piercing the very clouds are interposed But I will bring a more familiar example of the graine of Corne which being considered in himselfe without his mother earth seemeth no way to act for his vitall spirit doth lurke in the centre and not operate to the circumserence eyther by way of vegetation or multiplication The fountaine from whence the vegetable soule comes by multiplication is the sunne of heauen which worketh life in all vegetable things by the vertue of the foresaid Catholike spirit of life which did put his Tabernacle in the Sunne giuing a naturall increase of life and vegetation to euery thing For though this spirit in it selfe be Catholike yet as it entreth into any specificall creature it conuerteth his property vnto the viuification mulâ—…plication and generation of that very species yea euen vnto mankinde Whereupon Aristotle saith that Sol homo generant hominem the Sunne and a man doe engender a man As for example it hath multiplied by the successiue influence of this piercing spirit in a graine of Wheat being resuscitated as S. Paul saith after death and putrefaction in his proper earth from one to twenty and afterwards moueth vpwards in his ayery vehicle with his strawie stalk towards the fountaine of his being and draweth by a sympatheticall or magnetike vertue his like from aboue by the medium of the Carholike ayre But it is obserued by husbandmen that the better the ground is in temperature wherein the graine is sowed and the neerer vnto the nature of the graine the better doth the graine prosper and multiply in vertue Now the fountaine of the graines life namely the Catholike spirit of vegetation doth chiefely reside in the Sunne of the great world compared vnto the heart in man or the little world which is vitâ—… principium the beginning of life the graine is fitly compared vnto the little blood which is gathered from the bloody tree of life mouing in the veynes and arteries as in the strawy stalke or huske the stalk growing still with the other graines on it is referre vnto the whole masse of blood in the veynes which doth remaine in manifest act The amputed grâ—…ine to the amputed blood for which although they both doe remaine without any manifest act or life yet neuerthelesse they haue the spirit of life and multiplication in them centrally contracted and therefore it remaineth in them onely in potentia agendi able to act but as yet acting nothing except it bee euocated and put in action by his like acting and viuifying nature or rather by the same continued spirit emanating vnto the graine from the Sun or vnto the amputated blood from the spirâ—…t in the wounded body The in ward inuisible spirit of the blood in which the Spirit of lise doth moâ—…e to the oyntment from the wounded is compared vnto the Etheriall or heauenly Spirit in which the incorruptible spirits influence doth moue from the Sunne downe vnto the graine by the common medium or vehicle of them both in which the Etheriall Sprit moueth also from the Sunne downeward vnto it's like or rather it selfe in the graine being now buried in the earth or from the fountaine of life vnto the dead graine or blood in the oyntment the which medium is the common Element of Ayre The oyntment is the good ground in which the bloudy graine doth dye and rise again which I will now speake of The fourth to be considered is the ointment and his nature Who but a meare Ideot can deny that like doth desire his like or that one Nature being stronger doth cherish foster and releiue an other that is weaker and the weaker reioyceth in the aide and comfort it bringeth The ancient Physitians and Philosophers haue obserued that lungs nourish lungs and braines nourish braines that are weake the spleene helps to fortifie the spleene for weak gutts wee make Glysters of boyled gutts the stomacke of a cocke helpeth digestion the very spittle voided by the Phtisic all lungs are said to cure thâ—… lungs wormes mortified and dryed to pouder destroy wormes The stone of the Kidney or blather rightly prepared cureth the stone In conclusion it is certaine that simile agit naturali inclinatione in suum simile like worketh in his like Natura enim laetatur suâ naturâ natura naturâ gaudet Nature reioyceth in his nature Nature is glad at the presence of his nature Now if wee looke into the composition of this medicince we shall find that it is of a wonderfull consonance with the blood of man for â—…s before I haue signified vnto you That the blood is the seat of the spirit of life and that the life of the flesh is in the blood and also that the spirit of life is immediately as well in the fat as in the blood and therefore these two are forbidden to be eaten but are to be reserued a part for a sacrifice due vnto God and being that the life of the bones is in the blood and flesh and therefore doe communicate with the spirit of life and consequently haue in them a balsamick marrow which is full of spirits and affecteth wholesomely the other parts Therefore without doubt there is the selfe-same relation of vnison betwixt this ointment with the blood in it and the wounded mans nature as is between the string of one lute that is proportioned vnto the other in the same tone And for this cause will be apt to euibrate quauer forth one mutuall consent of simpatheticall harmony if that the spirits of both by the vertuall contact of one anothers nature be made by conueying the indiuiduall spirit of the one into the body of the other that the liuely balsamick vertue of the one may comfort and stir vp the dull and deadly languishment of the other no otherwise then the actiuity of one lute string struck doth stirre vp the other to moue which was before still and without life or as wee see the graine of corne being put into the earth which hath beene well manuâ—…ed with the dung of horses that haue fed on the same graine is quickly animated by the Sun beames and made to moue and ascend towards the fountaine of his acting Spirit For euery spirit doth by a naturall instinct or inclination tend vpwards vnto his natiue Country To conclude I must now come to the reaping vp of this mysticall operation of curing Master Foster saith it cannot be accomplished by any vertuall contact being it is out of the limited spheare of actiuity Doth hee or his sharpest witted Masters know the certaine limits of actiuity in euery thing that hee concludeth thus boldly Foelix qui potuit rerum talium cognoscere causas But I am sure I can discerne no such felicity in his reuelations or prescriptions of limits vnto naturall agents much lesse vnto that spirit which acteth and operateth all in all and ouer all Qui quicquid vult facit tà m in virtutibus Coeli quà m in habitatoribus terrae which effecteth what
clouds or stopped by walls or mountaines it is a power essentiall proceeding radically from God who animateth it mouing alwayes in an airey medium Doe not you acknowledge so much when with the Apostle you say In â—…od wee liâ—…e moâ—…e and haue our being But to proceed The fire is the most raging agent of all but a fire of 10. miles compasse cannot burne heate or warme a man at two miles distance Truely Master Foster I can scarce beleeue you For I am sure you would find a larger spheare of Actiuity in such a proportion of fire then your bodie would be able to endure without roasting For if Vis vnita sit fortioâ—…r if I say force added to force produceth a greater force will you haue a fire of ten miles compasse not to heate nay not to scortch burne two miles â—…ff Againe pardon mee Sir for I say your artificiall fire is not the most ragingest Agent of all For the lightning of heauen is more forcible in it's operation then our artificiall fire for though it bee a of lesser compasse then the hundred part of 10 miles yet it so inflameth the aire for many miles compasse that it maketh the Creature to sweat againe with heate Moreouer the Olympicke and starrie fire excelleth this so farre that it pierceth many degrees further then the Elementall fire can doe for though the Elementall fire be full of Actiuity yet it is cloathed with so thicke a spirit in which it is carried that though it be subtile and of the fountaine of celestiall Fire in it selfe yet by reason it cannot mooue but in his medium or thick vehicle namely the artificiall fire beneath without the thick fume or smoake of the thing combustible and naturall elementall without the clouds and aire in which it is carried it is for that cause impedited or hindred for making so great a spheare or Diameter in his Actiuity because the vehicle being thick cannot without some resistance of the Aire penetrate into the same But the celestiall fire which is the fountaine of the fire of life by reason of his subtile spirit which is his Aetheriall vehicle pierceth all things being nothing else but a subtile influence which according to the best Philosophers aduice doth pierce without any resistance thorow rocks and stones euen to the very center of the earth as experience it selfe doth witnesse For else say the Philosophers this Influence could not by little and little produce in the bowels of the earth the formes of metalls and precious stones more or lesse noble according to the worthinesse of that starrie spirit which sent downe that influence and purenesse of that mercuriall vapour which it animateth But yet the life of man I meane that refined spirit by which man liueth is more subtile pure and exalted then it And therefore of a greater Actiuity as shall be manifested hereafter The Starres celestiall excell all sublunarie Agents the Sunns light goeth through the world but yet a little cloud obscureth the light and abateth the heate The earth keepeth the light from the Antipodes The body of the Moone eclipseth the sunne c. If the starres celestiall excell the sublunarie Agents then was Master Foster to blame to say before that the terrestriall fire was the most ragingest and powerfullest Agent of all But in this hee commeth to me for if the celestiall Agents be more potent then the sublunarie it argueth that it hath a greater spheare of Actiuity and can send out his Diametrall beames further then either Loadstone fire or such like sublunarie things in which though the agent celestiall be yet it is so cloied and encombred with a grosse spirit or compacted body that it cannot operat as in the graine of corne it appeareth whose internall and centrall fire except it be set at libertie will not moue from the superficies of the Earth vp toward heauen and multiplie But to the purpose what a story doth our Author tell vs of the Sunne the Sunns light the Eclipse the Interposition of the Earth betwixt the Sunne in our Horizon and the Antipodes the impediting of the Sunns light by the interposition of a cloud Verily it is more to shew his small skill in Astronomy and Philosophie then to touch truely any thing that is material to our argumeÌ„t For I am sure he is not ignorant that there are two things more besides light which are exactly by Philosophers to be considered to wit motion and influence If he will say that influence can be stoped by clouds by interposition of starres by aire by water or by earth he erreth and knoweth no Philosophy motu lumine influentiâ operantur stellae non solo lumine The starres operate by motion light and Influence not by light onely The visible light may bee obscured to vs but the Influence will flow without resistance And to this purpose speake the wisest Philosophers Now then shall terrestriall agents by distance or interposition be totally and celestiall be partly hindered and shall this Weapon-salue worke from the weapon to the wound at all distances Shall the interposition I say neither of ayre woods fire water walls houses castles cities mountaine c hinder the deriuation of the vertue of it First I say that the originall act in this cure issueth from the wounded person to the ointment and not as he saith from the ointment to the wound Next I told this busie Gentleman before that makes so much adoe now about nothing that for asmuch as this spirit proceedeth from a celestiall influence animated by God therefore it hath no such stopps and rubbes neither is this subtill of all subtill creatures any way impedited in his descent to feed nourish that species vnto which from the creation of the species it was ordained but we must know thus much that before it came downe it was Catholicke and generall but after it did penetrate into bodies it endueth a specificall and particular nature and hath an especiall Sympathie with a nature like it selfe and for this reason the wounded mans spirit penetrateth through the vehicle of Aire in which the bloud is conuayed vnto the ointment and naturally affects the oyntment so much the rather because that bloud was ayre and ayre is dilated bloud in his internall and that I can ocularly demonstrate and also the principall ingredient of the oyntment was of the bloud wherefore as we see the Sunne by his beames doth send out his spirit into a graine of corne in the Earth and hath his liuely influence or essentiall beames of Emission continuateÌ„d with his like nay the very same that lurketh in the dead and corrupted graine and so by little and little reuiueth that which was as it were dead and buried in corruption making it to thriue and vegetate with multiplication euen so and no otherwise the Sunne of life in man liuing and mouing yet in man as the Sunne in the great world hath his liuely beame
Bones Nerues and giueth them Life Action and Motion all which the patient â—…ob expresseth thus Thou hast powred mee out like Milke that is in the forme of sperme thou hast coagulated mee like Cheese thou hast endued me with Skin and Flesh thou hast compacted mee together with Bones and Sinnews thou hast giuen mee life by thy mercy and by thy visitation thou hast preserued my spirit but all this thou hast hidden in thy minde but I know all this to bee from thee Whereupon it is euident that God operateth all beginning radically in the blood and for this reason the Apostle saith rightly In him we liue we moue and haue our being I conclude therefore that here againe is all the Sponges validity so squeesed out as hereafter I hope it shall not be able to digest any great matter nor yet to bite any longer vpon the Marble Rocke of Truth CHAP. III. In the which it is proued contrary vnto our Spongy Authors opinion that spirits doe reside in the separated Blood Doctor Fludds naked Text. In the Blood is the spirit of life and with the bright soule doth abide and operateth after an hidden manner Master Fosters Collection In the Blood reside the vitall spirits in the vitall spirits the soule in an hidden manner The act of his mundifying Sponge Thirdly I deny that any spirits reside in separated Blood and Casman is so confident in this that in parts separated from the body remaine no spirits and saith that the very Deuill cannot beget or conserue any in them The Sponge squeesed Here you see that this fresh-water Souldier hath nothing to maintaine his Tenent but Ipse dixit If that faile farewell all further expectation But I will proue that this his and his Masters assertion is erroneous by three manner of wayes namely first by Philosophicall reason for being that euery amputated creature euen from the liuely stocke of his growth is filled with a Balsamick Salt of the nature of the Tree or Plant from which it sprung by which it doth exist such as indeed it is it is not possible but that it should haue of the spirit of his wonted life in it although it doth not act but rest in its Center Next by Holy Scriptures for as is proued abundantly before the blood spilled and flesh killed is full of liuely spirits though they remaine potentially in them or else why should the Israelites be commanded not to eate the fat and blood For it is said because the blood is the seate of the soule or spirit of life For if that spirit of life were fled from it what sinne had it beene to haue eaten it But the text saith for it is the seate of life and therefore it is commanded that they should powre it out on the Earth Againe let Parson Foster answer this The incorruptible pirit of the Lord is in all things Ergò in the effused blood flesh fat and bones separated from the whole And lastly by common experience for we finde that fat and blood and mummy haue singular properties of healing which they could not haue if all the spirits which they did receiue from the liuing body were exhaled but it is the office onely of the incorruptible Spirit and Word to heale and therefore being these ingredients haue an healing property they must needs in this their existence participate or communicate with this good Spirit whose nature is to expell and take away all corruption and sicknesse and other vnnaturall impediments Verbum tuum saith Salomon curat omnia thy Word cureth all for in it onely is life Ergò the viuifying spirit Moreouer I know and with mine eyes haue seene abundance of spirits which by the aâ—… of the least fire haue beene excited out of the essence of corrupted blood and fat in so much that with the naturall heate of the hand they in forme of little Atomes haue beene obserued to dance and caper in the ayre which is an euident token that there is the spirit of life lurking in the dead blood though it appeares but potentially in the essence of the dead thing in respect of vs. Againe if this were not is it possible that dead blood flesh and fat could nourish the liuing being that like is nourished by his like which could not be if in the blood flesh and fat there did not lurke naturall and viuifying spirits to maintaine their like in the liuing creature and therefore will one kinde of flesh nourish both a Man a Beast a Fish and a Fowle because all those naturall spirits are of one kinde and condition Is it not I pray you apparent to the vulgar that flesh and fat hung vp in the Sunne will bee quickly conuerted into liue Wormes or Magats Which were impossible except the spirit of life did lurke in the flesh and fat after the creature was dead yea I haue seene a whole dead Crow which I hung vp in the Sunne for a certaine purpose to be wholly sauing bones conuerted into verminous animals An euident argument of the viuifying spirits presence in the dead flesh blood and fat Yea verily I haue obserued that the Balsam of Wheate so aboundeth in it that if it bee put into Raine-water in a short space it produceth long Wormes of a white colour The same effect produceth flesh after putrifaction It is most certaine therefore that the spirit oflife is in the dead flesh and fat yea and in the graine which though it operateth not except it be stirred vp by the viuifying spirits acting property working in such an organicall body as is the Sunne the fire the liuing creature and such like yet is it most certaine that it is in the amputed blood fat flesh and bones c. You may discerne by this gentle Reader how Casman and his compleat disciple Foster haue erred But wee must excuse them modestly seeing that Humanum est errare Why I pray you should I esteeme these men more Catholick in knowledge then Bernard But Bernardus non videt omnta And yet blinde Bayard is subiect to iudge and censure any thing though vnto himselfe vnknowne Wherefore let Master Foster put vp his authority in his Pouch for I esteeme it not hauing naturall reason the testimony of Holy Writ and lastly vulgar experience or ocular demonstration to proue the contrary And whereas his Master Casman teacheth him that the very Deuill cannot beget or conserue any spirit in them I wonder how the Deuill then can worke this Weapon-Salue Cure being that the Oyntment hath no spirits of it selfe nor yet the Deuill can beget or conserue any in the ingredients thereof And if he saith that the Deuill is of great experience and doth this with other herbs or simples I would haue him to tell me why should herbs or other simples being also after they are gathered but dâ—…ad as it were and without spirits by Master Fosters owne rule serue as meanes vnto the Deuill for the working
for that very cause the Text calleth it in one place latibulum Dei in another tigurium Dei and in another vehiculum currus â—…ehoua so that if lebâ—…ua maketh this organicall Tabernacle of ayre to vtter vnto mortall eares his voyce as Scriptures in many places doe testifie it is no sinne to say that his inferiour spirits haue for their externall bodies aëry substances which being granted what should hinder spirits by contraction of this their external substances to appeare when they please visibly and organically to talke with a person as the tempting spirit did to Christ and againe by an immediate dilatation of the same externall aëry spirit to become inuisible no otherwise then a smoake by dilatation vanisheth or a cloud or mist made of a compacted and thickned ayre doth oftentimes without the appearance of any drop of raine passe away inuisibly Was it not strange that Christ himselfe that had flesh and bones should appeare etiam clausis ianâ—…is and then immediately to vanish And yet if we consider that after he was risen he did put on a spirituall body euen that body for that cause could deponere Tabernaculum suum visibile tangibile and become by subtiliation and dilatation as subtile and impalpable as the voluntie of him who hath the spirituall body pleaseth and so can appeare and vanishat an instant It is an admirable speculation to ponder and consider duely how God worketh in this world by contraction and dilatation by priuation and position by darknesse and light by apparition and disparition as we see when his Spirit moueth from the North the common ayre is by the contractiue nature of that spirit turned from inuisibility to visibility from transparency to opacity from ayre to Snow Haile Frost Ice from leuity to ponderosity from agility and mobility to fixation and immobility Contrarywise by his blast from the East or South the said bodies are altered againe into water and water into ayre and ayre into fire by dilatation and in conclusion corporeity terrestriall into corporeity aëriall or celestiall hardnesse into saltnesse grossenesse into subtility opacity into transparency fixation into mobility rest into action darknesse into light And to conclude contraction caused by this Spirit of God into dilatation visibility into inuisibility What shall I say more If Angels of all kindes haue their externall from the aëry spirit of the World and their internall act from this externall viuifying spirit in whom is the property of the foure Windes and therefore the Prophet said Come O Spirit from the foure Windes whereby he did argue that this one Spirit as being the essentiall actor in the foure Windes had the properties of the foure Windes in himselfe by the which he acted all things whereupon the Prophet called it from the foure Windes wee ought not to make any question but that by vertue of that internall act and the substance of that their externall ayre they may contract themselues from a spirituall fiery and aëry inuisibility vnto a nebulous or watery yea and earthly visibility or snowie or Icie nature especially the grosse malignant and darke spirits which by their fall haue indued the grosser ayre as Augustine saith and therefore is Satan called by the Apostle The Prince of the ayre And this is the reason that the Deuill or euill spirits do in their contraction conuert themselues into solid or firme shapes of man or beast and appeare in touch to be so excessue cold according to Master Fosters confession namely because the spirit by which they liue contracting it selfe from the Circumference of dilated ayre into the Center of contracted earth leaueth the externall or aëry compacted composition chill and cold like Ice For it is by his emanation or dilatation from the Center vnto the Circumference that kindleth naturall heate in the externall of euery creature To conclude against those that affirme that spirits haue no corporeity It is most certaine that where there is rarum densum thin and thick there consequently is corporeity either thinne or thicke For whatsoeuer is in his substance transmutable vnto a thinner or thicker body must needs bee bodily though not a visible body So is a Starre of Heauen called Densior pars sui orbis that is The inuisible â—…thereall spirit or thin body of Heauen thickned into the visible body of a Starre So also may fire be condensed into ayre and ayre into water and water into earth And againe that earth may be rarified into water and water into ayre and ayre into fire For such is the naturall rotation of elements Now the externall of Angels must be created of the spirituall substance of the higher world or not at all according vnto Basils tenor and consequently it is bodily though of a thinner or thicker consistence according vnto the dignity of the Angell Doth not also Dauid acknowledge thus much in these words Qui facit Angelos spiritus seu aëra 〈◊〉 Ministros ignem vrentem who maketh his Angels spirits or windie ayre and his Ministers flames of fire And therefore it is a shame that such mysteries as these which are most apparent to the considerant should by the ignorant bee derided and esteemed not workes and operations of the Spirit of God in the common element of the world but of the Deuill and so through their blindnesse mistake euill for good darknesse for light of which sort of people the Prophet meaneth in these words Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes and prudent in their owne sight Thus iudicious and vnpartiall Reader you may perceiue by that which hath bene expressed in this Member how vnable mine Aduersaries Sponge hath beene to wipe away the least tittle of that naturall value and diuine vertue which in my mysticall Anatomy I haue ascribed vnto the Weapon-Salue And therefore for all I can see hee may inuent some more substantiall meanes then is this windie Sponge an expresse argument of a light braine or fantastick wit to subuert a Medicine of so weighty an importance and admirable power in working Hee must haue I say strong Cable-ropes in stead of a light Sponge to remoue the foundation of verity and yet I feare they will cracke too before they will be able to draw wise men to beleeue that the good gifts of healing in this Weapon-Salue should proceed from the Deuill and not from God and his benigne mercies which is the onely giuer of health and goodnesse And now I must remember you by the way of one absurdity in our Sponge-bearing Author For he saith first that this manner of cure is Diabolicall and afterward hee seemeth to attribute the effect of it vnto the vrine of man His words are these Doctor Fludds directions are that the Weapon be left in the Vnguent-pot till the
Doctor FLVDDS Answer vnto M. FOSTER OR THE SQVESING OF Parson FOSTERS SPONGE ordained by him for the wiping away of the WEAPON-SALVE VVherein the Sponge-bearers immodest carriage and behauiour towards his bretheren is detected the bitter flames of his slanderous reports are by the sharpe vineger of Truth corrected and quite extinguished and lastly the vertuous validity of his Sponge in wiping away of the Weapon-Salue is crushed out and cleane abolished Bilis acutissima aceto correcta acerrimo redditur dulcior PSAL. 92.7 Opera Dei vir brutus stultus non intelligit The Assertion of Parson Foster and his Faction or Cabale is this The wonderfull manner of healing by the weapen-salue is diaholicall or effected onely by the inuention and power of the Deuill But the royall Psalmist guided by the spirit of God saith Psal. 71.18 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only worketh wonders Therefore The Prophet pointeth thus at these and such like enemies of the Truth Esa. 5.20 Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes and prudent in their owne sight LONDON Printed for Nathanael Butter 1631. The Contents of this Treatise This smal Treatise is diuided into 3 Members wherof the 1. Taketh away and vtterly disannulleth those scandalous reports which Master Foster hath in his writing most falsly and irreligiously diuulged and layd vnto my charge and withall expresseth vnto the world how vnseemely a thing it is for a man of his calling to accuse and censure his brother vniustly 2. Is diuided into 3 Partes or Chapters of the which the One doth answer particularly vnto euery obiection that Master Foster doth make in a generality for the abolishing of the Weapon-Salues vsage Other doth maintaine Theologically the Cure of the Weapon-Salue to be good and lawfull and proueth it by the authority of holy Writ to be the Gift of God and not of the Diuell Lastly demonstrateth the mystery of the weapon-salues cure by a Theophilosophicall discourse and sheweth how it is grafted or planted by God in the Treasury of Nature Last doth answer vnto each particular obiection which our Spongy Aduersary maketh against acertaine Treatise expressed by mee in my mysticall Anatomy for the prouing and maintaining of the cure by the weapon-Salue to be naturall and no way Cacomagicall Courteous Reader In the absence of the Author these faults are committed wherefore I desire you to haue recourse to this following Errata by which you may correct them In the 2. first Members PAge 25. line 11. for had beene read be p. 41. l. 20. r. Crollius l. 21. r. Gocleni ' p. 53. l. 18. f. Art r. Act p. 55. l. 13. r. Demonio l. 24. Instrument p. 62. l. 20. r. Recreantur p. 73. l. 31. r. become p. 77. l. 9. r. mare p. 78. l. 24. r. effecteth p. 79. l. 25. r. suam l. 26. exspiraret p. 87. l. 22. r. sprightfull p. 88. l. 10 r. testifie p. 91 In the margent against line the 11. ad Eccl. 48. 14. p. 93. l. 〈◊〉 f. wings r. winds p. 94. l. 7. f. he r. the p. 100. l. 23. f. subtilitate r. subtiliate p. 105. l. 2. r. discouer p. 109. l. 9 r. Pepper p. 110. l. 4. r. strucke p. 111. l. 20. r of Gods p. 135. l. 16. r. heauenly p. 136 l. 19. r. laxatiue p. 137. l. 18. r. And l. 15 r. et te l. 16. r. diuurno p. 139. l 19. r. adde so 144. l. 11. r. better In the third Member p. 4. l. 15. f. contract r. contact p. 25. l. 4. asf and l. 8. r. doef doth p. 38. l. 7. r. continued Other litterall faults the ingenious Reader wâ—… hope will beare withall TO THE WELL MINDED and vnpartiall READER I Did not thinke Courteous and learned Reader to haue stirred vp the puddle of this mine Aduersaries turbulent Spirit for a 3. fold reason whereof the first is his insufficiencie to vndergoe a taske of so high a nature and so farre beyond his reach or capacity namely to diue into this profound Mystery of curing by the weapon-salue and then because my learned friends obseruing his inclination vnto immorality and malice as appearing indeed more skilfull to Cauill and calumniat then to decide with grauity so weighty a controuersy gaue mee counsell to haue patience and to answer such a manner of man with Silence and lastly by reason of that reverence which I beare vnto his vocation namely as he is a minister of Gods word professing vnto the world that I would endure much rather then to haue the least opposition with any of that profession But since I haue perceiued his indiscreete importunity to extend it selfe so farre as to vrge me beyond the bounds of patience by setting vp in the night time two of the frontispices or Titles of his booke as a Challenge one each post of my doore and vnderstanding of his many other vndecent actions as well by heare say as in his publick writing wherein hee hath in a Scornefull and opprobrious manner laied disgracefull matters vnto my charge I haue beene forced against my will to take the person setâ—…ing with my best respect aside the Parson and his habit into my better consideration and to examine in this my small Pamphlet the misdemeanours of his Booke entituled The Sponge to wipe away the Weapon-Salue expressed both in his erroneous doctrine touching the maine subiect of that manner of curing as also his rude and vnseemely carriage towards his bretheren that thereby I may as well cleare my selfe from such immodest and vniust imputations which with an euill Conscience he hath laied vpon me as also expresfe the Shallownesse of the person in this busines which hee so vaine gloriously hath vndertaken I doubt not but as there are many who in euery degree can discerne an euident difference between this satyrical gentleman my selfe so because I know that there are diuers of the common sort of people who in their zeale without vnderstanding are apter to conceiue and iudge amisse then in their charity to ponder the truth of the businesse I am the willinger to cope with this vnsauory Philosopher whom I finde and I make no doubt shall proue fuller of windy verbosity then of solide Philosophy or any thing else that is grounded vpon firme reason What shall I say vnto the man whom vnto my best remembrance I neuer saw nor knew saue onely by a bragging smoake of rumour which pronounced me a farre off an Anathema The thunder which long smoothered in the gloomy Cloud of report is now broke forth the flame of his lightning affaileth mee What then is more conuenient and requisite then sharpe vineger to quench it yea he shall find it so acute peircing though not with rayling and calumniating edge according vnto his bitter custome but reseruing it selfe
their minde which to become great by being accounted good Preachers preach not aboue twice or thrice a yeare and then lay all their strength on their Sermon my resolution is otherwise I will read much write somewhat and preach often Loe how hee condemneth others and prayseth himselfe yea hee doth not sticke in his Epistle to the Reader to snarle against his Superiours in the Church because they doe not stop his mouth with a good Benefice or Church-liuing considering his great deserts yea and seeme to calumniate them and lay Simony vnto their charges his words are these Shall any man for my boldnesse thinke to sit vpon my skirts Let those know I esteeme my selfe infra inuidiam I cannot haue lesse in the Church vnlesse nothing and if they shall endeauour to keepe me still low let them know I looke for no good from them that enuy at my endâ—…auours to doe good if I sit panting on the ground I will not refuse to be fed with Rauens to keepe me aliue with Elias but I looke not to be lifted vp by any but by Eagles Heroicke spirits Men fearing God and hating Simoniacall couetoustnesse He scorneth to be raysed by his Superiours in the Church and expects onely to bee raysed by Eagles Heroicke Spirits namely by such as his noble Patron is in whom is no Simoniacall couetousnesse as who should say that in others there is Simonia-call couetousnesse c. What therefore can I expect from his outragious pen bnt slanders of witch-craft Magicke and such like abominations What lesse can I appeare in his sight than an anathema one I say abandoned and accursed vnto the Deuill His scandalous texts are these Doctor Fludd hath had the same censure passed on him and hath beene writ against for a Magitian and I suppose this to be one cause why hee hath printed his Booke beyond the Seas Our Vniuersitie and Bishops are more cautelous God bee thanked than to allow the printing of Magicall Bookes here Surely D. Fludds very defence of the Weapon-Salue is enough to make it suspected himselfe being accused for a Magitian by Marinus Mersennus with a wonder that King IAMES of blessed memory would suffer such a man to liue and write in his Kingdome But if to bee accused were to bee guiltie who could bee innocent Master Doctor hath excused himsâ—…lfe in his Booke entituled Sophiae cum Moria certamen cuius contrarium verum est saith Lanouius c. Heere Gentle Reader you may see him pull off his hood of simplicitie or feined veile of sanctitie which hee professed in his Epistles and discouer â—…he malice and enuy of his heart against me In the first place therefore for the better satisfaction of my Country-men and friends I will expresse the cause why I touched the superstitious Magia or Magicke of the ancient Ethnickes My scope was and haâ—…h beene to write aswell the naturall discourse of the great world and little world which wee call Man as also to touch by way of an Encyclophy or Epitome all Arts aswell lawfull which I did commend as those which are esteemed vnlawfull which I did vtterly condemne as superstitious and of little or no probabilitie at all among the rest where I came to speake of the Arts which belong vnto the little world or Man I mention the Science of Genethlialogie which treateth of the Iudgement of Natiuities wherin I produce the great dispute which did arise betweene the two famous Philosophers Porphyrie and Iamblicus whereof the first did hold that a man might come to the knowledge of his owne Genius or good Angell by the Art of Astrologie namely by finding out the Planet and Nature of his spirit that was Lord of the eleuenth house the which by the Astrologians was for that cause called Bonus Daemon or the good Angell But Iamblicus his opinion was that a man had neede of the Assistance and Knowledge of a higher Spirit than was any of those which were Gouernours of Fatalitie namely of such Intelligences as were ascribed to the rule and direction of the seuen Planets wherefore I did thereupon expresse the superstition of the Ancients with the Impossibilitie thereof that thereby I might the better descry it make it the more ridiculous to wise men I then suspecting the captious Natures of some enuious persons did there make an Apologie to excuse my selfe and to shew the vanitie of the thing and how full of idle superstition it was and to shew it to bee onely Imaginarie But I seemed there to consent with Iamblicus auerring with him that without the Reuelation of that high and heauenly Spirit which was granted vnto the Elect none could come to the familiaritie or knowledge of his good Angell I proue it out of many places of Scripture Loe this is all Now iudge all yee that are vnpartiall and truely learned what an offence was here to decide according vnto my power that great Controuersie of these two notable and eminent Philosophers which hath stucke and beene vndecided euen vnto this day being that I in the conclusion ascribed the whole Glorie vnto that sole and onely Spirit which is the Prince and Lord of Angels and Spirits I professed to write generally of all but as I went along I distinguished the good from the euill that men might the better beware of and refuse the one and make choyce of the other Now therefore that I haue expressed vnto you the ground why this our Criticke and his CynickeMaster the Fryer Mersennus haue slandered me with the Title of a Magitian I will proceed to the answer of euery member of his friuolous obiections Doctor Fludds defence of the Weapon-salue is enough to make it suspected And why I pray you Marry because he himselfe is accused for a magitian by Marinus Mersennus The conclusion is much like the capacitie of the concluder Doctor Fludd is suspected for a Magitian Ergo the purge of Rubarbe which he prescribeth or rather any point in Philosophie or Physicke by him maintained in writings is Magicall Non sequitur argumentum So Roger Bacon is accused for a Conjurer and a Magitian Ergo the Perspectiue or Opticke Science hee writeth of is deuilish and Magicall or at least wise to be suspected I but this Salue hath a Caco-magicall propertie in it for it healeth a farre off and not per contactum So doth Bacons Opticke make vs to see the Images of liue men to walke in the Ayre and it is said that by his Art he made an Apparition of a man to walke from the top of Alhollows steeple in Oxford to the top of S. Maries Surely these Opticall conclusions must be Magicall and not by naturall reflection of glasses because these are vtterly vnknowne to M. Foster and his adherents and consequently are to bee condemned as diabolicall But to come to the purpose M. Foster if his eies had beene so fauourable and his will so charitable as to haue looked on
the last doe conuert themselues from the Deuill to God so God bee thanked this Weapon-Salue his Aduersarie led rather by a good Spirit then his owne will concludes truely and saith that it is not the good Angels and therefore much lesse the Deuill that can doe such a feate but God onely I reioyce at his conuersion though against his will Loe how he accordeth with his great enemy that damned Magitian Paracelsus as he tearmeth him who affirmed that it was Donum Dei As concerning his authors which he citeth against it I esteem them not there are as many for it of a better authority and Iudgement For they are neither your Schoolemen who deale onely in imaginary speculatiue Philosophy nor Ioanâ—…es Roberti the Iesuit and such like phantasticall Theorickes but learned Physicians great Philosophers both theorically and practically profound in the mysteries of nature and therefore the fitter persons to discusse a businesse of this physicall nature Amongst the which I nominat in the first place the Bishop Anselme who for his integrity deepe learning and holâ—…nesse of life is canonized a Saint and then amongst the deepe Philosophers and Physicians which haue been conversant in the Mysteries of God and nature Theophrastus Paracelsus who tearmes it iustly Donum Dei Cardanus Ioannes Bapista Porta Oswaldus Collius Ioannes Ernestus Burgrauius Rodulphus Goclinius Ioannes Baptista ab Helmont and many other excellent and well experimented Philosophers Physicians who as well by the practicall art of Alchymy then which there is no Science in the world that doth more ocularly bewray and discouer the hidden mysteries of Nature as other assiduall obseruations grounded vpon proofe and not on imaginary contemplation onely haue like true philosophers diued into this mystery of healing Men I say who haue beene as subtill to eschew and wary to foresee the Diuels craft yea and to distinguish his act from that of God in Nature as Master Foster or any other of his paedagogicall Rabbies And although some superstitious Physicians of this kingdome such I meane as are apter rashly to iudge this businesse then to ponder it with due consideration may seeme to bee aduerse vnto it yet they cannot choose but know that Plura latent quam quae patent there are many thousand things more that are hidden in the secret closet of nature then commonly man doth know or can at the first discerne And therefore if they are ignorant in this myâ—…ery it will prooue an effect of their highest wise-dome to hold their peace and not meddle in the censuring of it as being assured that there are many things hidden in Nature which fall not in the spheare of their capacity verbum Sapienti Againe I esteeme it a thing fit for freshwater Souldiers in Philosophy and not for a settled person in the secrets of nature to say Ipse dixit this man or that man saith or writeth thus and thus Ergo it is so because humanum est errare Ti 's most familiar euen in the wisest men to erre but it is the best wisdome in a Philosopher first to diue wisely into the Mysteries of God in Nature and then being confident to conclude demostratiuely and not according to other mens sayings but on his owne knowledge Now seeing Master Foster hath done his worst for the vilifying and calumniating of this excellent Medicine vnto which by manner of opposition I haue as yet but superficially and by way of solution of his obiections answered I hope you will giue mee leaue to doe my best to squeese out of his formidable Sponge the Weapon-Salues reputation which like a cormorant it hath deuoured and sucked vp The Question Whether the cure of wounds by the Weapon-Salue bee witchcraft and vnlawfull to be vsed I deny it and maintaine it two manner of wayes First Theologically Lastly Theophilosophically or by the purest naturall Philosophy CHAP. II. Herein the vertue and good operation of the Weapon-Oyntment is prooued to be the Gift of God and not any act of the Diuell MAster Foster saith that Paracelsus affirmeth the vertue of this medicine to bee Donum Dei the Gift of God wherefore hee is very angry with him and called him a witch a Coniurer and a Magitian Hee is well serued that will preach goodnesse either to a mad man or an vnthankfull person or to one that is zealous without vnderstanding But whereas Master Foster hath done his best to proue the vse of this ointment to bee Magicall prestigious and Diabolicall I hope I shall demonstrate the contrarie vpon the same foundations ascribing the due and right belonging vnto God vnto the right owner and depriuing the Diuell of that which by his instruments he hath falsely vsurped As before we presume to build any stately Palace wee must lay a strong foundation to vphold the whole fabricke thereof euen so before we enterprize to establish or reare a strong Castle of defence to serue as a firmer Negatiue opposition against mine Aduersaries affirmation I thinke it fit to collect some firme grounds or spirituall arguments which in lieu of corner stones may statuminate and prop vp the whole truth of the proposed Question and expresse the true resolution of it to bee cleane adverse and different from that which he maketh shew of I will therefore imitate him in making my entrance into this enquiry with this Sillogistical argument grounded on his owne confession which he maketh Pag. 7. The Angels of Heauen saith he cannot worke at such a distance onely God whose Essence is infinit and is omnia in omnibus all in all can worke thus If God therefore worketh all in all by himselfe without the essentiall Assistance of any created spirit or body then the Diuell is no Actor in the Weapon Salue but God worketh all in all of himselfe without the essentiall Assistance of any creature Therefore the Diuell operateth nothing of or by himselfe although he in his office is euill and destructiue much lesse in doing good as is supposed by the curing through the Weapon-Salue which is vtterly against his condition being created or ordained after his fall for another vse The Maior is euident because a Generall comprehendeth euery particular And therefore if God operateth all in all then the Diuell operateth nothing but curing is an operation and therefore a worke onely of God The Minor or the assumption is iustified by the Apostle in these words There are diuersitie of gifts but the same spirit and there are diuersitie of Administrations but one Lord and there are diuersitie of operations but one God and the same worketh all in all It is by one and the same spirit that the gifts of healing are giuen Whereby it is apparent that first God by his Spirit operateth all in all and among those operati-ons the excellent act and gift of healing is numbred Therefore it is not the Diuell but God who onely healeth Againe the prophet saith He sent his Word and healed them And the wise man saith
and as the Creatour did send out his Spirit which moued vpon the waters and did informe animate and viuifie them so that as St. Peter saith of them and by them were the heauens and the earth framed and by this spirituall Word established vnto this day euen so mans heauen and his earth are fashioned out by the same eternall spirit of life on which it relyeth and continueth in his specificall succession euen vnto this very day And therfore is it said Ye are carued out of one and the same Spirituall Rocke and that In him wee line wee moue and haue our Being and that we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and the Members of Christ and that We are in God the Father and by our Lord Iesus Christ as it is rehearsed before and that Regnum Dei sit intra nos The Kingdome of God is within vs Neither let vs ascribe this Gods goodnesse to our selues alone since that it extendeth it selfe to euery Creature besides though not so abundantly For in Verbo erat vita in the Word was life and Iudith saith in her prayer Seruiat Dcâ—…omnis omnis Creatura quia dixisti factae sunt misisti Spiritum tuum creatae sunt Let euery Creature serâ—…e thee O Lord because thou spakest the Word and they were made thou didst send forth thy spirit and they were created And the Prophet saith Haec dicit Deus creans coelos extendens eos firmans terram quae germinant in ea dans flatum populâ—… qui est supraeam spiritum calcantibus eam Thus saith the Lord who hath created the heauens and extended them and fastned the earth and all things that grow out of it who giueth breath vnto the people that is vpon it and spirit to those Creatures that tread vpon it And King Dauid Deo dante Creaturis colliguâ—… abscondente faciemsuam perturbantur recipiente spiritum eorum exspirant emittente spiritum suum receantur God giuing to the Creatures they receiue it hiding his face from them they are troubled taking back againe from them their spirit they dye and sending forth his spirit they are recreated or reuiued And Iob hominâ—…m constituit Deus super terram apponens ad â—…am animam suam si spiritum seu flatum eius adse reciperet deficeret exspiraret omnis caâ—… simul â—…omo in cinerem reverteretur God made man vpon earth giuing vnto him his soule or life If he should receiue or draw vnto himselfe his spirit or breath of life all flesh would dye and also man would returne to ashes By all these authorities we are taught that the life forme and nature of euery Creature doth essentially spring and proceed from God and therefore what gift of healing is found to proceed either from compounded or simple medicines be they Angelicall Celestiall Elementall or of an Animall Vegetable or minerall composition it proceedeth from their Creatour as being either bestowed vpon them in their Creation for that wholesome purpose or else miraculously and beyond the common course of Nature imparted vnto some Creatures to effect And therefore man ought not rashly to condemne a medicine because it worketh after an other manner then the vulgar doth For God hath allotted vnto some medicines occult hidden properties and therefore worke they not by an externall and euident elementarie qualitie And this occult vertue is called by some wise men Angelicus actus qui est tanquam inter Deum Naturam virtus media à quâ fiunt operationes in rebus quâ—…s natura earum vel non faceret vel sic faceret quas alij dicuut prouenire a proprietate occulta alij quia tales An Angelicall act which is as it were a middle vertue betweene God and nature whereby operations are effected in things which the elementarie Nature of them could not performe or would so bring to passe as they which are said by some to proceed of an occult quality and others quia sunt tales And such was the effect in curing by the water of the poole of Bethesdas not that the manifest elementary quality of the water did it But the Act of the Angell which mooued it In like manner can no man expresse any naturall reason that is manifest for the attraction of the Iron by the Loadstone or of straw by Amber or why the Loadstone looketh towards the North or why the Laurell or Baytree preserueth from the harmes of lightning and thunder and likewise how directly this cure is effected c. The causes of these things are occult and hidden vnto the common philosopher but to come a little neerer to the point It is apparant then that the incorruptible Spirit is in all things but most abundantly next vnto the great world in the little world called man For as in the great world God is said rightly by Ierome his translations leauing the corruption of others to haue put his Tabernacle in the Sunne from whence by a perpetuall and neuer dying motion hee sendeth forth life and multiplication to euery member and creature of the great world and by the agility of his Spirit for Salomon saith It is omni re mobilior the most moueable of all things hee moueth and giueth life vnto the whole Spirit of the world which also the same wise man doth iustifie in these words Sol gyrans à meridie flectitur ad Aquilonem lustrans vniuersain circuitu pergit spiritus The Sunne mouing from the South bendeth toward the North illuminating the whole world the spirit or ayre of it doth moue circularly Whereby hee argueth that the spirit in the Sunne animateth and giueth motion life and spirit vnto the ayrall spirit of the whole world for without his assiduall motion and act as Aristotle and all other Philosophers confesse the ayre would soone be corrupt and be as it were dead and of no validity for the reason heereof the holy Text concludeth that the Holy spirit of discipline filleth the whole world So also and in the very like manner the same incorruptible spirit filleth the little world est enim Templum Spiritus Sancti it is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and hath put his Tabernacle in the heart of man in which it moueth as in this proper macrocosmicall Sunne in Systole and Diastole namely by contraction and dilatation without ceasing and sendeth his beames of life ouer all the whole frame of man to illuminate giue life and circular motion vnto his spirit And thereupon the Apostle reciprocally saith of this little world as in another place of the great one In Deo viuimus mouemur sumus In God we liue moue and haue our being also as this abstruse spirit doth giue heate by his actiuity and essentiall motion vnto the great world the very same it doth effect in the little world and all things else when it doth not quiescere or in se delitescere that is not rest or withdraw
Spirit of God by whom wee liue moue and exist All this Mercurius Tresmegistus that diuine Philosopher seemeth to confirme in these words Anima hominis in hunc vehitur modum mens in anima anima in spiritu spiritus in corpore Spiritus per venas arteriasque sanguinemque diffusus animal vndique ciet Mans soule is carried in this manner the mentall beame is carried in the soule the soule in the spirit or ayre the spirit in the body The Spirit being dispersed through the veynes and arteryes doth stirre vp and moue the liuing creature in euery part These things being thus euidently proued out of holy writ we will now proceed vnto a greater mystery concerning the double propertie of this Spirit of life in both worlds that thereby we may demonstratiuely come by little and little vnto the very point or perfect resolution of the question in hand That eternall Lord God who is all one and the same Spirit because of an indiuisible Essence is he that viuifieth the Creature and againe taketh away the life of it at his pleasure as hath been prooued already for that he operateth all in all according to the Apostles words and meruaile not though I say hee worketh contrary effects although he be but one indiuisible Essence for these are the words of Salomon Spiritus Disciplinae sanctus est vnicus seu simplex multiplex c. The Spirit of Wisdome is one and simple and yet manifold simple in himselfe but manifold in operation And doth not Dauid acknowledge so much when he saith Deo emittente spiritum suum recreantur Creaturae abscondente faciem suam conturbantur recipiente Spiritum eorum exspiâ—…ant c God sending forth his Spirit recreateth the Creatures but at the hiding of his face they are troubled and when he receiueth or taketh vnto him their spirit they dye c. Touching the first member of this axiom of Dauid he proueth it else-where thus Vita aaesâ—… beneuolentiâ Iehoâ—… Life proceedeth from the benignity of Iehoua Vitae restaurator est Iehoua Iehoua is the Giuer of life Vitae meae Fontes omnes à Deo all the Fountaines of my Life are from God Vitae prolongatio est Benignitasâ—… Iehouae the prolongation of of Life is the Benignitie of Iehoua Whereupon it is euident that the Spirit of God is the immediate Creatour Actor Preseruer and Multiplier of Life As for the second Member thus much Deus malos relinquit abscondit faciem sâ—…am ab iâ—…ys vt obveniant â—…s mala multa angustiae God leaueth the wicked and hideth his face from the impious that euill and necessity may encomber them Sic increpare solet mortales in lectulo thus doth hee chide and punish mortalls in their beds as Iob hath it Thus did hee send his plagues vpon the Egyptians Thus made hee Ieroboams hand to wither Thus did he strike with leprosie Miriam Arons Sister Thus did hee afflict with the Hemorrhoides the Ashdedomans Thus laid he the plague on Ezekias namely by hiding or with-holding his Spirit And againe by emitting his beames of life he recouered him And therefore saith Dauid Vitae hominis spatium est miserum absque benignitate Iehouae The space of a mans life is miserable without the benigne Presence of God For hee that is sicke seemeth to be still dying Now to the last clause of the aforesaid text of Dauid God said when hee perceiued the wickednesse of men Non permanebit spiritus meus in homine in aeternum quia caro est eruntque dies illius centum viginti annorum My Spirit shall not remaine perpetually in man because he is flesh and his dayes shall bee an hundred yeeres and twenty And Iob saith as before Hominem const ituit Deus super terram apponens ad â—…m animam suam si spiritum seu flatum eius ad se reciperet vel traheret deficeret exspiraret omnis Caro simul homo in cinereâ—… reuertetur God made man vpon earth giuing vnto him his soule or life if hee should receiue or draw to himselfe his spirit or breath of life all flesh would faile and dye and man also together with them would returne vnto ashes And againe Spiritus Dei fecit me inspiratio omnipotentis â—…ficauit me The Spirit of God made me and the breath of the omnipotent did viuifie mee For this reason therefore the aforesaid action of Dauid shall be the maine foundation on which I will rely as well in my proofe as also to shew the various properties of this diuine and incorruptible essence in the spirit of both the worlds and I will prooue vnto you euidently that as this spirit worketh in the greater world so also in euery respect it bringeth foorth the like effects in the lesser Wee finde that it is but one spirit in the great world though in a contrary propertie that animateth foueefoldly the foure winds which are sent from the foure corners of the earth to blow and thus I proue it Deus edit glaciem flatu suo flante Deo concrescit gelu seu glacies coarctatur superficies aquarum God by his breath procureth Ice when hee bloweth from the North hee maketh the Ice to congeale and grow together and doth contract or straighten the superficies of the waters into Ice And the Kingly Prophet more pertinently Deo imittente sermonem suum in terram quà m celerimè excurrit verbum qui niues dispergit sicut lanam pruinam quasi cineres deâ—…cit gelu suum tanquam frusta coram frigore eius quis consist at Emittit verbum suum liquefacit ista simul ac 〈◊〉 ventum suum effluuntaquâ—… God sending forth his Word vpon earth it runneth swiftly which spreadeth the snow as wooll vpon the earth and the froâ—…t like ashes and casteth downe the Ice as gobbets who is able to resist his cold hee sendeth forth his Word and melâ—…eth these congealed bodies againe so soone as hee bloweth foorth his Wind the congealed waters moue and flow againe Here it is euident that the diuine Spirit is the essentiall actor in this Northern blast which is an enemy to the act of life For as God did emit and send forth the beames of his light from the infinit fountaine of his being to chase away cold by dilatation of spirits and to breede a hot humidity in the spirit of the world thereby to inact it with life and motion and to make those spirits fluent and actiue which before were congealed with the power of his contracting property that is opposite vnto the other so againe by the priuatiue Agent or his Boreall attribute and property which is cold hee contracts dilated spirits and maketh them of moueable fixe of light transparent dark and opack of liuely spirits substances without life of liquid and fluid vnmoueable and congealed and in conclusion motus is so turned into quies motion I say into rest actus
into potentiam act into puissence positio into priuationem position into priuation But contrariwise when he meanes to reuiuifie and as it were cause the dead spirit of the world to rise or reuiue againe he sendeth out a Southerne spirit or blast of a cleane contrary property namely a wind whose nature is hot and moyst and therefore in the consequence of the foresaid Text it is said he sendeth out his word and melteth all these so soone as hee bloweth forth his wind the waters and spirits which were made dead spisse fixe congealed and opack are beocme aliue moueable fluent subtill and diaphanous or transparent If Mr. Foster like none of these testimonies I will yet goe a little further and make an ocular demonstration to proue it thereby the better to perswade him if hee will be pliable vnto her who is the mother of fooles namely experience Let him but looke therefore vpon the Kalander glasse an Instrument commonly knowne amongst vs here in England called by others the weather glasse and hee shall see that the ayre contained in it will be contracted and thickned by cold and to proue thus much hee shall finde the water to be drawne vp by so many degrees in the neck of the glasse as the externall cold hath dominion in the ayre which proueth euidently that cold doth contract the dilated ayre in the glasse from a larger roome into a straighter and consequently that the ayre is thicker and neerer to congelation fixation and rest then it was before Contrariwise hee shall finde that the ayre included feeling the heate of the externall ayre by little and little to get dominion ouer the cold will dilate it selfe and by dilatation is made more mobill subtill and liuely and therefore requireth a larger capacity as is ocularly proued thus namely because the water is strucke down by so many degrees lower by how many the externall heate doth vanquish the cold in the ayre But perchance my aduersary will say What haue we to doe with this These are naturall conclusions and not belonging to Gods act or property And how proue you that the other winds are the essentiall acts of God To this I say That if God operateth all and in all then this operation in the glasse much more that in the winds is the act of God and as wee finde that the incorruptible spirit doth moue and operate two manner of contrary wayes namely from the center to the circumference by â—…manation and dilatation by the which meanes it stirreth of it selfe who is the center of all things whose circumference is no where but comprehendeth all circumferences or bodies and maketh them to exist and liue so also this vniuersal centre contracting it selfe in it selfe maketh ' all things in act potentiall of a liuing creature a dead carcasse of an agill and mobill thing a stupid and vnmoueable one Lastly of an actuall positiue something a potentiall priuatiue nothing Wee see it plainely persormed according vnto the precedent Text of Dauid in the spirit of the world for as much as it is altered from one forme to his opposite according vnto the variety of the property or wil of him which is the internall agent of all the world The incorruptible spirit of the Lord saith Salomon is in all things If in al things then as it is the most worthy and of the highest digty and the most mobill and operatiue spirit of all spirits it worketh centrally and moueth all the externall wheeles of the whole machine of the creature in which it is and consequently operateth à centro ad circumferentiam If it doe quiescere in centro rest in the center all the externall wheeles haue lost their life For it is in him it liueth in him it mooueth and in him it existeth And therefore without he act all is stupid and dead like a senselesse stone as Dauid and Iob haue taught vs. Now to proue that it is this spirit of God which doth agitate and animate the winds we haue many other expresse Texts of Scripture to confirme it The whirle wind saith Iob commeth out of the South and the cold from the North wind at the breath of God the frost is giuen and the breadth of the waters is contracted Againe Ventus profectus a Iehoua abreptas coturnices à mari disseuit ad castra c. A wind proceeding from Iehona did scatter the Quailes which it brought from the sea in the camp Againe Vento tuo flauisti operuit eos mara Thou didst blow with thy breath or wind and the sea couered them Againe flatunarium tuarum coaceruatae sunt aquae The waters are accumulated and heaped together by the blast of thy nostrills And againe Iehoua adduxit ventum Eurum seâ—… Orientalem and God brought an Easterly wind Againe ventum Occidentalem vehementem immisit c. he sent out a vehement Westerly wind Againe ventus procellosus efficiens Verbum Dei the stormy wind doth effect the Word of God Wee doe not say that the wind is the reall breath of God but a created spirit or ayre animated by the increated spirit of the Lord who according vnto the will of him that sent it fooâ—…th doth sometimes contract his vertue in himselfe from the circumference of the creatures spirit and then the creature is dead and vnmoueable and starke cold for want of the warme and comfortable act of this spirits emanation from the centre to the circumference according to the words of Daâ—…ids former Text Deo abscondente faciem suam à creaturis conturbantur recipiente spiritum coruâ—… expirant God hiding his face from the creatures they are troubled and resuming his spirit againe they dye that is if in part he contracts himselfe or hides the viuifying beâ—…s of his countenance they are sicke and troubled but if hee withdraw the spirit of life wholly from the circumference of the the creatures spirit into it selfe who is in the centre and euery where vnto the circumference they dye or expire Master Foster may reply what is all this to the purpose of man who is the maine subiect wee haue in hand or what haue wee to doe though God by his Spirit worketh a priuatiue property in the spirit of the world by congealation or contracting it from the spirits circumference vnto the centre leauing the spirit cold destitute of heate congealed immobile and as it were dead and without life and that in his Northerne nature what doth this concerne our matter or what is this to the nature in man or how can it touch the act of curing in our Weapon-Salue I answere that as the selfe-same spirit is the cause of a foure-fold nature in the spirit of the great world and as it causeth death and priuation by his Northerne and congealing blasts and contrariwise life and position by the opposite or the relenting nature of his Southerne property euen the selfe-same operation it affecteth in the created
according vnto the viuacity of the acting Spirit which is in it and yet neuerthelesse wee see that if the blast of any strong wind doth encounter the emitted spirit of the Creature it dilateth it mightily from his centre or plant and maketh a wonderfull large spheare of actiuity and that greater or leâ—…er according vnto the power of the wind The case is apparant and found most true by such as trauaile by sea neare Spaine For when the wind is Easterly they can discerne the Aire thirty Leagues off the shore to bee filled with the sweet odour of Rosemary which groweth abundantly in those parts of Spaine And euen in the very like manner about Guiana and Virginea at the same or greater distance the odoriferous scent of the Sassaphras with other fweet woods is scented by the nauigatours vpon those shores and that somtimes before they can discerne any land What shall wee then say of the same spirit which a cteth in the little world or man when his insensible breath or emanation tendeth affectionally towards the homogeniall place of his owne nature I meane vnto the ointment inwhich the selfe same indiuisible nature either in the blood adhering to the weapon or hauing penetrated in the weapon without any signe of external blood is bathed Shall wee not beleeue that by his emanation it can carry along with it in the Ayre the occult spirit of the vegetating nature of the wounded person included secretly in a volatile salt to act in the oyntment vnto the reuiuifying of the sopified spirit in the oyntment No mary saith Master Foster For the Sassaphras woods odoriferous spirit and that of the Rosemaries are knowne by sense and so cannot the breath of such an emanating spirit with his volatile vehicle of vegetation be perceiued An excellent Argument in an externall and sensible Philosopher who with Saint Thomas will beleeue nothing but what he toucheth smelleth or tasteth But intellectuall men may easily gather that there is nothing that is externall and visible but was first internall and inuisible Neither can it be conuertibly said that what was internall was externall For there are an infinity of inuisible and internal actions performed by God in the closet of Nature which falleth not into the spheare or capacity of the sensuall or naturall man but are onely by faith to bee beleeued And for this reason the Apostle saith Through Faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the Word of God so that the things that wee see are not made of things which did appeare By which it is euidently proued that all things were first inuisible before they were by sense to bee discerned And consequently it is the property of an externall and carnall man to beleeue nothing but what hee perceiueth by sense and to say that if any thing appeare to sense which was not knowne before it is diabolicall and not of God when the aforesaid text doth attribute all reducing of inuisible actions to the visible sense by the Word not of the Deuill but of God All Philosophers therefore haue accorded that it is one spirit of life which onely operateth in mans body But this spirit according vnto his diuersity of distinct offices indueth a diuers appellatioâ—… and therefore it is tearmed by them in one respect Rationall in an other Concupiscible and in a third Irascible By the first it is apt to be illuminated to vnderstand things that are aboue it beneath it and in it and with it selfe For by this his propertie or faculty it knoweth God aboue it selfe the Angels which are ranked with it selfe and whatsoeuer is comprehended in the whole circle of the heauens beneath it selfe such is his spirituall act of centrall emanation by reason of that powerfull vertue allotted her by God By the second and the third it is inclined either to desire and affect a thing or to eschew and flye from it that is either to loue or hate c And by this propertie of hers she doth exercise herselfe about the Sympathy or Antipathy of those things which are either proper or dissonant vnto her specifick nature And therefore in this her office she worketh mightily in and about the effects of this Weapon-Salue being that from these two later operations in her proceedeth euery affection For as of Concupiscibility proceedeth all ioy and hope because Natura laetatur in sua naturâ c and therefore by the vnion of the liuely emanation the dead or congealed spirit in the Salue is quickned and viuified So contrariwise the liuing soule or naturall Spirit in which the supernaturall Spirit doth act is of it's owne nature obnoxious vnto a kind of spirituall dolor and feare by reason of the Weapon that vsed violence vnto it the which passions belong to and are affected by the Irascible spirit for asmuch as it either greiueth or is made dolorous already at the violence offered or seareth to bee greiued or made dolorous by it These foure affections of the spirit of man are the beginners and as it were the common subiect of all vertuous and vicious actions which befall vnto man Now to expresse the large extension of that centrall spirit which doth radically operate in the vitall spirit the wisest Philosophers affirme that it seeth it selfe in it selfe to the end that it may rightly vnderstand it selfe in it selfe And when it will know God it eleuateth it selfe aboue it selfe by it's mentallbeame it penetrats all things it beholdeth all things as well present as absent it is when it pleaseth beyond the seas and searcheth out things that are hidden yea and in one moment it directeth and sendeth forth his beames vnto the farthest limits of the whole world and searcheth out the secrets of it it descendeth downe vnto the deepe and mounteth vp againe from thence vnto heauen and cleaueth fast to Christ and is made all one with Christ. And must the infinite vertue of this all penetrating spirit according vnto Master Fosters tenent bee limited by any imaginary spheare of actiuity assigned by the vaine Philosophy of the Ethnicks which as the Apostle saith is framed out after the tradition of man and the world and not by God Doth he not warne vs to beware that wee be not deceiued by such philosophicall doctrine which doth disagree from the rules of Christ in whom is the plenitude of the Godhood bodily And must we now to obey Master Fosters phantasticall Idaea breake the Lawes of the Apostle to be deluded by his false Philosophy But to returne vnto our purpose All this which is aboue mentioned being well considered namely the Catholike Nature of the Spirit which breathed life into the creatures tâ—…e indiuisibility and indiuiduality of the giuer and the gift which is giuen nam Essentia diuina est indiuidua The diuine Essence is in diuisible and vndiuided and therefore the diuine Spirit imparted vnto the creature is continuated and vndiuided from him that giueth it his infinity of extension for asmuch as
latter day and cause him to rise againe but wee must vnderstand this after their owne sence and not vulgarly Let this I beseech you be remembred that the touch of Eliseus his bones caused the dead to rise from death to life In the third place I come to the manner of conueying of the blood from the wound vnto the oyntment The blood is taken from the liuing fountaine of blood in the wounded eyther as it is smeared on the weapon that did the deed or as it is fastened on some sticke Iron or other thing and so conueyed vnto the oyntment at any reasonable distance Now a reason is to be shewed how it is possible that there can be any certaine relation betweene the wound and the oyntment For as Mr. Foster saith there may be Castles hills walls and grosse ayre betweene the oyntment and the wounded which may hinder the cure First wee must remember that wee haue expressed in our precedent discourse the excellency of the animating spirit in whom is all the vertue and each property of the foure winds and being it is the spirit of spirits Et spiritus spirat vbi vult What I pray you can hinder his act or operation And with what distance can his actiuity be limited being that it is the spirit of the winds and the soule of the lightnings and the essence of the Sunne and starres of heauen which by his animation doe cast their beames periferically vnto euery angle of the Horison or Hemispheare Can this spirir because contained in mans blood not penatrate many hundred miles by emanation out of his bloody vehicle as it doth out of his cloudy Tabernacle in the forme or rather vehicle oflightning or out from his Phoebean Palace in golden beames whereupon it is said In lumine numen in numine lumen In light is diuinity and in diuinity is light so saith the Psalmist Amictus lumine quasi vestimento Hee is clothed with light as with a garment I tell you this is all one spirit which is in man and that which operateth in the wings and therefore it was said Come O spirit from the foure winds This spirit cannot be diuided into parts It filleth as Salomon saith the whole earth and hath his seate in heauen and therefore resideth in mans body and spirit as is said Esdras speaking of this spirit saith as before The spirit of God Omnipotent hath made all things and searcheth out all things in the bowells or secret places of the earth Whereby it appeareth that this very spirit by which man breathed cannot be limited in his penetrating and extensiue dimension nor yet hindred in his passage by any intermediate obstacle To conclude that man that beleeueth and relyeth on this spirit may effect what he desireth For euen by the true knowledge and vse of it the Prophets and Apostles did wonders as well in curing as effecting matters of greater admiration This spirit therefore which is called intellectuall as hee maketh to vnderstand Inspiratio omnipotentis saith Iob facit intelligere Vitall in respect of his viuification Spiritus Dei fortis fecit me saith he spiraculum omnipotentis viuificauit me And naturall in respect of vegetation and multiplication visitatio tua saith hee else where conseruauit spiritum meum doth act and shine forth by secret beames v to that obiect of the dead blood which is carryed from it vnto the oyntment in which amputated blood lurketh a portion of spirit resting without action Now the nature of the one is reioyced in the nature of the other forasmuch as both doe sympathise together being that they are all of one consonance or degree or vnison in vitall loue as for example I take two Lutes or Vialls or any other such like instruments I set one of them at one end of the table set the other at the other end I put a small straw vpon one of the strings of the one Lute which importeth A-la-mi-re or De-la-sol-re and then striâ—… the Gam-vt of the other Lute and the straw will not once stirre because theydoe not sympathise in one sound and proportion of wauing ayre therefore haue they not a relation one vnto another so also if the blood be carryed vnto an oyntment heterogeneall in nature vnto the party wounded it will doe nothing in this cure but if you put a straw on the Gam-vt or A-re of the one and strike the other on Gam-vt or Are being vnisons you shall perceiue the straw presently to leap of the other string by reason of the ouer great vibration or louing actiuity and like formall proportion which he sympatheticall harmony betwixt each strings causeth to other in the aire yea this effect wil happen though there be put boords or other such like obstacles as may hinder the direct line of the vibration in the aire or medium betwixt the two Lutes In which experiment you may note that the string strucke is aptly compared vnto the blood of the wounded being stil animated in his body who doth by a secret emanation or emission and that by a naturall inclination and sympathy cause in the selfe-same tone a secret communication between the still and occult spirit in the congealed blood which is in the oyntment which I compare to the string which the straw hath on it so that the string though it be of it selfe still yet at the acting of that other chord which is really moued with the actuall spirit of the chord strucken by meere concent stirreth vp the still chord to act also and by action to send backe againe a salutiferous harmony vnto the acting spirit which is as neere vnto his owne still or potentiall nature as the tone of one Lute acting or strucke vnto that of the other not strucke For as both are but one spirit though they seeme to differ in distance as doe the chord of both Lutes so likewise are those two tones but one tone though they seeme to differ and therefore make but one vnisone But because the one spirit cannot essentially be separated from the other no more then can diuinity effentially be diuided into parts as also the one tone cannot be essentially distinguished from the other therefore it doth liuely extend it selfe à termino à quo ad terminum ad quem from the wound vnto the oyntment as being all one spirit continuated euen as wee see one thred extended from one end of a Chamber vnto the other Now being this spirit requireth a spirituall vehicle like it selfe it is carried quasi super alas venti as it were vpon the wings of the wind in the hidden spirit of the blood which seemeth as a vehicle no otherwise then the essentiall spirit of the wind is carryed by the ayre and obserueth no limited distance neyther is hindred by mountaines woods or walls to worke his effect as wee see the Northwind doth produce in Lumbardy frost Ice snow c. Although the high Alpin mountaines
it pleaseth and therefore at what distance it listeth as well with the vertues of heauen as with the dwellers on the earth If this great Aduersary to the Weapon-Salue-Salue would but consider the wonderfull operation that this Catholicke spirit produceth in this cold and contracting facultie as when he moueth from the North and maketh snow frost and Ice by the contracting of the thin spirit of the world into a thick body and sucketh vp the fountaines of the earth on high all which is done by contracting his action from the circumference vnto the center or emission from the center to the circumference causing the common element to alter from a dilated spirit to a contracted body And againe from a contracted body to a dilated one for by an alteration quite opposite to his Boreall act or Northerne disposition it vndoeth in his dilating property and resolueth all that it did effect by his cold condition in mouing and making aliue againe the waters that were congealed rendring them diaphanous or transparent and spirituall or inuisible things though they were before thick opack dark corporall and visible And againe if he with discretion would consider how it doth depresse and strike downe into the earth the fountaines by his presence in his Sunny tabernacle which by his cold propertie were raysed out of the eartâ—… If I say hee would well ponder with himselfe how the â—…unne being now in the South beyond the Equinoctiall doth subtilitate there the thick Ayre and dissolue the frosty snowy and Icy effects which the cold did make in that Hemispheare whilest the Sunnes presence in the Northerne world did worke â—…ere contrary effects and how on this side the Equinoctiall by his contractiue faculty it partly sucketh vp the fountaines of the Southerne world out of the earth and partly by his dilatiue action depresseth on that side the said fountaines appearing in the Northerne Climats Then would he not call the action of this most potent spirit in question or limit it according to the phantastick opinion of some men within an imaginary spheare of actiuity being that this spirit is from him who filleth all and operateth all and in all and therefore consequently effecteth the great works of contraction and dilatation which are so apparant in euery Angle of the world Will he circumscribe this action of eleuating fountaines and againe depressing them within any spheare or orbe except it bee that of the round world Will hee thinke that this action made betweene the potentiall habit of priuation or cold and that of life and position which is heate requireth a small interuall to make the two extremes so farre distant from each other as the North is from the South to meete and concurre in a Symphoniacall proportion The hotter and more intemperate and consequently the more dilatiue the one Hemispheare is the colder and more contractiue is the opposite And therefore the more depression of fountaines there is by extreme heate in the one Hemispheare the more are they sucked drawne vp out of the earth by the attâ—…actiue vertue of the extreme cold of the other This I can and will be ready to demonstrate to any one that doubteth of this point by an ocular conclusion or demonstration It is euident therfore by this which we haue produced that this magneticall kind of cure is Donum Dei the Gift of God according vnto Paracelsus his opinion and not the act of the Deuill as Master Foster most vnchristianly hath published attributing against reason and conscience that vnto the Deuill the worst and foulest of spirits whose office is onely destructiue and wounding and not constructiue or healing which is the onely property of this best fayrest or purest of all spirits on whom attend all good Angels to doe his will as the Deuill hath his bad angels to destroy You may therefore see by this Gentle Reader how life is breathed into the creature by Gods good Spirit of life how his seate or vehicle in which he moueth is the blood how that fat flesh and bones haue their life and vegetation from the spirit that moueth in the blood how this spirit operateth priuatiuely by contracting his beames of life from the circumference vnto the center of the Creature where it resteth or rather ceaseth to operate the effects of his office of life as it is made manifest in the dead congealed blood or graineof wheat and againe it operateth positiuely to life by which it reuiueth that which was dead by sending out his act from the centre to the circumference of the creature as it doth in the graine of Wheat buryed in the ground or the congealed blood cleauing eyther to stick or weapon conueyed to the oyntment as his most naturalest earth I shewed you how the spirit is all one and vndiuisible and therefore that this which resideth in the salue and that which operateth in the body are concatenated or continuated essentially one to another as being all one spirit though it commeth from the foure winds not diuided I say in essence but onely differing in property for it worketh contractingly by eold dilatingly by heate also that there is but one common vehicle which carryeth this spirit in the Etheriall substance of the blood And lastly that because the oyntment is made of mans blood mans fat mans flesh or mummy and the fumous excrescence of mans bones called vznie or the mosse that groweth on the skull according vnto my receit and for that the nature of the Catholike spirit thus specified is in the oyntment though not working and is stirred vp to operate by the vnion which it hath now from the beames of the liâ—…ely and operating spirit of the wounded no otherwise then the Sunne doth operate on the earth in which the dead graine of Wheat lyeth and with it calleth or stirreth vp the centrall spirit occult in the dead blood to operate as the Sunne beame doth the atome of life which is in the graine Therefore the mixtion of these two spirits now operating in one viuifying vnion makes them to tend vnto the fountaine of life as the graine rifing out of the earth would carry also his like which was clad in earth vpward toward his natiue home did not the heauy coats of the elements hinder his further ascent But because this earth or salue is more spirituall it sendeth out his power vnto the blood by that harmony which the continuation of spirit doth effect namely as it were by an vnison by reason of the vniformity of the specifick spirit belonging vnto man by the vnion whereof the foure discordant elements and euery member of mans body are vnited vnto a fympatheticall harmony adopted to the vse of life in the creature yea also forasmuch as the blood flesh fat and bones in all other vnreasonable creatures are framed out of one kinde of elementary forme and fashioned alike by the same operating spirit it is no maruell if his blood being brought vnto the
my works I am sure hee will proue but Mersennus and Gassendus his Ape or Parroket For hee professeth them his Masters and therefore I will quickly serue and afford him the same sauce or answer I haue bestowed on t hem Let him appeare when he dareth and take the best assistance his home-bred setters on can afford him I feare neyther him nor them nor Mersennus nor Lanouius nor Gassendus his papisticall Masters For I haue I hope the buckler oftruth for my defence I will now passe vnto the next Chapter wherein I will expresse certaine histories of certaine magicall cures which in mine opinion are farre more admirable then this of the weapon-salue CHAP. VII In this Chapter certaine Magneticall or Sympatheticall affects are expressed which appeare farre more admirable then this of the weapon-salue SIr Nicholas Gilbourn relateth in his letter vnto mee these words The last time saith he the Lady Ralegh was at Eastwell at the Countesse of Winchelsey her house wee falling into some discourse concerning the Sympatheticall oyntment shee told mee that her late husband Sir Walter Ralegh would suddenly stop the bleeding of any person albeit hee were farre and remote from the party if he had a handkirchers or some other piece of linnen dipped in some of the blood of the party sent vnto him If this were done by the diuell I presume that so wise a Personage as was Sir Walter Ralegh would haue lest or at least-wise not haue vsed that Trade of curing or stopping of blood There are foure histories more that I wil tell you whereof the two first are forraine and the two last were acted at home namely here in England The first of the forraine Stories was acted in Italy and hath beene there so famous and remarkeable that vnto this present it is as well in the natiue countrey-mans mouth as in the report of such trauellers as haue passed thorow the countrey yea and there are authors of credit that haue enrolled it in their written monuments It was thus There was a certaine Lord or Nobleman of Italy that by chance lost his nose in a fight or combate this party was counselled by his Physicians to take one of his slaues and make a wound in his arme and immediately to ioyne his wounded nose to the wounded arme of the slaue and to binde it fast for a season vntill the flesh of the one was vnited and assimulated vnto the other The Noble Gentleman got one of his slaues to consent for a large promise of liberty and reward the double flesh was made all one and a collop or gobbet of flesh was cut out of the slaues arme and fashioned like a nose vnto the Lord and so handled by the Chirurgion that it serued for a naturall nose The slaue being healed and rewarded was manumitted or set at liberty and away he went to Naples It happened that the slaue fell sicke and dyed at which instant the Lords nose did gangrenate and rot whereupon the part of the nose which hee had of the dead man was by the Doctors aduice cut away and hee being animated by the foresaid experience followed the aduice of the same Phisician which was to wound in like manner his owne arme and to apply it to his wounded and mutilated nose and to endure with patience till all was compleate as before He with animofity patience did vndergoe the brunt and so his nose continued with him vntill his death What Must wee esteeme this worke the act of Gods spirit in man or a deceitfull and prestigious operation and trumpery of the diuell Verily it must needes by wise men be adiudged to proceed from that good act of Gods viuifying spirit which did operate by way of life and vegetation in them both Is it not strange therefore the one liuing about Bolongnia in Italy and the other being in Naples that according to Master Fosters tenent neither the tall Hills of Hetruria nor yet the high Appenine mountaines could stop the concourse and motion of these two spirits or rather one spirit continuated in two bodies as a line being stretched out from two extremes of so farre a distance Surely M. Foster will say this is Magicall and diabolicall The second forraine Story was this I was whilest I did soiourne in Rome acquainted with a very learned and skilfull personage called Master Gruter hee was by birth of Swisserland and for his excellency in the Mathematick and in the Art of motions and inuentions of Machins he was much esteemed by the Cardinall Saint George This Gentleman taught mee the best of my skill in those practices and amongst the rest hee deliuered this magneticall experiment vnto me as a great secret assuring me that it was tried in his Country vpon many with good successe When said he any one hath a withered and consumed member as a dried arme leg foot or such like which physicians call an Atrophie of the lims you must cut from that member bee it foot or arme the nailes haire or some part of the skin then you must pierce a willow tree with an Auger or wimble vnto the pith and afterward put into the hole the pared nailes and skin and with a peg made of the same wood you must stoppe it close Obseruing that in this action the Moone be increasing the good Planets in such a multiplying Signe as is Gemini and fortunate and powerfull ouer Saturne which is a great dryer The selfe-same effect said hee you shall finde in you take the nailes and haire which is cut off the member and close them in the roote of an hasle tree and shut vp the hole with the barke of the tree and after couer it with the earth and said he it hath beene tried that as the tree dayly groweth and flourisheth so also by little and little will the patient recouer his health But you must with diligence obserue the motion of the heanenly bodies and especially the places of the Sunne and Moone when this is effected And to this intent he did disclose vnto me the time and seasons when the preparion vnto such a cure should be effected But alas What haue I done Now hath Mr. Foster enough to cry out that this is Magick indeed here is superstition in the highest degree For did not he say pag. 17. that it is an astrologicall and therefore superstitigus obseruation to collect any ingredient or to doe any thing by attending and expecting when the Moone should bee in such or such a house of heauen and that by Scriptures Astrologers Magitians and Sorcerers like birds of a feather are linked together A worshipfull exploit in in this demure Gentleman His blindnesse leadeth him in this as in the rest For first hee concludeth that all Magick in generall is damnable and diabolicall because one species or member of it is iustly to be banished from Christian mens remembrance as if there were not a naturall magick by which Salomon did know all the mysteries in
God from the earth nor the sudden reuiuing of the dead blood in the murthered at the presence of the murtherer which could not happen without this Viuifying Spirit did participate with and lurke in the blood though without action till by the murthering spirit it was excited vnto action c. But I will bring you to an ocular experience It is most certaine vnto such who haue applyed themselues vnto the art of distilling that mans Blood and Bones doe containe an admirable deale of volatile Salt in which there is so excellent a Balsamick diâ—…position that it doth by reason of the propinquity of nature suddenly appease dolours of the Gout and intolerable Aches cureth Wounds healeth such as are affected with the Mother and Falling-sicknesse and in fine experience hath made manifest that the Volatile Salt and Oyle of the Blood is an excellent Cordiall Againe that the Oyle of Mans Fat is a great appeaser of the Gout and other Dolours and a healer of Wounds and a present dryer vp of all manner of Excoriations often experience hath taught as well my Masters as my selfe Doe we not see that the dropping of a Candle will in one night heale vp an Excoriation And euery Ostler will certifie you that a Horses heele being wounded or cut with a stone or shoo with the anointing of a Candles end that Hogs-grease Deeres-suet are esteemed good and necessary ingredients for a healing Salue there is not a Chirurgion but will confesse And whence doth this sanatiue property in them proceed what from the benigne act of God or from the Deuill If from it is from that curing and viuifying Spirit which first made those Members and gaue them that vertue or it could haue no healing property Spiritu ab ore Dei saith Dauid omnis procedit virtus From the Spirit of the mouth of God proceedeth all vertue Ergò from that Spirit had the Fat Flesh Blood and Bones that vertue of healing or not at all and by the presence they hold still that vertue of it euen after their separation or amputation from the liuing body that it receiued from it whilest they were Members in the liuing Body onely this is the difference that when they were in the liuing Body their vertue was actuall but being separated it is onely potentiall and will not be reduced vnto act vnlesse it be incited by the 〈◊〉 viuifying and actuating Spirit euen as we see that Grease or Tallow is fixed with the cold and will not flow but with the act of naturall heate or fire it will forthwith melt and flow What of all this may our Sponge-bearing Author say Must therefore the Spirit of life be in this for without it there can bee no sympathising betwixt this and the Hypostaticall Balsam residing in the liuing Man I must haue this Inquisitor know that as it was but one Spirit that was called by the Prophet from the foure Windes to breathe life vnto the slaine so there is but one Spirit that giueth vertue as well to the liuing Blood Flesh Fat and Bones as to the other that seeme to vs to be without life or in puissance to act It is but one Spirit but in diuers properties that congealeth and as it were killeth the Spirit of the moueable Element of Ayre and fixeth it by his Northerne blast into Snow Frost Ice and Haile and againe reuiuifieth it by a Southerne blast Neither will it serue our Opposites turne to exclude this Spirit from the Fat Blood Flesh and Mosse of Bones that are in the Oyntment for the Wise man saith That the incorruptible Spirit is in all things Ergò in this Oyntment We haue therefore the Balsamick Salt in all of these ingrediences and in that Salt lurketh the actiue Vertue which being stirred by his fountaine of action flowing and acting à termino à quo doth reagere or act againe à termino ad quem that is from the end to the beginning This is the reason that this Oyntment cureth not onely by a Reall but also Virtuall Contact namely by reason of that vertue which it holdeth from his first Creator As who should say that an herb or roote should lose all their sanatiue vertue because they are gathered from the plant namely a Graine of Wheate or an Apple gathered from the Straw or Tree should haue no Balsamick nourishment in it because they are now past growing and yet the contrary is manifested in that they haue still in them their vegetating and multiplying Spirit For being put into the Earth the very Atom of life lurking in them doth manifest it selfe and maketh them grow againe and multiply in their kinde Neither are the flesh of Beasts destitute of their nourishing property though they seeme dead and are seuered from the liuing Creature For the Scripture saith Anima carnis est in sanguine The life of the flesh is in the blood which if it were not so it would not nourish or bee conuerted into mans bodily substance namely Blood Flesh Fat and Bones as also if the viuifying Spirit did not lurke in the flesh of the dead Carkas it were impossible that it should be conuerted into wormes by the exposition of it vnto the beames of the Sunne as shall be told hereafter Lastly I could shew this deepe Philosopher that this viuifying Spirit in the volatile Salt is abundantly inbred I could shew him ocularly how it sucketh downe the forme of life from the Sunne insomuch that of a cleare aëriall volatile Salt as white as Snow or chrystalling vnctuous fluent liquor it wil in few houres become as red as a Ruby by exposing it to the Sunne-beames Such is the sympathy betwixt it and the forme of the Sunne and in the selfesame kinde is their reciprocall appetite as is betweene the Patient and the Agent or the Female and the Male. I could shew him also in a short space the admirable power this vegetable Spirit hath to cause vegetation in all things And I haue proued it to be a soueraigne Balsam to cure wounds and to take away aches and therefore it sympathiseth with the Hypostaticall Balsam of man For else it would not be conuerted into the same Image namely into Blood and Flesh and Fat and Bones and much more therefore the very Blood Flesh Fat and Bones of the selfesame species being that simile magis nutritur à suo simili like is nourished more by his like Doe we not see mans blood yea the blood of euery creature to consist of such a volatile Salt If it were nothing but the vrine which is the whayie excrement of the blood it would witnesse so much being that it is passing full of salt Armoniak or volatile Animal Salt and by reason of the Balsamick nature thereof mans vrine is so proper to mundifie and cure a slight greene wound as also the Yellow-Iaunders is cured at such a distance from the patient as is already declared You see therefore with what ease and that by
of this feate of occult curing and not rather such ingredients as are collected out of mans body being that they are neerer and more familiar vnto their kinde and therefore more benigne and affable vnto it then stranger Medicines as are vegetables or such like If the Reader will well ponder this he will perceiue all that our Sponge-carrier speaketh Pag. 8. is but foppery The Deuill saith he maketh the Mediciner beleeue it is spent by a vertue going to the wound whilst hee skilfull by long experience in all Arts and so in the Art of Medicine doth himselfe secretly apply some other vertuall operatiue Medicine to cure the wound to delude his credulous Mountebankes and makes them beleeue that this Salue which dropped out of the Hangmans bouget hath performed it O wonderous miracle and what getteth the Deuill by that namely to cure a man in that sort whose body and soule is in the hands of the Almighty In maâ—… Iehouae saith Iob est anima omnis 〈◊〉 spiritus 〈◊〉 carnis In the hand of God is the soule of euery creature and the spirit of all flesh Thinkes he that God will leese his owne by so weake and poore a sleight Nay more to giue or grant vnto the Deuill his Word which as Salomon saith 〈◊〉 all things to deceiue himselfe of his owne heritage What The Deuill doe good where no profit vnto him is to be expected And why not then by the virtuall contact of this Medicine being of a neerer consanguinity with man and therefore a more easie Curer then any other Medicine that can worke by any virtuall contact A goodly tale As if a man would perswade me that it is not the Load-stone that draweth the Iron but the Deuill vseth some other creature to doe the deed to coozen and deceiue the Philosopher or Mariner These are but fabulae Inuentions I say of a fantastick braine who to perswade vs vnto his imaginary and no way probable will would make vs beleeue that Castles are built in the Ayre and that we are in all our good actions deluded by the Deuill and that flying with the wings of Master Fosters wit we must needs be wafted on the clouds of error and so in a mist of ignorance forget the blessed workes of our good God and Sauiour and by Master Fosters palpable delusions to acknowledge them to be effected craftily by Gods enemy And how in Gods name hapneth it that the Deuill is become so great a Student in Physick and doth proue so expert in the art of curing who hath employed his whole cunning and bestowed the best fruits of his industry to play the Kill-cow and to destroy A very wonderous thing Master Foster said it ergo must we beleeue it No God forbid But blessed be our Lord God who by emitting forth the benignity of his countenance sendeth onely health where how and vnto whom he list But to proceede CHAP. IIII. This Chapter sheweth Master Fosters error in saying that the soule doth not reside after an hidden manner in the spirits The second attempt of the Sponge against the same Text. Fourthly I deny that the soule resideth after any hidden manner in the spirits The Stoicks indeed held that the spirits were vincula animae corporis but the Peripatetick and Diuines deeme this as needlesse seeing the body is generated for the soule and the soule created for the body and both make the totum compositum What needs there any bonds to fasten them together There is a reciprocall desire to come together at the first and an endeauour after the vnion to keepe together The soule cannot in any kinde depend on or reside in the spirits her instruments but the spirits in the soule c. We squeese once againe in this Argument this swelling and full-gorged Sponge after this manner Though in the precedent I answered sufficiently that point yet must I wring this Sponge a little harder or it will keepe some of the iuyce of verity in his porous paunch I said before that animaesedes was in sanguine and her chiefest vehicle was the humidum radicale as we see that the Spirit of life in the great world did place His Tabernacle in the Sunne of Heauen And againe it is said that the incorruptible Spirit is in all things but this is that spirit which viuifyeth all things and therefore it resideth in the blood and consequently in the spirits which are contained therein after a hidden and mysticall manner As touching the Peripateticks and some 〈◊〉 opinion who hold that it is needlesse there should be a tye betweene the soule and body verily that doctrine is most erroneous and false First because the soule and body are so contrary in complexion vnto one another that except an vnion were made betweene the two extremes it were impossible that they should meet together or if they should or could meete yet the pure and heauenly light of the soule would suddenly forsake the impure and earthly darknesse of the body For how can duo contraria conuenire in vnum Doe we not see that all influences from aboue must haue an ayrie Chariot vehicle or medium to conuey them into bodies and to vnite them together Why did God ordaine and place the Ayre betweene the Heauen and Earth but to serue as a vehicle to vnite celestiall things with terrestriall ones quasi amoris vinculo as it were with the band of loue Can we haue a better proofe hereof in this typicall world then that of the Archetypicall Is not the Father vnited to the Sonne by the Holy Spirit which Saint Augustine calleth and many others Diuinum amoris vinculum The Diuine tye or vnion of loue Now after the Archetypicall image were all things effected both in the little and great world For the Prophet saith By the Word of the Lord the Heauens were fashioned and by the Spirit of his mouth all the vertues of them So that the vertuous vnion or linke which is made betweene the effects of the Word in whom is life and the creature to be viuified is the Good and Incorruptible Spirit by which tye God hath his essentiall relation vnto the creature By this Spirit all the discordant elements are tyed in an vnion and louing consent whereupon it is called Peace and Loue and Concord which beareth as the Apostle saith and sustaineth all things by the Word of his vertue By it weight and proportion is assigned vnto the ayre and the clouds are fastened or hung vp in measure and the waters are tyed so fast in the thicke clouds that they cleaue not To conclude in the great World the Earth and the Heauens are established and linked together by the Word of God as the Apostle Peter telleth vs or else the elements would be continually at warre And by the same reason the soule and the body or Heauen and Earth in the little World are linked together by this intermediate eternall tye or
else the body and soule would neuer abide together but warre against one another being that they are as contrary in nature as fire and water But vnlesse the spirit of ayre were put betweene these two contrary elements to ioyne them together they would neuer agree nor abide in their spheares no more would the soule and body without a spirituall meane Now as we see that the Heaven of the great World is composed of light and spirit proportioned and as it were glewed together by the eternall Spirit which is the Infuser of life in them both so also is the spirit in man so firmely vnited vnto the soule by the spirituall Word which is the tye or glew of life that it is not possible to be separated the one from the other except it be by that Spirit which did ioyne them together And this may easily be gathered out of these words of the Apostle Viuus est sermo Dei efficax 〈◊〉 omni gladio ancipiti pertingens vsque ad diuisionem animae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word of God is liuely and effectuall and more piercing then a â—…edged Sword and attaineth euen to the diuision of the soule from the spirit Whereby it argueth that the life consisteth of soule and spirit and that these two are so vnited together by the tye of the Word that nothing but the composer or binder can make any separation of them And for this reason wee may see that there is a strong tye as well betweene the spirit and the soule as betweene the soule and the body And therefore as the soule is more worthy then the spirit so the spirit excelleth in dignity the body and consequently the spirit is by proportion interposed betweene the soule and the body no otherwise then the Ayre betweene the Sunne and Earth Wherefore it is an absurdity in the Peripateticks to deny this tye and vnion and more absurd for Master Foster to make such a poore excuse as to say that the body was generated for the soule and the soule created for the body and therefore that there needeth no bands to faften them A poore conclusion I say of so eminently appearing a Philosopher and Theosopher as who fhould say two extremes could more be ioyned together without a medium or middle tye or intermediate spirit to conioyne and vnite them then the two extremes of a Diameter in a Circle without a middle point or Center And more absurd it is in him to say that there can be a reciprocall desire of two extremes and contrary opposites to come and dwell together at the 〈◊〉 when they are so contrary that the Wise man saith Corpus infestum corruptioni aggrauat animam terrena habitatio deprimit mentem multis curis plenam The body which is subiect to corruption doth ouerburthen and aggrauate the soule and the earthly habitation doth depresse and keepe vnder the minde that is full of cares Is it not strange and vnnaturall that any captiue spirit should not desire his freedome and liberty especially the bright soule which is captiued in her darke bodily prison For this reason therefore Iamblicus saith that Anima dormiat in corpore humano The soule sleepeth in mans body And Porphyrie hath it That it is alwayes 〈◊〉 in the body And Mercurie Trismegistus That the body is vnto the soule a veile of ignorance Whereupon it is certaine that there is a spirit which keepeth it in this his darke prison By this therefore you may see what goodly doctrine this is of Master Fosters But to mend the matter he proceedeth thus And they endeauour after vnion so to keepe together c. It is true if he speaketh in the behalfe of the darke body who is â—…oth to leaue the bright soule which is his treasure But as for the soule we see how many there are that to escape the fetter of this prison doe sluce out their owne blood or destroy themselues and many as well amongst the Elect as by Scriptures we finde it as among the common Worldlings desire earnestly of God as being weary of this World to be dissolued and to passe out of this life Cupio dissolui esse cum Christo saith the one c. Whereby it is apparent that the soule doth not desire to liue in the body or with the body as Master Foster concludeth And when she departeth she cannot leaue her body without the spirit so firme is their vnion as the Apostle sheweth in the text before mentioned neither can the spirit wholly forsake that relation it hath to the body as is said I conclude therefore â—…at against Master Fosters assertion that the soule doth with a strict vnion depend and rely on the spirit and reciprocally the spirits rely on the soule no otherwise then the Agent can not be esteemed as an Agent without the Patient nor the Patient without the Agent And therefore they must both of them be vnited in one And consequently as an essentiall Agent doth act from the Center vnto the Circumference euen so it is to be conceiued that the agile soule is contained in the spirits as the Agent in the Patient or soule in the body or lightning in the cloud And thus farre haue we proceeded to squeese out all Master Fosters Sponges validity touching this matter I come vnto the next CHAP. V. The Authors essentiall Carrier of sympathetical vertue giueth in this Chapter vnto our Sponge-bearer but Iack Drummes entertainment for calling him Tom Long the Carrier Reade and you shall see the manner The naked assertion of D. Fludds Text. VVHereupon it is manifest that 〈◊〉 spirituall Line being inuisibly protracted or extended in the Ayre betweene the places of the wounded person and the Box or Pot of Oyntment doth carry along with it his animal forme the which soule or spirit of life is no lesse to bee diuided from his whole or integrality contained in the body of the â—…unded then the beame of the Sunne is from the Sunne Therefore as the beame of the Sunne swimming in the 〈◊〉 of the world is as it were a Messenger betweene Heauen and Earth euen so this animal beame is the faithfull conductor of the healing nature from the Box of the Balsam vnto the wounded body and this medium or directing and carrying Line namely that which conueyeth the wholesome and salutiferous spirit by meanes of the soule or spirit of life is that spirit which is inuisibly extended or drawne out in the ayre the which vnlesse it had beene in a hidden manner figured and fashioned forth the vertue of the Oyntment would euaporate or sluce out this way or that way and so would bring no benefit vnto the wounded Master Fosters Collection The spirit of the bloodshed is carried by the ayre which is the carrier of the spirit of euery thing vnto his body this spirit going by this ayre in a direct inuisible Line carrieth the sanatiue vertue from the anointed Weapon to the wounded party For the
Weapon communicateth it to the blood fixed on it the blood to the spirits the spirits conducted by the ayre communicate it to the body and so the Patient is without application of plaister healed naturally c. It is plainely and euidently here to be discerned how he corrupteth my text to make it serue his owne ends For first I make no mention of a streight or direct Line onely I speake of carrying and direction of the vitall spirits from the body wounded vnto the Box of Oyntment and then of the magneticall attraction of the sanatiue vertue back againe by an inuisible Line protracted in the ayre Then he saith as from my text that the Weapon doth communicate the vertue of the Oyntment vnto the blood fixed on it But I neither said or meant any such matter for there is a neerer consanguinity betwixt the Oyntment and the blood then betweene the Weapon and the Oyntment But I care so little for him and his deuices as that I will let him haue his will The act of his cleansing Sponge vpon this Fiftly â—…deny Master Doctors Carrier viz. his direct inuisible Line carrying the sanatiue vertue so many miles from the Weapon vnto the Wound Surely this is Tom Long the Carrier who will neuer doe his arrant But the Sunne with his beames is a true Messenger betweene Heauen and Earth and so this Salue 〈◊〉 the Weapon and the Wound O incomparable comparison The Sunne is called quasi solus as hauing no pecre no creature working like it But the Doctor like another Archimedes can make one working by sending forth beames like it Though you call this my Messenger Tom Long the Carrier yet shall it doe his aâ—…ant so surely and returne so suddenly vpon you his slanderer being carried on the swift wings of verity that in the conclusion of this text it shall giue you but Iack Drummes entertainment for your reward I doe not say good Sir that as the Sunne-beame is a true Messenger betwixt Heauen and Earth so the Salue is a Messenger betwixt the Weapon and the Wound O admirable capacity of so learned a Gentleman in his owne conceit to imagine things that are not but I say that as the Sunne-beame is a Messenger betwixt Heauen and Earth so is the beame of the viuifying and incorruptible Spirit in the inward man which is his Heauen vnto the blood which lyeth hid in the Oyntment no otherwise then the graine of Corne in a good and fertill earth receiueth the viuifying comfort of the Sunne-beames by which after putrifaction of the graine it doth by a magnetick power draw the little soule now at liberty vpward towards his Fountaine of life from whence it descended the yeere before for the multiplying of the graine But because it is hindred by his elementary body it remaines houering in the ayre and by sucking down from aboue more of his like it multiplyeth from one graine vnto a great many Is it therefore impossible that the like might happen betweene the beame issuing from the body and the corrupted blood in the Oyntment the small Atome of life by 〈◊〉 of the dead blood arising and without impediment of his vnctuous earth sucked by little and little vnto his Fountaine of life But because all this is liuely expressed in mine answer vnto the very selfesame obiection made in the first and second Chapter of the second Member of this Treatise I will refer the Reader vnto those places where he shall finde all the Contents of this his insufficient Confutation answered his Sponge thorowly squeesed and all his rancor and venom pretended against this my Text quite crushed out and annihilated Then he proceedeth thus The Sunne is called quasi solus as bauing no peere no creature working like it but the Doctor like another Archimedes c. Good Master Parson semper excipio Platonem That incorruptible Spirit which as the Sonne of Syrach telleth vs was created before all things must be excepted Doe you marke this Sir For I told you that your Sponge in the inquisition of this text would haue but Iack Drummes entertainment I hope you will not preferre the visible Sunne either in glory or actiuity before this Diuine Spirit which giueth it glory and actiuity What The creature before the Creator The matter before the forme The Patient before the Agent Is this Master Parsons good diuinity Or doth Philosophy teach him thus much Whatsoeuer Tully telleth vs that this is reuer â solus in mundo actor It is certaine that it was this Spirit which put his Tabernacle in the Sunne of Heauen and by it only the Sunne liueth moueth and operateth here below and there aboue and it is one and the same Spirit which imparteth vnto all creatures and consequently vnto vs men the spirit of life by which we liue moue and haue our being It is he that hath reciprocally put his Tabernacle in man as well as in the Sunne and therefore are we termed the Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost Whereby the wisdome of Master Foster nay of a Christian Diuine may bee well skanned and discerned in saying in his text But D. Fludd like another Archimedes can make one working by sending forth beames like it c. No verily I will not be so bold to ascribe vnto my selfe that which belongeth onely vnto God my Creator howsoeuer Master Foster would ascribe it to the Deuill Concerning the full answer vnto this his Confutation I referre you as is said vnto the second Member of this Treatise I will proceede now vnto the greatest assault wherein his Sponge rubbeth very hard against my Text but preuaileth no more then they which goe about to wash away the colour of a Black-moore It will proue I hope a meere labour in vaine CHAP. VI. How contrary vnto our Spongy Cabalists intention it is proued first that euill spirits may contaminate and alter into their nature the aëry spirit of man as also that Deuils haue aëry bodies allotted vnto them in their creation Lastly the mutability and vnconstancy of the Consutor in his mayne Argument is discouered Doctor Fludds Text. FRom hence therefore ariseth that secret combination and vnion which is made betweene the euill spirit and the Cacomagicians or Witches by the which foolish men 〈◊〉 filthily deceiued by the Deuill whereupon the Deuill or malignant spirit by the alluerment of such a reward doth accomplish the will or desire of the witch And hereupon a compact is made betweene them namely that the spirit in what shape soeuer may sucke daily a portion of blood whereby the spirit lurking in the blood of the Magician may be made of one nature and condition with that of the malignant spirit and so his spirit was conuerted into a 〈◊〉 condition whereby it is impossible for him to depart from the worship of the Deuill Master Fosters Collection from the Text. That there is such a sympathy betwixt the blood in the body and
the blood drawne from the body it is most euident by the example of witches The Deuill sucketh blood from them this blood remaining with the Deuill participates of his maligne nature and hauing recourse by the spirits thereof vnto the Witches body maketh all their blood sympathise with that the Deuill hath and so the blood changeth the Witches nature and they become maligne and Diabolic all Here againe you may see that hee wresteth my Text beyond his true intended sense But I will yeeld him his desire and will please the Gentleman in his humour The act of his neate wiping Sponge vpon this Text. The Doctor proueth it by the example of blood sucked by the Deuill from Witches which remaining with the Deuill and sympathising with the blood in Witches bodies changeth their nature and makâ—…s them become maligne and Diabolicall O profound example Here Master Doctor 〈◊〉 a ground of his Argument which neither true philosophy nor orthodox Diuinity will giue vs leaue to assent vnto The Witches blood remaining with the blood-sucker the Deuill sympathiseth with the blood of the witches body How can this be How can blood a substance corporeall remaine with the Deuill incorporeall c Here this his Sponges validity is squeesed out O wonderous wit of our Sponge-bearer O light and spongy vnderstanding of so weighty a conception But if indeed Angels as he saith were incorporeall how could meate and drink a substance corporeal remaine with the Angels which Abraham entertained if they were incorporeall or if they assumed bodies accidentally could they eare and drinke with them naturally or was Abraham so senselesse to offer counterfeit shapes meat and drinke Surely a man so profound in diuine mysteries would not haue beene so absurd as to haue offered them his food if he had knowne that it would not naturally haue nourished them The same absurdity might iustly haue beene imputed vnto Lot Verily it is aboue the reach of Worldlings to scan rightly or discouer iustly this doubt But suppose it be granted that Angels and Deuils be not corporeall but spirituall creatures yet he confesseth elsewhere that the Deuill can indue and put on an organicall body namely of a man a Dog or Cat and consequently those Angels indued humane shapes I pray you when a squirt or syrynge or boxing glasse draweth is it the organ or the spirit in the organ that draweth Man operateth not with his body but with the inward spirit neither doth blood act any thing of it selfe but by the occult viuifying spirit which acteth in it Mans throat and tongue serue as organs of voyce but it is the Spirit that acteth If the Deuill enter into a body as he did into the Swine and humane bodies did he not make vse of the organicall voyce of the Beast and those men to speak vnto Christ But it was the spirituall act of the Deuill which did mingle it selfe with the aëry spirit of the Beast and man possessed and made it to answer according to the will of the Agent so I say that by the ayde of the creatures mouth and spirit which it indued it did suck the blood not that the blood in his grosse nature did abide with the Deuill in his spirituall substance but I say that the spirituall substance in the blood which participates of ayre is easie to ioyne and make an vnion by the contract with that of the Deuill euen as we see that Amber when it is burnt sendeth forth his spirit which vniting or mingling it selfe with the ayre infects it with his odoriferous nature and so there is an actuall communication made betweene the ayre and the fume betweene the spirit of the one and the other betweene a Priuy-house or plaguy Botch infecting and the spirit of the ayre infected the which ayre communicateth also that infection vnto the spirit of the smeller Againe doe we not see in one infected with the plague that first it was a corrupt spirit which by the virtuall contact ofit did infect not the blood onely but the inuisible spirits in the blood And doe we not see also that the same inuisible spirit so infecting doth inuisibly also infect the inuisible ayre about it and though it be in part exspired out of the body and blood yet it hath such communication with the blood that for all that the inuisible fume infecteth abroad not leauing neuerthelesse his persecution at home If therefore the Botch of the Plague in one man which the Prophet Abaku ' termeth the Daemonium or Deuill of the South doth infect the spirituall blood of another it is not the bodily Botch that doth it but the infected spirit in it The corporeall Boâ—…ch therefore we compare to the body assumed by the Deuill and the corrupting spirit vnto the Deuill Wherefore as we see that after the Botch of the one hath touched the person of another the spirit easily by reason of the reciprocall similitude of them communicate with one another so that although the party that hath the Botch departeth neuer so farre yet neuerthelesse the malignant spirit 〈◊〉 with the blood of the last infected and conuerteth it absolutely into his malignant nature Is it then impossible that the spirituall maligniâ—…y of the Deuill by a contactuall sucking of the blood should contaminate with the malignity of his spirit the spirit of the blood of the party sucked and leaue it so infected and changed vnto his owne nature as the venemous spirit of the Plague into a plaguy disposition Did not the Deuill worke the very same feate with Iudas his spirit when it was said 〈◊〉 Diabolus in cor 〈◊〉 vt traderet Christum hee sent or put it into the heart of ludas to betray Christ That is hee infecteth his spirit first and those spirits corrupted his thoughts or vnderstanding for without the helpe of a medium the Deuill being expelled from Heauen can not attempt the heauen of mans vnderstanding But to answer Master Foster at his owne weapon I meane that quick-sented Gentleman that so soone can smell a Rat What doth he thinke that Deuils haue not tenuia corpora Yea verily for he hath for it as he sayeth authorities of Scripture Counsels Fathers and Schoolemen to confirme so much But by the way he saith The Doctor who impiously attributes composition in God dareâ—… falsly attribute corporeity to Deuils In the first place M. Foster hath the Deuill the father of lyes for his Foster-father who can both foster and father vntruth vpon any one But as I haue said before the simple Frier Marinus Mersennus saith so namely because I auerred that the Spirit of the Lord filled and animated the heauenly Spirit Ergò saith he Fludd maketh God a part of Composition and therefore Master Parson holding the Friers words as an Oracle without pondering the sense of the businesse blundereth out like a Parrat these very words of the Frier The Doctor doth impiously attribute Composition vnto God But if I say that God is
in composition I meane it not as a part compounding but as the sole Compounder in composition Againe if he were absent from composition the word could not be said to be incarnated nor the Incorruptible Spirit to be in all things neither could God by the Apostle be said to be ouer all and in all But leauing this paratticall or parasiticall garb He bringeth the authorities of Scripture And what are they Saint Paul hath this We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spirituall wickednesse or euill spirits in high places And therefore Christ said Handle me and touch me for a spirit hath not flesh nor bones as yee see mee haue But Deuils can not be handled Therefore they haue no bodies Here is a stout Argument because Deuils as they are in their thinne aëriall bodies cannot bee handled Ergo they haue not any corpulency I would faine know of this acute Arguer what organicall body for speech this spirit had when hee in reciprocall words and speech did tempt our Sauiour Doth he thinke that the very ayre which is the externall of the Deuill as shall be proued is not a spirituall body when it may be felt heard or vnderstood though not as flesh and bones Doth not the Apostle make mention of a spirituall or heauenly and thin body and an earthly or grosse and thick body It is most true that there are some of the Fathers and Schoolemen who are of opinion that the Angels are absolutely incorporeal as Damascene Thomas Aquin Denis and so forth But there are as many yea and more of the learneder sort who giue a contrary sentence touching the bodily existence of these spirits and say flatly that an Angel is a corporeal substance and consequently that Angels may without any error be termed bodily creatures and amongst this number of the Fathers are ranked Basil Origen Gregory Augustine Isidorus Peter Lombard and of Philosophers Mercurius Trismegistus with all the Schoole of the Academicks And as for S. Augustine he saith in his Booke vpon Genesis in expresse words quòd Daemones sunt aërea ignea animalia that the Daemons or Angelicall spirits are aëry and fiery Animals and consequently assigneth vnto them aëry bodies Againe he affirmeth in another place that the Angels had in their creation aëry bodies to wit framed and fashioned out of the purer part of the superior ayre made more apt and proper to act then to suffer and hee auerreth that the euill angels were by reason of their fall changed as touching their bodies or externall being into the nature of the grosser ayre that they might be the rather made to suffer the torments of fire And Fetrus Lombardus saith Angeli corpora in quibus hominibus apparent de summo aëre sumunt solidamque speciem ex coelesti elemento induunt vt humanis obtutibus manifestiùs demonstrentur So that it is euident that Augustine and he agree in one Also Basil doth teach vs what manner of bodies the Angels haue when he saith they are thinne aëry and pure Spirits Againe Arteplius that wise man saith in his great Key of wisedome That the externall of the Deuill is ayre but his internall is fire For the which reason he sheweth that it is easie for him namely in regard of his externall or body to insinuate and communicate with the aëry and bloody spirit in man and consequently to engender in him hot and fiery diseases But why should we rely onely as Master Foster doth on bare Authorities I will come vnto plaine Philosophicall proofes to shew and demonstrate that Angels haue soules and bodies or externall and internall First you must know that if they were Identity that is of all one simple formall being they would be all one in essence with God their Creator who is called Identitas or absolute and simple vnity but for as much as they are compounded of two namely of light which is the beame of God which they receiue to informe them and make them creatures and spirit which as polished Looking-glasse receiueth the glory of that diuine light they are called Alteritas or Alterity that is composed of two And this is most liuely expressed by Saint Denis when he termeth them Algamatha that is most cleare Mirrours or Looking-glasses receiuing the light of God And therefore he defineth an Angel to bee the Image of God the shewing forth of bid light a mirrour pure and most bright And Damascen saith That they are intellectuall spirits hauing light as their soules from the first Light And Salomon describing the Prince of all Angels which as Ecclesiasticus saith was ante omnia creatus that it was candor lucis aeternae speculum sine macula Maiâ—…slatis Dei or the brightnesse of eternall light and a glasse without spot of the Maiesty of God Whereby it is euident that the Angels internall and as it were his soule is the brightnesse of Gods emanation his polished or pure aëry internall is his 〈◊〉 body which receiueth this light For we must note That in the beginning Heauen and Earth were made of water and by water consisting by the Word as S. Peter speakes And therefore the whole World was composed of an internall or inuisible which is the soule or spirit animated by Gods Word and an externall and visible earth and water which is the body So euery creature must needs be compounded of an internall or actiue soule and an externall or organicall receptacle of that soule which is the body Is it not apparent That when the Spirit of the Lord did moue vpon the waters the water was the Catholick Patient and the spirit the internall Agent For Saint Augustine super Genesim saith Spiritus ferebatur super aquas igneum â—…s vigorem impertiens The Spirit moued on the waters imparting vnto them a fiery vigor or vertue that is a viuifying nature So that the spirituall created Catholick waters were animated by the spirituall increated Catholick breath and light of life whose Spirit in euery creature is the Spirit of life and therefore their centrall soule and the creature animated is the body Wherefore as the purest and most spirituall part of water or ayre is the externall of the Angell so his internall is the lucid act of Gods Spirit Now I conclude thus If the externall substance of the Angel be ayre for either it must be of spirituall water or else of the substance of God which is meerely formall and not materiall then wee know by the rules of Philosophy that ayre subtiliated is fire and againe ayre inspissated is a vapour a mist a cloud and so by inspissation ayre inuisible becommeth a visible substance yea and a bodily vocall organ too as it appeareth by lightning the which soule of the cloud except it haue his cloudy organ or bodily instrument will not speake in thunder We finde therefore out of Holy Writ that God is said to speake out of his organic all cloud And
deliuereth them from their graues let them confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse c. Whereby it appeareth that it was his louing kindnesse and not his seuerity and vengeance which by his Word did heale and cure For he operateth vengeance in his seuerity or destructiue will by the organ of the Deuill And then of Salomon But the teeth of the venemous Dragons could not ouercome thy Children for thy mercy came to helpe them and healed them for neither herb nor plaister healed them but thy Word O Lord which healeth all things for thou hast the power of life and death and leadest downe into the gates of Hell and bringest vp againe c. Now I would know whether it ought to be any true Christians opinion that the Deuill can command the misericord of God and so be Master of his word at his pleasure as to heale Gods creatures nay one framed after his owne Image for any wicked stratagems cause I meane for the gaining of both body and soule of man from God to himselfe Doth not Iob say In the hand of God is the life of euery liuing creature and the spirit of all flesh To conclude as Saint Iohn doth truely auerre that in the Word was life So it is certaine that all healing and restoring power is from this viuifying vertue in the Word and not from the priuatiue power of the Deuill in whom contrary wise is death and destruction Moreouer I would haue you to note these words of the Apostle Now there are diuers gifts but the same Spirit and there are diuersities of operations but God is the same which worketh all in all but to one is giuen by the Spirit the Word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another is giuen faith and to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit c. Can any good Christian thinke that this one Spirit that onely worketh these things is the Deuill No verily For in the third verse the Apostle termes it the Holy Ghost What shall we say then That the Deuill doth heale by the gift of the Holy Ghost or that the holy Spirit will grant the euill spirit his good gift of healing to deceiue mankinde and to rob God of his right God forbid But with iustice giue that vnto God which belongeth vnto God and assigne vnto the Deuill that property which was allotted him by his Creatour from the beginning the first Spirit from all creations was ordained in his office to be a good viuifying and a quickning Spirit the latter a bad a killing and a mortifying spirit For it is said by the Prophet in the person of God Ego creaui destructorem ad disperdendum I haue created the destroyer to destroy I will boldly therefore conclude and finish my Pamphlet or petty discourse as I began it namely with this religious verse mentioned in the diuine Hymne of the Royall Psalmist to the honour of God and disabling of either Deuill or any other creature to worke essentially wonders of himselfe or by himselfe Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël qui facit mirabilia solus Blessed be the Lord God of Israël who onely worketh wonders Or as he hath it in another place Confitemini Domino Dominorum quoniam in aeternum miserâ—…or diaâ—…ius qui facit mirabilia magna solus Prayse the Lord for his mercy endureth for euer who onely doth great wonders And therefore if the Lord of Lords onely or alone then hath he not any mortall man to helpe him if he alone then not any Angel of Heauen and lastly if it be God alone and onely then not any Deuill of Hell nor Daemon or spirit of the fiery or aëry or watry or earthly element to assist him For the text saith It is the Lord of Lords alone and therefore not any creature to helpe him or that is able to doe this without him it is he I say onely and consequently not the Deuill who performeth wonders But by euery mans acknowledgement this manner of cure is wonderfull for as much as the manner of working in it passeth the capacity of worldly mens vnderstanding Therefore with Dauid I will say Benedictus Deus qui facit tale mirabile solus and consequently I may inferre thereupon and that iustly Maledictus homo qui diuina falsò attribuit Diabolo Wherefore I wish euery zealous and religious person to haue this inuiolable Motto engrauen in his heart that by the vertue thereof he may fright away and banish from his thoughts all such irreligious perswasions as would moue him to derogate one Iota or tittle from Gods power who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end of all things to arrogate falsly vnto the vilest of creatures who in himselfe is nothing but what God is pleased that he shall be of himselfe hath nothing but what God pleaseth to bestow on him and by himselfe can doe nothing but what God is pleased to act in him and by him that he doth and not any thing else and therefore what God will not that he cannot doe Let this then be your Motto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finis omnium principium Deus God is the end and beginning of all things And for this reason Reuchlin in his Booke de verbo mâ—…risico saith Omne hominis miraculum cuius vera non imaginaria deprehenditur substantia tum grande tum mediocre tum minimum si ordo sacrorum prascriptus obseruetur referendum est semper in Deum gloriosum cuius nomen est benedictum in aeternum Is enim solus est qui vel seipso vel delegato non sine seipso velper substitutum exseipso talia facit qualia demiramur quorum causam adaequatam scire non possumus vel quod fiant vel quod hoc modo fiant Euery miracle of man whose substance is certaine â—…nd not imaginary or prestigious bee it great or meane or little if the prescribed order of Holy Writ bee obserued is alwayes to bee referred and ascribed vnto one glorious God whose Name bee euer blessed For it is hee alone who either of himselfe or by a delegat with whom hee is present or by a substitute of his owne and from himselfe that effecteth such things the true or plaine grounds whereof and by what meanes they are brought to passe wee neither can discerne nor comprehend Thus farre Iohn Reuchlin And therefore in the period of this Treatise I may iustly put home and allude vnto Master Foster and his Complices the woe of Isaias against such persons which I did mention in the beginning of it for as much as they presuming too too much on their worldly wisedome doe mistakingly and through their blindnesse ascribe the things of God vnto the Deuill the deeds of goodnesse vnto euill and the effects of light vnto darknesse ISAIAS 5.20 21. Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that
spirit of the lesser world or man For the selfe-same spirit that viuifieth the ayre in the great world after a foure-fold fashion bringeth forth the very same effects in the lesser which I proue in this manner The Prophet saith A quatuor ventis adueni ô spiritus perflato interfectos istos vt reuiuiscant c. Come O spirit from the foure winds and breath vpon these flaughtered persons that they may liue againe and the breath came into them and they liued and they stood on their feet By which words wee may gather these foure things First that it was one onely Spirit which was indued with the property of the foure winds according to whose variety in properties the foure winds were animated with contrary natures that they might worke after a foure-fold manner in the Catholike element of the world to effect the will of the Creator in any manner whatsoeuer Next that this Spirit which is the essentiall actor and mouer in the winds was that incorruptible spirit of the Lord by the which hee vseth according to that of the Apostle to viuifie all things and vnto that of the Prophet dare â—…atum populo spiritum calcantibus terram to giue breath vnto the people and a spirit to all that trace on the earth or vnto that of Iudith emittere spiritum creare omnes creaturas to send foorth his spirit and to create by it all creatures or according to that of Esdras Spiramine suo facere omnia serutinare â—…mnia in absconditis terrae to make all things by his breath and to search out by it all things that are in the bowells of the earth or according vnto that of Iob Apponere homini animam suum cuilibet creaturae nam fi spirituÌ„ seuflatum suuâ—… ad se reciperet veltraheret omnis caro expirato giue man his spirit of life and to euery creature for if God should receiue or draw vnto himselfe his spirit all flesh would expire And therefore in this place when the dead bodies should arise againe hee commanded the Prophet to say Come spirit from the foure winds as if hee should say Come O thou Catholike and Vniuersall spirit of life of the world and doe thy office in viuifying and making the dead to liue againe Thirdly that this same spirit is it by which the Apostle doth acknowledge that God worketh all in all sometimes giuing life by taking away the killing Northerne cold and dissoluing the deadly or immobil congelation of spirits which did stupifie them as it were with the sleepy and restfull enchantment of Morphaeus by his Southerne or Easternely properties which is to liquifie resolue and giue a new motion and life to spirits congealed and stupified by the Northern property and therefore Dauid saith in the foresaid Text Emittit verbunâ—… liquefacit ista simul ac efflat ventum suuÌ„ effluunt aquae Hee sendeth forth his Word and melteth them as soone as hee bloweth forth his wind the congealed and as it were dead waters â—…oue and flow againe whereby we ought to obserue that it is Gods Word or his incorrupble spirit which animateth the winds Fourthly that the very selfe-same spirit which viuifieht and giueth life and motion vnto the great worlds spirit and at his pleasure by a contrary property killeth stupifieth ceaseth to act by life motion congealing mortally doth performe the very selfe-same office when the will of the Father is in the Catholike spirit of the little world or man yea in euery creature And therefore Iob saith It is God that wounâ—…eth or striketh and it is he that cureth the reason heere hee sheweth in the place before mentiened as also wee may find in Deuteronomy I will kill and I will make aliue againe and Salomon saith Thou hast the power of â—…fe and death in thine hand Thou bringest vnto the graue and bringest backe againe and the Sonne of Syrach Vita mors bonum malum à Deo sunt Life and death good and euill are from God Wherefore as this secret and mysticall spirit hath breathed into the dead a blast of life so that very blast or breath is essentially of the nature property and Will of the Breather which was to make aliue by a quickning and not a stupifying spirit and thereupon created spirits which were before congealed and mortified became now quickned and liuely and were closed in an externall body and in an ayery or bloody vehicle which by vertue of this quickning blast his spirit did moue in the channels or veines and arteries being animated by the vertue of that spirit of life And this is the reason that God did ordaine so strict precepts touching the blood of the creatures as is said before namely that it should not be eaten as is aboue related because in it is the spirit of life or the soule of the creature in which is the spirituall vertue of the foure winds For in this action of life hee exerciseth the very same property in the heart of the creature or little world as hee doth in the heauenly sunne of the great world For as the Sunne is hot operating by rarefaction and exciting vnto motion and therefore reuiuing and multiplying as well in vegetation as in generation graines plants and other animated things of the earth powring downe from aboue the beames of life and light vnto the inferiour creatures euen so this incorruptible spirit or blast of life thus infused into man is the spirituall Sunne of the little world who maketh the heart which represents the body of the celestiall Sunne his Tabernacle from which by the arteries and vaines he sendeth forth his beames and animateth the vniuersall spirit of mans fabrick and maketh the blood agill fluent and liuely euer mouing and operating vnto the nourishment and preseruation of the members as well with naturall as vitall spirits cauâ—…ng both corporall and spirituall vegetation and multiplication of parts in euerie specificall bodie But now that I may in this place touch in few words though somewhat allaterally Master Fosters Aristotelicall limited spheare of Actiuity which the old Schoolemen haue so tumbled and tossed in their externall Phantasies without any centrall regard vnto this true and essentiall viuifying and vegetating spirits dilatiue or contractiue power I would faine know whether any worldly philosophicall Axiome can conclude or limit this princely spirit of the foure Winds which bloweth and breatheth as well in the great world as little when where how farre and at what distance it pleaseth I will first giue an example of his action from each wind in the great world and shew you how it commandeth carrieth and dilateth the spirit of the vegetable Creature Wee can gather and collect the virtuall operation of the vegetable ad distans by no meanes but by the scent as for example Rosemary and Sassaphras c Doe emitt their spirit into the Aire at a proportionated distance more or lesse