vnderstanding being but a sparkle in respect of a world of fire failes me and as a candle at the flash of a strong lightning suddenly extinguisheth for in thine interminate vnderstanding there resides infinite wisdome omnipotency prouidence predestination true reason true knowledge and the representation of all thy workemanship If I enter into the speculation of thy gracious and inexhausted will I shall want words significant to expresse the singular proprieties which depend theron as comfortable grapes on one goodly clâ—ster or bunch Thy Charity thy Iustice Mercie Clemency Loue Patience Magnificence with other attributes which we doe not deserue to know attend on thy powerfull will O mighty Deity of vnsearchable worth as thy Prophet Dauid said Such knowledge is too wonderfull and excellent for me I cannot attaine vnto it Whither then shall I goe from thy Spirit or whither shall I goe from thy presence If I climbe vp to heauen thou art there If I goe downe into hell thou art there also Thou beholdest all our doings with exceeding patience Thou art wholly in the world as mans soule is wholly in the braine and body and dispersed through euery part of the same and seest as in a manifest map all the world ouer Thou art present with vs in our closest counsels in our closest closets Thou art deck't with light as it were with a garment Thou art most glorious in heauen as mans soule in the head is most conspicuous and therehence like the Sunne with his influence illuminatest all places and searchest the very secrets of our hearts and reines for the light dwelleth with thee Thou art a most pure perfect and actiue forme without any mixture or composition of matter or forme or distinction of parts Thou art the beginning and the end of all things the beginning without beginning and the end without end To end before I haue scant begun thou art al sight all hearing all vnderstanding all reason the origen of all goodnes Totus oculus totus auditus totus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 totus ratio fons omnium bonorum Thou art aboue all things and yet not elated Thou art in all things and yet not concluded Thou art vnder all things yet not restrained Thou art great without quantity good without quality iust without wrath All our ioyes al our pleasures al our profits all our welfare arise from thy fruitfull bounty as on the contrary all our losses all our crosses all our misfortunes proceed by our deserts from thy iust conceiued fury When thou sendest out thy Spirit we are recreated When thou hidest thy face we are troubled Whither then shall we miserable caytiues flie whither From our displeased God to our pleased God from our angry Father to our patient Father Where shall we finde goodnes but with the Author of goodnes Omne bonum à Deo profluit in eundemque tanquam in causam principem finem vltimum reflectitur Euery good springs from God againe the same returnes to him as to the soueraigne cause and last end He euen he it is that subsisteth aboue vs through his prouidence round about vs he substitutes his Angels as it were in fiery Chariots in vs he breathes his fiery Comforter He maketh his An gels spirits adhis Ministers a flaming fire LINEAMENT III. 1 The admirable incorporation of the three persons in Trinity 2 Their mystical operatioÌ„ vnfolded according to our resonable capacities 3 How God is said to be in heauen 4 After what manner the Trinity doe differ one from another eyther in Appellation or in Operation 5 That the Pagan Poets like Apes aymed at Gods mysteries by their darke Allegories IF Imeditate on the admirable Hypostasis of the Deity I am rauished with an extasie to behold their heauenly Harmony their consort their consonance and their proportion Goe said our Sauiour Christ to his disciples and teach all Nation s' baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The Father vncreated the glorious Word begotten of his euer-being substance the holy Spirit of comfortable loue out of them both producted All three like wieke waxe and light incorporated in one glorious Torch as the beames and influence of one Sun or as waters of one fountaine or as Peter Paul and Barnabas all three building vpon one Rocke and preaching the same doctrine or as will vnderstanding and memorie the reflecting Image of the Deity in one soule equally partakers of one vndiuided Godhead one light one power one beginning one maiesty one glory and one authority Thus hath this One Diuine Spirit three peerelesse properties the hauing of euery which property is called a Person a terme which we giue to shew the peculiar being of a reasonable spirit which word Person also the Gramarians haue distinguished according to mens common conference into notorious appellations As when God speakes of himselfe to signifie his inexplicable essence he speakes in the first person singular Iehouah I am that I am I the Lord thy God When after deliberation he vtters out his determination then the whole Godhead with a cleere distinction of the personall functions speaks according to mans capacity in the plurall number Let vs make man that thereby we might note his deliberation before his determination then both of them made manifest by his omnipotent Word And forasmuch as a peron is nothing els but a body or a spirit seuerally singled out by himselfe forasmuch as euery thing in the Godhead consisteth substantially by it selfe without the helpe of any other therefore are his seuerall properties or functions to demonstrate the particular or personall orders and operations of Gods will and being In like sort there be two kindes of persons the person of his Spirits Essence and the person of his Spirits properties The person or being of his Essence is but one the persons or subsistences of the properties be three distinct euery one a Spirit by himselfe euery one a liuing God by himselfe and yet all one Spirit one liuing God The Father or the first speaker is God by himselfe and of himselfe and therefore the first being or person The Sonne or word is God by himselfe and not of himselfe but of the Father or speaker onely and therefore the second being The holy Ghost or holy loue is God by himselfe and not of himselfe but ioyntly of the Father and the Sonne and therefore the third being There is no difference at all betweene the Speaker the Word and this Loue but onely in the reciprocall relation of one to another for in respect of their being beginning which was coeternall before al worlds before all times or termes of times they are one essential one equall and one transcendent Person But in respect of order in their heawenly Hierarchies of their offices operations and effects ordayned among themselues by their owne diuine decrees and also in respect of the
three records on earth or sacramentall types and mysteries of water the word and the Spirit there are said to be three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which beare record in heauen three persons distinguished really in respect of their personall properties but indistinct essentially in respect of their perpetuall power I say in respect of originall order of Christs mysticall marriage with the freckled or spotted Spouse the militant Church on earth in respect of his office in mediating for sinfull men an office too meane for the sacred maiesty of God and in respect of his humanity that was crucified for the Elect by Gods promise euer since Adams fall or perhaps before his fall lest the whole generation of mankind had beene vnder a iust Anathema or excommunication the Sonne was and is inferiour to the Father and submitteth his will to the Fathers will as himselfe protested Not as I will but as thou wilt O Father And so the holy Ghost is inferiour to them both in regard of his humble function of vice-gerencie or deputation in comforting and instructing the sinfull sonnes of Adam These seuerall assignements of offices they appointed to themselues in their owne praedestinated wisedomes wherein though they all conspire yet as I said before one of them hath the name of Primate in regard of order but in regard of their eternity and omnipotence none is greater or lesse then another For this cause it is written that the Father created the world the Sonne redeemed it and the holy Ghost sanctifieth it and yet they are but one in effect in their ends one God one omnipotent power communicating to three persons to three properties as one center to three lincs all in all and three in all As no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so no man can come to the Son but by the holy Ghost for we are sanctified because we are redeemed and we are redeemed because we are elected Pater eligit Filius diligit Spiritus sanctus coniungit vnit The Father electeth the Sonne loueth and the holy Ghost conioynes cements and vnites together The Father eternall in the consubstantiall word the word in him both in the coessentiall Spirit and the Spirit in them both doe all three co-operate co-adiute and worke according to their own counsell for the good of their creatures for the honour of their heauenly Hierarchy The Father begetteth in loue and iustice the Sonne begotten in loue and righteousnes and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both in loue and grace doe mystically teach the inward man that sees with the spirituall eyes of faith what care the Godhead takes for the restoring and repayring of that breach and lapse which the imbecility of mans brittle condition together with Sathans subtilty caused vnto all posterities And thus God manifesteth this three-fold distinction vnto vs that his elect might apprehend the mysticall operation of their soules saluation in the effects of his Iustice Grace and Loue. Againe lest for all this I seeme obscure I will exemplifie the vnited substance of the Trinity more familiarly yet with this prouiso that the words of Zophar to Iob may be read as a preamble Canst thou by searching finde out God or canst thou finde out the Almighty to his perfection That surely were to scale the heauens or build another Babel In a Spirit there is neither part diuersity nor multiplication but wheresoeuer the spirit is there is the whole spirit as the soule of man is not part in the head and part in the foote but the same whole spirit which is in the head is vndiuided entire all and the same in the foote neuerthelesse it appeares more eminent in the head by reason of the soules more notable operation there mans head being the noblest obiect the noblest Organ of the body which the soule doth like So in this spirituall substance of God there is no part diuersity nor multiplication but euery thing in God is God and the whole and the same substance of his Spirit for where one of Gods vertues are there also himselfe and all his vertues are as the influence of the Sunne But we commonly say Our Father which art in heauen not that he is altogether locally circumscribed there secluded from all other places but because it pleaseth his glorious Maiesty for the honour of his power to impart his Diuinity there most cleerely among his vndefiled and vnspotted creatures which as like to like pure to pure doe answere and satisfie the pleasure of their mercifull Creator So that God is in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the rarenesse and excellency of his operations in that purest place And surely God dealt like himselfe like a gracious Lord thus to communicate his soucraigne perfections to that choise place amidst his choysest creatures restrayning the same from vs poorepilgrims who for the brittlenesse of our eâ—rthly mould being clothed but with dust and ashes full of corruptions could no more then Phaeton or Icarus stand iustified before his sunny presence For when his heauenly Highnesse vouchsafed to guide and goe before the Israelites out of Egypt his magnanimous Spirit that could not brooke impurity was moued to such impatience against their sinnes that he was faine to withdraw his strong and powerfull presence from their weake complexions lest as himselfe said he should consume them in the way To returne and retire backe towards the entire essence of the Trinity I beleeue that Gods properties as I wrote before cannot be diuided into parts portions or parcels but that euery quality in God is God and the whole substance of his spirit and so the Speaker in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance The Word in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance But herein is their difference that the Father is the Speaker onely as begetting the Word the Sonne is the Word onely as the Word begotten And the holy Ghost is holy only as proceeding from the mutuall loue and from the mutuall wils of the Father or the Speaker begetting and of the Sonne or Word begotten So as the Speaker in God is God the Word in God is God and the holy Loue in God is God But yet the Speaker is not the Word nor the Word the Speaker if we regard the order and mysterie of their operatiue offices though both be God for the one is the Father begetting and the other I meane the Word is the Sonne begotten The propagatour or producer of Sanctification or holy Loue in God is loue which loue is God And loue produced in God is Loue and is God but the producer of loue is not loue produced I say the will of the Father and the Sonne being the producer of loue is not the loue proceeding or produced that is the holy Ghost though all be God in substance and power but differing in the manner of their operation for the Father is loue onely
drinking The like laudable custome did our present King impose by consent of his Parliament vpon our lourdanes or disguised trauellers which resorted to tauernes namely that they should not drinke aboue a quart at a meale nor stay aboue an houre in these infamous houses But as those lawes which concerne many are commonly neglected of many so notwithstanding his Maiesties wholesome lawes people now adaies through licentiousnesse hauing almost gotten a habite of disobedience few or none aduenture to execute the same Or if perhaps any one more forward then the rest fearing the shipwracke of his conscience for waxing slouthfull in his charge against these Centaurs or for winking at such enormities of these his Countries Cyclops should chance to extend the rod of his authoritie in suppressing them presently Sathan suggesteth some of his darlings detracting Barretours to countenance these lewde liuers and rather then faile he subornes them to molest those zealous magistrates by hooke or by crooke to the Starre Chamber or to some other principall Court two or three hundred miles off for trifling matters not worth the speaking and all to the entent to terrifie and tire them with tedious trauelling too and fro so that few officers dare put in execution what the law requireth them being loth to hazard their goods and persons in so wearisome a iourney in so cumbersome a suite These these bulbeggars I say be the onely obstacles that Iustice is not executed against the malefactors of our countrey Herehence it comes to passe that Iustices of milde and moderate spirits do swallow downe many a bit of bitter iniuries rather then they will aduenture their fortunes in law vpon such vile vermine Yet notwithstanding these crosses which ouerthwart your honest purposes it behoues you my Masters whom his Maiestic or his Chauncellor hath commissioned by Iethroes counsell as Rulers ouer hundreds ouer fifties to lay aside your panicke feares to looke vnto your places and not to preferre your priuate weale before the publike in intending so neerely the temporall goods of blind fortune whereof the Eye of iustice in reuenge of your remissenesse and periuries will sodainly bereaue you with a heauier scourge For this cause I could wish that this golden saying were firmely ingrauen in your thoughts Qui non impedit facinus cum possit facinori consentit He that hinders not a sinne when he may hinder it consents vnto the sinne For no doubt but this saying is alreadie verified in many of vs whom God forgiue specially when we spare Gods enemies of what nature soeuer they be eyther for indulgence importunate friendship or for feare of the Diuell or of his detracting followers Therefore be ye stout as Lyons fighting the Lords battailes The cause is the Lords the iudgement is the Lords and the Lord will be with you in the cause and iudgement Now shew your selues whose champions ye are and with your vnpartiall hands subscribe to pull and put downe these licentious Brothelries downe with these Tauernes downe with these Seminaries of corruption downe with the cause and downe with the effects if ye haue any sparke of Gods Spirit shining in you The prodigious effects hatched and fostered in these drunken Cottages as I said before is licentiousnesse the diabolicall dame of detractions periuries blasphemies and of a number of other base brats LINEAMENT III. That the Spirit of Detraction is sooner conuicted through the bright light and testimonie of the Scripture then through mens reall sorce or worldly deuices EVen as Aarons rod in Pharaoh his presence consumed all the Magicians rods that were put before it so words grounded vpon the touchstone of Truth do at the last consume to nothing all the bubling dregs of babling Detraction For by how much that Michael the Archangel is more mightie then the detracting Dragon by so much doth the speech of Truth beare a greater sway ouer the mishapen monsters of falshood which like foolish Apes by their vaine and vncharitable chattering would faine obtaine the Christian sirname of Truth But the word of life the light of vnderstanding will not abide such derogations and detractions And therefore he hath of his speciall and superabundant grace sent forth the spirit of his mouth the brightnesse of his comming to consute these hidious heresies and peremptory paradoxes which with the Antichrist were conceiued and begotten among vs. Out of this light or lightsome word out of the right resembling Image of the Fathers eternall vertues as his pledge to the Catholike Church issued his written image the sacred Scripture whose efficacy is so excellent that the testimonies thereof suffice to coniure downe all the spirits of hell into their owne bottomlesse home Being an armie of armed men against the spirit of Detraction and he will intreate them woâ—se then that possessed person did the seuen sonnes of Scaeua the Iew against whom he ranne and preuailed that they were forced to flie out of the house naked and wounded Besprinkle him with whole buckets full of holy water chant millions of masses vnto him his spirituall substance cares not for wetting and for your masses Surdo canis he will not heare them for your good but gladly heares them for your hurt and hindrance Onely a few materiall sentences extracted out of the heauenly booke and giuen in euidence by an humble-minded Christian with prayer and contrition doe certainly coniure conuince and confound all his dartes stings and forces To this end I will repeate some prouerbiall lessons selected by me out of that Booke of Life with hope that their energy and viuacitie will conuert my countrymen that are any thing towardly enclined to follow truth and integritie to become vertuously forward and not viciously froward And first I will briefly rebuke and refute the vse of idle speeches before I descend to the reprehension of deeper Detractions Wherein I will follow the example of expert Physicians who are wont at first to prescribe gentle preparatiues to attenuate and mollifie the stubborne and inueterate humours of their patients bodie before they attempt to purge the same substantially LINEAMENT IIII. The Spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by the Prophet Dauids Testimony THey talke of vanity euery one with his neighbour they doe but flatter with their lippes and dissemble with their heart But the Lord shall roote out all deceitfull lips the tongue that speaketh proude things which haue said with our tongue we will preuaile we are they that ought to speake who is Lord ouer vs Their throate is an open Scpulchre with their tongues haue they deceiued the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lips Their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle Or who shall rest vpon thy holy hill Euen he that leadeth an incorrupt life and doth the thing that is right and speaketh the truth from his heart He that hath vsed no deceit in his tongue nor done euill to his neighbour and hath not
the vndiuisible substance of the Deity or the subsistence of the person though it seems diuided to the outward man for I confesse the vnity and identity in our Messias Euen as the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ by the vnity and vertue of the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All honour laud and glory be ascribed vnto thee O Father of prouidence which hast made vs meete to be partakers of this heauenly vision by whose power our sinfull soules in the blood of his Crosse are regenerate and reconciled vnto thee LINEAMENT V. 1 The description of the Holy Ghost 2 How the Catholike Church was preserued from vtter ruine in time of Poperie 3 That the misprision and contempt of the Holy Ghost wrought the ruine first of the Easterne Church and then of the Westerne 4 Why this third person in Trinity is peculiarly termed Holy 5 The manner to discerne them that be possessed with the Holy Ghost and why S. Paul in his Epistles salutes men in the name of the Father and the Sonne omitting the Holy Ghost 6 What it is to sinne against the holy Ghost 7 The Authours supplication to the Trinity for his presumptuous discourse OVt of the incomprehensible Deity likewise issued the Spirit of spirits the third person in Trinity our holy Iehouah as the meane of the other two Diuine persons namely of Iehouah vnbegotten and of Iehouah begotten I say the meane of the vnbegotten and begotten in respect of the Elect produced propagated or rather proceeding from both their wils the oyle of gladnesse the fiery Comforter the Messenger of zeale the Schoole-master of true loue the miraculous power of God the finger of God which wrought miracles and plagued the Egyptians the Treasurer of sundry pretions iewels as of Prophesie Faith Charity diuersities of tongues and other diuine gifts the water of life the wel of water springing vp vnto euerlasting life The mysticall seale of loue betwixt the Father and the Sonne or to speake more naturally the Sacramentall influence of both their actions immanent and transient Euen as it pleased God at Whitsuntide about seuen weekes after Easter and after the redemption of the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt to giue them the law of the tenne Commandements at Mount Sinai and that not priuately but publiquely before all the Congregation so it pleased his Diuine Maiesty at Whitsuntide about seuen weekes after Easter being the time of our Redemption from the bondage of Hel to inspire his Elect with his holy spirit openly before many witnesses of Parthians Medes Elamites and men of diuers Nations as it is written Suddenly there came a sound from heauen as of a rushing and a mighty winde and it filled all the house where they sate There appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fire and it sate vpon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtterance But here is the difference worthy of obseruation that euen as there on Mount Sinay Iehouah the Sonne descended downe to the Israelites with fearefull thunder and lightning to signifie thereby the wrath of God the Father for the breach of his lawes so here Iehouah the Holy Ghost descends as the Angell of Christ not in fire of fury but in fire of loue and zeale not with the loud voyce of a Trumpet but with the sound of winde making a peaceable and still noise because the Gospell comforts the deiected man This is that spirituall Angell which inspires the Angels of heauen to honour their Creator which breathes into them the knowledge of all goodnesse which sanctified the Virgins wombe which reuealed to the Prophets mysteries and things to come This holy Spirit regenerates the inward man quickeneth our dull mindes like as the Sunne with his vegetatiue heat nourisheth the barrennest earth and insinuates himselfe into the zealous professours of the Gospell effectually mystically and miraculously This is that Spirit of God which moued at the creation of the world vpon the face of the waters This is that Spirit of sanctification which descended down from heauen in the likenesse of a Done and sate vpon our Sauiour Christ. This is that spirituall Light whose vniuersall presence is neuer absent from the Lordes Spouse the Catholicke Church euen as hitherunto euer since the Ascension of our Sauiour his pure power hath vouchsafed to preserue her from vtter damnation in some Countrey or other When Idolatry ouer-swayed these Westerne parts of the world doubtlesse the Lord had his Spouse eyther in Moscouia Greece Armenia Aethiopia or some other Region and perhaps in one or two housholds as heretofore fell out in Adams Noahs and Abrahams time This the Apostle in the Apocalyps manifesteth when as he prophesied that she should flie into a Wildernesse and soiourne therefor feare of the Dragon or Antichristian deceite while faith was departed and Gods two testimonies lay dead and despised O yee that go vnder the naked name of Catholikes marke how well the concordance of these three places Propheticall answeres your stentorean vociferation on Priestly succession It is dangerous to measure Illumination or any other mentall gift of the holy Ghost according to mistaking times or mens traditions for the Gold-smith that softneth hardneth and tempeteth the mettall at his owne free and secret pleasure may cause his old iewels to be newly in request and distributed againe as it were by degrees or nurses milke by little and little for Our reconciliation to the Lord of life the Lambe that leades to the liuing fountaines of waters or to these Royall Magazins and shops of the Spirit Euen as this Spirit speakes in the hearts of true Gospellers without any noyse of wordes and moueth them oestro miraculoso so the misprision of this Al-quickning Spirit made our forefathers subiect to schismes heresies and superstition and wrought the ruine of the Easterne Church their chiefe Imperiall Citie of Constantinople as it is said being taken on a Whitsunday our festiuall time of the holy Ghost And at this day if we strictly examine our consciences we shall finde the originall fountaine of all our errours Detractions defamations and other infinite pollutions to arise from our hardnesse of hearts in not glorifying our most glorious God and seeking after this Spirit of consolation who is the third person in Trinity As our Sauior Christ said to his disciples Go and teach alnations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and of the holy Ghost And as the Apostles taught There are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one But why is the third person in Trinity peculiarly termed the Holy Spirit Is not the Father Holy and the Son Holy God forbid that I should hold the contrary The Father is a
holy Spirit and the Sonne a holy Spirit yet notwithstanding because Holinesse or Sanctification towards mankinde proceedes from loue which loue is sent or produced from their mutuall will from the Father by election in loue and from the Sonne by his word and redemption in loue this Holinesse as a Tertian or third influence proceeding out of two Diuine respects towards the saluation of mankind is rightly attributed to the third person in Trinity as to the Ambassadour of both their willes so that the whole Trinity partakes of the same Holines of the same Loue of the same Will of the same Spirit of the same Godhead of the same Vnity as S. Paul very manifestly expresseth in these wordes Endeuourye to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace one body and one Spirit euen as ye are called all in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all So that whatsoeuer name or power is ascribed to anyone peculiar person of the Trinity the same is meant of the whole Trinity The Father is called the Spirit of God the Sonne the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God yea the Father is the Spirit of him of whom S. Paul speakes that raised vp Iesus from the dead the Sonne is that Spirit that raised himselfe and the Holy Ghost the same Spirit The Sonne is the Father and the Holy Ghost is in the Father the Sonne is the euerlasting Father This the Prophet witnesseth when as hee names Christ the mighty God and euerlasting Father But when they are seuerally named or distinguished into persons that sense or morall is to be vnderstood parable-wise as including the mysteries of our saluation which our humane capacities cannot otherwise rightly apprehend For euen as a Prince in his prudence loue an I wisedome and for the more honorable establishment of his Monarchy or Kingdome authorizeth his sonne and some other as his Chancelour to impart his lawes vnto his subiects and to gouerne them in order whereby their power becommeth equall so let vs conceiue that the glorious Trinity is but one Diuine and essentiall power all alike all equall and of one authority onely for the glory of the Godhead and for the mysterie of our Redemption the Trinity is really distinguished to the view of the inward man whose wil is stirred vp to meditate vpon the personall relation of their functions and offices which they deriue one to another But how shall we discerne who is possessed with the Holy Ghost To be possessed with the Holy Ghost is as much to sâ—y as to be possessed with the giftes of the Holy Ghost namely with saith humility and other Diuine gifts Of these his gifts some are visible some inâ—isible some abundant some restrained With the former the Apostles and Prophets were miraculously inspired with the latter all we who according to our Christian profession doe protest to fight in this life against the world the flesh and the Deuill doe hope to be possessed through grace according to the measure of Christs gift The branch that drawes not iuyce and life out of this spirituall Vine is adiudged dead for what amity can there be betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt life and death The chiefest gift of the Holy Ghost is saith which is a spirituall light enlightning our liues with the Gospell with the beames of good workes causing vs to loue all men after his owne example who communicates his Sunne to the iust and vniust And if we may lawfully boast of any gifts of the Holy Ghost ingraffed by his powerfull Maiesty in our hearts then surely may wee glory of our Illummation wherwith we are enlightned vndeseruedly in these daies Neither is it possible for vs in these dayes to obtaine a more visible measure of spirituall gifts by reason that our mindes are captiuated vnto coueteousnesse enuie and other vncleane thoughts by reason that our bodies are pampered with gluttony drunkennesse eating and drinking without appetite or necessity and by reason that we dare not in respect of these pollutions and of our vnworthinesse communicate one with another the Lords holy Supper but very seldome whereby the gifts of the Holy Ghost might be multiplied and increased in vs. As long as we are carnal and worldly minded our soules are farre from these gifts of the Spirit which the Apostle likewise calles the fruits of the Spirit as loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse and temperance They that are Christs doe endeuour to follow his Fathers will And what is the will of the Father Euen our sanctification and vnion in the Spirit For euen as the carnall coniunction of man and wife makes of them one flesh so the spirituall coniunction of Christ and the sanctified soule makes of them one spirit so they that are vnited in the Spirit are vnited in their willes and they that are vnited in their willes are vnited in their actions They that follow Christs actions doe labour in all humility to attaine vnto these gifts of the Holy Ghost But first they must tame their bodies with fasting And here I giue you one note worthy the consideration that whereas S. Paul in all his Epistles makes often mention and sendeth often salutations in the name of the Father and of the Sonne not ioyning the Holy Ghost in plaine litterall wordes with them he doth it because it was the Holy Ghost himselfe that spake through the mouth of Paul in those Epistles And whatsoeuer he wrote he wrote by commandement and inspiration of the Holy Ghost whose office and function was to signifie vnto the Church the will of the other two persons in Trinity So that the naming of the Holy Ghost was needlesse while the Elect vnderstand that it was He which spake and that Paul was no other then as Moyses to God or as Baruch to Ieremy that is the Notary or Scribe of the Spirit and as it is else-where specified a chosen vessell This himselfe protested in these words If any man thinke himselfe a Prophet or spirituall let him know that the things which I write vnto you are the commandements of the Lord. There is no sinne more detestable nor more difficult to be forgiuen then the sinne against this Spirit of God Dost thou wantonly detract from God the Father and denie thine owne and the worlds creation by his omnipotent word Search the Scriptures repeale thy detractions and vpon thy recantation thou shalt receiue remission Dost thou blaspheme the Sonne of the euer-liuing God and belie his Incarnation his Passion his Resurrection Reade ouer the new Testament remember to compare the same in an euen ballance with the Prophesies of Esay and the rest of the Lords holy Legates and it may be thine eyes will be opened and thou wilt renounce thine errours by the bright light of the holy Spirit But
to the Arch-spirit of heauen is the knowledge of goodnesse both which Good and Euill we know euer since the eating of the forbidden fruite which man had not lusted except God had commanded the contrary Deteriora sequor Sinne tookâ— occasion by the commandement and deceiued vs. So that we left the tree of life and tooke the worst The knowledge of euill is sinne or worldly craft The knowledge of the good is the seruice of God or innocency Assoone as Adam had eaten the Apple in the garden of triall his eyes were opened and he knew the differences both of the Good and Euill yea he was made partaker of Euils and miseries as well of equity happinesse and innocency O what a Diuine mysterie is this Mans body and soule stands almost in suspence in an equall ballance betwixt God and the Serpent betwixt innocency and sinne Or more mystically to compare our states we stand in this world like our Sauiour Christ cruelly crucified betwixt two theeues the one penitent the other desperate the one acknowledging his Deity the other blasphemously detracting from his innocent life Euen so doe we wade betwixt Good and Euill betwixt the spirit and the flesh betwixt peace and warre betwixt heauen and hell betwixt life and death betwixt vertue and vice Xenophons pathes for Hercules in his youth betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt truth and falshood betwixt loue and hatred betwixt ioy and sorrow betwixt eternity and time Gods spirit of Goodnesse seekes to winne vs by infusing into our intellectual senses faith loue truth and other vnderspirits of his Our Ghostly tempter wicked sinne the old Serpents sting inwardly prickes our soules to know euill as well as good for malum cognitum facilius euitatur euil being knowne is the more easily auoyded to permit wantonnâ—sse licentiousnesse Detraction and other petty petulant spirits of sinne vnto our children in their tender age that they may leaue them of the sooner in their riper yeares according to the prouerbe A wilde colt will proue a good horse a rude youth a good man and a young Diuell an old Saint God labours to mortifie the body that the soule may see his Godhead The Diuell by sinne his earthly substitute deceitfully aduiseth to pamper the body with daiaty delicaciâ—s that the soule being stupefied may behold nothing but perpetuall darkenesse God pronounceth rigorousnesse vnto them which fall but towards thee kindnesse if thou continue in kindnesse The Diuell whispereth into thy heedlesse heart Sisaluaberis saluaberis If thou shalt be saued thou shalt be saued If thou be reserued among the remnant of Baals seuen thousand according to the election of Grace what needest thou make this world thy hell thy body thy crosse thy contentment thy discontentment If thou be not predestinated vnto saluation wilt thou enioy a double holi Therefore while thou hast time cheerish vp thy body with all kindes of sports and pleasures Laugh and bâ—fat I am veniet tacito curua sexecta pede Anon olde age with stealing pace will come Ah poore soule how art thou entangled being created after the image of God composed for his Spouse endowred with his spirit redeemed with his blood accompanied with his Angels capable of happinesse and partaker of reason as a learned Spaniard in imitation of Father Bernard broke out into admiration O Alma hecha a laimagen de Dios compucsta como para esposa dotada consu espiritu redimida consu sangre accompanadae consus Angeles capaz de bienauenturanza participante derazon Why dost thou follow thine enemy and forsake thy Maker O heauenly soule Why dost thou offer vnto the Diuell the fairest and the sartest of thy flocke and leauest vnto God a leane and a lame sacrifice Wilt thou draw vnto the Diuell thy sweetest drinkes and vnto God thy sowrest dregges O carelesse creature Say not God hath caused thee to erre for he hath no need of the sinful man He made thee from the beginning and left thee in the hand of thy counsell and gaue thee his commaundements and precepts He hath set water and fire before thee stretch out thy â—and vnto which thou wilt Before thee was life and death good and euill What liked thee was giuen Which excellent doctrine another confirmed Thus saith the Lord Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death Say not thou I am besieged with Diuels with reall spirits out of hell For in thy center O intellectual soule is imprinted the very character of Gods owne essence and three persons in Trinity insomuch that thou resemblest the Diuine Hypostasis and indiuisible vnity and also possessest immortality from the Father vnderstanding from the Sonne and sanctification from the Holy Ghost All which concurring in one identified essentiall vnion make thee a perfect soule without blemish Let not thy fall from that blessed state discomfort thee The bloud of Christ if the fault be not thine owne doth like a lauer purifie thy sins though they become as red as scarlet These theeues of the Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a very ancient Father terms them can neuer harme thee really howsoeuer their spirit of Detraction as false spectacles to multiply thy feares layes downe that humourous tradition before thy simple sight Seest not thou how those spirits which dallied with the holy water dare not once come neere our reformed Church As there be degrees of sinnes so in my iudgement these deluding spirits neuer appeare but to the grossest sinner Where a man hath but one honest man in his house there that house prospereth better then if that one were absent for that hee terrifieth the rest from cousenages and conspiracies so where one Godly man dwelleth there the Diuell dares not draw neere LINEAMENT III. 1 That all wicked Spirits ordinary and extraordinary doe issue from the same head 2 That they cannot harme a man really without his owne naturall or wanton motion 3 Their varieties proued out of the Scripture where Saules lunacie is censured 4 That the Spirit of Detraction attendeth on all the said spirits EVen as good spirits or vertuous motions issue from the Godhead as from the cleere fountaine of goodnesse so wicked spirits and vnbridled affections fetch their pedegree from the deceitfull Serpent wâ—h allured Eue to insring the Lords commandement For his malicious spirit repining that man a new made creature found more fauour then himselfe belike long afore an out-cast from Gods presence turned about the weaker vessell the simple woman and makes her an instrument for all their ouerthrowes together They were all of them accursed mankind destinated to death the Serpent to darkenesse Since which time continuall calamities and phantasticall spirits the blacke guard of sinne pursue mankinde till death gets the vpper hand and looseth the soule out of her prison of flesh and bloud I say vntill death as Gods Sergeant doe attach our bodies vpon debt due vnto nature and our soules vpon sinnes committed
Hee which cannot erre nor lye no more then Socrates if wee may credit Plato for the one and Antichristians for the other because his seeming Holinesse by vertue of his Eagles feathered force indictes me for an horned beast and my bookes for Heresies I must not trauerse the indictment nor appeale to Caesar nor to the generall Councell but I must rest contented with my doome that the spirit of Detraction stands as yet stout vnconiured and vnconuicted Ascend then yee spirits of euer-darkning night aduance your selues on high yee spightfull spirits of Contradiction extend your stings intend your Circles and conuict your fellow spirits if yee can But why doe I imagine reail Castles in the skies why reuerberate I the fleeting Aire The Aeâ—â—iopian can as soone change his blacke skinne as yee driue out the spirit of Detraction Thou hast loued liars O vsurping Eagle and thy blasphemie is come vp vnto the highest Therefore appeare no more thou Eagle with thy horrible wings with thy wicked feathers thy vngratious heads thy sinfull clawes and all thy vaine bodie At the least presume not to take in hand this important taske to confound this powerfull Pantagruell the limme of that mighty Leuâ—athan least your winged members as Sathans subiects doe contrarie one another and so diuided through ciuill discord they occasion the finall subuersion of your vvhole dominion One graine of Faith preuailes more then a masse of Masses then millions of Ceremonies of mens Inuentions for the conuicting of Spirituall Monsters Goe thy way then O detracting spirit notwithstanding all these stings tuskes clawes contradictions carpings calumnations and cauillations of sauage people of Aristarches of Catoes of Momistes of Monsters and Vsurpers goe thy way I say conuicted I adiure and coniure thee in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost the ternall and Eternall Vnitie vvho for the mysterie of mans saluation is really distinguished in appellation operation and personall function but indistinct in Essence Omnipotence and Eternitie and venture not hereafter to possesse the sanctified soules of our new-borne Brittaines nor attempt to tempt the Authour of this aduenturous Arke fraught by him but with simple Circles in steed of Noahs necessarie implements vvhose spirituall faculties I finally pray our Heauenly Lord the Lord of Hierarchies to fence and fortifie with the shining shield of his sunnie spirit not onely against thy spirituall spite O blast of Blasphemie but also against all other aspiring spirits whatsoeuer whether they dwell in the flesh or out of the flesh Amen FINIS THE CONTENTS OF THE LINEAMENTS AND CIRCLES CONTAINED IN THIS WORKE The first Circle Lineament I. TO whose capacitie the description of Spirits is difficult to whose it is easie 2 The Authors inuocation to the Godhead through whose onely operation the spirit of Detraction is to be coniured and conuicted Lineament II. 1 That the true meanes to conuict the Spirit of Detraction is the Meditatâ— on Heauenly mysteries and on the operation of goodnesse 2 Mans curiositie in prying into Gods nature stinted by a non vltra 3 The description of some of Gods attributes 4 That his aâ—seription is too excellent for mans apprehension 5 That Good or Euill cannot come to mankinde without his will Lineament III. 1 The admirable incorporation of the three persons in Trinitie 2 Their mysticall operation vnfolded according to our reasonable capacities 3 How God is said to be in heauen 4 After what manner the Trinitie doe differ one from another either in Appellation or in Operation 5 That the Pagan Poets like Apes aymed at Gods mysteries by their darke Allegories Lineament IIII. 1 The description of our Sauiour Christs Incarnation 2 In what manner he tooke vpon him our infirmities 3 His terrible passion and death 4 His Resurrection and Ascension 5 That he alone is our Medigtor with the Father 6 His comming to Iudgement Lineament V. 1 The description of the Holy Ghost 2 How the Catholike Church was preserued from vtter ruine in time of Poperie 3 That the misprision and contempt of the Holy Ghost wrought the ruine first of the Easterne Church and then of the Westerne 4 Why this third person in Trinity is peculiarly termed Holy 5 The manner to discerne them that be possessed with the Holy Ghost and why S. Paul in his Epistles salutes men in the name of the Father and the Sonne omitting the Holy Ghost 6 What it is to sinne against the Holy Ghost 7 The Authours supplication to the Trinity for his presumptuous discourse Lineament VI. 1 Their Heresies conuicted which detract from the seruice of God because they see him not with their corporall eyes 2 The knowledge of God proued by an instance of our earthly King who is knowne throughout great Britaine of all his subiects though not of all with corporall sight 3 The excellencie of his spirit aboue the rest of his subiects 4 Meanes to know God 5 Why mortall men cannot see God Lineament VII 1 The description of some of the good spirits which attend on their Creator in heauen 2 Their Offices 4 Greatnesse The second Circle Lineament I. 1 THe true application of the aboue said Coniurations 2 That the names of other good spirits be manifold and diuersly taken in the holy Scripture 3 After what manner Sinne the messenger of Sathan stings vs. 4 By what meanes we may repell the stings of Sathan 5 That it is hard to iudge of our spirituall stings and from whence they come Lineament II. 1 The originall root of Detractions and other pollutions and whether the spirit of Detraction and other sinfull spirits which possesse mankind be reall spirits or stings of the Diuel 2 The sight betwixt the knowledge of Good and the knowledge of Euill 3 That the Good gets the victory ouer the Euill 4 That the Diuell cannot harme a man really Lineament III. 1 That all wicked Spirit ordinarie and extraordinarie doe issue from the same head 2 That they cannot harme a man really without his owne naturall or wanton motion 3 Their varieties proued out of the Scripture where Sauls lunacie is censured 4 That the Spirit of Detraction attendeth on all the said spirits Lineament IIII. 1 Why God giues vs ouer to be tempted by Sathan 2 After what manner the Diuell vseth now a-dayes to ensnare vs. 3 The Diuels policy for the circumuenting of soules Lineament V. 1 Mans fall from the state of innocencie is censured 2 Curiosity curbed for intermedling with Gods secrets 3 The first reason why man was not left altogether perfect and incapable of sinne 4 The latter reason Lineament VI. 1 A meditation vpon Sathans stings occasioned by an vnfained dreame of the Authours 2 Whether the Dragon which S. Iohn saw fighting with the Archangell was reall or spirituall 3 Whether the Serpent which deceiued Eue was reall or spirituall or both wherein the manner of her deceiuing is laid downe Lineament VII 1 That the Holy Ghost applies the Scripture
of his Kingdome that he is possessed with the gifts of the holy Ghost The reasons that thus moue me to conceiue so wonderfully of his worth are these first the obseruation of his life vnblemished by generall report and free from suspicion of vnseemely actes Then the consideration of his faith wisedome and milde spirit made vulgarly manifest by his learned Bookes and Speeches in the Parliament house whereof some are extant in Print settles my knowledge of his excellency of spirit Vt iâ—rem calaâ—â—o fulgur inesse suo That I would sweare his pen did lightning flash To these I adde his miraculous preseruation continually from his cradle he being the onely childe of his Parents in such tumultuous times vntill this golden time of the Gospell And to omit many garboiles of ciuill incendiaries for the subuersion of his life and state I will onely content my meditation at this time with the consideration of two principall Treasons inuented by Sathan against his annointed person The former Earle Gowry entended to effect The latter the Papists purposed to perfect In the former God suffered Sathan to lead him for a moment into his castle of calamity but presently he sent his Angell to deliuer him as Peter out of Herods prison In the latter God suffered Sathan to plot plant and place his Ordinance in order for the vtter suppressing and supplanting of his whole estate but suddenly the worlds great Watchman confounded his Boutefeux as the builders of Babeil In both I obserue that the Diuine Maiesty respects this innocent Prince in his loue vnto him vnexpectedly rips vp the very bowels of Treason euen when Sathan assures himselfe of his fatall haruest and is ready to reape his Hemlockes almost ripe then God prepares a feruent East winde in one night to destroy his poysonfull weedes like vnto Ionas his gourd O mighty God who can prie into the treasury of thy counsels What man purposeth thou disposest Thou reuealest the deepe and secret things Thou knowest the thing that lieth in darkenesse for the light dwelleth with thee We thanke thee we praise thee O thou God of our Fathers that hast giuen our King wisdome and strength and hast shewed him the thing that he desired of thee Thou hast declared his matter vnto him When his wisest Counsel ors missed to expound Tressams intricate letter more intricate then Sphynx his Riddle the Holy Ghost lent the King himselfe the key of knowledge the key on which millions of liues depended wherewith he vnlockt the memorable morall of the aenigmaticall letter memorable indeed vnto all posterities All which circumstances doe certainely argue the profoundnesse of his capacity and assuredly ascertaine my soule that the faculties of his soule are effectually inuested with some attributes of the Deity for the glory of God After the like manner let vs comprehend the knowledge of God who is our spirituall King and King of Kings for what signifieth this word God but an omnipotent spirituall King Creator of all things and we shall spiritually attaine to his Diuine knowledge though we see him not with our bodily eyes Let vs grope after him and we shall finde him for he is not farre from euery one of vs in him wee liue wee moue and haue our being When we endeauour with all our hearts and humble soules to keepe his commandements we may boldly say that we do know him When our mindes are sanctified through stedfast saith intentiuely on Iesus Christ as the diseased Israelites became healthfull with regarding the brasen Serpent we may assuredly affirme that we do know him Most happy are they which neuer saw Christ and yet beleeue in him Neyther doe we want other cuident meanes and motiues to stirre vs vp to the knowledge of the Godhead or spirituall power first naturall reason sheweth that some glorious soule full of perfection and power created the world and the creatures thereof for they could neuer make themselues which the Prophet Dauid confessed in these wordes The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Next his Church or faithfull congregation of Adam Abell Seth Henock Noah Abraham and others transferred by successiue tradition his knowledge to their posterities Thirdly his knowledge hath beene reuealed by the Holy Ghost to Moyses Samuel the Prophets and lastly by the Messias himselfe through apparitions miracles lawes ceremonies and temporall blessings Fourthly to draw neerer vnto mans capacitie which depends most vpon sensible obiects mention is made by Moyses how God caused him to stand in the caue of a Rocke and putting his hand vpon him he did shew him his hinder parts not suffring him to see his face Whereby the secuced Saduces collect the Godhead to be corporall But the naturall man perceiues not the things of the spirit of God For by his hinder parts aâ— the picture of his spirituall substance is shadowed the glimpse of his glorious influence By his hand is figured his al-puissant power By his face the fulnesse of his sunny glory And where Eyes are ascribed vnto him what other sense is meant then his prouidence and knowledge Thus God sometimes speakes naturally according to our naturall apprehension In conclusion let it suffice our curious braines that God is a powerfull Spirit not to be felt palpably with mens hands nor seene with mens eyes I speake not of Christs glorified body being humane which Thomas Dydimus felt after his refurrection by reason that the light of his Spirit is too conspicuous glorious and ouer-bright for such weake terrestriall and brittle senses Neuerthelesse it pleased him to appeare vnto Ezechael in the similitude of fire from his loynes downewards and of brightnesse like vnto Amber from his loynes vpwards S. Iohn in the Iland of Pathmos on the Lords day rauished in spirit saw one like the Sonne of man with his head and haires as white as woolor snow with his eyes as flames of fire His feete were like vnto fire brasse burning in a fornace and his voice as the sound of many waters His face shone as bright as the Sunne in his strength Whereby we may gather that God is a spirit not able to be seene of dust and ashes vntill the same be better purified or purged from worldly concupiscence for flesh and bloud cannot enter into heauen and vntill our soules become refined and regenerated not with Purgatory flames but with the spirit of God the fiery Comfirter This is the reason that the Elect of God doe stoutly maintaine that his Diuine Maiesty being a spirit cannot rightly be worshipped but in spirite and minde which in truth fals out most rightly when the spirit through faith becomes eminent and when the body through fasting lieth vanquished LINEAMENT VII 1 The description of some of the good spirits which attend on their Creator in heauen 2 Their Offices 3 Names 4 Greatnesse LEauing aside Dionysius Areopagitaes nine orders of Heauenly Hierarchies which he
worship thee But blest art thou for all my blasphemie All honour be to thee O veritie Bright light of loue one God in vnitie And persons three in orders Trinity Which canst me free from all such vanity When it shall please thy gracious Maiesty My soule to veile with thy boundlesse bounty Though speech be winde and Schoolemens quantity Void of true sense void of true quality Yet when the same doth thy sweet lawes transcend Lord let my babling light on Babels end But for my soule let no fond Oracles Her substance spill nor stand as obstacles Eternally to blinde her spectacles Which thou hast clear'd by thy words miracles THE THIRD CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The nature of the spirit of Detraction 2 His obiections 3 The Authours answere 4 The description of Detraction 5 His Companions 6 His Paradoxes 7 Abriese consutation AMong such troupes of wicked spirits which beleaguer the sinfull sonnes of Adam none of them is so pernitious as this viperous spirit of Detraction for by this turbulent motioÌ„ Pluto himselfe being an Angell of glory lost his former state and likewise wee worldly weakelings deserue our Creators curse vpon your selues and posterities Behold yee brainsicke blabs licentious libertines behold your famous familiar your spirit of Detraction coniured and connâ—cted in a Circle without crosses without Masses without holy water without pots of good liquor or pipes of Tobacco the only moderne motiue of malicious Detraction and that by no meaner weapons then by the mysticall weapons of Michaell and Michea the powerfull Oracles of the great God O what an vnaccustomed coniuration is this New Lords new lawes masse-monging manacled Diuels discouered And dare you câ—nuict the auncient spirit of Detraction which by successiue tradition descended vnto vs well nigh a thousand yeares agoe euen about the very time when the Pope and Mahomet bought their puissant patents this for the East from the detracting Dragon the other for the West from his Eagles wing the Emperour Phocas Dare you vilifie the soueraignty of Bacchus and Tobacco and aduenture to coniure vp such an omnipotent Spirit as that of Detraction without these belching belly-Gods Which our swintsh swaggerers extoll now-a dayes on the behalfe of this spirit as chiefe purgers of superfâ—uous rheumes preparatiues of heauenly dreames visions oracles and supernaturall reuelations Then farewell kinde neighbour-hood farewell good fellowship farewell table-talke farewell descanning of destinies farewell all trencher-knights and readers of other mens actions As the body is nourished with good liquor the bones with marrow so is the soule of man with the perfume of Diuine Tobacco and with the perfusion of Detracting taunts Take away these two the cause and the effect the substance and the shadow what is mans life but a drie discourse a solitary Ghost mortified with melancholy Veritas non quaerit angulos The way of truth is plaine without turnings I feare not to lay downe the truth were my brother a Tobacconist a Wine-bibber or a false Prophet Amicus Socrates amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas Socrates is my friend Plato is my friend but Truth is my chiefest friend The excessiue taking of Tobacco together with drunken fellowship renew the forces of the Detracting spirit and likewise doe kindle the fire that was couertly raked afore vnder the ashes for his malicious humour Which to describe is an embezeling of anothers glory a wrongfull withdrawing of anothers power and a blasphemous censure inuented and blazed abroad touching the Creator or his creature which eyther may be termed a kinde of scurrility or knauish carping carpendi effusa licentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else a doubling of the Dogs letter Rout of their snarling nostrils To this I might adde that they offend against the third Commandement namely Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine and also against the ninth Commandement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour which subiect themselues vnto this kinde of Spirit In the company of this wicked spirit as I said before many other spirits consort such as our Countrey-men call boone companions yea more spirits then euer molested Mary Magdalen The spirit of blasphemy as the shadow vpon the body chiefely awaites vpon him and shares with him for the pretious soule of man So doe the spirit of enuy the spirit of hatred and sundry other poysonous messengers of the common enemy the Diuell all ready sophistically to proue the idle phantasics and imaginations of shallow braines Would you coelo deducere Lunam draw the Moone down from heauen or the starres from the skie The spirit of Detraction with his mates make for you The Moone is descended and hath kist Endimion while he lay asleepe The starres be fallen and a company of drunkards at their taking of Tobacco beheld them According to that of the Poet Cum bibitir conchis hinc iam vertigine coelum Ambulat geminis exurgit mensa lucernis When wines are drunk then heauen whirleth round And candles two on boord for one abound There are Incubi which haue lien with faire women and tempted them ere now to plant Actaeons badge on their husbands foreheads Merlin your Brittish Bardh sometimes possested with the spirit of prophesie was a bastard begotten betwixt a goodly young Diuell and a goodly young Gentlewoman At old Carmarthen Merlins famous towne Nay more the Arch-Diuel hath gotten the Popes power he hath gotten the keyes of Heauen he hath authority to binde to loose to diminish the paines of hell to grant Indulgences and Pardons for one and twenty yeares of all manner of mortall sinnes he powreth downe raine amaine at his pleasure he terrifies the world with thunders lightnings and earthquakes Cornelius Agrippa is a great man in his books vseth him for his familiar and by coniurations commands the clouds and makes the Planets executioners to plague his aduersaries O monstrous blasphemie O preposterous absurditie Will any man of vnderstanding giue credite to these Idolatrous Detractions God himselfe questioning with Iob out of the Whirle-winde vtterly denies that Diuine authority to any creature Canst thou said he send the lightnings that they may walke and say vnto thee Lo here we are If Baal be God then goe after him but if the Lord be God why tempt you his patient Spirit in ascribing his dreadfull power vnto his Enemy that darkesome deadly Fiend which cannot helpe himselfe or act the least matter of importance Elias in annulling of Baals power manifested him onely to be God which answered by heauenly fire The Diuell fighteth with none other weapons then with deceit With deceitfull malice he stung Christ while he was on earth and with the selfe same weapons he stinges Christians Christ in his members now that he is in Heauen With deceit he tempted Eue and with deceit he persecuteth the woman of God the Church of Christ
hath two principall instruments the Hand and the tongue 2 Their apish trickes 3 Their monstrous effects 4 A briefe dehortation from Detraction EVen as wise Philosophers by signes and effects doe finde out naturall causes by properties they found out essences and by leading sparres doe ayme at leaden mines so must we by some externall operations apprehend the instrumentall meanes by which the froathy spirit of Detraction manageth whole rablements of wrangling and â—angling actions And these are two the Hand the Tongue with the hand Sathan procures a man to wriâ—e infamous libels inuectiues Satyres and disgracefull letters and times not inferiour to the Popes thundring Bulles against his powerful Makers name or at least wise against his honest neighbours fame yea though he be an hundred miles distant from him with such violent and insupportable fury that one knowes not which is more dreadfull the pike oâ— the pen. Such a one might well be called a Calamoboas that is the lusty or lofty Crier with the pen as Antipater in Plutarch termed Carneades the libeller Some other times a dumbe spirit possesseth our outlawed out-casts so that with dumbe shewes winking eyes wry mouthes bended browes pointed fingers touch of feeâ—e and other apish trickes they tempt the patience of the godliest man Which beast-like vsage a moderne Poet thus painteth out Me digitis monstant subsannant dentibus omnes Hic aures Asini fingit ille canem With fingers point with grinning teeth they flout me One Asses eares he dogs tongue makes about me The other and common instrument of The spirit of Detraction is the Tongue which being ill ordered and Tutourlesse may bee termed a leprous sinne a contagious sinne spreading farre and neere the hyperbolical deuises of the Diuell by the mouth of the detracting spirit towards the credulous eares of mortall men Wherein it is a thing remarkeable and worthy of graphicall obseruation to see how this small member can worke such turbulent tumults throughout all the circuit of mans little world The repercussion of it stirres the gall enflameth the blood netries the heart and musters together all the mutinous powers of the body in reuenge of the other opposite spirit But when all comes to all Truth is great and must preuaile In cold bloud men of vnderstanding will grow to this conclusion that the tongue endamageth three soules the absent whom it backe-biteth the present person which is attentiue and the Detractor himselfe which bloweth the dust and it reuerteth backe vnto his owne eyes Euill words corrupt good manners and also bewray the motions of the heart for euen as the tree of the fielde is knowne by his fruit so is the thought of mans heart knowne by his words Where is Charity Where is Taciturnity While the tongue becomes the Diuels Trumpeter to sound out his malicious words of defiance O imprudent age O carelesse folke which suffer themselues to be allured by hellish Nighting-galles Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit auceps The Fowler lures melodiously While he takes birds deceitfully In regard of which circumstances Let thy words be few for as a dreame comes by the multitude of businesse so the voyce of a foole is in the multitude of wordes And lâ—t those golden sayings of the Apostle be firmely imprinted within the closet of thine heart Gâ—â—ue not quoth he the holy spirit of God by whom thou art sealed vnto the day of redemption Let all but ernesse anger and euill speaking be put away with all maliciousnesse LINEAMENT IX 1 The Authors censure of certaine English Pamphleters and Ballad writers with an inuocation to my L. of Canterbury for a reformation not onely of these abuses in writing but also of other enormuus committed against the Church-Canâ—ts 2 A Description of good and euill writers 3 That there is a mixt morall kind of writing seruing as the lesser â—ight for the conuersion of the naturall man HErein I cannot chuse but somwhat touch the apish spleene of certain English Pamphleters who to gaine themselues windy applauses and popular praises among Sathans posterity like vnto Erostratus who fired Dianaes famous Temple at Ephe sus to the intent he might be spoken of in after ages do publish daily the puffed leauen of their phantasies which the Poet otherwise calles Ingenij caprisicum The wilde Fig-tree of their greene wittes or as we vulgarly say their wilde seed Oates These bastard Bookes begotten in an euill houre vpon the effeminate aspect of Venus and Mars I could wish to be suddenly suppressed as Monsters opposite to the sacred spirit of Regeneration And for this purpose I humbly inuocate on you my iudicious Lord Great Britaines Metropolitane intreating your further vigilancy in rooting out those vaine Vines which according to the nature of ill weedes will in time ouer-grow your pruned plants But who am I that dare admonish the Ambrose of our age who with your heauenly food of Ambrosia Manna and Nectar doe nourish the soules of our Christian Church prouiding milke for their young ones medicine for their sicke and meate for their strong Right reuerend Lord I know it is presumption in me to discourse with so great and graue a Personage Yet notwithstanding because our English Adage taught me this vncontrouled rule spare to speake and spare to speede I will not spare to enforme your Grace what wicked weedes doe ouer-top the graine of my natiue soile Beside those rotten rootes of writing the neglect of your Constitutions and experimented Orders whereby our Commissaries must not call to question the sincerer sort of people vpon bare and naked fame for euery slight and slanderous imputation whereby they are forbidden to prouounce definitiue sentence without the aduice of discreet Aduocates whereby our Proctors are charged not to frame their libelles without the opinions and hands of Aduocates and whereby their wrangling noyse in Court is stinted I say the contempts of these and other your Canonicall commaundements by your meaner Officials which now in your first Visitation may more acutely be espied are the principall causes that they of the layer and lower sort become more carelesse in their carriage more addicted vnto Detraction For surely there is nothing in this spacious Round or Vniuerse of nature which more resisteth the execution of lawes then the ordinary heape of friuolous and froward suites then the disobedience and breach of ciuill customes in men of higher note These and many other enormious crimes enuring the popular ranke to peremptory and pecuish thoughts deedes and speeches your prouidence may expell for a time if not quite extinguish and extirpe Your fame eternized through your euer-shining bookes through your neuer-spotted actions may worke some miracles in the conuersion of our Detractors Yea your noble Name illustrious ABBOT a Name I confesse somewhat ominous among the aduerse side the admirers of auncient Abbeyes I say your very Name etymologized from that Abba of Adoption the sounding voyce
mocketh at iudgement and the mouth of the vngodly deuoureth wickednesse ibid. Cast out the scornfull man and so shall strife goe out with him yea variance and slaunder shall cease ca. 22. Be not a false witnesse against thy neighbour and speake no falshood with thy lips cap. 24. The North winde drtueth away the raine euen so doth an angry countenance a backbiters tongue cap. 25 Giue not the foole an answere after his foolishnesse lest thou become like vnto him cap. 6. As he that counterfeits himselfe mad casteth firebrands deadly arrowes and dartes so doth the dissembler with his neighbour and saith Am not I in sport Where no wood is there the fire goeth out euen so where the tale-bearer is taken away there the strife ceaseth As coales kindle heat and wood the fire euen so doth a brawling fellow stirre vp variance A tale-bearers words are like men that strike with hammers and they pierce the inward parts of the bodie Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a pot shard couered with siluer drosse A lying tongue hateth the afflicted and a flattering mouth worketh mischiefe Ibid. in cap. 26. A brawling woman and the roofe of a house dropping in a rainy day may well be compared together for he that stilleth her stilleth the winde and stoppeth the smell of oinments in his hand cap. 27. If a Prince delight in lies all his seruants are vngodly cap. 29. Seest thou a man that is hasty to speake vnaduisedly There is more hope in a soole then in him ibid. Be not hasty with thy mouth and let not thine heart speake any thing rashly before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy wordes be few Eccles. cap. 5. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne ibid. The spirit of wisdome is louing and will not absolue him that blasphemeth with his lips for God is witnes of his reynes a true beholder of his heart and an hearer of his tongue for the spirit of the Lord that filleth the round compasse of the world and the same that vpholdeth all things hath knowledge also of the voyce Therfore he that speaketh vnrighteous things cannot be hid neyther shall the iudgement of reproofe let him escape And why In quisition shall be made for the thoughts of the vngodly and the sound of his wordes shall come vnto God so that his wickednesse shall be punished The eare of iealousie heareth all things and the noise of gâ—udging shall not be hid therefore beware of murmuring which is nothing worth and refraine your tongue from slaunder for there is no word so secret that it shall goe for nought and the mouth that speaketh lies slayeth the soule Wisd. cap. 1. LINEAMENT VI. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by Iesus the sonne of Siraches testimonie IN the tongue is wisedome knowne so is vnderstanding knowledge and learning in the talking of the wise and stedfastnesse in the workes of righteousnesse In no wise speake against the words of truth but be ashamed of the lies of thine owne ignorance Be not hasty in thy tongue neyther slacke and negligent in thy workes cap 4. Be sâ—ift to heare but slow and patient in giuing answere If thou hast vnderstanding shape thy neighbour an answer if no lay thy hand vpon thy mouth lest thou be trapped in an vndiscreete word and so confounded Honour and shame is in the talke but the tongue of the vndiscreet is his owne destruction Be not a priuy accuser as long as thou liuest and vse no slaunder with thy tongue for shame and sorrow goeth ouer the thiefe and an euill name ouer him that is double tongued but he that is a priuie accuser of other men shall be hated enuied and confounded cap. 5. A man full of words is perillous in his City and he that is rash in his talking shall be abhorred cap. 9. Reherse not a wicked and churlish word twise and thou shalt not be hindered If thou hast heard a word against thy neighbour let it be dead within thee and be sure thou shalt haue no harme thereby A foole trauelleth with a word like as a woman that is pained with bearing of a childe Like as an arrow shot in a thigh of flesh so is a word in a fooles heart Reproue thy neighbour that he keepe his tongue and if he haue spoken that he say it no more A man falleth with his tongue sometime but not with his will for what is hee that hath not offended with his tongue cap. 19. A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportunity but a wanton and vndiscreet body shall regard no time He that vseth many words shall hurt his owne soule and he that taketh authority vpon him vnrighteously shall be hated In the mouth of him that is vntaught are many vnconuenient and vnmeete words A lie is a wicked shame in a man yet shall it be neuer in the mouth of the wise A thiefe is better then a man that is accustomed to lie The conditions of liers are vnhonest their shame is euer with them cap. 20. A foole lifteth vp his voyce with laughter but a wise man shall scarse laugh secretly The lips of the wise will be talking foolish things but the words of such as haue vnderstanding shall be waighed in the ballance The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in his heart A priuy accuser of other men shall defile his owne soule and be hated of euery man but he that keepeth his tongue and is discreet shall come to honor cap. 21. If thou be among the discreet keepe thy words to a conuenient time but among such as be wise speake on hardly The talking of fooles is abomination and their sport is voluptuousnesse and mis-nurture The proude doe blaspheme and are scornefull but vengeance lurketh for them as a Lion cap. 27. An hasty browling kindleth fire and an hasty strife sheddeth bloud a tongue also that beareth false witnesse bringeth death If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spit vpon it it shall go forth and both these come out of the mouth The slaunderer and double tongued is cursed for many one that be friends setteth he at variance The stroke of the rodde maketh prints in the skin but the stroke of the tongue smiteth the bones in sunder There be many that haue perished with the sword but many moe through the tongue Well is hee that is kept from an euill tongue and commeth not in the anger thereof which draweth not the yoake of such and is not bound in the bonds of it For the yoake thereof is of iron and the band of it of steele The death of it is a very euill death hell were better for one then such a tongue But the fire of it may not oppresse them that feare God and the flame thereof may not burne them Thou hedgest thy goods with thornes why dost thou not rather make doores and
becomes wise and warie after miscrie or as our English prouerbe teacheth The burnt childe will take heede of the fire Let the precedent examples of other mens falles and follies exhort you to remember your Christian dueties and specially now at this instant since that yee are called and sworn as precise Patriots as chosen vessels of honour of an honourable corporation to edifie to doe your best endeuour towards the repairing of the Lords Temple though it were but by tempering of Lime whereto the Noblest is vnfit by transferring of stones by carrying of clay sand haire wooll or rather then nothing in conuaying of Oyster-shels so that ye be industrious in your charge it sufficeth for your discharge But how is it possible for you to performe any such seruice without presumption when as ye sacrilegiously conceale your Countreyes cockle your darnell your droanes your drunkards and your Detractours How is it possible for you to build vp Solymi Rudera clara soli the ruinous wals of the Church Militant when as ye offend the Arch-builder of the world with disloyall thoughts words and workes with exercising Spiritualem nequitiam in coelestibus Spirituall wickednes in heauenly matters with committing spirituall fornication against the Maiestie of Gods spirit How is it possible for you to escape vnpunished or not to be principall partakers of their faults and fines of their finnes and penalties whom ye wantonly spare for worldly respects Alas It is pitie you say to present poore silly wretches who transgresse of meere necessity It is more noble to giue then to take away to spare then to spill And sor the great Ones ye pretend that your cobweb is too thin to cub them in Foolish Pitie Marres the Citie It is a saying not so olde as true Beloued Christians beware of this Alchymie beware of this sophistry for beleeue it as an Article of your Creede that sinne is damnable vnder what colour soeuer it be shrowded Whether it be couered with clouts and ragges or with a golden robe let the Moâ—ster be vnstript let Achan be accused for his theft let Ioab be endicted for his shedding of innocent bloud yea though hee haue taken Sanctuarie and caught hold on the hornes of the Altar Let Semei be brought coram nobis for his â—ayling and reuiling Let Barrabas be found as a notorious felon Enquire whether Bigthan and There 's haue committed treason against the Lords Annointed and whether the sonne of Salomith the sonne of Dibry hath committed the like heynous crimo against the Lord himselfe in blaspheming his hallowed name And of what nature soeuer the billes are that men preferre vnto you follow your euidence and find out the guilty though they be proportioned as huge as Gyants let not their high nor huge statures dismay and defile your vndefiled consciences The cause is none of yours The iudgement is none of yours But both belong vnto him that made you Ye can doe no lesse then â—ndorce BILLA VERA vpon euident misdemeanures albeit with outward teares and inward bleeding griefes For if Saul an Annointed King for sparing of Agag a prisoner Prince had his Kingdome of Israell rent from his posteritie for euer euen by the Lords owne verdict what shall be the guerdon of your indulgence of your cunning concealement The reward of sinne is death and the reward of bloudy or blasphemous sinne such as periury is can be no other then perpetuall death Non est bonum ludere cum Sanctis There is no iesting with oathes no dalliance with detracting from Gods word It is not Equiuocation or mentall reseruation Iurani Imguâ mentem iniura tam gero I swore an oath by tongue but I beare a minde vnsworne as that young man Hyppolitus in Euripedes protested It is not the Popes pardon or his detracting dispensation it is not Indian golde it is not a selfe flattering suggestion nor all this worlds commodity which can iustifie the cursed blot of blasphemie or rectifie the cancred blossomes of blasphemous concealements There is a sinne veniall which we call trespasse and there is a sinne vnto death a sinne not to be forgiuen Such is the wilfull and presumptuous sin of a mans owne witting conscience against the open face and illumination of the holy Ghost And what if the sinne of Periurie fals out to be this horrible and heauie sinne In what a plight are partiall Iuries Therefore my Masters I could wish that ye deliberate with Diuine discretion before ye determine your verdicts rashly in heat of flesh and bloud And to speake more plainely to the purpose I could wish as long as yee enioy this waightie place in examining the defects and defaults of your Countrey that ye proceed not as many now-a-dayes do to censure presently after drinking or Tobacco taking but rather that ye beginne continue and conclude your proceedings soberly grauely and aduisedly without temerity timerousnesse or affection But what man quoth the spirit of Detraction can be so voyde of passion or affection Then farewel kindred farewel loue nay farewell life it selfe if I cannot helpe my friend in necessity or hurt my foe in oportunitie The Lord rebuke thee thou foule spirit that goest about to make Christians worse then Pagans in whose bookes it is written that Iustice hath neither father nor mother Shall we regenerated Christians that know Iustice to be one of the chiefest Attributes of the Godhead and so highly regarded of his sacred Maiestie that he spared not his holy One his owne eternall Word but gaue him ouer for a while to cruell death in reuenge of olde Adams sinnes shall we respect flesh and bloud more then Gods Attribute Shall we forfeit both our eyes to saue one of theirs Shall wee lose our owne soules and bodies to ransome other mens corruptible bodies or temporary fortunes Better it is to cut off one member then that the whole body boile in hot scalding leade He that loues his father and mother aboue me is not worthy of me saith our Sauiour Christ. Shall we being put in trust deceiue the trust that is reposed in vs Shall we become our owne caruers and vnder colour of Iustice iniury the innocent Vengeance is Gods and he will requite It is better O reuengfull Spirit to conceale the guilty then to condemne the guiltlesse But ye beloued of the Lord I hope will so iudiciously behaue your selues in an equall ballance without enclining to the left hand or to the right hand that the Right shall still take place that the expectation of your Iudges conceiued of your fidelity and integrity shall not be voyde and frustrate Ye will demeane your selues I hope so zealously so sincerely in your proceedings that the matter and not the man shall be the obiect of your internall eyes your eyes of vnderstanding which I pray God to enlighten with his knowledge to inspire with the sparkes of his spirit wherby yee may discerne gold from copper truth from periury sincerity from vanity the sonnes
Lord my Sauiour O men of little faith nay rather of no faith your difference and distrust in spirituall matters wrought and brought in all these fables and foolish fopperies The more wicked ye be the more ye feare and the more ye feare the more phantasies run to your headlesse braines Your guilty consciences seared with the scorching fire of your iniquities become so appalled that ye quake and shake like aspen leaues ye feare the moone-shine in the water ye feare your owne shadowes and tremble with the Maiestie of Gods iudgements as malefactors going to execution or as that Gentleman of Padua who ouer night hearing that he should be put to death the next morning after tooke such an inward conceit though this was but a false alarme that the next morning his youthfull haire was sodainly committed into a siluer colour Spirituall courage descendes from heauen spirituall cowardize springs from flesh and bloud corrupted with blacke melancholy the Diuels breath thickned to a pestilent exhalation Wherehence weake men begat that venefique verse Flectere si nequcam superos Acheront a mouebe If heauen heares me not I 'le downe to hell LINEAMENT III. Proued out of the Booke of Wisedome that mens guiltie consciences caused them at first to feare Bugs and Spirits TO confirme the premisses I will lay downe before you the opinion of that wise man which wrote the booke of Wisedome which likewise proues that feare was the chiefest inuenter of the Diuels miracles and strange sights VVhile they thought to be hid in the darknesse of their sinnes they were scattered abroad in the very middest of the darke couering of forgetfulnesse put to horrible feare and wonderously vexed For the corner where they lay hid might not keepe them from feare because sounds came round about them and vexed them yea many terrible and strange visions appeared vnto them They were sometimes chased with monstrous apparitions and sometimes they swoooned as their owne soules had betrayed them for an hastie feare and that was not looked for came vpon them They were all bound with one chaine of darknesse whether it were a blasing wind or a sweete song of the birds among the thicke branches of the trees or the vehemencie of hasty running water or great noyse of the falling downe of stones or the running of playing beasts which they saw not or the mighty noyse of roring wild beasts or the sound that answered againe in the hollownesse of the mountaines which we call Eccho these terrible things made them swooone for very feare LINEAMENT II II. How mens guiltie consciences made them to mistake the truth and to become afraid of things meerely naturall SOmetimes naturall things because they are vnusuall and seldome seene doe affright and astonish our weake consciences as if we had seene a Spirit specially if they happen in the night time when we sit darkling or if we passe by any Churchyard or where any man was lately killed or hanged Sometime the very sudden talking about such strange apparitions in the nights doth produce a sudden alteration in our vnsetled minds and the rather if we know our selues guiltie of some deadly sinne as of adultery malice or such like Yea Papists by reason of their superstitious legends which their Confessours and graue Fathers haue so firmely euen with their nurses milke imprinted in their thoughts I say these credulous people by Gods iustice are confounded with ridiculous toyes otherwhiles with their owne conceit according to that They feared where no feare was Because they stop their eares from hearing the Gospell and shut their eyes from reading the truth therefore doth God send such light things to terrifie their vnrighteous hearts When we pray vnto our Creator they pray vnto Creatures When we craue to be holpen by the onely helper and Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ they pray vnto them that sometimes were sinners here on earth trusting in Beads Crucifixes and other stocks or Idols reiecting spirituall light and spirituall comfort As for example I remember about eight yeares ago in passing ouer the Pyrences betwixt France and Spayne when I and others then in company hauing lost our way and also being benighted and fearing to be assaulted by wild beasts began to draw out our weapons for feare of the worst a certaine Seminary scholer newly come from Doway armed himselfe with his Beades putting them about his necke and saying vnto vs that he cared not for all the Beares of the world as long as he had those Beads about him which as he alledged were consecrated by the Popes owne handes Whereby a man may note to what superstition and follies this sect is drawne that from the Spirit of God they betake themselues to earthly hopes No maruell then that they are also blindfolded in attributing such beleefe to Goblins and Sprights The simpler sort when they behold but a firedrake a flaming meteor the shooting of the starres or candles about dead mens sepulchers which indeed are no other then sulphureous exhalations Presently they giue out that they saw Sprights or Diuels And if they had not sodainly crossed themselues they had beene taken tarde and slaine Others haue beene put to great feare by looking on shining worms on bones of newland fish or on a kind of rotten wood which shine very bright in the night time Some againe haue trembled in their beds at the sudden rumbling and noyse which Cats Rats or Mice haue made in searching for their prey or at the stirre and coile which disguised sprights haue caused Many pageants haue beene practised with the benefit of the night to the great terrour of them that were not very wise some haue wrought wonders by walking on the water vpon stilts I meane vpon deepe waters as others haue walked with large soles of corke I haue likewise heard of some Conicatchers that went currant for Coniurers who to gaine themselues estimation among fooles haue purposely in the fields placed in a darke night creuises or tortoises aliue with burning candles on their backs onely to make them beleeue that they were creeping Diuels Some haue taken Echoes for Sprights as he of whom it is reported that a Goblin had welnigh caused him to be drowned whereas indeed it was no other then the rebounding or reflecting backe of his owne voyce For when he asked a farre off Can I passe ouer the Echo answered passe ouer Many men haue beene abused by meanes of knaues voyces entonneled in long reeds or canes which altered the tune of their voyces If our iudgement vnderstanding and sences being sound and whole be thus deceiued and deluded with such a deepe apprehension of feare much more must we thinke that they will enduce vs to blabbe out prodigies and monstrous wonders if they were depraued and hurt in their Organs specially in their braines LINEAMENT V. A merry story borrowed out of Peter de Loiers booke of specters shewing how a Traueller war frighted in passing by a gallowes IN the
chase out of his body the other two spirits which he imagined to be there inclosed So that this plot serued to strengthen his imagination and to weaken his former false perswasion This was the principall remedy of his malady Neuerthelesse the said Monsieur Poena desisted not for all that during the space of a moneth after to minister vnto him certaine medicinable things to purge and asswage melancholy insomuch that at the moneths end being throughly purged and cured of his sickenesse the party acknowledged himselfe abused and was very much ashamed of this false imagination which for a long time had possessed and troubled his spirit LINEAMENT XI An excellent example of Coniuration translated out of Erasmus his Exorcismes fit to be obserued of our superstitious Detractors ERasmus in his Dialogue called Exorcismus reports a notable story acted in King Henry the eights dayes which because it is too prolixe and tedious to be translated into English word by word I will relate it as compendiously and briefly as the substance of the matter requires Betwixt London and Richmond there dwelt one Poole a merry conceited Gentleman He at many Ordinaries diuulged that neere to his house by the high way side a Spright haunted commonly euery night And to make it the more famous riding on a time towards Richmond with diuers Caualeers in his company the skie being cleere without any cloudes Poole on a sudden crossed himselfe and as one much astonished spake to himselfe in this sort O immortall God what doe I see His companions asking him what he saw crossing himselfe yet more he said I pray God that this sight which I see may turne to good When they lay hard vpon him desirous to know the matter with his eyes fixt towards the skie and pointing with his finger to a place in the Element Doe not you see there quoth he yonder cruell Dragon armed with fiery hornes and a wreathed taile At first they denied that they saw any thing But at length because Poole belike a man of some reckoning very earnestly pointed at it with his finger and because he should not thinke but they were of as perfect sight as himselfe they constantly affirmed and said that they also sawe that wonderfull strange sight What needes many wordes Within three or foure dayes the rumour had passed almost ouer all England that such a prodigious Monster frequented theere neere Pooles house Yea it is wonderfull how the common people added more nouelties vnto the fable Neither wanted there some that tooke vpon them to presage the euent In the meane while a Canon one Hind who also was a Priest of a neighbour parish happily arriued at Pooles house This man had an ouer-weening conceit of himselfe and aboue all he thought himselfe well seene in Diuinity At supper they discoursed of the Spright When Poole perceiued that the Priest had not onely heard of it but likewise beleeued it to be true he began to perswade him that he being a learned man and very well disposed would coniure the spirit therhence and succour the poore soule in durance And if you doubt any thing quoth he we will trie Walke you about ten of the clocke anon by the bridge and you shall heare a pitifull groaning Take vnto you what company you please so you shall heare the safer and more certaine After supper Poole made as though he went on hunting About the time mentioned the Priest walking to the place heard wofull lamentations which Poole very cunningly fained being there hidden in a bush complayning out of an earthen potte broken for the nonce for that purpose The Priest within a litle while after returned homwards longing to tell what he had seene and heard There he tolde Poole who came home somewhat before him a neerer way what was done and likewise some thing more of his owne deuising because the matter might be the more wonderfull At the last Poole egging him on he vndertakes to coniure the spirit therehence All that night he slept not with musing which way he might sasely bring the matter about for hee feared and doubted very sore of himselfe Therefore hee gathers together most preualent Exorcismes ioyning others vnto them of his owne inuention as By the bowelles of the blessed Virgin Mary By the bones of Saint Winifride The next day he chuseth a place in the plaine neere to the bush from whence hee heard the voyce There he frames a very large Circle with innumerable crosses and letters By his side hee sets a vessell full of Holy water About his necke hee wore a holy robe at which hung the New Testament besides an Agnus Dei which was wont to be consecrated by the Pope once a yeare With these hee armes himselfe for feare lest it might be a wicked Spirit that would assault him Neyther durst hee commit himselfe alone to the Circle but determined to ioyne another Priest with him Then Poole fearing lest the mysterie might chance to bee bewrayed if he got vnto him one craftier then himselfe discloseth out of hand the whole story to a neighbour-Priest a friend of his and ioynes him assistant to the simple Canon in the acting of his conceited Comedie All things thus prepared the Coniurer with the other Priest about ten of the clocke enters into the circle Poole that went before him cried lamentably out of the bush The Canon talles to his exorcismes But Poole to haue the more sport shifted him therehence and by and by returnes with afriend of his but on two blacke steeds throwing fire at the Canon to haue him out of the circle The next morning the Canon bragged how he preuailed against the spirits who appeared on two blacke horses how they were very like to draw him out of the circle and how he sent them away with a vengeance by means of his forcible charmes The next night the Coniurer better encouraged returnes into the circle and Poole with his cópanion on their blacke horses shewed themselues with a terrible noyse as though they would breake into the circle and with a long rope which they brought with them drawen along the ground they ouerthrew both Priests with their vessell of holy water to the ground and at last seeming to quaile at the charms they departed away for that night This done the Canon comes homes tels Poole what great danger he escaped and how valiantly he ouercame both the wicked spirits now he certainly perswades himselfe that no Diuell is so cruell nor so impudent as to breake into his Circle Thus farre proceeded the fable when by chance Pooles sonne in law a young man delighted with such kinde of mirth came thither Him Poole makes priuie of their stage play and appoints him the soules or spirits part to act The young man apparrels himselfe with a sheete like a coarse and carries with him quicke coales in a pot which through the sheete seemed as it were lightening At night they goe to the stage play where the soule pitifully
bemones himselfe The Canon dispatcheth all his forcible coniurations like volees of Canon shot vntill at length the soule by the bush shewes it selfe sometimes gliding with fire sometimes miserably groaning Assoone as the Canon required the spirit to declare who he was Poole suddenly in a diuellish shape and with a counterfeit roaring leapt out of the bush saying to the Canon Thou hast no right in this soule it is mine and with that runnes to the very bounds of the circle as if he were about to assault the Coniurer who on the other side fought lustily with his exorcismes and liberally besprinkled him with holy water But heere fell out a pretty iest As the Coniurer busied himselfe in this manner the Diuell exclaimed that he cared not a rush for all his charmes for thou hast dealt with a wench quoth he thou art mine which words though Poole spake but in merriment yet it seemed that he hit the naile on the head by reason that the Coniurer toucht with that saying hastened out of hand into the center of the circle and whispered I know not what confession into the other Priests eares But Poole ouerheard the Priest enjoyning him penance namely to repeate ouer three Pater nosters Which accomplished the Canon more fiercely and furiously returnes towards the meeres of the circle and voluntarily dares and defies the Diuell who now faining himselfe fearefull fled backe saying Thou hast beguiled me if I had bene wise I had not forewarned thee Then after the departure of the Diuell began a conference betwixt the Canon the soule The Canon coniures him vpon paine of damnation to tell him what he is who readily answeres him that he is a Christian mans soule After these and the like speeches the soule seeing him very in quisitiue and least he should smell out the deceit craued pardon for that night with promise that he would returne the next night after vnto him Thus the Canon and the soule for a few nights communed together the summe grew to this passe The Coniurer asking whether there were any meanes for his deliuerance froÌ„ torments the soule answered that he might be deliuered from torments if the ill gotteÌ„ money which he left behinde him were restored backe What said the Canon if this money were dispursed by good men and conuerted by them to godly vses yea that would auaile me quoth the soule Here the Coniurer exhilarated with ioy demanded how much the summe amounted vnto The soule answered that the summe was great and verie profitable for him that it was so He named the place but farre distant thence where the treasure lay hid vnder ground withall he prescribed to what vses the said money should be employed first that there honest men vndertake a pilgrimage one to S. Peters Church in Rome the other to S. Iames of Compostella in Galicia the third to Trâ—uires to kisse our Sauiours combe there Then his will was that a great number of Psalmes Masses and Dirges be celebrated in certaine monasteries pro salute animae for his soules health The ouerplus which remained the Coniurer should defray as he thought good Now all the Canons mind was occupied about the treasure and the dispose thereof All his thoughts ranne vpon this vnexpected prey he talked of no other subiect in discouse In all companies at ordinaries he promised magnificent rewards to Monasteries and spake of no base matters at all He went into the place found the signes yet durst he not digge for the treasure because the soule had giuen him a knot in a rush to vndo that it might redound to his great perill if he touched the treasure before so many Masses were accomplished Already many of the wiser sort smelt out the iest Insomuch that sundry of the Canons friends admonished him in secrete to take heede lest the world might conceiue sinisterly of his worth which had beene generally reputed before for a very wise man Neuerthelesse the Canon continued resolute in his beliefe hoped as true as his Creed to see the matter sort out well to his liking Which imagination so throughly possessed the mans mind that beside sights and spirits he dreamed of nothing he spake of nothing The habit of his mind appeared in his face which became so pale so extenuated so directed that a man would take him for a Ghost and not a man He wanted but little of being out of his wits Poole and his sonne in law in their compassion towards the poore foole inuented this slight to put him from his conceits They counterfeited an Epistle with rare letters drawne and that not in common paper but in a Goldsmithes leafe with golden characters The contents whereof were these Faunus dudum captiuus nunc liber Fauno liberatori suo optimo salutem Non est amice cur te diutius in hoc negotio maceres Respexit Deus piam animi tui voluntatem illus merito me liberauit à supplicijs Ego nunc foeliciter ago inter Angelos Te manet locus apud D. Augustinum qui proximus est Apostolorum choro Vbiveneris ad nos agam tibi gratias coram Interim cura vt valeas suauiter Dat. è coelo Empiraeo sub sigillo annulâ— mei Which to English is this Faunus of late a prisoner now free to Faunus his best Redeemer greeting There is no cause my friend why thou shouldest pine away thy selfe any longer God hath respected the good will of thy minde and by the merits thereof hath ridde me from torments I liue now in happinesse among the Angels Thy place is here readie at S. Augustines which is next to the Apostles quire When thou shalt come vnto vs I will thanke thee present In the meane time haue a care to liue pleasantly Dated out of the Emperiall heauen vnder the seale of my ring This letter was priuily laid vpon the Altar as the Canon was celebrating the Masse Now he caries with him abroad this letter and boasts of it as a sacred thing beleeues more certainly that it was transported vnto him from heauen by an Angell LINâ—AMENT XII 1 That the Diuels common drist is spiritually to vndermine the will of man 2 That his scope and force is cousenage and deceit IT is a foule shame for vs reformed Christians that we stop not our eares with Vlysses from these cousening Sirenes whose chiefe drift shift and scope is to make a prey of our vnderstanding and to draw vs a whorehunting after strange Gods which haue eares and heare not eyes and see not mouthes and speake not and which are to be found in no other place but where the Sophistical Chymistes dig the Philosophers stone the Elâ—xir of life Certainly the heathen will rise vp against vs at the day of iudgement and implead to be saued before vs for all our Baptisme holy rites vnlesse we seale vp our lips betimes from vttering any idle positions contrary to Gods Glory in the behalfe of these enchanting hypocrites For we derogate
to lay an ambush for your neighbours good name fame and reputation Learne by these exemplary crosses to be vigilant for in the houre which you thinke not as a theese in the night will death steale vpon you It is high time for you to prepare your selues to preuent the Tempter Alreadie it begins to smoake and as the Poet forewarnes Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet When the next wall vnto thy house doth burne Looke to thy selfe betimes next is thy turne These reasons considered I dare boldly auouâ—h for no earthly creature can iudge her conscience more freely then my selfe that my welbeloued wife whom God of late hath taken to his mercy by an vnexpected accident by the lightning power of his fearefull thunder resteth in the Lord as concerning her soule and resteth on earth as concerning her memory both which I trust by the diuine bountie scorne all the brauadoes scaladoes and engines which eyther enuy or Sathan can inuent for their assaults This is the chiefest solace I embrace after so great a crosse This Christian hope richer then any temporall or golden haruest I reape to my selfe after my fatall losse For my light affliction which is but momentary causeth vnto me a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory while I looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene I looke not so sâ—rupulously on the manner of her death as I looke on the manner of her life which God receiued as a burnt offering Packe hence therefore ye Enthusians and be not like vnto Curdogs that bark at a dead Lyon Though she fell she shall rise againe though she sate in darknesse the Lord will be a light vnto her MY tongue is no hireling Herald to coine her a new pedegre nor yet a mercâ—nariâ— Aduocate to extoll her shadow in steed of substance onely in steed of Popish posâ—humes or Purgatorie trentals I will sacrifice this cacomtasticall oblation as seralem coeâ—am a funerall banquet to her well deseruing memory Holy Augustine neuer conceiued more diuinely of his mother Monica then I doe of thy felicity O happie soule partaker of celestiall ioyes thou needest no praise of mine seeing that thy God hath transported thee in the yeare of lubily to this port of tranquility and conuerted thy pilgrimage to the hauen or rather heauen of euerlasting health Where though thou abound with vnspeakable pleasures yet pardon me if I striue to canonize thy peerelesse fame The pleasant sounds of thy verdant vertues like so many resounding Ecchoes shall neuer vanish from mine insatiable eares Thy extraardinary loue the liuely Jdaea of a spotlesse life shall alwaies dwell within the mansion of my restlesse minde At all times whether it be morning or euening noone-tide or midnight while I soiourne in this house of clay I will congratulate thy high fortunes All haile immortall spirit thou spouse of Christ wrapt vp in his holy armes full of transcendent grace full of transeendent glory All haile full of health full of happinesse which art translated from mortall men to immortall Saints from sorrow to solace Yesterday thou wentest entaÌ„gled with the thorny cares of this world now thou triumphest among the Angels of heauen Yesterday thou wert here where Iob himselfe complained that he was placed as a But to be shot at where Gods enuenomed arrowes stucke in him where the Prophet Dauids bones were consumed that he roared all day long Now thou florishest in the harmony of Gods Spirit minding on nothing but on diuine vertues on spirituall melody Yesterday thou wentest drooping in an earthen cote shaken with the frownes of Enuy with the frumps of Detraction to day thou walkest and this day shines alwaie neuer sets in a temple not built with hands in the line of the liuing God without Enuy without Deraction Here is thy habitation assigned thee thy lot is fallen in a faire ground Liue for euer And this as a looking glasse shall glister vnto thy friends on earth Dorcadis hic dotes miti cum mente Rebecchae Priscillaeque fides mens tamâ—n vna tribus Corpus humas mundus laudes tenet igneus Eliae Elisias tua mens Elizabetha rotas Here Dorcas deeds as starres doe shine Priscillaes faith heere doth combine With mild and kind Rebeccaâ—s mind Yet but one soule to three assign'd Thy bodie earth the world thy name Thy soule by faith Elisian fame Elizabeth eterniz'd gaines Elias-like in lightning waines LINEAMENT XIII 1 The Authours gratulation for his late fortunate deliuerance 2 His description of the Lightning tragedy the third day of Ianuarie 1608. at what time God tooke away his wife 3 His description of other Crosses at the very same time 4 How God fore-shewed by mysteryes the said crosses before they hapned vnto the Authour wherein his censure of Dreames is interlaced 5 His description of his miraculous escape out of the Sea wherein he fell by force of a cruell tempest on a Christmas day 1602. GOD forbid that I should charge all my Countreymen with the branded marke of blasphemie for there be many good men which neuer kneeled vnto Baal which neuer worshipped the spirit of Detraction all ready viua voce as the Prouerbe saith with both hands to hold vp the roofe of my opinion They alledge simply and charitably that this great Accident vpon my wife and house came from God as a faire warning for mee and them to prepare our selues for his heauenly kingdome which charitable conceit I cannot cancell with obliuion or ingratitude but rather confirme the same with an applauding Alleluiah The Lord gaue the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. No man aliue this day stands more indebted then my selfe for matters of life vnto the Author of life Daniel was wonderfully deliuered from the Lions clawes Ananias Azarias and Misael from the fierie fornace Ionas in the Whales belly from the stormy sea and Paul with his Pilots Marriners and Companions from perishing in the Mediterranean seas but what am I vile wretched sinner whom thou hast saued as strangely from fire and water O glorious God is it because thy prouident maiestie hath predestinated me to some worthy seruice tending to thy glory O bountifull Lord of vnsearchable wisedome graunt that my faith may be signed with the seale of thy mercy Let my spirit become regenerated and renued as the Potters vessell markt to an honest purpose Whatsoeuer I am whether tolerably toward or vntoward tolerably cleane or vncleane I wholy submit my selfe at the feet of thy mercy altogether depending on thy Sonnes merits from whence I will not depart though I were sure with Asahel to be slaine by Abner and as Iob protested if thou wouldest kill me yet will I trust in thee On the third of Ianuarie 1608. about the third houre of the night or thereabouts as I lay solitarie vpon my bed what with torment of a sodaine tooth-ache and what with an
vnto mans capacitie 2 An admonition to the Readers of the Scripture Lineament VIII 1 The Election of the Protestants after the imitation of S. Pauls graffing in of the Gentiles 2 Meanes to discerne the Antichrist by Prophesies out of the Scripture 3 Mâ—anes to discerne the Antichrist by his pompous manner of liuing and also by his Detractions The third Circle Lineament I. 1 THe nature of the spirit of Detraction 2 His obiections 3 The Authours answere 4 The description of Detraction 5 His Companions 6 His Paradoxes 7 A briefe Confutation Lineament II. 1 Notes to discerne the spirit of Detraction 2 A limitation of speaches Lineament III. 1 That the imbecillity of our natural dispositions tainted through the first Mans sinne with curiosity inconstancie and negligence is the prime cause of the spirit of Detraction 2 That our curious search after the supernaturall beginning of time worketh our confusion 3 Of our Curiosity 4 Of our Inconstancie 5 And of cur Negligence Lineament IIII. 1 That ill Education is another cause of malicious Detraction 2 That want of maintenance in the Clergy is the cause of ill Education 3 Certaine moderne abuses taxed in some remote angles of this Kingdome Lineament V. 1 That the secret and spirituall suggestion of the Diuel is the third cause of the Spirit of Detraction 2 The cunning reasons of the Diuell to confirme sinne 3 Their Confutation Lineament VI. 1 The naturall manner how the Spirit of Detraction enters into a man and possesseth him 2 Another reason to confirme the premisses Lineament VII 1 Corollaries for the explanation of the premisses 2 Where wicked Spirits reside in man Lineament VIII 1 That the spirit of Detraction hath two principall instruments the Hand and the Tongue 2 Their apish trickes 3 Their monstrous effects 4 A briefe dehortation from Detraction Lineament IX 1 The Authors censure of certaine English Pamphleters and Ballad-writers with an inuocation to my Lord of Canterbury for a reformation not onely of these abuses in writing but also of other enormities committed against the Church-Canons 2 A Description of good and euill Writers 3 That there is a mixt morall kinde of writing seruing as the lesser light for the conuersion of the naturall man Lineament X. 1 Certaine Detractions of our common Stage-players are taxed 2 How God distributes his gifts diuersly to euery particular man 3 The Authours briefe Apologie concerning his owne imprinted workes Lineament XI 1 What kinde of persons the spirit of Detraction doth soonest possesse with a description of the common people 2 That wise men and of resolution must not feare the Detractions of the common people 3 That it is necessarie for Enuie to be the companion of Vertue and for the spirit of Detraction to follow Magistrates as the shadow the body for the corroborating of their vertues Lineament XII 1 Why men soiourne with the spirit of Detraction and will not be dislodged from him 2 That no worldly causes ought to dispose a man vnto Detraction Lineament XIII 1 The Conclusion shewing that all persons from the Prince his Scepter to the Coblers naule are subiect to Detracting tongues The fourth Circle Lineament I. 1 THe felicitie and infelicitie of our Country of Great Britaine 2 The Authours supplication to the high and mightie Court of Parliament for suppressing of common Swearing Blasphemies Slaunders Perâ—urtes and other Detractions offensiue to God and their Countries weale 3 That they crucisie Christ anew which sweare eyther want only or wilfully by his bloud c. 4 The Authours motion for more Additions to the Statute of Periurie 5 The necessitie of these Additions and of likely circumstances to lead our common Iurours Lineament II. 1 That Licentiousnesse is the cause of Detractions defamations periuries and blasphemies 2 That Tauernes are the causes of licentiousnesse whereby the Authour taketh an occasion to admonish Magistrates of their dutie in this important case Lineament III. That the Spirit of Detraction is sooner conuicted through the bright light and testimonie of the Scripture then through mens reall force or worldly deuices Lineament IIII. The Spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by the Prophet Dauids testimonie Lineament V. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by King Salomons testimonie Lineament VI. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by Iesus the sonne of Syraches testimonie Lineament VII The spirit of Detraction and Periurie coniured and conuicted by other testimonies of the Scripture Lineament VIII The Authours aduise to lury-men wishing them to proceede vprightly according to their oathes and also to meditate on the future discourse Lineament IX The Spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by the Ciuill lawes Constitutions Lineament X. The Spirit of blasphemous Detraction conuicted by Gods iudgements executed on some of our owne Countries inhabitants Lineament XI The Spirit of Detraction and Perturie conuicted by sentence of our owne lawes executed on corrupted lurours Lineament XII The Spirit of Detraction conuicted by the statute De scandalis magnatum and also by the Soueraigne authority of the Court of Starre-Chamber Lineament XIII 1 Of the Iurisdiction of the Ecclesiasticall Court touching words of Detraction and defamation 2 Where the Kings writ of Prohibition lies against such actions commenced in that Court 3 That mixt actions belong to the Common law Lineament XIIII Obseruations concerning words of Detraction and Defamation fit to be perused of Sheriffes and Stewards or of other Iudges of inferiour Courts extracted out of the Reports of Sir Edward Cooke Knight Lord chiefe Iustice of the common Pleas. Lineament XV. Obseruations concerning detracting Libels giuen in the Starre-Chamber and collected out of Sir Edward Cookes Reports Lineament XVI The conclusion of the fourth Circle contayning the Authours pareneticall Charge to common Iuries The fift Circle Lineament I. 1 THe Authours scope in this Circle 2 His inuocation to the Godhead against his Ghostly Enemies Lineament II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction attributes the glorious workes of God vnto the Diuell 2 That mens guiltie consciences driue them to exâ—oâ—â— the Diuell and his supposed power Lineament III. Proued out of the Booke of Wisedome that mens guiltie consciences caused them at first to feare Bugs and Spirits Lineament IIII. How mens guilty conscâ—ences made them to mistake the truth and to become afraid of things meerely naturall Lineament V. A merry storie borrowed out of Peter de Loiers booke of Specters shewing how a Trauailer was frighted in passing by a Gallowes Lineament VI. 1 Whether in time of Poperie the Diuell appeared to Coniurers or Witches 2 Why now adaies the Diuels apparitions are ceased among the professours of the Gospell 3 The Authors opinion touching his visible illusions Lineament VII 1 How Popish Shauelings inuenâ—ed the vse of common Coniurations and fictions in policy for the greater efficacie of their Idols Holy-water and Masse-monging wherein the weakenesse of their Holy-water is shewed 2 That they coined lies of purpose to confirme their sect namely in Luthers life