miserable the first pernitious the last pestilent Bernard in one of his Epistles saith Men are ignorant of many things needful to be known either by the injurie of Knowledge the sloathfulnesse in learning or the backwardnesse in acquiring yet are none of these excusable And the same Father sup Cant. The knowledge of God and thy selfe are both necessarie to saluation for as from the knowledge of thy selfe the feare of God ariseth in thee and by that knowledge thou art taught how to loue him So on the contrarie From not knowing thy selfe groweth Pride and from not knowing God Desperation And in another place Ignorantia sui initium omnis peccati ignorantia Dei consummato omnis peccati c. The blockishnesse of the minde is the stupiditie of acute reason bred from the grosse sences of carnall Intemperance Not euerie one that is ignorant is free from punishment for such may bee excused who gladly would learne if they knew what to learn but such cannot be pardoned who knowing from whom to learne apply not their will and industrie vnto it Seneca in one of his Proverbs saith It is a more tollerable punishment not to liue at all than not to liue a Knowing man And in another of them It is no lighter thing to be altogether ignorant what is lawfull than to do that which is vnlawfull Socrates saith Where there is no Capacitie there Counsell is vainly bestowed And Solon Ignorance hath euer the boldest face nor is it easie to be truely discouered till it be matched by Knowledge The Inscious man may be knowne by three things He cannot gouern himselfe because he wanteth Reason nor resist his carnal affections because he lacketh Wisedome nor hath he freedome to do what himselfe desireth because he is in bondage to Ignorance Idlenesse begetteth Ignorance and Ignorance ingendreth Error The three-shap'd Monster Sphinx is the emblem of Ignorance which is thus expressed Quid Monstrum id Sphinx est cur candida Virginis ora Et Volucrum pennas crura Leonis habet Hanc faciem assumpsit rerum Ignorantia tanto Scilicet est triplex causa origo mali What Monster 's that 'T is Sphinx Shew me the cause Why a Maids face Birds wings and Lions pawes Such shape beares Ignorance or want of skill And is the triple ground of so much ill Hauing somewhat discouered the defects of Ignorance let vs a little looke into the excellencie of Knowledge He that wanteth Knowledg Science and Nurture is but the shadow of a man though neuer so much beautified with the gifts of Nature It is a saying of Socrates That in war Iron is better than Gold And in the course of a mans life Knowledge is to be preferred before Riches Excellent was that Apothegme of Pythagoras He that knoweth not that which hee ought to know is a Beast amongst men He that knoweth no more than he hath need of is a Man amongst Beasts But he that knoweth all that he ought to know is a god amongst Men. The first thing we ought to study is truly how to know God For we reade in Ieremy Let not the Wise man glory in his Wisedome Let not the Strong man glory in his Strength Let not the Rich man glorie in his Riches But he that glorieth let him glory in this that he knoweth Me because I am the Lord who makes Mercy and Iugement and Iustice on the Earth He is knowne by the consideration of his Creatures Saith Iob Aske the Beasts and they will teach thee demand of the Fowles of Heauen and they will declare vnto thee Speake to the Earth and it will answer vnto thee the very Fishes in the Sea will tell thee For who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these We may know him by the Scriptures Search the Scriptures saith Iohn because in them you thinke to haue life eternall and these are they that testifie of me Againe Cap. 17. For this is life eternall to know thee to be the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Christ Iesus In the face of the Prudent Wisedome shineth saith Salomon And Ecclesiastes Cap. 8. The Wisedome of man shineth in his countenance and the most Mighty shall change his face Touching the Knowledge of our selues Be mindefull of thine owne nature saith Basil and thou shalt neuer be tumor'd with Pride so oft as thou obseruest thy selfe so oft shalt thou know thy selfe and the accurat knowledge of that is sufficient to leade thee as by the hand to the knowledge of God For man to acknowledge himselfe ignorant saith Didimus is a great point of Wisedome and of justice to know himselfe to be vnjust And Chrisostome saith That hee best knoweth himselfe who thinketh worst of himselfe Wise Socrates being demanded Why hee writ no Worke to leaue to future memorie with great modestie answered That whatsoeuer hee could write was not worthy the paper which hee should write in Stob. And Demonax being demanded When he first began to be a Philosopher replied At the very first houre when I began truly to know my selfe Stob. Serm. 21. Heraclitus being a yong man was therefore iudged to be most wise because being asked What he knew he made answer That he knew only this that he was able to know nothing Ex Aristom scriptis Theocritus demanded Why being of such ability in learning and iudgment he would write no famous Work to leaue vnto succession replied The reason is because to write as I would I cannot and to write as I can I will not Stob. ex Aristom Bias to induce men to the true knowledge of themselues counselled euery man to looke vpon his owne actions in a myrrhor that such things as appeared good and commendable he might cherish and maintain but whatsoeuer sauored of suspition or deformitie he might correct and amend As the eye which discerneth all other obiects yet cannot see it selfe so the corrupt heart of man can more accurately looke into the vices of other men than their owne We reade of Placilla the religious wife of the Emperour Theodosius Still to admonish her husband after hee came to weare the Imperiall Purple That hee would not forget that hee had beene once no better than a priuat man and that the title of Caesar should not make him thinke himselfe a god as others before him had done but rather calling still to minde his owne frailtie by acknowledging himself to be Gods Seruant he should proue the better Soueraigne Nicephorus Calistius lib. 12. cap. 42. Saith Terence in Heuton It anâ— comparatam c. Is the nature of men grown to that passe that they can looke better into other mens actions than they can iudge of their owne Or is the reason thereof That in our proper affaires wee are hindered by too much joy or too much griefe Horace giueth vs this counsell Lib. 1. Sat. 3. Teipsum Concute num
Potencie Protection Power to guide With all such things as are to these ally'de His Nosthrils by which he is said to smell Doth vnto vs his Acceptation tell Of Sacrifice and Prayer His Incenst Ire Againe it notes when thence fly sparks of fire His Eyes emblem to vs that choice Respect And Fauor which he beares to his Elect. Sometimes they'import his Prouidence Diuine Sometimes they wrathfully are said to shine Against the Wicked By his Feet are meant Stabilitie and Power Omnipotent By th' Apple of his Eye he would haue knowne Th'Indulgence that he beares vnto his Owne The Diuine Wisedome knowing how dull and weake Mans heart and braine is taught the Text to speake To our capacities The Prophets they Did not of this great Deity display The absolute perfection but so leaue it That by a glimpse we far off might conceiue it His Eyes being nam'd it must impresse in me That God doth euery thing at all times see Or if his Eare then must I presuppose That hearing all that 's spoke he all things knowes That hauing wings to mount himselfe on high In vaine can Man his incenst vengeance fly O whither from thy Sprite shall I depart Thou that in euery place at all times art Fly thee none can but vnto thee repaire All may in their humilitie and prayer Appealing to thy Goodnsse For What place Can shadow me when I shall fly thy face If soare to Heauen thy Presence doth appeare Or if to Hell diue Thou art likewise there There is no way an angry God to shun But to a God well pleas'd for refuge run Now to proceed The Scripture Phrase doth reach No farther than our stupid sence to teach That by corporeall things we may prepare Our hearts to know what things spirituall are And by Inuisible make demonstration Of what 's vnseene beyond mans weake narration And for this cause our passions and affects Are in the Scriptures for some knowne respects Confer'd on the Almighty when 't is said God did repent him that he man had made Or when hee 's wrathfull herein is not meant That He is angry or He can repent But 't is a Figure from th' effect arose And that the Greeks call Metanumikos The Names the Scriptures attribute to Him Sometimes Iehouah sometimes Elohim And when the glorious Trinitie's proclaim'd The Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost are nam'd More appellations the Text affords As The Great God of Heauen The Lord of Lords The Lord of Armies and of Hosts the God That in the Highest Heauen hath his aboad The God of Abraham Isaac Iacob and He that brought Israel from th' Egyptians land God of the Spirits of all Flesh and he Lord God of Israel is knowne to be Him by the name of th' Hebrewes God we praise God of our Fathers Th' Antient of all dayes And Dauids God Yet further denomination The God of gods of Iustice Ioy Saluation These titles it ascribes to Him alone Israels Redeemer Israels Holy one Protector Father Shepheard then we sing To Israels God to Iacobs the great King So to the Euerlasting King and than King of all Worlds before the World began Whose Power whose Goodnesse shewn to euery Nation c. Extracts from me this serious Contemplation Soueraigne and holy God Fountaine and Spring Of all true Vertue the Omnipotent King Of whom by subtill search in things to'acquire Is not in Mans conception a thing higher Than his weake faculties can comprehend Yet not to know this God he should offend For how can it with reason consonant be One Godhood should remaine in persons three And they in such a firme connexure linkt To be although in separat yet distinct Thou art without beginning and againe Thou shalt to all Eternitie remaine Knowing no end The Onely and the Same Whom Time cannot impaire nor Age reclaime The space of things Thou do'st in space exceed And art contain'd in none How shouldst thou need That which thy Selfe hast made Or how should Sence Allot thee place who only art Immense Nor is it in Mans frailtie to deuise How Thee in the least kinde to ' annatomise Or tell what thou art like thy Image being A thing excluded from all mortall seeing Vnlesse thou of thy most especiall Grace Wilt shew some shadow of thy glorious Face No part of thee thou hast presented here Saue what doth in thy maruellous Works appeare No Strength can moue Thee of the Land or Ocean By whom we are and in whom haue our motion Thou art the Mind and Substance of all pure And holy minds Thou art the Reason sure And stedfast whence all other Reasons flow That are from perfect Wisedome said to grow Thou art that Vertue of all Vertues head Thou art the Life it selfe and thou art read Father of Life as being knowne to giue Breath with their Being to all things that liue The Light it selfe and yeelding Light to all The Cause and Strength of things in generall Beginning it 's beginning had from thee And whatsoeuer first began to be Vpon the sudden out of Nothing shin'd Which fil'd with thy great Power were so refin'd That either strength of knowledge they retaine Or excellent shape such as doth still remaine The sacred Scriptures are sufficient warrant By many Texts to make the Trine apparant As from the first Creation we may proue God did Create God Said the Spirit did Moue Create imports the Father Said the Sonne The Spirit that Mov'd the Holy-Ghost This done Come to the Gospell to Saint Paul repaire Of him Through him and For him all things are To whom be euerlasting praise Amen In which it is observ'd by Origen Throughâ— and For three Persons to imply And the word Him the Godheads Vnitie Let Vs in Our owne Image Man create Saith God which Salomon doth thus explicate Remember the Creators in the dayes c. Which word those well verst in the Hebrew Phrase Reade in the plurall So when God did frowne On Babels Tower he said Let Vs go downe When Sodom was consum'd 't is said againe The Lord that fire did from the Lord downe raine So when Christs Glory Isay would declare To'expresse Three Persons in on Godhead are He Holy Holy Holy nam'd To show We might a Ternion in an Vnion know Come to Christs Baptisme you againe shall see In the same Trine the perfect Vnitie The Father the first Person is compris'd By sending downe a Voice The Son 's baptis'd By Iohn in Iorden and then from aboue The Third descends in figure of a Doue So likewise when Duke Moses went about To comment on the Law lest they should doubt Of this great Mysterie Hearke to my word O Israel
a man acquire neither more fructiferously can any thing be found than the holy Trinity Lib. 7. Conf. O Eterna Veritas Vera Charitas Chara Eternitaes Tues Deus meus c. O Eternall Veritie and True Charitie and High-prised Eternitie Thou art my God and to thee day and night do I suspire And Lib. 5. de Trinitat cap. 1. Wee so vnderstand God if we can conceiue him and as farre as we may apprehend him That hee is Good without Qualitie Great without Quantitie a Creator without need of his Creature present without place containing all things without habit without confinement to localitie all and euery where Euerlasting without Time making all things mutable without change in himselfe suffering nothing And whosoeuer doth thinke God to be such though by no inquisition he can finde out what hee is let him piously beware as farre as in him lieth to imagine any thing of him that he is not Iustinus Martyr saith Vnus reuera est Vniuersitatis Deus huius qui in Patre Filio Spiritu sancto cognoscitur i. There is in truth one God of this Vniuerse which in the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost is apparantly knowne Another Father saith God is in Himselfe as Alpha and Omega in the World as a Creator and Protector in the Angels as a sweet Smell and Comelinesse in the Church as the Father of his Familie in the Iust men as an Helper and Guardian in the Reprobate as a Terror and Horror Tertullian saith Let the Sacrament of the Oeconomia be euer obserued which disposeth the Vnitie in Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost three not in State but Degree not in Substance but in Forme not in Power but in Species yet of one Substance one State and of one Power because one God of whom these Degrees these Formes these Species subsist which are in the name of the Father Son and the Holy-Ghost And as Clemens Alexandrinus saith Let vs praise the Father the Son with the Holy-Ghost who is One and All things in whom are All things by whom All things euery way Good euery way Beautifull euery way Wise euery way Iust to whom be Glory World without end Aug. saith further Whosoeuer of the Philosophers whose opinion was of God held that he was of all creatures the effectiue of all Knowledge the Light of all actions the Soueraigne Good That from him vnto vs are deriued the beginning of Nature the truth of Doctrine and the happinesse of Life those before the rest wee preferre and that they come neerest vnto vs wee confesse And in another place This onely God is all things vnto thee If thou beest hungry Bread If thirsty Water If thou beest naked in Immortalitie he is thy cloathing And elsewhere Whether we be in tribulation and sorrow or whether we be in prosperitie and joy He onely is to be praised who in our aduersitie instructeth vs in our ioy comforteth vs. Let the praise of God neuer depart from the heart and tongue of a Christian not to praise him onely in our ioy and speake euill of him in our sorrow but as the Psalmist himselfe writeth Let the praise of God be alwaies in my mouth Do'st thou reioyce acknowledge then the Father that smileth vpon thee Art thou in sorrow acknowledge the Father who is thy chastiser Whether hee cherisheth or correcteth thee it is done to him for whom he prepareth his heritage We reade Gregory speaking of this sole and onely God thus He remaineth between all things He is without all things aboue and below all things Superior by his Power Inferior by his Sustentation Exterior by his Magnitude and Greatnesse Interior by Subtiltie and Finenesse Aboue gouerning below containing without compassing within penetrating And elswhere Therefore God declareth his praises vnto vs that hearing him we may know him knowing loue him louing follow him following gaine and enioy him To which the Psalmist alludeth saying The strength of his Workes he will shew vnto his People that hee may giue them the inheritance of the Nations As should hee more plainely haue said Therefore he sheweth the power of his works that such as heare him might be enriched by him Ambrose thus writes The Assertion of our Faith is That wee beleeue one God not as the Gentiles doe separate the Son from the Father nor as the Iewes deny the Sonne begot of the Father within time and borne of the blessed Virgin Nor as Sabellius to confound the Father and the Word making thereby them to be one and the same person Nor as Photinus to dispute how the Son was borne of the Virgin Nor as Arrianus to make more and vnlike potestatâ—s and more gods according to the error of the Gentiles because it is written Heare ô Israel the Lord thy God is one God Againe if the Seraphims did stand how did they fly or if they did fly how did they stand as Esay 6. vers 2. If we cannot comprehend this how shall we conceiue what God is whom we haue not seen Again God is not seene in place but in a pure heart with corporeall eyes he is not sought not in sight circumscribed not by touch felt not by voice heard not by gate perceiued being absent seen being present inuisible And elswhere For our vnderstanding for our strength for our faith let vs striue to see what God is and whether any thing may be compared vnto him Certainely he is the same of whom to speake is to be silent whom to value he is not to be rated whom to define he still encreaseth in his definition He with his hand couereth the Heauen and in his fist graspeth the whole circumference of the Earth whom by our Boldnesse wee lose by our Feare wee finde c. Hier. contra Pelagium Deus semper largitur semper Donatur est c. God is euer giuing and alwayes a Donor it sufficeth me not that he giueth once vnlesse he giueth alwayes I aske that I may receiue and when I haue receiued I craue againe I am couetous of enioying Gods benefits neither is hee deficient in bestowing them nor am I satisfied in receiuing them for by how much the more I drinke by so much the more I am thirsty Saint Bernard in one of his Sermons saith Quid tam necessarium perditis quid tam aptabile Miseris quid tam vtile Desparatis c. What thing is so necessarie to the Lost what so to be desired of the Wretched what so profitable to the Desperate as Christ the Health the Forme exemplar the Life wholesome the Health of the Weake Flame to the Feruent Life to the Hoping Hee came a Physitian to the Sicke a Redeemer to the Sold a Way to the Erring a Life to the Dead He came with Health with Ointments with Glory not without Health Iesus not without Ointment Christ not without Glory the Sonne of God And
member all These in a late-fought battell seem'd to fall But exc'llent Charon when he saw me clad In these rich Lions spoiles a great care had To haue me plac'd vnto mine owne desire Then wafted me without demanding hire Mistaking me for Hercules And when We toucht the shore he was so kinde agen As point vs out the way Blacke darknesse now Involv'd vs round neither discern'd I how To place one foot but catcht hold of my Guide And follow'd as he lead Vs fast beside Through which we past a spatious medow was More full of Daffodillies than of Grasse Here many thousand shadowes of the Dead With humming noyse were circumfus'd and spread Still following vs. On still we forward trudge Vntill we came where Minos sate as Iudge In a sublime Tribunall on one hand The Paines the Furies and the Tâ—rtures stand With th' euill Genij On the oppo'sit side Were many Pris'ners brought in order ty'de With a long cord and these were said to be Accus'd for Whoredome and Adulterie Bawds Cut-throats Claw-backes Parasites and such As in their life time had offended much And of these a huge rabble Now apart From these appear'd with sad and heauy heart Rich men and Vsurers megre-lookt and pale Swolne-belly'd Gouty legg'd each one his Gaile About him had bee'ng fastned to a beame Barr'd and surcharged with the weight extreame Of two maine pond'rous talents of old â—ron Now whilest these Pris'ners Minâ—'s Seat inviron We standing by the while nothing dismaid Behold and heare all that is done or said And after many curious inquisitions How th' are accus'd by most strange Rhetoricians And what are they by Iove I'entreat thee tell Deare friend Menippus that can plead so well Hast thou observ'd such Shadowes as appeare To dog our Bodies when the Sun shines cleare Yes frequently We are no sooner laid Asleepe in our cold graues but these are made The witnesses against vs and permitted To testifie each sinne by vs committed Ev'n these that there reproue vs are the chiefe Nor are they Friend vnworthy all beleefe As they who night and day about vs wait Bee'ng from our bodies neuer separat Now Minos after strict examination And iustly ' informed by their accusation Contrudes them all vnto the sad society Of such as are condemn'd for their impiety With them incessant torments to endure A iust infliction for their deeds impure But against such he is incensed most Who whilest they liv'd did of their Riches boast Whom Dignity and Stile swell'd with ostent Who in their proud hearts could haue been content To haue had Adoration He hates Pride And doth such haughty insolence deride As short and momentary because they knowing Themselues vnto their Marbles hourely growing As being Mortals yet in their great glory Thinke not their wealth and riches transitorie But all these splendors they haue now layd by Wealth Gentry Office Place and dignity Naked sad-lookt perplext with griefe extreame Thinking what past in life-time a meere Dreame To behold which I tooke exceeding pleasure And was indeed delighted aboue measure If any one of them by chance I knew As priuat as I could I neere him drew Demanded what before was his condition And whether as the rest swell'd with Ambition About the dore there was a throng of such By Pluto's Ministers offended much Beaten and thrust together all about Who as it seemes would gladly haue got out To these he scarcely mouing in a gowne Which from his shoulders to his heele flow'd downe Of Scarlet Gold and diuers colours mixt Casting his head that way on some he fixt An austere eye such counting it a blisse To whom he but vouchsaft a hand to kisse At which the others murmur'd Minos then Setling himselfe vpon his Throne agen Some things with fauor sentenc'd There appear'd The Tyrant Dionysius ev'lly chear'd Not knowing what excuses to rely on Being of heinous crimes accus'd by Dion The Stoicks testates were to that conviction And he now ready to be doom'd to'infliction But Aristippus Cyrenaeus now In th' interim comes whom all the Ghosts allow And giue him before others the prioritie As bearing sway and of no meane authoritie The Tyrant sentenc'd to Chimaera hee By oratory'acquitted and set free As prouing That he Learning did admire And gaue to the Professors libe'rall hire From the Tribunall we our course extend Vnto the place of Torments where ô Friend Infinite miseries at once appeare All which we freely might both see and heare Together with the sound of stripes and blowes Loud ejulations shriâ—ks teares passionate woes Echo'd from those wrapt in invisible flames Wheeles Racks Forks Gibbets to tel all their names Not possible Here Cerberus besmeares His triple chaps in bloud rauens and teares The wretched Soules the fell Chimaera takes Others in her sharpe phangs and 'mongst them makes A fearefull massacre limbe from limbe diuiding Not far from thence in a darke place abiding Were Captiues Kings and Prefects of these store And with them mingled both the Rich and Poore These all tâ—gether and alike tormented Who now too late haue of their sinnes repented And some of them whom we beheld we knew Who dy'de not long since Such themselues withdrew And as asham'd to be in torments seene In darke and obscure noukes their shadowes skreene Or if they doubtfully cast backe their eyes Blushes are seene from their pale cheekes to rise And onely such themselues in darknesse shroud Who were in life most insolent and proud As for the Poore whom they in life did scoff Halfe of their punishment in Hell 's tooke off As hauing intermission from their paine And after rest tormented are againe What by the Poets is in Fables told Of Phrygian Tantalus I there behold Of Sisiphus Ixion and the son Of our great Grandam Earth bold Tytion O ye iust gods like as I oft haue read How many acres doth his body spread These Objects hauing past at length wee come Vnto the Field call'd Acherusium No sooner there but straight we hapt among The demi-gods the Heroës and a throng Of sev'rall troupes it seemes in Tribes sequestred Some appear'd old and feeble as if pestred With Cramps and Aches These as Homer writes Thin vanishing Shadowes Others Youthfull Sprites Sollid and sound vpright and strongly nerv'd As if their bones had better been preserv'd Beneath AEgyptian structures And now most Difficult 't was for vs to know one Ghost From other for their bones alike were bare Distinguish them we cannot though we stare With leaue and leasure neither wonder was 't They were so'obscurely and ignobly plac't Shadow'd in holes our better view t' escape And keeping nothing of their pristine shape So many fleshlesse bones at once appeare Peeping through holes in which their eyes once were Who wanting lips their teeth now naked show I 'gan to thinke by what marke I might know Thersites from faire Nereus as desirous From great Corcyra's King to point out Irus Or else distinguish