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
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
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
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
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
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
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
impediments of Education in the land where I liue which because the curiosity of our hodiernall wittes will sooner helpe to rebound with frâ—mpes then to redresse or pitty I will forbeare them with a wary caution lest the enuious enueigh against my zealous Muse lest also I seeme to kicke against the prickes and striue against the Heauenly power which perhaps hath decreed such fatall fortune vpon these parts of the Iland for our fore-parents faults and for our owne filthy facts LINEAMENT V. 1 That the secret and spirituall suggestion of the Diuell is the third cause of the Spirit of Detraction 2 The cunning reasons of the Diuell to confirme finne 3 There Consutation THe Diuell being a spirit inuisible to any mortali eye by close and cunning meane blowes with his pestilent breath into the formost seat of our braines when we be excommunicated from Gods presence and there wheeleth and circleth about our phantasies with a thousand colourable obiects able to entrap another Eue. Thence gradatim by degrees his virulent breath like the Dragons venome steales into our hearts where hee moueth the bloud peruerteth the humours corrupteth them with sensuality in such wise that we detract like vnto wanton children our best benefactors we long and lust after innumerable toyes after varieties of women wines meats apparell caualeering companions and other wordly vanities openly repugnant to the lawes of God and true nature Among many slie stratagems which he daily inuents to subdue our soules to his slauish yoake this is not the meanest nor the slowest that he enchants our willes with charmes of selfe-liking such as goe beyond all the Magicke spels of Medea Circe and Calypso Assoone as we attaine vnto yeares of discerning good from euill by his spirituall insinuarions wee flatter our sond selues with some imaginatiue excuse or other for euery particular sinne which we commit Are we swolne vp with pride and ambition Lo Sathan a friendly Sophister an Aduocate without fees out of our mouthes pleades that the sonnes of Zebedee sought for seates of highest honour and also shewes that familiarity breedes contempt that it graceth much a Gentleman to shew some stately port or portly state that euery abiect treades vpon humilities backe and that men must behaue themselues according to the times Ambition is an honourable thought of high spirits a point of magnanimity a lofty step vnto vertues chaire Are we angry cholericke or franticke Our bad Angell sayes it is but heate of bloud a short vanishing vapour a short fury Ira furor breuis est Patience is but a Poets fancy to be practized by ignoble groomes and dunghilled spirits A cholericke man hath an honest heart Doth the spirit of fornication tempt thee to defile thy vessell with forraine seed and to conuert the temple of the holy Ghost into a denne of diuellish sports with venereous thoughts Alas poore brother it is but a veniall sinne a sinne of flesh and bloud the least of a thousand sinnes to which all the world is subiect Age will tame this sinfull spirit Is it possible for vs to be chaste when Iacob Sampson and other Patriarches could not liue without their Paramours Doth the Enuious man pine away by reason of anothers prosperitie Is he sicke at the heart with griefe to see his neighbour flourish like a Palme tree Inuidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis Behold a friend in a corner a friend at neede Sathan himselfe transformed into an Angell of light protesteth that it would moue a Saint yea another Caine to see his yonger brothers oblation accepted and his graue eldership reiected We are all borne of one father Terraesilij all sonnes out of the same mould all worthy to participate the like equal immunities priuiledges and fortunes one as well as the other If thou delight in Company and dost wallow in pleasure as the Sow in the mire There 's One within thee which will wrastle alone with many bookish Preachers He layes out in colours the sweetnesse of pleasure the contentment of company the auoyding of melancholy the shortnesse of life and therefore hang sorrow kill care Let the spirit of coueteousnes possesse thee and hee will settle his possession which is as strong as eleuen points of law by teaching thee Sophistry in stead of true Logicke by perswading thee that thou carriest an Atlanticke burthen vpon thy poore shoulders Euristeus neuer imposed halfe such a cumbersome charge on Hercules as God hath laid restlesse cares on thee for an exceeding great housholde of wife children and lazie seruants how caust thou cherish thy selfe in thy olde age or arme thy selfe against worldly practises without a large stocke Et genus formam regina pecunia donat Queene coine doth giue both kinne and shape Doth truth lay in their dish that their Teachers are dumb dogges their Preachers illiterate or their companions detracting Zachary was dumbe the Apostles vnlearned and Peter detracted in denying his Sauiour Doth thy Pilades thy friend thy second selfe reproue thee again for Detraction and calummation Thou hast more friends then one Thy genius thy old familiar tels thee that this other friend is malicious he rebukes thee of hatred and not of good will A true friend will labour to conceale in the cap-case of silence the couert secrets of his friend be thy iust or vniust lawfull or vnlawfull as that Italian Poet hath well aduised vn ' vero amico A dritto a torto doue esser preposto Se tutto il mundo lui fosse opposto A trusty friend must stand with wrong or right Though all the world oppose his friend with might Wherefore was the tongue giuen to man but to vent out what the heart conceiues All men are not learned in Lullius his Art that they can discourse of euery extemporary matter Each man hath his proper gift some men be apt to inuent some other to controule some to speake as if their tongues were on wheeles and some dare not speake without precise deliberation yea some cannot finde matter to speake vnlesse their wits were refined with Tobacco good sack and sugar or their senses rub'd ouer with other mens relations tending to nouelties and strange reports Among which ranke range thou thy selfe deceitfull Sathans darling and beleeue it from the most experienced politick that if a man disclose vnto thee the secrets of his heart it is a kind of morality or morall kindnesse in thee to poure out likewise the affects of thy heart and to answere him in like proportionable measure It is no wrong while thou speakest by surmise or by heare-say Admit it were true then how can these Critical Catoes bend their browes against thee how can they mâ—â—ly taxe thee or commence suite de libellis famosis de scand alis magnatum in the Starre chamber or recouer damages by way of an action on the case at the Common law It is not amisse to bruite and blaze abroad doubtfull detracting newes for it may
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
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
idle storie old father Darbishire a Iesuite sometimes Chancelour of London vnder Bishop Bonner told me in Lorraine of one Throgmorton whom he peruerted at Paris to the Romish Religion False miracles thus growne in request the Diuell foreseeing that his buzzards might breake out of his snares except he found some other stratageme to entangle them presently conuocates a Synode or Councell of Detracting Spirits not much vnlike to the Councell of Trent or the Cardinals consistory and there enacteth parts for seuerall spirits to act yet so that the Spirit of Detraction attend on thē all some he appoints to play the parts of Hobgoblins or Robbing goodfellowes some he chuseth to countenance the Clergy in their perking chaires some to feast with the foolish pezants who of the Italians were called glifarfarrelli mazzapengoli and of the English and Romanes fairie folkes lares Dryades Hamadryades some to mocke monkes as horned Satyres Some he subornes with fained shapes to appeare vnto grosse headed folke Whereas in very deed such shapes are no more reall then Euridices Ghost whom her husband Orpheus thought to apprehend when in the end Nilnisi cedentes infoelix arripit auras Vnhappy he on nothing meets But on the ayre which backe resleet When a man fortunes to see any such such straunge sights let him call to mind that they be but decept to visus a colourable mist cast forth by the spiritual Dragon to bewitch his vnderstanding or that his sight is possessed with some suffusion after sleepe figured and symbolized with false visions of small atomes manifoldly colored or else let him call to memory his owne imbecillitie of nature which might be mislead eyther with an antipathy or with excesse of choler or melancholy as when he is sicke of a saffronlike iaundise or when some grosse glewy matter is gathered within the fleshy sinew of the eye Doe not we reade in bookes of naturall Sience that the sensible obiect being more exceedingly excellent doth dull the sence which is lesse excellent doth not snow sometimes grieue our sights Doth not a candle of virgine waxe mixt with oyle of snakes alter the outward forme of the lookers faces and cause the whole roome to appeare in shew of snakes haue not we in our time seene artificiall looking glasses formed by cunning Optickes representing many miraculous faces to one onely obiect Doth not a composition of Aqua vitae Brimstone and Salt make the standers by to seeme pale colored To this I adde that we seeme to see sometimes fiery Dragons Beares and monstrous meteoures in the clouds when as in truth the same are but moyst vapours mounted vp from the earth into the ayre not hauing any such shapes but only such changeable impressions as the Chameleon-like ayre affoordes them Let him also consider how diuerse honest men haue mistaken knowne waies in a mystie day The reflection of the Sunne beames haue sundrie times bedazeled our eye sights So we see thinges which are neere vnto scarlet to shine red Much more must we conceiue of Sathans craft who hath beene experienced in pollicie euer since the beginning of the world He cannot chuse but exceede the wisest Philosopher in worldly skill by reason that hee is not clogged at all with a massie bodie of flesh and bloud as we are for this cause I say Sathan ouerlookes more easily into the secrets of nature and practiseth them with greater promptitude and agilitie against vs when for our vnworthinesse or weaknesse God leaues our inward man naked not vouchsafing to cloath him with the habillements of grace Howbeit for all that the Diuels knowledge is great yet we must deeme it but coniectures and gesses which God oftentimes ouermastereth checketh and changeth because we might know that he alone is powerfull and true To returne where I haue digressed Sathan because that we might see how he hath more strings to his bow then one and knowes more waies into the wood then one employeth some others spiritually to seduce mens shallow imaginations which agents of his he commissioneth with speciall errands and articles some he inspires to tell fortunes as lying Palmisters some to obserue the flying of fowle the entrailes of fowle which we terme Augures some as Salamanders to prophesie by fire which we name Pyromancers some to counterfeit the state of Geographers as vaine Geomancers and some he en chanteth like Chameleons for spruce parasites cunning courtiers to sooth euery man in his humour and then with a Sardonicall laughter to cut their neighbours throates These with many other functions of bastard artes he insinuates into phantasticall persons and also into them which build vpon their owne wisedomes But the most detestable of all his faculties which I tremble to write of is the sacrilegious sinne of Detraction against his Makers maiestie wherwith he possesseth the most part of our country men not onely in causing them to ouerglut and ouerlade their bodies with meate drinke and smoke of Tobacco two or three consuming in one day as much as would suffice twentie honester men then themselues but also in the middest of those their Bacchanales to taunt the glory of God to gibe at his glorious signes and to impute the causes with the effectes of thunders and lightnings vnto his lying selfe It is wonderfull to marke how opinionated the most part of the world are in this poysonous paradoxe They haue bene so long blinded in other superstitions that they will hardly suffer themselues to be lifted vp out of the gulfe of ignorance It may be likewise that the Diuell as he is an excellent enginer to gaine himselfe that fulgurant fame and thundring name hath sometimes appeared in varieties of false vgly formes euen then when these naturall creatures of God followed their naturall course and motion and so by that iugling tricke made the world beleeue that it was he which played reuell rex abroad in that terrible equipage Parturiunt montes nascctur ridiculus mus He is with child of mounts and lofty things But a poore mouse and trifles he forth brings Well may the Dragon striue to flie but his wings are clipt and he according to Gods curse must creepe vpon his belly and eate the dust of the earth all the daies of his life Well may he arrogate vnto himselfe anothers operation but as a curst cow hath short hornes so must he in the end go naked like Aesops crow when the true Owner challengeth his owne plumes of glory God workes all wonders tulit alter honores but the Diuell beares the honour for a while LINEAMENT IX 1 What is the craft of our common Wizards 2 That Souldiours and men of courage haue been daunted with disguised Angels 3 Examples of ordinary Wichcraft Sorceries and Coniurations OVr common Wichcraft Southsaying consultation with spirits and Coniurations are nothing but cousenages legierdemaines impostures confederacy or coni-catching craft in making folkes beleeue that they can prophesie worke miracles tell fortunes reueale
much from Gods glory and omnipotency when we say He doth but giue Satan leaue to do it which is to deride and mocke Gods iustice as that worthy man Master Caluine wrote The Diuell is not at his owne liberty nor can he in the extremest censure otherwise then a hangman act any thing without the restrictiue commandement of the highest Iudge I say his permission must be authentickly ioyned with commission from God He is not in such fauour or grace with our Almighty Lord. Onely his Maiestie permits his spirituall insinuating and ghostly temptations for his glory and our edification in Christ. He permits him as the spirituall instrument of iustice for our hardnesse of heartes to entrap the chiefe part of man the reasonable will and by reason of our negligence in his seruice to accuse and relate our sinnes before him not that God is ignorant of our closest sinnes but perhaps because his Maiestie is pleased to vse ordinary meanes iudiciall formes and legall proceeding to condemne the guiltie Such as the Informer or Promoter is in our worldly Courts such is the Diuell in the heauenly Parliament And such a one will he be at the great iudgement day when our Messias both God and man shall iudge mankind In the meane time let vs perswade our selues that the Diuels meaning is to deceiue vs whether he seemes to appeare in borrowed shapes eyther of himselfe or by the commaund of wicked men Besides this deluding force I know certainly he hath none other With this weapon he was licensed by God in the beginning to sting vs in our heeles that is to tempt vs with legions of sinnes which by degrees brings death and perpetuall darknesse Euen as a man being stung in his heele or legge by reason of that infectious venime which with deadly tumors or swellings creepes vp by little and little into the heart must needs did except his legge that was so stung had beene chopt of in time or cured by an extraordinarie balsame so the variable will of man being seduced by Sathan or by his substitute Sinne which by degrees encreaseth to legions and as it were vncurable and vnrevokeable must needs be condemned to hell together with the soule her deere consort except she were absolued of her sinnes vpon her repentance bathed in Christs bloud and so healed by the balme of grace With this weapon he asâ—aulted Eue with this weapon he wounded Ahabs false Prophets And in this sort shall he goe out to deceiue the people which are in the foure quarters of the world This is he the Dragon that old serpent which is the Diuell and Sathan I say this is he the great red Dragon which deceiueth all the world which fought with Michael and his Angels which makes spirituall warre with the woman cloathed with the Sunne the Church of Christ. This is he which gaue the beast with the seauen heads that is the Church of Rome the seauen hilled Citie by the Tyrrhene Sea his power his throne and great authoritie So that great Babilon is now become an habitation of Dâ—uels the hold of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird and as Stigelius writes Imperij quondam sedes nunc turpe lupanar Vix vmbram prisci Roma nitoris habet Rome that was once an Empires seat is now A wolfe-stie scarce of that brightnesse shadow LINEAMENT XIII Aphrismes collected out of the first Fathers of the Primitiue Church concerning the Diuels power IUstine the Martyr in his Apologie for the Christians to the Romane Senate who among other seruples obiected that God would not suffer them to bee persecuted if their doctrine were true answered that the Christians were persecuted for the confirmation of their faith by Gods permission and also by the instinct and incitement of wicked spirits who at all times haue persecuted the louers of vertue as Socrates Heraclitus and Musonius but chiefly they moued persecutions against the Christians The same Martyr speaking of the vertue of the name of Iesus which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writes At the powerfull name of Iesus Christ crucified vnder Pontius Pilate the Diuels being adiured euen at this day with horrour and trembling doe obey vs Christians The Diuell is most busie against the light of the Gospell he moueth the Infidels to detract Christ with Magicke he prouoketh Hereticke to falsifie the truth according to their owne phantasies Tatianus disputing with the Grecians because they derided and despised the Christian Religion said that the motiues of their derision were the spirituall suggestions of the Diuell which deceiued them by vndertaking cures of diseases and by deluding them with witch craft and Diuinations thereby to withdraw men from the true worship of God Irenaeus the Disciple of Polycarpus who likewise was the Disciple of S. Iohn the Euangelâ—st proued that God was to be worshipped and not the Diuell first because the Diuell could not keepe and obserue any promises which he made for himselfe possessed nothing secondly because that the Diuell hath alwaies beene a lyar and is not to determine of any earthly Kingdomâ—s Origen auerreth that charmes and sorceries are dâ—risions of Diuels the dregs of Idolatry and the besotting of soules Likewise he affirmeth that our conflictand contention with euill spirits is spirituall These be the opinions of the Greeke Fathers which flourished within three hundred yeares after Christ. Tertullian the first Latine Father testifieth that the Diuell is the Authour of sinne euen as God is the Authour of the punishment of sinne That which is counterfeit is the businesse of the Diuell euen as that which is naturall is the worke of God Persecution immediately is sent from God and not from the Diuell Wicked spirits are the Authours of all wickednesse which is committed by man They fill all things with deceits craft and errours They infinuate themselues into mens bodies but they cannot hurt any man 〈◊〉 him whom they haue in their full power They were tâ—â— inuentors of Astrologie Southsaying Oracles Nâ—gromancy and Magicke Their chiefe endeuour is to auert men from the worshippe and knowledge of the Diuine Maiesty God suffereth the Diuell thus to delude mankinde to the entent that the euiil might fight with the good that vices might be opposed to vertue that God might haue some to punish and some to honour him Augustine vtterly denieth the Diuels reall power ouer any of Gods workmanship in these words We must not thinke that this materiall substance of visible things doe obey the Angels which transgressed but that they obey God alone Another reuerend Elder of the Church reasoning about the cause of the desection of the Diuels illusion writeth after this manner Heretofore Diuels in vaine formes did ensuare men with deceits hiding themselues in riuers rockes groues and woods but now-a-dayes since that Gods word hath beene made manifest those deceitfull sights spirits and illusions
of Images are quite ceased Note this for the Diuels departure and defection from among the Protestants in these dayes The Diuels slatteries hath done more hurt to the Church then his threats and menaces The Diuels practize hath beene to conueigh the poyson of his drift within a cloude of ambiguity The Diuell diuers wayes infesteth mortall men while they eate he enticeth them to gurmandize while they drinke to drunkennesse while they a wake he tempteth them to idle thoughts while they sleepe to vncleane and filthy dreames while they be merry he incites them to wantonnesse while they be sad to melancholy LINEAMENT XIIII 1 The Authors Debortation from such vaine detracting studies 2 The knowledge of Astrologie stinted and censured NOw that I haue proued Diabolicall dealings to be but dennes of deceit and that his apparitions are extinguished by the brightnesse and miraculous resurrection of the Lords two witnesses being the olde Testament and the new which for many yeares lay dead vnburied and ill sauouring through the barbarisme of our Popish Sodomites and well nigh moth-eaten amidst their darke Libraries Let vs fixe the eyes of our vnderstanding vpon this bright Meridian let vs acknowledge mens traditions for Apocrypha or indifferent In this decrepit age of the world since all prophesies are winded to the bottome we must expect no other signe then the signe of Ionas the Prophet that is our blessed Messias who sits at the right hand of the power of God and will shortly come in the cloudes of heauen to seuer truth from falshood All other miracles for the most part specially those which are supposed to be done among the vnbeleeued let vs account for olde wiues fablesâ— and write them vp in the Wood-cockes roule namely all such lying wonders which the children of Belial haue stamped concerning the Diuels reall greatnesse and the palpable validity of his prophane creatures Time is pretious and passeth away like a streame of water spend not therefore your golden times in such vnprofitable studies but redeeme the same before the latter day steale vpon you Know this that the Diuell is the Father of lies and will be sure to leaue you in the bogge of perdition at your greatest neede If once he setle himselfe in the seat of your soules all your artilleries of exorcismes will neuer coniure him therehence For is it likely that he which shewed himselfe so peremptory against the Archangell in heauen will become â—ame vnto a mortall man on earth Can you trust him whom God could not trust Take heed brethren of this Sophistry beware of this Alchymistry It renders nothing but lies vanity mistes smoake or false spectacles to dazzle and deceiue your sight Esteeme our Coniurer no otherwise then Bul-beggers as Diuels incarnate coni-catching Mountebankes crafty Iuglers cousening priuadoes insinuating Serpents Aegiptian picke-purses Who can be clensed of the vncleane Or what truth can be spoken of a lyer Southsaying Witchcraft Sorcery and Dreaming is but vaine like as when a woman trauelleth with childe and hath many phantasies in her heart Therfore beware of spirituall lies Againe and againe I aduise thee Christian Reader to looke vnto thy soule that it bee not surprised by the subtle Tempter the Archsorcerer of the world the grand worker of false miracles Banish away from thee with Caligula star-gazers and Astronomers With Cato contemne phantasticall dreames with Horace Laugh thou at dreames at Magicke feares At Hob-goblins night-Bugges and Beares Laugh also at false Witches sights And at the shapes of Thessales sprights Somnia terrores magicos miracula sagas Nocturnos lemures portentaque Thessala ride I write not against honest Astrologers while they containe themselues in compasse of natures reach and within the Circle of their auncient rules But I exhort them so to esteeme nature that they neglect not their Christian vocation and distrust the Authour of nature by attributing his workes of glory to naturall creatures I am the Lord saith God this is my name and my glory will I not giue to another Our Sauiour Christ himselfe disputed that there is some reasonable coniecture to be gathered of the Meteores course when he said to the people When ye see a cloud rise out of the West straight way ye say a showre comes and so it is and when ye see the Southwinde blow ye say it will be hote and it comes to passe Like as the prouerbe in French and English presageth vnto vs Le rouge soir brun matin Sont le desir du pellerin An euening red a morning gray As Pilgrims say foretell faire day In like manner I approue the profound doctrine of the Spheares with the constellations of starres and signes a breuiary whereof my selfe haue published in Latin verse in my stripling yeares I approue the obseruation of the moist Empresse the Moone which therehence out of her Orbe transports the operatiue vertue of the twelue constellations of starres and signes to all Elementary creatures working innouations and alterations of humours and seasons as we see by mans body by the weather by the ebbing and flowing of the Sea All which now of late God hath diuerted for our repentance The Sea breakes ouer the ordinary bounds and hath ouerflowed many parishes Our bodies begin to change their temper The weather beyond natures knowledge varies with inconstant windes and stormes The Lords prophesie by Amos is fulfilled in our dayes I caused it to raine vpon one Citie and I haue not caused it to raine vpon another City yet haue you not turned vnto me saith the Lord Pestilence haue I sent among you yet haue you not turned vnto me I haue ouerthrowne you as Sodome and Gomorre and you were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning yet haue ye not turned vnto me LINEAMENT XV. 1 That the Authours meaning is not to denie the Diuels reall subsistence 2 His charitable application of the statute against Witchcraft made Anno primo Iacobi 3 That he onely denieth his reall power and his palpable force ouer any of Gods creatures 4 The vanity and fondnesse of Wizards 5 That the hand of God plagued Iob and other creatures of his 6 That good men neuer detract from Gods glory IT is no part of my meaning heretically with the Sadduces to denie the eslentiall subsistence of Diuels for in all my writings I affirme their being I auerre their fall from Angels sâ—ates I auouch their captiuity in hell As on the other side I thinke that Sinne is meant by the Diuell in most part of the Scripture yet so that I know the originall to proceede from that Serpent the great seducing spirit in whom God found folly as Iob said By the Diuell then which commonly peruerts mankinde in these dayes I vnderstand a sinfull Will arising from melancholy and corruption of flesh and bloud which the spiritual Tempter the sneaking Snake like a virulent infectious smoake breatheth vpon vs when we be destitute of grace I
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
lucre sake or of set purpose to please the kings humour And the word of the Lord came to Ieremy the Prophet who thus said vnto him Heare now Hananiah the Lord hath not sent thee but thou makest this people to trust in a lie Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will cast thee from off the earth This yeare thou shalt die because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the Lord. So Hananiah died the same yeare in the seuenth moneth Holophernes offended with Achior because he said that the Lord of heauen had no more power then his king Nabuchodonozor blasphemously detracted his eternall Maiesty Who is God quoth he but Nabuchodonozor he will send his power and will destroy them from the face of the earth and their God shall not deliuer them Within a while after he was slaine by a woman and his army discomfited Elymas the Sorcerer withstood Barnabas and Paul and sought to turne away the deputy from the Christian faith Then Paul being full of the holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said O man full of all subtiltie and all mischiefe the child of the Diuell and enemie to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight waies of the Lord Now therfore behold the hand of the Lord is vpon thee and thou shalt be blind and not see the Sunne for a season Our Sauiour Christ through the Spirit of God through profound arguments confounded the Pharisees that detracted his glorious miracles alledging that he did cast out spirits no otherwise then through Baalzebub Prince of Diuels His arguments were these Euerie kingdome saith he diuided against it selfe shall be brought to nought and euery Citie or house diuided against it selfe shall not stand So if Sathan cast out Sathan he is diuided against himselfe How then shall his kingdome endure Whereby we may gather that the chiefest fight against the Spirit of Detraction is the irrefragable word of God seeing that our Master Christ himselfe vsed this kinde of armour Herod made an eloquent Oration to them of Tyre and Sidon so that the people shouted saying It is the voyce of God and not of man But because he arrogated the same to his owne worth and gaue not glory vnto God the Angell of the Lord smote him that he was caten of wormes Saint Paul the Apostle imputes mens mentall punishments infectious sicknesses with these pestilent sinnes to our ingratitude and negligence in glorifying and seruing God When they knew God saith he they glorified him not as God neithet were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darknesse When they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles for they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man of birds of foure footed beasts and of creeping things Wherefore God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse They turned the truth into a lie they serued worshipped the creature forsaking the Creator for which cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections The same Apostle in shewing the cause of the ruine of the Iewes and the calling of the Gentiles ascribes the same vnto their Detractions for they going about to establish their owne righteousnesse submitted not themselues to the righteousnesse of God THE SIXT CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The spirit of Detractions pleas and allegations on the behalfe of his humouring and soothing men in their vanities 2 The said spirit sharpely rebuked for his Equiuocation and dissimulation 3 The Authours purpose in this subsequent Circle HEe is no Politician quoth Peter please-man that will not pledge the world in the cup of Detraction chiefly in these vntoward times when men shall sit by themselues as forsaken and forlorne vnlesse they iumpe one with another in the selfe same veine of discourse whether it be in derogating from Gods omnipotence or in diminishing of their neighbours fame How shall men otherwise consume away their times Reading occasioneth bloudshot eyes and moyst migrims silence ingendreth melancholy and sleepe obstupefieth the lodge of imagination But speeches be they merry or malicious iesting or gibing doe extend the windpipes enlarge the heartstrings exhilarate the soules faculties and enduce all companies to admire a mans fluent tongue and to extoll his filed voice Wilt thou be enrolled in Gentlemens bookes for one of their principall fauorites straine thy selfe to humour them scoffe when they scoffe bite when they bite and like Hippocrates twinnes laugh and weepe together If thou hearest them blaspheme or blazing outnouelties indeuor thou to verifie the same or to requite their familiar conference with some additions of thine owne inuention By this meanes thou shalt make thy company precious vnto them also prie like an insinuating intelligencer into the inward state of all thy countrey By this means thou shalt learne their seuerall and secret inclinations who be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupt Magistrates who be carousers fornicators or who haue encurred the danger of any penall statute An Romule coeâ—es Art thou a Brittaine a Christian and dost thou faune and wag thy taile like a spaniell Dost thou preach the doctrine of Diuels Doest thou teach men to equiuocate to dissemble to detract and to lash out lies O sonne of Belial thou art in the gall of hell and hast no portion with vs in our Christian busines How canst thou loue God whom thou neuer sawest seeing thou canst not loue thy brother in Christ whom thouseâ—st daily And how canst thou loue thy Sauiour Christ when thou shamefully sharest his seamclefie coate with Sathans soldiours or when thou tearest his members name fame with thy taunting tongue Words wound a man worse then swords No deadly drugs of Arsenicke or aconite are comparable to lying lips no spirit more dangerous then the spirit of Detraction Let a man obserue silence and he shal neuer obtaine harme let him when he speaks speake soberly and all men will loue him or if that Ismaels seede doe taunt him Isaacs seede will tender him If the vngodly contemne him the godly will comfort him And will not the comfortable loue of one godly man counterpoise the contempt of many vngodly Let him seldome speake or not before a question be asked him and he shall neuer be indemnified Let him follow the French mans counsell Parler beaucoup on ne peut sans mensonge Ou pour le moins sans quelque vanite Le parler briefe convient à verite Et l' autre est propre à la fable et au songe To prattle much one cannot without lies Or at the least without some vanitie It well agrees with dreames and fooleries But pithie words belong to veritie For this purpose that the talkatiue may be ashamed of their tatling tongues for the publike good and for my modest memoriall towards her that rests with the Lord of rest haue I
composed and complotted this Circle Whereby the world may conceiue charitably of those runnagate rumors which lately by Satans long reeds not vnlike to those of Midas his barber haue passed pierced into their Asses eares which being remote from the Meridian of the climate wherein I liue doe beleeue nothing more certainly then that the Diuell in his reall person hath reuelled among vs. These newes exposed abroad with a smokie gloze haue bene so vented by the Inuentor of false newes that our Aleknights Alchymists Tobacconists and such like taunting spirits with generall applause doe magnifie the Diuels maiesty in their daily detractions and want but little of canonizing and consecrating him for their God his adherents for their Saints Which blasting blasphemie because I haue almost extinguished in the former Circle with diuine deaw I will proceede in this present Circle to the conuiction of other partiall paralogismes wherein his earthly Agents our doating doltes with both hands do extoll dumbe creatures to the very skies not much vnlike to those idolatrous Indians who adore the Orient Sunne the Moone and other visible Starres So when our ignorant countreimen heare but the clap of a thunder or see but a flash of lightning they arme theÌ„selues forthwith with outward showes with crossing their profane bodies Others againe more wise in their owne conceits beleeue that God predestinates no man to perish by such heauenly meanes sauing wicked wretches wherein they limit his prouidence wisedome and glory which otherwiles he manifesteth by such glorious accidents for our trials or for some other notable effect Some wade yet further in attributing a powerfull prerogatiue to such meteorie signes namely that they can harme a man of themselues without Gods extraordinarie ordinance For say they he made an end of all his workes in sixe daies and left order that euerie Starre should moue in his place and bring forth sutable qualities according to mens complexions and constellations All which prodigies of opinions together with other contagious conceits of mens busie braines I will confound with the Sunne-shine of truth interfusing discipline mutually with doctrine and both of them with Gods miracles so that the right hand reciprocally supporting the left hand they may contune and continue together as it were in a Diapazon and afterwards serue for bridling presidents to loose and lauish tongues As for the substance of the subiect I dare submit the same to the learnedst Lydian touch whose criticke carping I countermine with that Epigramme Cum tua non aedas carpis mea opuscula Mome Carpere vel noli nostra vel aede tua Thou put'st not out thy workes yet carp'st at mine Leaue off to carpe at mine or put out thine LINEAMENT II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction goeth about to ouerthrow Predestination in attributing our misfortunes immediately to the Planets thâ—nders lightnings or other naturall creatures where the Author excuseth himselfe for writing of such deepe mysteries 2 How God made the second causes and all other things in this world for mans sake OVr taunting Troianes finding no waighty shifts to restore and repaire vp the Diuels ruinated reputation reall strength doe in their steede entertaine other Hydraes of opinions that the Planets thunders lightnings or some other naturall creatures immediatly occasioned our ill fortunes our sodaine losses or deaths violence Whereby these detracting busibodies go about to ouerthrow predestination to abolish from nature the light of nature and to subiect the first cause vnto his second causes the Creator to his creature after the example of vnnaturall Iupiter which droue out his owne Father Saturne from his kingdome of Creet Oh vnhappy men that ascribe such prerogatiues to weake and wounded nature Is there not in the Lords hand a cup and the wine red Are not our haires numbred But to confute this absurditie I will briefely runne ouer the springs of Predostination And first I will search with submissiue thoughts vnder the accustomed patience of my most patient Lord the onely Creator of the world what were the patternes of his workes before the creation and how he conferred his power vpon the second meanes Which ouer curious search I do willingly vndertake for the better satisfaction of busie brains In this Labyrinth I humbly desire his heauenly highnesse to dispence with my haughty purpose for certainly if it were possible men should not question of such profound matters but rather they should be drawne backe to the humility of not thinking once thereon lest that chance vnto them which chanced to the presumptuous Angels or lest the answere of that ancient Father iumpe iust vpon their phantasticall pates who being asked by a curious-headed fellow what God did before this worlds creation gaue him this choaking answer he made quoth he Hell for such curious persons as you are An humble ignorance I confesse in such waighty mysteries is no way preiudiciall but the peremptory deniall of any one of them is blame worthy This world is a miraculous map or a table booke wherein the mysteries of Gods nature are deciphered so that it is impossible for any man to know the particularities thereof Therefore we must content our selues with admiration which is a thing most acceptable to the Spirit To verifie this looke O mortall man vpon the azured skie and tell me what thou seest Admiration Descend into the earth and take thy iourney from the East vnto the West from the North vnto the South and after all thy trauels after all thy trials tell me what thou sayest nay what thou sawest Admiration Well seeing that the vastnesse of this worlds circuite doth so confound thy weake and wearied senses that the more thou musest the more thou maruellest then enter into thy little world into thy self and comprehend thy thoughts within a certaine circle O quà m durus est hic sermo This is a heauier taske At the least and last looke downe vpon the little Ants and learne what moues them to toyle and take more care to liue by their own labours then many a man Surely thou canst not but admire And why because this world and all the workes therein are the Idea the modell the mappe the booke wherein the nature of the incomprehensible Godhead is written with capitall letters of Admiration In euery thing both great and little how little and light soeuer it be his Diuine Maiesty hath imprinted his wisedome goodnesse and power And euen as in his substance he is all so in his workes he doth all And now to declare what God did before the creation of the world it is certaine that his purpose was to haue a society of men as well as of Angels and those good and euill Angels that the one might serue as monuments of his mercy the other as monuments of his iustice and that both together might serue as instruments of his glory for his power is no lesse glorified in the one then in the other After the determination of his purpose for
womans head-tires were rent and torne from her head with a blast of lightning at that instant without any other harme Likewise about that time a whole houshold at a place called Talley in the said Countie were burnt with wild-fire There perished at that time by report fiue or sixe little children in the said house Whereby it appeares that the innocent is sometimes smitten with such strange ends aswell as nocents There was a fearefull lightning on the seuenteenth day of Nouember 1606. which in very short time burnt vp the steeple of Bleachingley in Surrey and in the same melted into infinite fragments a good ring of Belles Which accident because it was so lately done I will rehearse the same more at large according to the discourse of one Simon Harward who wrote thereof compendiously and learnedly When I came quoth he to visite the towne of Bleachingley I found their cause to be equall if not worse then the rumour or report which was before published I found that by the lightning which came with the terible thunder on Munday being the seuenteenth of this instant Nouember about ten of the clocke in the night the spire steeple of the said Bleachingley hauing beene lately new couered to the great charges of the parish in three houres space was vtterly consumed with fire The steeple was about twelue fade me high aboue the battlements of the square stone worke but it was a steeple spreading downeward very large in circumference The same worke which bare it being also about twelue fadome high is a long square of one and twentie feete one side and eighteene feete the other side It is thought by good workemen that two hundred loades of timber will not suffice for the erecting of such a steeple as that stoneworke did lately beare I found also the belles being before a sweete ring and so large that the Tenor waighed twentie hundred waight partly melted into such fragments and partly burnt into such cinders or intermingled with such huge heapes of cinders as it will neuer heereafter serue to the former vses thereof This lightning did not onely this harme in Surrey but also it afflicted Sussex and diuers other places about the very same time It was very strange when it fired Bleachingley steeple it entred also into the house of one Stephen Lâ—gsford of Buckstead in Sussex almost twenmiles from Bleachingley and melting the lead of his glasse windowes did with great violence breake through and rent in sunder a strong bricke chimney What shall I write of mine owne tragicall euents vpon the third of Ianuary 1608. which are nothing inferiour to any of the accidents here recited But because I intend to set the same out more distinctly by it selfe I will suspend the story only during the space of an houres reading from my Readers view About the same time there happened in Dorsâ—tshire at Winburne Minster a very strang accident About foure a clocke in the afternoone as they were at Euensong the steeple spire being strongly built of lime stone and sand and beset with yron barres was sodainly stricken downe with thunder and lightning the leads were rent and torne yea and which was most miraculous the singing mens bookes were torne in their hands and the seates before their faces likewise rent and broken And this the glorious God hath done because the mouthes of the wicked may be stopped who iniuriously detract from his prouidence in imputing my misfortunes onely singled out aboue all others as though the same miraculous Mouer which moued these heauenly creatures of his against me did not also extend his power in the like degree vpon others in this Realme Howsoeuer welcome be his Angell vnto me whether he brings me tidings of peace or of tribulation LINEAMENT IX 1 That they detract from the glorious Maiestic of God which attribute his thunders lightnings and other mercory signes to the Diuell or his adherents 2 Proofes out of the word of God that God alone sendeth forth such terrible signes SEruants must obey their masters aswell curteous as curst Children must honour their parents though otherwhiles they chastise them seuerely Subiects must pray for their Prince and serue him though he exceeds the limits of law Euen so ought we being the seruants children and subiects of the Almighty brooke patiently all visitations whatsoeuer the Lord sendeth eyther deseruedly for our sinnes or momentary for our triall to confirme our vertues lest prosperity puffe vp our mindes with pride Vpon our submission our gracious Lord will stay his hand as he did with the Niniuites vpon our repentance he will rebuke the winde and say to the Sea Peace and be still But nowadaies a contrarie superstitious spirit possesseth many of our Pharisaicall Critickes They are not content to detract one mortall man from the other eyther their goods of bodie their goods of minde or their goods of fortune though in this case they are inexcusable but they must detract from the onely glorious God his glorious appurtenances and his goodly types of maiestic Yea they goe about by such absurde Detractions to annihilate his infinite authoritie to abridge his incomprehensible motion who at one becke can barre them of all motion Romulides saturi inter pocâ—la Our carping Troianes whose GOD is their bellie amiddest their Bacchannales and Tobachanales doe blasphemously bruite abroad that the Diuell raiseth windes tempestes thunders lightnings and earthquakes eyther immediatly of himselfe or else by the meanes and mediation of some omnipotent Coniurer If sicknesse oppresse them out of hand they post with Ahaziah to a cousening coniurer or wizard as wise as themselues to know whether they be bewitched or whether they shall recouer of their disease This is their faithlesse wont as though there were not a God in Israel If the Lord sends his Angell or descends himselfe in glory with thunder and lightening as he did sometimes on Mount Sinai they blasphemously impugne saying that God is locally circumscribed in heauen None can work miracles in these latter daies saue the Diuell He euen he it is that appeares in varieties of shapes more then are specified in Ouids Metamorphosis sometimes a Centaure sometimes a blacke dogge some other times a winged fowle of the ayre All this while thou most mercifull Iudge grieuest thy patient spirit at their perrish petulant and proud assertions Thou makest as though thou hearest them not scorning to extend thy iustice against such silly wretches before the predestinated time for thou art as voyde of perturbations as they are subiect vnto Detractions yet will not they refraine their tongues because that their runnagate babling being not restrained with feare nor shame wandereth vp and downe scotfree without punishment Rise vp O Lord and let them pay the price of their Detractions or let them know that thou canst not endure any competitour of thy glory But what knowledge neede they further what other light expect they to illuminate their darksome mindes They haue
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
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
time of Luthers death 3 A note deliuered by the Authour touching the Diuels reall power Lineament VIII 1 That true miracles were but lent by the Lord to the Primitiue Church for confirmation of the Gospell which accompanied the said miracles 2 How in their stead false miracles crept into the Church with the Antichrist in the time of the great Apostasie 3 The Diuels Synode for employments of his hellish spirits 4 The Authours digression shewing that the Diuels shape was not reall but delusiue to deceiue the eye-sight 5 How men by his spirituall insinuations becâ—me his agents here on earth 6 The Diuels craft to continue men in their Detractions Lineament IX 1 What is the craft of our common Wizards 2 That Souldiours and men of courage haue beene daunted with disguâ—sed Angels 3 Examples of ordinary Witchcraft Sorceries and Coniurations Lineament X. An example translated out of Monsieur du Chesne his pourtait de la sante declaring how one Monsieur Poena a Phisition of Paris coniared two spirits out of a possessed mans body Lineament XI An excellent example of Conâ—uration translated out of Erasmus his Exorcisines fit to be obserued of our superstitious Detractors Lineament XII 1 That the Diuels common drâ—ft is spiritually to vndermine the will of man 2 That his scope and force is cousenage and deceit Lineament XIII Apborismes collected out of the first Fathers of the Primitiue Church concerning the Diuels power Lineament XIIII 1 The Authours Dehortation from such vaine detracting studies 2 The knowledge of Astrologie stinted and censured Lineament XV. 1 That the Authours meaning is not to denie the Diuels reall subsistence 2 His charitable application of the statute against Witchcraft made Anno primo Iacobi 3 That he onely denieth his reall power and his palpable force ouer any of Gods creatures 4 The vanity and fondnesse of Wizards 5 That the hand of God plagued Iob and other creatures of his 6 That good men neuer detract from Gods glory Lineament XVI The Spirit of Detraction punished by the immediate power of God proued by examples out of the Scripture The sixt Circle Lineament I. 1 THe spirit of Detractions pleas and allegations on the behalfe of his humouring and soothing men in their vanities 2 The said spirit sharply rebuked for his Equiuocation and dissimulation 3 The Authours purpose in this subsequent Circle Lineament II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction goeth about to ouerthrow Predestination in attributing our misfortunes immediately to the Planets thunders lightnings or other naturall creatures where the Author excuseth himselfe for writing of such deepe mysteries 2 How God made the second causes and all other things in this world for mans sake Lineament III. The Spirit of Detraction conuâ—cted for measuring Gods prouidence by their owne humane prouidence Lineament IIII. 1 The Authors censure of Predestination 2 That all second causes doe worke their effects according to the first causes direction which is God 3 How God endowed some with free-will through grace to enable them vnto faith 4 The Spirit of Detraction conâ—â—cted for imputing the cause of mens damnation to Gods decree Lineament V. That God is not the Authour of Temptation but an Actor therein Lineament VI. 1 How God predestinated some to be saued 2 Why all men were not elected 3 That mens owne wils by Gods sufferance occasion their reprobation and harme 4 The Authors sentence concerning himselfe whether he be one of the elect 5 That Good and Euill cannot come without Gods consent Lineament VII 1 The causes why God ordained thunder and lightning 2 The naturall nutriments of lightning 3 Why thunder and lightning be most dangerous in Winter 4 Where they worke their operations more vehemently 5 An admonâ—tion to build low Lineament VIII 1 How God sends thunder and lightning eyther for his glory for mens triall or for their punishment 2 Examples as well moderne as auncient offorcible thunders and lightning Lineament IX 1 That they detract from the glorious Maiestie of God which attribute his thunders lightnings and other meteorly signes to the Diuell or his adherents 2 Proofes out of the word of God that God alone sendeth forth such terrible signe Lineament X. 1 Probable proofes out of Ciuill pollicy that God is iealoâ—s of his glory and glorious signes and therefore not probable that he would lend his reall power to the Diuell 2 Examples of worldly states which could not endure vsurpers of their transitory titles and prerogatiues 3 That God hates Coniurers Witches Antichristians and other Detractors and vsurpers worse then Atheists or ignorant Iâ—fidels Lineament XI 1 Wherefore God diuerteth his naturall creatures against mankinde 2 That all crosses misfortunes proceed only from God 3 That in any wise we must not delay repentance 4 An obiection against sodaine death by the spirit of Detraction out of the Letany with a confutation thereof Lineament XII 1 That we must not iudge by mens misfortunes or sodaine death that they be forsaken of God 2 Charitable censures which a good Christian may yeeld touching those that die sodainly 3 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring ouer-cruelly of the Authors wife who was sticken dead with lightning the third of Ianuary 1603. where her commendation and assumption are moralized Lineament XIII 1 The Authours gratulation for his late fortunate deliuerance 2 His description of the lightning tragedy the third day of Ianuary 1608. at what time God â—ooke away his wife 3 His description of other crosses at the very same time 4 How God fore-shewed by mysteries the said crosses before they hapned vnto the Authour wherein his censure of Dreames is interlaced 5 His description of his miraculous escape out of the Sea wherein he fell by force of a cruell tempest on a Christmasse day 1602. Lineament XIIII 1 The spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring the Lords secret iudgements 2 The Authours imperfections acknowledged 3 His meditation on his late crosses Lineament XV. The Authours gratulatorie Prayer vnto the Lord for the aboue-said wonderous effects Lineament XVI 1 The Conclusion of this present Circle consecrated by the Authour to his Wiues memorie 2 The Application of her memorable death 3 The Authours Apologie against the Spirit of Detraction on the behalfe of this present Circle where his Wiues memorie is saluted with a Christian farewell The seauenth Circle Lincament 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 Maiesties Iudges of Record within this Monarchy of Great Britaine for the exâ—â—rping out of notorious blasphemies 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-said Lords for reformation of the said abuses Lineament II. 1 That after Controulement Instruction is necessarie for them that be possessed with