mirandel and Cabriers to the Fire and Sword of which though he repented and charged his Son to do Iustice on the Murderers yet was not that unseasonable Care accepted of by God who cut off his Four Sons without Issue to succeed And notwithstanding all their Subtilty and Breach of Faith with all their Massacres upon those of the Religion the Crown was set on his Head whom they all endeavoured to ruin and the Protestants are now in number and strength more than ever Spain has found God the same as Don Pedro of Castile may witness who as he became the most merciless of all Heathen or Christian Tyrants as the History of Spain records so he perish'd by the Hands of his Younger Brother who dispossessed all his Children of their Inheritance John D. of Burgoign may parallel this King if any can who after a Trayterous Murder of the D. of Orleance caused the Chancellor Constable divers Bishops Officers of Justice of the Treasury Requests Chamber of Accompts with Sixteen Hundred others suddenly to be slain which kind of Death eased the World of himself Ferdinand holding Arragon by Vsurpation of his Ancestors added Castile and Leon which he held by force of Arms from the Daughter of the last Henry and expell'd his Neece from the Kingdom of Navarr He betrayed Ferdinand and Frederick King of Naples his Kinsman to the French with the Army sent to their succour The Politick King who sold Heaven and his own Honour to make his Son the greatest Monarch saw his Death with his Wives and her untimely Birth buried together the like End he saw of his own Eldest Daughter his Second dyed Mad his Third was cast off by our King Henry VIII and the Mother of a Daughter whose unhappy Zeal shed a Deluge of Innocent Blood and had all his Kingdoms possest by strange Masters Charles V. Son to Arch. D. Philip who had Married Ferdinand's Mad Daughter after the Death of many Multitudes of Christian Souldiers and renowned Captains in his vain Enterprizes upon France Germany and other States while the Turk took the City of Rhodes was in conclusion chased out of France and in some sort out of Germany being persued by D. Maurice over the Alps which he passed by Torch Light and crept into a Cloister and became his Son's Prisoner who paid him very slowly Philip II. his Son not content to hold Holland and Zealand wrested by his Ancestors from Jaqueline their lawful Prince and to possess many other parts of the Netherland Provinces in Peace by persuasion of that mischievous Cardinal of Granvil and other Tyrants forgetting the remarkable Services done to his Father and the Forty Millions of Florens presented him at his Entrance and his solemn Oaths twice taken to maintain their Privileges which they had enjoyed under Thirty five Earls conditional Princes began to Tyrannize over them by the Spanish Inquisition and other intolerable Impositions and lastly by Force of Arms sought to make himself not Monarch only like the Kings of England France c. but Turk-like to overturn all their National Fundamental Laws Privileges and Customs To effect this he easily obtained a Dispensation of his Oaths from the Pope and then divided the Nobility under the Government of his base Sister Margaret of Austria and Cardinal Granvil Then he employ'd that Merciless Spaniard Ferdinand Alvarez D. of Alva who in six Years cut off Eighteen Thousand six Hundred Gentlemen and others by the Hand of the Hang-man Failing of his purpose by Force he tryeth Policy and sent Don John of Austria his Bastard Brother who upon the Papal advantage made no scruple to swear and having received Six Hundred Thousand Pounds of the Provinces to ease them of the Garrisons he suddenly surprized the Citadel of Antwerp Namure c. yet after so many Thousands slain Thirty six Millions of Treasure spent in six Years he left the Countrey and the King spent above One Hundred Millions with the Death of Four Hundred Thousand Christians
Linus Anaximenes Anaxagoras Empedocles Melissus Pherecydes Thales Cleanthus Pythagoras Plato and many others who found in the necessity of invincible Reason one Eternal Infinite Being to be the Parent of the Vniverse Whose Opinions tho' uncertain saith Lactantius shew that they agree upon one Lord Providence whether Nature Light Reason Understanding Destiny or Divine Ordination which is the same we call God For as all Rivers in the World tho' rising and running diversly fall at last in the Ocean So after all searches made by Human Capacity all Man's Reason dissolves it self in the Necessity of this Infinite Power Those who held the Matter of the World Eternal hardly deserve an Answer as giving part of the Work to God part to Fortune by which God found this Matter And were it Eternal it either fitted it self to God or he accommodated himself to it both which are foul Absurdities But suppose this Chaos or Matter had been too little for the Work God then Created out of nothing so much New Matter as was wanting or if the Matter were too much he must annihilate what was supersflous both which are alike proper to God only It could not therefore be caused by a less than an All-sufficient Power for to say it was the Cause of it self were the greatest tism Again if Matter were eternal of necessity it must be infinite and so left no place for infinite Form but the finite Form proves the Matter finite and so not eternal He who will believe the contrary eternal Death be his Reward for what Reason of Man not stupify'd by presumption hath doubted that That infinite Power of which we comprehend but the Shadow can want either Matter or Form for as many Worlds as there are Sands in the Sea if it were his Will which is the only limitation of his Works Can a finite Man a Fool and meer Dust change the Form of Matter made to his Hand and infinite Power cannot make a finite World without preexisting Matter The universal World has not shew'd us all his Wisdom and Power which cannot be bounded But others who hold the Worlds Eternity upon the ground of nothing nothing is made which is true where the Agent is finite may consider their Master Aristotle confessing That all the Ancients Decree a kind of Beginning and the same infinite and he farther saith There is no beginning of it but it is found the beginning of all things and embraceth and governs all things If we compare the universal World that Infinite it self we may say of the most unmeasurable Orbs of Heaven that they are neither quid quale nor quantum and therefore to bring Finite out of Infinite is no wonder in God's Power Therefore Anaximander Melissus and Empedocles call the World not Vniversal but a part of the Universality and Infinite Plato calls it a Shadow of God God's being a sufficient effectual cause of the World proves it not Eternal as he is For as his Sufficiency is free so is his Will no difficulty can hinder nor necessity force his Will in choice of Time Again tho' natural Agents which can work do it not 'till they are moved which argueth Change in them yet it followeth not that because God cannot be moved therefore he caused the World from Eternity For the same action of his Will which intended the World for ever from Eternity did also set down the time to effect it 'till which time he withheld it Others answer That the Pattern of the World was Eternally with God which the Platonists call the spiritual World but the Material World was not eternal but shall continue for ever which Christians understood of a new Heaven and Earth yet without new Creation of Matter They who deny the World shall have any End Reason from the Heavens which are neither Corrupted nor have any shew of Age. The little Change may argue Newness but not Perpeuity Yet to Answer Conjectures with Conjectures many of old held the Torrid Zone not habitable by reason of the Suns Heat nor the Sea Navigable under the Equinoctial Line but now we know the contrary which argueth that the Suns Heat is decayed And if little Change did prove perperuity then also many Stone-walls which have stood two or three Thousand Years and many things digged out of the Earth might seem to remain unchanged ever since the Flood and Gold probably held Created from the Beginning c. If Elementary Bodies shew so little Change no marvel if Celestial shew none And seeing inferiour Creatures are generated by help of Celestial and receive Virtue from the Sun their general decay argueth its decay also But if the World were eternal why not all things in it especially Man who is more Rational why did he not provide for his Eternity Again if there were no common order of the divers Natures how came that Difference who set the Earth in the Center the Sun and Celestial Bodies in their Courses c. If those keep their Course of their own accord to do good to the inferior Bodies they are then eternal Love yea so many Gods c. And if they be limited to their Course there is an efficient Cause which hath bounded them Now as to Nature As Aristotle hath by the Ambiguity of the Name recommended Errors and obscured God's glory in the Creation and Government of the World so his best Definition of it is but Nominal only differencing natural Motion from artificial which yet the Academicks explain better calling it Seminary strength infused into Matter by the Soul of the World and why give they the first place to Providence the second to Fate and third to Nature But be Nature what it will it cannot be the Cause of all things if it hath not both Will and Knowledge said Lactantius Nature cannot but work if Matter be present and then also it can but produce the same things except she have divers Matters to work upon said Ficinus But Nature could not chuse diversity of Matters without Understanding and Will Reason and Power why then is such a Cause callâ—d Nature rather than God All Men assign the highest place among all their Gods to One by Aristotle's confession de Coelo and Reason teacheth us to Acknowledge and Adore the most Sublime Power I account it therefore monstrous Impiety to confound God who disposes all things according to his own Will with Nature which disposes of nothing but as the Matter wherein it worketh will permit Nature existeth not of her self but as a Faculty infused into things existing by the supreamest Power who therefore is to be Worshipped for creating such a Nature in all things as without understanding what or how it worketh yet bringeth all things to perfection If therefore Men will rest upon that ground which all Antiquity held That there is a Power infinite and eternal all things deliver'd in Holy Scripture do as easily flow to the Proof of it as the Waters to that of a running
greater difference in the rest which cannot be ascribed to the long abstinence from Marriage upon Religious respect as we see in holy Enoch Noah's Brethren perished in the Flood and so might some unnamed Children begotten before the three named being 500 Years old before § 5. The Patriarchs Years have been questioned some holding them Lunary or Egyptian but that cannot be for then some should beget Children at 6 7 or 8 Years old and the Eldest should live not 100 Years which is short of many after the Flood yea long since Pliny witnesseth under Vespasian in a search many were found above 120 and some 140 Years Old Simple Diet and temperate Life made the Essaeans Egyptian Priests Persian Magicians Indian Brachmans live long saith Iosephus Pliny reports Nestor's 3 Ages Tyresia's 6 Sybils 300 Years Endymion's little less Ant. Fumea a good Historian reports of an Indian above 300 Years Old and my self knew the old Countess of Desmond An. 1589 who lived many Years after who had been married in the Reign of King Edw. 4. To conclude there are three things not to speak of Constellations which are natural Causes of long and healthful Life Strong Parents pure Air and temperate use of Dyet Pleasure and Rest all which excelled in the First Ages And though the Flood infused an impure quality into the Earth to hurt the means of Man's Life yet Time hath more consumed Natures Vigour as that which hath made the Heavens wax old like a Garment Hereto add our strange Education of Children upon unnatural Curiosity nourished by a strange Dugg Hasty Marriage before Natures Seed be ripe or Stock well rooted to yield a Branch fit to replant But above all the Luxury of latter Ages which wilfully oppresseth Nature and then thinks to relieve her with strong Waters hot Spices Sauces c. § 6. The Patriarchs knowledge of the Creation might well come by Tradition from Adam to Moses seeing Methusalem lived with Adam 243 Years and with Noah 500 Years and he with Abraham 58 Years from whom it was not hard to pass by Isaac Iacob and his Posterity to Moses Yet for the more certainty of the Truth it was undoubtedly delivered to Moses by immediate Inspiration of the Holy Ghost as his many Miracles do prove Questionless also Letters were from the Infancy of the World as Enoch's Pillars and his Prophecy witness of which part was found in Saba saith Origen and Tertullian read some Pages neither can it be denyed there was such saith Augustine § 7. The Patriarchs Lives were lightly passed over 'till Enoch whose Piety is commended and his leaving the World not by Death Whether his Change were such as shall be at the last day let Divines judge Lamech's Prophecy of his Son Noah is touch'd upon but Noah's Life is handled more amply The Wisdom Policy and Wars of that World were no doubt great as may be gathered Gen. 5.4 but the Universal Impiety which brought the Universal Destruction deserved that the Memory of their Actions should be drowned with their Bodies It were madness to imagine the Sons of God spoken of Gen. 5.24 were good Angels which begat Giants on Women as Iosephus dreamt and deceived Lactantius Confuted by Augustine and Chrysostom § 8. The Giants spoken of Gen. 5. Becanus strains his Wit to prove they were not such properly but so called for their Oppression But Moses calling them Mighty which argueth extraordinary Strength and Men of Renown and great undertaking there is more Reason to hold them Giants in a proper sense especially considering what Scripture Reporteth of such in the Days of Abraham Moses and Ioshua David c. yea of whole Kindreds and Countries If such were found in the Third and Fourth Ages of the Worlds decay there is no Reason to doubt thereof in the First and Second flourishing Ages From this Story grew the Conceit That Giants were the Sons of Heaven and Earth And from Nimrod grew the Tale of Giants casting up Mountains to the top of Heaven CHAP. VI. The Original of Idolatry and Reliques of Antiquity in Fables §. 1 THE Greeks and others corrupting the Story of the Creation and mingling their Fables with them suppos'd that After-Ages would take those Discourses of God and Nature for Inventions of Philosophers and Poets But as skilful Chymists can extract healthful Medicines out of Poison and Poison out of wholsome Herbs c. so may much Truth be found out of those Fables §. 2 The Antiquity of Corruption was even from Noah's Family For the liberal Grace of God being withdrawn after Man's Fall such a perpetual Eclipse of spiritual things follow'd and produc'd such effects as the general Deluge could not cleanse them even in the selected Family of Noah wherein were found those that renewed the Defection from God for which they had seen the Worlds destruction Hence the Caldeans Egyptians and Phaenicians soon after became Idolaters and the Greeks received their 12 Gods from Egypt and erected to them Altars Images and Temples saith Herodotus §. 3 As Men departed out of the way of Truth stray on in unknown Vices to Eternal Perdition so these blind Idolaters being fallen from the God of Heaven to seek God's on Earth to Worship beginning with Men they proceed to Beasts Fouls Fishes Trees Herbs the Four Elements Winds Morning Evening Stars Yea Affections Passions Sorrow Sickness besides Spirits infernal and among Terrestrials even the basest wanted not divine Honour as Dogs Cats Swine Leeks Onions c. which barbarous Blasphemy Iuvenal thus derided O happy Nations which of their own sowing Have store of Gods in every Garden growing § 4. Of Iupiter and other Gods That Egypt had knowledge of the First Age by Misraim the Son of Cham who had lived 100 Years in it we doubt not Having therefore learned that Cain did first build Cities they made him ancient Iupiter whom the Athenians also called Pollyeus and Herceios Founder and Fortifier of Cities This Iupiter married his Sister as did Cain His Father Adam they made Saturn and his Sons Iubal Tubal and Tubal-Cain were made Mercury Vulcan and Apollo Inventers of Pastorage Smiths-craft and Musick Naome Augustine expounds Venusta which was Venus Vulcan's Wife and Eva was Rhea the Dragon which kept the Golden Apple was the Serpent that beguiled Eva. Paradise was the Garden of Hesperides So Saturn's dividing the World between Three Sons came of Noah and his Sons and Nimrod's Tower was the attempt of Giants against Heaven The Egyptians also Worshipped Seth as their most Ancient Parent from whom they called their chief Province Setheitica and in Bithinia we â—ind the City Cethia § 5. Of the Three Chief Iupiters the First was Son of Aether Dies the Second of Coelum an Arcadian and King of Athens the Third Famous in the Greek Fables was of Creet or Candia as some say but there is no certainty c. § 6. Iupiter Chammon more Ancient than all the Grecian Iupiters was Cham Father
incens'd him he designing they should destroy one another So he entred Egypt though the Young King intreated the contrary by Embassadours of whom he demanded Cyprus and Pelusium and took Memphis and other places The Egyptians seek help from Rome but in vain they being now deep in with the Macedonian War the like they desire of the Greeks especially the Achaeans whose forwardness was hindred by the Roman Faction yet at length the Senate being moved with compassion of the Embassadours lamentable behaviour and supplication sent C. Popilius and others with Command that Antiochus should leave Egypt to which he submitted according to the Prophet Daniel or rather the History of Daniel § 12. Rome we see is grown terrible When the greatest Kings must how to her Majesty how shall inferiour Kings and States carry themselves to be assured of Favour Eumenes had been very officious and help'd to kindle the Fire which has burnt up the Kingdom of Macedon He therefore sends Attalus his Brother to Congratulate the Victory and crave Aid against the Gallo-Greeks But Attalus had succeeded better if he had requested his Brothers Kingdom which because he did not as they expected the Fathers went from what they had promised of his having Enus and Maronia as for the Gallo-Greeks they have a Message sent them rather to incourage than dissuade them The displeasure of the Senate being so manifest Eumenes will again visit them but the Fathers will not receive him it being decreed that no King shall come within Rome Yet Prusius King of Bythinia a little before had been welcomed after a better manner as he who gave these Mortal Gods the Title and Worship done to them kissing the Threshold and calling them his Gods and Saviours commending his Son Nicomedes to their Tuition Cotys the Thracian excused his helping Perseus and intreats the discharge of his Son taken with Perseus's Children which is granted with admonition of his good behaviour to Rome Masanissa only kept his Reputation with these great Masters who stand by him in all Quarrels with Carthage whose Ruin he must help forward before his own turn be served His Congratulations are well accepted Perseus and Gentius the unhappy Kings have the last Act to play at Rome in the Triumphs of Aemilius and Anicius being led in Chains before their Chariot Perseus made application to Aemilius not to be put to the disgrace and was scornfully answered that he might prevent it meaning he might kill himself his end is uncertain whether starved or by over-watching Alexander his Youngest Son became a Turner in Rome what conceit soever his Father had of him when he gave him that Name in wantonness of Sovereignity in which he commanded poor Men to be slain for getting up his Treasure out of the Sea by Diving He considered not that the greatest Oppressours and the most abject Wretches are all subject to one high Power governing all alike with absolute Command But such is our Unhappiness that instead of that blessed Counsel to do as we would be done to which teacheth Moderation wâ—â—â—tertain that arrogant Thought I will be like the 〈◊〉 that is I will do what pleaseth my self The very desire of ability to do Evil without controul is a dangerous Temptation to the performance God hath granted it to few and very few they are which use it not to their own damage as Princes who rack their Sovereignity to the uttermost extent teach others by the like strain to root out their own Progeny Nay excellent Princes are often forced to flatter some base Minion or Harlot which Governs some unworthy Fellow that Governs all of which there are too many Examples Aemilius's Triumph so glorious by reason of a Kings Person brought also such Riches into the Roman Treasury that till Iulius Caesar's Death the State never needed to burden it self with Tribute The joy of this Triumph God abated with the loss of his Two Sons one Five days before another Five days after it We have seen the beginning and end of the three First Monarchies of the World whose Founders thought they should never end And the Fourth of the Romans is already at the highest where we left it in the Field wherein nothing is left to shadow it from the Eyes of the World But after some time the Storms of Ambition shall tear her Branches her Leaves shall fall her Limbs wither and a Rabble of barbarous Nations shall cut her down These great Conquerours have been the Subject of our Ancient Histories and Tragical Poets shewing us their great undertakings not so much desiring Rule over others which is so full of Care as hunting after Fame which Ploweth up the 〈◊〉 and Soweth in the Wind. And certainly as Faâ—â— has often been dangerous to the Living so is it of no use to the Dead who if they did understand what is Reported of them they would wish they had stolen out of the World without â—oise rather than to hear the Report of their Treacheries Murders Rapines giving the spoil of Innocent labouring Souls to the idle and insolent Since the Fall of the Roman Empire omitting the Germans neither great nor of long continuance there hath been no State formidable in the East but the Turk nor in the West except the Spaniard who by so many Attempts hath sought to make himself Master of all Europe As one who is powerful both by his Indian Treasure and many Kingdoms he possessed in Europe But as the Turk is now Counterpoised by the Persian So if for so many Millions spent by English French and Netherlands in defensive War and diversions against them Two Hundred Sixty Thousand Pound were imployed for Two or Three Years it is easie to demonstrate how they may be brought to live in Peace and their swelling Streams be brought within the Banks These are the only Nations of Eminency to be regarded of us the one seeking to root out the Christian Religion the other the sincere Profession of it If farther Reason be required of the continuance of this boundless Ambition of Mortal Men than desire of Fame we may say That the Kings and Princes of the World have always laid before them the Actions not the Ends of those great ones the Glory of the one Transporting them never minding the Misery of the other till it seized upon him They neglect the Advice of God while they hope to live but when Death comes then they believe what it tells them Death without speaking a word persuades what God with promises and threats cannot do though the one hates and destroys Man whereas the other made and loves him I have considered saith Soloâ—â—n all Works that are under the Sun and behold all is Vanity and vexation of Spirit Who believes this till Death beats it into us It was Death which forced the Conscience of Charles 5th and made him enjoyn Philip his Son to restore Navarre and Francis the First King of France to command justice to be done upon the Murderers of the Protestants in Merindol and Calabries till then neglected Death alone can make Man know himself the proud and insolent that he is but abject and can make him hate his forepast Happiness The rich Man he proves a naked Beggar which hath interest in nothing but in the Gravel that fills his Mouth and when he holds the Glass before the Eyes of the most Beautiful they see and acknowledge their Deformity and Rotteness O eloquent just and mighty Death whom none could advise thou hast persuaded what none hath presumed thou hast done whom all the World have flattered thou hast cast out of the World and despised Thou hast drawn together all the extravagant Greatness all the Pride Cruelty and Ambition of Man and covered it all over with two narrow Words Hic jacet Lastly Whereas this Book bearing this Title The First Part of the general c. implying a Second and a Third which I intended and have hewn out besides many other Discouragements persuading my Silence it hath pleased God to take that glorious Prince out of the World for whom they were designed Whose unspeakable and never enough lamented loss hath taught me to say with Iob Versa est in luctum cithara mea organum meum in vocem flentium FINIS Ecclesiasticus 11.7 From the Creation to Abraham 2009 Years In Pomanâ—ro Orpheus de summo Jove Gen. 1.1 Ver. 2. Gen. 1.3 Gen. 1.6 De opâ—r Dei De Ment. Idiot * See Aug. de Civ D. * Stralo lib. 17. Gen. 6.11 Strabo De Civ Pliny Sybilla Plin. l. 14.12 Sect. 1. Sect. 3. Pagus P. Belonius See cap. 8. Sect. 3. See cap. 8. Sect. 3. Augustine Augustine Natalis Comes â— Iudg. N. Damascenus Numb 12. in success See cap. 1.4 Sect. 2. * See Junius De Civ li 13.14 Ant. lâ— 7.12 See Siracides 47. â—3 14. c. * Lib. 1. Sect. 3 14. and c. 10. * Diodorous Siculus out of Câ—esias Strabo Plutarch * So Functius * Apries in Herodotus * Her lib. 3. * Iust. l. 9. * De Civ Lib. 19. * See Cap. 4. §. 8.