becomes wise and warie after miscrie or as our English prouerbe teacheth The burnt childe will take heede of the fire Let the precedent examples of other mens falles and follies exhort you to remember your Christian dueties and specially now at this instant since that yee are called and sworn as precise Patriots as chosen vessels of honour of an honourable corporation to edifie to doe your best endeuour towards the repairing of the Lords Temple though it were but by tempering of Lime whereto the Noblest is vnfit by transferring of stones by carrying of clay sand haire wooll or rather then nothing in conuaying of Oyster-shels so that ye be industrious in your charge it sufficeth for your discharge But how is it possible for you to performe any such seruice without presumption when as ye sacrilegiously conceale your Countreyes cockle your darnell your droanes your drunkards and your Detractours How is it possible for you to build vp Solymi Rudera clara soli the ruinous wals of the Church Militant when as ye offend the Arch-builder of the world with disloyall thoughts words and workes with exercising Spiritualem nequitiam in coelestibus Spirituall wickednes in heauenly matters with committing spirituall fornication against the Maiestie of Gods spirit How is it possible for you to escape vnpunished or not to be principall partakers of their faults and fines of their finnes and penalties whom ye wantonly spare for worldly respects Alas It is pitie you say to present poore silly wretches who transgresse of meere necessity It is more noble to giue then to take away to spare then to spill And sor the great Ones ye pretend that your cobweb is too thin to cub them in Foolish Pitie Marres the Citie It is a saying not so olde as true Beloued Christians beware of this Alchymie beware of this sophistry for beleeue it as an Article of your Creede that sinne is damnable vnder what colour soeuer it be shrowded Whether it be couered with clouts and ragges or with a golden robe let the Moâ—ster be vnstript let Achan be accused for his theft let Ioab be endicted for his shedding of innocent bloud yea though hee haue taken Sanctuarie and caught hold on the hornes of the Altar Let Semei be brought coram nobis for his â—ayling and reuiling Let Barrabas be found as a notorious felon Enquire whether Bigthan and There 's haue committed treason against the Lords Annointed and whether the sonne of Salomith the sonne of Dibry hath committed the like heynous crimo against the Lord himselfe in blaspheming his hallowed name And of what nature soeuer the billes are that men preferre vnto you follow your euidence and find out the guilty though they be proportioned as huge as Gyants let not their high nor huge statures dismay and defile your vndefiled consciences The cause is none of yours The iudgement is none of yours But both belong vnto him that made you Ye can doe no lesse then â—ndorce BILLA VERA vpon euident misdemeanures albeit with outward teares and inward bleeding griefes For if Saul an Annointed King for sparing of Agag a prisoner Prince had his Kingdome of Israell rent from his posteritie for euer euen by the Lords owne verdict what shall be the guerdon of your indulgence of your cunning concealement The reward of sinne is death and the reward of bloudy or blasphemous sinne such as periury is can be no other then perpetuall death Non est bonum ludere cum Sanctis There is no iesting with oathes no dalliance with detracting from Gods word It is not Equiuocation or mentall reseruation Iurani Imguâ mentem iniura tam gero I swore an oath by tongue but I beare a minde vnsworne as that young man Hyppolitus in Euripedes protested It is not the Popes pardon or his detracting dispensation it is not Indian golde it is not a selfe flattering suggestion nor all this worlds commodity which can iustifie the cursed blot of blasphemie or rectifie the cancred blossomes of blasphemous concealements There is a sinne veniall which we call trespasse and there is a sinne vnto death a sinne not to be forgiuen Such is the wilfull and presumptuous sin of a mans owne witting conscience against the open face and illumination of the holy Ghost And what if the sinne of Periurie fals out to be this horrible and heauie sinne In what a plight are partiall Iuries Therefore my Masters I could wish that ye deliberate with Diuine discretion before ye determine your verdicts rashly in heat of flesh and bloud And to speake more plainely to the purpose I could wish as long as yee enioy this waightie place in examining the defects and defaults of your Countrey that ye proceed not as many now-a-dayes do to censure presently after drinking or Tobacco taking but rather that ye beginne continue and conclude your proceedings soberly grauely and aduisedly without temerity timerousnesse or affection But what man quoth the spirit of Detraction can be so voyde of passion or affection Then farewel kindred farewel loue nay farewell life it selfe if I cannot helpe my friend in necessity or hurt my foe in oportunitie The Lord rebuke thee thou foule spirit that goest about to make Christians worse then Pagans in whose bookes it is written that Iustice hath neither father nor mother Shall we regenerated Christians that know Iustice to be one of the chiefest Attributes of the Godhead and so highly regarded of his sacred Maiestie that he spared not his holy One his owne eternall Word but gaue him ouer for a while to cruell death in reuenge of olde Adams sinnes shall we respect flesh and bloud more then Gods Attribute Shall we forfeit both our eyes to saue one of theirs Shall wee lose our owne soules and bodies to ransome other mens corruptible bodies or temporary fortunes Better it is to cut off one member then that the whole body boile in hot scalding leade He that loues his father and mother aboue me is not worthy of me saith our Sauiour Christ. Shall we being put in trust deceiue the trust that is reposed in vs Shall we become our owne caruers and vnder colour of Iustice iniury the innocent Vengeance is Gods and he will requite It is better O reuengfull Spirit to conceale the guilty then to condemne the guiltlesse But ye beloued of the Lord I hope will so iudiciously behaue your selues in an equall ballance without enclining to the left hand or to the right hand that the Right shall still take place that the expectation of your Iudges conceiued of your fidelity and integrity shall not be voyde and frustrate Ye will demeane your selues I hope so zealously so sincerely in your proceedings that the matter and not the man shall be the obiect of your internall eyes your eyes of vnderstanding which I pray God to enlighten with his knowledge to inspire with the sparkes of his spirit wherby yee may discerne gold from copper truth from periury sincerity from vanity the sonnes
as there be differences and degrees in sinnes wherein for the most part I shake hand with these Detractours so dare I partly aduenture to cleere my soule from one particular sinne like as Luther iustified himselfe from auarice that my nature euer abhorred iniustice or partialitie though I might haue hazarded the loues of my neerest kinsfolkes Let impious Ismael and enuious Haman whose words are swords combine together let them throw forth what Detractions they can like stumbling blockes in my way I passe not for them On the contrarie I will glorie with that Gentile in Tacitus Fulgorem bonorum à me nunquam praelatum excubias ac labores vt vnum ex militibus pro incolumitate Imperatoris malle That I neuer preferred bright shining goods but chose rather watchings and labours as one of the common souldiers for the Emperours safety and for the weaâ—â— of my Countrey Such disgracefull libelles spurging vp from the stemme of blasphemous Detraction were diuulged and dispersed abroad in all places farre and nigh VVhich when I had throughly ruminated and reuoâ—ued in my mind looking withal into the depth of their cankred corruptions how that our heauenly King is highly iniured thereby as also how that his Diuine titles are daily dishonoured despised and detracted with their wilfull wanton and vnwise speeches whereby that member or outward sheath wherein our thoughts are folded which should bee the faithfull Interpreter â—the soule Oraculum animae speculum mentis miraculum naturae is commonly peruerted from Christian puritie to wilfull blasphemie so that Nazianzens saying is verified in our age LinguaÌ„dimidiam humanorum vitiorum partem sibi vendâ—cat halfe the vices which we commit are committed by the tongue Nay our whole life is full of the tongues wickednesse Tota vita nostra linguae delictis est referta as Basil wrote At this prodigious degeneration my spirit seem'd to sparkle as a blazing starre within me portending miseries to such mischieuous wretches yea it burned as a blast of fire in the furnace of my bodie incensing the principall powers thereof as kindes of greene fewell ordained for this purpose to consume some of those saplesse shrubbes or at least as smoking firebrands to terrific children from playing too much with sacred mysteries from laughing like vnnaturall Cham at Noahs nakednesse from mocking at Elishaes reuerend head and to speake like a Poet from plucking ouerlong at Iupiters beard from polluting their fathers ashes These these motiues Right noble Lords enforced me to expose abroad mine vntimely Embrion not altogether shapt aswell as I intended nor yet growne to that maturitie as the Satyrist answeredin defence of Virgils Aeneads Vt ramale vetus vaegrandi subere coctum Like an old bough full ripe with barke But what perfect essence nature denies vnto it or what complete forme Art conceales from it I humbly craue that all may be construed in good part by your Honorsboundlesse bounties wherto as to a diuine Oracle or discreet Rhadamanthes I flie for verdict in the behalfe of this worthlesse worke which once againe I dedicate Dijs tutelaribus to your heroicall vertues eyther by them signed ominously with print of chalke or with coale or according to the Greeke custome with the blacke letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destinating death to be censured worthy of immortalitie and of euerlasting Cedar or else to be cancelled in perpetuall obliuion and Cymmerian darkenesse To the Readers REaders whether ye be men or women kinde or curst friendly or frumping all is one to me I respect not your kinds kindred or kindnesse your kinds being but natures instruments for propagation of mankinde And for other respects which are worldly I force not at all for Truth is spirituall essentiall internall and cares not for outward formalities Onely I weigh your tongues the Detracting instruments of Sathan sor both your genders to the pretudice of your deere soules In your tongues I finde no more distinction or denomination of male and female then I finde of your soules which likewise are neâ—ther male nor female but al one all alike in both your sexes I finde this originall accident coincident aswell to tongues as soules that there be good Aesops tongues and euill Aesops tongues the good ordained to heauenly Hymmes to ioyfull Iubilees to Angelicall Alleluiahes the euill tongues to taunt to detract and with Iobs wife to curse God and die Ye daughters of Eue misconster not my simple speech I taxe not all your tongues in generall There are voices of Angels voices of Men and voices of Diuels The first are heauenly as I said before being sweet smelling sacrifices of Christian Quiristers or holy Oracles of the inward man The second earthly as sounding brasse or tinckling Cymbals The third hellish as the roaring of a rauening Lion The first I commend as the rare song of a blacke Swanne The second I meane to amend as the penitent crie of the prodigall childe The third and hellish voyce of the spirit of Detraction I commit as the Parisians Mattens or Scicilian Euen-song into the Dungeon of hell where is weeping and gnashing of teeth These diuersities of tongues and voyces sprang vp from the same tree of good and euill Out of the same Eue like Lycurgus his whelps or whelpish twinnes came Caine and Abell Vertuous Dames let it suffice that for your sakes I spare to play the Satyrist against the Detracting Niobes of this age Onely I controule them with a gentle checke and because you pleade in their excuse that they be the weaker vessels and not enabled with such a noble courage as the man therefore I giue them the milder bridle the golden snaffle Curteous Readers I speake not to you for they that be whole neede no Phisitians Captious Readers on you I call Behold here are bridling bits for your byting mouthes Readers yeeld to your Riders shew your selues pliable peaceable and ready to receiue conuenient chastisements Let not your customary hold of fâ—asting fellowship of giddy gossipping or of Tobacco taking with-hold your mindes from our Cursory Lectures Resist the Diuell and he will flie from you But I pray what phantasie drawes your wits astry â—ee sharpe tongued souldiers of the forlorne hope Yee that were wont to daunt your foes brauely in the field to conquere Kingdomes and beate downe the enemies of Christ in forraine soiles why become ye now-adaies so effeminate as to conuert your swords into words your powerfull prowesse into pratling parlance Why degenerate ye from your famous Auncestours Too true it is that ouer-much ease mars your generous spirits welfare makes you wanton and prouâ—nder prickes you forwards to turne deeds into Detractions and in stead of Christian resolution to wage warre with your tongues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to incline to swinish companying carousing and Tobacconizing where many foule faults flocke together and as the nature of sinne is to multiply according to our Sauiour Christs words where one wicked spirit is suffered to inhabite there he brings
termes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an ouer-curious work for our weake capacities I will relate the differences of such good Spirits as wee finde registred in the word of God to the entent that the spirit of Detraction may tremble the more when he hears their energie and efficacy expressed their energie and efficacie which they possesse by the sight and light of the heauenly Sunne Michael the Archangell is the great Prince which stands for the Lords people And as St. Iohn recordeth in his Diuine mysteries there was a battell in Heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and his Angels whom they ouercame by the blood of the Lambe that is by Christs innocency This Michael as many suppose is no other then our Sauiour Christ. For euen as by the Dragon the Arch-spirit of sinne is parable-wise included so by this Michael the Archangel of saluation might very well be figured By Michaels Angels I vnderstand his glorious spirit his Oracles comprehended in the Scripture the intercessions of Saints for our conuersions zealous bookes published by many good men for our edification in Christ besides our faithfull hearts prepared to heauen by deuout prayers and necessary mortifications of our lustfull bodies By the Dragon the Serpent or Deuill I expound the contempt of the Holy Ghost the deprauing of his precious gifts the spirit of Detraction the spirit of enuie the spirit of vncleanenesse and other sinfull spirits repugnant to the pure spirit of God For as S. Paul confirmes the selfe same because they regarded not God therefore God deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient being full of all vnrighteousnesse fornication coueteousnesse malitiousnesse full of enuie c. In some places Angels are termed the starres of God for euen as starres doe shew the light of Heauen vnto vs shining onely to our outward sight so Angels signifie to the inward man the heauenly light of the sun-shine of grace Where mention is made of the Seraphins we may coniecture that for our weakenesse in nature and easie instruction they appeared with wings to the Prophet crying one to another Holy Holy Holy the Lord of Hostes The whole world is full of his glory as a prefiguratiue reuelatition that the word of God the Gospell of Christ should flie ouer all the world and fill the same with his glorious power In like manner their description with wings portends their celeâ—ity and swift readinesse to succour vs in extremity Another Prophet layeth downe the forme of the Cherubins in this manner Euery one of them had foure faces and euery one foure wings and the likenesse of a mans hand was vnder their wings Vnder which vision we may containe the similitude of the foure Euangelists with Christs hand or with his holy Spirit transported into the foure quarters of the world into the East West North and South according vnto the foure ages of the world vnder Adam Noah Moses and Christ which is the last and renueth vs to euerlasting life Among others of Gods spirituall ministers which his Maiesty sent to mankinde one is named Gabriel an Angel that appeared first to Daniel when he prayed to haue that performed of God which he had promised touching the returne of the people from their captiuity in Babilon While he was speaking and praying euen the man Gabriel whom he had seene before in a vision came flying and touched him The said Gabriel came afterwards to Zacharias the Priest to shew him the Natiuity of S. Iohn Baptist and was also sent to Mary the mother of Christ. An Angel called Vriel reproued Esdras because he seemed to enter into the profound iudgements of God And there Ieremiel an Archangell confirmes the wordes of Vriel Raphael one of the seuen holy Angels which goe forth before the Lord tooke the shape of a man and fellowlike conuersed with yong Tobias vntill he brought him home safely from his great iourney bound Asmodeus the lustfull spirit and restored to olde Tobith his sight Now it remaines that I shew what Angels be Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation The Holy Ghost in the Scripture expresseth their outward formes particular names and numbers in plaine termes to make their Embassages and messages of greater reckoning to our terrestriall senses and simple vnderstanding Their mansions be diuers as our Sauiour testified My Fathers house hath many Mansions Their multitudes infinite Thinkest thou said Christ to his Disciple which smote the High Priests seruant that I cannot now pray to my Father and he will giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels These be they whose loude voyces that profound Diuine heard saying Praise honour glory and power be vnto him that sâ—teth vppon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore These be they whom our Sauiour Christ prophesied to send against the day of Iudgement to gather together his Elect from the foure windes and from the one end of the Heauen to the other These likewise be those diuine Ministers which at the end of the world shall goe forth and seuer the bad from among the iust and shall cast them into a Fornace of fire where there shall be wayling and gnashing of teeth In the holy Scriptures we reade that holy men such as Aaron the Prophets and Priests were called Gods or Angels because they resembled them in proprieties and perfections for euen as it is the office of Angels to praise God in purity of minde and sanctification so likewise it is the duty of Ministers to preach and teach the word of God without hypocrisie negligence or worldly craft THE SECOND CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CO NIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1. The true application of the abouesaâ—d Coniurations 2 That the names of other good spirits be manifold and diuerfly taken in the holy Scripture 3 After what manner Sinne the messenger of Sathan stings vs. 4 By what meanes we may repell the stings of Sathan 5 That it is hard to iudge of our spirituall stings and from whence they come THe meditation of these mysteries I hope will shake the power of our spiritual Tempters and shape our humane wils after the refined mould of the Inward man so that we prostrate our selues before our Heauenly Lord humbly prying into our owne vnworthines and putting off our vncleane sâ—oes before wee touch his holy Mount so that we employ our knowledge in testimonium veri non in adiutorium falsi for the glory of God and not for the support of sinne so that also we apply our contemplation of his Saints for admiration and not for adoration applauding their happy estates with the acknowledgement of our owne vnhappinesse For who can thrust Peter into Gods Throne were he ne're so glorious a Saint without apparant Treason Downe then yee Detracting soules into your earthly caues
vnder the spirit of Detraction Wherefore weane thy minde from Detractions while thou hast store of time Giue euery man his due or hold thy peace and let Gods prouidence alone If the world like thee not detract not from the vilest wretch but rather reioyce that others yet delight in charity in distributing almes Or doth thy neighbour disquiet thee because he is not as bountifull as thy selfe Looke thou onely to thine owne talent It may be that of himselfe without thy carping he will become a liberal conuert like that Terenan Demea Though thou be strong he may be more actiue though thou be strong and actiue he may be wiser or more pregnant in wit though thou be nobly borne he may haue a better face though thou hast an amiable face he may be better bodied yea and perhaps though thou and he be as charitable as Tobias as bountifull as Maecaenas as strong as Hercules as nimble as Asahel as wise as Solomon as well descended as Aiax as beautifull as Absolon there may come a gouty Crassus and a greedy Craesus onely with earthy excrements to bereaue you both of your hearts contentment your amourous Saints For this cause embrace patience and taciturnity and neuer detract from Tobias his charity from Maecaenas his bounty from Hercules his strength from Asahel his actiuity from Solomon his wisedome from Aâ—ax his birthright from Absolon his beauty nor from misers their golden trash though the want of them or of worldly pleasures discontent thy wordly thoughts If one Sparrow cannot light vpon the ground if one haire cannot fall from our heades without the appointment of God why dost thou O simple man sometimes swell with anger sometimes scoffe and scolde some other times pine away with enuy and at all times raise vp a tumultuous hurly-burly and a confused combustion within thine owne body against thine owne soule because this world sorts not altogether according to thy will and wish Remember the fable of the foolish Frogge that malitiously repined at the Oxe because he dranke more then himselfe and so striuing to match him burst his owne belly After the same sort Dum mendicantes plures videt ore dicaci Persequitur mendicus acri marcetque dolore One beggar frets with rayling and with woe Because he sees neere him more beggars goe LINEAMENT XIII The Conclusion showing that all persons from the Prince his Scepter to the Coblers naulc are subiect to Detracting tongues WHat Prince euer flourished without Calumniation What state euer stood without Enuies sting What Trade without interruptions of malicious Sycophants Figulus figulo One Mechanicall person repines at the other One neighbour speakes ill of the other Moyses had his Corah Dauid his Semei Achilles his Thersites Homer his Zoilus Philip his Demades Alexander his Clytus Mardocheus his Haman Socrates his Anitus Cicero his Salust Neyther liued our Sauiour Christ without thousands of slanders Did he cast out Diuels out of vncleane bodies No saith the Iew he could not cast out Diuels but by inuocation on Baalzebub Prince of Diuels Did he cure the blinde Let vs examine his Parents and trie the truth Did Father Abraham beleeue in Christ That could not hee when Christ was not yet borne Did Christ protest himselfe to be the Messias the King of the Iewes As false as the rest Elias must first come and he that names himselfe King sinnes against Caesar. Such was the malice of this monstrous Fiend that he caused his Ministers to raile at Christ to rend his Diuinity in his last distresse Some yelled If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse. Others mocked He saued others himselfe he cannot saue Others Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes saue thy selfe Thus was the Sonne of God reuiled as long as hee liued Yet opened hee not his mouth but sate still like a Lambe before the shearer After his glorious resurrection these ingratefull Iewes affirmed that his disciples stole away his body for al that their Centurion watched about his tombe In like manner the Corinthians back-bited S. Paul for his charitable care on the behalfe of the poore Saints at Ierusalem Though himselfe was not chargeable vnto them neuerthelesse being crafty he caught them with guile And againe his letters were sore and strong but his bodily presence weake and his speech nothing worth Thus rageth Sathan by his detracting deputy ouer persons of all conditions ouer Nobles and ignobles ouer the Clergy and the Laity from the Prince his Scepter to the Coblers naule from the crowne to the foote yea euen from the Kings crowne to the poore mans spade THE FOVRTH CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The felicity and infelicity of our Countrey of Great Britaine 2 The Authours supplication to the high and mighty Court of Parliament for suppressing of common Swearing Blasphemies Slannders Periuries and other Detractions offensiue to God and their Countreyes weale 3 That they crucifie Christ anew which sweare eyther wantonly or wilfully by his bloud c. 4 The Authors motion for more Additions to the Statute of Periurie 5 The necessitie if these Additions and of likely circumstances to lead our common Iurours O Noble Iland our natiue land how happy art thou that art so famous among thy neighbours among the nations for thy faith vnto thy spirituall Spouse for the good and pleasant sauour of thy most pretious balmes O noble Iland of great and gracious Britain whose name is a sweete smelling oyntment when it is shed forth How happy art thou that excellest all the Iles of the Ocean Indian and Mediterranean Seas as farre as the light of life exceedeth dulnesse death and darkenesse And how vnhappy art thou which notwithstanding this thy happinesse this exceeding excellency and famous faith that enlightens thy soule aboue the noone-tide Sun How vnhappy I say art thou which being humane as well as Diuine partaker of Good and Euill knowledge hast thy night as well as day thy winter as well as Summer thy darkesome eclipses as well as the Deities glorious glimpses How vnhappy art thou that holdest the Dragons detracting stinges and the Eagles horrible wings as well as the Doues simplicity and the Lambes integrity How vnhappy art thou that hidest within thee nests of nasty and noisome foule Cages of euery vncleane and hatefull birds and that harborest within thy bosome Hypocrites Blasphemers Periurers and Antichristians as vile venemous vermine as Foxes in Lambes skinnes Foxes that hurt thy Vines Vines which beare blossomes Thy Wolues are long sithence worne and weeded out by the policy of a prouident prudent Prince And why may not likewise thy Dragons thy foule birds and filthy Foxes be rooted out of this vnited Realme seeing that our present Prince surmounts all his Progenitors in policie prouidence and prudence It is high time my Soueraigne Liege that you bestirre your powerfull Scepter proclayming out strong thundring
of God from the sonnes of Bâ—lial to the glory of his heauenly Maâ—â—stie to the comfort of his Deputy heere on earth to the discharge of your owne consciences which yee pawne and pledge for the security of your duety and diligence Discite Iustitiam moniti non temnite Diuoâ— THE FIFT CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The Authors scope in this Circle 2 His inuocation to the Godhead against his Ghostly Enimies IN the precedent Circles I haue affoorded the Reader a taste of my present purpose in it I haue coniured the spirit of Detraction forearming my selfe with the spirits of Goodnes or to speake Poetically Aegide Palladia with Mineruâ—es shield and so by descent discried the tree of Good and Euil wherin I haue exercised my declining will with excellent exorcismes of Michaels mysteries and also I haue therehence deseended as it were by steps and degrees to the pedegree of those degenerate spirits which gape after mans damnation euer since our deiection from that Paradise of free-will being but the mysticall meanes of olde Adams probation and particularly I haue canuased the said spirit of Detraction that domineeres it in all places at Ordinaries at Feastes at Tobacchonizing without curbe or checke one while breathing forth blasphemies against his God that will not holde him guiltlesse another while possessing the soules of our reprobates like vnto those of Ahabs false Prophets so that they broach out whole pipes of poisonous periuries paradoxes slaunders and ridiculous girdes in the derogation nay in despite of the meeke and milde spirit of God whom they forâ—e to depart away out of their quondam baptized consciences being very sorrowfull to see their hardened hearts and to see his holy gifts bestowed in vaine But our Fathers determinate will be done in earth as it is in heauen that hath sealed vp the certainty and number of the Elect before this world was made by his word and wisedome And now that the spirit of Detraction stands forth to be arraigned at the barre of vnderstanding let no man blame me if I lay out Truth it selfe in euidence against him as well to conuince him present as also to confound his absent adherents acceslaries and abertours which together with the abouesaid diuellish euils make no conscience in this licentious age with the Gyants of olde time to raise and roule vp mounts against the Heauens with Promethâ—us to rob God of his â—ight to father his workes of highest honour vpon the Father of lies and according to the nature of base spirits which cannot eleuate themselues to the Spheare of speculation to stand in greater feare of the Diuels supposed realty then to become rauished with the louely Maiestie of the euerliuing God who with one blast can tumble downe such detracting Clinickes into the abisme of eternall night where their Chymist God inhabites without hope of redemption In execution of which important charge I doubt not but Sathan whose miracles I annull wil coniure vp many sulphure ous wits of both sexs nicking Momes and nipping Niobes to scolde and scoffe to raile and reuile at this worke of charity Cadmus with his Serpents teeth grinnes many menaces Medusa with her prodigious art threatens to bang me and to stone me and all because I write the truth O that I had Perseus his vertue to conquere this terrible Gorgon But why interpose I the fictions of Paynime Poets among the sentences of holy Writ O heauenly Spirit be thou my Perseus lend me thy Dauids sling to encounter this Ghostly Golias and this grisly Giantesse Behold how my spirituall Foe mounted on his iade of Detraction dares me to the fielde daunt thou him with thy potent Word and his omnipotence will be impotent cast forth thy Aarons rodde and his arrowes will be swallowed vp While thy Grace shines on me I feare no Magiâ—ke spels no Serpents teeth no Witches curse Let them draw my picture by Pygmalions skill in the purest Virgin waxe reuenge their wrath with sharpe pointed needles my heart shall neuer quaile let them burne the same for an Hereticke as those of Tholouza burnt their Kings I wil not feare what man or Diuell can do to me not although they disgorge vpon mee their bane of Basiliskes nor though they discharge their Iambicke volumes or rather vollees of their Basiliscoes for the God of heauen is he that reigneth ouer all things that ruleth all things in all places at all times He euen he it is that is All in al the Glorious God that maketh the thunder the onely worker of powerfull miracles to whom all Principalities all Dominions all powers and all creatures as well incorporall as corporeall inuisible as visible must kneele for mercy with honour dread and reuerence LINEAMENT II. 1 How the Spirit of Detraction attributes the glorious workes of God vnto the Diuâ—ll 2 That mens guiltie consciences driue them to extoll the Diuell and his supposed power IF men be guiltie for blaspheming the name of God If they be precisely forbidden to haue any dealings with false reports If they must account for euery idle word all which I haue proued hithereunto in what a grieuous case are those wretches which commit not onely all these vanities together but likewise diminish derogate and detract in peremptory proud and presumptuous manner from their great Creator his glorious appurtenances his types of maiesty and his titles of heauenly honour In what a forlorne estate are they which liue in the darksome dungeon of spirituall Aegypt and in the whorish brothelry of spirituall Sodome How vnhappy are they which leaue so superstitiously vnto the leauen of our Pharisaicall Papists walking a whore-hunting after strange Gods both in bodie and soule with both these the most part of the world obserue the Spirit of Detraction with the principall members of the body with their tongues they detract with their eares they lustfully listen with their hearts they consent sucking like spungeous or hydropicke bodies all corruptions whatsoeuer with the principall faculties of the soule with their reasons willes memories they hatch foster and reiterate such blasphemous paradoxes No crosse nor losse can chance but the Diuell sent it No signe nor sigh can happen but the Diuell sent it The Diuell say they is the onely Emperour of hell king of the Planets Starres and Meteors and also absolute Prince of this earthly world These are the ordinary speeches diuulged at our Ordinaries No Tauerne bur is full of this hellish stuffe No conference but the Diuell by stealth gets in his cursed name What eares could not glow at these runnagate reports What heart would not burne at these vncharitable conceits What scholer of worth would not set out his talent to aduantage his learning in print in hearing the Archangels honour extenuated and the Dragons horne exalted Truly for my part though inferiour to many Phinehees in zeale and deuotion I cannot silently suffer these ignominious iniuries against the
number of the iust and if these be condemned by iniurye the other shall one day be condemned by Iustice. The case thus depending thou oughtest to pitâ—ie the essentiall and eternall losse of their soules rather then to detract from the accidentall and momentary qualities of their bribed minds Thou oughtest rather to consider their future calamities then to commaculate their present fame with carping calumnies I am flesh and bloud thou sayest and cannot endure that the blacke Oxe shall alwayes tread on my tender foot They haue shamed me with committing mee to Newgate to Bridewell to Bocardo and to those lodges of infamie vvhich are fitter for Rogues then for Righteous men for Villaines then for vertuous persons O vvorldly creature vvherefore camest thou into this vvorld Camest thou hither to liue for euer or to liue a life of tryall or probation for a vvhile vntill thine owne merits in the merits and mercy of Christ had purchased thee a perpetuall place in Heauen Art thou in an earthly prison Giue God thankes that hee respects thy soule thy noblest part For nothing drawes man to meditate on his dutie towards God more then pinching paines more then the imprisonment of his body when the minde may waike at libertie and contemplate the rarest magazins of Truths secrets In my iudgement thou oughtest to glorifie God the more to gratifie thy foes the more if foes they be which send thee towards heauen now that thou feelest with thy body and soule the true crosse vvhich before thou did protest promise and professe as a Christian but in bare wordes to follow nay to embrace during thy probationship Thy detractions as thou againe alleadgest are not causelesse for thou art condemned causelesse and vnworthily to tortures to tormenting paines The pittilesse Iudges haue adiudged thee to iron bolts to pillories to be vsed like a Rogue to be made a spectacle vnto all the vvorld O true crosse true Christian Crosse which our righteous Sauiour hath borne before vs. Hee vvas buffetted hee was scourged his head was bloudyed with a crowne of pricking thornes yea and his precious body was pierced with a speare and nayled to the crosse with cruell curses mockes and sloutes and dost thou repine to imitate thy glorious Maister No seruant is greater then his Maister Thinke vpon Iosephs state how his body vvas vniustly captiuated how his innocent feet vvere galled vvith stockes and fetters therefore content thy selfe and God vvill release thee of thy smarting griefes Doe but examine aright the true course and occurrence of this world and thou shalt finde that thy tormentours themselues are not free from some casuall crosse or other and that alwayes as long as they liue When they were yong they complained of their parents rule ouer their vnrulinesse they complained of aches in their heads and teeth of itches of kibes and other infirmities They complained of their Schoolemasters scourge of his Fearuler of his checks and chidings When Nature clothed their chinnes with beards or hairie fleeces their false ioyes vvere daily salted vvith choller with enuy with melancholicke fittes Their bodyes vvere perplexed with maladies of sundry sorts vvith burning feauers or such like sicknesses Their mindes vvere assayled vvith multitudes of cares with discontentments or discourtisies of friends of followers or of their owne meniall people When their hoary age crept in which of it selfe is an incurable sicknes nullis medicabilis herbis then likewise a world of troubles pursues them hourely at their very heeles nay I vvould say at their backes in their backes in all the parts of their bodyes Now they grone and mone vvith dolour of the Chollicke the stone and vvith continuall aches in their decayed ioynts and as the Poet wrote tunc cum lapidosa chiragra Fregerit articulos veteris ramalia Fagi The knottie cramping Gout Their ioynts doe gripe about Which like old Beechen boughes It breakes with often throwes Another vvhile the Ptisicke caused through a long Catarre consumes their corrupted wind-pipes or else their filthy mouthes which sometimes spued vp most filthy speâ—ches doe now spit out whole gobbets of flegme like stincking Oysters Others againe haue not that benefit but languishing with wearied breath they faint vnder their long continued oppilations which the former Poet painted out in this most liuely verse Gutture sulphure as lâ—ntè exhalaâ—te mephitet Their throates exhaling lazily Sulphureous smels full lothsomely What shall I speake of Promooters of pettifogging Lawyers or of cauelling neighbours which like Caterpillers Rats and vile vermine molest them with wrongfull suites forcing them to trauell Testaque Lâ—tâ—que through thicke and thinne in great ieopardie of their liues to consume all their money to the very bottome of their puâ—ses and to â—râ—t them to the very bottome of their hearts I will passe ouer how Iudges themselues are also vexed one while their vnnaturall Sonnes disquiet them and how another while their owne Wiues vphold factions in their owne houses against them One while their credit is iustly called in question by their emulous companions another while they are slandered with those things which they neuer once thought no nor drearned of Thus God rewards them with the Talion law with like for like after the example of Adonibezeck who somtimes hauing threescore ten Kings vvith their thombes and great toes cut off and gathering their crums meat vnder his table was at the last apprehended himselfe by the Tribe of Iâ—da and had his owne thombes and great toes cut off worthily perishing by tortures of his owne inuention like as the Inuenter of the brazen Bull was adiudged by the Tyrant Phalaris first to try the torments Which also moued Adonibezeck to brust out into these complaints As I haue done so God hath done to me againe To what end serue thy detrâ—ctions when as thou seest them already tossed toiled and turmoiled with infinit vexations LINEAMENT XI 1 The Reply of the Spirit of Detraction to the premisses 2 An Answere to the said Reply out of the Rules of Policie fit to be obserued of pecuish Preachers 3 The benefit that comes to a true Christian by detracting tongues where the Spirit of Detraction is conuicted with his owne sorce THese words of mine replies another punie or pupill of the Detracting Spirit sauour of a Sermon stile fitter for the Pulpet then for Geometrical Circles for a Preacher then for a pryer into Spirits for the inward man which must prepare himselfe for the other world rather then for the outward man which must suite and sort himselfe to the humorous spirits of this present world Tread vpon a worme and the worme will turne againe Musca habet splenem Formicae sua bilis inâ—st The little Flie hath her spleene and the humour of choller is incident to the Emmet How can a man of reason brooke to be continually crossed by his Colltages and Fellow-officers in his zealous endeuours How can a man chuse but vvhet his tongue to
in other in-mates worse spirits then himselfe specially the spirit of Detraction first gets in his head like a cunning Foxe and then by little and little enters in with his whole body to the vtter ouer throw of mans little world So that Christians fall out to be Antichristians Apostles Apostates and manly souldiers scoldes and scoffers To come neerer vnto you what is the reason that this renowned people who claime themselues from Brutus are become so brutish as to be addicted to gossip-ales Bride-ales and to bacchanales and consequently to Detractions and descanning of other mens destinies yea and otherwhiles to discourse of Gods secret iudgments Omne vitium habet patrocinium No vice without a clâ—ake no sinne without some apish Apologie These iolly fellowes being driuen to this exigent doe confesse that corrupted custome brought them to such vitious habites O cruell custome O hatefull habites which worke the fatall and finall ruine of soules and bodies Neuerthelesse as there is no custome but may be altered so for mine owne part I cannot beleeue that custome alone causeth man a creature enriched with Diuine reason and enfâ—offed with free-will and election in many things specially in naturall and humane things to carouse and then to reade stammering Lectures both on the sacred power of God and on their simple neighbours soules For some carouse of custome some of wantonnesse and company Some againe delight therein being sophistically perswaded that the excessiue vse thereof auailes much for their healths sake as a purger of superfluous rheumes Others fauour Tobacconisme because they would not seeme ouer-nice melancholicke or men by themselues in the singular number and also because Tobacco might serue them in stead of salt or drie leaders to drinking and consequently vnto Detracting but for the most part our Caualâ—ers and Gentles of the first head sucke in the smoakie vapour of Tobacco because they might counterfeit themselues gidâ—y or drunken for it is no shame to be drunke with Tobacco when they want copie of matter or store of discourse Then they fame themselues so long rauished as it were in an eâ—tasiâ— vntil after a thorough per ambulation of their barren wits and after long houghing halking and hacking they haue coined some strange accident worthy the rehersall among their boone companions Then as though they started out of an heauenly traunce and as the Satyrist writes Mobile colluerint liquido cùm plasmate guttur Hauing their throats wel washt with dreggish drugs They recount tales of Robin-hood of Rhodomonting rouers of Donzel del Phoebo of a new Anti-christ borne in Babylon of lying wonders blazing out most blasphemous newes how that the Diuell appeared at such a time with lightning and thundring Maiestie much about that horrible manner as the Glorious God appeared on mount Horeb raised tempests both on Sea and land not inferiour to those stormy Heteroclites of the West Indies called the Furicanoes shooke the foundation of the earth battered such Gentlemens houses and if they had not suddenly blessed themselues better he had carried away with him men women houses and all right into hell These or such like feeble fables doe they scatter abroad among their foolish Auditors while in the meane time the Diuell the Schoole-master of all lewdnesse appeares no where more forcibly then in the very midst of these vncharitable Readers yea and perhaps his spirituall pâ—yson or poysonous spirit is exhaled and exhausted with their Tobacco and draughts of drinke into their mustie mindes O Tongue how is thy perfection peruerted thy sense depraued thy sound degenerated How comes it to passe that the soules Embassadour is become a turne-coate Herald Expectaui legatum inueni Heraldum I expected an honourable Embassadour but haue found a huffe-cap Herald as our late Queene Elizabeth of famous memory sometime nickt a presumptuous Embassadour of Polonia I expected to heare nothing but truth out of the mouth of Gods similitude specially to his neighbour in Christ to Christ in his members But alas I finde nothing but lies and libels Omnis homo mendax I expected for reformation but haue met with ruinous relapses O Tongue tongue how miserable are the effects of thy motions Being made for a watchfull clapper to the Bell of Gods Temple to pray for Grace to comfort the sicke to confirme the penitent to confute the absurd to confound the Detractour why ringest thou out such paltry peales Why ragest thou against thy Masters will against thy selfe without iust cause or neede In thy youthfull time thou crakest and vauntest of thy vaine worth bursting thy lungs welnigh with windy bragges In thy more mellow or maturer age thou standest elated in thine owne conceit as though thy hoarie colour hath added vncontrouled trust and truth vnto thy stale assertions In all the progresse of thy wagging in all thy proceedings thou abusest thy proper function for which the Lord will not hold thee guiltlesse at that vniuersall Synod when the heauens shall be folded together like a booke when our consciences the true table-bookes of our soules shall lie open without lies against vs and we shall yeelde account for euery idle word These things expended and examined by me in the ballance of vnderstanding and fearing least I might participate with them in their derogatory crimes or encurre the penalty of trayterous Misprision towards our righteous Lord for my cowardly conccalements if according to that measure of spirit which he hath bestowed vpon me I reproued them not therefore haue I published this humble Treatise that therein as in a glasse or map they may behold the reflexion of their filthy faults extinguished and extirped What do I know whether the great God hath deliuered me from diuers dangers for these or such like purposes To this end was I bâ—râ—e that I should doe my best to glorifie God and edific my countrey To this end I wish with all the veynes of my heart that what ability of wel-saying and wel-doing is defectiue in mine owne person the same by the Diuine bounty may be liberally supplied to all others in this present booke And that the Readers hereof may learne in sparing speech to follow the examples of the holy Prophets and Apostles who for their honest admonitions and humble exhortations were ouercast with a cloude of scorne among the reprobates of this world or at least wise that they imitate some of the heathenish Philosophers namely Pythagoras who imposed Decennale silentium ten yeares silence on his schollers or Socrates who for many howers together would sit silently musing on the wonderfull workemanship of God or Arcesilas Solon and other enemies of Detraction To this end I heartily wish that all they which finde themselues subiect to this spirit of Detraction may be terrified from that idle vse with such magicall motiues of Michaels mysteries as I haue herein inserted like as if the Vtopian Syphograunts the Athenian Ostracisme the Romane Censors the Spanish Inquisition or as if the statute de scandalis
magnatum being as it were naturalis feritatis mastix the scourge of sauage nature had straightly bridled their lauish tongues within the precincts of their teeth and lips Vos O Patricius sanguis queis viuere fas est Occipiti coeco posticae occurrite sannae TO THE CVRIOVS PAINTERS OF CIRCLES IF these lines or leaues of my Circles drawne from the Center to the circumference be not all equall or if the points and prickes of euery line answere not the Mathematicall proportion of the Circle thou knowest that Veritas non quaerit angulos truth respects not angles triangles quadrangles nor artificiall curiosity I care not for the enticing words of worldlings wisedome but I couet the Spirit of euidence and power I couet matter more then method And yet I labour so to linke them that the line of nature may stand coupled with the points of Art that both from the Center of truth be caried to a Christian circumference for eueÌ„ as the gifts of the holy Ghost be distributed diuersly and in diuerse measures to Gods children some hauing but one grain of faith being conuerted in the euening of their liues and yet by grace adopted adiudged worthy to receiue the like equal crown of glory the like equall wages as those which laboured longer in the Lords haruest so to coÌ„pare little things with great let thy Grace Ingenuous Reader or gracious construction counteruail the vnequal lines of my Circles Where they exceed in their dimensiue quantity there oppose their distributiue quality for a counter-ballance Et sic omnes lineae ductae à centro ad circumferentiam sunt aequales THE FIRST CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED Diâ—ided into Lineaments LINEAMENT I. 1 To whose capacity the description of Spirits is difficult and to whose it is easie 2 The Authors inuocation to the Godhead through whose only operation the spirit of Detraction is to be coniured and conuicted THAT which is inuisible transcendent and not to be vnderstood in the land of mortall creatures such as is the description of Spirits cannot distinctly be disposed according to the prescription of curious Artists by reason that our knowledge here on earth is subiect to mutations vanity of vanities varnished only to the outward man and quickly vanished either through distemperature of the braine olde age or death and also by reason that a spirit in substance subsistence is supernaturally whole without Multiplication Diuersity or Part somewhat prodigious vnto Natures view Yet notwithstanding these infirmities we may conferre about the metaphysicall mysterie of Spirits contesting with the sword of the Spirit the word of God not for haughty ostentation but for humble edification comparing spirituall things with spirituall things The naturall man perceiues not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things He that submits his knowledge to the touch-stone of knowledge to the highest power scorning all Peacocke-plumes of Apocryâ—hall tradition and of old Adams impurities discerneth all things The Clerkes of China say that themselues do see with two eyes the Europeans with one eye and that all the rest of the world are starke blinde not hauing any eyes at all Euen so the soules of the supernall China the Church truely triumphant by looking on him which ouerlooketh all things doe spiritually discerne all things and do know as they are knowne The regenerated Christian discerneth though glimmering wise or winking through a darke glasse with one eye many things apperteyning to the lowly workes and louely fruits of the new man which is renewed into knowledge after the Image of him that made him But the naturall man confined within natures compasse can neuer discourse no nor dreame once of Diuine affaires While the flesh preuailes against the Spirit our knowledge is as it were stifled with a deadly earthly dampe and cannot appeare in that conspicuous maner as when our Epicurean natures become curb'd or crucified There is such iustling and bustling such strining strugling betwixt the flesh and the soule that Gods peace is oftentimes to both their miseries infringed The Mistresse therefore must straightly correct her seruant and that betimes before she attaine vnto her stubborn age left then she chuse rather to breake then to bow vnto her wholesome will The austere consideration of this our humane fragility caused the Apostle to write after this manner I tame my body and bring it into subiection lest while I preach to others I my selfe become a cast-away For the soule that walloweth in sensuality in fat blood and grosse humors can neuer enter into the speculation of spirituall comfort The smokie vapours which breathe from thence into the braine doe interpose a darksome mist of blockishnes before her eyes of vnderstanding whereof let a fat paunch beare me instance How cau'st thou saith the Satyrist meditate on any thing praise-worthy which hast such a large Ewer hanging forth a foote and a halfe from thy body Cum tibi Calue Pinguis aqualiculus propenso sesquipede extat Like as a Candle put in an earthen pot enlightneth onely the pot but being therhence remoued into a Lanthorne illuminates the whole roome with a farre greater splendor then before so the vnderstanding spirit of man eclipsed with the foggie interposition of sensuall pleasures lies infatuated and besotted like an Abbey-lubber not once able to crie out Abba Father but thence recalled by the holy Spirit of God and refined with competent fasting at due times with contrite humility and conuenient meditations it forgets the vanities of this cloudy world and frames it selfe wholly to spirituall contemplation And finally separated and singled out from the bodies prison it shines brighter then any starre Then Reason shines without eclipse of errour Wisdome without ignorance and Memory without obliuion Then shall we be able to contemplate with the eye of Faith the awefull Maiesty of the mighty Trinity the in effable and inestimable felicity of our fellows Saints Then shall we comprehend the mystical messages of the heauenly Spirits ascending and descending in Chariots of sacred fire to the behoofe of our Christian brethren and inuisibly instructing the Church on earth like as themselues are both instructed and inspired of their Prince of zeale But what am I that presume to weaue a worke of such wonderfull forms in such a base and broken loome How dare I with King Vzziah burn incense vnto the Lord that am not sanctified nor of the tribe of Leui how dare I that am in his presence more mean then the meanest moth or Atome more abiect then any Ant how dare I being so mean an abiect aspire to set forth the obiects of his wonderous workes Retire O my soule to the Soule of thy soule the Life of thy life the Lord of life as to the celestiall center of all perfections The Sun-shine of
his mercie may dispell thy darkesome scurfe of Leprosie dispence with thy Bayards boldnes Behold theÌ„ most mighty Monarch thy poore Publican afraid of thine anger ashamed of his ignorance conuerts himselfe vnto thee Correct by the inspiration of thy Spirit this aspiring enterprise of mine which I intend for the discerning of Spirits and disabling of the maleuolent Spirit of Detraction O Lord of incomprehensible goodnes graunt me my suit because I am a mâ—n of vncircumcised polluted lips let one of thy glorious winged Seraphines touch my mouth that being purified I may vtter nothing but truth The way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps Measure thou my steps o heauenly Spirit mortifie my â—oâ—uptuous thoughts of flesh and blood lighten mine internall eyes that I may lift my lumpish spirit to spirituall cogitations and apply my misty minde to thine eternall influence which cannot be seene at all with mortal sight but onely with most pure intellectuall minds as thy seruant Augustine confessed Trinitas Diuiâ—arum personaruÌ„ non nisi purgatissimis mentiê° cernitur The eye of sense and the eye of reason are both too dimme for discerning thee O illuminate my soule with the eye of faith so that my flesh being yoaked to my soule my soule vnto reason my reason vnto saith I may couragiously conquere and coniure downe the Scrich-Owle of darkenesse into the dungeon of hell Purge me with thy precious pilles lest in reprehending the Spirit of Detraction in others my selfe do fall into the same traines by the she suggestions of that Euill one who watcheth hourely like a wily wolfe to circumuent thy silly sheepe And thou my soule praemonita praemunita fore-warned fore-armed do thy best to charme this spitefull Spirit with charitable Characters of deepe Diuinity when he ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men By vertue of these glorious gifts the gifts of the Spirit by the crosse of our Sauiour Christ coniure him vp and downe that his cousenages and cheating craft may appeare to his clawbacke Clients To all other charmes the Adder is deafe hee stoppeth his eares and will not obey charme we neuer so wisely Iesus he knowes and Paul he knowes but who are we It is impossible for any kingdome to continue long which is at iarre and warre within it selfe To what purpose then stands Medaeas Magicke in firreting out of Fiends To what end seekest thou O Sibill to coniure downe Cerberus the hel-hound of darkenesse What auailes your cunning O Circe and Calypso Can Degon stand before the Arke of God No certainly Therefore in vaine doe Medaea Circe Calypso and Sibilla labour to exercise their exorcismes and shallow sorceries within the Circle nay within sight of that fielde where one graine offaith is sowne In vaine serue Witches wreathes where God is worshipped In vaine sings he Bacchare frontem Cingite ne vati noceat mala lingua future With Bacchar binde the Poets brow Lest wicked tongues him ouerthrow Though men speake neuer so precisely neuer so pregnantly though they speake the wordes of Angels yet if their speeches be not filed within the Circle of Diuine wisdome nor link't within the chain of Christian charity the Church of God will neuer repute so catholike and so potent a Spirit as this of Detraction quite coniured conuicted For as that Roman Criticke girded a vicious Senator saying Who can abide to heare thee iudge like graue Cato whom the world knowes to be as greedy as Crassus and as gluttonous as Lucullus Truely for my part I cannot more fitly compare such glozing Scholers then to a kind of glow-wormes which because they gliue shine in the nights the weaker sort of people haue mistaken for Sprites and Bugs They therefore that will rightly ouerthrow their spirituall foes must not shoot outwardly into painted ceremonies but into the source and spring of Goodnes Descend then yee fierie pillars of faith and quicken our incomposed Chaos Disperse away our Egyptian darkenes that we may passe on our iourney by night as wel as day not only through the red Seas of Detractions but also through the dangerous deserts of this world into the land of promise the land that flowes with milke and honey of eternall life where our consciences shall for euer rest secured from all future furies LINEAMENT II. 1. That the true meanes to conuict the Spirit of Detraction is the Meditation on Heauenly mysteries and on the operation of goodnes 2. Mans curiosity in prying into Gods nature stinted by a non vltra 3. The description of some of Gods attributes 4. That his description is too excellent â—or mans apprehension 5. That Good or Euill cannot come to mankinde without his will BEfore I sound out the poysonous power of the Spirit of Detraction it is necessary first that I begin with my homely talent to discourse somewhat of his immensiue glory who is Prima veritas in essendo dicendo primus omnium motor the first verity in being and speaking and the first mouer of all and so by degrees to descend into the numbers and attributes both of the good Spirits which attend their Creator and likewise of the bad spirits which beleaguer vs with their spiritual suggestions out of darknesse In the meane time I adiure and coniure thee thou false spirit of Detraction to be silent and not to interrupt my consecrated speech Auoyd Satan auaunt taunting Tempter Auoyd I charge thee In the name of the great Iehouah Auaunt againe and againe I charge thee By the omnipotent Spirit of the Word Incarnate by all the names and meanes which are warranted vnto vs in holy Writ O blessed names O blessed means which preuaile against the gates of Hell O blessed Vicar of Christs Church Gods Register of charitable Charters which inrols within the booke of my soule I meane within my conscience this warrant of faith that serious speculation on heauenly mysteries and on the operation of goodnesse and that with admiration rather then with affectation treades downe the head of that olde Enchanter and quite tramples vnder foote his false faculties whose spirituall spite sophisticate with subtle spels with Sardonicall sports and Siren-like songs I doubt more then all the Papists palpable Spirits and reall Diuels deuised for the most part to gull the simpler sort O Father of al things visible and inuisible if I presumptuously prie into the maze of thy mysticall nature as somtimes did a Philosopher of Greece the more I muse the more I stand amazed I finde those auncient Characters of Non vltra somtimes engrauen on Hercules his pillars firmely imprinted in my curious braine My soule sees no other obiects then infinite Entity Eternity Immensity Immutability Impassibility Immortality all life all motion all goodnes all truth all vnity all perfection O my Soueraigne God if I contemplate thine vnderstanding my poore
vnderstanding being but a sparkle in respect of a world of fire failes me and as a candle at the flash of a strong lightning suddenly extinguisheth for in thine interminate vnderstanding there resides infinite wisdome omnipotency prouidence predestination true reason true knowledge and the representation of all thy workemanship If I enter into the speculation of thy gracious and inexhausted will I shall want words significant to expresse the singular proprieties which depend theron as comfortable grapes on one goodly clâ—ster or bunch Thy Charity thy Iustice Mercie Clemency Loue Patience Magnificence with other attributes which we doe not deserue to know attend on thy powerfull will O mighty Deity of vnsearchable worth as thy Prophet Dauid said Such knowledge is too wonderfull and excellent for me I cannot attaine vnto it Whither then shall I goe from thy Spirit or whither shall I goe from thy presence If I climbe vp to heauen thou art there If I goe downe into hell thou art there also Thou beholdest all our doings with exceeding patience Thou art wholly in the world as mans soule is wholly in the braine and body and dispersed through euery part of the same and seest as in a manifest map all the world ouer Thou art present with vs in our closest counsels in our closest closets Thou art deck't with light as it were with a garment Thou art most glorious in heauen as mans soule in the head is most conspicuous and therehence like the Sunne with his influence illuminatest all places and searchest the very secrets of our hearts and reines for the light dwelleth with thee Thou art a most pure perfect and actiue forme without any mixture or composition of matter or forme or distinction of parts Thou art the beginning and the end of all things the beginning without beginning and the end without end To end before I haue scant begun thou art al sight all hearing all vnderstanding all reason the origen of all goodnes Totus oculus totus auditus totus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 totus ratio fons omnium bonorum Thou art aboue all things and yet not elated Thou art in all things and yet not concluded Thou art vnder all things yet not restrained Thou art great without quantity good without quality iust without wrath All our ioyes al our pleasures al our profits all our welfare arise from thy fruitfull bounty as on the contrary all our losses all our crosses all our misfortunes proceed by our deserts from thy iust conceiued fury When thou sendest out thy Spirit we are recreated When thou hidest thy face we are troubled Whither then shall we miserable caytiues flie whither From our displeased God to our pleased God from our angry Father to our patient Father Where shall we finde goodnes but with the Author of goodnes Omne bonum à Deo profluit in eundemque tanquam in causam principem finem vltimum reflectitur Euery good springs from God againe the same returnes to him as to the soueraigne cause and last end He euen he it is that subsisteth aboue vs through his prouidence round about vs he substitutes his Angels as it were in fiery Chariots in vs he breathes his fiery Comforter He maketh his An gels spirits adhis Ministers a flaming fire LINEAMENT III. 1 The admirable incorporation of the three persons in Trinity 2 Their mystical operatioÌ„ vnfolded according to our resonable capacities 3 How God is said to be in heauen 4 After what manner the Trinity doe differ one from another eyther in Appellation or in Operation 5 That the Pagan Poets like Apes aymed at Gods mysteries by their darke Allegories IF Imeditate on the admirable Hypostasis of the Deity I am rauished with an extasie to behold their heauenly Harmony their consort their consonance and their proportion Goe said our Sauiour Christ to his disciples and teach all Nation s' baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The Father vncreated the glorious Word begotten of his euer-being substance the holy Spirit of comfortable loue out of them both producted All three like wieke waxe and light incorporated in one glorious Torch as the beames and influence of one Sun or as waters of one fountaine or as Peter Paul and Barnabas all three building vpon one Rocke and preaching the same doctrine or as will vnderstanding and memorie the reflecting Image of the Deity in one soule equally partakers of one vndiuided Godhead one light one power one beginning one maiesty one glory and one authority Thus hath this One Diuine Spirit three peerelesse properties the hauing of euery which property is called a Person a terme which we giue to shew the peculiar being of a reasonable spirit which word Person also the Gramarians haue distinguished according to mens common conference into notorious appellations As when God speakes of himselfe to signifie his inexplicable essence he speakes in the first person singular Iehouah I am that I am I the Lord thy God When after deliberation he vtters out his determination then the whole Godhead with a cleere distinction of the personall functions speaks according to mans capacity in the plurall number Let vs make man that thereby we might note his deliberation before his determination then both of them made manifest by his omnipotent Word And forasmuch as a peron is nothing els but a body or a spirit seuerally singled out by himselfe forasmuch as euery thing in the Godhead consisteth substantially by it selfe without the helpe of any other therefore are his seuerall properties or functions to demonstrate the particular or personall orders and operations of Gods will and being In like sort there be two kindes of persons the person of his Spirits Essence and the person of his Spirits properties The person or being of his Essence is but one the persons or subsistences of the properties be three distinct euery one a Spirit by himselfe euery one a liuing God by himselfe and yet all one Spirit one liuing God The Father or the first speaker is God by himselfe and of himselfe and therefore the first being or person The Sonne or word is God by himselfe and not of himselfe but of the Father or speaker onely and therefore the second being The holy Ghost or holy loue is God by himselfe and not of himselfe but ioyntly of the Father and the Sonne and therefore the third being There is no difference at all betweene the Speaker the Word and this Loue but onely in the reciprocall relation of one to another for in respect of their being beginning which was coeternall before al worlds before all times or termes of times they are one essential one equall and one transcendent Person But in respect of order in their heawenly Hierarchies of their offices operations and effects ordayned among themselues by their owne diuine decrees and also in respect of the
three records on earth or sacramentall types and mysteries of water the word and the Spirit there are said to be three the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which beare record in heauen three persons distinguished really in respect of their personall properties but indistinct essentially in respect of their perpetuall power I say in respect of originall order of Christs mysticall marriage with the freckled or spotted Spouse the militant Church on earth in respect of his office in mediating for sinfull men an office too meane for the sacred maiesty of God and in respect of his humanity that was crucified for the Elect by Gods promise euer since Adams fall or perhaps before his fall lest the whole generation of mankind had beene vnder a iust Anathema or excommunication the Sonne was and is inferiour to the Father and submitteth his will to the Fathers will as himselfe protested Not as I will but as thou wilt O Father And so the holy Ghost is inferiour to them both in regard of his humble function of vice-gerencie or deputation in comforting and instructing the sinfull sonnes of Adam These seuerall assignements of offices they appointed to themselues in their owne praedestinated wisedomes wherein though they all conspire yet as I said before one of them hath the name of Primate in regard of order but in regard of their eternity and omnipotence none is greater or lesse then another For this cause it is written that the Father created the world the Sonne redeemed it and the holy Ghost sanctifieth it and yet they are but one in effect in their ends one God one omnipotent power communicating to three persons to three properties as one center to three lincs all in all and three in all As no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so no man can come to the Son but by the holy Ghost for we are sanctified because we are redeemed and we are redeemed because we are elected Pater eligit Filius diligit Spiritus sanctus coniungit vnit The Father electeth the Sonne loueth and the holy Ghost conioynes cements and vnites together The Father eternall in the consubstantiall word the word in him both in the coessentiall Spirit and the Spirit in them both doe all three co-operate co-adiute and worke according to their own counsell for the good of their creatures for the honour of their heauenly Hierarchy The Father begetteth in loue and iustice the Sonne begotten in loue and righteousnes and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both in loue and grace doe mystically teach the inward man that sees with the spirituall eyes of faith what care the Godhead takes for the restoring and repayring of that breach and lapse which the imbecility of mans brittle condition together with Sathans subtilty caused vnto all posterities And thus God manifesteth this three-fold distinction vnto vs that his elect might apprehend the mysticall operation of their soules saluation in the effects of his Iustice Grace and Loue. Againe lest for all this I seeme obscure I will exemplifie the vnited substance of the Trinity more familiarly yet with this prouiso that the words of Zophar to Iob may be read as a preamble Canst thou by searching finde out God or canst thou finde out the Almighty to his perfection That surely were to scale the heauens or build another Babel In a Spirit there is neither part diuersity nor multiplication but wheresoeuer the spirit is there is the whole spirit as the soule of man is not part in the head and part in the foote but the same whole spirit which is in the head is vndiuided entire all and the same in the foote neuerthelesse it appeares more eminent in the head by reason of the soules more notable operation there mans head being the noblest obiect the noblest Organ of the body which the soule doth like So in this spirituall substance of God there is no part diuersity nor multiplication but euery thing in God is God and the whole and the same substance of his Spirit for where one of Gods vertues are there also himselfe and all his vertues are as the influence of the Sunne But we commonly say Our Father which art in heauen not that he is altogether locally circumscribed there secluded from all other places but because it pleaseth his glorious Maiesty for the honour of his power to impart his Diuinity there most cleerely among his vndefiled and vnspotted creatures which as like to like pure to pure doe answere and satisfie the pleasure of their mercifull Creator So that God is in heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the rarenesse and excellency of his operations in that purest place And surely God dealt like himselfe like a gracious Lord thus to communicate his soucraigne perfections to that choise place amidst his choysest creatures restrayning the same from vs poorepilgrims who for the brittlenesse of our eâ—rthly mould being clothed but with dust and ashes full of corruptions could no more then Phaeton or Icarus stand iustified before his sunny presence For when his heauenly Highnesse vouchsafed to guide and goe before the Israelites out of Egypt his magnanimous Spirit that could not brooke impurity was moued to such impatience against their sinnes that he was faine to withdraw his strong and powerfull presence from their weake complexions lest as himselfe said he should consume them in the way To returne and retire backe towards the entire essence of the Trinity I beleeue that Gods properties as I wrote before cannot be diuided into parts portions or parcels but that euery quality in God is God and the whole substance of his spirit and so the Speaker in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance The Word in Gods Spirit is Gods Spirit of the whole substance But herein is their difference that the Father is the Speaker onely as begetting the Word the Sonne is the Word onely as the Word begotten And the holy Ghost is holy only as proceeding from the mutuall loue and from the mutuall wils of the Father or the Speaker begetting and of the Sonne or Word begotten So as the Speaker in God is God the Word in God is God and the holy Loue in God is God But yet the Speaker is not the Word nor the Word the Speaker if we regard the order and mysterie of their operatiue offices though both be God for the one is the Father begetting and the other I meane the Word is the Sonne begotten The propagatour or producer of Sanctification or holy Loue in God is loue which loue is God And loue produced in God is Loue and is God but the producer of loue is not loue produced I say the will of the Father and the Sonne being the producer of loue is not the loue proceeding or produced that is the holy Ghost though all be God in substance and power but differing in the manner of their operation for the Father is loue onely
the vndiuisible substance of the Deity or the subsistence of the person though it seems diuided to the outward man for I confesse the vnity and identity in our Messias Euen as the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ by the vnity and vertue of the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All honour laud and glory be ascribed vnto thee O Father of prouidence which hast made vs meete to be partakers of this heauenly vision by whose power our sinfull soules in the blood of his Crosse are regenerate and reconciled vnto thee LINEAMENT V. 1 The description of the Holy Ghost 2 How the Catholike Church was preserued from vtter ruine in time of Poperie 3 That the misprision and contempt of the Holy Ghost wrought the ruine first of the Easterne Church and then of the Westerne 4 Why this third person in Trinity is peculiarly termed Holy 5 The manner to discerne them that be possessed with the Holy Ghost and why S. Paul in his Epistles salutes men in the name of the Father and the Sonne omitting the Holy Ghost 6 What it is to sinne against the holy Ghost 7 The Authours supplication to the Trinity for his presumptuous discourse OVt of the incomprehensible Deity likewise issued the Spirit of spirits the third person in Trinity our holy Iehouah as the meane of the other two Diuine persons namely of Iehouah vnbegotten and of Iehouah begotten I say the meane of the vnbegotten and begotten in respect of the Elect produced propagated or rather proceeding from both their wils the oyle of gladnesse the fiery Comforter the Messenger of zeale the Schoole-master of true loue the miraculous power of God the finger of God which wrought miracles and plagued the Egyptians the Treasurer of sundry pretions iewels as of Prophesie Faith Charity diuersities of tongues and other diuine gifts the water of life the wel of water springing vp vnto euerlasting life The mysticall seale of loue betwixt the Father and the Sonne or to speake more naturally the Sacramentall influence of both their actions immanent and transient Euen as it pleased God at Whitsuntide about seuen weekes after Easter and after the redemption of the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt to giue them the law of the tenne Commandements at Mount Sinai and that not priuately but publiquely before all the Congregation so it pleased his Diuine Maiesty at Whitsuntide about seuen weekes after Easter being the time of our Redemption from the bondage of Hel to inspire his Elect with his holy spirit openly before many witnesses of Parthians Medes Elamites and men of diuers Nations as it is written Suddenly there came a sound from heauen as of a rushing and a mighty winde and it filled all the house where they sate There appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fire and it sate vpon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtterance But here is the difference worthy of obseruation that euen as there on Mount Sinay Iehouah the Sonne descended downe to the Israelites with fearefull thunder and lightning to signifie thereby the wrath of God the Father for the breach of his lawes so here Iehouah the Holy Ghost descends as the Angell of Christ not in fire of fury but in fire of loue and zeale not with the loud voyce of a Trumpet but with the sound of winde making a peaceable and still noise because the Gospell comforts the deiected man This is that spirituall Angell which inspires the Angels of heauen to honour their Creator which breathes into them the knowledge of all goodnesse which sanctified the Virgins wombe which reuealed to the Prophets mysteries and things to come This holy Spirit regenerates the inward man quickeneth our dull mindes like as the Sunne with his vegetatiue heat nourisheth the barrennest earth and insinuates himselfe into the zealous professours of the Gospell effectually mystically and miraculously This is that Spirit of God which moued at the creation of the world vpon the face of the waters This is that Spirit of sanctification which descended down from heauen in the likenesse of a Done and sate vpon our Sauiour Christ. This is that spirituall Light whose vniuersall presence is neuer absent from the Lordes Spouse the Catholicke Church euen as hitherunto euer since the Ascension of our Sauiour his pure power hath vouchsafed to preserue her from vtter damnation in some Countrey or other When Idolatry ouer-swayed these Westerne parts of the world doubtlesse the Lord had his Spouse eyther in Moscouia Greece Armenia Aethiopia or some other Region and perhaps in one or two housholds as heretofore fell out in Adams Noahs and Abrahams time This the Apostle in the Apocalyps manifesteth when as he prophesied that she should flie into a Wildernesse and soiourne therefor feare of the Dragon or Antichristian deceite while faith was departed and Gods two testimonies lay dead and despised O yee that go vnder the naked name of Catholikes marke how well the concordance of these three places Propheticall answeres your stentorean vociferation on Priestly succession It is dangerous to measure Illumination or any other mentall gift of the holy Ghost according to mistaking times or mens traditions for the Gold-smith that softneth hardneth and tempeteth the mettall at his owne free and secret pleasure may cause his old iewels to be newly in request and distributed againe as it were by degrees or nurses milke by little and little for Our reconciliation to the Lord of life the Lambe that leades to the liuing fountaines of waters or to these Royall Magazins and shops of the Spirit Euen as this Spirit speakes in the hearts of true Gospellers without any noyse of wordes and moueth them oestro miraculoso so the misprision of this Al-quickning Spirit made our forefathers subiect to schismes heresies and superstition and wrought the ruine of the Easterne Church their chiefe Imperiall Citie of Constantinople as it is said being taken on a Whitsunday our festiuall time of the holy Ghost And at this day if we strictly examine our consciences we shall finde the originall fountaine of all our errours Detractions defamations and other infinite pollutions to arise from our hardnesse of hearts in not glorifying our most glorious God and seeking after this Spirit of consolation who is the third person in Trinity As our Sauior Christ said to his disciples Go and teach alnations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and of the holy Ghost And as the Apostles taught There are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one But why is the third person in Trinity peculiarly termed the Holy Spirit Is not the Father Holy and the Son Holy God forbid that I should hold the contrary The Father is a
holy Spirit and the Sonne a holy Spirit yet notwithstanding because Holinesse or Sanctification towards mankinde proceedes from loue which loue is sent or produced from their mutuall will from the Father by election in loue and from the Sonne by his word and redemption in loue this Holinesse as a Tertian or third influence proceeding out of two Diuine respects towards the saluation of mankind is rightly attributed to the third person in Trinity as to the Ambassadour of both their willes so that the whole Trinity partakes of the same Holines of the same Loue of the same Will of the same Spirit of the same Godhead of the same Vnity as S. Paul very manifestly expresseth in these wordes Endeuourye to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace one body and one Spirit euen as ye are called all in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all So that whatsoeuer name or power is ascribed to anyone peculiar person of the Trinity the same is meant of the whole Trinity The Father is called the Spirit of God the Sonne the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God yea the Father is the Spirit of him of whom S. Paul speakes that raised vp Iesus from the dead the Sonne is that Spirit that raised himselfe and the Holy Ghost the same Spirit The Sonne is the Father and the Holy Ghost is in the Father the Sonne is the euerlasting Father This the Prophet witnesseth when as hee names Christ the mighty God and euerlasting Father But when they are seuerally named or distinguished into persons that sense or morall is to be vnderstood parable-wise as including the mysteries of our saluation which our humane capacities cannot otherwise rightly apprehend For euen as a Prince in his prudence loue an I wisedome and for the more honorable establishment of his Monarchy or Kingdome authorizeth his sonne and some other as his Chancelour to impart his lawes vnto his subiects and to gouerne them in order whereby their power becommeth equall so let vs conceiue that the glorious Trinity is but one Diuine and essentiall power all alike all equall and of one authority onely for the glory of the Godhead and for the mysterie of our Redemption the Trinity is really distinguished to the view of the inward man whose wil is stirred vp to meditate vpon the personall relation of their functions and offices which they deriue one to another But how shall we discerne who is possessed with the Holy Ghost To be possessed with the Holy Ghost is as much to sâ—y as to be possessed with the giftes of the Holy Ghost namely with saith humility and other Diuine gifts Of these his gifts some are visible some inâ—isible some abundant some restrained With the former the Apostles and Prophets were miraculously inspired with the latter all we who according to our Christian profession doe protest to fight in this life against the world the flesh and the Deuill doe hope to be possessed through grace according to the measure of Christs gift The branch that drawes not iuyce and life out of this spirituall Vine is adiudged dead for what amity can there be betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt life and death The chiefest gift of the Holy Ghost is saith which is a spirituall light enlightning our liues with the Gospell with the beames of good workes causing vs to loue all men after his owne example who communicates his Sunne to the iust and vniust And if we may lawfully boast of any gifts of the Holy Ghost ingraffed by his powerfull Maiesty in our hearts then surely may wee glory of our Illummation wherwith we are enlightned vndeseruedly in these daies Neither is it possible for vs in these dayes to obtaine a more visible measure of spirituall gifts by reason that our mindes are captiuated vnto coueteousnesse enuie and other vncleane thoughts by reason that our bodies are pampered with gluttony drunkennesse eating and drinking without appetite or necessity and by reason that we dare not in respect of these pollutions and of our vnworthinesse communicate one with another the Lords holy Supper but very seldome whereby the gifts of the Holy Ghost might be multiplied and increased in vs. As long as we are carnal and worldly minded our soules are farre from these gifts of the Spirit which the Apostle likewise calles the fruits of the Spirit as loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse and temperance They that are Christs doe endeuour to follow his Fathers will And what is the will of the Father Euen our sanctification and vnion in the Spirit For euen as the carnall coniunction of man and wife makes of them one flesh so the spirituall coniunction of Christ and the sanctified soule makes of them one spirit so they that are vnited in the Spirit are vnited in their willes and they that are vnited in their willes are vnited in their actions They that follow Christs actions doe labour in all humility to attaine vnto these gifts of the Holy Ghost But first they must tame their bodies with fasting And here I giue you one note worthy the consideration that whereas S. Paul in all his Epistles makes often mention and sendeth often salutations in the name of the Father and of the Sonne not ioyning the Holy Ghost in plaine litterall wordes with them he doth it because it was the Holy Ghost himselfe that spake through the mouth of Paul in those Epistles And whatsoeuer he wrote he wrote by commandement and inspiration of the Holy Ghost whose office and function was to signifie vnto the Church the will of the other two persons in Trinity So that the naming of the Holy Ghost was needlesse while the Elect vnderstand that it was He which spake and that Paul was no other then as Moyses to God or as Baruch to Ieremy that is the Notary or Scribe of the Spirit and as it is else-where specified a chosen vessell This himselfe protested in these words If any man thinke himselfe a Prophet or spirituall let him know that the things which I write vnto you are the commandements of the Lord. There is no sinne more detestable nor more difficult to be forgiuen then the sinne against this Spirit of God Dost thou wantonly detract from God the Father and denie thine owne and the worlds creation by his omnipotent word Search the Scriptures repeale thy detractions and vpon thy recantation thou shalt receiue remission Dost thou blaspheme the Sonne of the euer-liuing God and belie his Incarnation his Passion his Resurrection Reade ouer the new Testament remember to compare the same in an euen ballance with the Prophesies of Esay and the rest of the Lords holy Legates and it may be thine eyes will be opened and thou wilt renounce thine errours by the bright light of the holy Spirit But
Without the mediation of Christ God is a consuming flame wherefore approach not neere this Flame lest ye be consumed Diue rather into your owne weakenesse and thinke on nothing so often then on Christ lying in a vile manger or on Christ crowned with a crowne of thornes or on his guiltlesse body nayled to the crosse of infamy and no doubt but the effects of Grace will follow Where other good Spirits are mentioned in the word of God and how one rested vpon many and many vpon one I am not of the minde that they were reall corporal and palpable spirits but rather Diuine gifts or supernaturall vertues conferred vpon the soules of the Elect by the Lord for his glory God tooke off the spirit that was vpon Moyses and put it vpon the seuenty Elders and when the spirit rested vpon them they prophesied In sundry places of the Scripture we reade that the spirit of the Lord possessed many where they became notable eyther for prophesies valour or other rare properties which Spirits must not be ballanced by proportionable quantity but spiritually construed by operation and quality Which exposition I haue laid downe as I haue some of the premisses of set purpose that the Reader may not be mistaken in conceiuing the spirit of Detraction and other sinfull Spirits to possesse mankinde really The holy Ghost fell at one time vpon many of the Apostles and others which is as much to say that the pretious Gifts of the holy Ghost of prophesie of diuersities of tongues of faith patience and other vertues inspired these seruants of God whom his Wisedome selected and sealed to that degree of sanctification as the potters vessels for such honourable seruices Contrariorum cadem est ratio By the knowledge of Goodnesse let vs gather the knowledge of the opposite how the Diuell by his spirituall Nuncioes of Sinne as by Detraction malice and such others possesseth the negligent sonnes of Adam not with reall formes but with spirituall suggestions and spiritual operations God turnes away the influence of his countenance from his degenerate children then Sathan embraceth that aduantage of opportunity and with his pestilent breath bloweth into the principall parts of mans body and soule He impoysoneth the humours of melancholy choler and gail enuenometh the lodge of imagination then the possessed is sranticke or lunaticke The bloud and seede he tickleth and tainteth with honied lechery and hateful luxury then the patient becomes passionate in his body prodigall of his bloud and seede and proude of his supposed power For how can it otherwise be when the body is tempted to receiue into it superabundance of iuyce of immoderate meates and drinkes Must not consequently euery naturall body vent out what is supersluously gathered within it But O thou great Gouernour of the world whose will is vnsearchable no mortall man can mortifie his longing conceits his lustfull concupiscence without the mortification of his body by fasting neither can he mortifie his body by fasting without powring out many piteous petitions before the seate of thy mercy Nor yet can man O sinfull man powre out his petitions intentiuely before thee except it were giuen him from aboue and except he were in his conscience compelled by the operation of thy spirit to craue daily for perscuetance in his prayers and petitions To finish the abouesaid point of Sathans stinging whether these plaguy temptations be verily or figuratiuely the Diuels spirituall power or the wrath of God inclosed in vials as is allegorically specified in the Apocalyps it is hard for man to iudge for both might well be inflicted on vs seeing the vngodly is a sword of his and Nabuchadonozor is termed his seruant or executioner to reuenge his iust conceiued anger against the Israelites The winde blowes and with his furious force ouerturnes a Forrest of wood and ouerthrowes whatsoeuer it meetes yet no man knowes whence it comes or whither it goes Euen so it fares with these turbulent spirits well may we ayme at their mediate manner of infections but it is a very difficult matter to discourse iudicially of their immediate stinging Sure we are that none escape without them LINEAMENT II. 1 The originall roâ—te of Detractions and other pollutions and whether the spirit of Detroction and other sinfull spirits which possesse mankinde be reall spirits or stings of the Diuell 2 The fight betwixt the knowledge of Good and the knowledge of Euil 3 That the Good gets the victory ouer the Euill 4 That the Diuell cannot harme a man really IN the beginning God made all creatures good and perfect though afterwards through presumption arrogancy and Detraction they became sinfull His omnipotent Maiesty being righteous and dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule with their vnlawfull deedes and at length finding no stedfastnes in his seruants and laying folly in his Angels most iustly condemned them threw them down into hell where he hath reserued them in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Where in stead of eternall glory they liue tortured with eternall infamy in stead of happy light they see nothing but horrid night in stead of holy knowledge they feele nothing but hellish ignorance in stead of perpetuall ioyes perpetuall paines How greatly then are our superstitious worldlings bewitched that authorize Diuels in multitudes and with corporall shapes that is with bodies subiect to handling hauing of necessity longitude latitude profundity otherwise called thicknes presently to appear at the lure of mortall men and to command the heauenly powers for satisfaction of their phantasies Let it suffice that we belecue the Holy Ghost hath omitted nothing pertinent to our saluation let it suffice that we arme our soules with the spirituall Corcelets of faith and charity against the most terrible encounters of Diuellish sinnes propagated vnto the children of Adam from the Arch-spirit of sinne Vt mures in muris sic satellites Sathanae in cordibus nostris delite scunt as Mice in walles so lurke the messengers of Sathan in our hearts Let it suffise our curiosity that sinne is a roaring Lyon a spirituall Diuel and that a reprobate minde fraught with vile affections like canckred poyson killes both body and soule There is a seede of man which is an honourable seede the honourable seede are they that feare the Lord. There is a seede of man which is without honour the seede without honour are they that transgresse the commandements of the Lord. This latter seede is the Deuils sting spirituall temptation spirituall Detraction springing of melancholy and corruption of humours which can neuer possesse vs while we obserue that golden rule Watch and pray that is praying alwayes in all supplication and watching for the same purpose with all instance for all Saints The chiefest Diuell on earth Vice-roy to the chiefe Serpent of hel is the knowledge of Euil euen as the chiefest God on earth Vice-roy
against the Authour of nature These sinfull spirits like baites of sweet poison or sugred gals possesse olde Adams progeny according to the variable and voluble dispositions of the patient These not vnlike to Mice Lice lawlesse Lawiers or noysome vermine by Sathans spirituall suggestion doe endeuour to infest molest and sift vs as wheate They had their beginning at the fall of the Diuell and his Angels who are throughly possessed with all the said qualities working diuersly by the meanes of the same spirit The spirit of Detraction the spirit of Enuy the spirit of Pride and such like vitious spirits proceed from one roote from one Serpent that olde Impostor I am setled in this opinion by the Apostle who proued the identity of the Holy Spirit by the like reason The body is one and hath many members And againe There are diuersities of gifts but the same spirit To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit To another the operations of great workes to another prophesie to another the discerning of spirits to another the diuersities of tongues All these things worketh the same spirit distributing to euery man as it pleaseth him From one Tree came many branches of euill by the inticement of one Serpent came all these spirits of â—rrours which like venemous stings incite vs to vngodly actes And yet for all this I denie not but there are malicious spirits as well as ministring spirits Diuels as well as Angels the one attending on Lucifer the Prince of Diuels the other on Michael the Lords chiefe Angell both inuisibly attempting to work vpon the Will of man vehemently or by leisure as God commands them either for the knowledg of Goodnesse or for the knowledge of Euill Neyther will I here omit to interpose another opinion of mine concerning the Diuels force which is that God the reuenger of iniquity commands the Diuell as his executioner to pursue the reprobate sometimes by immediate causes and somtimes by mediate and second causes by immediate when the faculties of the soule are by his spirituall spurres extraordinarily possessed with frenzie sury and such like by mediate causes when the instruments of the body are by his spiritual enticements tempted to receiue into them more then suffice nature so that the veines ouerflow with blood the gall with choler adust and the liuer with lust But in my iudgement with the former extraordinary or miraculous causes the Diuell cannot harme a Christian mans body really howsoeuer I thinke of the soules immediate obsession or harme the least part of his body Surely I belecue that God reserues that palpable reall power as a prerogatiue to himselfe to his owne Angels and to his second causes in this world to himselfe as when Pharaoh and his Aegyptians were miraculously plagued with Lice and other annoyances by the singer of God or when he caused his Angel for Dauids fault to smite the Israelites with pâ—stilence But thou wilt aske me how can a Christian bee frantick by the Diuels meanes and yet not really hurt by him By him by the Diuels immediate reall force Nay principally by themselues and by their owne filthy bodies which suffered themselues at first to be gluttonously carried by their owne appetites and by the Diuels spirituall suggestion If they had eaten lesse and drunke lesse such corruption of humours could neuer taint them neither could consequently frenzie possesse them And also if they had in time sought for grace by daily prayers fasting being a coadiutour vnto them God would haue hearkened vnto them and healed their indispositions But on the contrary it pleased his Maiesty to harden some to lead them into temptation because they might acknowledge his iustice and omnipotency and also serue for monuments to terrifie the wauering minded To returne vnto my former matter as all wicked spirits and vitious purtâ—rbations sprung in mortall men by meanes of the said Arch-spirit of sinne so likewise by him they worke many and sundry operations Moyses made mention of the spirit of Iealousie Esay of the spirit of Errour The Lord permitted alying spirit to goe out and be in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to enâ—ice him into the battell against the Sirians Another Prophet relateth of the spirit of fornication And as S. Paul records God gaue them the spirit of slumber The spirit of God departed from Saeul and an euill spirit was sent from God to vexe him Therefore his seruants aduised him to seeke a cunning player vpon the Harpe whereby he might be refreshed and eased What sense more naturall to our capacities can we gather by this euill spirit and the easie cure thereof then that it was eyther a kinde of Lunacy vsuall in that hote countrey a fit of melancholy or a falling sickenesse For the cure whereof his seruants by whom I vnderstand his Phisittans hauing experimented belike that none other medicine then musicke could auaile him or perhaps not hauing such insight in Phisicke as we haue wished him onely to comfort his heart with ioyes and as we vulgarly speake to keepe Doctor Merriman company To this opinion of mine I adioyne another reason whereof we must not descant ouer-curiously that God predestinated purposely this extraordinary accident vpon Saul for the aduancement of Dauid who vpon this occasion happily composed many of his Psalmes and confirmed the vertues of his spirit and also by this accesse into the Kings Palace he gained vnto him the mindes of his chiefe Captaines and Officers besides he got by this familiar frequency in the Court his education and experience in matters of ciuill policy which otherwise he could hardly in humane probability obtaine by reason that hee was brought vp but simply among Sheepheards This I write not of any blasphemous purpose to restraine the Lords miraculous power but that we may obserue his prouidence in vouchsafing to worke by ordinary and naturall meanes But admit that the literall sense be admitted what absurdity can ensue thereof For the Diuell in his fall hauing wholy lost the musicall consent and melodious concord which was ensused in his soule at his creation could hardly digest Dauids Hymmes and Harpe the same being quite disagreeable to his discording and disproportioned nature I say such Diuine musicke reduced the extrauagant thoughts of Saules soule to such an excellent harmony and quiet tune that the Diuell durst not abide that sweete tempered sound Ouer all the abouesaid wicked spirits the spirit of Detraction awaiteth Doth the Lord send his terrible thunder his glorious lightnings as warlike alarums to rouze vs vp from our sleepy sinnes Behold the spirit of Detraction at hand and attributes those strange signes to the Prince of this world his Lord and Master the Diuell God quoth he is the Author of goodnesse quiet and neuer intâ—rmedles with thunder-claps stormes or tempests Non illi imperium pelagi scâ—ptrumque tridentis Sed mihi sort datum
That great command with triple forked mace By lot to me and not to him be ell As Neptune spake of himselfe to Aeolus Such Hereticall paradoxes as these he inspires mens braines withall and rammes them as with a strong beetle into their shallow hearts Liues a man in loue and charity with his neighbour Againe the same spirit of Detraction appeares sowes idle tales of dilgrace whereby they may goe together by the eares and empty their virulen galles with most violent reuenge the one against the other Art thou choleâ—cke Beware of Saules spirit of lunacie Art thou merrily disposed at games and sports Thou shalt be sure of Sathans spiritual sting and be throughly possessed both with the spirites of blasphemy and Detraction although thou perceiuest them not visibly with mortall eyes To be briefe he will neuer be spiritually wanting to any man To a man in prosperity he sends his spirit of pride to a sinner despaire to married soikes the spirit of iealousie to children the spirit of disobedience to Courtiers the gliuing pompes or vanity to Preachers the spirit of false prophesie to the subiect the spirit of rebellion to friends the spirit of inconstancy to seruants the spirit of ingratitude so that there be few men in the world but their wils are possessed with some spirit or other I passe ouer many other spirits which beare dominion among vs as the spirit of lechery the spirit of drunkennesse the spirit of gluttony and the damnable spirite of auarice All which as rotten branches I know to be descended and deriued from one tree the tree of the knowledge of good and euill by the subtle temptations of the sneaking Snake of sinne the Angell of Perdition LINEAMENT IIII. 1 Why God giues vs ouer to be tempted by Sathan 2 After what manner the Diuell vseth now a-dayes to ensnare vs. 3 The Diuels policy for the circumuenting of soules AMong vs in this reformed Realme the Diuell dares not appeare in outward formes of illusion like the man in the Moone by reason that the Sun-shine of Gods word is too strong for his faithlesse spirit yet notwithstanding because we might cal to memory our sraile natures together w th our soules stupidity ouer-whelmed with grosse humours ouer-mastered with perturbations winking and looking through carnall windowes and spectacles of errour and because we might implore our Creators assistance according to our bounden dueties God permits Sathan in respect of olde Adams transgression spiritually to interâ—use necessary prickes into our fleshly thoughts yea and to interrupt vs in our most zealous offices Which moued a reuerend Elder of the Church to complaine after this manner In my prayers I repeate oftentimes what I gaine and oftentimes I am distracted with some filthy imagination to doe those things which I blush to speake But me thinkes here I heare one of his Disciples disputing that God seeing he is the Author and Imparter of Goodnesse will not suffer any of his adopted children to be enchanted and entrapped by Sathan For the solution of this presumptuouâ— scruple which I take to be but a knot in a rush I constantly aucrre that God is all Goodnesse and as he is most good and mercifull so is he most just His vnspotted Maiesty could doe no lesse then inflict punishment vpon his new creature albeit with anguish of spirit like a pitiful earthly Iudge that pronounceth iudgment with teares against malefactors he could doe no lesse because of his future glory and because of his former commandement to Adam then giue verdict of death against them which aduisedly being referred to their owne counsell they being at that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 free and at their owne liberty preferred death before life God did well therefore to trie mans faith betimes before he graced him with further fauours The Procurer he more seuerely punished And because the Diuels familiarity with the woman occasioned mans fall for this cause did God set perpetuall enmity and hatred euer since the beginning til the worlds end betwixt the womans seede and the Diuell yet with a limitation that the Diuell should continue his illusions towards vs that he should exhale his poysonfull puissance against the reprobate and with might and maine pursue all excommunicated rebels Thus the Diuell according to Gods curse rageth against vs and as it were famished with hunger of our Damnation like a roaring Lyon he lieth in wait to deuoure vs. But as long as we endeuour to serue God in loue and humility he can but bruise our earthly heeles and sting vs with necessary temptations for the soules edifying Our Sauiour Christ treads downe his malicious head and hellish force so that we shall at last preuaile and triumph in the celestiall Paradise which is a thousand times more glorious then that Hortus conclusus the Garden empaled the Paradise of proofe where wee were content to bee bewitched in hope or worldly wisedome Since Printing sprang vp which perhaps is a worldly instrument of the fiery spirit of life that after three dayes and a halfe came from God and entred into the Lords two Martyrs the olde Testament and the new I meane into their Preachers whose bodies were laid in the streets of spirituall Sodome and Egypt and yet not quite buried nor abolished and since we had the vse of books wherein mans manifold knowledge of good and euill is apparantly decyphered and the Diuels deceitfull trickes discouered to persons of all condition now as a subtâ—e States-man he works another course to bring our soules in thrall by stratagems by politicke practises vnder hand he inspires indulgent parents to make their children free in their nonage before they be poudred with heauenly prudence that the Prouerbe might be verified of them Soone ripe soone rotten Scilicet ingenium rerum prudentia velox ante pilos venit Too soone before their beards bud forth They come to be States-men of worth Hauing thus obtained the Parents consent he turnes about his free-made youths and traines them as Sertorius the children of the Portingalles after his own mould to detract to lash out fearful othes at euery other word to reade baudy ballads books of his own Apostles euen of Aretine of Machiauell of Rabelais and of our English cast-awayes and afterwards he confirmes them with spirituall suggestions in all abhominations to the losse of their soules and bodies The best of vs sometimes hee possesseth with Chymerizing pleddings like ayriâ— castles and â—â—bbles as a Mouse on our malignant hearts asâ—ertullian â—ertullian termes Martian And although we haue both Moyses the Prophets firmiorem sermonem Propheticum yet he rufsles among the robes inaudita fundu Oracula as my L. of Northampâ—on said of the Diuels pouder-plot To continue my subiect seeing I haue aduentured in some places of these Circles to borrow Caesars inimitable Muse to grace this worthlesse worke of mine lâ—nd also Heroycall Lord your iudicious spirit for a season to
worship thee But blest art thou for all my blasphemie All honour be to thee O veritie Bright light of loue one God in vnitie And persons three in orders Trinity Which canst me free from all such vanity When it shall please thy gracious Maiesty My soule to veile with thy boundlesse bounty Though speech be winde and Schoolemens quantity Void of true sense void of true quality Yet when the same doth thy sweet lawes transcend Lord let my babling light on Babels end But for my soule let no fond Oracles Her substance spill nor stand as obstacles Eternally to blinde her spectacles Which thou hast clear'd by thy words miracles THE THIRD CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The nature of the spirit of Detraction 2 His obiections 3 The Authours answere 4 The description of Detraction 5 His Companions 6 His Paradoxes 7 Abriese consutation AMong such troupes of wicked spirits which beleaguer the sinfull sonnes of Adam none of them is so pernitious as this viperous spirit of Detraction for by this turbulent motioÌ„ Pluto himselfe being an Angell of glory lost his former state and likewise wee worldly weakelings deserue our Creators curse vpon your selues and posterities Behold yee brainsicke blabs licentious libertines behold your famous familiar your spirit of Detraction coniured and connâ—cted in a Circle without crosses without Masses without holy water without pots of good liquor or pipes of Tobacco the only moderne motiue of malicious Detraction and that by no meaner weapons then by the mysticall weapons of Michaell and Michea the powerfull Oracles of the great God O what an vnaccustomed coniuration is this New Lords new lawes masse-monging manacled Diuels discouered And dare you câ—nuict the auncient spirit of Detraction which by successiue tradition descended vnto vs well nigh a thousand yeares agoe euen about the very time when the Pope and Mahomet bought their puissant patents this for the East from the detracting Dragon the other for the West from his Eagles wing the Emperour Phocas Dare you vilifie the soueraignty of Bacchus and Tobacco and aduenture to coniure vp such an omnipotent Spirit as that of Detraction without these belching belly-Gods Which our swintsh swaggerers extoll now-a dayes on the behalfe of this spirit as chiefe purgers of superfâ—uous rheumes preparatiues of heauenly dreames visions oracles and supernaturall reuelations Then farewell kinde neighbour-hood farewell good fellowship farewell table-talke farewell descanning of destinies farewell all trencher-knights and readers of other mens actions As the body is nourished with good liquor the bones with marrow so is the soule of man with the perfume of Diuine Tobacco and with the perfusion of Detracting taunts Take away these two the cause and the effect the substance and the shadow what is mans life but a drie discourse a solitary Ghost mortified with melancholy Veritas non quaerit angulos The way of truth is plaine without turnings I feare not to lay downe the truth were my brother a Tobacconist a Wine-bibber or a false Prophet Amicus Socrates amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas Socrates is my friend Plato is my friend but Truth is my chiefest friend The excessiue taking of Tobacco together with drunken fellowship renew the forces of the Detracting spirit and likewise doe kindle the fire that was couertly raked afore vnder the ashes for his malicious humour Which to describe is an embezeling of anothers glory a wrongfull withdrawing of anothers power and a blasphemous censure inuented and blazed abroad touching the Creator or his creature which eyther may be termed a kinde of scurrility or knauish carping carpendi effusa licentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else a doubling of the Dogs letter Rout of their snarling nostrils To this I might adde that they offend against the third Commandement namely Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine and also against the ninth Commandement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour which subiect themselues vnto this kinde of Spirit In the company of this wicked spirit as I said before many other spirits consort such as our Countrey-men call boone companions yea more spirits then euer molested Mary Magdalen The spirit of blasphemy as the shadow vpon the body chiefely awaites vpon him and shares with him for the pretious soule of man So doe the spirit of enuy the spirit of hatred and sundry other poysonous messengers of the common enemy the Diuell all ready sophistically to proue the idle phantasics and imaginations of shallow braines Would you coelo deducere Lunam draw the Moone down from heauen or the starres from the skie The spirit of Detraction with his mates make for you The Moone is descended and hath kist Endimion while he lay asleepe The starres be fallen and a company of drunkards at their taking of Tobacco beheld them According to that of the Poet Cum bibitir conchis hinc iam vertigine coelum Ambulat geminis exurgit mensa lucernis When wines are drunk then heauen whirleth round And candles two on boord for one abound There are Incubi which haue lien with faire women and tempted them ere now to plant Actaeons badge on their husbands foreheads Merlin your Brittish Bardh sometimes possested with the spirit of prophesie was a bastard begotten betwixt a goodly young Diuell and a goodly young Gentlewoman At old Carmarthen Merlins famous towne Nay more the Arch-Diuel hath gotten the Popes power he hath gotten the keyes of Heauen he hath authority to binde to loose to diminish the paines of hell to grant Indulgences and Pardons for one and twenty yeares of all manner of mortall sinnes he powreth downe raine amaine at his pleasure he terrifies the world with thunders lightnings and earthquakes Cornelius Agrippa is a great man in his books vseth him for his familiar and by coniurations commands the clouds and makes the Planets executioners to plague his aduersaries O monstrous blasphemie O preposterous absurditie Will any man of vnderstanding giue credite to these Idolatrous Detractions God himselfe questioning with Iob out of the Whirle-winde vtterly denies that Diuine authority to any creature Canst thou said he send the lightnings that they may walke and say vnto thee Lo here we are If Baal be God then goe after him but if the Lord be God why tempt you his patient Spirit in ascribing his dreadfull power vnto his Enemy that darkesome deadly Fiend which cannot helpe himselfe or act the least matter of importance Elias in annulling of Baals power manifested him onely to be God which answered by heauenly fire The Diuell fighteth with none other weapons then with deceit With deceitfull malice he stung Christ while he was on earth and with the selfe same weapons he stinges Christians Christ in his members now that he is in Heauen With deceit he tempted Eue and with deceit he persecuteth the woman of God the Church of Christ
of time by reason that the excesse and abundance of heauenly ioyes drownes all the memory of time like as a man that is spectator of a Comedy with the extremity of delight thinkes three houres no longer then one houre The ioies of heauen are infinite and cannot be circumscribed by time There dwels the great Ichouah who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and last who will teach vs to measure time after another manner after a metaphysicall manner This moued the Angell to sweare that there should be no more time This moued the Psalmist to say A thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday Go too then yee Astrologicall Scribes leaue off your curious computations the time will come like Platees wonderfull yeare wherein man-kinde shall neede none of your Almanackes But in the meane time yee complaine and this complaint will last as long as your Almanacks that there be other Chronographers or rather temporizers beside your selues I graunt that there be two sorts of temporizing companions which abuse the naturall quality of pretious time the one an hypocrite which vnder the humble habite of a Lambe for luere sake deceiues his deerest friend an intelligeneer the disciple of Machiauel a Iew that loues no man but for aduantage that detracts from him who hath best befriended him in his neede an A theist a dissembler a neutrall that with the winde and time changeth his Religion Amicus omnium amicus nullorum euery mans friend and no mans friend a busie medler in other mens causes a Polypragmon an Apparitor that like a Iudaes or Simoniake liues by extortion by the price of bloud by enquiring from time to time after the sinnes of the people The other temporizer is a Philosophicall dunce this yeare a Thomist the next yeare a Scoâ—ist an earnest plodder of supernaturall reasons Obstipo capite infigens lumine terram With downe-bent head and eyes vpon the ground an obseruer of the least minute in horologie and one that would faine intrude himselfe into the Lords priuy Counsell The former kinde of Temporizers inhabite in publique places about Princes Palaces and like false Achithophels long to manage matters of policy The latter as people addicted to more melancholy retire themselues to monasticall habitations where they meditate on their curious problemes grinding the world as it were into Oaten-meale in the Winde-mill of their braines And now to re-iterate Curiosity the primary cause of Detraction begotten by Originall corruption our incorrigible natures being let at random left arbitrary to doe what seemes good in our owne eyes tandem Custode romoto without Orbilites our tutors crabbed countenance without checkes or correction encourage vs to waxe lawlesse and licentious libertines worse then the busie-headed French at whose dissolute carriage and audacious Detraction I was much amazed when in euery towne and village I heard them scot-free reuile and raile at their chiefe Magistrates with taikatiue Curiosity scanning their honest deedes From whom euen as we borrow new-fangled dresses and courtly-complements so doe we like curious Apes receiue their poysonous Adder of Detraction We see motes in other mens eyes but perceiue not beames in our owne eyes We note acutely with Argus sight one sinister acte perpetrated by another but will not discerne our owne great and grosse crrours though all others discouer them as easily as huge rockes or notorious shelfes Our owne transgressions we compare to mole-hils our neighbors to the Alpes or Pirenaean mountains The reason is because our muddy minds shoote altogether outward and winde not inwardly into themselues according to the Poet Tecum habita nóris quam sit tibi curta supellex Dwell with thy selfe and thou shalt know How that thy store at home is low Next we wander vp and down through our frailty in the Maze or Labyrinth of vnstedfastnesse betwixt God and his enemies the pompes of this world and carnall pleasures God seekes to winne vs by inspiring men to write bookes for our conuersions by sending zealous Preachers into sundry quarters of the world as loude trumpets to awake vs out of sinne and prâ—uarication and likewise to liue in louc and charity one with another Our inconstancy defaceth all with forgetfulnesse we returne to our olde vomite and chuse with foolish Gryllus to retaine still the shapes of effeminate Epicures and Swine rather then to be metamorphosed into mens formes with the rest of Vlisses his companions Wee are carried about in the voluble spheares of our owne waucring imaginations To day we praise a man to morrow we dispraise him To day we pray to God for grace to morrow we blaspheme his power with wordes of disgrace To day our soules are calme and temperate to morrow ouer-clouded with vnruly passions Nay more we alter our opinions in one moment of an houre Romae Tybur amo ventosus Tybure Romam At Rome I long olde Tyburs Towne to see And there I long againe in Rome to be Ouer-cloyed in townes by reason of the vnwholesomnes and stricknes of the aire we long to liue in the delectable counâ—rey free from those inconueniences which annoy the townes But presently tired in the countrey for want of pleasant company we retire and returne backe againe into the towne where with doubts of some infectious sickenesse with disgust and discontentment to see daily factions seedes of dissention and other dislikes common to company we wish our selues againe in the countrey How soddenly doe our imaginations chop and change How in the twinckling of an eye wee suppose our selues at London at Oxford at home from home Yea in a short time we imagine our selues safely arriued at the East Indies for spice in Barbary for sugar in China for silkes in France for wines and salts and all these Merchandizes bought brought home and sold away in as small a space as a man might repeat ouer the Lords prayer O fickle men how are your braines and mindes thus intoxicated One while yee looke as amiable as if yee had swallowed vp a hare another while fleering as if yee had swallowed vp a gull one while heauenly another while earthly one while deuoute another while Detracting not one day in one moode or minde but as the winde wauering both in words and thoughts The last impediment which the first Mans transgression subiected vs vnto is a kinde of dulnesse or negligence with which we are so besotted that we cannot open our eyes to behold what armes our Sauiour Christ left vs not onely able to encounter this spirit of Detraction but also the Arch spirit of all vitious spirits By Baptisme with future repentance he washed vs from originall corruption By shedding his innocent bloud he ransomed our soules from hell onely in recompence he expects thankfull minds of vs with continuall exercise of prayers with often communicating his mysticall Body in reuerence loue and charity one with another after that moralizing manner which St. Paul himselfe quotes downe to the quite
confusion of poore-blinde Papists namely in remembrance of him in remembrance of him for as often as yee eate his bread and drinke his cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he comes so that ioyning together as louing members of one body we might skirmish against our spiritual Enemy and against his spirits of sinne which he hatcheth and fostereth for our bane fall and perdition In a word let vs account it a foule sinne for any man to be eyther ignorant or partiall in his own infirmities And let vs censure other mens faults with fearefull consciences or rather suspend our hasty iudgements because we cannot distinctly discerne of spirits but let vs diue into our owne without doubts or scruples because God gaue vs a mindfull monitrix within to looke our LINEAMENT IIII. 1 That ill Education is another cause of malicious Detraction 2 That want of maintenance in the Clergy is the cause of ill Education 3 Certaine moderne abuses taxed in some remote angles of this Kingdome THou mortall man in thy young and tender yeares being pliable and apt to receiue any impression must out of hand be fashioned in the sharpe turning wheele of instruction Vdum molle lutum es nunc nunc properandus acri Fingendus sixe fine rotâ In youth thou art as moist and softned clay And must by teachers wheele make hast away This counsellâ— direct to honest parents my brethren in Christ whereby they may beware how they cocker and dandle their children in licentious folly Roses must needs wither when they are ouer-growne with bryers and thornes and children that are assayled with whole legions of affections must fall at the last if they be not accordingly sâ—ccoured Which likewise that Diuine Philosopher ratifieth A youth not as yet hauing fully and absolutely disposed himselfe to goodnesse is a deceitfull cruell and a most proude beast vnlesse he be bound betimes with a Schoolemaster as with a streng bridle Certainly good education is the chiefest ebstacle and baâ—re to the diuellâ—sh spirit of Detraction For when haue you heard any man ingenuously brought vp to detract from his Creator or from his neighbour He that toucheth pitch cannot but be defiled therewith one scabbed sheepe may infect a whole flocke And as the Royall Prophet saith With the cleane thou shalt be cleane and with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse As for you of the nobler and prouder sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cousens to the Gods of the earth you that stand vpon phantasticall Genealogies bringing your pedegrees by a thousand lines and branches from Gog and Magog measuring your deserts by descent and not by vertues worth yee I mean queijs vinere fas est occipiti coeco which perswade your selues that it is lawfull for you to leade your liues carelesse and to speake what you please concerning God or man yee are too high for my humble pen I dare not admonish you for feare of an action on the case Nay few that vnderstand any thing must be admitted to your presence and if any one be yet dare he not instruct you for feare of displeasure or if happily at any time he put you in minde thereof no man will abide him But why doe I wish men in their prime in their growing time to be pruned with vertue polished with learning and strongly armed against the stormy spirit of Detraction Seeing they lacke profitable Teachers to edifie their soules Seeing our Ghostly Pastors in this remote place of the Kingdome be ignorant themselues No other reason can be alleadged of this their ignorance then pure penury whereof the Clergie especially here in our Countrey languisheth Let me looke but in the neighbour-hood where I dwell and I finde within this one Hundred twelue parishes whose tythes and emoluments amount to a deepe summe in the yeare Some parishes yeelde eight score or nine score pounds a yeare yea the tithes of the least parish arise yearely to one hundred pounds and yet notwithstanding all this the poore Curates receiue not aboue twenty nobles a piece in the yeare Out of which they be compelled to pay yearely fifteenthes pro curations and other exactions as high as thirty shillings So that the Ministers pension is little more then fiue pounds Which beggarly annuity cannot maintaine him no nor supply him with necessary rayment Neyther will any Scholer of worth accept of such a meane rate For who will rest content with drosse while he may haue gold Who will inhabite in a mud-wall cottage if he may haue better Nay if some zealous men were willing to extend the talents of their spirits for our instruction how can such poore pittances serue to keepe soule and body together Venter nec aures neque linguam habet It agreeth with reason that the industrious Labourer chiefly in the Lords vineyard should enioy his competent hire for if maintenance and reward of trauell were taken away learning must needes fall to ruine This certainely is the cause which marreth nurture and consequently leaues our mindes barren vntilled and vnfurnished with true knowledge insomuch that spacious roome is left for our spirituall Enemy to enter and to beleaguer with easie force the feeble forts of our soules I will passe ouer with secret griefe and silence how that thousands within this our Countrey of Wales resort not to Church aboue once a yeare their towneships or hamlets being distant from the Church seuen or eight English miles I could likewise produce many parishes which were not partakers of Sermons in any mans memory no nor as farre as I can learne their Curates neuer graced them with one poore Homily or Catechisme But because this latter point is a matter out of my element neither inquirable nor determinable by my Commission and for feare least these Ecclesiasticks of the positiue degree procure the Thunder-bolt of Excommunication against me for intermedling with their frothy dregges and for putting my strange Oare into their Barke though it be to saue it from wracke like vnto zealous Vâ—zza who rashly toucht Gods Arke to stay it from falling I will surcease my pen and suspend my censure of their dregges and lees in hope that they will conuert the same to better purposes and distill their lees in the Limbecke of reformation to a pretious oyle of Tartar with which they being annointed and affected may vent out godly doctrine goodly discipline farre better then with the holy water wherewith our missopecunifices our masse-mongers thinke to chase away the spirit of Detraction other hellish spirits To wind vp this discontented discourse of my Countreyes Leuites I pray God that the French prouerbe whereby they taxe a thing hard to be brought about fall not our iust vpon some of their heads that is Ily a plus de difficulte qu' a tirer vn Prestre de la tauerne That 's harder then to draw a Priest from the Tauerne More yet could I insert concerning the
hath two principall instruments the Hand and the tongue 2 Their apish trickes 3 Their monstrous effects 4 A briefe dehortation from Detraction EVen as wise Philosophers by signes and effects doe finde out naturall causes by properties they found out essences and by leading sparres doe ayme at leaden mines so must we by some externall operations apprehend the instrumentall meanes by which the froathy spirit of Detraction manageth whole rablements of wrangling and â—angling actions And these are two the Hand the Tongue with the hand Sathan procures a man to wriâ—e infamous libels inuectiues Satyres and disgracefull letters and times not inferiour to the Popes thundring Bulles against his powerful Makers name or at least wise against his honest neighbours fame yea though he be an hundred miles distant from him with such violent and insupportable fury that one knowes not which is more dreadfull the pike oâ— the pen. Such a one might well be called a Calamoboas that is the lusty or lofty Crier with the pen as Antipater in Plutarch termed Carneades the libeller Some other times a dumbe spirit possesseth our outlawed out-casts so that with dumbe shewes winking eyes wry mouthes bended browes pointed fingers touch of feeâ—e and other apish trickes they tempt the patience of the godliest man Which beast-like vsage a moderne Poet thus painteth out Me digitis monstant subsannant dentibus omnes Hic aures Asini fingit ille canem With fingers point with grinning teeth they flout me One Asses eares he dogs tongue makes about me The other and common instrument of The spirit of Detraction is the Tongue which being ill ordered and Tutourlesse may bee termed a leprous sinne a contagious sinne spreading farre and neere the hyperbolical deuises of the Diuell by the mouth of the detracting spirit towards the credulous eares of mortall men Wherein it is a thing remarkeable and worthy of graphicall obseruation to see how this small member can worke such turbulent tumults throughout all the circuit of mans little world The repercussion of it stirres the gall enflameth the blood netries the heart and musters together all the mutinous powers of the body in reuenge of the other opposite spirit But when all comes to all Truth is great and must preuaile In cold bloud men of vnderstanding will grow to this conclusion that the tongue endamageth three soules the absent whom it backe-biteth the present person which is attentiue and the Detractor himselfe which bloweth the dust and it reuerteth backe vnto his owne eyes Euill words corrupt good manners and also bewray the motions of the heart for euen as the tree of the fielde is knowne by his fruit so is the thought of mans heart knowne by his words Where is Charity Where is Taciturnity While the tongue becomes the Diuels Trumpeter to sound out his malicious words of defiance O imprudent age O carelesse folke which suffer themselues to be allured by hellish Nighting-galles Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit auceps The Fowler lures melodiously While he takes birds deceitfully In regard of which circumstances Let thy words be few for as a dreame comes by the multitude of businesse so the voyce of a foole is in the multitude of wordes And lâ—t those golden sayings of the Apostle be firmely imprinted within the closet of thine heart Gâ—â—ue not quoth he the holy spirit of God by whom thou art sealed vnto the day of redemption Let all but ernesse anger and euill speaking be put away with all maliciousnesse LINEAMENT IX 1 The Authors censure of certaine English Pamphleters and Ballad writers with an inuocation to my L. of Canterbury for a reformation not onely of these abuses in writing but also of other enormuus committed against the Church-Canâ—ts 2 A Description of good and euill writers 3 That there is a mixt morall kind of writing seruing as the lesser â—ight for the conuersion of the naturall man HErein I cannot chuse but somwhat touch the apish spleene of certain English Pamphleters who to gaine themselues windy applauses and popular praises among Sathans posterity like vnto Erostratus who fired Dianaes famous Temple at Ephe sus to the intent he might be spoken of in after ages do publish daily the puffed leauen of their phantasies which the Poet otherwise calles Ingenij caprisicum The wilde Fig-tree of their greene wittes or as we vulgarly say their wilde seed Oates These bastard Bookes begotten in an euill houre vpon the effeminate aspect of Venus and Mars I could wish to be suddenly suppressed as Monsters opposite to the sacred spirit of Regeneration And for this purpose I humbly inuocate on you my iudicious Lord Great Britaines Metropolitane intreating your further vigilancy in rooting out those vaine Vines which according to the nature of ill weedes will in time ouer-grow your pruned plants But who am I that dare admonish the Ambrose of our age who with your heauenly food of Ambrosia Manna and Nectar doe nourish the soules of our Christian Church prouiding milke for their young ones medicine for their sicke and meate for their strong Right reuerend Lord I know it is presumption in me to discourse with so great and graue a Personage Yet notwithstanding because our English Adage taught me this vncontrouled rule spare to speake and spare to speede I will not spare to enforme your Grace what wicked weedes doe ouer-top the graine of my natiue soile Beside those rotten rootes of writing the neglect of your Constitutions and experimented Orders whereby our Commissaries must not call to question the sincerer sort of people vpon bare and naked fame for euery slight and slanderous imputation whereby they are forbidden to prouounce definitiue sentence without the aduice of discreet Aduocates whereby our Proctors are charged not to frame their libelles without the opinions and hands of Aduocates and whereby their wrangling noyse in Court is stinted I say the contempts of these and other your Canonicall commaundements by your meaner Officials which now in your first Visitation may more acutely be espied are the principall causes that they of the layer and lower sort become more carelesse in their carriage more addicted vnto Detraction For surely there is nothing in this spacious Round or Vniuerse of nature which more resisteth the execution of lawes then the ordinary heape of friuolous and froward suites then the disobedience and breach of ciuill customes in men of higher note These and many other enormious crimes enuring the popular ranke to peremptory and pecuish thoughts deedes and speeches your prouidence may expell for a time if not quite extinguish and extirpe Your fame eternized through your euer-shining bookes through your neuer-spotted actions may worke some miracles in the conuersion of our Detractors Yea your noble Name illustrious ABBOT a Name I confesse somewhat ominous among the aduerse side the admirers of auncient Abbeyes I say your very Name etymologized from that Abba of Adoption the sounding voyce
threats from S. Michacls Mount to the furthest bounds of Calydone against all licentious and lying libellers against detractors of their neighbours names or at least wise against such prophane persons which presume to wound the Maiestie of their great Creatour by their malicious or wanton wordes To this end like vnto that Clowne of Danubius who spared not to speake the truth from his very heart before the Emperour Aurelius and the whole Senate of Rome an obedient and obsequious seruant of yours borne vnder Cambriaes climate doth here enforme your patient Highnesse that the Sunne can no longer shine in your Christian Kingdome vpon truth and blasphemy without a most terrible eclipse of discontentment Arise therefore O King and cause these noysome Foxes to be both slaine and slaine Let their habitation be desolate and no man dwelling therein For they that be Traytors to their Heauenly King can neuer be true to their earthly King They that wittingly and wilfully teare in pieces the Titles of the great Iehouah will also proue rayling Semeies and reuiling Sathans against your royall Highnesse Their tongues like sharpe pointed arrowes will passe and pierce through your hard steely armour your armour of proofe my Lords both spirituall and temporall Their throats like open Sepulchres doe threaten to bury your wounded bodies O yee Knights Burgesses and Commons Yea these Knights of the Post these common swearers and detractors will conspire some time or other to blow vs all vp one after another with the gun-powder of their blasphemies O then let not such Atheisticall Agags be spared but let them perish by the hands of Samuell let them perish in the pit of perdition as persons faire worse then murtherers for these kill but the body whereas the periured kill themselues totally both body and soule And as an auncient Father writes They that blaspheme Christ now reigning in heauen do sinne no lesse then they that crucified him here on earth When they forsweare themselues whether it be by compulsion or of custome or of some worldly respect all is one eyther by Gods body by his bloud or by his woundes they spiritually pierce his sides with their bloudy weapons for a wicked tongue is worse then any weapon and like pitilesse Pilate they scourge his sanctified body againe When they sweare by his head as our swaggering swil-bowles will sweare by any part they plaite another Crowne of thornes vppon his hallowed head When they sweare by his foote they naile his innocent feete to the Crosse anew When they sweare by Gods death by Gods heart they put him to death and being worse then Iudas Iscariot they plot to supplant the heart of life When they sweare by senseles blocks stocks by the Masse by Gog or magog they detract from Gods honour in attributing his due to dumbe and deafe Idols But when they wilfully sweare betwixt party and partie in iudiciall proceedings by Gods Sacraments or forsweare themselues vpon his louely Legates the Testament eyther olde or new they blasphemously detract from the Father the Word and the holy Ghost by reason that Gods word comprehended in those holy Oracles is the right record on earth resembling the word incarnate now in heauen who redeemed the penitent from Sathans thrall euen as the other two mysticall records of water the spirit or of Baptisme and the Lords Supper represent the Father the holy Ghost the one signifying our Election by Baptisme and repentance from the Father before all worlds and the other witnessing and sealing the same into our consciences and also breathing faith loue charity and other Diuine gifts into our barren wils as is most euidently testified in those Testaments so that wilfull periury and blasphemous Detraction either to the derogation of Gods honour or to the detriment of his creatures if without commission I may discerne of spirits may be termed a sinne against the holy Ghost or against the whole Maiestie of the sacred Trinity No lesse also sinne the suborners of periurie then Periurers themselues nay they encurre a farre greater punishment because they occasion the losse of other mens soules namely of the suborned persons besides the losse of their owne soules And to detaine them more surely and safely in hell the iniured parties against whom such periury was committed will continually craue and crie for vengeance In respect of which abhominable abuses and for that the Diuell is now-a-dayes most spiritually busie at the shutting vp of this last tragicall seene of the world may it please your Soueraignties to ioyne together as mystical members of one vndiuided and vnblemished corporation for the extirping out of such prophane sinnes which being begunne in youth continued in manhood and confirmed in olde age doe continually raigne among vs as it were by destiny so that likewise other blasphemies in manner of branches beginne to ouer-spread their leaues of lies and libels aboue the plants of truth onely by the slight and too too light stocking vp of that sinfull and saplesse tree of periury Or if your wisedomes iudge it not expedient to promulge and put out any new Acte against this manifolded spirit of malignant Detraction yet notwithstanding for the preuenting of periurie and for the protection of innocencie that Naboth may not sustaine damage by Iezabels false witnesses and that all other sincere subiects may walke dreadlesse in their vocations it were a worke of charity and very likely to hinder the future budding vp of innumerable inconueniences if you would but adde one materiall clause more to the Statue of periury viz. That none be admitted to beare witnes against honest men but honest men men of some sufficiency and substance vntouched vncorrupted and vnsuspected I meane not that they should be voyde of sinne for then we must goe out of this world to fetch in the Angels of heauen but I meane sober men vnattainted of notorious crimes those whom the common law termes probos legales so that common drunkards haunters of Alehouses hunters of whores Barretours beggars rogues and light persons whom the Londoners call Knights of the Post may be excluded from deposing against substantiall subiects For to what end requires the law to haue witnesses produced Is it not to trie the truth And what truth can there be found in such notorious lewd liuers whose thoughts are altogether dulled with sensuall pleasures What true proofe can there be expected from them who differ but very little from bruit beastes Therefore it were sit that Iudges and Iurours regard circumstances as well as witnesses Doth a common drunkard or a common whore-hunter depose such must haue meanes to maintaine their vices Doth a beggar or a prisoner sweare beleeue him not for pinching penuâ—ie will perswade persons to testifie that the crow is white Neede will make the olde wise trot Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames Is a common Barretour produced to testifie his knowledge A Barretour is euer
drinking The like laudable custome did our present King impose by consent of his Parliament vpon our lourdanes or disguised trauellers which resorted to tauernes namely that they should not drinke aboue a quart at a meale nor stay aboue an houre in these infamous houses But as those lawes which concerne many are commonly neglected of many so notwithstanding his Maiesties wholesome lawes people now adaies through licentiousnesse hauing almost gotten a habite of disobedience few or none aduenture to execute the same Or if perhaps any one more forward then the rest fearing the shipwracke of his conscience for waxing slouthfull in his charge against these Centaurs or for winking at such enormities of these his Countries Cyclops should chance to extend the rod of his authoritie in suppressing them presently Sathan suggesteth some of his darlings detracting Barretours to countenance these lewde liuers and rather then faile he subornes them to molest those zealous magistrates by hooke or by crooke to the Starre Chamber or to some other principall Court two or three hundred miles off for trifling matters not worth the speaking and all to the entent to terrifie and tire them with tedious trauelling too and fro so that few officers dare put in execution what the law requireth them being loth to hazard their goods and persons in so wearisome a iourney in so cumbersome a suite These these bulbeggars I say be the onely obstacles that Iustice is not executed against the malefactors of our countrey Herehence it comes to passe that Iustices of milde and moderate spirits do swallow downe many a bit of bitter iniuries rather then they will aduenture their fortunes in law vpon such vile vermine Yet notwithstanding these crosses which ouerthwart your honest purposes it behoues you my Masters whom his Maiestic or his Chauncellor hath commissioned by Iethroes counsell as Rulers ouer hundreds ouer fifties to lay aside your panicke feares to looke vnto your places and not to preferre your priuate weale before the publike in intending so neerely the temporall goods of blind fortune whereof the Eye of iustice in reuenge of your remissenesse and periuries will sodainly bereaue you with a heauier scourge For this cause I could wish that this golden saying were firmely ingrauen in your thoughts Qui non impedit facinus cum possit facinori consentit He that hinders not a sinne when he may hinder it consents vnto the sinne For no doubt but this saying is alreadie verified in many of vs whom God forgiue specially when we spare Gods enemies of what nature soeuer they be eyther for indulgence importunate friendship or for feare of the Diuell or of his detracting followers Therefore be ye stout as Lyons fighting the Lords battailes The cause is the Lords the iudgement is the Lords and the Lord will be with you in the cause and iudgement Now shew your selues whose champions ye are and with your vnpartiall hands subscribe to pull and put downe these licentious Brothelries downe with these Tauernes downe with these Seminaries of corruption downe with the cause and downe with the effects if ye haue any sparke of Gods Spirit shining in you The prodigious effects hatched and fostered in these drunken Cottages as I said before is licentiousnesse the diabolicall dame of detractions periuries blasphemies and of a number of other base brats LINEAMENT III. That the Spirit of Detraction is sooner conuicted through the bright light and testimonie of the Scripture then through mens reall sorce or worldly deuices EVen as Aarons rod in Pharaoh his presence consumed all the Magicians rods that were put before it so words grounded vpon the touchstone of Truth do at the last consume to nothing all the bubling dregs of babling Detraction For by how much that Michael the Archangel is more mightie then the detracting Dragon by so much doth the speech of Truth beare a greater sway ouer the mishapen monsters of falshood which like foolish Apes by their vaine and vncharitable chattering would faine obtaine the Christian sirname of Truth But the word of life the light of vnderstanding will not abide such derogations and detractions And therefore he hath of his speciall and superabundant grace sent forth the spirit of his mouth the brightnesse of his comming to consute these hidious heresies and peremptory paradoxes which with the Antichrist were conceiued and begotten among vs. Out of this light or lightsome word out of the right resembling Image of the Fathers eternall vertues as his pledge to the Catholike Church issued his written image the sacred Scripture whose efficacy is so excellent that the testimonies thereof suffice to coniure downe all the spirits of hell into their owne bottomlesse home Being an armie of armed men against the spirit of Detraction and he will intreate them woâ—se then that possessed person did the seuen sonnes of Scaeua the Iew against whom he ranne and preuailed that they were forced to flie out of the house naked and wounded Besprinkle him with whole buckets full of holy water chant millions of masses vnto him his spirituall substance cares not for wetting and for your masses Surdo canis he will not heare them for your good but gladly heares them for your hurt and hindrance Onely a few materiall sentences extracted out of the heauenly booke and giuen in euidence by an humble-minded Christian with prayer and contrition doe certainly coniure conuince and confound all his dartes stings and forces To this end I will repeate some prouerbiall lessons selected by me out of that Booke of Life with hope that their energy and viuacitie will conuert my countrymen that are any thing towardly enclined to follow truth and integritie to become vertuously forward and not viciously froward And first I will briefly rebuke and refute the vse of idle speeches before I descend to the reprehension of deeper Detractions Wherein I will follow the example of expert Physicians who are wont at first to prescribe gentle preparatiues to attenuate and mollifie the stubborne and inueterate humours of their patients bodie before they attempt to purge the same substantially LINEAMENT IIII. The Spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by the Prophet Dauids Testimony THey talke of vanity euery one with his neighbour they doe but flatter with their lippes and dissemble with their heart But the Lord shall roote out all deceitfull lips the tongue that speaketh proude things which haue said with our tongue we will preuaile we are they that ought to speake who is Lord ouer vs Their throate is an open Scpulchre with their tongues haue they deceiued the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lips Their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle Or who shall rest vpon thy holy hill Euen he that leadeth an incorrupt life and doth the thing that is right and speaketh the truth from his heart He that hath vsed no deceit in his tongue nor done euill to his neighbour and hath not
slâ—undered his neighbours They are inclosed in their owne fat and their mouth speaketh proud things Like as a Lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a Lions whelpe lurking in secret places Vp Lord disappoint them and cast them downe deliuer my soule from the vngodly which is a sword of thine Let the lying lips be put to silence which cruelly disdainefully and despitefully speake against the Righteous The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdome and his tongue will be talking of iudgement Thy tongue imagineth wickednesse and with lyes thou cuttest like a Rasor thou hast loued vnrighteousnesse more then goodnesse and to talke of lies more then righteousnesie thou hast loued to speake al words that may doe hurt O thou false tongue Therefore shall God destroy thee for euer he shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy dwelling and roote thee out of the land of the liuing Destroy their tongues O Lord and diuide them for I haue espied vnrighteousnesse and strife in the Citie God shall send forth his mercie and truth my soule is among Lions and I lie among the children of men that are set on fire whose teeth are spears and arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword They goe too and fro in the euening they grinne like a dog and runne about through the Citie Behold they speak with their mouthes and swords are in their lips for who doth heare But thou O Lord shalt haue them in derision and thou shalt laugh all the Heathen to scorne For the sinne of their mouth and for the words of their lips they shall be taken in their pride And why their preaching is of cursing and lies Hide me from the gathering together of the froward and from the insurrection of wicked doers which haue whet their tongues like a sword and shot out their arrowes euen bitter words that they may priuily shoot at him which is perfect Suddenly doe they hit and feare not They corrupt others and speake of wicked blasphemie their talking is against the most high for they stretch forth their mouth vnto the heauens and their tongue goeth through the world Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and how the foolish people haue blasphemed thy Name As for the blasphemie wherewith our neighbours haue blasphemed thee reward thou them O Lord seuen folde into their bosome Who so priuily slaundereth his neighbour him will I destroy Hold not thy tongue O God of my praise for the mouth of the vngodly yea and the mouth of the deceitfull is opened vpon me They haue spoken against me with false tongues they compassed me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without a cause Deliuer my soule O Lord from lying lips and from a deceit full tongue What reward shall be giuen or done vnto thee thou false tongue Euen might and sharpe arrowes with hote burning coales They haue sharpened their tongues like a Serpent Adders poyson is vnder their lips Let the mischiefe of their owne lips fall vpon the head of them that compasse me about Let hot burning coales fall vpon them let them be cast into the fire and into the pit that they neuer rise againe A man full of words shall not prosper vpon the earth Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips LINEAMENT V. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by King Solomons testimony AS for the scornefull doth not the Lord laugh them to scorne Cap. 3. Put away from thee a froward mouth and let the lips of slaunder be farre from thee Prou. 4. These sixe things doth the Lord hate and theseuenth he vtterly abhorreth a proude looke a lying tongue hands that shed innocent bloud an heart that goeth about wicked imaginations feete that be swift in running to mischiefe a false witnesse that bringeth vp lies and him that soweth discord among Brethren cap. 6. ibid. He that winketh with his eye will cause sorrow but he that hath a foolish mouth shall be beaten the mouth of a righteous man is a well of life but the mouth of the vngodly keepeth mischiefe in his heart cap. 10. He that hideth hatred with lying lippes and that speaketh slaunder is a foole ibid. Where much babling is must needes be offence but he that refraineth his lips is wise Ibid. The mouth of the righteous will be talking of wisedome but the mouth of the vngodly speaketh froward things Ibid. A foole slaundereth his neighbour but a wise man holdeth his peace A dissembling fellow will discouer priuy things but he that is of a faithfull heart keepeth counsell cap. 11. A foole vttereth his wrath in all hast but a discreete man couereth his owne shame cap. 12. A slaunderous person pricketh like a sword but a wise mans tongue is wholsom The lips of truth shall be stable for euer but a dissembling tongue is soone changed Ibid. The Lord abhorreth lying lips but they that deale truely please him Ibid. A discreet man doth hide knowledge but the heart of fooles bableth out foolishnesse Ibid. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life but who rashly openeth his lips destroyeth himselfe cap. 13 In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride but the lips of the wise will preserue them cap. 4. A faithfull witnesse will not dissemble but a false record will inuent lies Ibid. A faithfull witnesse deliuereth soules but a deceitfull witnesse bringeth forth lies Ibid. A soft answere appeaseth wrath but rough wordes stirre vp anger cap. 15. A wholsome tongue is the tree of life but the frowardnesse thereof doth make sad the spirit Ibid. The heart of the righteous sludieth his answere before but the wicked mans mouth spieth out mischiefe Ibid. A wise heart ordereth his mouth wisely and ministreth learning vnto his lips cap. 16. An vngodly person stirreth vp euill and in his lips is an hote burning fire ibid. A froward body causeth strife and he that is blabbe of his tongue maketh diuision among Princes ibid. Speech of authority becommeth not a foole much lesse then doth a lying mouth beseeme a Prince cap. 17. A wise man vseth few words and a man of vnderstanding is of a patient spirit yea a very foole when he holdeth his peace is accounted wise and he that stoppeth his lips is esteemed prudent ibid. The words of a wise mans mouth are like deepe waters cap. 18. A sooles lips come with brawling and his mouth prouoketh vnto stripes A fooles mouth is his owne destruction and his lips are the snare of his owne soule ib. The words of a slaunderer are very wounds and goe through the innermost parts of the body ibid. Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that loue it shall eate the fruite thereof ibid. A false witnesse shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh lies shall perish cap. 19. A wicked witnesse
mocketh at iudgement and the mouth of the vngodly deuoureth wickednesse ibid. Cast out the scornfull man and so shall strife goe out with him yea variance and slaunder shall cease ca. 22. Be not a false witnesse against thy neighbour and speake no falshood with thy lips cap. 24. The North winde drtueth away the raine euen so doth an angry countenance a backbiters tongue cap. 25 Giue not the foole an answere after his foolishnesse lest thou become like vnto him cap. 6. As he that counterfeits himselfe mad casteth firebrands deadly arrowes and dartes so doth the dissembler with his neighbour and saith Am not I in sport Where no wood is there the fire goeth out euen so where the tale-bearer is taken away there the strife ceaseth As coales kindle heat and wood the fire euen so doth a brawling fellow stirre vp variance A tale-bearers words are like men that strike with hammers and they pierce the inward parts of the bodie Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a pot shard couered with siluer drosse A lying tongue hateth the afflicted and a flattering mouth worketh mischiefe Ibid. in cap. 26. A brawling woman and the roofe of a house dropping in a rainy day may well be compared together for he that stilleth her stilleth the winde and stoppeth the smell of oinments in his hand cap. 27. If a Prince delight in lies all his seruants are vngodly cap. 29. Seest thou a man that is hasty to speake vnaduisedly There is more hope in a soole then in him ibid. Be not hasty with thy mouth and let not thine heart speake any thing rashly before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy wordes be few Eccles. cap. 5. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne ibid. The spirit of wisdome is louing and will not absolue him that blasphemeth with his lips for God is witnes of his reynes a true beholder of his heart and an hearer of his tongue for the spirit of the Lord that filleth the round compasse of the world and the same that vpholdeth all things hath knowledge also of the voyce Therfore he that speaketh vnrighteous things cannot be hid neyther shall the iudgement of reproofe let him escape And why In quisition shall be made for the thoughts of the vngodly and the sound of his wordes shall come vnto God so that his wickednesse shall be punished The eare of iealousie heareth all things and the noise of gâ—udging shall not be hid therefore beware of murmuring which is nothing worth and refraine your tongue from slaunder for there is no word so secret that it shall goe for nought and the mouth that speaketh lies slayeth the soule Wisd. cap. 1. LINEAMENT VI. The spirit of Detraction coniured and conuicted by Iesus the sonne of Siraches testimonie IN the tongue is wisedome knowne so is vnderstanding knowledge and learning in the talking of the wise and stedfastnesse in the workes of righteousnesse In no wise speake against the words of truth but be ashamed of the lies of thine owne ignorance Be not hasty in thy tongue neyther slacke and negligent in thy workes cap 4. Be sâ—ift to heare but slow and patient in giuing answere If thou hast vnderstanding shape thy neighbour an answer if no lay thy hand vpon thy mouth lest thou be trapped in an vndiscreete word and so confounded Honour and shame is in the talke but the tongue of the vndiscreet is his owne destruction Be not a priuy accuser as long as thou liuest and vse no slaunder with thy tongue for shame and sorrow goeth ouer the thiefe and an euill name ouer him that is double tongued but he that is a priuie accuser of other men shall be hated enuied and confounded cap. 5. A man full of words is perillous in his City and he that is rash in his talking shall be abhorred cap. 9. Reherse not a wicked and churlish word twise and thou shalt not be hindered If thou hast heard a word against thy neighbour let it be dead within thee and be sure thou shalt haue no harme thereby A foole trauelleth with a word like as a woman that is pained with bearing of a childe Like as an arrow shot in a thigh of flesh so is a word in a fooles heart Reproue thy neighbour that he keepe his tongue and if he haue spoken that he say it no more A man falleth with his tongue sometime but not with his will for what is hee that hath not offended with his tongue cap. 19. A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportunity but a wanton and vndiscreet body shall regard no time He that vseth many words shall hurt his owne soule and he that taketh authority vpon him vnrighteously shall be hated In the mouth of him that is vntaught are many vnconuenient and vnmeete words A lie is a wicked shame in a man yet shall it be neuer in the mouth of the wise A thiefe is better then a man that is accustomed to lie The conditions of liers are vnhonest their shame is euer with them cap. 20. A foole lifteth vp his voyce with laughter but a wise man shall scarse laugh secretly The lips of the wise will be talking foolish things but the words of such as haue vnderstanding shall be waighed in the ballance The heart of fooles is in their mouth but the mouth of the wise is in his heart A priuy accuser of other men shall defile his owne soule and be hated of euery man but he that keepeth his tongue and is discreet shall come to honor cap. 21. If thou be among the discreet keepe thy words to a conuenient time but among such as be wise speake on hardly The talking of fooles is abomination and their sport is voluptuousnesse and mis-nurture The proude doe blaspheme and are scornefull but vengeance lurketh for them as a Lion cap. 27. An hasty browling kindleth fire and an hasty strife sheddeth bloud a tongue also that beareth false witnesse bringeth death If thou blow the sparke it shall burne if thou spit vpon it it shall go forth and both these come out of the mouth The slaunderer and double tongued is cursed for many one that be friends setteth he at variance The stroke of the rodde maketh prints in the skin but the stroke of the tongue smiteth the bones in sunder There be many that haue perished with the sword but many moe through the tongue Well is hee that is kept from an euill tongue and commeth not in the anger thereof which draweth not the yoake of such and is not bound in the bonds of it For the yoake thereof is of iron and the band of it of steele The death of it is a very euill death hell were better for one then such a tongue But the fire of it may not oppresse them that feare God and the flame thereof may not burne them Thou hedgest thy goods with thornes why dost thou not rather make doores and
barres for thy mouth Thou waighest thy siluer why dost thou not waigh thy words also vpon the ballance and make a doore and abarre and a sure bridle for thy mouth Beware that thou slide not in thy tongue and so fall before thine enemies that lay waite for thee and thy fall be incurable euen vnto death cap. 28. Thou young man speake that becommeth thee and that is profitable and yet scarse when thou art twise asked Comprehend much with few words in many things be as one that is ignorant giue care and holde thy tongue withall If thou be among men of high authority desire not to compare thy selfe vnto them and when an elder speaketh make not thou many wordes therein cap. 32. Like as a wilde horse that neigheth vnder euery one that sitteth vpon him so is it with a scornfull friend cap. 33. LINEAMENT VII The spirit of Detraction and Periury coniured and conuicted by other testimonies of the Scripture THou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his name in vaine Thou shalt not haue to doe with any false report neyther shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to be an vnrighteous witnesse Thou shalt not sweare by my name falsely neither shalt thou defile the name of thy God I am the Lord. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and how the foolish people haue blasphemed thy Name Thy Name is wonderfull O Lord and onely to had in reuerence I see a flying booke of twenty cubites long and tenne cubites broad which containeth the curse that goeth ouer the whole earth for all theeues shall be iudged after this booke and all periured persons shall be iudged according to the same And I will bring it forth saith the Lord of Hostes so that it shall enter into the house of a theefe and into the house of him that falsly sweareth by my name and shall remaine in the midst of his house and consume it with the tymber and stones thereof Let none of you imagine euill in his heart against his neighbour or loue false oathes for these are the things which I hate saith the Lord. Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing for n it there are many fals let not the naming of God be icontinually in thy mouth and meddle not with the names of Saints for thou shalt not be excused of them For like a seruant which is oft punished can not be without some sore euen so what soeuer he be that sweareth and nameth God shall not be cleane purged from sinne A man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse and the plague shall neuer goe from his house if he beguile his brother his fault shall be vppon him if he aknowledge not his sinne hee maketh a double offence and if he sweare in vaine he shall not be found righteous for his house shall be full of plagues The words of the swearer bring death God graunt that it be not found in the house of Iacob but they that feare God eschue all such and lie not waltering in sinne Vse not thy mouth to vnhonest and filthy talking for in it is the word of sinne Ye haue heard that it hath beene said to them of olde time Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shall performe vnto the Lord thine oathes But I say vnto you Sweare not at all neyther by heauen for it is Gods seate nor by the earth for it is his foote stoole neyther by Hierusalem for it is the citie of the great King Neither shalt thou sweare by thy head because thou canst not make one haire white or blacke But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill Woe be vnto you ye blinde guides for ye say Whosoeuer shall sweare by the Temple it is nothing but whosoeuer shall sweare by the golde of the Temple he is a debter Ye fooles and blinde for whether is greater the gold or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold And whosoeuer sweareth by the Altar it is nothing but whosoeuer sweareth by the gift that is vpon the Altar he is a debter Ye fooles and blinde for whether is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift Who so therefore shall sweare by the altar sweareth by it and by all things thereon And who so shall sweare by the Temple sweareth by it and him that dwelleth therein And he that shall sweare by heauen sweareth by the seate of God and him that sitteth thereon Aboue all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen neither by earth nor by any other oath Let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest you fall into condemnation These being deceiued by dreames defile the flesh despise Rulers and speake euill of them which are in authority Yet Michael the Archangell when he stroue against the Diuell and disputed about the body of Moses durst not giue rayling sentence but said The Lord rebuke thee But these speake euill of those things which they know not If a man sinne not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle all the body Behold we put Bittes in the horses mouthes that they may obey vs and we turne about their whole bodie Behold also the Shippes which though they be so great and are driuen of fierce windes yet are they turned about with a very small helme whither soeuer the lust of the Gouernour will euen so the tongue is a little member also and bâ—asteth great things Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth And the tongue is fire â—uâ—n a world of wickednesse so is the tongue set among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell All the nature of beastes and of birds and of Serpents and things of the Sea is meeked and tamed by the nature of man but the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruely euill full of deadly porson therewith blesse we our GOD and Father and therewith curse wee men which are made after the similitude of GOD Out of one mouth proceede blessing and cursing My brethren these things ought not so to be Doth a Fountaine send forth at one hole sweete water and bitter also Can the Figge tree my brethren beare Oliue berries Or a Vine beare Figges So can no Fountaine giue both salt water and also fresh LINEAMENT VIII The Authors aduise to Iury-men wishing them to proceede vprightly according to their oathes and also to meditate on the future discourse THE elder that the world growes the more grow the corruptions thereof by reason that Sathan now towards the dissolution of the worlds Chronicle spitteth his spirituall spite and venemous vengeance in most abundant measure And also because our stiffe steely hearts will not relent nor receiue remorce
chase out of his body the other two spirits which he imagined to be there inclosed So that this plot serued to strengthen his imagination and to weaken his former false perswasion This was the principall remedy of his malady Neuerthelesse the said Monsieur Poena desisted not for all that during the space of a moneth after to minister vnto him certaine medicinable things to purge and asswage melancholy insomuch that at the moneths end being throughly purged and cured of his sickenesse the party acknowledged himselfe abused and was very much ashamed of this false imagination which for a long time had possessed and troubled his spirit LINEAMENT XI An excellent example of Coniuration translated out of Erasmus his Exorcismes fit to be obserued of our superstitious Detractors ERasmus in his Dialogue called Exorcismus reports a notable story acted in King Henry the eights dayes which because it is too prolixe and tedious to be translated into English word by word I will relate it as compendiously and briefly as the substance of the matter requires Betwixt London and Richmond there dwelt one Poole a merry conceited Gentleman He at many Ordinaries diuulged that neere to his house by the high way side a Spright haunted commonly euery night And to make it the more famous riding on a time towards Richmond with diuers Caualeers in his company the skie being cleere without any cloudes Poole on a sudden crossed himselfe and as one much astonished spake to himselfe in this sort O immortall God what doe I see His companions asking him what he saw crossing himselfe yet more he said I pray God that this sight which I see may turne to good When they lay hard vpon him desirous to know the matter with his eyes fixt towards the skie and pointing with his finger to a place in the Element Doe not you see there quoth he yonder cruell Dragon armed with fiery hornes and a wreathed taile At first they denied that they saw any thing But at length because Poole belike a man of some reckoning very earnestly pointed at it with his finger and because he should not thinke but they were of as perfect sight as himselfe they constantly affirmed and said that they also sawe that wonderfull strange sight What needes many wordes Within three or foure dayes the rumour had passed almost ouer all England that such a prodigious Monster frequented theere neere Pooles house Yea it is wonderfull how the common people added more nouelties vnto the fable Neither wanted there some that tooke vpon them to presage the euent In the meane while a Canon one Hind who also was a Priest of a neighbour parish happily arriued at Pooles house This man had an ouer-weening conceit of himselfe and aboue all he thought himselfe well seene in Diuinity At supper they discoursed of the Spright When Poole perceiued that the Priest had not onely heard of it but likewise beleeued it to be true he began to perswade him that he being a learned man and very well disposed would coniure the spirit therhence and succour the poore soule in durance And if you doubt any thing quoth he we will trie Walke you about ten of the clocke anon by the bridge and you shall heare a pitifull groaning Take vnto you what company you please so you shall heare the safer and more certaine After supper Poole made as though he went on hunting About the time mentioned the Priest walking to the place heard wofull lamentations which Poole very cunningly fained being there hidden in a bush complayning out of an earthen potte broken for the nonce for that purpose The Priest within a litle while after returned homwards longing to tell what he had seene and heard There he tolde Poole who came home somewhat before him a neerer way what was done and likewise some thing more of his owne deuising because the matter might be the more wonderfull At the last Poole egging him on he vndertakes to coniure the spirit therehence All that night he slept not with musing which way he might sasely bring the matter about for hee feared and doubted very sore of himselfe Therefore hee gathers together most preualent Exorcismes ioyning others vnto them of his owne inuention as By the bowelles of the blessed Virgin Mary By the bones of Saint Winifride The next day he chuseth a place in the plaine neere to the bush from whence hee heard the voyce There he frames a very large Circle with innumerable crosses and letters By his side hee sets a vessell full of Holy water About his necke hee wore a holy robe at which hung the New Testament besides an Agnus Dei which was wont to be consecrated by the Pope once a yeare With these hee armes himselfe for feare lest it might be a wicked Spirit that would assault him Neyther durst hee commit himselfe alone to the Circle but determined to ioyne another Priest with him Then Poole fearing lest the mysterie might chance to bee bewrayed if he got vnto him one craftier then himselfe discloseth out of hand the whole story to a neighbour-Priest a friend of his and ioynes him assistant to the simple Canon in the acting of his conceited Comedie All things thus prepared the Coniurer with the other Priest about ten of the clocke enters into the circle Poole that went before him cried lamentably out of the bush The Canon talles to his exorcismes But Poole to haue the more sport shifted him therehence and by and by returnes with afriend of his but on two blacke steeds throwing fire at the Canon to haue him out of the circle The next morning the Canon bragged how he preuailed against the spirits who appeared on two blacke horses how they were very like to draw him out of the circle and how he sent them away with a vengeance by means of his forcible charmes The next night the Coniurer better encouraged returnes into the circle and Poole with his cópanion on their blacke horses shewed themselues with a terrible noyse as though they would breake into the circle and with a long rope which they brought with them drawen along the ground they ouerthrew both Priests with their vessell of holy water to the ground and at last seeming to quaile at the charms they departed away for that night This done the Canon comes homes tels Poole what great danger he escaped and how valiantly he ouercame both the wicked spirits now he certainly perswades himselfe that no Diuell is so cruell nor so impudent as to breake into his Circle Thus farre proceeded the fable when by chance Pooles sonne in law a young man delighted with such kinde of mirth came thither Him Poole makes priuie of their stage play and appoints him the soules or spirits part to act The young man apparrels himselfe with a sheete like a coarse and carries with him quicke coales in a pot which through the sheete seemed as it were lightening At night they goe to the stage play where the soule pitifully
much from Gods glory and omnipotency when we say He doth but giue Satan leaue to do it which is to deride and mocke Gods iustice as that worthy man Master Caluine wrote The Diuell is not at his owne liberty nor can he in the extremest censure otherwise then a hangman act any thing without the restrictiue commandement of the highest Iudge I say his permission must be authentickly ioyned with commission from God He is not in such fauour or grace with our Almighty Lord. Onely his Maiestie permits his spirituall insinuating and ghostly temptations for his glory and our edification in Christ. He permits him as the spirituall instrument of iustice for our hardnesse of heartes to entrap the chiefe part of man the reasonable will and by reason of our negligence in his seruice to accuse and relate our sinnes before him not that God is ignorant of our closest sinnes but perhaps because his Maiestie is pleased to vse ordinary meanes iudiciall formes and legall proceeding to condemne the guiltie Such as the Informer or Promoter is in our worldly Courts such is the Diuell in the heauenly Parliament And such a one will he be at the great iudgement day when our Messias both God and man shall iudge mankind In the meane time let vs perswade our selues that the Diuels meaning is to deceiue vs whether he seemes to appeare in borrowed shapes eyther of himselfe or by the commaund of wicked men Besides this deluding force I know certainly he hath none other With this weapon he was licensed by God in the beginning to sting vs in our heeles that is to tempt vs with legions of sinnes which by degrees brings death and perpetuall darknesse Euen as a man being stung in his heele or legge by reason of that infectious venime which with deadly tumors or swellings creepes vp by little and little into the heart must needs did except his legge that was so stung had beene chopt of in time or cured by an extraordinarie balsame so the variable will of man being seduced by Sathan or by his substitute Sinne which by degrees encreaseth to legions and as it were vncurable and vnrevokeable must needs be condemned to hell together with the soule her deere consort except she were absolued of her sinnes vpon her repentance bathed in Christs bloud and so healed by the balme of grace With this weapon he asâ—aulted Eue with this weapon he wounded Ahabs false Prophets And in this sort shall he goe out to deceiue the people which are in the foure quarters of the world This is he the Dragon that old serpent which is the Diuell and Sathan I say this is he the great red Dragon which deceiueth all the world which fought with Michael and his Angels which makes spirituall warre with the woman cloathed with the Sunne the Church of Christ. This is he which gaue the beast with the seauen heads that is the Church of Rome the seauen hilled Citie by the Tyrrhene Sea his power his throne and great authoritie So that great Babilon is now become an habitation of Dâ—uels the hold of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird and as Stigelius writes Imperij quondam sedes nunc turpe lupanar Vix vmbram prisci Roma nitoris habet Rome that was once an Empires seat is now A wolfe-stie scarce of that brightnesse shadow LINEAMENT XIII Aphrismes collected out of the first Fathers of the Primitiue Church concerning the Diuels power IUstine the Martyr in his Apologie for the Christians to the Romane Senate who among other seruples obiected that God would not suffer them to bee persecuted if their doctrine were true answered that the Christians were persecuted for the confirmation of their faith by Gods permission and also by the instinct and incitement of wicked spirits who at all times haue persecuted the louers of vertue as Socrates Heraclitus and Musonius but chiefly they moued persecutions against the Christians The same Martyr speaking of the vertue of the name of Iesus which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writes At the powerfull name of Iesus Christ crucified vnder Pontius Pilate the Diuels being adiured euen at this day with horrour and trembling doe obey vs Christians The Diuell is most busie against the light of the Gospell he moueth the Infidels to detract Christ with Magicke he prouoketh Hereticke to falsifie the truth according to their owne phantasies Tatianus disputing with the Grecians because they derided and despised the Christian Religion said that the motiues of their derision were the spirituall suggestions of the Diuell which deceiued them by vndertaking cures of diseases and by deluding them with witch craft and Diuinations thereby to withdraw men from the true worship of God Irenaeus the Disciple of Polycarpus who likewise was the Disciple of S. Iohn the Euangelâ—st proued that God was to be worshipped and not the Diuell first because the Diuell could not keepe and obserue any promises which he made for himselfe possessed nothing secondly because that the Diuell hath alwaies beene a lyar and is not to determine of any earthly Kingdomâ—s Origen auerreth that charmes and sorceries are dâ—risions of Diuels the dregs of Idolatry and the besotting of soules Likewise he affirmeth that our conflictand contention with euill spirits is spirituall These be the opinions of the Greeke Fathers which flourished within three hundred yeares after Christ. Tertullian the first Latine Father testifieth that the Diuell is the Authour of sinne euen as God is the Authour of the punishment of sinne That which is counterfeit is the businesse of the Diuell euen as that which is naturall is the worke of God Persecution immediately is sent from God and not from the Diuell Wicked spirits are the Authours of all wickednesse which is committed by man They fill all things with deceits craft and errours They infinuate themselues into mens bodies but they cannot hurt any man 〈◊〉 him whom they haue in their full power They were tâ—â— inuentors of Astrologie Southsaying Oracles Nâ—gromancy and Magicke Their chiefe endeuour is to auert men from the worshippe and knowledge of the Diuine Maiesty God suffereth the Diuell thus to delude mankinde to the entent that the euiil might fight with the good that vices might be opposed to vertue that God might haue some to punish and some to honour him Augustine vtterly denieth the Diuels reall power ouer any of Gods workmanship in these words We must not thinke that this materiall substance of visible things doe obey the Angels which transgressed but that they obey God alone Another reuerend Elder of the Church reasoning about the cause of the desection of the Diuels illusion writeth after this manner Heretofore Diuels in vaine formes did ensuare men with deceits hiding themselues in riuers rockes groues and woods but now-a-dayes since that Gods word hath beene made manifest those deceitfull sights spirits and illusions
lucre sake or of set purpose to please the kings humour And the word of the Lord came to Ieremy the Prophet who thus said vnto him Heare now Hananiah the Lord hath not sent thee but thou makest this people to trust in a lie Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will cast thee from off the earth This yeare thou shalt die because thou hast spoken rebelliously against the Lord. So Hananiah died the same yeare in the seuenth moneth Holophernes offended with Achior because he said that the Lord of heauen had no more power then his king Nabuchodonozor blasphemously detracted his eternall Maiesty Who is God quoth he but Nabuchodonozor he will send his power and will destroy them from the face of the earth and their God shall not deliuer them Within a while after he was slaine by a woman and his army discomfited Elymas the Sorcerer withstood Barnabas and Paul and sought to turne away the deputy from the Christian faith Then Paul being full of the holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said O man full of all subtiltie and all mischiefe the child of the Diuell and enemie to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to peruert the straight waies of the Lord Now therfore behold the hand of the Lord is vpon thee and thou shalt be blind and not see the Sunne for a season Our Sauiour Christ through the Spirit of God through profound arguments confounded the Pharisees that detracted his glorious miracles alledging that he did cast out spirits no otherwise then through Baalzebub Prince of Diuels His arguments were these Euerie kingdome saith he diuided against it selfe shall be brought to nought and euery Citie or house diuided against it selfe shall not stand So if Sathan cast out Sathan he is diuided against himselfe How then shall his kingdome endure Whereby we may gather that the chiefest fight against the Spirit of Detraction is the irrefragable word of God seeing that our Master Christ himselfe vsed this kinde of armour Herod made an eloquent Oration to them of Tyre and Sidon so that the people shouted saying It is the voyce of God and not of man But because he arrogated the same to his owne worth and gaue not glory vnto God the Angell of the Lord smote him that he was caten of wormes Saint Paul the Apostle imputes mens mentall punishments infectious sicknesses with these pestilent sinnes to our ingratitude and negligence in glorifying and seruing God When they knew God saith he they glorified him not as God neithet were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darknesse When they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles for they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man of birds of foure footed beasts and of creeping things Wherefore God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse They turned the truth into a lie they serued worshipped the creature forsaking the Creator for which cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections The same Apostle in shewing the cause of the ruine of the Iewes and the calling of the Gentiles ascribes the same vnto their Detractions for they going about to establish their owne righteousnesse submitted not themselues to the righteousnesse of God THE SIXT CIRCLE OF THE SPIRIT OF DETRACTION CONIVRED AND CONVICTED LINEAMENT I. 1 The spirit of Detractions pleas and allegations on the behalfe of his humouring and soothing men in their vanities 2 The said spirit sharpely rebuked for his Equiuocation and dissimulation 3 The Authours purpose in this subsequent Circle HEe is no Politician quoth Peter please-man that will not pledge the world in the cup of Detraction chiefly in these vntoward times when men shall sit by themselues as forsaken and forlorne vnlesse they iumpe one with another in the selfe same veine of discourse whether it be in derogating from Gods omnipotence or in diminishing of their neighbours fame How shall men otherwise consume away their times Reading occasioneth bloudshot eyes and moyst migrims silence ingendreth melancholy and sleepe obstupefieth the lodge of imagination But speeches be they merry or malicious iesting or gibing doe extend the windpipes enlarge the heartstrings exhilarate the soules faculties and enduce all companies to admire a mans fluent tongue and to extoll his filed voice Wilt thou be enrolled in Gentlemens bookes for one of their principall fauorites straine thy selfe to humour them scoffe when they scoffe bite when they bite and like Hippocrates twinnes laugh and weepe together If thou hearest them blaspheme or blazing outnouelties indeuor thou to verifie the same or to requite their familiar conference with some additions of thine owne inuention By this meanes thou shalt make thy company precious vnto them also prie like an insinuating intelligencer into the inward state of all thy countrey By this means thou shalt learne their seuerall and secret inclinations who be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupt Magistrates who be carousers fornicators or who haue encurred the danger of any penall statute An Romule coeâ—es Art thou a Brittaine a Christian and dost thou faune and wag thy taile like a spaniell Dost thou preach the doctrine of Diuels Doest thou teach men to equiuocate to dissemble to detract and to lash out lies O sonne of Belial thou art in the gall of hell and hast no portion with vs in our Christian busines How canst thou loue God whom thou neuer sawest seeing thou canst not loue thy brother in Christ whom thouseâ—st daily And how canst thou loue thy Sauiour Christ when thou shamefully sharest his seamclefie coate with Sathans soldiours or when thou tearest his members name fame with thy taunting tongue Words wound a man worse then swords No deadly drugs of Arsenicke or aconite are comparable to lying lips no spirit more dangerous then the spirit of Detraction Let a man obserue silence and he shal neuer obtaine harme let him when he speaks speake soberly and all men will loue him or if that Ismaels seede doe taunt him Isaacs seede will tender him If the vngodly contemne him the godly will comfort him And will not the comfortable loue of one godly man counterpoise the contempt of many vngodly Let him seldome speake or not before a question be asked him and he shall neuer be indemnified Let him follow the French mans counsell Parler beaucoup on ne peut sans mensonge Ou pour le moins sans quelque vanite Le parler briefe convient à verite Et l' autre est propre à la fable et au songe To prattle much one cannot without lies Or at the least without some vanitie It well agrees with dreames and fooleries But pithie words belong to veritie For this purpose that the talkatiue may be ashamed of their tatling tongues for the publike good and for my modest memoriall towards her that rests with the Lord of rest haue I
womans head-tires were rent and torne from her head with a blast of lightning at that instant without any other harme Likewise about that time a whole houshold at a place called Talley in the said Countie were burnt with wild-fire There perished at that time by report fiue or sixe little children in the said house Whereby it appeares that the innocent is sometimes smitten with such strange ends aswell as nocents There was a fearefull lightning on the seuenteenth day of Nouember 1606. which in very short time burnt vp the steeple of Bleachingley in Surrey and in the same melted into infinite fragments a good ring of Belles Which accident because it was so lately done I will rehearse the same more at large according to the discourse of one Simon Harward who wrote thereof compendiously and learnedly When I came quoth he to visite the towne of Bleachingley I found their cause to be equall if not worse then the rumour or report which was before published I found that by the lightning which came with the terible thunder on Munday being the seuenteenth of this instant Nouember about ten of the clocke in the night the spire steeple of the said Bleachingley hauing beene lately new couered to the great charges of the parish in three houres space was vtterly consumed with fire The steeple was about twelue fade me high aboue the battlements of the square stone worke but it was a steeple spreading downeward very large in circumference The same worke which bare it being also about twelue fadome high is a long square of one and twentie feete one side and eighteene feete the other side It is thought by good workemen that two hundred loades of timber will not suffice for the erecting of such a steeple as that stoneworke did lately beare I found also the belles being before a sweete ring and so large that the Tenor waighed twentie hundred waight partly melted into such fragments and partly burnt into such cinders or intermingled with such huge heapes of cinders as it will neuer heereafter serue to the former vses thereof This lightning did not onely this harme in Surrey but also it afflicted Sussex and diuers other places about the very same time It was very strange when it fired Bleachingley steeple it entred also into the house of one Stephen Lâ—gsford of Buckstead in Sussex almost twenmiles from Bleachingley and melting the lead of his glasse windowes did with great violence breake through and rent in sunder a strong bricke chimney What shall I write of mine owne tragicall euents vpon the third of Ianuary 1608. which are nothing inferiour to any of the accidents here recited But because I intend to set the same out more distinctly by it selfe I will suspend the story only during the space of an houres reading from my Readers view About the same time there happened in Dorsâ—tshire at Winburne Minster a very strang accident About foure a clocke in the afternoone as they were at Euensong the steeple spire being strongly built of lime stone and sand and beset with yron barres was sodainly stricken downe with thunder and lightning the leads were rent and torne yea and which was most miraculous the singing mens bookes were torne in their hands and the seates before their faces likewise rent and broken And this the glorious God hath done because the mouthes of the wicked may be stopped who iniuriously detract from his prouidence in imputing my misfortunes onely singled out aboue all others as though the same miraculous Mouer which moued these heauenly creatures of his against me did not also extend his power in the like degree vpon others in this Realme Howsoeuer welcome be his Angell vnto me whether he brings me tidings of peace or of tribulation LINEAMENT IX 1 That they detract from the glorious Maiestic of God which attribute his thunders lightnings and other mercory signes to the Diuell or his adherents 2 Proofes out of the word of God that God alone sendeth forth such terrible signes SEruants must obey their masters aswell curteous as curst Children must honour their parents though otherwhiles they chastise them seuerely Subiects must pray for their Prince and serue him though he exceeds the limits of law Euen so ought we being the seruants children and subiects of the Almighty brooke patiently all visitations whatsoeuer the Lord sendeth eyther deseruedly for our sinnes or momentary for our triall to confirme our vertues lest prosperity puffe vp our mindes with pride Vpon our submission our gracious Lord will stay his hand as he did with the Niniuites vpon our repentance he will rebuke the winde and say to the Sea Peace and be still But nowadaies a contrarie superstitious spirit possesseth many of our Pharisaicall Critickes They are not content to detract one mortall man from the other eyther their goods of bodie their goods of minde or their goods of fortune though in this case they are inexcusable but they must detract from the onely glorious God his glorious appurtenances and his goodly types of maiestic Yea they goe about by such absurde Detractions to annihilate his infinite authoritie to abridge his incomprehensible motion who at one becke can barre them of all motion Romulides saturi inter pocâ—la Our carping Troianes whose GOD is their bellie amiddest their Bacchannales and Tobachanales doe blasphemously bruite abroad that the Diuell raiseth windes tempestes thunders lightnings and earthquakes eyther immediatly of himselfe or else by the meanes and mediation of some omnipotent Coniurer If sicknesse oppresse them out of hand they post with Ahaziah to a cousening coniurer or wizard as wise as themselues to know whether they be bewitched or whether they shall recouer of their disease This is their faithlesse wont as though there were not a God in Israel If the Lord sends his Angell or descends himselfe in glory with thunder and lightening as he did sometimes on Mount Sinai they blasphemously impugne saying that God is locally circumscribed in heauen None can work miracles in these latter daies saue the Diuell He euen he it is that appeares in varieties of shapes more then are specified in Ouids Metamorphosis sometimes a Centaure sometimes a blacke dogge some other times a winged fowle of the ayre All this while thou most mercifull Iudge grieuest thy patient spirit at their perrish petulant and proud assertions Thou makest as though thou hearest them not scorning to extend thy iustice against such silly wretches before the predestinated time for thou art as voyde of perturbations as they are subiect vnto Detractions yet will not they refraine their tongues because that their runnagate babling being not restrained with feare nor shame wandereth vp and downe scotfree without punishment Rise vp O Lord and let them pay the price of their Detractions or let them know that thou canst not endure any competitour of thy glory But what knowledge neede they further what other light expect they to illuminate their darksome mindes They haue
times within the same quarter of the yeare that she dyed I know very well quoth she I cannot liue till the first of March Another time being as I remember not aboue three weekes before her death descending downe from her chamber where then she had beene at prayers shee came smiling vnto me with these words Husband I bring you good tidings you shall be rid of me and you shall haue another wife for I am fully assured that I shall dye very shortly and that before the first of March And I thanke God I am prepared let him send when hee will Which words of hers being by me accepted in iest shee replyed as if shee had seene a vision or felt some extraordinary motion in her spirit you thinke I speake in iest but marke the end Neyther did the Lord I speake it to his glory send this glorious alarme vnto mee without an implicite or mysticall premonition for about two Moneths before or thereabouts as farre as I remember in a dreame I saw the very like accident Mee thought I was at a Knight my brothers house and there lying vpon my bed I imagined to haue seene and heard vpon the sodaine in the night time a most terrible lightning and thunder in such wise that I made full account the whole house had beene burnt or cast downe and therefore to saue my life with much adoe I hastned out of doores where I supposed to haue beheld the inner part of the house terribly flaming with fire and presently after I might see one conueying out of doores a Chest whereupon I bewailed that a blacke Truncke of mine stored with money was left behind consumed with the flame This dreame I related to my said Brother being at my house about three weekes before the accident wished him in my brotherly loue to looke somwhat more warily to his house least night fires might endanger him by reason of the height of his house the same not inferiour for height to any house which I haue seene and likewise by reason of the partitions being timber-worke Neuerthelesse for all this I aduise not the Reader to embrace this dreame of mine for an infallible president because that dreames sort our commonly according to the diet temperate or intemperate sparing or gluttonous which men vse And yet I beleeue God seldome vseth to inflict any notable accident vpon a charitable Christian that mortifies his body with competent fasting and moderates his soule with contemplation of heauenly mysteries vvithout some secret prodrome or fore-running glimpse of his powerfull purpose Nor doe I aduise my Reader to surmise that I conceiue ouer credulously or superstitiously of Morphâ—us or Phobetor the Poeticall Gods of dreames as necessarie causes of notorious effects For my sentence is none otherwise of dreames then of Comets and Eclipses vvhich likewise are not the causes of remarkable euents but onely such signes and tokens are as smoake at the top of a chimney or as an Iuie bush put forth at a vintrie the one prognosticating fire within the other the sale of wine Thus it pleased the glorious Lord of lightnings to extend his miraculous mercy towards me and perhaps to leaue me as a firebrand taken out of the burning or as Ezechiels signe for a testimonie of his lightning glory to hardned hearts This is the second miracle whereby as a virbius or Rediuiuâ—s I acknowledge my selfe twise restored from death to life within the compasse of seauen yeares euen about the selfe same season of the yeare when our Sauiour Christ became flesh for the saluation of flesh The first time of my deliuerance vvas vpon a Christmas day 1602. This latter time on the third of Ianuarie 1608. and both vpon a Tuesday In Fraunce betwixt Tremblado and Marena a passage of two leagues ouer it was my chance on a Christmas day to be stricken into the surging Sea vvith the boistrous force of a cruell tempest where I had no sooner falne and cried to the Lord for helpe but sodainely beyond all expectation I found an Oare betweene my hands to defend or rather deferre my life And to this houre I cannot deuise where-hence the said Oare should chance vnto me In this dolefull sort I floated almost a quarter of an houre very often tossed and ouerturned with the furious rowling of the stormie waues vntill it pleased God at length of his exceeding bounty in that rough tempestuous weather when the proudest ship became humbled as the weakest reed to direct the course of that small Barke from whence I fell towards mee and to guide the Marriners hands as a man would say against winde and weather against Oares and Sailes for the haling me vp in a manner dead and ready to forsake the Oare So that I may boldly say that I haue beene miraculously preserued both from fire and water Sic coniurati veniunt ad classica venti So windes coniur'd descended to our sailes And if it were lawfull for me to apply those Meeters in the Psalter destinated to our Sauiour Christs resurrection I would sound out with ioyfull cheere Thus from aboue the Lord sent downe to fetch me from belowe And pluckâ— me out of waters great which would me ouerflowe I would also with Ionas the Prophet exhibite my submissiue petition vnto the Lord my Sauiour Thou didst cast me downe into the deepe into the midst of the sea and the floods compassed me about all thy billowes and waues passed ouer mec And I said I am cast away out of thy sight yet will I looke againe towards thine holy Temple Here I could lay downe how his omnipotent Maiestie respected me in all my trauailes both by land and water Twise I passed the Pyrenaean Mountaines betwixt Fraunce and Spaine and that in the dead of Winter Twise I trauailed ouer the Alpes I escaped the Banditi in Italy robberies in Hungary and in other forraine Countries All which deliuerances Per varios casus per toâ— discrimina râ—rum Through diuers straights through dangers infinite Ordinarie and extraordinarie I ascribe to no other destenie or fortune then to the great Redeemer of the world the mighite Lord strong mercifull gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne From whom I confesse this last lightning Tragedie to be sent as a preparatiue for me and others In like manner I confesse it was profitable for my soules health that God after this dreadfull fashion rouzed me vp out of my Tent of securitie For indeed I liued almost as carelesse as Sardanapalus bewitched with worldly ease but now I thanke my gracious Lord mine eyes begin to open my soule begins to see her faults God giue mee grace to perseuer in this acknowledgement and to ascribe the glorie vnto him alone LINEAMENT XIIII 1 The spirit of Detraction connicted for censuring the Lords secret iudgements 2 The Authors imperfections acknowledged 3 His meditation on his late
hath a summe of money due vnto him by Obligation the Partie indebted not able to spare it by reason of his ouer-lauâ—sh expenses in apparrell wenches and such inordinate vanities and seeing no shift at the Common law to auoid the payment confederates with two or three of the Diuels consort bare legged vagrants those whom Homer termed houselesse and Tribelesse and vseth the forfeit of their soules for his temporall aduantage and for the hindrance of his Creditours in his Maiesties Court of Chauncerie Doth a Landlord demand the occupation of his owne and natiue free-hold requiring the Tenant either to compound for a longer terme or to leaue it vnto his dispose Presently these wrangling wretches with bread and cheese in their scrips runne headlong to the Counsell of the Marches where vpon affidauit of their three yeares possession and afterwards vpon proofe by some of these damned crew that they contracted with their Landlord for a lease paroll though such an Act was neuer done or perhaps done for some other consideration of import they procure either orders to continue their possessions for the said supposed deposed terme or vntill they be expulsed by vertue of verdict at the Common law where also by reason of these vilipendious varlets testimonies they win the garland of their forged suits O the perfidiousnesse of false faithlesse hearts that thus rashly runne into the lake of fire and brimstone These inconueniences happen daily to the impairing and impeaching of our temporall fortunes Yea and which is most detestable among Christians these treacherous Iudasses and impious Impes of Sathan combine together against our credites which some of vs value beyond Craessus his treasurie and some other times against our liues which as Tenants in capite we hold from the King of Kings These abhominations of my natiue Country here I submit before your eyes of Iustice that the same may serue as additions of examples vnto your manifold experience whereby your Honours may conceiue or rather recall to memorie what terrible tempests doe daily encounter your inferiour Ministers and others his Maiesties vvell disposed subiects notwithstanding that you know alreadie better then a thousand such as I am that there is no signe more certaine that men are vertuous then to see them hated of the vicious for imminent enuie euer persecutes eminent vertue Good my Lords employ your vttermost endeauours for the extirping of these accursed actions The more paines yee take in this waightie businesse the more conspicuous crowne of Honour shall you weare in the Heauenly Citie euen by His appointment who though inuisible to the eyes of flesh and bloud stands in the assembly of the Gods and iudgeth among the Gods that is in the midst of you O earthly Iudges which likewise that Holy man protested saying that his eyes are with Kings and Princes in the throne And another confirmeth the same vvith a reason for yee execute not the iudgements of man but of God To this end that the lawes of this land may not further be iniured by the Spirit of Detraction let his counterfaite Castor and Pollux be crushed in the egge his rancour repelled and his rage repressed in the beginning of his raigne for if Sathans surmised suites vvere blasted in the blossome the rest of his snakie Spirits would presently sneake away into their bottomlesse home If the lippes of our Satyrciall Semeies vvere seared as a subiects lips in France vvere seared vvith a hot Iron for his petulant speaches vvhen they transgresse and transcend the bounds of obedience then surely vvould they yeeld their hearts vvith greater awe and ciuilitie to the Ballance and Sword of Iustice. If their tongues vvere tempered towards your subordinate Ministers they vvould vvith greater reuerence respect your higher authorities as the resemblance of his Maiesties person yea of God himselfe But some will say that these sons of Detraction cannot so soon cashiere ther blasphemies periuries slanderous suggestions by reason of a continuall cankred custome which they deriue into their wils euer from their cradle in their education conuersation For confirmation of this fallacie they insist on the Locrensian law on the state of our bodies which may not brook innouation nor breach of custome the same being as Physicians hold another nature With the sophistrie of this vntempered morter Right prudent Lords our Momists vse to daube ouer their grosse errors as though the conuersion of a corrupted custome were the peruersion of an authenticke Law The alteration of our customarie diet I confesse seemes raw and rough at first vnto our crabbed natures but within a while after it turnes to the benefit of the Patient where the custome is refined or reduced into a better for what is Custome without Truth none other then as meate without salt an old wiues fable and an old doating sinne Whatsoeuer sauours not of Faith is sinne The word of God admits not of wrangling policie neyther may vve wrest it according to our vvorldly deuises It is primitiue and contemnes mixture it is pure and hates hypocrisie The Lord hath spoken and his speaches shall stand for euer Heauen and Earth shall passe away but the vvord of God shall neuer passe Yea one day tels another one night certifieth another that his spotlesse Spirit abhorres those refractaryes which blaspheme his hallowed Name which beare false testimonies against their neighbours But vvhat am I that thus audaciously goe about to confront your experience vvhose bookes of Iudgements I am not worthy to open What am I that seeme as sus Mineruam to instruct Nathans in Iustice Nestors in Counsels Pardon my trespasse vertuous Iudges as the Highest Iudge hath pardoned yours As many peeces of flesh I speake it vnder your accustomed patience do better the pottage so these aduisoes of mine though ambitiously elated I know cannot hinder your graue proceedings Let them go then as little looking glasses for Abcedarie nouices vvhose abilitie perhaps in wit or purse will not serue to get them mirroirs of a firmer substance LINEAMENT II. 1 That after Controulement Instruction is necessary for them that be possessed with the Spirit of Detraction 2 That Taciturnitie and Patience doe coniure him downe into hell FOrasmuch as the Detracting Spirit and his false feathered Eagles are vnmasked and discouered through the vvinde of Gods Word which before in this age of ours was like an infortunate Planet predominant ouer the Horoscope of our natiuities it is high time that I minister an Antidote or preseruatiue against the precedent mischiefes and after controulement that I adioyne instruction seeing both together are as necessarie for the variable will of man as Phlebotomy for a Pleurisie or Calenture Euery euill at the first budding is quickly extirped but being suffered for a while to runne a lawlesse race vncurbed or vncorrected it becommeth past cure Euen as wilde-fire or lightning hauing receiued nourishment or matter to worke vpon by candle-light tallow or oylie substances
increaseth in a house and there-hence vvould breake into the next house and at last into the whole towne vnlesse at the first inflaming it be quencht with milke so the Spirit of Detraction being suffered to creepe into an honest mans house like Aesops vnthankfull Snake which the innocent husbandman saued from the chilling colde and there by negligence permitted to infect some of the household will at length not onely enuenome the head of the Family himselfe but also empoyson the vvhole neighbourhood except at the first his fiery force be extinguished with the milke of Taciturnitie and Patience Of this kinde of milke among other ingredients is that Oyntment made which the Apostle mentioned ye haue an oyntment of him that is holy ye know all things Though Truth hath taken off this false vizard yet vvee must apply the fruits of Truth for his further condemnation and that other wicked Spirits may likewise be kept backe from planting themselues in the little world With Taciturnitie the Spirit of Detraction is choakt with Patience the Detracted conquereth the Detractour vincit qui patitur In old time this kinde of Spirit vvas coniured vp by vnhallowed holy vvater by massemonging miracles now our Countrey-men rayse him vp by pots of good liquour and pipes of Tobacco therewith both day and night profaining their bodies which rather they ought to purifie vvith mortification as the Temples of the Holy Ghost for wanton flesh and bloud cannot inherit heauen In old time his malice was sometimes allayed by simplicitie and superstitious singlenesse of minde now hee can neuer be put downe and packt into hell without Taciturnitie and Patience both which if thou who readest this Circle dost obtaine at thy heauenly Fathers hand thou needest not doubt of thy soules saluation nor of silent sobrietie LINEAMENT III. 1 The discription of Taciturnitie 2 That the nature and qualitie of a man may be discerned by speach or writing 3 That wise men in priuate may descant of their neighbours faults so that the same tend to edification ALbeit that Taciturnitie be a kinde of milke farre more delicious then the Paracâ—lsians lac virginis or false Mahemets heauenly iunkets hard to come by knowne but of very few and those sons of Art vvhose chiefe Aphorisme is to keepe close their soueraigne receipts from vicious persons I will notwithstanding aduenture to disclose vvhat it is borrowing the discription thereof out of Monsieur du Chesue his Portraict de la sancte Taciturnity is to heare and premeditate a thing well and long to be briefe and short in his answeres that is to speake little or nothing Taciturnite est bien longuement oscouter premediter estre briese court on ses responses ascauoir dire peu ou rien This rare medicine makes the Patient which takes it to carry his mouth in his heart whereas Detraction causeth men to beare their hearts in their mouthes to deliuer dregs with drinke and to shoot their foolish boltes before that discretion wils them Which moued a certaine wise man that on a time vvas askt by his Prince at a banquet why hee alone sate still like a foole without parleying thus pithily to answeare A foole be it spoken vnder your Matesties correction can hardly hold his peace at a banquet for as Salomon saith the foole putteth forth all his spirit but a wise man deferreth it afterwards O diuine vertue O discreet Taciturnitie which resemblest the patient Deitie vvhich repellest hunger and thirst which neuer renderest griefe blame nor shame Surely the best coniecture vvhich may be made of mens inclinations is by speach or writing Loquere vt te videam speake that I may know thee quoth Socrates to a nouice of his as for example if thou hearest one discourse immoderately of faire women fine apparrell of hauking hunting and gaming or if thou hearest him vaunt ouer-gloriously of his owne vvorth or speaking in print in inck-horne termes thundring out sesquipedales and hornificabustulated metaphors verborum bullas ampullas wordes of his owne bubled or botled stampe or if thou seest him scribble disioynted phrases and lame Hyperboles then note him for a vaine-glorious fellow a phantasticall Parrot a golden Asse led too much with the imaginatiue facultie If his common talke be of law cases of lying Chronicles of old wiues fables or if he rips vp pedegrees repeating his owne or his Kinsmans genealogy to Cadwalader to Brutus to Saturne to Noah in all companies and at all times of honest mirth obserue him for an excellent memorie and vvithall for a notable foole If he waighs his vvords by the ounce if hee speakes seldome or not before a question be asked him and if he regardeth circumstances as the dignitie of the person vvith whom he talkes the place the time the nature of the hearers and the matter of speach alwayes vsing Gods name and authoritie vvith submissiue reuerence knowing that his omnipotent Maiesty heareth euery vvord hee speakes then marke him for a man of vnderstanding Hee that vvill learne to speake must first learne to be silent for as the Italian Prouerbe teacheth l'huomo parlando poco e ' annumerato fra i sauij The man vvhich speakes little is accounted among the vvise And as the French-man saith les foullies plus courtes sont les meilleures the briefest sheetes are the best Be a man neuer so vvitty yet if hee parleyes much his tongue cannot chuse but erre and trip in some principall points which as another Italiaen vvrites vvill trouble the stomacke more then ten graines of Antimoniâ— or Stibium Conturbano piu lo stomacho que farebbonâ—â—â—eci grani de Antimonio So that one vvord out of square may blemish a mans whole reputation and cause Zoylists to descant and sit vpon him perhaps vvhile hee liues Neyther can I excuse the wisest Clerkes that they likewise be not sometimes subiect vnto the spirit of Detraction as that Learned Lord demonstrates Men though otherwise graue and learned may erre eyther by mistaking principles or giuing too light eare vnto false informations which are rightly termed the spectacles of Errour for God onely searcheth the heart and raines But what censure will their owne inckpot Senate yeeld of such iesting and Iybing nicking and nipping Paedantes vvhich cannot bridle their vvide mouth'd hackneys namely that such persons be but parliamenting Parasites Pungitopian peeuish Momes ridiculous Readers Bacchanalian Parolistes super-ingenious Iayes superficiall flaunting fooles letting their tongues runne before their wits without rime or reason without matter or methode for as the Wise-man writeth In many words there cannot want iniquitie Notwithstanding all this I am not so seuere a Cynicke neque mihi cornea sibra est nor are my heart-stings so horny and hard-laced as to banish all manner of delightfull discourses to deceiue away the time vvithall for I graunt that a friend an alter ego may vvithout impeachment of Detraction or doubt of Libelling vnlocke the cabinet of
hath appointed to be the head of your Corporation Whether they be Iewes or Gentiles Scottish Walsh or Irish bond or free so that they concurre with you in the same Religion see that yee loue them as your selues and let not the Diuell separate those whom God hath ioyned together Perhaps the Idiome of their speech their thicke pronounciation displeaseth your delicate cares because like Ephramites they cannot so distinctly vtter your filed shibboleth because they cannot runne away with their words so glibâ— so smooth nor so elegantly as your selues After this manner did the Athenians inuaigh against Anacharsis that famous Sâ—ythian but what answere did hee retort them Speeches ought not to be termed bad while they comprehended good counsels while honest deeds accompanied their words This also the Apostle corroborates requiring Preachers not to come with excellency of words to shew the testimony of God vnto the people And this hee proues by a diuine reason intimating that the word of God consisteth not in the enticing words of mens wisedâ—me but in the euidence of the spirit and of power But these scruples are too triuiall for men of vnderstanding Away then with such idle phantasies Away with such Panick peeuish doubts Blesse we the Authour of our Vnion which hath incorporated two Christian Kingdomes constituting an eternall league of amitie betwixt vs by his own personall presence by the Maiestie of his birth so that wee may boldly bid S. George S. Andrew S. Dauid S. ' Patricke to auaunt Auaunt Adieu ye sinnefull Saints and in their stead come come thou the onely true and sacred Saint Lord Iesus to whom all other Saints doe crowch and kneele for mercy Our Cambrian cause comes next For the same reason embrace our plaine societie speake well of vs the poore remnants of the ancient Britaines and let not the Prophecies of our Bardhs dismay your generous mindes that we one day shal Lord it in Troy-nouant measuring your silken Stuffes vpon our warlike ' Pikes that we shall worke our full reuenge for that dismall and bloudy long-kniu'd day These Prophecies are already expired but in a mysticall manner Haue not diuers of our Nation beene elected Mayors in your chiefe Cities and so triumphed for their due deserts I will not say how Austen the Monk subiected your Ancestours to the Romisâ— yoake how Swaine with his Danes and William with his Normanes swayed ouer your persons goods and lands how your owne members haue beene torne among your selues through ciuil discord when York and Lancaster set vp their flags of red and white Roses Ambo pares rosulas pila minantia pilis Though these misfortunes of yours might well satisfie a reuengefull spirit yet will not I insist on such cruell Augurismes but rather reioyce that vnder the same Prince vnder the same Lawes the same Liberties wee ioyne together in our spirituall offices I reioyce that the memoriall of Offaes Ditch is extinguished with loue and Charitie that our greene Leekes sometimes offensiue to your daintie nostrils are now tempred with your fragrant Roses that like the Gibeonites we are vnited and graffed into Israel God giue vs grace to dwell together without enuy without Detractions LINEAMENT VIII 1 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted in Aduocates and Counsellours at Law for putting on a good face on bad causes 2 The Authours resolution on the behalfe of honest Lawyers IT is no small slander in our Christian Corporation when our Aduocates and Counsellours at Law for the greedinesse of a little worldly mucke doe put their tongues to sale and polish their wits purposely to colour a foule cause with faire speaches to make that seeme tolerable before the Tribunall seate of Iustice which they in their Consciences know to be intolerable This in very deed is a scandall to the Weale-publike to the Spirit of God which through the Prophets mouth thundred out this terrible curse against such lewde practisers Cursed be yee which speake good of euill and euill of good This kinde of dealing is likewise rebuked by the Wiseman Hee that iustifieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust they both are abhominable vnto God For certainely were it not that these Instruments of Sathan did patronize our enuious aduersaries by backing them in their base proiects they durst not beard the Sonnes of Iustice so long as they doeâ—nay were it not that they so boldly bolster and beare out ill matters the reuerend Iudges of this Land need not lose halfe so many nights of sleepe turmoyling their braines in the search of truth least they wrong the partie innocent Whereto I might adde how these wainescot Lawyers in concealing and couering the carriage of such lewde members doe aggrauate and augment the nature of their sinnes which otherwise through the prickles of flesh bloud through the smart of shame they would forgo submitting themselues to the rod of correction For there is no better remedie to kill sinne and cure the soule then to suffer the sinner to sustaine for his sinne some punishment by shame griefe or other meanes What auailes it me to gaine a world of wealth and within a short while after to leaue behind mee both my wealth and this world Better it is to sup a messe of pottage with securitie then to feede on the daintiest cates with hazard Admit that Clients load me with golden fees for setting out a brazen face on damned causes Admit that all my life time I haue glutted my gut vvith fruit of Paradise yet if I dare not appeare in the presence of God but am forced to hide my selfe as where can I hide my selfe from his All seeing Maiestie and to howle for very feare and anguish yee mountaines fall vpon me yee Rockes couer me what shall my fees and fruit then profit me what good shall I get by them vvhen Death dogges me at the heeles when my pulses shall faintly beat my sences faile and my eye-lids shut neuer more to open vntill they shall see the gates of new Ierusalem shut fast against their wretched Maister O remember this all yee that leane to Mammâ—n all yee that loue shadowes better then substance and falshood better then Truth For mine owne part though I am but young yet I haue obserued somewhat I know as many trickes and quillets to entangle men as another doth I know diuers meanes to circumuent them that happily thinke themselues as wise as my selfe like vnto that Italian which boasted he knew so many deuises to get money as there be dayes in the yeare but I protest before him that made me I would chuse to be murthered rather then to vse them in my greatest need Such is the resolution of my soule or as a friend of mine lately termed it the tendernesse of my Conscience that I fouly scorne to play the part of a mercenarie Mechaniâ—ke with my brother in Christ. I fouly scorne to nourish contentions for mine owne aduantage For how dare I claime my selfe to
beyond their Husbands meanes because they paint their faces with artificiall drugs and also because they gadde to stage-playes to publike daunces and showes vpon Sundayes and Holy-dayes in stead of hallowing and sanctifying their soules with thankfull prayers And in truth their reasons fall out many times currant for that such things being deuised by Diuellish people as allurements to spirituall fornication after the pompous gods of the earth be likewise the fore-runners of fleshly fornication euen as Pride is the mother of all mischiefe Othe s againe blab out scandalous impeaâ—hments of honest womens fame because they would not seeme alone to weare Actaeâ—ns badge and therefore they se uerely censure of other mens wiues Many blaze out such detracting speaches because they want matters of discourse to humour other men But cursed mought they be that beginne these slanderous accusations whereby man and wise doe vary after that God hath ioyned them both together Cursed mought they be who being partiall towards themselues doe neuerthelesse pronounce sentence of damnation against other mens incontinencie as though themselues had neuer tript yea and cursed be those Sycophants who with their runnagâ—te rumours and reports doe hinder Gentlewomen from their promotion in honest marriage This arrogant imputation our Sautour Christ himselfe refuted when hee willed those presumptuous Iewes who inuaighed against the poore delinquent woman that the purest of them being voide of sin should fling the first stone at her Though this sexe I confesse be weake the weaker vessell and may become seduced with faire protestations of golden mountaines as well as men the impotence of whose disposition is thus described by a Spaniard La muger hermosa es cemo la mancana De dentro podrida y de sucra galana Like as thou findst an Apple foule within And faire without such shalt thou beauty finde Yet nothwithstanding be thou the last that bruits abroad such tales calling to minde these graue rules En bonne part ce qu'on dit tu dots prendre Et imperfait du prochain supporter Couurir sa faute ne la rapporter ' Prompt a louer et tardif a reprendre What men doe speake in earnest or in iest take in good part and if thy neighbour halt Excuse her slips report them not at least be swist to salue and slow to blame her fault For who can tell the end and vse of our temptations it may be that God suffers some to goe awry like Mary Magdalene for a little while because the lowly minded sinner may not despaire of his euer-during mercy and because their owne rod of experience may chastice their Iasciuiousnesse Of this nature is some womans fall that she might rise againe when her guiltie heart submits it selfe to Iustice for otherwise her conscience would not care for any thing if it were not once deeply wounded for some hainous thing and that with an euer feeling dint whereby her contrite spirit might daily poure out this true confession before his throne of mercy I doc know mine owne wickednesse and my sinnes are alwayes before me I could vnfold many other Detractions against mens bodyes mindes and fortunes deuâ—sed by Dâ—uellish persons in these latter dayes to ransacke the reputation of the best disposed were it not that I feare the censure of the wise in noting my discourse to be too prolixe and tedâ—ous Within this very place I will therefore fasten the Anchor of the said discourse with this memorable lesson Audâ— vide tacâ— â—ivis vâ—uere in pace Heare and see and say but the best If thou dost loue to liue in rest LINEAMENT IX 1 The reasons why men speake ill of learned bookes 2 That superstitious persons cannot rightly connict the Spirit of detraction 3 That the true conuiction of the Spirit of Detraction consists in the mysteries of Gods word TO draw now at last to the last Scene of this Comick-tragedie I will conuert my speach towards the Detractours of learned Bookes which worthy Wits by the Holy Spirits motion do daily transcribe as monuments of Gods glory to all posterities It is fatall vnto good men that their literate workes be vilified in their liues time chiefely among their owne acquaintance for a Prophet was neuer as yet esteemed in his owne Countrey Seeing that Christ himselfe came among his owne nation and was both despised and derided what maruell is it then that wise men are dispraised of the present age that the Spirit of Detraction pursues them vntill their dying day that hee defiles their workes with his stale and stinking vrine What meruell is it that Laudamus veteres nostros carpimus annos We praise the old and hate the present time What maruell what noueltie is it nowadayes that wicked men carpe at their wits whose Disciples or Apprentises they are not worthy to be much lesse to vsurpe the place of Aristarches or Censorian Catoes ouer such industrious wights Yee celestiall Spirits which expose abroad your sacred talents for your Maisters profit loath to lurke in the Laechaeen caue of obliuion feare not this manifolded Monster Though he assailes your younglings the fruits of your sanctified soules with the wilde Boares tuskes with the Beares clawes with the Serpents sting his beastly force can neuer enter through your enchanted armour His enuie will be abated through your modestie his hatred through your kindnesse his Detractions through your perfections his scornes through your vertuous influence Some kinde of Alâ—mists their ignorance inciteth to despise the workes of the Learned as confirmes that old Rule Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Learning hath no greater enemie then the ignorant Some detract from other mens Bookes disgorging their gall vpon the absent Authours for no other reason then because they would seeme wiser to the standers by then they are indeed Some spit out infectious spite and rage against them of very ranke and meere maleuolence for that it frets them to the heart that their coequals in the goods of Fortune should become their betters through the goods of Vertue that the radiant rayes of their Corriuals name and fame eternized to the highest orbe by a bookish monument or Colossos should eclipse their temporall transparence and quite confound the memoriall of their former factions Some for argument or cauillation sake seeke a hole where no hole is reprehending those mysteries which they cannot apprehend nor comprehend The greatest part do ieere at their neighbours bookes because they preferre worldly profit before their soules not able to spare one houre in the day for holy exercise though they can spare whole moneths for gaine ieasts pleasures fooleries or in debasing of noble spirits Others discommend mens writings because they cannot disproue them and yet neuerthelesse by reason that Ipse dixit the Pythagorean or rather Pythonicall I doll of their consciences hath prohibited them by an expresse Canon not to beleeue the positions of Protestants though they issue out of Truths owne mouth therefore because