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
For euen as Michaels weapons were the blood of the Lambe and righteous deedes so the Dragons weapons are lies and deceit When lecherous Church-men knew not how to cloke their lewd acts when noble Floraes that went currant for Puritan Nunnes could no longer couer their impure debauchments and notorious baudries then forsooth to salue their credites they divulged abroad eyther that the Diuell who repined at their chaste blinded their sights with supposed bodies liues much like vnto their louers or else with surreptitious carcases out of graues he committed carnall copulation with them LINEAMENT II. 1 Notes to discerne the spirit of Detraction 2 A limitation of speeches EVen as the well manured earth brings forth seedes and graine for mans reiiefe and vnmanured gathereth weeds mosse and brambles so the soule of man if it be well erected towards God and directed by his holy Spirit becomes diuinely disposed but ill looked vnto and let as a restlesse rogue to straggle abroad among Sathans sinfull spirits is quickly surprised with the witty workemaâ—ship of the wily Serpent and in a moment corrupted with the bane of heretic all doctrine An Hereticke I account him who being a Christian contumaciously maintaines errâ—nceus opinions or peremptory Paradoxes contrary to the best part of the Church as when you heare a creature abuse and abase his Creators glory in fatlâ—ering his forcible workes vpon his enemy the Diuell then expend and examine in the ballance of euen reason his vnreasonable detracting sentence and no doubt but the Spirit of spirits will open your eyes that you may perceiue the wicked spirit which haunteth him and hunteth after his soule Secondly obserue the quality of the person which detracteth seeing that it is a thing rare in a wise man to make the toyish tongue the Oracle of preiudicate conceit who from his cradle is otherwise taught to smother vp in silence both his owne ouer-curious inuentions conceiued of supernaturall operations and also what hee knowes or heares exorbitant friuolous and redounding eyther to the dishonour of Gods power to the disparagement of his lawes or to the disgrace of his neighbours same And for the vulgar sort their iudgement is crooked and confused that they extoll showes and shadowes of truth and cannot distinguish betweene necessary and superfluous speeches Thirdly ponder his manner of speaking whether as a passionate person in his furious mood or in the bitter and incited anguish of his soule whether the spirit of Detraction tickles the possessed party at tableboord at Tobacco-taking at gossipping for at those times people waxe giddy headed and phantasticall by reason of the mouing of the blood and humours or whether his speeches tend for his owne vtility and profite or for reuenge of supposed wrongs or emulous concurrence in worldly affaires Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur Out of the hearts abundance the tongue speakes And as abundance of raine causeth riuers to ouerflow their naturall meeres bounds and bankes and to breake with a violent deluge ouer into meadowes and plaine fields so the heart boyling ouer with surious motions will runne quite out of course and temper except it be suffered to cuaporate and vent out by the mouth which stands like an open Sepulchre or a roaring gulfe whatsoeuer is internally conceiued and consopited Yea I haue knowne some like women with childe sicke to the heart till they were deliuered of their suspicious Detractions or monstrous embrions But thou which art the Pupill of silence note that a reuiler is a lier and a lier is forgetfull as the Italian teacheth thee Maldicente è bugiardo bugiardo è smemorato It is not my purpose by these obseruations altogether to debarre discourses and neighbourly confabulations but my meaning is to disclose some meanes whereby we might discerne the nature of this Spirit which tempts our common readers to vtter before God and man such contemptuous contradictions derogatory to his Maiesty who heares with infinite patience euery word they speake As my soule cannot brooke these false aspersions and flying lies touching ones honour ones honesty ones life so on the contrary I cannot chuse but approue Christian and ciuill conference sugred and seasoned with charity loue and humility tending to the glory of God the weale of our Countrey or the welfare of our neighbours Nay I applaude with both hands all such confabulations which are relished Atticis aut Socraticis leporibê° with the sauorie smacke of pleasant conceits not vitiated with the extremes of rude scurâ—ility or of rough austerity but richly refined with the golden meane Vrbanity or Ciuility which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the distressed in Gods name poure out his grecuances familiarly to his friend for that easeth the minde and by talking in counsell with a faithfull friend the Spirits recouer their former vertue and strength Let Preachers reproue their Parishioners infirmities in priuate and in any case let them not reprehend particular mens faults openly in the Pulpit for that place being generall requires generall speeches Let them not rebuke any but exhort an Elder as a Father the yonger men as brethren for there is difference betwixt exhortation and rebuking and so there is difference betwixt rebuking mens persons and rebuking mens vices rebuking to edification and rebuking to desperation rebuking in patience and rebuking in passion rebuking in priuate and rebuking in publique the one is proper to the temperate spirit of God the other to the turbulent spirit of Sathan Wherefore deare Christian refraine thy tongue as it were with a bridle for to what vse will thy house serue without a doore or thy purse without strings LINEAMENT III. 1 That the imbecillity of our naturall dispositions tainted through the first Maits sinne with curiosity inconstancy 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 Inconstancy 5 And of our Negligence OVr humane natures stained through originall concupiscence cannot but be tossed and turmoiled with many impediments first with curiosity to prie into other mens actions and in the meane space to neglect Aesops hindermost wallet wherein our owne faults are registred Secondly we are spotted with ficklenesse to change our purposes as the Chameleon at the sight of euery glozing obiect Lastly through originall wantonnesse we become infatuated and stupefied that we forget what we reade or heare pertinent to our instruction in Christ. Here I could digresse and shew that our philosophicall scanning of times and seasons is the prime point of curiosity and so the chiefe cause of our worldly sottishnes We runne vpon things imagined to be done before the beginning of time of Adams time whereas in truth this computation of time is onely humane according to mans naturall vnderstanding which otherwise could not comprehend this worlds creation Surely in my iudgement there is no respect in the other world
graunt that in times past in times of blinde Papistry moe Ghosts and Spirits were seene then tongue can tell whereas now contrariwise a man shall scarcely all his life time heare once of such things And if it were lawfull for me to comment vpon our Act of Parliament in that case prouided Anno primo Iacobi where it is felony without benefit of Clergy in them which exercise any coniuration of a wicked spirit for any mans corporall hurt I would affirme that this most soueraigne Court enacted the said Statute partly in imitation of the law of God where Coniuration is termed sometimes the vsing of poyson to mens corporall hurts somtimes an vncharitable or inueterate malice of one neighbour to the other which the Apostle names man slaughter and sometimes a whoring after strange Gods which is called spirituall fornication such as the adoration of Dagon was among the Philistines Ieroboams golden Calfe which he in Machiauellian policy made to keepe the Israelites from going to worship in Ierusalem and such as Bel was in Babylon all as senselesse blockes and stones partly the said Act against Coniurers was set out to the end that the inward man might be reformed that malicious deuices being the causes of Treasons Murthers and poysonings might be suppressed and also that Idolatry superstition deceits and cousenages the impediments of loue vnity charity and concord might be quite banished out of our vnited Realme For is that man worthy to liue in a ciuill society which vniustly demeanes himselfe towards God and his neighbours Deserues he the title of a true subiect which inuocates on a forraigne Prince which serues his Princes enemy The lawes of Christianity condemnes him Let God haue what belongs to God and Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Better kill one rotten sheepe rather then the whole flocke miscary Better it is to chop off the hand then the whole body perish One leades astray this man this man another and at the last as more saâ—kes to the mill whole multitudes become preyes to the Diuell For further explanation of the said Statute it is inserted that supposed Coniurers shall be punished If they vndertake by charmes to finde hidden treasure to prouoke vnlawfull loue c. although the same be not effected and done And well worthy seeing by such indirect dealings and diabolicall deceits they become Apostataes loosing the priuiledge of Baptisme and consequently of Christianity where they were bound by their pledges to renounce the Diuell and all his workes They become guilty before God though the Diuell appeares not at all really vnto them after that they once determine in their minds to raise him vp Neuerthelesse for all this that I conceiue so charitably of my Countrey-mens freckled integrity like vnto that Law-giuer of Greece which decreed no Act against Parricides because he thought that kinde of sinne would neuer happen I wish my Readers not to make a strict Syntaxis or sophisticall construction on my simple meaning by their peecemeale collecting that I goe about to seclude the Authour of sinne by my construction of sinne For I acknowledge his false miracles his illusions his ambiguous riddles and his Apparitions of shadows both immediate and mediate ouert and couert explicite and implicite ordinary and extraordinary tending altogether to one maine point namely to tempt with deceit olde Adams carelesse progeny as contrariwise I impugne his ommpotent greatnesse supposed to be as well reall as royall I impugne his sacrilegious power of lightning and thundring Maiesty I impugne his reall sword of authority his paspable force of correction and his sensible dart of death ouer any of Christs members God forbid that his diuine Maiesty should tollerate this cruell Tyrant whose soueraigne felicity is malicious enuie in that imperious manner for then the life of man were in a most desperate plight Then were we assured to be suddenly dispatched euen in our extremity of sinne When wee were occupied about some wicked acte as the very best do sometimes fall his remorcelesse spirit would not lose that great aduantage he would surely like a rauening Lyon vtterly deuoure vs. Nay more if God did winke at his tyrannie our whole estate by the mediation of the Papists who take vpon them to be the Arch-coniurers of the world had beene long sithence blowne vp with the Gun-powder of his treacherous soule but God be thanked we haue a gracious Lord which hath limited this Leuiathan as Salomon limited Semei to his narrow home and as the Poet spake of Aeolus his kingdome Stricta dominatur in aulà hee Lordeth it in his straight hall And if it chance that he enter into a man we may well doubt whether his entrance be in the soule or body or rather whether his spirituall nature possesseth mans spirituall nature that is the soule or soules faculties Howsoeuer the bodie or soule become possessed by the permission of God I certainly beleeue that he may be quickly dislodged by praier and fasting and holy exercise for surely the holy Ghost and Gods ministring spirits loathe to guard our soules as long as we liue lewdly and licentiously These things considered I dare stand vpon my Christian guard and defie the Diuell with all his trumperies and reputed realty Let him do his worst let him cause his cogging Coniurers to vndertake false miracles works of wonders and tragicall tempests Our eares are stopt with Vlysses that we can neuer be surprised charme these Mearemaids neuer so melodiously Let them feed their hopes with golden dreames let them burie Sage till it be quite rotten let them fling flint stones ouer their left shoulders towards the West and when all comes to all they build vpon the sand and themselues are esteemed but for wizards dizards and dotards howsoeuer that the Spirit of detraction proclaime them for foolosophers or foolish flies which sitting on a waine wheele thought that themselues occasioned the great dust in the high way which the mouing of the wheele raised Wherefore I exhort thee that hast beene guiltie of such detractions to addict thy cogitations to the power of God which indeed is onely royall and reall infinite and immensiue and also to imitate holy Iob who imputed his calamities to the Lord and not to the Diuell The Lord gaue the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. And againe when his friends hit him in the teeth with his punishment deseruedly for his sinnes he protested in this manner Know now that God hath ouerthrowne me and compassed me with his net and a little after Haue pitie on me O my friends for the hand of God hath touched me By which words of Iob it appeares that the hand of God plagued him and that the Diuell exercised but the part of a Relator or Accuser such as he is termed in the Reuelation of S. Iohn wheÌ„ the Accuser of the brethren was cast downe from heauen To this sence agreeth that motion of the Diuel Lay thine hand
Wherein I haue promiscuously touched the principall branches of this Blaphemous sinne I haue taxed outragious and vaine swearing together with such foule faults as seeme derogatory to Gods titles attributes and workes to the scandal of our Christian liberty which seem also to confirme the reprobate in their hardnesse of heart Now in this present Circle I will proceed to such common vices that concerne our neighbours namely their railing their runnagate reports rash suspicions misconstructions ostentations and false verdicts And specially I will reproue publicke calumnies Aboue all things I exhort the Reformed Catholike that protesteth to fight against the Spirit of Detraction not to giue the least occasion of scandall to Schismatickes whether they be Tapists or Puritanes eyther by frumping speeches or by froward writing Rather pitie their obstinacy and pray for their conuersions specially spare to speake spitefully against these sicke Brethren of ours whom we nick-name Puritanes or holy Separatists as the Ancients vsed to call the impostors of Logicke Sophisters and as we call Papists Catholikes for what knowest thou whether God hath not separated them in their Mothers wombe to be his adopted seruants in their latter dayes notwithstanding their crabbed zeale What knowest thou whether the calme dew which awaiteth on the age of maturitie may by Gods grace coole that ouer-feruent humour of theirs if they suruiue to see that siluer-age of maturitie Or if their peruersnesse be such that they will not then relent to what end serues thy railing passion but to exasperate their peeuish mindes and to confirme them in their errours It is noted that Michael the Archangell in striuing for the body of Moses with the Diuel durst not detract nor dare him by exprobration Gods Spirit is meeke louing patient voide of temeritie and by these holy markes his seruants are discerned which Doctor Whitegift late Archbishop of Canterbury very discreetly obserued against Cartwright vrging thereby the nature of his impatient spirit Which infallible markes Antichrist himselfe out of the heard of swine is forced to confesse as Cardinall Baronius of late yeares verified when hee inuaighed against the petulance and factions of our English Seminaries at Rome They bragge much saith hee of Martyrdome but for ought I see they beare not the signes of Martyrs of obedience mildnesse and humilitie It is the part of a Brother to endeuour his Brothers conuersion into the vnitie of peace by gentle meanes as Abraham did to Lot let there be no strife betwixt thee and mee for wee be brethren Euen so likewise seeing that wee agree together in the pure and indiuisible essence of our Faith let not temporall Accidents disseuer the same which the holy Ghost hath ioyned together let vs not grieue this holy Spirit of God with our litigious speeches or writings in comparing those whom wee name Puritanes with Iesuites Christs members with the members of Antichrist nor let vs broach this late surmised Detraction that these our crazed brethren doe conspire with those of the Dragons Angels like Pilate and Herod reconciled for the coercion and dethroning of Kings for surely such venome neuer issued out of Caluins Schoole except they peruert and depraue the same as Saint Peter speakes of Saint Pauls Epistles Well it may be that some seditious sectaries to flatter their owne ambition during the present time to temporize and to bleare old Iacobs eyes haue dipped Iosephs coate in beasts bloud but I neuer heard that they euer imbrued their hands in Iosephs owne bloud Well it may be that they being flesh and bloud as well as others haue repined fretted and vttered some slanderous speaches in their malecontented moodes against their superiours in authoritie onely about Church-policie not sticking to affirme that notwithstanding their Canonicall constitutions they would still perseuer in their peeuish positions but I neuer heard that they complotted to commit any crying sinne to strangle a mans being in nature But what shall the Puritane then detract at his pleasure without contradiction No God forbid hee must conforme himselfe to the identitie of the Spirit to the vniforme harmony of Heauens Musicke least otherwise in following the self-opinion of his owne vnexperienced braine not gathering with his Maister Christ he scatter and sincke in the midst of his muddy pond To this end I beseech thee deere Christian Brother in the presence of God that gaue his Sonnes body among vs not peremptorily to be slaine againe nor to be diuided into parcels but spiritually heauenly and entire to communicate the same to the poorest as well as to the greatest that thou O diseased soule doe hearken vnto thy Physicians voyce that thou humble thy thoughts and words towards thy Brother in Christ not vsurping to thy selfe alone as a selfe-seeming Saint his vndiuided body which was also crucified for other Penitents God help vs the very best of vs all from the Prince to the Beggar is full of vncleannesse Yea the Angels of heauen are vncleane in his sight and in respect of his perfection The Worme of Conscience tels me that my puritie consists rather in the forgiuenesse of my sinnes then in the puritie of my vertues Submit therefore thy sturdy man vnto thy inward man Subdue thy Golias Calonem illum carnosum thy massie and proud tower of flesh vnto thy little Lord thy spirituall Dauid and then submit both of them in things Apocryphal and indifferent not concerning thy soules saluation vnto the Scepter of mens authoritie Offer vp thy soule vnto God by Faith as an holy priest-hood and a spirituall sacrifice in Iesus Christ. Offer vp thy body in temporall matters in ciuill policie to the Gods of the earth LINEAMENT VII 1 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for repining at our Christian neighbours of Scotland 2 The said Spirit conuicted for detracting from our Countrey-men of Wales YEe noble Saxon spirites tell me what is the reason that yee beare some secret emulation in the closets of your hearts towardes your Christian brethren borne in the same Iland vnder the same Prince the same faith was it not inough for you to bereaue them of the fertile fieldes of Loegria and to banish them amidst the craggie mountes amidst the horride rockes of this Northren Zone but ye must deride and defame them with your ironicall items your ridiculous girdes Now all coniectures are winded to the bottome The Fatall Chaire of Scotland which your victorious Edward transported to the Abbey of Westminster is restored againe into the possession of a Scottish Prince nay of a Brittish Prince of a right Christian Prince and that with your consent with Gods assent Now there is no cause to reedifie that famous wall from sea to sea which the Romaine Emperour built vpon the frontiers of both kingdomes Applaud yee English this happie vnion Congratulate this luckie lot Henceforth ye need not keepe watch and ward at your posterne gate Detract not therefore from your Christian neighbours for his glorious sake whom the Father
magnatum being as it were naturalis feritatis mastix the scourge of sauage nature had straightly bridled their lauish tongues within the precincts of their teeth and lips Vos O Patricius sanguis queis viuere fas est Occipiti coeco posticae occurrite sannae TO THE CVRIOVS PAINTERS OF CIRCLES IF these lines or leaues of my Circles drawne from the Center to the circumference be not all equall or if the points and prickes of euery line answere not the Mathematicall proportion of the Circle thou knowest that Veritas non quaerit angulos truth respects not angles triangles quadrangles nor artificiall curiosity I care not for the enticing words of worldlings wisedome but I couet the Spirit of euidence and power I couet matter more then method And yet I labour so to linke them that the line of nature may stand coupled with the points of Art that both from the Center of truth be caried to a Christian circumference for eueÌ„ as the gifts of the holy Ghost be distributed diuersly and in diuerse measures to Gods children some hauing but one grain of faith being conuerted in the euening of their liues and yet by grace adopted adiudged worthy to receiue the like equal crown of glory the like equall wages as those which laboured longer in the Lords haruest so to coÌ„pare little things with great let thy Grace Ingenuous Reader or gracious construction counteruail the vnequal lines of my Circles Where they exceed in their dimensiue quantity there oppose their distributiue quality for a counter-ballance Et sic omnes lineae ductae à centro ad circumferentiam sunt aequales THE FIRST CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED Diâ—ided into Lineaments LINEAMENT I. 1 To whose capacity the description of Spirits is difficult and to whose it is easie 2 The Authors inuocation to the Godhead through whose only operation the spirit of Detraction is to be coniured and conuicted THAT which is inuisible transcendent and not to be vnderstood in the land of mortall creatures such as is the description of Spirits cannot distinctly be disposed according to the prescription of curious Artists by reason that our knowledge here on earth is subiect to mutations vanity of vanities varnished only to the outward man and quickly vanished either through distemperature of the braine olde age or death and also by reason that a spirit in substance subsistence is supernaturally whole without Multiplication Diuersity or Part somewhat prodigious vnto Natures view Yet notwithstanding these infirmities we may conferre about the metaphysicall mysterie of Spirits contesting with the sword of the Spirit the word of God not for haughty ostentation but for humble edification comparing spirituall things with spirituall things The naturall man perceiues not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things He that submits his knowledge to the touch-stone of knowledge to the highest power scorning all Peacocke-plumes of Apocryâ—hall tradition and of old Adams impurities discerneth all things The Clerkes of China say that themselues do see with two eyes the Europeans with one eye and that all the rest of the world are starke blinde not hauing any eyes at all Euen so the soules of the supernall China the Church truely triumphant by looking on him which ouerlooketh all things doe spiritually discerne all things and do know as they are knowne The regenerated Christian discerneth though glimmering wise or winking through a darke glasse with one eye many things apperteyning to the lowly workes and louely fruits of the new man which is renewed into knowledge after the Image of him that made him But the naturall man confined within natures compasse can neuer discourse no nor dreame once of Diuine affaires While the flesh preuailes against the Spirit our knowledge is as it were stifled with a deadly earthly dampe and cannot appeare in that conspicuous maner as when our Epicurean natures become curb'd or crucified There is such iustling and bustling such strining strugling betwixt the flesh and the soule that Gods peace is oftentimes to both their miseries infringed The Mistresse therefore must straightly correct her seruant and that betimes before she attaine vnto her stubborn age left then she chuse rather to breake then to bow vnto her wholesome will The austere consideration of this our humane fragility caused the Apostle to write after this manner I tame my body and bring it into subiection lest while I preach to others I my selfe become a cast-away For the soule that walloweth in sensuality in fat blood and grosse humors can neuer enter into the speculation of spirituall comfort The smokie vapours which breathe from thence into the braine doe interpose a darksome mist of blockishnes before her eyes of vnderstanding whereof let a fat paunch beare me instance How cau'st thou saith the Satyrist meditate on any thing praise-worthy which hast such a large Ewer hanging forth a foote and a halfe from thy body Cum tibi Calue Pinguis aqualiculus propenso sesquipede extat Like as a Candle put in an earthen pot enlightneth onely the pot but being therhence remoued into a Lanthorne illuminates the whole roome with a farre greater splendor then before so the vnderstanding spirit of man eclipsed with the foggie interposition of sensuall pleasures lies infatuated and besotted like an Abbey-lubber not once able to crie out Abba Father but thence recalled by the holy Spirit of God and refined with competent fasting at due times with contrite humility and conuenient meditations it forgets the vanities of this cloudy world and frames it selfe wholly to spirituall contemplation And finally separated and singled out from the bodies prison it shines brighter then any starre Then Reason shines without eclipse of errour Wisdome without ignorance and Memory without obliuion Then shall we be able to contemplate with the eye of Faith the awefull Maiesty of the mighty Trinity the in effable and inestimable felicity of our fellows Saints Then shall we comprehend the mystical messages of the heauenly Spirits ascending and descending in Chariots of sacred fire to the behoofe of our Christian brethren and inuisibly instructing the Church on earth like as themselues are both instructed and inspired of their Prince of zeale But what am I that presume to weaue a worke of such wonderfull forms in such a base and broken loome How dare I with King Vzziah burn incense vnto the Lord that am not sanctified nor of the tribe of Leui how dare I that am in his presence more mean then the meanest moth or Atome more abiect then any Ant how dare I being so mean an abiect aspire to set forth the obiects of his wonderous workes Retire O my soule to the Soule of thy soule the Life of thy life the Lord of life as to the celestiall center of all perfections The Sun-shine of
his mercie may dispell thy darkesome scurfe of Leprosie dispence with thy Bayards boldnes Behold theÌ„ most mighty Monarch thy poore Publican afraid of thine anger ashamed of his ignorance conuerts himselfe vnto thee Correct by the inspiration of thy Spirit this aspiring enterprise of mine which I intend for the discerning of Spirits and disabling of the maleuolent Spirit of Detraction O Lord of incomprehensible goodnes graunt me my suit because I am a mâ—n of vncircumcised polluted lips let one of thy glorious winged Seraphines touch my mouth that being purified I may vtter nothing but truth The way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps Measure thou my steps o heauenly Spirit mortifie my â—oâ—uptuous thoughts of flesh and blood lighten mine internall eyes that I may lift my lumpish spirit to spirituall cogitations and apply my misty minde to thine eternall influence which cannot be seene at all with mortal sight but onely with most pure intellectuall minds as thy seruant Augustine confessed Trinitas Diuiâ—arum personaruÌ„ non nisi purgatissimis mentiê° cernitur The eye of sense and the eye of reason are both too dimme for discerning thee O illuminate my soule with the eye of faith so that my flesh being yoaked to my soule my soule vnto reason my reason vnto saith I may couragiously conquere and coniure downe the Scrich-Owle of darkenesse into the dungeon of hell Purge me with thy precious pilles lest in reprehending the Spirit of Detraction in others my selfe do fall into the same traines by the she suggestions of that Euill one who watcheth hourely like a wily wolfe to circumuent thy silly sheepe And thou my soule praemonita praemunita fore-warned fore-armed do thy best to charme this spitefull Spirit with charitable Characters of deepe Diuinity when he ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men By vertue of these glorious gifts the gifts of the Spirit by the crosse of our Sauiour Christ coniure him vp and downe that his cousenages and cheating craft may appeare to his clawbacke Clients To all other charmes the Adder is deafe hee stoppeth his eares and will not obey charme we neuer so wisely Iesus he knowes and Paul he knowes but who are we It is impossible for any kingdome to continue long which is at iarre and warre within it selfe To what purpose then stands Medaeas Magicke in firreting out of Fiends To what end seekest thou O Sibill to coniure downe Cerberus the hel-hound of darkenesse What auailes your cunning O Circe and Calypso Can Degon stand before the Arke of God No certainly Therefore in vaine doe Medaea Circe Calypso and Sibilla labour to exercise their exorcismes and shallow sorceries within the Circle nay within sight of that fielde where one graine offaith is sowne In vaine serue Witches wreathes where God is worshipped In vaine sings he Bacchare frontem Cingite ne vati noceat mala lingua future With Bacchar binde the Poets brow Lest wicked tongues him ouerthrow Though men speake neuer so precisely neuer so pregnantly though they speake the wordes of Angels yet if their speeches be not filed within the Circle of Diuine wisdome nor link't within the chain of Christian charity the Church of God will neuer repute so catholike and so potent a Spirit as this of Detraction quite coniured conuicted For as that Roman Criticke girded a vicious Senator saying Who can abide to heare thee iudge like graue Cato whom the world knowes to be as greedy as Crassus and as gluttonous as Lucullus Truely for my part I cannot more fitly compare such glozing Scholers then to a kind of glow-wormes which because they gliue shine in the nights the weaker sort of people haue mistaken for Sprites and Bugs They therefore that will rightly ouerthrow their spirituall foes must not shoot outwardly into painted ceremonies but into the source and spring of Goodnes Descend then yee fierie pillars of faith and quicken our incomposed Chaos Disperse away our Egyptian darkenes that we may passe on our iourney by night as wel as day not only through the red Seas of Detractions but also through the dangerous deserts of this world into the land of promise the land that flowes with milke and honey of eternall life where our consciences shall for euer rest secured from all future furies LINEAMENT II. 1. That the true meanes to conuict the Spirit of Detraction is the Meditation on Heauenly mysteries and on the operation of goodnes 2. Mans curiosity in prying into Gods nature stinted by a non vltra 3. The description of some of Gods attributes 4. That his description is too excellent â—or mans apprehension 5. That Good or Euill cannot come to mankinde without his will BEfore I sound out the poysonous power of the Spirit of Detraction it is necessary first that I begin with my homely talent to discourse somewhat of his immensiue glory who is Prima veritas in essendo dicendo primus omnium motor the first verity in being and speaking and the first mouer of all and so by degrees to descend into the numbers and attributes both of the good Spirits which attend their Creator and likewise of the bad spirits which beleaguer vs with their spiritual suggestions out of darknesse In the meane time I adiure and coniure thee thou false spirit of Detraction to be silent and not to interrupt my consecrated speech Auoyd Satan auaunt taunting Tempter Auoyd I charge thee In the name of the great Iehouah Auaunt againe and againe I charge thee By the omnipotent Spirit of the Word Incarnate by all the names and meanes which are warranted vnto vs in holy Writ O blessed names O blessed means which preuaile against the gates of Hell O blessed Vicar of Christs Church Gods Register of charitable Charters which inrols within the booke of my soule I meane within my conscience this warrant of faith that serious speculation on heauenly mysteries and on the operation of goodnesse and that with admiration rather then with affectation treades downe the head of that olde Enchanter and quite tramples vnder foote his false faculties whose spirituall spite sophisticate with subtle spels with Sardonicall sports and Siren-like songs I doubt more then all the Papists palpable Spirits and reall Diuels deuised for the most part to gull the simpler sort O Father of al things visible and inuisible if I presumptuously prie into the maze of thy mysticall nature as somtimes did a Philosopher of Greece the more I muse the more I stand amazed I finde those auncient Characters of Non vltra somtimes engrauen on Hercules his pillars firmely imprinted in my curious braine My soule sees no other obiects then infinite Entity Eternity Immensity Immutability Impassibility Immortality all life all motion all goodnes all truth all vnity all perfection O my Soueraigne God if I contemplate thine vnderstanding my poore
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
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
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
termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an ouer-curious work for our weake capacities I will relate the differences of such good Spirits as wee finde registred in the word of God to the entent that the spirit of Detraction may tremble the more when he hears their energie and efficacy expressed their energie and efficacie which they possesse by the sight and light of the heauenly Sunne Michael the Archangell is the great Prince which stands for the Lords people And as St. Iohn recordeth in his Diuine mysteries there was a battell in Heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and his Angels whom they ouercame by the blood of the Lambe that is by Christs innocency This Michael as many suppose is no other then our Sauiour Christ. For euen as by the Dragon the Arch-spirit of sinne is parable-wise included so by this Michael the Archangel of saluation might very well be figured By Michaels Angels I vnderstand his glorious spirit his Oracles comprehended in the Scripture the intercessions of Saints for our conuersions zealous bookes published by many good men for our edification in Christ besides our faithfull hearts prepared to heauen by deuout prayers and necessary mortifications of our lustfull bodies By the Dragon the Serpent or Deuill I expound the contempt of the Holy Ghost the deprauing of his precious gifts the spirit of Detraction the spirit of enuie the spirit of vncleanenesse and other sinfull spirits repugnant to the pure spirit of God For as S. Paul confirmes the selfe same because they regarded not God therefore God deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being full of all vnrighteousnesse fornication coueteousnesse malitiousnesse full of enuie c. In some places Angels are termed the starres of God for euen as starres doe shew the light of Heauen vnto vs shining onely to our outward sight so Angels signifie to the inward man the heauenly light of the sun-shine of grace Where mention is made of the Seraphins we may coniecture that for our weakenesse in nature and easie instruction they appeared with wings to the Prophet crying one to another Holy Holy Holy the Lord of Hostes The whole world is full of his glory as a prefiguratiue reuelatition that the word of God the Gospell of Christ should flie ouer all the world and fill the same with his glorious power In like manner their description with wings portends their celeâ—ity and swift readinesse to succour vs in extremity Another Prophet layeth downe the forme of the Cherubins in this manner Euery one of them had foure faces and euery one foure wings and the likenesse of a mans hand was vnder their wings Vnder which vision we may containe the similitude of the foure Euangelists with Christs hand or with his holy Spirit transported into the foure quarters of the world into the East West North and South according vnto the foure ages of the world vnder Adam Noah Moses and Christ which is the last and renueth vs to euerlasting life Among others of Gods spirituall ministers which his Maiesty sent to mankinde one is named Gabriel an Angel that appeared first to Daniel when he prayed to haue that performed of God which he had promised touching the returne of the people from their captiuity in Babilon While he was speaking and praying euen the man Gabriel whom he had seene before in a vision came flying and touched him The said Gabriel came afterwards to Zacharias the Priest to shew him the Natiuity of S. Iohn Baptist and was also sent to Mary the mother of Christ. An Angel called Vriel reproued Esdras because he seemed to enter into the profound iudgements of God And there Ieremiel an Archangell confirmes the wordes of Vriel Raphael one of the seuen holy Angels which goe forth before the Lord tooke the shape of a man and fellowlike conuersed with yong Tobias vntill he brought him home safely from his great iourney bound Asmodeus the lustfull spirit and restored to olde Tobith his sight Now it remaines that I shew what Angels be Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation The Holy Ghost in the Scripture expresseth their outward formes particular names and numbers in plaine termes to make their Embassages and messages of greater reckoning to our terrestriall senses and simple vnderstanding Their mansions be diuers as our Sauiour testified My Fathers house hath many Mansions Their multitudes infinite Thinkest thou said Christ to his Disciple which smote the High Priests seruant that I cannot now pray to my Father and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels These be they whose loude voyces that profound Diuine heard saying Praise honour glory and power be vnto him that sâ—teth vppon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore These be they whom our Sauiour Christ prophesied to send against the day of Iudgement to gather together his Elect from the foure windes and from the one end of the Heauen to the other These likewise be those diuine Ministers which at the end of the world shall goe forth and seuer the bad from among the iust and shall cast them into a Fornace of fire where there shall be wayling and gnashing of teeth In the holy Scriptures we reade that holy men such as Aaron the Prophets and Priests were called Gods or Angels because they resembled them in proprieties and perfections for euen as it is the office of Angels to praise God in purity of minde and sanctification so likewise it is the duty of Ministers to preach and teach the word of God without hypocrisie negligence or worldly craft THE SECOND CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CO NIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1. The true application of the abouesaâ—d Coniurations 2 That the names of other good spirits be manifold and diuerfly taken in the holy Scripture 3 After what manner Sinne the messenger of Sathan stings vs. 4 By what meanes we may repell the stings of Sathan 5 That it is hard to iudge of our spirituall stings and from whence they come THe meditation of these mysteries I hope will shake the power of our spiritual Tempters and shape our humane wils after the refined mould of the Inward man so that we prostrate our selues before our Heauenly Lord humbly prying into our owne vnworthines and putting off our vncleane sâ—oes before wee touch his holy Mount so that we employ our knowledge in testimonium veri non in adiutorium falsi for the glory of God and not for the support of sinne so that also we apply our contemplation of his Saints for admiration and not for adoration applauding their happy estates with the acknowledgement of our owne vnhappinesse For who can thrust Peter into Gods Throne were he ne're so glorious a Saint without apparant Treason Downe then yee Detracting soules into your earthly caues
Without the mediation of Christ God is a consuming flame wherefore approach not neere this Flame lest ye be consumed Diue rather into your owne weakenesse and thinke on nothing so often then on Christ lying in a vile manger or on Christ crowned with a crowne of thornes or on his guiltlesse body nayled to the crosse of infamy and no doubt but the effects of Grace will follow Where other good Spirits are mentioned in the word of God and how one rested vpon many and many vpon one I am not of the minde that they were reall corporal and palpable spirits but rather Diuine gifts or supernaturall vertues conferred vpon the soules of the Elect by the Lord for his glory God tooke off the spirit that was vpon Moyses and put it vpon the seuenty Elders and when the spirit rested vpon them they prophesied In sundry places of the Scripture we reade that the spirit of the Lord possessed many where they became notable eyther for prophesies valour or other rare properties which Spirits must not be ballanced by proportionable quantity but spiritually construed by operation and quality Which exposition I haue laid downe as I haue some of the premisses of set purpose that the Reader may not be mistaken in conceiuing the spirit of Detraction and other sinfull Spirits to possesse mankinde really The holy Ghost fell at one time vpon many of the Apostles and others which is as much to say that the pretious Gifts of the holy Ghost of prophesie of diuersities of tongues of faith patience and other vertues inspired these seruants of God whom his Wisedome selected and sealed to that degree of sanctification as the potters vessels for such honourable seruices Contrariorum cadem est ratio By the knowledge of Goodnesse let vs gather the knowledge of the opposite how the Diuell by his spirituall Nuncioes of Sinne as by Detraction malice and such others possesseth the negligent sonnes of Adam not with reall formes but with spirituall suggestions and spiritual operations God turnes away the influence of his countenance from his degenerate children then Sathan embraceth that aduantage of opportunity and with his pestilent breath bloweth into the principall parts of mans body and soule He impoysoneth the humours of melancholy choler and gail enuenometh the lodge of imagination then the possessed is sranticke or lunaticke The bloud and seede he tickleth and tainteth with honied lechery and hateful luxury then the patient becomes passionate in his body prodigall of his bloud and seede and proude of his supposed power For how can it otherwise be when the body is tempted to receiue into it superabundance of iuyce of immoderate meates and drinkes Must not consequently euery naturall body vent out what is supersluously gathered within it But O thou great Gouernour of the world whose will is vnsearchable no mortall man can mortifie his longing conceits his lustfull concupiscence without the mortification of his body by fasting neither can he mortifie his body by fasting without powring out many piteous petitions before the seate of thy mercy Nor yet can man O sinfull man powre out his petitions intentiuely before thee except it were giuen him from aboue and except he were in his conscience compelled by the operation of thy spirit to craue daily for perscuetance in his prayers and petitions To finish the abouesaid point of Sathans stinging whether these plaguy temptations be verily or figuratiuely the Diuels spirituall power or the wrath of God inclosed in vials as is allegorically specified in the Apocalyps it is hard for man to iudge for both might well be inflicted on vs seeing the vngodly is a sword of his and Nabuchadonozor is termed his seruant or executioner to reuenge his iust conceiued anger against the Israelites The winde blowes and with his furious force ouerturnes a Forrest of wood and ouerthrowes whatsoeuer it meetes yet no man knowes whence it comes or whither it goes Euen so it fares with these turbulent spirits well may we ayme at their mediate manner of infections but it is a very difficult matter to discourse iudicially of their immediate stinging Sure we are that none escape without them LINEAMENT II. 1 The originall roâ—te of Detractions and other pollutions and whether the spirit of Detroction and other sinfull spirits which possesse mankinde be reall spirits or stings of the Diuell 2 The fight betwixt the knowledge of Good and the knowledge of Euil 3 That the Good gets the victory ouer the Euill 4 That the Diuell cannot harme a man really IN the beginning God made all creatures good and perfect though afterwards through presumption arrogancy and Detraction they became sinfull His omnipotent Maiesty being righteous and dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule with their vnlawfull deedes and at length finding no stedfastnes in his seruants and laying folly in his Angels most iustly condemned them threw them down into hell where he hath reserued them in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Where in stead of eternall glory they liue tortured with eternall infamy in stead of happy light they see nothing but horrid night in stead of holy knowledge they feele nothing but hellish ignorance in stead of perpetuall ioyes perpetuall paines How greatly then are our superstitious worldlings bewitched that authorize Diuels in multitudes and with corporall shapes that is with bodies subiect to handling hauing of necessity longitude latitude profundity otherwise called thicknes presently to appear at the lure of mortall men and to command the heauenly powers for satisfaction of their phantasies Let it suffice that we belecue the Holy Ghost hath omitted nothing pertinent to our saluation let it suffice that we arme our soules with the spirituall Corcelets of faith and charity against the most terrible encounters of Diuellish sinnes propagated vnto the children of Adam from the Arch-spirit of sinne Vt mures in muris sic satellites Sathanae in cordibus nostris delite scunt as Mice in walles so lurke the messengers of Sathan in our hearts Let it suffise our curiosity that sinne is a roaring Lyon a spirituall Diuel and that a reprobate minde fraught with vile affections like canckred poyson killes both body and soule There is a seede of man which is an honourable seede the honourable seede are they that feare the Lord. There is a seede of man which is without honour the seede without honour are they that transgresse the commandements of the Lord. This latter seede is the Deuils sting spirituall temptation spirituall Detraction springing of melancholy and corruption of humours which can neuer possesse vs while we obserue that golden rule Watch and pray that is praying alwayes in all supplication and watching for the same purpose with all instance for all Saints The chiefest Diuell on earth Vice-roy to the chiefe Serpent of hel is the knowledge of Euil euen as the chiefest God on earth Vice-roy
against the Authour of nature These sinfull spirits like baites of sweet poison or sugred gals possesse olde Adams progeny according to the variable and voluble dispositions of the patient These not vnlike to Mice Lice lawlesse Lawiers or noysome vermine by Sathans spirituall suggestion doe endeuour to infest molest and sift vs as wheate They had their beginning at the fall of the Diuell and his Angels who are throughly possessed with all the said qualities working diuersly by the meanes of the same spirit The spirit of Detraction the spirit of Enuy the spirit of Pride and such like vitious spirits proceed from one roote from one Serpent that olde Impostor I am setled in this opinion by the Apostle who proued the identity of the Holy Spirit by the like reason The body is one and hath many members And againe There are diuersities of gifts but the same spirit To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit To another the operations of great workes to another prophesie to another the discerning of spirits to another the diuersities of tongues All these things worketh the same spirit distributing to euery man as it pleaseth him From one Tree came many branches of euill by the inticement of one Serpent came all these spirits of â—rrours which like venemous stings incite vs to vngodly actes And yet for all this I denie not but there are malicious spirits as well as ministring spirits Diuels as well as Angels the one attending on Lucifer the Prince of Diuels the other on Michael the Lords chiefe Angell both inuisibly attempting to work vpon the Will of man vehemently or by leisure as God commands them either for the knowledg of Goodnesse or for the knowledge of Euill Neyther will I here omit to interpose another opinion of mine concerning the Diuels force which is that God the reuenger of iniquity commands the Diuell as his executioner to pursue the reprobate sometimes by immediate causes and somtimes by mediate and second causes by immediate when the faculties of the soule are by his spirituall spurres extraordinarily possessed with frenzie sury and such like by mediate causes when the instruments of the body are by his spiritual enticements tempted to receiue into them more then suffice nature so that the veines ouerflow with blood the gall with choler adust and the liuer with lust But in my iudgement with the former extraordinary or miraculous causes the Diuell cannot harme a Christian mans body really howsoeuer I thinke of the soules immediate obsession or harme the least part of his body Surely I belecue that God reserues that palpable reall power as a prerogatiue to himselfe to his owne Angels and to his second causes in this world to himselfe as when Pharaoh and his Aegyptians were miraculously plagued with Lice and other annoyances by the singer of God or when he caused his Angel for Dauids fault to smite the Israelites with pâ—stilence But thou wilt aske me how can a Christian bee frantick by the Diuels meanes and yet not really hurt by him By him by the Diuels immediate reall force Nay principally by themselues and by their owne filthy bodies which suffered themselues at first to be gluttonously carried by their owne appetites and by the Diuels spirituall suggestion If they had eaten lesse and drunke lesse such corruption of humours could neuer taint them neither could consequently frenzie possesse them And also if they had in time sought for grace by daily prayers fasting being a coadiutour vnto them God would haue hearkened vnto them and healed their indispositions But on the contrary it pleased his Maiesty to harden some to lead them into temptation because they might acknowledge his iustice and omnipotency and also serue for monuments to terrifie the wauering minded To returne vnto my former matter as all wicked spirits and vitious purtâ—rbations sprung in mortall men by meanes of the said Arch-spirit of sinne so likewise by him they worke many and sundry operations Moyses made mention of the spirit of Iealousie Esay of the spirit of Errour The Lord permitted alying spirit to goe out and be in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to enâ—ice him into the battell against the Sirians Another Prophet relateth of the spirit of fornication And as S. Paul records God gaue them the spirit of slumber The spirit of God departed from Saeul and an euill spirit was sent from God to vexe him Therefore his seruants aduised him to seeke a cunning player vpon the Harpe whereby he might be refreshed and eased What sense more naturall to our capacities can we gather by this euill spirit and the easie cure thereof then that it was eyther a kinde of Lunacy vsuall in that hote countrey a fit of melancholy or a falling sickenesse For the cure whereof his seruants by whom I vnderstand his Phisittans hauing experimented belike that none other medicine then musicke could auaile him or perhaps not hauing such insight in Phisicke as we haue wished him onely to comfort his heart with ioyes and as we vulgarly speake to keepe Doctor Merriman company To this opinion of mine I adioyne another reason whereof we must not descant ouer-curiously that God predestinated purposely this extraordinary accident vpon Saul for the aduancement of Dauid who vpon this occasion happily composed many of his Psalmes and confirmed the vertues of his spirit and also by this accesse into the Kings Palace he gained vnto him the mindes of his chiefe Captaines and Officers besides he got by this familiar frequency in the Court his education and experience in matters of ciuill policy which otherwise he could hardly in humane probability obtaine by reason that hee was brought vp but simply among Sheepheards This I write not of any blasphemous purpose to restraine the Lords miraculous power but that we may obserue his prouidence in vouchsafing to worke by ordinary and naturall meanes But admit that the literall sense be admitted what absurdity can ensue thereof For the Diuell in his fall hauing wholy lost the musicall consent and melodious concord which was ensused in his soule at his creation could hardly digest Dauids Hymmes and Harpe the same being quite disagreeable to his discording and disproportioned nature I say such Diuine musicke reduced the extrauagant thoughts of Saules soule to such an excellent harmony and quiet tune that the Diuell durst not abide that sweete tempered sound Ouer all the abouesaid wicked spirits the spirit of Detraction awaiteth Doth the Lord send his terrible thunder his glorious lightnings as warlike alarums to rouze vs vp from our sleepy sinnes Behold the spirit of Detraction at hand and attributes those strange signes to the Prince of this world his Lord and Master the Diuell God quoth he is the Author of goodnesse quiet and neuer intâ—rmedles with thunder-claps stormes or tempests Non illi imperium pelagi scâ—ptrumque tridentis Sed mihi sort datum
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
confusion of poore-blinde Papists namely in remembrance of him in remembrance of him for as often as yee eate his bread and drinke his cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he comes so that ioyning together as louing members of one body we might skirmish against our spiritual Enemy and against his spirits of sinne which he hatcheth and fostereth for our bane fall and perdition In a word let vs account it a foule sinne for any man to be eyther ignorant or partiall in his own infirmities And let vs censure other mens faults with fearefull consciences or rather suspend our hasty iudgements because we cannot distinctly discerne of spirits but let vs diue into our owne without doubts or scruples because God gaue vs a mindfull monitrix within to looke our 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 THou mortall man in thy young and tender yeares being pliable and apt to receiue any impression must out of hand be fashioned in the sharpe turning wheele of instruction Vdum molle lutum es nunc nunc properandus acri Fingendus sixe fine rotâ In youth thou art as moist and softned clay And must by teachers wheele make hast away This counsellâ— direct to honest parents my brethren in Christ whereby they may beware how they cocker and dandle their children in licentious folly Roses must needs wither when they are ouer-growne with bryers and thornes and children that are assayled with whole legions of affections must fall at the last if they be not accordingly sâ—ccoured Which likewise that Diuine Philosopher ratifieth A youth not as yet hauing fully and absolutely disposed himselfe to goodnesse is a deceitfull cruell and a most proude beast vnlesse he be bound betimes with a Schoolemaster as with a streng bridle Certainly good education is the chiefest ebstacle and baâ—re to the diuellâ—sh spirit of Detraction For when haue you heard any man ingenuously brought vp to detract from his Creator or from his neighbour He that toucheth pitch cannot but be defiled therewith one scabbed sheepe may infect a whole flocke And as the Royall Prophet saith With the cleane thou shalt be cleane and with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse As for you of the nobler and prouder sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cousens to the Gods of the earth you that stand vpon phantasticall Genealogies bringing your pedegrees by a thousand lines and branches from Gog and Magog measuring your deserts by descent and not by vertues worth yee I mean queijs vinere fas est occipiti coeco which perswade your selues that it is lawfull for you to leade your liues carelesse and to speake what you please concerning God or man yee are too high for my humble pen I dare not admonish you for feare of an action on the case Nay few that vnderstand any thing must be admitted to your presence and if any one be yet dare he not instruct you for feare of displeasure or if happily at any time he put you in minde thereof no man will abide him But why doe I wish men in their prime in their growing time to be pruned with vertue polished with learning and strongly armed against the stormy spirit of Detraction Seeing they lacke profitable Teachers to edifie their soules Seeing our Ghostly Pastors in this remote place of the Kingdome be ignorant themselues No other reason can be alleadged of this their ignorance then pure penury whereof the Clergie especially here in our Countrey languisheth Let me looke but in the neighbour-hood where I dwell and I finde within this one Hundred twelue parishes whose tythes and emoluments amount to a deepe summe in the yeare Some parishes yeelde eight score or nine score pounds a yeare yea the tithes of the least parish arise yearely to one hundred pounds and yet notwithstanding all this the poore Curates receiue not aboue twenty nobles a piece in the yeare Out of which they be compelled to pay yearely fifteenthes pro curations and other exactions as high as thirty shillings So that the Ministers pension is little more then fiue pounds Which beggarly annuity cannot maintaine him no nor supply him with necessary rayment Neyther will any Scholer of worth accept of such a meane rate For who will rest content with drosse while he may haue gold Who will inhabite in a mud-wall cottage if he may haue better Nay if some zealous men were willing to extend the talents of their spirits for our instruction how can such poore pittances serue to keepe soule and body together Venter nec aures neque linguam habet It agreeth with reason that the industrious Labourer chiefly in the Lords vineyard should enioy his competent hire for if maintenance and reward of trauell were taken away learning must needes fall to ruine This certainely is the cause which marreth nurture and consequently leaues our mindes barren vntilled and vnfurnished with true knowledge insomuch that spacious roome is left for our spirituall Enemy to enter and to beleaguer with easie force the feeble forts of our soules I will passe ouer with secret griefe and silence how that thousands within this our Countrey of Wales resort not to Church aboue once a yeare their towneships or hamlets being distant from the Church seuen or eight English miles I could likewise produce many parishes which were not partakers of Sermons in any mans memory no nor as farre as I can learne their Curates neuer graced them with one poore Homily or Catechisme But because this latter point is a matter out of my element neither inquirable nor determinable by my Commission and for feare least these Ecclesiasticks of the positiue degree procure the Thunder-bolt of Excommunication against me for intermedling with their frothy dregges and for putting my strange Oare into their Barke though it be to saue it from wracke like vnto zealous Vâ—zza who rashly toucht Gods Arke to stay it from falling I will surcease my pen and suspend my censure of their dregges and lees in hope that they will conuert the same to better purposes and distill their lees in the Limbecke of reformation to a pretious oyle of Tartar with which they being annointed and affected may vent out godly doctrine goodly discipline farre better then with the holy water wherewith our missopecunifices our masse-mongers thinke to chase away the spirit of Detraction other hellish spirits To wind vp this discontented discourse of my Countreyes Leuites I pray God that the French prouerbe whereby they taxe a thing hard to be brought about fall not our iust vpon some of their heads that is Ily a plus de difficulte qu' a tirer vn Prestre de la tauerne That 's harder then to draw a Priest from the Tauerne More yet could I insert concerning the
be thou mayest be the motiue of his repentance and reformation These spitefull spurious seedes of the Spirit of Detraction a deuout Schoole â—aâ— points out in this maâ—er Si paupâ—res vilem abâ—ectum â—e reputat si Dâ—ues ambit â—osâ—m auarum cupidum si Affabilts dissolutum si Praedicator vel Docter â—â—moris vel humani fauoris quaesuorem si 〈…〉 inuâ—â—lâ—m sâ—â—cum us hypocritam si comedens vrcâ—rem Thaâ— is if thou be poore he reputes thee vile and obiect if rich ambâ—tions a â—â—ggard or couetous if affaâ—â—e 〈…〉 if thou be a Preacher or a Doctor then he accouâ—tâ— thee a hunter after honour or popularity if silent vnprofitable if fasting an hypocrite if eating a glâ—tton With these or such like mantles of subtleties the Diuell vseth to shrouâ— his inueterate malice towards mankind so that we presuming on selfe-wit and selfe-will care not what wickednesse we contriue nor what vanity we vtter with our lips Nor doe we thinke that our most patient Lord beholdeth vs heareth vs yea and knoweth the very cogitations of our hearts before we haue time to speake them But because when we knew God we glorifie him not as God neither are thankefull therefore God giues vs vp to reprobate minde That is he giues vs ouer to our owne lustes to siâ—ne tradimur Sathanae we are deliuered ouer to be tempted and seduced by Sathan we are excommunicated with Caine from Gods lightsome presence barred out of the doores of heauen and banished from blâ—sle And if it were lawfull for me to diue in the Lords secrets I would say that the Arch-diuell that old Serpent is let loose out of hell for a time to confirme vs in our reprobate natures 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 HOw so vile a spirit as this of Detraction can possesse a man pertaker of diuine reason I cannot keepe close from my friends the naturall meanes First Will being Lady ouer the soule ouer reason ouer sense and imagination loth to minister causes of discontentment to any of her subiects lest her Dominion through ciuill discord might become enfeebled resolues to please all handes sometimes bearing with one sometimes with another at last she is glad her selfe to yeeld her suffrage vnto the strongest party in such wise that the spirit of Detraction gets footing with other spirits of errour Wherein she resembles the Machiauellian Princes of this world who complot by their peoples factions for their priuate gaine one while with the Gnelfes another while with the Gibellines one while with the white Rose another while with the red Rose one while with the Vrsini another while with the house of Columna vntill at length themselues by the iust iudgement of God feele equall smart their owne estates turned topsie-turuy and vntill the triple crowned Monarch be chased like the Foxe out of his hole from Rome to Auinion To adde another naturall reason for the enabling of the premisses the spirit of Detraction at the first by bribing of memory sense hath accesse to the braine which is the lodge of the Imaginatiue Lady and by his double diligence insinuates himselfe into her amity She a Princesse of estimation and fauor with the Heart commends this spirit of Detraction to her protection as a minion or play-fellow to deceiue the time or rather her selfe and to discouer vnto her the diuersities of Spirits which might harme her eyther in detracting her credite or in disposing her subiects to insurrection Here the spirituall Hermaphrodite is let in at first by secret conuayances as a thiefe for as yet he dares not openly enter into the hearts palace for feare of the enuious Nobles But in processe of time hauing throughly like Absolon or Seianus stolne away the good consent of the Heart and now strongly befriended by her extraordinary fauours in this microcosme of man he enduceth other humorous spirits to regard him and in fine enticeth vnto him in the hearts metropoly the greatest number of the purer vitall spirits where he besotteth them and bewitcheth them with melancholy rage choler malice and other disordinate passions insomuch that the Soule the hearts tutrix is likewise enforced nolens volens will she nill she to obey this vnworthy Spirit LINEAMENT VII 1 Corollaries for the explanation of the premisses 2 Where wicked Spirits reside in man WIcked Spirits inhabite both in the soule and body some as the spirit of malicious Detraction the spirit of hatred the spirit of enuie lodge in the highest and chiefest part of the soule called the reasonable will which is seated betweene reason and sensuality and apt to be applied to eyther and these are spirituall materiall not knit to any corporall Organ or instrument Other some there be that dwell in the inseriour part of the soule now Will being altogether become sensuall as the spirit of gâ—uttony the spirit of lechery and these are materiall bodily and apprendants to some corporall subiect as rightly belonging to the sensitiue appetite The former spirits are apprehended in the soule before they descend to the bodies appetite The latter two are conceiued with sensuall appetite before it be throughly scanned in the reasonable will or soule whether the acte committed be good or euill This the auncient Philosophers harpâ—d vpon when they acknowledged in euery man three seuerall parts proceeding from spirituall and corporall fountaines namely the Intellectuall which issueth from the soule in the braine the Irascible which issueth from the heart and the Concupiscible or longing part which flowes from the liuer Of these the Intellectuall while it remaines incorrupted may be termed celestiall being the little and liuely looking-glasle of Gods own attributes The other two being brutail may rightly be ascribed to the sensitiue constitution specially when eyther through custome complexion or through some accidentall course they become materiall members for the knowledge of Euill In like manner both these spirits Irascible and Concupiscible linckt in affinity with flesh and blood may also proportionably challenge one vniuersall lodge in the body as wel as the soule apart vnto themselues I meane when they vsurpe a predominance ouer the rest of the passions and this is the heart for who calumniates his neighbours good name and same and hath not the heart burning Who is possessed with the spirit of lust and seeles not his heart consenting Who hates his neighbour and perceiues not his heart panting for reuenge In the heart is the most concourse of humours and there abounds much fiery heat seeing that it digesteth the blood which is sent from the liuer for euen as the eyes of maydes looke vp to the hands of their Mistresse and as the lesser wheeles in the watch waite vpon the greatest wheele so all the members of the body depend vpon the heart their punctuall wheele and mistresse 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 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
threats from S. Michacls Mount to the furthest bounds of Calydone against all licentious and lying libellers against detractors of their neighbours names or at least wise against such prophane persons which presume to wound the Maiestie of their great Creatour by their malicious or wanton wordes To this end like vnto that Clowne of Danubius who spared not to speake the truth from his very heart before the Emperour Aurelius and the whole Senate of Rome an obedient and obsequious seruant of yours borne vnder Cambriaes climate doth here enforme your patient Highnesse that the Sunne can no longer shine in your Christian Kingdome vpon truth and blasphemy without a most terrible eclipse of discontentment Arise therefore O King and cause these noysome Foxes to be both slaine and slaine Let their habitation be desolate and no man dwelling therein For they that be Traytors to their Heauenly King can neuer be true to their earthly King They that wittingly and wilfully teare in pieces the Titles of the great Iehouah will also proue rayling Semeies and reuiling Sathans against your royall Highnesse Their tongues like sharpe pointed arrowes will passe and pierce through your hard steely armour your armour of proofe my Lords both spirituall and temporall Their throats like open Sepulchres doe threaten to bury your wounded bodies O yee Knights Burgesses and Commons Yea these Knights of the Post these common swearers and detractors will conspire some time or other to blow vs all vp one after another with the gun-powder of their blasphemies O then let not such Atheisticall Agags be spared but let them perish by the hands of Samuell let them perish in the pit of perdition as persons faire worse then murtherers for these kill but the body whereas the periured kill themselues totally both body and soule And as an auncient Father writes They that blaspheme Christ now reigning in heauen do sinne no lesse then they that crucified him here on earth When they forsweare themselues whether it be by compulsion or of custome or of some worldly respect all is one eyther by Gods body by his bloud or by his woundes they spiritually pierce his sides with their bloudy weapons for a wicked tongue is worse then any weapon and like pitilesse Pilate they scourge his sanctified body againe When they sweare by his head as our swaggering swil-bowles will sweare by any part they plaite another Crowne of thornes vppon his hallowed head When they sweare by his foote they naile his innocent feete to the Crosse anew When they sweare by Gods death by Gods heart they put him to death and being worse then Iudas Iscariot they plot to supplant the heart of life When they sweare by senseles blocks stocks by the Masse by Gog or magog they detract from Gods honour in attributing his due to dumbe and deafe Idols But when they wilfully sweare betwixt party and partie in iudiciall proceedings by Gods Sacraments or forsweare themselues vpon his louely Legates the Testament eyther olde or new they blasphemously detract from the Father the Word and the holy Ghost by reason that Gods word comprehended in those holy Oracles is the right record on earth resembling the word incarnate now in heauen who redeemed the penitent from Sathans thrall euen as the other two mysticall records of water the spirit or of Baptisme and the Lords Supper represent the Father the holy Ghost the one signifying our Election by Baptisme and repentance from the Father before all worlds and the other witnessing and sealing the same into our consciences and also breathing faith loue charity and other Diuine gifts into our barren wils as is most euidently testified in those Testaments so that wilfull periury and blasphemous Detraction either to the derogation of Gods honour or to the detriment of his creatures if without commission I may discerne of spirits may be termed a sinne against the holy Ghost or against the whole Maiestie of the sacred Trinity No lesse also sinne the suborners of periurie then Periurers themselues nay they encurre a farre greater punishment because they occasion the losse of other mens soules namely of the suborned persons besides the losse of their owne soules And to detaine them more surely and safely in hell the iniured parties against whom such periury was committed will continually craue and crie for vengeance In respect of which abhominable abuses and for that the Diuell is now-a-dayes most spiritually busie at the shutting vp of this last tragicall seene of the world may it please your Soueraignties to ioyne together as mystical members of one vndiuided and vnblemished corporation for the extirping out of such prophane sinnes which being begunne in youth continued in manhood and confirmed in olde age doe continually raigne among vs as it were by destiny so that likewise other blasphemies in manner of branches beginne to ouer-spread their leaues of lies and libels aboue the plants of truth onely by the slight and too too light stocking vp of that sinfull and saplesse tree of periury Or if your wisedomes iudge it not expedient to promulge and put out any new Acte against this manifolded spirit of malignant Detraction yet notwithstanding for the preuenting of periurie and for the protection of innocencie that Naboth may not sustaine damage by Iezabels false witnesses and that all other sincere subiects may walke dreadlesse in their vocations it were a worke of charity and very likely to hinder the future budding vp of innumerable inconueniences if you would but adde one materiall clause more to the Statue of periury viz. That none be admitted to beare witnes against honest men but honest men men of some sufficiency and substance vntouched vncorrupted and vnsuspected I meane not that they should be voyde of sinne for then we must goe out of this world to fetch in the Angels of heauen but I meane sober men vnattainted of notorious crimes those whom the common law termes probos legales so that common drunkards haunters of Alehouses hunters of whores Barretours beggars rogues and light persons whom the Londoners call Knights of the Post may be excluded from deposing against substantiall subiects For to what end requires the law to haue witnesses produced Is it not to trie the truth And what truth can there be found in such notorious lewd liuers whose thoughts are altogether dulled with sensuall pleasures What true proofe can there be expected from them who differ but very little from bruit beastes Therefore it were sit that Iudges and Iurours regard circumstances as well as witnesses Doth a common drunkard or a common whore-hunter depose such must haue meanes to maintaine their vices Doth a beggar or a prisoner sweare beleeue him not for pinching penuâ—ie will perswade persons to testifie that the crow is white Neede will make the olde wise trot Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames Is a common Barretour produced to testifie his knowledge A Barretour is euer
of God from the sonnes of Bâ—lial to the glory of his heauenly Maâ—â—stie to the comfort of his Deputy heere on earth to the discharge of your owne consciences which yee pawne and pledge for the security of your duety and diligence Discite Iustitiam moniti non temnite Diuoâ— THE FIFT CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The Authors scope in this Circle 2 His inuocation to the Godhead against his Ghostly Enimies IN the precedent Circles I haue affoorded the Reader a taste of my present purpose in it I haue coniured the spirit of Detraction forearming my selfe with the spirits of Goodnes or to speake Poetically Aegide Palladia with Mineruâ—es shield and so by descent discried the tree of Good and Euil wherin I haue exercised my declining will with excellent exorcismes of Michaels mysteries and also I haue therehence deseended as it were by steps and degrees to the pedegree of those degenerate spirits which gape after mans damnation euer since our deiection from that Paradise of free-will being but the mysticall meanes of olde Adams probation and particularly I haue canuased the said spirit of Detraction that domineeres it in all places at Ordinaries at Feastes at Tobacchonizing without curbe or checke one while breathing forth blasphemies against his God that will not holde him guiltlesse another while possessing the soules of our reprobates like vnto those of Ahabs false Prophets so that they broach out whole pipes of poisonous periuries paradoxes slaunders and ridiculous girdes in the derogation nay in despite of the meeke and milde spirit of God whom they forâ—e to depart away out of their quondam baptized consciences being very sorrowfull to see their hardened hearts and to see his holy gifts bestowed in vaine But our Fathers determinate will be done in earth as it is in heauen that hath sealed vp the certainty and number of the Elect before this world was made by his word and wisedome And now that the spirit of Detraction stands forth to be arraigned at the barre of vnderstanding let no man blame me if I lay out Truth it selfe in euidence against him as well to conuince him present as also to confound his absent adherents acceslaries and abertours which together with the abouesaid diuellish euils make no conscience in this licentious age with the Gyants of olde time to raise and roule vp mounts against the Heauens with Promethâ—us to rob God of his â—ight to father his workes of highest honour vpon the Father of lies and according to the nature of base spirits which cannot eleuate themselues to the Spheare of speculation to stand in greater feare of the Diuels supposed realty then to become rauished with the louely Maiestie of the euerliuing God who with one blast can tumble downe such detracting Clinickes into the abisme of eternall night where their Chymist God inhabites without hope of redemption In execution of which important charge I doubt not but Sathan whose miracles I annull wil coniure vp many sulphure ous wits of both sexs nicking Momes and nipping Niobes to scolde and scoffe to raile and reuile at this worke of charity Cadmus with his Serpents teeth grinnes many menaces Medusa with her prodigious art threatens to bang me and to stone me and all because I write the truth O that I had Perseus his vertue to conquere this terrible Gorgon But why interpose I the fictions of Paynime Poets among the sentences of holy Writ O heauenly Spirit be thou my Perseus lend me thy Dauids sling to encounter this Ghostly Golias and this grisly Giantesse Behold how my spirituall Foe mounted on his iade of Detraction dares me to the fielde daunt thou him with thy potent Word and his omnipotence will be impotent cast forth thy Aarons rodde and his arrowes will be swallowed vp While thy Grace shines on me I feare no Magiâ—ke spels no Serpents teeth no Witches curse Let them draw my picture by Pygmalions skill in the purest Virgin waxe reuenge their wrath with sharpe pointed needles my heart shall neuer quaile let them burne the same for an Hereticke as those of Tholouza burnt their Kings I wil not feare what man or Diuell can do to me not although they disgorge vpon mee their bane of Basiliskes nor though they discharge their Iambicke volumes or rather vollees of their Basiliscoes for the God of heauen is he that reigneth ouer all things that ruleth all things in all places at all times He euen he it is that is All in al the Glorious God that maketh the thunder the onely worker of powerfull miracles to whom all Principalities all Dominions all powers and all creatures as well incorporall as corporeall inuisible as visible must kneele for mercy with honour dread and reuerence LINEAMENT II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction attributes the glorious workes of God vnto the Diuâ—ll 2 That mens guiltie consciences driue them to extoll the Diuell and his supposed power IF men be guiltie for blaspheming the name of God If they be precisely forbidden to haue any dealings with false reports If they must account for euery idle word all which I haue proued hithereunto in what a grieuous case are those wretches which commit not onely all these vanities together but likewise diminish derogate and detract in peremptory proud and presumptuous manner from their great Creator his glorious appurtenances his types of maiesty and his titles of heauenly honour In what a forlorne estate are they which liue in the darksome dungeon of spirituall Aegypt and in the whorish brothelry of spirituall Sodome How vnhappy are they which leaue so superstitiously vnto the leauen of our Pharisaicall Papists walking a whore-hunting after strange Gods both in bodie and soule with both these the most part of the world obserue the Spirit of Detraction with the principall members of the body with their tongues they detract with their eares they lustfully listen with their hearts they consent sucking like spungeous or hydropicke bodies all corruptions whatsoeuer with the principall faculties of the soule with their reasons willes memories they hatch foster and reiterate such blasphemous paradoxes No crosse nor losse can chance but the Diuell sent it No signe nor sigh can happen but the Diuell sent it The Diuell say they is the onely Emperour of hell king of the Planets Starres and Meteors and also absolute Prince of this earthly world These are the ordinary speeches diuulged at our Ordinaries No Tauerne bur is full of this hellish stuffe No conference but the Diuell by stealth gets in his cursed name What eares could not glow at these runnagate reports What heart would not burne at these vncharitable conceits What scholer of worth would not set out his talent to aduantage his learning in print in hearing the Archangels honour extenuated and the Dragons horne exalted Truly for my part though inferiour to many Phinehees in zeale and deuotion I cannot silently suffer these ignominious iniuries against the
is whether that power of his be suppressed now that miracles are ceased For then God caused such strange actions to ensue whereby his Gospell might be confirmed Surely in my iudgement where the Gospell flourisheth there the Diuell dares not draw nigh and if he appeared according to the relation of such as wrote of his miracles he neuer appeared but vnto them who like vnto Caine vtterly dispaired of Gods grace to simple wretches and to grosse headed folkes His chiefest plot and practize is to vndermine the reasonable will and to seduce men from the operation of Goodnesse For this cause he is called the Accuser the Prince of the aire the Prince of this world that is the great spirituall Tempter of Mankind for whose sake this world and all the creatures therin were made LINEAMENT VII 1 How Popish Shaueling inuented the vse of common Coniurations and fictions in policy for the greater efficacie of their Jdols Holy water and Masse-moâ—ging wherein the weakenesse of their Holy water is sh wed 2 That they cained lies of purpose to confirme their sect namely in Luthers life time of Luthers death 3 A note deliuered by the Authour touching the Diuels reall power BVT here our Popish miraclemongers wil obiect that the Diuell cannot be coniured without Masses Holy water or charmes of a consecrated person The Diuell say they will not obey any of our Religion O generation of Vipers Is not the fulnesse of your sacriledge come in before the Lord Are not the Bulles of Basan so fat that they cannot hold out any longer Yea euer since Printing rose vp by the mouthes of babes and infants the Lord hath confounded your quirks quillets and transubstantiate quiddities Your fat lieth in the fire your Masses bring in but small masses of money Your Holy water is become dead like a stinking stange The glorious brightnesse of Christs comming the forerunning word of euerlasting life hath almost abated all your lying wonders your coniurations yea and your chiefe Patron of policie onely for the triall of the Elect ye are permitted dispensed and tollerated to dwell among vs as the Chanaanites and Philistines amidst the Israelites Ye are permitted as the ministers of Sathan to tempt Christs flocke that the great Iudge may commend their constancy Neuerthelesse I am sory I speake after flesh and bloud that your stinges according to our Acts of Parliament voce populi Christiani being voce Dei are not quite abolished This sting a graue and a great man of this Kingdome felt when he was seduced to send ouer Sea his sonne that lay possessed with the spirit of frenzie The spirit of falshood made him beleeue that holy water and masse-hearing would chase away the Diuell if it were a Diuell At Pont y Musson in Lorraine it was my hap to meete with the said diseased Gentleman in an English Priests house where he soiourned his friends expecting his deliuerance by the Spirit of illusion by vertue of the Masse and of the sanctified water But all the fat fell in the fire and he poore Gentleman left still vncured hauing formerly bin bound in a cradle besprinckled with holy water in time of Masse and so continued bound for three dayes together in the Church A most fearefull vsage able to driue a whole man out of his wits His friends hearing at length that the matter fell not out correspondent to their expectation they sent him to Padua for the tempering of his braine by the Phisitians of the body where I met him againe with his Curator who told me the whole businesse and circumstance and how the spirit would not be dislodged for all their holy water Now their generall opinion was that eyther it was a stubborne spirit vnremoueable by exorcismes or else the patient was sicke with extreme choler or melancholy Likewise to confirme their false doctrine with false miracles by the Diuels instinct they coined many fictions and such as the eares of the Elect would glow to heare These fopperies as treacherous spirits out of the woodden horse of Troy our subtle Sinons coniure vp for worldly respects and chiefly lest their Pontificiall purple robes or scarlet habites be altered to another colour of a baser graine Among many miracles in their lying Legends they recorde that a Religious woman hauing put a sanctified hoast into her hiue of Bees to make them fruitfull in steed of increase found a little Chappell of Hony and Waxe built in the hiue with doores and windowes with an Altar with a Steeple of Belles and also that the Bees had laid the hoast vpon the Altar with melodious noise flying round about it Thus the Diuell sometimes playeth the part of a Mountebanke venting out his counterfeite wares vnder the faire colour of sanctification some othertimes he seemes to raise vp himselfe really at sinfull mens commaunds and all for the establishment of the scarlet coloured beast the Pope and his Cardinals whose Kingdome he wots well cannot chuse but decline without such trash trickes and trumperies And for their concealements he beates this ambitious lesson into our Canonists heads that it is sacriledge to reason about the Popes deedes whose murthers say they are excused like Sampsons whose thefts like the Hebrewes whose adulteries like Iacobs After mens deathes the Diuell eyther by himselfe or by his agents wicked worldlings seemes to appeare vnder the person of a Samuel and will not be coniured back without such Popish bables thereby setling his Reprobates in their reprobate natures But most of all I cannot but wonder what phantasie possesseth men when they publish miraculous lies derogatory to their credites that be liuing and able in their liues time to retort the whetstone vpon them Surely I can deuise none other excuse on their behalfe then that such miracles of strange sights were inuented by them of Diuellish policy to make their profession famous among the simple and on the other side to withdraw the Protestant from the true worship of God As for example the Diuell forseeing that by Luthers preaching he was like to lose many of his guests euen in Luthers life time soborned one of his false Prophets to set out a booke in print of Luthers death The same very day when Luther died as this Homeromastix reported many that were possessed of Diuels in a towne of Brabant which lay distant from the place where hee was supposed to die aboue three hundred miles were suddenly deliuered and not a long time after repossessed againe And when it was demanded of the Diuels where they had beene They answered that by the appointment of their Prince they were called forth to Luthers Funcral Which likewise was proued to be true because a seruant of Luthers that was in his chamber when hee died opening the casement to take the ayre saw a great number of vgly Spirits hard by the window leaping and dancing Afterwards when Luthers body was laid in his graue presently there arose a tumultuous noise and terrible sound that
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
in other in-mates worse spirits then himselfe specially the spirit of Detraction first gets in his head like a cunning Foxe and then by little and little enters in with his whole body to the vtter ouer throw of mans little world So that Christians fall out to be Antichristians Apostles Apostates and manly souldiers scoldes and scoffers To come neerer vnto you what is the reason that this renowned people who claime themselues from Brutus are become so brutish as to be addicted to gossip-ales Bride-ales and to bacchanales and consequently to Detractions and descanning of other mens destinies yea and otherwhiles to discourse of Gods secret iudgments Omne vitium habet patrocinium No vice without a clâ—ake no sinne without some apish Apologie These iolly fellowes being driuen to this exigent doe confesse that corrupted custome brought them to such vitious habites O cruell custome O hatefull habites which worke the fatall and finall ruine of soules and bodies Neuerthelesse as there is no custome but may be altered so for mine owne part I cannot beleeue that custome alone causeth man a creature enriched with Diuine reason and enfâ—offed with free-will and election in many things specially in naturall and humane things to carouse and then to reade stammering Lectures both on the sacred power of God and on their simple neighbours soules For some carouse of custome some of wantonnesse and company Some againe delight therein being sophistically perswaded that the excessiue vse thereof auailes much for their healths sake as a purger of superfluous rheumes Others fauour Tobacconisme because they would not seeme ouer-nice melancholicke or men by themselues in the singular number and also because Tobacco might serue them in stead of salt or drie leaders to drinking and consequently vnto Detracting but for the most part our Caualâ—ers and Gentles of the first head sucke in the smoakie vapour of Tobacco because they might counterfeit themselues gidâ—y or drunken for it is no shame to be drunke with Tobacco when they want copie of matter or store of discourse Then they fame themselues so long rauished as it were in an eâ—tasiâ— vntil after a thorough per ambulation of their barren wits and after long houghing halking and hacking they haue coined some strange accident worthy the rehersall among their boone companions Then as though they started out of an heauenly traunce and as the Satyrist writes Mobile colluerint liquido cùm plasmate guttur Hauing their throats wel washt with dreggish drugs They recount tales of Robin-hood of Rhodomonting rouers of Donzel del Phoebo of a new Anti-christ borne in Babylon of lying wonders blazing out most blasphemous newes how that the Diuell appeared at such a time with lightning and thundring Maiestie much about that horrible manner as the Glorious God appeared on mount Horeb raised tempests both on Sea and land not inferiour to those stormy Heteroclites of the West Indies called the Furicanoes shooke the foundation of the earth battered such Gentlemens houses and if they had not suddenly blessed themselues better he had carried away with him men women houses and all right into hell These or such like feeble fables doe they scatter abroad among their foolish Auditors while in the meane time the Diuell the Schoole-master of all lewdnesse appeares no where more forcibly then in the very midst of these vncharitable Readers yea and perhaps his spirituall pâ—yson or poysonous spirit is exhaled and exhausted with their Tobacco and draughts of drinke into their mustie mindes O Tongue how is thy perfection peruerted thy sense depraued thy sound degenerated How comes it to passe that the soules Embassadour is become a turne-coate Herald Expectaui legatum inueni Heraldum I expected an honourable Embassadour but haue found a huffe-cap Herald as our late Queene Elizabeth of famous memory sometime nickt a presumptuous Embassadour of Polonia I expected to heare nothing but truth out of the mouth of Gods similitude specially to his neighbour in Christ to Christ in his members But alas I finde nothing but lies and libels Omnis homo mendax I expected for reformation but haue met with ruinous relapses O Tongue tongue how miserable are the effects of thy motions Being made for a watchfull clapper to the Bell of Gods Temple to pray for Grace to comfort the sicke to confirme the penitent to confute the absurd to confound the Detractour why ringest thou out such paltry peales Why ragest thou against thy Masters will against thy selfe without iust cause or neede In thy youthfull time thou crakest and vauntest of thy vaine worth bursting thy lungs welnigh with windy bragges In thy more mellow or maturer age thou standest elated in thine owne conceit as though thy hoarie colour hath added vncontrouled trust and truth vnto thy stale assertions In all the progresse of thy wagging in all thy proceedings thou abusest thy proper function for which the Lord will not hold thee guiltlesse at that vniuersall Synod when the heauens shall be folded together like a booke when our consciences the true table-bookes of our soules shall lie open without lies against vs and we shall yeelde account for euery idle word These things expended and examined by me in the ballance of vnderstanding and fearing least I might participate with them in their derogatory crimes or encurre the penalty of trayterous Misprision towards our righteous Lord for my cowardly conccalements if according to that measure of spirit which he hath bestowed vpon me I reproued them not therefore haue I published this humble Treatise that therein as in a glasse or map they may behold the reflexion of their filthy faults extinguished and extirped What do I know whether the great God hath deliuered me from diuers dangers for these or such like purposes To this end was I bâ—râ—e that I should doe my best to glorifie God and edific my countrey To this end I wish with all the veynes of my heart that what ability of wel-saying and wel-doing is defectiue in mine owne person the same by the Diuine bounty may be liberally supplied to all others in this present booke And that the Readers hereof may learne in sparing speech to follow the examples of the holy Prophets and Apostles who for their honest admonitions and humble exhortations were ouercast with a cloude of scorne among the reprobates of this world or at least wise that they imitate some of the heathenish Philosophers namely Pythagoras who imposed Decennale silentium ten yeares silence on his schollers or Socrates who for many howers together would sit silently musing on the wonderfull workemanship of God or Arcesilas Solon and other enemies of Detraction To this end I heartily wish that all they which finde themselues subiect to this spirit of Detraction may be terrified from that idle vse with such magicall motiues of Michaels mysteries as I haue herein inserted like as if the Vtopian Syphograunts the Athenian Ostracisme the Romane Censors the Spanish Inquisition or as if the statute de scandalis
silly soule what wilt thou doe if this glorious Spirit comes not neere thee Where then wilt thou expect forgiuenesse of thy blaspemies Nay how caust thou expect or aske forgiuenesse seeing that without his operation the fruites of repentance can no more spring in thy faithlesse heart then the Apples of Paradise could fall into the hands of Tantalus in hell All other sinnes are pardonable and therefore termed debts or trespasses Onely this sinne against the Holy Ghost is Treason in the highest degree against the whole Godhead his crowne and dignity by reason that his personall subsistence was produced both from the Father and the Sonne and propagated vnto vs euen from our Baptisme so that to sinne against his authoritie is to sinne against the whole Maiesty of the sacred Trinity and against our owne soules being created by the Father redeemed by the Sonne and sanctified by the Holy Ghost Chiefly those reprobates are guilty of this vnpardonable sinne which sometimes hauing had great feeling great vnderstanding of the word of God and perhaps especiall inspiration of the Holy Ghost as Ananias and Saphira had if such persons afterwards without neede do fall into malitious Apostasies causelesse Hypocrisies and contumacious blasphemies against the sanctified Church of Christ in their words works thoughts ending also their liues without repentance doubtlesse they incurre the penalty of this irremissible sinne for this their spirituall fornication But to discerne who they be particularly that offend in this height of sinne in my iudgement very few or none can vndertake that charge in these dayes because we haue not that gift of the Holy Ghost namely of discerning Spirits as apparantly as the Apostles had To conclude these excellent exorcismes against the spitefull spirit of Detraction O â—riumphant Trinity distinguished really and indistinct essentially not into three Gods as that holy Martyr protested nor into three incarnated but into three of the same degree of the same honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose powerfull Maiesty vnited and identified in one eternall Deity the celestial spirits loue to contemplate and we earthly Pilgrims long to see Here I your vnworthy seruant prostrating my soule in all humility doe craue remission in the dust and ashes for my simple speaking of your intellectuall substance O God of endlesse bounty direct my vnskilfull pen that it stray not too much from the rule of verity nor lay down any thing but with reuerend shame of my blinde and bluntish ignorance concerning thy Heauenly vertues thy blessed Guarde and holy Hoste let them which reade this Treatise beare nothing in their hearts away saue that which is conformable to the square of wholsome doctrine Inflame my spirit with true zeale the true seale of thy sacred Spirit that it may soare vp like an Eagle to the sunne of thy Grace with feruencie founded on Diuine discretion for feruency is but foolish fury without Diuine discretion 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 carthly King who is knowne throughout great Britaine of all his subiects though not of all wito corporall sight 3 The excellency of his spirit aboue the rest of his subiects 4 Meanes to know God 5 Why mortall men cannot see God MAny of vs detract from the seruice of God because his Maiesty is not so familiar as to speake vnto vs visibly at conuenient seasons as though so high a Maiesty should debase himselfe with euery sinfull creature It is reported that the King of China will not be seene abroad among his ordinary subiects aboue once a yeare And yet we wanton worldlings would limit our great Creator to sight and daily conference God is a Spirit not bound to any bodily Organ but to compare his Greatnesse after flesh and bloud euen as mans soule when it is separated from his body his power is infinite immensiue incomprehensible and no more to be seene or sensibly vnderstood of flesh and blood then if a man should measure the waters in his fist or the heauens with his span or if he should weigh the mountaines in a ballance All people are in comparison of him but as a drop of a bucket-full or as Grashoppers or as nothing or as nothing lesse then nothing No earthly man can erect a statue or a carued Image according to his likenesse No Gold-smith can couer him with golde or cast him into a forme of siluer plates O Lord who is like vnto thee No man can enter into thy Counsell no man can finde out thy secrets or attaine vnto this perfection Thou art higher then heauen deeper then hell the measure of thee is longer then the earth and broader then the sea Though thou turne all things vp side downe closest them in and gatherest them together who will turne thee from thy purpose Worldly sight is one thing and Diuine knowledge another thing The one is subiect to insumities and errours the other is insallible certaine and can neuer saile cyther with olde age wounds or false specta cles The one is the instrumentall light of the body to guide a man in his worldly busines the other I meane mentall knowledge is the euerlasting Lampe of the soule This latter I pray God instill into vs. As for the other it cannot absolutely be termed perfect before it be first sowne in winters corruption and before like ripe corne growne with full and glorious eares it rise vp glorified in the summer of immortality At which time both lights and sights externall and internall being by the Diuine bounty become eternal we shall both see and know aright in all perfection almost euen as God himselfe seeeth and knoweth vs at this present Quid est quod non videant qui videntâ—m omnia vident What thing shall they not see and know which alwayes see and know the Authour of all sight and knowledge In the time of their visitation they shall shine they shall shine as amiable as the Sunne more admirably glorious then Moyses who was faine to put a vaile before his face by reason of his ouerbrightsome beauty though he saw God but for a moment and that imperfectly for all light proceedes from him In his light we shall see light But quoth the spirit of Detraction how can we know him whom we neuer saw O vaine Spirit if thou knowest his lawes and fulfillest them thou knowest God As for example let me instant in our earthly King for mine owne part I neuer spake with King IAMES nor euer saw his face yet notwithstanding I verily belecue that I doe know him I know him to be our King by publique Proclamation by his decrees by the vnifomâ—e consent of all his subiects My conscience perswades me that he is the Diuinest and deuoutest Prince that euer swayed the Diademe of this Monarchy and aboue all the rest
That great command with triple forked mace By lot to me and not to him be ell As Neptune spake of himselfe to Aeolus Such Hereticall paradoxes as these he inspires mens braines withall and rammes them as with a strong beetle into their shallow hearts Liues a man in loue and charity with his neighbour Againe the same spirit of Detraction appeares sowes idle tales of dilgrace whereby they may goe together by the eares and empty their virulen galles with most violent reuenge the one against the other Art thou choleâ—cke Beware of Saules spirit of lunacie Art thou merrily disposed at games and sports Thou shalt be sure of Sathans spiritual sting and be throughly possessed both with the spirites of blasphemy and Detraction although thou perceiuest them not visibly with mortall eyes To be briefe he will neuer be spiritually wanting to any man To a man in prosperity he sends his spirit of pride to a sinner despaire to married soikes the spirit of iealousie to children the spirit of disobedience to Courtiers the gliuing pompes or vanity to Preachers the spirit of false prophesie to the subiect the spirit of rebellion to friends the spirit of inconstancy to seruants the spirit of ingratitude so that there be few men in the world but their wils are possessed with some spirit or other I passe ouer many other spirits which beare dominion among vs as the spirit of lechery the spirit of drunkennesse the spirit of gluttony and the damnable spirite of auarice All which as rotten branches I know to be descended and deriued from one tree the tree of the knowledge of good and euill by the subtle temptations of the sneaking Snake of sinne the Angell of Perdition LINEAMENT IIII. 1 Why God giues vs ouer to be tempted by Sathan 2 After what manner the Diuell vseth now a-dayes to ensnare vs. 3 The Diuels policy for the circumuenting of soules AMong vs in this reformed Realme the Diuell dares not appeare in outward formes of illusion like the man in the Moone by reason that the Sun-shine of Gods word is too strong for his faithlesse spirit yet notwithstanding because we might cal to memory our sraile natures together w th our soules stupidity ouer-whelmed with grosse humours ouer-mastered with perturbations winking and looking through carnall windowes and spectacles of errour and because we might implore our Creators assistance according to our bounden dueties God permits Sathan in respect of olde Adams transgression spiritually to interâ—use necessary prickes into our fleshly thoughts yea and to interrupt vs in our most zealous offices Which moued a reuerend Elder of the Church to complaine after this manner In my prayers I repeate oftentimes what I gaine and oftentimes I am distracted with some filthy imagination to doe those things which I blush to speake But me thinkes here I heare one of his Disciples disputing that God seeing he is the Author and Imparter of Goodnesse will not suffer any of his adopted children to be enchanted and entrapped by Sathan For the solution of this presumptuouâ— scruple which I take to be but a knot in a rush I constantly aucrre that God is all Goodnesse and as he is most good and mercifull so is he most just His vnspotted Maiesty could doe no lesse then inflict punishment vpon his new creature albeit with anguish of spirit like a pitiful earthly Iudge that pronounceth iudgment with teares against malefactors he could doe no lesse because of his future glory and because of his former commandement to Adam then giue verdict of death against them which aduisedly being referred to their owne counsell they being at that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free and at their owne liberty preferred death before life God did well therefore to trie mans faith betimes before he graced him with further fauours The Procurer he more seuerely punished And because the Diuels familiarity with the woman occasioned mans fall for this cause did God set perpetuall enmity and hatred euer since the beginning til the worlds end betwixt the womans seede and the Diuell yet with a limitation that the Diuell should continue his illusions towards vs that he should exhale his poysonfull puissance against the reprobate and with might and maine pursue all excommunicated rebels Thus the Diuell according to Gods curse rageth against vs and as it were famished with hunger of our Damnation like a roaring Lyon he lieth in wait to deuoure vs. But as long as we endeuour to serue God in loue and humility he can but bruise our earthly heeles and sting vs with necessary temptations for the soules edifying Our Sauiour Christ treads downe his malicious head and hellish force so that we shall at last preuaile and triumph in the celestiall Paradise which is a thousand times more glorious then that Hortus conclusus the Garden empaled the Paradise of proofe where wee were content to bee bewitched in hope or worldly wisedome Since Printing sprang vp which perhaps is a worldly instrument of the fiery spirit of life that after three dayes and a halfe came from God and entred into the Lords two Martyrs the olde Testament and the new I meane into their Preachers whose bodies were laid in the streets of spirituall Sodome and Egypt and yet not quite buried nor abolished and since we had the vse of books wherein mans manifold knowledge of good and euill is apparantly decyphered and the Diuels deceitfull trickes discouered to persons of all condition now as a subtâ—e States-man he works another course to bring our soules in thrall by stratagems by politicke practises vnder hand he inspires indulgent parents to make their children free in their nonage before they be poudred with heauenly prudence that the Prouerbe might be verified of them Soone ripe soone rotten Scilicet ingenium rerum prudentia velox ante pilos venit Too soone before their beards bud forth They come to be States-men of worth Hauing thus obtained the Parents consent he turnes about his free-made youths and traines them as Sertorius the children of the Portingalles after his own mould to detract to lash out fearful othes at euery other word to reade baudy ballads books of his own Apostles euen of Aretine of Machiauell of Rabelais and of our English cast-awayes and afterwards he confirmes them with spirituall suggestions in all abhominations to the losse of their soules and bodies The best of vs sometimes hee possesseth with Chymerizing pleddings like ayriâ— castles and â—â—bbles as a Mouse on our malignant hearts asâ—ertullian â—ertullian termes Martian And although we haue both Moyses the Prophets firmiorem sermonem Propheticum yet he rufsles among the robes inaudita fundu Oracula as my L. of Northampâ—on said of the Diuels pouder-plot To continue my subiect seeing I haue aduentured in some places of these Circles to borrow Caesars inimitable Muse to grace this worthlesse worke of mine lâ—nd also Heroycall Lord your iudicious spirit for a season to
Deity For this cause did Christ descend into the flesh with lowlinesse of spirit and not with lofty glory So that his Kingdome as himselfe answered Pilate was not of this world For this cause the Israelites could not away with the Lords lightning thunders and glorious voyce on Mount Sinai but requested Moyses to stand betwixt them Let not God talke with vs said they least we die For this cause S. Paul wrote to the Corinthians I gaue you milke to drinke and not meate for you were not yet able to beare it neyther yet now are ye able ye are yet carnall Nay such is our sottishnesse that we endeuour not to attaine vnto a glimpse of the Lords glory we presume vppon delayes we procrastinate the time and neuer care for mortifications of the flesh being the ladder to heauen and chiefe meanes to obtaine faith loue and charity at the hands of God A Preacher is but a bookish fellow Sanctification is but curiosity to doe well or ill is allone Thus doe the sinfull sonnes of Adam trust too much vnto predestination as though they were made priuy of Gods inuestigable will But to winde vp the trueth in a word the preaching of Christs crosse is foolishnes vnto them that perish but vnto them which are saued it is the power of God and wisedome As there is no foole to the olde foole that is to the worldly selfe-wise so contrariwise there is no wisedome comparable to Christian simplicity which through faith thinkes it enough that God calles him to his Court though not to his Councell LINEAMENT VI. 1 A meditation upon Sathans stinges occasioned by an unsoined dreame of the Authours 2 Whether the Dragon which S. Iohn saw fighting with the Arâ—bangell was reall or spirituall 3 Whether the Serpent which deceiued Hue was reall or spirituall or both wherein the manner of her deceiuing is laid downe THus are the very best like beastes subiect vnto these spirituall flings some more some lesse according to the quality of their fleshly vessels To this purpose it will not be immateriall if I insert a meditatiue conceit of mine wherewith I was vnfainedly possessed of late Vpon Sunday night being the fourteenth day of Ianuary last 1609. I fell into a deepe study concerning our knowledge of good and euill procured by the Infernall Snake I lamented mine owne weakenesse of nature that multitudes of sinnes should treade and trample downe my Christian vertue I sorrowed in spirit that I could not free my soule from worldly concupiscence At the last after much striuing and strugling the Lords comfortable speech to St. Paul came into my minde My grace is sufficient for thee Whereupon considering my repenting heart I resolued that God suffered me to be thus buffeted and beaten with Sardonicall sinnes because I might acknowledge mine owne imbecillity and submit the same to the perfection of Christ the propitiation for sinnes who alone is Righteous and Holy For the confirmation of this meditation I was strongly assisted by this vnfained dreame On that very night I dreamed that I lay vpon the floore without stockins or shoes and suddenly me thought one warned me that I should looke vnto my selfe for a Snake lurked very neere me with which words being affrighted I bestirred my selfe and beheld the said Snake about a yard or more in length almost crept vnder me whereupon I vehemently cried for helpe to him that warned me therof who presently as it were in a moment with a weapon which he had in his hand hewed the Snake in three or foure pieces For all that I was not deliuered from seare I doubted his stinging part but he which smote him willed me in any case not to feare by reason that his sting was of no sense now that he had chopt him in pieces With that I might see a smoake or breath arising out of the Snakes diuided body At which straunge sight I prepared to hasten me away lest this smoake being infectious should like a pesulence empoyson my body But notwithstanding all this my preparation before I could get together my stockins and shoes which were the impediments of my remoue the smoake ceased on a sudden Whereupon I bewayled somewhat with my selfe that I went no sooner away from that poysonous smoake or smoakie exhalation and because I preferred such trisling impediments before the security of my life which I imagined to be in some hazard by reason of that my small stay Charitable Reader pardon me if in rehearsall of this dreame I disquiet thy delicate minde notwithstanding that our whole life is little better then a dreame No man liuing can attribute lesse credite then I doe vnto dreames yet neuerthelesse forasmuch as now and then it pleased God to reueale secrets and things to come vnto his seruants by dreames as sometime he did vnto Ioseph and Nabuchadonozor we must not altogether neglect to make reasonable vse of them As for example The man which admonished me I compare to our Sauiour Christ who of his vnspeakeable mercy towards mankinde defendeth vs while we prostrate our selues in all humility as in my dreame I lay vpon the floore from the Hellish Snake who watcheth daily to vndermine our wils And yet though his Godhead hath trodden vpon Sathans head he permits him for his glory for our triall and also for some satisfaction of his iustice to enuenom our humane willes by reason of our tarditie and remistnesse in his seruice but certainly afterwards he embraceth his Elect again And like as I plaied loth to depart w th my stockins and shoes for al that I saw the imminent danger of the poysonous Snake so doth mankind attend to the toyish bables and triuiall fables of this world while Sathan bruizeth our worldly heeles and casteth out of his mouth whole floods of spirituall venome to surround and surprise our spirituall part with passions of enuy malice fury and other infections whereof the smoakie exhalation of my dreamed Snake might well be the representing Image and Idaea And the rather I am inrooted in this opinion because I know my reasonable will to be oftentimes tainted with the said spirituall smoakie venome as I supposed in my dreame that I suckt the feeling palpable and sensible smoaky poyson of the mangled Snake into my corporall breath But herein consists my comfort that euen as I suckt this last full sore against my will so nolâ—ns volens whether I will or no I am constrained to sucke into my humane soule the other smoky poyson of the passionate Snake which I pray the victorious Treader downe of his malicious head by vertue of his Crowne of victory to conuert into the best so that my spotted spirit may be accepted in his presence for a contrite spirite AMEN As concerning that place of Genesis where the Diuell is said to appeare in the similitude of a Serpent vnto Eue and where in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn the Dragon fought with Michael in heauen
the Protestants and hardening of the Papists conferre I say the conformity of the present state with the state past of the Church olde age being another infancy and yee shall see as cleere as at noone-tide the true meaning of darke places which no man that stands vpon his owne high minde and his owne merites can possibly perceiue In like manner doe ye desire to discerne the Antichrist Compare those things which are prophesied of him one with another and yee shall firret him out yee shall finde him cunningly crept into our Christian Church Euen as Christ was a mysterie to the Pharisies so Antichrist is a mysterie to the Papists I say a mystery a mysterie the mysterie of iniquity which cannot distinctly be discerned without the spirituall eyes of faith in the inward man Looke on him with your bodily eyes and this Alcimus will deceiue the very Elect if it were possible In outward shew an Angell of light a sanctimonious Elder but inwardly a sacrilegious Serpent or a Foxe in a Lambes skinne O Antichrist thy Dragon is destroyed by Daniels arte by the bloud of the Lambe thy beast is conquered O false Prophet thy Babylonian whore is become wrinckled her beauty is faded her wich-craft discouered her force decayed her superstitions defaced What remaines Thou art driuen to a narrow straight to thy neerest shifts Post ouer thy title to another Perswade thy subiects that a new Antichrist but no mysticall is euen now borne in Babylon Let Iohn Doleta with all expedition publish this in Print It is a point of policie to temporize and to beare thy credulous Catholikes in hand least suddenly they flinch from thy yoake and of Romanists fall to be Apostolickes By the mysticall allusion of Michea that saw the Lord putting a false and a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that claymed themselues like the Pharisies and Papists to be within the Church yee shall gather with this and with the Reuelation of S. Iohn that these termes of Decemer salfe Prophet the worker of false miracles which set to sale the bodies and soules of men cannot bee applied more significantly to any other then to him who went out from vs but was not of vs. Would ye answere their obiection which alledge that the Pope cannot be that great Antichrist because his Holinesse denieth not the Father and the Sonne nor exalteth himselfe aboue that which is called God Turne them to the Etymology of these words Iesus Christ that is the Al-sufficient and annointed Saniour of the world and tell them that the entire and whole vertue of the Godhead is wounded it besides him they vse any Mediator to saluation Turne them to S. Paul and reade that the Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God The Pope sits not with Peters humility but with pompe and Maiesty in Peters chaire in the mother Church of the West being now become a cruell stepmother and a common harlot shewing that he hath authority to graunt Indulgences and Pardons to release the paines of Purgaâ—ory peremptorily to aduance his Standard aboue the Church which is to magnifie himselfe aboue the Holy Ghost by whom it is ruled vnder Christ to consecrate beades water crucifixes yea and the glorious body of Christ which is already consecrated in Heauen In which prerogatiues he extolleth himselfe aboue God doing those spirituall offices which are flat contrary to Gods word and law Likewise it is prodigious that such things be sanctified by sinfull man specially since the ceremoniall law and partition wall betwixt the Iewes and vs is broken downe after the resurrection of Christ. It is derogatory I say to his sacred Maiesty that a mortall man vsurpe that Promethean pre-eminence for hee that commits such sacriledge aboue mentioned doth vndoubtedly vsurpe the power of God in a high degree He that vsurpes after this manner detracts from faith only in Christ Iesus and from other gifts of the Holy Ghost He that detracts from these gifts of the Holy Ghost blasphemes and he that blasphemes so high a Maiesty sinnes irremissibly except the Lords mercy left out some other exception vnknowne vnto vs. Thus Christian Reader shalt thou ponder other points of the Bibles mysteries And now seeing I haue sore-armed my soule with sufficient exorcismes and methodically fished out the great Leuiathan let me anathomize the Monsters principall members LINEAMENT IX 1 The Conclusion of this second Circle shewing that the Spirit of Detraction can neuer confound vs while we meditate with saith on Christs passion 2 That we become guilty of his death when we detract from his name or workes 3 The Authors supplication against the spirit of Detractum SHut fast thy mouth from lies and vanity Shoot in thine eyes to loue and verity Thou soule of mine which euery day dost fall Through Sathans web into pollutions thrall Let faith inflame thy will to meditate Vpon that Flame in flesh incorporate To see those wounds which thou hast made so wide With dint of Speare in his bloud gored side Doues build in holes of rocks but thou my Doue In holes of bloudied Rocke must build thy loue For while thou look'st with faith and zealous feare How that his head a thorny crowne did weare How Pilates scourge his holy skinne did teare How his meeke soule both mockes and flouts did beare And how his hands and feete were nailed to the Crosse To ransome thee and to repaire the losse Which Lucifer with Adders sting did cause To thee when Eue first brake her Makers lawes While thou with faith dost view this mystery The fiery Serpent of Mount Caluary No wile no guile no blacke tongues archery Nor selfe-conceit of fancies flattery Can flesh and bloud the world or Sathan worke Against thy life Though Pope conspire with Turke Though Haman with his Counsellors combine Though Machiauell complot with Aretine To blow thee vp vet thy essentiall parts Shall stand vnshak't in spite of all their arts Wherefore yee winds of praise yee wings of pride Packe hence all sinnes which vertues sonnes deride Yee grinning dogs yee grunting hogs away The night is past and wel-come is the day The day is come to day without delay I must contemne such lust vile dust and clay The bell rings out the Drummer sounds Alarme I must rise vp for feare of future harme Teares and prayers are my armes I must pray And speake the truth without all faile to day All haile cleere day long may thy Sun-shine last Without eclipse or cloud or winters blast All haile cleere day through whose reflecting beames Broad waking I do see truths open glcames I see my Lord alas what doe I see My Lord and Sauiour hurt By whom By me By me he lies with thoughts misdecdes and words Wounded as with sharpe thornes or edged swords I crucified my Christ I rent his name I crowned thee with obloquie and shame O Lord of life when I should
of time by reason that the excesse and abundance of heauenly ioyes drownes all the memory of time like as a man that is spectator of a Comedy with the extremity of delight thinkes three houres no longer then one houre The ioies of heauen are infinite and cannot be circumscribed by time There dwels the great Ichouah who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and last who will teach vs to measure time after another manner after a metaphysicall manner This moued the Angell to sweare that there should be no more time This moued the Psalmist to say A thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday Go too then yee Astrologicall Scribes leaue off your curious computations the time will come like Platees wonderfull yeare wherein man-kinde shall neede none of your Almanackes But in the meane time yee complaine and this complaint will last as long as your Almanacks that there be other Chronographers or rather temporizers beside your selues I graunt that there be two sorts of temporizing companions which abuse the naturall quality of pretious time the one an hypocrite which vnder the humble habite of a Lambe for luere sake deceiues his deerest friend an intelligeneer the disciple of Machiauel a Iew that loues no man but for aduantage that detracts from him who hath best befriended him in his neede an A theist a dissembler a neutrall that with the winde and time changeth his Religion Amicus omnium amicus nullorum euery mans friend and no mans friend a busie medler in other mens causes a Polypragmon an Apparitor that like a Iudaes or Simoniake liues by extortion by the price of bloud by enquiring from time to time after the sinnes of the people The other temporizer is a Philosophicall dunce this yeare a Thomist the next yeare a Scoâ—ist an earnest plodder of supernaturall reasons Obstipo capite infigens lumine terram With downe-bent head and eyes vpon the ground an obseruer of the least minute in horologie and one that would faine intrude himselfe into the Lords priuy Counsell The former kinde of Temporizers inhabite in publique places about Princes Palaces and like false Achithophels long to manage matters of policy The latter as people addicted to more melancholy retire themselues to monasticall habitations where they meditate on their curious problemes grinding the world as it were into Oaten-meale in the Winde-mill of their braines And now to re-iterate Curiosity the primary cause of Detraction begotten by Originall corruption our incorrigible natures being let at random left arbitrary to doe what seemes good in our owne eyes tandem Custode romoto without Orbilites our tutors crabbed countenance without checkes or correction encourage vs to waxe lawlesse and licentious libertines worse then the busie-headed French at whose dissolute carriage and audacious Detraction I was much amazed when in euery towne and village I heard them scot-free reuile and raile at their chiefe Magistrates with taikatiue Curiosity scanning their honest deedes From whom euen as we borrow new-fangled dresses and courtly-complements so doe we like curious Apes receiue their poysonous Adder of Detraction We see motes in other mens eyes but perceiue not beames in our owne eyes We note acutely with Argus sight one sinister acte perpetrated by another but will not discerne our owne great and grosse crrours though all others discouer them as easily as huge rockes or notorious shelfes Our owne transgressions we compare to mole-hils our neighbors to the Alpes or Pirenaean mountains The reason is because our muddy minds shoote altogether outward and winde not inwardly into themselues according to the Poet Tecum habita nóris quam sit tibi curta supellex Dwell with thy selfe and thou shalt know How that thy store at home is low Next we wander vp and down through our frailty in the Maze or Labyrinth of vnstedfastnesse betwixt God and his enemies the pompes of this world and carnall pleasures God seekes to winne vs by inspiring men to write bookes for our conuersions by sending zealous Preachers into sundry quarters of the world as loude trumpets to awake vs out of sinne and prâ—uarication and likewise to liue in louc and charity one with another Our inconstancy defaceth all with forgetfulnesse we returne to our olde vomite and chuse with foolish Gryllus to retaine still the shapes of effeminate Epicures and Swine rather then to be metamorphosed into mens formes with the rest of Vlisses his companions Wee are carried about in the voluble spheares of our owne waucring imaginations To day we praise a man to morrow we dispraise him To day we pray to God for grace to morrow we blaspheme his power with wordes of disgrace To day our soules are calme and temperate to morrow ouer-clouded with vnruly passions Nay more we alter our opinions in one moment of an houre Romae Tybur amo ventosus Tybure Romam At Rome I long olde Tyburs Towne to see And there I long againe in Rome to be Ouer-cloyed in townes by reason of the vnwholesomnes and stricknes of the aire we long to liue in the delectable counâ—rey free from those inconueniences which annoy the townes But presently tired in the countrey for want of pleasant company we retire and returne backe againe into the towne where with doubts of some infectious sickenesse with disgust and discontentment to see daily factions seedes of dissention and other dislikes common to company we wish our selues againe in the countrey How soddenly doe our imaginations chop and change How in the twinckling of an eye wee suppose our selues at London at Oxford at home from home Yea in a short time we imagine our selues safely arriued at the East Indies for spice in Barbary for sugar in China for silkes in France for wines and salts and all these Merchandizes bought brought home and sold away in as small a space as a man might repeat ouer the Lords prayer O fickle men how are your braines and mindes thus intoxicated One while yee looke as amiable as if yee had swallowed vp a hare another while fleering as if yee had swallowed vp a gull one while heauenly another while earthly one while deuoute another while Detracting not one day in one moode or minde but as the winde wauering both in words and thoughts The last impediment which the first Mans transgression subiected vs vnto is a kinde of dulnesse or negligence with which we are so besotted that we cannot open our eyes to behold what armes our Sauiour Christ left vs not onely able to encounter this spirit of Detraction but also the Arch spirit of all vitious spirits By Baptisme with future repentance he washed vs from originall corruption By shedding his innocent bloud he ransomed our soules from hell onely in recompence he expects thankfull minds of vs with continuall exercise of prayers with often communicating his mysticall Body in reuerence loue and charity one with another after that moralizing manner which St. Paul himselfe quotes downe to the quite
though I confesse this auncient saying makes for them nihil dictum quod non est dictum prius that nothing can be spoken but what is spoken of before yet notwichstanding I must needs tell them that there bee other circumstances also fit to be considered as the importunity of the times the multiplicity of nouell inuentions the extraordinary gifts of the spirit the nature of the Readers composed and disposed by measure number and waight for the glory of the Giuer cuen as the Holy Ghost hath giuen them vtterance and capacity Thus rageth Sathan raysing vp his instruments and causing them to scatter abroad such scandalous rumours vnder hand against good mens credites for feare lest his customes quaile and lest his Mill which hitherto neuer wanted moulture should suddenly stand still without cmolument or gaine of soules All men write not the same matter nor after the same manner after the same method after the same mould For if all men manured the spatious fielde of Rhâ—toricke what should become of the succinct and materiall substance of Logicke If all men were Auditours who should teach or preach If the body of man were all Eye what place were left for the rest of the senses If the faculties of the soule were all Memorie where were the other Intellectuall attributes For these reasons it hath pleased God to distribute diuersly his Diuine vertues as nuptiall dowries to euery particular man Some he inspires with one kind of knowledge some with another and all for his honour Some persons according to their knowledge of good and euill are fitter to write Prose rather then Verse some to interprete some artificially to inuent out of their owne braines some other to collect cursorily or analytically out of other mens hiues And that I may instant in my selfe as I deriued a booke of mine called Naturall and Artificiall Directions for health from Philosophers as well moderne as auncient Which also I manifested in these verses now of late omitted by the Printer in the third and last Edition of the said booke Furtiuis olim varijsque superbijt Oscen Plumis ex multis fit liber iste libris Redde cuique suum vilescit protinus oscen Hic sine Naturâ foetet Arteliber Ex herbis sit mel hominis ceâ— simia Tâ—xâ—n Aemula naturae est Maeonidisque Maro Sit licet exmultis opus hoc tamen vtile quouis Teste volummibus candidiusque tuis As for my other workes which I set out in Prose and Verse I confesse they were composed by me as pueriles pupae as the froathy fruites of mine adolescency and as one writes of Ramus his Logicke they were inuented ardore iâ—uenili vpon a youthfull spleene or sting As there is nothing comprehended in them worthy of immortality or of Homers buskiâ— as they say so I am sure there is no great harme in them wherby Apothecaries or Fishmongers should challenge them for waste leaues to wrap about their drugges and Macarelles pipero scombris digna Let them then be taken as St. Iohns hearbe which as our Cookes report being put into the pot will neyther doe good nor hurt to the pottage But for this present booke of mine wherein the Spirit of Detraction is Coniured and Conuicted I dare inuite the whole crew of Archilochian Cynickes with their Satyres Iambickes and Libels with their So and So with their vies and revies with their phiâ—fie vpon it sie vpon it to dash and blurre it ouer to taunt to teare it to fling their caps at it to make Tennis-balles and to bandy it away if they can For I cannot do withall if fooles will be fooles still and so liue and die in their foolish phantasies LINEAMENT XI 1 What kind 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 necessary for Enuy 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 THe spirit of Detraction very seldome approacheth nigh to learned men I meane to them whose liues differ not from the rules of learning For hardly will they be infected with erroneous vices whom learning hath purged Commonly he watcheth about the ignorant and common sort of people to inueigle their vnderstanding to so we vanity and malice in their hearts that afterwards they may continually varie and as rotten vapors disperse them for nouelties into the open eares of their neighbors These be they whose first salutation in al meetings is to aske What newes These be they which liue by newes as the Salamander by the fire These iolly fellowes as if our gouernement in Great Britaine were a confused Anarchy or a petulant Democracie do descant and deliberate on wise mens deedes yea and now and then on their liues Whatsoeuer a wise man doth considerately or moderately they argue it a kinde of slothfull cowardise What is circumspectly forewarned that they hold to be curiosity but what soeuer is rash hasty and precipitate that is thought by them to be couragiously determined These monstrous Hydraes of many heads Belluae multorum capitum do ground their opinions vpon sandy foundations they are stout when dangers are a farre off and very irresolute when they are imminent and at hand Vnhappy is he which reposeth any confidence in their assertions Admit a man is by them iustly extolled what thing more augmenteth it to the conscience of a wise man that measureth not his good by common rumours and reports but by the infallible truth of the conscience He that is praised vnworthily ought to bee ashamed of his praise On the contrary suppose that the vndiscreet multitude rageth against thee with booke bell and candle for thy vigilance seruice and paines taken in the behalfe of the Weale publique what harme I pray thee may redound thereof Let the security of thy conscience mitigate thy griefe If thou were badde and like vnto thy Detractors thy company would be much more pretious vnto them Euery like loues his like as a certaine Athenian answeswered one that asked him why hee subscribed to the banishing of Aristides the iust for none other reason quoth he then because he is iust But thou that carest more for the precepts of the Lord then for the prescriptions of man esteeme none otherwise of the spirit of Detraction then of an idle braine or a talkatiue tongue Tollat sua munera cerdo let the popular sort keepe their applauses and corruptions with themselues While thou walkest vprightly in the sight of God it is not their confused Detractions which can impaire thy credite Iustice shines on thy side with vndefiled honours she will patronize thy fame and shelter thy good name vnder her vertuous wings But for all this thou murmurest that the spirit of Detraction prouoke many priuy
malicious litigious and full of mischiefe Is a a Rogue brought in to giue euidence His wit runnes a wool-gathering and with the aboue named persons he ought rather to be sent into Bridewell then to staine the iudiciall proceedings of an honourable Court But how is it possible for auoyding of confusion and delayes in suites to sound out the certainty and abilitie of the proofes and persons Euery man cannot equally discerne of spirits euery man is not a Solomon a Nathan a Peter a Paul Therefore our Iurie men had neede of further instruction that they accept not witnesses of all sorts tag and rag without exception It were good for the Common-wealth that Commissions were awarded to examine their carriage and behauiours In the Ecclesiasticall Court men may in some sort except against false and infamous witnesses and so out of the Courts of Starre-chamber Chancery and Councell of the Marches vpon vrgent motions there are graunted extraordinarie Commissions with crosse and wittie articles like Daniels Interrogatories to intrappe suborned witnesses But this course is costly painefull and very seldome followed or allowed Whether this latter motion doe not deserue your furtherance I appeale to euery subiect in particular euen from the Bench of iustice to the poore shepheards Cottage The Papists vaunt that the reason of this falshood of witnesses proceedes through the contempt of their Romish Religion For say they this speciall benefite fell out by their policie of auricular confession that by means of it mens consciences were humbled and held in such seuere subiection that they durst not forsweare themselues vpon premeditation But whosoeuer doth more deeply weigh their licentious dispensations and our licentious education shall finde both Religions sicke of the same disease For indeede we had neede in this declining and drooping age of the world to obserue circumstances as well as proofes and to imitate the discreete Phisician who giuing no credite to the rules of raw and rude Empirickes for the sicke mans health betakes himselfe to a higher contemplation to iudiciary Astrologie obseruing the signes constellations and other remarkeable accidents LINEAMENT II. 1 That Licentiousnes is the cause of Detractions defamations periuries and blasphemies 2 That Tauernes are the causes of licentiousnes wherby the Authour tâ—keth an occasion to admonâ—sh Magistrates of their duety in this importent case WHen I sit silently musing with my selfe what might be the reason that Detractions defamations periuries and idle speeches become now-a-dayes more rife then in former times I protest vnto thee O ingenuous Reader that my soule is sore disquieted within me The zeale of Gods glory which these Titans Encelades and their monstrous factions goe about to batter by their beastly behauiours doth sollicite this soule of mine to soldiourize in this exigent vnder the Archangels banner coniuring and conuicting the Detractours of our time the deprauers of pretious time whose tongues and voyces declining from their soules reasonable faculties from the spirituall similitude of the Deitie and peruerted by the iudgement of the iust Iehouah into bruitish sounds they are metamorphozed with Gryllus and the rest of Vlisses his companions into grinning dogs grunting Hogges grumbling Foxes into squeaking apish Squaules and into bellowing Bulles of Basan Because that when they knew their God they gaue him not that honour that thankefull honour that obedience that dutifull obedience with trembling reuerence as was conuenient for so great a Maiesty so great a Sauiour so great a Law-giuer And because that when they were enlightned with the fire of his spirit according to the quality of their bodies that could not receiue a greater quantitie of his grace by reason of their gluttonous affections and earthly affectations because I say they did not watch fast and pray in meekenesse and mildenesse of minde for their crying and cruell sinnes therefore hath that Righteous One deliuered them ouer to their owne naturall dispose to Sathan to sinne to beastiall behauiours to diuersities of Detractions and to al the contraries or aduersaries of the knowledge of Goodnesse In regard of all these Detractions contempts inconueniences and abuses I wil not spare to display out in colours the prime cause of such abhominations which in very deed is none other then Licentiousnesse This is that vnbridled vice which beginning in youth growes vp to an habite in olde age which being once rooted in cannot with all Hercules his labours bee remoued out A Captaine may sooner conquer the strongest Fort in Hungaria then conquer this wanton affection What then Experience the graund and graue mother of worldly wisedome art thou put to thy nonplus with all thy trauels with all thy trials Hast thou no stratageme in store no witty engine to expell this giddy headed gallant Alas the worldes Oracle is sodainly dumbe But though heauen and earth doe passe away Truth is great and must preuaile Truth is great and will not quaile Me thinkes I heere a voyce descending downe from the heauenly places Nec vox hominem sonat ô Dea certè Nor is this voice humane a goddesse sure thou art Take away cries the truth the cause and take away the effect Get thee quoth she an exquisite map of all this Iland and view whether there be not ten Tauernes for one Church ten diuels for one Saint ten tospots for one temperate These paâ—try Cottages be they which minister matter and fewell to the fire of licentiousnesse Here breede conspiracies combinations common coniurations detractions defamations Heere a man shall meete at all times day or night yea in the dawning twilight and midnight with drunken dissolutes who for maintenance of their trade will be content to sell oathes at a prodigall rate If you want meanes to vent and blaze out false newes blasphemous newes runnagate reports slaunderous reports tending to their Gods dishonour or to their neighbours disgrace heere you shall find many mercenaries ready to be prest at your commaund Thus doe these alehouse knights knights of the post or posting knaues attend on the Spirit of Detraction intending to set their tongues and soules to sale to sweare and forsweare whatsoeuer the Diuell or his adherentes will enioyne them not onely against their neighbours name and fame against their rights and liuelyhoode but also against their deerest liues which as Tenants at will they hold of God himselfe Thus like drunken men doe these blasphemous wretches reele too and fro as the Psalmist speakes thus doe they stagger and are at their wits end not knowing the waies of the Lord but inclining themselues that way where the staffe falles where haplesse hazard leads them so vncertaine are our detractours in their thoughts words and workes euen in their decrepite age being then through their dissolutenesse become crazed without eyther head or foote without hope of remorce without hope of mercie Heretosore as we reade in Chronicles a King of this land was same to stoppe and stint his Danes that they might not exceed a prescribed measure in their
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
Countrey of Maine there was a fellow a notorious theefe and murtherer well knowne vnto all his neighbors who by the sentence of the Lieutenant for criminall causes was committed at Mauns and condemned to be hanged and strangled and was sent from thence backe to his owne Uillage wherein he dwelled to be executed and there to be set on a Gibbet standing vpon the high way from Mauns Some few daies after his execution a certaine man trauelling that way where his bodie hanged found himselfe very sore wearied and laid to rest vnder a tree not farre from the Gibbet But he was scarce well setled to his ease when suddenly behold there commeth by another passenger that was going towards Mauns and as he was right ouer against the gallowes where the dead bodie hanged whom the partie knew well when he was aliue he called him by his name and demaunded of him with an high and loud voyce as ieasting at him if he would goe with him to Mauns The man that lay vnder the tree to rest himselfe being to go to Mauns likewise was very glad that he had sound company and said to the other Stay for me a little and I will go with you The other to whom he spake thinking it was the dead theefe that spake vnto him hasted him away as fast as he could possible The man vnder the tree arising vp ranne after him as fast with a desire to ouertake him and still he cried stay for me stay for me But the other had not the leasure for his feare had set him in such a heate thinking still that the dead theefe followed him at the heeles that he neuer left posting till he was quite out of breath But for a while I will leaue off such conceited stories least some seuere Censour suspect me for an Heretike in vtterly denying the Diuels power which our righteous Lord hath left vnto him as to the executionâ—r of his iudgements LINEAMENT VI. 1 Whether in time of Popery 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 NEuerthelesse if we may beleeue ancient Historiographers the Diuell commonly haunted diuers simple wretches in times â—ast when all the world wondred after the â—eâ—st of the Sea vpon whose seuen heads was the name of blasphemis I meane when our fore-parents worshipped the high Priest of the seauen hilled Citie by the Tyrrhene Sea And as our Royall Phoenix recordeth after diligent obseruations of seasons dayes and hewres by these reprobates circles were made triangular quadrangular round double or single according to the forme of apparition which they craued Likewise two principall things in that errand might not be spared holy water whereby the Diuell deludes the Papists and some present of a liuing thing vnto him Heere likewise Right vertuous Prince Great Brittains Beauclerke like as the Moone deriues her light from the resplendant Sunne and as the Macedonian souldiours security proceeded from their Monarches safety Ex Alexandri spiritu omnes suos spiritus ducebant so presume I to fetch the true Lampe of this Treatise from your immortall booke For this cause I craue humble pardon of your Imperiall Maiâ—stie for my ambition in borrowing like Aesops crow some of your ingenious plumes to grace my ragged stile In those daies it sufficed not the Diuell to haue indirectly the rule and to procure the perdition of so many soules by alluring men to vices and to the following of their appetites but also he abused these simple wretches in making them directly to acknowledge him for their master Euerie man ouer whom he had the rule he tempted according to his complexion and knowledge and so whom he found most simple he plainliest discouered himselfe vnto them For he being the enemie of mans saluation vsed all the meanes he could to entrap them so farre in his snares that they might not euer after suppose they would ridde themselues out of the same But now-a-dayes Popery being vnmarked and vncouered to the view of all the world through the brightnes of the Gospell Sathan is either cub'd vp really in hell in the bottomlesse pit for a time or confined herehence for a while into other habitacles as Lapland Finland or into the healthfull coast of Bâ—armia vnder the Northerne pole where people liue in greatest Barbarisme and simplicity Euen as Apolloes Oracles in Greece ceased at the passion of Christ by reason of the Apostles preaching in those parts so doubtles in these dayes the woman clothed with the Sunne the Catholike Church that was fled into the wildernesse and persecuted with a long lasting warre by the Dragon and his Angels being now victoriously returned into these North-west partes of the world the Diuell in despaire is retired into his darkesome Cell or farre from among vs where notwithstanding that he lies malecontent and perhaps fettered that he cannot really breake forth he transports sometimes his poysonous power and casteth out of his mouth water after the woman as it were a flood to drowne her there in hell he hath his capitall residence and ouerlookes by his spirits of sinne into the soules of flesh and bloud like as the Antichrist residing in the great Citie spiritually Sodome and Aegypt transferres by his Iesuiticall spirits vncleane spirits like frogges out of the Dragons mouth and other messengers of false prophesie cloudes of wonders supposed miracles Bulles Indulgences and detracting lies for the confirmation of his forlorne flocke in Aequiuocations blasphemie and blindnesse of vnderstanding For as the Reprobate and naturall man cannot apprehend those things which are aboue nature nor will he beleeue that there are any spirits good or euill so the simple or superstitious person partly with feare partly with Popish policy is drawne to such sottish credulity and lightnes of beliefe that he takes Knaues for Diuels and Coni-catchers for Coniurers To end this Section of the Diuels appeareance I beleeue that some yea that many things concerning his visible formes are but lies and fictions of men inuented eyther for some cause that moued them or at least wise for their sports and pastimes Othersome contrariwise haue beene true as appeares by many examples and euents which none can denie as that Spaniard alleadgeth Algunas y aun muchas yo creo que deuen de ser mentiras y fictiones de gentes inuentadas o por alguna cosa que les mueue o alo menos por su passatiempo Otras ay que son verdaderas comoparece por muchos exemplos y successos que no pueden negar se. No good Christian can denie but that the Diuell did possesse those men whose bodily humours by gurmandize or their peruerse wils were depraued and infected as is to be seen in the Scriptures where likewise he was suffered by our Sauiour Christ to enter into the Heard of Swine But my question at this time
coyishly like a cunning queane to her youthfull nouice seemed to repell their suits They loth or perhaps not daring to returne homewards to their wiues without some notice touching the stolne goods vrged him more instantly to cast a figure and rather then faile to coniure vp a spirit that they might learne who was the theefe At last with some adoe the scholler in respect of his pouertie resolued to make a purchase of these vnlooked for guests and to that end first requiring their oath of secrecy like a true Chymist willed them to resort within three houres of night to a chamber remote from company The honest men with pure protestations thanked his grauity and went home to their Inne with gladsome hearts iudging each houre a day til the prefixed time drew nigh In the meane space the adulterate Coniurer calles vnto him more good fellowes boone companions confederates with them that about such a time they should likewise repaire to the designed chamber with a whole Cutlers shop of weapons as Proctors and Officers to apprehend both the Coniurer and his mates Well the appointed time approached the good Yeomen missed not to come thither where also the Coniurer met them lockt fast the chamber doore and hauing prepared afore hand a great Caldron full of hote scalding water on a good fire caused them to cast their money therein for feare lest the spirit might annoy them by reason of such prophane trash His commaundement stood for a law Assoone as he had fashioned his Circle crossed it and inuocated on these terrible spirits Barbara Celarent Darij Ferio Baralipton Celantes Dabitis Fapesmo Fricesonorum Cesarâ— Camestres Festino Baroco Darapti Felapton Disamis Datisi Bocardo Ferizon In stead of spirits the false Proctors bounced and knocked at the doore menacing to breake it open if out of hand they opened it not The poore men not aduenturing to budge one inch from the center of the Circle without their money and now without hope of commiseration among strange Officers stood amazed in a quandaâ—y with great horrour and dread till the Proctors were let in by the Coniurer Ah villaine haue we taken thee in the manner said these new Proctors there is no way saue one for thee nor for these assistants of thine And with that in a faigned vehement rage charged them vpon their allegeance to follow them towards the prison The liuer-hearted Yeomen very dutifully obeyed went along with them all the way begging for grace and fauour with large promises of golden mountaines and with faithfull assurances of millions of prayers for their prosperity The pitifull Proctors ouercome at last with their important suits and knowing their money to be lest behinde safe in the hote Caldron let fall the raines of their rage Their iustice became mitigated their authority relented vpon condition that these honest men would assume on their credite to come againe vnto them the next morning which they faithfully promised But being arriued at their lodging they tooke counsell together to giue the Proctors the slip and leaue the Coniurer to goe to the gallowes alone without their fellowship And so at midnight by the benefite of that darke time as they thought they left both Proctors and Coniurer in the lurch posting away with great ioy for their fortunate escape LINEAMENT X An example translated out of Monsieur du Chesâ—e his pourtrait de la sante declaring how one Monsieur Poena a Phisition of Paris coâ—iured two spirits out of a possessed mans body MOnsieur Uignier a Phisitian of Champaine and the Kings Chonicler had a cousin of his that was a person well descended and also learned afflicted of such a spirituall sickenesse that he imagined and firmely beleeued that a certaine fellow of his acquaintance newly come from Italy had giuen him and put within his body two spirits which spake vnto him and taught him many things which also threatned him eyther to cause his death or else to vexe him with some great mischiefe After that he had discouered his malady to the said Vignier he presently knew that it was a sickenesse of the spirit and for that he loued very well this kinseman of his he deuised and aduised with himselfe how to helpe him For this purpose both of them resolued to goe together to Paris and there they addressed themselues vnto Monsieur Poena who immediatly vnderstood what sickenesse it was to wit that the patients imaginatiue faculty was hurt and depraued and also counselled them that they should looke for spirituall remedy for that spirituall sickenesse which likewise the said Poena promised that he would endeuour to get for his recouery Hereof the diseased partie was very glad and pressed on him very hard that he should hasten him telling him withall that his said spirits continually menaced to kill him or to torment him with some grieuous sickenesse Here the Phisitian was faine to vse stratagems and subtilties to take away these wicked impressions out of the sicke-mans phantasie in regard that the party being learned and very speculatiue as all melancholike men are would comprehend by reason the manner of his cure which after many circumstances in briefe was thus The Phisitian tooke vpon him to fashion in a little booke certaine characters and names of spirits and to make as though he must coniure vp a stronger spirit then those which were in his body by whose forcible means the lesser spirits should be chased therehence The remedie was plausible to the sicke man In the meane that all things were accommodating and making readie for the said exploit the Phisitian ministred vnto him purgations to tame and moderate the humour of melancholie Atlength the time approached that this feat should be put in practise There was a great Hall chosen out for the nonce wherein this saigned coniuration should be made for the effecting whereof an honest Chirurgion was appointed to act the person of the pretended spirit All things thus prepared together with the Circle and other ceremonies which Negromancers vse in such a case they came to the place where the possessed party was seated in the midst of the Circle and to blindfolde him the more he was encouraged not to be astonished at what accident soeuer that should befall After some counterfeit whispering crossing and inuocations the Spirit of the South was called vp who appeared not Then the Spirit of the East was called who likewise came not In the end at the third call the Chirurgeon that lay hid in a certaine place there for the nonce began to appeare in this hall that was somewhat darke And then the Patient was againe comforted and counselled more then before not to be affraid who answered that he was resolued not to feare at all So earnestly did he attend and repose confidence and hope in this illusion At last the matter passed so finely and luckily that the poore Patient beleeued that this spirit which he tooke to be no fained one had power to ouercome and
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
vpon him and he shall curse thee to thy face Whereto though God answered Lo he is in thine hand yet we must not take that saying literally but parable-wise or according to the Hebrew maner of speech He is in thine hand that is he is in the case as thou wouldest haue him my hand shall plague him according to thy demaund Likewise we must vnderstand that the holy Ghost here as in other places of the Scripture inserteth such familiar conserence as is fitting for mans capacity and for the vsage of that language When his Maiestie is disposed really to plague offendors coÌ„monly he employeth his owne Angels which S. Iohn in the Reuelation plainly manifesteth in these words I saw another signe in heauen great and maruellous seuen Angels hauing the last seuen plagues for by them is fulfilled the wrath of God And againe I heard a great voyce going out of the Temple saying to the seuen Angels Go your waies powre out the seuen golden vials of the wrath of God vpon the earth His owne Angell God sent to destroy Sodome and Gomorra to plague the Israclites when Dauid caused the people to be numbred and to ouerthrow Senacheribs army His owne Angell he sent to smite ambitious Herode so that he was eaten vp of wormes To conclude this is a golden rule and worthy to be engrauen in Cedar that Good men neuer detract from the Lord or from their neighbours To the Lord they ascribe al glory all causes all effects To Caesar they ascribe what is Caesars and honour to whom honour belongeth Notwithstanding any naturall notions or idle imaginations imprinted in their braines by the Spirit of Detraction good men will quickly breake through such brittle cobwebs and will pierce quite through such imaginations with their intellectuall iudgements as the beames of the Sunne pierce and passe through the thickest clouds inwardly building on this fort of faith that the Diuels force himselfe being spirituall and oftentimes a prisoner is not really reuelling but spiritually roguing or restrained euen according to the pleasure of the Great Iehouah in whose power alone it consisteth to bruise his head and to bring vs safely out of his tempting snares LINEAMENT XVI The Spirit of Detraction punished by the immediate power of God proued by examples out of the Scripture EVen as the Spirit of Detraction with all other sinful spirits as the spirit of pride the spirit of gluttony the spirit of hatred and such others by the contagious craft of the diuellish serpent like an infectious leprosie possessed all soules since the first transgression of our foreparents our Sauiour only excepted for in Adam we all liued so likewise did this serpent first detract and depraue the Lords glory in heauen when he arrogated to himselfe his immensiue power And afterwards when he seduced Eue to disobey her Creator touching the forbidden fruit saying vnto her ye shall not die the death And also when he made her beleeue that she should be as wise as God At the building of Babell they desperately detracted in distrusting Gods prouidence in fearing another Deluge and in saying Let vs build vs a tower whose top may reach vnto heauen least peâ—aduenture we be scatterd abroad vpon the face of the earht Corah Dathan and Abiram were swallowed vp of the earth because they murmured against God and spake against his seruant Moses Miriam the sister of Moses was stricken by the Lord with leprosie because she spake against her brother and against his authority which he had from God The men which Moses sent to search the land of Canaan and which when they came againe made all the people to murmur against him and brought vp a slander vpon the land euen those men that did bring that slaunder vpon it as though it had bene euill died in a great plague before the Lord None of the Israelites which came out of Aegypt except Caleb liued to enioy the land of promise because they murmured against their Redeemer who brought them out of seruitude and tempted his patient spirit therefore they perished in the wildernesse Saul despayring of Gods mercy and for that the Lord vouchsafed not to answere him by dreams nor vrim nor yet by Prophets sought to the cousening witch of Endor who against her will like to Baalam and Caiphas prophesied the truth by a supposed Samuel that the spirit of God had quite abandoned him that the next day after he should be slaine by the Philistines The Israelites discomfited the Sâ—rians and killed one hundred thousand of them in one day according to the speech of the Prophet that was sent to the King of Israel with this message Thus saith the Lord because the Sirians haue said The Lord is God of the mountains and not God of the valleyes therefore will I deliuer this great multitude into thy hands and you shall know that I am the Lord. Ahaziah King of Iuda being sicke sent messengers to Baalzebub the God of Ekron concerning his discase and his recouery But Elias out of the Angels mouth resolued him saying Is it because there is no God in Israel that you goe to enquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron Wherefore thus saith the Lord Thou shalt not come downe from the bed on which thou art gone vp but thou shalt die the death Amaziah Priest of Bethel bad the Prophet Amos prophesie no more at Bethel because it was the kings Chappel and the kings Court Wherefore and for that he controlled the Lords messenger thus said the Lord Thy wife shall be an harlot in the Citie and thy sonnes and daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be diuided by line and thou shalt die in a polluted land Beares came out of the forrest and tare in peeces two and fortie children which mocked Elisha the Prophet and reuiled him with his bald head Senacherib king of Assyria warring with Hezekias king of Iuda sent a blasphemous embassage vnto him signifying that the Lord could no more saue Ierusalem from his victorious hand then the counterfeit Gods or Idols of other nations which he destroyed But the word of the Lord came to Esay the Prophet against Senacherib in this manner Whom hast thou railed on and blasphemed against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted vp thine eyes on high Euen against the Holy one of Israel Because thou ragest against me and thy tumult is come vp into mine eares therefore will I put my hooke into thy nosthrils and my bridle in thy lips and will bring thee backe againe the same way thou camest So the Angell of the Lord went out and smote in the campe one hundred threescore and fiue thousand men in one night And Senacherib himselfe at his returne home was slaine by two of his sonnes One Hananiab in the time of Zedekiah king of Iuda prophesied falsely among the Iewes at Ierusalem eyther of vaine glory for
Sea following Du Bartas his aduise hauing Faith for my sailes the holy Ghost for my Pâ—lot and the Bible for my starre Qui voudra seurement par ce goussre ramer Sage n'atlie iamais cingler en haute mer. Ains costoye la riue aiant la foy pour voile L'Espâ—it saint pour nocher la Bible pour estoile But quoth the reprobate then may I do whatsoeuer my will enduceth me vnto It is all one whether I commit good or euill For if goodnesse be already predestinated vnto me I shall surely light vpon it neither can all the prouocations of the world the flesh or the diuell cause me to erre O curuae in terras animae coelestiura inanes O stooping soules to earthly trumperies And quite deuoide of heauenly mysteries Though God foresaw before the ground worke of the world was laid that such and such might be saued yet notwithstanding he knew in his wisdome that they could not by reason of their affections and of themselues without his assistance attaine to that perfect state And therefore he interpoled his mercy together with his iustice he sent his owne spirit among them incarnated to ease them of that grieuous yoake which flesh and bloud found insupportable whereby he foresawe that men might please him if they were endowed with as much free-will as they might chuse for their enabling thereunto To this end he inspired some with faith and some he reiected yet with this caueat and condition did he predestinate them to faith that this faith should serue as a badge or cognizance to discerne them from the reprobate so that their election being conditionall they should not waxe presumptuous cowardes nor Apostates Thus all our actions all our goodnesse all our misfortunes yea and our liues willes and destinies are subordinate without coaction or constraint vnto Gods directions whose supreme will being aboue our willes and flowing into our willes takes not away the iudgements of our vnderstanding nor enforceth vs but so ruleth vs that we in chusing or refusing doe somewhat follow our owne reasonable willes For he that made vs without vs will not sanctifie vs without vs that is without our cooperation and consent Much lesse can the influence of the Starres or Meteours induce a necessitie of destinie and master our complexions without our consent The very beginning of all our operations was infused by our Creator in our selues with freedome of will So that no constellations or meteours if being corporall substances they triumph other whiles ouer our bodies by Gods direction yet cannot they sway our mindes because they are diuine spirituall and of a purer substance then themselues And surely they are strongly possessed with the spirit of Errour which ascribe the cause of their damnation immediatly vnto Gods ineuitable decree for the certainty of his decree doth no way force them of necessitie to be saued or damned as they please And though the intent of God himselfe be certaine and immutable yet notwithstanding the meanes of bringing the effects of saluation or damnation to passe doe not proceede from necessarie but from voluntary motions for Gods prouidence or foresight which as I wrote in the former discourse is alwaies present eternall and at once obseruing that such effects would follow and seeing as it were at the same instant such to follow his commaundements as liuely as if they had alreadie fulfilled them and contâ—arywise seeing such and such to commit sinne as if he had seene them then alreadie committed knew certainly who would be his elect and who would be rebellious Weercupon he ordained eternall rewards and eternall punishments for them As for example a man sicke of a Calentura or burning ague is charged by his Physition not to drinke wine The patient notwithstanding the strictnesse of his charge by reason of his continuall custome and former disordered life carouseth wine and dieth Which that Poet well remembred Et tremor inter vina subit calidumque trientem Excutit è manibus dentes crepuere retecti In drinking wine the panges of death From him the cup do wrest His members quake his teeth doe shake His life can finde no rest Now the cause of this mans death was himselfe for if he had obeied the Phisitian he had recouered his health After this fatall accident we cannot denie but it might haue otherwise hapned but the thing being once done we certainly know it was done and what was done must needs be done for now it cannot be vndone Howbeit that in the doing or drinking of the wine the sicke party might haue chosen whether he would drinke it or no. So in our actions concerning saluation or damnation there is no necessitie or restraint but we may chuse in time whether we will be saued or no neither ought we iustly to accuse God for our damnation if we be damned or blame his immutable and ineuitable decree but lay the fault where it ought Seeing that God is content that his will should concurre with ours let vs lay the fault on our stubborne selues who through a customarie delight in sinning haue wittingly and wilfully deserued it For his diuine Maiesty to free himselfe did tender his grace to all euery man might by acceptance there of auoid the punishment flie from the wrath to come if he would so that it is not the necessitie or constraint of Gods decree which inferred our damnation but our contempt of Gods commaundements which albeit we need not commit vnlesse we would yet being once committed must needs be committed which his prouident Maiestie perceiuing thus to proceede and chance as alreadie proceeded and chanced decreed eternall reward for the righteous and eternall punishment for the reprobate Concerning this last point we may iustifie the certaintie of his decree But to charge his Prouidence with the occasion of our sinnes as by the necessitie of his decree is damnable for it is one thing to enquire whether God knew that such and such would be damned and another thing to enquire whether he forced them to sinne and so to worke their owne damnation And it is another thing to affirme that God knowing such and such would sinne according to their natures did decree eternall punishment for them LINEAMENT V. That God is not the Authour of Temptation but an Actor therein NEyther tempteth God any man but giueth the wicked man ouer to his owne concupiscence and consequently to sinne and Sathans alluring baits He tempteth no man immediatly but according to his vnsearchable pleasure he turneth away his countenance withdraweth the influeÌ„ce of his grace from him and then is mans heart hardened by reason of his owne naturall imbecillitie lead into temptation and left as corpus opacum eyther for a while eclipsed or for euer enticed with the world the flesh and the Diuell And yet God is not the Author of our corruptions though he be an Actour in corrupting The doing of a thing proceeds from the Creator and the euill doing
extraordinary pensiuenes of minde presaging as afterwards ehanced some future euils and also somewhat terrified with the great lightning which then flashed most extreamely Behold a forcible lightning in forme of a fiery pillar extinguished the Candle-light burning before mee and with that as it were in the twinckling of an eye strikes me with a most violent blast that I verily thought my braines had been dasht out and that I was at deathes doore To confirme this imagination of mine in the selfe same instant it thundered in such impetuous and extreame manner that the earth moued as sithence appeared in sundry other partes of this Realme my house shooke in so much that I am perswaded no canon no basilisco nor any other artillery could make the like terrible report With this fearefull volee together with the former lightning flash I fell into a kinde of traunce or confused thought and as Saint Paul speakes of his assumption into paradise if it be lawful for me so to say whether I were in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth but I verily supposed to haue seene in spirit the warning-peece shot off for this worlds dissolution or finall alteration against the generall day of doome Within halfe a quarter of an houre or thereabouts as I coniecture I returned to my selfe and to my troubled senses at the loud cry which two of my houshould then being newly awaked out of their senselesse traunce raysed in seeing my wife falne on the ground and dead among them At this noise which they made changing my thoughts I made full account that my house had beene throwne downe with the thunder clap or earthquake therefore astonished as I was to saue my life being as I imagined in that great ieopardy I rose vp and hastned me downe into the lower roome or kitchin where I had heard the cry By the way her daughter being one of the two whose cry I had heard in my chamber met me and told me that her mother was sodainely stricken dead At my comming thither into the kitchin I found my wife quite depriued of life in a blackish sweat strongly sauouring of brimstone which the Poets call sacrum Sulphur holy Sulphur yet notwithstanding least it might be a faint or swowne I called for help to my seruants to haue her body bent forewards but at the first none directly vnderstood me excepting the two aboue-named vntil afterwards vpon our vehement lamentations and cries the other three for there were in all fiue two men and three maides besides my wife in that roome beganne by little and little to come vnto themselues hauing been all in one instant throwne downe to the ground as dead with the lightning and thunder Two of these three last at my first call and comming downe reuiued but the other being a seruing-man of mine lay longer in the trance All of them stood as deafe and distracted not able for their liues a long while to lift vp her dead body Some of them could neyther heare nor vnderstand what I spake nor what I would haue them doe their braines were so confusedly shaken in their heads that they could not for a long time answere me in reason When this fatall blow was giuen my wife sate on a stoole ouer-seeing her maydes melting of tallow And for this purpose the Seruing-man of whom I spake before stood by her with a candle in his hand The Kettle of tallow lay very neere vnto her Aboue the place where shee sate iust aboue her head hung Bacon in the roofe of the house All which being naturall nutriments of lightnings by reason of their vnctuous substances encreased the vertue thereof and doubtlesse by the predestinate will of our heauenly Father occasioned this foreible dampe and perhaps augmented the earthquake Her body was entire and whole without diminution of any part sauing a little of her hayre which was rent or snatched off with the attyres of her head her fillet which were likewise somewhat burnt and also sauoured of brimstone In like manner her stomacher her whale-bone bodies and her smocke neere about her heart where there was a small marke somwhat black were burnt rent and torne with the heauenly flame Perhaps her corpulence she being very grosse caused her thus to be singled and selected out from among the rest of the company But leauing that Philosophicall opinion alone to the vnsearchable knowledge of God without whose prouidence one haire cannot fall from our heads I will proceede further in declaring the tragicall euents which we found the next morning inflicted by the lightning thunder and earthquake The next morning for all that night wee durst not bouge from the same roome so greatly had feare seazed on vs wee saw all the tiles fallen for the most part from the house and some dispersed in heapes vpon the house Wee found the chimney top of the chamber where I lay quite cast downe part of the waightier stones tumbled through the chimney downe into my chamber yea and round about the bed where I lay at the time of this fatal blast to the great astonishment of al that saw it and surely it is miraculous how I escaped aliue vnhurt or vnscorcht in this terrible time of horror Two glasse-windowes were also burnt with the lightning whereof the one was a window by my beds feete the other on the loft right aboue my chamber and aboue my bed Besides three other glasse-windowes were battred and bruised with the thunder or earthquake Aboue a dozen breaches or rents were found pierced through the wals of the house being almost foure foote thicke and as strongly built as could be of lime and stone Also one of the beames was somwhat remoued from the place And that which seemes as strange a fat Cow amidst many other Kine in the stable was culled out and killed or rather stifled with the Lightning which induceth me as I said before to thinke that this dampe tooke strength and power according to the nature therof from such fat liquide and oylie substances or bodies This opinion her selfe verified vnto me about a fortnight before shee dyed when she caused all the candles in her house to be done out for feare least the lightning which at that time was somewhat fearefull should encrease and receiue force from the candle light Yet with this limitation doe I attribute such matter of vnctuositie and vertue to lightnings from these inferiour bodies that God who workes by measure number and waight sends these or such like kinds of fate vpon vs to admonish vs not to make reckoning of this world as of a perpetuall Paradise nor to sleepe ouer-long in the voluptuous bosome of carelesse negligence Neyther ought I seeing I haue gone so farre to conceale another wonder to wit that she fore-tolde in her life time as well to diuers others as to my selfe the shortnesse of her life in this world for this was an vsuall speach of hers sundry
crosses NOtwithstanding the premisses the spirit of Detraction is readie to read a cruell lecture to pratling Momes and tatling Niobes that doubtlesse the punished partie vvas eyther very vicious himselfe or else his vvife or parents had offended God in the highest degree O my Friends be not so curious in your censures In that yee iudge others yee condemne your selues for yee that iudge doe the same things Iudge not least yee be iudged And as for the scornefull doth not the Lord laugh them to sâ—â—rne Why then doe yee scorne and scoffe at your neighbours harmes whereof God is the Author who is hee that blesseth that curseth that rewardeth that punisheth Is it not he the Lord vvhy then detract yee from his vnsearchable secrets Why endeauour yee to vsurpe his peculiar prerogatiue We are persecuted but not forsaken we are cast downe but we perish not Our mortall bodies for a time returne to dust but our soules rest in Abrahams bosome It pleased the Lord to smite his righteous seruant with infirmitie to forsake him and to be angrie with him for a little season but at last he pardoned him as the Prophet forespake of Christ. For all this my defence the spitefull spirit of Detraction relents not at all By reason of anothers extraordinarie iudgement he chargeth me strictly with impietie Is not quoth hee thy wickednesse great and thine iniquities innumerable Therefore snares are round about thee feare sodainely troubles thee Doth not God reuenge the Fathers sinnes vpon the children to the third and fourth discent O menstruous or rather monstrous absurditie Though my talke be this day in bitternesse and my plagues greater then my groaning yet will I vndertake to controule thine errour and confute thine heresie All soules are mine saith the Lord both the soule of the Father and the soule of the Sonne The same soule that sinneth shall dye The Sonne shall not beare the iniquities of the Father neither shall the Father beare the iniquitie of the Sonne For mine owne part I confesse my selfe to be chiefe among sinners but yet much wronged to become subiect vnto your detracting iudgements Yee are none of my Iudges I appeale to Caesars iudgement seate I appeale to the King of Kings the King of Mercie who will reuerse by a vvrit of errour your false vsurped iudgements If thou Lord wilt be extreame to marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Woe be vnto vs woe Wâ—e be to the most laudable life that we leade if thou O Lord setting thy mercie aside shouldst examine it Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from manie sinnes Doth the blinde accuse the blinde Doth an olde senex fornicatour accuse another fornicatour Num Luscus accusat Luscum Clodâ—us Mâ—â—chum And doth the spirit of Detraction the most sinfull spirit of all spirits detect me for sinning Well my confession is not auricular but openly reiterated If I wash my selfe in snow water and purge my hands most cleane yet shalt thou plaegue me in the pit and mine owne cloathes will make mee silihie Mine owne fleshly vveedes being tainted vvith longing thoughts must sing a sorrowfull peccaui to the tune of stoope gallant And vnfainedly to vse Saint Pauls words I allow not that which I doe for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that doe I. Albeit that oftentimes I haue a will to doe well yet the nature of my flesh not any wise able to be expelled with the forke of mine owne naked reason confounds this readie will of mine and causeth me to commit moe sinnes in number then the sands of the sea All which with a contrite minde I submit to the mercy of God crauing most humbly on the knees of my heart in the lowest degree of reuerence my Redeemers merits as the vaile of grace to stand betwixt his diuine Iustice and their gore-bloud guiltinesse But certainly in my poore iudgement God took away mine innocent vvife after the aboue-said manner for though I say it all her acquaintance wil say as much as I that she liued as godly as honestly as any whatsoeuer in all her Countrie not so much for my sins though the same might be grieuous as for that all others might prepare themselues against their nuptials with Christ Iesus remembring that prophesie concerning Babilon who said in her heart I shall be a Lady for euer I am and none else I shall not sit as a widdow neither shall I know the losse of Children But thus said the Lord These two things shall come vnto thee sodainely in one day the losse of children and widdowhood O Lord of infinite iudgement widdowhood is sodainely come vnto mee thou hast iustly visited me and bercaued me of my chiefest comfort Thou knewest shee vvas too good for mee Thy vvill be done O mightie Lord. Let the infusion of thy grace into mine vntoward soule recompence my griefe and losse Thy grace is sufficient for mee thy power is made perfect through weakenesse When wee are most perplexed with worldly crosses then is thy spirit strongest in vs. And euen as the soules vertue is strengthened with infirmitie so certainely it is necessarie for our licentious natures now and then to be curbed vvith infirmities It is necessarie for vs that sinne the messenger of Sathan doe other whiles buffet vs and bruise our earthly heeles It is necessarie that malice bridle or rather prick as vvith sharpe pointed Needles our detracting wanton thoughts whereby we might remember our owne weake condition and turne to God who alone is without infirmitie Let me doe what good I can let me endeauour as much as is possible for flesh and bloud to endeauour yet I shall proue but an vnprofitable seruant I am blacke like an Aethiopian nay I am more blacke my very teeth are blacke My soule is all spotted all guiltie of vncleanenesse Onely my beliefe is that thy Grace is more aboundant then tongue can speake or heart can thinke or pen can paint LINEAMENT XV. The Authours gratulatorie Prayer vnto the Lord for the aboue-said wonderous effects O Louely Light O Lord of Maiestie how ouer-late doe I beginne to know thee My welbeloued put in his hand by the hole of my doore offring to breath faith into my soule But such was my dulnes such my drowsinesse that I could not once sigh sobbe nor say Abba Father O my Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee Yea thou wert in the superiour part of my heart and I neglected thee Thou didst call mee both within and without and I reiected thee I reiected the Well-spring of liuing vvater and resorted to noysome cisternes of puddle worte full of wormewood comforts full of tickling hopes vvhich were speedily spent for all vvordly comforts and vaine hopes doe vanish away like winde And yet it pleased thy lightsome Spirit O Lord of life after many a scorching
conuersion then that this lightning Accident hath enlightned both our soules Thine it preferred into Paradise mine it prepareth for Paradise thy soule as a type of zeales flame it purified actually secundum passionem mine it purifieth potentially secundum propassionem Thus both of vs do stand as monuments to the Church here on earth the one as a relicke richer then Mausolus his Tombe the other as a publicke notarie reserued to sound out the wonders of the great God and to transcribe vnto after-ages thy extraordinarie end If the Spirit of Detraction reply that I intend a needlesse labour to embalme a dead carkasse with such costly oyntment saying what needed this waste Loe I returne his enuious demand this vnparalel'd answere of our Sauiour I did it to bury her It is to performe the last obsequies of her funerall that wheresoeuer the Gospell is sincerely preached throughout this Land there also these Circles of mine vvhereof her memory next vnder God was the motiue may be read as a mirrour of Gods miracles as a memoriall of her liuing vertues and as a monument towards her of my kinde affection It is the last solemnitie the last precious oyntment which I can poure vpon her head the last Adieu the last office of good will which I can accomplish for her sake This kind of Epitaphes in honour of the dead an holy Father highly commendeth It is pietie saith he to publish the deceaseds vertues yea it is a meanes to encrease grace in our owne selues Therefore let no man blame me because I erect these paper-statues to the glory of my deceased wife seeing that many others of nobler endowments haue endeuoured to illustrate their dead friends It is not long since that famous Gentleman Phillip Mornay Lord of Plessis mourned in the like manner for the death of his onely sonne who of late was slaine with a musket-shot at the siege of the Citie Geldre vnder Graue Maurice which dolefull Catastrophe hee set out in a little booke called Du Plessis teares written to his wife Charlotte Baliste why then should I feare thy shadowie prickles O spitefull Spirit In praysing her from whom haue I detracted Downe therefore downe vvith thy malicious stings and interrupt me not in my zealous offices while I betake my selfe to the mournfull accents of a voice almost stopt vvith throbs of griefe while also I sacrifice my last gratuities vnto her sacred spirit interrupt me not Adieu thou seruant of Christ thou patterne of piety Adieu thou map of Gods miracles Adieu my loue my ioy my comfort Adieu and rest thee henceforth among the heauenly roses rest in peace for euer free from the thornes of malice Adieu againe and againe Adieu Elizabeth my wife for a while and welcome sweet Iesus my Sauiour for euer THE SEAVENTH CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 That the spirit of Detraction can neuer annoy vs while the Maiestie of Iustice shines vpon vs. 2 The Authours supplication to the Lord Chancellour of England the Lord President of Wales and to all other his Maiestics Iudges of Record within this Monarchy of Great Brittaine for the extirping out of notorious Blasphemics 3 The Spirit of Detractions craft in molesting his Maiesties inferiour Officers 4 His diabolicall craft in wronging of priuate persons 5 The Authours Conclusion to the aboue-sayd Lords for reformation of the said abuses HOW amiable shewes thy face O Queene of Uertues when the light of Maiestie shines vpon thee Euen as amiable shewes thy face as the face of an Angell as the face of Moses which he was faine to vaile by reason of his bright-shining beautie after hee had seene a glimpse of Gods glory When thou sittest equally in thy throne of state with the ballance in one hand and the sword in the other hand how worthy then to beadored being so adorned so transfigured in glory with the three Apostles on Mount Tabor While this ballance lasteth euen the Lambe may dwell with the Wolfe without dread or doubt While this sword of Iustice hangs ouer Caines head as it sometimes hung ouer Damocles his head by a slender threed his yonger brother Abell may walke innocent in his vocation and cheerefully sacrifice his oblation of thanksgiuing sounding out this dittie of the princely Psalmist I will sing of Mercy and Iudgement vnto thee O Lord will I sing The carefull Magistrate need not feare the sword of Ismael which is a reuiling tongue Iacob after his three apprentiships vnder Laban may trauell vpon the Kings high-way towards his natiue home secured from his eldest brother Esaus sword Moses may exercise his office with alacritie and courage notwithstanding the rebellious muttering of Corah Dathan and Abiram In this golden age of Iustice ' Dauid may manifest his zeale and ioyfully dance before the Lords Arke for all the scornefull flouts of Michol or the scolding speeches of Semci Now hee cares not for his emulous and enuious aduersaries who to some out the dregs of their mindes subborned false witnesses laying to his charge those things which he neuer knew In this flourishing time Mephibosheth triumphes ouer his seruant Zibaes scandalous accusation While this thy ballance O sacred Iustice or this thy sword the one as a cause indented to leade the vse of thy fine the other as a finall concomitance or statute staple to establish thy euer-stable Iudgements or vvhile both of them together as Causa Causatum two friendly Correlatiues doe follow the strict contents of their Commission of Oier and Terminer the iniurious imputations of Potiphars wife can neuer impeach chast Ioseph nor can the snarling and doggish letter R redoubled out of Doegs nostrils impaire the credite of Abimelech Neither can Iezabels letter produce seduced testimonie against Naboth nor can the Rulers of Babilon worke the ruine of Daniel Reioyce thou daughter of Israel renowned Susanna for the Elders which accused thee are ouertaken in their owne snares they are found in contrarie tales While this seate of Iustice stands sincere without staine without sicklenesse Stephen may boldly reproue the sinnes of our lawlesse Libertines without feare of forged witnesses or clamorous suggestions that hee blasphemed God and Moses So full of efficacie is the influence of Iustice vvhen her bright beauteous body is countenanced with the glorious aspects of Prudence and Magnanimitie the attributes of the Eternall Maiestie that presently the Spirit of Detraction with all his blacke Guard of sinne will disperse themselues to nothing as a companie of bragging Waspes at the violence of Northren winde There flocked sometimes out of this fluttering swarme innumerable to beare downe the reputation of Ionathas with his Prince but what became of them and of their runnagate slanders as soone as they heard the sound of King Alexanders Trumpet proclaiming Ionathas to be the Kings friend and him for this cause to be cloathed in purple and to weare a collar of gold they vanished away like Waspes or
Bees leauing not so much as one of their stings behinde to offend that renowmed Macchabee Right Honourable and prudent Senatours to whom the Sunne of this mightie Monarchie hath imparted part of his powerfull authoritie to iudge the Tribes thereof I haue purposely framed this preface towards your patient spirits that thereby your Honours may discerne the anguish of my sicke soule which labours like a woman intrauaile to discharge her long and toilesome load Non quaero quod mihâ— vâ—ile sed quod multis I sue not onely for my selfe though perhaps my particular griefe is such that it may crie for vengeance vnto the highest heauen but on the behalfe of many thousands who moane and groane vnder the vvaight of a little Diuell the Tongue of Sinne. In what measure this Tyrant lauisheth and lordeth I am not able to expresse in words significant seeing that it passeth the power of any one modest Writer to comprehend the sway and swing of spirituall monsters Amidst the incessant complaints of so many Subiects who continually like Iobs messengers solicite your wisedomes with their frequent informations besides your owne trials your Honours may enquire from one to one and obserue from day to day how many zealous persons finde themselues agrieued out of Court and in Court euen from his Maiesties starrie Court to the least and base Court Out of Court at Ordinaries at gossipping at Tauernes at Tobacco-taking a man shall heare nothing but Detractions nothing but contumelies and lies nothing but captious and carping speaches When they are wantonly wearie with iearing with ieasting one at another with tearing their neighbours good name and fame with their taunting tongues like vnto Delphick swords and with diuersities of scandals worse then the prints of scourges then they fall to swearing to swaggering and to blaspheming of their Lord and Father in Heauen in stead of hallowing his holy name O times O iniquitie If God be their Father where is his honour If he be their Lord where is his reuerence To you iudicious Lords as the watchfull Sentinels or rather the wise Surgeons of our State it belongs betimes euen before the darkest night of errours steales vpon vs to prouide for corrosiues and cauterismes against these vgly vlcers which ranckle within the body of our Common-weale Sith it hath pleased his Royall Highnesse to communicate part of his light vnto you whereby euery one of you might moue in his place not naturally ab oriente ad occasum but supernaturally from Nature to the Authour of Nature I beseech your Lordships in the lowest degree of reuerence by vertue of this your heauenly motion your vertuall Influence and irradiation to dissolue such clouds of Detractions into dismall showers vpon the Detractours heads according to that of the Princely Prophet they haue digged a pit for others and haue falne into the mâ—ast of it themselues They sought to bemire beray their honest neighbors with their legends nay with their legions of lies intending to set them vpon the stage of scorne on the scaffold of scurrility and there to cloath them with reproach and shame not vnlike those spitefull Iewes which plaited on our Sauiours head a Crowne of thâ—rnes crowne to delude him thornie prickles to torment him By vertue of your authorities your starrie motions let such clouds and vapours be dispersed into vvhole flouds of vengeance vpon the Spirit of Detraction Let their bodies feele the smart of your sword whose wilfull Wills will not relent with the waight of your ballance If other mens examples serue not to bridle their vntoward tongues let their owne estates pay the ransome of their contempts While such monstruous sinnes beare dominion among vs neuer let your wisedomes thinke that your Officers of inferiour rankes dare execute in that proportionable expectation your monitorie directions your wholesome rules for the repressing of ryots for the restraining of vnrulinesse as otherwise they would were they assured of protection While Periurers and pettiâ—ogging Promootors range vp and downe at their pleasure neuer let your Honours looke but for vnequall proceedings and vniust presentments at our neighbours hands But some one will obiect that the Courts of Iustice lie open as well for the basest as for the noblest Subiect neither will our lawes permit a priuate person to lay violent hands on an Out-law or on him vvhich is attainted of Premunire so equall a reference beares Iustice towards subiects of all conditions By these reasons Periurie fortifies it selfe against the open face of Truth Yet notwithstanding whosoeuer ponders more pregnantly the present state of our publike weale comparing the same with that of the olde vvorld shall finde that our present policie had need of further muniments to vnderprop it least also your Atlantick shoulders become wearie or to speake more properly least your vp-streatch'd hands like those of Moses might faile at length in their important charge Though God I confesse hath ordayned the Sunne to shine vpon the vngodly as vpon the Godly and as the Preacher wrot All things come alike to all The same condition is to the iust and the wicked to the pure and impure to him that sacrificeth and to him that doth not sacrifice Though the Lord created them all alike in respect of outward endowments or accidentall meanes yet notwithstanding he hath seuered them specially in the second life entitling the Innocent as Lambs the reprobate as Goats the one as good seede the other as tares the one for Heauen the other for Hell The like distinction I could wish to be practised among those Iudges which either take or hope themselues to be partakers of that second life so that all notorious lewd members might be excluded if it were possible from molesting of quiet spirits To this purpose after a sort our late Parliament prouided a countermining order for the speedie dispatch and triall of suites commenced against Officers at the Common law But so it is Right Honourable that these Caterpillers implead a barre in this finall concordance for if your Officers come accompanied vvith honest neighbours to search or suppresse suspicious people or else to apprehend disturbers of his Maiesties peace these wicked ones apparrell themselues in the robes of subtiltie and with the helpe of mercenarie tongues laying an ambush for Iustice they surmise with Aesops Wolfe that the poore Lambe in forcible and riotous manner mudded the Well where water was vsually drawne for their Lordly mouthes This offence by their Sathanicall inuentions being exorbitant and beyond the capacitie of the Common law they frame their suggestions before your Honours in hope that their suites by reason of the manifold affaires vvhich distract your diligent mindes shall hang vnheard for two or three yeares space within which terme they will worke meanes to compromit their said friuolous suites or else by tossing and tiring their Aduersaries too and fro with tedious trauailing to end them at home for their credite and aduantage If an honest man
Wizards now with your witlesse wonders while yee auerre some of your Constellations and Meteours to be kinde vnto vs and some vnkinde yee open your mouthes against heauen it selfe according to that of Origen Dum alij stellas beneficas faciunt alij maleficas os suum in coelum aperiunt For all this our spitefull Spirit houers in the Aire ouer the heads of our malecontents and as yet will not descend into his darke home pretending himselfe priuiledged by the Diuels sanctuarie vntill the great Day to tempt the flexible soules of flesh and bloud True Sathan true thou art licensed I grant to peruert our faith for a vvhile but not to subuert the same for euer Thy peruerting is but momentanie as a corrosiue to conuert and to cure the dead rankled flesh But if this seducing Serpent persist to eate into the bone resist his biting bitternesse yee seruants of the Highest resist his power though his words seeme coloured and couered with the purest gold of Ophir though he come disguised vnto you like Ieroboams wife to entrap you by reason of your blindnesse If he insinuates into you slanderous suggestions concerning your Prince his soueraigntie aduising you to vent them out at your mouthes least wanting vent they burst your straight-laced hearts like vnto the embotteled Aire coniure him in your Sauiours name and boldly say vnto him Auoid Sathan We must not raile at our Superiours for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordayned of God Cursed be he which curseth the Lords annoynted Cursed be hee which detracteth from Gods Lientenant But Mariana and his detracting Iesuites doe laugh at these positions It is lawfull say they to curse and curbe our Princes if priuate mens acts be warranted by publicke iudgement that is if Ipse dixit my Lord the Pope that cannot erre doe locke them out of the doores of heauen O heathenish infidelitie Laugh on yee Kingkillars laugh on for a little while in this earthly world and yee shall surely weepe in the world to come Dauids heart smote within him because hee cut but the lap of King Sauls garment And yet our mortified Schoolemen our Ghostly Romish Fathers make no conscience to cut off the heads of our annointed Kings to compare these Regicides with renowmed Iudith If reucrent Bede were liuing in these dayes how deadly would hee defie their profane deedes separating himselfe from their Communion This action of Dauid quoth this honest Clerke doth morally instruct vs that wee must not smite our Princes though they wrong vs with the sword of our lips that wee must not in detracting-wise aduenture to teare the hemme of their superfluous deedes If we approue not the holinesse of their liues let vs applaud the holinesse of their vnctions But in my iudgement such questions of Princes Scepters ought not to be disputed nor called into controuersie no more then the Eternall purpose of God which is inscrutable incomprehensible by mortall men Chiefly we of the Reformed Church to whom God hath sent an vnparalel'd Prince ought not once to conceiue amisse of his Royall purpose Or if it otherwise chance must not we brooke his spots with the like patience as we brooke an vnseasonable showre of raine a storme or an abortiue birth The dishonourable things which a Prince doth must be esteemed honourable or else obserued but with halfe an eye If we had any iust cause of such complaints we ought rather to haue recourse to lacobs ladder to the Spirit of Prayer and so by repentance to rectifie our depraued wills that God may take away his scourge according to that Schoole-mans counsell Tollenda est culpa vt cesset Tyrannorum plaga In a peaceable Common-wealth to set out problemes of this muddie nature argues no profound policie specially it becomes not meane Ministers or vtopian Chymerizing Schollers to busie their braines with Princes matters whose eares and hands are stretcht out at the longest size Auriculas Asini Mida Rex habet An nescis longas Regibus esse manus In this case as in many other Theodore Beza ought to be highly magnified for that being seriously consulted by some seditious Sectaries whether inferiour Officers might not lawfully raise Armes against their Prince that violates his Oath made vnto his Subiects that infringeth their liberties immunities that turnes Tyrant vnto them hee teturned this circumspect demur vnto them We must demur vpon this point not onely because it is dangerous specially in this age to lay open such a window but also because that we may not determine the state of this question simply as you propose it but herein we must consider many waighty circumstances And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we deferre our full answere vnto your demand at this instant But this graue answere suffiseth not the spirit of ' Detraction He broacheth it further what if such things come to passe vvhat if the Prince becomes an Apostate Which is as much to say what if Atlas his shoulders should waxe weary of supporting the Skye Capiâ—mis alaudas Then wee shall haue our labour for our paines O vanitie of vanities Doth our Heauenly Father for his Sonnes Righteousnesse deliuer priuate persons from Sathans slauery and shall wee distrust his diuine prouidence that hee will not defend his Church both from Sathan and all his Instruments visible and inuisible Or if our sinnes be so grieuous in his sight that his wisedome iudgeth it expedient to chastice our wanton wils to season our luxurious natures with sowre sauce and by tribulations to prepare roome for the Holy Ghost in the Temple of our Soules shall wee grudge or grieue at his discreet corrections Is it not his owne saying that through the bryars of troubles vvee must passe into his heauenly world Let vs therfore content our selues with sober knowledge and not cauell and trauell about such mutinous arguments which were they in actuall presence we may sooner wish to auoid then salue it any other way but by teares and prayers Man proposeth but God disposeth He euen he it is that treades and tramples downe all tyrannies that ordereth them for his own glory he that abridged Queene Maries life for the propagation of his Gospell that sithence confounded so many attempts of Iesuites Traitors and that now of late sodainely and miraculously discouered the transcendent Pouder-plor no doubt but hee will still continue his care ouer vs in the midst of our worldly waues in the heate of our worldly warfare Amen LINEAMENT VI. 1 The Authours scope in this subsequent discourse 2 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted in Protestants for exasperating of Puritanes in their peruerse humours 3 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted in Puritanes for their obstinacie against our Ecclesiasticall Canons IN the former Circles I haue coniured and conuicted the Spirit of Detraction for the breach of the third commandement thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine
malapertnesse of thy tongue of thy tempting tongue of thy tickling tongue of thy tatling tongue thy taunting tongue thy vaunting tongue thy iesting tongue thy gibing tongue thy iarring tongue thy warring tongue thy checking tongue thy chiding tongue thy clattering tongue thy clacking tongue thy carping tongue thy babling tongue thy boasting tongue thy blazing tongue thy blaspheming tongue thy raiâ—ing tongue thy reuiling tongue thy scoffing tongue thy scolding tongue thy nicking tongue thy nipping tongue thy quipping tongue thy tripping tongue thy defaming tongue thy detracting tongue temper the phreneticall furie of this little Tyrant of what other inclination so euer it be and whet it not against thy neighbour whom Baptisme hath regenerated and adopted to the selfe same heritage as well as thy selfe Say with that noble French man Du mesdisant la langue venimeuse Et du flateur les propos â—mmielez Et du mocqueur les brocardes enfielez Et du maling la pursuite animeuse From Sycopâ— anâ—s and their foule pois'ned quips From Flatterers and their smooth-honied lips From Democrites and their gall-stinging bookes From Hypocrites and their dissembling lookes Good Lord deliuer vs. LINEAMENT XII The spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring men for their 1 Poucrtie 2 Birth 3 Bodily imperfections DEride no man for his pouertie for a man of faith is onely rich Hee that is poore in worldly wealth hath no superfluous cares to with-hold his mind from spirituall exercises While thou gluttest with gurmandize stalkest with state walkest with wantons swaggerest with swash-bucklers swearest with swaggerers and detractest with Detractours the poore man fasteth and prayeth yeelds euery man his due he liues not in feare of theeues nor of oppression for his goods Cantabit vacuus coram Latrone viator The same God that made him poore may make thee poore for it is his Sunne that shines vpon poorâ— and rich He euen he it is that exalteth the humble and meeke and scattereth the proud in the imaginations of their hearts If thy neighbour be not as well descended as thy selfe but basely borne contemne him not with contumelious speaches in charging his birth with contagious sinne The very best of vs all as the Prophet Dauid testified was conceiued in sinne and borne in sinne But through our cleansing by Baptisme our soules become purified and so doth the basâ—st borne bastard Better it is for a man to be the head of his kinne as â—icero was then to be the last of his kinne as Catiline was Better it is to be the vertuous sonne of a vicious father then to be the vicious sonne of a vertuous father for a man is not accountable for his birth but for his behauiour and conuersation in hiâ—liuing Therefore that vncharitable detracting distick deserues the fagot Spurâ—s ille puer nullum suadebit honestum Naâ—us adulterio semper adulter erit When thou beholdest one that is crumpshouldred lame or otherwise distorted and deformed in his body laugh him not to scorne nor iest at his infirmities For he that is deformed in his body may conceale a generous spirit within like vnto a tottered ship which containes within it more goods then tenne such ships are worth Consilio pollet cui vim natura negauit Obserue the contrarie subiect and tell me how many proper bodies hast thou scene without defects in their mindes In my iudgement none but fooles euer gloried in their bodies constitutions strength or power wherein the horse the Asse and other beasts goe farre beyond mankind The regard whereof causeth vs to require bodily force in a labourer and wisedome of the minde in a Commander The body is earthly carnall fraile the house nay rather the prison of the soule which indeed is heauenly noble permanent and created after Gods owne likenesse both in the essentiall vnion and in the trinarie subsistence A body is not to be termed crooked or crazed as long as it lodgeth an vpright soule and harboureth an honest heart Aesope was crooke-backt and yet admirable for his wit Tyrtaeus the Poet was lame and yet chosen Generall of the Lacedemonians Innumerable persons there are whose bodily deformitie God doth recompence with large measure of spirituall gifts supplying that place one way which wanteth in another way so that this saying is true Deus nihil fecit frustra God created nothing in vaine no not the craggiest mountaine made hee without some profitable vse for mans good Perhaps there lurkes a goodly mine or at the worst milstones or quarries of tile lime or such like Others againe haue imperfections in their eye-sights whom the spirit of Detraction followes with girdes and floutes wherein who can but smile Spectatum admissâ— risum teneatis amici In hearing blinde-minded people mocking at blindebodied people A man in Diuinitie is not held to be blinde except he liue in darknesse of errours which altogether blindfold the vnderstanding and depriue the soule of the eternall light the knowledge of the liuing God Short-sighted folkes commonly shoote inward into contemplation the noblest operation of the soule and whiles the quick-sighted I meane quicke of their corporall sights doe gaze on euery idle obiect eyther in iudging of beauties or in marking at the skipping of Grashoppers or in seeing the goodly combate betwixt the Mouse and the Frogge The other by the benefit of his spirituall nature wanting such obstacles and impediments doe wholy addict themselues to reading or to musing From which no Spider sport no trifling toyes may with-draw their intentiue mindes And why because their Creatour hath conuerted the infirmitie of their bodily eyes into their eyes of memorie and vnderstanding whereby they become sagacissimi in coniecturis ingenious and very studious LINEAMENT XIII 1 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for blabbing out tales concerning womens credits 2 Wherefore it is not lawfull to speake abroad of womens causes LIkewise take heed how thou talk est like a tatling tell-tale about womens credits by suspition and suppositions crackt or if in deed and euidence thy neighbors wife playes false in violating herfaith in vitiating her chastitie towards her honest Husband or if his Daughter waxeth more lustily wanton then becommeth a Christian virgine let not thy tongue be traduced or produced as a reuiling runnagate in noysing abroad such ribauldries and baudries if true or else such surmised secret things which no earthly creature besides themselues can proue It is alwayes incident to Roysters and Ruffians to read suspicious lectures on the carriage and behauiour of the most beautifull Some iudge the worst fatally because themselues are guiltie of adultery and so according to the often wishes the shrewde and lewde nores of their owne peruerted fantasies they condemne the pure with the impure Some againe doe but gather by presumptions and circumstances that chast women prostitute their bodyes because they goe gallantly attyred in the fashion with strange Periwigs with false bodyes truncke sleeues verdingales and with costly Iewels belike
beyond their Husbands meanes because they paint their faces with artificiall drugs and also because they gadde to stage-playes to publike daunces and showes vpon Sundayes and Holy-dayes in stead of hallowing and sanctifying their soules with thankfull prayers And in truth their reasons fall out many times currant for that such things being deuised by Diuellish people as allurements to spirituall fornication after the pompous gods of the earth be likewise the fore-runners of fleshly fornication euen as Pride is the mother of all mischiefe Othe s againe blab out scandalous impeaâ—hments of honest womens fame because they would not seeme alone to weare Actaeâ—ns badge and therefore they se uerely censure of other mens wiues Many blaze out such detracting speaches because they want matters of discourse to humour other men But cursed mought they be that beginne these slanderous accusations whereby man and wise doe vary after that God hath ioyned them both together Cursed mought they be who being partiall towards themselues doe neuerthelesse pronounce sentence of damnation against other mens incontinencie as though themselues had neuer tript yea and cursed be those Sycophants who with their runnagâ—te rumours and reports doe hinder Gentlewomen from their promotion in honest marriage This arrogant imputation our Sautour Christ himselfe refuted when hee willed those presumptuous Iewes who inuaighed against the poore delinquent woman that the purest of them being voide of sin should fling the first stone at her Though this sexe I confesse be weake the weaker vessell and may become seduced with faire protestations of golden mountaines as well as men the impotence of whose disposition is thus described by a Spaniard La muger hermosa es cemo la mancana De dentro podrida y de sucra galana Like as thou findst an Apple foule within And faire without such shalt thou beauty finde Yet nothwithstanding be thou the last that bruits abroad such tales calling to minde these graue rules En bonne part ce qu'on dit tu dots prendre Et imperfait du prochain supporter Couurir sa faute ne la rapporter ' Prompt a louer et tardif a reprendre What men doe speake in earnest or in iest take in good part and if thy neighbour halt Excuse her slips report them not at least be swist to salue and slow to blame her fault For who can tell the end and vse of our temptations it may be that God suffers some to goe awry like Mary Magdalene for a little while because the lowly minded sinner may not despaire of his euer-during mercy and because their owne rod of experience may chastice their Iasciuiousnesse Of this nature is some womans fall that she might rise againe when her guiltie heart submits it selfe to Iustice for otherwise her conscience would not care for any thing if it were not once deeply wounded for some hainous thing and that with an euer feeling dint whereby her contrite spirit might daily poure out this true confession before his throne of mercy I doc know mine owne wickednesse and my sinnes are alwayes before me I could vnfold many other Detractions against mens bodyes mindes and fortunes deuâ—sed by Dâ—uellish persons in these latter dayes to ransacke the reputation of the best disposed were it not that I feare the censure of the wise in noting my discourse to be too prolixe and tedâ—ous Within this very place I will therefore fasten the Anchor of the said discourse with this memorable lesson Audâ— vide tacâ— â—ivis vâ—uere in pace Heare and see and say but the best If thou dost loue to liue in rest LINEAMENT IX 1 The reasons why men speake ill of learned bookes 2 That superstitious persons cannot rightly connict the Spirit of detraction 3 That the true conuiction of the Spirit of Detraction consists in the mysteries of Gods word TO draw now at last to the last Scene of this Comick-tragedie I will conuert my speach towards the Detractours of learned Bookes which worthy Wits by the Holy Spirits motion do daily transcribe as monuments of Gods glory to all posterities It is fatall vnto good men that their literate workes be vilified in their liues time chiefely among their owne acquaintance for a Prophet was neuer as yet esteemed in his owne Countrey Seeing that Christ himselfe came among his owne nation and was both despised and derided what maruell is it then that wise men are dispraised of the present age that the Spirit of Detraction pursues them vntill their dying day that hee defiles their workes with his stale and stinking vrine What meruell is it that Laudamus veteres nostros carpimus annos We praise the old and hate the present time What maruell what noueltie is it nowadayes that wicked men carpe at their wits whose Disciples or Apprentises they are not worthy to be much lesse to vsurpe the place of Aristarches or Censorian Catoes ouer such industrious wights Yee celestiall Spirits which expose abroad your sacred talents for your Maisters profit loath to lurke in the Laechaeen caue of obliuion feare not this manifolded Monster Though he assailes your younglings the fruits of your sanctified soules with the wilde Boares tuskes with the Beares clawes with the Serpents sting his beastly force can neuer enter through your enchanted armour His enuie will be abated through your modestie his hatred through your kindnesse his Detractions through your perfections his scornes through your vertuous influence Some kinde of Alâ—mists their ignorance inciteth to despise the workes of the Learned as confirmes that old Rule Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Learning hath no greater enemie then the ignorant Some detract from other mens Bookes disgorging their gall vpon the absent Authours for no other reason then because they would seeme wiser to the standers by then they are indeed Some spit out infectious spite and rage against them of very ranke and meere maleuolence for that it frets them to the heart that their coequals in the goods of Fortune should become their betters through the goods of Vertue that the radiant rayes of their Corriuals name and fame eternized to the highest orbe by a bookish monument or Colossos should eclipse their temporall transparence and quite confound the memoriall of their former factions Some for argument or cauillation sake seeke a hole where no hole is reprehending those mysteries which they cannot apprehend nor comprehend The greatest part do ieere at their neighbours bookes because they preferre worldly profit before their soules not able to spare one houre in the day for holy exercise though they can spare whole moneths for gaine ieasts pleasures fooleries or in debasing of noble spirits Others discommend mens writings because they cannot disproue them and yet neuerthelesse by reason that Ipse dixit the Pythagorean or rather Pythonicall I doll of their consciences hath prohibited them by an expresse Canon not to beleeue the positions of Protestants though they issue out of Truths owne mouth therefore because
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
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
Summers attendance after many a frozen Winters watching expecting my conuersion to knocke againe most patiently at the doore of my soule and thus to call vnto her while shee slept so carelesly Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue for my head is full of dâ—â—r and my lockes with the drops of the night Againe and againe it pleased thee to inuite mee after this manner Returne O thou rebellious childe and I will heale thy rebellions for euen as a woman hath rebelled against her husband so hast thou rebelled against mee How dease is he that heares not such a voyce A voyce more vehement then the sound of many waters How deepely sleepes he that is not wakened vvith such a morning vvatch vvith such a melodie A melodie more musicall then euer Tuball Amphion or Arion could possibly conceiue When all thy creatures combined against me in reuenge of my disloyaltie towards thy sacred soueraigntie thou didst temper their fiery fury thou didst moderate their biting bitternesse The foure Elements which thou madest for my conseruation conspired all to roote my being out of the Land of the liuing The Ayre threatned to taint my breathing with contagious smels with Stigian stinckes The Fire assayed to burne my bruitish body The Water stroue vvith might and maine to ouerwhelme me vtterly The Earth endeuoured before her time to abridge my luxurious life And all because I had offended their great Creator But thou more mercifull then thy creatures for the loue of thy Name and for the loue of thy Sonne didst controule all their practises and confound the deuises of the Diuel himselfe How happy am I that thou prolongst my dayes how kinde art thou that sparest to spill the bloud of thy very foes O kindenesse without desert O courtesie without comparison Behold behold yee mortals all how the Lord hath deliuered me from the danger nay from the dungeon of death from sodaine death The God of glory hath defended mee from Thunder and Lightning from vvater and fire O what oblation can the poore Samaritanâ— sacrifice vnto his sacred Maiestie for these his wonderous workes Ille magis gratae laetatur mentis odore Quam consecrato sanguine mille boum Nam prece non alio gaudet honore Deus God better loues a thankfull minde then many Oxens bloud For poore mens prayers he preferres before the rich and proud Seeing thankfulnesse is such a sweet smelling odour in his sacred no strils let me proclaime his glorious Name Alleluiah Osanna in the Highest Blessed be the name of his heauenly Highnesse blessed in heauen blessed on earth and blessed throughout all ages The Lord be blessed for euermore vvhich hath enlightned mee in the darksome shadow of errours vvhich hath enlarged mee from a vvorld of perils vvhich hath recalled me failing vvhich hath raised me falling vvhich hath recouered mee running almost out of breath from falling and fainting Let all Nations performe their duties let them praise the Lord for it is hee that commandeth the waters It is the glorious God that maketh the Thunder It is the Lord that ruleth the sea The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedar trees yea the voyce of his thunder was heard round about the lightning shone upon the ground The Earth was moued and shooke withall his way is in the sea and his paths in the great waters Applaud him O my soule applaud his magnificent Maiesty Let his laud be euer in thy thoughts Let all thy faculties all thy attributes and operations spread themselues as blooming Vines round about my heart my braine my tongue that the same may become as the pen of a ready writer to sound out and resound his most puissant power Others according to the altitude of his iudgements he cutteth off by vntimely death but me he spares aliue as a monument of his liuing mercy O what had become of me if thou haddest cited mee likewise at that horrible houre before thy tribunall throne of Iustice O my Sauiour I thanke thee for thy peerlesse patience I praise thee though basely and barely in respect of thy benefits I adore thee I honour thee I humble my selfe before thee all the dayes of my life I returne I repaire vnto thee not haltingly not hollowly but holily I vvould I could say vvholy all the dayes of my life O giue me grace help my weaknesse heale mine vnbeliefe LINEAMENT XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memory 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the beâ—aâ—se of this present Circle where his Wiues memory is saluted with a Christian Farewell INgenuous Reader hitherto after the example of Antimachus who composed a Booke in the commendations of his wife Lydia haue I labored to eternize my deere wiues memory to the end entent that when the Spirit of ' Detraction as the Sorcerers rod was swallowed vp by Aarons rod is consumed to nothing and vvhen his lying mates doe dye and lie ingloriously in rotten earth the vvorld shall finde that shee liues for euer among the liuing inuita inuidia in despite of enuie that shee flourisheth like a Palme tree which the more it is suppressed the more returneth vpwards consonant to that of the Wise-man The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Her memorable end anatomized and embalmed in this my bookish coffin shall yeeld odoriferous perfumes of her milde meeke and modest life to the sence-pleasing comfort of the elected innocent And that I may record the memory of her end Allegorically with the Poet Etumulo viâ—lae fortunat à que fauillâ Nascentur cippusque leuis sua contâ—get ossa Out of her graue fine Violets shall bloome And a light stone shall her sweet bones entombe Thus out of my miseries as out of the ashes of a burnt Phoenix is built a beacon of liuing miracles vvhich I humbly pray his heauenly Highnesse among other suppliants of his that they may effect in me what a more radiant light effected in Saint Paul namely the illumination of a darke conscience For vvhen my body like a bowle was carryed about vvith the bias of concupiscence my soule rockt a sleep in the cradle of worldly securitie by Sathans inchanting lullabies then my Lord that saw me so misse-led like vnto Salomons foole laughing when indeed I had more cause to weepe then my louing Lord I say tooke compassion on my foolish fals and gaue me a sound pinch or prick in the flesh that started and stirred vp all my reasonable faculties to consider more iudiciously in what a case I stood both body and soule What better vse of this temptation can I produce then that thy death deere wife like Elishaes bones which reuiued a dead corse hath vvrought a double miracle the one in thy translation the other in my