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
stolne goods heale sicknesses and griefes with charming rimes yea these seducing spirits auerre that they walke euery weeke with the Fayries that they haue secret conference with Familiars But in the end their Familiars fall out to be a packe of knaues of their owne families resembling those vngodly familiars whose dissembling formes the Spanish Inquisition vseth as instrumentall tortures to wrest and wring out the consciences of supposed Heretickes Such cousening spirits haue deluded and daunted many of our worldlings insomuch that their fame and faigned shapes terrified men of resolution and of great renome farre more vehemently then if Goblins or Fayries had in very deede appeared vnto them though in truth they agree mutually together both meeting in one meaning both harping on one string of deceit I knew a valorous young Gentleman and one that sometimes behaued himselfe very resolutely in soldâ—ourizing both by Sea and land and also would not feare to meete any man in a Monomachy or single combate so terrified with a disguised Spright in the night time that he wanted but little of losing his vnderstanding Brutus that conspired against Iulius Caesar otherwise encouraged himselfe when his bad Angell appeared vnto him the night before he was slaine to dishearten and discourage him from the battell as I suppose Such another familiare Angell wrote on the Duke of Norfolkes Tent the night before he was killed with King Richard the third at Bosworths field Iacke of Norsolke be not â—oo bolde For Dickin thy Master is bought and sold. Many stratagems we finde in Histories to discourage and daunt men like vnto Hannibals Bulles which with fiery fagots tyed to their hornes hee droue out at midnight among his enemies to scatter them and scare them But to returne vnto these Cunning men who cousen our simple neighbours I will exemplifie their miracles At London I heard one constantly affirme that hee would cure any infirmity whatsoeuer with a drie napkin and with imposition of hands Coppinger and Arthington worse then the foolish Galathians bewiched tooke one Hacket for Christ as many in London yet liuing can testifie At Verona in Italy one of this bewiching rout a deceitfull Mountebanke extolled so highly a counterfeite oyntment of his singular as he said against all outward griefes that I could not disswade a friend of mine then present with me from buying some of it when as after in the experiment the said balme became of no more force then Scoggins pouder of an olde rotten poste To these Sorcerers I may adde another reputed one a poore Deuon-shire woman dwelling in my neighbourhood in Walsh called Swynwraig in English a charming woman who about three yeares suhence was brought before me and accused for bewitching an honest mans daughter in such sort that she languished like to die Euident proofes were not wanting that she vndertooke in the behalfe of a young man enamoured of the mayde eyther that she should be his wife or else neuer be her owne woman while she liued After due examination the poore woman confessed that in regard of gaine quod dolosi spes refulserit nummi she gulled the youth and promised largely to bring his desire to passe Being further demaunded how she cured with incantations her neighbours cattell another surmise by her accusers she aunswered that she healed them not by any indirect meanes but by drenches and medicinable hearbes Likewife to get her a name and money to supply her necessity she confessed that shee ledde some ignorant persons into fooles Paradises by taking vpon her matters of wonder About May last as I heard by credible report a certaine Gentleman of our Countrey hauing missed by â—â—urse of iustice to finde out the theefe that had stolne some goods of his repayred to one of these Wizards earnestly requesting him to extend his cunning for the discrying of the said theefe and goods But all the comsort which he could obtaine for his fee was that he had lent his booke of knowledge vnto a friend of his so that he could not at that instant accomplish his desire though in time after restitution of his book he doubted not but he would coniure out the theefe Whereby we may note the scarcity of true Witches that in very deed indent with the Diâ—ell really And Sathan is so heedfull that we can hardly finde out his assured adopted children Another of this forlorne crew a runnagate Empiricke within thefe few dayes arriued in this Countrey vndertooke the cure of a diseased Gentleman which he could as well performe as reueale stolne goods which likewise he faigned to the simple Gentlewomen of the house yet notwithstanding he led many specially the weaker sort into the Paradise of fooles and to esteeme him for a rare Prophet whereas in truth he was no other then a Conicatcher for he disclosed no stolne goods at all sauing those which himselfe hidde of set purpose to get him a name Heretofore in time of Popery masters of families inuented that the Fayries haunted Butteries and Cellers onely to make young people affraid of sitting vp late in the night Againe seruants themselues sometimes would counterfeit that those Fayries vsed to suppe in their Masters houses vnder which colour they couered their own wanton thefts Herehence rose that prouerbe in France Ou sont filettes bon vin Cest la où hante le lut in Where faire maydes are and store of wine The Goblins there to haunt combine Let a man conferre with olde women for this sexe is much addicted to nouelties and lightnesse of beleefe and he shall heare many straunge fables of such Fayrie folkes A Comicke Poet introduceth such another knauish prancke practised by a seruant towards his Master This seruant the better to conceale and couer the loose and lauish life of the sonne from his fathers knowledge and to colour the sale of a certaine house which they had made in his absence inuented and told the olde man at his returne from his farme in the Countrey that both his sonne and he were forced to sell the said house by reason that Sprights in the nights vsed there to haunt and to molest them Let this suffice for the discouery of our common witchcraft and sorceries Now I must shew the validity of our ordinary coniurations exercised onely by learned men which iump with the vnlearned in the main namely in deceit Two substantiall Yeomen about twenty yeares since hauing lost plate other moueables and desirous to be acquainted with the theese resorted to a Colledg in Oxford where meeting at the gate with a needy scholer they enquired of him for such a mans chamber whom foolish fame had canonized in their credulous eares for a notable Coniurer The Scholer in outward appearance somewhat graue after a few questions circumstances and verball complements tolde them that he was the man But for satisfaction of their requests he tooke them priuily aside declared vnto them the danger of the law if it were knowne and
THE ARRAIGNMENT OF SLANDER PERIVRY Blasphemy and other malicious Sinnes shewing sundry examples of Gods Iudgements against the Ofenders Aswell by the Testimony of the Scriptures and of the Fathers of the primatiue Church as likewise out of the reportes of Sir Edward Dier Sir Edward Cooke and other famous Lawiers of this King dome Published by Sir William Vaughan Knight LONDON Printed for Francis Constable and are to be sold in Pauls Church yeard at the signe of the Crane 1630. TO THE LORDS OF HIS MAIESTIES most Honourable Priuie Counsell INImitation of that Burgundian Booâ—c that saluted the French King with a present of Radish rootes and also of the Persians who by reason of their countrey-custome durst not Ire salutatum Satrapes sine munerâ— magnos Greet their great Lords without some gratefull gift Right prudent â—â—dprâ—â—â—dent Lords I present a meane obiect to your indicious sights A meane obiect indeed if yee regard the worth of the person that presents it or the person whom it concernes being the spitefull Spirit of Detraction yet tollerable perhaps if yee receiue the presentours readie will with the reflection of your comfortable countenance but most noble and worthy to be ennobled with your patronage if yee respect the meanes and Circles as I know you doe whereby this Spirit is Coniured and Conuicted euen by the sword of Angels the mysticall sword the word of God and also by the sword of man Alexanders sword the decider of our Gordian doubts VVith the former sword Michea confuted the false Prophets of Samaria Michael coÌ„founded the detracting Dragon and Michaels followers here on earth the false Prophet of our Christian Church that dâ—ceiuer that deprauer of the holy Ghost and of his pretious properties With the latter sword men punish men malicious men With this sword a King plagued Midas for his doltish DetractioÌ„ a Queene plagued Niobe for her courtizan comparison VVhether these obiects be noble tollerable meane or as waste leaues good for nothing saue for Apothecaries to wrap about their drugs I submit them and compromit them together with my selfe to your Honors graue arbitrement in hope that yee will ascribe all imperfections to my want of perfections to the breuitie of time and to the sodainnesse of the accident For the worlds great Thunderer hauing lately taken vnto him my deare wife by a sulphureous dampe of lightning and shaken some part of my house with a thunder-clap hath likewise strooke me with such an amazement in mine vnderstanding with beholding out of my tabernacle of flesh and bloud the glorious gleames of his power that truly I must needs confesse my selfe to be somewhat backward in penning and painting out this handy-worke of his almost as ominous to me as his hand writing was to Balthasar in Babylon To this I may adioyne multitudes of impediments as well of publike causes and suites abroad as also of mine owne priuate affaires at home All which concurring vpon me in confused heapes some by importunitie of office some of necessitie and some by Sathans suggestion commmonly euery day since that fatall blast caused such vnpolished points as in the reading may occurre to your learned view And yet for all this Right honourable I had not so abruptly at this time hastened on mine abortiue worke to your presence were it not because I would stay betimes the forward steps of Sathan and also because I would stop the vnpure mouthes of pratling Momes and tatling Niobes who inter Bacchanalia amidst their pots of drinke their pipes of Tobacco and idle fits of iollity establishing the shallow foundation of their reports vpon the flying and lying rumours of licentious libellers doe blasphemously blaze abroad to the derogation and preiudice of the powerfull Lord of lightnings that the Diuell our spirituall Tempter acted this terrible tragedie Some other times they giue out that the same Diuell coniured vp at mortall mens commaunds tooke her away bodie and all or at leastwise some principall part of her bodie VVhich sacrilegious imputation as I know Gods elect do alreadie both loath and laugh to scorne so I doubt not but all others shall by this present Treatise learne to leaue it off as a poisoned paradoxe Againe there is not wanting a sort of suspicious Critickes who arrogating to themselues the gift of Prophesie or reuelation from aboue doe make a taunting table-talke of this heauenly visitation in lieu of a grace or salt to season their meates withall by attributing this vnexpected chance to some secret sinnes of hers VVhich Scrthian censure all her acquaintance will contradict and condemne of calumniation All her familiar acquaintance wil consent with one voyce with one mind in the scrutinie of her triall that she liued as innocently as industriously as honestly as humbly towards God and man as any whatsoeuer in all her country without deceit without Detraction And if this be a Demonstration infallible that out of sure premisses we inferre a sure conclusion that none dieth ill who hath liued well for a good tree euer beares good fruit and that we must iudge men by their liues and not by their deathes then dare I assuredly assume that she died as guiltlesse as those on whom the Tower of Siloc fell By the stayres of hell she swiftly climed aboue the starres of heauen By lightning flames as Elias in fiâ—ry Chariots her soule soared vp aloft into the Region of eternall light Othersome in mine owne countrey more passionate because I reforme disorders and would redresse certaine misdemeanures whereof they claime prescription as an hereditarie or necessarie euill doe euaporate these vncharitable speeches touching my proceedings that God sent these prodigious euents as prodromes and forerunners of his indignation conceiued against me for my seuerity of iustice Summum ius summa iniuria Extreme iustice extreme iniurie Which Detraction of theirs I will only countermine with that graue authoritie interpreting old Augustines honest minde Rash iudgement hurts not the person that is iudged but rather him that so rashly iudgeth Quia cuâ—nvolumus aliena per iram coercere grauiora committimus by reason that when we would correct the faults of other men in passion our selues commit more grieuous faults Another kind of Detractours measuring our actions by the ell of their owne guiltie consciences and vsurping the Popish partes of Ghostly Confessors doe parley in priuate among themselues that our iust Iehouah darted this lamentâ—ole mishap as a mysticall scourge for some silent sinnes of mine At which accusation I will â—â—t equiuocate nor endeuour to acquite my selfe â—hereof with the presumptuous Pharisee for I frankly acknowledge as one of Adams progeny that I am throughly tainted with the leprosie of sinne whereof I expect no deliuerance at all by any earthly Aesculaptus saue onely by the fiery Serpent which healed the Israelites I am carnall as S. Paul said and sold vnder sinne Yet notwithstanding if sinne present doe not please me I know that sinnes past shall neuer harme me But
magnatum being as it were naturalis feritatis mastix the scourge of sauage nature had straightly bridled their lauish tongues within the precincts of their teeth and lips Vos O Patricius sanguis queis viuere fas est Occipiti coeco posticae occurrite sannae TO THE CVRIOVS PAINTERS OF CIRCLES IF these lines or leaues of my Circles drawne from the Center to the circumference be not all equall or if the points and prickes of euery line answere not the Mathematicall proportion of the Circle thou knowest that Veritas non quaerit angulos truth respects not angles triangles quadrangles nor artificiall curiosity I care not for the enticing words of worldlings wisedome but I couet the Spirit of euidence and power I couet matter more then method And yet I labour so to linke them that the line of nature may stand coupled with the points of Art that both from the Center of truth be caried to a Christian circumference for eueÌ„ as the gifts of the holy Ghost be distributed diuersly and in diuerse measures to Gods children some hauing but one grain of faith being conuerted in the euening of their liues and yet by grace adopted adiudged worthy to receiue the like equal crown of glory the like equall wages as those which laboured longer in the Lords haruest so to coÌ„pare little things with great let thy Grace Ingenuous Reader or gracious construction counteruail the vnequal lines of my Circles Where they exceed in their dimensiue quantity there oppose their distributiue quality for a counter-ballance Et sic omnes lineae ductae à centro ad circumferentiam sunt aequales THE FIRST CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED Diâ—ided into Lineaments LINEAMENT I. 1 To whose capacity the description of Spirits is difficult and to whose it is easie 2 The Authors inuocation to the Godhead through whose only operation the spirit of Detraction is to be coniured and conuicted THAT which is inuisible transcendent and not to be vnderstood in the land of mortall creatures such as is the description of Spirits cannot distinctly be disposed according to the prescription of curious Artists by reason that our knowledge here on earth is subiect to mutations vanity of vanities varnished only to the outward man and quickly vanished either through distemperature of the braine olde age or death and also by reason that a spirit in substance subsistence is supernaturally whole without Multiplication Diuersity or Part somewhat prodigious vnto Natures view Yet notwithstanding these infirmities we may conferre about the metaphysicall mysterie of Spirits contesting with the sword of the Spirit the word of God not for haughty ostentation but for humble edification comparing spirituall things with spirituall things The naturall man perceiues not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things He that submits his knowledge to the touch-stone of knowledge to the highest power scorning all Peacocke-plumes of Apocryâ—hall tradition and of old Adams impurities discerneth all things The Clerkes of China say that themselues do see with two eyes the Europeans with one eye and that all the rest of the world are starke blinde not hauing any eyes at all Euen so the soules of the supernall China the Church truely triumphant by looking on him which ouerlooketh all things doe spiritually discerne all things and do know as they are knowne The regenerated Christian discerneth though glimmering wise or winking through a darke glasse with one eye many things apperteyning to the lowly workes and louely fruits of the new man which is renewed into knowledge after the Image of him that made him But the naturall man confined within natures compasse can neuer discourse no nor dreame once of Diuine affaires While the flesh preuailes against the Spirit our knowledge is as it were stifled with a deadly earthly dampe and cannot appeare in that conspicuous maner as when our Epicurean natures become curb'd or crucified There is such iustling and bustling such strining strugling betwixt the flesh and the soule that Gods peace is oftentimes to both their miseries infringed The Mistresse therefore must straightly correct her seruant and that betimes before she attaine vnto her stubborn age left then she chuse rather to breake then to bow vnto her wholesome will The austere consideration of this our humane fragility caused the Apostle to write after this manner I tame my body and bring it into subiection lest while I preach to others I my selfe become a cast-away For the soule that walloweth in sensuality in fat blood and grosse humors can neuer enter into the speculation of spirituall comfort The smokie vapours which breathe from thence into the braine doe interpose a darksome mist of blockishnes before her eyes of vnderstanding whereof let a fat paunch beare me instance How cau'st thou saith the Satyrist meditate on any thing praise-worthy which hast such a large Ewer hanging forth a foote and a halfe from thy body Cum tibi Calue Pinguis aqualiculus propenso sesquipede extat Like as a Candle put in an earthen pot enlightneth onely the pot but being therhence remoued into a Lanthorne illuminates the whole roome with a farre greater splendor then before so the vnderstanding spirit of man eclipsed with the foggie interposition of sensuall pleasures lies infatuated and besotted like an Abbey-lubber not once able to crie out Abba Father but thence recalled by the holy Spirit of God and refined with competent fasting at due times with contrite humility and conuenient meditations it forgets the vanities of this cloudy world and frames it selfe wholly to spirituall contemplation And finally separated and singled out from the bodies prison it shines brighter then any starre Then Reason shines without eclipse of errour Wisdome without ignorance and Memory without obliuion Then shall we be able to contemplate with the eye of Faith the awefull Maiesty of the mighty Trinity the in effable and inestimable felicity of our fellows Saints Then shall we comprehend the mystical messages of the heauenly Spirits ascending and descending in Chariots of sacred fire to the behoofe of our Christian brethren and inuisibly instructing the Church on earth like as themselues are both instructed and inspired of their Prince of zeale But what am I that presume to weaue a worke of such wonderfull forms in such a base and broken loome How dare I with King Vzziah burn incense vnto the Lord that am not sanctified nor of the tribe of Leui how dare I that am in his presence more mean then the meanest moth or Atome more abiect then any Ant how dare I being so mean an abiect aspire to set forth the obiects of his wonderous workes Retire O my soule to the Soule of thy soule the Life of thy life the Lord of life as to the celestiall center of all perfections The Sun-shine of
his mercie may dispell thy darkesome scurfe of Leprosie dispence with thy Bayards boldnes Behold theÌ„ most mighty Monarch thy poore Publican afraid of thine anger ashamed of his ignorance conuerts himselfe vnto thee Correct by the inspiration of thy Spirit this aspiring enterprise of mine which I intend for the discerning of Spirits and disabling of the maleuolent Spirit of Detraction O Lord of incomprehensible goodnes graunt me my suit because I am a mâ—n of vncircumcised polluted lips let one of thy glorious winged Seraphines touch my mouth that being purified I may vtter nothing but truth The way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps Measure thou my steps o heauenly Spirit mortifie my â—oâ—uptuous thoughts of flesh and blood lighten mine internall eyes that I may lift my lumpish spirit to spirituall cogitations and apply my misty minde to thine eternall influence which cannot be seene at all with mortal sight but onely with most pure intellectuall minds as thy seruant Augustine confessed Trinitas Diuiâ—arum personaruÌ„ non nisi purgatissimis mentiê° cernitur The eye of sense and the eye of reason are both too dimme for discerning thee O illuminate my soule with the eye of faith so that my flesh being yoaked to my soule my soule vnto reason my reason vnto saith I may couragiously conquere and coniure downe the Scrich-Owle of darkenesse into the dungeon of hell Purge me with thy precious pilles lest in reprehending the Spirit of Detraction in others my selfe do fall into the same traines by the she suggestions of that Euill one who watcheth hourely like a wily wolfe to circumuent thy silly sheepe And thou my soule praemonita praemunita fore-warned fore-armed do thy best to charme this spitefull Spirit with charitable Characters of deepe Diuinity when he ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men By vertue of these glorious gifts the gifts of the Spirit by the crosse of our Sauiour Christ coniure him vp and downe that his cousenages and cheating craft may appeare to his clawbacke Clients To all other charmes the Adder is deafe hee stoppeth his eares and will not obey charme we neuer so wisely Iesus he knowes and Paul he knowes but who are we It is impossible for any kingdome to continue long which is at iarre and warre within it selfe To what purpose then stands Medaeas Magicke in firreting out of Fiends To what end seekest thou O Sibill to coniure downe Cerberus the hel-hound of darkenesse What auailes your cunning O Circe and Calypso Can Degon stand before the Arke of God No certainly Therefore in vaine doe Medaea Circe Calypso and Sibilla labour to exercise their exorcismes and shallow sorceries within the Circle nay within sight of that fielde where one graine offaith is sowne In vaine serue Witches wreathes where God is worshipped In vaine sings he Bacchare frontem Cingite ne vati noceat mala lingua future With Bacchar binde the Poets brow Lest wicked tongues him ouerthrow Though men speake neuer so precisely neuer so pregnantly though they speake the wordes of Angels yet if their speeches be not filed within the Circle of Diuine wisdome nor link't within the chain of Christian charity the Church of God will neuer repute so catholike and so potent a Spirit as this of Detraction quite coniured conuicted For as that Roman Criticke girded a vicious Senator saying Who can abide to heare thee iudge like graue Cato whom the world knowes to be as greedy as Crassus and as gluttonous as Lucullus Truely for my part I cannot more fitly compare such glozing Scholers then to a kind of glow-wormes which because they gliue shine in the nights the weaker sort of people haue mistaken for Sprites and Bugs They therefore that will rightly ouerthrow their spirituall foes must not shoot outwardly into painted ceremonies but into the source and spring of Goodnes Descend then yee fierie pillars of faith and quicken our incomposed Chaos Disperse away our Egyptian darkenes that we may passe on our iourney by night as wel as day not only through the red Seas of Detractions but also through the dangerous deserts of this world into the land of promise the land that flowes with milke and honey of eternall life where our consciences shall for euer rest secured from all future furies LINEAMENT II. 1. That the true meanes to conuict the Spirit of Detraction is the Meditation on Heauenly mysteries and on the operation of goodnes 2. Mans curiosity in prying into Gods nature stinted by a non vltra 3. The description of some of Gods attributes 4. That his description is too excellent â—or mans apprehension 5. That Good or Euill cannot come to mankinde without his will BEfore I sound out the poysonous power of the Spirit of Detraction it is necessary first that I begin with my homely talent to discourse somewhat of his immensiue glory who is Prima veritas in essendo dicendo primus omnium motor the first verity in being and speaking and the first mouer of all and so by degrees to descend into the numbers and attributes both of the good Spirits which attend their Creator and likewise of the bad spirits which beleaguer vs with their spiritual suggestions out of darknesse In the meane time I adiure and coniure thee thou false spirit of Detraction to be silent and not to interrupt my consecrated speech Auoyd Satan auaunt taunting Tempter Auoyd I charge thee In the name of the great Iehouah Auaunt againe and againe I charge thee By the omnipotent Spirit of the Word Incarnate by all the names and meanes which are warranted vnto vs in holy Writ O blessed names O blessed means which preuaile against the gates of Hell O blessed Vicar of Christs Church Gods Register of charitable Charters which inrols within the booke of my soule I meane within my conscience this warrant of faith that serious speculation on heauenly mysteries and on the operation of goodnesse and that with admiration rather then with affectation treades downe the head of that olde Enchanter and quite tramples vnder foote his false faculties whose spirituall spite sophisticate with subtle spels with Sardonicall sports and Siren-like songs I doubt more then all the Papists palpable Spirits and reall Diuels deuised for the most part to gull the simpler sort O Father of al things visible and inuisible if I presumptuously prie into the maze of thy mysticall nature as somtimes did a Philosopher of Greece the more I muse the more I stand amazed I finde those auncient Characters of Non vltra somtimes engrauen on Hercules his pillars firmely imprinted in my curious braine My soule sees no other obiects then infinite Entity Eternity Immensity Immutability Impassibility Immortality all life all motion all goodnes all truth all vnity all perfection O my Soueraigne God if I contemplate thine vnderstanding my poore
vnderstanding being but a sparkle in respect of a world of fire failes me and as a candle at the flash of a strong lightning suddenly extinguisheth for in thine interminate vnderstanding there resides infinite wisdome omnipotency prouidence predestination true reason true knowledge and the representation of all thy workemanship If I enter into the speculation of thy gracious and inexhausted will I shall want words significant to expresse the singular proprieties which depend theron as comfortable grapes on one goodly clâ—ster or bunch Thy Charity thy Iustice Mercie Clemency Loue Patience Magnificence with other attributes which we doe not deserue to know attend on thy powerfull will O mighty Deity of vnsearchable worth as thy Prophet Dauid said Such knowledge is too wonderfull and excellent for me I cannot attaine vnto it Whither then shall I goe from thy Spirit or whither shall I goe from thy presence If I climbe vp to heauen thou art there If I goe downe into hell thou art there also Thou beholdest all our doings with exceeding patience Thou art wholly in the world as mans soule is wholly in the braine and body and dispersed through euery part of the same and seest as in a manifest map all the world ouer Thou art present with vs in our closest counsels in our closest closets Thou art deck't with light as it were with a garment Thou art most glorious in heauen as mans soule in the head is most conspicuous and therehence like the Sunne with his influence illuminatest all places and searchest the very secrets of our hearts and reines for the light dwelleth with thee Thou art a most pure perfect and actiue forme without any mixture or composition of matter or forme or distinction of parts Thou art the beginning and the end of all things the beginning without beginning and the end without end To end before I haue scant begun thou art al sight all hearing all vnderstanding all reason the origen of all goodnes Totus oculus totus auditus totus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 totus ratio fons omnium bonorum Thou art aboue all things and yet not elated Thou art in all things and yet not concluded Thou art vnder all things yet not restrained Thou art great without quantity good without quality iust without wrath All our ioyes al our pleasures al our profits all our welfare arise from thy fruitfull bounty as on the contrary all our losses all our crosses all our misfortunes proceed by our deserts from thy iust conceiued fury When thou sendest out thy Spirit we are recreated When thou hidest thy face we are troubled Whither then shall we miserable caytiues flie whither From our displeased God to our pleased God from our angry Father to our patient Father Where shall we finde goodnes but with the Author of goodnes Omne bonum à Deo profluit in eundemque tanquam in causam principem finem vltimum reflectitur Euery good springs from God againe the same returnes to him as to the soueraigne cause and last end He euen he it is that subsisteth aboue vs through his prouidence round about vs he substitutes his Angels as it were in fiery Chariots in vs he breathes his fiery Comforter He maketh his An gels spirits adhis Ministers a flaming fire LINEAMENT III. 1 The admirable incorporation of the three persons in Trinity 2 Their mystical operatioÌ„ vnfolded according to our resonable capacities 3 How God is said to be in heauen 4 After what manner the Trinity doe differ one from another eyther in Appellation or in Operation 5 That the Pagan Poets like Apes aymed at Gods mysteries by their darke Allegories IF Imeditate on the admirable Hypostasis of the Deity I am rauished with an extasie to behold their heauenly Harmony their consort their consonance and their proportion Goe said our Sauiour Christ to his disciples and teach all Nation s' baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The Father vncreated the glorious Word begotten of his euer-being substance the holy Spirit of comfortable loue out of them both producted All three like wieke waxe and light incorporated in one glorious Torch as the beames and influence of one Sun or as waters of one fountaine or as Peter Paul and Barnabas all three building vpon one Rocke and preaching the same doctrine or as will vnderstanding and memorie the reflecting Image of the Deity in one soule equally partakers of one vndiuided Godhead one light one power one beginning one maiesty one glory and one authority Thus hath this One Diuine Spirit three peerelesse properties the hauing of euery which property is called a Person a terme which we giue to shew the peculiar being of a reasonable spirit which word Person also the Gramarians haue distinguished according to mens common conference into notorious appellations As when God speakes of himselfe to signifie his inexplicable essence he speakes in the first person singular Iehouah I am that I am I the Lord thy God When after deliberation he vtters out his determination then the whole Godhead with a cleere distinction of the personall functions speaks according to mans capacity in the plurall number Let vs make man that thereby we might note his deliberation before his determination then both of them made manifest by his omnipotent Word And forasmuch as a peron is nothing els but a body or a spirit seuerally singled out by himselfe forasmuch as euery thing in the Godhead consisteth substantially by it selfe without the helpe of any other therefore are his seuerall properties or functions to demonstrate the particular or personall orders and operations of Gods will and being In like sort there be two kindes of persons the person of his Spirits Essence and the person of his Spirits properties The person or being of his Essence is but one the persons or subsistences of the properties be three distinct euery one a Spirit by himselfe euery one a liuing God by himselfe and yet all one Spirit one liuing God The Father or the first speaker is God by himselfe and of himselfe and therefore the first being or person The Sonne or word is God by himselfe and not of himselfe but of the Father or speaker onely and therefore the second being The holy Ghost or holy loue is God by himselfe and not of himselfe but ioyntly of the Father and the Sonne and therefore the third being There is no difference at all betweene the Speaker the Word and this Loue but onely in the reciprocall relation of one to another for in respect of their being beginning which was coeternall before al worlds before all times or termes of times they are one essential one equall and one transcendent Person But in respect of order in their heawenly Hierarchies of their offices operations and effects ordayned among themselues by their owne diuine decrees and also in respect of the
holy Spirit and the Sonne a holy Spirit yet notwithstanding because Holinesse or Sanctification towards mankinde proceedes from loue which loue is sent or produced from their mutuall will from the Father by election in loue and from the Sonne by his word and redemption in loue this Holinesse as a Tertian or third influence proceeding out of two Diuine respects towards the saluation of mankind is rightly attributed to the third person in Trinity as to the Ambassadour of both their willes so that the whole Trinity partakes of the same Holines of the same Loue of the same Will of the same Spirit of the same Godhead of the same Vnity as S. Paul very manifestly expresseth in these wordes Endeuourye to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace one body and one Spirit euen as ye are called all in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all So that whatsoeuer name or power is ascribed to anyone peculiar person of the Trinity the same is meant of the whole Trinity The Father is called the Spirit of God the Sonne the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God yea the Father is the Spirit of him of whom S. Paul speakes that raised vp Iesus from the dead the Sonne is that Spirit that raised himselfe and the Holy Ghost the same Spirit The Sonne is the Father and the Holy Ghost is in the Father the Sonne is the euerlasting Father This the Prophet witnesseth when as hee names Christ the mighty God and euerlasting Father But when they are seuerally named or distinguished into persons that sense or morall is to be vnderstood parable-wise as including the mysteries of our saluation which our humane capacities cannot otherwise rightly apprehend For euen as a Prince in his prudence loue an I wisedome and for the more honorable establishment of his Monarchy or Kingdome authorizeth his sonne and some other as his Chancelour to impart his lawes vnto his subiects and to gouerne them in order whereby their power becommeth equall so let vs conceiue that the glorious Trinity is but one Diuine and essentiall power all alike all equall and of one authority onely for the glory of the Godhead and for the mysterie of our Redemption the Trinity is really distinguished to the view of the inward man whose wil is stirred vp to meditate vpon the personall relation of their functions and offices which they deriue one to another But how shall we discerne who is possessed with the Holy Ghost To be possessed with the Holy Ghost is as much to sâ—y as to be possessed with the giftes of the Holy Ghost namely with saith humility and other Diuine gifts Of these his gifts some are visible some inâ—isible some abundant some restrained With the former the Apostles and Prophets were miraculously inspired with the latter all we who according to our Christian profession doe protest to fight in this life against the world the flesh and the Deuill doe hope to be possessed through grace according to the measure of Christs gift The branch that drawes not iuyce and life out of this spirituall Vine is adiudged dead for what amity can there be betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt life and death The chiefest gift of the Holy Ghost is saith which is a spirituall light enlightning our liues with the Gospell with the beames of good workes causing vs to loue all men after his owne example who communicates his Sunne to the iust and vniust And if we may lawfully boast of any gifts of the Holy Ghost ingraffed by his powerfull Maiesty in our hearts then surely may wee glory of our Illummation wherwith we are enlightned vndeseruedly in these daies Neither is it possible for vs in these dayes to obtaine a more visible measure of spirituall gifts by reason that our mindes are captiuated vnto coueteousnesse enuie and other vncleane thoughts by reason that our bodies are pampered with gluttony drunkennesse eating and drinking without appetite or necessity and by reason that we dare not in respect of these pollutions and of our vnworthinesse communicate one with another the Lords holy Supper but very seldome whereby the gifts of the Holy Ghost might be multiplied and increased in vs. As long as we are carnal and worldly minded our soules are farre from these gifts of the Spirit which the Apostle likewise calles the fruits of the Spirit as loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse and temperance They that are Christs doe endeuour to follow his Fathers will And what is the will of the Father Euen our sanctification and vnion in the Spirit For euen as the carnall coniunction of man and wife makes of them one flesh so the spirituall coniunction of Christ and the sanctified soule makes of them one spirit so they that are vnited in the Spirit are vnited in their willes and they that are vnited in their willes are vnited in their actions They that follow Christs actions doe labour in all humility to attaine vnto these gifts of the Holy Ghost But first they must tame their bodies with fasting And here I giue you one note worthy the consideration that whereas S. Paul in all his Epistles makes often mention and sendeth often salutations in the name of the Father and of the Sonne not ioyning the Holy Ghost in plaine litterall wordes with them he doth it because it was the Holy Ghost himselfe that spake through the mouth of Paul in those Epistles And whatsoeuer he wrote he wrote by commandement and inspiration of the Holy Ghost whose office and function was to signifie vnto the Church the will of the other two persons in Trinity So that the naming of the Holy Ghost was needlesse while the Elect vnderstand that it was He which spake and that Paul was no other then as Moyses to God or as Baruch to Ieremy that is the Notary or Scribe of the Spirit and as it is else-where specified a chosen vessell This himselfe protested in these words If any man thinke himselfe a Prophet or spirituall let him know that the things which I write vnto you are the commandements of the Lord. There is no sinne more detestable nor more difficult to be forgiuen then the sinne against this Spirit of God Dost thou wantonly detract from God the Father and denie thine owne and the worlds creation by his omnipotent word Search the Scriptures repeale thy detractions and vpon thy recantation thou shalt receiue remission Dost thou blaspheme the Sonne of the euer-liuing God and belie his Incarnation his Passion his Resurrection Reade ouer the new Testament remember to compare the same in an euen ballance with the Prophesies of Esay and the rest of the Lords holy Legates and it may be thine eyes will be opened and thou wilt renounce thine errours by the bright light of the holy Spirit But
silly soule what wilt thou doe if this glorious Spirit comes not neere thee Where then wilt thou expect forgiuenesse of thy blaspemies Nay how caust thou expect or aske forgiuenesse seeing that without his operation the fruites of repentance can no more spring in thy faithlesse heart then the Apples of Paradise could fall into the hands of Tantalus in hell All other sinnes are pardonable and therefore termed debts or trespasses Onely this sinne against the Holy Ghost is Treason in the highest degree against the whole Godhead his crowne and dignity by reason that his personall subsistence was produced both from the Father and the Sonne and propagated vnto vs euen from our Baptisme so that to sinne against his authoritie is to sinne against the whole Maiesty of the sacred Trinity and against our owne soules being created by the Father redeemed by the Sonne and sanctified by the Holy Ghost Chiefly those reprobates are guilty of this vnpardonable sinne which sometimes hauing had great feeling great vnderstanding of the word of God and perhaps especiall inspiration of the Holy Ghost as Ananias and Saphira had if such persons afterwards without neede do fall into malitious Apostasies causelesse Hypocrisies and contumacious blasphemies against the sanctified Church of Christ in their words works thoughts ending also their liues without repentance doubtlesse they incurre the penalty of this irremissible sinne for this their spirituall fornication But to discerne who they be particularly that offend in this height of sinne in my iudgement very few or none can vndertake that charge in these dayes because we haue not that gift of the Holy Ghost namely of discerning Spirits as apparantly as the Apostles had To conclude these excellent exorcismes against the spitefull spirit of Detraction O â—riumphant Trinity distinguished really and indistinct essentially not into three Gods as that holy Martyr protested nor into three incarnated but into three of the same degree of the same honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose powerfull Maiesty vnited and identified in one eternall Deity the celestial spirits loue to contemplate and we earthly Pilgrims long to see Here I your vnworthy seruant prostrating my soule in all humility doe craue remission in the dust and ashes for my simple speaking of your intellectuall substance O God of endlesse bounty direct my vnskilfull pen that it stray not too much from the rule of verity nor lay down any thing but with reuerend shame of my blinde and bluntish ignorance concerning thy Heauenly vertues thy blessed Guarde and holy Hoste let them which reade this Treatise beare nothing in their hearts away saue that which is conformable to the square of wholsome doctrine Inflame my spirit with true zeale the true seale of thy sacred Spirit that it may soare vp like an Eagle to the sunne of thy Grace with feruencie founded on Diuine discretion for feruency is but foolish fury without Diuine discretion LINEAMENT VI. 1 Their Heresies conuicted which detract from the seruice of God because they see him not with their corporall eyes 2 The knowledge of God proued by an instance of our carthly King who is knowne throughout great Britaine of all his subiects though not of all wito corporall sight 3 The excellency of his spirit aboue the rest of his subiects 4 Meanes to know God 5 Why mortall men cannot see God MAny of vs detract from the seruice of God because his Maiesty is not so familiar as to speake vnto vs visibly at conuenient seasons as though so high a Maiesty should debase himselfe with euery sinfull creature It is reported that the King of China will not be seene abroad among his ordinary subiects aboue once a yeare And yet we wanton worldlings would limit our great Creator to sight and daily conference God is a Spirit not bound to any bodily Organ but to compare his Greatnesse after flesh and bloud euen as mans soule when it is separated from his body his power is infinite immensiue incomprehensible and no more to be seene or sensibly vnderstood of flesh and blood then if a man should measure the waters in his fist or the heauens with his span or if he should weigh the mountaines in a ballance All people are in comparison of him but as a drop of a bucket-full or as Grashoppers or as nothing or as nothing lesse then nothing No earthly man can erect a statue or a carued Image according to his likenesse No Gold-smith can couer him with golde or cast him into a forme of siluer plates O Lord who is like vnto thee No man can enter into thy Counsell no man can finde out thy secrets or attaine vnto this perfection Thou art higher then heauen deeper then hell the measure of thee is longer then the earth and broader then the sea Though thou turne all things vp side downe closest them in and gatherest them together who will turne thee from thy purpose Worldly sight is one thing and Diuine knowledge another thing The one is subiect to insumities and errours the other is insallible certaine and can neuer saile cyther with olde age wounds or false specta cles The one is the instrumentall light of the body to guide a man in his worldly busines the other I meane mentall knowledge is the euerlasting Lampe of the soule This latter I pray God instill into vs. As for the other it cannot absolutely be termed perfect before it be first sowne in winters corruption and before like ripe corne growne with full and glorious eares it rise vp glorified in the summer of immortality At which time both lights and sights externall and internall being by the Diuine bounty become eternal we shall both see and know aright in all perfection almost euen as God himselfe seeeth and knoweth vs at this present Quid est quod non videant qui videntâ—m omnia vident What thing shall they not see and know which alwayes see and know the Authour of all sight and knowledge In the time of their visitation they shall shine they shall shine as amiable as the Sunne more admirably glorious then Moyses who was faine to put a vaile before his face by reason of his ouerbrightsome beauty though he saw God but for a moment and that imperfectly for all light proceedes from him In his light we shall see light But quoth the spirit of Detraction how can we know him whom we neuer saw O vaine Spirit if thou knowest his lawes and fulfillest them thou knowest God As for example let me instant in our earthly King for mine owne part I neuer spake with King IAMES nor euer saw his face yet notwithstanding I verily belecue that I doe know him I know him to be our King by publique Proclamation by his decrees by the vnifomâ—e consent of all his subiects My conscience perswades me that he is the Diuinest and deuoutest Prince that euer swayed the Diademe of this Monarchy and aboue all the rest
Without the mediation of Christ God is a consuming flame wherefore approach not neere this Flame lest ye be consumed Diue rather into your owne weakenesse and thinke on nothing so often then on Christ lying in a vile manger or on Christ crowned with a crowne of thornes or on his guiltlesse body nayled to the crosse of infamy and no doubt but the effects of Grace will follow Where other good Spirits are mentioned in the word of God and how one rested vpon many and many vpon one I am not of the minde that they were reall corporal and palpable spirits but rather Diuine gifts or supernaturall vertues conferred vpon the soules of the Elect by the Lord for his glory God tooke off the spirit that was vpon Moyses and put it vpon the seuenty Elders and when the spirit rested vpon them they prophesied In sundry places of the Scripture we reade that the spirit of the Lord possessed many where they became notable eyther for prophesies valour or other rare properties which Spirits must not be ballanced by proportionable quantity but spiritually construed by operation and quality Which exposition I haue laid downe as I haue some of the premisses of set purpose that the Reader may not be mistaken in conceiuing the spirit of Detraction and other sinfull Spirits to possesse mankinde really The holy Ghost fell at one time vpon many of the Apostles and others which is as much to say that the pretious Gifts of the holy Ghost of prophesie of diuersities of tongues of faith patience and other vertues inspired these seruants of God whom his Wisedome selected and sealed to that degree of sanctification as the potters vessels for such honourable seruices Contrariorum cadem est ratio By the knowledge of Goodnesse let vs gather the knowledge of the opposite how the Diuell by his spirituall Nuncioes of Sinne as by Detraction malice and such others possesseth the negligent sonnes of Adam not with reall formes but with spirituall suggestions and spiritual operations God turnes away the influence of his countenance from his degenerate children then Sathan embraceth that aduantage of opportunity and with his pestilent breath bloweth into the principall parts of mans body and soule He impoysoneth the humours of melancholy choler and gail enuenometh the lodge of imagination then the possessed is sranticke or lunaticke The bloud and seede he tickleth and tainteth with honied lechery and hateful luxury then the patient becomes passionate in his body prodigall of his bloud and seede and proude of his supposed power For how can it otherwise be when the body is tempted to receiue into it superabundance of iuyce of immoderate meates and drinkes Must not consequently euery naturall body vent out what is supersluously gathered within it But O thou great Gouernour of the world whose will is vnsearchable no mortall man can mortifie his longing conceits his lustfull concupiscence without the mortification of his body by fasting neither can he mortifie his body by fasting without powring out many piteous petitions before the seate of thy mercy Nor yet can man O sinfull man powre out his petitions intentiuely before thee except it were giuen him from aboue and except he were in his conscience compelled by the operation of thy spirit to craue daily for perscuetance in his prayers and petitions To finish the abouesaid point of Sathans stinging whether these plaguy temptations be verily or figuratiuely the Diuels spirituall power or the wrath of God inclosed in vials as is allegorically specified in the Apocalyps it is hard for man to iudge for both might well be inflicted on vs seeing the vngodly is a sword of his and Nabuchadonozor is termed his seruant or executioner to reuenge his iust conceiued anger against the Israelites The winde blowes and with his furious force ouerturnes a Forrest of wood and ouerthrowes whatsoeuer it meetes yet no man knowes whence it comes or whither it goes Euen so it fares with these turbulent spirits well may we ayme at their mediate manner of infections but it is a very difficult matter to discourse iudicially of their immediate stinging Sure we are that none escape without them LINEAMENT II. 1 The originall roâ—te of Detractions and other pollutions and whether the spirit of Detroction and other sinfull spirits which possesse mankinde be reall spirits or stings of the Diuell 2 The fight betwixt the knowledge of Good and the knowledge of Euil 3 That the Good gets the victory ouer the Euill 4 That the Diuell cannot harme a man really IN the beginning God made all creatures good and perfect though afterwards through presumption arrogancy and Detraction they became sinfull His omnipotent Maiesty being righteous and dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule with their vnlawfull deedes and at length finding no stedfastnes in his seruants and laying folly in his Angels most iustly condemned them threw them down into hell where he hath reserued them in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Where in stead of eternall glory they liue tortured with eternall infamy in stead of happy light they see nothing but horrid night in stead of holy knowledge they feele nothing but hellish ignorance in stead of perpetuall ioyes perpetuall paines How greatly then are our superstitious worldlings bewitched that authorize Diuels in multitudes and with corporall shapes that is with bodies subiect to handling hauing of necessity longitude latitude profundity otherwise called thicknes presently to appear at the lure of mortall men and to command the heauenly powers for satisfaction of their phantasies Let it suffice that we belecue the Holy Ghost hath omitted nothing pertinent to our saluation let it suffice that we arme our soules with the spirituall Corcelets of faith and charity against the most terrible encounters of Diuellish sinnes propagated vnto the children of Adam from the Arch-spirit of sinne Vt mures in muris sic satellites Sathanae in cordibus nostris delite scunt as Mice in walles so lurke the messengers of Sathan in our hearts Let it suffise our curiosity that sinne is a roaring Lyon a spirituall Diuel and that a reprobate minde fraught with vile affections like canckred poyson killes both body and soule There is a seede of man which is an honourable seede the honourable seede are they that feare the Lord. There is a seede of man which is without honour the seede without honour are they that transgresse the commandements of the Lord. This latter seede is the Deuils sting spirituall temptation spirituall Detraction springing of melancholy and corruption of humours which can neuer possesse vs while we obserue that golden rule Watch and pray that is praying alwayes in all supplication and watching for the same purpose with all instance for all Saints The chiefest Diuell on earth Vice-roy to the chiefe Serpent of hel is the knowledge of Euil euen as the chiefest God on earth Vice-roy
we must not iudge both of them to be reall Serpents or Dragons but wee must thinke that this latter Dragon which Saint Iohn saw in a vision might well be the spirituall sinfull sting which the Diuellish Serpent left behinde him in our fore-parents memories but there allegorically or mystically applied to the Antichrist when wee incurred the curse of God in that earthly Paradise which as I take it was but the figuratiue touch-stone of old Adams faith And the former Serpent in Genesis was a reall Serpent the subtillest beast of the field which God had made abused by the Captaine of subtilty who not content himselfe to haue transgressed in Heauen against his Creator did also according to the corruption of his spirituall nature deuise to draw mankinde like vnto himselfe to be partaker of his knowledge in good and euill that is of his worldly craft and of his vâ—nemous subtilty for hee was double subtle subtle as the subtlest beast of the field and subtle in his Diuellish nature which in truth is the same which we call the maladies of the soule or perturbations of the mind by our Philosophers named Concupiscible and Irascible whereof the reward or rather reuenge was that threatning clause of God Thou shalt die the death To this dcuise of the Serpent the woman yeelded body and soule with her Will she longed the same being depraued by the creeping Tempter who by this time had likewise wonne her vnderstanding to encline the attributes of her soule thus seduced the senses of her body presently consented For the tree being pleasant to the eyes and the desire of wisedome another mouing obiect throughly perswaded poore Eue to follow the Serpents counsell O cursed Serpent how subtle were thy practises First thou chosest the subtlest beast which God created then thou creptst into his heart spakest through his mouth and seeing mankind too simple for this world altogether innocent holy deuour hauing his thoughts intentiue on his Maker and also seeing him like a childe newly borne bedazeled with varieties of obiects and prospects and admiring at the wonderfull workemanship of God which seemed the more strange vnto his senses in regard that he was then vnexperienced raw and newly come into the world thou settest vpon the weaker vessell knowing that the woman was as yet more simple then the man as a creature formed somewhat after the man and consequently of lesse experience and of lesse perfection But what gainest thou Thy spirit limited to thy former home of darkning errors and thy fatal instrument metamorphozed into a sneaking Snake to creepe vpon the earth as thou didst creepe into his wit and into the womans conscience This is the righ reward of disobedience which afterwards Lots wife receiued though in some different manner For her bodily forme was changed from a woman into a pillar of salt like as the Serpent was conuerted from the comliest shape among beasts into the most contemptible creature which this world affoords I say a creature a monstrous creature in generall wordes for a speciall or specificqe name can no Logician rightly attribute vnto a Serpent which is fully growne It is reported that in the Indies he flies in Noua Zembla he fisheth at Sea and is there many yardes in length Wherby we must note that the spirituall Serpent houereth fisheth creepeth compasseth the earth to and fro and suiteth his power manifoldly all to the intent that he may circumuent mans heedlesse Will LINEAMENT VII 1 That the Holy Ghost applies the Scripture vnto mans capacity 2 An admonition to the Readers of the Scripture THus from the breach of the commandement came in the Diuell from the Diuell came sinne and from sinne came Detraction and other infinite errours Thus it pleased the Holy Ghost to speake parables intermixt with palpable subiects to vse metaphores and figures to apply his key of knowledge towards the ward of mans crooked and crabbed locke Thus it pleased God to permit mankinde to fall that some may rise againe and that in reall and corporall formes after the maner of men according to our weake capacities which could not otherwise comprehend such mysticall reuelations then by sensible apparitions and worldly examples Let vs then modestly content our selues with such knowledge as the Holy Ghost hath inserted in the Scripture for our admonishment and not presume to enter into his spirituall secrets no more then we would that our neighbours enter into the knowledge of our silent thoughts or no more then we dare breake into the priuie chamber of our earthly King except we be called Howbeit for all this I would not counsel you that be Preachers and seachers of Christs flocke to misconster these speeches of mine or to vse them as yee vse your stirrops in shortnâ—ng or lengthning them according to your pleasures and phantasies by collecting that I disswade you or yours from searching out the depth of such mâ—steries and parabies as the Holy Ghost hath left in the Scriptureâ—or â—or our monition in these latter dayes In Gods name as he hath giuen vtterance vnto you and reuelations in your spirits labour to reape that spirituall benefite to the edification of your Churches But aboue all things before yee attempt such Diuine Prophesies humble your thoughts with seare and reuerence humble your bodies with abstinence and fasting at conuenient seasons seeing that bookish learning selfe-conceit and pampering cheere haue beene the chiefe obstacles that carnall Courtiers presumptuous Papists and pompuous people could neuer attaine to the right knowledge of the Scriptures nor arriue aright at the hauen of truth that that saying might be fulfilled The simple oâ— foolish things of the world he hath chosen to confound the wise Their hearts are indurate their vnderstanding darkened LINEAMENT VIII 1 The Election oâ— the Protestants after the imitation of S. Pauls graffing in of the Gentles 2 Means to discerne the Antichrist by Prophesies out of the Scripture 3 Meanes to discerne the Antichrist by his pompous manner of liuing and also by his Detractions BVt ye beloued of the Lord detract not from the word of God neither descant yee much vpon the bare letter For I would not that yee Ministers mistake this mysterie how blindnes is partly happened in the Church of Rome vntill the fulnesse of the Elect be come in And againe through their fall saluation is come vnto you to prouoke them withall Through their vnbeleefe yee haue obtained mercy Thus hath God reserued you and your flockes as a remnant according to his owne vnsearchable pleasure and election of grace without any deserts of yours at all Thus it hath pleased him because he would haue his power knowne to take compassion vpon some and to harden some And all this happily because the man of sinne the sonne of Detraction might be reuealed in his time Conferre therefore one place of the Scripture with another as I haue done here for the calling and graffing in of
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
aduersaries against thine innocence whose chiefe study is to register thy daily speeches in folio with a mishapen tayle and to calender thy proceedings as if they were solemne actes and monuments with an intent sometime or otherto rippe vp a whole volume or legend of transgressions against thee before the Higher powers O simple animal O liuer-hearted man An Heathenish Embasladour could answere great Alexander that his Countrey-men feared no earthly thing at all but onely one namely lest the skie would fall And yet thou a Christian which knowest the vncertainty of this world fearest like a crauen euery craking companion Whereas contrariwise thou oughtest to fore-arme thy spirit with an vndaunted resolution after the example of an elderly Iudge in this our Common-wealth who being admonished by his friends not to goe abroad so carelessely without company for feare of many enemies whom he had stirred vp through his seuerity thus constantly answered Alas what can they doe vnlesse they will shorten some few dayes of my life whereof I expect daily to be ridde by the hands of God Let them ban let them curse let them yell let them fume for mine owne part were the case mine I would retort and returne backe vpon them none other counter-note none other reuenge then mine humble prayers to God for their amendement An honest man ought to reioyce that enuy awaites vpon him that the spirit of Detraction attends vpon him for how shall it be knowne that hee is honest if hee be without temptation Iobs patience had not beone so illustrious if Sathan had not repined at his godly liuing Susannaes chastity had not shined so conspicuous if the two Elders had not vrged her to villany Neyther had the power of the great Iehouah extended with such Maiesticall terrour among his creatures if he had not left some to be hardned and ledde astray The light is most apparant in the darkest Chaos Euen so doth the Protestants faith appeare most bright in respect of blinde Papists A faire womans beauty shewes neuer more gallant then when she stands among deformed Dowdes nor can a generous spirit be discerned more cleerely then in temptations In temptation in aduersity a wise man shall quickly see of what mettall or stuffe the tempted is composed Surely it is requisite for the strengthning of our faith and for the glory of God that the Elect like gold that is seuen times purified in the fire be purged from the froathy dregges of flesh and bloud eyther by sensible stings in their owne persons or else by exemplary animadueâ—sions of other mens errours Euen as that woman whom her husband apprehends in adulterie stands in greatest awe and subiection and commonly from that time forwards esteemes her husbands commandement most pretious as it were the legall rule of her life so the sinfull soule that acknowledgeth her owne guiltinesse stands in greatest feare of Gods iudgements and euer after her conuersion watcheth as it were with Linceus eyes lest Sathans messengers namely the spirit of Detraction the spirit of mallice or such like fiends doe finde a hole in her coate or a breach in her fort St. Paul writes that he had beene exalted aboue measure with the abundance of reuelations if the messenger of Sathan had not buffeted him and giuen him a pricke in the flesh which I take to be aduersity or persecution And so likewise should we waxe too proud with prosperity if we neuer tasted of the cup of aduersity This moued the Samian Tyrant to cast into the Sea an inestimable Iewel because he might seeme to change his rich fortunes Which superstitious custome the Venetians tooke vp their Duke throwing into the Sea a golde ring though now-a-dayes they alledge that ceremony onely at their Dukes installing to be a foolish marriage betwixt their state and the Sea Without doubt it is expedient that the spirit of Detraction attend on Magistrates as their shadow lest their pompuous authority puffe vp their minds aloft to the highest altitude of the Zodiacke or lest as the Lyricke vaunteth Sublimi feriant fidera vertice With lofty heads they strike the starry skie and so with ambitious Phaeton they forget God and themselues These things considered Magistrates must looke somewhat neerer vnto their wayes if not for the loue of vertue yet formidine poenae for feare of punishment for feare of Detraction Neuerthelesse I exhort wise men to make more account of them that be detracted and enuied and to countenance them in their authorities against such furious tempests for they know that neyther themselues not yet their Prince are exempt from Sathans srownes and stings and also they know that the multitude who as Lipsius interpretes is verè vulgus faex limus haue euer opposed themselues to the true passage of vertue Which caused a great Lord of France thus to comfort Monsieur du Chesne that complained vnto him how he was Detracted and enuied by some in his countrey You complaine quoth this Nobleman of a matter whereof you haue cause rather to triumph and to erect vnto your selfe a Trophee for in that you are enuied it is a very certaine token and argument that there is some vertuous thing in you which deserues to be praised Vous vous plaignez d'vne chose dont vous deuriez faire trophee car estant enâ—ié c'â—est vn signe argument trescertain qu' ilâ—y à quelque chose en vous de veriueux qui merite d'estre loüe LINEAMENT XII 1 Why mensoiourne with the spirit of Detraction and will not be dislodged from him 2 That no worldly causes ought to dispose a man vnto Detractions THat which is once inueterate in the bone will hardly out of the flesh euery creature loues his natural home be it neuer so homely and will not depart therehence voluntarily no more then our Northen Nations will be drawne to Virginia Norimbega or some other countrey in the West Indies where abound farre richer commodities richer grounds and ampler scope for the fruition thereof then they haue in Europe So that I may boldly say vnto them as once I said vnto a worthy friend of mine which preferred his mountanous lands before our fertile fields O infoelix auis qui nasceris in obscoeno loco O wretched bird which wert bred in a wretched place Such is our folly that we cannot exchange our barren solaecismes for refined syllogismes our barbarous mumpsimus for a reformed sumpsimus We cannot leaue off our cancred customes for a regenerous vertue Our constitutions are queasie and so inured to malicious Detractions as a certaine woman of India to strong poisons that we cannot without a perilous distemperature reclaime our selues from that poysoned vsage Yet notwithstanding all thy customes O heedlesse man thou art weighed in the ballance and found too light Better it is to dwell in Mesech in the Tentes of Cedar nay in the strangest countrey among the Cannibals then to soiourne among such cursed copi-holders or villanous vassals
malicious litigious and full of mischiefe Is a a Rogue brought in to giue euidence His wit runnes a wool-gathering and with the aboue named persons he ought rather to be sent into Bridewell then to staine the iudiciall proceedings of an honourable Court But how is it possible for auoyding of confusion and delayes in suites to sound out the certainty and abilitie of the proofes and persons Euery man cannot equally discerne of spirits euery man is not a Solomon a Nathan a Peter a Paul Therefore our Iurie men had neede of further instruction that they accept not witnesses of all sorts tag and rag without exception It were good for the Common-wealth that Commissions were awarded to examine their carriage and behauiours In the Ecclesiasticall Court men may in some sort except against false and infamous witnesses and so out of the Courts of Starre-chamber Chancery and Councell of the Marches vpon vrgent motions there are graunted extraordinarie Commissions with crosse and wittie articles like Daniels Interrogatories to intrappe suborned witnesses But this course is costly painefull and very seldome followed or allowed Whether this latter motion doe not deserue your furtherance I appeale to euery subiect in particular euen from the Bench of iustice to the poore shepheards Cottage The Papists vaunt that the reason of this falshood of witnesses proceedes through the contempt of their Romish Religion For say they this speciall benefite fell out by their policie of auricular confession that by means of it mens consciences were humbled and held in such seuere subiection that they durst not forsweare themselues vpon premeditation But whosoeuer doth more deeply weigh their licentious dispensations and our licentious education shall finde both Religions sicke of the same disease For indeede we had neede in this declining and drooping age of the world to obserue circumstances as well as proofes and to imitate the discreete Phisician who giuing no credite to the rules of raw and rude Empirickes for the sicke mans health betakes himselfe to a higher contemplation to iudiciary Astrologie obseruing the signes constellations and other remarkeable accidents LINEAMENT II. 1 That Licentiousnes is the cause of Detractions defamations periuries and blasphemies 2 That Tauernes are the causes of licentiousnes wherby the Authour tâ—keth an occasion to admonâ—sh Magistrates of their duety in this importent case WHen I sit silently musing with my selfe what might be the reason that Detractions defamations periuries and idle speeches become now-a-dayes more rife then in former times I protest vnto thee O ingenuous Reader that my soule is sore disquieted within me The zeale of Gods glory which these Titans Encelades and their monstrous factions goe about to batter by their beastly behauiours doth sollicite this soule of mine to soldiourize in this exigent vnder the Archangels banner coniuring and conuicting the Detractours of our time the deprauers of pretious time whose tongues and voyces declining from their soules reasonable faculties from the spirituall similitude of the Deitie and peruerted by the iudgement of the iust Iehouah into bruitish sounds they are metamorphozed with Gryllus and the rest of Vlisses his companions into grinning dogs grunting Hogges grumbling Foxes into squeaking apish Squaules and into bellowing Bulles of Basan Because that when they knew their God they gaue him not that honour that thankefull honour that obedience that dutifull obedience with trembling reuerence as was conuenient for so great a Maiesty so great a Sauiour so great a Law-giuer And because that when they were enlightned with the fire of his spirit according to the quality of their bodies that could not receiue a greater quantitie of his grace by reason of their gluttonous affections and earthly affectations because I say they did not watch fast and pray in meekenesse and mildenesse of minde for their crying and cruell sinnes therefore hath that Righteous One deliuered them ouer to their owne naturall dispose to Sathan to sinne to beastiall behauiours to diuersities of Detractions and to al the contraries or aduersaries of the knowledge of Goodnesse In regard of all these Detractions contempts inconueniences and abuses I wil not spare to display out in colours the prime cause of such abhominations which in very deed is none other then Licentiousnesse This is that vnbridled vice which beginning in youth growes vp to an habite in olde age which being once rooted in cannot with all Hercules his labours bee remoued out A Captaine may sooner conquer the strongest Fort in Hungaria then conquer this wanton affection What then Experience the graund and graue mother of worldly wisedome art thou put to thy nonplus with all thy trauels with all thy trials Hast thou no stratageme in store no witty engine to expell this giddy headed gallant Alas the worldes Oracle is sodainly dumbe But though heauen and earth doe passe away Truth is great and must preuaile Truth is great and will not quaile Me thinkes I heere a voyce descending downe from the heauenly places Nec vox hominem sonat ô Dea certè Nor is this voice humane a goddesse sure thou art Take away cries the truth the cause and take away the effect Get thee quoth she an exquisite map of all this Iland and view whether there be not ten Tauernes for one Church ten diuels for one Saint ten tospots for one temperate These paâ—try Cottages be they which minister matter and fewell to the fire of licentiousnesse Here breede conspiracies combinations common coniurations detractions defamations Heere a man shall meete at all times day or night yea in the dawning twilight and midnight with drunken dissolutes who for maintenance of their trade will be content to sell oathes at a prodigall rate If you want meanes to vent and blaze out false newes blasphemous newes runnagate reports slaunderous reports tending to their Gods dishonour or to their neighbours disgrace heere you shall find many mercenaries ready to be prest at your commaund Thus doe these alehouse knights knights of the post or posting knaues attend on the Spirit of Detraction intending to set their tongues and soules to sale to sweare and forsweare whatsoeuer the Diuell or his adherentes will enioyne them not onely against their neighbours name and fame against their rights and liuelyhoode but also against their deerest liues which as Tenants at will they hold of God himselfe Thus like drunken men doe these blasphemous wretches reele too and fro as the Psalmist speakes thus doe they stagger and are at their wits end not knowing the waies of the Lord but inclining themselues that way where the staffe falles where haplesse hazard leads them so vncertaine are our detractours in their thoughts words and workes euen in their decrepite age being then through their dissolutenesse become crazed without eyther head or foote without hope of remorce without hope of mercie Heretosore as we reade in Chronicles a King of this land was same to stoppe and stint his Danes that they might not exceed a prescribed measure in their
coyishly like a cunning queane to her youthfull nouice seemed to repell their suits They loth or perhaps not daring to returne homewards to their wiues without some notice touching the stolne goods vrged him more instantly to cast a figure and rather then faile to coniure vp a spirit that they might learne who was the theefe At last with some adoe the scholler in respect of his pouertie resolued to make a purchase of these vnlooked for guests and to that end first requiring their oath of secrecy like a true Chymist willed them to resort within three houres of night to a chamber remote from company The honest men with pure protestations thanked his grauity and went home to their Inne with gladsome hearts iudging each houre a day til the prefixed time drew nigh In the meane space the adulterate Coniurer calles vnto him more good fellowes boone companions confederates with them that about such a time they should likewise repaire to the designed chamber with a whole Cutlers shop of weapons as Proctors and Officers to apprehend both the Coniurer and his mates Well the appointed time approached the good Yeomen missed not to come thither where also the Coniurer met them lockt fast the chamber doore and hauing prepared afore hand a great Caldron full of hote scalding water on a good fire caused them to cast their money therein for feare lest the spirit might annoy them by reason of such prophane trash His commaundement stood for a law Assoone as he had fashioned his Circle crossed it and inuocated on these terrible spirits Barbara Celarent Darij Ferio Baralipton Celantes Dabitis Fapesmo Fricesonorum Cesarâ— Camestres Festino Baroco Darapti Felapton Disamis Datisi Bocardo Ferizon In stead of spirits the false Proctors bounced and knocked at the doore menacing to breake it open if out of hand they opened it not The poore men not aduenturing to budge one inch from the center of the Circle without their money and now without hope of commiseration among strange Officers stood amazed in a quandaâ—y with great horrour and dread till the Proctors were let in by the Coniurer Ah villaine haue we taken thee in the manner said these new Proctors there is no way saue one for thee nor for these assistants of thine And with that in a faigned vehement rage charged them vpon their allegeance to follow them towards the prison The liuer-hearted Yeomen very dutifully obeyed went along with them all the way begging for grace and fauour with large promises of golden mountaines and with faithfull assurances of millions of prayers for their prosperity The pitifull Proctors ouercome at last with their important suits and knowing their money to be lest behinde safe in the hote Caldron let fall the raines of their rage Their iustice became mitigated their authority relented vpon condition that these honest men would assume on their credite to come againe vnto them the next morning which they faithfully promised But being arriued at their lodging they tooke counsell together to giue the Proctors the slip and leaue the Coniurer to goe to the gallowes alone without their fellowship And so at midnight by the benefite of that darke time as they thought they left both Proctors and Coniurer in the lurch posting away with great ioy for their fortunate escape LINEAMENT X An example translated out of Monsieur du Chesâ—e his pourtrait de la sante declaring how one Monsieur Poena a Phisition of Paris coâ—iured two spirits out of a possessed mans body MOnsieur Uignier a Phisitian of Champaine and the Kings Chonicler had a cousin of his that was a person well descended and also learned afflicted of such a spirituall sickenesse that he imagined and firmely beleeued that a certaine fellow of his acquaintance newly come from Italy had giuen him and put within his body two spirits which spake vnto him and taught him many things which also threatned him eyther to cause his death or else to vexe him with some great mischiefe After that he had discouered his malady to the said Vignier he presently knew that it was a sickenesse of the spirit and for that he loued very well this kinseman of his he deuised and aduised with himselfe how to helpe him For this purpose both of them resolued to goe together to Paris and there they addressed themselues vnto Monsieur Poena who immediatly vnderstood what sickenesse it was to wit that the patients imaginatiue faculty was hurt and depraued and also counselled them that they should looke for spirituall remedy for that spirituall sickenesse which likewise the said Poena promised that he would endeuour to get for his recouery Hereof the diseased partie was very glad and pressed on him very hard that he should hasten him telling him withall that his said spirits continually menaced to kill him or to torment him with some grieuous sickenesse Here the Phisitian was faine to vse stratagems and subtilties to take away these wicked impressions out of the sicke-mans phantasie in regard that the party being learned and very speculatiue as all melancholike men are would comprehend by reason the manner of his cure which after many circumstances in briefe was thus The Phisitian tooke vpon him to fashion in a little booke certaine characters and names of spirits and to make as though he must coniure vp a stronger spirit then those which were in his body by whose forcible means the lesser spirits should be chased therehence The remedie was plausible to the sicke man In the meane that all things were accommodating and making readie for the said exploit the Phisitian ministred vnto him purgations to tame and moderate the humour of melancholie Atlength the time approached that this feat should be put in practise There was a great Hall chosen out for the nonce wherein this saigned coniuration should be made for the effecting whereof an honest Chirurgion was appointed to act the person of the pretended spirit All things thus prepared together with the Circle and other ceremonies which Negromancers vse in such a case they came to the place where the possessed party was seated in the midst of the Circle and to blindfolde him the more he was encouraged not to be astonished at what accident soeuer that should befall After some counterfeit whispering crossing and inuocations the Spirit of the South was called vp who appeared not Then the Spirit of the East was called who likewise came not In the end at the third call the Chirurgeon that lay hid in a certaine place there for the nonce began to appeare in this hall that was somewhat darke And then the Patient was againe comforted and counselled more then before not to be affraid who answered that he was resolued not to feare at all So earnestly did he attend and repose confidence and hope in this illusion At last the matter passed so finely and luckily that the poore Patient beleeued that this spirit which he tooke to be no fained one had power to ouercome and
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
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
Sea following Du Bartas his aduise hauing Faith for my sailes the holy Ghost for my Pâ—lot and the Bible for my starre Qui voudra seurement par ce goussre ramer Sage n'atlie iamais cingler en haute mer. Ains costoye la riue aiant la foy pour voile L'Espâ—it saint pour nocher la Bible pour estoile But quoth the reprobate then may I do whatsoeuer my will enduceth me vnto It is all one whether I commit good or euill For if goodnesse be already predestinated vnto me I shall surely light vpon it neither can all the prouocations of the world the flesh or the diuell cause me to erre O curuae in terras animae coelestiura inanes O stooping soules to earthly trumperies And quite deuoide of heauenly mysteries Though God foresaw before the ground worke of the world was laid that such and such might be saued yet notwithstanding he knew in his wisdome that they could not by reason of their affections and of themselues without his assistance attaine to that perfect state And therefore he interpoled his mercy together with his iustice he sent his owne spirit among them incarnated to ease them of that grieuous yoake which flesh and bloud found insupportable whereby he foresawe that men might please him if they were endowed with as much free-will as they might chuse for their enabling thereunto To this end he inspired some with faith and some he reiected yet with this caueat and condition did he predestinate them to faith that this faith should serue as a badge or cognizance to discerne them from the reprobate so that their election being conditionall they should not waxe presumptuous cowardes nor Apostates Thus all our actions all our goodnesse all our misfortunes yea and our liues willes and destinies are subordinate without coaction or constraint vnto Gods directions whose supreme will being aboue our willes and flowing into our willes takes not away the iudgements of our vnderstanding nor enforceth vs but so ruleth vs that we in chusing or refusing doe somewhat follow our owne reasonable willes For he that made vs without vs will not sanctifie vs without vs that is without our cooperation and consent Much lesse can the influence of the Starres or Meteours induce a necessitie of destinie and master our complexions without our consent The very beginning of all our operations was infused by our Creator in our selues with freedome of will So that no constellations or meteours if being corporall substances they triumph other whiles ouer our bodies by Gods direction yet cannot they sway our mindes because they are diuine spirituall and of a purer substance then themselues And surely they are strongly possessed with the spirit of Errour which ascribe the cause of their damnation immediatly vnto Gods ineuitable decree for the certainty of his decree doth no way force them of necessitie to be saued or damned as they please And though the intent of God himselfe be certaine and immutable yet notwithstanding the meanes of bringing the effects of saluation or damnation to passe doe not proceede from necessarie but from voluntary motions for Gods prouidence or foresight which as I wrote in the former discourse is alwaies present eternall and at once obseruing that such effects would follow and seeing as it were at the same instant such to follow his commaundements as liuely as if they had alreadie fulfilled them and contâ—arywise seeing such and such to commit sinne as if he had seene them then alreadie committed knew certainly who would be his elect and who would be rebellious Weercupon he ordained eternall rewards and eternall punishments for them As for example a man sicke of a Calentura or burning ague is charged by his Physition not to drinke wine The patient notwithstanding the strictnesse of his charge by reason of his continuall custome and former disordered life carouseth wine and dieth Which that Poet well remembred Et tremor inter vina subit calidumque trientem Excutit è manibus dentes crepuere retecti In drinking wine the panges of death From him the cup do wrest His members quake his teeth doe shake His life can finde no rest Now the cause of this mans death was himselfe for if he had obeied the Phisitian he had recouered his health After this fatall accident we cannot denie but it might haue otherwise hapned but the thing being once done we certainly know it was done and what was done must needs be done for now it cannot be vndone Howbeit that in the doing or drinking of the wine the sicke party might haue chosen whether he would drinke it or no. So in our actions concerning saluation or damnation there is no necessitie or restraint but we may chuse in time whether we will be saued or no neither ought we iustly to accuse God for our damnation if we be damned or blame his immutable and ineuitable decree but lay the fault where it ought Seeing that God is content that his will should concurre with ours let vs lay the fault on our stubborne selues who through a customarie delight in sinning haue wittingly and wilfully deserued it For his diuine Maiesty to free himselfe did tender his grace to all euery man might by acceptance there of auoid the punishment flie from the wrath to come if he would so that it is not the necessitie or constraint of Gods decree which inferred our damnation but our contempt of Gods commaundements which albeit we need not commit vnlesse we would yet being once committed must needs be committed which his prouident Maiestie perceiuing thus to proceede and chance as alreadie proceeded and chanced decreed eternall reward for the righteous and eternall punishment for the reprobate Concerning this last point we may iustifie the certaintie of his decree But to charge his Prouidence with the occasion of our sinnes as by the necessitie of his decree is damnable for it is one thing to enquire whether God knew that such and such would be damned and another thing to enquire whether he forced them to sinne and so to worke their owne damnation And it is another thing to affirme that God knowing such and such would sinne according to their natures did decree eternall punishment for them LINEAMENT V. That God is not the Authour of Temptation but an Actor therein NEyther tempteth God any man but giueth the wicked man ouer to his owne concupiscence and consequently to sinne and Sathans alluring baits He tempteth no man immediatly but according to his vnsearchable pleasure he turneth away his countenance withdraweth the influeÌ„ce of his grace from him and then is mans heart hardened by reason of his owne naturall imbecillitie lead into temptation and left as corpus opacum eyther for a while eclipsed or for euer enticed with the world the flesh and the Diuell And yet God is not the Author of our corruptions though he be an Actour in corrupting The doing of a thing proceeds from the Creator and the euill doing
extraordinary pensiuenes of minde presaging as afterwards ehanced some future euils and also somewhat terrified with the great lightning which then flashed most extreamely Behold a forcible lightning in forme of a fiery pillar extinguished the Candle-light burning before mee and with that as it were in the twinckling of an eye strikes me with a most violent blast that I verily thought my braines had been dasht out and that I was at deathes doore To confirme this imagination of mine in the selfe same instant it thundered in such impetuous and extreame manner that the earth moued as sithence appeared in sundry other partes of this Realme my house shooke in so much that I am perswaded no canon no basilisco nor any other artillery could make the like terrible report With this fearefull volee together with the former lightning flash I fell into a kinde of traunce or confused thought and as Saint Paul speakes of his assumption into paradise if it be lawful for me so to say whether I were in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth but I verily supposed to haue seene in spirit the warning-peece shot off for this worlds dissolution or finall alteration against the generall day of doome Within halfe a quarter of an houre or thereabouts as I coniecture I returned to my selfe and to my troubled senses at the loud cry which two of my houshould then being newly awaked out of their senselesse traunce raysed in seeing my wife falne on the ground and dead among them At this noise which they made changing my thoughts I made full account that my house had beene throwne downe with the thunder clap or earthquake therefore astonished as I was to saue my life being as I imagined in that great ieopardy I rose vp and hastned me downe into the lower roome or kitchin where I had heard the cry By the way her daughter being one of the two whose cry I had heard in my chamber met me and told me that her mother was sodainely stricken dead At my comming thither into the kitchin I found my wife quite depriued of life in a blackish sweat strongly sauouring of brimstone which the Poets call sacrum Sulphur holy Sulphur yet notwithstanding least it might be a faint or swowne I called for help to my seruants to haue her body bent forewards but at the first none directly vnderstood me excepting the two aboue-named vntil afterwards vpon our vehement lamentations and cries the other three for there were in all fiue two men and three maides besides my wife in that roome beganne by little and little to come vnto themselues hauing been all in one instant throwne downe to the ground as dead with the lightning and thunder Two of these three last at my first call and comming downe reuiued but the other being a seruing-man of mine lay longer in the trance All of them stood as deafe and distracted not able for their liues a long while to lift vp her dead body Some of them could neyther heare nor vnderstand what I spake nor what I would haue them doe their braines were so confusedly shaken in their heads that they could not for a long time answere me in reason When this fatall blow was giuen my wife sate on a stoole ouer-seeing her maydes melting of tallow And for this purpose the Seruing-man of whom I spake before stood by her with a candle in his hand The Kettle of tallow lay very neere vnto her Aboue the place where shee sate iust aboue her head hung Bacon in the roofe of the house All which being naturall nutriments of lightnings by reason of their vnctuous substances encreased the vertue thereof and doubtlesse by the predestinate will of our heauenly Father occasioned this foreible dampe and perhaps augmented the earthquake Her body was entire and whole without diminution of any part sauing a little of her hayre which was rent or snatched off with the attyres of her head her fillet which were likewise somewhat burnt and also sauoured of brimstone In like manner her stomacher her whale-bone bodies and her smocke neere about her heart where there was a small marke somwhat black were burnt rent and torne with the heauenly flame Perhaps her corpulence she being very grosse caused her thus to be singled and selected out from among the rest of the company But leauing that Philosophicall opinion alone to the vnsearchable knowledge of God without whose prouidence one haire cannot fall from our heads I will proceede further in declaring the tragicall euents which we found the next morning inflicted by the lightning thunder and earthquake The next morning for all that night wee durst not bouge from the same roome so greatly had feare seazed on vs wee saw all the tiles fallen for the most part from the house and some dispersed in heapes vpon the house Wee found the chimney top of the chamber where I lay quite cast downe part of the waightier stones tumbled through the chimney downe into my chamber yea and round about the bed where I lay at the time of this fatal blast to the great astonishment of al that saw it and surely it is miraculous how I escaped aliue vnhurt or vnscorcht in this terrible time of horror Two glasse-windowes were also burnt with the lightning whereof the one was a window by my beds feete the other on the loft right aboue my chamber and aboue my bed Besides three other glasse-windowes were battred and bruised with the thunder or earthquake Aboue a dozen breaches or rents were found pierced through the wals of the house being almost foure foote thicke and as strongly built as could be of lime and stone Also one of the beames was somwhat remoued from the place And that which seemes as strange a fat Cow amidst many other Kine in the stable was culled out and killed or rather stifled with the Lightning which induceth me as I said before to thinke that this dampe tooke strength and power according to the nature therof from such fat liquide and oylie substances or bodies This opinion her selfe verified vnto me about a fortnight before shee dyed when she caused all the candles in her house to be done out for feare least the lightning which at that time was somewhat fearefull should encrease and receiue force from the candle light Yet with this limitation doe I attribute such matter of vnctuositie and vertue to lightnings from these inferiour bodies that God who workes by measure number and waight sends these or such like kinds of fate vpon vs to admonish vs not to make reckoning of this world as of a perpetuall Paradise nor to sleepe ouer-long in the voluptuous bosome of carelesse negligence Neyther ought I seeing I haue gone so farre to conceale another wonder to wit that she fore-tolde in her life time as well to diuers others as to my selfe the shortnesse of her life in this world for this was an vsuall speach of hers sundry
hath a summe of money due vnto him by Obligation the Partie indebted not able to spare it by reason of his ouer-lauâ—sh expenses in apparrell wenches and such inordinate vanities and seeing no shift at the Common law to auoid the payment confederates with two or three of the Diuels consort bare legged vagrants those whom Homer termed houselesse and Tribelesse and vseth the forfeit of their soules for his temporall aduantage and for the hindrance of his Creditours in his Maiesties Court of Chauncerie Doth a Landlord demand the occupation of his owne and natiue free-hold requiring the Tenant either to compound for a longer terme or to leaue it vnto his dispose Presently these wrangling wretches with bread and cheese in their scrips runne headlong to the Counsell of the Marches where vpon affidauit of their three yeares possession and afterwards vpon proofe by some of these damned crew that they contracted with their Landlord for a lease paroll though such an Act was neuer done or perhaps done for some other consideration of import they procure either orders to continue their possessions for the said supposed deposed terme or vntill they be expulsed by vertue of verdict at the Common law where also by reason of these vilipendious varlets testimonies they win the garland of their forged suits O the perfidiousnesse of false faithlesse hearts that thus rashly runne into the lake of fire and brimstone These inconueniences happen daily to the impairing and impeaching of our temporall fortunes Yea and which is most detestable among Christians these treacherous Iudasses and impious Impes of Sathan combine together against our credites which some of vs value beyond Craessus his treasurie and some other times against our liues which as Tenants in capite we hold from the King of Kings These abhominations of my natiue Country here I submit before your eyes of Iustice that the same may serue as additions of examples vnto your manifold experience whereby your Honours may conceiue or rather recall to memorie what terrible tempests doe daily encounter your inferiour Ministers and others his Maiesties vvell disposed subiects notwithstanding that you know alreadie better then a thousand such as I am that there is no signe more certaine that men are vertuous then to see them hated of the vicious for imminent enuie euer persecutes eminent vertue Good my Lords employ your vttermost endeauours for the extirping of these accursed actions The more paines yee take in this waightie businesse the more conspicuous crowne of Honour shall you weare in the Heauenly Citie euen by His appointment who though inuisible to the eyes of flesh and bloud stands in the assembly of the Gods and iudgeth among the Gods that is in the midst of you O earthly Iudges which likewise that Holy man protested saying that his eyes are with Kings and Princes in the throne And another confirmeth the same vvith a reason for yee execute not the iudgements of man but of God To this end that the lawes of this land may not further be iniured by the Spirit of Detraction let his counterfaite Castor and Pollux be crushed in the egge his rancour repelled and his rage repressed in the beginning of his raigne for if Sathans surmised suites vvere blasted in the blossome the rest of his snakie Spirits would presently sneake away into their bottomlesse home If the lippes of our Satyrciall Semeies vvere seared as a subiects lips in France vvere seared vvith a hot Iron for his petulant speaches vvhen they transgresse and transcend the bounds of obedience then surely vvould they yeeld their hearts vvith greater awe and ciuilitie to the Ballance and Sword of Iustice. If their tongues vvere tempered towards your subordinate Ministers they vvould vvith greater reuerence respect your higher authorities as the resemblance of his Maiesties person yea of God himselfe But some will say that these sons of Detraction cannot so soon cashiere ther blasphemies periuries slanderous suggestions by reason of a continuall cankred custome which they deriue into their wils euer from their cradle in their education conuersation For confirmation of this fallacie they insist on the Locrensian law on the state of our bodies which may not brook innouation nor breach of custome the same being as Physicians hold another nature With the sophistrie of this vntempered morter Right prudent Lords our Momists vse to daube ouer their grosse errors as though the conuersion of a corrupted custome were the peruersion of an authenticke Law The alteration of our customarie diet I confesse seemes raw and rough at first vnto our crabbed natures but within a while after it turnes to the benefit of the Patient where the custome is refined or reduced into a better for what is Custome without Truth none other then as meate without salt an old wiues fable and an old doating sinne Whatsoeuer sauours not of Faith is sinne The word of God admits not of wrangling policie neyther may vve wrest it according to our vvorldly deuises It is primitiue and contemnes mixture it is pure and hates hypocrisie The Lord hath spoken and his speaches shall stand for euer Heauen and Earth shall passe away but the vvord of God shall neuer passe Yea one day tels another one night certifieth another that his spotlesse Spirit abhorres those refractaryes which blaspheme his hallowed Name which beare false testimonies against their neighbours But vvhat am I that thus audaciously goe about to confront your experience vvhose bookes of Iudgements I am not worthy to open What am I that seeme as sus Mineruam to instruct Nathans in Iustice Nestors in Counsels Pardon my trespasse vertuous Iudges as the Highest Iudge hath pardoned yours As many peeces of flesh I speake it vnder your accustomed patience do better the pottage so these aduisoes of mine though ambitiously elated I know cannot hinder your graue proceedings Let them go then as little looking glasses for Abcedarie nouices vvhose abilitie perhaps in wit or purse will not serue to get them mirroirs of a firmer substance LINEAMENT II. 1 That after Controulement Instruction is necessary for them that be possessed with the Spirit of Detraction 2 That Taciturnitie and Patience doe coniure him downe into hell FOrasmuch as the Detracting Spirit and his false feathered Eagles are vnmasked and discouered through the vvinde of Gods Word which before in this age of ours was like an infortunate Planet predominant ouer the Horoscope of our natiuities it is high time that I minister an Antidote or preseruatiue against the precedent mischiefes and after controulement that I adioyne instruction seeing both together are as necessarie for the variable will of man as Phlebotomy for a Pleurisie or Calenture Euery euill at the first budding is quickly extirped but being suffered for a while to runne a lawlesse race vncurbed or vncorrected it becommeth past cure Euen as wilde-fire or lightning hauing receiued nourishment or matter to worke vpon by candle-light tallow or oylie substances
increaseth in a house and there-hence vvould breake into the next house and at last into the whole towne vnlesse at the first inflaming it be quencht with milke so the Spirit of Detraction being suffered to creepe into an honest mans house like Aesops vnthankfull Snake which the innocent husbandman saued from the chilling colde and there by negligence permitted to infect some of the household will at length not onely enuenome the head of the Family himselfe but also empoyson the vvhole neighbourhood except at the first his fiery force be extinguished with the milke of Taciturnitie and Patience Of this kinde of milke among other ingredients is that Oyntment made which the Apostle mentioned ye haue an oyntment of him that is holy ye know all things Though Truth hath taken off this false vizard yet vvee must apply the fruits of Truth for his further condemnation and that other wicked Spirits may likewise be kept backe from planting themselues in the little world With Taciturnitie the Spirit of Detraction is choakt with Patience the Detracted conquereth the Detractour vincit qui patitur In old time this kinde of Spirit vvas coniured vp by vnhallowed holy vvater by massemonging miracles now our Countrey-men rayse him vp by pots of good liquour and pipes of Tobacco therewith both day and night profaining their bodies which rather they ought to purifie vvith mortification as the Temples of the Holy Ghost for wanton flesh and bloud cannot inherit heauen In old time his malice was sometimes allayed by simplicitie and superstitious singlenesse of minde now hee can neuer be put downe and packt into hell without Taciturnitie and Patience both which if thou who readest this Circle dost obtaine at thy heauenly Fathers hand thou needest not doubt of thy soules saluation nor of silent sobrietie LINEAMENT III. 1 The discription of Taciturnitie 2 That the nature and qualitie of a man may be discerned by speach or writing 3 That wise men in priuate may descant of their neighbours faults so that the same tend to edification ALbeit that Taciturnitie be a kinde of milke farre more delicious then the Paracâ—lsians lac virginis or false Mahemets heauenly iunkets hard to come by knowne but of very few and those sons of Art vvhose chiefe Aphorisme is to keepe close their soueraigne receipts from vicious persons I will notwithstanding aduenture to disclose vvhat it is borrowing the discription thereof out of Monsieur du Chesue his Portraict de la sancte Taciturnity is to heare and premeditate a thing well and long to be briefe and short in his answeres that is to speake little or nothing Taciturnite est bien longuement oscouter premediter estre briese court on ses responses ascauoir dire peu ou rien This rare medicine makes the Patient which takes it to carry his mouth in his heart whereas Detraction causeth men to beare their hearts in their mouthes to deliuer dregs with drinke and to shoot their foolish boltes before that discretion wils them Which moued a certaine wise man that on a time vvas askt by his Prince at a banquet why hee alone sate still like a foole without parleying thus pithily to answeare A foole be it spoken vnder your Matesties correction can hardly hold his peace at a banquet for as Salomon saith the foole putteth forth all his spirit but a wise man deferreth it afterwards O diuine vertue O discreet Taciturnitie which resemblest the patient Deitie vvhich repellest hunger and thirst which neuer renderest griefe blame nor shame Surely the best coniecture vvhich may be made of mens inclinations is by speach or writing Loquere vt te videam speake that I may know thee quoth Socrates to a nouice of his as for example if thou hearest one discourse immoderately of faire women fine apparrell of hauking hunting and gaming or if thou hearest him vaunt ouer-gloriously of his owne vvorth or speaking in print in inck-horne termes thundring out sesquipedales and hornificabustulated metaphors verborum bullas ampullas wordes of his owne bubled or botled stampe or if thou seest him scribble disioynted phrases and lame Hyperboles then note him for a vaine-glorious fellow a phantasticall Parrot a golden Asse led too much with the imaginatiue facultie If his common talke be of law cases of lying Chronicles of old wiues fables or if he rips vp pedegrees repeating his owne or his Kinsmans genealogy to Cadwalader to Brutus to Saturne to Noah in all companies and at all times of honest mirth obserue him for an excellent memorie and vvithall for a notable foole If he waighs his vvords by the ounce if hee speakes seldome or not before a question be asked him and if he regardeth circumstances as the dignitie of the person vvith whom he talkes the place the time the nature of the hearers and the matter of speach alwayes vsing Gods name and authoritie vvith submissiue reuerence knowing that his omnipotent Maiesty heareth euery vvord hee speakes then marke him for a man of vnderstanding Hee that vvill learne to speake must first learne to be silent for as the Italian Prouerbe teacheth l'huomo parlando poco e ' annumerato fra i sauij The man vvhich speakes little is accounted among the vvise And as the French-man saith les foullies plus courtes sont les meilleures the briefest sheetes are the best Be a man neuer so vvitty yet if hee parleyes much his tongue cannot chuse but erre and trip in some principall points which as another Italiaen vvrites vvill trouble the stomacke more then ten graines of Antimoniâ— or Stibium Conturbano piu lo stomacho que farebbonâ—â—â—eci grani de Antimonio So that one vvord out of square may blemish a mans whole reputation and cause Zoylists to descant and sit vpon him perhaps vvhile hee liues Neyther can I excuse the wisest Clerkes that they likewise be not sometimes subiect vnto the spirit of Detraction as that Learned Lord demonstrates Men though otherwise graue and learned may erre eyther by mistaking principles or giuing too light eare vnto false informations which are rightly termed the spectacles of Errour for God onely searcheth the heart and raines But what censure will their owne inckpot Senate yeeld of such iesting and Iybing nicking and nipping Paedantes vvhich cannot bridle their vvide mouth'd hackneys namely that such persons be but parliamenting Parasites Pungitopian peeuish Momes ridiculous Readers Bacchanalian Parolistes super-ingenious Iayes superficiall flaunting fooles letting their tongues runne before their wits without rime or reason without matter or methode for as the Wise-man writeth In many words there cannot want iniquitie Notwithstanding all this I am not so seuere a Cynicke neque mihi cornea sibra est nor are my heart-stings so horny and hard-laced as to banish all manner of delightfull discourses to deceiue away the time vvithall for I graunt that a friend an alter ego may vvithout impeachment of Detraction or doubt of Libelling vnlocke the cabinet of
hath appointed to be the head of your Corporation Whether they be Iewes or Gentiles Scottish Walsh or Irish bond or free so that they concurre with you in the same Religion see that yee loue them as your selues and let not the Diuell separate those whom God hath ioyned together Perhaps the Idiome of their speech their thicke pronounciation displeaseth your delicate cares because like Ephramites they cannot so distinctly vtter your filed shibboleth because they cannot runne away with their words so glibâ— so smooth nor so elegantly as your selues After this manner did the Athenians inuaigh against Anacharsis that famous Sâ—ythian but what answere did hee retort them Speeches ought not to be termed bad while they comprehended good counsels while honest deeds accompanied their words This also the Apostle corroborates requiring Preachers not to come with excellency of words to shew the testimony of God vnto the people And this hee proues by a diuine reason intimating that the word of God consisteth not in the enticing words of mens wisedâ—me but in the euidence of the spirit and of power But these scruples are too triuiall for men of vnderstanding Away then with such idle phantasies Away with such Panick peeuish doubts Blesse we the Authour of our Vnion which hath incorporated two Christian Kingdomes constituting an eternall league of amitie betwixt vs by his own personall presence by the Maiestie of his birth so that wee may boldly bid S. George S. Andrew S. Dauid S. ' Patricke to auaunt Auaunt Adieu ye sinnefull Saints and in their stead come come thou the onely true and sacred Saint Lord Iesus to whom all other Saints doe crowch and kneele for mercy Our Cambrian cause comes next For the same reason embrace our plaine societie speake well of vs the poore remnants of the ancient Britaines and let not the Prophecies of our Bardhs dismay your generous mindes that we one day shal Lord it in Troy-nouant measuring your silken Stuffes vpon our warlike ' Pikes that we shall worke our full reuenge for that dismall and bloudy long-kniu'd day These Prophecies are already expired but in a mysticall manner Haue not diuers of our Nation beene elected Mayors in your chiefe Cities and so triumphed for their due deserts I will not say how Austen the Monk subiected your Ancestours to the Romisâ— yoake how Swaine with his Danes and William with his Normanes swayed ouer your persons goods and lands how your owne members haue beene torne among your selues through ciuil discord when York and Lancaster set vp their flags of red and white Roses Ambo pares rosulas pila minantia pilis Though these misfortunes of yours might well satisfie a reuengefull spirit yet will not I insist on such cruell Augurismes but rather reioyce that vnder the same Prince vnder the same Lawes the same Liberties wee ioyne together in our spirituall offices I reioyce that the memoriall of Offaes Ditch is extinguished with loue and Charitie that our greene Leekes sometimes offensiue to your daintie nostrils are now tempred with your fragrant Roses that like the Gibeonites we are vnited and graffed into Israel God giue vs grace to dwell together without enuy without Detractions LINEAMENT VIII 1 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted in Aduocates and Counsellours at Law for putting on a good face on bad causes 2 The Authours resolution on the behalfe of honest Lawyers IT is no small slander in our Christian Corporation when our Aduocates and Counsellours at Law for the greedinesse of a little worldly mucke doe put their tongues to sale and polish their wits purposely to colour a foule cause with faire speaches to make that seeme tolerable before the Tribunall seate of Iustice which they in their Consciences know to be intolerable This in very deed is a scandall to the Weale-publike to the Spirit of God which through the Prophets mouth thundred out this terrible curse against such lewde practisers Cursed be yee which speake good of euill and euill of good This kinde of dealing is likewise rebuked by the Wiseman Hee that iustifieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust they both are abhominable vnto God For certainely were it not that these Instruments of Sathan did patronize our enuious aduersaries by backing them in their base proiects they durst not beard the Sonnes of Iustice so long as they doeâ—nay were it not that they so boldly bolster and beare out ill matters the reuerend Iudges of this Land need not lose halfe so many nights of sleepe turmoyling their braines in the search of truth least they wrong the partie innocent Whereto I might adde how these wainescot Lawyers in concealing and couering the carriage of such lewde members doe aggrauate and augment the nature of their sinnes which otherwise through the prickles of flesh bloud through the smart of shame they would forgo submitting themselues to the rod of correction For there is no better remedie to kill sinne and cure the soule then to suffer the sinner to sustaine for his sinne some punishment by shame griefe or other meanes What auailes it me to gaine a world of wealth and within a short while after to leaue behind mee both my wealth and this world Better it is to sup a messe of pottage with securitie then to feede on the daintiest cates with hazard Admit that Clients load me with golden fees for setting out a brazen face on damned causes Admit that all my life time I haue glutted my gut vvith fruit of Paradise yet if I dare not appeare in the presence of God but am forced to hide my selfe as where can I hide my selfe from his All seeing Maiestie and to howle for very feare and anguish yee mountaines fall vpon me yee Rockes couer me what shall my fees and fruit then profit me what good shall I get by them vvhen Death dogges me at the heeles when my pulses shall faintly beat my sences faile and my eye-lids shut neuer more to open vntill they shall see the gates of new Ierusalem shut fast against their wretched Maister O remember this all yee that leane to Mammâ—n all yee that loue shadowes better then substance and falshood better then Truth For mine owne part though I am but young yet I haue obserued somewhat I know as many trickes and quillets to entangle men as another doth I know diuers meanes to circumuent them that happily thinke themselues as wise as my selfe like vnto that Italian which boasted he knew so many deuises to get money as there be dayes in the yeare but I protest before him that made me I would chuse to be murthered rather then to vse them in my greatest need Such is the resolution of my soule or as a friend of mine lately termed it the tendernesse of my Conscience that I fouly scorne to play the part of a mercenarie Mechaniâ—ke with my brother in Christ. I fouly scorne to nourish contentions for mine owne aduantage For how dare I claime my selfe to
whereto the neerer that they be the nobler is their birth as men newly borne and pertakers of loue charitie faith and of other spirituall ornaments that goe beyond all the symbolized ensignes of temporall Heralds Out of vvhich circumstances collect O Christian soule this one Embleme diuinely embellished The neerer to true Charitie The neerer to Nobilitie Howsoeuer these fly-blowes of the spirit of Detraction be allowed or disallowed to blazon armes it is the part of a Magistrate to beare a Lyons heart that he shrinke not in iust causes nor respect the magnificall thunders of the spirit of Detraction more then the prostrate petitions of the spirit of humilitie Be he Midas or be hee Codrus be hee noble or be hee base Iustice must take place Therefore the Poets record that Iustice hath neither father nor mother likewise they report that Iuno through her wealth Venus through her beautie Mars through his threats and Mercurie through his eloquence hauing all of them conspired against Iupiter and yet not able to thrust him out of heauen implied no other sence or morall thereby then that a man of vertue could by no meanes either for wealth beautie threates or eloquence be diuerted or turned aside from Iustice. It is the part of a Magistrate to vse that Royall vertue Magnanimitie for his chiefest support against detracting Hamans and deprauing Semeies and as a learned Bishop of Portugall describes a magnanimous man though he see all the world eagerly bent against him and though he see euery thing round about set on fire yet hee through an assured confidence will continue constant It is the part of a Magistrate to imitate that resolute Iudge in Henry the fourths time which feared not to commit into the Kings Bench victorious Henry Prince of Wales rather then those Officers of iniustice vvhom another King of England vpon his returne from outlandish Countries displaced from their high commands after their examinations by vertuous Earles or then these corrupt Iudges whom Cambyses caused to be flayed and their skinnes as monuments of terrour to be hanged vp in the fore-front of his Palace It is the part of a Magistrate to esteeme the vvindie detractions of licentious Libertines who with presumptuous language dare brute abroad that they can by their supposed familiaritie with noble personages vncommission or to vse their owne words vnsaddle any Iustice of his Iustice ship I say it is his part to esteeme such derogatorie speaches no otherwise then for brauadoes of a brided braine or bragging vaunts of vpstart groomes onely to daunt pusillanimous Meacocks vvhich neuer saw the Lyons in the Tower nor vnderstand the truescope at which the state of England aimes Euen as I neuer knew any man in all my life despised for his silence and sparing speach so likewise I neuer knew any man degraded of his authoritie for his zealous endeauours on the Kings behalfe Wherefore let this stand for a watch-word to our Countrey Iustices that they be not terrified from well-doing with the swaggering on-sets of craking Crocodiles Let them put on the armour of patience and the spirit of Detraction will in time burst asunder like the Babilonians God Let them but for a while stand still and these Thrasonicall Rhodomontes will voluntarily surrender vp the cudgels Their nature is to begin as men and to end as women to come in as thunder and to goe out as smoke to boast of loftie things at first and to faint at last vnder their owne burthen For truth is great and will preuaile Then feare not yee proud Hamans wrath for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of God as King Iehosaphat encouraged his Iudges Ye need not doubt of your Priace his countenance as long as ye walk vprightly and as long as Fame the worlds great Trumpetour sounds out that noble distick in your commendations Nec prece nec pretio nec pondere diuitis aurâ— Nec quicquam tumidis flectitur ille minis Nor with faire words nor with rich bribing gold They moued are nor yet with threatnings bold Wherein then can they harme you In vncharitable lectures in rayling in reuiling in reuealing their owne dregs and as the Apostle writes In foming out their owne shame like the raging waues of the sea Let this be the vpshot of all your thoughts as I said before that no man vvhatsoeuer can escape the tempests of detracting tongues It is an antient adage that a barking dogge seldome bites and that the deepest riuers runne with least noise vvhy will yee therefore doubt these clattering clappers Aboue all things I could wish that those whom the Kings Matestie by the recommendation of his graue Counsell golden mâ—uthed Nestors and sage Chrysostomes hath nominated to sit in the tribunall throne of Iustice that they behaue themselues with more ciuilitie in their ordinarie speaches towards the inferiour family of Christs Church not nick-naming the vilest wretch seeing that such deserue rather to be pitied or else punished after some other way Michaell the Archangell reuiled not the Diuell albeit that he was worthy of millions of curses and of a world of taunts If wee be Tyrants towards our inferiours what sauours ought wee to expect at the hands of our chiefe Superiour which regardeth an humble contrite minde more then all the sacrifices in the vvorld and vvhich confounds all haughty hot-spurres in their owne imaginations and vaine deuises To be short imprint yee this lesson firmely in your hearts Cum sueris Iudex miti sis corde memâ—nto Dicito quae possint dicta decereseneim Be milde and meeke in Iudgement seat And speake no words in Passions heat But as a graue and auntient Iudge Speake without wrath speake without grudge LINEAMENT X. 1 That a true Christian ought not to detract from the Iudges of his Countrey though they wrong him 2 That no mortall man liues exempted from man fold crosses 3 What vexations besall to Iudges themselues DEtract not from the Iudges of thy Countrey though they behaue themselues not so cleanly in their offices as they ought But perswade thy quiet conscience that the highest Iudge beholdeth their corruptions from his heauenly Pharos or Watch-towre of knowledge and that sometime or other vvhen it shall seeme best vnto his prouident Maiestie hee vvill eyther plague them by immediate iudgements from heauen or else hee will raise vp some sinister fortune here on earth in reuenge of their enormious liues for this is a principall maxime in Diuinitie that euery Creature is offended with vs when our Creator is offended vvith vs. Offenso Creatore offenditur omnis Creatura As long as thou sweepest and keepest thine owne closet neat and cleane and carriest thy conscience vvithout guilt or guile what matters it to thee how other men demeane themselues Cannot rich men weare what new-fangled apparrell best likes their franticke fancie thou must onely accompt for thine owne Bailiwick The number of the vniust haue euer exceeded the
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