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
Novemb. 7. 1634. PErlegi hunc Librum cui titulus A Diuine Poëm intituled The Hierarchie of Angels Qui quidem Liber continet folia 287 aut circitèr In quibus nihil reperio quò minus cum publica utilitate imprimi possit ita tamen vt si non intra annum proximè sequentem typis mandetur haec Licentia sit omninò irrita GVILIELMVS HAYWOOD Capell domest Archiep. Cantuar. THE HIERARCHIE of the blessed ANGELLS Their Names orders and Offices The fall of Lucifer with his Angells Written by Tho Heywood Vita scelesta vale coelica vita vent LONDON Printed by Adam Islip 1635 TO THE MOST EXCELLENT AND INCOMPARABLE LADY AS FAMOVS FOR HER ILLVSTRIOVS VERTVES AS FORTVNAT IN HER REGALL ISSVE HENRETTA MARIA Queene THE ROYALL CONSORT AND SPOVSE OF THE PVISSANT AND INVINCIBLE MONARCH OVR DREAD SOVERAIGNE King CHARLES Her Highnesse most lowly and loyall Subiect THOMAS HEYWOOD In all humilitie consecrateth these his well-wishing though vnworthy Labours To the Reader Generous Reader I Shall not need to apollogise before-hand either for the height of the subiect or the manner of handling this Worke when the Argument of euery Tractat can speake for the one and a direct proceeding in the course proposed for the other Remembring the French Prouerbe Qui edefie en publick place Faict maison trop haut on trop basse Who builds i th' way where all passe by Shall make his house too low or hye I haue exposed my selfe a subiect to all censures and entreat the Reader not to vndertake me with any sinister prejudice For my hope is if he shall fairely trace me in that modest and carefull course which I haue trauelled he may say in the conclusion Facilius currentibus quam repentibus lapsus For I professe my selfe to be so free from all arrogance and ostent that Vt caveam timenda tuta pertimesco My Iuvenilia I must confesse were sutable to my age then for being a childe I spake as a childe but Maruritie hath since better instructed me remembring that excellent Sentence of Sophocles Si Iuvenis luxuriat peccat si senex insanit Nor forgetting that of Seneca the Philosopher Ante senectutem curandum benè vivere in senectute benè mori I haue proposed vnto you Good Angels and Bad the excellencie of the one still continuing in their created Puritie the refractorie rebellion of the other damning themselues to all eternity In the reading of which I entreat you to take into your consideration that wholesome obseruation of Saint Chrisostome Natura rerum sic est vt quoties bonus malo conjungitur non ex bono malus melioretur sed ex malo bonus contaminetur sic vnum pomum malum facilè centum bonos corrumpti at centum mala nunquam vnum corruptum efficiunt bonum Further to expect any new conceits from old heads is as if a man should looke for greene fruit from withered branches But as Time the producter of all things though he be aged himselfe is euery houre begetting somthing new sowe on whose heads he hath cast such a snow as no radicall or naturall heate can melt in imitation of him who as sure as he knowes vs borne will as certainly prouide vs buriall will neuer suffer our braines to leaue working till our pulses cease beating But howsoeuer the manner of our working be so the matter which is wrought vpon be worthy the value of the subiect dignifieth the invaliditie of the Vndertaker And thus I take my leaue of thee with this gentle admonition Heu heu dij mortalibus nectunt malum Quando bonum videt quispiam non vtitur Thin◠THO. HEYWOOD The Argument of the first Booke VRIEL A Iove Principium the Creator Of all that liue sole Animator Atheisme and Saducisme disputed Their Tenents argued and refuted A Deitie approv'd by all Gods Creatures in generall Into the world how false gods came And first begun t' vsurpe that name A Quaere made the world throughout To finde this GOD of whom some doubt The Argument of the second Booke IOPHIEL A GOD bee'ng found deny'd by none It followes there can be but One By the Philosophers confest And such as were of Poets best Him not the Oracle denies Nor those the antient World held wise Sage Sybill Mage Gymnosophist All in this Vnitie persist Next That this Pow'r so far extended Can by no Sence be comprehended Neither his Essence most Diuine Be sounded by weake Reasons line And last what names most properly Belong to this great Deity The Argument of the third Booke ZAPHKIEL OF th' Vniuerse the Regions three And how their parts disposed bee How gouerned and in what order In which no one exceeds it's border That Moses Arke in all respects Vpon this worlds rare Frame reflects Both how and when by Pow'r Diuine The Sun and Moone began to shine The day of our blest Sauiors Passion Compar'd with that of the Creation How ev'ry Star shines in it's Spheare 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 Argument of the fourth Booke ZADCHIEL WHat Ternions and Classes bee In the Coelestiall Hierarchee In what degrees they are instated How 'mongst themselues concatinated Angels and Doemons made apparant By Ethnicks and the Scriptures warrant Of Visions and strange Dreames that proue Spirits each where at all times moue Against their infidelitie That will allow none such to bee Discourse of Fauor Loue and Hate Of Poetry of Deaths estate Th' Essence of Spirits how far they know Their pow'r in heav'n and earth below The Argument of the fifth Booke HANIEL THe consonance and simpathie Betwixt the Angels Hierarchie The Planets and Coelestiall Spheares And what similitude appeares 'Twixt one and other Of the three Religions that most frequent bee 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'n and Angels A relation What strange notorius Heresies By th' Priscillians and Manichees Were held The truth made most apparant By Text and holy Scriptures warrant The Argument of the sixt Booke RAPHAEL 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 scrutinie made where and when The Spirits were created Then 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 The number that reuolted and How long they in their grace did stand Some other doubts may plaine appeare Which to this Argument cohere The Argument of the seuenth Booke CAMAEL OF Gods great Works a serious view For which
loth is to communicate He by the mouthes of our forefathers and The holy Prophets who did vnderstand His sacred will The Scriptures hath so fram'd To haue his Singularitie oft nam'd As thus Because the Lord is God alone Peculiar and besides him there is none Againe O Israel attend and heare The Lord thy God is One him thou shalt feare The God of gods I heare the Psalmist say Doth only worke great wonders Him obey For 'mongst the gods none 's like him Go and tell Saith he vnto my people Israel I am the Lord thy God and none but I Who brought thee from th' AEgyptian slauerie And from the house of Bondage set thee free Therefore thou shalt adore no God saue me Lycurgus in the Proëm of his Lawes To the Locrenses not without great cause These following words prefixt Needfull it were That all the people which inhabit here Should be persuaded There 's one God aboue By whom all liuing Creatures breathe and moue Who as in all his Works he is exprest So is he not the least made manifest In our inspection to the Worlds great frame The Heauen and goodly order of the same Be no man of that stupid ignorance To thinke that such things are dispos'd by chance The gluttons Belly is his god the cause In that his Appetite prescribes him Lawes The griping Auaritious man hath sold His Soule so dearely bought to purchase Gold Voluptuous men solely deuote to Lust Their Idol's Venus for in her they trust Th' Ambitious his All-Honour'd makes his Fame As before Gods preferring his owne Name And is not he vaine Studies doth prefer Before his Christ a meere Idolater And do not all those that ought higher prise Than Him to Idols offer sacrifise But he that shall beleeue in him aright Shall haue accesse to his Eternall Light When those that haue Religion in disdaine And Pietie in contempt and so remaine They striue to haue no being to their shame And to returne to nothing whence they came All such as are not numbred 'mongst the Saints Whom euill thoughts possesse and Sinne supplants Haue lost themselues as hid behinde a Skreene How then can the least part of them be seene But those that through their Sauiour proue victorious They in Heauens kingdome shall be great and glorious Two Principles as some Philosophers write There are Eternall both and Infinite Makers of things yet in their Natures vary As being in themselues meere contrary Their error note If two such in their prime Of power should haue existence at one time Since two so great must greater be than one Euen in that clause the Infinite is gone Being distinct in number and diuided Needs must they be by seuerall motions guided One borrowes not of the other for majoritie Being equall two there can be no prioritie And contrary as I before haue said In opposition they must needs inuade Th' agreeing Fabricke and so without cease Disturbe old Natures long-continued peace Neither from these two Equalls can arise A third this their great strife to compromise Againe If two one needlesse is and vaine Or as we call it Empty Now 't is plaine That Nothing cannot haue in Nature place For she hath Vacuum in continuall chase And is at war with 't Therefore I hope none But will confesse a Godhood and that one One Monarch of the world the great Effector Of all therein sole Parent and Protector All such as of their multiplicitie speake Disable them as wanting power and weake As if nought gouer'nd were that hath been made Which One can do without anothers aid Him only a true Monarch we may call That hath no parted kingdome but swayes all But where a Principalitie misguided Is amongst seuerall Optimates diuided It needs must follow In no One can be An absolute and exact soueraignty For none of these but by vsurping dare Challenge the whole where each haue but a share There is a certaine Bound which circumscribes His Iurisdiction Each hath seuerall Tribes To gouerne and dispose Should we agree In many gods it then perforce must be concluded There can be no Soueraigne Minde Since euery one hath but his Lot assign'd When as of Power it is the true condition Not to be ty'de to stint or exhibition But as the sole Supreme and Principall Guiding disposing comprehending all If God be perfect he can be but one As hauing all things in himselfe alone The more you make the more you shall depraue Their Might and Potencie as those that haue Their vertue scanted so allow not any Since all things cannot be contain'd in Many By which 't is manifest Those that maintaine More gods than one be people vile and vaine In the like blasphemy ready to fall With the dam'nd Atheist who knowes none at all The Manichees they hold a strange opinion That two betwixt them share the high Dominion Who as they did create so guide it still One Good disposeth and the other Ill. The first is Lord of Light and gouernes Day The last of Night and Darknesse beares chiefe sway One Heate in charge hath and the other Cold Yet who by daily proofe doth not behold That by the sole and Diuine Prouidence Man with all Creatures of them both hath sence And from them comfort That the Night for rest Was made to cheare Man wearied and opprest As well as Day whose cheerefull light prepares Vs to our needfull and best knowne affaires Do we not see from what we counted bad Much good to vs great solace hath been had Againe That seeming Good forg'd by the Deuill Hath been to vs th' occasion of much euill Heauens blessings let vs taste in their communitie Ascribing all praise to the God of Vnitie This sempiternall Minde this Consummate And absolute Vertue that did all create This Power who in himselfe hath his Stabilitie Maiestie Wisedome Strength and true Soliditie From whose Sublimitie no man 's so mad To thinke he can detract To whom none adde This of himselfe all Fulnesse all Satietie Is then the sole Incomprehensible Deitie Sometimes what 's proper vnto Man alone Is giuen to this Trias three in One As when we attribute vnto him Wings It straight vnto our aphrehension brings How he protects and shadowes vs. If Eares With what facilitie and grace he heares Our deuout Prayers And when his Arme stretcht out That of his Power and Strength we should not doubt His Finger nam'd doth to the world auer His Vertue and that no Artificer Can worke like him His Skill The glorious frame Of this great Machine doth to all proclaime His Face sometimes his presence doth imply Sometimes his fauour and benignitie If we reade Wrath we must consider then Those Iudgements that impend o're sinfull men And with what terror when they come they fall His Hand doth vnto our remembrance call His
saith Pierius By the same reason hee was Hierogliphically prefigured in the Crocodile that frequents the riuer Nilus as the selfe-same Author testifies The AEgyptians did interpret him by a Circle which hath neither beginning nor end thereby figuring his Infinitie Pier. Valer. So likewise by the Eye for as in all other creatures so especially in Man the Eye is of his other members the most beautifull and excellent as the moderator and guide of our affections and actions So God is the bright Eye that directeth the world who by the Apostle Iames is called the Father of men vnto whose eyes all thoughts lie naked and open who looketh vpon the good and bad and searcheth into the reines of either c. Epiphanius writeth That the Vadiadni who were after called Antropomarphitae were of opinion That God had a body and was therefore visible Now the maine reason vpon which they grounded this error was because they trusted more to the outward senses than to the inward Intellect bringing their authoritie from Genesis wherein they had read That the first man Adam did subsist of soule and body according to Gods owne Image As also from many other Texts of Scripture in which the like members and attributes belonging to man are ascribed vnto God But this Heresie as Saint Augustine witnesseth was vtterly reiected and condemned for if God were circumscribed or included in a naturall body He must then necessarily be finite and therefore not present in all places at once which takes away his Vbiquitie Besides he should be compounded of matter and forme and therefore subiect vnto accidents all which being the Characters of Imperfection are no way liable to the Sempiternall Immortall Omnipotent Inuisible and the most consummate and absolute Deitie Therefore Saint Paul makes this acclamation Blessed is the sole-Potent King of Kings and Lord of Lords who hath Immortalitie and whose dwelling is in inaccessible Light whom no man euer saw or can see c. Now the reason why as well members belonging to mans bodie as the affections and passions of the minde are in diuers places of the holy Scripture conferred vpon God as to reioyce to be angry c. is not because he is composed of outward lineaments and framed or fashioned as man or that he is truly angred or pleased doth walke ascend descend or the like but that the Holy-Ghost doth accommodate himâ—elfe to the imbecilitie and weakenesse of our shallow capacities and vnderstandings that we may be more capable of the power wisedome and incomprehensible workes of the Almightie Therefore saith Saint Ambrose is God said to be angry to denote vnto vs the filthinesse and abhomination of our sinnes and offences in his booke entituled Of Noahs Arke His words be these God is not angry as mutable but he is said to be so that the bitternesse of our transgressions by which we iustly incur his Diuine incensement might thereby be made more familiar and terrible as if our sinnes which are so grieuous and heinous in his sight caused that He who in his own nature is neither moued to wrath or hate or passion might be prouoked to anger Of the same opinion is Eutherius In what place soeuer saith he the sacred Scriptures either ascribe the passions of the minde or any distinct part of the body to the Almighty as Head Hand Foot Eare Eye or the like or other motions of the soule as Anger Fauour Forgetfulnesse Remembrance Repentance c. they are not to be vnderstood carnally according to the bare letter of the Text but all things concerning him are spiritually to be receiued and therefore we are not to beleeue that God hath at any time been visible to our fore-fathers as he is to the blessed Saints and Angels though in many places of the sacred Scriptures hee is said to appeare vnto them as to our first father Adam in Paradise when he spake to him these words Encrease and multtply Or when he reproued him for eating of the forbidden Tree c. Nor when he spake vnto Noah and commanded him to build the Ark. Nor when he promised vnto Abraham the Patriarch That in his Seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Nor when he often spake to the great Prophet Moses in the Bush in mount Sinai and elsewhere but it is receiued for a truth that those forms by which God either appeared or was heard to speake was by the seruice and ministerie of his holy Angels as S. Augustine most learnedly disputeth in his third and fourth booke De Trinitate Therefore Hieronimus Cardanus a man of most excellent learning and judgement in his booke entituled De Deo Vniuerso i. Of God and the World after he hath by many probable reasons and approued testimonies proued That God by no humane vnderstanding was to be comprehended onely that he was a singular Cause one onely God the Originall Fountaine and Beginning of all things the sole Immensenesse and soueraigne Perfection contemplating nothing but Himselfe of such Light that hee is onely himselfe capable of such claritie and brightnesse that he beholdeth either Hemisphere at once as well the remote as the neerest regions of heauen and earth Immouable no way obnoxious to varietie or change of such splendor that mortalitie cannot abide or endure his sight or presence of a most subtile essence alwaies resting When this and much more he had delated of His Inscrutabilitie and incomprehensible Deitie he concludeth his disputation in these words Quaeris ergo quid Deus sit si scirem Deus essem nam Deum nemo novit nec quid sit quisquam scit nisi solus Deus i. Do'st thou therefore demand what God is If I did know or were able to resolue thee I should be a god too for no man knoweth God or what he is can any man tel but God onely c. The same Cardanus Lib. De Vniuerso touching the late Proposition handled in the precedent Tractate viz. What Name belongeth to this Incomprehensibilitie thus argues Since what God is cannot be knowne how much lesse can any proper or peculiar name be giuen vnto him because names are for the most part deriued either from the nature or propertie of that thing or party which is to be named If then by no possibilitie we can conceiue what the Diuine Essence is how can wee confine it to any proper or competent denomination One Scotus of a most fluent wit and an acute vnderstanding hath searcht endeauoured and excust euen almost all things to finde out some name or Character in which might be comprehended or contained what God was as Wisedome Goodnesse Iustice Mercy Truth and the like at length hee contrudes all those seuerall attributes within the narrow limit of two bare words namely Ens Infinitum as if it were the most absolute contraction that Imagination could beget And this he laboureth to flourish ouer with many witty and pregnant arguments too long in this
Fire next aboue the Heate to Liuely'hood turnes Fire super-eminent which to reueale No Frailtie can kindleth with Loue and Zeale The antient Cabalists and Rabbins say Who knew the old Law well for those were they Who tooke vpon them to explain't That He Whose high incomprehended Maiestie Is beyond all dimention when he gaue Moses direction In what forme hee 'd haue His Tabernacle fashion'd that the same Was a meere modell of the whole Worlds frame For instance 'T was into three parts diuided So the large Vniuerse Diuinely guided On three parts doth subsist answering to those God in the former Fabricke did dispose Now as that part which is sublunary Being lowest of the three doth alwaies vary As subiect to corruption and mutation By reason of the Elements alteration As seene in Life begun then Death pursuing Th' originall of things and then their ruin And these in a vicissitude Euen so The Arkes first part as suting this below Was without couerings open to the aire And subiect to all weathers foule as faire For in that Court there was no difference had The Iust and Vniust met the Good and Bad Prophane and Holy Creatures of all fashion Were to this place brought in whose Immolation And Sacrifice was then exprest the qualitie Of Life and Death the Type of our Mortalitie Now of the contrary two Regions be Or Temples which comparatiuely we As in the former references call Coelestiall and Super-coelestiall And these are plac'd in eminent degree Beyond the rage of force or iniury Of Alteration or the staine of Sinne Since the proud Lucifer first fell therein And was precipitate thence So that the two Parts of this earthly Tabernacle do Answer the former as alike extended 'Gainst shoures storms haile snow cold heat defended By a faire Roofe so that all sordid base And vncleane things in them can find no place Againe as both are Holy yet the one Is ' boue the other Sacred being the Throne Or place of the blest Angels seated higher In which they in a most harmonious Quire Sing Halleluia's so in this below There be two holy roomes as all men know The first of them we onely Holy call The other Holy Holiest of all Againe as this Terrestriall world doth yeeld As well to Men as brute Beasts of the field Both house and harbor and the next aboue In which the seuen bright errant Planets moue Shines with coelestiall splendor but the third Beyond these two blest Mansions doth afford Vnto the Angels Hierarchy The same Was visible in Moses curious Frame In the first Court thereof were frequent Men And Beasts together in the second then The Candlestickes with seuen Lights did shine cleare But in the third most Holy did appeare The Cherubims with wings far stretcht Againe As Moses so the Scripture tells vs plaine Ten Curtaines to his sacred Machine made So in the three parts of the world are said To be no lesse than ten distinct Degrees And first of the Super-Coelestiall these Th' Angels Arch-Angels and the Principates Thrones Dominations Vertues Potestates The Cherubims and Seraphims Then He Aboue all these the supreme Deity In the Coelestiall ten and thus they run Luna Mercury Venus and the Sun Mars Ioue and Saturne Then the Starry Heauen Crystalline and Empyriall make them euen In this below the Moone where we now liue Are likewise ten Degrees to whom we giue These Characters first the foure Elements Mystae Impressions Herbs Fruits Trees and Plants Beasts Reptile Creatures and the tenth and last Materia prima so their number 's cast Againe as in this Tabernacle were Iust fifty strings or taches which did beare So many Rings by which the Curtaines hung All vniformly and in order strung So this Worlds Fabricke subiect to fraile end Of fifty Rings or â—oinctures doth depend And of these twenty Vniuersall are Twenty and nine be styl'd Particular Generall the last The first twice ten amount Thus in their order and by iust account Vnitie in it selfe Parts with Parts knit Essence with Essence and the next to it Proprietie with Essence Forme not estrang'd From Subiect the Transforming with Transchang'd Art with the subiect Matter dealing sole Parts Separable annexed to the Whole Inseparable parts on th' Whole depending The Cause ioyn'd to th' Effect and that extending To the Intrinsicke then the Inward Cause Ioyn'd to the Effect but subiect to the Lawes Of a Beginning Cause Finall with respect Only vnto the Primarie Effect Then the Cause Finall which doth neuer vary From the Effect which is call'd Secondary The Primarie Effect with the Cause met The Secondary Effect in order set Euen with the Cause Forme likewise that 's ally'd To Forme the Middle with the Extremes comply'd The thing Corruptible on that to wait Which no Corruption can participate c. The rest particular Coniunctions be Still corresponding vnto each degree Of the Worlds triple Regions Ten Terrestriall Coelestiall Ten Supercoelestiall Nine onely That which thirty makes complete As the most Generall titled is the great Coniunction of the world with him that Made it Of the Foundation and the God that Laid it All these particular steps seeming perplext Thus you shall finde amongst themselues connext 'Twixt the first Matter and the Elements there A Chaos is twixt th' Elements appeare And what 's call'd Mixt Impressions Now betweene The stones and Earth a kinde of Chalke is seene 'Twixt Earth and Mettals that which th' Artist calls Margasites with other Mineralls 'Twixt Stones and Plants Male-Pimpernell hath place 'Twixt Plants and Anaimals Zophita's race Participating both being such as haue Both sence and growth and yet are forc't to craue Their nutriment with their encrease and chering From their owne roots but to the stones inhering Creatures that Water and of Earth partake Are Otters Beauers Tortoises who make Vse of two Elements 'Twixt Sea and Aire The Flying Fish that doth to both repaire Betwixt meere Animals and Man is set The Ape the Monkey and the Marmoset Betwixt the Bruits that onely haue quicke sence And those that haue a pure intelligence Man hath his place From the first propagation There is of things a tenfold generation The first composure hath a true descent From the first Matter and from Accident And Cinis call'd The next exsists of three Matter Forme Accident such th' Elements be From two sole Elements the third hath being Vapor and Exhalation one agreeing With Aire and Water th' other doth aspire To take his nature from the Aire and Fire The fourth his essence and existence shrouds Beneath three Elements such be the Clouds The fifth to their Creation haue accited The whole foure to their naturall formes vnited Such Mettalls be and Stones Plants they suruiue By vertue of a Body Vegetatiâ—e The seuenth hath Life and Sence and doth include Beasts of all kinde Irrationall and Rude The eighth Gods Image of far
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
fingers shine with gold and gemmes But when thou shalt look vpon any such vaine person hold him not for a Priest but rather a Bride-groome And in a third Epistle to Heliodore he vseth these words They are richer being Monkes than when they were secular men They possesse wealth vnder Christ who was alwayes poore which they enioyed not vnder the Diuell who was euer rich The Church supporteth them in wealth whom the World confined to beggerie Therefore saith Lactantius Firmianus Heauenly Religion consisteth not of earthy or corrupt things but of the vertues of the Minde which are solely aimed at Diuine Contemplations For that onely may be called True Worship when the heart and minde meet together to offer vnto God an immaculate offering for whosoeuer confineth himselfe to be a true Sectarie of the Coelestiall Precept may attaine vnto the name of a true and sincere Worshipper being such an one whose Sacrifices are the humblenesse of minde the innocence of life and the goodnesse of action And that man so often offereth vp vnto God an acceptable Sacrifice as he doth any good and pious worke Diogenes feasting in a Temple when stale and mouldy bread was brought before him he not onely rejected it but in great anger rose from the table and cast it out of doores saying That nothing which was base and for did should bee brought into any place where ought sacred was offered vnto the gods We likewise reade of Alexander the Great when in a solemne Sacrifice to Iupiter he offered Incense with both hands at once he was thus reprehended by Leonides for so doing O King when thou hast conquered and subdued those Countries and Kingdoms whence these sacred Fumes and Odors are brought then it will become thee to vse such prodigalitie and waste but till then it shall not be amisse if thou shewest thy selfe more sparing In processe Alexander being victorious ouer Saba and calling to minde what had before passed betwixt him and Leonides he writ vnto him in these words We haue sent vnto thee Myrrhe and Frankincense in aboundance to the intent ô Leonides that hereafter thou be no more so sparing toward the gods Christians need not be ashamed to make vse of these examples from the Ethnicks And as concerning all such Hipocrites who onely sloathfully and coldly tender their religious seruice you may reade in Anthol sacr Iacob Billij as followeth Munera dant gemini fratres at munus Abelis Excipitur munus spernitur alterius Two gifts are to God offred by two Brothers The one 's accepted and despis'd the others Cain with an euill heart that which was vile Tendred to his Creator and the while Kept to himselfe the best of all his store Him such resemble who giue God no more Than needs they must do by some others motion Worshipping more for fashion than deuotion These men as in their actions you may note Seeme to loue God whilest on the World they dote What the Religion of the Iewes is who hath not read And what that of the Mahometans is who but with great terrour and detestation can almost endure to heare First therefore concerning our Christian Religion I shall quote you some passages and places cited by diuers Ethnyck Authors and those learned and approued After the Birth Life Doctrine and Passion of the Sauiour of the World there were three opinions of him I omit the Euangelists and Apostles whose Scriptures and Miracles are vnquestionable and proceed to others Of the first were those that sincerely and vnfeignedly professed Christ and his Gospell many of which gaue apparant testimonie of the Truth some by their blessed Martyrdome others by their Writings and among these were Dionysius Areopagita Tertullian Lactantius Firmianus Eusebius Paulus Orosius c. Others there were which violently opposed the former of which number were Porphyrius Iulian Apostata Vincentius Celsus Africanus Lucian c. Against whom wrot very learnedly Cyprian Origen Saint Augustine and others The third were such as either for seruile feare or worldly preferment durst not or would not openly professe themselues to be Christians or howsoeuer they were such in their hearts yet to temporise with their Superiors and Gouernors if at any time discourse was had of those whom they called the New Sect they would mangle Christs Miracles cauill at his Doctrine and mis-interpret the Scriptures to their owne fancies Notwithstanding which and that they laboured to abolish and exterminate the Profession yet which way soeuer they aimed their words or their works somthing still might be gathered from them by which their malice was easily discouered and the lustre of the Truth more apparantly discerned Such Power hath the Word of God For example Iosophus Ben Gorion not onely a Iew by Linage but in his Religion vseth these words At the same time saith he liued Iesus a wise man if it be lawfull to terme him a man because indeed he did wonderfull things and was a Master and Doctor vnto all such as made enquirie after the Truth He was followed by great troupes and multitudes both of Iewes and Gentiles and hee was Christ and although he was afterwards accused by the principall men of our Faith and crucified yet he was not abandoned of those who formerly followed him but three dayes after his death he appeared aliue vnto them according as the holy Scriptures had foretold and prophecied concerning him And euen in these our dayes the doctrine of Christ and the name of Christian is dispersed through the World And this was that Iosephus who was present at the destruction of Ierusalem and wrot the whole Historie thereof Pontius Pilat who gaue sentence against the Sauiour of the World reported so largely of his innocuous Life Doctrine and Miracles to the Emperor Tiberius that he consulted with the Senat to know whether they would admit of this Iesus Christ to be their God and though they did not assent vnto the motion yet hee gaue expresse commandement that none of that Profession should suffer persecution or injurie To this let me adde the excellent Epistle of Publius Lentulus the Roman Proconsul in which the person of our Sauior is most accurately described The very words being faithfully interpreted which he sent to the Senat and people of Rome during his abode in Ierusalem according to Eutropius There appeared in these our times and hee is yet to be seene a Man of great vertue by the name of Iesus Christ who is called by the Nations A Prophet of the Truth by his Disciples stiled The Sonne of God who raiseth the Dead and healeth all Infirmities and Diseases A Man of a middle stature vpright and begetting admiration of a venerable aspect whom his beholders may easily both loue and feare his haires of a Chestnut colour full ripe plaine and smooth to his eares and from thence neat somewhat crisped and shining in their flowing from his shoulders diuiding themselues aboue in the middle according
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
Che Giganti nouo fan conte sue â—raccia Vedi Hoggimai quant ' esser Dee quel tutto Ch' a Cosi fatta parte si consaccia Se fu si bellâ— come e Hora brutto E contra al suo fattore alzo le Ciglia Ben de â—a lui procedor ogni lutto G quanto parve a me gran meraviglia Quando vide tre faccie a lâ—suatesta L' una danaâ—zia quella era vermiglia De l'altre due ches ' agginuge ano a questa Sour esso almeza Di Ciascuna spalla Es ' agginuge ano al somno de la Cresta La destra mi parea trabianca gialla La sinistra al vedere era tal quali Vegnon di la onde ' l nilo s' aunalla Sotto Ciascuna vsciuan Due grand Ali Quanto si Convenina a tanto ocello Vele di Mar non vidi Mai Cotuli Non Havean penna Ma di vespertello Era lor modo quelle ni su Alzana Si che tre venti si movean de ello Quindi Cocito tutto s' Aggellava Con sei sei occhi piangena con tre menti Gocciava il pianto sanguinosa Baua In which Description he first notes the place Where this great Prince of Darkenesse shut from Grace Is now tormented namely 'a congeal'd Lake His mighty stature next which he doth make Two thousand cubits By his Crest is meant His Enuy Arrogance and proud ofâ—ent Three Faces with three sev'rall colours stain'd Import in him three Vices still maintain'd One fiery red Wrath and Exorbitation Denotes to vs with the Spleenes inflammation The pale and meagre Auarice implies From the third blacke and swarthy doth arise Vnprofitable Sloath. From the two eyes Which to each face belongs we may deuise All Appetites immod'rat In the growth Of these three Ills Ire Avarice and Sloath Two Wings two great accitements to those Sinnes Propose to vs The first of them beginnes In Turbulence and Fury from hence grow The windes of Crueltie that hourely blow Rapacitie and Gripplenesse are they That to the Misers Avarice obey The horrid blasts that hence proceed include The most vnnat'urall sin Ingratitude Sorrow with Negligence on Sloath attend Th' immoderat gusts of Hatred hence ascend Those windes of Wrath Ingratitude and Hate With fearefull stormes trouble and agitate Cocitus streames withall suppressing quite Those good and godly motions which accite Either to Faith or vnto Hope and Charity Lest any should in them claime singularity The greatnesse of his Wings improue th' elation Of his swel'd heart and proud imagination That ev'ry face hath a wide mouth and throat So much the Morall doth to vs denote That all whom such blacke sinnes contaminate His jawes and rav'nous throat ingurgitate His Teares which he did neuer yet imploy But as the Crocodile vseth to destroy Imports to vs that wretched Sinners state Whose slacke Repentance euer comes too late And so far Dante 's I must now enquire To what sphere these Refractories retyre Or in what place more seruile they remaine Who as they Knowledge more or lesse retaine Accordingly their faculties are squar'd One euill Angell takes into his gard A Kingdome he a Prouince and no more One lesser gifted hath predom'nance o're A City and some other but a Tower Some ouer one particular man hath power Some of one only Vice and limited there Nor striue they in lesse eminence t o'appeare Either subuerting Man Forts to demolish Cities subuert good Statutes to abolish T' encourage forreine or domesticke strife Than are the Angels the blest Sonnes of Life Each of them in their seuerall Place and Calling Either industrious to keepe men from Falling Preseruing Cit'adels instituting Lawes Wholsome and good or bee'ng th'immediat cause To secure Cities Countries and encrease Home and abroad happy and prosp'rous Peace Nor do the lower of bad Spirits obey Those of superior office because they Or loue them or esteeme them The cause why They yeeld themselues to such priority Is for that th' other haue more pow'r and can With greater subtiltie insidiate Man For in their Fall th' are stain'd with all impuritie From whose temptations there is no securitie Crafty they are and prone to all iniquity No place debar'd bee'ng pow'rfull in vbiquity With man they are at deadly opposition And into all his wayes make inquisition First tempt and then accuse hourely prepare By day them to intrap by night ensnare His sences they peruert his thoughts estrange From better vnto worse a fearefull change They bring Diseases Tempests Troubles Feares Not one of them but at his will appeares By transformation a blest Spirit of Light They challenge also as their proper right A Diuine pow'r And though these Daemons bee Amongst themselues at hostile enmitee Yet by conspiracie striue all they can How with vnanimous force to destroy Man Yet this worth obseruation we may reade In holy Scripture That such as mis-leade Our humane frailty haue not might a like With the good Spirits nor such force to strike As the blest Angels who the pow'r retaines To take and binde old Sathan fast in chaines One story I haue chosen out of many To shew the Diuell doth th' Almighty zany For in those great works which all wonder aske He is still present with his Anti-maske A man of Greece was with three children blest To him so deare all it could scarce be ghest Which he was most indulgent o're The first A sweet and hopefull Boy and therefore nurst Not with a common care for his estate Was great his birth did him nobilitate Two Daughters he had more the elder faire And well accomplisht but the yongest rare Not to be paralel'd for she was one Whom none was euer knowne to looke vpon But with such admiration that he said Nature surpast her selfe when she was made For all ingredients of her choice perfection Appear'd both in her feature and complexion So faire she was Three Lustres being spent And not a day but adding ornament Both to her growth and beauty now fifteene An age we cannot properly call greene Nor fully ripe not mellow scarce mature Not yet resolv'd a Virgin to endure Nor fancy Man but staggering betwixt Both agitations and her minde not fixt But sensible as being much commended How far she others of her Sex transcended Though quite sequestred from the common road Yet much delighted to be seene abroad And 'cause emergent Venus from the Seas Was said to rise her humor best to please It was her dayly custome to rise early To greet the goddesse whom she lov'd so dearly And hearing what of her the Poets sung To view the â—ome from which 't is said the sprung Stirring betimes one morning with the Cocke Pyrats had hid their ship behinde a rocke And as she tooke her pleasure on the shore Snacht her away and then with faile and oare Made speed from thence and proud of such a Peece Hurry'd her
worse than Hell That in these conflicts he had fought so well Who gladly had exulted in the aire If they could once haue brought him to despaire Some Sophists held Daemon the part to be Of the Soules intellectuall Facultie We reade th' Apostle thus The Wisedome wee Of God speake to you in a Mysterie Ev'n the hid Wisedome which to our saluation He did ordaine before the Worlds creation But to the Princes of this world not showne As left to them meere doubtfull and vnknowne Which had it been reueal'd to them they than Would not haue crucify'd that God and Man The Lord of Glory Some this Text expound Building it seemes on no vncertaine ground That by the Princes of this World he meant The Daemons who of th' Aire haue gouernment Call'd Pow'rs and Potestats It cannot stand With reason That the Iewes without command Or pow'r within themselues so styl'd should be Bee'ng subiects to the Roman Monarchie Neither can properly we make restriction To Pilat who had then the jurisdiction Of Rome in his owne hand because that hee Labor'd in all he could to set him free Said he could finde no fault with him And when At th' instance of those bloudy minded men He spake that Sentence which he would haue stayd He call'd for water and in washing said Vnto all those that then about him stood Lo I am guiltlesse of this iust Mans blood These were the Princes by whose ignorant pride The Lord of Glory was condemn'd and dy'de They knew him to be Man cleane without spot But for the Sonne of God they knew him not Had they but knowne his innocent Bloud was shed To revive those who in their Sinnes lay deadâ— And ransome them from their insidiation As being the sole meanes of our Saluation Sathan then durst not boldly to haue venter'd And into Iudas call'd Iscariot enter'd For he by finding that might eas'ly know 'T would be of his owne Kingdometh ' ouerthrow Let 's heare Prudentius Of the sincere way We may presume God is the Guide and Stay There 's but one path through which whom hee electeth Lest they should wander he himselfe directeth It lies vp a steepe hill that 's hard to clime And the more difficult the more sublime At the first entrance nothing doth appeare But what is intricate horrid austere Sad and still threatning danger when thy feet Hath measur'd it to the end thou then shalt meet With all things sweet and pleasant sights excelling And pretious Riches with aboundance swelling All objects then shall shew both cleare and bright As being luster'd by eternall Light Then nothing shall seeme difficult or hard But of thy labor thou shalt reape reward Yet in thy trauell vp this craggy Hill Thou shalt finde Sathan at thine elbow still Persuading thee a smoother Road to tread To which a thousand paths and by-wayes lead Through which the bearded Sophist he mis-guides The Vsurer there with vnsuspected strides Walks merrily and he whom Honor blindes A pleasant journey to destruction findes Some by the tongues of Birds he doth allure And others by vaine Auguries assure By trusting too much to vaine Prophesies And the mad Sibils trifling Ambages Some he by Magicke spels doth headlong driue Others by Knowledge though demonstratiue But take thou heed of this sweet erring way In which by thousand turnings thou mayst stray Hauing a Guide that teacheth Diuiation And turnes thee from the path of thy saluation Incredible it seemes beleev'd by few And yet by autient Writers held for true That the bad Spirits at their pleasure can Assume the shape of Woman or of Man And with each Sex carnall commixtion vse Fraile Mankinde to dishonor and abuse Those that in masculine shape with women trade Call'd Incubi the other that are said To put on foeminine feature and so lye Prostrat to manâ— are called Succubae Nor do they vse such damned copulation Because in it they take least delectation But rather by such diuellish commission To draw men headlong with them to perdition The substance by the which they generat and How't is transfus'd whoso would vnderstand Let them the bookes of Scotus well peruse It is no subiect for my modest Muse. Yet that such are though I should silent be Heare what Saint Austin saith 'T is told to me By men of worth whose faith I cannot blame And such as were eye-witnesse of the same The Faunes and other Sylvan beasts most rude Gotish in act and by the multitude Call'd Incubi insidiat by the way Women to make of them their lustfull prey All Germany with Witches much annoyd Two graue and learned men before employd In many Causes both of depth and weight Were chosen by Pope Innocent the eight And a large Patent granted therewithall T' extirp the Witches thence in generall These two affirme They oftentimes haue been Where such old Crones and Beldams they haue seen Flat on their backes vsing th' immodest fashion As in the very act of generation Mouing their bodies yet to th' outward eye No Sp'rit perceiv'd of any stander by But the foule act imagin'd to be past A filthy noysome Vapor rose at last In bignesse of a man from her embrace And at the instant vanisht from the place In their large stories it is likewise read Husbands haue tooke these Incubi in bed With their faire wiues their figures by them stretcht Which seeing they haue run and weapons fetcht But th' one soone vanisht from their soft embraces Th' other call'd jealous fooles vnto their faces Not far from Rotemburch this chance befell One of these Sp'rits it seemes new rais'd from Hell Makes himselfe suitor to a Maid yong faire Louely wel featur'd and a Great mans heire He haunts the house makes shew of mighty treasure But more than all to loue her aboue measure Yet that his Liuing lies far off pretends His noble Host inuites him with his friends To diuers feasts and banquets My braue Wooer Before he comes rich Presents sends vnto her To make his way the Seruants he bribes round Bespeakes the rarest musicke can be found The night he reuels and he sports the day And all in hope to beare the Wench away His prodigall expences grow so hye His Host suspects whence he should haue supply Especially his land lying so remote Meane time the Maid from liking growes to doat Thinking to haue her fortunes much encreast And she be made a Princesse at the least But e're the Contract the good man in feare He might be other than he did appeare Inuites one day together with his Ghest A retyr'd man that deuout life profest And was of most religious conuersation He at the table frames a disputation Concerning Sanctity and holy things And still for euery proofe he Scripture brings At which my lusty Louer alters face And saith That a full table is no place For such discourse but sportiue jests are best And pleasant talke to
Augures 47. The vanitie of Augurie 48. Of Idolatry in generall 49. An Emblem 50. A Meditation vpon the precedent Tractat 53. THE CONTENTS OF THE SECOND TRACTAT VVHence the multiplicity of gods came 59. The Vnitie of the God-head 60. Arguments to confirme it 61 62. The power and operation of the Planets 63. The Sybils of God 64. The Oracle of God 65. The God-hoods Vnitie not to be diuided 66. The same illustrated 67. The Manichees 68. Mans attributes giuen to God how far they extend ibid. Gods appellations in Scripture 70. Of the Trinitie 71. Reasons why Christ is called Our God 72. Christ typically figured in Aaron 73. Obseruations of the Trin. in Vnitie c. 74. Orators and Philosophers of God 75. Of Gods Vbiquitie 76. Hiero and Simonides 78. Proper names belonging to God 79. Idolatry brought from Asia into Italy 80. Reasons why Atheists doubt of God 82. Pregnant reasons to proue a Deity 83. From the Poets and Philosophers 84 85. Apothegmes concerning God 86. Further of the Poets 90 91 c. Hierogliphyckes of God 93 The Vadiani of God 94 Attributes belonging to God 95. God in all Tongues stiled by foure letters 96. The Fathers of the Trinitie 98. Philosophers Sentences of God 101. Comparison for the further illustration of the Godhood 104. An Emblem 106. A Meditation 108. THE CONTENTS OF THE THIRD TRACTAT THe three diuisions of the World Elements Terrest Coelest Super-Coelest 111. Cabalists and Rabbins of Moses Ark. 112. A Consimilitude betwixt the Arke and the World ibid. A second Consimilitude 114. A third consimilitude 115. The best Philosophers of the premisses ibid. Creatures participating diuers Elements 116. Manâ— wisedome the wisedome of the world The birth of Wisedome 117. Her beauty honour sweetnesse and effects 118. Her fruitfulnesse and power 119. At what time Time began 120. The creation of the Sun and Moone 121. Their seuerall offices 122. Of the Stars and Planets according to the Poets Arctos major minor the Serpent Bootes Corona Hercules 123. Lyra Olor Cepheus Cassiopeia Andromeda Perseus Auriga Serpentarius Sagitta 124. Aquila Delphinus Equus Deltoton Pistrix Lepus Orion 125. Lelaps Procion Argo Centaurus Ara Hydra 126. Notius Galaxia 127. Of the twelue Coelestiall Signes and first of Aries ibid. Of Taurus and the Hyades 128. Of Gemini and Cancer 129. Stars called Asini and of the Lion 130. Of Virgo or the Coelestiall Maid 131. The seuen Deadly Sinnes 132. The storie of Icarius and Erigone 133. Fruits of Drunkennesse 134. A remarkable story of a Dog 135. Arctuâ—â—us Canicula Libra Scorpio 137. Sagittarius 138. Capricornus Aquarius 139. Pisces 140. The birth of Venus 141. Of the Worlds originall ibid. The inuention of Letters Writing c. 142. Of Cities The Ages 143. Grammar Rhethoricke Logicke Memorie Geometry Musicke c. 144. Against those who maintaine more Worlds or the eternitie of this 145. The death of Aristole 146. The nobilitie of Mans conceit 147. Annus Magnus Vertens Mundanus ibid. The ridiculousnesse thereof 148. The definition of the World 149. The Fathers concerning the World 150. The Poets of the World and ruin thereof 151. The Philosophers of the World 153. The World defined 154. Philssophers of the beginning of the world 156. Creation from Atomes Number Infinites c. 157. Against Curiositie and vaine Questions 158. Of the foure Elements 160. The Poets of the Ages 161. The Golden Age 162. The Siluer and Brasen Age 163. The Iron Age 164. A diuision of mans Age 165. Of the Yeare called Climatericall 167. Illustrations of the Signes Coelestiall 168. The order of the Starres and the Austral Circle 169. Draco Artophilax 170. Corona Lyra the death of Orpheus c. 171. The Pleiades Virgiliae c. 181. Cometa the motion of the Sun the Bisext or Leap-yeare 182. The Eclipse rules to know faire or foule weather by the Sun 183. Philosophers and Poets of the Moone 184. Coniecture of weather by the Moone 185. An Emblem 186. A Meditation 189. THE CONTENTS OF THE FOVRTH TRACTAT THe three Ternions of Angels with their seuerall offices 194. How they are concatinated among themselues 195. Of such as hold there be no Angels nor Spirits 196. Their opinions confuted 197 Angels and Spirits proued from Dreams ibid. The Dreames of Simonides Sylla M. Artorius Calphurnia Iulius Caesar Amilcar c. 198. The Old and New Testament of Dreams 199. Angels visible and of euill Spirits 200. Rabbi Achiba concerning Spirits 201. Abram Avenzara and Rabbi Azariel of Loue and Hate 202. A story of an Emperor and two Beggars 203. Of Poets and Poetry ibid. A Meditation of Death 204. Honour due to Poets and done vnto them of old 205. A nomination of some of our moderne Poets 206. Buchanans complaint that the Muse is so neglected 207. Buchanans Epigram 208. Spirits Saturnine Iovial and Mercurial 209. The Essence of Angels 210. Sundry opinions of the Fathers concerning Angels 211 To proue them incorporat 212. The Lateran Councell of Angels 213. The difference of their Knowledge 214. Foure Angels over the foure windes ibid. Ouer euery heauen or Sphere 215. Angels of the Zodiacke their offices and names ibid. Foure Angels ouer the foure Elements 216. The obiect of Gods will in the Creation 219 Angels the first creatures made with the light pure the charge they haue ouer Man ibid. Seuerall imployments of Angels in the Scriptures 220. Dreames defined 221. Eudemus Galen Q. Catulus Sophocles Alexand Philosoph Sfortia M. Antonius Torellus Alcibiades Croesus Atterius Ruffus Cambyses Aspatia Tit. Attinius their dreames 223â— c. Histories concerning predictions of Nero Philip of Macedon c. 226. Dioclesian Henry King of France 227. Plato's opinion of Spirits 228. Spirits of diuers qualities and of the Socraticum Daemonium 229. Histories of the same ibid. S. Augustine of the power of Spirits 230. Strange opinions of Spirits and that none can be mortall 231. A discourse of Death from the Poets 232. From the Philosophers 233. From the Fathers 234. A Dialogue concerning death interpreted from Lucian 235. Of Constancie in death 240. A contented life 241. Further of Poetry and Poets 242. A nomination of many famous Greeke Poets 243. The miserie that attends the Muse illustrated by the sad fate of many antient Poees 245. Ioh. Campanius to that purpose 248. M. Edm. Spencers complaint 249. Faustus Andrelinus the like 250. A Spanish Prouerbe interpreted 251. That Spirits can transport men or beasts 252. Histories of strange transportations 253. A story of a Centurion 254. Of a Captiue 255. A Nobleman of Insubria 256. Transportation of Witches 257. Antonius Leo 258. Paulus Grillandus of Witches 259. Medea 260. The velocitie of Spirits 261. Histories to proue the same 262. An Emblem 263. A Meditation 266. THE CONTENTS OF THE FIFTH TRACTAT GOds Power Wisedome and Goodnesse in the Creation 271. The concordance betweene the Seraph and the Primum Mobile 272. Betwixt the Cherubin and the Starry heauen 274. Betwixt the Thrones and Saturne