either riches are to be preferr'd before poverty or marriage before Virginity and though I think marriage both honorable and lawfull in the Clergy yet I am of the L. Bacons opinion Charity can hardly water the ground where it must first fill a Pond aâ—d that many men believe not themselves wâ—at they would perswade others lesse do the things they would impose least know what they most confidently boast they onely set the sign of the Cross over their outer doors and sacrifice to the gut and grain in their inner closets and I must suspect the Sun of righteousness declining among these once not impious orders wher the shadows so far exceed the substaÌ„ce Sect. 59. Monachism prevails not so much in the sustentation of Popery as what is call'd Arminianism might against it I cannot think Bernevelt lesse the tongue and Genius of Holland because they could separate both from the body Politick nor that they inlarg'd not ignorance while they confin'd Grotius and learning and excellence suffer'd no lesse then by an Ostracism in this admirable Hugo Men born to raise the Low-Countries a pitch of excellence above their neighbours had not the envy of their neighbours conspiring with headstrong ignorance cast them below themselves but that which rais'd a tumult there and gilded a war here hath subdued even the Conquerors There is scarce a souldier but defends it and by it repels not introduces Popery into the Land Sect. 60. Calvin lends more occasion to mak Romish Proselytes then Ignatius Loyola and the Gomarists of Holland expell'd not Popery with Arminanism but opened a gap for the wild bore to lay wast their Vineyard whose entrance is by servile will irrespective Election and irreprobation paritie of sins the consequences of which to some more refin'd wits may seem to exceed the absurdities of a Talmud Alcoran and Popish Legends asperse the deiety with Tyranny jugling and partiality intitle goodnesse it self to sin while God is made Author of iniquity take away virtues essence by absuming will the Gospell promises and force of Laws confound the rationall faculties of the soul adequate humane nature to bestiall leave us to obey our fate and follow the duct of stars and teach such a trumpeter as the Jesuit Campian who could only sound to battail set others gether with noise and have himself no weapon or Trumpeter-like without a point not come to the purpose or can at most but scratch the face of Charity and disfigure Christian communion with quorsum corruptio haeretica contagio niâ—i ut qui solâ— side gloriam rapturi sunt in omnium tur pitudinum caeno volutati noturam accusent virtutem desperent praecepta deonerent as if these phancies were onely broched to vent irreligion and impiety by accusing nature despairing virtue and deonerating precepts ot wallow in the mud of impurities yet these may be deducible from a Saint Augustine their own Dominicans and a stream of interpreters while the Camells are forc'd to swim by the reason of the depth of the Enigmaticall Apostle and even the Roman Oracle himselfe dares not bee more confident then the Delphian gives onely dubious responses etripode Nay 't is affirm'd in their Angelick Doctor Aquinas who if the Elogies of three Popes carry credit quot articulos edidit tot miracula in jungimus ut ejus doctrinam tanquam veridicam Catholicam sectem â—ni ecce plus quam Solomon hic who with trifling arguments concludes for that the envy of which they would fix on the reformation In some distempers who feed the body feed the diseases if the too indulgent hand of some too officious Parent instead of help hath reach'd death to her beloved children while zealous ignorance in a supposed antidote administers poyson we know what a discracy the Roman Mother by rasher indulgences hath reduc'd the body Ecclesiastick if the preposterous zeal of other Churches hath begot an atrophy in some constitutions while ignorantly they take away Laws terror perswasions make us loath food or think our selves incapable it would be a strange Law would punish with death the rash zeal of a mistaking parent in the ruine of a child with the same medicine she cur'd others Quos praedestinavit ad finem praedestinavit ad medâ—a Endeavour to make your Calling and Election sure may counterprise the poyson in some and strength of nature work it out in others God of his mercy send the oyle of his holy Spirit that by the holy annointing the tumors of venemous malice may subside in all Sect. 61. The Satyr in the Fable seeing his Host blow his fingers to heat them and his broth that he might cool it renounc'd his society We are all too Satyricall have too much of a Satyrs nature in us the beastiall part so farre exceeds humanity that we renounce communion for that which might be rectified by reason That which can infrigidate an Italians zeal may inflame a frozen Islanders devotion Urban the eight demanded by a Cardinall why he preferr'd one for Nuntio whose capacities had arrived to no higher eminencies then the trash and refuse of mankind before a quick and refined piece in whom nature as in an Elixir had plac'd all that might inrich in the mysterious excellencies of state replyed This Eagle would not be lur'd to flies and those higher elevations of phancy would only render him incapable of himselfe and others who measure other mens thoughts by their own will prove ill Judges both of themselves and others Sect. 62. From those whom I am divided in opinion I will not prove a Separatist in my charity I shall contend in nothing but not to approve my selfe contentious As I am an English man I will use the liberty which God hath permitted me was I a Spaniard or Italian I would think with Erasmus si quid tyrannidis quod tamen non cogat ad impietatem satius est fâ—rre quâ—m seditiose reluctare nec esse pium nec esse rutum de potestate publicâ sinistram concipere aut serere opinionem c. Singularity not so precious as to cost the quiet of a Mother neither should I be troubled with those squibs and erackers the noise and fire that flies up and down the stories of hell for not confessing God before men to confesse the God of peace the best way is to bepeaceable I am not of the Gnosticks humour to deny God in the time of persecution and worship Idolls which the mistaken places of these Scripture wire-drawers import I should suppose I denyed God a common Father and persecuted the truth should I so wed my selfe to the Idoll of my own phancy as not to worship the true God after any form Sect. 63. Errors are more worthy of pitty then hate Reformations have been so tumultuous and refractory that quiet error to sober Christian might seem to be preferr'd before unruly truths All Churches betwixt invitation and menace would perswade resignation of faith to a simple
trouble the world Where was your Religion before Luther retorted ingeniously by S. H. Wotton to a pragmatical Monk where yours is not to be found now in the word of God But I may modestly and charitably averre where yours was if you have any and where much of what you call fundamentall in yours now is not to be found in the word of God Ecclesia non in parietitibus Consistit sed in dogmatum veritate Ecclesia est ibi ubi fides vera one impertinent question is not ill required with another when a Romanist is ask'd where the Churches visibility and their judges infallibility was Cum ingemuit totus orbis Arrianum se esse miratus est and even the infallible Guide Liberius even a Pope decoy'd into Arrâ—anâ—sm or while he was intainted if a Pope was what you would have him an infallâ—ble Iudge is he not to be believed when he answers the Emperor with an esto quod solus sum non tamen fidei causa periclitatur olim tres soli sunt reperti qui regis mandata resisterent If a particular Nation doe what the whole world did sigh and wonder at her self so soon turn'd Leper it need not be the wonder of a wise man they who sacrifice their Religion to successes must set up Fortune for a deity which I believe is the World Idol who Persian-like adore the rising Sun and not like Israelites they will not believe God as much in the Cloud as in the Pillar though the one is the more glorious object Can an intelligent man suppose religion dead in the Primitive persecutions because buried alive in the Caves or ours lost because some of ours are necessitated to imitate them and you if you have any Religion in this Kingdom yet this meeting with weak judgements and strong passions against the time hath gain'd not a few Proselytes to Rome and some seemingly learn'd whose error like that of Origen Tertullian magna suit in ecclesiâ dei tentatios While the Priest which should bee the lungs of the Church to receive in the influences of Heaven and temper the heart of Religion sucking in the contagious air of popular phancies are tainted and have brought an hectick fever in the body Ecclesiastick subjecting it to continuall heats by the exasperation of malignant humours through the obstructions of self-interest ignorance and the grosse matter of ambition but I shall endeavour to trie these lungs and let out the purulent matter which occasions the heat of disputes and cold fits of Charitie infallible Symptoms of a Consumptiâ—n in the body of Religion and though there may be Physitians more experienc'd yet the Domestick Doctor is alwaies call'd into Consultation as best acquainted with the Constitution there may be perfumes which may deceive those who converse with putrid lungs at usuall distances yet I who have been intimately Conversant with Priest and Parson and even protostickler of Schisms which have attriv'd florent an Age with Civil Warrs dissected men living as well as dead having read both men and books may prescribe opposite remedies having those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollifying praeparations which Hippocrates requires his Phisitian to have upon all occasions And though I have arriv'd at Knowledge by prodigious curiosities yet if we believe Alchymists he who can fix quick-silver may make gold and I doubt not God of his mercy will fix me volatile as Mercury and produce that Elixir which by its fluxion may convert the most obdurate metall into Gold and having wandred long out of the Ark not knowing where ' to rest my foot for the deluge of errors I may from the tops of the Mountains the holy Fahers return with the Olive branch of peace to the Ark Gods holy Catholicke and Apostolick Church from which onely Ravens fly those birds of prey whose delight is in ruine and 〈◊〉 devour mankind which is far from him who is a friend to all and yours by an inviscerate dilection J. C. Medici Catholicon Sect. 1. MOst Polemick Divines Comet-like rise out of indigested matter from the vapour of History tenter'd Scripture and fragments of Fathers these exhalations blaze and become portentous to Common-wealths by their apparitions it is the art of Scripture which every one challenges to himself and the body of Religion which every Mountebank dares dissect and those nobler parts whose discovery should be to the melioration of mankind are slash'd and Cauteriz'd by cruell ignorance and similar parts which should exact a gentle and well experienc'd hand anatomiz'd by the hand of self-conceit and blinded passion are so mangled and disproportioned that there is nothing opened above their own follies who pretend to anatomize others An Anatomist must be able to discover the order situation substance temper relations and confederate entercourses of parts contained and continent the different Cells and different bowels how roof'd and how partitioned know all the wheels and Clockworks of the heart the mystique causes what pullies close and what dilate what secret engines tune the pulse when by a well order'd chiming it showes what time health keeps in the body Can demonstrate all the Maeanders and by-paths of sporting nature where obstructions have lodg'd where maladies bred and by such patterns instruct how to remove the accretion of malign humours by prescribing opposite remedies for prevention of such ensuing inconveniences and rectifying the present purging those impurer humors which convert the food of life into poyson restoring those windy constitutions which are inflated with their own emptinesse â—ccasion'd by weaknesse and the obstructions of ignorance vent nothing above noise and stench curing the Hydrophodia in those who fear to look in the waters of life by teaching to delight in the Scriptures and healing the sting of the old Serpent which Tarantula-like produces giddinesse onely curable by harmony of Fathers Councels Scriptures in the Church And not having glean'd up a few simples in the garden of times where weeds and flowers spring up together poyson as well as physick observing neither quantity nor quality suppose he is inrich'd with Panaces and Catholicons can cure the distemperatures of constitutions that he understands not having weigh'd his compositions in the deceitfull ballance of his own lighter phancy where there is no grain of wit though some unnecessary scruples may intermix with the composition of folly which may make it seemingly oreballance truth and passe currant with the multitude and weigh all by their owne lead and easily are induc'd to swallow the most bitter pill when gilded ore with profit and seeming complacencies The people like the Planet Mercury are good in conjunction with the good and bad with bad but to nothing resembling better then to wheels who by turning round continually are fit to carry on all designes if an Hâ—â—resiarch whose head hath some gingling phancies lead the way forehorse-like others as brainlesse as horses follow the wheels are drawn glibly on while they are well greas'd when they want the
shadows forms of Religion while we lose the essence of it which is Charity May every one abound in his own sense and God of his mercy give every one sense to abound to his glory May blindnesse bee the mother of devotion in the Papists and though pious frauds are us'd to induce zeal may they be zealous without fraud May light occasion no darknesse in the Reformists and peeping into the Ark not strike them with the Leprosie of evill works May the Motto of both be non loquimur sed vivimus contend in nothing but who shall most glorifie God and our light may so shine before men that they who are without may be brought to glorifie our Father in Heaven by being brought into his Church the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth May all hunger and thâ—â—st after righteousnesse and even Enemies by administring thy blessings one to the other heap coals on each others head till they melt into mutuall affection and obsequiousnesse to thy Law May none without think worse of Christ because his Coat is divided embrace those truths all hold and all hold nothing to differ one from another may all within seek rather grounds of aquiescence then excuses of dissatisfaction truth in differences like Gold in oar wheat with chaffe none may neglect Gold because ther 's drosse or grain for the intermixture of offâ—ll but all united into the same body may become one with thee who art the bread of life and refin'd from the drosse of mundan corruption by the fire of this holy spirit bear the Image of our King May he who boasts of the Church remember no unclean thâ—ng can enter into the Kâ—ngdom of Heaven and he that bâ—eaketh the least of the Commandements shal be the least in the Kâ—ngdom of Heaven of little repute in his Church May they who cry who shall lay any thing to the chaâ—ge of Gods Elect live so that no body may have any thing to lay to their charge and while they boast they are above all law by sin come not under the premunâ—re of any while they are Kings as they preteÌ„d whose hearts are in Gods hands may they not be slaves to their own lusts the Devils servants may the CoÌ„monalty be no more an Oglio of knaves and fools and tools to the Polititian nor he the Devils quilted Anvile on which he frames all sin but both may be instruments of Gods glory finally may the Gentry have an use for estates above gilding their imperfections and Papists abov an annuall Composition for their folliesâ— and not love to their purses make their Antagonists irreconcilable with their persons and may I have no emnity with any thing but my self who though I have not found what I may define friend I know not what I may truely cal Enemy beside my self by the rules of Christian warfare I am oblig'd to fight agaâ—nst the World the flesh and the Devill I find a world in my self and a Devill in my flesh which if I could but conquer I could look down on those petty acquisitions of the nicknam'd worthies which were kneaded up with dirt and blood as something below my self Legion is not onely renew'd in me but Legions of Devils as if they had not a lesser world to conquer and colonize are entred into me I find a Lapland Finland Gothland and the storms they raise there in my passions the various shapes in which they familiarise with their votaries do but resemble the disguises of my curiosities vy'd with which the Mythologies of Paganism in an Achelous Proteus Polypus Cameleon may seem sober verities Nor could I bee lesse then a world in whom all the Monsters of Africa have conven'd and all the African tincture in my blacker impieties I have had the blindnesse of America to sacrifice to the Devill ne noceat by complying with aberrances having with Asia lost a reall Paradise by Euthymy could challenge affinity with Mahometism and dream of a Paradise in carnall concupiscencies Nor hath any part of Europe been defective to the complement of this Microcosm Papist Reformist Subreformist Familist Atomist all the phancies which crumble into factions and mince into divisions while old time is forc'd to chew the cud and raise up the stubble and chaffe of whimzies swallowed fourteen ages past have concentred in me and met in this Masse of antipathies I carry about me Lord teach me to know my self so I shall not dâ—sire to exchange wisdom with a Solomon lend me the auxiliaries of thy holy spirit to subdue my self and I shall be more a Conqueror then Alexander by hating my self instruct me how I shall love thee and by loving thee I shall be sure not to hate my brother FINIS S. Hieâ— in Psal. 133. S. Hier. ad Lucif post med tom 2. Thâ—od l. 2. Hist. Eccl. dialog inter Constant Imper Lib. pap 16. Vinâ— Lir. Cont. Haer. c. 23. 24. S. Beâ— Ser. de resurr Euseb. l. 5. Hist. Eccl. c. 26. Socrat. l. 5. Hist. c. 22. S. Aug. Cont. Bon. de Bapt. e. 4. Contr. Fund c. 4. Ibid. c. 4. Papal infallibility sifted Alphonsus contra hae lib. 1. c. 4. A Martin in Chron. cen 17. H. Blond dec 1. lib. 9 Bergomensis Martin in Chron. Sabel Naucl. Marian Scot. stella Palmerio Platina Blondus Vincentius Henricus de Erfordia impurities Blondus lib. 3. dec 2. Antoâ—ius 1. 16. c. 1. ex Iohanne de Colâ—a mina Sabellicus Naâ—clerus Platina Ranulphus l. 5. c. 3â— Baleus Cent. 2. c. 30. c. 3. 10. Volateranus Martinus in Chronico Marianus Scotus Sigeb Platina Bergomensis c. Martinus Polorues in Chronico Platina Petrus Demiâ—nus Benedict 9. Silvesteâ— 3. Gregorius 6. Cent. 11. Spelman Conc. an 705. Malin lib. 1. de gest Paul Aâ—glor Math. Paris An. 1246. B. Bilson In Apol. 2. Cont. Triphon Eâ—seb lib. 5. c 26. Euseb. lib. 4. c. 23. lib. 5. c. 16. Lib. 5. c. 3. Lib. 5. c. 23. S. Greg. lib. 4. Ep. 76. 83. Ep. 78. L. Her Hist. H. 8. Ter. de praej vincen Lir. de Haer. Eiph l. 1. adv Carpar l. 4. c. 6. pros de prom produe impren c. 5. Sab. Ennead lib. 72. Euseb. in Chr. pr. 10. Nicronis 14. Ignat. epist. ad Tract Gaffarâ— mon. curiosâ— 152. Euseb. l. 2. cap. 12. Arnob. adver Gent. lib. 2. Iust. mart Ap. 1. Irenaeus Philaster Epiphanius Theodoret Thes. 1. 5. 2. Euseb. lib. 3. c. 18. * Seleucus Nicanor Antiochus Soter Anto. Theos Seleucus Callinicus Ptolomaeus Evergetes Seleucus Ceraunus Antiochus Magnus Ptolomaeus Philopator Antiochus Eâ—piphanes Whit. in thesi pro posit defens in Cant. die Comitiorum D. in vit Pontif. 33. Stella Platina Test. Blonâ— dec 1. lib. 9 Martinus in Chronicâ— Platina Liber pontificalis Cent. 78. 480. Sigebert Marianus Scotus Guliel Nubrigensis l. 2. c. 6. Cent. xij Cambdens remains Vid. Iohn Stella Diaconus Plat. Onuphrius Platina dec Platina Câ—nt Ma. Cent. xi p. 5. 20. Of the Creed Mat. 12. v.