Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n
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A01014
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Doctor Fludds answer vnto M· Foster or, The squeesing of Parson Fosters sponge, ordained by him for the wiping away of the weapon-salue VVherein the sponge-bearers immodest carriage and behauiour towards his bretheren is detected ...; Doctor Fludds answer unto M. Foster.
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Fludd, Robert, 1574-1637.
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1631
(1631)
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STC 11120; ESTC S102376
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121,816
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230
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the last doe conuert themselues from the Deuill to God so God bee thanked this Weapon-Salue his Aduersarie led rather by a good Spirit then his owne will concludes truely and saith that it is not the good Angels and therefore much lesse the Deuill that can doe such a feate but God onely I reioyce at his conuersion though against his will Loe how he accordeth with his great enemy that damned Magitian Paracelsus as he tearmeth him who affirmed that it was Donum Dei As concerning his authors which he citeth against it I esteem them not there are as many for it of a better authority and Iudgement For they are neither your Schoolemen who deale onely in imaginary speculatiue Philosophy nor Ioanâ—…es Roberti the Iesuit and such like phantasticall Theorickes but learned Physicians great Philosophers both theorically and practically profound in the mysteries of nature and therefore the fitter persons to discusse a businesse of this physicall nature Amongst the which I nominat in the first place the Bishop Anselme who for his integrity deepe learning and holâ—…nesse of life is canonized a Saint and then amongst the deepe Philosophers and Physicians which haue been conversant in the Mysteries of God and nature Theophrastus Paracelsus who tearmes it iustly Donum Dei Cardanus Ioannes Bapista Porta Oswaldus Collius Ioannes Ernestus Burgrauius Rodulphus Goclinius Ioannes Baptista ab Helmont and many other excellent and well experimented Philosophers Physicians who as well by the practicall art of Alchymy then which there is no Science in the world that doth more ocularly bewray and discouer the hidden mysteries of Nature as other assiduall obseruations grounded vpon proofe and not on imaginary contemplation onely haue like true philosophers diued into this mystery of healing Men I say who haue beene as subtill to eschew and wary to foresee the Diuels craft yea and to distinguish his act from that of God in Nature as Master Foster or any other of his paedagogicall Rabbies And although some superstitious Physicians of this kingdome such I meane as are apter rashly to iudge this businesse then to ponder it with due consideration may seeme to bee aduerse vnto it yet they cannot choose but know that Plura latent quam quae patent there are many thousand things more that are hidden in the secret closet of nature then commonly man doth know or can at the first discerne And therefore if they are ignorant in this myâ—…ery it will prooue an effect of their highest wise-dome to hold their peace and not meddle in the censuring of it as being assured that there are many things hidden in Nature which fall not in the spheare of their capacity verbum Sapienti Againe I esteeme it a thing fit for freshwater Souldiers in Philosophy and not for a settled person in the secrets of nature to say Ipse dixit this man or that man saith or writeth thus and thus Ergo it is so because humanum est errare Ti 's most familiar euen in the wisest men to erre but it is the best wisdome in a Philosopher first to diue wisely into the Mysteries of God in Nature and then being confident to conclude demostratiuely and not according to other mens sayings but on his owne knowledge Now seeing Master Foster hath done his worst for the vilifying and calumniating of this excellent Medicine vnto which by manner of opposition I haue as yet but superficially and by way of solution of his obiections answered I hope you will giue mee leaue to doe my best to squeese out of his formidable Sponge the Weapon-Salues reputation which like a cormorant it hath deuoured and sucked vp The Question Whether the cure of wounds by the Weapon-Salue bee witchcraft and vnlawfull to be vsed I deny it and maintaine it two manner of wayes First Theologically Lastly Theophilosophically or by the purest naturall Philosophy CHAP. II. Herein the vertue and good operation of the Weapon-Oyntment is prooued to be the Gift of God and not any act of the Diuell MAster Foster saith that Paracelsus affirmeth the vertue of this medicine to bee Donum Dei the Gift of God wherefore hee is very angry with him and called him a witch a Coniurer and a Magitian Hee is well serued that will preach goodnesse either to a mad man or an vnthankfull person or to one that is zealous without vnderstanding But whereas Master Foster hath done his best to proue the vse of this ointment to bee Magicall prestigious and Diabolicall I hope I shall demonstrate the contrarie vpon the same foundations ascribing the due and right belonging vnto God vnto the right owner and depriuing the Diuell of that which by his instruments he hath falsely vsurped As before we presume to build any stately Palace wee must lay a strong foundation to vphold the whole fabricke thereof euen so before we enterprize to establish or reare a strong Castle of defence to serue as a firmer Negatiue opposition against mine Aduersaries affirmation I thinke it fit to collect some firme grounds or spirituall arguments which in lieu of corner stones may statuminate and prop vp the whole truth of the proposed Question and expresse the true resolution of it to bee cleane adverse and different from that which he maketh shew of I will therefore imitate him in making my entrance into this enquiry with this Sillogistical argument grounded on his owne confession which he maketh Pag. 7. The Angels of Heauen saith he cannot worke at such a distance onely God whose Essence is infinit and is omnia in omnibus all in all can worke thus If God therefore worketh all in all by himselfe without the essentiall Assistance of any created spirit or body then the Diuell is no Actor in the Weapon Salue but God worketh all in all of himselfe without the essentiall Assistance of any creature Therefore the Diuell operateth nothing of or by himselfe although he in his office is euill and destructiue much lesse in doing good as is supposed by the curing through the Weapon-Salue which is vtterly against his condition being created or ordained after his fall for another vse The Maior is euident because a Generall comprehendeth euery particular And therefore if God operateth all in all then the Diuell operateth nothing but curing is an operation and therefore a worke onely of God The Minor or the assumption is iustified by the Apostle in these words There are diuersitie of gifts but the same spirit and there are diuersitie of Administrations but one Lord and there are diuersitie of operations but one God and the same worketh all in all It is by one and the same spirit that the gifts of healing are giuen Whereby it is apparent that first God by his Spirit operateth all in all and among those operati-ons the excellent act and gift of healing is numbred Therefore it is not the Diuell but God who onely healeth Againe the prophet saith He sent his Word and healed them And the wise man saith
deliuereth them from their graues let them confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse c. Whereby it appeareth that it was his louing kindnesse and not his seuerity and vengeance which by his Word did heale and cure For he operateth vengeance in his seuerity or destructiue will by the organ of the Deuill And then of Salomon But the teeth of the venemous Dragons could not ouercome thy Children for thy mercy came to helpe them and healed them for neither herb nor plaister healed them but thy Word O Lord which healeth all things for thou hast the power of life and death and leadest downe into the gates of Hell and bringest vp againe c. Now I would know whether it ought to be any true Christians opinion that the Deuill can command the misericord of God and so be Master of his word at his pleasure as to heale Gods creatures nay one framed after his owne Image for any wicked stratagems cause I meane for the gaining of both body and soule of man from God to himselfe Doth not Iob say In the hand of God is the life of euery liuing creature and the spirit of all flesh To conclude as Saint Iohn doth truely auerre that in the Word was life So it is certaine that all healing and restoring power is from this viuifying vertue in the Word and not from the priuatiue power of the Deuill in whom contrary wise is death and destruction Moreouer I would haue you to note these words of the Apostle Now there are diuers gifts but the same Spirit and there are diuersities of operations but God is the same which worketh all in all but to one is giuen by the Spirit the Word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another is giuen faith and to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit c. Can any good Christian thinke that this one Spirit that onely worketh these things is the Deuill No verily For in the third verse the Apostle termes it the Holy Ghost What shall we say then That the Deuill doth heale by the gift of the Holy Ghost or that the holy Spirit will grant the euill spirit his good gift of healing to deceiue mankinde and to rob God of his right God forbid But with iustice giue that vnto God which belongeth vnto God and assigne vnto the Deuill that property which was allotted him by his Creatour from the beginning the first Spirit from all creations was ordained in his office to be a good viuifying and a quickning Spirit the latter a bad a killing and a mortifying spirit For it is said by the Prophet in the person of God Ego creaui destructorem ad disperdendum I haue created the destroyer to destroy I will boldly therefore conclude and finish my Pamphlet or petty discourse as I began it namely with this religious verse mentioned in the diuine Hymne of the Royall Psalmist to the honour of God and disabling of either Deuill or any other creature to worke essentially wonders of himselfe or by himselfe Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël qui facit mirabilia solus Blessed be the Lord God of Israël who onely worketh wonders Or as he hath it in another place Confitemini Domino Dominorum quoniam in aeternum miserâ—…or diaâ—…ius qui facit mirabilia magna solus Prayse the Lord for his mercy endureth for euer who onely doth great wonders And therefore if the Lord of Lords onely or alone then hath he not any mortall man to helpe him if he alone then not any Angel of Heauen and lastly if it be God alone and onely then not any Deuill of Hell nor Daemon or spirit of the fiery or aëry or watry or earthly element to assist him For the text saith It is the Lord of Lords alone and therefore not any creature to helpe him or that is able to doe this without him it is he I say onely and consequently not the Deuill who performeth wonders But by euery mans acknowledgement this manner of cure is wonderfull for as much as the manner of working in it passeth the capacity of worldly mens vnderstanding Therefore with Dauid I will say Benedictus Deus qui facit tale mirabile solus and consequently I may inferre thereupon and that iustly Maledictus homo qui diuina falsò attribuit Diabolo Wherefore I wish euery zealous and religious person to haue this inuiolable Motto engrauen in his heart that by the vertue thereof he may fright away and banish from his thoughts all such irreligious perswasions as would moue him to derogate one Iota or tittle from Gods power who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end of all things to arrogate falsly vnto the vilest of creatures who in himselfe is nothing but what God is pleased that he shall be of himselfe hath nothing but what God pleaseth to bestow on him and by himselfe can doe nothing but what God is pleased to act in him and by him that he doth and not any thing else and therefore what God will not that he cannot doe Let this then be your Motto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finis omnium principium Deus God is the end and beginning of all things And for this reason Reuchlin in his Booke de verbo mâ—…risico saith Omne hominis miraculum cuius vera non imaginaria deprehenditur substantia tum grande tum mediocre tum minimum si ordo sacrorum prascriptus obseruetur referendum est semper in Deum gloriosum cuius nomen est benedictum in aeternum Is enim solus est qui vel seipso vel delegato non sine seipso velper substitutum exseipso talia facit qualia demiramur quorum causam adaequatam scire non possumus vel quod fiant vel quod hoc modo fiant Euery miracle of man whose substance is certaine â—…nd not imaginary or prestigious bee it great or meane or little if the prescribed order of Holy Writ bee obserued is alwayes to bee referred and ascribed vnto one glorious God whose Name bee euer blessed For it is hee alone who either of himselfe or by a delegat with whom hee is present or by a substitute of his owne and from himselfe that effecteth such things the true or plaine grounds whereof and by what meanes they are brought to passe wee neither can discerne nor comprehend Thus farre Iohn Reuchlin And therefore in the period of this Treatise I may iustly put home and allude vnto Master Foster and his Complices the woe of Isaias against such persons which I did mention in the beginning of it for as much as they presuming too too much on their worldly wisedome doe mistakingly and through their blindnesse ascribe the things of God vnto the Deuill the deeds of goodnesse vnto euill and the effects of light vnto darknesse ISAIAS 5.20 21. Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that