Christians who in that point doubted Somwhat like this is that which Paulus Diaconus writeth That in the vtmost parts of Germany towards the North and neere to the sea side there is a great mountaine and beneath it a darke and obscure Cauerne in which fiue men were found sleeping their bodies and garments in no part consumed but sound and whole as at the first who by their habits appeared to be antient Romans Certaine of the inhabitants had often made attempt to waken them but could not Vpon a time a wicked fellow purposing to dispoile and rob one of them of his garment he no sooner toucht it but his hand withered and dried vp Olaus Magnus was of opinion That they were confined thither to some strange purpose that when their trance was expired they might either discouer strange Visions reuealed vnto them or else they were to teach and preach the Christian Faith to Infidels who neuer knew the Euangelicall Doctrine I spake before of certaine notes or indubitable marks by which the good Spirits or Angels might be distinguished from the bad Genij or euill Daemons It shall not be amisse to amplifie that point somewhat more by Circumstance and illustrate it by Historie The good Angels are imployed in nothing saue the honour of God and the profit and preseruation of good men When on the contrarie the Caca-Daemons aime all their enterprises and endeauours to derogate from Gods worship and assume it to themselues and by their flattering deceptions and oily insinuations with man to worke the vtter subuersion both of soule and body For as Sathan hath the power to transforme himselfe from an ougly Diuel to an Angell of Light therefore ought we to haue the greater care both to distinguish him in his shape and discouer him in his nature For all apparitions whatsoeuer which persuade to blasphemie superstition lying man-slaughter luxurie or any other thing execrable doe infallibly proceed onely from the Diuell Againe that Spirit that coueteth to be adored or that prompts vs to desire knowledge in things curious and vnnecessarie or that counterfeits it selfe to become a subiect or seruant to man by the vertue of any herbe stone mettall wood or other creature he is a Diuell Those also that put themselues vnder any certain constellations by which to beget rare and prodigious effects whereby the worke is taken from the Creator and attributed vnto his creatures the Starres those are Diuels In briefe all those operations Conjurations Incantations Abjurations Murmurations all those Conuenticles and nightly assemblies in places desart and remote of Witches Sorcerers Magitions Conjurers and such like haue the great Diuell himselfe for their Authour and Abettor In a Chronicle belouging to the House of the Frier Minors in Auergne this historie is related This Couent hauing liued long in contented pouerty and peace of minde as Saint Francis their Founder had left them the Diuell enuying theit abstinence and strictnesse of life takes vpon him the shape of a seruant and insinuateth himselfe into a Noblemans family whose house was not far from the Monasterie to whom he was so diligent and appeared so obseruant in all things that hee made him his Steward committed all his affaires vnto his charge and gaue him the gouernment of his whole house and family Hauing crept into this great credit and fauour and obseruing that his Lord and Master was of a penurious and gripple condition and although this poore religious Brotherhood was placed neere him yet he neuer at any necessitie relieued them with any charitable largesse or almes Of whom when mention was made in any discourse betwixt his Lord and him this subtill Impostor began exceedingly to commend their sanctitie and asperitie of life and persuaded his master That he could performe no one act so acceptable vnto God and profitable for his soules health as to relieue this Fraternitie with a free and boâ—ntifull hand His words proued so effectuall with his Lord that thinking to do a meritorious act hee sent them dayly full dishes from his table vpon the open dayes flesh of all sorts and vpon their dayes of fast of fish the most curious and delicate that could be prouided so that in a short time the good Friers had left the care of their bookes to take charge of their bellies and neglected their deuotions to feed high and drinke hard Which being obserued by one of the Seniors of the Societie who much grieued that they had fotsakeu their former austeritie to embrace such a dissolute life and perceiuing whence they grew to be such Libertines he tooke with him one of the same Fellowship a man of his own strict conuersation with purpose to giue the Nobleman a visit Who making them friendly and courteous entertainment this Frier amongst other discourse demanded of the Lord the reason why he being so many yeares together so sparing and close-handed toward his Brethten was of late grown so profusely bountifull Who answered That it was at the great intercession of his iust and faithfull Steward whom he much loued and no lesse trusted The Religious man desired that he might be acquainted with this good seruanr To which motion the Nobleman was very willing and caused him to be enquired for and called into his presence Who after much delay being forced to shew himselfe the Deuout man by some secret marke or other before spoken of knowing him to be a wicked Spirit hee instantly disappeared and was no more seene Thus the Impostor being discouered to the great wonder of the Nobleman the good Frier returning backe to the Monasterie told to the Brotherhood what had happened by which hee reduced them to their former deuotion and austeritie of life Against these subtill temptations of this crafty and deceitfull Pannurgust there are no such profitable and wholsome preuentions as fasting and prayer as appeareth by that of Antonius Laverinus the vnblemished authoritie of whose name we haue vsed before the better to countenance some former Histories He comming by godly meditations to heale a Daemoniacke or one possessed with a Diuell after he had vsed certaine holy and deuout prayers such as are vsed in the like Exorcismes the obstinat Diuell began to menace him and told him that hee would be with him that night to his great terror and affright and therefore wished him to prepare himselfe against his expected comming To whom he againe as confidently answered that if he failed of his word and kept not his promise he would hold him for one of the basest and most abject Diuels that fell with their arch-Captaine Lucifer That night Anthon. Laver. heard him knocke three seuerall times at his chamber doore and suspecting him to be the Diuell betooke himselfe to his deuotions and prayers commending his safetie to the protection of God and his good Angells and made no other answer The Diuell went then to the top of the house and began to vntile the roofe as if hee purposed there
astray as ev'ly minded For they in their owne wickednesse are blinded For nothing they Gods mysteries regard Nor of a good man hope for the reward Neither discerne That honour doth belong Vnto the faultlesse Soules that thinke no wrong For God created Man pure and vnblam'd Yea after his owne Image was he fram'd But by the Diuels enuy Death came in Who holds with him shall proue the Scourge of sin But in great boldnesse shall the Righteous stand Against the face of such as did command Them to the torture and by might and sway The fruits of all their labors tooke away When they shall see him in his strength appeare They shall be vexed with an horrid feare When they with an amased countenance Behold their wonderfull deliuerance And change their mindes and sigh with griefe and say Behold these men we labour'd to betray On whom with all contempt we did incroch And held them a meere by-word of reproch We thought their liues to madnesse did extend And there codld be no honour in their end How come they now amongst Gods Children told And in the list of Saints to be inrol'd Therefore from Truth 's way we haue deuious bin Nor trod the path the Righteous haue walkt in From the true Light we haue our selues confin'd Nor hath the Sun of Knowledge on vs shin'd The way of Wickednesse which leadeth on To ruine and destruction we haue gon By treading dangerous paths our selues w' haue tyr'd But the Lords way we neuer yet desir'd What profit hath our Pride or Riches brought Or what our Pompe since these are come to nought All these vaine things like shadowes are past by Or like a Post that seems with speed to fly Or as a Bird the earth and heav'n betweene Who makes her way and yet the path not seene The beating of her wings yeelds a soft sound But of her course there 's no apparance found As when an Arrow at a marke is shot Finds out a way but we perceiue it not For suddenly the parted aire vnites And the fore-passage is debat'd our â—ights So we no sooner borne and take our breath But instantly we hasten on to death In our liues course we in no vertue ioy'd And therefore now are in our sinnes destroy'd Th'Vngodlie's hopes to what may we compare But like the dust that 's scattered in the aire Or as the thin some gathered on the waue Which when the tempest comes no place can haue Or as the smoke dispersed by the wind Which blowne abroad no rest at all can find Or else As his remembrance steales away Who maketh speed and tarieth but a day But of the Iust for euer is th' aboad For their reward is with the Lord their God They are the charge and care of the most High Who tenders them as th' Apple of his eye And therefore they shall challenge as their owne From the Lords hand a Kingdome and a Crowne With his right hand hee 'l couer them from harme And mightily defend them with his arme He shall his Ielousie for Armor take And put in armes his Creatures for their sake His and their Foes to be reueng'd vpon He for a glorious breast-plate shall put on His Righteousnesse and for an Helmet beare True Iudgement to astonish them with feare For an invinc'd shield Holinesse he hath And for a sword he sharpens his fierce Wrath. Nay the whole World hee 'l muster to surprise His Enemies and fight against th' Vnwise The thunderbolts by th' hand of the most High Darted shall from the flashing lightnings fly Yea fly ev'n to the marke as from the Bow Bent in the clouds and in His anger go That hurleth stones the thicke Haile shall be cast Against them shall the Flouds and Ocean vast Be wondrous wroth and mightily or'eflow Besides the fierce Winds shall vpon them blow Yea and stand vp against them with their God And like a storme shall scatter them abroad Thus Wickednesse th' earth to a Desart brings And Sinne shall ouerthrow the Thrones of Kings You heare their doome It were not much amisse If we search further what this Atheisme is Obserue That sundry sorts of men there be Who spurne against the sacred Deitie As first Those whom Idolaters we call Pagans and Infidels in generall These though they be religious in their kinde Are in the manner of their worship blinde And by the Diuel's instigation won To worship Creatures as the Moon and Sun Others there be who the true God-head know Content to worship him in outward show Yet thinke his Mercy will so far dispence That of his Iustice they haue no true sence His Pitty they acknowledge not his Feare Because they hold him milde but not austere Some like brute beasts will not of sence discusse With such Saint Paul did fight at Ephesus Others are in their insolence so extreme That they deride Gods name scoffe and blaspheme As Holophernes who to Achior said Albeit thou such a vaine boast hast made That Israels God his people can defend Against my Lord who doth in power transcend Where th' Earth no greater pow'r knowes neere or far Than him whom I serue Nabuchadnezzar Diuers will seeme religious to comply With time and place but aske their reason Why They so conforme themselues They know no cause More than To saue their purse and keepe the Lawes There be to Noble houses make resort And sometimes Elbow Great men at the Court Who though they seeme to beare things faire and well Yet would turne Moses into Machiuel And but for their aduantage and promotion Would neuer make least tender of deuotion For their Diuinitie is that which we Call Policie their Zeale Hipocrisie Their God the Diuell whose Imagination Conceits That of the world was no Creation These haue into Gods Works no true inspection Dreame of no Iudgement Hell or Resurrection Reckon vp Genealogies who were Long before Adam and without all feare As those doom'd to the bottomlesse Abisme Hold There was no Noës Arke no Cataclisme Besides How busie hath the Diuell bin Ev'n from the first t' encrease this stupid Sin Not ceasing in his malice to proceed How to supplant the Tenents of our Creed Beginning with the first two hundred yeares After our Sauiours Passion he appeares In a full seeming strength and would maintaine By sundry obstinate Sectists but in vaine There was not one Almighty to begin The great stupendious Worke but that therein Many had hand Such were the Maniches Marcionists Gnostyes and the like to these The second Article he aim'd at then And to that purpose pickt out sundry Men Proud Hereticks and of his owne affinitie Who did oppose the blessed Sonne 's Diuinitie But knowing his great malice to his mind Did not preuaile he then began to find A cauill 'gainst the Third and pickt out those Who stiffely did the Holy-Ghost oppose Him from the
holy Tria's they would leaue Nor yeeld The Blest-Maid did by him conceiue But herein failing with a visage sterne That roaring Lion Those which did concerne The Churches Faith aim'd at still raising such As building on their owne conceit too much The other Maximes of our knowne Beleefe Mainly withstood Nay after to his griefe Finding that in no one he could be said To haue preuail'd he after 'gins t' inuade All and at once to that great God retyring Who cast him downe from Heav'n for his aspiring And to cut off Mans hoped for felicitie Where he before persuades a multiplicitie of gods to be ador'd He now from Many Blinds the dull Atheist not to confesse Any Striuing if possible it were to make Him a worse Monster than himselfe To take No notice of his God nor vnderstand That both his life and breath are in his hand Insensible That he who from his Treasure Leant them at first can take them backe at pleasure That Hee created Sorrow who made Ioy Who reare's can ruine and who builds destroy Which they might gather from bare Natures light Obseruing That t' each day belong's a night That as in th' one there is a gladsome cheare So to the other doth belong a feare One figuring the Glory of the Iust Th' other that Hell where Atheists shall be thrust Next Let a man be mounted ne're so high Were 't on a spire that 's mid-way to the sky Whilest he look's vp with comfort he doth gaze Vpon the clouds and the Sun 's fulgent raies Nor is he troubled whilest his eies are bent Vpon the splendor of the Firmament But let him thence suruey the Earth below His heart will pant with many an irksome throw His body tremble sinewes and nerues all Contract themselues with feare from thence to fall The Emblem is That there 's aboue a place Long since prepar'd for all the Sonnes of Grace Who by a blest and heav'nly contemplation Looke vpward even from whence comes their saluation But vnto them who seeke not God to know And only fix their thoughts on things below Although no such place visibly appeare Yet there 's an Hell that 's full of dread and feare Which how can These escape who beleeue lesse Than do the Diuels for they both confesse And know there is a God a Heav'n where plac't They once had been and for their pride thence cast Likewise an Hell not threatned them in vaine Where they both now and euer shall remaine Shall He who giues vs life and length of daies Passe vs without due thanksgiuing and praise And shall not God be truly vnderstood Who in his bounty giues vs all that 's good Or Shall he nothing from our hands deserue Who what he makes is carefull to preserue We reade of some Beasts who opprest with thirst And hastning to the riuers margent first Bow downe their bodies at the waters brinke And fall vpon their knees still when they drinke Birds as we daily may obserue being dry At euery drop they taste looke vp on high As vnto Him who sends it them which speakes That without thanks they neuer wet their beakes If Beasts and Birds so gratefull be What then Shall we imagine of these thanklesse Men But That there 's a Gehinnon to contrude All guilty of such base ingratitude That this God is to Atheists may appeare Because by Him so frequently they sweare For Who 's so senselesse and obtuse a Sot To call to witnesse that thing which is not For By what Power soeuer they protest Th' Essence thereof is euen in that confest Ev'n Reasons selfe maugre this grosse impietie Illustrates vnto vs th' eternall Dietie If we behold a Barke in th' Ocean swimming We say Some Ship-wright gaue it shape and trimming Or if a Picture in a costly Frame It from the Pensill of some Painter came Or where we see an House or Temple stand We presuppose some skilfull Workmans hand Then If Below we marke the Earth and Ocean Aboue the Planets in their hourely motion So many Winters Autumnes Sommers Springs And in them the vicissitude of things When we shall all his glorious Creatures view Shall we deny him a bare Artists due Or Can we this high potent Vndertaker Who made both Them and Vs esteeme no Maker Philosophy will tell vs by her Lawes That no Effect can be without a Cause That euery action doth an Agent claime And euery motiue That which moues the same Though many causes Agents Motions be They are subordinate and onely He Prime Cause Agent and Mouer who t' our notion Is First of all effect action or motion Concerning whom the Psalmist doth thus treat O Lord my God thou art exceeding great In honour and in Glory shining bright Who couers thy great Maiestie with light As with a garment that Almighty God Who like a curtaine spreds the Heav'ns abroad And in th' vnsounded bosome of the streames Of thy great chambers hast dispos'd the beames Who for thy Chariot hast the Clouds assign'd And walk'st vpon the swiftwings of the wind When Man committeth euill he shall find A God euen in the terror of his mind For Adam tasting of the Fruit forbid Asham'd himselfe within a Thicket hid When Herod Iohn the Baptist had beheaded He for that act some fearefull vengeance dreaded For hearing of Christs Miracles he sed Surely that Iohn is risen from the dead Fearing his ghost did haunt him So when Cain Had in his wrath his brother Abel slain His count'nance was deiected and cast downe For were there no Accuser but mans owne Conscience it selfe he Feare could not eschew Because The Wicked fly when none pursue And what are Feares vnto that height extended But a meere dread of a iust God offended Euen by Idolaters a God's confest Who rather will adore a Bird a Beast A Fish a Serpent Planet or a Stone Nay euen the basest things rather than none Mans appetite that neuer can be sated Approues a God for let him be instated In a small means a greater he desires Giue him a Prouince and he then aspires Vnto a Realme a Kingdome let him haue Not yet content he then a World will craue Nor rests he there for were 't in his possession Yet bring him in the end to his confession He will acknowledge There is somewhat more To be acquir'd ev'n God whom we adore That men of knowledge should be so ambitious And in the quest thereof so auaritious Yet in that amplitude finding such scant That still the more they haue the more they want For in that progresse as they further go The more they learne the more they search to know Besides that in this search each one pursu'th With labour to inuestigate the Truth That simple and pure Truth th' Atheists deny Can be no other thing than the Most-High Ev'n these to whom himselfe he had not showne Saue in his Works
confest him though vnknowne Saith one Each place hath of Gods Center sence But none can challenge his circumference The Stagerite giues him the due applause Of the first Cause and Of all Causes Cause Th' Essence of things Of whom all things subsist Author first Mouer And vnto the list Of his due titles add's Th' Eternall Light The most pure Act Immensâ— and Infinite c. Whom the great Flamin Hiero did accuse That 'gainst the Countries custome he should vse The name of one sole God when all saue he Acknowledged a multiplicitie Goodnesse Inimitable He 's likewise stil'd By him who said The World was first compil'd For Man and Man for God There is no doubt Of God saith Cicero The earth throughout Search and there is no Nation in whose brest A God is not by Natures selfe imprest To what can any Atheist this impute That at Christs birth all Oracles were mute And put to lasting silence Whence't might grow The Emperor Augustus sent to know When all the superstitious Rites were past The Oracle thus spake and spake it's last An Hebrew Childe God who all gods doth quell Bids me giue place be silent packe to hell Henceforth forbeare these Altars to adore He speakes to you who neuer shall speake more Vpon which answer his great power t' extoll He did erect in Romes great Capitoll A Shrine whereon th' Inscription thus doth run The Altar of Gods first begotten Son A Childe is borne to vs Isay saith plaine An Hebrew Childe saith Paul not of the straine Of Angels but of Abrahams blessed seed And God There his diuine nature is decreed God is become a Childe which who shall scan Must needs conclude That Christ is God and Man The Oracle you heard made that reply Heare fully now from Sybels Prophecy There shall be borne a King the World to saue Yet neither He nor any Roman gaue That honour to him liuing this they ' xprest But lent no faith to that which they confest For Lentulus thinking she did diuine Of him tooke part with factious Cateline In hope most of the Senat to remoue And by that meanes his Countries Sauiour proue Virgil to Saloninus it apply'd The sonne of Pollio whom he Deify'd Because the Father to that hopefull Lad Was his great Patron Some suggest He had Knowledge of a Messias to be borne Iust at that time the blest Age to adorne Because when Herod who at that time raign'd King of the Iewes was vnto Rome constrain'd To tender his Allegeance alwaies guested At Pollio's house where he was nobly feasted To which place Virgil frequently resorted For so of him Iosephus hath reported But Constantine was first made Proclamation 'Mongst all the Romans of Christs Incarnation Some of their Prophets in an Enthean fury Predicted That a King should come from Iury To Monarchise the World which when they knew They gaue it not to Iesus as his due But to Vespasian did the stile resigne Because 't was he that conquer'd Palestine At Christs Natiuitie as some relate Those Heathen gods whom they did celebrate With diuine Worship and did most extoll Fell from their Shrines in the high Capitoll Their Stiles in Brasse grav'd and in Marble rac't That Time by Lightning blemisht and defac't Which had a president of like remarke When Dagons Image fell before the Arke In the first moneth and sixt day of the same When great Octauius Caesar tooke the name Augustus did the Wise-men Offerings bring To Christ saluting him both God and King What time all Forfeits Debts Bills of Account Which did vnto an infinite surmount Kept in the Empires Chamber were by fire To ashes burnt Which shew'd if we retire Into our selues He came into the World That Sauior of Mankinde on whom were hurl'd All our transgression trespasse sinne offence With which He and He only can dispense Who to repaire the former Adams losse Had all these with him nail'd vpon the Crosse. Then out of Wells and Fountains issu'd Oile Which from the Earths moist intrals seem'd to boile Which did expresse Hee was the Sole appointed To beare the title of The Lords Anointed Vpon wich miracle Augustus made A solemne Edict to be drawne which said That he no more a Lord would called be Since there was borne a greater Lord than he Herods great Temple which did seeme t' aspire Euen to the clouds aboue was set on fire By Titus souldiers and to such a flame It grew no humane helpe could quench the same Iust at that time th' Oraculous Temple fell In Delphos rear'd where many a doubtfull Spell Was vtter'd by a fearefull Earthquake shooke And torne asunder as being Thunder-strooke And neither of them could be since repair'd It being an attempt that no man dar'd Th' apparancie of which miraculous ruin In both so famous to the Times ensuing Left it to be remark't That from their fall The Gentile Customes were abolisht all And the idolatrous worship frequent then Began to steale out of the hearts of men That Christ his doctrine newly set on foot Might in our soules take deepe and prosp'rous root What thinke you of the pestilent infection Of those which did deny the Resurrection In our blest Sauiors and th' Apostles daies A Sect the Sadduces began to raise A people of dull braine and diuelish quality Denying God and the Soules Immortality These when they listned to his blessed tongue And heard him preach aloud to old and young How far his Fathers power and might extended With Maiestie not to be comprehended The glory of the Saints and wretched state Of th' Vnregenerate and the Reprobate Mathew can tell you how they did behaue them And what reproofe the mouth of Wisedome gaue them Thus our blest Sauiour said Haue you not read Touching the resurrection of the Dead What God hath spoke to Moses I am the God Of Abraham of Isaac and Iacob So much to your dull vnderstandings giuing God is not of the Dead God but the Liuing c. Amongst those with blind Will seduced thus Was Theodorus Cyrenaicus Accounted one that seeming to looke high In knowledge grounded on Philosophy Would by his Inferences make 't appeare We had no God at all to gouerne here But all things by meere Nature did subsist Which shew'd he was no good Theologist But when his vaine Positions were disputed In Athens they not only were confuted But his weake Tenents hist out of the Schooles He rank't in the Nomenclature of Fooles For thus he argu'd If a God there be He must be a thing liuing such as we Cal'd Animal If liue he must haue sence If sensible 't was his next inference He must of force be subiect to mutation If mutable then by that transmigration Capable of corruption And if so Subiect to perish Then from hence must grow This full conclusion That it may befall In
time this Being not to be at all Nay thus he will not leaue it but proceeds For Ignorance an Insolence still breeds If to this God saith he no body's lent He then can haue no soule by consequent Hauing no soule all action hee 's depriv'd Or if he haue a body that 's deriv'd From substance therefore subiect vnto change Appeares not this as friuolous as strange To any Vnderstander Who but knowes That euery action of the body growes From the Intelligent Soule whose facultie Allowes it motion and dexteritie Therefore ô miserable Worme I can In this afford thee scarce the name of Man Ope but the eyes of Nature and looke out Meerely with them none else and thou no doubt Wilt find thy selfe's obfuscate and obscur'd So void of sens'ble light and so immur'd With palped darknesse to be blind at least And nothing diffring from th' irrational Beast And therefore that of Zenophantes may Be well confer'd on thee Heare him thus say Had Brutes the art of Painting they of force Must draw themselues a Horse figure a Horse An Asse or Mule their Like the reason why They 're capable of no sublimitie Beyond themselues nor haue further extension Than meerely their owne brutish apprehension Such childish and vnmomentary grounds These Atheists build vpon which whoso sounds But with the line of Reason shall descry Their irreligious fond impiety He that shall with himselfe exactly way Those grosse and absurd lies may soone display That they are arrogant full of vain-glory Irregular from truth and refractorie Vnlearn'd replenisht with all lust and vice Seducers Mockers full of Riotise Time-soothers Flat'rers perfidious all In word deed thought meere diabolicall Now these because themselues haue left the best And against Nature heinously transgrest Of the Creator hauing no respect And casting on their owne soules a neglect By ill example others would persuade That Diuine Lawes for policie were made That Hell 's a Bug-beare to keepe men in feare That Scriptures to that end deuised were Persuading others to eat drinke and play Since after death there is no further day To be Accountant in Their lusts to cherish Since that the Soule must with the body perish That Man was made vnto no other end Than please his appetite be his owne friend And That all euills euen with good things runne If politiquely and in priuat done Such are their actions and their liues but when They 're brought vnto the Test behold them then At the last gaspe most ready to catch hold Vpon the least hope durst they make so bold Looke on your father Aristotle the best And Ipse that Philosophy profest When vnto him who all strange Nouels sought 'Mongst others Moses his first booke was brought Cal'd Genesis Those few words hauing read God in the first beginning created The Heav'ns and Earth c. Away with this saith he 'T is full of fables and new fantasy That speakes of many things but nothing proues And that a true Philosopher not loues But drawing neere his end when he began More truly to consider What was man He into strange anxieties doth grow Whether the Soule immortall were or no His body trembles euery ioynt doth shake And these 't is said were the last words he spake Pollutedly into the world I came Sad and perplext I liv'd and from the same Much troubled I depart O pitty me Thou of all Beings onely knowne to Be. If from the wisest of you all this came Learne to know Him who onely writes I am He is Heav'ns King and Lord of Earth alone In Person three but yet in Godhead one Truly Omnipotent All-knowing and In Heav'n and Earth of soueraigne sole command His Nature simple bodilesse vnseene Vncirconscribed t' whom nothing hath beene Is or shall be superior vnderstood Great without quantitie without quality good Most perfect without blemish without Time Eternall in his potencie sublime Strength without Weaknesse Life without Decay Present each where and yet doth no where stay All things at once without aduice directing All things at once without least paine protecting He is without beginning and yet giues A First to each thing that subsists and liues Who hath made all things changeable yet He Stable and free from mutabilitie Himselfe without place all things else instating Without materials all his works creating In greatnesse infinite goodnesse incomparable In vertue strong wisedome inestimable So secret no man can deceiue his trust In Counsels terrible in Iudgements iust Copious in Mercy glorious in his Name Holy in all his Works alwaies The same Eternall Sempiternall Liuing-God Inchangeable in Essence or Aboad Whom Space cannot enlarge nor Place confine Constant in Purpose and in Act Diuine Him Need compells not nor can Chances sad Disturbe neither can Ioyfull things make glad Obliuion takes not nor can Memory add To him Vnborne to whom old Time can lend No ' ncrease at all nor casuall Chance giue end He before Worlds Those are and These must be Was Is and shall liue to Eternity Aboue all Apprehension Thought Opinion Therefore to Him be all Praise Power Dominion All singular Honour Glory with Congruity Of Saints Angels and Men to perpetuity Be ascrib'd with all the Attributes extending Through all vnwearied Worlds and without ending QVod Deus est scimus sed quid si scire velimus Vltra nos imus sed quod sit sumus imus Vltimus primus scimus plus scire nequimus ¶ The English That there 's a God we know But what he is to show Beyond our selues we go His Height and Depth below Him First and Last we know But more we cannot show THEOLOGICALL PHILOsophicall Morall Poeticall Historicall Emblematicall Obseruations to the further illustration of the former Tractate THat nothing in these short Tractates may appeare difficult to the Ignorant I hold it necessarie vnto my present purpose as willing to be vnderstood by all to illustrate whatsoeuer may seem obscure as well by Precept as Historie Which though the Learned may passe ouer as things to them familiar and well knowne yet vnto others neither frequent in reading nor well trauelled in language no doubt but some of our marginal Annotations with other particular Obseruations may in their carefull perusall benefit such as reade not onely for fashion but vse and make it not their pastime but their profit For that was the end to which industrious Authors first aimed their Indeauors and spent so much Inke and Oile in their daies labours and nights watchings Nor do I this without president and therefore am the more willing to pattern my selfe by example Atheisme and Impietie saith Cardanus Paschal is a meere contempt of Religion and therefore by consequence the Fountaine of Impietie and Breeder of all Calamitie The contempt of Diuine Worship is injustice against God our Parents and Countrey as aduerse to Reason as Goodnesse and all that are thereunto obnoxious either beleeue not
cannot see and their hearts that they cannot vnderstand and none considereth in his heart neither is their knowledge nor vnderstanding to say I haue burnt halfe in the fire haue baked bread with the coles thereof haue rosted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue thereof an abhomination shall I bow to the stocke of a tree He feedeth on ashes a seduced heart hath deceiued him that hee cannot deliuer his soule and say Is there not a lie in my right hand c. An Emblem LEt vs enquire no further into things retruse and hid than wee haue authoritie from the sacred Scriptures The Emblem is A yong Maid who by her carefull nurse had a couered box deliuered vnto her charily to be kept with an extraordinarie charge vpon no occasion to open it for thereby shee might incur some danger But the girle in vaine curiosity for Ruimus in vetitum the more desirous to know what was within vncouered the lid and out flew a Bird which she lost neither had she kept it had she been much better by the retaining thereof The Diuine application of which suteth with that of Basil who writeth thus Animi morbus est male superflue de Deo querere i. It is the disease of the mind to enquire euilly and superfluously of that which concerneth God Which agreeth with that of Saint Augustine Deus melius scitur nesciendo i. God is the better knowne by seeming least to know And Hillary vseth these words Deus religione intelligendus est pietate profitendus sensu vera persequendus non est sed adorandus i. God by Religion is to be vnderstood by Sanctitie to be professed but by the outward sence not to be searched into but only adored For we reade Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong vnto vs and to our children for euer that wee may doe all the words of the Law And Ecclesiasticus 3.22 Seeke not the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things rashly that are too mighty for thee Vpon the like occasion the Prophet Dauid Psal. 131. saith thus Lord mine heart is not haughty nor my minde lofty neither haue I walked in great matters and hid from thee Wee also reade Rom. 12.3 For I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me to euerie one that is amongst you That no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meet to vnderstand but that he vnderstand according to sobrietie as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of Faith Further wee reade Prov. 25.27 It is not good to eat too much hony for to search their owne glory is no glory Vpon which Emblem Iacob Catsius Emblem 3. thus writes Fida tibi Nutrix hac pixide sacra latere Dixerat satis hoc debuit esse tibi Quid tractare manu quid cernere virgo requiris Quaeque tenere manu quaeque videre nefas Sacra Dei reuerentur habe quid faderis Arcam Tangis io◠Cohibe stulta manus In multis nescire iuvat scivisse nocebit Saepe perire fuit quod reperire vocant Thus paraphrased The faithfull Nurse said In this box lie hid Things sacred 't was enough that she so did Why Virgin busiest thou thine hand and eye What couet'st thou to handle What to ' spy From things which are too mysticall and darke Restraine thine hand forbeare to touch the Arke In some way hee 's best learned that least knowes Many there be in seeking themselues lose A morall interpretation hereof is thus made Silendo stolidus sapienti par est i. A foole silent may be taken for a wise man According with the French Prouerbe Sans language le fol est sage Erasmus also in Apotheg saith Est aliqua sapientiae pars Silentio Stultitiam tegere i. It is some part of wisedome to couer our folly in silence And suting with this is that of the Poet Martial Cum te non novi Dominum regemque vocaui Cum bene te novi iam mihi Priscus eris Being vnknowne I call'd thee Lord and King But know thee Priscus thou art no such thing The Emblematists conceit vpon this as followeth Hac dum clausa fuit sub pixide mira latere Regalésque tegi quisque putauit opes Mox vt aperta fuit spectacula ludicra vulgo Probat è capsa parua volauit auis Dum siluit tua lingua virum te Basse putaui Testatur puerum te sine mente sonus Qui loquitur populo se praebuit ille videndum Vel fatuus pressò dum silet ore sapit ¶ Thus paraphrased This Casket being shut was thought to hold Some wondrous wealth as Iewels Pearle and Gold But being open'd to the vulgar eyes Nothing of value's seene a Bird out flies A man I held thee Bassus whilest thou smil'd And nothing said but hauing spoke a child Man when he speakes vpon the stage is brought The Foole whilst mute a wise man may be thought A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. I Sought thee round about ô thou my God To finde thy aboad I said vnto the Earth Speake art thou He She answered me I am not I enquir'd of Creatures all In generall Contain'd therein they with one voice proclaime That none amongst them challeng'd such a Name II. I askt the Seas and all the Deepes below My God to know I askt the Reptiles and what euer is In the Abisse Euen from the Shrimpe to the Leviathan My enquiry ran But in those Desarts which no line can sound The God I sought for was not to be found III. I askt the Aire if that were hee but know It told me No. I from the towring Eagle to the Wren Demanded then If any feather'd Fowle 'mongst them were such But they all much Offended with my question in full quire Answer'd To finde my God I must looke higher IV. I askt the Heauens Sun Moone and Stars but they said We obey The God thou seekst I askt what Eye or Eare could see or heare What in the world I might descry or know Aboue below With an vnanimous voice all these things said We are not God but we by him were made V. I askt the Worlds great vniuersall Masse if That God was Which with a mighty and strong voice reply'd As stupify'd I am not he ô Man for know that I By Him on high Was fashion'd first of nothing thus instated And sway'd by Him by whom I was created VI. I did enquire for him in flourishing Peace But soone 'gan cease For when I saw what vices what impurity bred by Security As Pride Selfe-loue Lust Surfet and Excesse I could no lesse Than stay my search knowing where these abound God may be sought but is not to be found VII I thought then I might finde him out in War but was as far As at the first for in Reuenge and Rage In spoile and strage Where vniust
loth is to communicate He by the mouthes of our forefathers and The holy Prophets who did vnderstand His sacred will The Scriptures hath so fram'd To haue his Singularitie oft nam'd As thus Because the Lord is God alone Peculiar and besides him there is none Againe O Israel attend and heare The Lord thy God is One him thou shalt feare The God of gods I heare the Psalmist say Doth only worke great wonders Him obey For 'mongst the gods none 's like him Go and tell Saith he vnto my people Israel I am the Lord thy God and none but I Who brought thee from th' AEgyptian slauerie And from the house of Bondage set thee free Therefore thou shalt adore no God saue me Lycurgus in the Proëm of his Lawes To the Locrenses not without great cause These following words prefixt Needfull it were That all the people which inhabit here Should be persuaded There 's one God aboue By whom all liuing Creatures breathe and moue Who as in all his Works he is exprest So is he not the least made manifest In our inspection to the Worlds great frame The Heauen and goodly order of the same Be no man of that stupid ignorance To thinke that such things are dispos'd by chance The gluttons Belly is his god the cause In that his Appetite prescribes him Lawes The griping Auaritious man hath sold His Soule so dearely bought to purchase Gold Voluptuous men solely deuote to Lust Their Idol's Venus for in her they trust Th' Ambitious his All-Honour'd makes his Fame As before Gods preferring his owne Name And is not he vaine Studies doth prefer Before his Christ a meere Idolater And do not all those that ought higher prise Than Him to Idols offer sacrifise But he that shall beleeue in him aright Shall haue accesse to his Eternall Light When those that haue Religion in disdaine And Pietie in contempt and so remaine They striue to haue no being to their shame And to returne to nothing whence they came All such as are not numbred 'mongst the Saints Whom euill thoughts possesse and Sinne supplants Haue lost themselues as hid behinde a Skreene How then can the least part of them be seene But those that through their Sauiour proue victorious They in Heauens kingdome shall be great and glorious Two Principles as some Philosophers write There are Eternall both and Infinite Makers of things yet in their Natures vary As being in themselues meere contrary Their error note If two such in their prime Of power should haue existence at one time Since two so great must greater be than one Euen in that clause the Infinite is gone Being distinct in number and diuided Needs must they be by seuerall motions guided One borrowes not of the other for majoritie Being equall two there can be no prioritie And contrary as I before haue said In opposition they must needs inuade Th' agreeing Fabricke and so without cease Disturbe old Natures long-continued peace Neither from these two Equalls can arise A third this their great strife to compromise Againe If two one needlesse is and vaine Or as we call it Empty Now 't is plaine That Nothing cannot haue in Nature place For she hath Vacuum in continuall chase And is at war with 't Therefore I hope none But will confesse a Godhood and that one One Monarch of the world the great Effector Of all therein sole Parent and Protector All such as of their multiplicitie speake Disable them as wanting power and weake As if nought gouer'nd were that hath been made Which One can do without anothers aid Him only a true Monarch we may call That hath no parted kingdome but swayes all But where a Principalitie misguided Is amongst seuerall Optimates diuided It needs must follow In no One can be An absolute and exact soueraignty For none of these but by vsurping dare Challenge the whole where each haue but a share There is a certaine Bound which circumscribes His Iurisdiction Each hath seuerall Tribes To gouerne and dispose Should we agree In many gods it then perforce must be concluded There can be no Soueraigne Minde Since euery one hath but his Lot assign'd When as of Power it is the true condition Not to be ty'de to stint or exhibition But as the sole Supreme and Principall Guiding disposing comprehending all If God be perfect he can be but one As hauing all things in himselfe alone The more you make the more you shall depraue Their Might and Potencie as those that haue Their vertue scanted so allow not any Since all things cannot be contain'd in Many By which 't is manifest Those that maintaine More gods than one be people vile and vaine In the like blasphemy ready to fall With the dam'nd Atheist who knowes none at all The Manichees they hold a strange opinion That two betwixt them share the high Dominion Who as they did create so guide it still One Good disposeth and the other Ill. The first is Lord of Light and gouernes Day The last of Night and Darknesse beares chiefe sway One Heate in charge hath and the other Cold Yet who by daily proofe doth not behold That by the sole and Diuine Prouidence Man with all Creatures of them both hath sence And from them comfort That the Night for rest Was made to cheare Man wearied and opprest As well as Day whose cheerefull light prepares Vs to our needfull and best knowne affaires Do we not see from what we counted bad Much good to vs great solace hath been had Againe That seeming Good forg'd by the Deuill Hath been to vs th' occasion of much euill Heauens blessings let vs taste in their communitie Ascribing all praise to the God of Vnitie This sempiternall Minde this Consummate And absolute Vertue that did all create This Power who in himselfe hath his Stabilitie Maiestie Wisedome Strength and true Soliditie From whose Sublimitie no man 's so mad To thinke he can detract To whom none adde This of himselfe all Fulnesse all Satietie Is then the sole Incomprehensible Deitie Sometimes what 's proper vnto Man alone Is giuen to this Trias three in One As when we attribute vnto him Wings It straight vnto our aphrehension brings How he protects and shadowes vs. If Eares With what facilitie and grace he heares Our deuout Prayers And when his Arme stretcht out That of his Power and Strength we should not doubt His Finger nam'd doth to the world auer His Vertue and that no Artificer Can worke like him His Skill The glorious frame Of this great Machine doth to all proclaime His Face sometimes his presence doth imply Sometimes his fauour and benignitie If we reade Wrath we must consider then Those Iudgements that impend o're sinfull men And with what terror when they come they fall His Hand doth vnto our remembrance call His
them faint and fly Away they ran And by this means the gods the battell wan For which those Asses which so loud had bray'd Lights though but dull were then for Cancer made Leo whose looke doth bend vnto the West Seems as he did vpon the Hydra rest Not far from Cancer in his Sphere so put His middle doth the AEstiue Circle cut And is amongst the Signes the Noblest held In greatnesse too to haue the rest excel'd Him in Nemea Iuno's said to breed In constant hope that he should after feed On Hercules whom sternly she did hate Him seeking by all means to insidiate But when they came to grapple he before Scarce thought of vnaffrighted at his rore Gaue him a braue encounter and so faire That one hand tangled in his curled haire His other on his throat he fastned sure And thus they wrestled who should long'st endure His clawes he fixt vpon Alcides Brawnes And roar'd so that he shooke the Woods and Lawnes He tore the flesh till the bare bone was seene Still the bold Heroë swell'd with noble spleene Kept fast his hold nor could the Lions grin Though terrible the least aduantage win But that he shooke him by the throat the beard Gnasht teeth 'gainst teeth and was no more afeard At length the Lion almost spent began To'abate his rage when this Heroicke man Redoubled ire on fury till asham'd A Beast by him should be so long vntam'd Although invulner'd he put all his strength Into one gripe so strangled him at length Then cast him on the ground scarce seene to sprall Being said to make an earthquake in his fall Iuno when she beheld her Lion slaine Willing his memory should still remaine Prepar'd him place in the high Architect Where to this day he keepes his sterne aspect The Virgin hath beneath Boötes sted Who seemes to driue his Chariot o're her head Towa'rds the backe part of Leo she doth shine And with her right hand touch the AEstiue Line She doth part of her body seene by chance Aboue the Crow and Hidra's head aduance Now who she was 't is fit we should enquire From Iupiter and Thetis some desire To claime her birth Some thinke and those of name She from Ascraeus and Aurora came Some that shee 's Altergatis are assur'd And others Fortune since her head 's obscur'd Some Ceres on whom Proserpine was borne As holding in her hand fresh eares of corne Others her life from Iove and Themis giue And say she in the golden World did liue As then call'd Iusta And in her yong dayes Nation'gainst Nation did not forces raise To'inuade each other no man then for gaine Dar'd in a thin rib'd barke to crosse the maine No craft was knowne no fraud was vnderstood The vdders of their cattell leant them food The Fleece their garment only to defend From winde and weather for no other end Was cloathing made Pride was a Monster then Vnheard vnthought one fashion was to men Women another for no change they knew One garb they kept and studied nothing new None idle was but liv'd by his owne sweat The brooke their drinke the herbs and roots their meat And in those dayes did Iustice reigne sole Queene Through all her Court no vice was knowne or seene The graue Nobilitie that her attended Were from the first most antient House descended And all ally'd Wisedom the Kingdome guided And for the Houshold Industry prouided Good Prouidence a man well strook in yeeres Ey'd the whole State and sate amongst her Peeres Labour was then a Lord in great request Saw nothing want and claim'd place with the best Sinceritie and Puritie in heart In Counsell sate and these did claime a part In all her iust proceedings nothing past The Table but by them was first and last Consider'd of Her Women that did wait Were faire but simple and immaculate Humilitie was one Chaste Loue another And Bashfulnesse a third These from their Mother Vertue a most vnblemisht breeding had All bent on Good as knowing nothing bad Zeale and Innocuous Truth became the State For none but such did on her person wait But when Pride first made her ascent from hell To take the Worlds suruey she 'gan to swell And in her tumerous thoughts presum'd to raigne O're the whole Earth the Aire and boundlesse Maine With insolent vaine hope to atchieue at last by force that high place whence she first was cast Of most assured victorie she vaunts When she behold her six Concomitants Gluttony Wrath Sloath Envy Auarice Lust and no one but a notorious Vice And able in their owne power to subdue Mankinde at once when they shall come in view These setting forward in this proud ostent Began to fight and conquer'd as they went Few scap'd their fury sauing those that fled And Pride since domineeres in Iustice stead Who when she saw those Fiends began to sway For all her subiects were now made their pray The earth quite left vp to the Heauen she soar'd Where by some good men she is still ador'd But reigning there in such high eminence She by no prayers can since be drawne from thence Some say Apollo did beget this Maid Of Chrisotheme and her Name is said To be Parthenon but we are not bound To credit such as write vpon no ground Others the daugher to Icarius Erigone whose story I reade thus When Bacchus trauell'd in an humane shape To reach men know the sweetnesse of the Grape And so to'encourage them to plant the Vine As then vnknowne his course he did encline After a tedious long itineration To where Icarius had his habitation With his faire Daughter he being one of qualitie Receiv'd him with such liberall hospitalitie That Liber Pater at his parting thence To shew his gratitude in recompence Left with him certain vessels fill'd and bad When he and his their full contentment had He the Grapes vertue should to others tell And by the taste shew wherein't did excell So left him After his obsequious Host From his owne Countrey to the Atticke coast Made expedition with a Cart or Waine Laden with Wine with no more in his traine Than she and his Dog Mera Those he met First with were certaine Shepheards newly set To a spare dinner Here he thought to rest But first because he would augment their feast He sent his daughter to a village by What in his Scrip was wanting to supply The Swaines all bad him welcome in a word And told him what their bottles could afford He might command coole water from the Well He thank'd them first and then began to tell What a sweet tasted juice he had in store Presuming such they neuer dranke before So bad them try and not the vertue doubt They did so and the Mazer went about No one but now on this new liquor dotes And sweares the like went neuer downe their throtes They from a taste a deeper
beginning Plato and Socrates sorted the prime procreation from Three God Idaea and Matter Zeno admitted but Two God and the Elements The Hebrewes held Matter Forme and Spirit Some of the Greeks and amongst them especially Hesiod and of the Latines Ovid they stood with a Chaos To reckon vp all their opinions and quarrelling arguments to confirme them would grow to as great an infinite as Democritus his Atomes which were an vpossible thing to number for as in the maine they differ one from another so they are at great distance and contrarietie among themselues S. Augustâ— contra Manich. vseth these words Compescat sâ— humanatemeritas id quod non est non quaerat â—e illud quod est non inveniat i. Let mans rashnesse bridle it selfe That which is noâ— let him by no means seeke lest that which is he can no way find And in another place Multo facilius inveniaâ— syderum conditorem Humilis pietâ—s quam siderum ordinem superba curiositas i. The Maker of the Stars is more easily found by humble pietie than the order of the Stars by proud curiositie Euclides the Philosopher being demanded by one What kinde of things the gods were and what manner of workes they most delighted themselues in made him this answere That he was not very familiar with their persons nor much acquainted with their purposes onely so much he vnderstood from them That aboue all things they hated such polupragmaticall Inquisitors Demonax when one solicited him to know Whether the World were animated And had Spirit and Life And againe Whether it were fashioned round after the maner of a Sphere or Globe cut him off with this short answere Why dost thou friend thus trouble thy selfe to enquire so much after the World who oughtst rather to apply thy diligence to liue vprightly in the World Seneca in his Epistles speakes to this purpose Why dost thou trouble thy selfe about questions which were better for thee to be ignorant of than to be resolued in What tends it to Vertue or good Life to studie perfectnesse in the enarration of Syllables to labour Words trauell in the strict lawes of a Verse or to keepe fabulous Histories in memory Which of all these can take away from thy feares or bridle thy irregular desires Musicke can shew vs which are the lacrymable notes but can it demonstrate vnto vs in our misery how not to vtter a lamenting voice Geometry teacheth how to measure spatious grounds and fields when it should rather instruct vs how to take measure of our graues and how much quantitie of earth would serue for our bodies how we ought not to spend or wast any part of our Inheritance and not how to measure much and purchase little No Artificer but can tell which things are triangle which round which square with the quantitie and dimention thereof but can he search into the depth or secrets of the heart or into the minde of a man to know how streight or capatious it is Thou knowest a line if it be right and direct but what doth that profit thee if in what should guide the perfect and vpright line of thy life thou beest ignorant In another place he saith Sophismata nec ignorantem nocent nec scientem iuvant i. These sophismes and impertinent riddles neither hurt the Ignorant nor benefit the Knowing c. Many of these vnnecessarie curiosities being deliuered to Spiridion and diuers other Bishops in the Nicene Councell to be resolued and amongst others That it was absurd to conceiue that God in his infinite eternitie before foure or fiue thousand yeares past should now at length make this world and to endure so short a season what did he then before it or what could he finde himselfe to doe after it To whom Spiridion as the mouth of the rest gaue this answer That lest hee should be said to doe nothing in that Vacuum he was then making a place of eternall torments for all such ouer-curious Inquisitors c. And therefore all Orthodoxall Doctors and Diuines with the whole Catholike Church against these former exploded opinions conclude out of Genesis That there is one world made by God in the beginning of Time and that all the generations of Mankind were propagated proceeded from the Protoplasti Adam and Eue our first great Grandfather and Grandmother and whoso shall presume to search further are not onely guilty of vnprofitable curiositie but worthily branded with irreligious impietie Moreouer Temporum quorundam cognitionem Deus sibi ipsi reservavit i. The knowledge of some times and seasons God reserues to himselfe for we know that the time in which the Messias was to come into the World was concealed from the Patriarchs and Prophets though with many prayers and teares they besought it Besides our Lord and Sauiour would not shew his Disciples of the last day when he was to come to iudge the world though they vehemently entreated it in these words Tell vs when these things shall be and what signe of thy comming and consummation of the world Moreouer to shew what a great secret it was Of that day saith he and that houre no man knowes no not the Angels of heauen but the Father onely So likewise after he was risen from the Dead being asked by his Apostles When the kingdome of Israel should be restored he told them That the eternall Father had reserued the knowledge of that time vnto himselfe For saith he It is not for you to know the times and the moments which the Father hath put in his owne power c. Pius pulsator plerumque invenit quod temerarius scrutator invenire non potest saith a learned Father The godly knocker doth oftentimes light vpon that which the curious inquisitor by much search can neuer finde Therefore as Socrates aduised all men most especially to beware of those viands and delicacies which persuade and prouoke them to eat when they haue no appetite or stomacke and to abstaine from all such wines as tempt them to drink when they are no whit athirst so ought we in all our discourse labour to auoid all such vaine and vnprofitable questions which resolued help not and vndecided hinder not But as the AEgles when they rest and the Lions when they walke the one pluckes in his tallons the other his clawes to keepe them sharpe as loath to dull them til they meet with their prey so it is not fit that we should trouble our heads or exercise our wits vpon things impertinent but rather reserue them for things onely behoofull and necessarie Plautus in Sticho saith Curiosus nemo est qui non sit malevolus There is none that is curious but is euilly disposed And againe in Haecyra Tua quid nihil refert percontari desinesâ— i. That which concerneth thee not enquire not after I conclude with that of S. Bernard in one of his Sermons Curiosus foras engreditur exterius omnia
much happier were that man On whom the prouidence of Heav'n would daine A gracious looke These words were spoke so plaine The Prince o're-heard them and commanded both To come to Court The silly men were loth Fearing they 'had spoke some treason Brought they were Into a stately roome and placed there In two rich chaires and iust before them spread A table with two bak'd meats furnished Both without difference seeming alike faire One cram'd with Gold other nought saue Aire For these they two cast lots To him that said He that trusts Heav'n that man is only made Hapned the Gold To the other that said Well Shall he thriue that trusts man th' empty fell The Emperor made this vse on 't Lords you see What a great Traine hourely depends on me I looke on all but cannot all preferre That in my seruice merit Nor do I erre 'T is their fate not my fault such onely rise By me on whom Heav'n bids me cast mine eyes How comes it that a Poet shall contriue A most elaborate Worke to make suruiue Forgotten Dust when no King shall expire But he brings fuell to his funerall fire No Optimate falls from the Noble throng But he records his Elegeicke Song In mourning papers and when all decayes Herse Shewes and Pompe yet That resounds his praise Of euery Match and Royall Combination His Pen is ready to make publication When all proue ag'd forgotten and blowne o're His Verse is still as youthfull as before And sounds as sweetly though it now seeme dead To after-Times it shall be euer read What 's Gentry then Or Noblesse Greatnesse what The Ciuill Purple or the Clergy Hat The Coronet or Mitre Nay the Crowne Imperiall What 's Potencie Renowne Ovations Triumphs with victorious Bayes Wisedome or Wealth Can these adde to thy dayes Inquire of Roman Brutus syrnam'd Iust Or Salomon the Wise they both are Dust. Learn'd Aristotle Plato the Diuine From Earth they came and Earth they now are thine Where are the Worthies where the Rich or Faire All in one common bed involved are Mans Life 's a Goale and Death end of the race And thousand sundry wayes point to the place From East the West the North the South all come Some slow some swift-pac'd to this generall Doome Some by the Wars fall some the Seas deuoure Certaine is Death vncertaine though the Houre Some die of Loue others through Griefe expire Beneath cold Arctos these they by the Fire The Torrid Zone casts forth forc'd to endure The scorching and contagious Calenture Some the Spring takes away and some the Fall Winter and Sommer others and Death All. Consider well the miserie of Man And weigh it truly since there 's none but can Take from his owne and others thousand wayes But yet not adde one minute to their dayes For now the Conqueror with the Captiue's spread On one bare Earth as on the common Bed The all-commanding Generall hath no span Of ground allow'd more than the Priuat man Folly with Wisedome hath an equall share The Foule and Faire to like Dust changed are This is of all Mortalitie the end Thersites now with Nereus dares contend And with Achilles He hath equall place Who liuing durst not looke him in the face The Seruant with the Master and the Maid Stretcht by her Mistresse both their heads are laid Vpon an equall pillow Subiects keepe Courts with Kings equall and as soft they sleepe Lodging their heads vpon a turfe of grasse As they on Marble or on figur'd Brasse Blinde Homer in the graue lies doubly darke Against him now base Zoylus dares not barke To him what attributes may we then giue And other Poets by whom all these liue Who as their putrid flesh is long since rotten So in their Sepulchres had lay'n forgotten Like common men had not their Muse high-flying Kept both these Worthies and themselues from dying How in these dayes is such a man regarded No not so much as Oile or Inke rewarded Yet shall a Sycophant or ballading Knaue If he but impudence and gay cloathes haue Can harpe vpon some scurrilous Iest or Tale Though fifteene times told and i th' City stale Command a Great mans eare perhaps be able To prefer Sutes and elbow at his table Weare speaking pockets boast Whom he doth serue When meriting men may either beg or starue Past Ages did the antient Poets grace And to their swelling stiles the very place Where they were borne denomination leant Publius Ovidius Naso had th' ostent Of Sulmonensis added and did giue The Dorpe a name by which it still doth liue Publius Virgilius likewise had th' addition Of Maro to expresse his full condition Marcus Annaeus Lucanus Seneca Bore title from his city Corduba Caius Pedo was styl'd Albinovanus Aurelius Olympius Nemesianus Some from the nature of their Poëms Thus Caius Lucilius was call'd Satyrus So Livius Andronicus Epicus And Lucius Accius syrnamed Tragicus c. Some from their seuerall Countries because they Were forrein borne Terens from Africa Is Publius Terentius Afer read Titus Calphurnius Siculus as bred In Sicily So many others had And that for sundry causes meanes to add Vnto their first for with their worth encreast Their stiles the most grac'd with three names at least◠Our moderne Poets to that passe are driuen Those names are curtal'd which they first had giuen And as we wisht to haue their memories drown'd We scarcely can afford them halfe their sound Greene who had in both Academies ta'ne Degree of Master yet could neuer gaine To be call'd more than Robin who had he Profest ought saue the Muse Serv'd and been Free After a seuen yeares Prentiseship might haue With credit too gone Robert to his graue Marlo renown'd for his rare art and wit Could ne're attaine beyond the name of Kit Although his Hero and Leander did Merit addition rather Famous Kid Was call'd but Tom. Tom. Watson though he wrote Able to make Apollo's selfe to dote Vpon his Muse for all that he could striue Yet neuer could to his full name arriue Tom. Nash in his time of no small esteeme Could not a second syllable redeeme Excellent Bewmont in the formost ranke Of the rar'st Wits was neuer more than Franck. Mellifluous Shake-speare whose inchanting Quill Commanded Mirth or Passion was but Will. And famous Iohnson though his learned Pen Be dipt in Castaly is still but Ben. Fletcher and Webster of that learned packe None of the mean'st yet neither was but Iacke Deckers but Tom nor May nor Middleton And hee 's now but Iacke Foord that once were Iohn Nor speake I this that any here exprest Should thinke themselues lesse worthy than the rest Whose names haue their full syllable and sound Or that Franck Kit or Iacke are the least wound Vnto their fame and merit I for my part Thinke others what they please accept that heart Which courts my loue
I please drop from the Heav'ns a Chaine To which lay all your hands and you in vaine Shall striue to pull me thence and yet with ease And ioyne to you the vast Earth and the Seas With all their pondrous weight one minutes space Shall draw you vp to my sublimer place c. In which Power ascribed vnto Iupiter as acknowledging one superior Deitie what doth hee lesse than sleight and vilifie the weakenesse and deficiencie of all such Idols on whom Diuine honors are superstitiously conferred I began the former Tractate with the Hierarchie of Angells their three Classes or Ternions their order and concatination in which I haue proceeded with that plainenesse that I hope they need no further demonstration As also of the opinion of the Sadduces and others who will allow no Spirits or Angells at all their weake and vnmomentary Tenents being with much facility remoued I now proceed to this vnresistable conclusion That the obiect and end of Gods diuine Will in the creation of all things was no other than his Grace and Goodnesse in which he continued from all eternitie and so he might haue done without the helpe seruice or ministerie of any Angell or Creature whatsoeuer which neither to the ornament conseruation or augmentation of his Diuine Nature can adde or detract And that his Almightinesse was pleased to vndergo this great Worke of the Creation it was his free-Will and no Necessitie that obliged him vnto it And he that in his Diuine Wisdom and Goodnesse had Will to make things hath the same Power to dispose them by which he created them and as much do we owe vnto him for the Dangers from which he deliuereth vs as for the Health Wealth and Dignities with which hee blesseth vs. For as Saint Hierome saith The treasures of Vices in vs are the aboundance of Goodnesse in God c. Angels were the first Creatures God made created pure as the Light ordained with the Light to serue God who is the Lord of Light They haue charge to conduct vs wisedome to instruct vs and grace to preserue vs They are the Saints Tutors Heauens Heraulds and the Bodies and Soules Guardians Furthermore as Origen saith Euery ones Angell that hath guided him in this life shall at the last day produce and bring his Charge forth whom he hath gouerned They at all times and in all places behold the majestie of the Heauenly Father And according to Saint Augustine they were created Immortall Beautifull Innocent Good Free and Subtile resembling a far off the Essence of God himselfe Saint Basil saith The Angels suffer no mutation or change for amongst them there is neither Childe Youth nor Old man but in the same state they were created in the beginning they stil persist and so vnchangeably shall to all eternitie And Saint Augustine in his Booke De vera Religione vseth these words Let not the worship of men that be dead be any Religion vnto vs who if they liued piously and died good men desire no such honor to be conferred vpon them but they desire that Hee onely should be adored by vs by whose illumination they reioyce that wee shall become partakers of their blessednesse Therefore they are to be honored for imitation but not worshipped for Religion And after speaking of the Augels he addeth this We honour them in our Charitie but not in any Seruilitie neither do wee build any Temples vnto them For they would not be so honoured of vs knowing that we our selues if we be good men are the Temples of the euer liuing God For our instruction therefore it was written That the Angell forbad man to bow to him but to giue all worship and reuerence to that Great God to whom he with him was a fellow seruant God vseth their ministerie and seruice not only to the celebrating of his owne glory as Psal. 103. vers 20 21. Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that do his commandement in obeying the voice of his Word Praise the Lord all yee his Hosts yee his Seruants that do his pleasure But also when he employeth them to deliuer any message vnto man as Numb 22. vers 32. And the Angel of the Lord said vnto him Why hast thou stricken thinâ— Asse now thrice c. As also Genes 19. 13. For wee will destroy this place because the Cry of them is great before the Lord and the Lord hath sent vs to destroy it He employeth them likewise in the gouernment of the world For by him were all things creâ—ted which are in heauen or which are in earth things visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him c. He vseth them in the deliuerance and protection of the Faithfull Acts 5.19 But the Angell of the Lord by night opened the prison doores and brought him forth c. By their care and employment some are instructed in the Law of the Lord and to haue the Gospell propagated Acts 16.9 Where a Vision appeared to Paul in the night There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and helpe vs c. They comfort the Saints in afflictions as well in things that belong to this bodily as spirituall life they strengthen them when they faint sometimes cherish and at other times chastice them Reg. 2.1.3 Then the Angell of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbyte Arise and goe vp to meet the Messengers of the King of Samaria and say vnto them Is it not because there is no God in Israel that you go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Eckron c. Acts 27.23 24. Paul saith For there stood by me this night the Angell of God whose I am and whom I serue saying Feare not Paul for thou must be brought before Caesar and Loe God hath giuen vnto thee freely all that saile with thee They are Gods Avengers of the reprobat and such as oppose his Church people Esay 37.36 Then the Angell of the Lord went out and smote in the Campe of Assur an hundred fourestore and fiue thousand So when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead Corps Of their seuerall apparitions and sundry employments much more might be said but these few may serue to illustrate the rest Yet notwithstanding that great is their power and excellence and that God vseth their ministerie in preseruing and protecting vs and bestowing many benefits and blessings vpon vs yet as wel by their owne saying as the sentence of the Apostles it is manifest no Diuine Worship is to be conferred vpon them but vpon God onely Before I come by seuerall histories to enlarge that argument handled in the premisses namely That euen by Dreames it may be concluded that there be Spirits I will speake something of Dreams in general Aristotle defines them thus Somnium est phantasmain somno factum i. A
comming towards the bed with purpose as I thought to kill this my young Nephew pointing to a childe in the cradle but shee was hindred by finding mee here Who no sooner saw mee but shee began grieuously to threat me and came neere to strike me In which feare I began to call vpon God to helpe me whose name I had no sooner vttered but she vanished instantly and I am left here euen as you found me Whereupon her kinseman the Master of the house writ downe and keeping the Maid still with him sent to the Father Inquisitor of the place where the mother of the Guirle his Kinswoman liued in good reputation and no way suspected before whom shee was called and questioned and as the manner of that Countrey is vpon the like probabilitie and suspition put to the mercy of the Tormentor and at length shee confessed euerie particular before mentioned To which she added That she had no lesse than fifty sundry times been transported by the Diuel only with a malicious intent to kil that yong childe but she found him alwayes at her arriuall so protected by the blessings prayers of his deuout and religious Parents that she had no power at all ouer him c. To this story the Author addeth a second of one Antonius Leo a Collier by profession and dwelling in the city of Ferrara who greatly suspecting his wife to be a Witch by reason that diuers of his Neighbours informed him That she was reputed to be one of those who had nightly conuentions with the Diuel he therefore kept all to himselfe and one night aboue the rest snorting and counterfeiting a deepe and profound sleepe with which his wife being deluded rose softly from the bed and as in the former discourse daubing her selfe with an vnguent leapt out at the easement which was some three stories high and he could set no more sight of her At which he grew first strangely amased as fearing shee had desperately done it to breake her necke but hearing no cry nor apprehending any noise by her fall he then began to confirme his former suspition and in a foolish curiositie tooke the same box and did to himselfe in all respects as hee had seene her to practise before him and was immediately in the same manner hurried out at the window and in an instant found himselfe in a Noble Counts Wine-sellar where hee saw his wife with diuerse others of that Diuellish sister hood merrily gossipping and carousing deepe healths one to another who no sooner beheld so vnexpected a guest but they all suddenly vanished and the poore Collier was left alone with the cellar dore fast locked vpon him and early in the morning being found there by the Butler hee called other his fellow seruants who apprehended him as an House-breaker and Felon and brought him before their Lord. Who at length by great importunitie obtaining libertie to speak for himselfe he opened vnto the Count all the manner of the particular circumstances before related which though at first they appeared incredible yet vpon more mature consideration hee was dismissed but conditionally That he call his wife in publique question with the rest of her Associats Which he accordingly did and brought them before the Inquisitor to whom after examination they confessed not onely that but many other more notorious and diabolical acts the least of them sufficient to bring them to the stake and faggot Barthol Ronfaus telleth a strange story of a Witch in Osburch Antonius Torquinada deliuereth the like who was by Nation a Spaniard and Paulus Grillandus in his Book De Sortilegis remembreth diuers to the same purpose one of which I thought good to transferre from him and expose to your free view and censure In the yeare of Grace saith he 1524 when I was chiefe Inquisitor many of these Inchantresses and Witches were brought before me Amoâ—gst whom a certaine woman Dioecis Sabensis was a practiser of that diabolicall art of which her husband had been long suspitious and watched her so narrowly that he took her in the manner when she was busie about her infernall exercise Notwithstanding which she impudently denied it and out-faced him that she was no such woman But he as obstinat on the contrary and resolued withall not to be so deluded with a good sound cudgell fell vpon her and so be laboured her sides and shoulders till with incessant beating hee forced the truth from her and brought her vpon her knees most submissiuely to intreat his pardon which after some entreaty he seemed willingly to grant but vpon condition That she would bâ—ing him to be present and an eye-witnesse of their abhominable ceremonies vsed in their nightly Conuentions which shee faithfully promised and so they were reconciled At the next night of their meeting hee hauing ingaged his word for secrecie she brought him to the place appointed where he freely beheld the manner of their adoration done to the Diuell their sports and their dances full of many beastly postures and figures with many other strange pastimes and merriments there practised All which being ended there was a long Table couered and furnished with sundry dishes and he seated amongst them and as he saw the rest do he began to fall heartily to his victuals which somwhat distasted him as not being wel seasoned therefore looking about him for salt but spying none vpon the table he called to one that attended to fetch him a little salt But he not seeming to regard him he began to grow importunate and somewhat loud at length he brought him a small quantitie vpon the corner of a trencher which hee seeing and seeming glad thereof Mary God be thanked said he for I haue now got some salt Which words were no sooner vttered but the Table Meat Dishes Diuels Witches and Lights all vanished and hee was left there naked and alone in a desolate place But in the morning spying certaine Shepheards and demanding of them what countrey hee was in they told him In the prouince of Beneventanus belonging to the kingdome of Naples which was more than an hundred miles distant from his owne house The man though he was of a faire reuenue yet was forced to beg all the way homeward But after his tedious and difficult journey arriuing at his owne village he summoned his wife before the Magistrate with others whom he had espied and knowne at the Feast Who vpon his testimonie were conuicted and suffered according to the extremitie of the Law prouided for offences of that execrable nature I haue read of another guilty of the like curiositie who was hurried so far in one night that it cost him three yeares tedious trauell before hee could come to see the smoke of his owne Chimney To shew that these Magicall sorceries haue beene from great antiquitie and not lately crept into the world by the proditious insinuation of the Diuel me thinks I heare Medaea thus speaking Ovid Metam lib. 7. Tuque triceps Hecate
three Presents bring Myrrhe to a Man and Gold vnto a King Incense to'a God To proue himselfe Diuine In Cana he turn'd Water into Wine Fiue Loaues two Fishes haue fiue thousand fed When surplusage remain'd of meat and bread To the borne-Blinde he shew'd the Suns bright rayes Who on th' vnknowne light did with wonder gaze He caus'd the light on Lazarus to shine After he foure dayes in the graue had ly'ne With his right hand he fainting Peter stay'd But with his word his faith more constant made She that the bloudy Issue had endur'd For many Winters by her Faith was cur'd The palsied man who had been bedrid long Took vp his bed and walkt thence whole and strong He cast out Diuels by his Word sincere He made the Dumbe to speake and Deafe to heare He it was of whom some thinke Virgil prophecied Eclog 4. in these words Vltima Cumaei venit iam Carminis atas The last day 's come of the Cumaean Ryme A great One's now borne from the first of Time The Virgin is return'd with Saturnes Crowne And now a new Birth is from Heav'n let downe He was miraculous in his death Of whom elegant S. Bernard thus speakes How sweetly Lord Iesus didst thou conuerse with men how aboundantly didst thou bestow many blessings vpon man how valiantly didst thou suffer many bitter hard and intollerable things for man hard words hard strokes more hard afflictions O hard hardned and obdure Sonnes of Adam whom so great sufferings so great benignitie so immense an ardour of loue cannot mollifie Againe God loued vs sweetly wisely valiantly sweetly in assuming our Flesh wisely in auoyding sin valiantly in suffering death but aboue all in that Cup which he vouchsafed to taste which was the great worke of our Redemption for that more than all challenges our loue it gently insinuateth our deuotion more iustly exacts it more strictly binds it more vehemently commands it And in another place In the Passion of our Sauiour it behoueth vs three things more especially to consider the Worke the Manner the Cause In the Worke his Patience in the Manner his Humilitie in the Cause his Charitie Patience singular Humilitie admirable and Charitie vnspeakeable And now me-thinks I heare the Redeemer and Sauiour of the World thus speake from the Crosse. Huc me sidereo discendere fecit Olympo His me crudeli vulnere fixit Amor c. Loue drew me hither from the starry Round And here hath pierc'd me with a cruell wound I mourne yet none hath of my griefe remorse Whom Deaths dire Lawes in vaine intend to force Loue brought me to insufferable scorne And platted on my head a crowne of Thorne It was meere loue thy wounded Soule to cure Made me these wounds vpon my flesh t' endure It was my Loue which triumphs ouer all That quencht my thirst with Vineger and Call The loue which I to Mankinde could not hide With a sharpe Speare launcht bloud out of my side Or'e me Loue onely me of Kings the King Doth now insult who hither did me bring For others gaine to suffer this great losse To haue my hands and feet nayl'd to the Crosse. Now what do I for all this loue implore Loue me againe and I desire no more Thinke saith Thomas de Kempis of the dignitie of the Person and greatly lament because God in the Flesh was so contumeliously handled Ecce Altissimus supra omnes infra omnes deprimitur Nobilissmus dehonestatur Speciocissimus sputo inquinatur c. Behold how the most-High aboue all is depressed below all The most Noble is vilified The most Faire spit vpon The most Wise derided The most Mighty bound The most Innocent scourged The most Holy crowned with Thornes The most Gentle buffetted The most Rich impouerished The most Bountifull despoyled The most Worthy blasphemed The most Good despised The most Louing hated The most Knowing reputed foolish The most True not beleeued The most Innocent condemned The most skilfull Physitian wounded The Sonne of God crucified The Immortall subiect to death and slaine The Lord of heauen and earth dying for the redemption of wretched and ingratefull seruants Sic de Cruce suo Christus loquitur Vide Homo qua pro te patior Vide Claâ—es quibus confâ—diâ—r Vide poenas quibus afficior Cum sit tantuâ— dolor exterior Interior planctus est gravior Dum ingratum te sic experior See what I for thee endure Nail'd to the Crosse by hands impure Behold the paines I suffer here Since outward griefe doth such appeare How great then is my griefe within Whilest thou ingrate abid'st in sin Briefely The whole Passion of Christ according to the sentence of Dionysius was for imitation compassion admiration contemplation inflammation and thanksgiuing According to that of Thomas à Kempis It is of diuine Loue the Incendiarie of Patience the Doctrine in tribulation the Comfort It is the solace of dissolution the substance of holy compunction the exercise of internall deuotion the exclusion of desperation the certaine hope of remission the support of sharpe reprehension the expulsion of peruerse cogitation the repression of carnall temptation the consolation of corporall imperfections the contempt of temporall aboundance the abdication of our proper affections the restraint of superfluous necessitie the exercise of honest conuersation the inflammation to amendment of life the induction to coelestial consolation the approbation of brotherly compassion the reparation of diuine contemplation the argumentation of future blessednesse the mitigation of paines present the purgation from the fire future and the great satisfaction for all our sinnes and offences whatsoeuer Briefely the Passion of Christ is of a godly and religious Soule the Mirrhor of our life the Director of the way to heauen the Load-starre of all tempests the shadow and protector and of all Soules in the houre of death the comfort and supporter The Passion of Christ saith Rabanus de laude Crucis sustaines heauen gouerneth the world pierceth hell in the first the Angels are confirmed in the second the people redeemed in the third the Enemie subdued Saint Augustine in his Sermon De Natali Domini saith That the Maker of man was made Man that he which gouerned the Stars should sucke the breast that the Bread should be hungry the Fountaine thirsty the Light should be darkned the Way should be weary the Truth should suffer by false witnesse the Iudge of the liuing and dead should by a mortall man be iudged that Iustice by injust men should be condemned that Discipline it selfe should be scourged the prime Branch crowned with thornes he that made the Tree be hanged on the Tree Strength weakned Health wounded and Life made subiect vnto death Saint Bernard in his first sermon De Nativit Christi vseth these words Vt in Paradiso terrestri quatuor fuere fontes c. As in the earthly Paradise there were foure Riuers which watered the whole earth so in Christ who is our Paradise wee may finde
Thy Maiestie and Might With Thy great Glory shining bright Are still to be adored solely V. The Heart that 's obstinate shall be With sorrowes laden heauily He that is wicked in his wayes What doth he but heape sinne on sin Which where it endeth doth begin Whom nothing being downe can raise VI. To the persuasion of the Prowd No remedie there is allow'd His steps shall faile that steddy seem'd Sinnes Root in him is planted deepe And there doth strong possession keepe He therefore shall not be esteem'd VII We know the Sinne from whence it grew We know the Torment thereto due And the sad place for it assign'd And yet the more we seeme to know The more we dull and stupid grow As if we sencelesse were and blind VIII Ope then our hearts our eyes vnmaske And grant vs what we humbly aske So much of Thy Diuinest Grace That we may neither erre nor stray But finding out the perfect way We may evade both Paine and Place IX Though Atheists seeme to jest at Hell There is a Tophet we know well O Atheismes pestilent infection There 's a Gehinnon a sad Graue Prepar'd at first for such as haue No hope in the blest resurrection X. Three times our Sauior wept we read When he heard Lazarus was dead Bewailing Humane frailty then When to Ierusalem he rid And a poore Asses Colt bestrid At the grosse folly blinding men XI He wept vpon the Crosse againe 'Gainst Humane Malice to complaine Seeing their insolence and pride When in such bitter grosse despight They crucify'd the Lord of Light Him who for Mans redemption dy'de XII How necessarie then are Teares To free vs from all future feares Of Death of Torment of Damnation Teares that can wash our Soules so white To bring vs to Eternall light Instating vs in our saluation XIII A contrite Spirit a broken Heart Moist eyes whence many dew drops start O grant vs then thou heav'nly King So we with Hearts and Tongues vnited May with the Psalmist be accited And Praise and Glory to Thee sing XIV Ye Sonnes of Men with one accord All Strength and Glory giue the Lord You that are Sonnes to men of Fame Giue them the Lord they are his due For know that it belongs to you To magnifie his holy Name XV. Within his glorious Temple Hee Deserueth Worship on the knee O kneele then at His sacred Shrine His Voice is on the Waters great His Glory thunders from his Seat His Pow'r doth on the Waters shine XVI His Voice is mighty glorious too For all things the Lords Voice can doo The strongest Cedars He doth breake When the Lords Voice from him is gon The Cedars ev'n of Lebanon Torne as they stand his Pow'r can speake XVII His Voice them of their leaues can strip He makes them like yong Calues to skip Nor doth the stedfast Mountaine scorne Or Hermon for his Dew so prais'd But when his voice aloft is rais'd To skip like a yong Vnicorne XVIII When the Lords Voice is lifted higher It doth diuide the flames of fire It makes the Wildernesse to quake Ev'n the great Wildernesse of all The Desart which we Kadesh call It doth compell to moue and shake XIX His Voice doth make the Hinde to beare And all those Forrests that cloath'd were Stand at his pleasure nak'd and bare And therefore in his Temple now All meet and to his Glory bow With Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer XX. The Lord the raging Seas doth sway The mighty Flouds to Him obay And neuer shall his Kingdome cease The Lord shall giue his People strength And will deliuer them at length And blesse them with his ioyfull Peace Non Delinquenti sed peccata relinquenti condonat Deus Ambros. THE PRINCIPAT Ex muner g glouer sculpt THE ARGVMENT of the seuenth Tractat. OF Gods great Works a serious view For which all praise to him is due The seuerall Classes that are held Amongst the Angels that rebel'd Of Lucifer the principall And his strange figure since his Fall Of Such as most in Power excell And of their Gouernment in Hell Their Orders Offices and Names And what Prioritie each claimes The List of Those that fell from Blisse The Knowledge that in Daemons is And how far stretcht Next of their Wrath Tow'rds Mankinde and what Bounds it hath Discouery of those Ginnes and Snares They lay t' entrap Men vnawares Of Compacts common in these Ages And of the Astrologomages The second Argument IN Heav'n in Earth in Hell some sway Others againe are taught t' obay The Principats GOds wondrous Works that haue before me beene I will record and speake what I haue seene Saith Wisedome No Worke present or decay'd But by his pow'rfull Word at first was made The Sun that shines and doth on all things looke What is it else but an illustrious booke In which th' Almighties Glory may be read Hath not the Lord who hath accomplished All things in season made each thing so rare That all his Saints his Glory shall declare These wondrous Workes surpassing humane sence T' expresse his Maiestie and Excellence The Heart he searcheth and the depth of man In his pre-Science knowing all he can Or thinke or act the wonders of the Skies And each obscure thing 's plaine before his eies Things past nor future can escape his brest All secret paths to Him are manifest No thought can Him escape of that be'assur'd Nor can the least word be from him obscur'd His Wisedomes exc'lent Works He doth extend From Euerlasting Neuer to haue end He needs no Counsellor his Will to act To Him can none adde no man can detract O how delectable Thou Lord of All Are thy stupendious Workes in generall By vs to be consider'd from things higher Ev'n to the very common sparks of Fire They liue by Thee created firme and sure And they to euerlasting shall endure And when he calls them to a reck'ning still As His they are obseruant to his Will Doubled they are one set against another And there is nothing his rare Works can smother The one the others workmanship commends How far then ô thou Mighty God extends Thy wondrous Pow'r or Who to Earth ally'd With thy great Glory can be satisfy'd Behold this high and sublime Ornament The beauty of the Heav'ns the Firmament So glorious to the eye in it the Sunne A maruellous Worke by the Creator done Which in it's dayly progresse through the Skie Points vnto vs the hand of the Most-Hye He burnes the Soile from his meridian seat And who is he that can abide his heat Three times more hot the mountaine tops he makes Than he that with his great care vndertakes To keepe a furnace in continuall â—lame His fiery vapors He casts out the same In their owne kinde so luminous and bright As that they dazle the beholders sight Great is the Lord that made the Sunne indeed And by his Word commands it run with speed The
Moone He likewise made in substance cleare According to the Season to appeare That it should be a future declaration Of Time and the Worlds Signe to ev'ry Nation Feasts are by it appointed the Moneths claime Proper denomination from her Name Waining or growing be she bright or dull In her continual Change shee 's wonderfull Shee 's a lampe plac'd aboue our heads and thence Sends downe her shining beames in excellence The beauty of the Heav'ns perceiv'd from far Is ev'ry great or lesse refulgent Star These lustre to the Firmament afford And shine in the high places of the Lord. From whose command they no way dare rebell But all night long keepe watch and sentinell Looke on the Rain-bow in it's mixed hew Obserue how beautifull it is in view What sev'rall colours with what cunning layd And praise Him who so great a Worke hath made He into such a spacious arch extends it It is the hand of the Most-High that bends it At his command the Snow makes haste from hye The Lightnings of his judgements swiftly flye When He vnlocks his Treasure Clouds repaire And like so many Fowles soare in the aire His Pow'r doth giue them strength When he but speaks The mighty Hail-stones into small he breaks At his dread sight the mountaines skip like Roes 'T is at his pleasure that the South winde blowes His Thunders sound the trembling Earth doth beat As doth the stormy North the fields entreat The Whirle windes like so many feather'd Fowle Scatter the Snow the white flakes downeward rowle As if so many Grashoppers together Should light-on th' earth brought in by stormy weather The Eye admires the whitenesse and the Braine Cannot conceiue the beauty of the Raine The Frost like Salt vpon the ground he powres Which hardned stickes vpon the Herbs and Floures When the bleake North winde from his Quarter blowes A congeal'd Ice vpon the Water growes Vpon the gath'ring of the waues it rests And with a chrystall couering armes their brests The Mountaines it deuours the Desaâ—ts burnes And like the Fire what 's greene to nothing turnes Yet by a melting Cloud and timely Raine These seeming dead are soone refresht againe He by his Word the blustring Windes doth still The Seas rough Surges All obey his Will He in the vnknowne Deepes foundations layes And in the midst thereof doth Islands raise They that the Ocean saile which hath no bound Tell of the wonders that are therein found Which so miraculous to vs appeare When they are told we stand amas'd to heare For there be his rare Works of Beasts and Whales Begetting terror from their sinnes and scales Through Him all things are aim'd as blessed ends And his establisht Word his Worke commends When we haue spoken most yet all ' â— but raine We neuer to their knowledge shall attaine This is the sum of all That He alone Must be the sole All and besides Him none Of his true Praise how can we giue account Since He we know doth all his Works surmount The Lord our God is terrible and great Who shall his Pow'r and marv'lous Acts repeat Praise laud and magnifie him all we can Yet doth He far exceed the thoughts of Man Exalt Him in our strength and be not tyr'd Yet shall not his â—east fully be admir'd Who is 't hath seene Him that his shape can tell Or who can praise him as He doth excell For greater things haue yet escapt our view And of his rare Works we haue seene but few The Lord hath made all things in Earth and Heav'n And vnto such as feare Him Wisdome's giv'n The Orders Names the Qualities and Charge Of the blest Angels we haue spoke at large It followes next to touch the true condition Of those malignant Sp'rits whose proud Ambition Cast themselues head-long both from the blest Place First made for them and from th' Almighties Grace Nor is it to be doubted but that those Who in their peruerse malice durst oppose Their glorious Maker and against Him war But that they likewise still intentiue ar ' And their peruersenesse totally enclin'd To Gods contempt and ruine of Mankind Now since those disobedient Sp'rites that fell With their grand Captaine downe from heav'n to hell Were out of all the Hierarchies extruded It therefore as a Maxime is concluded Not to be question'd That as th' Angels blest Who still inhabit their faire place of rest So likewise those by Lucifer mis-guided Are into sev'rall Ternions diuided And haue amongst them Orders and Degrees And though the benefit of Grace they leese Yet still that naturall pow'r and force retaine At first bequeath'd them bee'ng reduc'd againe To Order and their Offices still keepe As once in Heav'n so in th' infernall Deepe To this the Fathers with one voice agree For one writes thus In the great Hierarchie Of the blest Sp'rits some are employ'd to tell Things futurely to come others excell In working Miracles for no portent Is done on earth but by some Angell sent Some ouer others haue predominance Employing them Gods honor to aduance By executing Mysteries Diuine Others in greater pow'r and eminence shine Hauing vnnumber'd Armies in their sway Vnto whose Hests the lesse degreed obay Some are so plenteously endu'd with grace That God himselfe in them hath chus'd a place In which t' enhabit and these haue profest His secret judgements to make manifest Others are with so sacred links entir'd Vnto their Maker and withall inspir'd With such re-pur'd zeale there appeares not much Place intermediat betwixt Him and Such By what degrees they do precell the rest In ardent loue so much more interest They challenge with acutenesse to behold His Wisedome Iustice and Grace manifold Now as these sev'rall Functions are aboue With Those that still persever in their Loue So 'mongst the Disobedient is remaining Like order still their naturall pow'rs retaining For till the World be quite consum'd and gon It is a Maxim to be built vpon Angell o're Angell which none alter can Diuell o're Diuell Man shall rule o're Man Of the Rebellious Lucifer is prime Captaine and King who in the first of Time From out the seuerall Classes had selected Legions of Angels with like pride infected Against Iehovah and with expedition Hurld them with himselfe headlong to perdition And as in his Creation he was fram'd More glorious far than others before nam'd More goodly featur'd beautifull and bright And therefore had his name deriv'd from Light So since his Fall there 's nothing we can stile So ougly foule abominably vile The putred Fountaine and bitumenous Well From whence all Vice and malefactures swell Whose horrid shape and qualities infest Are by the Poet Dante 's thus exprest L' Imperador del Doloroso Regno Da mezo l petto vsciva Della Gliaccia Et pin eli ch'un Gigante iâ— ti conuegno
seriously then looking in their faces Partly by that part by their tongues at length His timerous doubts begin to gather strength Assur'd at last e'r either Sister greet He casts himselfe low at his fathers feet A Blessing is no sooner crav'd but had The Queene commands her Father to be clad In a rich habit suting his estate Which whilst her seruants haste t' accommodate The Brother now hath leisure to impart Cordiall salutes from an vnfeigned heart With his faire Sisters now no longer strange Which they with him as freely interchange By this the Queene is giv'n to vnderstand The King her Lord and Husband is at hand With those two Princes 'twixt whom he had made Such peace not one the other should inuade Whom by his wisdome after long hostilitie He had reduc'd vnto a faire ciuilitie Contracting league betwixt them and as Guests To Triumphs to Ovations and high feasts Inuited them his sole and maine intent To make that league more firme and permanent The King before he can approch the Court Of all the former newes hath full report Of Father Brother Sister and so met As that the Island shall remaine in debt To all posteritie where hee 's instated To haue the bruit from Age to Age related For where the place he liv'd in was obscure The memory of this shall make 't endure Whilst there 's a Summer to succeed the Spring Or Winter Autumne whilst vpon his wing Time hath a feather and shall credit win Till Lachesis haue no more thred to spin The patient Reader I am loth to cloy T' expresse their meeting jubilee and joy Who doubtlesse will conceiue it to be such Though more than need yet was not thought too much Besides in Feasts and Banquets knew I when I 'de rather blunt my knife than tyre my Pen. These and the like occasions were the cause Men to their good successe gaue such applause That one vnto the Oracle indeer'd A stately Temple to Apollo rear'd And Thestor who through Neptune had the fate To finde his best lov'd childe did consecrate To him an Altar thinking so to please The Pow'r that wrackt then sav'd him from the Seas And so the Queene since Fortune was so kinde To haue her in all troubles still in minde She in a new-built Temple yearely prais'd her Who to that height from her dejection rais'd her Such as in woods and forrests haue by chance Escap'd wilde beasts through their blinde ignorance Haue had a strong conception there might bee A Genius or some Sp'rit in ev'ry Tree To whom their safety they ascrib'd If passe A brooke or riuer where least danger was This or that water-Nymph they durst protest Had leant them aid when they were most distrest And thus the Diuell did the Ethnycks foole That would o're ev'ry Groue Lawne Streame or Poole Instate goddesse or god on whom to call That Pow'r neglecting who created All. At Diuine worship hath been still his aime For all Idolatry from him first came Of the Rebellious there be Orders nine As corresponding with the Spirits Diuine In the first eminent place are those install'd As would on earth be worshipt and gods call'd As he that did his Oracles proclaime In Delphos Shadow'd by Apollo's name He that the Pythian Prophetesse inspir'd As likewise those th' AEgyptians so admir'd Ascribing to themselues Honour and Feare And those in sundry Idols worshipt were And of these Belzebub is Lord and Master Prince of the second is that great Distaster Of Sanctitie and Truth Author of Lies Who alwayes speakes in doubts and fallacies Hee 's Python styl'd The third Classe comprehends Vessels of Wrath who haue no other ends Than to to deuise all Mischiefes Belial hee Is call'd for his approv'd Iniquitie I' th fourth Forme are such Spirits as conuince Man in his sinne then punish him their Prince Is Asmodeus The fift Scale comprises Deceiuers full of fraudulent disguises And 't is their function office and condition T' attend the deform'd Witch and damn'd Magition And of these Sathan's chiefe The sixt containes The airy Potestates who Hailes and Raines Thunders and Lightnings haue great dom'nance in And of these the prime Lord is Merasin In the sev'nth are the Furies they giue life To Discord War Strage and contentious Strife Then cast them vpon Man in their fierce wrath Abaddon ouer these dominion hath The eighth includes Explorers that accuse Those Astaroth doth as his Vassals vse The ninth and last Tempters who ambush Soules Those Maimon in his Principat controules Now of these Cacadaemons we haue ground For many names in sacred Scripture found The word Diabolus doth signifie A false Accuser full of calumnie Belial is likewise read there and the word Imports an Out-Law without Yoke or Lord. Knowledge acute Daemonium implies And Beelzebub is the King of Flies Sathan an Aduersarie Bohemoth a Beast Leviathan where grosse sinnes are increast And builded vp Such from Abaddons race Be styl'd as are extermined from grace We finde in Dante 's these by obseruation Alchino i. Vnto Vice an inclination Then Calchabrina i. One who doth despise All Diuine Grace Neither did he deuise Vainly these names An euill-biting Dog Cagnazzum Coriato a fat Hog Barbariccia i. Fraudu'lent and Vniust And Libicocco One inflam'd with Lust. Faraffel doth a Trifler intimate And Rubicante Fir'd with Spleene and Hate Briefely to passe their names o're it would well Become this place to speake how many fell In that great Conflict and 't is my desire As far as leaue permits me to enquire Most probable it is and best agreeing With common Sence since all things that haue Beeing By naturall instinct their Pow'rs extend And faculties all aiming at the end For which they first were made and Nature still Her ordinarie course striues to fulfill So that all Births which out of order come Are monstrous and prodigious of which some Although not many in each Age we see As likewise that Sinne still doth disagree With Diuine nature and therefore their Fall And proud Rebellion most vnnaturall As meere Extrauagants these reasons may Induce vs to beleeue and thinke that they Are more in number that remaine in Blisse Than those cast headlong to the deepe Abisse Some learned Rabbins haue opinion held The number of the Angels that rebell'd And in one Conjuration then compacted Out of each sev'rall Ternion extracted Equall one Chorus Saint Iohn doth auer That he beheld the Dragon Lucifer The third part of the Stars with his Taile draw From the high Heav'ns which he in Vision saw But of the Angels th'exact number who Shall vndertake to tell he shall but grow From Ignorance to Error yet we may Coniecture That as in perfection they Excell all other Creatures so conclude That likewise they exceed in multitude Those that haue had still haue or shall haue Beeing
giueth vs to know That excellent Spirits are not by Death extinguished or neglected but are rather transmigrated from the earth to reigne with the Powers aboue The second fore-shewes the calamitie of a People new left destitute of a Prince or Gouernor thereby fore-warning them to preuent and prepare themselues against all imminent perils The third giues vs warning that the time of the last expiration being come his friends and Allyes should take notice of the Diuine fauour that his body dying his Soule still suruiueth and that hee is not lost to his friends and familiars This was the opinion of some Philosophers Iamblic de Myster saith That as God oftentimes from the mouth of Fooles produceth wisedome declaring thereby that Man speaketh not but God himselfe so by euery sleight and vile thing hee portendeth what is to ensue keeping still his owne super-eminence and thereby instructing our weake vnderstanding And Guliel Pachimer Hist. lib. 6. saith Prodigium est Divinae irae signum c. A Prodegy is a signe of the wrath of God but whether it portendeth or looketh vpon things past or present is beyond our apprehension But this is an argument which I desire not too long to insist vpon c. In the discourse of Lucifer and his Adherents newly fallen from grace it will not be impertinent to speake something of his first and greatest master-piece in tempting our first Parents to sinne by which came death For Death was not made by God being nothing els as Saint Augustine against the Pelagians saith but a priuation of life hauing a name and no essence as Hunger is said to be a defect of food Thirst a want of moisture and Darknesse the priuation of light It therefore hauing a name and no Being God was neither the Creator nor Cause thereof Salomon saith God hath not made Death neither hath he any pleasure in the destruction of the Liuing for he created all things that they might haue their Being and the generations of the world are preserued And in an other place Through enuy of the Diuell came Death into the world He then being the author of Sin is likewise the author of Death And yet though he had power to tempt man to Sinne Man hauing Free-will he could not constraine him to giue consent This proud Angell by his owne insolence being cast from heauen began to enuy mans felicity vpon earth and to that purpose entred the Serpent which is said to be more subtill than any beast of the field And as Rupertus super Genesis saith Before the Serpent was made the Diuels Organ hee might haue beene termed most wise and prudent for it is said in Mathew Be ye therefore wise as Serpents Him as Saint Chrisostome writes the Diuell found best sitting for his hellish enterprise and in his spirituall malice by meanes of his Angelicall presence and excellent nature abusing both as instruments of his falsehood and treacherie hee wrought with to speake to the woman being the weaker Bodie and therefore the lesse able to resist temptation Neither did the Serpent speake vnto her but the Diuell in him as the good Angell did in Balaams Asse for the good Angels and euill work like operations but to diuers effects Petrus Commestor in his Scholasticall Historie writeth That at the time when the Serpent tempted the woman hee was straight and went upright like a man but after the Curse he was doomd to crawle vpon the face of the earth And Venerable Bede saith That the Diuell chose a Serpent which had the face of a woman Quod similia similibus applaudant That Like might be pleasing to Like The Holy Historie doth recite three distinct punishments of the Serpent the Woman and the Man the Serpent was cursed beyond any other beast or creature to crawle vpon his belly and eat dust all his life time enuy being put betweene the woman and her race on the one side and the Serpent and his race on the other so that Man should breake the head of the Serpent and the Serpent bruise the heele of Man The Woman was punished by pluralitie of paines in her conception and to bring forth her children with teares and lamentations c. In the next place comes Man who hauing heard and giuen consent to the words of his wife and eaten the fruit of the forbidden Tree hee must also be punished God said vnto him That the earth should be accursed for his sake in trauel and pain should he till it all his life time it should bring forth thornes and thistles vnto him he should feed on the herbs of the field and eat his bread in the sweat of his browes vntill he was returned vnto that earth from whence he had been taken Of this great Tempter the Diuell by whom sinne death and damnation first entred Saint Augustine in one of his Meditations vseth words to this purpose The Tempter was present neither wanted there time or place but thou keptst me ô Lord that I gaue not consent vnto him The Tempter came in Darknesse but thou didst comfort mee with thy Light The Tempter came armed and strong but thou didst strengthen mee and weaken him that he should not ouercome The Tempter came transfigured into an Angell of Light but thou didst illuminate mee to discouer him and curbe him that he could not preuaile against me He is the Great and Red Dragon the old Serpent called the Diuell and Sathan hauing seuen heads and ten hornes whom thou didst create a derider and mocker in the great and spacious sea in which creepe Creatures without number small and great These are the seuerall sorts of Diuels who night and day trauell from place to place seeking whom they may deuoure which doubtlesse they would do didst not thou preserue them This is the old Dragon who was borne in the Paradise of pleasure that with his taile sweepes away the third part of the Stars of heauen and casts them on the earth who with his poyson infects the waters of the earth that such men as drinke thereof may die who prostitutes gold before him as dust who thinkes hee can drinke Iordan dry at one draught and is made so that he doth not feare any And who shall defend vs from his bitings and plucke vs ou◠of his jawes but thou ô Lord who hast broken the head of the great Dragon Do thou helpe vs spread thy wings ouer vs that vnder them we may fly from this Dragon who pursueth vs and with thy shield and buckler defend vs from his hornes It is his sole desire and continuall study to destroy those Soules whom thou hast created And therefore ô God we call vnto thee to free vs from our deadly Aduersarie who whether we wake or sleepe whether we eat or drinke or whatsoeuer else wee doe is alwayes at hand night and day with his craft and fraud now openly then secretly directing his impoysoned
he was put by his place of Stewardship which droue him into that desperation and impotencie of minde that by the counsell of a Iewish Magitian he renounced his Sauiour by an Indenture writ vnder his owne hand deliuering himselfe wholly into the empire of Sathan who was many times visible vnto him But now miserable man what shall he doe hee groweth repentant of the act and troubled in Spirit when he thinkes how much hee hath insenced his Maker and Redeemer by deliuering himselfe vp a voluntarie slaue and captiue to the great Aduersarie the Diuell The story saith In this anxietie and perturbation of minde he thought it best to fly for succor to the blessed Virgin Mary and to that purpose retired himselfe to a Temple consecrate vnto her in which he tendred many supplications and prayers ioyned with fasting and teares making great shew of effectuall repentance Forty dayes together hee frequented the Church without intermission or cessation of weeping and praying presenting his blasphemous writing vpon the Altar which miraculously as they say was taken thence and he receiued againe into Gods fauor The manner of this homage and others done to the Diuell is as followeth First the Magitian or Witch is brought before the Tribunal of Sathan either by a familiar Spirit or else by a Mage or Hag of the same profession hee sits crowned in a Majesticke Throne round inguirt with other Diuels who attend on him as his Lords Barons and Princes richly habited The Palace seemeth wholly to be built of marble the walls hung with gold and purple-coloured Arras all shewing the pompe of regalitie and state Sathan himselfe from his Royall seat casts his eyes round about as if ready to incline his benigne eares to any humble suitor whatsoeuer Then steps forth a Diuell of a venerable aspect and saith O most potent Lord and Master great Patron of the spacious Vniuerse in whose hands are all the riches and treasures of the earth and all the goods and gifts of the world this man I present before thine Imperiall Throne to follow thy standard and to fight vnder the patronage of thy great name and power who is ready to acknowledge thee to be God and Creator of all things none but thee It shall be in thy clemencie ô most soueraigne Lord to vouchsafe this man or woman the grace of thy benign aspect and receiue him or her into thy patronage and fauor To which he with a graue countenance and loud oration thus answereth I cannot but commend this thy friend who so cordially hath committed himselfe into our safegard and trust whom as our Client and Fauorit we accept and promise to supply him with all felicitie and pleasure both in this present life and the future This done the miserable wretch is commanded to renounce his Faith and Baptisme the Eucharist and all other holy things and to confesse Lucifer his onely Lord and Gouernor Which is done with many execrable ceremonies not fit to be here remembred Then is the Writing deliuered as was before spoken of Theophilus written with the bloud of the left thumbe Then doth the Diuell marke him either in the brow neck or shoulder but commonly in the more secret parts with the stampe or character of the foot of an Hare a blacke Dog or Toad or some such figure by which he brands him as the custome was of old to mark their slaues and captiues whom they bought in the market for mony to become his perpetuall slaue and Vassal And this Nigerius Sprangerus Bodinus c. say The wicked Spirit doth as desirous to imitate God in all things who in the old Testament marked his chosen People with the seale of Circumcision to distinguish them from the Gentiles and in the New Testament with the signe of the Crosse which as Hieronimus and Nazianzen say succeeded that of Circumcision And as the Diuell is alwayes aduerse to his Creator so hee will be worshipped with contrarie Rites and ceremonies Therefore when Magitians and Witches present themselues vnto him they worship him with their faces from and their backes toward him and somtimes standing vpon their heads with their heeles vpward but which is most beastly and abhominable of all in signe of homage hee presents vnto them his taile to kisse For so Petrus Burgolus and Michael Verdunus with diuers other Magitians besides haue confessed Now to speak of those Sorteligers and the effects of their Art S. Austin is of opinion That Pythagoras vsed characters numbers and letters by which he wrought many things seeming miraculous Amongst others he tamed a wilde Beare of an vnmeasurable greatnesse and fiercenesse making it to follow him like a dog whithersoeuer he went or came and at length gaue him leaue to depart againe into the Desarts but with condition That hee should neuer offer any violence to man or woman which Couenant it is said he kept inuiolate Coelius telleth vs That the same Pythagoras neere to Tarentum spying an Oxe to feed vpon Beanes called the Heardsman and bid him driue away the beast and to forbid him from eating any more of that kinde of graine To whom the other laughing replied That his Oxe was not capable of such admonition but told him his aduice had been better bestowed in his Schoole amongst his Schollers Which said Pythagoras hauing murmured some few words to himselfe the Oxe left eating ran to his manger in the City could neuer after be coupled to the Yoke but like a domesticke Spaniel would take food from the hands of any man Much after this kinde is that which the Laplanders the Finlanders and the Bothnienses vse◠The Necromancer entereth his chamber with his wife and one companion onely there he takes a brasen Frog and Serpent layeth it vpon an anvill and giueth it a certaine number of blowes with an iron hammer then after the muttering of some few Magicke Verses in a great rapture he falleth downe into a trance Whilest he thus lies as seeming dead his Attendant watcheth him lest he be troubled with Flea Flie or any such thing At length comming to himselfe he can resolue you of any difficultie whose solution you before demanded The like may be said of that superstition vsed by the Magitian Iamnes Schoolemaster to the Emperor Theophilus who as Cedrenus witnesseth when three great Commanders and Captaines of the barbarous Nations were vp in armes against the Empire Theophilus doubtfull of the euent of that warre desired of Iamnes to be resolued thereof Who presently caused three great iron Hammers to be made which done hee deliuered them into the hands of three strong and able men and about mid-night after some incantations whispered he brought forth a statue with three heads and commanded them with all their strength to strike vpon those three heads at once which they did two of them were quite beat off and the third was much bruised but not decollated By which Iamnes gaue the Emperour hope
them there Where seemes no want of welcome or of cheare The table drawne and their discourse now free Iohn asks of them if they could wish to see Their fathers present they desire him too 't Prouing to finde if he by Art can doo 't He bids them to sit silent all are mute When suddenly one enters in a suâ—e Greasie before him a white apron ty'de His linnen sleeues tuckt vp both elbowes hide He stands and eyes them round and by his looke None there but needs must guesse him for a Cooke Which of you know this fellow now saith Iohn What say you Sir whom he so gaseth on He soone reply'de on whom he fixt his eye Aske you who knowes him Mary that do I Hee 's of my fathers kitchen Nay Siâ— rather Iohn answer'd him this is your owne deare father For when that noble Sir whose name you beare Was trauel'd on some great affaire else-where This well fed Groome to whom you ought to kneele Begot you then all ouer head to heele It seemes your mother knew not drosse from Bullion That in a great Lords stead embrac'd a Scullion He chases the Sp'rit doth vanish in the while The rest seeme pleas'd and in the interim smile When suddenly in middle of the roome Is seene a tall and lusty stable-Groome A frocke vpon him and in his left hand A Curri-combe the other grasps a wand And lookes vpon a second Here I show him Amongst you all saith Iohn doth any know him I must saith one acknowledge him of force His name is Ralfe and keepes my fathers horse And kept your mother warme too doubt it not The very morning that you were begot Her husband bee'ng a hunting The Youth blusht The rest afraid now were with silence husht Then to the third he brought a Butler in And prov'd him guilty of his mothers sin A Tailor to the fourth So of the rest Till all of them were with like shame opprest Teutonicus this seeing Nay quoth hee Since I am likewise stain'd with bastardie You shall behold my father Soone appeares A well-flesht man aged some forty yeares Of graue aspect in a long Church-man's gowne Red cheekt and shauen both his beard and crowne By his formalities it might be guest He must be a Lord Abbot at the least Who disappearing This man I confesse Begot me of his smooth fac'd Landeresse Saith Iohn and somewhat to abate your pride Iudge now who 's best man by the fathers side Some vext and other turn'd the jest to laughter But with his birth did neuer taunt him after Of many such like things Authors discusse Not only sportiue but miraculous We reade of one in Creucemacon dwelling In this prestigious kinde of Art excelling Who by such Spirits helpe could in the aire Appeare an Huntsman and there chase the Hare With a full packe of dogs Meaning to dine A teeme of horse and cart laden with wine He eat vp at one meale and hauing fed With a sharpe sword cut off his seruants head Then set it on his shoulders firme and so As he was no whit dammag'd by the blow In Saxonie not from Torgauia far A Nobleman for raising ciuill war Had been confin'd and forfeiting his wealth Was forc'd to liue by rapine and by stealth He riding on the way doth meet by chance One of these Sp'rits submisse in countenance In habit of a Groome who much desires T' attend his Lordship Who againe requires What seruice he can do I can quoth he Keepe an horse well nothing doth want in me Belonging to a stable I for need Can play the Farrier too So both agreed And as they rode together ' boue the rest His Lord giues him great charge of one choice beast To tender him as th'apple of his eye He vowes to doo 't or else bids let him dye Next day his Lord rides forth on some affaire His new-come seruant then to shew his care This much lov'd Iennet from the stable shifts And to a roome foure stories high him lifts There leaues him safe The Lord comes home at night The Horse of his knowne Master hauing sight Neighs from aboue The Owner much amas'd Knowing the sound vp tow'rd the casement gas'd Calls his new seruant and with lookes austere Asks him by what means his good Steed came there Who answers Bee'ng your seruant I at large Desirous was to execute your charge Touching your horse for since you so well like him Loth any of the rest should kicke or strike him I yonder lodg'd him safe But little said The Nobleman and by his neighbours aid For to his house he now must ioyne the towne With cords and pullies he conuey'd him downe This Lord for some direptions being cast Into close prison and with gyues bound fast In vnexpected comes his Groome to see him And on condition promiseth to free him If he forbeare to signe him with the Crosse Which can saith he be to you no great losse Likewise refraine t' inuoke the name of God And you shall here no longer make aboad This bee'ng agreed he takes vpon his backe Gyv'd as he was and chain'd nothing doth lacke His noble master beares him through the aire Who terrify'de and almost in despaire Cries out Good God ô whether am I bound Which spoke he dropt the pris'ner to the ground Ev'n in an instant but by Gods good grace He light vpon a soft and sedgy place And broke no limbe Home straight the seruant hyes And tells them in what place his Master lies They to his Castle beare him thence forth-right Which done this seruant bids them all Good night Arlunus a more serious tale relates Two noble Merchants both of great estates From Italy tow'rd France riding in post Obserue a sterne blacke man them to accost Of more than common stature who thus spake If to Mediolanum you your journey take Vnto my brother Lewis Sforza go And vnto him from me this Letter show They terror'd with these words demand his name Both what to call him and from whence he came I Galeatius Sforza am saith hee And to the Duke deliuer this from mee So vanisht They accordingly present The Letter to the Prince The argument Was this O Lewis of thy selfe haue care The French and the Venetian both prepare T' inuade thy Dukedome and within short space From Millan to extirpe thee and thy Race But to my charge deliuer truly told Three thousand Florens of good currant gold I 'le try if I the Spirits can attone To keepe thee still invested in thy Throne Farewell The Letter was subscribed thus The Ghost of'thy brother Galcatius This though it seem'd a phantasie vnminded With selfe-conceit Prince Lewis Sforza blinded Soone after was by all his friends forsaken His City spoil'd himselfe surpris'd and taken One other to your patience I commend And with the close thereof this Tractat end A Youth of Lotharinge not meanly bred Who was by too much liberty mis-led His boundlesse
Arce venit c. If to thy Friend least credit thou dar'st giue Fly swelling titles to thine owne selfe liue Liue to thy selfe pursue not after Fame Thunders at the sublimest buildings aime No folded Saile the Winters storme need feare But such as braue their gusts they rend and teare Light Vessels swim aboue and dread no ground When those surcharg'd with their own weight are drownd And Horace 3. Carmin 4. vseth these words Vim temperatam dij quoque provehunt In majus ijdem odere vires Omne nefas animi moventes c. Which I giue you thus interpreted A temp'rat course the gods protect And will produce it to effect But when it growes to spleene and hate The pow'r thereof th'anticipate The hundr'd handed Gyant he Can of my sentence witnesse be So sterne Orion who did proue Diana in illicit loue Who being shot by her chaste arrow Was pierc'd into the bones and marrow And now the earth laments at last Her monstrous brood vpon her cast Who because they with pride did swell Were with swift thunder strooke to hell Claudian writing de Sepulchro specioso vseth these words Magna repente ruunt summa cadunt subito Great things ev'n in an instant quaile And high things in a moment faile To this that sentence of Seneca in Thieste may seeme to giue a correspondent answer Laus vera humili saepe coutingit viro The merited praise deny 't who can Oft falls vnto the humbled man I take leaue of this common place with that of Iacob Bill Antholog sacr de vi humilitatis whom we reade thus ô Deus ô quantis vita est humanae periclis Subdita quis tali vitet ab hostenecem c. To what great dangers in the life of man Subject ô thou my God who is he can Evade sad Death by such a foe in chace Which way soeuer I shall turne my face I spy a thousand perils guirt me round As many snares my poore soule to confound Whether I drinke or eat or laugh or mourne Or lie to sleepe which way soe're I turne Or in what course soeuer I persist I am pursu'd by my Antagonist O thou my God who can these neâ—s efchew He and he only that Pride neuer knew True humilitie cannot subsist without Gratitude for it is an vndeniable consequence That if the refractorie and disobedient Angels that fell had not been proud they could neuer haue been ingratefull Gratitude is a most commendable vertue saith Sabellicus acceptable both to God and man It is to confesse both by heart and voice that neither by accident noâ— by second causes onely as well externall as internall good things are conferred vpon vs much lesse that Summum Bonum which is chiefe the Sauiour of the World But because God the Father by and for his onely Sonne Iesus sake is the Author of all those blessings and benefits we do enioy we ought not only to confesse it our selues but to inuite others also to the acknowledgement thereof and to the invocation of the name of the true God that they likewise may be confident that God hath a care of the Godly not onely to heare them when they pray but to keepe them that they may be preferued to all eternitie c. What is it saith Saint Augustine vpon the Psalme Tota die os meum repletum laude c. all the day that is without intermission to praise thee in prosperitie because thou comfortest vs in aduersitie because thou correctest vs before I was because thou createdst me after I was because thou preseruedst mee when I offended because thou didst pardon mee when I was conuerted because thou didst assist me when I did continue because thou didst crowne me And in his Epistle to Marcellinus What better thing can we beare in minde or pronounce with tongue or expresse with pen than thanks vnto God than which nothing can be spoke more succinctly or heard more ioyfully or vnderstood more gracefully or practised more fruitfully Ambrose in his fift Sermon vpon Luc. hath these words There is nothing which wee can returne him worthy for taking flesh in the Virgin In what then shall we repay him for his buffets what for his Crosse what for his buriall Shall wee giue him Crosse for Crosse and a Graue for a Sepulchre Can we giue him any thing when of him by him and in him we haue all things Let vs therefore repay him Loue for Debt Charitie for Gift Thanks for Bloud and Almes for Reward Chrisostome in Tract de Symbol I admonish you that you alwayes blesse the Lord if Aduersitie come blesse him that your miseries may be taken from you if prosperitie happen vnto you blesse him likewise that his benefits may be continued We reade sundry Apothegmes to this purpose Erasm. Apoth Lib. 6. ex Plutar. telleth vs That Python hauing done many notable seruices for the Athenians amongst others he slew the king Cotyn in battell and they willing to publish his merits not only by the common Crier but in stately Shewes and Triumphes he refused all those Honors saying All praise and thankes are to be rendred vnto the gods by whose helpe and fauor these things are done For myne owne part I only lent my will and hand but the euent of all excellent actions are in the higher Powers to whom if any thing hath suceeded happily belongeth all thanksgiuing I only in these things was their minister and seruant Nicephorus Calistratus telleth vs That Platilla the wife to the Emperour Theodosius when she perceiued he loued to deviat something from justice Religion more than became one of his high place and calling she said vnto him Sweet and deare Lord consider with your selfe what you before were and whose Deputy you now are If you remember him who hath placed you in this eminent Throne how can you proue ingratefull vnto him for so great a benefit receiued Most requisite therefore it is that you giue a thankefull account vnto him who preferred you before all others vnto so great a charge Chilon was wont to say That it is commendable in men to forget bad turnes done but to bee mindefull of courtesies receiued yet the Vulgar practise the contrarie for where they confer a benefit they neuer cease not onely to remember it but to proclaime and publish it but when any benefit is bestowed vpon them they either forget dissemble or vnder-value it AElianus telleth vs That Diogenes hauing receiued some pieces of mony from one Diotimus Carisius to supply his necessary wants knowing himselfe altogether vnable to requite his present curtesie he looking vpon him with a loud acclamation cried out The gods requite thee ô Diotimus euen so much as thou canst thinke in thy minde or desire in thy heart Numerous are the histories extolling this most imitable Vertue amongst which I remember you of some few Cirus Major hauing read in the booke of the Prophet Esay his name inserted there two