Spirit of God by whom wee liue moue and exist All this Mercurius Tresmegistus that diuine Philosopher seemeth to confirme in these words Anima hominis in hunc vehitur modum mens in anima anima in spiritu spiritus in corpore Spiritus per venas arteriasque sanguinemque diffusus animal vndique ciet Mans soule is carried in this manner the mentall beame is carried in the soule the soule in the spirit or ayre the spirit in the body The Spirit being dispersed through the veynes and arteryes doth stirre vp and moue the liuing creature in euery part These things being thus euidently proued out of holy writ we will now proceed vnto a greater mystery concerning the double propertie of this Spirit of life in both worlds that thereby we may demonstratiuely come by little and little vnto the very point or perfect resolution of the question in hand That eternall Lord God who is all one and the same Spirit because of an indiuisible Essence is he that viuifieth the Creature and againe taketh away the life of it at his pleasure as hath been prooued already for that he operateth all in all according to the Apostles words and meruaile not though I say hee worketh contrary effects although he be but one indiuisible Essence for these are the words of Salomon Spiritus Disciplinae sanctus est vnicus seu simplex multiplex c. The Spirit of Wisdome is one and simple and yet manifold simple in himselfe but manifold in operation And doth not Dauid acknowledge so much when he saith Deo emittente spiritum suum recreantur Creaturae abscondente faciem suam conturbantur recipiente Spiritum eorum exspiâ—…ant c God sending forth his Spirit recreateth the Creatures but at the hiding of his face they are troubled and when he receiueth or taketh vnto him their spirit they dye c. Touching the first member of this axiom of Dauid he proueth it else-where thus Vita aaesâ—… beneuolentiâ Iehoâ—… Life proceedeth from the benignity of Iehoua Vitae restaurator est Iehoua Iehoua is the Giuer of life Vitae meae Fontes omnes à Deo all the Fountaines of my Life are from God Vitae prolongatio est Benignitasâ—… Iehouae the prolongation of of Life is the Benignitie of Iehoua Whereupon it is euident that the Spirit of God is the immediate Creatour Actor Preseruer and Multiplier of Life As for the second Member thus much Deus malos relinquit abscondit faciem sâ—…am ab iâ—…ys vt obveniant â—…s mala multa angustiae God leaueth the wicked and hideth his face from the impious that euill and necessity may encomber them Sic increpare solet mortales in lectulo thus doth hee chide and punish mortalls in their beds as Iob hath it Thus did hee send his plagues vpon the Egyptians Thus made hee Ieroboams hand to wither Thus did he strike with leprosie Miriam Arons Sister Thus did hee afflict with the Hemorrhoides the Ashdedomans Thus laid he the plague on Ezekias namely by hiding or with-holding his Spirit And againe by emitting his beames of life he recouered him And therefore saith Dauid Vitae hominis spatium est miserum absque benignitate Iehouae The space of a mans life is miserable without the benigne Presence of God For hee that is sicke seemeth to be still dying Now to the last clause of the aforesaid text of Dauid God said when hee perceiued the wickednesse of men Non permanebit spiritus meus in homine in aeternum quia caro est eruntque dies illius centum viginti annorum My Spirit shall not remaine perpetually in man because he is flesh and his dayes shall bee an hundred yeeres and twenty And Iob saith as before Hominem const ituit Deus super terram apponens ad â—…m animam suam si spiritum seu flatum eius ad se reciperet vel traheret deficeret exspiraret omnis Caro simul homo in cinereâ—… reuertetur God made man vpon earth giuing vnto him his soule or life if hee should receiue or draw to himselfe his spirit or breath of life all flesh would faile and dye and man also together with them would returne vnto ashes And againe Spiritus Dei fecit me inspiratio omnipotentis â—…ficauit me The Spirit of God made me and the breath of the omnipotent did viuifie mee For this reason therefore the aforesaid action of Dauid shall be the maine foundation on which I will rely as well in my proofe as also to shew the various properties of this diuine and incorruptible essence in the spirit of both the worlds and I will prooue vnto you euidently that as this spirit worketh in the greater world so also in euery respect it bringeth foorth the like effects in the lesser Wee finde that it is but one spirit in the great world though in a contrary propertie that animateth foueefoldly the foure winds which are sent from the foure corners of the earth to blow and thus I proue it Deus edit glaciem flatu suo flante Deo concrescit gelu seu glacies coarctatur superficies aquarum God by his breath procureth Ice when hee bloweth from the North hee maketh the Ice to congeale and grow together and doth contract or straighten the superficies of the waters into Ice And the Kingly Prophet more pertinently Deo imittente sermonem suum in terram quà m celerimè excurrit verbum qui niues dispergit sicut lanam pruinam quasi cineres deâ—…cit gelu suum tanquam frusta coram frigore eius quis consist at Emittit verbum suum liquefacit ista simul ac 〈◊〉 ventum suum effluuntaquâ—… God sending forth his Word vpon earth it runneth swiftly which spreadeth the snow as wooll vpon the earth and the froâ—…t like ashes and casteth downe the Ice as gobbets who is able to resist his cold hee sendeth forth his Word and melâ—…eth these congealed bodies againe so soone as hee bloweth foorth his Wind the congealed waters moue and flow againe Here it is euident that the diuine Spirit is the essentiall actor in this Northern blast which is an enemy to the act of life For as God did emit and send forth the beames of his light from the infinit fountaine of his being to chase away cold by dilatation of spirits and to breede a hot humidity in the spirit of the world thereby to inact it with life and motion and to make those spirits fluent and actiue which before were congealed with the power of his contracting property that is opposite vnto the other so againe by the priuatiue Agent or his Boreall attribute and property which is cold hee contracts dilated spirits and maketh them of moueable fixe of light transparent dark and opack of liuely spirits substances without life of liquid and fluid vnmoueable and congealed and in conclusion motus is so turned into quies motion I say into rest actus
the last doe conuert themselues from the Deuill to God so God bee thanked this Weapon-Salue his Aduersarie led rather by a good Spirit then his owne will concludes truely and saith that it is not the good Angels and therefore much lesse the Deuill that can doe such a feate but God onely I reioyce at his conuersion though against his will Loe how he accordeth with his great enemy that damned Magitian Paracelsus as he tearmeth him who affirmed that it was Donum Dei As concerning his authors which he citeth against it I esteem them not there are as many for it of a better authority and Iudgement For they are neither your Schoolemen who deale onely in imaginary speculatiue Philosophy nor Ioanâ—…es Roberti the Iesuit and such like phantasticall Theorickes but learned Physicians great Philosophers both theorically and practically profound in the mysteries of nature and therefore the fitter persons to discusse a businesse of this physicall nature Amongst the which I nominat in the first place the Bishop Anselme who for his integrity deepe learning and holâ—…nesse of life is canonized a Saint and then amongst the deepe Philosophers and Physicians which haue been conversant in the Mysteries of God and nature Theophrastus Paracelsus who tearmes it iustly Donum Dei Cardanus Ioannes Bapista Porta Oswaldus Collius Ioannes Ernestus Burgrauius Rodulphus Goclinius Ioannes Baptista ab Helmont and many other excellent and well experimented Philosophers Physicians who as well by the practicall art of Alchymy then which there is no Science in the world that doth more ocularly bewray and discouer the hidden mysteries of Nature as other assiduall obseruations grounded vpon proofe and not on imaginary contemplation onely haue like true philosophers diued into this mystery of healing Men I say who haue beene as subtill to eschew and wary to foresee the Diuels craft yea and to distinguish his act from that of God in Nature as Master Foster or any other of his paedagogicall Rabbies And although some superstitious Physicians of this kingdome such I meane as are apter rashly to iudge this businesse then to ponder it with due consideration may seeme to bee aduerse vnto it yet they cannot choose but know that Plura latent quam quae patent there are many thousand things more that are hidden in the secret closet of nature then commonly man doth know or can at the first discerne And therefore if they are ignorant in this myâ—…ery it will prooue an effect of their highest wise-dome to hold their peace and not meddle in the censuring of it as being assured that there are many things hidden in Nature which fall not in the spheare of their capacity verbum Sapienti Againe I esteeme it a thing fit for freshwater Souldiers in Philosophy and not for a settled person in the secrets of nature to say Ipse dixit this man or that man saith or writeth thus and thus Ergo it is so because humanum est errare Ti 's most familiar euen in the wisest men to erre but it is the best wisdome in a Philosopher first to diue wisely into the Mysteries of God in Nature and then being confident to conclude demostratiuely and not according to other mens sayings but on his owne knowledge Now seeing Master Foster hath done his worst for the vilifying and calumniating of this excellent Medicine vnto which by manner of opposition I haue as yet but superficially and by way of solution of his obiections answered I hope you will giue mee leaue to doe my best to squeese out of his formidable Sponge the Weapon-Salues reputation which like a cormorant it hath deuoured and sucked vp The Question Whether the cure of wounds by the Weapon-Salue bee witchcraft and vnlawfull to be vsed I deny it and maintaine it two manner of wayes First Theologically Lastly Theophilosophically or by the purest naturall Philosophy CHAP. II. Herein the vertue and good operation of the Weapon-Oyntment is prooued to be the Gift of God and not any act of the Diuell MAster Foster saith that Paracelsus affirmeth the vertue of this medicine to bee Donum Dei the Gift of God wherefore hee is very angry with him and called him a witch a Coniurer and a Magitian Hee is well serued that will preach goodnesse either to a mad man or an vnthankfull person or to one that is zealous without vnderstanding But whereas Master Foster hath done his best to proue the vse of this ointment to bee Magicall prestigious and Diabolicall I hope I shall demonstrate the contrarie vpon the same foundations ascribing the due and right belonging vnto God vnto the right owner and depriuing the Diuell of that which by his instruments he hath falsely vsurped As before we presume to build any stately Palace wee must lay a strong foundation to vphold the whole fabricke thereof euen so before we enterprize to establish or reare a strong Castle of defence to serue as a firmer Negatiue opposition against mine Aduersaries affirmation I thinke it fit to collect some firme grounds or spirituall arguments which in lieu of corner stones may statuminate and prop vp the whole truth of the proposed Question and expresse the true resolution of it to bee cleane adverse and different from that which he maketh shew of I will therefore imitate him in making my entrance into this enquiry with this Sillogistical argument grounded on his owne confession which he maketh Pag. 7. The Angels of Heauen saith he cannot worke at such a distance onely God whose Essence is infinit and is omnia in omnibus all in all can worke thus If God therefore worketh all in all by himselfe without the essentiall Assistance of any created spirit or body then the Diuell is no Actor in the Weapon Salue but God worketh all in all of himselfe without the essentiall Assistance of any creature Therefore the Diuell operateth nothing of or by himselfe although he in his office is euill and destructiue much lesse in doing good as is supposed by the curing through the Weapon-Salue which is vtterly against his condition being created or ordained after his fall for another vse The Maior is euident because a Generall comprehendeth euery particular And therefore if God operateth all in all then the Diuell operateth nothing but curing is an operation and therefore a worke onely of God The Minor or the assumption is iustified by the Apostle in these words There are diuersitie of gifts but the same spirit and there are diuersitie of Administrations but one Lord and there are diuersitie of operations but one God and the same worketh all in all It is by one and the same spirit that the gifts of healing are giuen Whereby it is apparent that first God by his Spirit operateth all in all and among those operati-ons the excellent act and gift of healing is numbred Therefore it is not the Diuell but God who onely healeth Againe the prophet saith He sent his Word and healed them And the wise man saith
deliuereth them from their graues let them confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse c. Whereby it appeareth that it was his louing kindnesse and not his seuerity and vengeance which by his Word did heale and cure For he operateth vengeance in his seuerity or destructiue will by the organ of the Deuill And then of Salomon But the teeth of the venemous Dragons could not ouercome thy Children for thy mercy came to helpe them and healed them for neither herb nor plaister healed them but thy Word O Lord which healeth all things for thou hast the power of life and death and leadest downe into the gates of Hell and bringest vp againe c. Now I would know whether it ought to be any true Christians opinion that the Deuill can command the misericord of God and so be Master of his word at his pleasure as to heale Gods creatures nay one framed after his owne Image for any wicked stratagems cause I meane for the gaining of both body and soule of man from God to himselfe Doth not Iob say In the hand of God is the life of euery liuing creature and the spirit of all flesh To conclude as Saint Iohn doth truely auerre that in the Word was life So it is certaine that all healing and restoring power is from this viuifying vertue in the Word and not from the priuatiue power of the Deuill in whom contrary wise is death and destruction Moreouer I would haue you to note these words of the Apostle Now there are diuers gifts but the same Spirit and there are diuersities of operations but God is the same which worketh all in all but to one is giuen by the Spirit the Word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge to another is giuen faith and to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit c. Can any good Christian thinke that this one Spirit that onely worketh these things is the Deuill No verily For in the third verse the Apostle termes it the Holy Ghost What shall we say then That the Deuill doth heale by the gift of the Holy Ghost or that the holy Spirit will grant the euill spirit his good gift of healing to deceiue mankinde and to rob God of his right God forbid But with iustice giue that vnto God which belongeth vnto God and assigne vnto the Deuill that property which was allotted him by his Creatour from the beginning the first Spirit from all creations was ordained in his office to be a good viuifying and a quickning Spirit the latter a bad a killing and a mortifying spirit For it is said by the Prophet in the person of God Ego creaui destructorem ad disperdendum I haue created the destroyer to destroy I will boldly therefore conclude and finish my Pamphlet or petty discourse as I began it namely with this religious verse mentioned in the diuine Hymne of the Royall Psalmist to the honour of God and disabling of either Deuill or any other creature to worke essentially wonders of himselfe or by himselfe Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël qui facit mirabilia solus Blessed be the Lord God of Israël who onely worketh wonders Or as he hath it in another place Confitemini Domino Dominorum quoniam in aeternum miserâ—…or diaâ—…ius qui facit mirabilia magna solus Prayse the Lord for his mercy endureth for euer who onely doth great wonders And therefore if the Lord of Lords onely or alone then hath he not any mortall man to helpe him if he alone then not any Angel of Heauen and lastly if it be God alone and onely then not any Deuill of Hell nor Daemon or spirit of the fiery or aëry or watry or earthly element to assist him For the text saith It is the Lord of Lords alone and therefore not any creature to helpe him or that is able to doe this without him it is he I say onely and consequently not the Deuill who performeth wonders But by euery mans acknowledgement this manner of cure is wonderfull for as much as the manner of working in it passeth the capacity of worldly mens vnderstanding Therefore with Dauid I will say Benedictus Deus qui facit tale mirabile solus and consequently I may inferre thereupon and that iustly Maledictus homo qui diuina falsò attribuit Diabolo Wherefore I wish euery zealous and religious person to haue this inuiolable Motto engrauen in his heart that by the vertue thereof he may fright away and banish from his thoughts all such irreligious perswasions as would moue him to derogate one Iota or tittle from Gods power who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end of all things to arrogate falsly vnto the vilest of creatures who in himselfe is nothing but what God is pleased that he shall be of himselfe hath nothing but what God pleaseth to bestow on him and by himselfe can doe nothing but what God is pleased to act in him and by him that he doth and not any thing else and therefore what God will not that he cannot doe Let this then be your Motto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finis omnium principium Deus God is the end and beginning of all things And for this reason Reuchlin in his Booke de verbo mâ—…risico saith Omne hominis miraculum cuius vera non imaginaria deprehenditur substantia tum grande tum mediocre tum minimum si ordo sacrorum prascriptus obseruetur referendum est semper in Deum gloriosum cuius nomen est benedictum in aeternum Is enim solus est qui vel seipso vel delegato non sine seipso velper substitutum exseipso talia facit qualia demiramur quorum causam adaequatam scire non possumus vel quod fiant vel quod hoc modo fiant Euery miracle of man whose substance is certaine â—…nd not imaginary or prestigious bee it great or meane or little if the prescribed order of Holy Writ bee obserued is alwayes to bee referred and ascribed vnto one glorious God whose Name bee euer blessed For it is hee alone who either of himselfe or by a delegat with whom hee is present or by a substitute of his owne and from himselfe that effecteth such things the true or plaine grounds whereof and by what meanes they are brought to passe wee neither can discerne nor comprehend Thus farre Iohn Reuchlin And therefore in the period of this Treatise I may iustly put home and allude vnto Master Foster and his Complices the woe of Isaias against such persons which I did mention in the beginning of it for as much as they presuming too too much on their worldly wisedome doe mistakingly and through their blindnesse ascribe the things of God vnto the Deuill the deeds of goodnesse vnto euill and the effects of light vnto darknesse ISAIAS 5.20 21. Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that
diuell was ordained for another vse quite contrary vnto the pious and mercifull act of healing The Minor is proued by that which is said already as also the words of our Sauiour are very efficacious for this our purpose For when he had cured one that was both blinde and dumbe and possessed with an euill spirit so that as the Text saith He that was blind and dumbe could see and speake The Pharises said This man casteth out diuells no otherwise then by Belzebub the prince of diuells But Christ answered Euery kingdome diuided against it selfe is brought to naught and euery house or citty diuided against it selfe shall not stand so if Satan cast out Satan hee is diuided against himselfe Whereby it is cleare that being all diseases as well internall as externall are by Gods decree inflicted by the diuell and his angels as being created ministers by which and in which God vseth to execute vengeance and to punish mortall creatures It were a wrong vnto the Office assigned vnto him in or immediately after his creation to worke violence against his owne subiects by casting them out or curing the harmes they haue effected Wee haue many places in holy writ to confirme that Satan and his angels are contrary to the Art of curing and are alwayes ready to hurt with sicknesses and afflict with death but we câ—…not find one to testifie any curing faculty in him As for example It is sayd that there was power assigned vnto the foure Angells which were by God made presidents of the soure Windes to hurt the earth the Sea and the trees Now euery one of these were Princes of many Legions of euill and wounding spirits Againe the Prophet saith God commeth from the South the heauens were couered with his glory and the earth was full of his praise at his feet was death or as S. Ieremy haâ—…h it Egredietur diabolus ante pedes eius the diuel â—…ill goe forth before his feete but other interpreters say the pestilence went before him and the contagion raging and destroying in the South And Dauid saith Doe not feare the plague raging in the South as some interpreters haue it But S. Ierome saith a Daemonia meridiano from the Dâ—…on or spirit of the South We find that it was Satan that was Gods Instrument or Organ by which hee wrought his will on Iob and thereupon hee said to his Creator Lay thou but thy hand vpon him c. by which words it may be signified that he vsed more reuerence vnto his Creator in that his acknowledgement then Mr. Foster doth in making this Organ of sickenesse a peremptory and absolute actor as well in the effect of healing as destroying namely of himselfe and not as hee is onely the Organ or Instrument by which God doth essentially worke his owne ends of vengeance against offenders This therefore was he that wounded patient Iob with a foule botch or vlcer and incited in his spirits a fiery feauer which made him thus to cry out in his anguish The arrows of the Omnipotent are grieuous against mee their poyson drinketh vp my spirits and the troubles of God which are sharply set against mee doe oppose mee where hee attributed all vnto God and not vnto Satan who is his wounding Organ Also Dauid saw the destroying angell of the Lord betwixt heauen and earth with a naked sword in his hand extended against Ierusalem who strucke a great many with the pestilence Also Iehoua sent the killing angell into the campe of the Assyrians who destroyed euery valiant man at armes in one nights space Also Moses by the destroying Organ of God vsing in steed of the weapon-curing-salue which was contrary to his office art and skill the aspersion of an infectious powder afflicted the Egyptians with vlcers and pustules Now that it is not the Angelicall Organ but God himselfe in the Organ which doth essentially act and strike it apppeareth by this place where Iehoâ—…a saith Circa mediam noctem ego egressurus ero in medium Aegypti morietur omnis primogenitus about midnight I will goe out into the midst of Egypt and euery first borne shall die But in the next Chapter it is said Iehoua transibit praeter portam illam non sinet interfectorem seu percussorem seu vastatorem domos vestras vastare God will passe ouer that dore and will not suffer the destroyer to strike or hurt your houses Whereby it is apparant that the essentiall Act of God is present with the organicall destroyer and doth act in it Lastly to shew you that it was wicked spirits which by the agitation of their Creator did cause these diseases in Egypt the Kingly Prophet argueth in these words before mentioned Immisit in eos iram in dignationis suae iram tribulatinem per malos angelos Hee sent amongst them the fiercenesse of â—…is anger wrath and indignation by euill angells I can prooue this by many more examples of holy Text namely how God doth punish and plague with sickenesse diseases and death by these his destroying ministers or organicall causes which hee created of set purpose to performe his will in this afflicting manner but it cannot be prooued that hee did imploy them in the contrary office namely in that of healing and curing For when he is pleased to cure or heale he hath an infinity of good Angels to performe that office all which are concluded vnder the dominion of the Archangel Raphael which therefore hath that name Quasi medicina Dei as who should say the medicine of God I must therefore conclude that as the onely act of God is as well to wound as to cure so hath he ordained Instruments or Organs to serue his turne in the execution ofboth these operations which are so contrary one to the other in condition as light is to darkenesse or good to euill Now that it is the act onely of God as well to heale by his good Organs as to strike and wound by his destroying Organs wee learne out of many places of Scripture Si plaga afficiet Iehoua Aegyptum qui plagis afsecit sanat cum conuersi fuerint ad Iehouam If God will afftict Egypt with plagues hee that â—…leth with diseases can againe heale the afflicted when they turne vnto him And yet Dauid confesseth that he did afflict them with euill angels and Iob saith Deusest qui vulnerat medetur percutit sanat It is God that woundeth and cureth he striketh and healeth and yet it was Satan which was Gods hand to act Iobs misery And in another place Ego occidam viuere faciaâ—… percutiam sanabo non est qui de manu mea possit cruere I will kill and I will make to liue I will strike and I will heale and there is not one that can escape my hand And Salomon Tu vitae mortis potestatem habes deducis ad portas infâ—…ni
reducis manum tuam nihil potest effugere Thou hatst the power of life and death in thine hand thou bringest into the mouth of the graue and deliuerest or bringest backe againe Whereby it is manifest that it is onely God who eyther miraculously or by vertue of his creatures which he hath instituted for this or that wholesome purpose that cureth and againe woundeth by the meanes of his organicall ministers be they angelicall or humane As for example hee causeth his Angell Raphiel to make vse of the fish his Liuer and Gall for the chasing away of the destroying Fiend and to heale the blind Tobias Also the Angel did giue the vertue of healing vnto the Lake Bethesdas And againe the Psalmist saith Plag a non appropinquabit tentorium tuum nam Angelis suis praecipiet de te but that by any authority of Text hee made vse of Satan or any of his darke angels to accomplish any such deed of light or to employ any of Gods creatures as are the Fat Blood or Flesh to cure a wounded or vlcerous creature when I can finde it in Scripture I will in some sort beleeue it but because that will proue too long a search for Master Foster and againe I finde the precedent places of Scripture to be generally against it therefore I conclude that the mysticall curing by the Weapon-Salue is the mercifull gift of God only Wherefore vnto him wholly and vnto no diuell in hell be ascribed all vertue power and glory for his mercies in generall and for this vertue and property of healing by the weapon-salue in particular for euer Amen Blessed I say with the Prophet Dauid be the Lord God of Israel who onely worketh all wonders and therefore effecteth this wonderfull manner of curing which passeth mans vnderstanding To him therefore be ascribed for it all praise and honour for euermore CHAP. III. How by an abstruse inquisition made into the mystery of Sacred Philosophy the question proposed concerning the lawfulnesse or vnlawfulnesse of the Weapon-salues vsage is resolued and Mr. Fosters Sponge well squeesed IN this precedent Chapter I haue proued Thelogically and that by pure examples out of Scripture that the diuell was the spirituall Organ ordained by God in the creation for an vse cleane opposite vnto that of curing and healing and therefore it is vnlikely that now in his latter dayes after so many destructions committed by him in his former age hee can become a sauer and healer of diseases Now wil I proue in a more euident manner and that by Sacred Philosophy that Gods viuifying Spirit mouing in the ayry Organ of the World doth by his vertuous application or aspect to the weapon-salue effect the cure of such as are wounded And I call this manner of prouing Theo-philosophicall or belonging vnto Sacred Philosophy because it respecteth the nature of this manner of curing as it receiueth his essentiall act and being from God mouing and acting in and by his created Spiriâ—…uall Organs in and ouer all Of this manner of Philosophy St. Paul speaketh thus Videte ne quis vos decipiat per philosophiam inanem fallaciam secunduÌ„ traditionem hâ—…minum secundum element a mundi non secundum Christum quia in ipso habitat omnis plenitudo diuinitatis corporaliter estis in illo repleti qui est Caput omnis principatus potestatis Beware lest there be any man that deceiue you through philosophy and vaine deceit according to the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ for in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and 〈◊〉 are complete in him who is the head of Principalities and Powers By which words hee seemeth to terme the Ethnick philosophy vaine and deceitfull forasmuch as it is framed out according to the rudiments of this world which doe ordaine many essentiall subalternate Agents acting and operating absolutely and simply of themselues without any consideration had vnto the Catholicke and supreme Power of God the Father of all things from whom radically all essentiall actions proceed which are afteward effected by our Lord Iesus Christ by whom all things haue their being and not from any subalternat agent or efficient creature For though they ferue as organicall ministers yet they are but dead except God apeareth and opperateth in them by his Spirit and therefore is all act and operation attributed vnto God as it is proued before by the Apostle saying One God operateth all in all And againe he saith Though there be that are called Gods in heauen and in earth yet vnto vs there is but one God who is the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him For this cause is God called Alpha and Omeâ—…a the beginning and the end namely as in himselfe he decreeth all and by his Word he essentially operateth and effecteth all and that immediately Now that his very Spirit is in all things the wise Salomon doth intimate expressely saying that the incorruptible Spirit of the Lord is in all things and that from the Spirit of Gods mouth proceedeth the vertues of all things as the Prophet Dauid telleth vs which being so it must consequently follow that the essentiall forme or life of euery Creature in this world must depend on this Spirit and haue his centrall seate of Actiuity in proportion more or lesse from this Agent of Agents who as it acteth in the Center of all things so is it euen continuat vnto the circumference that is from Alpha or the Center vnto Omega or the Circumference for else would there bee a diuision of the diuine Essence which is impossible And for this cause is God said to fill all and to operate all in all wherefore the Apostle concludeth as before that the Ethnick Philosophy framed out by the tradition and inuention of mans wisdome is false and deceitfull but that which is founded onely vpon Christ is to bee embraced because that in him dwelleth the fullnes of Diuinity which operateth all in all according vnto the will and decree of his Father who is the head of all Potestates and principalities and consequently of all Angels And therefore Angels can effect nothing but as he acteth in them and by them as his spirituall Organs Loe this is therefore that Theosophicall subiect whereby I make my strickt Inquisition into the mystery of this manner of healing by the Weapon-Salue And thus much for a preamble to the discourse Now to the purpose Wee must obserue in the cure done by this Weapon-Salue three principall things namely the partie wounded the Oyntment curing and lastly the occulte actiuity which raigneth in the blood and issueth from the blood vnto the Oyntment The party wounded may rightly be compared to the world and therefore is called a little world he is composed of heauen and earth namely of spirit and body
and as the Creatour did send out his Spirit which moued vpon the waters and did informe animate and viuifie them so that as St. Peter saith of them and by them were the heauens and the earth framed and by this spirituall Word established vnto this day euen so mans heauen and his earth are fashioned out by the same eternall spirit of life on which it relyeth and continueth in his specificall succession euen vnto this very day And therfore is it said Ye are carued out of one and the same Spirituall Rocke and that In him wee line wee moue and haue our Being and that we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and the Members of Christ and that We are in God the Father and by our Lord Iesus Christ as it is rehearsed before and that Regnum Dei sit intra nos The Kingdome of God is within vs Neither let vs ascribe this Gods goodnesse to our selues alone since that it extendeth it selfe to euery Creature besides though not so abundantly For in Verbo erat vita in the Word was life and Iudith saith in her prayer Seruiat Dcâ—…omnis omnis Creatura quia dixisti factae sunt misisti Spiritum tuum creatae sunt Let euery Creature serâ—…e thee O Lord because thou spakest the Word and they were made thou didst send forth thy spirit and they were created And the Prophet saith Haec dicit Deus creans coelos extendens eos firmans terram quae germinant in ea dans flatum populâ—… qui est supraeam spiritum calcantibus eam Thus saith the Lord who hath created the heauens and extended them and fastned the earth and all things that grow out of it who giueth breath vnto the people that is vpon it and spirit to those Creatures that tread vpon it And King Dauid Deo dante Creaturis colliguâ—… abscondente faciemsuam perturbantur recipiente spiritum eorum exspirant emittente spiritum suum receantur God giuing to the Creatures they receiue it hiding his face from them they are troubled taking back againe from them their spirit they dye and sending forth his spirit they are recreated or reuiued And Iob hominâ—…m constituit Deus super terram apponens ad â—…am animam suam si spiritum seu flatum eius adse reciperet deficeret exspiraret omnis caâ—… simul â—…omo in cinerem reverteretur God made man vpon earth giuing vnto him his soule or life If he should receiue or draw vnto himselfe his spirit or breath of life all flesh would dye and also man would returne to ashes By all these authorities we are taught that the life forme and nature of euery Creature doth essentially spring and proceed from God and therefore what gift of healing is found to proceed either from compounded or simple medicines be they Angelicall Celestiall Elementall or of an Animall Vegetable or minerall composition it proceedeth from their Creatour as being either bestowed vpon them in their Creation for that wholesome purpose or else miraculously and beyond the common course of Nature imparted vnto some Creatures to effect And therefore man ought not rashly to condemne a medicine because it worketh after an other manner then the vulgar doth For God hath allotted vnto some medicines occult hidden properties and therefore worke they not by an externall and euident elementarie qualitie And this occult vertue is called by some wise men Angelicus actus qui est tanquam inter Deum Naturam virtus media à quâ fiunt operationes in rebus quâ—…s natura earum vel non faceret vel sic faceret quas alij dicuut prouenire a proprietate occulta alij quia tales An Angelicall act which is as it were a middle vertue betweene God and nature whereby operations are effected in things which the elementarie Nature of them could not performe or would so bring to passe as they which are said by some to proceed of an occult quality and others quia sunt tales And such was the effect in curing by the water of the poole of Bethesdas not that the manifest elementary quality of the water did it But the Act of the Angell which mooued it In like manner can no man expresse any naturall reason that is manifest for the attraction of the Iron by the Loadstone or of straw by Amber or why the Loadstone looketh towards the North or why the Laurell or Baytree preserueth from the harmes of lightning and thunder and likewise how directly this cure is effected c. The causes of these things are occult and hidden vnto the common philosopher but to come a little neerer to the point It is apparant then that the incorruptible Spirit is in all things but most abundantly next vnto the great world in the little world called man For as in the great world God is said rightly by Ierome his translations leauing the corruption of others to haue put his Tabernacle in the Sunne from whence by a perpetuall and neuer dying motion hee sendeth forth life and multiplication to euery member and creature of the great world and by the agility of his Spirit for Salomon saith It is omni re mobilior the most moueable of all things hee moueth and giueth life vnto the whole Spirit of the world which also the same wise man doth iustifie in these words Sol gyrans à meridie flectitur ad Aquilonem lustrans vniuersain circuitu pergit spiritus The Sunne mouing from the South bendeth toward the North illuminating the whole world the spirit or ayre of it doth moue circularly Whereby hee argueth that the spirit in the Sunne animateth and giueth motion life and spirit vnto the ayrall spirit of the whole world for without his assiduall motion and act as Aristotle and all other Philosophers confesse the ayre would soone be corrupt and be as it were dead and of no validity for the reason heereof the holy Text concludeth that the Holy spirit of discipline filleth the whole world So also and in the very like manner the same incorruptible spirit filleth the little world est enim Templum Spiritus Sancti it is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and hath put his Tabernacle in the heart of man in which it moueth as in this proper macrocosmicall Sunne in Systole and Diastole namely by contraction and dilatation without ceasing and sendeth his beames of life ouer all the whole frame of man to illuminate giue life and circular motion vnto his spirit And thereupon the Apostle reciprocally saith of this little world as in another place of the great one In Deo viuimus mouemur sumus In God we liue moue and haue our being also as this abstruse spirit doth giue heate by his actiuity and essentiall motion vnto the great world the very same it doth effect in the little world and all things else when it doth not quiescere or in se delitescere that is not rest or withdraw
his owne act within it selfe as shall be expressed forthwith This therefore being well considered in the first place we proceed thus As this Principall and centrall mouer in the spirit of each world doth radically and soly act and moue essentially in and ouer all namely from the centre to the circumference his Primum mobile or first moued in the great world is the principall Aetheriall region or spheare by the circumrotation whereof the Sunne which as Dauid saith is a vessell full of the Glory of God is wafted about the earth in 24. houres that thereby the whole spirit of the world may be recreated with life vegetation and multiplication And therefore this Spirits first and most worthy spheare in which it centrally doth moue is the Quintessentiall or Aetheriall spirit of life which by his presence is viuified and animated and this Aetheriall spirit being the immediate vehicle of that incorruptible spirit of life is carryed in the grosser elementary or sublunary ayr by which medium it penetrateth into animall vegetable and minerall bodies by inspiration or exspiration in animals partly occult as by the pores of the body partly manifest as by the lungs in vegetables and minerals occultly and only to be perceiued with intellectuall eyes and so giueth life multiplication to euery thing As this emanation came from God into the world the Prophet said Vestitur lumine quasi vestimento hee is clothed with light as with a garment and so Verbo Domini facti sunt Coeli spiritu ab ore eius omnis virtus eorum by the Word of the Lord the heauens were made and by his spirit all the vertues thereof among the which vertues life forme vegetation and multiplication were the chiefest As hee tooke possession of the Etheriall or starry heauen the same Prophet saith Posuit Tabernaculum suum in Sole hee made the Sunne his Tabernacle Againe as hee endued the grosser vestiment of the ayre so the Prophet saith Densa Nubes tigurium eius qui vehitur super alas venti Hee made the thicke and darke cloud his dwelling place who is carryed on the wings of the wind Againe he spake in thunder and lightning went from his nostrills as hee entred into the little world or man so the Apostle saith Vos estis Templum spiritus sancti Yee are the Temples of the holy Ghost Vos estis membra Christi Yee are the members of Christ. And againe Aperiatur terra pariet Saluatorem Let the earth open and it shall bring forth a Sauiour as hee penetrated into the earth so the Wise man saith Spiritus sapientiae implet orbem terra rum To conclude as to create viuifie and sustaine each creature hee put on all things so hee saith Spiritus incorruptibilis inest â—…nibus and againe Spiritus Dei implet omnia whereby it is euident that this diuine and incorruptible spirit by which wee liue moue and haue our being is in man for without it hee is dead a snuffe a nothing his place therefore or the heauen wherein it moueth is out Aether or heauenly spirit which acteth inuisibly in our ayeriall vehicle the grosser and courser part whereof is blood as well vitall or arteriall as naturall and venall Hence came those especiall ordinances or legall precepts which were giuen by God touching the blood not only of man but also of beast For as much as it was the seat of the spirit oflife Sanguinem saith God sedem vestrarum animarum requiram I will require your blood which is the seat of your liues or soules and againe Sanguinem hominis qui effuderit per hominem sanguis 〈◊〉 effundatur quoniam in imagineÌ„ suam fecit Deus hominem whosoeuer sheddeth the blood of man by man let his blood be shed because God made him after his owne Image whereby is argued that by reason of the diuine spirit which dwelleth in mans blood by the which we are fashioned after the Image of God God himselfe hath giuen an especiall charge to haue a respect vnto the blood For this reason therefore did the 〈◊〉 of the blood of Abel cry out for vengeance against the homicide Cain Yea so precious was the Blood euen of common Animals or vnreasonable Creatures that their blood was prohibited to bee eaten with their Flesh. And againe Hee that eateth the blood of the creature shall die the death And in another place he sheweth the reason Qui comedcrit sanguinem obfirmabo faciem meam aduersus animam illius quia anima carnis in sanguine est ego dedi illam vobis vt super altare in eo expietis pro animabus vestris sâ—…nguis pro animae piaculo sit Whosoeuer shall eate the blood of the Creature I will set my face against his Soule because the life of the flesh is in the blood and I haue giuen it vnto you that by it you may expiat on the Altar for your selues and that the blood may serue for an Oblation for your soules And for that cause man is by God commanded that if he in the chase or otherwise kill a wild beast hee should powre out his blood on the earth And againe Sanguinem omnis Animalis non sumetis in cibo Thou shalt not eate of the blood of any liuing Creature Sanguis cum Carne non edendus The Blood is not to be eaten with the Flesh. Sanguis hominis etiam à bestia requiritur The blood of the man is required of the beast Sanguinem Adipem omnino non comedetis You shall wholly abstaine from eating the Blood and Fat. Sanguinem non comedat omnis anima evobis Let not any man amongst you eate of blood Sanguis animalium pro anima est minime comedendus The blood of all beasts or animalls in Generall are not to be eaten for their soules or liues câ—…se Sanguinem 〈◊〉 Animalis tam â—…ndi quam immundi non comedes sed effundas super terram qâ—…asi aquam Thou shall not eate the blood of any liuing Creature bee it cleane or vncleane but shalt powre it out as water vpon the earth And the reason is because the Blood is the seate of the Soule or vitall Spirit which is inspired by God and therefore it is said Sanguinem Sedem animarum vestrarum requiram I will require of you that shed blood your Blood F r as much as it is the Seate of your Soules or Liues As who should say I haue animated the internall Spirit of your Blood with my Spirit of Life and therefore be carefull of it By all these places therefore we may easily discerne how the vitall spirit of man not onely of manâ—… but of beast also is contained in that ruddie vehicle of the blood as the Etheriall Spirit in the Airy and that the essentiall mouer and guider of the sterne in this Spirituall barke of man is the incorruptible
into potentiam act into puissence positio into priuationem position into priuation But contrariwise when he meanes to reuiuifie and as it were cause the dead spirit of the world to rise or reuiue againe he sendeth out a Southerne spirit or blast of a cleane contrary property namely a wind whose nature is hot and moyst and therefore in the consequence of the foresaid Text it is said he sendeth out his word and melteth all these so soone as hee bloweth forth his wind the waters and spirits which were made dead spisse fixe congealed and opack are beocme aliue moueable fluent subtill and diaphanous or transparent If Mr. Foster like none of these testimonies I will yet goe a little further and make an ocular demonstration to proue it thereby the better to perswade him if hee will be pliable vnto her who is the mother of fooles namely experience Let him but looke therefore vpon the Kalander glasse an Instrument commonly knowne amongst vs here in England called by others the weather glasse and hee shall see that the ayre contained in it will be contracted and thickned by cold and to proue thus much hee shall finde the water to be drawne vp by so many degrees in the neck of the glasse as the externall cold hath dominion in the ayre which proueth euidently that cold doth contract the dilated ayre in the glasse from a larger roome into a straighter and consequently that the ayre is thicker and neerer to congelation fixation and rest then it was before Contrariwise hee shall finde that the ayre included feeling the heate of the externall ayre by little and little to get dominion ouer the cold will dilate it selfe and by dilatation is made more mobill subtill and liuely and therefore requireth a larger capacity as is ocularly proued thus namely because the water is strucke down by so many degrees lower by how many the externall heate doth vanquish the cold in the ayre But perchance my aduersary will say What haue we to doe with this These are naturall conclusions and not belonging to Gods act or property And how proue you that the other winds are the essentiall acts of God To this I say That if God operateth all and in all then this operation in the glasse much more that in the winds is the act of God and as wee finde that the incorruptible spirit doth moue and operate two manner of contrary wayes namely from the center to the circumference by â—…manation and dilatation by the which meanes it stirreth of it selfe who is the center of all things whose circumference is no where but comprehendeth all circumferences or bodies and maketh them to exist and liue so also this vniuersal centre contracting it selfe in it selfe maketh ' all things in act potentiall of a liuing creature a dead carcasse of an agill and mobill thing a stupid and vnmoueable one Lastly of an actuall positiue something a potentiall priuatiue nothing Wee see it plainely persormed according vnto the precedent Text of Dauid in the spirit of the world for as much as it is altered from one forme to his opposite according vnto the variety of the property or wil of him which is the internall agent of all the world The incorruptible spirit of the Lord saith Salomon is in all things If in al things then as it is the most worthy and of the highest digty and the most mobill and operatiue spirit of all spirits it worketh centrally and moueth all the externall wheeles of the whole machine of the creature in which it is and consequently operateth à centro ad circumferentiam If it doe quiescere in centro rest in the center all the externall wheeles haue lost their life For it is in him it liueth in him it mooueth and in him it existeth And therefore without he act all is stupid and dead like a senselesse stone as Dauid and Iob haue taught vs. Now to proue that it is this spirit of God which doth agitate and animate the winds we haue many other expresse Texts of Scripture to confirme it The whirle wind saith Iob commeth out of the South and the cold from the North wind at the breath of God the frost is giuen and the breadth of the waters is contracted Againe Ventus profectus a Iehoua abreptas coturnices à mari disseuit ad castra c. A wind proceeding from Iehona did scatter the Quailes which it brought from the sea in the camp Againe Vento tuo flauisti operuit eos mara Thou didst blow with thy breath or wind and the sea couered them Againe flatunarium tuarum coaceruatae sunt aquae The waters are accumulated and heaped together by the blast of thy nostrills And againe Iehoua adduxit ventum Eurum seâ—… Orientalem and God brought an Easterly wind Againe ventum Occidentalem vehementem immisit c. he sent out a vehement Westerly wind Againe ventus procellosus efficiens Verbum Dei the stormy wind doth effect the Word of God Wee doe not say that the wind is the reall breath of God but a created spirit or ayre animated by the increated spirit of the Lord who according vnto the will of him that sent it fooâ—…th doth sometimes contract his vertue in himselfe from the circumference of the creatures spirit and then the creature is dead and vnmoueable and starke cold for want of the warme and comfortable act of this spirits emanation from the centre to the circumference according to the words of Daâ—…ids former Text Deo abscondente faciem suam à creaturis conturbantur recipiente spiritum coruâ—… expirant God hiding his face from the creatures they are troubled and resuming his spirit againe they dye that is if in part he contracts himselfe or hides the viuifying beâ—…s of his countenance they are sicke and troubled but if hee withdraw the spirit of life wholly from the circumference of the the creatures spirit into it selfe who is in the centre and euery where vnto the circumference they dye or expire Master Foster may reply what is all this to the purpose of man who is the maine subiect wee haue in hand or what haue wee to doe though God by his Spirit worketh a priuatiue property in the spirit of the world by congealation or contracting it from the spirits circumference vnto the centre leauing the spirit cold destitute of heate congealed immobile and as it were dead and without life and that in his Northerne nature what doth this concerne our matter or what is this to the nature in man or how can it touch the act of curing in our Weapon-Salue I answere that as the selfe-same spirit is the cause of a foure-fold nature in the spirit of the great world and as it causeth death and priuation by his Northerne and congealing blasts and contrariwise life and position by the opposite or the relenting nature of his Southerne property euen the selfe-same operation it affecteth in the created
spirit of the lesser world or man For the selfe-same spirit that viuifieth the ayre in the great world after a foure-fold fashion bringeth forth the very same effects in the lesser which I proue in this manner The Prophet saith A quatuor ventis adueni ô spiritus perflato interfectos istos vt reuiuiscant c. Come O spirit from the foure winds and breath vpon these flaughtered persons that they may liue againe and the breath came into them and they liued and they stood on their feet By which words wee may gather these foure things First that it was one onely Spirit which was indued with the property of the foure winds according to whose variety in properties the foure winds were animated with contrary natures that they might worke after a foure-fold manner in the Catholike element of the world to effect the will of the Creator in any manner whatsoeuer Next that this Spirit which is the essentiall actor and mouer in the winds was that incorruptible spirit of the Lord by the which hee vseth according to that of the Apostle to viuifie all things and vnto that of the Prophet dare â—…atum populo spiritum calcantibus terram to giue breath vnto the people and a spirit to all that trace on the earth or vnto that of Iudith emittere spiritum creare omnes creaturas to send foorth his spirit and to create by it all creatures or according to that of Esdras Spiramine suo facere omnia serutinare â—…mnia in absconditis terrae to make all things by his breath and to search out by it all things that are in the bowells of the earth or according vnto that of Iob Apponere homini animam suum cuilibet creaturae nam fi spirituÌ„ seuflatum suuâ—… ad se reciperet veltraheret omnis caro expirato giue man his spirit of life and to euery creature for if God should receiue or draw vnto himselfe his spirit all flesh would expire And therefore in this place when the dead bodies should arise againe hee commanded the Prophet to say Come spirit from the foure winds as if hee should say Come O thou Catholike and Vniuersall spirit of life of the world and doe thy office in viuifying and making the dead to liue againe Thirdly that this same spirit is it by which the Apostle doth acknowledge that God worketh all in all sometimes giuing life by taking away the killing Northerne cold and dissoluing the deadly or immobil congelation of spirits which did stupifie them as it were with the sleepy and restfull enchantment of Morphaeus by his Southerne or Easternely properties which is to liquifie resolue and giue a new motion and life to spirits congealed and stupified by the Northern property and therefore Dauid saith in the foresaid Text Emittit verbunâ—… liquefacit ista simul ac efflat ventum suuÌ„ effluunt aquae Hee sendeth forth his Word and melteth them as soone as hee bloweth forth his wind the congealed and as it were dead waters â—…oue and flow againe whereby we ought to obserue that it is Gods Word or his incorrupble spirit which animateth the winds Fourthly that the very selfe-same spirit which viuifieht and giueth life and motion vnto the great worlds spirit and at his pleasure by a contrary property killeth stupifieth ceaseth to act by life motion congealing mortally doth performe the very selfe-same office when the will of the Father is in the Catholike spirit of the little world or man yea in euery creature And therefore Iob saith It is God that wounâ—…eth or striketh and it is he that cureth the reason heere hee sheweth in the place before mentiened as also wee may find in Deuteronomy I will kill and I will make aliue againe and Salomon saith Thou hast the power of â—…fe and death in thine hand Thou bringest vnto the graue and bringest backe againe and the Sonne of Syrach Vita mors bonum malum à Deo sunt Life and death good and euill are from God Wherefore as this secret and mysticall spirit hath breathed into the dead a blast of life so that very blast or breath is essentially of the nature property and Will of the Breather which was to make aliue by a quickning and not a stupifying spirit and thereupon created spirits which were before congealed and mortified became now quickned and liuely and were closed in an externall body and in an ayery or bloody vehicle which by vertue of this quickning blast his spirit did moue in the channels or veines and arteries being animated by the vertue of that spirit of life And this is the reason that God did ordaine so strict precepts touching the blood of the creatures as is said before namely that it should not be eaten as is aboue related because in it is the spirit of life or the soule of the creature in which is the spirituall vertue of the foure winds For in this action of life hee exerciseth the very same property in the heart of the creature or little world as hee doth in the heauenly sunne of the great world For as the Sunne is hot operating by rarefaction and exciting vnto motion and therefore reuiuing and multiplying as well in vegetation as in generation graines plants and other animated things of the earth powring downe from aboue the beames of life and light vnto the inferiour creatures euen so this incorruptible spirit or blast of life thus infused into man is the spirituall Sunne of the little world who maketh the heart which represents the body of the celestiall Sunne his Tabernacle from which by the arteries and vaines he sendeth forth his beames and animateth the vniuersall spirit of mans fabrick and maketh the blood agill fluent and liuely euer mouing and operating vnto the nourishment and preseruation of the members as well with naturall as vitall spirits cauâ—…ng both corporall and spirituall vegetation and multiplication of parts in euerie specificall bodie But now that I may in this place touch in few words though somewhat allaterally Master Fosters Aristotelicall limited spheare of Actiuity which the old Schoolemen haue so tumbled and tossed in their externall Phantasies without any centrall regard vnto this true and essentiall viuifying and vegetating spirits dilatiue or contractiue power I would faine know whether any worldly philosophicall Axiome can conclude or limit this princely spirit of the foure Winds which bloweth and breatheth as well in the great world as little when where how farre and at what distance it pleaseth I will first giue an example of his action from each wind in the great world and shew you how it commandeth carrieth and dilateth the spirit of the vegetable Creature Wee can gather and collect the virtuall operation of the vegetable ad distans by no meanes but by the scent as for example Rosemary and Sassaphras c Doe emitt their spirit into the Aire at a proportionated distance more or lesse
according vnto the viuacity of the acting Spirit which is in it and yet neuerthelesse wee see that if the blast of any strong wind doth encounter the emitted spirit of the Creature it dilateth it mightily from his centre or plant and maketh a wonderfull large spheare of actiuity and that greater or leâ—…er according vnto the power of the wind The case is apparant and found most true by such as trauaile by sea neare Spaine For when the wind is Easterly they can discerne the Aire thirty Leagues off the shore to bee filled with the sweet odour of Rosemary which groweth abundantly in those parts of Spaine And euen in the very like manner about Guiana and Virginea at the same or greater distance the odoriferous scent of the Sassaphras with other fweet woods is scented by the nauigatours vpon those shores and that somtimes before they can discerne any land What shall wee then say of the same spirit which a cteth in the little world or man when his insensible breath or emanation tendeth affectionally towards the homogeniall place of his owne nature I meane vnto the ointment inwhich the selfe same indiuisible nature either in the blood adhering to the weapon or hauing penetrated in the weapon without any signe of external blood is bathed Shall wee not beleeue that by his emanation it can carry along with it in the Ayre the occult spirit of the vegetating nature of the wounded person included secretly in a volatile salt to act in the oyntment vnto the reuiuifying of the sopified spirit in the oyntment No mary saith Master Foster For the Sassaphras woods odoriferous spirit and that of the Rosemaries are knowne by sense and so cannot the breath of such an emanating spirit with his volatile vehicle of vegetation be perceiued An excellent Argument in an externall and sensible Philosopher who with Saint Thomas will beleeue nothing but what he toucheth smelleth or tasteth But intellectuall men may easily gather that there is nothing that is externall and visible but was first internall and inuisible Neither can it be conuertibly said that what was internall was externall For there are an infinity of inuisible and internal actions performed by God in the closet of Nature which falleth not into the spheare or capacity of the sensuall or naturall man but are onely by faith to bee beleeued And for this reason the Apostle saith Through Faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the Word of God so that the things that wee see are not made of things which did appeare By which it is euidently proued that all things were first inuisible before they were by sense to bee discerned And consequently it is the property of an externall and carnall man to beleeue nothing but what hee perceiueth by sense and to say that if any thing appeare to sense which was not knowne before it is diabolicall and not of God when the aforesaid text doth attribute all reducing of inuisible actions to the visible sense by the Word not of the Deuill but of God All Philosophers therefore haue accorded that it is one spirit of life which onely operateth in mans body But this spirit according vnto his diuersity of distinct offices indueth a diuers appellatioâ—… and therefore it is tearmed by them in one respect Rationall in an other Concupiscible and in a third Irascible By the first it is apt to be illuminated to vnderstand things that are aboue it beneath it and in it and with it selfe For by this his propertie or faculty it knoweth God aboue it selfe the Angels which are ranked with it selfe and whatsoeuer is comprehended in the whole circle of the heauens beneath it selfe such is his spirituall act of centrall emanation by reason of that powerfull vertue allotted her by God By the second and the third it is inclined either to desire and affect a thing or to eschew and flye from it that is either to loue or hate c And by this propertie of hers she doth exercise herselfe about the Sympathy or Antipathy of those things which are either proper or dissonant vnto her specifick nature And therefore in this her office she worketh mightily in and about the effects of this Weapon-Salue being that from these two later operations in her proceedeth euery affection For as of Concupiscibility proceedeth all ioy and hope because Natura laetatur in sua naturâ c and therefore by the vnion of the liuely emanation the dead or congealed spirit in the Salue is quickned and viuified So contrariwise the liuing soule or naturall Spirit in which the supernaturall Spirit doth act is of it's owne nature obnoxious vnto a kind of spirituall dolor and feare by reason of the Weapon that vsed violence vnto it the which passions belong to and are affected by the Irascible spirit for asmuch as it either greiueth or is made dolorous already at the violence offered or seareth to bee greiued or made dolorous by it These foure affections of the spirit of man are the beginners and as it were the common subiect of all vertuous and vicious actions which befall vnto man Now to expresse the large extension of that centrall spirit which doth radically operate in the vitall spirit the wisest Philosophers affirme that it seeth it selfe in it selfe to the end that it may rightly vnderstand it selfe in it selfe And when it will know God it eleuateth it selfe aboue it selfe by it's mentallbeame it penetrats all things it beholdeth all things as well present as absent it is when it pleaseth beyond the seas and searcheth out things that are hidden yea and in one moment it directeth and sendeth forth his beames vnto the farthest limits of the whole world and searcheth out the secrets of it it descendeth downe vnto the deepe and mounteth vp againe from thence vnto heauen and cleaueth fast to Christ and is made all one with Christ. And must the infinite vertue of this all penetrating spirit according vnto Master Fosters tenent bee limited by any imaginary spheare of actiuity assigned by the vaine Philosophy of the Ethnicks which as the Apostle saith is framed out after the tradition of man and the world and not by God Doth he not warne vs to beware that wee be not deceiued by such philosophicall doctrine which doth disagree from the rules of Christ in whom is the plenitude of the Godhood bodily And must we now to obey Master Fosters phantasticall Idaea breake the Lawes of the Apostle to be deluded by his false Philosophy But to returne vnto our purpose All this which is aboue mentioned being well considered namely the Catholike Nature of the Spirit which breathed life into the creatures tâ—…e indiuisibility and indiuiduality of the giuer and the gift which is giuen nam Essentia diuina est indiuidua The diuine Essence is in diuisible and vndiuided and therefore the diuine Spirit imparted vnto the creature is continuated and vndiuided from him that giueth it his infinity of extension for asmuch as
learned who at the first scoffed at this kind of cure as a thing impossible And after that he perceiued that it was true indeed he was terrified by such scare-crowes as Mr. Foster is to put it in practice forasmuch as he was made beleeue that there was a prestigious deceit or cacomagical vertue and operation in it For which cause he did abstaine from the vse and practice thereof although he did acknowledge the act of it to be wonderfull And yet neuerthelesse beause his curiosity did incite him to diue a little further into the truth of this mystery hee did at the last desire to speake with one Captaine Stiles a man well knowne by his acquaintance to be both wise religious as also aduerse vnto all superstitious actions or ceremonies because hee was noted to be a great practitioner in this manner of cure His earnest desire of him was first to see with his owne eyes for his better satisfaction euery particular ingredient apart which went into the composition of this salue and afterwards to obserue each ingredients preparation and lastly to behold their mixtion or vnion in composition that thereby hee might the better discerne whether any vnlawfull act or diabolicall superstition did concurre with the making thereof the Captaine consenteth whereupon this Noble man to be the better informed in this matter called vnto this composition a learned Diuine and a well esteemed Doctor of Physicke who with one consent after the complement of the businesse did affirme that there was neither any damnable superstition in the making of this oyntment as was falsely suggested nor yet any Cacomagicall disposition in the ingredients as was vainely surmised by some precise persons And for that reason they did ioyntly conclude that both the medicine in it selfe and the practice of this cure were naturall and consequently lawfull for any good Christian to vse Hereupon this Honourable Personage did for a twelue moneths space with happy and fortunate successe practise this manner of cure on many that were wounded and yet for all this it should appeare that some busie Buzzards or rather buzzing flies of this nature did put into his head new suspicions insinuating vnto him that the Captaine might vse some secret superstitious meanes or vnknowne charmes in the collecting or preparing of the principall ingredients which he could not discerne and that without this those mysticall effects could not be wrought whereupon one twelue moneth being past he vndertooke for his more assurance to make the composition himselfe and to haue the ingredients gotten and prepared by his owne direction namely the mosse of mans bones c. And for this cause hee maketh Mr. Cooke the Apothecary to beat into fine powder such of the ingrediences as were to be powdred and afterwards to compound it and to make it vp which when he had effected he found that this his owne composition had the selfe-same healing vertue and prosperous successe in curing that the other had by reason whereof hee rests euer since so confident in the safety and lawfulnesse of this cure that not one of these phantasticall Butterflies by their painted shewes without any solide substance can alter his minde from this practice which when our valiant Sponge-carrier perceiueth and seeing that all the vayne perswasions of his too too scrupulous and suspicious faction could not effect hee as a Praeco or crying Orator for the rest vttereth forth these fragments of his outward and counterfeit zeale for asmuch as it is stuffed internally with an hypocriticall and politike intent as shall be more at large expressed hereafter His words in his dedicatory Epistle are these That which moued me to write this booke was a commiseration of the case of some Persons of quality reputed religious which vse the weapon-salue I pitty these I presume they imagine no harme in it I pray for them in our Sauiour Christ his owne words Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Is not this a pretty hood of zeale and religion besmeared ouer with the fard of dissimulation a smooth faced vaile I say of hypocrisie to couer and conceale the nakednesse of a priuate worldly policy namely to apply vniustly and make a wrong vse of the righteous words of our blessed Sauiour lesus Christ for the decrying and abolishing of that good gift of healing which by his viuifying spirit is effected vpon his wounded and infirm creatures ' and that which is worse by attributing it falsly vnto the diuel an enemy both to God man and thereby to defraud the Creator and actor in all things of his right and that before the face of all his reasonable creatures whom he created after his owne Image perswading them to beleeue that all mysticall and occult healing in these latter dayes is the vertuous operation of the Father of lies and enemy of goodnesse And that chiefely for the company of Chirurgions cause as shall forth-with be more plainely expressed As who should say that God had in this last age of the world lost all his operatiue vertue and power in mysticall and hidden workings as wel in his creatures as by miracles that good God I say the Creator both of heauen and earth and therefore hee that worketh wonders euerlastingly as well occultly as manifestly hath lost his operatiue vertue or assigned it as it were by succession ouer vnto the diuell May not that Noble man and many other religious persons at which Master Foster in the precedent Text aymeth with a better conscience retort his foresaid speach vpon him and say I am moued with a commiseration of the cause of this person or Parson reputed by reason of his profession religious who condemneth attempteth with his Sponge to wipe away the weapon-salue to abolish the reputation of that vertue which God hath bestowed on it for mans good and for the reliefe of distressed wounded creatures I pitty him if he doe it of ignorance for then I presume he imagineth no harme and therefore I will pray for him in our Sauiour Christ his owne words Father forgiue him for he knoweth not what he doth But if he doth it wittingly and maketh vse of these holy words of Christ for policies sake or to procure the worldly gaine of others I must speake vnto him in these very words which Christ spake vnto Peter Get thee behind mee Satan for thou vnderstandst not the things that are of God but the things that are of men Now verily I will make it appeare that hee hideth his worldly craft vnder the cloke of sanctity and consequently hee walloweth the deeper in the puddle of sinne wherefore his reward must needes correspond with his desert For God who searcheth the heart and reynes of euery man is iust and righteous I would haue each obseruant Reader therefore to note that there is a double reason in this Mr. Fosters endeauour to wipe away the weapon-salue whereof the first is the weakest namely a witting ignorance or an
Confutation of his into two Branches or Members whereof the first shal produce this question namely Whether Blood Flesh Fat Bones haue any naturall Balsam or radicall moisture residing in them sympathising with the Hypostaticall Balsam remaining with the liuing Man The later containeth this Whether a Horse haue a Balsam sympathising with the Balsam of Man The first of these two is flatly held by M. Foster negatiuely and I in a surer confidence doe hold it affirmatiuely and will proue it first by Naturall Reason secondly by the Authority of Holy writ and lastly by Common Experience In the first place therefore I would haue M. Foster to learne what a Balsamicke nature is before hee thus rashly seeketh to censure the creatures to haue it or to bee without it I must therefore let him know that it is nought else but a volatill and essentiall salt that is full of vegetating and multiplying vertue which it receiueth from aboue as a precious soule to viuifie and animate it the which vertue is that Calidum innatum or Naturall heate by whose vertue euery creature doth exist and the volatile vehicle in which it is carried is that Humidum Radicale or Radicall Moisture or Humidity by which and in which the foresaid vertue doth immediately moue and act vnto life vegetation and multiplication By the operation therefore of these essentiall actiue and passiue Vegetables and Animals doe manifestly and Minerals occultly vegetate and multiply and that as well in their forme or naturall fire as in their substance And for this cause the true Alchymists do cal this mystical Salt Sal Sapientûm the Salt of Wise men for as much as in it consisteth the mystery of Nature And others tearme it the true Balsamum Naturae or Balsam of Nature in which all the Mystery of Nature doth consist Whereupon the wise Philosophers affirme Quod sit in sale isto quicquid quaerunt Sapientes That all that Wise men seeke after is in salt Touching the aëriall part it is the volatile salt which is euery where expansed in the open ayre and it is the purest essence of and in the ayre in which the graine of life is and therefore other Wise men say Est in aëre occultus vitae cibus The hidden food of life is in the ayre c. It is not without a very mysticall and secret cause also that our Sauiour Christ tooke an especiall notice of Salt In one place he saith Sal Terrae estis vos Ye are the Salt of the Earth where hee meaneth the spirituall man in which is the breath of life And againe Sal si euaneurit in quo salietur ad nihilum valet vltra nisi vt mittatur for as conculcetur ab hominiâ—…us If the Salt shall vanish away with what shall it bee seasoned It will be of no further value saue onely to bee cast cut of doores and to be troden on by men Whereby it is euident that nothing can exist or be of any reckoning or estimation without this Mysticall Salt or Glew of Life but will be quite dead and corrupt There is Salt in the very dunghill that giueth life and heart vnto the ground whereby it multiplieth the Graine in a greater proportion and sucketh vnto it more plentifully the Celestiall influence of life To conclude the very essence of the Animall creatures blood in generall consisteth in this Balsamicke Salt By it the body is animated by it the flesh through apposition vnion and agglutination of parts is viuified multiplied and successiuely preserued By this in the bread and the flesh of creatures the blood in man is daily increased in this therefore is the incorruptible spirit of life which keepeth man aliue and defendeth him from corruption and vnlesse it acteth his viuifying office man is quickly rotten or corrupted Doe not Scriptures confirme thus much in many placesâ—… namely that Anima ominis est insanguine That the life of man is in his blood and Anima carnis est in sanguine The life of the flesh is in the blood Now it is certaine that this viuifying Spirit which is Donum Dei cuilibet Creaturae The Gift of God vnto euery Creature as is proued before is the true operator in this his Radicall moist Tabernacle to heale mend and agglutinate wounds being assisted with any application made either by a Reall or Virtuall Contact It followes therefore that this Spirit being in the Blood Fat Bones and Flesh of Man for as much as they doe subsist by it and were first animated and engendered and multiplyed by it doe participate of this Spirit which the Scripture saith doth animate and heale all things Spiritus seu Verbum Dei saith SALOMON sanat omnia The Spirit and Word of God healeth all things But M. Foster will say that this Spirit of life is in the Blood Fat and Flesh when it is not separated from the liue Man but after it is separated it hath no more life or being I haue told him and proued the contrary in my Philosophicall Demonstration For without this Salt and liuing Spirit in it neither Blood Fat Bones nor Flesh could subsist but according vnto that of Christ beâ—…ore mentioned it would be of no vse Againe it is intimated in Holy Writ that the Spirit of life is in their centrall or inward parts though it doth not act or operate but quiescere in Centro rest in the Center as I haue before expressed plainely For else why should it be said Thou shalt altogether forbeare to eate the Blood and the Fat And againe Thou shalt not take in thy meate the blood of the creature And againe The blood of the Beast or Foâ—…le killed in hunting must be powred on the ground and the reason is there giuen namely Because the Spirit of life is in the blood And againe it is said The Soule of the flesh is in the blood Now if the Spirit of life did vanish out of the Blood Flesh Fat and Bones immediately after their separation from the liuing creature what needed all these words or strict precepts for the not eating of the Blood and Fat after the death of the creatures Or why should that reason be giuen Because the soule or life is in the blood or the blood is the seeâ—…e of the soule or life The text doth not say The Blood was the seate of the soule or life but It is namely the subsistence of these parts though separated from the liuing body doe yet participate with the Spirit of life therefore beware that you eate it not I will not here remember you of the viuifying vertue remaining with Elias his Bones which made the murthered body that was by the theeues cast into the Graue of the Prophet rise againe nor that the soules of such as were slaine for the Words sake did cry vnto the Lord from vnder the Altar for vengeance nor that the voyce of the murthered Abels blood did cry out to
Bones Nerues and giueth them Life Action and Motion all which the patient â—…ob expresseth thus Thou hast powred mee out like Milke that is in the forme of sperme thou hast coagulated mee like Cheese thou hast endued me with Skin and Flesh thou hast compacted mee together with Bones and Sinnews thou hast giuen mee life by thy mercy and by thy visitation thou hast preserued my spirit but all this thou hast hidden in thy minde but I know all this to bee from thee Whereupon it is euident that God operateth all beginning radically in the blood and for this reason the Apostle saith rightly In him we liue we moue and haue our being I conclude therefore that here againe is all the Sponges validity so squeesed out as hereafter I hope it shall not be able to digest any great matter nor yet to bite any longer vpon the Marble Rocke of Truth CHAP. III. In the which it is proued contrary vnto our Spongy Authors opinion that spirits doe reside in the separated Blood Doctor Fludds naked Text. In the Blood is the spirit of life and with the bright soule doth abide and operateth after an hidden manner Master Fosters Collection In the Blood reside the vitall spirits in the vitall spirits the soule in an hidden manner The act of his mundifying Sponge Thirdly I deny that any spirits reside in separated Blood and Casman is so confident in this that in parts separated from the body remaine no spirits and saith that the very Deuill cannot beget or conserue any in them The Sponge squeesed Here you see that this fresh-water Souldier hath nothing to maintaine his Tenent but Ipse dixit If that faile farewell all further expectation But I will proue that this his and his Masters assertion is erroneous by three manner of wayes namely first by Philosophicall reason for being that euery amputated creature euen from the liuely stocke of his growth is filled with a Balsamick Salt of the nature of the Tree or Plant from which it sprung by which it doth exist such as indeed it is it is not possible but that it should haue of the spirit of his wonted life in it although it doth not act but rest in its Center Next by Holy Scriptures for as is proued abundantly before the blood spilled and flesh killed is full of liuely spirits though they remaine potentially in them or else why should the Israelites be commanded not to eate the fat and blood For it is said because the blood is the seate of the soule or spirit of life For if that spirit of life were fled from it what sinne had it beene to haue eaten it But the text saith for it is the seate of life and therefore it is commanded that they should powre it out on the Earth Againe let Parson Foster answer this The incorruptible pirit of the Lord is in all things Ergò in the effused blood flesh fat and bones separated from the whole And lastly by common experience for we finde that fat and blood and mummy haue singular properties of healing which they could not haue if all the spirits which they did receiue from the liuing body were exhaled but it is the office onely of the incorruptible Spirit and Word to heale and therefore being these ingredients haue an healing property they must needs in this their existence participate or communicate with this good Spirit whose nature is to expell and take away all corruption and sicknesse and other vnnaturall impediments Verbum tuum saith Salomon curat omnia thy Word cureth all for in it onely is life Ergò the viuifying spirit Moreouer I know and with mine eyes haue seene abundance of spirits which by the aâ—… of the least fire haue beene excited out of the essence of corrupted blood and fat in so much that with the naturall heate of the hand they in forme of little Atomes haue beene obserued to dance and caper in the ayre which is an euident token that there is the spirit of life lurking in the dead blood though it appeares but potentially in the essence of the dead thing in respect of vs. Againe if this were not is it possible that dead blood flesh and fat could nourish the liuing being that like is nourished by his like which could not be if in the blood flesh and fat there did not lurke naturall and viuifying spirits to maintaine their like in the liuing creature and therefore will one kinde of flesh nourish both a Man a Beast a Fish and a Fowle because all those naturall spirits are of one kinde and condition Is it not I pray you apparent to the vulgar that flesh and fat hung vp in the Sunne will bee quickly conuerted into liue Wormes or Magats Which were impossible except the spirit of life did lurke in the flesh and fat after the creature was dead yea I haue seene a whole dead Crow which I hung vp in the Sunne for a certaine purpose to be wholly sauing bones conuerted into verminous animals An euident argument of the viuifying spirits presence in the dead flesh blood and fat Yea verily I haue obserued that the Balsam of Wheate so aboundeth in it that if it bee put into Raine-water in a short space it produceth long Wormes of a white colour The same effect produceth flesh after putrifaction It is most certaine therefore that the spirit oflife is in the dead flesh and fat yea and in the graine which though it operateth not except it be stirred vp by the viuifying spirits acting property working in such an organicall body as is the Sunne the fire the liuing creature and such like yet is it most certaine that it is in the amputed blood fat flesh and bones c. You may discerne by this gentle Reader how Casman and his compleat disciple Foster haue erred But wee must excuse them modestly seeing that Humanum est errare Why I pray you should I esteeme these men more Catholick in knowledge then Bernard But Bernardus non videt omnta And yet blinde Bayard is subiect to iudge and censure any thing though vnto himselfe vnknowne Wherefore let Master Foster put vp his authority in his Pouch for I esteeme it not hauing naturall reason the testimony of Holy Writ and lastly vulgar experience or ocular demonstration to proue the contrary And whereas his Master Casman teacheth him that the very Deuill cannot beget or conserue any spirit in them I wonder how the Deuill then can worke this Weapon-Salue Cure being that the Oyntment hath no spirits of it selfe nor yet the Deuill can beget or conserue any in the ingredients thereof And if he saith that the Deuill is of great experience and doth this with other herbs or simples I would haue him to tell me why should herbs or other simples being also after they are gathered but dâ—…ad as it were and without spirits by Master Fosters owne rule serue as meanes vnto the Deuill for the working
of this feate of occult curing and not rather such ingredients as are collected out of mans body being that they are neerer and more familiar vnto their kinde and therefore more benigne and affable vnto it then stranger Medicines as are vegetables or such like If the Reader will well ponder this he will perceiue all that our Sponge-carrier speaketh Pag. 8. is but foppery The Deuill saith he maketh the Mediciner beleeue it is spent by a vertue going to the wound whilst hee skilfull by long experience in all Arts and so in the Art of Medicine doth himselfe secretly apply some other vertuall operatiue Medicine to cure the wound to delude his credulous Mountebankes and makes them beleeue that this Salue which dropped out of the Hangmans bouget hath performed it O wonderous miracle and what getteth the Deuill by that namely to cure a man in that sort whose body and soule is in the hands of the Almighty In maâ—… Iehouae saith Iob est anima omnis 〈◊〉 spiritus 〈◊〉 carnis In the hand of God is the soule of euery creature and the spirit of all flesh Thinkes he that God will leese his owne by so weake and poore a sleight Nay more to giue or grant vnto the Deuill his Word which as Salomon saith 〈◊〉 all things to deceiue himselfe of his owne heritage What The Deuill doe good where no profit vnto him is to be expected And why not then by the virtuall contact of this Medicine being of a neerer consanguinity with man and therefore a more easie Curer then any other Medicine that can worke by any virtuall contact A goodly tale As if a man would perswade me that it is not the Load-stone that draweth the Iron but the Deuill vseth some other creature to doe the deed to coozen and deceiue the Philosopher or Mariner These are but fabulae Inuentions I say of a fantastick braine who to perswade vs vnto his imaginary and no way probable will would make vs beleeue that Castles are built in the Ayre and that we are in all our good actions deluded by the Deuill and that flying with the wings of Master Fosters wit we must needs be wafted on the clouds of error and so in a mist of ignorance forget the blessed workes of our good God and Sauiour and by Master Fosters palpable delusions to acknowledge them to be effected craftily by Gods enemy And how in Gods name hapneth it that the Deuill is become so great a Student in Physick and doth proue so expert in the art of curing who hath employed his whole cunning and bestowed the best fruits of his industry to play the Kill-cow and to destroy A very wonderous thing Master Foster said it ergo must we beleeue it No God forbid But blessed be our Lord God who by emitting forth the benignity of his countenance sendeth onely health where how and vnto whom he list But to proceede CHAP. IIII. This Chapter sheweth Master Fosters error in saying that the soule doth not reside after an hidden manner in the spirits The second attempt of the Sponge against the same Text. Fourthly I deny that the soule resideth after any hidden manner in the spirits The Stoicks indeed held that the spirits were vincula animae corporis but the Peripatetick and Diuines deeme this as needlesse seeing the body is generated for the soule and the soule created for the body and both make the totum compositum What needs there any bonds to fasten them together There is a reciprocall desire to come together at the first and an endeauour after the vnion to keepe together The soule cannot in any kinde depend on or reside in the spirits her instruments but the spirits in the soule c. We squeese once againe in this Argument this swelling and full-gorged Sponge after this manner Though in the precedent I answered sufficiently that point yet must I wring this Sponge a little harder or it will keepe some of the iuyce of verity in his porous paunch I said before that animaesedes was in sanguine and her chiefest vehicle was the humidum radicale as we see that the Spirit of life in the great world did place His Tabernacle in the Sunne of Heauen And againe it is said that the incorruptible Spirit is in all things but this is that spirit which viuifyeth all things and therefore it resideth in the blood and consequently in the spirits which are contained therein after a hidden and mysticall manner As touching the Peripateticks and some 〈◊〉 opinion who hold that it is needlesse there should be a tye betweene the soule and body verily that doctrine is most erroneous and false First because the soule and body are so contrary in complexion vnto one another that except an vnion were made betweene the two extremes it were impossible that they should meet together or if they should or could meete yet the pure and heauenly light of the soule would suddenly forsake the impure and earthly darknesse of the body For how can duo contraria conuenire in vnum Doe we not see that all influences from aboue must haue an ayrie Chariot vehicle or medium to conuey them into bodies and to vnite them together Why did God ordaine and place the Ayre betweene the Heauen and Earth but to serue as a vehicle to vnite celestiall things with terrestriall ones quasi amoris vinculo as it were with the band of loue Can we haue a better proofe hereof in this typicall world then that of the Archetypicall Is not the Father vnited to the Sonne by the Holy Spirit which Saint Augustine calleth and many others Diuinum amoris vinculum The Diuine tye or vnion of loue Now after the Archetypicall image were all things effected both in the little and great world For the Prophet saith By the Word of the Lord the Heauens were fashioned and by the Spirit of his mouth all the vertues of them So that the vertuous vnion or linke which is made betweene the effects of the Word in whom is life and the creature to be viuified is the Good and Incorruptible Spirit by which tye God hath his essentiall relation vnto the creature By this Spirit all the discordant elements are tyed in an vnion and louing consent whereupon it is called Peace and Loue and Concord which beareth as the Apostle saith and sustaineth all things by the Word of his vertue By it weight and proportion is assigned vnto the ayre and the clouds are fastened or hung vp in measure and the waters are tyed so fast in the thicke clouds that they cleaue not To conclude in the great World the Earth and the Heauens are established and linked together by the Word of God as the Apostle Peter telleth vs or else the elements would be continually at warre And by the same reason the soule and the body or Heauen and Earth in the little World are linked together by this intermediate eternall tye or
else the body and soule would neuer abide together but warre against one another being that they are as contrary in nature as fire and water But vnlesse the spirit of ayre were put betweene these two contrary elements to ioyne them together they would neuer agree nor abide in their spheares no more would the soule and body without a spirituall meane Now as we see that the Heaven of the great World is composed of light and spirit proportioned and as it were glewed together by the eternall Spirit which is the Infuser of life in them both so also is the spirit in man so firmely vnited vnto the soule by the spirituall Word which is the tye or glew of life that it is not possible to be separated the one from the other except it be by that Spirit which did ioyne them together And this may easily be gathered out of these words of the Apostle Viuus est sermo Dei efficax 〈◊〉 omni gladio ancipiti pertingens vsque ad diuisionem animae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word of God is liuely and effectuall and more piercing then a â—…edged Sword and attaineth euen to the diuision of the soule from the spirit Whereby it argueth that the life consisteth of soule and spirit and that these two are so vnited together by the tye of the Word that nothing but the composer or binder can make any separation of them And for this reason wee may see that there is a strong tye as well betweene the spirit and the soule as betweene the soule and the body And therefore as the soule is more worthy then the spirit so the spirit excelleth in dignity the body and consequently the spirit is by proportion interposed betweene the soule and the body no otherwise then the Ayre betweene the Sunne and Earth Wherefore it is an absurdity in the Peripateticks to deny this tye and vnion and more absurd for Master Foster to make such a poore excuse as to say that the body was generated for the soule and the soule created for the body and therefore that there needeth no bands to faften them A poore conclusion I say of so eminently appearing a Philosopher and Theosopher as who fhould say two extremes could more be ioyned together without a medium or middle tye or intermediate spirit to conioyne and vnite them then the two extremes of a Diameter in a Circle without a middle point or Center And more absurd it is in him to say that there can be a reciprocall desire of two extremes and contrary opposites to come and dwell together at the 〈◊〉 when they are so contrary that the Wise man saith Corpus infestum corruptioni aggrauat animam terrena habitatio deprimit mentem multis curis plenam The body which is subiect to corruption doth ouerburthen and aggrauate the soule and the earthly habitation doth depresse and keepe vnder the minde that is full of cares Is it not strange and vnnaturall that any captiue spirit should not desire his freedome and liberty especially the bright soule which is captiued in her darke bodily prison For this reason therefore Iamblicus saith that Anima dormiat in corpore humano The soule sleepeth in mans body And Porphyrie hath it That it is alwayes 〈◊〉 in the body And Mercurie Trismegistus That the body is vnto the soule a veile of ignorance Whereupon it is certaine that there is a spirit which keepeth it in this his darke prison By this therefore you may see what goodly doctrine this is of Master Fosters But to mend the matter he proceedeth thus And they endeauour after vnion so to keepe together c. It is true if he speaketh in the behalfe of the darke body who is â—…oth to leaue the bright soule which is his treasure But as for the soule we see how many there are that to escape the fetter of this prison doe sluce out their owne blood or destroy themselues and many as well amongst the Elect as by Scriptures we finde it as among the common Worldlings desire earnestly of God as being weary of this World to be dissolued and to passe out of this life Cupio dissolui esse cum Christo saith the one c. Whereby it is apparent that the soule doth not desire to liue in the body or with the body as Master Foster concludeth And when she departeth she cannot leaue her body without the spirit so firme is their vnion as the Apostle sheweth in the text before mentioned neither can the spirit wholly forsake that relation it hath to the body as is said I conclude therefore â—…at against Master Fosters assertion that the soule doth with a strict vnion depend and rely on the spirit and reciprocally the spirits rely on the soule no otherwise then the Agent can not be esteemed as an Agent without the Patient nor the Patient without the Agent And therefore they must both of them be vnited in one And consequently as an essentiall Agent doth act from the Center vnto the Circumference euen so it is to be conceiued that the agile soule is contained in the spirits as the Agent in the Patient or soule in the body or lightning in the cloud And thus farre haue we proceeded to squeese out all Master Fosters Sponges validity touching this matter I come vnto the next CHAP. V. The Authors essentiall Carrier of sympathetical vertue giueth in this Chapter vnto our Sponge-bearer but Iack Drummes entertainment for calling him Tom Long the Carrier Reade and you shall see the manner The naked assertion of D. Fludds Text. VVHereupon it is manifest that 〈◊〉 spirituall Line being inuisibly protracted or extended in the Ayre betweene the places of the wounded person and the Box or Pot of Oyntment doth carry along with it his animal forme the which soule or spirit of life is no lesse to bee diuided from his whole or integrality contained in the body of the â—…unded then the beame of the Sunne is from the Sunne Therefore as the beame of the Sunne swimming in the 〈◊〉 of the world is as it were a Messenger betweene Heauen and Earth euen so this animal beame is the faithfull conductor of the healing nature from the Box of the Balsam vnto the wounded body and this medium or directing and carrying Line namely that which conueyeth the wholesome and salutiferous spirit by meanes of the soule or spirit of life is that spirit which is inuisibly extended or drawne out in the ayre the which vnlesse it had beene in a hidden manner figured and fashioned forth the vertue of the Oyntment would euaporate or sluce out this way or that way and so would bring no benefit vnto the wounded Master Fosters Collection The spirit of the bloodshed is carried by the ayre which is the carrier of the spirit of euery thing vnto his body this spirit going by this ayre in a direct inuisible Line carrieth the sanatiue vertue from the anointed Weapon to the wounded party For the
in composition I meane it not as a part compounding but as the sole Compounder in composition Againe if he were absent from composition the word could not be said to be incarnated nor the Incorruptible Spirit to be in all things neither could God by the Apostle be said to be ouer all and in all But leauing this paratticall or parasiticall garb He bringeth the authorities of Scripture And what are they Saint Paul hath this We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spirituall wickednesse or euill spirits in high places And therefore Christ said Handle me and touch me for a spirit hath not flesh nor bones as yee see mee haue But Deuils can not be handled Therefore they haue no bodies Here is a stout Argument because Deuils as they are in their thinne aëriall bodies cannot bee handled Ergo they haue not any corpulency I would faine know of this acute Arguer what organicall body for speech this spirit had when hee in reciprocall words and speech did tempt our Sauiour Doth he thinke that the very ayre which is the externall of the Deuill as shall be proued is not a spirituall body when it may be felt heard or vnderstood though not as flesh and bones Doth not the Apostle make mention of a spirituall or heauenly and thin body and an earthly or grosse and thick body It is most true that there are some of the Fathers and Schoolemen who are of opinion that the Angels are absolutely incorporeal as Damascene Thomas Aquin Denis and so forth But there are as many yea and more of the learneder sort who giue a contrary sentence touching the bodily existence of these spirits and say flatly that an Angel is a corporeal substance and consequently that Angels may without any error be termed bodily creatures and amongst this number of the Fathers are ranked Basil Origen Gregory Augustine Isidorus Peter Lombard and of Philosophers Mercurius Trismegistus with all the Schoole of the Academicks And as for S. Augustine he saith in his Booke vpon Genesis in expresse words quòd Daemones sunt aërea ignea animalia that the Daemons or Angelicall spirits are aëry and fiery Animals and consequently assigneth vnto them aëry bodies Againe he affirmeth in another place that the Angels had in their creation aëry bodies to wit framed and fashioned out of the purer part of the superior ayre made more apt and proper to act then to suffer and hee auerreth that the euill angels were by reason of their fall changed as touching their bodies or externall being into the nature of the grosser ayre that they might be the rather made to suffer the torments of fire And Fetrus Lombardus saith Angeli corpora in quibus hominibus apparent de summo aëre sumunt solidamque speciem ex coelesti elemento induunt vt humanis obtutibus manifestiùs demonstrentur So that it is euident that Augustine and he agree in one Also Basil doth teach vs what manner of bodies the Angels haue when he saith they are thinne aëry and pure Spirits Againe Arteplius that wise man saith in his great Key of wisedome That the externall of the Deuill is ayre but his internall is fire For the which reason he sheweth that it is easie for him namely in regard of his externall or body to insinuate and communicate with the aëry and bloody spirit in man and consequently to engender in him hot and fiery diseases But why should we rely onely as Master Foster doth on bare Authorities I will come vnto plaine Philosophicall proofes to shew and demonstrate that Angels haue soules and bodies or externall and internall First you must know that if they were Identity that is of all one simple formall being they would be all one in essence with God their Creator who is called Identitas or absolute and simple vnity but for as much as they are compounded of two namely of light which is the beame of God which they receiue to informe them and make them creatures and spirit which as polished Looking-glasse receiueth the glory of that diuine light they are called Alteritas or Alterity that is composed of two And this is most liuely expressed by Saint Denis when he termeth them Algamatha that is most cleare Mirrours or Looking-glasses receiuing the light of God And therefore he defineth an Angel to bee the Image of God the shewing forth of bid light a mirrour pure and most bright And Damascen saith That they are intellectuall spirits hauing light as their soules from the first Light And Salomon describing the Prince of all Angels which as Ecclesiasticus saith was ante omnia creatus that it was candor lucis aeternae speculum sine macula Maiâ—…slatis Dei or the brightnesse of eternall light and a glasse without spot of the Maiesty of God Whereby it is euident that the Angels internall and as it were his soule is the brightnesse of Gods emanation his polished or pure aëry internall is his 〈◊〉 body which receiueth this light For we must note That in the beginning Heauen and Earth were made of water and by water consisting by the Word as S. Peter speakes And therefore the whole World was composed of an internall or inuisible which is the soule or spirit animated by Gods Word and an externall and visible earth and water which is the body So euery creature must needs be compounded of an internall or actiue soule and an externall or organicall receptacle of that soule which is the body Is it not apparent That when the Spirit of the Lord did moue vpon the waters the water was the Catholick Patient and the spirit the internall Agent For Saint Augustine super Genesim saith Spiritus ferebatur super aquas igneum â—…s vigorem impertiens The Spirit moued on the waters imparting vnto them a fiery vigor or vertue that is a viuifying nature So that the spirituall created Catholick waters were animated by the spirituall increated Catholick breath and light of life whose Spirit in euery creature is the Spirit of life and therefore their centrall soule and the creature animated is the body Wherefore as the purest and most spirituall part of water or ayre is the externall of the Angell so his internall is the lucid act of Gods Spirit Now I conclude thus If the externall substance of the Angel be ayre for either it must be of spirituall water or else of the substance of God which is meerely formall and not materiall then wee know by the rules of Philosophy that ayre subtiliated is fire and againe ayre inspissated is a vapour a mist a cloud and so by inspissation ayre inuisible becommeth a visible substance yea and a bodily vocall organ too as it appeareth by lightning the which soule of the cloud except it haue his cloudy organ or bodily instrument will not speake in thunder We finde therefore out of Holy Writ that God is said to speake out of his organic all cloud And
for that very cause the Text calleth it in one place latibulum Dei in another tigurium Dei and in another vehiculum currus â—…ehoua so that if lebâ—…ua maketh this organicall Tabernacle of ayre to vtter vnto mortall eares his voyce as Scriptures in many places doe testifie it is no sinne to say that his inferiour spirits haue for their externall bodies aëry substances which being granted what should hinder spirits by contraction of this their external substances to appeare when they please visibly and organically to talke with a person as the tempting spirit did to Christ and againe by an immediate dilatation of the same externall aëry spirit to become inuisible no otherwise then a smoake by dilatation vanisheth or a cloud or mist made of a compacted and thickned ayre doth oftentimes without the appearance of any drop of raine passe away inuisibly Was it not strange that Christ himselfe that had flesh and bones should appeare etiam clausis ianâ—…is and then immediately to vanish And yet if we consider that after he was risen he did put on a spirituall body euen that body for that cause could deponere Tabernaculum suum visibile tangibile and become by subtiliation and dilatation as subtile and impalpable as the voluntie of him who hath the spirituall body pleaseth and so can appeare and vanishat an instant It is an admirable speculation to ponder and consider duely how God worketh in this world by contraction and dilatation by priuation and position by darknesse and light by apparition and disparition as we see when his Spirit moueth from the North the common ayre is by the contractiue nature of that spirit turned from inuisibility to visibility from transparency to opacity from ayre to Snow Haile Frost Ice from leuity to ponderosity from agility and mobility to fixation and immobility Contrarywise by his blast from the East or South the said bodies are altered againe into water and water into ayre and ayre into fire by dilatation and in conclusion corporeity terrestriall into corporeity aëriall or celestiall hardnesse into saltnesse grossenesse into subtility opacity into transparency fixation into mobility rest into action darknesse into light And to conclude contraction caused by this Spirit of God into dilatation visibility into inuisibility What shall I say more If Angels of all kindes haue their externall from the aëry spirit of the World and their internall act from this externall viuifying spirit in whom is the property of the foure Windes and therefore the Prophet said Come O Spirit from the foure Windes whereby he did argue that this one Spirit as being the essentiall actor in the foure Windes had the properties of the foure Windes in himselfe by the which he acted all things whereupon the Prophet called it from the foure Windes wee ought not to make any question but that by vertue of that internall act and the substance of that their externall ayre they may contract themselues from a spirituall fiery and aëry inuisibility vnto a nebulous or watery yea and earthly visibility or snowie or Icie nature especially the grosse malignant and darke spirits which by their fall haue indued the grosser ayre as Augustine saith and therefore is Satan called by the Apostle The Prince of the ayre And this is the reason that the Deuill or euill spirits do in their contraction conuert themselues into solid or firme shapes of man or beast and appeare in touch to be so excessue cold according to Master Fosters confession namely because the spirit by which they liue contracting it selfe from the Circumference of dilated ayre into the Center of contracted earth leaueth the externall or aëry compacted composition chill and cold like Ice For it is by his emanation or dilatation from the Center vnto the Circumference that kindleth naturall heate in the externall of euery creature To conclude against those that affirme that spirits haue no corporeity It is most certaine that where there is rarum densum thin and thick there consequently is corporeity either thinne or thicke For whatsoeuer is in his substance transmutable vnto a thinner or thicker body must needs bee bodily though not a visible body So is a Starre of Heauen called Densior pars sui orbis that is The inuisible â—…thereall spirit or thin body of Heauen thickned into the visible body of a Starre So also may fire be condensed into ayre and ayre into water and water into earth And againe that earth may be rarified into water and water into ayre and ayre into fire For such is the naturall rotation of elements Now the externall of Angels must be created of the spirituall substance of the higher world or not at all according vnto Basils tenor and consequently it is bodily though of a thinner or thicker consistence according vnto the dignity of the Angell Doth not also Dauid acknowledge thus much in these words Qui facit Angelos spiritus seu aëra 〈◊〉 Ministros ignem vrentem who maketh his Angels spirits or windie ayre and his Ministers flames of fire And therefore it is a shame that such mysteries as these which are most apparent to the considerant should by the ignorant bee derided and esteemed not workes and operations of the Spirit of God in the common element of the world but of the Deuill and so through their blindnesse mistake euill for good darknesse for light of which sort of people the Prophet meaneth in these words Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darknesse for light and light for darknesse that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes and prudent in their owne sight Thus iudicious and vnpartiall Reader you may perceiue by that which hath bene expressed in this Member how vnable mine Aduersaries Sponge hath beene to wipe away the least tittle of that naturall value and diuine vertue which in my mysticall Anatomy I haue ascribed vnto the Weapon-Salue And therefore for all I can see hee may inuent some more substantiall meanes then is this windie Sponge an expresse argument of a light braine or fantastick wit to subuert a Medicine of so weighty an importance and admirable power in working Hee must haue I say strong Cable-ropes in stead of a light Sponge to remoue the foundation of verity and yet I feare they will cracke too before they will be able to draw wise men to beleeue that the good gifts of healing in this Weapon-Salue should proceed from the Deuill and not from God and his benigne mercies which is the onely giuer of health and goodnesse And now I must remember you by the way of one absurdity in our Sponge-bearing Author For he saith first that this manner of cure is Diabolicall and afterward hee seemeth to attribute the effect of it vnto the vrine of man His words are these Doctor Fludds directions are that the Weapon be left in the Vnguent-pot till the