against the Authour of nature These sinfull spirits like baites of sweet poison or sugred gals possesse olde Adams progeny according to the variable and voluble dispositions of the patient These not vnlike to Mice Lice lawlesse Lawiers or noysome vermine by Sathans spirituall suggestion doe endeuour to infest molest and sift vs as wheate They had their beginning at the fall of the Diuell and his Angels who are throughly possessed with all the said qualities working diuersly by the meanes of the same spirit The spirit of Detraction the spirit of Enuy the spirit of Pride and such like vitious spirits proceed from one roote from one Serpent that olde Impostor I am setled in this opinion by the Apostle who proued the identity of the Holy Spirit by the like reason The body is one and hath many members And againe There are diuersities of gifts but the same spirit To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit To another the operations of great workes to another prophesie to another the discerning of spirits to another the diuersities of tongues All these things worketh the same spirit distributing to euery man as it pleaseth him From one Tree came many branches of euill by the inticement of one Serpent came all these spirits of â—rrours which like venemous stings incite vs to vngodly actes And yet for all this I denie not but there are malicious spirits as well as ministring spirits Diuels as well as Angels the one attending on Lucifer the Prince of Diuels the other on Michael the Lords chiefe Angell both inuisibly attempting to work vpon the Will of man vehemently or by leisure as God commands them either for the knowledg of Goodnesse or for the knowledge of Euill Neyther will I here omit to interpose another opinion of mine concerning the Diuels force which is that God the reuenger of iniquity commands the Diuell as his executioner to pursue the reprobate sometimes by immediate causes and somtimes by mediate and second causes by immediate when the faculties of the soule are by his spirituall spurres extraordinarily possessed with frenzie sury and such like by mediate causes when the instruments of the body are by his spiritual enticements tempted to receiue into them more then suffice nature so that the veines ouerflow with blood the gall with choler adust and the liuer with lust But in my iudgement with the former extraordinary or miraculous causes the Diuell cannot harme a Christian mans body really howsoeuer I thinke of the soules immediate obsession or harme the least part of his body Surely I belecue that God reserues that palpable reall power as a prerogatiue to himselfe to his owne Angels and to his second causes in this world to himselfe as when Pharaoh and his Aegyptians were miraculously plagued with Lice and other annoyances by the singer of God or when he caused his Angel for Dauids fault to smite the Israelites with pâ—stilence But thou wilt aske me how can a Christian bee frantick by the Diuels meanes and yet not really hurt by him By him by the Diuels immediate reall force Nay principally by themselues and by their owne filthy bodies which suffered themselues at first to be gluttonously carried by their owne appetites and by the Diuels spirituall suggestion If they had eaten lesse and drunke lesse such corruption of humours could neuer taint them neither could consequently frenzie possesse them And also if they had in time sought for grace by daily prayers fasting being a coadiutour vnto them God would haue hearkened vnto them and healed their indispositions But on the contrary it pleased his Maiesty to harden some to lead them into temptation because they might acknowledge his iustice and omnipotency and also serue for monuments to terrifie the wauering minded To returne vnto my former matter as all wicked spirits and vitious purtâ—rbations sprung in mortall men by meanes of the said Arch-spirit of sinne so likewise by him they worke many and sundry operations Moyses made mention of the spirit of Iealousie Esay of the spirit of Errour The Lord permitted alying spirit to goe out and be in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to enâ—ice him into the battell against the Sirians Another Prophet relateth of the spirit of fornication And as S. Paul records God gaue them the spirit of slumber The spirit of God departed from Saeul and an euill spirit was sent from God to vexe him Therefore his seruants aduised him to seeke a cunning player vpon the Harpe whereby he might be refreshed and eased What sense more naturall to our capacities can we gather by this euill spirit and the easie cure thereof then that it was eyther a kinde of Lunacy vsuall in that hote countrey a fit of melancholy or a falling sickenesse For the cure whereof his seruants by whom I vnderstand his Phisittans hauing experimented belike that none other medicine then musicke could auaile him or perhaps not hauing such insight in Phisicke as we haue wished him onely to comfort his heart with ioyes and as we vulgarly speake to keepe Doctor Merriman company To this opinion of mine I adioyne another reason whereof we must not descant ouer-curiously that God predestinated purposely this extraordinary accident vpon Saul for the aduancement of Dauid who vpon this occasion happily composed many of his Psalmes and confirmed the vertues of his spirit and also by this accesse into the Kings Palace he gained vnto him the mindes of his chiefe Captaines and Officers besides he got by this familiar frequency in the Court his education and experience in matters of ciuill policy which otherwise he could hardly in humane probability obtaine by reason that hee was brought vp but simply among Sheepheards This I write not of any blasphemous purpose to restraine the Lords miraculous power but that we may obserue his prouidence in vouchsafing to worke by ordinary and naturall meanes But admit that the literall sense be admitted what absurdity can ensue thereof For the Diuell in his fall hauing wholy lost the musicall consent and melodious concord which was ensused in his soule at his creation could hardly digest Dauids Hymmes and Harpe the same being quite disagreeable to his discording and disproportioned nature I say such Diuine musicke reduced the extrauagant thoughts of Saules soule to such an excellent harmony and quiet tune that the Diuell durst not abide that sweete tempered sound Ouer all the abouesaid wicked spirits the spirit of Detraction awaiteth Doth the Lord send his terrible thunder his glorious lightnings as warlike alarums to rouze vs vp from our sleepy sinnes Behold the spirit of Detraction at hand and attributes those strange signes to the Prince of this world his Lord and Master the Diuell God quoth he is the Author of goodnesse quiet and neuer intâ—rmedles with thunder-claps stormes or tempests Non illi imperium pelagi scâ—ptrumque tridentis Sed mihi sort datum
three records on earth or sacramentall types and mysteries of water the word and the Spirit there are said to be three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which beare record in heauen three persons distinguished really in respect of their personall properties but indistinct essentially in respect of their perpetuall power I say in respect of originall order of Christs mysticall marriage with the freckled or spotted Spouse the militant Church on earth in respect of his office in mediating for sinfull men an office too meane for the sacred maiesty of God and in respect of his humanity that was crucified for the Elect by Gods promise euer since Adams fall or perhaps before his fall lest the whole generation of mankind had beene vnder a iust Anathema or excommunication the Sonne was and is inferiour to the Father and submitteth his will to the Fathers will as himselfe protested Not as I will but as thou wilt O Father And so the holy Ghost is inferiour to them both in regard of his humble function of vice-gerencie or deputation in comforting and instructing the sinfull sonnes of Adam These seuerall assignements of offices they appointed to themselues in their owne praedestinated wisedomes wherein though they all conspire yet as I said before one of them hath the name of Primate in regard of order but in regard of their eternity and omnipotence none is greater or lesse then another For this cause it is written that the Father created the world the Sonne redeemed it and the holy Ghost sanctifieth it and yet they are but one in effect in their ends one God one omnipotent power communicating to three persons to three properties as one center to three lincs all in all and three in all As no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so no man can come to the Son but by the holy Ghost for we are sanctified because we are redeemed and we are redeemed because we are elected Pater eligit Filius diligit Spiritus sanctus coniungit vnit The Father electeth the Sonne loueth and the holy Ghost conioynes cements and vnites together The Father eternall in the consubstantiall word the word in him both in the coessentiall Spirit and the Spirit in them both doe all three co-operate co-adiute and worke according to their own counsell for the good of their creatures for the honour of their heauenly Hierarchy The Father begetteth in loue and iustice the Sonne begotten in loue and righteousnes and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both in loue and grace doe mystically teach the inward man that sees with the spirituall eyes of faith what care the Godhead takes for the restoring and repayring of that breach and lapse which the imbecility of mans brittle condition together with Sathans subtilty caused vnto all posterities And thus God manifesteth this three-fold distinction vnto vs that his elect might apprehend the mysticall operation of their soules saluation in the effects of his Iustice Grace and Loue. Againe lest for all this I seeme obscure I will exemplifie the vnited substance of the Trinity more familiarly yet with this prouiso that the words of Zophar to Iob may be read as a preamble Canst thou by searching finde out God or canst thou finde out the Almighty to his perfection That surely were to scale the heauens or build another Babel In a Spirit there is neither part diuersity nor multiplication but wheresoeuer the spirit is there is the whole spirit as the soule of man is not part in the head and part in the foote but the same whole spirit which is in the head is vndiuided entire all and the same in the foote neuerthelesse it appeares more eminent in the head by reason of the soules more notable operation there mans head being the noblest obiect the noblest Organ of the body which the soule doth like So in this spirituall substance of God there is no part diuersity nor multiplication but euery thing in God is God and the whole and the same substance of his Spirit for where one of Gods vertues are there also himselfe and all his vertues are as the influence of the Sunne But we commonly say Our Father which art in heauen not that he is altogether locally circumscribed there secluded from all other places but because it pleaseth his glorious Maiesty for the honour of his power to impart his Diuinity there most cleerely among his vndefiled and vnspotted creatures which as like to like pure to pure doe answere and satisfie the pleasure of their mercifull Creator So that God is in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the rarenesse and excellency of his operations in that purest place And surely God dealt like himselfe like a gracious Lord thus to communicate his soucraigne perfections to that choise place amidst his choysest creatures restrayning the same from vs poorepilgrims who for the brittlenesse of our eâ—rthly mould being clothed but with dust and ashes full of corruptions could no more then Phaeton or Icarus stand iustified before his sunny presence For when his heauenly Highnesse vouchsafed to guide and goe before the Israelites out of Egypt his magnanimous Spirit that could not brooke impurity was moued to such impatience against their sinnes that he was faine to withdraw his strong and powerfull presence from their weake complexions lest as himselfe said he should consume them in the way To returne and retire backe towards the entire essence of the Trinity I beleeue that Gods properties as I wrote before cannot be diuided into parts portions or parcels but that euery quality in God is God and the whole substance of his spirit and so the Speaker in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance The Word in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance But herein is their difference that the Father is the Speaker onely as begetting the Word the Sonne is the Word onely as the Word begotten And the holy Ghost is holy only as proceeding from the mutuall loue and from the mutuall wils of the Father or the Speaker begetting and of the Sonne or Word begotten So as the Speaker in God is God the Word in God is God and the holy Loue in God is God But yet the Speaker is not the Word nor the Word the Speaker if we regard the order and mysterie of their operatiue offices though both be God for the one is the Father begetting and the other I meane the Word is the Sonne begotten The propagatour or producer of Sanctification or holy Loue in God is loue which loue is God And loue produced in God is Loue and is God but the producer of loue is not loue produced I say the will of the Father and the Sonne being the producer of loue is not the loue proceeding or produced that is the holy Ghost though all be God in substance and power but differing in the manner of their operation for the Father is loue onely
as there be differences and degrees in sinnes wherein for the most part I shake hand with these Detractours so dare I partly aduenture to cleere my soule from one particular sinne like as Luther iustified himselfe from auarice that my nature euer abhorred iniustice or partialitie though I might haue hazarded the loues of my neerest kinsfolkes Let impious Ismael and enuious Haman whose words are swords combine together let them throw forth what Detractions they can like stumbling blockes in my way I passe not for them On the contrarie I will glorie with that Gentile in Tacitus Fulgorem bonorum à me nunquam praelatum excubias ac labores vt vnum ex militibus pro incolumitate Imperatoris malle That I neuer preferred bright shining goods but chose rather watchings and labours as one of the common souldiers for the Emperours safety and for the weaâ—â— of my Countrey Such disgracefull libelles spurging vp from the stemme of blasphemous Detraction were diuulged and dispersed abroad in all places farre and nigh VVhich when I had throughly ruminated and reuoâ—ued in my mind looking withal into the depth of their cankred corruptions how that our heauenly King is highly iniured thereby as also how that his Diuine titles are daily dishonoured despised and detracted with their wilfull wanton and vnwise speeches whereby that member or outward sheath wherein our thoughts are folded which should bee the faithfull Interpreter â—the soule Oraculum animae speculum mentis miraculum naturae is commonly peruerted from Christian puritie to wilfull blasphemie so that Nazianzens saying is verified in our age LinguaÌ„dimidiam humanorum vitiorum partem sibi vendâ—cat halfe the vices which we commit are committed by the tongue Nay our whole life is full of the tongues wickednesse Tota vita nostra linguae delictis est referta as Basil wrote At this prodigious degeneration my spirit seem'd to sparkle as a blazing starre within me portending miseries to such mischieuous wretches yea it burned as a blast of fire in the furnace of my bodie incensing the principall powers thereof as kindes of greene fewell ordained for this purpose to consume some of those saplesse shrubbes or at least as smoking firebrands to terrific children from playing too much with sacred mysteries from laughing like vnnaturall Cham at Noahs nakednesse from mocking at Elishaes reuerend head and to speake like a Poet from plucking ouerlong at Iupiters beard from polluting their fathers ashes These these motiues Right noble Lords enforced me to expose abroad mine vntimely Embrion not altogether shapt aswell as I intended nor yet growne to that maturitie as the Satyrist answeredin defence of Virgils Aeneads Vt ramale vetus vaegrandi subere coctum Like an old bough full ripe with barke But what perfect essence nature denies vnto it or what complete forme Art conceales from it I humbly craue that all may be construed in good part by your Honorsboundlesse bounties wherto as to a diuine Oracle or discreet Rhadamanthes I flie for verdict in the behalfe of this worthlesse worke which once againe I dedicate Dijs tutelaribus to your heroicall vertues eyther by them signed ominously with print of chalke or with coale or according to the Greeke custome with the blacke letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destinating death to be censured worthy of immortalitie and of euerlasting Cedar or else to be cancelled in perpetuall obliuion and Cymmerian darkenesse To the Readers REaders whether ye be men or women kinde or curst friendly or frumping all is one to me I respect not your kinds kindred or kindnesse your kinds being but natures instruments for propagation of mankinde And for other respects which are worldly I force not at all for Truth is spirituall essentiall internall and cares not for outward formalities Onely I weigh your tongues the Detracting instruments of Sathan sor both your genders to the pretudice of your deere soules In your tongues I finde no more distinction or denomination of male and female then I finde of your soules which likewise are neâ—ther male nor female but al one all alike in both your sexes I finde this originall accident coincident aswell to tongues as soules that there be good Aesops tongues and euill Aesops tongues the good ordained to heauenly Hymmes to ioyfull Iubilees to Angelicall Alleluiahes the euill tongues to taunt to detract and with Iobs wife to curse God and die Ye daughters of Eue misconster not my simple speech I taxe not all your tongues in generall There are voices of Angels voices of Men and voices of Diuels The first are heauenly as I said before being sweet smelling sacrifices of Christian Quiristers or holy Oracles of the inward man The second earthly as sounding brasse or tinckling Cymbals The third hellish as the roaring of a rauening Lion The first I commend as the rare song of a blacke Swanne The second I meane to amend as the penitent crie of the prodigall childe The third and hellish voyce of the spirit of Detraction I commit as the Parisians Mattens or Scicilian Euen-song into the Dungeon of hell where is weeping and gnashing of teeth These diuersities of tongues and voyces sprang vp from the same tree of good and euill Out of the same Eue like Lycurgus his whelps or whelpish twinnes came Caine and Abell Vertuous Dames let it suffice that for your sakes I spare to play the Satyrist against the Detracting Niobes of this age Onely I controule them with a gentle checke and because you pleade in their excuse that they be the weaker vessels and not enabled with such a noble courage as the man therefore I giue them the milder bridle the golden snaffle Curteous Readers I speake not to you for they that be whole neede no Phisitians Captious Readers on you I call Behold here are bridling bits for your byting mouthes Readers yeeld to your Riders shew your selues pliable peaceable and ready to receiue conuenient chastisements Let not your customary hold of fâ—asting fellowship of giddy gossipping or of Tobacco taking with-hold your mindes from our Cursory Lectures Resist the Diuell and he will flie from you But I pray what phantasie drawes your wits astry â—ee sharpe tongued souldiers of the forlorne hope Yee that were wont to daunt your foes brauely in the field to conquere Kingdomes and beate downe the enemies of Christ in forraine soiles why become ye now-adaies so effeminate as to conuert your swords into words your powerfull prowesse into pratling parlance Why degenerate ye from your famous Auncestours Too true it is that ouer-much ease mars your generous spirits welfare makes you wanton and prouâ—nder prickes you forwards to turne deeds into Detractions and in stead of Christian resolution to wage warre with your tongues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to incline to swinish companying carousing and Tobacconizing where many foule faults flocke together and as the nature of sinne is to multiply according to our Sauiour Christs words where one wicked spirit is suffered to inhabite there he brings
magnatum being as it were naturalis feritatis mastix the scourge of sauage nature had straightly bridled their lauish tongues within the precincts of their teeth and lips Vos O Patricius sanguis queis viuere fas est Occipiti coeco posticae occurrite sannae TO THE CVRIOVS PAINTERS OF CIRCLES IF these lines or leaues of my Circles drawne from the Center to the circumference be not all equall or if the points and prickes of euery line answere not the Mathematicall proportion of the Circle thou knowest that Veritas non quaerit angulos truth respects not angles triangles quadrangles nor artificiall curiosity I care not for the enticing words of worldlings wisedome but I couet the Spirit of euidence and power I couet matter more then method And yet I labour so to linke them that the line of nature may stand coupled with the points of Art that both from the Center of truth be caried to a Christian circumference for eueÌ„ as the gifts of the holy Ghost be distributed diuersly and in diuerse measures to Gods children some hauing but one grain of faith being conuerted in the euening of their liues and yet by grace adopted adiudged worthy to receiue the like equal crown of glory the like equall wages as those which laboured longer in the Lords haruest so to coÌ„pare little things with great let thy Grace Ingenuous Reader or gracious construction counteruail the vnequal lines of my Circles Where they exceed in their dimensiue quantity there oppose their distributiue quality for a counter-ballance Et sic omnes lineae ductae à centro ad circumferentiam sunt aequales THE FIRST CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED Diâ—ided into Lineaments LINEAMENT I. 1 To whose capacity the description of Spirits is difficult and to whose it is easie 2 The Authors inuocation to the Godhead through whose only operation the spirit of Detraction is to be coniured and conuicted THAT which is inuisible transcendent and not to be vnderstood in the land of mortall creatures such as is the description of Spirits cannot distinctly be disposed according to the prescription of curious Artists by reason that our knowledge here on earth is subiect to mutations vanity of vanities varnished only to the outward man and quickly vanished either through distemperature of the braine olde age or death and also by reason that a spirit in substance subsistence is supernaturally whole without Multiplication Diuersity or Part somewhat prodigious vnto Natures view Yet notwithstanding these infirmities we may conferre about the metaphysicall mysterie of Spirits contesting with the sword of the Spirit the word of God not for haughty ostentation but for humble edification comparing spirituall things with spirituall things The naturall man perceiues not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things He that submits his knowledge to the touch-stone of knowledge to the highest power scorning all Peacocke-plumes of Apocryâ—hall tradition and of old Adams impurities discerneth all things The Clerkes of China say that themselues do see with two eyes the Europeans with one eye and that all the rest of the world are starke blinde not hauing any eyes at all Euen so the soules of the supernall China the Church truely triumphant by looking on him which ouerlooketh all things doe spiritually discerne all things and do know as they are knowne The regenerated Christian discerneth though glimmering wise or winking through a darke glasse with one eye many things apperteyning to the lowly workes and louely fruits of the new man which is renewed into knowledge after the Image of him that made him But the naturall man confined within natures compasse can neuer discourse no nor dreame once of Diuine affaires While the flesh preuailes against the Spirit our knowledge is as it were stifled with a deadly earthly dampe and cannot appeare in that conspicuous maner as when our Epicurean natures become curb'd or crucified There is such iustling and bustling such strining strugling betwixt the flesh and the soule that Gods peace is oftentimes to both their miseries infringed The Mistresse therefore must straightly correct her seruant and that betimes before she attaine vnto her stubborn age left then she chuse rather to breake then to bow vnto her wholesome will The austere consideration of this our humane fragility caused the Apostle to write after this manner I tame my body and bring it into subiection lest while I preach to others I my selfe become a cast-away For the soule that walloweth in sensuality in fat blood and grosse humors can neuer enter into the speculation of spirituall comfort The smokie vapours which breathe from thence into the braine doe interpose a darksome mist of blockishnes before her eyes of vnderstanding whereof let a fat paunch beare me instance How cau'st thou saith the Satyrist meditate on any thing praise-worthy which hast such a large Ewer hanging forth a foote and a halfe from thy body Cum tibi Calue Pinguis aqualiculus propenso sesquipede extat Like as a Candle put in an earthen pot enlightneth onely the pot but being therhence remoued into a Lanthorne illuminates the whole roome with a farre greater splendor then before so the vnderstanding spirit of man eclipsed with the foggie interposition of sensuall pleasures lies infatuated and besotted like an Abbey-lubber not once able to crie out Abba Father but thence recalled by the holy Spirit of God and refined with competent fasting at due times with contrite humility and conuenient meditations it forgets the vanities of this cloudy world and frames it selfe wholly to spirituall contemplation And finally separated and singled out from the bodies prison it shines brighter then any starre Then Reason shines without eclipse of errour Wisdome without ignorance and Memory without obliuion Then shall we be able to contemplate with the eye of Faith the awefull Maiesty of the mighty Trinity the in effable and inestimable felicity of our fellows Saints Then shall we comprehend the mystical messages of the heauenly Spirits ascending and descending in Chariots of sacred fire to the behoofe of our Christian brethren and inuisibly instructing the Church on earth like as themselues are both instructed and inspired of their Prince of zeale But what am I that presume to weaue a worke of such wonderfull forms in such a base and broken loome How dare I with King Vzziah burn incense vnto the Lord that am not sanctified nor of the tribe of Leui how dare I that am in his presence more mean then the meanest moth or Atome more abiect then any Ant how dare I being so mean an abiect aspire to set forth the obiects of his wonderous workes Retire O my soule to the Soule of thy soule the Life of thy life the Lord of life as to the celestiall center of all perfections The Sun-shine of
Without the mediation of Christ God is a consuming flame wherefore approach not neere this Flame lest ye be consumed Diue rather into your owne weakenesse and thinke on nothing so often then on Christ lying in a vile manger or on Christ crowned with a crowne of thornes or on his guiltlesse body nayled to the crosse of infamy and no doubt but the effects of Grace will follow Where other good Spirits are mentioned in the word of God and how one rested vpon many and many vpon one I am not of the minde that they were reall corporal and palpable spirits but rather Diuine gifts or supernaturall vertues conferred vpon the soules of the Elect by the Lord for his glory God tooke off the spirit that was vpon Moyses and put it vpon the seuenty Elders and when the spirit rested vpon them they prophesied In sundry places of the Scripture we reade that the spirit of the Lord possessed many where they became notable eyther for prophesies valour or other rare properties which Spirits must not be ballanced by proportionable quantity but spiritually construed by operation and quality Which exposition I haue laid downe as I haue some of the premisses of set purpose that the Reader may not be mistaken in conceiuing the spirit of Detraction and other sinfull Spirits to possesse mankinde really The holy Ghost fell at one time vpon many of the Apostles and others which is as much to say that the pretious Gifts of the holy Ghost of prophesie of diuersities of tongues of faith patience and other vertues inspired these seruants of God whom his Wisedome selected and sealed to that degree of sanctification as the potters vessels for such honourable seruices Contrariorum cadem est ratio By the knowledge of Goodnesse let vs gather the knowledge of the opposite how the Diuell by his spirituall Nuncioes of Sinne as by Detraction malice and such others possesseth the negligent sonnes of Adam not with reall formes but with spirituall suggestions and spiritual operations God turnes away the influence of his countenance from his degenerate children then Sathan embraceth that aduantage of opportunity and with his pestilent breath bloweth into the principall parts of mans body and soule He impoysoneth the humours of melancholy choler and gail enuenometh the lodge of imagination then the possessed is sranticke or lunaticke The bloud and seede he tickleth and tainteth with honied lechery and hateful luxury then the patient becomes passionate in his body prodigall of his bloud and seede and proude of his supposed power For how can it otherwise be when the body is tempted to receiue into it superabundance of iuyce of immoderate meates and drinkes Must not consequently euery naturall body vent out what is supersluously gathered within it But O thou great Gouernour of the world whose will is vnsearchable no mortall man can mortifie his longing conceits his lustfull concupiscence without the mortification of his body by fasting neither can he mortifie his body by fasting without powring out many piteous petitions before the seate of thy mercy Nor yet can man O sinfull man powre out his petitions intentiuely before thee except it were giuen him from aboue and except he were in his conscience compelled by the operation of thy spirit to craue daily for perscuetance in his prayers and petitions To finish the abouesaid point of Sathans stinging whether these plaguy temptations be verily or figuratiuely the Diuels spirituall power or the wrath of God inclosed in vials as is allegorically specified in the Apocalyps it is hard for man to iudge for both might well be inflicted on vs seeing the vngodly is a sword of his and Nabuchadonozor is termed his seruant or executioner to reuenge his iust conceiued anger against the Israelites The winde blowes and with his furious force ouerturnes a Forrest of wood and ouerthrowes whatsoeuer it meetes yet no man knowes whence it comes or whither it goes Euen so it fares with these turbulent spirits well may we ayme at their mediate manner of infections but it is a very difficult matter to discourse iudicially of their immediate stinging Sure we are that none escape without them LINEAMENT II. 1 The originall roâ—te of Detractions and other pollutions and whether the spirit of Detroction and other sinfull spirits which possesse mankinde be reall spirits or stings of the Diuell 2 The fight betwixt the knowledge of Good and the knowledge of Euil 3 That the Good gets the victory ouer the Euill 4 That the Diuell cannot harme a man really IN the beginning God made all creatures good and perfect though afterwards through presumption arrogancy and Detraction they became sinfull His omnipotent Maiesty being righteous and dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule with their vnlawfull deedes and at length finding no stedfastnes in his seruants and laying folly in his Angels most iustly condemned them threw them down into hell where he hath reserued them in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Where in stead of eternall glory they liue tortured with eternall infamy in stead of happy light they see nothing but horrid night in stead of holy knowledge they feele nothing but hellish ignorance in stead of perpetuall ioyes perpetuall paines How greatly then are our superstitious worldlings bewitched that authorize Diuels in multitudes and with corporall shapes that is with bodies subiect to handling hauing of necessity longitude latitude profundity otherwise called thicknes presently to appear at the lure of mortall men and to command the heauenly powers for satisfaction of their phantasies Let it suffice that we belecue the Holy Ghost hath omitted nothing pertinent to our saluation let it suffice that we arme our soules with the spirituall Corcelets of faith and charity against the most terrible encounters of Diuellish sinnes propagated vnto the children of Adam from the Arch-spirit of sinne Vt mures in muris sic satellites Sathanae in cordibus nostris delite scunt as Mice in walles so lurke the messengers of Sathan in our hearts Let it suffise our curiosity that sinne is a roaring Lyon a spirituall Diuel and that a reprobate minde fraught with vile affections like canckred poyson killes both body and soule There is a seede of man which is an honourable seede the honourable seede are they that feare the Lord. There is a seede of man which is without honour the seede without honour are they that transgresse the commandements of the Lord. This latter seede is the Deuils sting spirituall temptation spirituall Detraction springing of melancholy and corruption of humours which can neuer possesse vs while we obserue that golden rule Watch and pray that is praying alwayes in all supplication and watching for the same purpose with all instance for all Saints The chiefest Diuell on earth Vice-roy to the chiefe Serpent of hel is the knowledge of Euil euen as the chiefest God on earth Vice-roy
be thou mayest be the motiue of his repentance and reformation These spitefull spurious seedes of the Spirit of Detraction a deuout Schoole â—aâ— points out in this maâ—er Si paupâ—res vilem abâ—ectum â—e reputat si Dâ—ues ambit â—osâ—m auarum cupidum si Affabilts dissolutum si Praedicator vel Docter â—â—moris vel humani fauoris quaesuorem si 〈…〉 inuâ—â—lâ—m sâ—â—cum us hypocritam si comedens vrcâ—rem Thaâ— is if thou be poore he reputes thee vile and obiect if rich ambâ—tions a â—â—ggard or couetous if affaâ—â—e 〈…〉 if thou be a Preacher or a Doctor then he accouâ—tâ— thee a hunter after honour or popularity if silent vnprofitable if fasting an hypocrite if eating a glâ—tton With these or such like mantles of subtleties the Diuell vseth to shrouâ— his inueterate malice towards mankind so that we presuming on selfe-wit and selfe-will care not what wickednesse we contriue nor what vanity we vtter with our lips Nor doe we thinke that our most patient Lord beholdeth vs heareth vs yea and knoweth the very cogitations of our hearts before we haue time to speake them But because when we knew God we glorifie him not as God neither are thankefull therefore God giues vs vp to reprobate minde That is he giues vs ouer to our owne lustes to siâ—ne tradimur Sathanae we are deliuered ouer to be tempted and seduced by Sathan we are excommunicated with Caine from Gods lightsome presence barred out of the doores of heauen and banished from blâ—sle And if it were lawfull for me to diue in the Lords secrets I would say that the Arch-diuell that old Serpent is let loose out of hell for a time to confirme vs in our reprobate natures LINEAMENT VI. 1 The naturall manner how the Spirit of Detraction enters into a man and possesseth him 2 Another reason to confirme the premisses HOw so vile a spirit as this of Detraction can possesse a man pertaker of diuine reason I cannot keepe close from my friends the naturall meanes First Will being Lady ouer the soule ouer reason ouer sense and imagination loth to minister causes of discontentment to any of her subiects lest her Dominion through ciuill discord might become enfeebled resolues to please all handes sometimes bearing with one sometimes with another at last she is glad her selfe to yeeld her suffrage vnto the strongest party in such wise that the spirit of Detraction gets footing with other spirits of errour Wherein she resembles the Machiauellian Princes of this world who complot by their peoples factions for their priuate gaine one while with the Gnelfes another while with the Gibellines one while with the white Rose another while with the red Rose one while with the Vrsini another while with the house of Columna vntill at length themselues by the iust iudgement of God feele equall smart their owne estates turned topsie-turuy and vntill the triple crowned Monarch be chased like the Foxe out of his hole from Rome to Auinion To adde another naturall reason for the enabling of the premisses the spirit of Detraction at the first by bribing of memory sense hath accesse to the braine which is the lodge of the Imaginatiue Lady and by his double diligence insinuates himselfe into her amity She a Princesse of estimation and fauor with the Heart commends this spirit of Detraction to her protection as a minion or play-fellow to deceiue the time or rather her selfe and to discouer vnto her the diuersities of Spirits which might harme her eyther in detracting her credite or in disposing her subiects to insurrection Here the spirituall Hermaphrodite is let in at first by secret conuayances as a thiefe for as yet he dares not openly enter into the hearts palace for feare of the enuious Nobles But in processe of time hauing throughly like Absolon or Seianus stolne away the good consent of the Heart and now strongly befriended by her extraordinary fauours in this microcosme of man he enduceth other humorous spirits to regard him and in fine enticeth vnto him in the hearts metropoly the greatest number of the purer vitall spirits where he besotteth them and bewitcheth them with melancholy rage choler malice and other disordinate passions insomuch that the Soule the hearts tutrix is likewise enforced nolens volens will she nill she to obey this vnworthy Spirit LINEAMENT VII 1 Corollaries for the explanation of the premisses 2 Where wicked Spirits reside in man WIcked Spirits inhabite both in the soule and body some as the spirit of malicious Detraction the spirit of hatred the spirit of enuie lodge in the highest and chiefest part of the soule called the reasonable will which is seated betweene reason and sensuality and apt to be applied to eyther and these are spirituall materiall not knit to any corporall Organ or instrument Other some there be that dwell in the inseriour part of the soule now Will being altogether become sensuall as the spirit of gâ—uttony the spirit of lechery and these are materiall bodily and apprendants to some corporall subiect as rightly belonging to the sensitiue appetite The former spirits are apprehended in the soule before they descend to the bodies appetite The latter two are conceiued with sensuall appetite before it be throughly scanned in the reasonable will or soule whether the acte committed be good or euill This the auncient Philosophers harpâ—d vpon when they acknowledged in euery man three seuerall parts proceeding from spirituall and corporall fountaines namely the Intellectuall which issueth from the soule in the braine the Irascible which issueth from the heart and the Concupiscible or longing part which flowes from the liuer Of these the Intellectuall while it remaines incorrupted may be termed celestiall being the little and liuely looking-glasle of Gods own attributes The other two being brutail may rightly be ascribed to the sensitiue constitution specially when eyther through custome complexion or through some accidentall course they become materiall members for the knowledge of Euill In like manner both these spirits Irascible and Concupiscible linckt in affinity with flesh and blood may also proportionably challenge one vniuersall lodge in the body as wel as the soule apart vnto themselues I meane when they vsurpe a predominance ouer the rest of the passions and this is the heart for who calumniates his neighbours good name and same and hath not the heart burning Who is possessed with the spirit of lust and seeles not his heart consenting Who hates his neighbour and perceiues not his heart panting for reuenge In the heart is the most concourse of humours and there abounds much fiery heat seeing that it digesteth the blood which is sent from the liuer for euen as the eyes of maydes looke vp to the hands of their Mistresse and as the lesser wheeles in the watch waite vpon the greatest wheele so all the members of the body depend vpon the heart their punctuall wheele and mistresse LINEAMENT VIII 1 That the spirit of Detraction