time of Luthers death 3 A note deliuered by the Authour touching the Diuels reall power Lineament VIII 1 That true miracles were but lent by the Lord to the Primitiue Church for confirmation of the Gospell which accompanied the said miracles 2 How in their stead false miracles crept into the Church with the Antichrist in the time of the great Apostasie 3 The Diuels Synode for employments of his hellish spirits 4 The Authours digression shewing that the Diuels shape was not reall but delusiue to deceiue the eye-sight 5 How men by his spirituall insinuations becâ—me his agents here on earth 6 The Diuels craft to continue men in their Detractions Lineament IX 1 What is the craft of our common Wizards 2 That Souldiours and men of courage haue beene daunted with disguâ—sed Angels 3 Examples of ordinary Witchcraft Sorceries and Coniurations Lineament X. An example translated out of Monsieur du Chesne his pourtait de la sante declaring how one Monsieur Poena a Phisition of Paris coniared two spirits out of a possessed mans body Lineament XI An excellent example of Conâ—uration translated out of Erasmus his Exorcisines fit to be obserued of our superstitious Detractors Lineament XII 1 That the Diuels common drâ—ft is spiritually to vndermine the will of man 2 That his scope and force is cousenage and deceit Lineament XIII Apborismes collected out of the first Fathers of the Primitiue Church concerning the Diuels power Lineament XIIII 1 The Authours Dehortation from such vaine detracting studies 2 The knowledge of Astrologie stinted and censured Lineament XV. 1 That the Authours meaning is not to denie the Diuels reall subsistence 2 His charitable application of the statute against Witchcraft made Anno primo Iacobi 3 That he onely denieth his reall power and his palpable force ouer any of Gods creatures 4 The vanity and fondnesse of Wizards 5 That the hand of God plagued Iob and other creatures of his 6 That good men neuer detract from Gods glory Lineament XVI The Spirit of Detraction punished by the immediate power of God proued by examples out of the Scripture The sixt Circle Lineament I. 1 THe spirit of Detractions pleas and allegations on the behalfe of his humouring and soothing men in their vanities 2 The said spirit sharply rebuked for his Equiuocation and dissimulation 3 The Authours purpose in this subsequent Circle Lineament II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction goeth about to ouerthrow Predestination in attributing our misfortunes immediately to the Planets thunders lightnings or other naturall creatures where the Author excuseth himselfe for writing of such deepe mysteries 2 How God made the second causes and all other things in this world for mans sake Lineament III. The Spirit of Detraction conuâ—cted for measuring Gods prouidence by their owne humane prouidence Lineament IIII. 1 The Authors censure of Predestination 2 That all second causes doe worke their effects according to the first causes direction which is God 3 How God endowed some with free-will through grace to enable them vnto faith 4 The Spirit of Detraction conâ—â—cted for imputing the cause of mens damnation to Gods decree Lineament V. That God is not the Authour of Temptation but an Actor therein Lineament VI. 1 How God predestinated some to be saued 2 Why all men were not elected 3 That mens owne wils by Gods sufferance occasion their reprobation and harme 4 The Authors sentence concerning himselfe whether he be one of the elect 5 That Good and Euill cannot come without Gods consent Lineament VII 1 The causes why God ordained thunder and lightning 2 The naturall nutriments of lightning 3 Why thunder and lightning be most dangerous in Winter 4 Where they worke their operations more vehemently 5 An admonâ—tion to build low Lineament VIII 1 How God sends thunder and lightning eyther for his glory for mens triall or for their punishment 2 Examples as well moderne as auncient offorcible thunders and lightning Lineament IX 1 That they detract from the glorious Maiestie of God which attribute his thunders lightnings and other meteorly signes to the Diuell or his adherents 2 Proofes out of the word of God that God alone sendeth forth such terrible signe Lineament X. 1 Probable proofes out of Ciuill pollicy that God is iealoâ—s of his glory and glorious signes and therefore not probable that he would lend his reall power to the Diuell 2 Examples of worldly states which could not endure vsurpers of their transitory titles and prerogatiues 3 That God hates Coniurers Witches Antichristians and other Detractors and vsurpers worse then Atheists or ignorant Iâ—fidels Lineament XI 1 Wherefore God diuerteth his naturall creatures against mankinde 2 That all crosses misfortunes proceed only from God 3 That in any wise we must not delay repentance 4 An obiection against sodaine death by the spirit of Detraction out of the Letany with a confutation thereof Lineament XII 1 That we must not iudge by mens misfortunes or sodaine death that they be forsaken of God 2 Charitable censures which a good Christian may yeeld touching those that die sodainly 3 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring ouer-cruelly of the Authors wife who was sticken dead with lightning the third of Ianuary 1603. where her commendation and assumption are moralized Lineament XIII 1 The Authours gratulation for his late fortunate deliuerance 2 His description of the lightning tragedy the third day of Ianuary 1608. at what time God â—ooke away his wife 3 His description of other crosses at the very same time 4 How God fore-shewed by mysteries the said crosses before they hapned vnto the Authour wherein his censure of Dreames is interlaced 5 His description of his miraculous escape out of the Sea wherein he fell by force of a cruell tempest on a Christmasse day 1602. Lineament XIIII 1 The spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring the Lords secret iudgements 2 The Authours imperfections acknowledged 3 His meditation on his late crosses Lineament XV. The Authours gratulatorie Prayer vnto the Lord for the aboue-said wonderous effects Lineament XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memorie 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the behalfe of this present Circle where his Wiues memorie is saluted with a Christian farewell The seauenth Circle Lincament I. 1 THat the spirit of Detraction can neuer annoy vs while the Maiestie of Iustice shines vpon vs. 2 The Authours supplication to the Lord Chancellour of England the Lord President of Wales and to all other his Maiesties Iudges of Record within this Monarchy of Great Britaine for the exâ—â—rping out of notorious blasphemies 3 The Spirit of Detractions craft in molesting his Maiesties inferiour Officers 4 His diabolicall craft in wronging of priuate persons 5 The Authours Conclusion to the aboue-said Lords for reformation of the said abuses Lineament II. 1 That after Controulement Instruction is necessarie for them that be possessed with
conuersion then that this lightning Accident hath enlightned both our soules Thine it preferred into Paradise mine it prepareth for Paradise thy soule as a type of zeales flame it purified actually secundum passionem mine it purifieth potentially secundum propassionem Thus both of vs do stand as monuments to the Church here on earth the one as a relicke richer then Mausolus his Tombe the other as a publicke notarie reserued to sound out the wonders of the great God and to transcribe vnto after-ages thy extraordinarie end If the Spirit of Detraction reply that I intend a needlesse labour to embalme a dead carkasse with such costly oyntment saying what needed this waste Loe I returne his enuious demand this vnparalel'd answere of our Sauiour I did it to bury her It is to performe the last obsequies of her funerall that wheresoeuer the Gospell is sincerely preached throughout this Land there also these Circles of mine vvhereof her memory next vnder God was the motiue may be read as a mirrour of Gods miracles as a memoriall of her liuing vertues and as a monument towards her of my kinde affection It is the last solemnitie the last precious oyntment which I can poure vpon her head the last Adieu the last office of good will which I can accomplish for her sake This kind of Epitaphes in honour of the dead an holy Father highly commendeth It is pietie saith he to publish the deceaseds vertues yea it is a meanes to encrease grace in our owne selues Therefore let no man blame me because I erect these paper-statues to the glory of my deceased wife seeing that many others of nobler endowments haue endeuoured to illustrate their dead friends It is not long since that famous Gentleman Phillip Mornay Lord of Plessis mourned in the like manner for the death of his onely sonne who of late was slaine with a musket-shot at the siege of the Citie Geldre vnder Graue Maurice which dolefull Catastrophe hee set out in a little booke called Du Plessis teares written to his wife Charlotte Baliste why then should I feare thy shadowie prickles O spitefull Spirit In praysing her from whom haue I detracted Downe therefore downe vvith thy malicious stings and interrupt me not in my zealous offices while I betake my selfe to the mournfull accents of a voice almost stopt vvith throbs of griefe while also I sacrifice my last gratuities vnto her sacred spirit interrupt me not Adieu thou seruant of Christ thou patterne of piety Adieu thou map of Gods miracles Adieu my loue my ioy my comfort Adieu and rest thee henceforth among the heauenly roses rest in peace for euer free from the thornes of malice Adieu againe and againe Adieu Elizabeth my wife for a while and welcome sweet Iesus my Sauiour for euer THE SEAVENTH CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 That the spirit of Detraction can neuer annoy vs while the Maiestie of Iustice shines vpon vs. 2 The Authours supplication to the Lord Chancellour of England the Lord President of Wales and to all other his Maiestics Iudges of Record within this Monarchy of Great Brittaine for the extirping out of notorious Blasphemics 3 The Spirit of Detractions craft in molesting his Maiesties inferiour Officers 4 His diabolicall craft in wronging of priuate persons 5 The Authours Conclusion to the aboue-sayd Lords for reformation of the said abuses HOW amiable shewes thy face O Queene of Uertues when the light of Maiestie shines vpon thee Euen as amiable shewes thy face as the face of an Angell as the face of Moses which he was faine to vaile by reason of his bright-shining beautie after hee had seene a glimpse of Gods glory When thou sittest equally in thy throne of state with the ballance in one hand and the sword in the other hand how worthy then to beadored being so adorned so transfigured in glory with the three Apostles on Mount Tabor While this ballance lasteth euen the Lambe may dwell with the Wolfe without dread or doubt While this sword of Iustice hangs ouer Caines head as it sometimes hung ouer Damocles his head by a slender threed his yonger brother Abell may walke innocent in his vocation and cheerefully sacrifice his oblation of thanksgiuing sounding out this dittie of the princely Psalmist I will sing of Mercy and Iudgement vnto thee O Lord will I sing The carefull Magistrate need not feare the sword of Ismael which is a reuiling tongue Iacob after his three apprentiships vnder Laban may trauell vpon the Kings high-way towards his natiue home secured from his eldest brother Esaus sword Moses may exercise his office with alacritie and courage notwithstanding the rebellious muttering of Corah Dathan and Abiram In this golden age of Iustice ' Dauid may manifest his zeale and ioyfully dance before the Lords Arke for all the scornefull flouts of Michol or the scolding speeches of Semci Now hee cares not for his emulous and enuious aduersaries who to some out the dregs of their mindes subborned false witnesses laying to his charge those things which he neuer knew In this flourishing time Mephibosheth triumphes ouer his seruant Zibaes scandalous accusation While this thy ballance O sacred Iustice or this thy sword the one as a cause indented to leade the vse of thy fine the other as a finall concomitance or statute staple to establish thy euer-stable Iudgements or vvhile both of them together as Causa Causatum two friendly Correlatiues doe follow the strict contents of their Commission of Oier and Terminer the iniurious imputations of Potiphars wife can neuer impeach chast Ioseph nor can the snarling and doggish letter R redoubled out of Doegs nostrils impaire the credite of Abimelech Neither can Iezabels letter produce seduced testimonie against Naboth nor can the Rulers of Babilon worke the ruine of Daniel Reioyce thou daughter of Israel renowned Susanna for the Elders which accused thee are ouertaken in their owne snares they are found in contrarie tales While this seate of Iustice stands sincere without staine without sicklenesse Stephen may boldly reproue the sinnes of our lawlesse Libertines without feare of forged witnesses or clamorous suggestions that hee blasphemed God and Moses So full of efficacie is the influence of Iustice vvhen her bright beauteous body is countenanced with the glorious aspects of Prudence and Magnanimitie the attributes of the Eternall Maiestie that presently the Spirit of Detraction with all his blacke Guard of sinne will disperse themselues to nothing as a companie of bragging Waspes at the violence of Northren winde There flocked sometimes out of this fluttering swarme innumerable to beare downe the reputation of Ionathas with his Prince but what became of them and of their runnagate slanders as soone as they heard the sound of King Alexanders Trumpet proclaiming Ionathas to be the Kings friend and him for this cause to be cloathed in purple and to weare a collar of gold they vanished away like Waspes or
THE ARRAIGNMENT OF SLANDER PERIVRY Blasphemy and other malicious Sinnes shewing sundry examples of Gods Iudgements against the Ofenders Aswell by the Testimony of the Scriptures and of the Fathers of the primatiue Church as likewise out of the reportes of Sir Edward Dier Sir Edward Cooke and other famous Lawiers of this King dome Published by Sir William Vaughan Knight LONDON Printed for Francis Constable and are to be sold in Pauls Church yeard at the signe of the Crane 1630. TO THE LORDS OF HIS MAIESTIES most Honourable Priuie Counsell INImitation of that Burgundian Booâ—c that saluted the French King with a present of Radish rootes and also of the Persians who by reason of their countrey-custome durst not Ire salutatum Satrapes sine munerâ— magnos Greet their great Lords without some gratefull gift Right prudent â—â—dprâ—â—â—dent Lords I present a meane obiect to your indicious sights A meane obiect indeed if yee regard the worth of the person that presents it or the person whom it concernes being the spitefull Spirit of Detraction yet tollerable perhaps if yee receiue the presentours readie will with the reflection of your comfortable countenance but most noble and worthy to be ennobled with your patronage if yee respect the meanes and Circles as I know you doe whereby this Spirit is Coniured and Conuicted euen by the sword of Angels the mysticall sword the word of God and also by the sword of man Alexanders sword the decider of our Gordian doubts VVith the former sword Michea confuted the false Prophets of Samaria Michael coÌ„founded the detracting Dragon and Michaels followers here on earth the false Prophet of our Christian Church that dâ—ceiuer that deprauer of the holy Ghost and of his pretious properties With the latter sword men punish men malicious men With this sword a King plagued Midas for his doltish DetractioÌ„ a Queene plagued Niobe for her courtizan comparison VVhether these obiects be noble tollerable meane or as waste leaues good for nothing saue for Apothecaries to wrap about their drugs I submit them and compromit them together with my selfe to your Honors graue arbitrement in hope that yee will ascribe all imperfections to my want of perfections to the breuitie of time and to the sodainnesse of the accident For the worlds great Thunderer hauing lately taken vnto him my deare wife by a sulphureous dampe of lightning and shaken some part of my house with a thunder-clap hath likewise strooke me with such an amazement in mine vnderstanding with beholding out of my tabernacle of flesh and bloud the glorious gleames of his power that truly I must needs confesse my selfe to be somewhat backward in penning and painting out this handy-worke of his almost as ominous to me as his hand writing was to Balthasar in Babylon To this I may adioyne multitudes of impediments as well of publike causes and suites abroad as also of mine owne priuate affaires at home All which concurring vpon me in confused heapes some by importunitie of office some of necessitie and some by Sathans suggestion commmonly euery day since that fatall blast caused such vnpolished points as in the reading may occurre to your learned view And yet for all this Right honourable I had not so abruptly at this time hastened on mine abortiue worke to your presence were it not because I would stay betimes the forward steps of Sathan and also because I would stop the vnpure mouthes of pratling Momes and tatling Niobes who inter Bacchanalia amidst their pots of drinke their pipes of Tobacco and idle fits of iollity establishing the shallow foundation of their reports vpon the flying and lying rumours of licentious libellers doe blasphemously blaze abroad to the derogation and preiudice of the powerfull Lord of lightnings that the Diuell our spirituall Tempter acted this terrible tragedie Some other times they giue out that the same Diuell coniured vp at mortall mens commaunds tooke her away bodie and all or at leastwise some principall part of her bodie VVhich sacrilegious imputation as I know Gods elect do alreadie both loath and laugh to scorne so I doubt not but all others shall by this present Treatise learne to leaue it off as a poisoned paradoxe Againe there is not wanting a sort of suspicious Critickes who arrogating to themselues the gift of Prophesie or reuelation from aboue doe make a taunting table-talke of this heauenly visitation in lieu of a grace or salt to season their meates withall by attributing this vnexpected chance to some secret sinnes of hers VVhich Scrthian censure all her acquaintance will contradict and condemne of calumniation All her familiar acquaintance wil consent with one voyce with one mind in the scrutinie of her triall that she liued as innocently as industriously as honestly as humbly towards God and man as any whatsoeuer in all her country without deceit without Detraction And if this be a Demonstration infallible that out of sure premisses we inferre a sure conclusion that none dieth ill who hath liued well for a good tree euer beares good fruit and that we must iudge men by their liues and not by their deathes then dare I assuredly assume that she died as guiltlesse as those on whom the Tower of Siloc fell By the stayres of hell she swiftly climed aboue the starres of heauen By lightning flames as Elias in fiâ—ry Chariots her soule soared vp aloft into the Region of eternall light Othersome in mine owne countrey more passionate because I reforme disorders and would redresse certaine misdemeanures whereof they claime prescription as an hereditarie or necessarie euill doe euaporate these vncharitable speeches touching my proceedings that God sent these prodigious euents as prodromes and forerunners of his indignation conceiued against me for my seuerity of iustice Summum ius summa iniuria Extreme iustice extreme iniurie Which Detraction of theirs I will only countermine with that graue authoritie interpreting old Augustines honest minde Rash iudgement hurts not the person that is iudged but rather him that so rashly iudgeth Quia cuâ—nvolumus aliena per iram coercere grauiora committimus by reason that when we would correct the faults of other men in passion our selues commit more grieuous faults Another kind of Detractours measuring our actions by the ell of their owne guiltie consciences and vsurping the Popish partes of Ghostly Confessors doe parley in priuate among themselues that our iust Iehouah darted this lamentâ—ole mishap as a mysticall scourge for some silent sinnes of mine At which accusation I will â—â—t equiuocate nor endeuour to acquite my selfe â—hereof with the presumptuous Pharisee for I frankly acknowledge as one of Adams progeny that I am throughly tainted with the leprosie of sinne whereof I expect no deliuerance at all by any earthly Aesculaptus saue onely by the fiery Serpent which healed the Israelites I am carnall as S. Paul said and sold vnder sinne Yet notwithstanding if sinne present doe not please me I know that sinnes past shall neuer harme me But
magnatum being as it were naturalis feritatis mastix the scourge of sauage nature had straightly bridled their lauish tongues within the precincts of their teeth and lips Vos O Patricius sanguis queis viuere fas est Occipiti coeco posticae occurrite sannae TO THE CVRIOVS PAINTERS OF CIRCLES IF these lines or leaues of my Circles drawne from the Center to the circumference be not all equall or if the points and prickes of euery line answere not the Mathematicall proportion of the Circle thou knowest that Veritas non quaerit angulos truth respects not angles triangles quadrangles nor artificiall curiosity I care not for the enticing words of worldlings wisedome but I couet the Spirit of euidence and power I couet matter more then method And yet I labour so to linke them that the line of nature may stand coupled with the points of Art that both from the Center of truth be caried to a Christian circumference for eueÌ„ as the gifts of the holy Ghost be distributed diuersly and in diuerse measures to Gods children some hauing but one grain of faith being conuerted in the euening of their liues and yet by grace adopted adiudged worthy to receiue the like equal crown of glory the like equall wages as those which laboured longer in the Lords haruest so to coÌ„pare little things with great let thy Grace Ingenuous Reader or gracious construction counteruail the vnequal lines of my Circles Where they exceed in their dimensiue quantity there oppose their distributiue quality for a counter-ballance Et sic omnes lineae ductae à centro ad circumferentiam sunt aequales THE FIRST CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED Diâ—ided into Lineaments LINEAMENT I. 1 To whose capacity the description of Spirits is difficult and to whose it is easie 2 The Authors inuocation to the Godhead through whose only operation the spirit of Detraction is to be coniured and conuicted THAT which is inuisible transcendent and not to be vnderstood in the land of mortall creatures such as is the description of Spirits cannot distinctly be disposed according to the prescription of curious Artists by reason that our knowledge here on earth is subiect to mutations vanity of vanities varnished only to the outward man and quickly vanished either through distemperature of the braine olde age or death and also by reason that a spirit in substance subsistence is supernaturally whole without Multiplication Diuersity or Part somewhat prodigious vnto Natures view Yet notwithstanding these infirmities we may conferre about the metaphysicall mysterie of Spirits contesting with the sword of the Spirit the word of God not for haughty ostentation but for humble edification comparing spirituall things with spirituall things The naturall man perceiues not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things He that submits his knowledge to the touch-stone of knowledge to the highest power scorning all Peacocke-plumes of Apocryâ—hall tradition and of old Adams impurities discerneth all things The Clerkes of China say that themselues do see with two eyes the Europeans with one eye and that all the rest of the world are starke blinde not hauing any eyes at all Euen so the soules of the supernall China the Church truely triumphant by looking on him which ouerlooketh all things doe spiritually discerne all things and do know as they are knowne The regenerated Christian discerneth though glimmering wise or winking through a darke glasse with one eye many things apperteyning to the lowly workes and louely fruits of the new man which is renewed into knowledge after the Image of him that made him But the naturall man confined within natures compasse can neuer discourse no nor dreame once of Diuine affaires While the flesh preuailes against the Spirit our knowledge is as it were stifled with a deadly earthly dampe and cannot appeare in that conspicuous maner as when our Epicurean natures become curb'd or crucified There is such iustling and bustling such strining strugling betwixt the flesh and the soule that Gods peace is oftentimes to both their miseries infringed The Mistresse therefore must straightly correct her seruant and that betimes before she attaine vnto her stubborn age left then she chuse rather to breake then to bow vnto her wholesome will The austere consideration of this our humane fragility caused the Apostle to write after this manner I tame my body and bring it into subiection lest while I preach to others I my selfe become a cast-away For the soule that walloweth in sensuality in fat blood and grosse humors can neuer enter into the speculation of spirituall comfort The smokie vapours which breathe from thence into the braine doe interpose a darksome mist of blockishnes before her eyes of vnderstanding whereof let a fat paunch beare me instance How cau'st thou saith the Satyrist meditate on any thing praise-worthy which hast such a large Ewer hanging forth a foote and a halfe from thy body Cum tibi Calue Pinguis aqualiculus propenso sesquipede extat Like as a Candle put in an earthen pot enlightneth onely the pot but being therhence remoued into a Lanthorne illuminates the whole roome with a farre greater splendor then before so the vnderstanding spirit of man eclipsed with the foggie interposition of sensuall pleasures lies infatuated and besotted like an Abbey-lubber not once able to crie out Abba Father but thence recalled by the holy Spirit of God and refined with competent fasting at due times with contrite humility and conuenient meditations it forgets the vanities of this cloudy world and frames it selfe wholly to spirituall contemplation And finally separated and singled out from the bodies prison it shines brighter then any starre Then Reason shines without eclipse of errour Wisdome without ignorance and Memory without obliuion Then shall we be able to contemplate with the eye of Faith the awefull Maiesty of the mighty Trinity the in effable and inestimable felicity of our fellows Saints Then shall we comprehend the mystical messages of the heauenly Spirits ascending and descending in Chariots of sacred fire to the behoofe of our Christian brethren and inuisibly instructing the Church on earth like as themselues are both instructed and inspired of their Prince of zeale But what am I that presume to weaue a worke of such wonderfull forms in such a base and broken loome How dare I with King Vzziah burn incense vnto the Lord that am not sanctified nor of the tribe of Leui how dare I that am in his presence more mean then the meanest moth or Atome more abiect then any Ant how dare I being so mean an abiect aspire to set forth the obiects of his wonderous workes Retire O my soule to the Soule of thy soule the Life of thy life the Lord of life as to the celestiall center of all perfections The Sun-shine of
termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an ouer-curious work for our weake capacities I will relate the differences of such good Spirits as wee finde registred in the word of God to the entent that the spirit of Detraction may tremble the more when he hears their energie and efficacy expressed their energie and efficacie which they possesse by the sight and light of the heauenly Sunne Michael the Archangell is the great Prince which stands for the Lords people And as St. Iohn recordeth in his Diuine mysteries there was a battell in Heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and his Angels whom they ouercame by the blood of the Lambe that is by Christs innocency This Michael as many suppose is no other then our Sauiour Christ. For euen as by the Dragon the Arch-spirit of sinne is parable-wise included so by this Michael the Archangel of saluation might very well be figured By Michaels Angels I vnderstand his glorious spirit his Oracles comprehended in the Scripture the intercessions of Saints for our conuersions zealous bookes published by many good men for our edification in Christ besides our faithfull hearts prepared to heauen by deuout prayers and necessary mortifications of our lustfull bodies By the Dragon the Serpent or Deuill I expound the contempt of the Holy Ghost the deprauing of his precious gifts the spirit of Detraction the spirit of enuie the spirit of vncleanenesse and other sinfull spirits repugnant to the pure spirit of God For as S. Paul confirmes the selfe same because they regarded not God therefore God deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being full of all vnrighteousnesse fornication coueteousnesse malitiousnesse full of enuie c. In some places Angels are termed the starres of God for euen as starres doe shew the light of Heauen vnto vs shining onely to our outward sight so Angels signifie to the inward man the heauenly light of the sun-shine of grace Where mention is made of the Seraphins we may coniecture that for our weakenesse in nature and easie instruction they appeared with wings to the Prophet crying one to another Holy Holy Holy the Lord of Hostes The whole world is full of his glory as a prefiguratiue reuelatition that the word of God the Gospell of Christ should flie ouer all the world and fill the same with his glorious power In like manner their description with wings portends their celeâ—ity and swift readinesse to succour vs in extremity Another Prophet layeth downe the forme of the Cherubins in this manner Euery one of them had foure faces and euery one foure wings and the likenesse of a mans hand was vnder their wings Vnder which vision we may containe the similitude of the foure Euangelists with Christs hand or with his holy Spirit transported into the foure quarters of the world into the East West North and South according vnto the foure ages of the world vnder Adam Noah Moses and Christ which is the last and renueth vs to euerlasting life Among others of Gods spirituall ministers which his Maiesty sent to mankinde one is named Gabriel an Angel that appeared first to Daniel when he prayed to haue that performed of God which he had promised touching the returne of the people from their captiuity in Babilon While he was speaking and praying euen the man Gabriel whom he had seene before in a vision came flying and touched him The said Gabriel came afterwards to Zacharias the Priest to shew him the Natiuity of S. Iohn Baptist and was also sent to Mary the mother of Christ. An Angel called Vriel reproued Esdras because he seemed to enter into the profound iudgements of God And there Ieremiel an Archangell confirmes the wordes of Vriel Raphael one of the seuen holy Angels which goe forth before the Lord tooke the shape of a man and fellowlike conuersed with yong Tobias vntill he brought him home safely from his great iourney bound Asmodeus the lustfull spirit and restored to olde Tobith his sight Now it remaines that I shew what Angels be Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation The Holy Ghost in the Scripture expresseth their outward formes particular names and numbers in plaine termes to make their Embassages and messages of greater reckoning to our terrestriall senses and simple vnderstanding Their mansions be diuers as our Sauiour testified My Fathers house hath many Mansions Their multitudes infinite Thinkest thou said Christ to his Disciple which smote the High Priests seruant that I cannot now pray to my Father and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels These be they whose loude voyces that profound Diuine heard saying Praise honour glory and power be vnto him that sâ—teth vppon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore These be they whom our Sauiour Christ prophesied to send against the day of Iudgement to gather together his Elect from the foure windes and from the one end of the Heauen to the other These likewise be those diuine Ministers which at the end of the world shall goe forth and seuer the bad from among the iust and shall cast them into a Fornace of fire where there shall be wayling and gnashing of teeth In the holy Scriptures we reade that holy men such as Aaron the Prophets and Priests were called Gods or Angels because they resembled them in proprieties and perfections for euen as it is the office of Angels to praise God in purity of minde and sanctification so likewise it is the duty of Ministers to preach and teach the word of God without hypocrisie negligence or worldly craft THE SECOND CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CO NIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1. The true application of the abouesaâ—d Coniurations 2 That the names of other good spirits be manifold and diuerfly taken in the holy Scripture 3 After what manner Sinne the messenger of Sathan stings vs. 4 By what meanes we may repell the stings of Sathan 5 That it is hard to iudge of our spirituall stings and from whence they come THe meditation of these mysteries I hope will shake the power of our spiritual Tempters and shape our humane wils after the refined mould of the Inward man so that we prostrate our selues before our Heauenly Lord humbly prying into our owne vnworthines and putting off our vncleane sâ—oes before wee touch his holy Mount so that we employ our knowledge in testimonium veri non in adiutorium falsi for the glory of God and not for the support of sinne so that also we apply our contemplation of his Saints for admiration and not for adoration applauding their happy estates with the acknowledgement of our owne vnhappinesse For who can thrust Peter into Gods Throne were he ne're so glorious a Saint without apparant Treason Downe then yee Detracting soules into your earthly caues
That great command with triple forked mace By lot to me and not to him be ell As Neptune spake of himselfe to Aeolus Such Hereticall paradoxes as these he inspires mens braines withall and rammes them as with a strong beetle into their shallow hearts Liues a man in loue and charity with his neighbour Againe the same spirit of Detraction appeares sowes idle tales of dilgrace whereby they may goe together by the eares and empty their virulen galles with most violent reuenge the one against the other Art thou choleâ—cke Beware of Saules spirit of lunacie Art thou merrily disposed at games and sports Thou shalt be sure of Sathans spiritual sting and be throughly possessed both with the spirites of blasphemy and Detraction although thou perceiuest them not visibly with mortall eyes To be briefe he will neuer be spiritually wanting to any man To a man in prosperity he sends his spirit of pride to a sinner despaire to married soikes the spirit of iealousie to children the spirit of disobedience to Courtiers the gliuing pompes or vanity to Preachers the spirit of false prophesie to the subiect the spirit of rebellion to friends the spirit of inconstancy to seruants the spirit of ingratitude so that there be few men in the world but their wils are possessed with some spirit or other I passe ouer many other spirits which beare dominion among vs as the spirit of lechery the spirit of drunkennesse the spirit of gluttony and the damnable spirite of auarice All which as rotten branches I know to be descended and deriued from one tree the tree of the knowledge of good and euill by the subtle temptations of the sneaking Snake of sinne the Angell of Perdition LINEAMENT IIII. 1 Why God giues vs ouer to be tempted by Sathan 2 After what manner the Diuell vseth now a-dayes to ensnare vs. 3 The Diuels policy for the circumuenting of soules AMong vs in this reformed Realme the Diuell dares not appeare in outward formes of illusion like the man in the Moone by reason that the Sun-shine of Gods word is too strong for his faithlesse spirit yet notwithstanding because we might cal to memory our sraile natures together w th our soules stupidity ouer-whelmed with grosse humours ouer-mastered with perturbations winking and looking through carnall windowes and spectacles of errour and because we might implore our Creators assistance according to our bounden dueties God permits Sathan in respect of olde Adams transgression spiritually to interâ—use necessary prickes into our fleshly thoughts yea and to interrupt vs in our most zealous offices Which moued a reuerend Elder of the Church to complaine after this manner In my prayers I repeate oftentimes what I gaine and oftentimes I am distracted with some filthy imagination to doe those things which I blush to speake But me thinkes here I heare one of his Disciples disputing that God seeing he is the Author and Imparter of Goodnesse will not suffer any of his adopted children to be enchanted and entrapped by Sathan For the solution of this presumptuouâ— scruple which I take to be but a knot in a rush I constantly aucrre that God is all Goodnesse and as he is most good and mercifull so is he most just His vnspotted Maiesty could doe no lesse then inflict punishment vpon his new creature albeit with anguish of spirit like a pitiful earthly Iudge that pronounceth iudgment with teares against malefactors he could doe no lesse because of his future glory and because of his former commandement to Adam then giue verdict of death against them which aduisedly being referred to their owne counsell they being at that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free and at their owne liberty preferred death before life God did well therefore to trie mans faith betimes before he graced him with further fauours The Procurer he more seuerely punished And because the Diuels familiarity with the woman occasioned mans fall for this cause did God set perpetuall enmity and hatred euer since the beginning til the worlds end betwixt the womans seede and the Diuell yet with a limitation that the Diuell should continue his illusions towards vs that he should exhale his poysonfull puissance against the reprobate and with might and maine pursue all excommunicated rebels Thus the Diuell according to Gods curse rageth against vs and as it were famished with hunger of our Damnation like a roaring Lyon he lieth in wait to deuoure vs. But as long as we endeuour to serue God in loue and humility he can but bruise our earthly heeles and sting vs with necessary temptations for the soules edifying Our Sauiour Christ treads downe his malicious head and hellish force so that we shall at last preuaile and triumph in the celestiall Paradise which is a thousand times more glorious then that Hortus conclusus the Garden empaled the Paradise of proofe where wee were content to bee bewitched in hope or worldly wisedome Since Printing sprang vp which perhaps is a worldly instrument of the fiery spirit of life that after three dayes and a halfe came from God and entred into the Lords two Martyrs the olde Testament and the new I meane into their Preachers whose bodies were laid in the streets of spirituall Sodome and Egypt and yet not quite buried nor abolished and since we had the vse of books wherein mans manifold knowledge of good and euill is apparantly decyphered and the Diuels deceitfull trickes discouered to persons of all condition now as a subtâ—e States-man he works another course to bring our soules in thrall by stratagems by politicke practises vnder hand he inspires indulgent parents to make their children free in their nonage before they be poudred with heauenly prudence that the Prouerbe might be verified of them Soone ripe soone rotten Scilicet ingenium rerum prudentia velox ante pilos venit Too soone before their beards bud forth They come to be States-men of worth Hauing thus obtained the Parents consent he turnes about his free-made youths and traines them as Sertorius the children of the Portingalles after his own mould to detract to lash out fearful othes at euery other word to reade baudy ballads books of his own Apostles euen of Aretine of Machiauell of Rabelais and of our English cast-awayes and afterwards he confirmes them with spirituall suggestions in all abhominations to the losse of their soules and bodies The best of vs sometimes hee possesseth with Chymerizing pleddings like ayriâ— castles and â—â—bbles as a Mouse on our malignant hearts asâ—ertullian â—ertullian termes Martian And although we haue both Moyses the Prophets firmiorem sermonem Propheticum yet he rufsles among the robes inaudita fundu Oracula as my L. of Northampâ—on said of the Diuels pouder-plot To continue my subiect seeing I haue aduentured in some places of these Circles to borrow Caesars inimitable Muse to grace this worthlesse worke of mine lâ—nd also Heroycall Lord your iudicious spirit for a season to
the Protestants and hardening of the Papists conferre I say the conformity of the present state with the state past of the Church olde age being another infancy and yee shall see as cleere as at noone-tide the true meaning of darke places which no man that stands vpon his owne high minde and his owne merites can possibly perceiue In like manner doe ye desire to discerne the Antichrist Compare those things which are prophesied of him one with another and yee shall firret him out yee shall finde him cunningly crept into our Christian Church Euen as Christ was a mysterie to the Pharisies so Antichrist is a mysterie to the Papists I say a mystery a mysterie the mysterie of iniquity which cannot distinctly be discerned without the spirituall eyes of faith in the inward man Looke on him with your bodily eyes and this Alcimus will deceiue the very Elect if it were possible In outward shew an Angell of light a sanctimonious Elder but inwardly a sacrilegious Serpent or a Foxe in a Lambes skinne O Antichrist thy Dragon is destroyed by Daniels arte by the bloud of the Lambe thy beast is conquered O false Prophet thy Babylonian whore is become wrinckled her beauty is faded her wich-craft discouered her force decayed her superstitions defaced What remaines Thou art driuen to a narrow straight to thy neerest shifts Post ouer thy title to another Perswade thy subiects that a new Antichrist but no mysticall is euen now borne in Babylon Let Iohn Doleta with all expedition publish this in Print It is a point of policie to temporize and to beare thy credulous Catholikes in hand least suddenly they flinch from thy yoake and of Romanists fall to be Apostolickes By the mysticall allusion of Michea that saw the Lord putting a false and a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that claymed themselues like the Pharisies and Papists to be within the Church yee shall gather with this and with the Reuelation of S. Iohn that these termes of Decemer salfe Prophet the worker of false miracles which set to sale the bodies and soules of men cannot bee applied more significantly to any other then to him who went out from vs but was not of vs. Would ye answere their obiection which alledge that the Pope cannot be that great Antichrist because his Holinesse denieth not the Father and the Sonne nor exalteth himselfe aboue that which is called God Turne them to the Etymology of these words Iesus Christ that is the Al-sufficient and annointed Saniour of the world and tell them that the entire and whole vertue of the Godhead is wounded it besides him they vse any Mediator to saluation Turne them to S. Paul and reade that the Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God The Pope sits not with Peters humility but with pompe and Maiesty in Peters chaire in the mother Church of the West being now become a cruell stepmother and a common harlot shewing that he hath authority to graunt Indulgences and Pardons to release the paines of Purgaâ—ory peremptorily to aduance his Standard aboue the Church which is to magnifie himselfe aboue the Holy Ghost by whom it is ruled vnder Christ to consecrate beades water crucifixes yea and the glorious body of Christ which is already consecrated in Heauen In which prerogatiues he extolleth himselfe aboue God doing those spirituall offices which are flat contrary to Gods word and law Likewise it is prodigious that such things be sanctified by sinfull man specially since the ceremoniall law and partition wall betwixt the Iewes and vs is broken downe after the resurrection of Christ. It is derogatory I say to his sacred Maiesty that a mortall man vsurpe that Promethean pre-eminence for hee that commits such sacriledge aboue mentioned doth vndoubtedly vsurpe the power of God in a high degree He that vsurpes after this manner detracts from faith only in Christ Iesus and from other gifts of the Holy Ghost He that detracts from these gifts of the Holy Ghost blasphemes and he that blasphemes so high a Maiesty sinnes irremissibly except the Lords mercy left out some other exception vnknowne vnto vs. Thus Christian Reader shalt thou ponder other points of the Bibles mysteries And now seeing I haue sore-armed my soule with sufficient exorcismes and methodically fished out the great Leuiathan let me anathomize the Monsters principall members LINEAMENT IX 1 The Conclusion of this second Circle shewing that the Spirit of Detraction can neuer confound vs while we meditate with saith on Christs passion 2 That we become guilty of his death when we detract from his name or workes 3 The Authors supplication against the spirit of Detractum SHut fast thy mouth from lies and vanity Shoot in thine eyes to loue and verity Thou soule of mine which euery day dost fall Through Sathans web into pollutions thrall Let faith inflame thy will to meditate Vpon that Flame in flesh incorporate To see those wounds which thou hast made so wide With dint of Speare in his bloud gored side Doues build in holes of rocks but thou my Doue In holes of bloudied Rocke must build thy loue For while thou look'st with faith and zealous feare How that his head a thorny crowne did weare How Pilates scourge his holy skinne did teare How his meeke soule both mockes and flouts did beare And how his hands and feete were nailed to the Crosse To ransome thee and to repaire the losse Which Lucifer with Adders sting did cause To thee when Eue first brake her Makers lawes While thou with faith dost view this mystery The fiery Serpent of Mount Caluary No wile no guile no blacke tongues archery Nor selfe-conceit of fancies flattery Can flesh and bloud the world or Sathan worke Against thy life Though Pope conspire with Turke Though Haman with his Counsellors combine Though Machiauell complot with Aretine To blow thee vp vet thy essentiall parts Shall stand vnshak't in spite of all their arts Wherefore yee winds of praise yee wings of pride Packe hence all sinnes which vertues sonnes deride Yee grinning dogs yee grunting hogs away The night is past and wel-come is the day The day is come to day without delay I must contemne such lust vile dust and clay The bell rings out the Drummer sounds Alarme I must rise vp for feare of future harme Teares and prayers are my armes I must pray And speake the truth without all faile to day All haile cleere day long may thy Sun-shine last Without eclipse or cloud or winters blast All haile cleere day through whose reflecting beames Broad waking I do see truths open glcames I see my Lord alas what doe I see My Lord and Sauiour hurt By whom By me By me he lies with thoughts misdecdes and words Wounded as with sharpe thornes or edged swords I crucified my Christ I rent his name I crowned thee with obloquie and shame O Lord of life when I should
hath two principall instruments the Hand and the tongue 2 Their apish trickes 3 Their monstrous effects 4 A briefe dehortation from Detraction EVen as wise Philosophers by signes and effects doe finde out naturall causes by properties they found out essences and by leading sparres doe ayme at leaden mines so must we by some externall operations apprehend the instrumentall meanes by which the froathy spirit of Detraction manageth whole rablements of wrangling and â—angling actions And these are two the Hand the Tongue with the hand Sathan procures a man to wriâ—e infamous libels inuectiues Satyres and disgracefull letters and times not inferiour to the Popes thundring Bulles against his powerful Makers name or at least wise against his honest neighbours fame yea though he be an hundred miles distant from him with such violent and insupportable fury that one knowes not which is more dreadfull the pike oâ— the pen. Such a one might well be called a Calamoboas that is the lusty or lofty Crier with the pen as Antipater in Plutarch termed Carneades the libeller Some other times a dumbe spirit possesseth our outlawed out-casts so that with dumbe shewes winking eyes wry mouthes bended browes pointed fingers touch of feeâ—e and other apish trickes they tempt the patience of the godliest man Which beast-like vsage a moderne Poet thus painteth out Me digitis monstant subsannant dentibus omnes Hic aures Asini fingit ille canem With fingers point with grinning teeth they flout me One Asses eares he dogs tongue makes about me The other and common instrument of The spirit of Detraction is the Tongue which being ill ordered and Tutourlesse may bee termed a leprous sinne a contagious sinne spreading farre and neere the hyperbolical deuises of the Diuell by the mouth of the detracting spirit towards the credulous eares of mortall men Wherein it is a thing remarkeable and worthy of graphicall obseruation to see how this small member can worke such turbulent tumults throughout all the circuit of mans little world The repercussion of it stirres the gall enflameth the blood netries the heart and musters together all the mutinous powers of the body in reuenge of the other opposite spirit But when all comes to all Truth is great and must preuaile In cold bloud men of vnderstanding will grow to this conclusion that the tongue endamageth three soules the absent whom it backe-biteth the present person which is attentiue and the Detractor himselfe which bloweth the dust and it reuerteth backe vnto his owne eyes Euill words corrupt good manners and also bewray the motions of the heart for euen as the tree of the fielde is knowne by his fruit so is the thought of mans heart knowne by his words Where is Charity Where is Taciturnity While the tongue becomes the Diuels Trumpeter to sound out his malicious words of defiance O imprudent age O carelesse folke which suffer themselues to be allured by hellish Nighting-galles Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit auceps The Fowler lures melodiously While he takes birds deceitfully In regard of which circumstances Let thy words be few for as a dreame comes by the multitude of businesse so the voyce of a foole is in the multitude of wordes And lâ—t those golden sayings of the Apostle be firmely imprinted within the closet of thine heart Gâ—â—ue not quoth he the holy spirit of God by whom thou art sealed vnto the day of redemption Let all but ernesse anger and euill speaking be put away with all maliciousnesse LINEAMENT IX 1 The Authors censure of certaine English Pamphleters and Ballad writers with an inuocation to my L. of Canterbury for a reformation not onely of these abuses in writing but also of other enormuus committed against the Church-Canâ—ts 2 A Description of good and euill writers 3 That there is a mixt morall kind of writing seruing as the lesser â—ight for the conuersion of the naturall man HErein I cannot chuse but somwhat touch the apish spleene of certain English Pamphleters who to gaine themselues windy applauses and popular praises among Sathans posterity like vnto Erostratus who fired Dianaes famous Temple at Ephe sus to the intent he might be spoken of in after ages do publish daily the puffed leauen of their phantasies which the Poet otherwise calles Ingenij caprisicum The wilde Fig-tree of their greene wittes or as we vulgarly say their wilde seed Oates These bastard Bookes begotten in an euill houre vpon the effeminate aspect of Venus and Mars I could wish to be suddenly suppressed as Monsters opposite to the sacred spirit of Regeneration And for this purpose I humbly inuocate on you my iudicious Lord Great Britaines Metropolitane intreating your further vigilancy in rooting out those vaine Vines which according to the nature of ill weedes will in time ouer-grow your pruned plants But who am I that dare admonish the Ambrose of our age who with your heauenly food of Ambrosia Manna and Nectar doe nourish the soules of our Christian Church prouiding milke for their young ones medicine for their sicke and meate for their strong Right reuerend Lord I know it is presumption in me to discourse with so great and graue a Personage Yet notwithstanding because our English Adage taught me this vncontrouled rule spare to speake and spare to speede I will not spare to enforme your Grace what wicked weedes doe ouer-top the graine of my natiue soile Beside those rotten rootes of writing the neglect of your Constitutions and experimented Orders whereby our Commissaries must not call to question the sincerer sort of people vpon bare and naked fame for euery slight and slanderous imputation whereby they are forbidden to prouounce definitiue sentence without the aduice of discreet Aduocates whereby our Proctors are charged not to frame their libelles without the opinions and hands of Aduocates and whereby their wrangling noyse in Court is stinted I say the contempts of these and other your Canonicall commaundements by your meaner Officials which now in your first Visitation may more acutely be espied are the principall causes that they of the layer and lower sort become more carelesse in their carriage more addicted vnto Detraction For surely there is nothing in this spacious Round or Vniuerse of nature which more resisteth the execution of lawes then the ordinary heape of friuolous and froward suites then the disobedience and breach of ciuill customes in men of higher note These and many other enormious crimes enuring the popular ranke to peremptory and pecuish thoughts deedes and speeches your prouidence may expell for a time if not quite extinguish and extirpe Your fame eternized through your euer-shining bookes through your neuer-spotted actions may worke some miracles in the conuersion of our Detractors Yea your noble Name illustrious ABBOT a Name I confesse somewhat ominous among the aduerse side the admirers of auncient Abbeyes I say your very Name etymologized from that Abba of Adoption the sounding voyce
barres for thy mouth Thou waighest thy siluer why dost thou not waigh thy words also vpon the ballance and make a doore and abarre and a sure bridle for thy mouth Beware that thou slide not in thy tongue and so fall before thine enemies that lay waite for thee and thy fall be incurable euen vnto death cap. 28. Thou young man speake that becommeth thee and that is profitable and yet scarse when thou art twise asked Comprehend much with few words in many things be as one that is ignorant giue care and holde thy tongue withall If thou be among men of high authority desire not to compare thy selfe vnto them and when an elder speaketh make not thou many wordes therein cap. 32. Like as a wilde horse that neigheth vnder euery one that sitteth vpon him so is it with a scornfull friend cap. 33. LINEAMENT VII The spirit of Detraction and Periury coniured and conuicted by other testimonies of the Scripture THou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his name in vaine Thou shalt not haue to doe with any false report neyther shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to be an vnrighteous witnesse Thou shalt not sweare by my name falsely neither shalt thou defile the name of thy God I am the Lord. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and how the foolish people haue blasphemed thy Name Thy Name is wonderfull O Lord and onely to had in reuerence I see a flying booke of twenty cubites long and tenne cubites broad which containeth the curse that goeth ouer the whole earth for all theeues shall be iudged after this booke and all periured persons shall be iudged according to the same And I will bring it forth saith the Lord of Hostes so that it shall enter into the house of a theefe and into the house of him that falsly sweareth by my name and shall remaine in the midst of his house and consume it with the tymber and stones thereof Let none of you imagine euill in his heart against his neighbour or loue false oathes for these are the things which I hate saith the Lord. Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing for n it there are many fals let not the naming of God be icontinually in thy mouth and meddle not with the names of Saints for thou shalt not be excused of them For like a seruant which is oft punished can not be without some sore euen so what soeuer he be that sweareth and nameth God shall not be cleane purged from sinne A man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse and the plague shall neuer goe from his house if he beguile his brother his fault shall be vppon him if he aknowledge not his sinne hee maketh a double offence and if he sweare in vaine he shall not be found righteous for his house shall be full of plagues The words of the swearer bring death God graunt that it be not found in the house of Iacob but they that feare God eschue all such and lie not waltering in sinne Vse not thy mouth to vnhonest and filthy talking for in it is the word of sinne Ye haue heard that it hath beene said to them of olde time Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shall performe vnto the Lord thine oathes But I say vnto you Sweare not at all neyther by heauen for it is Gods seate nor by the earth for it is his foote stoole neyther by Hierusalem for it is the citie of the great King Neither shalt thou sweare by thy head because thou canst not make one haire white or blacke But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill Woe be vnto you ye blinde guides for ye say Whosoeuer shall sweare by the Temple it is nothing but whosoeuer shall sweare by the golde of the Temple he is a debter Ye fooles and blinde for whether is greater the gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold And whosoeuer sweareth by the Altar it is nothing but whosoeuer sweareth by the gift that is vpon the Altar he is a debter Ye fooles and blinde for whether is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift Who so therefore shall sweare by the altar sweareth by it and by all things thereon And who so shall sweare by the Temple sweareth by it and him that dwelleth therein And he that shall sweare by heauen sweareth by the seate of God and him that sitteth thereon Aboue all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen neither by earth nor by any other oath Let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest you fall into condemnation These being deceiued by dreames defile the flesh despise Rulers and speake euill of them which are in authority Yet Michael the Archangell when he stroue against the Diuell and disputed about the body of Moses durst not giue rayling sentence but said The Lord rebuke thee But these speake euill of those things which they know not If a man sinne not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle all the body Behold we put Bittes in the horses mouthes that they may obey vs and we turne about their whole bodie Behold also the Shippes which though they be so great and are driuen of fierce windes yet are they turned about with a very small helme whither soeuer the lust of the Gouernour will euen so the tongue is a little member also and bâ—asteth great things Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth And the tongue is fire â—uâ—n a world of wickednesse so is the tongue set among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell All the nature of beastes and of birds and of Serpents and things of the Sea is meeked and tamed by the nature of man but the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruely euill full of deadly porson therewith blesse we our GOD and Father and therewith curse wee men which are made after the similitude of GOD Out of one mouth proceede blessing and cursing My brethren these things ought not so to be Doth a Fountaine send forth at one hole sweete water and bitter also Can the Figge tree my brethren beare Oliue berries Or a Vine beare Figges So can no Fountaine giue both salt water and also fresh LINEAMENT VIII The Authors aduise to Iury-men wishing them to proceede vprightly according to their oathes and also to meditate on the future discourse THE elder that the world growes the more grow the corruptions thereof by reason that Sathan now towards the dissolution of the worlds Chronicle spitteth his spirituall spite and venemous vengeance in most abundant measure And also because our stiffe steely hearts will not relent nor receiue remorce
the earth seemed to moue The next night after they heard a louder noise then before about his Tombe For which cause in the morning they opened his Tombe where in stead of his corps they found but a foule fauour of brimstone The copie of which Pamphlet when Luther read he subscribed these wordes I am sory that God is iniuried by this fiction Otherwise I can but smile at the Diuels malice wherewith he and his complices the Papists pursue me It is strange to see with what impudence these iugling Priestes dare diuulge such a notorious lie of him whom his owne neighbors and Countreymen know better then they or any other forrainers This I can testifie that throughout all Germany where I trauelled his memory is blessed his birth-day solemnized and himselfe reputed for a second Elias But as I said before our Idolatrous Euchanters in policy inuented this fable for the glory of their Hierarchy which God peruert like Achitophels deuises Hereby we gather that most of our Countrations lying miracles and foolish fables were deriued from the Papists for the corrupting of the simpler sort and that of right Coni-catchers are termed Conturers and wizards witches Onely they differ in this that the Cont-catcher and Wizard receiue their knowledge by an infolded or implicite suggestion in their braines from the Diuell and that the Coniurer and Wtich reape with the Diuels sickle more openly yet both of them ioyne in the effect to deceiue and to make a prey of our vnderstanding But here I must tell you one thing worthy the obseruation that euen as the Papists will not see their mystical Antichrist though that which with-held his publique reuiling till this time be in a manner taken out of the way to wit the glory of the Romane Empire no more then the Iewes would see their Messias though likewise that which withheld his reuealing til his destinated time was taken out of the way to wit that the Scepter should not depart from Iuda nor a Law-giuer from betweene his loines vntill Shiloh came which was Christ so we oâ— the reformed Church besotted with childish credulity will not beleeue the truth though it be felt with handes as they say and shewed vs by demonstrations infallible that Coniurers and Wiches can act no miraculous matter of moment at all their chiefe Master himselfe being but a lier and impostor howsoeuer Frier Bacon with his brazen head which he purposed to set vp in Salisbury-plaine for the eighth wonder of the world and the Popish Idolaters with their Masse-monging and Holy water went currant for graund Coniurers in olde time Because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God sends them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies Wherefore let the faithfull accept this for a caueat that when the Diuell takes vpon him to become terrified with the besprinckling of Holy water with steele or with the thundring Bulles of a Masse-Priest he doth it onely of a politicke stratageme to confirme his adherents in such vaine fooleries after the example of Tomyris who fained her selfe with all her troupes to flie that thereby she might entangle Cirus and giue him the greater foile Whereto alludes that notable saying of our sage Solomon He walked among the Papists by childish and affraying terrours to mocke and accuse their childish errours Yea he walked among them the more familiarly vnder the bastard names of Larum Lemuâ—um Deorum Penatum Laruarum Dryadum c. outwardly seeming to care for their temporall profit when as in truth his purpose was inwardly to worke them harme in their soules and consciences that their wils and spirituall natures might be peruerted like vnto his LINEAMENT VIII 1 That true miracles were but lent by the Lord to the Primitiue Church for confirmation of the Gospell which accompanied the said miracles 2 How in their steed false miracles crept into the Church with the Antichrist in the time of the great Apostasie 3 The Diueli synode for employments of his hellâ—sh spirits 4 The Authours digression shewing that the Diuels shape was not reall but delusiâ—e to deceiue the eye sight 5 How men by his spirituall insinuations became his agents here on earth 6 The Diuels craft to continue men in their Dettactions MIracles were rife in the Apostles time at the first preaching of the Gospell yea and many yeares after euen as Reuelations were also common at the first promulging and publishing of Moses law But afterwards through mens curiosity arrogancy and negligence they ceased like as the vrime ceased for a long time after Iosuahs age The chiefe end of Miracles was lent by the Redeemer of the world to reconcile mens mindes vnto the puritie of the doctrine which at the same time he sent to beare them company Their end I say was that their energy and efficacy might moue mens steely hearts to relent and repent them of their abhominations which preuailed in all those whom his prouident Father had sealed vp to be saued from the beginning Whereby we may obserue that the vertue of true miracles sprang from the goodnesse of the doctrine which then the Lords great Ambassadour graâ—fed towards the posterities of the elect So that this godly doctrine separated such miracles from the Diuels deceits from natures operations and from mens inuentions Their mutuall concurrence confirmed the spectators in their resolution namely that their preaching and teaching proceeded from the glorious light Sithence which golden age of the Gospell it pleased the Lord according to his vnsearchable will and according to Saint Iohns and Saint Pauls prophesies to leaue his Church soiourning in the solitary wildernesse persecuted by the detracting Dragon to suffer his two witnesses the true records on earth of the lightsome word that was incarnate for our saluation to be mangled martyred and massacred in the Citie of the spirituall whore and so to permit a generall defection and departure from the faith at the entrie of the Antichrist into the World which continued well nigh eight hundred yeares and theÌ„ true doctrine failing true miracles failed Which when the Diuell noted he laid hold on that vile oportunity of Apostasie and generall defection of faith and in steed of those true miracles he hatched false miracles according to his owne naturall dispose lying wonders and brought in canonization of Saints whereof my selfe was an eye witnesse in Millaine in the yeare 1603. adoration of sinfull men masses for the dead marchandizes of humane soules Gods of golden beads of holy water of crucifixes and also old wiues tales whereof the Popish Legends are as full as euer Diomedes his stable was of prodigious dung Many miracles were fathered vpon giddy headed people in their death beds when good men through extremitie of torments haue spoken they knew not what They record that the Virgine Mary descended dow from heauen to giue S. Fulbecke her breasts to suck while he lay sicke Such another
vpon him and he shall curse thee to thy face Whereto though God answered Lo he is in thine hand yet we must not take that saying literally but parable-wise or according to the Hebrew maner of speech He is in thine hand that is he is in the case as thou wouldest haue him my hand shall plague him according to thy demaund Likewise we must vnderstand that the holy Ghost here as in other places of the Scripture inserteth such familiar conserence as is fitting for mans capacity and for the vsage of that language When his Maiestie is disposed really to plague offendors coÌ„monly he employeth his owne Angels which S. Iohn in the Reuelation plainly manifesteth in these words I saw another signe in heauen great and maruellous seuen Angels hauing the last seuen plagues for by them is fulfilled the wrath of God And againe I heard a great voyce going out of the Temple saying to the seuen Angels Go your waies powre out the seuen golden vials of the wrath of God vpon the earth His owne Angell God sent to destroy Sodome and Gomorra to plague the Israclites when Dauid caused the people to be numbred and to ouerthrow Senacheribs army His owne Angell he sent to smite ambitious Herode so that he was eaten vp of wormes To conclude this is a golden rule and worthy to be engrauen in Cedar that Good men neuer detract from the Lord or from their neighbours To the Lord they ascribe al glory all causes all effects To Caesar they ascribe what is Caesars and honour to whom honour belongeth Notwithstanding any naturall notions or idle imaginations imprinted in their braines by the Spirit of Detraction good men will quickly breake through such brittle cobwebs and will pierce quite through such imaginations with their intellectuall iudgements as the beames of the Sunne pierce and passe through the thickest clouds inwardly building on this fort of faith that the Diuels force himselfe being spirituall and oftentimes a prisoner is not really reuelling but spiritually roguing or restrained euen according to the pleasure of the Great Iehouah in whose power alone it consisteth to bruise his head and to bring vs safely out of his tempting snares LINEAMENT XVI The Spirit of Detraction punished by the immediate power of God proued by examples out of the Scripture EVen as the Spirit of Detraction with all other sinful spirits as the spirit of pride the spirit of gluttony the spirit of hatred and such others by the contagious craft of the diuellish serpent like an infectious leprosie possessed all soules since the first transgression of our foreparents our Sauiour only excepted for in Adam we all liued so likewise did this serpent first detract and depraue the Lords glory in heauen when he arrogated to himselfe his immensiue power And afterwards when he seduced Eue to disobey her Creator touching the forbidden fruit saying vnto her ye shall not die the death And also when he made her beleeue that she should be as wise as God At the building of Babell they desperately detracted in distrusting Gods prouidence in fearing another Deluge and in saying Let vs build vs a tower whose top may reach vnto heauen least peâ—aduenture we be scatterd abroad vpon the face of the earht Corah Dathan and Abiram were swallowed vp of the earth because they murmured against God and spake against his seruant Moses Miriam the sister of Moses was stricken by the Lord with leprosie because she spake against her brother and against his authority which he had from God The men which Moses sent to search the land of Canaan and which when they came againe made all the people to murmur against him and brought vp a slander vpon the land euen those men that did bring that slaunder vpon it as though it had bene euill died in a great plague before the Lord None of the Israelites which came out of Aegypt except Caleb liued to enioy the land of promise because they murmured against their Redeemer who brought them out of seruitude and tempted his patient spirit therefore they perished in the wildernesse Saul despayring of Gods mercy and for that the Lord vouchsafed not to answere him by dreams nor vrim nor yet by Prophets sought to the cousening witch of Endor who against her will like to Baalam and Caiphas prophesied the truth by a supposed Samuel that the spirit of God had quite abandoned him that the next day after he should be slaine by the Philistines The Israelites discomfited the Sâ—rians and killed one hundred thousand of them in one day according to the speech of the Prophet that was sent to the King of Israel with this message Thus saith the Lord because the Sirians haue said The Lord is God of the mountains and not God of the valleyes therefore will I deliuer this great multitude into thy hands and you shall know that I am the Lord. Ahaziah King of Iuda being sicke sent messengers to Baalzebub the God of Ekron concerning his discase and his recouery But Elias out of the Angels mouth resolued him saying Is it because there is no God in Israel that you goe to enquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron Wherefore thus saith the Lord Thou shalt not come downe from the bed on which thou art gone vp but thou shalt die the death Amaziah Priest of Bethel bad the Prophet Amos prophesie no more at Bethel because it was the kings Chappel and the kings Court Wherefore and for that he controlled the Lords messenger thus said the Lord Thy wife shall be an harlot in the Citie and thy sonnes and daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be diuided by line and thou shalt die in a polluted land Beares came out of the forrest and tare in peeces two and fortie children which mocked Elisha the Prophet and reuiled him with his bald head Senacherib king of Assyria warring with Hezekias king of Iuda sent a blasphemous embassage vnto him signifying that the Lord could no more saue Ierusalem from his victorious hand then the counterfeit Gods or Idols of other nations which he destroyed But the word of the Lord came to Esay the Prophet against Senacherib in this manner Whom hast thou railed on and blasphemed against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted vp thine eyes on high Euen against the Holy one of Israel Because thou ragest against me and thy tumult is come vp into mine eares therefore will I put my hooke into thy nosthrils and my bridle in thy lips and will bring thee backe againe the same way thou camest So the Angell of the Lord went out and smote in the campe one hundred threescore and fiue thousand men in one night And Senacherib himselfe at his returne home was slaine by two of his sonnes One Hananiab in the time of Zedekiah king of Iuda prophesied falsely among the Iewes at Ierusalem eyther of vaine glory for
inconueniences a wise Emperour of Rome forbad by an expresse decree any Citizen in Rome to build a house aboue fortie or fiftie foot high And thou deare Christian which readest this humble booke I admonish thee to build low to carry a low saile to lay aside thy Peacocks plumes to behold thy feete I meane the earth from whence thou camest and lastly I warne thee to prostrate thy thoughts before thy heauenly Father the worlds great Thunderer following the Poets counsell Viâ—e tibi quantumque potes praelustria vita Saeuum praelustri fulmen ab arce venit Liue to thy selfe and shunne the stateliest roome For thunder doth from highest Castle come LINEAMENT VIII 1 How God sendes thunder and lightening eyther for his glory for mens triall 〈◊〉 for their punishment 2 Examples aswâ—ll moderne as auncient of forcible thunders and lightening IN all ages it pleased God to manifest his â—aiesticall power of thunder and lightenings among mortall men eyther for his glory or for monition sake or for their punishment At Mount Sinaâ— to shew the Israeâ—â—â—â— is glorious strength and Maiestie he appeared with exceeding loud Trumpets with terrible thunders and lightnings which the Prophet Dauid thus expressed The Lord thundred out of heauen and the most High gaue out his voyce hailestones and coales of fiâ—e Another time to trie Iobs faith and to make the Diuell a lyar in impeaching his innocence and integritie God caused his heauenly fire to descend and to consume his seruants and flockes of sheepe Likewise for the conuersion of the Israelites at the prayers of Elias he sent fire from heauen to consume the sacrifice The like did he againe at the praier of the said Elias send downe to destroy Ahazâ—as men And this very weapon of lightning and sulphureous fire vsed he against Sodome and Gomorrhe Alladius an ancient King of the Latines who reigned before Romulus had his Palace set on fire with lightning from heauen and perished himselfe therein A king of Clide was strickeÌ„ with a thunderbolt froÌ„ heaueÌ„ A maide of Rome trauelling to Apulis was killed with lightning no harme outwardly appearing in her bodie and at the same instant her garments were also shaken off without any rent her horse also killed his bridle and girthes shaken off without any breach It is reported of King Mithridates when he was a very infant lying in his cradle that the lightning caught the swadling cloathes and set them on fire but neuer touched or hurt his body saue only there remained a litle marke of the fire vpon his forehead againe when he was growne it chanced that the lightning pierced into the bedchamber where he was asleepe and for his owne person it was not so much as singed therewith but it blasted a quiuer of arrowes that hung at his bed side went through it and burnt the arrowes within There was at Rome a souldier who keeping the Centinell vpon one of the temples of the Citie chanced to haue a flash of lightning to fall very neere vnto him which did him no hurt at all in his bodie but only burnt the â—atchet of his shoes and about the same time whereas there were certaine small boxes and cruets of siluer within wooden cases the siluer within was found all melted vnto a masse in the bottome and the wood not iniured at all but continued entire and found Many haue died by reason of thunder or lightning without any marke or stroke wound scorch or burning seene vpon them whose life soule for very feare hath flowed out of their bodies like a bird out of a cage Olimpius an Arrian Bishop had his bodie sodainly burnt with lightning at Carthage which iudgement of God fel vpon him as many thought for blaspheming the blessed Trinitie One Prester the sonne of Hyppomenes for blaspheming God was striken with a thunder and perished Anastasius the Emperour in the yeare of Christ 499. being addicted to Magicke and the Manichean heresie did perse cute such Christians as reproued his finnes and wickednesse But at the last lightning came fearefully about his house called Tholotum he crept from chamber to chamber to seeke where he might be safest but nothing would preuaile The flashes in the end ouertooke him and he perished miserably Hatto the Bishop of Mentz when in the yeare of Christ 918 by the instigation of Conrade the Emperour he endeuoured to murder Henry Duke of Saxony was sodainly slaine with a stroke of lightning In the yere of our Lord 653. at Frisazium a towne of Saxony a great nuÌ„ber both of houses and people were destroyed by lightnings It is writteÌ„ that the mother of Hierom Fracastorius who afterwards became one of the most learned and famous Phisitians of Christendome hauing the said Hierome in her armes then an infant was her selfe killed with lightning But her child was not hurt at all In the yeare of our Lord 15â—4 the Citie of Claraualla in France being stricken with lightning about noone daies did so fiercely burne that in three houres space their towne castles Churches were vtterly consumed In the yeare of our Lord 1551. an honest Citizen of Crentzburge standing by his table and a dog lying by his feete were both of them sodainly slaine by a lightning yet a young child which stood hard by his Father was preserued safe It is not long since Paules proudsteeple ouercrowing all the spires in England felt the blowes of diuine iustice with her sister Babell the one by lightning the other by confusion One Wyman a Citizen of Glocester as many there yet liuing can testifie about fortie yeares past hauing a son called Arthur Wyman at the Vniuersitie in Oxford very earnestly required another sonne of his one William Wyman to carry some prouision of victuals vpoÌ„ a Whitsonday to his said sonne in Oxford This younger sonne after many excuses was at the last forced vpon that high day nolens volens to go forwards on his iourny to Oxford But by the way in a thicket of wood he was found strickeÌ„ dead with lightning yet his body in outward appearance was without any marke The mare whereon he rode was also smitted dead and sauored very strong of brimstone And the meat which he caried as Kid Lamb c. were so corrupted with blackish sent and stunke so ill fauouredly that no man could abide the smell thereof Mistresse Lowbell a Gentlewoman of Colchester yet liuing about two and twentie yeares ago or there abouts was sodainly stricken downe with lightning and so scorched and singed in her bodie with the sulphureous slame that she could hardly be cured within a quarter of a yeare after About the said time at a place called Croes-Askurne in the Countie of Carmarthen vpon the day of a Gentlemans marriage as they were making merry there a very strange accident hapned There came a thunderbolt and pierced quite through the said house and also a certaine
in the world to come euen as he lasheth some for their reformation and not for their ruine ad correctionem non ad ruinam as Queene Elizabeth of famous memory spake touching a subiect of hers then in durance This kinde of punishment called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord himselfe names the rod of men the plagues of the children of men such as the Father vseth to his childe he likewise vseth to his elected childe to the intent that man might not waxe ouer-wanton in affections or seem righteous in his owne conceit for no flesh stands instified in his sight and as that holy man alleadged that hee might deliuer him from pride that he might keepe his soule from the graue and his life from the sword Whereto agreeth that Prouerbe Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara Who tasted not the sowre deserues not sweet God foreseeing that some of his children might sinne in many things scourgeth them with infirinity of body lest they should sinne Vt ijs vtilius sit frangâ— languoribus ad salutem quam remanere incolumes ad damnationem That it might be more profitable for them to bee broken with diseases for saluation then to remaine whole and in health for damnation This another auncient Father confirmes Magis intus dolemus per hoc quod foris patimur We grieue in wardly the more for that which wee suffer outwardly And againe While wee are outwardly strucken we are secretly and wofully recalled to the remembrance of our sinnes Our fleshly fathers corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence and shall wee not patiently endure our heauenly Fathers scourge They for a few dayes chastned vs after their owne pleasure but hee for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse When any Plague Murren losse crosse or misfortune befals vs that proceedes not from the diuell but from our Father in heauen It is he that created light and darknesse that makes peace and trouble It is hee that ordereth this worlds globe and turnes the wheele of all our fortunes And againe as himselfe promiseth If we will walke in his Ordinances he will send peace in the land but if we despise his commandements he will send a sword vpon vs. His prouident Maiestie knows best what befits our fraile natures He will haue mercy on them who deserue mercy at his handes And he will punish those that deserue punishment Shall we receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euill Shall we reioyce when the Sunne shines and when it lowres shall we lowre and frowne likewise Know then O worldly men that no euill can chance vnto you without the appointment of God Out of his mouth goeth both euill and good as the Prophet lamented And as another Prophet testified Shall there be euill that is calamity in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Great reason it is that hee which sent vs into this world should take vs out of the world after what maner soeuer it pleaseth him Whether it be by ordinary or extraordinary meanes by death naturall or violent lingring or sudden welcome be death vnto vs that be borne to die For this cause while we haue time to repent let vs beginne instantly out of hand to amend our liues before his darts doe hit vs before the darke night of tribulation comes vpon vs. Repentance which is done vpon the laâ—â— houre is commonly done vpon feare of future torments Then it is hard by reason of our prrsumptuous delayes to finde grace and mercy as a Spanish Diuine very well obserues Malse hallan los remedios en el trabaio que enâ—e descansoy paz no se buscaron Ill doe they finde remedies in time of trouble when they sought for none in time of peace In this case the counsell of the wise man is very good Get thee righteousnes before thou come to iudgement and vse Phisicke before thou be sicke Examine thy selfe before thou be iudged and in the day of destruction thou shalt find mercy humble thy selfe before thou be sicke and while thou mayest yet sinne shew thy conuersion Most certaine it is that Sathan tyrannizeth most furiously at the shutting vp of our liues when we are least able to resist by reason of our extreme paines and panges both in body and minde Then the very best haue enough to doe A man hath not two soules that he may aduenture one of them Therefore O Christian stand to thy tacklings stand stout alwayes prepared to preuent all future euils O lim haec meminisse iuuabit The time will come when the remembrance of thy fore past crosses will auaile the repeating In the meane time Mors tua mors Christi-fraus mundi-gloria coeli Et dolor Inforâ—i sunt meditanda tibi Thinke on thine owne and Christ his death And on false worldly traines Thinke also on sweet heauens ioyes And on Infernall paines God helpe vs if we shall do nothing else in this world but liue in continuall care pensiuenesse and perplexity of minde as in truth we must if we liue in feare of deathes suddaines But the case is otherwise for the Church hath prouided in the Letany that we pray God to deliuer vs from lightning and tempest from plague pestilence and famine from battell and murther and from sudden death O man full of Detractions how long wilt thou tempt the Lord thy God This earthly world was not giuen thee for a Paradise but for a Purgatory It was not made thee to build in but rather to pull downe to crucifie and to mortifie thy couetâ—ous thoughts that in the other world thou mightst liue for euer with Christ and his Angels This world is indeede a place of triall a warfare a maze of troubles and a seate to soiourne in for a time for short time Wherefore and because this time later or sooner serius aut citius is not limited by Patent to any mortall creature whereby we might foreknow or preuent the brunts of nature fortune or destiny which three I hold to be the ineuitable will of God let vs stand watchfull against sudden death seeing it is for a great prize for a great purchase that none can be greater euen for the saluation of our deare soules I graunt that olde Adam prayeth against the suddennesse of death but alas poore man it is for doubt of the worst It is the nature of a sinfull soule to become so enamoured with this enchanting world that it loathes as the horror of hell all sudaine mischiefes and chiesly a mischieuous death We would faine die the death of the righteous but in no wise would we liue the lise of the righteous And yet how dare we iudge of them that die so suddenly May not the â—ord dislodge his tenants at will specially for their aduancement without warning at any time Did not hee after this sudden manner as it were in the twinckling of an eye translate Henoch
to lay an ambush for your neighbours good name fame and reputation Learne by these exemplary crosses to be vigilant for in the houre which you thinke not as a theese in the night will death steale vpon you It is high time for you to prepare your selues to preuent the Tempter Alreadie it begins to smoake and as the Poet forewarnes Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet When the next wall vnto thy house doth burne Looke to thy selfe betimes next is thy turne These reasons considered I dare boldly auouâ—h for no earthly creature can iudge her conscience more freely then my selfe that my welbeloued wife whom God of late hath taken to his mercy by an vnexpected accident by the lightning power of his fearefull thunder resteth in the Lord as concerning her soule and resteth on earth as concerning her memory both which I trust by the diuine bountie scorne all the brauadoes scaladoes and engines which eyther enuy or Sathan can inuent for their assaults This is the chiefest solace I embrace after so great a crosse This Christian hope richer then any temporall or golden haruest I reape to my selfe after my fatall losse For my light affliction which is but momentary causeth vnto me a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory while I looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene I looke not so sâ—rupulously on the manner of her death as I looke on the manner of her life which God receiued as a burnt offering Packe hence therefore ye Enthusians and be not like vnto Curdogs that bark at a dead Lyon Though she fell she shall rise againe though she sate in darknesse the Lord will be a light vnto her MY tongue is no hireling Herald to coine her a new pedegre nor yet a mercâ—nariâ— Aduocate to extoll her shadow in steed of substance onely in steed of Popish posâ—humes or Purgatorie trentals I will sacrifice this cacomtasticall oblation as seralem coeâ—am a funerall banquet to her well deseruing memory Holy Augustine neuer conceiued more diuinely of his mother Monica then I doe of thy felicity O happie soule partaker of celestiall ioyes thou needest no praise of mine seeing that thy God hath transported thee in the yeare of lubily to this port of tranquility and conuerted thy pilgrimage to the hauen or rather heauen of euerlasting health Where though thou abound with vnspeakable pleasures yet pardon me if I striue to canonize thy peerelesse fame The pleasant sounds of thy verdant vertues like so many resounding Ecchoes shall neuer vanish from mine insatiable eares Thy extraardinary loue the liuely Jdaea of a spotlesse life shall alwaies dwell within the mansion of my restlesse minde At all times whether it be morning or euening noone-tide or midnight while I soiourne in this house of clay I will congratulate thy high fortunes All haile immortall spirit thou spouse of Christ wrapt vp in his holy armes full of transcendent grace full of transeendent glory All haile full of health full of happinesse which art translated from mortall men to immortall Saints from sorrow to solace Yesterday thou wentest entaÌ„gled with the thorny cares of this world now thou triumphest among the Angels of heauen Yesterday thou wert here where Iob himselfe complained that he was placed as a But to be shot at where Gods enuenomed arrowes stucke in him where the Prophet Dauids bones were consumed that he roared all day long Now thou florishest in the harmony of Gods Spirit minding on nothing but on diuine vertues on spirituall melody Yesterday thou wentest drooping in an earthen cote shaken with the frownes of Enuy with the frumps of Detraction to day thou walkest and this day shines alwaie neuer sets in a temple not built with hands in the line of the liuing God without Enuy without Deraction Here is thy habitation assigned thee thy lot is fallen in a faire ground Liue for euer And this as a looking glasse shall glister vnto thy friends on earth Dorcadis hic dotes miti cum mente Rebecchae Priscillaeque fides mens tamâ—n vna tribus Corpus humas mundus laudes tenet igneus Eliae Elisias tua mens Elizabetha rotas Here Dorcas deeds as starres doe shine Priscillaes faith heere doth combine With mild and kind Rebeccaâ—s mind Yet but one soule to three assign'd Thy bodie earth the world thy name Thy soule by faith Elisian fame Elizabeth eterniz'd gaines Elias-like in lightning waines LINEAMENT XIII 1 The Authours gratulation for his late fortunate deliuerance 2 His description of the Lightning tragedy the third day of Ianuarie 1608. at what time God tooke away his wife 3 His description of other Crosses at the very same time 4 How God fore-shewed by mysteryes the said crosses before they hapned vnto the Authour wherein his censure of Dreames is interlaced 5 His description of his miraculous escape out of the Sea wherein he fell by force of a cruell tempest on a Christmas day 1602. GOD forbid that I should charge all my Countreymen with the branded marke of blasphemie for there be many good men which neuer kneeled vnto Baal which neuer worshipped the spirit of Detraction all ready viua voce as the Prouerbe saith with both hands to hold vp the roofe of my opinion They alledge simply and charitably that this great Accident vpon my wife and house came from God as a faire warning for mee and them to prepare our selues for his heauenly kingdome which charitable conceit I cannot cancell with obliuion or ingratitude but rather confirme the same with an applauding Alleluiah The Lord gaue the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. No man aliue this day stands more indebted then my selfe for matters of life vnto the Author of life Daniel was wonderfully deliuered from the Lions clawes Ananias Azarias and Misael from the fierie fornace Ionas in the Whales belly from the stormy sea and Paul with his Pilots Marriners and Companions from perishing in the Mediterranean seas but what am I vile wretched sinner whom thou hast saued as strangely from fire and water O glorious God is it because thy prouident maiestie hath predestinated me to some worthy seruice tending to thy glory O bountifull Lord of vnsearchable wisedome graunt that my faith may be signed with the seale of thy mercy Let my spirit become regenerated and renued as the Potters vessell markt to an honest purpose Whatsoeuer I am whether tolerably toward or vntoward tolerably cleane or vncleane I wholy submit my selfe at the feet of thy mercy altogether depending on thy Sonnes merits from whence I will not depart though I were sure with Asahel to be slaine by Abner and as Iob protested if thou wouldest kill me yet will I trust in thee On the third of Ianuarie 1608. about the third houre of the night or thereabouts as I lay solitarie vpon my bed what with torment of a sodaine tooth-ache and what with an
times within the same quarter of the yeare that she dyed I know very well quoth she I cannot liue till the first of March Another time being as I remember not aboue three weekes before her death descending downe from her chamber where then she had beene at prayers shee came smiling vnto me with these words Husband I bring you good tidings you shall be rid of me and you shall haue another wife for I am fully assured that I shall dye very shortly and that before the first of March And I thanke God I am prepared let him send when hee will Which words of hers being by me accepted in iest shee replyed as if shee had seene a vision or felt some extraordinary motion in her spirit you thinke I speake in iest but marke the end Neyther did the Lord I speake it to his glory send this glorious alarme vnto mee without an implicite or mysticall premonition for about two Moneths before or thereabouts as farre as I remember in a dreame I saw the very like accident Mee thought I was at a Knight my brothers house and there lying vpon my bed I imagined to haue seene and heard vpon the sodaine in the night time a most terrible lightning and thunder in such wise that I made full account the whole house had beene burnt or cast downe and therefore to saue my life with much adoe I hastned out of doores where I supposed to haue beheld the inner part of the house terribly flaming with fire and presently after I might see one conueying out of doores a Chest whereupon I bewailed that a blacke Truncke of mine stored with money was left behind consumed with the flame This dreame I related to my said Brother being at my house about three weekes before the accident wished him in my brotherly loue to looke somwhat more warily to his house least night fires might endanger him by reason of the height of his house the same not inferiour for height to any house which I haue seene and likewise by reason of the partitions being timber-worke Neuerthelesse for all this I aduise not the Reader to embrace this dreame of mine for an infallible president because that dreames sort our commonly according to the diet temperate or intemperate sparing or gluttonous which men vse And yet I beleeue God seldome vseth to inflict any notable accident vpon a charitable Christian that mortifies his body with competent fasting and moderates his soule with contemplation of heauenly mysteries vvithout some secret prodrome or fore-running glimpse of his powerfull purpose Nor doe I aduise my Reader to surmise that I conceiue ouer credulously or superstitiously of Morphâ—us or Phobetor the Poeticall Gods of dreames as necessarie causes of notorious effects For my sentence is none otherwise of dreames then of Comets and Eclipses vvhich likewise are not the causes of remarkable euents but onely such signes and tokens are as smoake at the top of a chimney or as an Iuie bush put forth at a vintrie the one prognosticating fire within the other the sale of wine Thus it pleased the glorious Lord of lightnings to extend his miraculous mercy towards me and perhaps to leaue me as a firebrand taken out of the burning or as Ezechiels signe for a testimonie of his lightning glory to hardned hearts This is the second miracle whereby as a virbius or Rediuiuâ—s I acknowledge my selfe twise restored from death to life within the compasse of seauen yeares euen about the selfe same season of the yeare when our Sauiour Christ became flesh for the saluation of flesh The first time of my deliuerance vvas vpon a Christmas day 1602. This latter time on the third of Ianuarie 1608. and both vpon a Tuesday In Fraunce betwixt Tremblado and Marena a passage of two leagues ouer it was my chance on a Christmas day to be stricken into the surging Sea vvith the boistrous force of a cruell tempest where I had no sooner falne and cried to the Lord for helpe but sodainely beyond all expectation I found an Oare betweene my hands to defend or rather deferre my life And to this houre I cannot deuise where-hence the said Oare should chance vnto me In this dolefull sort I floated almost a quarter of an houre very often tossed and ouerturned with the furious rowling of the stormie waues vntill it pleased God at length of his exceeding bounty in that rough tempestuous weather when the proudest ship became humbled as the weakest reed to direct the course of that small Barke from whence I fell towards mee and to guide the Marriners hands as a man would say against winde and weather against Oares and Sailes for the haling me vp in a manner dead and ready to forsake the Oare So that I may boldly say that I haue beene miraculously preserued both from fire and water Sic coniurati veniunt ad classica venti So windes coniur'd descended to our sailes And if it were lawfull for me to apply those Meeters in the Psalter destinated to our Sauiour Christs resurrection I would sound out with ioyfull cheere Thus from aboue the Lord sent downe to fetch me from belowe And pluckâ— me out of waters great which would me ouerflowe I would also with Ionas the Prophet exhibite my submissiue petition vnto the Lord my Sauiour Thou didst cast me downe into the deepe into the midst of the sea and the floods compassed me about all thy billowes and waues passed ouer mec And I said I am cast away out of thy sight yet will I looke againe towards thine holy Temple Here I could lay downe how his omnipotent Maiestie respected me in all my trauailes both by land and water Twise I passed the Pyrenaean Mountaines betwixt Fraunce and Spaine and that in the dead of Winter Twise I trauailed ouer the Alpes I escaped the Banditi in Italy robberies in Hungary and in other forraine Countries All which deliuerances Per varios casus per toâ— discrimina râ—rum Through diuers straights through dangers infinite Ordinarie and extraordinarie I ascribe to no other destenie or fortune then to the great Redeemer of the world the mighite Lord strong mercifull gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne From whom I confesse this last lightning Tragedie to be sent as a preparatiue for me and others In like manner I confesse it was profitable for my soules health that God after this dreadfull fashion rouzed me vp out of my Tent of securitie For indeed I liued almost as carelesse as Sardanapalus bewitched with worldly ease but now I thanke my gracious Lord mine eyes begin to open my soule begins to see her faults God giue mee grace to perseuer in this acknowledgement and to ascribe the glorie vnto him alone LINEAMENT XIIII 1 The spirit of Detraction connicted for censuring the Lords secret iudgements 2 The Authors imperfections acknowledged 3 His meditation on his late
Summers attendance after many a frozen Winters watching expecting my conuersion to knocke againe most patiently at the doore of my soule and thus to call vnto her while shee slept so carelesly Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue for my head is full of dâ—â—r and my lockes with the drops of the night Againe and againe it pleased thee to inuite mee after this manner Returne O thou rebellious childe and I will heale thy rebellions for euen as a woman hath rebelled against her husband so hast thou rebelled against mee How dease is he that heares not such a voyce A voyce more vehement then the sound of many waters How deepely sleepes he that is not wakened vvith such a morning vvatch vvith such a melodie A melodie more musicall then euer Tuball Amphion or Arion could possibly conceiue When all thy creatures combined against me in reuenge of my disloyaltie towards thy sacred soueraigntie thou didst temper their fiery fury thou didst moderate their biting bitternesse The foure Elements which thou madest for my conseruation conspired all to roote my being out of the Land of the liuing The Ayre threatned to taint my breathing with contagious smels with Stigian stinckes The Fire assayed to burne my bruitish body The Water stroue vvith might and maine to ouerwhelme me vtterly The Earth endeuoured before her time to abridge my luxurious life And all because I had offended their great Creator But thou more mercifull then thy creatures for the loue of thy Name and for the loue of thy Sonne didst controule all their practises and confound the deuises of the Diuel himselfe How happy am I that thou prolongst my dayes how kinde art thou that sparest to spill the bloud of thy very foes O kindenesse without desert O courtesie without comparison Behold behold yee mortals all how the Lord hath deliuered me from the danger nay from the dungeon of death from sodaine death The God of glory hath defended mee from Thunder and Lightning from vvater and fire O what oblation can the poore Samaritanâ— sacrifice vnto his sacred Maiestie for these his wonderous workes Ille magis gratae laetatur mentis odore Quam consecrato sanguine mille boum Nam prece non alio gaudet honore Deus God better loues a thankfull minde then many Oxens bloud For poore mens prayers he preferres before the rich and proud Seeing thankfulnesse is such a sweet smelling odour in his sacred no strils let me proclaime his glorious Name Alleluiah Osanna in the Highest Blessed be the name of his heauenly Highnesse blessed in heauen blessed on earth and blessed throughout all ages The Lord be blessed for euermore vvhich hath enlightned mee in the darksome shadow of errours vvhich hath enlarged mee from a vvorld of perils vvhich hath recalled me failing vvhich hath raised me falling vvhich hath recouered mee running almost out of breath from falling and fainting Let all Nations performe their duties let them praise the Lord for it is hee that commandeth the waters It is the glorious God that maketh the Thunder It is the Lord that ruleth the sea The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedar trees yea the voyce of his thunder was heard round about the lightning shone upon the ground The Earth was moued and shooke withall his way is in the sea and his paths in the great waters Applaud him O my soule applaud his magnificent Maiesty Let his laud be euer in thy thoughts Let all thy faculties all thy attributes and operations spread themselues as blooming Vines round about my heart my braine my tongue that the same may become as the pen of a ready writer to sound out and resound his most puissant power Others according to the altitude of his iudgements he cutteth off by vntimely death but me he spares aliue as a monument of his liuing mercy O what had become of me if thou haddest cited mee likewise at that horrible houre before thy tribunall throne of Iustice O my Sauiour I thanke thee for thy peerlesse patience I praise thee though basely and barely in respect of thy benefits I adore thee I honour thee I humble my selfe before thee all the dayes of my life I returne I repaire vnto thee not haltingly not hollowly but holily I vvould I could say vvholy all the dayes of my life O giue me grace help my weaknesse heale mine vnbeliefe LINEAMENT XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memory 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the beâ—aâ—se of this present Circle where his Wiues memory is saluted with a Christian Farewell INgenuous Reader hitherto after the example of Antimachus who composed a Booke in the commendations of his wife Lydia haue I labored to eternize my deere wiues memory to the end entent that when the Spirit of ' Detraction as the Sorcerers rod was swallowed vp by Aarons rod is consumed to nothing and vvhen his lying mates doe dye and lie ingloriously in rotten earth the vvorld shall finde that shee liues for euer among the liuing inuita inuidia in despite of enuie that shee flourisheth like a Palme tree which the more it is suppressed the more returneth vpwards consonant to that of the Wise-man The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Her memorable end anatomized and embalmed in this my bookish coffin shall yeeld odoriferous perfumes of her milde meeke and modest life to the sence-pleasing comfort of the elected innocent And that I may record the memory of her end Allegorically with the Poet Etumulo viâ—lae fortunat à que fauillâ Nascentur cippusque leuis sua contâ—get ossa Out of her graue fine Violets shall bloome And a light stone shall her sweet bones entombe Thus out of my miseries as out of the ashes of a burnt Phoenix is built a beacon of liuing miracles vvhich I humbly pray his heauenly Highnesse among other suppliants of his that they may effect in me what a more radiant light effected in Saint Paul namely the illumination of a darke conscience For vvhen my body like a bowle was carryed about vvith the bias of concupiscence my soule rockt a sleep in the cradle of worldly securitie by Sathans inchanting lullabies then my Lord that saw me so misse-led like vnto Salomons foole laughing when indeed I had more cause to weepe then my louing Lord I say tooke compassion on my foolish fals and gaue me a sound pinch or prick in the flesh that started and stirred vp all my reasonable faculties to consider more iudiciously in what a case I stood both body and soule What better vse of this temptation can I produce then that thy death deere wife like Elishaes bones which reuiued a dead corse hath vvrought a double miracle the one in thy translation the other in my
against the Authour of nature These sinfull spirits like baites of sweet poison or sugred gals possesse olde Adams progeny according to the variable and voluble dispositions of the patient These not vnlike to Mice Lice lawlesse Lawiers or noysome vermine by Sathans spirituall suggestion doe endeuour to infest molest and sift vs as wheate They had their beginning at the fall of the Diuell and his Angels who are throughly possessed with all the said qualities working diuersly by the meanes of the same spirit The spirit of Detraction the spirit of Enuy the spirit of Pride and such like vitious spirits proceed from one roote from one Serpent that olde Impostor I am setled in this opinion by the Apostle who proued the identity of the Holy Spirit by the like reason The body is one and hath many members And againe There are diuersities of gifts but the same spirit To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit To another the operations of great workes to another prophesie to another the discerning of spirits to another the diuersities of tongues All these things worketh the same spirit distributing to euery man as it pleaseth him From one Tree came many branches of euill by the inticement of one Serpent came all these spirits of â—rrours which like venemous stings incite vs to vngodly actes And yet for all this I denie not but there are malicious spirits as well as ministring spirits Diuels as well as Angels the one attending on Lucifer the Prince of Diuels the other on Michael the Lords chiefe Angell both inuisibly attempting to work vpon the Will of man vehemently or by leisure as God commands them either for the knowledg of Goodnesse or for the knowledge of Euill Neyther will I here omit to interpose another opinion of mine concerning the Diuels force which is that God the reuenger of iniquity commands the Diuell as his executioner to pursue the reprobate sometimes by immediate causes and somtimes by mediate and second causes by immediate when the faculties of the soule are by his spirituall spurres extraordinarily possessed with frenzie sury and such like by mediate causes when the instruments of the body are by his spiritual enticements tempted to receiue into them more then suffice nature so that the veines ouerflow with blood the gall with choler adust and the liuer with lust But in my iudgement with the former extraordinary or miraculous causes the Diuell cannot harme a Christian mans body really howsoeuer I thinke of the soules immediate obsession or harme the least part of his body Surely I belecue that God reserues that palpable reall power as a prerogatiue to himselfe to his owne Angels and to his second causes in this world to himselfe as when Pharaoh and his Aegyptians were miraculously plagued with Lice and other annoyances by the singer of God or when he caused his Angel for Dauids fault to smite the Israelites with pâ—stilence But thou wilt aske me how can a Christian bee frantick by the Diuels meanes and yet not really hurt by him By him by the Diuels immediate reall force Nay principally by themselues and by their owne filthy bodies which suffered themselues at first to be gluttonously carried by their owne appetites and by the Diuels spirituall suggestion If they had eaten lesse and drunke lesse such corruption of humours could neuer taint them neither could consequently frenzie possesse them And also if they had in time sought for grace by daily prayers fasting being a coadiutour vnto them God would haue hearkened vnto them and healed their indispositions But on the contrary it pleased his Maiesty to harden some to lead them into temptation because they might acknowledge his iustice and omnipotency and also serue for monuments to terrifie the wauering minded To returne vnto my former matter as all wicked spirits and vitious purtâ—rbations sprung in mortall men by meanes of the said Arch-spirit of sinne so likewise by him they worke many and sundry operations Moyses made mention of the spirit of Iealousie Esay of the spirit of Errour The Lord permitted alying spirit to goe out and be in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to enâ—ice him into the battell against the Sirians Another Prophet relateth of the spirit of fornication And as S. Paul records God gaue them the spirit of slumber The spirit of God departed from Saeul and an euill spirit was sent from God to vexe him Therefore his seruants aduised him to seeke a cunning player vpon the Harpe whereby he might be refreshed and eased What sense more naturall to our capacities can we gather by this euill spirit and the easie cure thereof then that it was eyther a kinde of Lunacy vsuall in that hote countrey a fit of melancholy or a falling sickenesse For the cure whereof his seruants by whom I vnderstand his Phisittans hauing experimented belike that none other medicine then musicke could auaile him or perhaps not hauing such insight in Phisicke as we haue wished him onely to comfort his heart with ioyes and as we vulgarly speake to keepe Doctor Merriman company To this opinion of mine I adioyne another reason whereof we must not descant ouer-curiously that God predestinated purposely this extraordinary accident vpon Saul for the aduancement of Dauid who vpon this occasion happily composed many of his Psalmes and confirmed the vertues of his spirit and also by this accesse into the Kings Palace he gained vnto him the mindes of his chiefe Captaines and Officers besides he got by this familiar frequency in the Court his education and experience in matters of ciuill policy which otherwise he could hardly in humane probability obtaine by reason that hee was brought vp but simply among Sheepheards This I write not of any blasphemous purpose to restraine the Lords miraculous power but that we may obserue his prouidence in vouchsafing to worke by ordinary and naturall meanes But admit that the literall sense be admitted what absurdity can ensue thereof For the Diuell in his fall hauing wholy lost the musicall consent and melodious concord which was ensused in his soule at his creation could hardly digest Dauids Hymmes and Harpe the same being quite disagreeable to his discording and disproportioned nature I say such Diuine musicke reduced the extrauagant thoughts of Saules soule to such an excellent harmony and quiet tune that the Diuell durst not abide that sweete tempered sound Ouer all the abouesaid wicked spirits the spirit of Detraction awaiteth Doth the Lord send his terrible thunder his glorious lightnings as warlike alarums to rouze vs vp from our sleepy sinnes Behold the spirit of Detraction at hand and attributes those strange signes to the Prince of this world his Lord and Master the Diuell God quoth he is the Author of goodnesse quiet and neuer intâ—rmedles with thunder-claps stormes or tempests Non illi imperium pelagi scâ—ptrumque tridentis Sed mihi sort datum
your deeply deuoted Suppliant in his greatest neede Lo how my poore Muse pants eclipsed with your heauenly interposition and bids me as a daily Orator to the Rayes of your Nobility betimes to betake my selfe vnto Epicharmus his ancient Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is To whom Dame nature doth deny To giue her gifts abundantly They out of hand to Auncestry And to their noble Kinne do fly In the beginning of the Christian Church the very name of Christ was sufficient to make Sathan packe and to quite the possâ—ssion of tormented men but he learned a more cunning trick of late vnder the banner of Christ to fight against the Lieuetenant of his Imperiall Maiesty In one point I find no change that is in labouring and working by all meanes to draw men from their trust in Gods directions to a tickle kind of confidence in themselves and in their owne weake knowledge of Good and Euill which our first parents so greedily preferred non ex necessitate fato sed ex libero eligentium proposito not by necessity not by destiny but by their owne freedome of choise as an auncient Father writes LINEAMENT V. 1 Mans fall from the state of innocency is censured 2 Curiosity curbed for intermedling with Gods secrets 3 The first reason why man was not left altogether persect and incapable of sinne 4 The latter reason WHerehence it comes to passe that in wicked men there shines some goodnesse and in Good men is found some wickednesse In pessimis inuenitur aliquid boni in optimis aliquid pessimi In the beginning God made vs all good he made vs honest simple and pure but through our ouer-scrupulous search after his secrets through an ouer-curious oftentation of our owne worth and of our owne righteousnesse through our ingratefull negligence towards our heauenly Father and also through our sliding and slippery carnall condition which could not be like the Creatour in glory we followed our enemies counsell who likewise was created innocent and an Angell of glory though afterwards he became a Detracting Diuell so that God made him not a Diuell but an Angell No more made he vs sinfull but simple His al-secing Maiesty foreknew these tragicke euents and yet for his honour for the behoofe of elected soules and for the replenishing of his Kingdome hee formed both Angels and men by Grace and nature and endowed them with free will and election for his greater glory How should the good be knowne if there were no euill What needes a Monarch prescribe iawes and commandements to his subiects were it not for the auoyding of vice By the fall of the wicked the Good take exemplary feares The fall of the Diuell and his associates caused the rest that remained incorrupt to looke more narrowly to their wayes euen as the punish ments of some Traytors make others true who otherwise might haue erred in the like degree yea Good men are confirmed in goodnesse by obseruation of the contrary which is euill No maruell then that God in his omniscience created man whom he knew would afterwards rebell for as I said before euery creature is corroborated in vertue by noting the effects of the contrary which is vice Whereby we may gather that no wicked thing was immediatly created by God and that we hapned vpon wickednesse by the fragility and weakenesse of our natures which is also signified by that auncient Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For all this curious braines will not leaue off plodding and practizing of profound problemes Why say they did God fashion man of such a brittle State Wherefore made be not all men of the same manners and condition Why did he create man so imperfect of such a tender ticklish forme O foolish fondlings who are ye that presume to dispute with God Was it not enough for your soules to be shaped after his Diuinity both in vnity and in Trinity with absolute and electiue power to slie from the wrath to come I tell you there was no reason that petulant children should possesse all their Fathers goods Which of you I pray will disrobe himselfe of his temporall glory or diuide it with your inferiours Worldly Potentates can endure no corriuals nor by their good wils any equals And should God share with his creatures his most soueraigne perfection which they could aswell moderate as Phaet on the chariot of the Sunne But to yeeld some satisfaction to your curiosities I beleeue that God framed man after this manner for two respects First because that the creature might differ from his Creator who alone is perfect The soule therefore must content her selfe with that vocation which God hath limited vnto her Seeing that she knows her owne weakenesse she must not presume on her imperfect strength seeing that she hath experience of errours she must wholy with feare and trembling relie on the mercy of God who like a tender mother attendeth on his crazed creature and like a milde Phisician out of her relapse worketh an Antidote to preserue her from falling She may be shadowed because she is not God but she can neuer be extinguished because she came from God Potest obumbrari quia non est Deus extinguinon potest quia est à Deo Well may we stumble but through the Grace of God we rise vp quickly We may be as blacke as jet but as true as steele We may be blacke but yet comely as the Tents of Cedar and as the curtames of Solomon Though we be rebellious by nature yet we may be regenerate by faith Though we be excommunicated we may be absolued by the mediation of our Sauiour Christ and obtaine againe our former simplicitie and state of freewill which in that first golden age and time of famous memory we most wilfully lost Though we be but babes we may grow vp to be perfect men in strength and vnderstanding and so at last to a greater measure of sanctification Though we enioy not perfection we retoyce in our redemption And though our mindes in naturall faculties do follow the temperature of our bodies yet in supernaturall speculations we abandon abhor it Another reason why God created man so imperfect if I dare call him so was because that mans soule like mortall eyes which cannot behold the Summers Sunne at noone or like the Owle which is bedazeled with the day-light I say because the soule being â—ncarcerated and enchamed in the massie substance of the flesh was not capable of that excellent perfection Therefore we must not impute our imbecillity and imperfection to Gods want of power or impotency but to his vnsearchable will who after Adams creation left him to himselfe puris naturalibus to the capacity of his owne nature and to our owne earthly Tabernacles which could not participate by reason of our weakenesse and wantonnesse of flesh and bloud all the glorious attributes of the