seriously then looking in their faces Partly by that part by their tongues at length His timerous doubts begin to gather strength Assur'd at last e'r either Sister greet He casts himselfe low at his fathers feet A Blessing is no sooner crav'd but had The Queene commands her Father to be clad In a rich habit suting his estate Which whilst her seruants haste t' accommodate The Brother now hath leisure to impart Cordiall salutes from an vnfeigned heart With his faire Sisters now no longer strange Which they with him as freely interchange By this the Queene is giv'n to vnderstand The King her Lord and Husband is at hand With those two Princes 'twixt whom he had made Such peace not one the other should inuade Whom by his wisdome after long hostilitie He had reduc'd vnto a faire ciuilitie Contracting league betwixt them and as Guests To Triumphs to Ovations and high feasts Inuited them his sole and maine intent To make that league more firme and permanent The King before he can approch the Court Of all the former newes hath full report Of Father Brother Sister and so met As that the Island shall remaine in debt To all posteritie where hee 's instated To haue the bruit from Age to Age related For where the place he liv'd in was obscure The memory of this shall make 't endure Whilst there 's a Summer to succeed the Spring Or Winter Autumne whilst vpon his wing Time hath a feather and shall credit win Till Lachesis haue no more thred to spin The patient Reader I am loth to cloy T' expresse their meeting jubilee and joy Who doubtlesse will conceiue it to be such Though more than need yet was not thought too much Besides in Feasts and Banquets knew I when I 'de rather blunt my knife than tyre my Pen. These and the like occasions were the cause Men to their good successe gaue such applause That one vnto the Oracle indeer'd A stately Temple to Apollo rear'd And Thestor who through Neptune had the fate To finde his best lov'd childe did consecrate To him an Altar thinking so to please The Pow'r that wrackt then sav'd him from the Seas And so the Queene since Fortune was so kinde To haue her in all troubles still in minde She in a new-built Temple yearely prais'd her Who to that height from her dejection rais'd her Such as in woods and forrests haue by chance Escap'd wilde beasts through their blinde ignorance Haue had a strong conception there might bee A Genius or some Sp'rit in ev'ry Tree To whom their safety they ascrib'd If passe A brooke or riuer where least danger was This or that water-Nymph they durst protest Had leant them aid when they were most distrest And thus the Diuell did the Ethnycks foole That would o're ev'ry Groue Lawne Streame or Poole Instate goddesse or god on whom to call That Pow'r neglecting who created All. At Diuine worship hath been still his aime For all Idolatry from him first came Of the Rebellious there be Orders nine As corresponding with the Spirits Diuine In the first eminent place are those install'd As would on earth be worshipt and gods call'd As he that did his Oracles proclaime In Delphos Shadow'd by Apollo's name He that the Pythian Prophetesse inspir'd As likewise those th' AEgyptians so admir'd Ascribing to themselues Honour and Feare And those in sundry Idols worshipt were And of these Belzebub is Lord and Master Prince of the second is that great Distaster Of Sanctitie and Truth Author of Lies Who alwayes speakes in doubts and fallacies Hee 's Python styl'd The third Classe comprehends Vessels of Wrath who haue no other ends Than to to deuise all Mischiefes Belial hee Is call'd for his approv'd Iniquitie I' th fourth Forme are such Spirits as conuince Man in his sinne then punish him their Prince Is Asmodeus The fift Scale comprises Deceiuers full of fraudulent disguises And 't is their function office and condition T' attend the deform'd Witch and damn'd Magition And of these Sathan's chiefe The sixt containes The airy Potestates who Hailes and Raines Thunders and Lightnings haue great dom'nance in And of these the prime Lord is Merasin In the sev'nth are the Furies they giue life To Discord War Strage and contentious Strife Then cast them vpon Man in their fierce wrath Abaddon ouer these dominion hath The eighth includes Explorers that accuse Those Astaroth doth as his Vassals vse The ninth and last Tempters who ambush Soules Those Maimon in his Principat controules Now of these Cacadaemons we haue ground For many names in sacred Scripture found The word Diabolus doth signifie A false Accuser full of calumnie Belial is likewise read there and the word Imports an Out-Law without Yoke or Lord. Knowledge acute Daemonium implies And Beelzebub is the King of Flies Sathan an Aduersarie Bohemoth a Beast Leviathan where grosse sinnes are increast And builded vp Such from Abaddons race Be styl'd as are extermined from grace We finde in Dante 's these by obseruation Alchino i. Vnto Vice an inclination Then Calchabrina i. One who doth despise All Diuine Grace Neither did he deuise Vainly these names An euill-biting Dog Cagnazzum Coriato a fat Hog Barbariccia i. Fraudu'lent and Vniust And Libicocco One inflam'd with Lust. Faraffel doth a Trifler intimate And Rubicante Fir'd with Spleene and Hate Briefely to passe their names o're it would well Become this place to speake how many fell In that great Conflict and 't is my desire As far as leaue permits me to enquire Most probable it is and best agreeing With common Sence since all things that haue Beeing By naturall instinct their Pow'rs extend And faculties all aiming at the end For which they first were made and Nature still Her ordinarie course striues to fulfill So that all Births which out of order come Are monstrous and prodigious of which some Although not many in each Age we see As likewise that Sinne still doth disagree With Diuine nature and therefore their Fall And proud Rebellion most vnnaturall As meere Extrauagants these reasons may Induce vs to beleeue and thinke that they Are more in number that remaine in Blisse Than those cast headlong to the deepe Abisse Some learned Rabbins haue opinion held The number of the Angels that rebell'd And in one Conjuration then compacted Out of each sev'rall Ternion extracted Equall one Chorus Saint Iohn doth auer That he beheld the Dragon Lucifer The third part of the Stars with his Taile draw From the high Heav'ns which he in Vision saw But of the Angels th'exact number who Shall vndertake to tell he shall but grow From Ignorance to Error yet we may Coniecture That as in perfection they Excell all other Creatures so conclude That likewise they exceed in multitude Those that haue had still haue or shall haue Beeing
For diuers Authors are in this agreeing Mans generation hath been multiply'de Aboue all other Animals beside Saith Daniel Thousand thousands Him before Stand and 'bout him ten thousand thousands more Which Thousand he thus duplicates to show Their countlesse number which our dull and slow Nature wants facultie to aphrehend As likewise when he further would extend Their Legions Miriads he to Miriads layes Noting to vs of those that sound his praise The infinite Armies like a Circle round The number ending where it first was found In Iohn 't is read A mighty voice I heard Of many Angels and their Troupes appear'd To be of thousand thousands Iob said well The number of his Souldiers who can tell 'Mongst others one much daring his bold Pen Seem'd to out-strip his Vnderstanding when He would confine each Chorus to containe The meere Chimaera of an idle braine Saying To each belongs in these blest Regions Six thousand six hundred sixty and six Legions Each Legion too doth bee'ng exactly told Six thousand six hundred sixty six Angels hold But of their number let no man discusse Further than sacred Scripture warrants vs. It followes that I next make inquisition Into the Angels motion a Position Needfull to be examin'd Know then He Is not contain'd in place as Brutes and we But Place it selfe he in Himself containes Bee'ng said to be still where his Pow'r remaines And though it passe our weake ingeniositie Yet He is knowne to be of strange velocitie And without passing places can with ease Or go or come at all times when he please From heav'n to earth He can descend and bee Aboue and here in space vnmomentarie Hence thence He vndisturb'd hath passage faire Through both the elements of Fire and Aire Without incumbrance or the least molest And though it sinke not into th' Ethnycks brest Hee 's without circumscription vnconfin'd For if these Spirits Places had assign'd And so from one into another shifted How could they then so suddenly be lifted Into the vpper Heav'ns or thence apply Themselues to th' earth in twinkling of an eye It is agreed vpon the Good and Euill The blessed Angell as the cursed Diuell Haue all those faculties and without aine Or passing intermediat things can gaine To what they purpose in one instant round The spatious world and where they please be found Those that the Mathematicke Art prosesse Tell vs That 'twixt th' eight Heav'n and earth's no lesse Than one hundred and sev'nty millions 100 and three Of spacious miles mete by Geometrie By which account the mighty space extending Is from the watry and tenth Heav'n descending Ten times so much at least for if a stone Should from the starry and eight Heav'n be throwne And ev'ry houre passe without intermission One thousand miles in it's swift expedition In motion still without stay or re-calling It must be sixty fiue yeares in it's falling To amplifie what hath before been said Some Sectifts haue their ignorance betray'd Affirming Angels are not If they were They with the Soule of force must likewise beare Bodies about them too and so to bee Subiect vnto our visibilitie How vaine this is it may be eas'ly ghest When none that hath Philosophy profest But hold That there are Substances Diuine Intelligence call'd which neuer did incline Into commixtion or knowne to require Substance from th' Earth the Water Aire or Fire A second thing th' object That if so great Their number be as that the Aire 's repleat With infinit Armies 't must be needs confest That they should hourely whole Mankinde molest But these consider not He that created All things out of meere Nothing hath instated Them in such order distance and consent One to another's no impediment Neither is any of his great Works found That hath the pow'r to passe beyond his Bound As in the Waters element though far It'exceeds the Earth yet keepes within it's baâ— And though the proud waues with curl'd billowes rore Threatning as if to swallow vp the shore Yet by th' Almighties hand their pow'r is stay'd No Inundation or great Deluge made Vnlesse his Wrath some sudden vengeance brings Opening Heav'ns spouts and letting loose the Springs No maruell then that Spirits be in number So many that the very Aire they comber And they to vs and we to them so odious They neither hurtfull are nor discommodious Their Malice not bee'ng able to withstand Those bounds prefixt by the Almighties hand For so much in Iobs Historie is found When Sathan saith he hath compast the earth round He doth not say In his large progresse hee Hath done to Man least discommoditie Or harme at all not that he wanted Will But in himselfe the Pow'r to hurt or kill Nor durst he touching Ioâ— make inquisition Till he from God himselfe had free permission Who gaue him limit and his fury sâ—aid Vpon his outward Fortunes when he said Lo all he hath now at thy â—â—â—cy stand Onely against his person 〈◊〉 hand Againe when He 〈◊〉 Body to him gaue Captiue his Life he did command him saue Whence we may ground Though this rebellious Prince Great Lucifer with his Adherents since Their Fall retaine th' abilitie and pow'r To measure th' Earth in least part of an houre Yet without leaue they neither dare nor can Vse the least violence on Gods creature Man Next touching the rare knowledge which insists In them by nature Some Theologists Affirme them pregnant in Theologie Philosophie Mathematicks Astrologie In Musicke they are skill'd expert in Physicke In Grammer Logicke and Arithmeticke Nay he that is among them the most low Contemn'd and vile more than weake Man doth know Nor are their reasons vaine for in respect A Spirit is but a meere Intellect Not burden'd with a body of agilitie Nimble and quicke therefore with much facilitie In all materials he acquainted is From the Earths superficies to th' Abisse He knowes such vertues as in Stones abide Gems Minerals creeping Wormes and Beasts for hide From him you nothing can for he doth vant Still in the Marble Porphyre Adamant The Corall Pumice and the Chrysolit The Smarage Topaz and the Margarit The Onyx Carbuncle Gold Siluer Lead Brasse Iron and Sulphur He is likewise read In the proprieties of Creeping things Ants Toads Snakes Serpents all that the earth brings Of all the sev'rall Fishes he hath notion Bred in fresh waters or the briny Ocean Of Beasts the sundry qualities he findes Lions Beares Tygres Camels Horses Hindes The Elephant the Fox Ape Asse Mule Cat Sheepe Wolfe Hare Hedge-hog with each other that The Earth produceth So in Herbs and Trees Plants Leaues Fruits Roots Seeds juices Liquors these No Artist hath like skill in He can tell The sev'rall qualities of Fowles and well Distinguish them as such and such belong To the Earth Aire or Water He is strong In further knowledge of the Elements As in their pow'r their natures and extents
than the greatest punishment that can be inflicted in this world Indicis in lite brevis est vox Ite Venite Dicetur Reprobis Ite Venite Probis Aspera vox Ite vox est benedicta Venite Quod sibi quisque sâ—rit praesentis tempore vitae Hoc sibi messio crit cum dicitur Ite Venite There were some comfort to the damned Souls if their torment might haue end but that shall neuer be and no torment greater than that of perpetuitie The reason of this perpetuity is threefold the first drawn from the state and condition of the Majesty offended The second from the state and condition of the Reprobates for as long as they remaine sinnefull so long shall they remaine tormented for sinne But in Hell they euer remaine sinnefull and sinne is like oile and the wrath of God like fire as long as the oile lasteth the fire burneth and so long as sinfull so long tormented and therefore damned for euer For most sure it is That in Hell there is neither grace nor deuotion The Wicked shall be cast in exteriores tenebras extra limitem Divinae misericordiae i. Into vtter darknesse without the limits of Gods mercie For though their weeping in Hell may seeme penitentiall yet they do but Lugere poenas non peccata lament their punishment but not their sinne The third reason is drawne from Gods justice for when life was offered them they refused it and therefore justly when in Hell they beg it they go without it I shut vp the premisses in the succeeding Emblem The Emblem IT is reported by the Poets and some antient Historiographers That in Dodonia a Forrest in Greece famous for the Okes there growing and therefore dedicate to Iupiter there is a Fountaine or Well into which whoso putteth a Torch lighted or flaming it is presently extinguished but take one vnlighted which neuer came neere the fire and it is instantly kindled The Motto which the Author of this Emblem groundeth hereon is Sie rerum inverâ—â—tur ordo Hauing some consimilitude with that of Gregory 14 Moral Hostis noster quanto magis nos sibi rebellare conspicit quanto amplius expugnare contendit Eos autem pulsare negligit quos quieto iure se possidere sentit i. Our spirituall Enemy the Diuell the more he perceiueth we rebell against him the greater his opposition is against vs but spareth to trouble or molest such as he knoweth to be already in his quiet possession The two maine Engins by which the Diuell seeketh to vndermine Mankinde are Desperation and Presumption Concerning the first S. Bernard saith Let no man despaire of grace though he begin to repent in his later age for God iudgeth of a mans end not of his past life for there is nothing so desperate which Time cannot cure nor any offence so great which Mercy cannot pardon Livy telleth vs That of all the perturbations of the minde Despaire is the most pernicious And Lactantius informes vs That if he be a wicked and wilfull homicide that killeth any man wittingly needs must he be the same or worse who layeth violent hands vpon himselfe dispairingly For what is Dispaire but the feare of punishment and distrust in Gods mercy by reason of which man making himselfe his owne judge becomes his owne Executioner For as Stobaeus saith The dread and terror of inevitable punishment is the sole cause of desperation Against which irremittable sin Seneca in Medaea thus counsels vs Qui nihil potest sperare nihil desperet He that hath nothing to hope for let him nothing feare And Ovid lib. 2. de Ponto Confugit interdum Templi violator ad Aram Nec petera offensi numinis horret opem Sometimes Church-robbers to the Altars fly And to the injur'd gods for mercy cry Concerning Presumption Saint Augustine saith Nulla praesumptio est perniciostor quam de propria justitia scientia superbire ô superba praesumptio ô praesumptuosa superbia i. No presumption is more dangerous than to be proud of our owne righteousnesse or knowledge ô proud presumption ô most presumptuous pride Philo telleth vs That one prime occasion why leuen was forbidden the Iewes at the solemne Feast of Easter was to teach them to haue a great care to keepe themselues from pride and presumption into which they were apt to fall who held any extraordinarie conceit or opinion of themselues their hearts being suddenly swelled therewith as the dough is puft vp with the leuen Claud. de 4 Honor. Cons. saith Inquinat Egregios adiuncta superbia mores i. Where Pride sets in it's foot it corrupteth the best manners It is said to deuour gold and to drink bloud and to climbe so high by other mens heads til at length it fall and breake it 's own neck Plutarch calls it a vapour which striuing to ascend high presently turneth into smoke and vanisheth Therefore commendable was that modestie in the sonne of King Agesilaus who hearing that Philip the father of Alexander the Great much gloried in a victorie not long before gained sent him word That if hee pleased to measure his shadow he should finde it no greater after his Conquest than it was before I conclude with Seneca in Hercul fuerent Sequitnr superbos victor à tergo Deus And now come to the Author vpon the former Emblem most pertinent to this purpose Fax limphis Dodona tuis immersa necatur Quae micat igne nitet quae sine luce fuit Fons sacer iste deo sic pristina credidit aetas At Deus hic stigij rex Acheontis erat Patrat idem cum fonte suo regnator Averni Ordinis inversi gaudet ille dolis Nempe pios rigidae percellit Acumine legis Blanditurque malis sanguine Christe tuo ¶ Thus paraphrased A Taper without fire in Dodon drencht Is kindled But if lighted as soone quencht Which Well the men of Old in their blinde piety Made sacred to a god but no true Diety The Diuell keepes this Fountaine nor doth leaue By inverst order Mankinde to deceiue Good men with the Lawes rigor still pursuing Flattring the Bad with Mercy to their ruin A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. THou Great God now and euer blessed Thy Seruants wretched and distressed Assist with thy Diuinest aid Lest We like Those that did rebell And head-long were throwne downe to Hell Be Reprobates and Out-casts made II. O Thou who Heav'n and Earth dost guide And aboue all sinnes hatest Pride Because soone after the Creation The first bright Angell led the way And then our two first Parents They Trod the same path to our Damnation III. There is no Sinne that can be nam'd But with a strange selfe-loue inflam'd Originall'tis and In-nate And since that time it is wee finde Dispersed into all Mankinde To ouerthrow our blest estate IV. He that is with this Sinne infected Hath both Thy Loue and Feare reiected Although Thou bee'st the onely Holy And that
inest Thou art the Rocke draw'st all things all do'st guide Yet in deepe setled rest do'st still abide Vntoucht with care thou car'st for all that be Mov'st Heauen and Earth yet motion 's not in thee According with this is the saying of Seneca the Philosopher Necessitate non aliud effugium est quam velle quod ipsa cogit i. There is no other auoiding of necessity than to be willing to that which it compells thee to It is Catsius word vpon the foresaid Emblem Ad trahens abstrahor Vpon which I reade him thus Fata reluctantes rapiunt ducuntque sequentes Cedere qui non vult sponte coactus abit Fates the Rebellious force th' Obedient shield Who striue against them are compel'd to yeeld Seneca the Tragicke Poet in Oedip. we reade thus Fatis agimur cedite Fatis Non sollicitae possunt curae Mutare rati foedera Fusi Quicquid patimur mortale genus Quicquid facimus venit ex alto Yeeld to the Fates for they vs leade Not all our cares can change the thread Decreed vpon what euer wee Subiect to fraile mortalitie Suffer or act if rest or moue Euen all of it comes from aboue A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I ' Haue wandred like a Sheepe that 's lost To finde Thee out in euery Coast Without I haue long seeking him Whilest Thou the while abid'st Within Through euery broad Street and streit Lane Of this Worlds City but in vaine I haue enquir'd The reason why I sought thee ill for how could I Finde Thee Abroad when Thou meane space Hadst made Within thy dwelling place I sent my Messengers about To try if they could finde Thee out But all was to no purpose still Because indeed they sought Thee ill For how could they discouer Thee That saw not when thou entredst me Myne Eyes could tell me If He were Not Colour'd sure He came not there If not by Sound my Eares could say He doubtlesse did not passe my way My Nose could nothing of Him tell Because my God he did not Smell None such I Relisht said my Taste And therefore me He neuer past My Feeling told me That none such There entred for he none did Touch. Resolv'd by them how should I be Since none of all these are in Thee In Thee my God Thou hast no Hew That Mans fraile Opticke sence can view No Sound the Eare heares Odour none The Smell attracts all Taste is gone At thy Appearance where doth faile A Body how can Touch preuaile What euen the brute Beasts comprehend To thinke Thee such I should offend Yet when I seeke my God I'enquire For Light than Sunne and Moone much higher More cleare and splendrous ' boue all Light Which th' Eye receiues not 't is so bright I seeke a Voice beyond degree Of all melodious Harmony The Eare conceiues it not A Smell Which doth all other sents excell No Floure so sweet no Myrrh no Nard Or Aloes with it compar'd Of which the Braine not sensible is I seeke a Sweetnesse such a blesse As hath all other Sweets surpast And neuer Pallat yet could Taste I seeke That to containe and hold No Touch can Feele no Embrace Infold So far this Light the Raies extends As that no place◠It comprehends So deepe this Sound that though it speake It cannot by a Sence so weake Be entertain'd A Redolent Grace The Aire blowes not from place to place A pleasant Taste of that delight It doth confound all Appetite A strict Embrace not felt yet leaues That vertue where it takes it cleanes This Light this Sound this Sauouring Grace This Tastefull Sweet this Strict Embrace No Place containes no Eye can see My God Is and there 's none but Hee ¶ Fecisti nos Domine ad Te inquietum igitur est Cor nostrum done◠requiescat in Te. S. Augustine The Throne Ex muner Iokan o◠Math Christmas Artist THE ARGVMENT of the third Tractate OF th' Vniuerse the Regions three And how their part◠disposed be How gouerned and in what order In which no one exceeds his border That Moses Arke in all respects Vpon the Worlds rare Frame reflects Both how and when by Power Diuine The Sunne and Moone began to shine The Day of our blest Sauiours Passion Compar'd with that of the Creation How euery Star shines in his Sphere What place they in the Zodiacke beare And of the twelue Signes a Narration Their Influence Aspect and Station To proue no former Worlds haue bin And This must perish we liue in The vainnesse lastly doth appeare Of Plato's Great and Vertent Yeare ¶ The second Argument ALl Glory to the Holy-One Euen Him that sits vpon the Throne The Thrones WEe from the Workman to the Worke proceed The powerfull Doer to the glorious Deed. This Vniuerse Created first then guided Into three ample Regions is diuided The first is call'd Super-coelestiall The next Coelestiall or Ethereall Both constant in their kindes The third doth vary In which we liue as meerely Elementary The First of Angels is the blessed dwelling The later two many degrees excelling The Next of Starres and Planets keeps the features The Last of Man Beast and all Mortall Creatures The first doth with incredible Lustre shine The second vnto it as lesse Diuine Participating both lest Time should faile Darknesse and Light weighes out in equall Scale The third enioyes both these as who but knowes it But how So as the second doth dispose it The First doth Immortalitie containe A stable worke and euer to remaine There 's in the Second too a stable face But yet Mutation both in worke and place There 's in the Third all Change but no Stabilitie 'Twixt life and death A constant Mutabilitie Like the pure nature of his Diuine minde He made the First Then Bodies in their kinde Void of corruption He the Next created The Third full of all Frailties fabricated Foure Elements He placed in the Lower Foure in the Vpper in the Highest foure Terrestriall these Earth Water Aire and Fire Celestiall and Etheriall that aspire To place more eminent in this order runne Luna Mercury Venus and the Sunne Super-Coelestiall and of highest state The Angell the Arch-Angell Principate And Seraphim the last The Earth commixt Of all things to corruption apt he fixt In the Worlds lowest part but not to moue The selfe same Power ordain'd in Heauen aboue Continuall motion but to such we call Natures which are Super-Coelestiall He gaue Intelligent Force abiding still And not to suffer change So by his Will This our inferior Water is in great Discord with Fire and suffocates his heat Water Coelestiall feeds it without cease To which the supreme Region giues encrease Terrestriall Aire lends Breath Coelestiall Ioy And Solace free from trouble or annoy Super-coelestiall euery Good thing lends So by the Might that through this Worke extends This lower Fire consumes and all things burnes
AEgyptians Arabians and Graecians as Lincolniensis reporteth in a Treatise of the World which he wrote to Pope Clement As likewise of Vincentius in his Historicall Myrrhor Grounded vpon the Text whose power is great That God made all things perfect and compleat Others there be who would begin the yeare And say In Cancer it did first appeare Others say Leo grounding their opinion Because in that Signe it hath most dominion As Iulius Firmicus an antient and approued Author and of great iudgement in Astrologie in his third booke De Creatione being induced to that beleefe because Leo is called the House of the Sunne But that which hath the greatest approbation Is That the Sun had first illumination In the Signe Aries for as Authors say Summer in midst of March claimes her first day Of this opinion were S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Basil and diuers other Authors Christian and Ethnycke c. And though perhaps amongst the Learn'd and Wise In circumstance some difference may arise And some of them would haue the World begin In March others in Aprill 't is no sinne To beleeue either since they all agree That in the AEquinoctiall it must be Which is vncertaine since by proofe we finde It is not to one certaine day assign'd The AEquinoctiall is not permanent and fixt to one day but oft-times varieth for we reade That our Sauiour Christ suffered in the AEquinoctiall which was then the fiue and twentieth day of March and now it is the eleuenth of the same moneth Whereby it may be presumed That heretofore in the revolution of Times and Seasons it hath hapned in Aprill c. Hence likewise may another doubt appeare Namely In what moneth to begin the yeare Some say in March some Aprill To decide That question let the Scripture be our Guide Which saith and credit ought with vs to win In the moneth Nisan let your Yeare begin Nisan is March with vs And Vincentius in his first Chapter of the Historicall Myrrhor saith That the Hebrewes began their yeare in March because in that moneth was the AEquinoctial when the World was created This opinion was also approued by some Naturalists as amongst others Elpacus in his Historicall Tractate who affirmeth that the Chaldaeans being great Astrologers were confident That the first day of the Creation the Sunne entred into the first point or degree of Aries The Romanes yeare beginneth the first day of Ianuarie in regard of the superstitious deuotion which the Gentiles had to their God Ianus According to Macrobius Marcus Varro lib. 9. Ovid in Fastis and others The Christians likewise begin theirs from the Natiuitie of our blessed Lord and Sauiour It likewise is coniectur'd by the best Of all that haue Astrologie profest Both Iewes and Christian Authors That the Sun At it's Creation in that Signe begun In which the Sonne of God for Mankinde dy'de Was nail'd vpon the Crosse and crucifi'de And that apparantly is knowne to all Was in the Sommers AEquinoctiall So that the same day that it first shone bright And the same houre his death eclip'st it's light Another reason 's giuen For the same day That the Sunne enters Aries say they There 's no part of the Earth but from the Sky He lookes vpon with his All-seeing eye But when his course Diurnal he doth take In any place else of the Zodiack There are some parts as hid behinde a Skreene In which his glorious lustre is not seene Most probable it is He the first day He enters his great Progresse should suruey All places and all Creatures such to cheare Which He till then beheld not halfe the yeare Besides Christs Passion did on that day fall When it appear'd most visible to All That all Gods Creatures hauing sence and breath Might note th' Eclipse that hapned at his death About the Moone too Authors disagree Some when she was created say That she Was in her plenitude and full Againe Some hold she was defectiue in her Waine Such as she now appeares vnto our view Thin and two-horn'd and as we call her New There were two opinions concerning the Moone Saint Augustine in Genes Cap. 5. saith That it were very inconuenient to beleeue that God in her Creation should make her any way defectiue Yet diuers haue argued the contrary and say it is more probable that she began her first day in Conjunction increasing in her age answerable to our account but their opinions are neither held Authenticke nor Orthodoxall for amongst others Rabbanus commenting vpon the twelfth Chapter of Exodus agreeth with Saint Augustine as holding conformity with the sacred text which saith Gen. 1.16 God made two great Lights the greater Light to gouerne the Day the lesser to illuminate the Night To leaue their Arguments and come more neere Vnto the point this doubt we soone shall cleere In the same instant that God made the Sun With it this glorious Light we see begun Which luster'd halfe the Earth and we may say Truly In that part of the world was day But th' other moity not yet disclos'd To his bright eye by th' Earth was interpos'd And there was night to which no doubt the Moone Entring into her office full as soone Display'd her splendor As both were created At one selfe instant both at once instated In seueral Orbs by the great Power Diuine Euen so at once they both began to shine And still in the same offices abide The Sun the Day the Moone the Night to guide Who did at first without defect appeare And with a perfect Iustre fill'd her Spheare Here I cannot omit a remarkable note borrowed from a learned Gentleman much practised in the Holy tongue That Shemesh in the Hebrew being the Sun it properly signifieth a Seruant and so the very name reproues all such as adore it for a god We shall not deviate much nor order breake If something we of Stars and Planets speake Not far from the North-pole Starre doth appeare Vnto our view the great and lesser Beare Those Arcti call'd The Vrsa Maior she Whom Iove held once the Fair'st on earth to be And when her Father slaine she did professe Her selfe to be a Virgin Votaresse The Amorous god like one of Dian's maides Is soone trans-shap'd and so the Nymph inuades Whether by force or faire means know I not But 'tweene them two yong Arcas was begot Who proues an Archer and to strength being growne Ready to shoot his mother then vnknowne Iove stay'd his hand and by his power Diuine Made them two Stars and next the Pole to shine Some that he Archâ—s was will not endure But rather to be Ioves Nurse Cynosure 'Twixt these the mighty Serpent is confin'd Her head and taile about both Arcti twin'd Th' Hesperian golden Apples said to keepe So wakefull it was neuer knowne to sleepe But after slaine by Hercules nought bars Iuno but
that man in It might see The former glorious Structure fram'd by Thee The Sunne the Moone the Stars the Planets seauen Pleiades Arcturus all the Host of Heauen Thy mighty hand created Times and Seasons Thou hast for vs appointed of which Reasons Cannot by man be giuen who hath presum'd Of Worlds before and after this consum'd More to succeed Thy Wisdome all things knowing Finds these to be but fancies meerely growing From Curiositie and can affourd No shape of truth from thy most sacred Word From which let no vaine boaster be so madde As the least jot to take or ought to adde Make it to vs the onely Rule and Square By which to guide our actions and prepare Our meditations solely to incline But from that Centre to deriue no Line So shall those Soules thou hast so dearely bought Be perfect and we praise thee as we ought As far as th' East is distant from the West Remoue our sinnes from vs In euery brest Plant in their stead all Goodnesse God Immense Whose smallest Attr'ibute passeth humane sence From whom In whom By whom All things subsist Visible and vnseene who as thou list Thy Worke About dost compasse Within fill Couer Aboue Below supportest still Keepe vs the worke of Thine owne hands and free Whil'st wee put Hope and Confidence in Thee Vs from all euill guard vs we Thee pray Here Euery where at this Time and for Aye Behind Before Within dores and Without Aboue Below and guirt vs Round about So wee with lips and hearts vnfeign'd ô King To Thee for all thy benefits will sing This Hymne O Holy Holy Holy Thee Wee do Inuoke ô Bessed Trinitie To enter Vs thy Temple mak 't a Place Worthy thy Iuning there by Diuine Grace This By the Father Of the Sonne we craue This By the Sonne good Father let vs haue O Holy Spirit that this may be done Wee Intreat Thee By the Father and the Sonne Quid noscis si teipsum nescis Bucer in Psalm The Dominations Eâ—◠〈◊〉 Ioannis 〈◊〉 Gener THE ARGVMENT of the fourth Tractate WHat Ternions and Classes be In the Coelestiall Hierarchee In what degrees they are instated How 'mongst themselues concatinated Angels and Daemons made apparant By Ethnicks and the Scriptures warrant Of Visions and strange Dreames that proue Spirits each where at all times moâ—e Against their infidelitie That will allow none such to be Discourse of Fauour Loue and Hate Of Poetry of Deaths estate Th' Essence of Spirits how far they know Their power in Heauen and Earth below The second Argument THere is no Power 〈◊〉 Domination But from the Lord of our Saluation The Dominations A Little further let my Muse aspire To take myne eyes from Earth to looke vp higher Vnto the glorious Hierarchy aboue The blest degrees in which the Angels moue In this the best Theologists assent That they are Substances Intelligent Immortall Incorporeall Mouing still Assisting Man obseruant to Gods will In three most blessed Hierarchies th' are guided And each into three Companies diuided The first is that in which the Seraphims bee Cherubims Thrones distinct in their degree The Seraphim doth in the word imply A Feruent Loue and Zeale to the Most-High And these are they incessantly each houre In contemplation are of Gods great Power The Cherubim denotes to vs the Fulnesse Of absolute Knowledge free from Humane dulnesse Or else Wisedomes infusion These desire Nothing but Gods great Goodnesse to admire The name of Thrones his glorious Seat displaies His Equitie and Iustice these still praise The second Ternion as the Schoole relates Are Dominations Vertues Potestates Dominions th' Angels Offices dispose The Vertues in the second place are those That execute his high and holy Will The Potestates they are assistant still The malice of the Diuell to withstand For God hath giuen it to their powerfull hand In the third order Principates are plac't Next them Arch-Angels Angels are the last The Principates of Princes take the charge Their power on earth to curbe or to enlarge And these worke Miracles Th' Arch-Angels are Embassadors great matters to declare Th' Angels Commission hath not that extent They only haue vs Men in gouernment God 's in the first of these a Prince of Might He in the second doth reueale as Light Is in the last his Graces still inspiring To know what 's to their Offices requiring The formost Ternion hath a reference To contemplate Gods Diuine Prouidence Prescribing what by others should be don The office of the second Ternion Doth his concurring Influence disperse Vnto the guidance of the Vniuerse And sometimes hath a working Now we know The third descends to'haue care of things below Assisting good men and withstanding those That shall the rules of Diuine Lawes oppose These seuerall Companies before related May with good sence be thus concatinated First because Loue of all things that haue being With Diuine Nature is the best agreeing As hauing influence and birth from Him Therefore the first place hath the Seraphim Because from Loue all Knowledge doth arise For who that loues not God can be held wise And therefore in it's proper Mansion sits The second place the Cherubim best sits Because from Loue and Wisedome nothing must Or can proceed but what is Good and Iust. Therefore the Thrones haue the third place assign'd So that to Loue the Seraphim's inclin'd Euen loue vnto the Great and Holy-One Cherubim to Wisedome Iudgement to the Throne Now because Empire for so oft it falls Must needs submit to Iudgement when it calls And that to Empire there of force must be A Vertue to maintaine that Empiree And that this vertue cannot exsist long Without a Power that is sufficient strong Able their molestation to redouble That shall this Empire or this Vertue trouble The second Ternion in these heauenly Bowers Are the Dominions Vertues and the Powers Further since Power or Might nothing preuailes Whereas a Light illuminating failes And this Instruction but two wayes can grow By Word or Action therefore they bestow The next place on the Principates as those Who the most eminent actions still dispose Then to th' Arch-Angels who from the blest Trinity The chiefest Principles of our Diuinity Vnto our deare saluation necessary 'Twixt heauen and earth immediatly carry To th' Angels last whose industry extends To Creatures Men and so their Power ends In things inferior this is the Oeconomy Of the most blest and sacred Hierarchy Yet notwithstanding some there are and those Pretending no small iudgement that oppose Not onely this faire Order and Degree But hold No Spirits at all or Angels be The Sadduces thus argue If such were We doubtlesse should of their Creation heare From Moses who his first Booke doth begin Both with the World and all things made therein But makes of them no mention And againe If they be nam'd in Text 't is to restraine
Man within moderate bounds and keepe in awe Th' Irregular that would transgresse the Law Else to our dull capacities conuey By naming such things that our weakenesse may The better vnderstand Therefore they blame Plato who Spirits doth so often name And Socrates with all the Stoicke Crew Who to foole men and make them thinke they knew Things hid from others in ambitious pride Deuis'd such â—oyes neuer exemplify'de Besides if there be Spirits it implies They must be either Friends or Enemies If Friends they would continue vs in health Bestow vpon vs Wisedome Empire Wealth But these we see are otherwise obtain'd Knowledge and Arts by Industry are gain'd Empire by Vertue Riches purchac'd are By Labour Health by keeping temperate Fâ—â—e If Enemies they hourely would extend Their Powers malevolent Mankinde to'offend Especially those that themselues assure There are none such and that 's the Epicure And Sadduce yet these they hate in vaine None are from Rocks precipitate few slaine But they with others in like safety stand As well secur'd by water as by land But in opinion contrary to these Plato Plotinus Proclus Socrates Iamblicus Porphirius Biton were The first of whom thinke you thus speaking heare The Nature that 's Intelligible growes To nine distinct degrees which he thus showes The first is God Idea's haue next place Soules of Coelestiall Bodies haue the grace To be third nam'd Intelligences they Are styl'd Arch-Angels in the fourth beare sway The fift the Angels the sixt Daemons claime Heroes the seuenth the Principates haue name In the eighth forme to Princes doth belong The ninth and lastâ— Mens Soules are not among This Catalogue for these as they incline To Vertue or to Vice he doth confine Either vnto those Angels that be good Or the bad Daemons so hee 's vnderstood Being accordingly in that regard Subiect to sence of torment or reward I'insist on these too long and now proceed To proofes more pregnant such as we shall need As God's eternall void of all dimension Not subiect vnto humane apprehension And as of all things th' Vniuersall Cause Them gouerning not gouern'd by the Lawes Of ought which is aboue him And we finde Men Beasts and Plants each Creature in his kinde Is gouern'd but it selfe doth beare no sway Reason to Truth thus points vs out the way That in so distant and remote a state Needs must be Creatures intermediate And as we see in Nature bodies be As Mettals Stones and of like qualitie Which haue no life others againe there are As Men and Brutes that haue in either share So betwixt these must be by consequence Vnbodied things that haue both life and sence And these the Spirits Dreames will teach vs plaine By their euents that such about vs raine To warne vs of the future Thus we read Simonides finding a body dead Gaue it due rights of buriall with intent Next day to take leaue of the Continent And to be shipt to sea But the same night This body without terror or affright Appear'd to him and warn'd him to refraine His purpos'd voyage for if he the Maine Prov'd the next day in that Barke he did hire He should by Shipwracke perish and expire Forewarn'd he left his passage and 't was found The Ship was that day sunke the people drown'd Now whence can any guesse this Vision came Vnlesse't were from a Spirit for what name Can they else giue it Sylla in a dreame Was told his death was neere in feare extreame He wakes he rises calls his friends his state In order sets yet all this while no Fate Did seeme to threat him neither sence of paine Had he that time either in breast or braine Which his Friends seeing did his dreame deride Yet he that day was apoplext and dy'de Brutus and Cassius in a battell set With great Augustus at Philippi met The night before the conflict Caesar cras'd Kept both his tent and bed which much amas'd The generall Host. Marcus Aâ—torius then His chiefe Physition of all other men Most chary of his person in his sleepe Was by Minerva warn'd The Prince should keepe His bed no longer but in any case Be in the battels front the Foe t' outface For of this done or not done was ensuing His future safety or his present ruin Augustus was persuaded left his tent And mounted on his steed Obserue th' euent The toile and labour that he tooke that day Did not alone his Feuer driue away Restoring him to health but as it hap'd Was cause that he a greater danger scap'd For Brutus souldiers thinking him still weake Did with maine force into the Battell breake Seising his Tent his Bed away they beare Presuming still they had Augustus there 'T is noted how Calphurnia did complaine The very night before her Lord was slaine Beseeching him with sighs and many a teare That he the next dayes Senat would forbeare Because of her sad dreame which told his fate But he in his ambition obstinate Holding such vaine predictions of no force With poniards stab'd was made a liuelesse Corse Nay he himselfe not many dayes before Dream'd He was snatcht away from earth and bore Aboue the Clouds where with Majesticke looke To welcome him Iove by the hand him tooke Amilcar who the Carthaginians led Besieging Syracusa in his bed Him thought That in his depth of sleepe he saw A souldier arm'd inuiting him to draw His Army neerer for his fame to crowne He the next night should sup within the Towne Encourag'd thus he early rose next day His Carthaginian Ensignes to display And gaue a braue assault and yet he found But a false Omen being tooke and bound Was to the City led Fate to fulfill Where he both supp'd and lodg'd against his will Wise Socrates the night which did precode The day that Plato came to heare him reade Dream'd That he saw into his bosome fly A milke-white Swan that sung sweet melody This at the instant though he did neglect Yet on the morrow pleas'd with his aspect He tooke him in his armes and with extreame Rapture of ioy he call'd to minde his dreame And though the childe was then of tender age Th' euent did aptly fiâ— with his presage Nor do I these from prophane Authors cull As if the sacred Scriptures were not full Of like examples Stories manifold Are in the Testaments both New and Old Ioseph from his owne Visions did diuine And so from Pharaoh's of the Eares and Kine The Baker and the Butler dreamd it fell To both of them as Ioseph did foretell Nabuchadnezzars Image and his Tree Were of such things predictions as should bee God call'd to Samuel in his sleepe and told What should betide to Ely being old Like Visions too haue been conferr'd vpon Good David and his sonne King Salomon And in the Gospell Ioseph in his rest Was bid to take to wife the euer-blest and holy Virgin
One God before the World began XIX Father Vnborne the Sonne Begot Spirit Proceeding let vs not Through their procurements And sly allurements Be stain'd with Sinne but keepe vs without spot XX. O Thou the glorious Trinitee Whose pow'rfull Works inscp'rable be Support and aid What Thou hast made And keepe our Soules from their Temptations free XXI Thou President of an vnequal'd Parity Thou Plurall Number in thy Singularity Those Diuellish Foes Still to oppose Grant vs firme Faith strong Hope and constant Charity XXII Whom Father thou hast Made do not forsake Of whom thou hast redeem'd Son pitty take Good Spirit guyde Those sanctify'd And keepe vs from the euer-burning Lake XXIII That We with Saints and Angels may Thy Honour Pow'r and Praise display Thy Glory bright Mercy and Might Within Thy New Ierusalem for ay Deus est indivise vnus in Trinitate inconfuse Trinus in Vnitate Leo Pap. THE VERTVES Ex Sumptib Gulielmi Beescom Generos THE ARGVMENT of the fifth Tractate THe Consonance and Sympathy Betwixt the Angels Hierarchy The Planets and Coelestiall Spheres And what similitude appeares 'Twixt One and Other Of the three Religions that most frequent be Iew Christian and Mahumetist Vpon what Grounds they most insist Ridiculous Tenents stood vpon In Mahomets blinde Alcaron Where he discourseth the creation Of Heav'ns and Angels A relation What strange notorious Heresies By â—the Prescillians and Manechies Were held The truth made most apparant By Text and holy Scriptures warrant The second Argument WE aime at the Coelestiall Glory Below the Moone all 's Transitorie The Vertues THree things hath God shew'd in this Worlds Creation Worthy mans wonder and great admiration In making it his Power most exquisit In ord'ring it his Wisedome infinit And in conseruing it his Goodnesse such As neuer can by man be'extold too much The Angels in the next place we confer Wi'th ' second part of this Worlds Theater Namely what reference the Seraphim Hath with the Primum Mobile Then what kin The Cherub from the Starry Heav'n doth claime Or Thrones with Saturne in what consonant frame With Iupiter the Dominations trade What 'twixt the Vertues can and Mars be made The neere similitudes that hourely run In league betwixt the Potestates and Sun With Venus how the Principates agree And with the great Arch-Angels Mercurie Last how the holy Angels are accited To be in friendship with the Moone vnited First as the Seraphims in Loues pure heate Next God himselfe in his supernall seate Still exercise their faculties and turne By that inflaming zeale by which they burne Towards His Essence so in a swift motion The Primum Mobile shewes his deuotion To the First Mouer from whence it doth take Those Vertues which the Heav'ns inferior make Go round with it the Seraph's feruor's great So That hath lasting and perpetuall heat By benefit of whose swift agitation The Heav'ns are wheel'd about it wondrous fashion Maugre of that huge Machine the great force And magnitude that still resists his course The Seraphims are sharpe so needs must be The needle-pointed Primum Mobile Which by transfusing influence we know Doth penetrate inferior Orbs below And as the Seraphims most feruent are To them in that we fitly may compare The Primum Mobile whose feruor's such And so incessant that where it doth tuch And is in hourely motion it no doubt The other Heav'ns doth whirle with it about Inflexible the Seraphims motion is So likewise is the turning round of This Which though it be as swift as thought can thinke Yet in it's course doth neither quaile nor shrinke As at a becke by power that God them gaue The Seraphims all other Angels haue So by the motion of that Primum all The motions of the Heav'n in generall Are gouern'd and vnited Seraphs be Actiue Exemplars call'd This Mobile Beares the same stile because it not alone Incites the Heav'ns to motion one by one But as a Guide least they should take the wrong Still goes before and hurries them along And as the Seraph's with Loues fire inflam'd A zeale so hot that neuer can be nam'd Ev'n so this fierie globe still without cease Gyring about doth grow to that encrease Of sultry heate the feruor by reuerses A warmth into all other things disperses But with this difference that as they their might Immediatly take from the God of Light From the twelue Revolutions it receiues What power and vertue to the rest it leaues And purg'd by labour winding in a frame Returnes still to the place from whence it came The Seraphs haue no creature that can vaunt To be aboue them as predominant Ev'n so this Orbe is next th' Imperiall Throne Gods proper Mansion and aboue it none The Seraphims for their vicinity To God are full of Diuine purity And such a fulgence through their Essence runnes That they are brighter than ten thousand Sunnes So this Orbe to the Imperiall Heauens so neere Shines by the light of that incredi'bly cleere And as these Spirits with flaming ardor burne And at no time from their Creator turne So this high Orbe by the celeritie And inextinguishable claritie Prodigall of it's Vertues doth bestow them To purge and to make perfect things below them So that all dregs and drosse consum'd and wasted They new refyn'd are in swift motion hasted Vnto their first beginning where in sweet And most mellodious harmonie they meet As Those from God immediately are Without the interpose of Minister Ev'n so from the first Moâ—er it doth take Immediate force which doth it's motion make Herein the Diuine Wisedome doth appeare That so the Angels with the Heav'ns cohere Heav'ns with the Elements conour and then These Spirits are in such a league with men And all so conjoyn'd and concatinate A Picture euery way immaculate Cherub doth in the Chaldaean tongue imply What picture fairer or more pure hath eye Beheld than the Coelestiall Firmament Imbelished and stucke with th' ornament Of so'many bright Stars luminous and cleare Incorruptibly decking euery Sphere All full of influent vertue in their places So the Cherubicke Spirits are stucke with Graces And Diuine gifts so many that indeed In countlesse number they the Stars exceed And as this Orbe is circumgyr'd and wheel'd As to the Primum Mobile forc'd to yeeld So doth the Cherubs second order moue From the first Seraph next to God in Loue. 'Twixt Saturnes Sphere and the Thrones eminence Is the like semblance and conuenience By Thrones the Seats of Monarchs are exprest On Saturnes seuenth day God himselfe did rest From his great Worke. Now Saturne is a word Which in th' Originall nothing doth afford If we together shall compare them both Saue Cease from Labor or a Sabaoth The Thrones on Loue and Veritie consist And so the Planet Saturne who so list Giue credit vnto Firmicus endues Man both with Loue and Truth prompts him to chuse Vertue good Manners Diuine Contemplation Iudgement
expresseth her selfe in Words Gestures and Actions alwayes and euery where her voice in all honest ears is the most excellent harmonie She is the Guide and Conduct through the Labyrinth of humane affaires to bring the Minde the right and straight way to the Mansion of the other Vertues It is her sole Character To aduance man vnto Dignity and so granted to him from God That hee is borne vnto one Truth She is the onely food of the Minde the sole repast of the Soule Apparant it is That all humane actions not only by Boasting or Ostentation but by Simulation or Dissimulation are as with furious and tempestuous windes troubled and tossed But both these are no better than Liers the one by adding too much the other offering too little But Truth triumpheth ouer both she is liable to no prescriptions neither to space of time the Patronage of persons nor the Priuiledge of Countries the dulled Sences she restoreth the Deceiued shee directeth the Erronious she reconcileth her Strength all Vaine things treads vnder foot all Lies convinceth all Errors confoundeth Euen her Enemies acknowledge Her as oft as they are brought within her Sentence She is the sole rule by which all Knowledge is guided for nothing can be truly knowne but Truth onely for Falshood being excluded and Shee admitted the way lieth open vnto true felicitie In Her all the dignitie of humane life is contained and hee that is possessed of her no Force can deiect him no Deceit circumvent him no Trouble of minde afflict him no Heresie intrap him She is the strength of Resolution and soliditie of Purpose in whose presence no Vanitie can stand no Insolence dares appeare vnto whom Humane condition is more indebted than to all the other Vertues Who could distinguish Fortitude from Rashnesse Constancie from Peruersenesse Liberality from Profusenesse Friendship from Flatterie Sanctitie from Hipocrisie but by inspection to her Mirrhor in which Vertue is clearly discerned and Vice palpably discouered Who is so bold that without her light or guidance dareth to conclude or determine any thing since she is only conuersant in perspection exactly to find out what is sollid what sincere and punctually to discouer the causes the beginnings and the progresse and proceedings of all things As all those things which fall within dimension are not comprehended but within measure so whatsoeuer by Gods permission doth illuminate â—each or instruct the minde is by Truth defined and circumscribed That which in things bought and sold in our common commerce wee call Number Weight and Measure the same in all things is Truth she distinguisheth betwixt the delirements and enormities of Vices and those effects which are proper and peculiar to Vertues False Opinions shee refelleth things doubtfull shee resolueth as obscure things shee inlightneth so that which is luminous she declareth Hence ariseth that old Adage Solest Veritas è converso Veritas est Sol i. The Sun is Truth and by conuersion Truth is the Sun that is which hidden things reuealeth and things manifest maketh more perspicuous c. You see the constancie and stabilitie of Truth when all things else vnder the Sun are obnoxious to Vicissitude and Change Saith Horrace lib. 4. Ode 7. Diffugere nives redeunt iam gramina Campis Arboribusque Comae Mutat terrae vices c. The Snow is melted and the fields late bare Are cloath'd in Grasse the bald Trees gaine their haire The Earth doth change her course the Channels dry Fill vp their empty banks the Floud swell high The gentle South winde doth the cold allay Summer succeeds the Spring nor there doth stay But is by Apple-bearing Autumne ' noyd And Autumne next by Winter is destroy'd The like is extant in Ovid ad Pisonem Ipsa natura vices subit variat aque cursâ—â— Ordinat inversis c. Ev'n Natures selfe this change doth vndergo Which th' inverst order of the Yeare doth show Not alwayes doth with dropping shewres the Aire Obscure the Stars but sometimes it is faire The Winter ceaseth and the timely Spring Dries those moist locks which you before might wring It then giues place to Summer on whose heele Autumne doth tread and then soone after feele The hoary Winters vncontrolled power In many'a cold blast and tempestuous shower Propertius lib. 2. Eleg. 9. Omnia vertuntur ceriè vertuntur amores Vinceris aut vincis hac in amore rota est Magni saepe duces c. All things are wheel'd and turn'd about And so it is in Loue no doubt Thou Victor or else vanquisht art No Loue but in this change hath part Great Dukes haue falne great Tyrants been put downe Rich Thebes once stood braue Troy was ouerthrowne To the like purpose as intimating the mutabilitie incident vnto all humane actions Plantus in his Amphict doth seeme to allude Nam in hominum aetate multa eveniunt huiusmodi Capiunt voluptates mox rursum miserias c. In th'age of Man oft many such things fall First we taste fugred pleasures and then gall In bitter miseries Rage doth constraine Spleenefull and harsh words and we then againe Grow to a friendly peace then our Spleene o're Our Amitie growes stronger than before Hauing in some sort searched what Truth is it next followes not onely to finde out Religion but also to examine the truth thereof Saint Augustine lib. de Civitate Dei 2. Cap. 7. saith Religio nihil aliud est quam Divinus cultus i. Religion is nothing else but Diuine Worship And in his Booke De Vera Relig. Religio est Studium Sapientiae Religion is the study of Wisedome And Isidor lib. de Etymolog 18. defineth it in these words It is therefore called Religion because by it we binde our selues to obey one onely God and to serue him in our mindes with Diuine Worship Abundans est pauperi Religio c. saith Hugo De Claâ—st Anim. lib. 3. Religion is to the poore man abundant to the meane estated sufficient to the rich man tolerable to the Weak liberall to the Delicate compatient to the Strong moder at to the Poenitent mercifull to the Peruerse correctiue Against those that make Religion but a meere vaile or cloake for their abuses and vanities wee reade Hierome in his Epistle to Nepotianus thus Thou buildest Monasteries and erectest Religious houses and by thee many poor men are relieued through the Isles of Dalmatia but better were it for thy Soules health if thou thy self among holy men didst leade an holy life And in another sent to Eustochium saith he There be some men of our Order who for no other cause make suit to be admitted into the Deaconship and Priesthood than that thereby they might haue the greater priuiledge and incur the lesse suspition to enter into the familiaritie and acquaintance of faire women The chiefest study such employ themselues in is that their shooes sit neate and close their garments smell of perfume their haire be queintly kembed and crisped and that their
my Maker's sight Yet chuse the wrong path and forsake the right And willingly vnto my ruin go VI. I commit blushing sinnes and without shame Sinnes grievous yet lament them not at all Wrath I deserue yet for no Mercy call How then that which I seeke not can I claime VII And therefore haue deserv'd torments perdurable For I am a dead Limbe sencelesse of paine And where's no feeling Surgeons art 's in vaine For all that are so gangren'd are incurable VIII I am a dissolute wretch yet do not I Seeke to correct that which I finde amisse The aime I haue is to attaine to Blisse And yet the meanes by which 't is gain'd I fly IX Vnto those sinnes of which I late repented And quite abiur'd with greedinesse I turne And when for them I was about to mourne My waiward Will to sport and mirth consented X. The pit I late fell in I cannot shun To which my Neighbour I together drew I follow onely that I ought to'eschew And meerely into things forbidden run XI When I should weepe and pray with great deuotion For pardon of Ills done and Good neglected I finde my cogitations interjected Ready to banish thence each godâ—y motion XII Gods Wisedome Goodnesse and his Pow'r I see The World to Make to Order and Protect But I that great and glorious Worke neglect Yet knowing it created was for me XIII A Concordance most permanent and stable 'Twixt the blest Angels and the Heav'ns I find In what an Vnion they are all combin'd Yet I to make mine owne peace am not able XIV I 'twixt the stubborne Iew and stupid Turke A profest Christian in the middlerest I know their Errors and their Ills detest Yet cannot I my selfe do one good Worke. XV. And though I am not like the other bold By Arguments or Armes Thee to oppose As one of thy profest and open Foes Yet in thy Seruice I am weake and cold XVI Though I like them do not with might and maine Make me of thy contempt the common Theme And wilfully thy Dietie blaspheme O yet how oft take I Thy Name in vaine XVII Which of vs then deserues the harder lot They who through ignorance Thy mercy fly Or else perchance would honour Thee or I That know my Masters will and do it not XVIII Strengthen my weakenesse then my shrinking stay Support me falling with Thy powerfull hand So onely shall I able be to stand To serue Thee truly and Thy Will obey XIX So shall no Schisme no Heresie no Error Thy chosen Temple this my brest inuade So I Thy constant Champion shall be made Free from all present Feares and future Terror Agnoscit Reus Ignoscit Deus Ey sumptib CHRISTOPH BEESTON Generos THE ARGVMENT of the sixth Tractate THe Heart of Man bee'ng so adverse To Goodnesse and so apt to pierce Things most Retruse a course exprest On what it chiefely ought to rest A Scruteny made where and when The Spirits were created Thâ—n Of Lucifer the chiefe and prime Of Angels in the first of Time His Splendor Pride and how he fell In battell by Prince Michael Their Fight their Armes the Triumph great Made in the Heav'ns for his defeat Their Number that revolted and How long they in their Grace did stand Some other Doubts may plaine appeare Which to this Argument cohere The second Argument THe mighty Pow'r of God was showne When the great Dragon was o'rethrowne The Powers THan th' Heart of man since made by sinne impure There 's nothing more inconstant and vnsure Through all incertainties trauelling still For nothing can it's empty corners fill Wandring in Deviations crook'd and blinde Enquiring after things it cannot finde As oft as any vaine thoughts thence arise One growing to a second multiplies Till they at length to infinites extend And then not one but doth our God offend They hourely toile and labour in vnrest And yet when all are sum'd vp Bad 's the Best The Hearts vaine thoughts are in continuall warre Dissonant 'mongst themselues and hourely jarre They thinke of past things cast what 's to ensue Old projects they destroy and build vp new What 's ruin'd to erect and then the same This way and that way diuersly to frame They will not now and then againe they will Altring the purpose changing counsels still First this then that now early and then late And neuer remaine constant in one state And as the Mill that circumgyreth fast Refuseth nothing that therein is cast But whatsoeuer is to it assign'd Gladly receiues and willing is to grynd But if the violence be with nothing fed It wasts it selfe ev'n so the Heart mis-led Still turning round vnstable as the Ocean Neuer at rest but in continuall motion Sleepe or awake is still in agitation Of some presentment in th' imagination If to the Mill-stones you shall cast in sand It troubles them and makes them at a stand If Pitch it chokes them or if Chaffe let fall They are employ'd but to no vse at all So better thoughts molest vncleane thoughts staine And spot the Heart when those idle and vaine Weare it and to no purpose For when 't is Drowsie and carelesse of the future blisse And to implore Heav'ns aid it doth imply How far is it remote from the most-High For whilest our Hearts on Terâ—hen things we place There cannot be least hope of Diuine grace Now in this wretched state of our Humanity We are besieg'd first by this Mundane Vanitie Then Curiositie one way persuades Pleasure vpon the other side inuades Here Lusts assault there Enuy makes his battery On this part Pride's intrenchtâ— and on that Flattery Then Sloth corrupts it or Ambition swells it Wrath burnes it else base Auarice compells it To dote on Drosse Deceit seekes to disguise it And all the deadly Sinnes at once surprise it And why To retaine God it hath no will Of it's sole power it 's empty Round to fill And that 's the cause it deviates and strayes By curious searching into vnknowne wayes To finde what best might sate it but in vaine For till it shall returne to Him againe By whom it was created the Sole-Blest It well may seeke but neuer shall finde rest Now God as He commands so doth persuade To make that onely His which he hath made But we are whilest we from his Precepts vary Rebellious to our selues and contrary Neither can we our stubborne hearts subdue Till we submit vs to the onely true And liuing God And that 's the reason why About our wandring Cogitations fly Fashioning more Chimaera's in one hower Than we to compasse in an Age haue power For whilest not vnto Him vnited we Must in our selues of force diuided be To Whom we cannot come tow'rds Whom not moue But by the steps of Charitie and Loue. In Whom no int'rest we can haue vnlesse In all things we Humilitie professe Nor can we humble be so to aspire Vnlesse by Industry the Truth t'
acquire And therefore we must in this sincere Truth Our selues examine How we spend our Youth Manhood and Age and then by searching finde How fraile weare how'vnstedfast and how blinde And next when we our miseries haue skan'd Sifting all actions that we take in hand How vaine they are Necessitie will leaue That Consequent behinde That we must cleaue Onely to that great Pow'r nor from it shrinke Without which we nor moue nor speake nor thinke And because we haue falne from Him by Sin To intimate There is no way to win Our peace and reconcilement or dispence With our transgression but true Penitence I thus proceed Great hath the Decertation Bin 'mongst the Learned men 'bout the Creation Of blessed Angels Some of them haue said They many Worlds before this World were made To'attend th' Almighty Others haue againe So curious a scrutinie held vaine And almost irreligious aiming still To penetrate into his secret Will Without his Warrant and conclude That they Had with the Light subsistence the first day Were with it made of Nothing had no Being At all till then The Fathers disagreeing About this point some haue opinion held But by the later Writers since refel'd As Hierome Ambrose Gregory Nazianzen Cassianus Damascenus Origen Hilary Basil These with others were Resolv'd That because nothing doth appeare From Moses in his Booke of things created Concerning them That they were fabricated Long time before Againe Because Saint Paul Writing to Titus saith God first of all Before the World th' Hope of Eternall life Promis'd to vs c. Hence they maintaine this strife Interpreting the Text Er'e the Creation Which words include If Before God did fashion All things that Being haue in earth or heauen There must be some to whom this power is giuen And those the Angels But on this Assertion Learned Saint Austin layes a great aspersion Affirming them with th' Heav'ns Emperiall made And that before they no existence had Saint Paul interpreting Th' Almighty gaue This Promise and blest Hope Mankinde to saue From all Eternitie to elevate Mans Fall in that pure Lambe Immaculate His Sonne and our deare Sauiour And thus Opinion'd were graue Athanasius Gregory Theodoret Epiphanius With diuers others Which no sooner mov'd Was in the Lateran Councell but approv'd Of all the Bishops as of both the best Which in the sacred Scripture is exprest For thus 't is writ God ended the seventh day The Worke He made for so doth Moses say And in the day whch He his Sabbath nam'd Rested from All the Worke which he had fram'd Which vniuersall word perforce doth carry Spirituall things as well as Elementary Such as before the World thinke them created In many doubts themselues haue intricated I would besides haue them resolue me How Vnlesse his Worke imperfect they allow It can with reason stand that if they were In Time before Time was and with sincere Faith and Obedience had so long aboad They onely then revolted from their God Should this be granted it must needs inferre Strong argument a second way to erre Namely That no Coelestiall Hierarchy Subiects of that eternall Monarchy Who haue remain'd as by the World appeares In blest estate so many thousand yeares But notwithstanding the great grace th' are in May slide like Lucifer and fall by Sin Which the Church holds erronious Be it then Granted That God did make the Angels when Th' Imperiall Heav'ns were fashion'd at first pure And without sin for euer to endure Had they not falne through Proud Imagination By which they then incur'd his Indignation For nothing Euill can from Him proceed So much the Text implyes where we may reade God said when he his rare Worke vnderstood All things that I haue made be greatly good And lest the Church might that way be deluded 'T is in the Lateran Councell thus concluded All Spirits were created pure at first But by their selfe-will after made accurst To make things cleare Although we must confesse That Moses doth not in plaine termes expresse When how and in what order Angels were At first created yet it will appeare How that their Essences and Natures bright Were signified by names of Heav'n and Light And though they seeme forgotten in that Text Obserue how other Scriptures are connext To giue them Name and Being In that Oad In which the three blest Children prais'd their God In the hot flames to giue to vnderstand That Angels were the Worke of his great Hand O all ye Workes of God the Lord say they Blesse praise and magnifie his Name for aye Praise him ye Heav'ns ye Angels praise the Lord. Let vs to Daniels adde the Psalmists word Praise Him all ye his Angels Some haue said That Angels were the last worke that God made But most absurdly He in Iob thus sayes When the Stars of the Morning gaue me praise Then all the Angels of my Sonnes the choice Extold my Name with an exalted voice Now when the Great and most Diuinely Wise Did the rare Fabricke of the World deuise And by the vertue of his Word create The Heav'n and Earth in their so goodly state He made the Angels in the first of Time Of Substances most noble and sublime Amongst which Lucifer was chiefe and hee As he might challenge a prioritie In his Creation so aboue the rest A supereminence as first and best For he was chiefe of all the Principalities And had in him the three stupendious qualities Of the most holy Trinitie which include First Greatnesse Wisedome next then Pulchritude The Greatnesse of the Sonne and holy Spirit The Father is which they from him inherit Now of the Father and the Holy-Ghost The Wisedome is the Sonne so stiled most The Father and Sonnes Pulchritude is he That 's the third Person in the Trinitie And though of Angels the great pow'r be such As hath in Scripture been extolled much For their nobilitie and excellence As first of Michael whose pre-eminence Daniel relates as naming him for one Of the prime Angels that attend the Throne As Raphael who told Tobit Of the seuen That still before th' Almighty stand in Heav'n Himselfe was one Or as the Seraphim Who as the holy Prophet speakes of him With a cole toucht his lips from th' Altar tooke Or as of Gabriel whom the holy Booke Mentions who to the earth made proclamation Of our most blessed-Sauiors Incarnation Yet aboue these was Lucifer instated Honor'd exalted and much celebrated And therefore many of the Learned striue His greatnesse from Ezechiel to deriue For thus he saith and what he doth infer 'Gainst Tyrus they conuert to Lucifer Thou sealst the Sum vp art in Wisedome cleare Thy beauty perfect doth to all appeare Thou hast in Eden Gods faire Garden been Each pretious stone about thy garment's seene The Ruby Topaz and the Diamond The Chrysolite and Onyx there were found The Iasper and the Saphyr dearely sold The
gods from him themselues can hide Who not content to looke them in the faces But he will ransacke their most secret places Such is the height of his all-daring minde He hopes himselfe amongst the Starres to finde At such sublimities aimeth the vnlimited Heart of Man but vnto all such as are proudly bold or prophanely impudent I propose that of the excellent Poet Claudian to be weightily considered of in Lib. 3. de Rapt Proserp Quid mentem traxisse Polo Quid profuit altum Erepisse caput pecudum si more c. What profits thee to say That from the Skye Thy minde 's deriv'd or that thou look'st on hye Since that of all thy glory is the least If thou a Man beest sensuall like a Beast The substance of which Mankind subsists is nothing but stone as Ovid ingeniously insinuateth Lib. 1. Metam being repaired by Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha the sole remainder after the deluge His words be these Discedunt velantque caput tunicasque recingunt Et jussos Lapides sua post vestigia mittunt c. They part their heads vaile then their garments binde About them close the stones they cast behinde These stones which who would credit vnlesse we May for our proofe produce Antiquitie Began to lose their hardnesse soft to grow And when they had a space remained so To gather forme soone as they did encrease The ruder matter by degrees 'gan cease And a more pliant temper they put on As sometimes you may see flatues of stone Halfe wrought yet promising the shapes of men Such an vnperfect Worke they appear'd then What part affoorded any humid juice And was of earth turn'd to the Bodies vse And the more sollid substance of the Stones Too sollid to be wrought was chang'd to Bones The Veines still keepe their name and these are they That through the body do the bloud conuey Thus by the helpe of pow'r Diuine at last Those that the man did o're his shoulders cast Attain'd Mans figure and those which she threw Behinde her backe they both for women knew How hard our natures be may here be read For in our liues we shew whence we were bred The instabilitie and corruption of mans Heart is liuely disciphered in Iuvenals 13 Satyre Mobilis varia est ferme natura malorum Cum scoelus admittunt superest constantia c. Mouing and various is the nature still Of corrupt Men yet when they purpose ill In that th' are constant which when they haue long Practis'd they then begin to thinke what 's wrong But yet repent it not Their Natures stacke In any goodnesse bids them to looke backe Vpon their damned manners and what 's strange Remaines immutable and free from change For who hath to himselfe propos'd an end Of sinning and the high Pow'rs to offend Who of his life doth reformation seeke After the blush be once exil'd his cheeke Shew me a man through all the large extent Of the whole earth that 's with one sinne content I may conclude with Claud. lib. 2. in Eutrop. Parvae poterunt impellere causae In scoelus ad mores facilis natura reverti Now concerning the Creation of the Angels when and where they were made let vs wade no farther than to reconcile the Scriptures by the Scriptures and conferring the Text of Moses with that of the Prophet David the Truth will the more plainely manifest it selfe It is thus written in Genesis Then God said Let there be Light and there was Light To which the Psalmist alludeth Psal. 33. vers 6. By the Word of the Lord the Heauens were made and all the Host of them by the breath of his mouth Now who or what can be more properly stiled the Host of Heauen than the Angels Saint Augustine is of opinion That the Angels and incorruptible Soules were created the first day and that the Soule of Adam was created before his body like as the Angels were and afterwards breathed and infused diuinely into him For the creation of the Angels is vnderstood in the Light being at the same time made partakers of the life eternall For so also doth Rupertus expound that place in his booke of the Workes of the Holy-Ghost saying There was then no Light at all seene to be made sauing the brightnesse and illustration of the Aire But many worthy and learned Fathers haue better vnderstood the place viz. That the name of Light signified the Angelicall nature not for any similitude but for a certain truth That when Light was commanded then the Angels were created And when it is said That God separated the Light from the Darknesse by that diuision is likewise vnderstood the dreadfull and terrible iudgements of God against the Diuell and his Angels who were created good in nature but they would not continue in that excellent puritie and therefore of Angels of Light through their owne Rebellion and Pride they were made Diuels of Darknesse We reade in Ecclesiasticus Qui vivit in aeternum creavit omniae simul i. Hee that liueth for euer created all things together or at once To which Saint Basil Saint Augustine Dionys. Ambros. Reuerend Bede and Cassiodor assent saying That God created and brought forth all things together Peter Lombard syrnamed Master of the Sentences by authoritie deriued from Ecclesiasticus maketh this exposition The bodily nature and matter of the foure Elements was created with the spiritual Creatures that is to say with the Soule and the Angels who were created together To approue which he produceth the testimonie of Saint Augustine saying That by Heauen and Earth ought to be vnderstood the spirituall and corporeall Creatures created in the beginning of Time In another place of Ecclesiast it is said Prior omnium ertata est Sapientia Wisedome hath been created before all things Yet hereby is not to be vnderstood that God himselfe is meant or his Sonne Christ who is the Wisedome of the Father for God was not created at all the Sonne was begotten and therefore neither made nor created at all and the holy Trinitie is but one Wisedome Iesus the sonne of Syrach in that place by this Wisedome vnderstandeth the Angelicall Nature often termed in the Scriptures Life Wisedome and Light For the Angels are called and said to be Vnderstanding and though they were created with the Heauen and Time yet are they said to be first created by reason of their Order and Dignity being the most worthy and excellent Creatures Neither were these Angelical Powers saith he made for any need or necessitie that the Almighty God had of them but to the intent that he might be contemplated praised magnified and his liberalitie and bounty be the more aboundantly knowne throughout all generations And whereas it is written That God created all things together being elsewhere said in Genesis That he produced all those bodily Substances by pauses and distinction of dayes Dionysius Rihellus to that hath giuen
Moone He likewise made in substance cleare According to the Season to appeare That it should be a future declaration Of Time and the Worlds Signe to ev'ry Nation Feasts are by it appointed the Moneths claime Proper denomination from her Name Waining or growing be she bright or dull In her continual Change shee 's wonderfull Shee 's a lampe plac'd aboue our heads and thence Sends downe her shining beames in excellence The beauty of the Heav'ns perceiv'd from far Is ev'ry great or lesse refulgent Star These lustre to the Firmament afford And shine in the high places of the Lord. From whose command they no way dare rebell But all night long keepe watch and sentinell Looke on the Rain-bow in it's mixed hew Obserue how beautifull it is in view What sev'rall colours with what cunning layd And praise Him who so great a Worke hath made He into such a spacious arch extends it It is the hand of the Most-High that bends it At his command the Snow makes haste from hye The Lightnings of his judgements swiftly flye When He vnlocks his Treasure Clouds repaire And like so many Fowles soare in the aire His Pow'r doth giue them strength When he but speaks The mighty Hail-stones into small he breaks At his dread sight the mountaines skip like Roes 'T is at his pleasure that the South winde blowes His Thunders sound the trembling Earth doth beat As doth the stormy North the fields entreat The Whirle windes like so many feather'd Fowle Scatter the Snow the white flakes downeward rowle As if so many Grashoppers together Should light-on th' earth brought in by stormy weather The Eye admires the whitenesse and the Braine Cannot conceiue the beauty of the Raine The Frost like Salt vpon the ground he powres Which hardned stickes vpon the Herbs and Floures When the bleake North winde from his Quarter blowes A congeal'd Ice vpon the Water growes Vpon the gath'ring of the waues it rests And with a chrystall couering armes their brests The Mountaines it deuours the Desaâ—ts burnes And like the Fire what 's greene to nothing turnes Yet by a melting Cloud and timely Raine These seeming dead are soone refresht againe He by his Word the blustring Windes doth still The Seas rough Surges All obey his Will He in the vnknowne Deepes foundations layes And in the midst thereof doth Islands raise They that the Ocean saile which hath no bound Tell of the wonders that are therein found Which so miraculous to vs appeare When they are told we stand amas'd to heare For there be his rare Works of Beasts and Whales Begetting terror from their sinnes and scales Through Him all things are aim'd as blessed ends And his establisht Word his Worke commends When we haue spoken most yet all ' â— but raine We neuer to their knowledge shall attaine This is the sum of all That He alone Must be the sole All and besides Him none Of his true Praise how can we giue account Since He we know doth all his Works surmount The Lord our God is terrible and great Who shall his Pow'r and marv'lous Acts repeat Praise laud and magnifie him all we can Yet doth He far exceed the thoughts of Man Exalt Him in our strength and be not tyr'd Yet shall not his â—east fully be admir'd Who is 't hath seene Him that his shape can tell Or who can praise him as He doth excell For greater things haue yet escapt our view And of his rare Works we haue seene but few The Lord hath made all things in Earth and Heav'n And vnto such as feare Him Wisdome's giv'n The Orders Names the Qualities and Charge Of the blest Angels we haue spoke at large It followes next to touch the true condition Of those malignant Sp'rits whose proud Ambition Cast themselues head-long both from the blest Place First made for them and from th' Almighties Grace Nor is it to be doubted but that those Who in their peruerse malice durst oppose Their glorious Maker and against Him war But that they likewise still intentiue ar ' And their peruersenesse totally enclin'd To Gods contempt and ruine of Mankind Now since those disobedient Sp'rites that fell With their grand Captaine downe from heav'n to hell Were out of all the Hierarchies extruded It therefore as a Maxime is concluded Not to be question'd That as th' Angels blest Who still inhabit their faire place of rest So likewise those by Lucifer mis-guided Are into sev'rall Ternions diuided And haue amongst them Orders and Degrees And though the benefit of Grace they leese Yet still that naturall pow'r and force retaine At first bequeath'd them bee'ng reduc'd againe To Order and their Offices still keepe As once in Heav'n so in th' infernall Deepe To this the Fathers with one voice agree For one writes thus In the great Hierarchie Of the blest Sp'rits some are employ'd to tell Things futurely to come others excell In working Miracles for no portent Is done on earth but by some Angell sent Some ouer others haue predominance Employing them Gods honor to aduance By executing Mysteries Diuine Others in greater pow'r and eminence shine Hauing vnnumber'd Armies in their sway Vnto whose Hests the lesse degreed obay Some are so plenteously endu'd with grace That God himselfe in them hath chus'd a place In which t' enhabit and these haue profest His secret judgements to make manifest Others are with so sacred links entir'd Vnto their Maker and withall inspir'd With such re-pur'd zeale there appeares not much Place intermediat betwixt Him and Such By what degrees they do precell the rest In ardent loue so much more interest They challenge with acutenesse to behold His Wisedome Iustice and Grace manifold Now as these sev'rall Functions are aboue With Those that still persever in their Loue So 'mongst the Disobedient is remaining Like order still their naturall pow'rs retaining For till the World be quite consum'd and gon It is a Maxim to be built vpon Angell o're Angell which none alter can Diuell o're Diuell Man shall rule o're Man Of the Rebellious Lucifer is prime Captaine and King who in the first of Time From out the seuerall Classes had selected Legions of Angels with like pride infected Against Iehovah and with expedition Hurld them with himselfe headlong to perdition And as in his Creation he was fram'd More glorious far than others before nam'd More goodly featur'd beautifull and bright And therefore had his name deriv'd from Light So since his Fall there 's nothing we can stile So ougly foule abominably vile The putred Fountaine and bitumenous Well From whence all Vice and malefactures swell Whose horrid shape and qualities infest Are by the Poet Dante 's thus exprest L' Imperador del Doloroso Regno Da mezo l petto vsciva Della Gliaccia Et pin eli ch'un Gigante iâ— ti conuegno
Of Thunder Tempest Meteors Lightning Snow Chasemates Trajections of Haile Raine And so With piercing eyes he hath a deepe inspection Into the Sunne Moone Stars the true direction Of all Stars fixt or wandring Zodiacke Lines Articke and the Antarticke Poles and Signes The courses of the Heav'ns the qualities Their influence their effects and properties And as they haue a vertuall pow'r to know All our inferior bodies here below So of the Sp'rits of Glory or Perdition The Orders Offices and the Condition Briefely There is no Creature God hath made From the first Chaos but it may be said Whether it be abortiue or full growne That to the Angels nature it is knowne Since then so great and so profound 's their skill Infus'd into them by the Makers Will No wonder 't is that they such strange things can Beyond the weake capacitie of Man We onely by things sensible attaine To a small knowledge and with mighty paine And into error we may quickly fall For in it is no certaintie at all Sp'rits cannot erre and be deceiv'd as we Seeing and knowing all things perfectly In their true reall Essence which is meant Onely of Naturall things and hath extent No further For as Angels Creatures bee Th' are limited in their capacitie In all such things as on Gods Pow'r depend Or Mans Free-will their skill is at an end And vnderstand no further than reueal'd By the Creator else 't is shut and seal'd Hence comes it that the euill Angels are So oft deceiv'd when as they proudly dare To pry into Gods Counsels and make show By strange predictions future things to know This makes their words so full of craft and guile Either in doubts they cannot reconcile Or else for cettainties false things obtruding So in their Oracles the World deluding Whose answers either were so doubtfull and So intricate that none could vnderstand Or meerely toyes and lies for their words were By interpointing so dispos'd to beare A double sence and seeming truth to tell Whether or this or that way the chance fell But the good Angels they can no way erre The reason is That they themselues referre Wholly to Gods good pleasure from which Square And perfect Rule they neuer wandring are They iudge not rashly hid things they desire not And after future chances they enquire not Nor further of ought else to vnderstand Than they are limited by his command How many thousand traines hath Sathan layd By which he dayly doth fraile man inuade By entring Contract as a seeming friend Thereby to draw him to more fearefull end Of which the Fathers witnesse for one saith The Diuell with Magitions compact hath Another That all Magicke cov'nants bee Meere superstition and Idolatrie Which growes from a societie combin'd Betwixt the euill Daemons and Mankind If these were not Why should the Ciuill Law Firm'd by th' Imperiall sanction keepe in awe Such damn'd Impostors For the words thus run Many we know abstruse Arts haue begun To put in practise to disturbe the Aire Vpon the innocent Soules these likewise dare Vomit their malice and from the graues call Spirits from rest by Diabolicall And cursed Spells All such as shall rely On things preposterous and contrary To Natures course Gods people to annoy The Churches Curse them and their Arts destroy The like against these selfe-opinion'd fooles Is Articled in the Parisian Schooles Of such like Miscreants 't is in Esay said We haue strooke hands to league with Death and made Cov'nant with Hell How can Man be exempt From this Seducer he that dar'd to tempt The Sonne of God All these will I giue thee If thou wilt prostrat fall and worship mee Of these Compacts and Couenants we finde Two sorts and both blasphemous in their kinde The first When willingly we seeke inspection Into that Art and labour our direction From Magicke bookes or vse their Circles Lines Their superstitious Characters and Signes The second when without maleuolence We search into that art with no pretence Of Curiositie onely we vse it Knowledge to gaine and got not to abuse it And that is dangerous too all Such compact League with the Diuell as in word or act Breathe words vnknowne obscure inserted vainly Or such things as are holy vse prophanely As by obseruing certaine Characters Signes Figures Angles Squares Diameters c. Certaine Dayes Houres Stars Planets Constellations Graines Numbers Instruments of antique fashions And these beyond their naturall operations When Sacraments or any thing that 's holy Shall be abus'd by their ridiculous folly When Images of Wax or such like matter Are cast into a pot and boyl'd in water When certaine Numbers vnknowne Markes or Notes Writ in strange coloured paper he deuotes To superstitious vse When as to Coine Of gold or siluer or of brasse they ioyne Stamps of new Characters and this to bee When such a Planet is in such degree Such Pieces did Pasetis vse to weare What e're he bought he neuer payd too deare Who parting from the Merchant did but name The sum he payd and backe to him it came When holy Ceremonies through the Malicious Are made idolatrous and superstitious When Linnen neuer washt is vs'd and hee Must hold a Wand that 's cut from such a Tree With which he strikes the East and then the West The North or South as to his purpose best That all his Haire shaues off by night or day Thinking thereby to driue the Div'll away That takes dust from a Sepulchre to vse Or from the Graue the Deads bones to abuse Or ought besides that shall seeme retrograde To Reasons course or what 's by Nature made Further Vnto this Cov'nant doth belongâ— All such as stand in their opinions strong To meditate those fond Bookes bearing name From Ada Abelus Enoch Abraham Cyprian Albertus Magnus or Honorius Paulus with those in Magicke still held glorious Who boast ambitiously with great ostent This Art had both it's birth and ornament Either from Adams Custos Razael Or else from Tobits Keeper Raphael Another strange Booke they produce and say 'T was Salomons call'd his Clavicula These Magi by old Sathan thus misguided Another Volume in sev'n parts diuided Stuft with Spels Charmes Oblations all Confusions Of Non-sence and the Diuels meere obtrusions As a Worke learn'd and sacred still prefer To ev'ry curious yong Practitioner All these are but his subtill traines to draw Men from Gods Feare and honour of his Law For in this Art whoeuer striues t' excell He strikes a lasting Couenant with Hell And as in these so likewise in past Ages He wanted not his Astrologomages For most of this prognosticating Tribe Mettals vnto each Planet can ascribe Siluer vnto the Moone to the Sunne was Gold sacred vnto Iove Copper and Brasse To Venus white Lead vnto Saturne Blacke Iron and Steele to Mars nor doth there lacke Amber to Mercury To each of them They